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The Will Henry Stevens Covered Bridge

Yesterday while in Highlands, NC I walked around taking photos of interesting parts of this 139-year old township in Southwestern North Carolina.

Here are some shots of the Will Henry Stevens Covered Bridge because…I love covered bridges. The bridge was originally built in 1807 and was restored to what you see below in 2008.

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The entrance side of this one-way bridge.

 

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Inside the covered bridge.

The exit side of the bridge.

The exit side of the bridge.

 

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Graffiti With Style

My brother sent me this cartoon with the note, “This would be  you as a graffiti artist!” and he is so right, lol.

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“…and keep reaching for the stars.”

Casey KasemI never knew Casey Kasem personally, but after listening to him on his American Top 40 radio and TV broadcasts week after week, he was a substantial part of my early life. No doubt it was listening to his rock n’ roll trivia questions each week that sparked my interest in the backgrounds and untold stories of musical artists I enjoy listening to.

One of the major impacts, however, was his signature sign-off phrase on both his radio and television broadcasts. Those simple words seemed to encapsulate what every centered person should strive for; “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.”

Recent newscasts made it obvious that his time here on earth was short, but I was still saddened to read of his passing this morning. I’m sure it had to have been especially heartbreaking for his children on this Father’s Day.

R.I.P Casey Kasem, and thanks again for the great advice.

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Father’s Day 2014

It was an early start for us this morning as Cindy has another day show in Highlands, NC. We called her dad and wished him a Happy Father’s Day; he has been suffering with a bad cold the past few days. It was too early to call Cindy’s son as they’re an hour behind us, so she sent him an email wishing him a Happy Father’s Day.

I received a call from Cindy’s daughter the other day telling me that my middle granddaughter had made a Father’s Day card for me in daycare. I’ll get to see that on Tuesday when they arrive at Wolf’s Haven on Tuesday.

Last Thursday I received the card below from Cindy’s son and his family. I am always so pleased and humbled by their expression of love.

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And finally, last but certainly not least, I received this beautiful card below from my daughter. She has always been my Princess and I remember my mother telling me that no matter how old your children may grow to be, they are always your little ones in your heart. She was absolutely right. I have always tried to balance how I see my daughter in my heart with the beautiful, caring, loving, intelligent and spectacular woman and mother she herself has grown to be. It’s not always easy to keep in mind that while she is still my little girl to me, she has also become a wonderful mother and an adult that I am always so proud to have in my life.

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I hope that if you’re a father you have a wonderful day today.

UPDATE: Just received a funny cartoon and Father’s Day wishes from my son.

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Rhodes Big View Panorama Shot

Driving back from Cashiers to Highlands this afternoon, I stopped to take this panorama shot of the Rhodes Big View, about halfway between the two towns. It really is much more spectacular in person.

Rhodes Big View panorama photo

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Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls – Glen Falls and Silver Run Falls

Cindy had a show today (and tomorrow) in Highlands, NC, which is about 90 minutes south of Wolf’s Haven.

Amber and Abby are coming up next Tuesday for 10 days and one of the things that Abby wants to see is waterfalls. So, my job today was to scope out some of the multitude of waterfalls in the area around Highlands and Cashiers.

Here are a few pictures of two of the waterfalls I hiked to and from today.

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This is Glen Falls, a beautiful waterfall but the hike would be too much for little Abby.

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On this shot of Glen Falls I adjusted the shutter speed to change the effect of the falling water.

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Silver Run Falls, about 4 miles south of Cashiers, NC has a nice swimming area that Abby would enjoy.

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A wider shot of Silver Run Falls.

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Throwback Thursday – Mikey and Granddad Superman Shirts

In honor of Mikey’s 13th birthday yesterday, this week’s Throwback Thursday is a photo of Mikey and I both wearing Superman shirts when he was almost 6 months old.

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Happy 13th Birthday To Mikey!

Thirteen years ago today my daughter brought my first grandchild into our world. He and I have had some great times through the years and I’m looking forward to more of the same in the coming years. Today, he is getting to spend the day at The Magic Kingdom with his mom and little sister, and from the photos I’ve seen thus far he is having a wonderful day.

Here are a couple of photos from that wonderful day 13 years ago.

I remember being a bit reluctant to hold Mikey because I was afraid I would accidentally crush him; he was so tiny. But I did finally hold him, didn't crush him, of course, and Cindy took this shot.

I remember being a bit reluctant to hold Mikey because I was afraid I would accidentally crush him; he was so tiny. But I did finally hold him, didn’t crush him, of course, and Cindy took this shot.

My beautiful daughter holding my beautiful grandson and me looking on in wonder.

My beautiful daughter holding my beautiful grandson and me looking on in wonder.

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Sunday Afternoon With My Daughter And Oldest Grandchildren

I had time to spend about an hour and a half with my daughter and my oldest grandchildren, Mikey and Heather, this afternoon. We had a good time talking and visiting. With Heather it was mostly about how well she has done in school and what she’d like to do over the Summer vacation, while her mom and I talked about Game of Thrones. Mikey was not in the best of spirits, but he has the built-in excuse that he is about to become a teenager later this week.

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