Point Park - Lookout Mountain: This is where the Battle of Chickamauga took place. I think that was the 1800's. Thousands of men died in this infamous battle between the north and the south. This State park is high on top Lookout Mountain and offers spectacular views of Chattanooga.

View of Chattanooga from the cannon's point of view

Lining up my shot, I think I can get Chattanooga from here!

Get out of the way, soldier!

After getting in the way of my cannonball,
one unfortunate soldier had to spend a little time in the pokey!

What the heck, I'll spring you from the big house, Magic Man!

Careful! It's a long way down
according to this sign, you could really hurt your butt on a rock!

Yeah, that's us! We took this using the timer on my camera.

We met 2 very nice older couples who were there together. One gal volunteered to take our picture. As she was lining up the shot, Rich & I were acting like we were falling over the cliff, didn't know she snapped that shot of us goofing around.

Here's the serious shot she took of us. Great shot! Thank you whatever your name was!

Here's the Incline Railway.

It's the steepest railway in the world climbing an amazing 72.7% grade up the side of the mountain. The residents who live on Lookout Mountain actually use this railway when it's slick out and they can't drive down the mountain to Nooger. Sitting in the car, it's really not scary. It looks crazy when you're at the top of the mountain looking down or at the bottom looking up, but in the actual railcar, you lose that perspective. It was fun, I'm glad we did it for the experience. Anyone going to Lookout Mountain should jump a ride on the railway!

The view from the top of the mountain, inside the railway car. The red X shows the bottom of the mountain and were the car stops. You can catch the railway at the top or the bottom of the mountain.

This is the bottom of the mountain, they let you off and there's an ice cream shop, pizza shop and a magic shop (you know Rich loved that). You can roam around as long as you want and hop the railway when you're ready to go back up. It runs about every 10 or 15 minutes and only takes a few minutes to get back up to the top.

Tennessee Aquarium

So as part of our package, we went to the Tennessee Aquariums - yep there are 2! One is a river aquarium showing all the wildlife in the rivers around Tennessee and around the world. Then there's an Ocean Aquarium that, well you get it, shows all kinds of stuff from oceans around the world.

We started in the Ocean Aquarium. Here are the penquins...aren't they just too cute!

They have a huge tank with several BIG sharks. We called this one Big Dog McSharkerson
because he just swam around at a leisurely pace, he totally owned that tank and he knew it!

Rich checking out Big Dog

Ok, we can go eat dinner now, just please don't eat Nemo!

The river aquarium was nice too. They had some huge catfish in there and some interesting turtles I would never want to run into in a lake. But it was kind of boring to me, so I won't bore you with any pictures of it.

Rock City

We started our day at Rock City on Tuesday. Let me tell you, Rock City is absolutely amazing!!!! We didn't know what to expect, maybe some cool views atop the mountian and a lot of walking. It was a lot of walking but very easy.

You take a self guided tour through Rock City on limestone pathways through walkways carved out of the mountain. It's too hard to describe and so beautiful. I'd go back to Chattanooga just to go there again. We loved it!

After a considerable drive up the side of Lookout Mountain, we're finally here! I didn't think about it but I should have taken a picture of .... you guessed it ...... STARBUCKS right across the street from Rock City. Is nothing sacred for Starbucks????


This is the ticket gate at Rock City, isn't it cute!

At the ticket counter, they give you a map but you don't really need it. There are signs throughout Rock City that keep you headed in the right direction. Below, we just entered through the gates and we're about to enter the "Grand Corridor". It was pretty grand, I must admit. Unfortunately pictures don't do this justice.

About to enter Goblin's Underpass...weeeeuuuuuuuuu I'm scared!

Some of the walkways were really narrow, even had to walk sideways at times.

Another cool walkway at Rock City

Me in Fat Man Squeeze, Rock City

Here Rich is walking across the swing bridge. Boy did it move as you walked across it, so of course, I had to swing it back and forth and make it bounce up and down.

These lunatics were installing a beautiful eagle statue on the side of the mountain at Rock City. Notice how close they are to the edge and have NO safety ropes on whatsoever. Hello mountian men, we come from the flatlands of Indiana, we call that dangerous!

As we exited a dark tunnel, we were greeted by this beautiful entrance to Observation Point . I loved the colors of the rock contrasting with the darkness of the tunnel.

Lover's Leap, this is where you can see 7 States all at once.

Rich on Lover's Leap. BTW, he refused to jump so I'm
questioning his love for me...wouldn't you?

Seven States Map at Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain

The waterfall at Lover's Leap

Another angle of the falls at Lover's Leap

They've got these Gnomes sitting everywhere and have little displays of them doing different things. I thought this moonshinin' gnome was especially creepy!

The Infamous See Rock City Birdhouse (we got a small, Christmas ornament sized one and it's hanging on our rear view mirror.

Have any of you been downtown recently? Did you take time to check out the new Lucas Oil Stadium? It's HUGE and dwarfs the RCA dome!!

Construction is really coming along, I thought you might like taking a sneak peek inside. Check out this video: http://our2012sb.com:80/

GO COLTS!

New footage of Ellie Grace Smiley Face

Took these pics around the yard today.

I love spring!!

Mr Busy Bee at work on a Redbud Tree

(see him on the lower branch?)

Blossoms on the tree in my backyard

(no idea what kind of tree this is but it blooms like crazy every spring)

Anyone know what kind of tree this?

Red Bud blossoms are pretty from a distance

and even prettier close up

SPRING HAS OFFICIALLY SPRUNG!

Ellie Grace, Smiley Face

6 Months Old

EARTHQUAKE THIS MORNING?

First I miss the meteor shower/National Guard sonic boom and now I sleep through an earthquake? We didn't feel a thing! What the heck is happening to my "Got to be in the Middle of the Action" radar?

HAPPY 69TH BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!

Wonder where they were in this picture? Looks mountainous!

BIG BANG THEORY

So, how many of you heard the big explosion in Kokomo last night? Of course, all the way down in Westfield we didn't hear a thing. I'm ticked! I would have liked to see a meteor or whatever it was. You can bet I'll be outside tonight!

PRAYING FOR TIME

These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars
And the choosers

This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand
With ignorance
And legitimate excuses

The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much
But we'll take our chances
Because God stopped keeping score

I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back and all God's children
Crept out the back door

And it's hard to love
There's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say it's much too late
Well maybe we should all be
Praying for time

This is the year of the empty hand
Oh you hold on to what you can
And charity
Is a coat you wear
Twice a year

These are the days of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find
That what was over there
Is over here

So you scream from behind your door
Say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much
But I'll take my chances
Because God stopped keeping score

And you cling to the things
They sold you
Did you cover your eyes when
They told you
That He can't come back
Because He has no children
To come back for

And it's hard to love
When there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say it's much, much too late
Well maybe we should all be
Praying for time

In The New York Times September 16, 1990, George Michael is quoted regarding this song: "No event inspired the song. It's my way of trying to figure out why it's so hard for people to be good to each other. I believe the problem is conditional as opposed to being something inherent in mankind. The media has affected everybody's consciousness much more than most people will admit. Because of the media, the way the world is perceived is as a place where resources and time are running out. We're taught that you have to grab what you can before it's gone. It's almost as if there isn't time for compassion."

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY OLIVE 12!!!!

I've been challenged by Boneman to write my memoir in 6 short words (and include a photo)!

It's NOT easy. Six words? Come on. (Now you all know I want "I told you I was sick" on my tombstone. That's 6 words but not exactly my memoir, right?)

Ok, so, I was thinking about it. Not including work but just me, who I am, what I like to do. What might people remember about me? Hopefully that I loved to laugh. And that I took sarcasm very seriously. But also that I loved taking pictures and recording little moments in time, even if it was a pretty sunset at the end of the day - those are the things that really made me smile in my life.

So, here it is. My 6 word memoir:

Happily photographing all of life's treasures

So now I must challenge you - as Bo's rules state. I must pick 6 of you and have you do the same.

Sorry, you've been selected :

1. Rosie


2. Allison


3. Sarah


4. Jenny


5. John


6. Olivia

Good luck, I know it's not easy but I look forward to seeing yours!

Don't you hate it when you stand in the fruit section, carefully inspecting every apple for bruises, picking only the apples you know are not marred in anyway only to have the cashier pick them up, slam them on the scale and carelessly toss them down the conveyor brusing not one, but all of them!

Eeeeeuuuuu that makes me mad!