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This was the view on the way home from work one day last week. The new Chief Justice is excellent. All has worked out employmentwise. All will be well no matter what.  Alabama's Capitol Building (the view from my window at work)  Alabama's Capitol Building - on the way home from work  Crossing the Bibb Graves Bridge on the way home
 First Presbyterian (Wetumpka) August evening 2011,on the way home from work  First Methodist (Wetumpka) - on the way home from work
 Paddling upstream -- the story of my life. Makes for a pretty good story,too!
Saturday a few weeks ago I was a little bummed out. There was a game of poultry being played in Washington on a scale that makes the big chicken over in Marietta look like a teeny little hummingbird. On the state level,Sue Bell Cobb resigned,leaving a gaping hole in the justice system. As for my life,I’m not sure where I’ll be in a few weeks employmentwise,but I am optimistic that I’ll still be doing what I love.
Uncertainty in big things is a difficult exercise in walking by faith. I needed to get some perspective. So I walked the old kayak down to the new landing in my neighborhood and paddled upstream about a mile,then rode home. It’s not a fancy kayak,picked it up from a friend for about fifty bucks,and I think it’s actually designed for use on lakes and oceans. But for the purpose,it serves quite well. I got a renewed sense of life and beauty and some much needed solace. I also received a lot of funny looks from the kayakers and canoers going downstream,paddling the easy direction. As I made my way past the breathtaking scenery that is the Coosa at Wetumpka,I was reminded how small my life is in the grand scheme of things,and that whatever the future holds,I have so much to be thankful for. Life is good.
Ok. This place did NOT give me THAT kind of gas. On the contrary,this little gas station has the best handmade burgers and fried dill pickle chips you have tasted at a roadside stop. They also have deli sandwiches,dessert,and a real serious menu for such a small place. Full of flavor,not too greasy,you won’t regret stopping at the deli counter in the back for a bite. If you are on Highway 14 between Tallassee and Wetumpka,stop here,get gas for your car and some good homemade food for yourself. Your tummy and taste buds will thank you. The place is clean and has a nice atmosphere and real nice people work there.  The onion rings and handmade burgers are delicious. The fried dill pickle chips ... oh,there is nothing like them. Crispy,not too greasy,with a hint of heat in the spices.
 The artistic urn-like hopper on the antique meat grinder speaks to a workman who took pride in his meat grinders -- and reminds me that a life was given to make my meal possible. The flat-screen TV goes nicely with the heavy machine from another time. And yeah,when you order a burger,they hand-make a beef patty back there and then throw it on the grill.
 This lady served my order and told me what my neighborhood in Wetumpka was like when she went to school and had her first job there.
 This lovely lady will ring your order up. I was glad she advised me to try the fried dill pickles!
 If you didn't know this was the best place to stop for a burger and fried dill pickle chips ... well,you wouldn't know.
 For handmade burgers and a roadside meal worth stopping for,pull over under this sign on Highway 14 between Wetumpka and Tallassee.  Juvenile lizard of some sort. Wetumpka AL. Tail detaches. Anybody know what kind of lizard this is?
An interesting combination —a bunch of Cokes,and some Slim-Fast —purchased by the shopper in front of me. While it made me chuckle,it also reminded me of my own weight struggle brought on by last year’s back injury. Previously in great shape,I blew up like a balloon due to steroids,sudden inactivity when I used to run every day and live an active life,and,of course,all that comfort eating to aid me in my self-pity and woe. For the first time in years I struggled with weight,and was not winning. I had to come to terms with my new limitations and metabolism. While I am proud to report that I’ve lost 20 of the 35 pounds I put on,I am even happier to report that moving away from self-pity was the first step to getting the weight off. Also,teetotally cutting out the soft drinks (and alcohol) really makes the weight come off faster,but I didn’t share that with my fellow shopper as I know how sensitive I would have been if a stranger had volunteered that tip to me in the checkout line at Winn-Dixie. I learned a lot about myself while I was chunky. I learned that people treat you differently when you are overweight,and do not take you as seriously. I was horrified to discover that I myself had prejudices against overweight people I never knew I had —prejudices I was focusing inwardly on myself now in a self-destructive pattern. I think it was in overcoming those prejudices,and in learning humility while interacting with people in my super-sized body,that I actually conquered ugliness on the inside that I had not been aware I needed to deal with until my weighty problems. I’m still getting the pounds off,and they come off slower now that I am older and my lifestyle is limited,but each day is a new one. I am grateful for an ordeal that uncovered hidden pride and prejudices;overcoming those has been even more rewarding than losing the weight. We have a saying in the South —beauty is as beauty does. Now I’m on the road to being skinny again,AND a better person for the whole ordeal. And for those last fifteen pounds,I have a warning for you —you’re going the way of the first 20! So,even though I have to have a belly laugh over the purchase in the photo,I know my fellow shopper’s struggle all too well —and I wish her the best!  There’s a secret paradise in these woods. Don’t ask me how to get there. That’s the secret part.
Excellent fishing. Local water moccasins are aggressive,so the fisherperson needs a gun to keep them at bay in addition to the usual bass and bream equipment.  The Taurus Judge deters snakes well &stows out of the way as long as snakes mind their own business
 A shy local pond resident on her way uphill to make a nest and deposit some eggs.
Gracie was happy to help with picking and snapping the yellow wax and green beans. Of course with a face that cute,she managed to score almost all the bean tips and a few pieces the missed the bowl.
 Milli-,bluegrass,and friends at the coffeehous in downtowm Wetumpka,AL Yesterday Milli- and I walked over to the coffeehouse for bluegrass,friends,and good eats. Then stopped by Gold Star park for a dip in the river on the way home.
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