Clark Kessinger...The greatest "old time fiddler"

When I lived with my grandmother for many years, there was a framed photo of her father playing the fiddle on a porch in West Virginia. Not until many years later would I realize that he was deemed the greatest old time fiddler in the US.

My brother sent me this link last week. My great-grandfather, Clark Kessinger getting it done on the fiddle. Personally, I think he's a better dancer.


-He Said

La Chua Trail

Last week I turned in my Nature Writing final which finished up my second graduate course in Florida Studies. Needless to say, I feel I did pretty terrible on it. Who wants to read an amateur rant about nature observations?
To celebrate the completion of a very difficult semester, Ariel asked me if I wanted to cruise the La Chua trail last Saturday. I couldn't resist: it's one of my favorite rides in the state. And just like our last ride down this trail, it ended up being pretty eventful. Highlights were; chasing a wild turkey to get the crappy photo below, seeing an 8 to 9ft alligator lumber out of a marsh to devour some lunch, and my friend Andrew almost getting T-boned by a deer crossing our bike path.
Here are some photos.
(Above...cactus were in bloom)

My crappy, photo of a wild turkey. You don't have to believe it...but I know what I saw.

This sign made me laugh as well as gave me the chills.

This Blue Heron flew off just in time. Note the alligator to its immediate right.

Full, content and sunning.

Somehow, this was pretty amazing. Backwoods Florida at its best.

-He Said

I'm back!

And broke, but that's another story.

So I've spent the last few months traveling and writing and scrambling to meet deadlines and squandering my quite expensive gym membership. My dream of a 5k was fast fading away, until a friend recommended the book Three Months to a 5k. I've just succesfully finished week 1, which means I'm only 11 weeks and 44 sweaty dates with the treadmill away from the finish line ...

Does anyone else get really itchy when they do cardio? Maybe I'm just allergic to excercise.