Notre Dame Football

That would be the Golden Dome as in the one at Notre Dame, yes after visiting with Emily, ( and more to come on our visit in Chicago with her) Mark and I went to see Wake play at Notre Dame.  Well the Domers are right proud of them selves and were certainly all over the campus taking pictures and making various pilgrimages to various shrines on campus.  And the Dome is one of several. 

Here is "Band Practice" and  10 to 20,000 people have gone to one end of the campus to listen to "band practice and watch the Irish Guard clear a path for them to go to the stadium.

and touchdown Jesus on the library - also seen from the stadium - hence the name

 and we just lucked into "trumpets in the rotunda" or some such tradition.  This is under the Dome as the Golden one we went to and trumpeters from the band play on several levels of the rotunda.  A few people do stop by to hear.  We just were in the building to see what was there and find a restroom.  Went up to the top floor to avoid the crowd.

Trying to load the  video I took here -- if it does not work google trumpets under the dome or something like that. I did Notre Dame trumpets and google did the rest.  There are a lot of youtube videos and it really is something to see and hear.  

Well the stadium is large, it was full, Notre Dame had won 10 games prior to the contest with the Deacons this year and were as is evident from the sky, it was one beautiful day for a football game in Indiana.

Here Notre Dame is about to score once again on this rather hapless edition of not so Demon Deacons.

 The sunset was beautiful, if the game was not for those of us Wake Forest fans.

 but we did have a good time for the occasion of being at a big deal ball game.

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Mark and I are in Chicago to see Emily.  As is obvious, the buildings are tall, I am impressed.  That is the Hancock building and the Water Tower for those of you who know these things.

 and this would be the Chicago River

and this would be a demonstration outside Macy's - 

not sure of the grievance but the demonstrators were loud

 and at DEPAUL University where Emily is studying.  We got a DePaul hat for da Paul.  Emily showed us around campus, talked to us about her studies, classes, living arrangements and how much she was enjoying Chicago.

 Next year Emily hopes to live in something like this.  It is a little expensive, well actually it is quite expensive, Em expressed concern about asking her Dad about renting this for the next two  years.

Mark and I said  not to  worry because we could hear Charles say as we have heard him say so often,  "don't worry about the cost, whatever it costs does not matter, what matters is what make you happy"  And Mark and I reassured Emily that we were certain that next year she would be calling this little walk up her little apartment.   Em was so happy knowing that cost was no object.

 Nearby is a historic site, the Biograph theater, the site of the the shooting of John Dillinger in 1934-- so you know DePaul is in a nice safe neighborhood -- now.

 Also nearby was the filming --you teevee watchers should recognize this -- of Chicago Fire.  Actual filming was going on while we were walking by as in lights, camera, action.  Tons of trailers, police, guys standing around doing nothing and in this house lights and the action.

 here is Mark and Emily and more of the stander around people associated with carrying around and fetching the TV stuff I reckon.  Anyway they tied up a lot of parking spaces for big trucks full of TV filming equipment.

we had a nice afternoon and evening with Emily and seeing her university and city and getting 

da Paul a DePaul hat

I like my new hat

Tree trimming - as in major cut down trees in the yard

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That guy in the top of the tree  is a little hard to see, but he is indeed up there, way up there, tying off limbs and lowering them to the ground. 

Late last week, we had a crew of six men here trimming some major limbs and cutting down some trees in our yard.  Made for one really interesting day.

The roping and careful lowering was to avoid taking down the telephone and power lines to the house.

There was a cherry picker or bucket truck with a guy in the bucket who wielded a chain saw like he enjoyed it.  And traversed the sky in that bucket like he enjoyed that too.  Notice in the photo below he is pushing the cut section of the tree off to fall to the ground.

 Here in lower center you can see a falling section of the tree - and swaying remainder of the now getting shorter formerly rather tall pine tree.

 There was also a wood chipper along with the bucket truck -- the tree climber and the man in the bucket ran the chain saws, and the other four put the cut limbs through the chipper.  We are talking a noisy operation.  (I had in my ear plugs)

 The bucket guy went out over the house

 and up high

 and sent a lot of stuff to the ground to be ground up - some crashing to the ground

 and some rather carefully by rope networked around tree notches and controlled from the ground

all in all it was a very interesting day and running that chain saw and riding in that bucket did look like fun but it is not something I think I will take up doing even though I am retired and do have some time.

Went to a ball game

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Last Saturday, Patt, Mark, Kelly and I went to see Wake play Boston College in Winston.  A beautiful day and we enjoyed a fine pre-game picnic with friends from college days in the parking lot prior to joining few thousand, not tens-of-thousands of Deacon fans to witness the gridiron contest.  (the Deacs have been less than scintillating this year and the crowds reflect that fact).  None-the-less, it remained a beautiful day, no rain, as had been the case for three prior Deacon home football games, as well I know, I sat through them, and had my rain slicker packed despite the clear sky.

At half-time, Patt and I walked around and visited the end-zone Deacon Club accommodations -- they are nice.  We tarried a bit, enjoyed some of the Deacon fried chicken, peach cobbler, ice tea, and then headed back to our seats.  

 As the evening wore on, cold set in and the game seemed to last f o r e v e r.  (two teams that pass a lot and are not very good tend to take a long time to play a ball game).  Well as can be seen, the crowd began to disperse.  While it took away from the excitement, it did mean that post game parking lot exit would be easy (not that it is ever much of a challenge).

 And we were able to pretty much have our choice of seats had we wished.  The Deacon faithful are not so faithful it would appear - or at least not so fruitful.  We had a good time, and we even beat BC-- How 'bout them Deacs!

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Earlier this week Patt and I went to the State Fair with Floyd and Bev.  Familiar sites were all around

 some new options for some familiar food (this is one I did not try)

 some slick talking vendors were primed and ready for a crowd.  We have purchased items from this stand before-- did not this trip, but there is always next year.  

 Prizes were just not that tempting or the balloons would have been dead meat.

 at times rain was intense

 and not everyone kept dry

 and some people should not be separated from funnel cakes for long

 yeah we looked at the animals

 and the prize winning pumpkins 

 and posed for a photo too.  Also glad for a seat.  

more from the wedding at the beach

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I mentioned we were at the beach for a wedding and indeed it was a wedding on the beach for sure.  The bridal party was barefooted as were most of the guests and as is obvious the weather was beautiful.  Spectators, of which there were many stayed a respectful distance away and Charles and Carolyn were well wed.

 As the wedding was one of those destination weddings and our beach house was large, we hosted an impromptu gathering/ cookout / concert that was a lot of fun.

 A few of us got tired

 and once in a while a little fussy

(I tend to get that way myself -or so I am told)

 We did have some great time together with our youngest grandchild, 

and look forward to seeing him and his Mom & Dad again soon.

I have been remiss --

AND NOW SWITCHING CONTINENTS

all the way to a South Carolina beach

I have indeed been remiss -- since return home and recovery from jet lag - (that by the way gets harder and harder) I have just not gotten done all that needs doing.   Last week Patt and I were in South Carolina at Folly Beach for a wedding, later blog, but primarily to to see ta DA !!  Raleigh, the child, not the city. and he certainly is a charmer.  Handsome 

 He of course came with his parents, Stephen and Jen with whom we enjoyed sharing a beach front house with

 and had some good time relaxing and visiting and playing.  Raleigh as you may notice likes his pacifier, can not tell yet if he will like it as much as his aunt Laura did or not.

 Folly Beach reminded us a great deal of Oak Island - for obvious reasons, as seen below, and the major difference, -- the little town, shopping area was much much nicer, -- I think in large part due to the not so far away Air Force Base.  So it was nicer in that sense.  More bars and restaurants, but it was still a family beach.

 We enjoyed walking on the beach -- very wide at low tide.

 and of course a little snuggling with the grandson.