tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37984440740336291612024-03-05T21:46:24.185-08:00Pine Lake: The BlogDallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.comBlogger405125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-9183585727384845162021-05-18T20:24:00.004-07:002021-05-18T20:24:49.236-07:00So Long, Nathan Bedford!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS1qJbd_MS-lQc_koaYwMVKdO61-YkJd37yuSA3eWFINY6oMVljCjgOQuj36Kz4hzOFeO2DBYwBYiSvn6jDgS3sEDitgZABdGN41uQs1s4eV4JGYYIIrye4Y352i0reVQa-V2zm5fcbo/s455/Forest+Drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="455" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS1qJbd_MS-lQc_koaYwMVKdO61-YkJd37yuSA3eWFINY6oMVljCjgOQuj36Kz4hzOFeO2DBYwBYiSvn6jDgS3sEDitgZABdGN41uQs1s4eV4JGYYIIrye4Y352i0reVQa-V2zm5fcbo/w640-h632/Forest+Drive.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcDSVUZBhcjJ84oHBdT9TbR6WCQ5ip4Aztx8NzzI_IedzTHrymCnh7QGVai6kygA7tINtXOzxnaNmBiK19CpCEiunq4MDorpdV9_qlxoJH_shXhshOL_nrUWM6k23_36NoZIos75-Lg8/s2048/2011-04-17%252C+Pine+Lake%252C+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcDSVUZBhcjJ84oHBdT9TbR6WCQ5ip4Aztx8NzzI_IedzTHrymCnh7QGVai6kygA7tINtXOzxnaNmBiK19CpCEiunq4MDorpdV9_qlxoJH_shXhshOL_nrUWM6k23_36NoZIos75-Lg8/w640-h426/2011-04-17%252C+Pine+Lake%252C+072.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p> On April 11, 2011, <a href="https://pinelaketheblog.blogspot.com/search?q=forrest" target="_blank">I raised the issue of Forrest Drive</a> in this blog. Was it named after notorious Confederate general and founder of the Ku Klux Klan Nathan Bedford Forrest? I was certain it was, but, expecting pushback if I said so, I didn't make a stand. I simply raised the issue and said it was likely.</p><p>There were no comments on the blog, but I recall a bit of whitesplaining on the e-lists of the day, and some posts about changing the name of the street. Having made my suggestion, I didn't press the issue. I rather wish I had.</p><p>The name has finally been changed, and I was thrilled to hear the news.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-28527535578277754182019-12-20T21:33:00.003-08:002020-06-15T19:12:25.327-07:00I Have Turned Comments Off<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Due to occasional spamming, and because there have been no recent posts, I have turned comments off. I am especially tired of spammers giving me false praise and being sure to leave their URLs. </div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-82784560514468485512019-07-24T02:59:00.000-07:002019-07-24T02:59:24.058-07:00Gone Four Years!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been more than four years since I sold my home on Pine Drive in Pine Lake and moved north. I've adjusted more or less to life and people in New Jersey, but I still miss the South and Pine Lake in particular.<br />
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I get back to Atlanta at least once a year, but it's a bittersweet trip. I find my old house looking sad with a blue tarp and the lake looking as beautiful as always. My most recent trip was a sad one; the son of my BFF was murdered only a mile or two from Pine Lake shortly after Christmas. I visited old friends, but it was a gloomy trip that reminded me that things aren't so very safe even near the city on the lake.<br />
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I still routinely remove spam comments on the Windows and Doors post on this blog. I changed the name to W*nd*ws and D**rs, but unscrupulous people from all around the world leave their links. I follow Tommy Conlon's adventures on Facebook, and I routinely receive e-mails about the city. My Pine Lake Yahoo Group remains active, but it and the other lists have largely been replaced by the Pine Lake FaceBook page--to which I subscribe.<br />
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Pine Lake will forever have a special place in my heart, but my marriage is perfect and it's unlikely I will live in the South again.<br />
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I recently took a road trip to Nashville and Memphis and New Orleans. Nashville is another of my old home towns, and I enjoyed it immensely even as I visited family and marveled at how much things can change in a few years. Memphis I didn't like so much. New Orleans I have always loved, but we spent days dodging Hurricane Barry and our time there was cut short. Still, I had time to eat beans and rice and jambalaya and blackened redfish and beignets at Cafe du Monde. I hated that we missed Atlanta, but I'm determined to make a visit before the end of the year.<br />
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I cook my own grits these days, for there ain't one grit to be seen in northern New Jersey. Not even Cracker Barrel has them! I miss country ham and biscuits and Captain D's and Krispy Kreme and the lunches at Ingles--especially the collard greens. New Jersey has no end of diners and bagel palaces and pizza joints, but is sorely lacking in the food I love. Mostly I miss my Pine Lake friends. I'm always happy to hear news from the city on the lake.<br />
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Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-80564415447631810282018-06-26T07:03:00.001-07:002018-06-26T07:03:15.756-07:00Pine Lake Lion's Club Turkey Shoot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-39380155047966170192018-06-04T22:43:00.000-07:002018-06-04T22:43:15.815-07:00July 4, 1935<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-64499083802169583752017-08-27T17:33:00.002-07:002017-08-27T17:43:03.373-07:00A Tour of Pine Lake on my 68th Birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here are photos taken from Barbara's car with my iPhone on our tour of the city. Recognize the houses?<br />
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Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-2375714477429531142017-08-27T17:33:00.001-07:002017-08-27T17:33:25.638-07:00Happy Birthday, Calvin Burgamy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Back in the early years of this century Calvin Burgamy and I were political allies during a difficult time for Pine Lake<br />
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On Friday the 18th, just before I left Pine Lake, I rode with Barbara Whitlow to Calvin's house on the back side of the lake. It was his birthday also-- and as it turned out, we were born not only on the same day, but in the same year! He recently retired from Agnes Scott College, so we now share retirement, too. I love being retired!<br />
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I was able to stay only for a short while, but happy belated birthday, Calvin.<br />
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I met Calvin's wife, whose name I was told and promptly forgot. So sorry! It's a lifelong memory problem. Maybe someone will remind me of her name in the comments.<br />
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I'll just bet is was she who made this outrageous and beautiful sculpture.<br />
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I'm not sure who rides the scooter.<br />
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Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-4530673095638671972017-08-27T17:33:00.000-07:002017-08-27T17:33:06.860-07:00522 Pine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was happy to see cars parked in the driveway of my old house at 522 Pine Drive. The gazebo looked good. The Carolina jessamine I planted long ago has finally covered the roof. When I moved away two-and-a-half years ago it still had a ways to go. The thatch across the roof and along the back is now thick, making for the shady gazebo I wanted.<br />
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I planted the blue spruce in the photo above in the spring of 1999, shortly after I moved in. It did well for a few years, but then, despite having been fed and watered, it began to grow spindly. When I left Pine Lake the sprucewas taller than me, but it seems shorter now, and, due to loss of foliage in the lower branches, is in danger of coming to be a Dr. Seuss tree. I'm not certain anything can be done with it. It just doesn't, I think, get enough sun.<br />
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Other vegetation is flourishing. The rose of sharon have grown thick and tall. They developed from a single two-foot branch I planted in the early 2000s. The Japanese maple, seen below, is tall and spindly, just like the one at my house in New Jersey. I suspect they both need more sun and someone who knows how to trim them. It might be too late for both.<br />
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The house itself was looking a little sad due to a blue tarp on the roof. The roof is clearly new, so I suspect there was problem with the installation. I was always afraid the roof would develop a leak, but it never did despite shingles that had gone smooth with age. I lowered the sale price by $5000 because it really needed a roof. How ironic the leak comes now, rather than then!<br />
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It doesn't show in the photos, but there seems to be a wooden ramp at the front of the house. I didn't look closely enough to see if it was finished or still a-building. I suspect the latter, as I didn't notice railings.<br />
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I miss my little house in Pine Lake. It's not that I don't live in a bigger and finer house now, and a house on a lake at that; it's because I miss the uniqueness of the land and people of Pine Lake. I am looking forward to my next visit.</div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-78968242430008247582017-08-27T17:32:00.000-07:002017-08-27T17:32:34.887-07:00Zzzzzz!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Barbara Hayes Whitlow caught me napping in her living room.</div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-73345980452865313992017-08-25T21:10:00.000-07:002017-08-25T21:10:23.891-07:00Book Stop<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Guess where I saw my first street side tiny library. Yep, Pine Lake, on Laurel Road. I posted about it <a href="http://pinelaketheblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/laurel-road-library.html" target="_blank">here</a>, back in 2014, but here's the 2014 photo:<br />
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I was happy to come across a much larger library (at top) on my drive through the city with Barbara Whitlow and Christine Slocomb. It was also on the back part of the lake, but I didn't note the street, so I'm not sure if it's a newer version of the library on Laurel or another library entirely.<br />
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I keep thinking I would like to launch one of these. There's actually one on my street in Ringwood, New Jersey, but a second couldn't hurt.</div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-91621683320694128012017-08-24T09:11:00.000-07:002017-08-27T17:39:31.903-07:00We Become Paid Miners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My Three Biggest Finds. The Purple Stone is Amethyst.</b></td></tr>
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After the eclipse Rena and I decided to visit one of the many sapphire and ruby mines in the Franklin area. I mean, why not spend a few dollars and a few minutes and walk away a millionaire? It would be better, if dirtier, than playing the lottery. I ran a search on my phone, selected a mine more or less at random, and we were off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXDY61znwRYsgWHWkUnQIyYzF10qsxurZfOQuRNQqLepVxwHKjsgr3-PszVKA3hBvJVPsyfTbbQTM_XsTd5ZV33ZNy54RUvIZ3ftIJnE29eIKUJ74qxgSaQXQEnli39ANiAf0fhBT28c/s1600/2017-08-22%252C+Gem+Mining%252C+Eclipse+Trip%252C+8-2017+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXDY61znwRYsgWHWkUnQIyYzF10qsxurZfOQuRNQqLepVxwHKjsgr3-PszVKA3hBvJVPsyfTbbQTM_XsTd5ZV33ZNy54RUvIZ3ftIJnE29eIKUJ74qxgSaQXQEnli39ANiAf0fhBT28c/s640/2017-08-22%252C+Gem+Mining%252C+Eclipse+Trip%252C+8-2017+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"Do we want Upper Burningtown Road or Middle Burningtown Road?"</b></td></tr>
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The GPS on my phone took us past the Franklin airport and continued deep, deep into the boonies. The terrain was rugged, but the roads were paved, which met Rena’s minimum requirements.<br />
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The directions kept on coming long after I lost the signal. I’m not sure how or why that works, but it somehow does. I was just congratulating myself when the phone, having drained its battery, died. Rena had no signal, either.<br />
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We kept going, blind, hoping for the best. The winding road and the many mountains were beautiful, but all signs were beginning to point toward Deliverance. We passed Clampit Cove Road. Named for Jed? Possibly. Deliberately misspelled? Probably. Note the bear sign.<br />
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Next was a dead end sign. Why are dead end signs ominous? I’m not sure, but they are. Certainly this one was, as it was followed immediately by a sign that read “Wrong turn. Thieves vandals and other trash will be shot." A full-sized Confederate flag backed up the threat. Tiny signs, however, kept beckoning us to the mine. Rena somehow didn’t see them, and I think she thought I was making them up.<br />
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Just as the road ended we found the mine. Signs warned us “Indian miners only beyond this point.” “Paid miners only.” Was it a private club?<br />
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“I’m getting a bad feeling about this,” I said to Rena. “Must be the banjo music.”<br />
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We considered leaving, but dragged ourselves out of the car and approached a ramshackle shed. Near the door, a man who looked like Santa Claus was talking to a man who looked rather like the grim reaper—about gems, of course. We stood there patiently, and they ignored us. We walked around them and went inside.<br />
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There we learned Indian miners were customers who pay to fill pails of dirt at the mine itself. Paid miners buy buckets already gathered and certainly seeded by mine personnel. We paid $25 for a two-gallon bucket of dirt and then we were paid miners and we were allowed in. We asked to be Indian miners, but were told it was too late in the day. My heart will forever be broken because I was not allowed to be an Indian miner.<br />
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At $25, $50, and $100 per bucket (for 1, 2.5, or 5 gallons sizes), it was certainly the most expensive dirt ever.<br />
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We were led to a trough, where we more or less played patty cake with the dirt, putting several handsful into a sieve and making and kneading mud cakes, hoping the sticky clay-based soil would wash away and reveal our fortunes. We were soon filthy.<br />
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What we saw when the mud was gone was rocks of assorted sizes; some of the rocks, though, were not rocks at all, but gemstones. The rocks that were clearly gemstones were in fact rocks and the rocks that looked like gemstones turned out to be rocks. Once past that confusion we had a good time playing in the mud. Rena liked the experience so much she bought a second bucket of dirt and we started all over again.<br />
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When the last of the mud was gone we each found ourselves with several handsful of gemstones of varied and assorted types and sizes. I think each of us thought the other had gotten the better deal and semi-seriously thought about drygulching one another, but all the mudslinging had left us weary, so we never got around to it—although what do I know about what Rena might have done in our hotel room in the dead of the night?<br />
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We made our way back to civilization and headed for our hotel, and immediately managed to find the most treacherous road in North Carolina. For some reason Rena was not enamored of steep heavily forested one-lane gravel roads with 200-foot drop offs and no guard rails. When we were a quarter mile in she stopped and refused to go any further until I told her the alternatives to proceeding were to back up or turn around, which would entail hanging either the front wheels or the back wheels over the edge of the cliff.<br />
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“Just 1.3 miles to go, Rena. You can do it. 1.2 miles. One mile! Just one mile!”<br />
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"What if a car comes the other way?"<br />
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"It won't happen." But of course, it did.<br />
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Happily, we reached pavement earlier than anticipated and were on our way to our motel in Maggie Valley.<br />
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The room was fine except for a pool of water on the bathroom floor. Rena swore she wasn’t responsible, but of the two of us only she had been in the bathroom. That made me suspicious.<br />
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We were soon cleaned up and sitting in big rocking chairs on the balcony, looking out on a rushing mountain stream and telling lies with our thumbs.</div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-20033817899590664552017-08-24T06:08:00.002-07:002017-08-24T06:18:09.565-07:00Saga of the Cinnamon Schapps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4TbEXF2Qqtm08_WB08j6UIJB0m_7e_3gmNpgcNRUXhyphenhyphenAQpiUbSbXJspCbJsJ5CmIoXXtQAK0s9DEyqe7lq8mbP2Zyt6XbVm5yTUEJOjns04_YDYn3PmU7MkwUQkcg1t2x3kNAtWVbMc/s1600/DeKuyper+Cinnamon+Schnapps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="496" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4TbEXF2Qqtm08_WB08j6UIJB0m_7e_3gmNpgcNRUXhyphenhyphenAQpiUbSbXJspCbJsJ5CmIoXXtQAK0s9DEyqe7lq8mbP2Zyt6XbVm5yTUEJOjns04_YDYn3PmU7MkwUQkcg1t2x3kNAtWVbMc/s640/DeKuyper+Cinnamon+Schnapps.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Rena and I packed away the cinnamon schnapps Barbara gave me, along with the rest of my eclipse equipment. Solar viewers. Check. Solar binoculars. Check. Go-Pro camera. Check. Digital SLR. Check. Big ass astronomical binoculars. Check. Big ass tripod for big ass astronomical binoculars. Check. Cinnamon schnapps. Check. Little red shot glasses for filling with cinnamon schnapps. Check.<br />
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Our intention was to break out the schnapps as totality approached.<br />
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The morning of Monday, August 17 found us in extreme Southwestern North Carolina, near the Georgia border. The evening before, after a meal at the famous<a href="http://www.dillardhouse.com/" target="_blank"> Dillard House</a>...<br />
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... we had checked out nearby <a href="https://gastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/black-rock-mountain-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=GA&parkId=530146" target="_blank">Black Rock Mountain State Park</a>. Black Rock Mountain was where, when I heard the park would be open for viewing at the summit, I planned to watch the eclipse. I had envisioned an open summit like that of nearby Brasstown Bald, but it seemed the entirety of Black Rock Mountain, or what we saw, anyway, was forested. Maybe not, as the above shot from the park's website suggests, but when a ranger told me the entire plan for the eclipse was to open the gates as usual at 7:30 am, allow cars in until the parking capacity was reached, and then lock the gates, I relocated our viewing to nearby Franklin, North Carolina. Our motel was there, anyway. It was a fortunate decision.<br />
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I had a wound on my leg that was looking inflamed, so after breakfast on Tuesday, Rena drove me to a walk-in clinic near our motel so I could get it checked. I was quickly in and out with a prescription for antibiotics. Downtown Franklin was filled with people there for the viewing, but the clinic had views so spectacular we decided we would watch from there rather than join the nearby throngs.<br />
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As the eclipse started started we set up chairs and our cooler under a tree. The husband of one of the clinic's staff members was already there, waiting for his wife to take her lunch break, and we chatted as the moon increasingly blacked out the sun.<br />
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Off to the south-- toward Dillard and Black Rock Mountain-- heavy clouds covered the horizon. The skies above Franklin, however, were clear.<br />
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When totality was about fifteen minutes away I went to the car to fetch my binoculars and the bottle of cinnamon schnapps Barbara Whitlow gave me for my birthday. In just the couple of minutes I was away a bank of clouds had condensed overhead and was moving northward toward the sun. It was clear they were going to be a problem. The clinic had closed for the totality and the couple watching with us were hurriedly packing their gear. They were, they said, going to drive northward, toward Cowee, to try to outrun the clouds. Just continue up the road, they said, and turn left on Highway 23.<br />
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Rena and I made the decision to follow, and as she went to get the car I dragged our gear to the curb so it would be staged for instant loading. When Rena popped the trunk I piled the gear inside and slammed the trunk and jumped into the passenger seat and we were on our way.<br />
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It's a good thing we relocated, as the eclipse was obscured in Franklin. <a href="http://www.citizen-times.com/videos/news/local/2017/08/21/eclipse-2017-totality-franklin-nc/104819020/" target="_blank">Here's</a> a video from the <i>Asheville Citizen-Times</i>.<br />
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There was no traffic on Highway 23. The few cars present were parked and their occupants outside, looking upward. We drove for five minutes at forty miles an hour, and when instinct told me it was time, I hollered "Stop!"<br />
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Rena pulled quickly onto the shoulder and we jumped out and looked upward and there was the sun, with only a sliver still visible. We had outpaced the clouds! Our view was, gloriously, unobscured.<br />
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Within seconds totality was upon us. Being as we were near the center of the totality zone, we had two minutes and forty-three seconds. Night suddenly fell. The temperature dropped, the planets became visible, and tree frogs and crickets began to chirp. As I looked directly at the sun with my naked eyes (allowable during totality) I could see bats and swallows flitting about in the sky. The corona of the sun was visible, and there was a big black hole in the sky where the sun usually was. It was an eerie and wonderful sight.<br />
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Having now seen an eclipse NEAR the zone of totality and an eclipse IN the zone of totality, I have to say that when it comes to solar eclipses, unlike horseshoes and hand grenades, close is NOT good enough.<br />
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Then it was over. The sun turned back on, as if with a switch, and within minutes it was daylight again.<br />
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Rena and I drove happily away. Only later did I realize that in our scurry we had not touched the schnapps!<br />
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I'm saving it for another occasion, I think maybe moon watching on some clear cold New Jersey night. I will think of Barbara when I drink it.</div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-88130627626406284142017-08-24T04:39:00.002-07:002017-08-24T06:17:24.317-07:00Fisherman's Catch Redux<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On my birthday, Rena and I had dinner with two more of my friends at Fisherman's Catch, a family-owned restaurant at 4132 Stone Mountain Highway in Lilburn. (It's on the right, across the street from Krispy Kreme and Home Depot). It's easy to miss, but don't, or you'll be sorry.<br />
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The restaurant is slowly phasing out as the owner (who looks rather like Peter Fonda) approaches retirement. The sign above is a bit misleading; currently Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been phased out and Fisherman's Catch is now open only Thursday through Saturday. Thursday is all-you-can-eat crab legs day, so plan accordingly!<br />
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Since I neglected to take even a single photo during my visit, I'd like to give credit for the photo to the <a href="https://foodnearsnellville.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Food Near Snellville</a> blog.<br />
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Since my move to the frozen north I have been seriously deprived of hush puppies and crab legs, and I made up for it by ordering a side of crab legs and an additional six hush puppies. Dinner was fried catfish, with a baked potato and a big salad for sides. It took some doing, but I managed to pass up the appetizer of fried clams. It's only $2.99!<br />
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At this point dining at Fisherman's Catch is mostly symbolic, a ritual to perform with Rena, since we have a history of eating there. I know some folks will prefer Red Lobster or Joe's Crab Shack over it, but the seafood there is several years closer to the ocean, and staff have always been attentive, and that works for me.</div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-61161151823160747532017-08-23T23:14:00.000-07:002017-08-27T17:41:20.015-07:00Sorry, Tommy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My plan for Friday was to sit at the gazebo and greet people, but it was hot and by the time I rode MARTA and then took a non-air-conditioned cab from Indian Creek Station I was a bit warm, so I sheltered in the home of Barbara Hayes Whitlow. We stopped by the gazebo three or four times, but saw no one there-- which is reasonable, since why would they stay there if they dropped by to see me and I wasn't present.<br />
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My apologies to those who did stop by the gazebo, and especially to Tommy Conlon, who posted a photo of the empty gazebo on the Pine Lake FaceBook page. Tommy is one of my very favorite people, and I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to talk with him.</div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-50005955449343988262017-08-23T21:30:00.001-07:002020-06-15T19:38:28.287-07:00A Visit to Our Fair City<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Seeing a solar eclipse from the zone of totality has long been on my bucket list, so the great 2017 eclipse was a great excuse to visit Pine Lake.<br />
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I flew early Friday morning (the 18th of August), which happened to be my birthday. By noon I was in the city.<br />
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I unloaded my gear at Barbara Whitlow's house and went inside to cool off. After a while Christine Slocomb came over and they took me to <a href="http://www.redchilicafe1.com/menu.html" target="_blank">Red Chili Cafe</a>, which lives at the site of the former Wendy's at Memorial and Hambrick.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgbjyxf_JfXcl5Gx3ssAJ6Zic40KMsi6XfW5YkCFxcPAzP2e6JmGXyuJTYxf90R7QYVUm-MuWyDZi5sS-RrjyFV5_gfhjR3uRPYp_wynSMOaxJWnWAfKU1BVY2IGYtf8LGbxciKV_-PI/s1600/2017-08-18%252C+Barbara+Whitlow+%2528L%2529+and+Christine+Slocomb+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgbjyxf_JfXcl5Gx3ssAJ6Zic40KMsi6XfW5YkCFxcPAzP2e6JmGXyuJTYxf90R7QYVUm-MuWyDZi5sS-RrjyFV5_gfhjR3uRPYp_wynSMOaxJWnWAfKU1BVY2IGYtf8LGbxciKV_-PI/s640/2017-08-18%252C+Barbara+Whitlow+%2528L%2529+and+Christine+Slocomb+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My Friends Barbara Hayes Whitlow (L) and Christine Slocomb</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As you might guess from the name, the restaurant has an Asian theme. Barbara and I had one of the daily specials, a catfish curry over rice and cubes of roasted potatoes. It was, no kidding, the best dish I've had in years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHs7UX5nCTGT0dGm5G8IPRJv4sNtKtfvNIikGHB6VKBc3xnufzNus4kOv7Mmukg-2D7sPs3EYW0CPU1eo6Fxd-pbmMDvS8X-nv0cRnzn4QCPi-IRvobahGoHs0TJ5ymWrr9Rt6jtDBiE/s1600/Red+Chili+Cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="717" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHs7UX5nCTGT0dGm5G8IPRJv4sNtKtfvNIikGHB6VKBc3xnufzNus4kOv7Mmukg-2D7sPs3EYW0CPU1eo6Fxd-pbmMDvS8X-nv0cRnzn4QCPi-IRvobahGoHs0TJ5ymWrr9Rt6jtDBiE/s640/Red+Chili+Cafe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The prices at Red Chili are quite reasonable, and it's a treasure. Certainly it makes much better use of the building than Wendy's ever did.<br />
<br />
After lunch Barbara and Christine gave me a tour of Pine Lake, highlighting changes over the past two years. I used my iPhone to take photos and you will shortly be seeing them here.<br />
<br />
Back at Barbara's house we had birthday cupcakes and I was presented with a cute birthday card and bottle of cinnamon schnapps to assist with eclipse watching.<br />
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Around five pm my friend Rena came to pick me up and she and I left for our eclipse adventure.<br />
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I love hanging out with Barbara and Christine and I only regret our friendship formed late in my time at Pine Lake. I wonder if I can persuade them to move to New Jersey. Hey! We have a lake mere feet from our house and a guest bedroom! C'mon up! And thank you so much for lunch and cupcakes and schnapps and for showing me such a good time!<br />
<br />
Stay tuned to this station for the saga of the cinnamon schnapps.</div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-34525194055496877172016-11-17T18:34:00.002-08:002016-11-17T18:34:42.464-08:00Pine Lake Takes a Courageous Stand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Congratulations, Pine Lake and thank you to Mayor Melanie Hammet and the city council for declaring the city a safe haven for refugees. I am so proud!<br />
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Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-71989273298697138802016-07-27T12:45:00.000-07:002016-07-27T12:45:00.260-07:00Pine Lake Misses Nita Townes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iZlbF2XuaRnMNmT6fSJzfCPzlt24VhpWtsvODqjj7Th7DapjR1vME51mkIqPWriarJMNHpzi2mq9fUrvQeJLHr0objctFpkeqE6q4Og8lGYAvHLtYqYjw_s9_K0giXCacar0J1QE7I8/s1600/Nita+Townes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iZlbF2XuaRnMNmT6fSJzfCPzlt24VhpWtsvODqjj7Th7DapjR1vME51mkIqPWriarJMNHpzi2mq9fUrvQeJLHr0objctFpkeqE6q4Og8lGYAvHLtYqYjw_s9_K0giXCacar0J1QE7I8/s640/Nita+Townes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We are all saddened by the recent passing of Juanita (Nita) Townes of Pine Lake. Nita was 89 years old and spent most of her years in Pine Lake. She was there from the earliest days.<br />
<br />
Nita always had a smile on her face and had a wonderful sense of humor. She was proud of her garden and was happy to share its bounty.Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-43623482265279659792016-07-27T07:58:00.001-07:002016-07-27T07:58:03.699-07:00The Importance of Street Edges<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-z5xl4dju5KaHcMBRa2P-wJLRtSAgsXnxsCHJWmT8H05FqAI6Qs7hGM-wjgUROL-fo2gXfXnZypf7yhnSkyEDARGpmuugBmdbImVA3S8JqlqN83q-95OiDZepa7EvJs5Ey5nTF5USYZE/s1600/Urban+Greening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-z5xl4dju5KaHcMBRa2P-wJLRtSAgsXnxsCHJWmT8H05FqAI6Qs7hGM-wjgUROL-fo2gXfXnZypf7yhnSkyEDARGpmuugBmdbImVA3S8JqlqN83q-95OiDZepa7EvJs5Ey5nTF5USYZE/s640/Urban+Greening.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Street Edges-- the areas on either side of a motorway are important for community development. They have a positive effect on businesses and make an area desirable for shopping and strolling.<br />
<br />
I would think a rework of the Rockbridge corridor through Pine Lake would be a priority for those wishing to improve the business district. There are, thankfully, sidewalks already, but more is needed.<br />
<br />
I just came across <a href="http://www.walkable.org/library/Documents/designofstreetedges.pdf" target="_blank">this article</a> by Dan Burden. It's comprehensive and well-written with all lingo described fully.Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-43043050008231317592015-06-08T19:59:00.001-07:002015-06-08T19:59:34.753-07:00Hogan's Grocery and Pine Lake Post Office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fwVje10tsanDPUw2Pwr7jK4Jaou1Hod8pe4ZPxtzX81V_e0SEO7q72IOREDIoeHYwo321W9q-5wAgz2pNfX4oG57KMyCUENot416qD3lYS5fPGfxuSkwpNb4kJUWaz_KVLl4qKtVNsI/s1600/Pine+Lake+Crossroads%252C+1961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fwVje10tsanDPUw2Pwr7jK4Jaou1Hod8pe4ZPxtzX81V_e0SEO7q72IOREDIoeHYwo321W9q-5wAgz2pNfX4oG57KMyCUENot416qD3lYS5fPGfxuSkwpNb4kJUWaz_KVLl4qKtVNsI/s640/Pine+Lake+Crossroads%252C+1961.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Tim Selby, who has lived in Atlanta for 20 years and had never heard about Pine Lake, chanced across this blog and sent me this great photo of Hogan's Grocery and the old post office building. It's from 1961. Since the post office is still standing, it's easy to tell exactly where Hogan's stood. I had always assumed the grocery was on the other side of Rockbridge Road.<br />
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I told Tim he should come visit the town some time. If you should see him and learn his name, please tell him hello and thank him for being so generous with his photograph.<br />
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<b>Postscript</b><br />
<br />
Tim tells me<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I believe the photo was taken by
an urban planner as it was with a collection of other photos that were all taken
of the commercial district in the Buckhead area mostly along Peachtree. There
were a couple of maps from the City of Atlanta Planning Department dated 1960
that referenced where the photos were taken and many of the photographs were
dated from 1960 and 1961. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
There were several that looked like they
were taken in rural areas and I had always assumed that they were located
farther out on Peachtree Rd. I was recently looking at them with a magnifying
glass and that is when I noticed the Pine Lake post office and looked for it on
a map. Maybe the person who took the photo had a home at Pine Lake and was
just finishing out the roll of film...or maybe Pine Lake was a planned community
and would have been of interest to an urban planner? </blockquote>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-16960787408208872952015-02-14T04:01:00.000-08:002015-06-08T17:44:35.477-07:00About This Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4nho8JF4EPFsHqcWRQHaQwTMIJFOmLEhCjR411QV5Sm7DaHtAnmjVHqTVB6RqT2iEgGBMLdzA17HwYFZCVsvUv5cN4OYeNZ2zIc1LXud5TVjxSROwC06rOvd4XtvipcahSIlOyi4j88/s1600/Lake+Dec+65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4nho8JF4EPFsHqcWRQHaQwTMIJFOmLEhCjR411QV5Sm7DaHtAnmjVHqTVB6RqT2iEgGBMLdzA17HwYFZCVsvUv5cN4OYeNZ2zIc1LXud5TVjxSROwC06rOvd4XtvipcahSIlOyi4j88/s1600/Lake+Dec+65.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pine Lake, October, 1965. Photo by Claude Suttle</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Since I no longer live in Pine Lake it makes little sense to continue this blog. I will, unless something unexpected which impels me to speak up, no longer be posting here. I will, however, leave the blog up and will be happy to publish any articles or photos people wish to send me.<br />
<div>
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<div>
I love Pine Lake and its people and always will. </div>
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<div>
I invite readers to visit my new blog, <a href="http://nogritsforyou.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">NO GRITS FOR YOU</a>, which will be about, you guessed it, being a transplant from the South in New Jersey. You won't find much there for a while, but I promise things will soon be zippy. </div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-71608604856819778792015-02-14T03:53:00.001-08:002020-06-15T19:46:48.706-07:00Adieu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Z-SkcT8MPse69HeNP2EUedLw47VzF_WtQBjU0-bVIeCkmt9Tjl0e3lPQ24IOe6-E-73M0Lzh6vAWAjgf7NY5OOwKz_ZiTsaVuWTpS0UJ1hkHUKoKcf7bhGquYMgboSqS5dglS-S7Zk4/s1600/Three+Degrees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Z-SkcT8MPse69HeNP2EUedLw47VzF_WtQBjU0-bVIeCkmt9Tjl0e3lPQ24IOe6-E-73M0Lzh6vAWAjgf7NY5OOwKz_ZiTsaVuWTpS0UJ1hkHUKoKcf7bhGquYMgboSqS5dglS-S7Zk4/s1600/Three+Degrees.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I am now in residence in New Jersey.<br />
<br />
I left Georgia wearing sandals and with the top down on my Miata. I arrived at my new house in six degree temperatures and a howling wind. I almost froze to death unloading my car. Fortunately, I had stopped in Pennsylvania and swapped my sandals for closed-toed shoes.<br />
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Heavy snows arrived soon afterward and I became acquainted with rock salt and snow shovels. Happily, the electric snow thrower we ordered from Amazon arrived a few days after the storm and helps us clear our parking pad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVN1f-0Uu2-DYOYlp-e-D47CspoBpoLiAmdkBwgKaGgsZhjnEtFAD9eT1MSXzBvq96EgWuFClKB74YSh0wLE-khISnJyhe4f7DY5wk4admod9-MGydpM-pWJrTaOn68LpgEEf5rZGSRQ/s1600/Roof+with+an+Ice+Dam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVN1f-0Uu2-DYOYlp-e-D47CspoBpoLiAmdkBwgKaGgsZhjnEtFAD9eT1MSXzBvq96EgWuFClKB74YSh0wLE-khISnJyhe4f7DY5wk4admod9-MGydpM-pWJrTaOn68LpgEEf5rZGSRQ/s1600/Roof+with+an+Ice+Dam.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I learned what an ice dam is when our poor roof started looking like a glacier. The ice hasn't yet torn down the gutters or forced water inside the house, but the winter is still young.<br />
<br />
The UPack trailer with my belongings was brought in after dark (which I had specifically asked NOT to happen) and knocked down a neighbor's cable line. Police were involved. Although the line was illegally low the police required the trailer to leave and said it would not be allowed in. This meant my goods had be transferred to a U-Haul truck; it took three trips and a lot of work before load-in was complete.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohmXkiJ0H2wC4pC1aTppq56_q8oAMENCyop1JJZb6JUFHle2HP4PMyEtwt0hVua5z83U1O91RPGt8Kq4kXZHRF16AzPbf_jMuK5kh_QaMjGaZ_Noc3wJ0kE60sVVynD46yMWUd7RpaCA/s1600/Field+Cap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohmXkiJ0H2wC4pC1aTppq56_q8oAMENCyop1JJZb6JUFHle2HP4PMyEtwt0hVua5z83U1O91RPGt8Kq4kXZHRF16AzPbf_jMuK5kh_QaMjGaZ_Noc3wJ0kE60sVVynD46yMWUd7RpaCA/s1600/Field+Cap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I now own a pair of snow boots and I located my father's Korean-war era floppy-eared field hat and a pair of heavy gloves in my newly-arrived household goods. I am prepared (I hope) for the remainder of the Jersey winter.<br />
<br />
It's strange up here. Despite our location in a small town 35 miles from New York City, the people have been the most part impolite, superficial, and indifferent. Grits, cornbread, and hush puppies are not to be found. Movies cost about $15. Groceries are expensive. Property taxes are horrendous, $10,000 per year and up. Big box stores in nearby Bergen county are closed by law on Sundays. Gun laws are draconian (I would go to state prison for 30 years [mandatory sentence] if I were to be found with a slingshot or BB gun in my car). There are a thousand other strangenesses, not all of which are pleasant. I am, however, here, and here I will remain, ice dams notwithstanding..<br />
<br />Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-6292262522255572582015-01-25T20:20:00.001-08:002015-01-25T20:20:54.635-08:00Where I'm Going: II: The Outside of the House<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTArLHMMiQrvNYKsPA7YYJq-T5sRLGQ29JX5rZ4s8crHQPaUfe2nv5c2r6lCylqduhKwsgS1159fKVzCxdScglYayrGYE3ME2kU9fbHCLzlfSzooTxm5bthFlBzhS1dyiW975w7OlQxOA/s1600/Woodland+3.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTArLHMMiQrvNYKsPA7YYJq-T5sRLGQ29JX5rZ4s8crHQPaUfe2nv5c2r6lCylqduhKwsgS1159fKVzCxdScglYayrGYE3ME2kU9fbHCLzlfSzooTxm5bthFlBzhS1dyiW975w7OlQxOA/s1600/Woodland+3.Jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Our house doesn't look like much from the outside. It needs sprucing up and something-- we're not certain just what at this early date-- to add drama. A 15-foot tall 1950s-looking rocket? A trebuchet? Battlements? We'll figure it out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSpu-rUuNFBzSSqXAw4oucMZTCCuIcYf2Hy2Fw7Ta16s-thjDLE0Pd6KDTzBe3n41X-RGcrwL7WYCAmWANvF2zLD7z5L29U-831OrjgBmMSlEhGjS4NQ7vxavklbcJCvfBDgpkSVNx6Y/s1600/Woodland+2.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSpu-rUuNFBzSSqXAw4oucMZTCCuIcYf2Hy2Fw7Ta16s-thjDLE0Pd6KDTzBe3n41X-RGcrwL7WYCAmWANvF2zLD7z5L29U-831OrjgBmMSlEhGjS4NQ7vxavklbcJCvfBDgpkSVNx6Y/s1600/Woodland+2.Jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's the back side of the house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqKLegqSFVcent1-vs1SvI0psZm1M8kbSj-T2uMYF3O61dBNP0hrQJUMZ__CqSrCrpDUnUvYJDOkNuyZ_vlWVGLNU_FTb64KQtnRM7oZKP0TQsHNm9pAn8jFteziqelojFq6vumaZYEI/s1600/Garden+Shed.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqKLegqSFVcent1-vs1SvI0psZm1M8kbSj-T2uMYF3O61dBNP0hrQJUMZ__CqSrCrpDUnUvYJDOkNuyZ_vlWVGLNU_FTb64KQtnRM7oZKP0TQsHNm9pAn8jFteziqelojFq6vumaZYEI/s1600/Garden+Shed.Jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the level portion of our yard. Word is Patty Duke once played tennis here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4ow24NSj8ZY3FjDQaOvLhSk5JfaLp8I3MlTlaXB0Sz1OMCDQzQZjhePqXznt0Mv519GAa_0kA9zXsVTKc3iYOvLzMU7S2RHOybgDVX9UqaG6N-I7XiUTHc-T0R57YKxQd8g3o11Epr4/s1600/Parking+Area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4ow24NSj8ZY3FjDQaOvLhSk5JfaLp8I3MlTlaXB0Sz1OMCDQzQZjhePqXznt0Mv519GAa_0kA9zXsVTKc3iYOvLzMU7S2RHOybgDVX9UqaG6N-I7XiUTHc-T0R57YKxQd8g3o11Epr4/s1600/Parking+Area.jpg" height="310" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
There's no garage, but there's plenty of parking space. We hope to add a carport this summer.<br />
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Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-60351577222339048262015-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:002020-06-15T19:52:38.402-07:00Where I'm Going: Our New House. I: Inside<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD9lFbsmbqt_M6XXzsA-WDburpoPU0HbITLZn5bF8YIO3eJ7ZdDCWDaebD0NCHevXBCvcSWrFbrK6EE9dE4u8JmxwMTrSVW91XTnBPWR-vT2nsq50n16syzWSjNlj6x1oHIe39ip5Ec0/s1600/Stairway.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD9lFbsmbqt_M6XXzsA-WDburpoPU0HbITLZn5bF8YIO3eJ7ZdDCWDaebD0NCHevXBCvcSWrFbrK6EE9dE4u8JmxwMTrSVW91XTnBPWR-vT2nsq50n16syzWSjNlj6x1oHIe39ip5Ec0/s1600/Stairway.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first thing one sees when entering our new house in New Jersey is this beautiful freestanding wooden stair. It leads to two huge rooms-- one 14' x 17', which will be my office, and a huge 17' x 24' room which will house the biggest television screen we can afford. We are already calling it the media room. Unfortunately, I have no photos of the upstairs.<br />
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The huge stone fireplace visible at left, above, opens to a stunning living room with log beams from 1940 (when the house was built) and a vaulted ceiling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy_9aKMQOLtPhIqfj4qV_E4DtoPARL7urDom6br9Uhe04Y_83NuhoPToBO4Fv1qOmCNhEnGwsDxv-RZIkLNLay9iFgtWbnH8z9plkVdifv8zvNQbp222Uqlwucxz8kNFKYqD-AGSVuII/s1600/Living+Room+1.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy_9aKMQOLtPhIqfj4qV_E4DtoPARL7urDom6br9Uhe04Y_83NuhoPToBO4Fv1qOmCNhEnGwsDxv-RZIkLNLay9iFgtWbnH8z9plkVdifv8zvNQbp222Uqlwucxz8kNFKYqD-AGSVuII/s1600/Living+Room+1.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Double doors leading to a mudroom and then outside can be seen at center right, and at center left the back of the stairway can be seen. That's a wood-burning stove on the hearth.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzQMRW0Oxa1z1jX_fEfUK2cB7HRvd28y9d4feLzELbZZChBS3H08Cuh1q64L7h6cWHtLjJ8_g1G_sfZlYUGNUUrgas5KwbN9vAjs_uQwPXrpIxoMSSrT0pRjeIfeIa8UPliahRPr9gTo/s1600/Mud+Room.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzQMRW0Oxa1z1jX_fEfUK2cB7HRvd28y9d4feLzELbZZChBS3H08Cuh1q64L7h6cWHtLjJ8_g1G_sfZlYUGNUUrgas5KwbN9vAjs_uQwPXrpIxoMSSrT0pRjeIfeIa8UPliahRPr9gTo/s1600/Mud+Room.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a portion of the mud room.<br />
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None of this shows our furniture. These photos are from the real estate listing which led us to the house. The furniture belongs to the previous owner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-cHPerC4tQvuewNnSXHTyCBBMFIG8kwZ4iEicNLcB-iwxviREcH8n6PjfVArHYaJ48HeOOVabTuZFmqVf8mqzf08yzsSzcl8Vq4wmziRET1ykdOtqp0RYRmPYxu0w80Cjxcr_PpQ7y8/s1600/Living+Room+2.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-cHPerC4tQvuewNnSXHTyCBBMFIG8kwZ4iEicNLcB-iwxviREcH8n6PjfVArHYaJ48HeOOVabTuZFmqVf8mqzf08yzsSzcl8Vq4wmziRET1ykdOtqp0RYRmPYxu0w80Cjxcr_PpQ7y8/s1600/Living+Room+2.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The doorless opening on the left, above, leads to the kitchen, and the double-width opening just to the left of the fireplace leads to the dining area. The kitchen and dining areas comprise one big room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyMse_8hL9pO3UiFJaYd_w3vXg_V7Xh7IqUV3xYRiDi63C64Xv6I6feblYPj45jK1n5IVmZQ3z4rmI6FErfXz8v5fV-8ZoNMTraGgUZz7pVfPoD4T7XF_t1JKqq-3gBtO09sIyyouAnA/s1600/Kitchen+1.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyMse_8hL9pO3UiFJaYd_w3vXg_V7Xh7IqUV3xYRiDi63C64Xv6I6feblYPj45jK1n5IVmZQ3z4rmI6FErfXz8v5fV-8ZoNMTraGgUZz7pVfPoD4T7XF_t1JKqq-3gBtO09sIyyouAnA/s1600/Kitchen+1.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Below is a second view of the kitchen, looking back at the living room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0ZaIHKYGBNGRMXFdyVhlWySxhuGrRWIT9uM8URMr8dsrgEgpLpm-lQBvcXsu8VylNrxibHSyBWcWwcbr2rYZvFzLweXApDFncpjzcxTbKsRLCrn7g0lHud5BQjjyEq5PhyphenhyphenswVBSpPZ8/s1600/Kitchen+2.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0ZaIHKYGBNGRMXFdyVhlWySxhuGrRWIT9uM8URMr8dsrgEgpLpm-lQBvcXsu8VylNrxibHSyBWcWwcbr2rYZvFzLweXApDFncpjzcxTbKsRLCrn7g0lHud5BQjjyEq5PhyphenhyphenswVBSpPZ8/s1600/Kitchen+2.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To the right of the refrigerator is an honest-to-god pantry!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqO9FvrB8TMSRUzsrV8VlXE0_s-dalk64nsibds0A5XW7WGIO9lgTITP2Cc-tv5GTSao4UlRZlBSC7pf7FFlHdOmWiFtvPaOnboQ5Igb_vbSaWMUuemKMFLwZkMp72Nadf4URTThRdAg/s1600/Pantry.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqO9FvrB8TMSRUzsrV8VlXE0_s-dalk64nsibds0A5XW7WGIO9lgTITP2Cc-tv5GTSao4UlRZlBSC7pf7FFlHdOmWiFtvPaOnboQ5Igb_vbSaWMUuemKMFLwZkMp72Nadf4URTThRdAg/s1600/Pantry.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Shown below is about half of the dining area.The other half is visible at upper right in the first photo of the kitchen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFfEtHBcn4kCEul2Cg3AFHRr3SrTDta0ko69PtZl-YhQgjRj4etm0DbvQE9Xclb4eSrm-C6_vLpHIrcrVbG8-CF-YokS9e1FYFAn0GbpsATEYYHr0MWxbbcxf-eWBjsdc1ijKYXIrFn8/s1600/Dining+Room.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFfEtHBcn4kCEul2Cg3AFHRr3SrTDta0ko69PtZl-YhQgjRj4etm0DbvQE9Xclb4eSrm-C6_vLpHIrcrVbG8-CF-YokS9e1FYFAn0GbpsATEYYHr0MWxbbcxf-eWBjsdc1ijKYXIrFn8/s1600/Dining+Room.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the past six years Heather had to put up with a skinny side-by-side refrigerator that didn't keep food quite cold enough (and didn't have room enough for much in the first place), so I don't begrudge her choice of this huge Samsung french door fridge. I took the photo above with my cell phone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQybjm3_9CNIzhxMRoUaonc-PVj4jdPyH7cbbyr_mYcZd_NEAjJCPc6TKbYbpZSvbOv6pHAvYKSk0-afHjJ_0vNmBKgwqF2AqjK0rkuTWcHucoZ9vNqbATjFfUFG5RcwxlA4eb6qDesKA/s1600/WP_20141119_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQybjm3_9CNIzhxMRoUaonc-PVj4jdPyH7cbbyr_mYcZd_NEAjJCPc6TKbYbpZSvbOv6pHAvYKSk0-afHjJ_0vNmBKgwqF2AqjK0rkuTWcHucoZ9vNqbATjFfUFG5RcwxlA4eb6qDesKA/s1600/WP_20141119_002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My four-year-old much less fancy fridge will remain in my house.<br />
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I've been describing the newer portion of the house, which we call the public area. What you'll see next was once a 1940s cabin. There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms (one with a tub and one with a shower), and a walk-in closet. We have appropriated the master bedroom for ourselves. The second largest will be the guest bedroom, and the smallest, which has hardwood floors, will be a music room.<br />
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Here's the master bedroom (again, this is not our furniture):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPb-B3DAM83lm_HlQG8_nxyM-jdocmpHLSITm3ozk0_HrLJbt-x-OmRFwDFT1lQ4EzBo8FwJ1jEcyH8kIczhmVCEvcJ6o_aC5emIZaLcZJRGdqs0HxZXXThiXiCAkoOVEqg_cb8mPyETY/s1600/Master+Bedroom+2.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPb-B3DAM83lm_HlQG8_nxyM-jdocmpHLSITm3ozk0_HrLJbt-x-OmRFwDFT1lQ4EzBo8FwJ1jEcyH8kIczhmVCEvcJ6o_aC5emIZaLcZJRGdqs0HxZXXThiXiCAkoOVEqg_cb8mPyETY/s1600/Master+Bedroom+2.Jpg" /></a></div>
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The bath is to the left and the walk-in closet is to the right. There's a second walk-in closet at the top of the stairway to the second floor.<br />
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Here's another view of the master bedroom:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKQebbsTXQo6Kgy8bF5NuapAJbvPSHjVzXdYmHDmeUh0O8LgagvwQ9YmhS-l2qU2IFVcSKUaBBvYpctPYJ4EDb-W9aY6S0TNisV0W0xmTGrTJ5zFlc1NkrpylbkIt1iO_mwmsUH5ugRY/s1600/Master+Bedroom.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKQebbsTXQo6Kgy8bF5NuapAJbvPSHjVzXdYmHDmeUh0O8LgagvwQ9YmhS-l2qU2IFVcSKUaBBvYpctPYJ4EDb-W9aY6S0TNisV0W0xmTGrTJ5zFlc1NkrpylbkIt1iO_mwmsUH5ugRY/s1600/Master+Bedroom.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the master bath. That wallpaper is butt ugly, isn't it? We will soon be removing or painting over it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvxWjL4vLKZtpMLzP5JOEQkzsFOO8KRL3Wp3Uj1GlGCUIGQNssNkGrJZoIMn4mz1fu-mL2-5mIV8vzeltkyxhWumXYMu4iFBJN3X3vlo5nxAshr-ITOMGT-Cny_ulUg_YiwfWNvY8KcM/s1600/Bathroom.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvxWjL4vLKZtpMLzP5JOEQkzsFOO8KRL3Wp3Uj1GlGCUIGQNssNkGrJZoIMn4mz1fu-mL2-5mIV8vzeltkyxhWumXYMu4iFBJN3X3vlo5nxAshr-ITOMGT-Cny_ulUg_YiwfWNvY8KcM/s1600/Bathroom.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the second bathroom:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJOi0_wSOWqtOv0sX3ybe33bQK4M0XF-qCI55WdWi1lf1ekpWeJtMXw1OPSpqDG36gl5npaEfGZg-DJroYulhv9o1YNE20i73kDrKiRLu_7SmMusT8HWWObnChEyXOUTN1tDyM029IUo/s1600/Bathroom+2.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJOi0_wSOWqtOv0sX3ybe33bQK4M0XF-qCI55WdWi1lf1ekpWeJtMXw1OPSpqDG36gl5npaEfGZg-DJroYulhv9o1YNE20i73kDrKiRLu_7SmMusT8HWWObnChEyXOUTN1tDyM029IUo/s1600/Bathroom+2.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This bath looks better (aside from the shower curtain), but the enclosure around the sink is too big, making for a tight sit on the toilet; we will be replacing it with a pedestal sink. The cabinet on the wall (which is hung out of level) will probably also go.<br />
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Finally, here's the music room, As you can see, it was once someone's office.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Sb4mFNcrRHBYD5ZF0MoTwRXUnag2f9ImgZUKrvrgvwFnkppzeDcWzJnXThwlOTg5L_xN-NjUCx089PZsoQufrIJIEEGuYwm0-_z9Zlc57wcrM-syO5qQDMxGmRrQcL0lZSqYYImvVKw/s1600/Bedroom+2.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Sb4mFNcrRHBYD5ZF0MoTwRXUnag2f9ImgZUKrvrgvwFnkppzeDcWzJnXThwlOTg5L_xN-NjUCx089PZsoQufrIJIEEGuYwm0-_z9Zlc57wcrM-syO5qQDMxGmRrQcL0lZSqYYImvVKw/s1600/Bedroom+2.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are not yet photos of the basement or the ridiculously steep and narrow stairs which lead down to it. There are three large rooms with concrete floors and framed walls and a larger fourth area which is begging for a cement floor. When the floor is in we'll have more storage than we will ever need. Thankfully, the basement is dry, with no evidence of having ever flooded. Most of it is above ground level, for the house is built on a hillside, so things should be safe in the basement. Still, I'll be laying down pallets under boxes and large objects.<br />
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The basement houses the gas furnace, water heater, electrical boxes, and the mitigation system that was put in when the house tested high for radioactive radon gas. There's a washer and dryer hookup, and a door leads to the outside.<br />
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The house has newly-installed central air, but that unit is outside. So, also, is a Generac whole houe standby generator; it comes on automatically when the power goes off. It runs on natural gas, so there will be no need to add fuel.<br />
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This concludes the tour of the inside of the house. Thank you for witholding your applause until the end of the presentation.<br />
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Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-1638125347153142312015-01-19T16:31:00.002-08:002020-06-15T19:55:13.124-07:00Where I'm Going: Ringwood, NJ<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyhdLE6mdWc_qW_sJBiH363XOe9Hk5ORaZbJywIhxhaL8alUMRPOOSMYILYGrPEhPfZm7Vx0Le__7xQZa5OeX5GD-CAPj79kopQ4KlE5QGRK4aj-vOS8tgEyOdpEGBFcp90a3agEjsdQ/s1600/Cupsaw+Lake+2.Jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyhdLE6mdWc_qW_sJBiH363XOe9Hk5ORaZbJywIhxhaL8alUMRPOOSMYILYGrPEhPfZm7Vx0Le__7xQZa5OeX5GD-CAPj79kopQ4KlE5QGRK4aj-vOS8tgEyOdpEGBFcp90a3agEjsdQ/s1600/Cupsaw+Lake+2.Jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm moving to a community not unlike Pine Lake. The three big differences are 1) it snows there; 2) the people talk funny; and 3) there are no grits. In fact, I will be doing a blog about my experience there called, ta DAH! <i>No Grits For You!</i> <a href="http://nogritsforyou.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Here's </a>the link; I warn you, though, nothing is posted yet.<br />
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The photo above is <a href="http://www.cupsawlake.org/" target="_blank">Cupsaw Lake</a>. It's a two to three minute walk from our house, and we have a lovely view of it from the hill upon which our house rests. If we opt to join the lake association we can house my canoe there and use the lake and its facilities year round. Of course we will do so.<br />
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Our town is Ringwood, New Jersey. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringwood,_New_Jersey" target="_blank">Here's</a> the Wikipedia entry and <a href="http://www.ringwoodnj.net/" target="_blank">here's</a> the town's website. Population is about 8,000 and there are at least four lakes. The area is sparsely populated because most of the land for miles around is state park, botanical gardens, and protected reservoir. There's a lot of wildlife, including an eagle reservation within the city limits, and brown bears abound; it's necessary to keep garbage inside or in a bear-proof enclosure. At night the stars are breathtaking.<br />
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Amazingly, Ringwood is only 25 miles or so from Manhattan. Distance by car is 37 miles (53 min.) and transport time via public transportation is an hour and a quarter. There's a free parking area at the town's library with a shelter,and that's where the bus stops. The library is about a mile-and-a-half from the house. The New York state line is just two to three miles away. So is the Appalachian trail. There's first-class hiking everywhere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp4pvWHTMuXVG-L8G8RWx4INU-oR4CTluk-aQ8Imn78RDaCkoP9Z0vgK1CR1-rXCPmK_MHPKrnJfz6xbOsObAtRkOR5QqW_Xx_noyYYSBD0MmueFH9_rgKbThZlRHWNkZZGul7wkzdn4/s1600/Hiking+in+NJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp4pvWHTMuXVG-L8G8RWx4INU-oR4CTluk-aQ8Imn78RDaCkoP9Z0vgK1CR1-rXCPmK_MHPKrnJfz6xbOsObAtRkOR5QqW_Xx_noyYYSBD0MmueFH9_rgKbThZlRHWNkZZGul7wkzdn4/s1600/Hiking+in+NJ.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are just enough business in town to make things convenient: the aforementioned library, a grocery, a branch of my bank (Wells Fargo), a drugstore, a dollar store, an animal hospital, medical and dentist offices, two liquor stores and a bar, and a car wash, assorted gas stations, and automobile repair places. Restaurants include a steak house, a couple of pizza/Italian restaurants, Thai and Chinese places. a deli, and a great luncheonette that's a town favorite. The only franchised restaurant is McDonald's. All this is just a little more than a mile from our house-- and there are a half-dozen larger towns within ten miles or so which offer far more. State Hwy 17, home to big malls, hundreds of big box stores, and franchised high-end eateries, is less than ten miles away. Gas prices are a little lower than they are in Atlanta, and by law attendants must fill fuel tanks. That's easy to get used to!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMcs1z_5EnoWzRdUurhClOLy2U9Xnch8YHcimaKbAZF-OFMsLzpQX4W4EZN-3gm5woKHiM1bhlzTYYB9A8RvYhbEA00UJXF6vNdvZm6M5x52xFsm4_QZh6KuL1m1DQXbnRhsvhSgG-rA/s1600/Abandoned+Mine,+Ringwood,+NJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMcs1z_5EnoWzRdUurhClOLy2U9Xnch8YHcimaKbAZF-OFMsLzpQX4W4EZN-3gm5woKHiM1bhlzTYYB9A8RvYhbEA00UJXF6vNdvZm6M5x52xFsm4_QZh6KuL1m1DQXbnRhsvhSgG-rA/s1600/Abandoned+Mine,+Ringwood,+NJ.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All is not rosy in Ringwood, however. In the 60s and 70s a nearby Ford plant hired truckers (reportedly via the Mafia ) to dump thousands of tons of heavy-metal bearing paint sludge in abandoned mine tunnels (before it became a resort community in the 1920s, Ringwood was home to many iron and zinc mines. The materials were dumped miles away from our house in a community that is comprised primarily of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramapough_Mountain_Indians" target="_blank">Ramapough Mountain Indians</a>, a closely-knit mixed-race community of some antiquity that has been recognized by the state of New Jersey (but not yet by the Federal government), as a tribe. The far side of Ringwood has been a SuperFund site since 1980s and is still the EPA's largest . Fortunately, the tribe has had some success in court. Unfortunately, the tribe, which was once known as Jackson Whites, has a long history of being discriminated against and most of its members continue to live in a toxic environment and in poverty.<br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to learning more about my new home town. The rest of the state? Not so much.<br />
<br /></div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3798444074033629161.post-25016735728301841852015-01-18T20:42:00.002-08:002015-01-18T20:42:37.406-08:00Dallas Denny Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBN3xIW1SAjYlYDnrZ6ae_RWgdmD44IhrseI4UgOQ1nbibxM_k5SI0XPje9fIf3cUTvAQURB6AVnUFIPnKQsF64yKfzdxM-95wp4cMoHK95iQ5WBHrh0ACI8xMGffOYD1331F3fSrkLo/s1600/2014-12,+Pine+Lake+Lounge,+Crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBN3xIW1SAjYlYDnrZ6ae_RWgdmD44IhrseI4UgOQ1nbibxM_k5SI0XPje9fIf3cUTvAQURB6AVnUFIPnKQsF64yKfzdxM-95wp4cMoHK95iQ5WBHrh0ACI8xMGffOYD1331F3fSrkLo/s1600/2014-12,+Pine+Lake+Lounge,+Crop.jpg" height="520" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Me, Performing at the Pine Lake Lounge</span></b></td></tr>
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In December, Eva Sotus (who lives in he house just behind mine) asked if I would come to the Pine Lake Lounge event and sing my Pine Lake song. I said yes, of course.<br />
<br />
So I arrived at the beach house at 7:30 pm with my guitar, suspecting nothing.<br />
<br />
My turn came and I sang the song, then, by request, repeated it with everyone singing along from lyric sheets that had been printed up by Christine Slocomb.<br />
<br />
After playing a second song of my own devising, I left the stage. Next up was mayor Kathie deNobriga, who had earlier that day told me I would not be allowed to leave Pine Lake because I had not turned in the proper paperwork. I half-way believed her.<br />
<br />
So, Kathie started reading a proclamation. First, of course, came the whereases:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>WHEREAS, the City of Pine Lake has been blessed with many talented residents; and</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>WHEREAS, each of these individuals contribute toward making Pine Lake the special place we call home; and </i></blockquote>
Okay, I thought. Where is this going?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>WHEREAS, one of our long-term residents who has tirelessly contributed their time and talents to the benefit of the City; and</i></blockquote>
I was starting to smell a rat.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>WHEREAS, the works of this citizen are demonstrated by the beautiful pictures taken and posted for all to enjoy; and </i></blockquote>
Yes, I said to myself. I smell trouble coming.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>WHEREAS, this citizen has served as the City Historian for many years.</i></blockquote>
Oh, good. I don't recall being appointed historian. For a minute there I thought...<br />
<br />
Then came the therefore:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Now, therefore, in honor of the many contributions made, I, Kathie deNobriga, Mayor of Pine Lake, proclaim December 14th, 2014, as "Dallas Denny Day" in Pine Lake.</i></blockquote>
Dag! It was me after all!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTRgcnEmwybu1vb9m7p9lDL2hXLbinLv0YgqQcwpnfclNeFAIzgH8oyr9zG3LkwZHDefVXqsdVcThjBy9hBmntjMmuCat6AWv28vbeSzitUYAuBfE0XWbiN6I7hyfDHNglcrchjKsMBk/s1600/Proclamation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTRgcnEmwybu1vb9m7p9lDL2hXLbinLv0YgqQcwpnfclNeFAIzgH8oyr9zG3LkwZHDefVXqsdVcThjBy9hBmntjMmuCat6AWv28vbeSzitUYAuBfE0XWbiN6I7hyfDHNglcrchjKsMBk/s1600/Proclamation.jpg" height="640" width="358" /></a></div>
<br />
To say I was astonished and gratified would be an understatement. A day named after little old me?<br />
<br />
To top things off, my next door neighbor Barbara Whitlow produced a lovely departure cake. It was delicious and I ate three pieces. I hoped no one noticed the guest of honor pigging out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNV8XefWprcSnqpUft8UGyxrEtbA_fkV-2gouT16wBq-b23HEHCChlieyOJgDf2tjhTB1BUeisqAq18fAjeHSYs4fafnzzLi4xxl6uNktB9jH5Dc4ISCh1-0eS-UnSusxxGNj_jLvouVI/s1600/WP_20141213_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNV8XefWprcSnqpUft8UGyxrEtbA_fkV-2gouT16wBq-b23HEHCChlieyOJgDf2tjhTB1BUeisqAq18fAjeHSYs4fafnzzLi4xxl6uNktB9jH5Dc4ISCh1-0eS-UnSusxxGNj_jLvouVI/s1600/WP_20141213_002.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Afterward, with my guitar slung over my shoulder and a lovely greeting card signed by half the city, I floated home.. I went immediately upstairs and phoned my fiancee to tell her the 14th had been declared a holiday.<br />
<br />
She was already amazed I had sold my house so easily. "Your social network is amazing!" she had said. "What do you think of my network now?" I asked smugly.<br />
<br />
My thanks go out to Mayor deNobriga, Barbara and Christine, Eva, Tommy Conlon (who talked about me when he read his amazing poem about the "right" side of the lake) and the many Pine Lakers who have wished me well over the past month.<br />
<br />
My belongings are now all packed. My departure is linked to the closing date for the sale of my house, which should be announced shortly. I will miss my house, the lake, the city, and most of all, the wonderful people. I'm about to cry.<br />
<br /></div>
Dallas Dennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13668484079168778973noreply@blogger.com0