a day at the zoo

we went t the zoo and in this part of the world that means I get to see a panda, --I am like a little kid, get up close and personal and I enjoy it. We took about 100 photos, there were two pandas, and I will post more later (this internet connection of Laura's and Matt's requires patience) .

We got amazingly close to the pandas, as you can see here and the efforts at explaining what was going on took an incredible amount of calories if you know what I mean for Lydia. Goodness but she worked hard at talking about this.
we tried, again and again for a picture with the bear, but you know what they say about kids and animals well with four kids, and one animal, well this is the best that I could find and believe me I looked, I hope Laura can find a better one.


the bear was posed - -Julianna was working on it, Lydia and I - well you know what they say


Lydia and I looking at bears or monkeys or something, I enjoyed the commentary immensely. We did see lots of other animals, including lions, tigers, bears, zebras, and so on.


and Julianna enjoyed some elevated view and rest for weary legs. The day was full and the kids and adults slept very very well that night.

and where was Isaac most of the time, well a very big part of the time, he spent right here on Laura's back and a very good part of that time, sound asleep. check out the eyes.

Some of the things that make this just a little different from home

this was taken out the car window as we went through an intersection and shows the "starting line" for bikes ready for the green light on a downtown street. In parts of the city, electric and gas powered scooters as well as bicycles compete with cars for space and numbers when it comes to moving people who are moved in numbers incomprehensible to us . Not to mention the busses which number in the thousands.



This part of a flyover intersection is just one small part of huge network of highways built above ground. During the construction when I was here a couple of years ago you should have seen the chaos that reigned.

some bike loads are more full than others and this may be right beside a huge truck or a new Honda or BMW


and if you look closely you can see me trying to get my bicycle through this market place, I was going forward looking back towards Matt who took this picture. I am in the bike helmet. I did not do a lot of peddling through here. Contrasts is a big part of being here.

getting adjusted and learning some history

you can bet these two create a stir where ever they go. We were at a large festival of some sort at a school yard and several, no a lot of parents stopped to try to get their kid to pose with Lydia and Julianna, sometimes successful, often not on both sides of the cultural divide, This time, I was sitting - no resting - and caught the action as I was looking after granddaughters while Laura was with Isaac at a nearby clinic for vaccination.


look alikes except of age and number of teeth.- no exaggeration either



Julianna and a favorite classmate exiting the school yard Thursday. You should here Julianna sing too.



main street KunChuan, the little town of my stay, it is unbeliveably quiet, really compared to the rest of this place



last night Matt and I went to see this (a versin with English subtitles as my Chinese language ability would not keep up). Did you know Mao was really a kindly man who loved little children and was adored by all?

Just like I planned - see below

and Julianna does like her new fancy twirly dress and enjoys dress up as much as anyone could and is so much fun to listen to. She has a lot to say.

This bunch can move through a crowd, and make their way - Leaving the crunch outside of the school pick up is madhouse of parents, grandparents and kids, and gatherings and such - makes you long for New Years at Times Square.


an intense game of Candyland is great, the double colors move you along really fast too. We have had fun catching on -- Chutes and ladders is next to figure out, but right now Candyland suits us just fine.


Pokey Puppy or whatever has always been one of my favorites, Isaac not so sure about ole pokey puppy just yet


now once again -- just like I planned -- and as for question about me and what I am going to do here-- well I figure I just might win a game of Candyland and memorize Pokey Puppy and the little lost lion

got here and glad I did

one of the first things I did after arriving here - and sleeping (of course) (you try 30 hours of travel- three airplanes, to many time zones to even count. -- well 12 from eastern daylight.-- was call my wife and let Julianna tell her I was in the house and that the dress Patt picked out looked great and fit too. Yes we had a grand early morning, including a call to Patt - my morning, her evening. and the excitement was for real.

The last I saw of the inside of this bag on the other side of the world it was full and weighed 50 pounds- exactly - according to United
airline scales - as did two others - my carry on and back pack (aka computer bag) got a little heavier at the airport to make that happen. But it was worth it. Christmas AM must be a hoot around here. We had a grand time, trying on clothes, picking out toys and such Granddaddy or someone sent, (I have some held back too) and all in all a wonderful reception, being greeted in the AM by two little girls and a 7 month old grandson.




Lydia is very attached to babybaby and girlbaby which has a pronunciation I have yet to master, but will get later for you. It is priceless, The puppy was just along for the ride. The two baby dolls are well cared for ! ! !

and little Isaac, yes he is called baby Isaac or little Isaac or something similar by the girls, also so cute, melt your heart right out of your chest -as does his smile, which is what he does.



me too

getting ready to travel and a pretty evening

Packing to go to China is not a small undertaking, you ought to try it. Three bags are going. each weighs 50 pounds, the carry on weighs 25, my back pack with computer will weigh over 10, I do not travel light. Patt and I set up house keeping with less when we moved to Wilkesboro in 1972 or 73. Anyway it is fun.. We sorted and set aside and re packed and weighed and took out and re packed and weighed and so on. Taking lots of clothes for kids, toys, and such. The challenge is going to be changing terminals Beijing. The bus between terminals and getting to it on it and being correct is going to be a treat. I may end up in Mongolia. I will let you know

Other wise I am on my way to see some Grandchildren -- Patt will be going another day. She is OK with that - really ( i think)




prior to getting ready for travel on Saturday evening Eric and I went to watch the Deacons put a whoopin' on Maryland on a picture perfect evening -- I mean it was awesome evening. Arnold Palmer was there so we had good company, and we had over 500 yards offense - that is a lot for any of my nieces who may not know - and it was fun to watch it be us who were doing the accumulating of such high numbers - having been to games where that much had been amassed before (just not by us). Ah - the glory years and a glorious evening as the sunset attests.



fall is pretty in North Carolina.

now I know

Got 'em, flat out caught em. red handed. -- you can see what I am talking about. -- What is Patt going to do while I am gone? Well I found out last Sunday in Charlotte. I had been having a quiet Sunday afternoon after the football game in Winston Saturday evening. and beware. look what a secret camera caught.! ! and in my car too

Look at 'em smiling, jumping in my car, getting ready to go on a joy ride, Florence probably even has a couple of tall Budweisers out of sight here -- all the nerve. Patt and her Mom -- what will the neighbors think?


and the hidden camera confirms Patt and Florence on a joy ride though north Charlotte. look out people.






later in the afternoon, Florence also let me take her for a ride also. acting all innocent and such. but I knew all along.

ttfn

State came to town

State came to town on a picture post card day in early October in NC. Of course I got to the game early, and enjoyed festivities in and around the stadium. watching the band, seeing kids get their photo with the Deacon - in fact
before the game several children and their parents lined up to get their picture taken with the Deacon.


as I said several children were getting their picture with the Deacon (I had to borrow some kids parent)

and a little later,
Bobby Bowden, Floyd and I were getting psyched for the game (I had to change to black as I had missed the instructions from the coach on being color coordinated)

Kelly, and James joined me -- we enjoyed the day - see they already had on black.

second half, we had new guests join us, not necessarily Deacon fans
we are working on converting Margaret though, however she does look good in red


Challey and Meg joined us in Section 7 - they did not think the outcome of the game was so hot thought.


like I said --it was a beautiful day and the Wolfpack cooperated -- reluctantly, but they did. -- replete with exciting ending and all

My Screen Saver

That is what I see when I turn on my computer, has been for a little over six months. Beautiful picture isn't it. Guess who is going to visit them week after next ? That would be me ! and guess who is more than ready ? that would be me ! and imagine who is very very excited. That would be - you got that right - me. Yes, I am so looking forward to seeing China, eating Chinese food, enjoying the culture, experiencing strange and delightful customs, learning new languages, and meeting and making new friends. Yeah right ! I am looking forward to visiting my daughter, her husband and their children where ever they may be.

and as for the delay in writing well, since return from visiting our other children, work has been running fast. Got back late from Panama on Sunday, no luggage, we were 35 minutes plane door to plane door in Houston - and yes we did run -- immigration customs, change terminals the whole bit. Then on Monday, I went to Asheville stayed through Wednesday. Got there very late, left late but while there, check out below. Closed landfills, especially in the mountains are some of the most beautiful sites you can imagine. That is Tennessee in the distance.

Next week is going to be in Raleigh, a bit rough as I have two mediations with violators of environmental laws - they think our penalties are too high, - I think their response is a bit weak. We will see.

In the meantime if I am distracted. You may understand why, I will also be packing --

not ready for a review yet

Some things just do not go as scheduled no matter how hard you might wish them so. Take a look at what is not hooked up yet, set up yet nor finished yet and the list is either short or long depending which side of the glass and full and not quite full you see things.

the main dining area with Heidi waiting on an imaginary order

Jen waiting on an her imaginary customer.

the restaurant street scape one block off the main strip of big hotels on the ocean front and is quite nice and there is competition

some of the competition shares the same building front with them, in a mirror like fashion on the front of the glass five story office building. and the outdoor deck will be very nice like their neighbors.

Earlier today (Saturday) we met Eddie and Heidi at the El Panama, as they prepared to depart for the trip to the jungle

Stephen, Jeff, and one of the drivers, loading up for the ride to the airport, looked like a major expedition.