Events, Comments, and Pictures

Catch-up Since January, 2009

2010-07-22T10:30:00.019-04:00

I don't check my blog very often. I've mostly been drawn to Facebook to interface with my friends and loved-ones (which includes my friends, so I guess that's redundant). But each time I check my blog it is more and more out-of-date. That's the way time works. So recently I decided that I should either update or remove it from the web. I decided on the former for several reasons. First, it's free and so far doesn't include annoying advertisements. Further, it's ALL ABOUT ME and my family/friends. Now, that may sound a little self-centered, but when I want to catch up on the goings-on of my buds, I don't want to wade through a plethora of posts or get bombarded with requests for game-pieces or view the "wall" postings of friends of friends (ala Facebook). Finally, the pictures that I post here are chronological and of higher definition than Facebook if you click on the pic to bring up a larger view.

Here are a few pictures that I have taken since my 2009 post.

This first picture is one that I made of the play set that Barbara and I helped Matt & Laura assemble for Megan's 4th birthday. This picture was after the first day was almost over. There were millions of individual boards, screws, nuts/bolts and sundry other items. We decided to stay the night and still didn't finish after two full days. Laura put the finishing touches on the set after Barbara and I left.

Here is the finished masterpiece. -->

These next two pictures are of the actual celebration of Megan's 4th birthday at our place. The "guests" are (clockwise from Barbara) Jamie (AKA Uncle Jamie-The funny one), Jackie Jobe (AKA Grandma), Martha Jobe (Megan's GREAT grandmother), Laura (AKA Mommy), 4-year-old Megan, Clint Jobe (AKA Papa), Matt (AKA Daddy), and Aunt Jen.

This picture is when we celebrated MY day at Laura & Matt's place. Not my birthday - Fathers Day 2009. Megan gave me a gift also. Guess what it was?

Below is a cute picture of Megan taken during our September 2009 visit to the outer banks.

For our "big trip" in 2009 we went with our travelling buddies to the Northeast to see the fall colors. We were two weeks together in a minivan. We drove from Durham all the way to the northern tip of Nova Scotia and saw many beautiful sites. The first image is of the six of us atop Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park in Maine. People go up there to watch the sunrise and the other beautiful views. I took a couple dozen pictures of the sun as it was rising and plan to ultimately make a slideshow of the sequence.

We also visited the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia which boasts the most spectacular tidal changes in the world. Both of the pictures below were taken just outside Alma, Nova Scotia. the first was at low tide and the boats were grounded. The next was after the tide had released them.

These next two shots are just a few of the hundreds of beautiful scenes of the fall colors along the byways of Vermont and New Hampshire.

This is just one of the many covered bridges that we saw along the way.

Here is the group again under what appears to be an international sign. Actually, these are all cities in Maine. We also visited the L.L. Bean store in Freeport and let the girls do some shopping

We also saw lots of beautiful scenery along the Cabot Trail in upper Nova Scotia, the northernmost part of our journey. The first pidture is only one such scene. We also visited the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, NS. There's a little park outside the museum and we couldn't resist having our picture taken with the Bells

We thought that we'd never see a moose - though they're supposed to be plentiful up there. Then we saw this one and pulled over to take some pictures. By the time we left about a half-dozen other cars stopped also. The moose didn't seem to care.

The next big event in 2009 was of course Christmas. Here's a picture of Megan after her nightly bath, her dad, our Christmas tree, and the cookies and milk (beside my chair) that we left for Santa. They tasted good after Megan went to bed. The next picture is on Megan and Uncle Jamie on Christmas Day.

Then there was the 2010 Superbowl party at our place - a tradition started about 10 Superbowls ago. Note the beautiful (and delicious) apple-pecan cake made by a friend.

Here's a picture of Meg in her cheerleading outfit. She cheers for her church's Upward Basketball team.

And to finish this post, here's a picture taken of Princess Megan in her tiara. Taken during her 5th Birthday celebration at a restaurant on June 3, 2010.

Our Vacation

2009-01-14T14:22:00.002-05:00

We went to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji for 3 weeks in Feb - Mar 2008. I took a bazillian pictures, but will just share a few here. I'll post some albums on my Facebook page when I get the time to arrange them.

This first picture is of a Fijian sunset. Probably not much different from one on a good day from the NC coast, but it was beautiful being in Fiji and we had a great time boating and snorkling.

This is at the beginning of our trek from Fiordland National Park across NZ to Dunedin. Beautiful area called Milford Sound.

Of course I had to take some pictures of roos in the wild. This was in Melbourne.

On the Sapphire Princess for the cruise part of our trip. Sydney Opera House in the background.

A Few Good Family Pictures

2009-01-14T13:39:00.006-05:00

The first picture was taken at the Durham Museum of Life and Science at the Butterfly House. I showed a friend the pic and he commented "I didn't know that angels grew wings so early." I totally agree.
This second picture is of Megan on Haloween 2008. A princess of course.
This is just a good picture of Matt & Laura for those who haven't seen them for a while.
This is a picture of some beautiful dolls. Megan is the one in the middle.

The Fire

2009-01-13T11:48:00.002-05:00

A lot has happened since I updated my blog in fall ’07. I can’t remember any good excuses from November 5, 2007 until February 16, 2008. But on February 16, 2008 my house burned down. Now, before you get too alarmed or begin feeling sorry for me, let me add that no one was injured and materially I actually am better off now than before the fire. I suspect that there are only a small handful of people that might read this blog that do not know me well enough to be aware of the fire and the year following, but here is a quick synopsis:

• The things most commonly referred to as significant losses – family photos – were saved since I had archived them to CDs which I was able to recover
• We had good insurance which has enabled the purchase of a home that better suits our needs and egos than the one that burned
• The main thing that was lost was time. We have been consumed with the replacement of essentials (like clothes), securing temporary housing, purchasing a home, and all new furniture.

Now, having said all of the above let me reiterate the main thing. We actually are better off now than before the fire. We probably should have moved 10 years ago or earlier, but the hassle kept us from it. The home that we bought in 1976 served us well, but was purchased as a place in the woods with room for a couple of horses. Now that Barbara and I are the only residents (kids and horses long since vacated), living closer to town in a neighborhood suits our needs better.

Enough about the fire, and I won’t mention it further in the blog. I only do it here since it would seem strange not to mention such a significant event in our lives.

We travelled to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji shortly following the fire (oops, there I mentioned it again). This was a trip in the planning for more than a year. We were able to recover our passports. God knew that we needed the trip – and we did. The 6 days between the fire and departure had us physically and emotionally exhausted and the getaway allowed us to rejuvenate and provided time far enough away that we were not dealing with the daily needs relating to the fire. I’ll post some pictures of our travels later in “catch-up” entries.

Megan continues to develop as the blessing that she began 3.5 years ago. More pictures of her, of course, will follow since she probably is the greatest reason for my starting this blog.

Funny how this Internet thing has evolved. I started with a personal web page, migrated to blogging, and opened my Facebook page in October. Each activity has its own benefits, but I’ll probably continue to use this blog for sharing pictures. I am fully aware that not many people are that interested in my personal thoughts, but it’s a catharsis for me to put them down, and it gives me a resource to use when friends ask for pictures of trips/grandchild (hopefully multiples in the future).

More to follow in the days to come.

Our Mountain Weekend

2007-11-05T16:01:00.001-05:00

We took a trip to a mountain hideaway the weekend of October 26-28. The cabin belongs to some friends (the couple on the right end of the photo). It was waaaay off the road (several miles) and the weather and scenery were beautiful. So was the fellowship.

We had a great time.

Megan on Haloween

2007-11-05T15:54:00.000-05:00

Megan went trick-or-treating as Minni Mouse. We couldn't get her to wear her mouse-ears, but she was cute anyway!

Peaks of Otter Again

2007-10-19T08:51:00.000-04:00

We went to Peaks of Otter again last Saturday. The Fall foliage was not as pretty as our 2005 hike, but the trails were better than when we tried them last January. The weather was beautiful and perfect for our trek up Sharp Top (the adjacent mountain). We weren't able to secure reservations in the lodge, but we had dinner at the restaurant prior to returning home.

Megan and Pumpkins

2007-10-01T16:22:00.000-04:00

Fall is here and the air is crisp and clear. I decided to take some pictures of Megan by the pumpkins beside our home. After setting the tripod low and taking the first pictures, Meg wanted to try her hand at photography.

The big picture is the one that I took first. The first of Megan's photos is of Granddaddy acting silly. I was trying to keep her in a jovial mood. I got in front of the camera and told Megan to be the photographer and take MY picture. Much to my surprise - SHE DID IT! The picture on the right is the one that Megan took of Mimi and Grandaddy. The picture on the bottom is one that Meg took of her dad after I called him out to show him her new skills.

Not bad for a 2-year-old!

Beck Reunion 2007

2007-07-30T10:33:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since my last post. Several reasons. The most frustrating was the apparent elimination of "Blogspot.com" by Google "Blogger." It was very difficult to figure out how to migrate to the new administrator. Oh well, so much for complaining. Now that I'm back I'll pick up where I left off. Megan continues to develop at an alarming rate, and continues to be the center of Grandaddy and Mimi's universe. We went on our annual "Beck" family reunion the week of July 4. I'm posting a few pictures below.

The first picture is Megan between her two cousins, Tanner and Taylor. The picture was taken at the Channel Marker Inn, where we enjoyed seafood on July 5. The animated lady is my mom, who is 83 and enjoys life to the fullest. I hope that I have her genes - or my grandmother's who passed away a few years ago at 102.

The two center pictures are of Megan in her swimsuit and of Megan licking the chocolate from a whisk (she inheritid the chocloate-lover gene from Grandaddy.

The bottom picture is of Meg taking a nap after strolling her baby. Compare this with this one from my blog entry of August 21, 2005, where Grandaddy was napping in the hammock with Megan. Hasn't she grown??

Easter 2007

2007-04-09T15:35:00.000-04:00

We spent Easter at Laura's home this year. Here are some of the pictures. The first is of Little Miss Megan and her bunny purse. The second is the same lady by pretty azaleas. The third is of Megan with her mom and dad. And the last picture is of the ladies as they were reviewing the photos. Neither Laura nor Barbara thought any of the photos were good of them.

Megan didn't care how she looked in the pictures, but she does like identifying all of the people in the picture.

Christmas 2006

2007-01-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

Megan continues to develop at amazing speed. Her cognative abilities get greater with each day that passes. Of course I'm convinced that she is a genius. Her personality is also great and she keeps us entertained and thankful to have her in or lives.

I took a lot of video over Christmas and have made a DVD for the great-grandparents. I am including a snippit here to show her new kitchen appliances. She loves to pretend.

Megan's New Kitchen

Megan at Farmers' Market

2006-10-16T15:03:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures that Laura took just today at the Farmers' Market

Our Canadian Rockies Trip and Megan's New Chair

2006-09-07T12:22:00.000-04:00

As you might suspect, a lot has transpired since my last post. It's all been good, but has kept me busy.

We took our "big trip" this year to the Canadian Rockies. I'm including a few pictures. The first is of the group of us that went about 2000 miles together in a rented SUV. We flew to Spokane and went to Glacier, Banff, and Jasper parks, with numerous stops along the way. It was more beautiful than pictures can show.

The second picture is one of a lake in the mountains. The color has not been modified. It actually was that color. The final picture was of a mountain goat that was along a trail that we hiked. This was not taken with a zoom lens. He actually was that close. They have lost their fear of humans because of the protected area at Glacier National Park.

Of course we've seen a lot of Megan, and she is changing rapidly. She's walking all over the place now. I'll provide some video of that later, but for now I'm including a cute encounter that she had with her new chair, which she loves.

Megan's New Chair

Megan Eating Corn

2006-06-02T22:50:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a video from our Gatlinburg trip. I came across this clip and decided to post it to the blog. We gave Megan her first ear of corn. She really enjoyed it, but hammed it up a bit when she saw that she was getting attention with her fake cough. She actually started doing the fake cough several months ago.

Her fondness of attention and enjoyment of laughter is part of her personlaity that comes through on these videos. Click on the "Windows Media" below. You may be asked to save the file or open it. If you click to open it it should open Windows Media Player whenever the file completes loading. If not, you may need to save the file and open it with whatever software on your computer that plays .WMV (Windows Media) files.

Windows Media

I'll eventually replace the phrase "Windows Media" with something else, but it'll do for now.

Video of Laughing, Clapping, and First Steps

2006-06-02T09:25:00.000-04:00

We had a great time in Gatlinburg last week. Barbara had been there with her mother all week. Laura, Megan and I drove up on Wednesday. Matt Joined us on Thursday, and we all drove back to our respective homes on Saturday. While we were in Gatlinburg Megan took her first steps. I didn't catch that on video, but I got her very close to walking.

I think I finally have figured out how to post video to this blog. I haven't gone through all the tests yet, but I think that you can view the video by simply clicking on the URL below:
Try clicking on

Windows Media (7.1 MB)

You might need to have Windows Media Player installed on your computer, but I'm pretty sure that it comes standard with Windows XP and is the default player. If you have my email address, let me know if you are able to view the video and whether you needed to do anything other than simply click the URL to get the player to open and to play the video. If this works well, I'll be posting more video.

Megan also learned to climb stairs and had her first entry into a swimming pool while we were in Gatlinburg.

We are invited to her first birthday party tomorrow, and then off to Myrtle Beach on Saturday for a few days with Matt, Laura, and Megan.

Easter

2006-04-17T15:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated Easter Sunday at our place. After attending church services in the morning we took some pictures in the yard and then ate lunch. It was a beautiful day. I took Megan behind our house to see our neighbor's horses and I'm practically sure that she said "dog.....dog." She is on the verge of uttering words. Surprisingly, her first words don't appear to be "Mommy" or "Daddy" (and sadly not "Granpa") but "bird" (when she hears one outside) "Key" (for kitty) and "bye" as she waves bye-bye. She also makes a kissing sound to imitate us when we blow her a kiss.

Crawling - Update

2006-04-10T10:52:00.000-04:00

Well, I haven't been as faithful to update my blog as I initially intended. But we have seen a lot of Megan during the past month and it has been great! She indeed is crawling and doing it quite well. She also is pulling up, which makes everything from 0-3 feet high accessible. In addition to the added mobility, her dexterity also is improving. She loves to throw things. It’s interesting (and comical) to see her amidst her pile of toys just prior to an excursion. She begins by getting on her hands and knees, then throwing everything out of her way until she clears a path.

Megan’s personality is also developing at a rapid rate. She loves to entertain and is beginning to mock actions like waving bye-bye, making kissing sounds, and blowing raspberries. Of course she has a willing and approving audience. The positive feedback likely reinforces her activities. Negative reinforcement for undesirable activities (like throwing food) isn’t working as well. So far, she just gets a no-no. I’m not looking forward to the evolution of punitive action (like time-outs) but that’s where being a grandparent fits in nicely. We’ll let Matt and Laura fulfill those responsibilities.

I’m convinced that she thinks that she is talking. She just hasn’t gotten the idea yet that words are supposed to mean something. She joins in conversation with all kinds of noises that sound like words, and says them with meaning. Sometimes she goes to “preaching” by waving her arms and vocalizing forcefully. When she “talks” to the kitty she does so in a high-pitched loving way. If we sing to her, she sings back in an undeniably sing-song tone.

One thing that Megan lags behind in is hair. I went back and looked at the 9-month photos of the baby-blogger that I’ve been following. That little lady had a full head of hair at Megan’s age. Megan is still bald (So was her mother at her age – Maybe it’s genetic).

With Megan’s new mobility I’ve been taking a lot of video but few still images, so I don’t have much to post here. I need to get busy and reinitiate my efforts at posting streaming video. I have developed a couple of DVD’s, the most recent of which was mailed to both great-grandmothers today.

Megan's New Tricks

2006-03-10T12:25:00.000-05:00

These are a couple of pictures of Meg with Daddy. She wasn't crawling during our last visit, but really close. We got the call last night. Megan now is crawling! I'm sure mom and dad will wonder why they welcomed this new mobility when she gets into everything. The report also is that she can sit up on her own, and DEMANDS to be placed in a standing position. Barbara got her a toy, kind-of like a walker with wheels, that she can use to help her learn to walk. We'll deliver it when we have a planned visit next Friday (the 17th).

Oh yeah, also her first tooth has now broken through, and Laura swears that she is addressing her when she says Mamamamamama.

Megan Standing

2006-02-06T12:26:00.000-05:00

We've had a couple of visits with Megan since Christmas. I was thinking that she would be crawling by now. However, she is able to get whatever she wants by reaching and rolling. Also, she has such loving and attentive people all around her to hand her the stuff that she wants. Laura read that if you want a baby to move then don’t surround it (her in Megan’s case) with everything she needs. Makes sense, but hasn’t been put to the real test yet. It’s too tempting to put her on the floor and surround her with all her favorite stuff.

Laura thinks Megan may go straight to walking and skip the crawling stage. She is standing and pulling-up as these pictures show. She’s also very strong in her legs. Laura may be right.

Megan's First Christmas

2005-12-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

This was Megan's first Christmas, and boy was it a hit! She enjoyed every minute of the excitement, especially her gifts. Of course, the biggest gift for us this year was simply Megan. We are all so grateful for such a marvelous addition to our family, and the celebration centered around her. Jamie played Santa this year and distributed the gifts. We can thank him for placing the Santa cap on Megan and, as you can see, she hammed it up.

Megan enjoyed all of the gifts that she received, and so did the rest of us. We especially enjoyed watching Megan.

I actually did take some pictures of something other than Megan, but not many. The ones below are Wilma (Barbara’s Mom) and Barbara at Laura’s home, the 4 beautiful ladies (Jen, Laura, Barbara, and Wilma) in their new fur sweaters, the “aftermath” of the gift opening with everyone examining their gifts, and Matt as he was reading the Christmas story, what Christmas is really all about, to Megan.

Babysitting on December 12

2005-12-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of Megan during our babysitting trip on December 12. Laura had to work from 11 am - 9 pm and Matt had an important court case in Hickory, NC (He's an attorney). Working late and getting up early necessitated that Matt stay in Hickory overnight so we got the opportunity to babysit once again.

The big item in Megan's development is her ability to sit. She can't get herself in a sitting position, but if you place her there, she can stay sitting up for 15-20 seconds. Long enough to take a picture. I was able to catch her as she began to teeter a couple of times, but once I was too late and she fell backwards and bonked her little head on the carpet. Her next few sessions of sitting-up practice were on Laura's bed, where falling over was a little more comfortable. Her "sitting up" pictures on the bed weren't as good as some of the ones just being there (or laying on Barbara). The final 2 pictures are of Grandpa holding Meg and Barbara writing - Scooter watching.

Mom and Megan

2005-11-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken a few weeks ago when we had Mom down for a visit. It was taken by my cousin, Doris, who also visited and took some great pictures. We just got the photos in the mail This one was too good not to scan and post.

Peaks of Otter

2005-11-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Barbara and I went to Peaks of Otter Lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway in southern Virginia. We have been there several times. It is less than 3 hours from home and a beautiful drive. We hiked up one of the peaks called Sharp Top. We had hiked the 1.5 miles to the top but never before in the fall. Sharp Top was once believed to be the highest point in Virginia. This claim was subsequently proved false.

The first picture was taken in the lodge dining area after the hike. It was windy and chilly outside and the fireplace provided some comfort. The next picture (clockwise) was taken from the inside of our room. Barbara is looking towards Sharp Top. The next picture is me at the top, and the final shot is from the top looking down at the lodge.

The accommodations at the lodge are modest (cinder block walls). The restaurant is excellent. We saw a herd (gaggle?) of wild turkeys as we were leaving the lodge to head back home. They looked nervous this close to thanksgiving.

First Holiday Photos

2005-11-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

Laura took Megan for her first trick-or-treat occasion. I think it was more for an opportunity to visit the neighbors and to show off Megan's cute flower outfit. She isn't quite up to eating candy yet (Megan, that is). Laura started her on rice cereal about a month ago. She gobbled it down for a while, now she seems to hate it. Laura is feeding her bananas (the real kind from the produce department -- not from a jar). She seems to like that better, but still not as much as her liquid diet.

The picture with Santa is for Megan to be assured of getting lots of toys for Christmas. Hint..... Megan can get anything she wants from Grandpa.

Our Trip to the Fair!

2005-10-20T15:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to the NC State Fair. We were very apprehensive about how Megan would respond to all the noise and activity. She had a blast. Very attentive and seemed to notice every changing scene with curiosity. She is so aware of her surroundings. I took a few pictures. I'm posting some of the best ones here. For some reason, we all seem to be happy around the dinner table.

Megan and Scooter

2005-10-20T14:52:00.000-04:00

Laura, Megan, and Scooter (Laura's cat) are staying with us for a week or so while their house is rented out for "Market" in High Point. Market is a semi-annual event where 70,000 buyers and other furniture merchants decend on a town of 80.000 residents. Needless to say, motels sell out early. Because of this, residents are given an opportunity to rent their homes through brokers set up for this symbiotic relationship. Matt and Laura decided to try it this year. Barbara and I are the beneficiaries with an opportunity to see more of Megan (and Matt/Laura/Scooter, of course).

Here are a couple of pictures of Megan and Scooter.

Megan and Scooter

Tolerant Scooter

Video!

2005-09-23T20:56:00.001-04:00

I've been playing around with adding video to my blog. I was successful. Well, kinda.

I have a URL that contains a 5-minute video clip of Megan. However, it is about 90 MB and takes over 2 hours to download with a dialup connection - and that's with a download helper program that I use called GetRight. My connection speed was 42.6 Kbps.

The file downloaded at work from an ISDN connection in about 15 minutes or so, and the QuickTime player opened automatically to play the file.

So......I wouldn't try to open the video unless you have a really fast connection like RoadRunner or something. If you use dialup, you might want to set it to download overnight. I'm going to continue to work on posting video presentations. I found a program that allows you to alter the frame rate, picture size, resolution, and a few other parameters to get the file size smaller. Also, I learned that you really don't need 5 minutes of Megan to see how cute she is. My future videos will probably be a minute or less. The time seemed to go by faster when I was watching the video, but I see now that I'm really going to need to trim the time to get a file that is reasonable to download. I'm also looking at a few other codecs to allow for a more efficient delivery. I've heard that MPEG 4 does a good job, but I haven't found freeware that will allow me to encode to that format yet.

I'll also do some cosmetic things like having you click on an icon rather than the URL. This is the kind of thing that I enjoy playing with, but I've run out of time. Barbara and I leave for Hollywood (not CA but AL) in the morning to meet up with Laura and Megan at Barbara's mom's home. I'll be there through the middle of next week. It's about 9:30 pm now so I'd better start packing.

Edited my Template

2005-09-15T15:20:00.000-04:00

Those of you with a keen eye you will notice that I have edited the blog template. I removed the option to provide comments since I had several reports of friends and family trying to use that function and were unable to (except for Jamie and Merle who were successful in providing some heart-warming comments). Also, I was getting some SPAM-type comments where unknowns were trying to sell me something, so I just decided to remove the comment option. You can email me with comments if you wish.

I also added a phrase "Notes below were posted on" before the automated date entry to eliminate confusion on which post the date refers to (above or below the date). Finally, I removed some shading and lines. I think these changes make the verbiage easier to read and the blog easier to navigate. Let me know if you feel differently.

I'll be traveling with Megan and other family to show her off to her Great Grandmother (Barbara's mom) for a few days starting September 24 so that'll be the next opportunity that I have to take some baby pictures.

I'll post here before then if I have something equal in excitement to editing my template.

Babysitting at Megan's Place

2005-09-10T22:18:00.000-04:00

We spent the day yesterday babysitting while Matt and Laura went to work. It was Laura's first day back. She's working only a couple of days per week so far. Her next day will be tomorrow (Sunday) and Matt will be able to keep Megan then.

I was so busy taking video that I didn't get any high-resolution digital images to post. I really need to learn how to post video on this blog. The real thrill is the squeals and giggles that Megan is producing now. You can't get an appreciation for that here. Also, she is learning to use her hands more and more to grab things.

No New Pictures

2005-09-06T21:08:00.000-04:00

I haven't been with Megan since my last post, but just to prove that I'm a multi-dimensional individual I decided to create another post anyway.

Probably the most significant event in the past few weeks has been hurricane Katrina. We weren't directly affected here in NC, but being in the South and with a history of hurricanes, we keep a close eye on them as they approach and can certainly sympathize with victims. We sustained $22,000 worth of damage during Hurricane Fran in 1996 and were a couple of weeks without power. Barbara and I have contributed a small amount of money to the relief effort, but I was moved to find that the young mother that got me started on this blogging thing actually was affected to the point of flying to Louisiana to offer assistance. Her compassion was stirred by video of babies the age of her daughter who are suffering from malnourishment and dehydration.

The "old friend" that I referred to in my August 21 post (Beverly) also was affected by Katrina. She lives in Tupelo, MS. An excerpt from her email follows (Dennis is her son-in-law, Roy is her husband):

Dennis', parents (and many of his aunts/uncles/cousins) live in Waynesboro, MS a
little over a hundred miles from the coast (he grew up in Biloxi - D'Iberville,
actually). They had lots of tree damage and lost 80% of their roof. They've had
no phone or electrical power since the storm hit Monday morning. Lori &
Dennis gathered provisions Tuesday and early Wednesday morning Dennis flew down
there. Lori and Mallory followed in the truck bringing a generator, water, ice
and roofing materials. Dennis' cousin, Neil, (a NASA shuttle launch engineer)
and a friend of his, drove up from Merritt Island, FL bringing chain saws,
generators and a 50 gal. barrel of diesel fuel. Roy left this morning headed
down there with more supplies to help with the clean-up.

In addition to that, Beverly’s daughter, Lori, will be housing and home-schooling an 8-year old nephew who’s home was lost in Slidell, LA. His mom, Dennis’ sister, is single and will stay behind as she works with the relief effort as part of an emergency response team. The city of Slidell is uninhabitable with no utilities and schools are expected to be closed for several months.

With all that is in the news about the negative side of human reaction to catastrophes (looting, price-gouging, inefficient bureaucracy, etc.), it certainly is encouraging to see the actions of compassionate Americans. This kind of response shows the best part of humanity and typically is under-reported.

Myrtle Beach with Matt & Laura

2005-09-01T09:48:00.000-04:00

Barbara and I returned from Myrtle Beach last night after being the guests of Matt and Laura in a condo on a golf course. I don't play golf, but we (all) certainly enjoyed Megan. I baby-sat for much of the time and gave Matt a chance to get out and buy a new set of irons. Barbara and Laura did the shopping thing at the outlet malls and saved Matt and me bunches of money ;- )

Megan continues to develop at a really rapid rate. She is onto her elbows and can roll over if you place her onto her stomach. The rolling over does take quite a bit of effort, though, and she gets frustrated if she doesn’t get a little help after her neck gets tired and her head blops down.

We took her for her first view of the ocean. She was thoroughly unimpressed. I guess at her age everything is new so there are few surprises. She probably would have yawned at a Martian if we came upon one. We also took her to the pool but just let her dangle her toes in it. Laura says that they make special diapers for swimming infants but Megan is too little for them now.

I did manage to get some good pictures, though. I’m placing a few here. I especially like the one of Matt and Megan together. You certainly can tell that she has her daddy’s genes.

More Pictures

2005-08-25T20:50:00.000-04:00

Barbara and I were invited to go to the beach Sunday - Wednesday with Matt, Laura, and Megan. I plan to make a plethora of pictures there, and will post them here. Until then, though, I don't plan to make any posts. Rather than to leave this blog fallow, I decided to drop a couple of piles of pictures on this post. These are from Laura and Megan's visit last Friday. I posted some from Laura's camera earlier in this blog. I took a couple dozen of Meg on the sofa and on a blanket on the floor.

You also may have noticed a slight change in this blog template. This can be done with a few little HTML changes. The margins were a little too large for my liking. Also, I added the verbiage regarding clicking on the pictures to enlarge. I'm still working on removing some of the lines and shading. The code for those is not as recognizable

My Birthday Celebration

2005-08-21T22:48:00.000-04:00

The big item for my August 20 birthday was a visit by my kids on August 18. Jamie and Jen from Raleigh and Laura and Megan (Matt had to work) from High Point. So no pictures of the cake and (too many) candles, just of Megan. As my kids know, Megan is currently the center of my universe. We all had a great time celebrating.

Yesterday, I got a nice birthday email from an old (excuse me -- I mean long-time) high school friend, Beverly. I replied and gave her the address of this blog. She viewed it, gave it great reviews (as expected from Bev) and asked that I keep it up-to-date with new pictures. So I guess I'm on the line to comply.

These pictures are from Laura's camera. The first two are just adorable pictures of Megan. The 3rd is one that Barbara and Laura probably wouldn't approve, but hey, this is MY blog. Laura has gotten Megan to do one trick so far. That is to stick out her tongue in response to Laura doing the same. It is a "mimic response." I'll of course teach her to do many hideous things as she gets older, but I decided to add this as her first funny-face caught on camera.

The 4th picture is a candid shot that Laura took towards the end of the day. Megan loves the outdoors (like her grandpa). We take walks outside when she visits. Grandpa got a little weary after this particular walk, and we both fell asleep on the hammock. A precious moment for me. Just another nap for Megan.

Pictures of Laura and Megan

2005-08-16T08:24:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures of two lovely ladies. Laura visited us last week and Barbara took these pictures. The first is of course Laura and Megan. The second two are of Megan watching her mobile. I take pride in her interest in the mobile. I picked it out before she was born. I thought she'd like it.

The last picture -- to quote another post of a smiling baby "Now that's NOT gas." Magan is at the stage where, with a little effort and sillyness, you can get her to smile. It's a real treat.

Remember that you can click on any of the pictures to see a larger version.

Second Post

2005-08-14T23:43:00.000-04:00

Second Post........Really creative title for this post to my new blog. I hope that any of you that are blog-proficient will forgive deviance from any blog protocol. I have found the blog format of transmitting information to be convenient, fun, and free – 3 good reasons to continue using it. I also find it nice to my ego since anyone viewing or choosing to ignore my announcement of new material can remain totally anonymous. It’s not like email where the recipient needs to download the message and any attachments (e.g., photos) – and then respond to show their interest. With this blog you or anyone else can check it at your convenience – or never – to see if there is new information. My personal web page has that element of viewer convenience also, but is more difficult to maintain. I constructed it about 5 years ago and it has received little maintenance since. Updating the files requires logging onto the providing server, replacing files, and then following proper HTML protocol and syntax to assure that the information is posted correctly.

I got the blogging idea from my internet buddy referenced in my first post. As I reported there, I have enjoyed her blog immensely and will continue to check it from time-to-time. I initially felt like I was invading her privacy since it was really intended to be for her family and personal friends. However, we have had some limited email exchange and I now feel that I have her blessing and will continue to view the development of her baby, who is about 6 months older than Megan. I can say that the "other" blogger is an excellent communicator and has a real gift for expressing herself, which has made her blog especially enjoyable to read.

The other item that I’m unsure of is whether a blog is supposed to follow only one theme. The model that I continue to reference has her baby as the primary, almost only, focus of the blog. The prenatal development and ultimate birth of Megan was the item that led me to blogging. Megan’s development, along with pictures, will continue to be the primary focus. Hopefully there will be additional grandchildren and they will be added to this blog. However, I will intermingle the baby pictures with additional information. Pictures and possibly thoughts that can be viewed or ignored. Again, one of the advantages that I see to blogging. I’m going to assume that each of you think my grandbaby is as adorable as I know she is, and you don’t need to convince me that you agree. Laura and Megan will be visiting again on Friday, and I’ll likely have some new pictures to share here.

Most of you who know me well are aware that Barbara and I returned from a very enjoyable "cruisetour" to Alaska in June. We went with two other couples. I took lots of pictures and some video that I am committing to DVD. A couple of pictures are posted below:

The first picture is of our friends, Barbara, and me as we were entering the Yukon Territories from Alaska. The scenery was beautiful. The second is of Barbara and me on the deck of the ship at sunset. The third is of course Barbara. I have found that you can click on the photo to get a larger picture on your computer screen.

My First Post

2005-08-12T00:07:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is my first day blogging. I'm not sure exactly why I began this, except for a very pleasurable experience of reading a blog that a stranger put on the web. I won't say which one to protect her privacy, but it helped me immensely in understanding my daughter's pregnancy with my first grandbaby. Now, as the "stranger" blogger's baby and my grandbaby mature, I look forward to her new posts. I tried to get my daughter interested in this form of sharing, and even mentioned what I learned from the baby-posts. But you know how it is when you're pregnant and working -- Time is at a premium. I'm busy but not pregnant or a new mom, so I guess I'll do the family chore of posting new baby pictures. Tough job, but someone has to do it! Plus, I like working on the computer. I rarely watch TV anymore except for the news, so computer stuff is my form of entertainment and a pleasant diversion. Most of my computer time these days is editing video. I'm committing most of our old family VHS tapes to DVD. I now find that I'm getting a lot of video of the grandbaby, which I need to edit and put on DVD to show her kids some day.

My grandbaby, Megan, is pictured above. I'll probably add pictures as I give this blog URL to friends.