2007-29 Southeastern Five-Lined Skink, Tennessee
Hello All,
We have good news to report this week. Dave’s stress test photos were as the doctors put it “unremarkable.” There is nothing wrong with his heart. They now believe it was esophageal spasms, which are caused by stomach acid leaking into the esophagus and possibly the wind pipe. The doc’s have him on meds to correct the situation.
Our friends Stacy and Joan arrived in their motor home this week and will be staying for a month. Mid-week we all went to the Bluegrass and Barbeque Festival at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. Stacy has been known to enjoy his food--to say he was in 7th heaven would be an understatement!! We had a good time and especially enjoyed the bluegrass music.
One afternoon, while sitting around our campsite visiting we noticed what appeared to be lizards hunting for food. We later learned that they were southeastern five-lined skinks-- now there’s a mouth full! Their bodies are brown with yellow lines and a brilliant blue tail--hence the photo of the week. They were fascinating to watch. Mother Nature at work yet again!!
We have good news to report this week. Dave’s stress test photos were as the doctors put it “unremarkable.” There is nothing wrong with his heart. They now believe it was esophageal spasms, which are caused by stomach acid leaking into the esophagus and possibly the wind pipe. The doc’s have him on meds to correct the situation.
Our friends Stacy and Joan arrived in their motor home this week and will be staying for a month. Mid-week we all went to the Bluegrass and Barbeque Festival at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. Stacy has been known to enjoy his food--to say he was in 7th heaven would be an understatement!! We had a good time and especially enjoyed the bluegrass music.
One afternoon, while sitting around our campsite visiting we noticed what appeared to be lizards hunting for food. We later learned that they were southeastern five-lined skinks-- now there’s a mouth full! Their bodies are brown with yellow lines and a brilliant blue tail--hence the photo of the week. They were fascinating to watch. Mother Nature at work yet again!!
Also this week we saw the
movie “A Man Called Pearl.” It is a documentary about a gentleman in
Bishopville, South Carolina. He has spent a lifetime making and maintaining a
topiary garden single-handedly on a 3-acre parcel of land where his home is
located. He has no formal education and does not irrigate or use pesticides.
What he has accomplished is truly amazing. People travel from all over the
world to see it. This gentleman “Pearl Fryar” is the epitome of what being “a
man” is all about. You can’t help but be inspired after seeing this movie. We
highly recommend the film. His garden is high on our list of places to visit.
He personally shows visitors the garden. As one man put it after seeing the
movie, “…I feel like I should go home and trim some bushes or something.”
Another jaunt took us back to the Ocoee River with Joan and Stacy to watch the river rafting and try out a couple of new cameras. It was a beautiful day and made for lots of action to shoot both stills and video pictures. We witnessed a number of boats overturning in the churning rapids. All the people were safely retrieved from the water, with only a few shoes, paddles and helmets swept downstream. It looks like a lot of fun; however, the excitement could turn very quickly to sheer terror.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Another jaunt took us back to the Ocoee River with Joan and Stacy to watch the river rafting and try out a couple of new cameras. It was a beautiful day and made for lots of action to shoot both stills and video pictures. We witnessed a number of boats overturning in the churning rapids. All the people were safely retrieved from the water, with only a few shoes, paddles and helmets swept downstream. It looks like a lot of fun; however, the excitement could turn very quickly to sheer terror.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns