Macy’s in Bloom

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

Four years ago, my wife and I took my younger son and a girlfriend for a short trip to New York City for spring break. Although my wife had been to the city before, for the rest of us it was the first time. New York is iconic and so over the top. I can’t imagine any first-time visitor not being impressed, or at least astounded. Of course, we hit several of the top tourist sites, such as the Statue of Liberty and Times Square, but we also took in the major stores on Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue. We even made a few small purchases just for the bragging rights.

Oddly enough, the most beautiful and stunning site I saw on the trip was not one of the traditional NYC landmarks but was inside Macy’s Department Store. The Flower Show, with its elaborate gardens and beautiful arrangements, has been a Macy’s spring tradition for the past 41 years. Every available space was like an oasis of color and foliage. Plants were all arranged on the tops of display cases, tucked into shelves, and scattered on counters throughout the entire store. Corners were transformed into mini gardens. There were exotic plants from around the world, and Macy’s brings in some of the top arrangers to put it all together. It is a spectacular event that I highly recommend.

Macys flowers — Macy’s Flower Show, 2011

As I was wandering around from one department to the next, I kept imagining how much work it would take to pull off something like this show. The set up must go on for days, and the clean up afterwards has to be a nightmare. Macy’s has a special page on their website devoted to the annual event, which includes a fascinating time-lapse video of the installation of the show. It’s truly amazing to watch.

Daytona Revisited

August 9, 2015August 9, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ 2 Comments

Several months back I wrote an entry about my memories of vacations at Daytona Beach, Florida. I wondered if going back now, in my mid-fifties with my second wife and no kiddies, would provide me with some sense of nostalgia about vacations past. Oddly enough, an opportunity came out of the blue a few weeks ago for my wife and me to take a long weekend trip to Daytona. We are fortunate enough at this stage of our lives to be able to afford better accommodations than I could ever have enjoyed in previous decades. There aren’t any real five-star resorts in Daytona, but there are a few four-star places that are a cut above the rest, and we found a nice one at the small beach community on the south end of the area called Daytona Shores. In fact, the resort is simply called The Shores, and it was surprisingly comfortable if not luxurious, with several amenities you wouldn’t find elsewhere in Daytona.

My wife had never been to this beach, and she was curious to see my old haunts — the places I have told her about over the years. Some of the places, like the old apartments and hotels my family stayed in through the years, are no longer there. They are either replaced by other buildings or remain vacant lots ready for development. I was wondering if the highly-commercial, dare I say cheesy, atmosphere of Daytona was going to be over the top for her. Not at all. She loved it, and we were talking the whole time we were there about how to make long weekend trips work, returning to The Shores. The Boardwalk at Daytona has changed so much over the years, with an outdoor mall, new and extravagant rides, and huge hotels towering over the beach. However, some of the old arcades that my sons spent many hours and dollars in are still there, dirty and hot and smelly as ever. And of course, the ancient bandshell is still intact, where we heard a couple of bands playing. A real blast from the past was going in the salt water taffy store that has been in operation at the same location since before my wife and I were born. We filled up a plastic bag of taffy and both bought an ice cream cone — it was like tasting memories.

Sunset at Daytona Beach Boardwalk from the pier

A Deliberate Disconnection

August 7, 2015August 12, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

On our family trip this summer to Yellowstone National Park, my wife found great accommodations for us at Headwaters Lodge at Flag Ranch. It is conveniently located just a few miles from the southern entrance to the park, providing easy access to Yellowstone and to Grand Tetons National Park. The cabins we stayed in were comfortable enough, but not luxurious in the least. They were not equipped with AC, which in the evening was no problem. We could open the windows, and the temperatures dropped significantly overnight. There were no televisions or radios, and there was absolutely no cell service or wifi access. The park literature made it clear that this kind of “disconnection” was somewhat deliberate, making it possible for visitors to appreciate the natural resources without electronic distractions.

Our campground was in quite a remote area between the two national parks, so we really weren’t surprised that we would have no cell service or wifi. The lodge claimed to have wifi access, but we were never able to connect. What was a bit surprising was the lack of cell service throughout the parks. The only time we had a decent signal was at two or three of the major attractions, such as Old Faithful Lodge, or at a few of the stores and restaurants. It took a day or so to get used to the idea of this kind of isolation, but the adjustment finally came, for me at least. The other functions of our devices worked, of course, and I was grateful to have the capability of taking photos with my phone, mainly as a backup for my small Cannon point-and-shoot. Not being able to get calls from my other son back home or other family members was a little unsettling, I must admit. I wouldn’t want to be that out of reach for weeks at a time, but for a few days, it was okay to be really away from so many of the elements of civilization.

I suspect the parks will eventually find it necessary to expand their cell service and even the wifi access, not only for park personnel, but also for vendors and visitors. Doing so will no doubt change the experience of being in these wilderness sanctuaries for most visitors, and that is a bit unfortunate. Being immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors is certainly hindered by our gadgets, and having an opportunity to explore the wonders of nature without them definitely enhanced the encounter for me.

Incapacitated

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

A month has passed since my last entry, but I have a few good excuses. My wife and I did some traveling in July, and my workload at the office increased a bit too. Even so, I would have made an entry by the last week of the month had it not been for a significant event on July 19 that brought me to a brief standstill — a broken ankle. This is the first time I have ever broken a bone, and I wasn’t prepared for how the pain, though not necessarily acute, would linger for several weeks. I am fortunate in that it was a single fracture and apparently not bad enough to require surgery (at least not so far), but I have been in a cast for two weeks and have had to get around either on crutches or with this snazzy four-wheel contraption with a bench for my knee that allows me to scoot around pushing off with the good leg.

Those who have read this blog know that mobility is extremely important to me. I love to travel, I spend lots of time walking and hiking, and my job even requires me to be outdoors on a fairly regular basis. Furthermore, I am a gardener and love growing and caring for plants in our yard and maintaining the lawn. In fact, I was spraying deer and rabbit repellent in the front yard when the accident occurred. I really wish I had a better story for how I crashed to the ground, but wet grass, a steep slope, and the wrong kind of shoes were a deadly combination that sent me crawling back to the front door, where my dear wife helped me in and iced my ankle immediately. The swelling began very quickly but was not widespread and there was very little bruising. It could have been much worse. A trip to the clinic the next evening for X-rays confirmed that I had a fracture.

I’m sure the modern style of cast that I am sporting, the bright-colored fiberglass wrap, is infinitely better than the old plaster casts of years ago. Still, the weight of the cast is probably as much a source of discomfort as the fracture itself. My calf tends to swell, along with my ankle, inside the cast if I don’t keep the leg elevated most of the time, a condition that ranges from being uncomfortable to painful. The depressing part of the whole dilemma is that I have to keep weight off the ankle for up to six weeks. I will probably transition from the cast to a lace-up boot pretty soon, which will probably be more comfortable, but I will remain very limited in my mobility for several more weeks. I’m having a hard time adjusting, but knowing that the situation is temporary also invokes a sense of guilt. How ridiculous for me to complain about this inconvenience when there are so many people who have to make these kinds of adjustments, and a whole lot more, for the rest of their lives.

What will I take away from this event that has disrupted my routines for a few weeks? Well, for starters, I will give more consideration to the type of shoes I wear, especially while strolling around the yard. I will probably be more aware of the terrain and surfaces where I walk regardless of what I may be doing at the time. I want to be more careful without being too fearful. I certainly hope I will be more sympathetic to people with disabilities who struggle with everyday tasks and movements about which I normally would not give a second thought. I will be forever grateful to my wife, my youngest son who was home for the summer, and many others who have been so gracious, considerate, patient, and helpful in getting me around and who are assisting me in getting back on both of my feet. I am thankful for a fantastic orthopedic surgeon, one of the best doctors I have ever met, whose skill, knowledge, and bedside manner have given me a great deal of assurance. Lastly, I suspect for the rest of my life I will be reminded of how fragile we are and how quickly a freak accident can take us from being fully functional to a piling heap on the ground.

Wide Open Spaces

July 6, 2015August 12, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

Recently, I took another one of those “trips of a lifetime” with my wife and one of my sons — this time to Yellowstone National Park. Although my wife had briefly visited some years back, my son and I had never been. We stayed for three full days in a cabin just a few miles from the south entrance of the park, which afforded us great access not only to Yellowstone but also to the Grand Tetons National Park as well as Jackson, Wyoming. Like my other experiences traveling to the west, I was most taken by the enormity of space in this portion of the country. The sky goes on forever. The landscape melts into the distance in a blue haze. The vistas are simply overwhelming.

Of course, like many visitors to this National Park, my son and I were hoping to see plenty of wildlife, which is practically unavoidable. In fact, there have been several recent incidents of people/wildlife encounters that have ended up not too pleasant for the humans involved, especially with bison. At a safe distance, and in the protection of an automobile, it is so rewarding to see animals in their own habitat, protected as they are from most human threats. We were fortunate enough to see bison, elk, prong horns, and an otter. We desperately wanted to see a grizzly bear but were not willing to hike in the back country where one would typically find them. However, on the last day, we were lucky enough to see a mother brown bear and her playful cub resting in the shade of some trees, just a hundred or so yards from the roadway.

I will write more posts about this trip in the weeks ahead, so we will consider this short piece an introduction. For those who haven’t been but have contemplated a trip to Yellowstone, I would strongly encourage placing it near the top of your bucket list, especially if you have an appreciation for the great outdoors.

I Now Pronounce You — Addendum

July 1, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

As a nice addition and confirmation to what I wrote yesterday about the same-sex marriage ruling from the Supreme Court, here is a well-crafted open letter to Franklin Graham at Huffington Post from Paula K. Garrett.

“The Supreme Court did not say churches must change their definition of marriage. It said that states must. You have every right to insist that you will never accept same-sex marriage, God forbid a grandchild comes out in the family. You have every right to say you will never conduct a same-sex marriage. Nothing that the Court said this week implies otherwise.”

See the entire letter here.

I Now Pronounce You

June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

It is now legal in the United States to marry anyone who also wants to marry you. I’m not exactly sure why we needed a Supreme Court decision to bring us to this place, especially in the 21st century, but here we are. In spite of the apocalyptic forecasts I have seen on Facebook over the last few days predicting that God’s wrath is now at the explosive point and ready to cover the country in steaming magma, we seem to have turned a corner where human relationships are concerned. Of course, there have been the occasional displays of defiance we would expect from certain pockets of the country, namely the Deep South Bible Belt communities where homosexual activity is hidden, along with the whiskey bottle, K-Y Lubricant, the porn websites, and the patch of marijuana tucked neatly between the rows of tall corn stalks or mixed in with the soybean plants.

By far the most often-cited reason I have seen for those objecting to gay marriage is the idea that such an arrangement is in direct opposition to God’s intention for humanity, where marriage is the union of one man and one woman in holy matrimony . . . period. Not a woman with a woman, not a man with a man, not a man with a goat, not a woman and her cat, not a man and his voice-activated computer operating system. The Supreme Court decision merely affirms what a majority of states had already decided on their own, which thankfully at this point only deals with marriage between two human beings — probably about as far as we need to push it and still have a reasonable assurance of consent from both parties.

God apparently has fairly strict and narrow rules for marriage, not to mention sexual positions, contraception, and Sunday alcohol sales. If the one-woman-one-man plan is what the Bible or any other religious text teaches you about God and marriage, then you have every right to live your life according to those guidelines as long as you can do so without infringing on the rights of others. You can encourage your family and friends to do the same. If you are influential enough to have a whole congregation of people who voluntarily abide by your religious convictions, that’s just peachy. However, what you should not be able to do in this country is use those convictions to create, sustain, and enforce public policies that are no longer upheld by a good portion of the population.

Marriage ceremonies are no doubt an important part of religious practice all around the world, which is perfectly fine. But here’s a news flash: marriage does not BELONG to religion. Atheist couples should be able to publicly proclaim their love, devotion, and commitment to one another, free of the interference of a church, synagogue, temple, or mosque. Their union should be recognized by local, state, and federal governments as a legally-binding contract, even if the marriage is performed by a secular, government official instead of a priest, minister, rabbi, qazi or madhun. Oh wait, that is EXACTLY what happens with many atheists couples, and it has been happening legally for a long time in this country. Wonder what God’s view of an atheist marriage is? Hmmmmm.

There is no place for legislation in the United States based solely on religious teachings, which is obviously the source of objection to same-sex marriage. If you are in such a position of authority, either through election or appointment by elected officials, you have an obligation to put your personal wishes and desires aside to serve your constituents, and this includes your religious views. If doing so is too difficult for you, then I suggest you either find some other job where your religious beliefs won’t be compromised (and keep in mind that not all private-sector jobs will accommodate your faith either), OR you should find a country where your religious beliefs are enforced. Good luck with that second option.

I hope same-sex marriage is here to stay. The benefits to loving gay and lesbian couples is only now being fully understood by the heterosexual community. One of the main objectives of our Constitution is to protect the dignity of our citizens and to secure their right to pursue happiness. While it seems a bit embarrassing that we needed a Supreme Court decision to make it official, I am relieved that ALL people who want to be married in this country can now do so, complete with the accompanying privileges, obligations, and benefits. You may kiss the . . . spouse!

I Love Waterfalls

June 17, 2015June 17, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

As I have mentioned before on this blog, I enjoy hiking. I am also attracted to water – mostly water that is moving fast enough to make sound. I have hiked along the coast, through the mountains, in the desert, in deep forests, along rocky peaks, and in suburban areas. More often than not, I select a place to hike that is either in sight of water or has running water as a destination. My family takes advantage of state park trails which are frequently near the shoreline of a lake or wind along a creek or river.

The ultimate culmination of a hike to me is a waterfall — the bigger and louder the better. One of the tallest I have seen recently is just outside Cherokee, North Carolina. Mingo Falls is on the Cherokee Indian Reservation (Qualla Boundary), just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At 120 feet tall, the waterfall is one of the tallest and most spectacular in the southern Appalachians. The hike on Pigeon Creek Trail to the waterfall is only 0.4 miles in length, but is considered moderate in difficulty because it is largely composed of steps and a fairly steep climb up to the falls.

I took this photograph in December, just after Christmas. It was a great time to get a shot because the foliage was gone from most of the trees, which revealed a good portion of the width of the falls as well as the vertical expanse. I was standing on the small bridge at the base of the falls where the creek continues cascading down the hillside. The sound is mighty but not deafening. I love waterfalls, and this is one of my favorites. In fact, it is currently the home-screen photo on my iPhone.

The Best Insult I Ever Received

June 15, 2015June 15, 2015 ~ If You Want My Opinion ~ Leave a comment

Insults can come in a multitude of forms and are spoken for a wide variety of reasons. They can be subtle, or they can even come in the form of backhanded compliments, which seem to me the worst of all. Most of us give and receive insults, even if we are only joking and serve them up to people we really love and admire. Insults are quite often irritating and can invoke emotions of anger, resentment, embarrassment, humiliation, or sadness. But there are rare occasions when an insult is so perfectly timed and delivered, so incredibly appropriate, that it sticks with us for a long time and is worth sharing as a self-deprecating anecdote. Here’s mine.

I worked in a public library for fifteen years in a small town in Georgia. One day the library director and I and another employee took a trip to Atlanta to talk with a vendor about a software package we were considering purchasing for the library. We were all in my car, and I was driving. On the way back from Atlanta, we were traveling through a very rural area, largely made up of dairy farms — lots of trees, pastures, and barns. The speed limit was 55, and I was cruising along at about 70 or so.

I felt a powerful wave of muscle contractions in my lower abdomen when I saw the flashing lights in my rear-view mirror and pulled over to the grassy shoulder of the state road. The car was the familiar blue and gray style used by the Georgia State Patrol in the late 1980s. I had met a few state patrol officers, and for the most part, they were tall men with wide shoulders and stern faces. I am not a big guy, so even their presence is intimidating and makes me feel like I’m guilty even if I haven’t done a thing wrong. To my surprise, the person that I saw stepping out of the patrol car had a more curvaceous body form and shoulder-length blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. It was my first encounter with a female state patrol officer, and when she reached my rolled-down window, I was thrown off-guard again by how attractive she was. I was in my late twenties, and she looked to be only a few years older than I.

Of course, she asked for my license, politely verified the pronunciation of my last name, and then she began the conversation that I will probably never forget.

Officer: “So, where are you headed in such a hurry today, Mr. _________?”

Me: “We’ve been in Atlanta all day and are heading back to work.”

Officer: “I see. And where do you work, Mr. _________?”

Me: “At the public library.”

Officer, after an outburst of laughter: “Oh my goodness, Mr. __________, this is probably the most exciting thing that’s happened to you all year!”

Me, smiling and slightly hanging my head: “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

Officer, in a playful patronizing tone: “You promise me you’re going to slow it down for me the rest of the way back to the library, Mr. ______________?”

Me: “Absolutely.”

Officer: “Alright, Mr. ____________, you all have a good afternoon and be careful, okay?”

Me, sheepishly: “Yes mam. Thank you.”

This was my first and only warning for speeding. I am now in my mid-fifties and, since I began driving when I was fifteen, I have never been issued a speeding citation or another warning. When I say “absolutely,” I mean it.