I Liked this Funky Little House. Now It's Gone

This little house was situated at the back of its lot. I liked it.

It sat for years with a blue tarp. Now it's gone.

The intention of the homeowner was to renovate it, but it didn't work out.

Houses, No Flowers

Some houses had no visible flowers, but the light was good and I snapped anyway.

Houses with April Flowers

Flowers-- even a few-- sure brighten up a house!

April Irises

A Violet. Isn't it Pretty?

It's an Onion!

Catherine Crockett told me it's an ornamental onion species, Alium bulgaricum. Who would have thunk it?

Not Quite Lily of the Valley. Ideas, Anyone?

Yellow Camellias

Azaleas, April 25, 2013

I Was a Warehouse Wage Slave

I've been a fan of online shopping for years-- but this article in Mother Jones magazine is making me do a reassessment.

It's a harrowing read, but an eye-opening one.

Coker Tire Museum

On Saturday mornings I met members of the Peachtree Miata Club at a Hess truck about sixty miles north of Atlanta. The day had just grown warm enough to put our convertible tops down, and we all did that. I was second in line in a convoy of twenty of so Miatas. We drove through the Chattahoochee National Forest and into Chattanooga by way of Chicamauga. Our destination was the Coker Tire Museum.

Coker Tires is the world's premiere manufacturer of vintage tires for automobiles, motorcycles, and other vehicles. They maintain a museum at 1317 Chestnut Street-- but there are more than tires there. The museum houses more than 60 vintage motorcycles and as many antique cars. I saw vintage Indian, Henderson, and Harley-Davidson motorcyles, several models of MG sports cars, an antique fire engine and several old busses, early twentieth century race cars, and Hudsons, Fords, Chevys, and brands I'd never before seen.

The museum hosts two tours Monday-Friday (but check in first). Tours are free, are conducted at 10 am and 2 pm, and last about sixty minutes. You can book a tour by going to tours.cokertire.com.

The Miata club's visit almost certainly not coincidentally took place on the day of the Chattanooga Cruise-In. Hundreds of private owners of every conceivable type of vintage car and motorcycle brought their prides and joys. Some were chopped, but most were restored to like-new showroom condition. We're talking 1957 T'Birds, 1955 Chevy's, supercharged Trans-Ams, VW microbusses, corvettes, woody wagons, Nashes, Ferraris, Studebakers Honda Dream motorcycles-- you name it.

Alas, in my hurry to get out of the house I forgot to bring my camera. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Recyling 101

One day recently I took myself to DeKalb County's Resource Room at Northlake Mall for a presentation on recyling in DeKalb. When I arrived, there was our own Tommy Conlon. Hello, Tommy! And thanks, Mayor Kathie, for sending the time and date of the talk out on the Pine Lake e-lists.

The title was Recyling 101. The presenter was an enthusiastic young woman named Laurene Hamilton.