Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ images that I have either captured with a Camera, Scanned or just simply stolen off the internet. Little lost moments in time that I post up and relive tight here for everyone while I try to recall the moments around that image. Sometimes it's pretty easy to find that image and sometimes it's a challenge, although one thing it always is is a whole lot of fun for me.

This week's pic goes all of the ways back to a time when COVID was not dictating anything, it was Thanksgiving Day last year and we were doing our traditional Cassville Firehall Thanksgiving Dinner. Hayley, Tyler, and Luke all came down and I managed to grab this picture of my lovely wife Michelle with the couple to be married next July. 

Dinner was over with and I managed to grab this picture before we started cleaning up. It was one of those magical moments in time captured with a camera.

I hope everyone has a great, safe, fulfilling and blessed Thanksgiving. 

Happy Birthday Valarie Nicholson

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my lovely Niece Valarie Nicholson a very Happy Birthday. She is someone who is always there in times of need for whoever needs it and is an amazing young woman with a lot of fight in her.

Not sure what anyone has planned for the day, but if I know Val she will have something on the agenda if it didn't already happen yesterday evening and into this morning if the opportunity is available.

Val is a remarkable young lady who is an inspiration to those around her whether she realizes it or not, her actions are seen by all and she is influencing the next generation whether this is her intention or not. Val is fighting the fight with MS.

If you happen to see Val today, make sure that you wish her a very Happy Birthday today in addition to overdosing on tryptophan. 

Happy Birthday Val, you are an inspiration to all. 

Thanksgiving Eve

It is the day before Thanksgiving, for the last 11 years that meant that Michelle and I would be heading to the Cassville Firehall to set up for the Big Thanksgiving dinner the next day, but with COVID dominating much of the story for 2020 that too has been sidelined this season. Hopefully it will return next year. 

Michelle and I have a small turkey and will be starting to prepare for tomorrow sometime this afternoon. The turkey needs to be brined is the biggest thing that we need to do for tomorrow. Unlike years past where I was helping peel 50 lb bags of potatoes and a number of other prep things such as setting up tables and chair for the next day will be absent this year. 

Tomorrow Hayley and Tyler will be coming in and enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with us, they don't have Luke this year so it will just be the two of them. 

Michelle and I ran around yesterday doing a lot of last-minute shopping to prepare for tomorrow. We did see my sister Terri at Sam's Club, she was looking for a Turkey but that's not really something Sam's sells. At least not raw ones as they did have whole smoked turkey's, but that's not what she was looking for. She was heading to Walmart when we ran into her. 

Tomorrow evening COVID permitting, we are going to try going bowling with my family. Gone are the days of Black Friday Shopping as I think it pretty much ran its course. People mostly shop online anymore, and stores were just pushing back their times to the point where families were not able to enjoy Thanksgiving together, and it just became a big burden on anyone who had anyone work in retail or the restaurant business. 

Have a great day today, and have a very special day tomorrow. 

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday completed and in our rearview, that means that it is Tuesday and time for tidbits. I hope all hunters made it home safe and bagged their trophies. 

* It has been 20,820 days since I was born, I'm thankful for each and every one of them. 

* It has been 6,036 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. A midlife choice that I would do again. 

* 4,637 days ago Michelle and I had our first date together, the Pizza Hut we went to is not closed. 

* 3,861 days ago I proposed to Michelle, 4:00 in the morning in the back yard. Best decision I have ever made.

* It was 3,398 days ago in front of our closest friends and family, Michelle and I became husband and wife and then feasted with all of our guests. 

* I have now lived 1,024 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong. 

* I have 4,081 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there.

* The next Backyard Brawl where we beat Pitt's ass in Football is only 645 days away. Beat some Panther Butt. 

* The next Anniversary of my 21st Birthday will be in 372 more days.No birthday this year due to COVID, so in college football terms I'm redshirting this year. 

* There are 255 days until Michelle and I head to Pittsburgh to see Reba in concert. It was postponed this March to July and now they are pushing the tour until next year. It'll be mine and Michelle's 10th wedding anniversary.

* There are 255 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our Tenth  Wedding Anniversary together. =)

* There are only 116 days until the start Spring 2021!!!!! Kiwi can't wait. 

* 70 more days until Phil steps to center stage again for Groundhogs Day. I haven't seen my friend for a couple of weeks, I wonder if he moved. 

* 37 more days to go until my Goodbye 2020 Blog is posted, this should be an interesting one. I should start formatting that soon. With the new backend, it may take me a little longer than usual. 

* There are 31 more shopping days left until Christmas 2020. 

* I have written 6,224 blogs in the now 16+ years since I started blogging. 

* No Drone flights this weekend, but that has pretty much been my recurring theme this year with that. I have yet to fly this year. 

* Something tells me that there will be more drone flights in 2021 than there were in 2020 and it may even have a collaboration effort involved. 

* I have been updating a number of family graves on Find A Grave in the past couple of weeks. I feel it is my contribution to the next generation to answer questions about people they didn't know.  

* We're going to start to brine our Turkey tomorrow, we're doing Thanksgiving at home with just Michelle and myself this season. It is our redshirt year you know. 

* I think my family is still planning on bowling this year on Thanksgiving night if it is open. Masks are mandatory. So far everything is still a go. 

* The Pittsburgh Steelers at 10-0 are the only undefeated team left in the NFL. Ravens will be in Pittsburgh Thursday Night. 

* Corona Virus, you can still track it as it is now starting to pick up steam and the numbers are increasing. 

* We're now Yellow for COVID for Monongalia County, track the state stats HERE. 

* I'm STILL converting some old VHS tapes to Digital Format for Trish. I really need to get back on this as I am such a procrastinator.

* Have yourselves a great day.  

First Day of Hunting Season

Well the fun-filled thing that we refer to as the weekend is now over with, so it's time for everyone to get back to doing what it is that we all do for a living. Noses back onto the grindstone so we can all change the world with our talents. 

Today in West Virginia could almost be called an unofficial holiday in this state, it is the first day of buck season, a two-week window when hunters can use their guns and seek their trophies in the woods of West Virginia. Please say an extra prayer for the safety of the hunters out in the woods today, let's all hope that they most importantly return home to their loved ones safe and secondly with that coveted trophy. There are a number of family members and friends that will all be out in the woods today. 

I know Michelle has about seven deer that she has been feeding all summer long, there are a couple of bucks in the group that come and pay us daily visits including a button buck who is getting braver and braver coming to the door. All of those deer should be safe as they reside in a non-hunted area that's just too close to houses to take a shot at. 

I hope everyone has a good and safe day out in the woods and some hunters even get a nice trophy. 

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again on a quiet Sunday morning, my co-author I think is sleeping in Michelle's chair and I'm here collecting my thoughts for the day with the TV playing something on HBO behind me. Just waking up and still a little groggy, so let's see how this goes. 

Michelle went to JT's first birthday yesterday which looks like it was a big success. I stayed home as to not make it too crowded over there dues to COVID and half-heartedly watched some college football that I didn't pay attention to. 

Today we will be finishing planning out our meals for the week including Thanksgiving. We have a smaller turkey back in one of the freezers that we will need to start to let thaw in the next day or so. There is no big Thanksgiving get-together at the Firehall this year, someplace I have spent every Thanksgiving since 2008, and Michelle and I were just dating. COVID has put a real damper on 2020 and this is just another kink in the chain. 

Probably going to watch a  little NFL football this afternoon, the Steelers play at 1:00 today and then play again Thanksgiving night. That'll be 2 games over the next 5 days and another short and tough stretch. 

Have yourselves a great day, make it a special one. 

Saturday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit still half asleep and co-authorless on a quiet Saturday morning. I have no idea where Peanut is this morning, but I'm out here watching Mrs. Doubtfire on HBO and wiping the sleep from my eyes. 

The big event for the day is going to be JT's first birthday party over at Amanda and Joey's. Not sure how big of an event it is going to be, but we were invited and that is going to be the highlight of our day that we can foresee. 

The Mountaineers are off this weekend in preparation for next week's game against Oklahoma. There are going to be a number of games canceled today because of COVID (I think 13) and possibly even the West Virginia State Playoffs may see a forfeit or two today based on the states COVID map put out by The West Virginia Department of Education, some Red counties will have to be downgraded by 10:00 this morning for their games to be played or risk forfeits. It's getting worse.

Congratulation goes out to my Brother-in-Law Robert, earlier this week he had a lifetime achievement in the sport that he loves. Robert is a Bowler and loves to bowl, he's had at least 2 perfect games in his career, but Thursday night he rolled the elusive 800 series. He rolled a 268, a near-perfect 299, and a 233 to complete the 800 series. A very rare feat for any bowler and one that gets recognized nationally just like a perfect game. Just like a 300 game ring, he gets a ring for an 800 series. 

I hope everyone has a great day today, make the best of it and stay safe and wear your masks. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward to when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is once again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday. 

Are you looking for a little bit of High School Football? So am I but all four Monongalia County teams are done for the season as they enter the state quarterfinals. University made it and lost, Morgantown, Clay Battelle and Trinity all failed to qualify for the post season in this COVID infected season. Hopefully they can crown some state Champions before this pandemic takes over once again. 

Looking for some college football? Well WVU is off this week as we prepare for Oklahoma who will be coming into town next week for the regular season's home finale. The Mountaineers will head out the following weekend to play Iowa State in Iowa, but next weeks game is the final one at home where we (may) say goodbye to the Seniors who decide not to take advantage of the NCAA's COVID rules for this season and have the ability to return next year. 

I hope everyone has a great day and a great start to the weekend.