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D-League

Good morning everyone

Snow here the last couple of mornings but it didn't stick around long. When it snows here in April it brings back memories of the first year I moved to the mountains in 1987. The snow was measured in feet instead of inches. 1 & 1/2 feet in downtown Hazard where I lived at the time. Where I'm at now it was closer to 3'.

Going on a 7 mile hike in the mountains of VA tomorrow. We haven't hiked that distance since last fall. @MdWIldcat55 Have fun tomorrow. We've been on sections of the AT a few times when it intersected other hikes. One of my buddies has hiked the entire AT. No thanks.

Sigh....and it continues. Edwards is gone. We all know he really isn't a "one and done". But, he's the new UK definition of that term. As turkey season approaches and nighttime striper fishing gets hot I will be at the lake more and on here less. I'll try to check in the D-League some but it will be good to get away from the UK news and RR.

I hope everyone has a great day.
 
Good morning all,

My home is full today... (Workers doing repairs to our "new" home.) Glad for the work they are doing BUT, the big ticket items are yet to come since this "manager" has yet to contact me back. He acts like we are playing phone tag but he's using a number per his VMs that I have NEVER been associated with.

The lady that told me in a VM that My Darling needed to learn how to cook is what damaged the cabinets, Was here earlier as well. Stated she never said it BUT it is amazing how VM's provide transcripts now.

Amazing how My Darling cooked for three children who are now 40, 39, and 33 along with all their friends staying with them as high as thirty girls at one time in our home multiple times while they were growing up and we built three other new homes over the years and My Darling's cooking caused the cabinets to wharp and laminate to peel off now.... as Nipsy used to say, "Yeah right..."

Of course the BIG items are yet to come.

It is hopeful we will not need to go through arbitration but I am prepared to do that immediately.

Have a good stock of RC, Ginger Ale, 7UP, and water. (My Darling drinks an RC and Ginger Ale at times but we keep them for guests. Comes in handy when workers are here. (I used to do that type work they do for a lot of years so I know a good drink comes in handy...) I pointed them to the fridge and left them at it. ;)

We shall see, I am thankful in any event.

Have a blessed day...
 
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Good morning folks. Checking in before heading out for a long walk.

Been a busy week and a busy Friday ahead. Glad to be on the edge of the weekend.

If the weather is nice I’m going to try my first Appalachian Trail hike of this year tomorrow up around the place where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia come together near The town of Harper’s Ferry.

I hope today goes well for all of you.
One of my co-workers retired to Harper's Ferry. Good section of the country.
 
One of my co-workers retired to Harper's Ferry. Good section of the country.
Harper's Ferry is a beautiful old village with lots of history. Thomas Jefferson once called the view from the cliff there overlooking the Shenandoah River where it merges with the Potomac River "one of the most stupendous scenes in nature" and said of it, "This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic." It is at least worth a 45 minute drive for me tomorrow, if the weather holds.
 
HA,

A last little bit of work now from the "cabinet guy" he is fixing a couple of small items.

Had nine people in here working earlier. 12 "soda pops" gone... ;) No issues, I was glad to do it.

It's the builder (Company and management I have issues with not the workers though I am betting most of them crossed the border..) (Seriously)

This is a large builder who builds in several states. (Yeah, I done my homework...)

Seems all the "little items" are fixed now BUT, I have several "major" items that ye ole manager thinks he is going to snooker me with I am betting... I am estimating about 25k worth of reworks and repairs minimum. We shall see....

A major New York company is the HOA owners here. HOA's are a HUGE nefarious racket that also must be put under control as they have tremendous power and confiscate money illegally. (I was a board member for an HOA in Texas so I am not talking randomly with my feelings.)
 
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I live in a rural area and the new place I bought is even more rural. My nearest neighbours are Amish and usually the loudest sounds are the creek running through a woods on my property. An HOA wouldn't like me and I wouldn't like them.
I've had colleagues who worked out in rural Virginia or even out where Bert mentioned around Harper's Ferry WVA and commuted to DC.

There's actually a morning train -- a real train, not the subway -- that comes in from that area to Washington's Union Station, which is a ten minute walk from where I work. My wife and I toyed with the idea, but didn't want to uproot the kids. Now I figure I'll just wait until i retire and revisit the whole question.
 
I've had colleagues who worked out in rural Virginia or even out where Bert mentioned around Harper's Ferry WVA and commuted to DC.

There's actually a morning train -- a real train, not the subway -- that comes in from that area to Washington's Union Station, which is a ten minute walk from where I work. My wife and I toyed with the idea, but didn't want to uproot the kids. Now I figure I'll just wait until i retire and revisit the whole question.
There is both good and bad to living in very rural areas. For me ( at least for now) the good far outweighs the bad. As circumstances change, who knows?
 
There is both good and bad to living in very rural areas. For me ( at least for now) the good far outweighs the bad. As circumstances change, who knows?
My wife day dreams of living like her aunt who lives on the upper east side of Manhattan. I’ve threatened to take her to Bracken County where I have family. We’ll probably split the difference and stay in the DC suburbs.
 
Jan loves the rural setting, so I'm good there.

My Darling likes it here.. We can get to the ocean, good markets not too far off, a decent restaurant close, and several other reasons two of which two of our grand children are close and our two daughters.

In fact they are all at my kitchen table eating right now finishing up my "Grandson's" fifth birthday family meal though he is officially five tomorrow. (Heading to a bouncing house..) He and my grand daughter have their first soccer game at ten tomorrow...

Yeah I stay engaged, have to get these taxes finished though I am close... Seems it's gonna be a four figure (paying) year unless I missed something.

My two grand babies invaded "our" office... Have a peaceful evening...
 
Good evening, D, weather in Kentucky, mowed today in a short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, hoodie and an insulated coat, plus a chilly willy cap, hard freeze warning for tonight! Got a call today to see if I could help unload a truck at Hope2 All, got there and a pallet of milk had turned over, lost about20 gallons of milk! CatinIL and the D, got a comet out there right now, it's called The Devil's Comet, going to try and find it first clear night we have. But here's something really interesting, there's another comet that we will be able to see in October, right now they are saying that it may be possible to see it in the daytime!!! We'll see, it's never as good as they predict, but man how interesting!! It's name is Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Cat, you're more into it than I am, can you look into it for the D? D, have a great evening, ATX you're still on our GOD KNOWS LIST!!! PRAYING FOR YOU EVERY DAY!!!
 
My Darling likes it here.. We can get to the ocean, good markets not too far off, a decent restaurant close, and several other reasons two of which two of our grand children are close and our two daughters.

In fact they are all at my kitchen table eating right now finishing up my "Grandson's" fifth birthday family meal though he is officially five tomorrow. (Heading to a bouncing house..) He and my grand daughter have their first soccer game at ten tomorrow...

Yeah I stay engaged, have to get these taxes finished though I am close... Seems it's gonna be a four figure (paying) year unless I missed something.

My two grand babies invaded "our" office... Have a peaceful evening...
BBUK, ever heard of Luray Caverns, saw it on the weather channel this morning
 
BBUK, ever heard of Luray Caverns, saw it on the weather channel this morning
Not BBUK but my wife and I spent a 3-day weekend at Luray Caverns and the nearby area last year. The caverns are quite beautiful. Not as extensive as Mammoth Cave but still pretty large and some spectacular formations. And some terrific scenery along the nearby Shenandoah Skyline Drive. The town of Luray is small but nice, with some nice restaurants and bars. We stayed in a BnB that was next to a dairy farm.
 
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Not BBUK but my wife and I spent a 3-day weekend at Luray Caverns and the nearby area last year. The caverns are quite beautiful. Not as extensive as Mammoth Cave but still pretty large and some spectacular formations. And some terrific scenery along the nearby Shenandoah Skyline Drive. The town of Luray is small but nice, with some nice restaurants and bars. We stayed in a BnB that was next to a dairy farm.
Did you get to listen to the organ playing?
 
Yes we did. Very cool. Totally unique sound. Eerie, otherworldly.
I was amazed when I read about it, figured just a regular pipe organ, then it talked about the sounds are created by a small rubber tipped pad tapping a stalagtite. Also stated that it's the largest instrument in the world, I think, covering over 3 acres, maybe!
 
Here are some pictures...
Me and My Darling.. yeah, yeah... At least now you know why I am as thankful as I AM....

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I have a 14 second organ clip but I could not add it. I will try youtube and see if I can.

The last one is My Darling and her sister. They were visiting us. This was I think last fall.
 
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Good morning folks.

Back to winter-like weather here —34 degrees right now. Bundling up for a jog. Then maybe I’ll take that drive up into the Blue Ridge and do a little hiking. Not much interest in the games today. Everybody I really wanted to lose has lost. I give NC State little chance. Purdue-Alabama? Can’t get excited either way.

Hope you all have a good day.
 
Good morning from ATX. Currently 64°F, overcast and breezy. Today's high may reach 77°F.

Watched women's FF last night. Good stuff. Plan on tuning in Wolfpack vs Boilermakers at 5 CT. Grab Zaxby's this afternoon.

Leg cramps all night. I'll check if Tramadol causes cramping. Probably, with my luck. Heading out later for a couple miles on foot.

Wishing y'all an enjoyable Saturday.

Fresh-Tomato-Day-FB.png
 
There is both good and bad to living in very rural areas. For me ( at least for now) the good far outweighs the bad. As circumstances change, who knows?
I worked for a large railroad. I started out in Louisville, KY; then Jacksonville, FL; then Evansville, IN; then Houston, TX; then Baltimore, MD and then Jacksonville, FL again. I retired when I was 53 years old.

I wanted to get back to rural Kentucky. One of the goals was to move to a place without a traffic light. I found it at Smiths Grove. In the year 2000 the US News & World report has a article about tax structures in the various states. Kentucky was the 4 least taxed based on $50,000 a year; $100,000 a year and $150,000 income.

Many folks do not understand the tax structure in many states. My property tax in Florida was $4,200 a year in 1999. We spent basically the same amount of money on our Smiths Grove house but the 2000 property tax in Smiths Grove was less than $900. Plus that evil State Income tax was less than $20 because Kentucky forgives the first $40,000 if you are living on a pension. So after 24 years living in Kentucky I have paid less than half a years Jacksonville property tax in State Taxes. Plus Kentucky sales tax is 6% but there is no sales tax on food or drugs.

On living in a small town without a red light: I am 8 miles away from the Corvette plant just down I-65. I am 20 minutes away from WalMart and Sam's club. I am 20 minutes away from a large shopping mall. I am 1/2 mile away from a doctors office, post office and my Pharmacy.

I have choice of three high speed internet services. One offers 4gig speed. With the competition the prices stay reasonable. Plus I have 39 TV stations that I can get off air.

Plus I always get free garden veggies every summer. I would not trade it for any city.
 
I worked for a large railroad. I started out in Louisville, KY; then Jacksonville, FL; then Evansville, IN; then Houston, TX; then Baltimore, MD and then Jacksonville, FL again. I retired when I was 53 years old.

I wanted to get back to rural Kentucky. One of the goals was to move to a place without a traffic light. I found it at Smiths Grove. In the year 2000 the US News & World report has a article about tax structures in the various states. Kentucky was the 4 least taxed based on $50,000 a year; $100,000 a year and $150,000 income.

Many folks do not understand the tax structure in many states. My property tax in Florida was $4,200 a year in 1999. We spent basically the same amount of money on our Smiths Grove house but the 2000 property tax in Smiths Grove was less than $900. Plus that evil State Income tax was less than $20 because Kentucky forgives the first $40,000 if you are living on a pension. So after 24 years living in Kentucky I have paid less than half a years Jacksonville property tax in State Taxes. Plus Kentucky sales tax is 6% but there is no sales tax on food or drugs.

On living in a small town without a red light: I am 8 miles away from the Corvette plant just down I-65. I am 20 minutes away from WalMart and Sam's club. I am 20 minutes away from a large shopping mall. I am 1/2 mile away from a doctors office, post office and my Pharmacy.

I have choice of three high speed internet services. One offers 4gig speed. With the competition the prices stay reasonable. Plus I have 39 TV stations that I can get off air.

Plus I always get free garden veggies every summer. I would not trade it for any city.
I am kind of that way on the house near my shop, but the area is getting busier the last year or two. I would like to sell the shop, then the house and complete the move to the new place. If I had put the shop up for sale immediately after the tornado, it would have sold quickly at a good price, but my timing was off. It is a huge place and involves a lot to clear it out of my collected junk, so I procrastinated. The current economy\interest rates isnt helping either. I can get by, but I have a lot of money tied up in property right now that I'd love to free up.
 
Not BBUK but my wife and I spent a 3-day weekend at Luray Caverns and the nearby area last year. The caverns are quite beautiful. Not as extensive as Mammoth Cave but still pretty large and some spectacular formations. And some terrific scenery along the nearby Shenandoah Skyline Drive. The town of Luray is small but nice, with some nice restaurants and bars. We stayed in a BnB that was next to a dairy farm.
Mammoth Cave is not particularly pretty. Many caves in the area have far better formations. Mammoth Cave is just long. It is now over 426 miles and that is just what has been mapped.

The area that I live in is nothing but caves. The Baptist church on Main Street has a massive cave under it. Here is a picture of one of the little caves about 1/2 mile from my house:
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That is me and Ed Greene. The cave is now locked up because the oldest petroglyphs (in the floor) in the eastern U.S. are in the cave and must be protected.
 
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That is me and Ed Greene. The cave is now locked up because the oldest petroglyphs (in the floor) in the eastern U.S. are in the cave and must be protected.
My family visited Mammoth Cave back when I was about ten. In those pre-PC days they still had the skeleton of "Indian Joe" on display - an Indian who had gotten crushed by a big rock at the cave entrance thousands of years ago.

They gave a guided tour of the highlights in those days and I still remember the joke a guide told at the mouth of what they called the "bottomless pit."

Here's how it went, "There used to be a large rickety basket with a rope that could pull eight or ten people at a time across the Bottomless Pit. But it swayed and shook, and was terrifying to most people. The man who ran it charged a nickel but told people he would double their money back if they made it across without screaming. So one old crusty farmer says, 'get ready to lose a dime.' The group piles in the basket and heads across and everyone is screaming except the old farmer. At the other end, the man said, 'I'll give you credit old timer. You never made a sound.' And the old man said, 'Well, I can't brag too much. I did come close to yelling once. When my wife fell out."

My father thought that was the funniest story he ever heard. My mother, not so much.
 
My family visited Mammoth Cave back when I was about ten. In those pre-PC days they still had the skeleton of "Indian Joe" on display - an Indian who had gotten crushed by a big rock at the cave entrance thousands of years ago.

If I remember correctly the two mummies in the cave are of the Adena/Hopewell Culture. Their dress was mostly woven instead of leather, except the footwear, and most believe they were agricultural based instead of hunter/gatherers. They would break off gypsum formations in the cave to get a compound to relieve constipation. Mammoth Cave, in the unfrequented areas, is full of dried up Indian turds.

The two Indians are still in Mammoth Cave but the American Indian Movement are a bunch of nasty ass holes who will sue if they are shown.

I have mentioned this before but Indians were not supposed to bury their dead in caves; however, just north of Park City south of Cave City, I was involved with exploring a large cave on the top of Prewitts Knob (it is now called Crystal Onyx Cave) for a man called Bottle Turner. We found a bunch of black oily clay and there were Indians buried there. I got sick after I pulled out a skull that has a big crushed area in it.
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If I remember correctly the two mummies in the cave are of the Adena/Hopewell Culture. Their dress was mostly woven instead of leather, except the footwear, and most believe they were agricultural based instead of hunter/gatherers. They would break off gypsum formations in the cave to get a compound to relieve constipation. Mammoth Cave, in the unfrequented areas, is full of dried up Indian turds.

The two Indians are still in Mammoth Cave but the American Indian Movement are a bunch of nasty ass holes who will sue if they are shown.

I have mentioned this before but Indians were not supposed to bury their dead in caves; however, just north of Park City south of Cave City, I was involved with exploring a large cave on the top of Prewitts Knob (it is now called Crystal Onyx Cave) for a man called Bottle Turner. We found a bunch of black oily clay and there were Indians buried there. I got sick after I pulled out a skull that has a big crushed area in it.
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Very interesting Bert. I’ve always been interested in the Hopewell/Adena cultures. There were lots of their camps around the town where I grew up, and about 15 miles further east down the Ohio River there is a clear Hopewell Mound on private property. I still have quite a few “arrowheads” —blades and points —I collected as a youth, and have bought a few collections at auctions and estate sales just because I find it an interesting hobby.
 
UConn/Purdue for the title. Ho hum for me. Gotta pull for Purdue. UConn getting dangerously close to the Cat's 8 titles. Two well coached teams with a ton of intensity. TBH, I have more interest in the women's final tomorrow. Not saying much. At least the Masters is on this week for all you golf haters.
 
Good Sunday morning everyone.

UConn vs Purdue.....pretty much to be expected from early on. I too hope Purdue wins it. If not, 6 titles in 25 years for UConn. Ugghhhh.

We went on a 7.5 mile hike in the mountains of VA yesterday. Cold start....mid 20's wind chill and got high enough to get into some snow. Nice time.

I hope everyone has a great Sunday.
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I worked for a large railroad. I started out in Louisville, KY; then Jacksonville, FL; then Evansville, IN; then Houston, TX; then Baltimore, MD and then Jacksonville, FL again. I retired when I was 53 years old.

I wanted to get back to rural Kentucky. One of the goals was to move to a place without a traffic light. I found it at Smiths Grove. In the year 2000 the US News & World report has a article about tax structures in the various states. Kentucky was the 4 least taxed based on $50,000 a year; $100,000 a year and $150,000 income.

Many folks do not understand the tax structure in many states. My property tax in Florida was $4,200 a year in 1999. We spent basically the same amount of money on our Smiths Grove house but the 2000 property tax in Smiths Grove was less than $900. Plus that evil State Income tax was less than $20 because Kentucky forgives the first $40,000 if you are living on a pension. So after 24 years living in Kentucky I have paid less than half a years Jacksonville property tax in State Taxes. Plus Kentucky sales tax is 6% but there is no sales tax on food or drugs.

On living in a small town without a red light: I am 8 miles away from the Corvette plant just down I-65. I am 20 minutes away from WalMart and Sam's club. I am 20 minutes away from a large shopping mall. I am 1/2 mile away from a doctors office, post office and my Pharmacy.

I have choice of three high speed internet services. One offers 4gig speed. With the competition the prices stay reasonable. Plus I have 39 TV stations that I can get off air.

Plus I always get free garden veggies every summer. I would not trade it for any city.
My property tax is right around $3000.00 a year. Oklahoma state tax on income is 4.75%. The state sales tax is 4.5% with local municipalities being able to add up to 7% more so, in Lawton and the surrounding areas (Elgin where I live), it is 9% sales tax.
 
Good Sunday morning everyone.

UConn vs Purdue.....pretty much to be expected from early on. I too hope Purdue wins it. If not, 6 titles in 25 years for UConn. Ugghhhh.

We went on a 7.5 mile hike in the mountains of VA yesterday. Cold start....mid 20's wind chill and got high enough to get into some snow. Nice time.

I hope everyone has a great Sunday.
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Which trekking poles are your preference? I love Komperdell.
 
Which trekking poles are your preference? I love Komperdell.
I don't use them. I have a couple of different walking sticks that I alternate. When I first started walking the mountains (usually ginseng/yellowroot hunting with my FIL) I used a walking/digging stick and I am comfortable with that. My wife has now started using the trekking poles but does not have enough experience with them to offer an opinion. I don't even know what brand she has.
 
Good morning from ATX. Currently 67°F and cloudy. Clearing somewhat later. Today's high may reach 84°F. Heading out for a hike in a few.

Hit up Aldi in Pflugerville next to Zaxby's yesterday. Bought all kinds of goodies.

Yeah, go Boilermakers. Go Cyclones. Plan on watching women's final at 2 pm CT.

Wishing y'all a joyous Sunday.

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Good morning folks.

Beautiful Sunday in the East. Clear and sunny and cool. Finishing up a long hike.

UConn —Man, they looked unbeatable. Where’d all those guys come from? I don’t give Purdue much of a chance but you never know til they are on the court together.

Hope you all have a great Sunday.
 
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