Noting A Passing ::

LAKE WATEREE — A memorial service for James M. “Jim” Stogner, 65, of Lake Wateree, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 2, 2010 at Springvale Baptist Church. Reverend Todd Horton will officiate. The family will receive friends following the service in the Fellowship Hall at the church. Memorials may be made in Mr. Stogner’s memory to Springvale Baptist Church Building Fund, 1496 Springvale Rd., Lugoff, SC 29078.

Mr. Stogner died Tuesday, December 29, 2009. Born in Lancaster, he was the son of the late Henry Melvin and Louise Flowers Stogner. A 1968 graduate of the Citadel, Mr. Stogner was retired from Westinghouse Nuclear Energy, Savannah River Site. He was a member of Springvale Baptist Church.

Surviving are his wife, Linda Graham Stogner; son, Henry P. (Kathi) Stogner of Bluefield, WV; daughters, Susan S. (Gordon) Morris, of Lugoff and Lisa S. (Heath) Hill of North Augusta; grandchildren, Lydia and Jessi Stogner; Will, Charli and Jake Morris and Abby, Reagan and Preston Hill; sister, Nancy S. Lee (Chip) of Summerville. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Sue Stogner Wilson.

Kornegay Funeral Home, Lugoff-Elgin Chapel, is assisting Mr. Stogner’s family.

Online condolences may be sent to the Stogner family by visiting

Clemson vs Kentucky ::

The Music City Bowl should be starting in about 1 hour. Let's see how many ways Clemson can find to lose this game. The team always finds a way to disappoint me in a big game!

[halftime update] Clemson is up 14 to 7 at halftime so maybe they'll prove me wrong--I certainly hope so!

[final update] Clemson beats Kentucky 21 to 13. I often like to be proven wrong!

Diana Krall Sings Jingle Bells ::

I've been a huge Diana Krall fan for years and she doesn't disappoint with her rendition of this classic Christmas song:

An Update On Becky Moody ::

Along with a bit of other news from Buster:

I bumped in to Sandra Geddings Laney this afternoon and she said that she had talked on the phone with Becky Moody....and that Becky is now home and doing well. Becky awoke one morning , got out of bed, and collapsed. She spent 4 weeks in intensive care, but is now home and just has a little short time memory loss- so do I. She will get to spend Xmas w/ her grandchildren.
Don't know if you remember Tim Horton. Tim was a class ahead of us. He and his 40 year old wife are expecting his and her first child. Nice to know that the gun is still loaded at age 63.
About 2 weeks ago, Tim's first wife died. Tim runs a successful auto repair shop and several years his ex. was stealing $ from him. When Tim confronted her about it, she pulled out a pistol and shot him 3 times. He played dead and she fired twice more and missed him.
Immediately afterwards, she decided that she needed to fix supper so she headed to the grocery store, where the police arrested her over by the milk and cheese. Had the cart full.
And you don't think anything happens in Camden. B.

We're glad that Becky is doing much better!

"Big Daddy" Passes Away ::

From this morning's The State:

LUGOFF — Lee Bryan Hicks, formerly of Pageland, SC, died December 18, 2009.

Funeral Services will be held 2:00 p.m. Monday, December 21, 2009 at High Point Baptist Church, burial to follow in the High Point Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will follow the funeral at Family Life Center at High Point Baptist Church.

Mr. Hicks was the son of the late Lester Lee and Beatrice Carnes Hicks. Mr. Hicks was known in the Camden area as “Big Daddy” in the radio world. His brother Harold Hicks predeceased Mr. Hicks.

Survivors: special friend, Pat Moore of Rock Hill, SC; son, Timothy (Donna) Hicks of Pageland, SC;

brother, Tommy (Amy) Hicks of Pageland, SC; sisters, Kaye Jenkins of Pageland, SC, Linda (Bill) Terry of Pageland, SC, Jean (Harold) Outen of Lancaster, SC; grandchildren, Thomas (Akiko) Leopard of Hawaii, Brandi (Lance) Cummings of Hawaii; two great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

Memorials: High Point Baptist Church, 16 High Point Church Rd.,

Pageland, SC 29728.

I don't see how any of us could have forgotten Bryan Hicks given that we pretty much came of age in the rock and roll era!

Additions To The Sidebar ::

I added a "collections" header to the sidebar to the right where I will share any more information on what we collected when we were young that Buster may receive from classmates.

I really would like to get more news and information to post here!

Collections ::

A while back Buster sent out an e-mail to his list asking what we may have collected as kids. About all I could remember were my grandmother's switches and my marbles, but today he forwarded me this from Blair Holden:

Hi Buster

In response to your question about collecting, about the only thing I collected was baseball cards. Do you remember when we used to play "baseball" with our cards? We used a pencil for the bat and a marble for the ball. We would play on your or my side porch. The kids now would think we were crazy but we sure had a lot of fun. Do you remember in school David Parker used to collect the round centers from the glass milk bottles. He would say that was going to be money on Pluto when he got there. I don't think he made it.

On another subject I remember an email from you a few months back about Jim Ring playing his trumpet again and being in a band. On a personal note I have always (like a lot of people I guess) liked to listen to good old rock and roll. I had always thought about playing a guitar. When I was in high school I thought about ordering a guitar from Sears for about $20. I never did due to sports and school. Fast forward 40 years and I still have a desire to play the guitar. I took the plunge about 18 months ago and bought an inexpensive
acoustic guitar and started taking lesson. I am having fun and learning to play the guitar! I would never have dreamed that I would be playing rock and roll songs I listened to in high school. While I never will be on TV, I will have years of enjoyment and hopefully bring joy to others. The point of this is that it is never too late to fulfill your desire to do something. I don't have musical talent but where there is a will there is a way. Hopefully this and Jim Ring's story might get some on our classmates off the couch. Guess what I want for Christmas? A Fender American Standard Stratocaster electric guitar. Rock ON and Don't Ever Grow Up!

Blair

Blair's desire to play guitar is interesting. About a year ago I decided to take the guitar back up even though my musical ability is nil (or less)! I had a nice guitar in high school and college, but sold it for tuition money and never bought another until last year when I picked up a Takamine and an Ovation. I've been gradually learning some things and it's fun. In some ways I think that it's easier to pick up new things at our age. It's not really that I have more time, but I think that I have more patience!

Blair, I hope you get your Strat for Christmas!

PS: I'm watching the Concert For George on DVD right now. Eric Clapton has nothing to fear from me!

Liam Clancy ::

Liam, last surviving member of The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem, passed away today! He was one of a kind!

Happy Thanksgiving! ::

We're wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving today! We have food cooking although the turkey came from the deli this year. I think I'm going fishing a bit later!

Camden High Football ::

Looks like the end for this year for the Bulldogs:

North Charleston--52

Camden High--22

I'm in Camden right now with very slow, but free, wi-fi at the park. Time to get a bite to eat!

Veterans Day-2009 ::

The 6th grade class of New Hope, Alabama salutes your service!

Camden High Bulldogs ::

Class 3A lower state playoffs:
Camden High--38
South Aiken--14

Camden High Bulldogs ::

Last night was not a good night:

Camden High--7
Marlboro County--14

Camden Nostalgia ::

Ok, since I've posted about Laurie it only seems fair to post about her mother, Betty Horton Slade, who I believe is still the Camden city clerk. Betty and her mother and father were terribly important to me when I was growing up!

Just a few years ago I would bring my laptop and scanner when I visited Camden and scan some of the old family photographs and this is one of Betty's school pictures from Baron DeKalb school.

Vincent Sheheen Running For Governor ::

From the Camden Chronicle-Independent:

Camden's Vincent Sheheen spoke to the Chronicle-Independent in September 2008 about the possibility of running for governor in the 2010 election. Then, he said, three things would have to happen for him to actually run: whether or not he felt he could maintain his family obligations -- he is the married father of three boys -- while running a campaign; whether or not he could raise enough money for such a campaign; and if he felt he had enough support from other parts of the state.

Fast-forward 11 months, during which the economic crisis intensified and Gov. Mark Sanford's behavior in office and out of the country came under fire, and Sheheen has made his decision. In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle-Independent, Sheheen officially announced he is a gubernatorial candidate.

The Sheheen family has been an integral force in Camden for decades and I wish Vincent much luck in his run for the governor's position given how low the ethical bar has been set in the past few months. I'll probably even toss him a few bucks to help him in his quest given that I'm still something of a property owner in Camden! I've never posted any political views here and I don't plan to ever again unless circumstances become extraordinary, but S.C. seems to have become a laughingstock where some of its elected representatives are concerned.

Since I'm adding some political stuff here, let me also say that state representative Laurie Slade Funderburk is my cousin. Give her what support you can!

Get Your Neckwear Here! ::

From Johnny Deal:

The Camden Bulldog Club is selling custom designed Camden neckties and bowties manufactured by R. Hauauer Company in Fort Mill, SC.

The gold tie is 100% silk with the Camden black “C” randomly printed over it. The price of the necktie is $40.00 and the price of the bowtie is $35.00. Payment (in advance!) Checks should be mailed to Camden Bulldog Club, P.O. Box 785, Camden, SC 29021

***There will be a limited number available*** and deadline to order is November 13. These ties will make great Christmas, birthday and graduation gifts. See the R. Hanauer website to get an idea about the quality of these ties. http://bowties.com/

Friday Night Football

The Camden High Bulldogs win again:

Camden--38
Lakewood--13

Some More Sad News ::

I got this e-mail from Buster, passed on from Delores Adams, earlier today:

I just heard from my sister, Gwen, that Becky Moody Scott found out a week ago she had a brain tumor and is now on life support. What is going on down there? You'd better get out of Camden.....it is hazardous for your health! I still think the DuPont Plant's chemical emissions had something to do with all the cancer in Camden.

My thoughts are with Becky and her family!

Friday Night Football ::

This must have been a pretty exciting game if you like high scoring football games:

Camden High Bulldogs--46
Darlington--42

Friday Night Football ::

Except I see that this game was played Thursday night.

Camden High Bulldogs-45
Wilson-29

The State also has an interesting article chronicling some of the history of Zemp Stadium. Here are some excerpts:

Zemp Stadium, with its seating capacity of 8,000, remains the Friday night social center in town - 80 years after being built in 1929. That makes it the oldest active-use high school football stadium in South Carolina.

History? Lots of it.

Above the press box hangs a wooden, replica No. 10 jersey worn by quarterback Billy Ammons. Ammons led the Bulldogs to the state championship in 1964 and coached them to another title in 1990, one of 26 seasons (1972-1997) he served as coach.

[snip]

Nobody sitting on the Camden side personifies the long, proud history of the school's football program than the tall gentleman walking up the steps at halftime to his midfield seat.

John Speaks played tackle for the 1957 championship team, which finished 10-0-2 and defeated Lancaster at Zemp in the title game.

Speaks and his wife, Nancy, put five kids through Camden High. Three of the boys played varsity football and a daughter was as a cheerleader. For nearly 15 years, they never missed a game. On this night, their oldest son, Robbie, a 1982 graduate, is on the sideline as a Camden assistant coach, and their grandson Tripp is a reserve sophomore receiver.

"Watching my grandson is the biggest thrill I've got," John says.

Go read the entire article-it's worth the time!

Otis Redding ::

I saw Otis Redding at Clemson during my freshman year.



Great show!

Friday Night Football ::

Camden High Bulldogs-14
Crestwood-0

[I have no idea where Crestwood is!]

The Day After Surgery ::

Attractive, no? For a lot of years my eyelids have been sagging affecting my peripheral vision, especially in the afternoon and evening when I was tired. I tried to get insurance to cover this about 10 or 11 years ago and they wouldn't, but the condition had gotten worse in the past couple of years so I finally went back to the plastic surgeon and the insurance covered it this time. The photograph is from the day after the surgery which was on September 14. Actually I looked much worse the next day after I shot this self portrait.



I have always healed easily and well and this was no exception. As it turns out this was the only surgery I've ever had other than having my tonsils out when I was 4 or 5. I really wish I could have had this done much sooner because I can really tell a difference in my vision! Let me also say that I had absolutely no pain at any time which has surprised everyone. I even expected that having the stitches out would be painful, but other than some mile stinging there was no pain. I generally experience more pain when I give blood than I ever did during or after this surgery.

Another Football Game Event ::

From Johnny Deal:

CHS Alumni:

This is the 115th year of Camden Football. To celebrate this milestone, the Camden Bulldog Club invites all former players and cheerleaders to join the current team in their "Walk of Champions" at Zemp Stadium on this Friday night, October 2, before the game. The Walk of Champions takes place after the pre-game warm ups. Former players and cheerleaders need to be at the field and in front of the concession stand by 6:45.

Camden plays Crestwood High on Friday night in an important region game. Please plan to attend and show your support by participating in the Walk of Champions as a former player/cheerleader and/or attending the game as a loyal supporter of Camden football. Kickoff is at 7:30.

For more information go to www.camdenbulldogs.com


GO DOGS!

I wish I could make it, but I'll probably be in Camden a couple of weeks after this sometime around the middle of October.

Bulldogs Win Again ::

Camden High Bulldogs-47
Andrew Jackson-23

Bulldogs Fall ::

Camden High Bulldogs-6
Lugoff-Elgin-24

Ouch!

Camden High Football News ::

I got this from Johnny Deal this morning and it looks like it would be an interesting event:

“TAILGATE TIME” at HOMECOMING GAME



The Bulldog Club will host “Tailgate Time” again this year on Friday, September 25th

at the Homecoming Game when the Bulldogs play Andrew Jackson.



Music by DJs David Brown and Jerry Taylor will begin at 6:00 in the reserved parking area. Fans who do not have reserved parking should park in the general parking area and walk over to the reserved area.



“ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL”



This is the 115th year of Camden Football. To celebrate this milestone, the Camden Bulldog Club invites all former players and cheerleaders to join the current team on the field in their “walk of champions” at the October 2nd game vs. Crestwood. Former players and cheerleaders will be recognized by decades.



The “Walk of Champions” takes place after the pre-game warm-ups so arrive early and join your teammates at the end zone near the concessions stand by 6:45 pm. Kickoff is at 7:30.



PS. This is the Camden/L-E football game week. Don’t forget about the United “Weigh” campaign. Proceeds from all fundraising this week will be donated to the United Way of Kershaw County.

Bulldog Football ::

Sept. 11 was an off night so no score to report this morning. Next Friday night vs Lugoff-Elgin.

Clemson vs. Ga Tech ::

Getting ready to start. Let's see how the Tigers manage to throw this one away! They continually disappoint me in the big games.

ISS And Space Shuttle Sighting Opportunity ::

The best sighting opportunity for Camden and Columbia will be Monday, Sept 7, at 8:50 pm and the sighting will last for 5 minutes. This should be especially bright since the shuttle is docked with the space station.

They will approach from 10 degrees above the West Southwest horizon and reach a maximum elevation of 42 degrees so they will pass almost directly overhead. They will depart to 10 degrees over the North Northeast horizon.

Those in other parts of the country can check the schedule in your area at NASA's Human Spaceflight web site.

Here in Huntsville they will pass almost directly overhead. I'm glad I double checked the information because I had almost posted the information for Huntsville.

Looking at the schedule once again I see another good opportunity for Camden and Columbia Sunday evening, the 6th, at 8:25pm. Once again a 5 minute duration with a maximum elevation of 36 degrees. ISS and Discovery will approach from 11 degrees above the South Southwest horizon and depart at 13 degrees above the East Northeast horizon.

Bulldogs On A Roll? ::

Friday night score:

Camden High 16
West Florence 7

From The Good Old Days ::

The Tams:

Camden High Bulldogs ::

Friday night score:
Camden 57--North Central 14

Congrats!

Discovery ::

The orbiter Discovery is scheduled for launch at 1:36 am Eastern time which means 12:36 am here. I seldom miss seeing a launch on the TV, but I'll probably miss this one!



I just checked the sighting schedule and it looks as though a week from this coming Thursday SC should have a good viewing opportunity for the ISS trailed by Discovery after separation at 5:57 am. I'll post the details later.

[update] Scrubbed 'til early Wednesday am 'cause of weather.

Iris Dement ::

Our Town

South Of Broad ::

I finished the book Sunday evening and it was good, but my favorite Pat Conroy book is still The Prince Of Tides! As an aside, within the last few pages of South Of Broad there is a reference to Camden.

"Return To Vietnam" ::

I got this from Buster a few days ago and held off publishing it 'til now. The piece speaks for itself:

Let's travel back in time and do a little role playing. Now try to remember what your priorities and challenges were when you were 19 years old. Do you think that the biggest inconvenience could have been that the buttons on your shirt would be in the way?

For Chuck Sturkie on one hot humid day, the buttons on his shirt were in the way because thry was keeping him from becoming an earthworm. When there are a couple of dozen Viet Cong soldiers with machine guns pounding away at you and you are in an exposed position, you can not get low enough.

Like many young men of his generation, Chuck served a tour in Viet Nam. What makes this story rather unique is that Chuck returned to Viet Nam to the area of operations where he served with the the 5th Marine division from December of 1966 to January of 1968. Chuck had enlisted as a Marine after graduating from high school. He had been a football lineman for Red Lynch and Clyde Jones and had been a key member of the 1964 state championship team. As a member of that team he had received a memorial championship watch.

Chuck was stationed in what was called 'up north.' His unit's area of operations stretched from Da Nang to the DMZ. He served as a rifleman and has two purple hearts to show for his efforts. He also lost good friends in the fighing. His last month stationed there was during the Tet offensive. One night his unit got hit and has he was running for the bunker he felt his state championship watch slip off his wrist. Afterwards he retraced his path, but could not locate his watch.

One of the members of his Marine unit had returned several years ago to Viet Nam and began booking group tours. Chuck and his son, Shawn, joined in with 17 other members of his unit and last September the group returned to Viet Nam. The members landed in Hanoi and visited the infamous Hanoi Hilton [which was located in the middle of the city] and other war museums.

They moved south by bus and visited the various sites where they had been engaged in combat. Many of their former base camps,such as Khe Sanh, are now overgrown. Much of the jungle has been developed into farms and as most places the duration of 40 years has brought changes. There are still many thatched roof homes and the disparity between cities and farms income and daily life is still vastly different.

According to Chuck, there are still many similarites. The split dresses with pajama bottoms, the cone-shaped straw hats, the smell of the rice paddies and the water buffalo, the external sanitation, the squating by individuals,and the congestion of the cities are all constants. The first advice given to incoming troops is that the Vietnameese only know where the horn and accelerator are located and drive accordingly.

The cities are more westernized and the people are excellent host. Many of the neon lights and sounds, sights and activities of the night have returned. You have to remember it was a French colony for a long time. There are now many other nationalities working and living there and like most Communist countries they are appreciating capitalism.

Like any serviceman who returns to the area where they fought and lost friends, there will be the mysticism and flashback of the past. Because Chuck was with his fellow marines they were able to recreate and remember many of the experiences. Talking with his former comrades brought back vivid memories. The former radio operator was able to fill in the blanks and answer a lot of questions which had lingered for over 40 years.

The war in Viet Nam is a vivid benchmark in the life of the babyboomer generation. Whether you agreed with or opposed the war, we need to remember that there were 13 Kershaw County citizens who lost their life while serving in Viet Nam. Families such as those of Matt Hough, Michael Christmas, and Terry Hearon sent out brave soldiers who never returned. There are also an unusual large number of local returned vets, such as Rolly Jacobs, Bruce Rush, Caston West, Bobby Bruce, Rusty Brannon, Steven Edwards, and Robbie Anderson whose life was taken much too early by cancer.

Thank you for your attention.

Amen!

Mrs. DuVal ::

It seems so long ago!


From this morning's The State:

CAMDEN — Memorial services for Mary Boykin “Teene” Mustard DuVal will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, August 14, 2009, at Grace Episcopal Church, Camden. The Rev. Douglas L. Holmes and the Rev. William M. Shand, III will officiate. The family will be at the home of Mrs. Usher N. Myers, Jr., 1610 Fair Street in Camden. Burial in Quaker Cemetery will be private.

Mrs. DuVal, widow of Moylan Lansdale DuVal, died on Tuesday, August 11, 2009. She was born in 1915 in Charleston, the daughter of Harry Stoll Mustard, M.D. of Charleston and Sarah Hopkins Haile Mustard of Boykin. She resided in Boykin and Camden from the time of her marriage until she moved to the SC Episcopal Home at Still Hopes in West Columbia. She attended St. Mary’s in Raleigh, NC, graduated from Ward Belmont School in Nashville, TN, and Goucher College in Baltimore, MD, did graduate work at Columbia University in NYC and earned her masters and professional degrees at the University of South Carolina.

Mrs. DuVal, an educator, was a classroom teacher, principal of Camden Junior High School, and retired as assistant superintendent of the Kershaw County School District. It was her interest in education that prompted her to become active in politics. Concerned with the inequities in the values placed on real property, costing the schools many thousands of dollars in tax revenues, she ran unsuccessfully for the SC House of Representatives in 1950 and 1952.

Known for her love and knowledge of history, Mrs. DuVal was on the original commission for the Camden District Heritage Foundation, a founding board member of Historic Camden, and a member of the Kershaw County Historical Society. She was an organizer and served as president of the Business and Professional Women’s Club, the local chapter of the League of Women Voters and the Friends of the Kershaw County Library. She belonged to local, state and national professional education organizations. She served as chairman of the Kershaw County Democratic Party, was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a former member of Springdale Hall Club and the Wateree Sailing Club. She was name the “Kershaw County Mother of the Year’ in 1973 the “Kershaw County Business Woman of the Year” in 1980 and in 1999 received the “Order of the Palmetto.” Mrs. DuVal was dedicated to family, intellectual clarity and community service. She was an active communicant of Grace Episcopal Church and a member of its vestry prior to her move to Still Hopes.

Surviving are her daughters, Mary Boykin “Bebe” DuVal Myers (widow of the late Usher N., Jr.), Katharine “Kitty” Lansdale DuVal Beard and her husband, Henry E., III, Moylan “Molly” Lansdale DuVal Nettles and her husband, William F., III, and Sarah “Sally” Mustard DuVal Campbell and her husband, Jay D., all of Camden; grandchildren, Mary Boykin “Molly” Haile Myers Bridges, Kathryn Nettles Myers, Caroline DuVal Myers Reeves, Sarah Usher Myers, William “Bill” Fletcher Nettles, IV (Elizabeth), Elizabeth DuVal Nettles Crotty (Jerry), Sarah Brennen Nettles; stepgrandchildren, Regen Campbell Parks (Randy), Matthew Campbell (Sherri), Jeffrey Campbell and several great-grandchildren. Also surviving is her sister, Elizabeth “Ridie” Haile Mustard Wooten. She was predeceased by her brother, Harry Stoll Mustard, Jr., M.D.

Memorials may be made to the Talking Book Services-SCSL, P.O. Box 821, Columbia, SC 29202, Historic Camden, P.O. Box 710, Camden, SC 29021 or to the charity of your choice.

Kornegay Funeral Home, Camden Chapel, is assisting the family.

Online condolences may be sent to the DuVal family by visiting www.kornegayfuneral.com.

Mrs. Duval ::

Got this from Buster this afternoon:

Hello Buster...
Thought I would let you know that Ms. Duval passed away last night. She was here in Camden at the home of her daughter, Bebe Myers. The services will probablly be on Friday. I'm sure you are aware that Sally is also in very poor health. She has cancer that she got following a liver transplant. I'm sure we all have a lot of thoughts that come to mind when we think of Ms. Duval. She was so in charge of her surroundings and that included us.

A sad week continues! A co-worker's mother passed away Monday afternoon after a long battle with cancer.

South Of Broad ::

Pat Conroy's new book is in bookstores today. I work just about 3 miles from a Barnes & Noble so I'm running, actually driving, over at lunch for my copy!

Bad News ::

But it's not as bad as I thought when I heard about it yesterday. A co-worker stopped me in the hallway and told me than another co-worker in a different division had had a massive heart attack the night before. Now D. is only, I would imagine, in his early 40's and this sort of thing happens to younger people, but later in the day we found out that he is doing much better and the problem, although serious, may not have been as serious as first thought so we'll be waiting 'til Monday for more news.

The doctors seem to think that the heart attack was caused by an infected tick bite which caused fluid build-up around the heart. As one who lives in what passes for "the country" these days I often get several ticks on me in a day of working in the yard so I will be even more extra careful in spraying myself down and finding the little insects!

Selling Off Our Old High School? ::

I saw this Monday in the on-line edition of The Chronicle-Independent and wondered if it was our old school, but I forgot about it 'til I got this e-mail from Jim Ring today:

I see from The Chronicle (on-line edition) that the halls we walked throughout high school are on the market, destined, I suppose, to go the route of the CHS building it replaced. I'm saddened to see it, although I guess I really shouldn't be suprised. It just never occured to me it would happen in my lifetime. Maybe if had continued to live in Camden over the past four plus decades I wouldn't think much of it. I think we all have volumes of great memories attached to that building. As I sit here typing I see images in my mind's eye as clear as if it were yesterday.....Mr. Hipp's geometry class, the cafeteria, the band room, the library (hello Mrs. Morrison wherever you are)...and certainly all the kids who were a big part of such a special time in my life. I moved away from Camden the summer after we graduated. But, in my heart, I still consider it home.

The allusion to Rawson Hipp's geometry class brings back a lot of memories, most of them humorous in spite of my deficiency in math. The reference to Mrs. Morrison also brought back some old memories of great times in the library. I also remember vividly Mrs. Schreiber's french class. Who was it who could sleep with his eyes open?

We've been privy to sea changes in our lives and the world is just so much different than when we were youngsters! I often wonder just how my grandchildren will relate to their youth when they approach our ages. I hope that they have a better world than what we have now, but I'm pretty pessimistic!

[UPDATE] I was looking at the obits in this morning's The State and came across this:

CAMDEN — Funeral service for Rachel Susan Schreiber Neal, 53, will be held Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Rev. Steve Lee will officiate. The family will receive friends Thursday 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. prior to the service at the church. Memorials may be made to Mt. Olivet Baptist Church.

Mrs. Neal, wife of the late Rusty Neal, died Monday, August 3, 2009. Born in Camden, she was a daughter of the late Dr. Herbert Schreiber and Gladys G. Schreiber.

Surviving are her children, David Neal II and his wife, Bonnie, Dustin Neal and his wife, Dawn, Herbert Neal and his fiance, Jordan Lynch, and Jack Neal; brothers, Toby Schreiber, Tommy Schreiber, and Max Schreiber; sister, Rebecca Kitchen; and grandchildren, Ali Neal, Madison Neal, Mackenzie Neal, Blayne Neal, and Katherine Gladys Neal.

Coke Goodwin ::

I cribbed this entire article from the really crappy on-line edition of The Chronicle-Independent. I keep intending to subscribe to the dead tree edition, but I keep forgetting so I'm posting this article about Coke Goodwin in the entirety of which it was published on the web.

I had Mr. Goodwin for both Chemistry and Physics and I've got to say that he was one of my favorite teachers. My only regret is that I so much marginalized the importance of math in my education. Every time I get a chance to talk to a young person I emphasize the importance of learning math in whatever path they choose in pursuing their education.

Longtime educator cashes in 49-year career for job opportunities for others

For several years, Coke Goodwin has looked forward to celebrating his 50th year as an employee in the education system.

But a few months ago, Goodwin walked into Camden High School Principal Reggie Dean's office and voluntarily quit his teaching job after his 49th year. Goodwin hoped that by his decision to resign, other teachers' jobs may have been spared.

"To be blunt with you, I wanted to make 50 years. But with the economy like it is, my making 50 years wasn't as important as what was going to happen financially in this district," Goodwin said. "I went in and told the principal that with this situation, I wouldn't be back and maybe it would save one or two other peopleÕs jobs."

Sitting in his Camden home, Goodwin's eyes lit up as he talked about his career. But when asked about what made him want to become a teacher, Goodwin let out a big sigh.

I added some emphasis, but I salute one of my teachers from high school who I think of often, as I'm sure many others do!

1st Pepper Harvest ::

My pepper plants are wildly prolific this year and I just harvested my first batch of Jalapeños along with a couple of Habañeros although I will have tons more Habañeros soon. I started growing peppers several years ago with no clear direction in mind so I scratched my head when I had a basketful of ripe Habañeros and Jalapeños trying to decide what to do with them. I eventually found a recipe for Habañero pepper jelly so I make a few dozen jars each year.



I primarily use the jelly as a glaze for cooking,it's especially good on chicken, but I generally wind up giving most away and everyone likes it (some people absolutely love it!). I just get a kick out of making it although it is time consuming and expensive to make. I guess it's kinda a once or twice a year hobby!

[update] Oooops, I meant to post this to one of my other blogs. I just realized my error. Oh well! I'll throw in a Missy photograph here now since I've already added all of the above:

Tomato Pie ::

Great stuff, especially this time of year!

Ingredients:

1 9" pie shell (I got the cheap frozen one from the Wal-Mart)
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes
1 onion (I would have preferred Vidalia, but all I had was yellow)
12 large fresh Basil leaves
1 cup mayonnaise (I used the light kind)
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup crumbled bacon or browned hot sausage (Jimmy Dean!)
salt and pepper to taste (I always prefer sea salt and coarse ground black pepper)

I took the pie shell, after thawing, and put it in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes just to brown it a bit.

I sliced the tomatoes and put them in a colander to drain while I thinly sliced the onion. During the summer I always grow Basil so I went outside and whacked off 12 large leaves and chopped them finely. I put the onions on the pie shell followed by a full layer of tomatoes. I found that 3 tomatoes were enough. I then sprinkled the fresh Basil over the tomatoes followed by salt and pepper and either the crumbled bacon or browned sausage.

I mixed the mayonnaise, Mozzarella and Parmesan well in a bowl and covered the top of the pie with this mixture. This was then put in a 350° oven for between 45 minutes and one hour. When it was done I let it cool for 10 or 15 minutes before slicing.

For the vegetarians in the audience the bacon and sausage can be easily eliminated. I also found that 3 or 4 ripe tomatoes are too many unless you go with a deep crust which I’m getting ready to do. About 1 ½ tomato seems to work well for one pie with the 9” pie crust. I also got an e-mail from a friend outside Charleston, S.C. who does pretty much the same thing with zucchini. I also substituted grated Pepper Jack cheese for Mozzarela. Gives it a bit more of a kick!

Reading! ::

I've been meaning to post this for the past few days and I keep forgetting. What's that they say about the memory being the first thing to go? Probably the second! Anyway, I'm a huge Pat Conroy fan and he has a new book being released on August 11th titled "South Of Broad". Given Conroy's history with the low country of South Carolina there should be no surprise that this book is about Charleston. Here's a blurb from Amazon:

An unlikely group of Charlestonian teens forms a friendship in 1969, just as the certainties and verities of southern society are quaked by the social and political forces unleashed earlier in the decade. They come from all walks of life, from the privileged homes of the aristocracy, from an orphanage, from a broken home where an alcoholic mother and her twins live in fear of a murderous father, from the home of public high school’s first black football coach, and from the home of the same school’s principal. The group’s fulcrum, Leopold Bloom King, second son of an ex-nun Joyce scholar, who is also the school’s principal, and a science-teacher father, is just climbing out of childhood mental illness after having discovered his handsome, popular, athletic, scholarly older brother dead from suicide. Over the next two decades, these friends find success in journalism, the bar, law enforcement, music, and Hollywood. Echoing some themes from his earlier novels, Conroy fleshes out the almost impossibly dramatic details of each of the friends’ lives in this vast, intricate story, and he reveals truths about love, lust, classism, racism, religion, and what it means to be shaped by a particular place, be it Charleston, South Carolina, or anywhere else in the U.S. --Mark Knoblauch

Sometime around 1988 I was living and working in Midtown Atlanta during a time when Conroy lived just a couple of blocks away while writing one of his books. I don't remember which book right now, I would have to check the chronology, but I always hoped that I would bump into him at one of the restaurants or watering holes in the neighborhood, but it never happened and, as I recall, he finished the book in Paris.

Hang on for another Pat Conroy anecdote. I used to visit a used book store on Juniper Street in Atlanta called The Old New York Bookstore. It was an old house which had been converted into a bookstore with a pretty eclectic collection of reading material. One day I happened to pick up a Conroy book off a reading table. I don't remember which one, but it may very well have been The Lords Of Discipline. I opened the cover and there was an inscription: "To _____, who wears the ring!" I always wondered how someone could give up a treasure such as that!

Anyway, Amazon is taking pre-orders and you can be sure that I will be in line for this new work from Pat Conroy.

Still Around! ::

Not much at all has been going on, but I would hate to see the site die from inactivity so I'll post something, at least, every few days.

I just got through trimming and bathing my dog. No fun, but as I was finishing up 20 geese flew right overhead. If I still hunted I could have put at least 2 or 3 in the freezer, which I just finished cleaning out!

I sometime miss the duck hunting. Several friends and I used to hunt some beaver ponds on a feeder creek to Lake Guntersville years ago. It was a great place for Mallards and Wood Ducks, but we were in there early on a pretty cold weekday morning. The action was only fair with a few ducks in the pot, but the snow started falling just after sunrise and the scenery was magical. Luckily I had an understanding boss because I didn't go to work that day.

Now I fish.

Alligators In Wateree Lake? ::

I was late checking the on-line edition of The Camden Chronicle-Independent this week, but I was kinda amazed to run across this:



From The Camden Chronicle-Independent:

What started out as a catfishing escapade quickly escalated into something just short of a Steve Erwin adventure late Thursday night on the Camden side of Lake Wateree.

While John Boykin and Daniel Sheheen were fishing off of Sheheen's dock, Boykin said he spotted something strange in the water

[snip}

The alligator was about 3 feet long and was put into a dog kennel upon capture for safe keeping.

Jacob Hammond, a Camden police officer, was at Sheheen's house when the alligator was caught and contacted Matt McCaskill with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to come remove the reptile so it wouldn't cause problems for those enjoying Fourth of July on the lake. To Hammond's knowledge, there hasn't been another alligator captured on Lake Wateree, but he said he wasn't 100 percent sure.

McCaskill, however, said this is the "first confirmed capture" of an alligator on Lake Wateree.

Careful dangling those toes in the lake!

As I understand it Daniel Sheheen is the son of Jerry.

Space Shuttle Endeavour ::

Finally flew. No launch photographs have been posted yet, but I'll put one up in a day or so. One of my television co-workers has been down there for 2 weeks with his kids waiting for the orbiter to fly! Not too many Space Shuttle Launches left.

STS-127 Endeavour ::

There was a thunderstorm at KSC yesterday with some lightening strikes. Engineers are evaluating the aftermath of these strikes and Endeavours launch has been delayed until Sunday. I haven't gotten a new time for launch yet, but, most probably, late Sunday afternoon.

Francis Snelgrove ::

An excerpt from this mornings lengthy obituary in The State:

Mr. Francis Addy Snelgrove of Leesville passed away on July 2, 2009, at Lexington Medical Center. Addy was the son of the late Horace and Ruth Snelgrove.

Born Feb.14, 1925, in the Gilbert Area of Lexington County, Snelgrove received a B.S. Degree in Mathematics from Newberry College in 1945, a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from the University of South Carolina in 1952 and an Advanced Professional Certificate in Public School Administration from Columbia University in New York in 1954. During the two summers he was a student at Columbia University, Snelgrove worked with the New York Police Athletic League to provide recreation for “youngsters of the street” on the lower east side of Manhattan.

[snip]

Snelgrove became principal of Camden High School in 1957, a position he held until 1969, when he became superintendent of Camden City Schools.

He then became superintendent of the unified county and city schools in Kershaw County in 1978. Snelgrove aided in the building and/or completion of North Central High School, new buildings for Camden Primary and Camden Elementary schools and athletic facilities for Lugoff-Elgin High, a music facility at Camden High and expansion and improvements at Lugoff Elementary School and Kershaw County Vocational Center.

Under his leadership at Camden High School (CHS) a number of programs were established such as the Army ROTC Program as well as the Vocational Wing Addition of CHS.

Tomato Pie Recipe ::

As promised here is how I fixed my Tomato Pie.

I started with Paula Deen's basic recipe but, as usual, I modified it a little bit.

Ingredients:

1 9" pie shell (I got the cheap frozen one from the Wal-Mart)
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes
1 onion (I would have preferred Vidalia, but all I had was yellow)
12 large fresh Basil leaves
1 cup mayonnaise (I used the light kind)
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste (I always prefer sea salt and coarse ground black pepper)

I took the pie shell, after thawing, and put it in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes just to brown it a bit.

I sliced the tomatoes and put them in a colander to drain while I thinly sliced the onion. During the summer I always grow Basil so I went outside and whacked off 12 large leaves and chopped them finely. I put the onions on the pie shell followed by a full layer of tomatoes. I found that 3 tomatoes were enough. I then sprinkled the fresh Basil over the tomatoes followed by salt and pepper.

I mixed the mayonnaise, Mozzarella and Parmesan well in a bowl and covered the top of the pie with this mixture. This was then put in a 350° oven for between 45 minutes and one hour. When it was done I let it cool for 10 or 15 minutes before slicing.

I looked at several recipes before fixing mine as above. Some recommended 30 to 35 minutes at 425° but I generally like to cook slower so I went with the 350° temperature. One of the beauties of this recipe is that the final outcome can be varied depending on which cheeses are chosen. I think that next time I will try the Monterey Jack in place of the Mozzarella.

Give this easy recipe a try-I think you'll like it!

More Sad News ::

I just got this from Buster:

Saw in the paper this a.m. that Mr. Snelgrove has passed away. He was the captain of a good ship. Mrs. Duval has quit eating and is in her final days. If you have any stories or anecdotes, please send them to me. The sound of a woman walking down a hall with high heels still raises the hair on the back of my neck. B.

I have no further details, but I'll pass along any I get.

Tomato Pie ::

I thought I knew most ways to fix and eat Tomatoes, but I heard about Tomato Pie a few weeks ago and my first one is in the oven. If it is a success I'll share the recipe. If not I'll hang my head in shame!

[update] It's out of the oven and looks and smells good. Definitely a good sign!

[further update] Tomato Pie is excellent, but it's nap time now so you'll have to wait for the recipe!

For Your Musical Enjoyment ::

Little Johnny Kantreed with his cigar box guitar. I met Johnny last month at The Cigar Box Guitar Extravaganza here in Huntsville.



Soon I'll post some things from One String Willie.

Sunday Evening Kitten Blogging ::

I really need to come up with a name for the kitten.

Masthead Is Fixed ::

At least until I forget to renew my domain name next year!

Broken Masthead ::

The photograph of the flag landscape in Lugoff has not gone away. The photo is hosted on another server and linked to another site. Unfortunately I let the domain name expire so the masthead is changed. My web hosts are taking care of this and everything should be back to normal shortly.

Did anyone get down to Charleston for Harbor Fest? I would like to have seen the tall ships. Many years ago I was in Torremolinos, Spain and woke up very early one morning and walked down to the Mediterranean Sea. There was a very heavy fog that morning and out of the fog I could see the masts of a tall sailing ship. Unfortunately I hadn't brought one of the cameras with me so the image exists only in my mind and it still is quite a striking image. As it turns out the ship was the Italian Navy training ship which was making a visit up and down the coast.

NASA Trailer At Charleston's Harbor Fest ::

If any of you happen to be attending Harbor Fest this weekend please check out the NASA van. It is an interesting experience and has been redone to reflect NASA's focus on the Constellation X Project, specifically the new Ares space transportation designs.



Details are here.

An astronaut will be at Harbor Fest for answering questions along with one of my photographers. If you see a tall, goofy looking guy with a camera standing alongside an astronaut ask David to take your picture!

Windows 7 ::

I was at a technical expo last Thursday and was given a couple of release copies of Windows 7 by Microsoft. I've been debating whether or not to load it up, but I think I'm gonna do it on the laptop in the next couple of days. One of the IT guys I work with has been running the beta of Windows 7 for the past few months and absolutely loves it, so I guess I'll take the plunge. The only thing about it is that the release copy self-destructs next year meaning I'll have to buy a full copy of the operating system, but I imagine it'll be worth it. If not I'll be out a coupla hundred bucks!

I'm trying to find out if Windows 7 will address more than 3 gigs of ram with Adobe Photoshop. The new computer build has 4 gigs installed now, but will accept 16 gigs although I only anticipate adding another 4 for a total of 8 gigs.

I see some video editing in my future!

Flag Week-Saturday

Time to cut the grass today with temperatures in the mid 90s so I thought I'd post the photograph of the snowman.

Flag Week-Friday

Buzz Aldrin Tweets :;

http://twitter.com/therealbuzz

Flag Week-Thursday ::

Flag Week-Wednesday ::

Taken somewhere near Rembert on a trip a couple of years ago.

Cat Bath Day ::

blood was spilled--mine!

Flag Week-tuesday ::

Flag Week-Monday ::

The monument to the victims of the Cleveland School fire in the cemetery of Beaulah Methodist Church in the Charlotte Thompson community. My stepfather and baby brother are buried here.

flag Week-2009 ::

Images of flags are some of my favorite and I'll be posting some more of these photographs during the week. This one was taken about 3 years ago in the cemetery up in the DeKalb community where my grandparents are buried.

Space Shuttle Launch ::

Launch is scheduled for 7:17 am eastern tomorrow morning.



[update] From nasa.gov

The launch of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission to the International Space Station is on hold due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At 12:26 a.m. EDT Saturday, managers officially scrubbed the launch for at least 96 hours.

New Computer Build ::

I've finally got all of the new ingredients for my new computer and I'm getting ready to start putting it together. This one should be a pretty kick-butt box although I hate the thought of reloading all of the software. Here are the components:

Gigabyte EP45-UD3R motherboard
Intel 2.6ghz DuoCore processor
320Gig Western Digital C drive
2 500Gig Western Digital hard drives on a raid 5 array
4 gigs of Crucial ram (Mobo will handle 16 gigs)
Gonna reload XP-pro right now as an operating system

I haven't bought an off the shelf desktop computer since 1998. The prices are great from Dell and the other manufacturers, but I like knowing exactly what is inside my boxes. If there is a problem I generally know exactly how to fix it and the hardware upgrade path is much easier.

The new laptop has served me well since my old desktop was killed by lightening, but I just don't like doing any sort of graphics with the laptop screen. Hopefully I'll be back up running early next week at the latest.

Memorial Day 2009 ::

Thinking of those who served!

Friday Kittenblogging ::

And other things on a Saturday evening. Here are the 2 kittens I have left although it's now time to find them good homes. They're at that terminally cute stage where they're just now finding their personalities!



I was finally able to cut my entire yard today before the drizzles moved back in. This is the first time the yard has been totally dry since before Christmas! I cut about 1 1/2 acres with a bit more than that left to grow as it pleases in blackberry bushes so I ride the Snapper for several hours each weekend although I must say that I generally find cutting the grass to be relaxing.

I'm sitting out on the back porch listening to some music as I write this post and the hummingbirds are flying all around me. Life is good!

Thunder Storm ::

Passed through yesterday morning along with lightening. As thunder storms go around here this one was pretty mild, but my wiring got zapped by lightening with the result that my desktop computer is dead. I put a new power supply in it, but it still will not start which probably means the motherboard is dead. I was thinking about building a new computer anyway, so this will give me that nudge forward. I'll still fix this one and then pass it on to Taylor since she has my old PIII box and it is definitely getting old.



This is an older photograph of Taylor, but it's still one of my favorites!

My Baby Birds ::

Pictured down below flew today. I checked the nest Sunday and knew that it would not be long. There's another nest on the back porch, but it's situated where I cannot see inside. I think there are some little babies in there, but I'll probably never know exactly when they leave the nest.

New Life--New Little Critters! ::

The kittens are pretty much weaned now and it's time to find them homes. Wish me luck in that quest! I'm seriously thinking of keeping the little grey one on the left.



Here are my little baby birds which live in my front door wreath. I try not to use the front door and the mother is pretty understanding when I inadvertently disturb her by opening the door.






I love springtime!

Grammatical Errors On Blog Posts ::

Or, truth be told, grammatical errors anywhere just drive me nuts and I just found one in my post down below about the Jeff Black appearance in Columbia. My fingers are often too far out in front of my brain and when I meant to write "hear" it appeared on the blog as "here". Sounds the same but obviously the meaning is different! I edit 5 personal web sites as well as 2 NASA web sites and I really try to diligently police my grammar, syntax, and spelling before I publish to the world, but it seems I sometimes come up short.

I suitably chastise myself and I will continue to try to do better!

I'm still trying to schedule a trip to Camden. I'm committed to photographing a horse show this coming weekend and there is the upcoming launch of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission in mid May by Space Shuttle Atlantis so everything is still up in the air. I'm afraid I can't get away during some certain time periods around a launch window. Once the orbiter flies I'm set loose.

Little Baby Birds ::

Somewhere down below there is a post with the photograph of the birds nest in my wreath on the front door. Well, the eggs hatched out at some point today so I have these little tiny birds living on my front door. I'll post some pictures in a day or so when the baby birds are something other than little balls of feather fluff!

A New National Park? ::

Interesting! I'd really like to see this happen.

Posted on Sat, Apr. 25, 2009
Camden park has a shot
Battle site’s chances improve for national park designation
By JOHN MONK
jmonk@thestate.com

After nearly 30 years, the struggle to win coveted national park status for Historic Camden and Battle of Camden sites may be at its most hopeful point.

A bill that would fund a $250,000 National Park Service feasibility study for the site is in a subcommittee of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee.

That — in addition to acquiring more acreage around the site, among other things — could improve the chances for the coveted national park status, some say.

Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., who has been working this issue since the early 1980s when he was first elected to Congress, knows it might take more time — maybe years — to get the $250,000.

“The account out of which this is funded is a very tight account,” said Spratt.

“Basically, what you have to do is get in line. If you don’t have your request in, it may not come up this year, and it may not come up next year, but if you get in line and wait your turn and work it — especially with a meritorious project like this — eventually you get it funded.”

To get funded in Congress, the project has to run a gantlet.

First, it must win subcommittee approval in the House, then get committee approval, then pass a floor vote by the full House. Then, the same process is repeated in the Senate.

If it survives both chambers, it still might face a presidential veto.

The $250,000 already has gone through that process to win approval, or authorization, for spending. Now, Spratt is trying to get the actual spending, the appropriation, approved.

Something similar took place almost 30 years ago.

In 1980, local Camden officials won federal funding for a $250,000 study.

But that study concluded there were too many modern-day encroachments to make the site, a 1780 British garrison on the outskirts of Camden, a national park.

In much of the 1980s and 1990s, efforts to win national park status moved slowly.

But in the past five years, state and local groups and officials, including Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, and Rep. Laurie Funderburk, D-Kershaw, have worked to acquire land — today, the site is 107 acres — to save a crucial American Revolution battlefield nine miles north of Camden.

It is the site of the 1780 Battle of Camden, where as many as 1,000 Americans patriots were killed in a lopsided British victory. It helped spur Americans on to change course and fight on to victory into the next year.

“The Revolution was a very near thing,” said Spratt, “and the Battle of Camden is an indication that it might have gone the wrong way.

“It helps to appreciate the effort and resilience of the Revolutionary forces. They were able to spring back from something like Camden and win Cowpens, Kings Mountain and the other major battles of the war in the South.”

The current effort by Spratt, local officials and more than two dozen organizations to push both the Historic Camden and Battle of Camden sites for proposed national park status stands a far better chance of approval than the lone Historic Camden site in 1980, said Historic Camden executive director Joanna Craig.

“We’ve been working on this a long time, and there’s been more accomplished in the last four or five years than ever before,” she said. “We’ve moved mountains.”

Jeff Black In Columbia ::

Jeff Black is playing at some place called The Warehouse in Columbia tomorrow night, April 24. I highly recommend Jeff's music and if I were around there tomorrow, which I will not be, I would go.

Check Jeff's site out at http://www.jeffblack.com. where you can here hear some of his music. Looking at the map I suppose that The Warehouse is not far from the state capitol.

Little Kittens Nursing ::

The little kittens are becoming more active, but here they are nursing just a short while ago:



They live in the garage so I now have to be careful entering and exiting!

Springtime ::

So, here we are in springtime again. Thunder is rolling from the west and we'll have even more rain soon.

Here is one of my cat blogging photographs of Missy.




And we now also have 2 week old kittens. Missy had 4 little female kittens and they're just now finding their way around. I'm taking orders if anyone wants one! Just let me know.



I have a blog friend, Kate, who lives outside of Boston and she posted about a week ago that she had left her christmas wreath on her front door and now had a bird nest in it. As it turns out I had also left my wreath up so I decided to check it and, sure enough there was a bird nest.




And inside the nest are 5 little blue eggs so I'm trying not to use the front door right now. There is also a nest on the back porch which I haven't looked into yet, but I'm sure there will be little birds there soon.



Remember, get your kitten while you can! The mother is a really great cat who is intensely affectionate and does not stray.

Bad Weather Last Friday

I had taken last Friday off work in hopes of getting some grass cut before the rains moved in, but it was not to be. In fact I got caught out driving in the wind, rain, and hail. Below is what is left of a really nice huge old oak tree just up the street from me.



Apparently there was some significant damage to areas around Lake Guntersville which is just south of me resulting in hazard warnings to boaters from floating debris.

Discovery On Launch Pad 39B

The launch for tonight has been scrubbed and looks like Discovery will not fly before the 15th now. The photograph is from NASA photographer Bill Ingalls:

Congrats To The Camden High Basketball Team! ::

Reprinted from this morning's The State:

Josh Council and Evrik Gary had one of those games.

When one wasn’t hitting, the other was, which was good for their Camden High basketball team and bad for their opponent.

Council scored 34 points and Gary 23 as Camden overcame a slow start to beat Greer 77-62 in the boys Class 3A championship Saturday at the Colonial Life Arena. It was Camden’s first state title since 1958.

“It’s incredible; I can’t believe it,” Gary said. “All during the playoffs, we started slowly, but we knew.”

Council’s point total was 11 shy of the state-record 45, held by former Latta standout Raymond Felton.

“I had a mismatch on me and my coach told me whenever I had that, then go get it,” Council said. “That is exactly what I did. I had to get it. We had to get it.”

And he gave it to Greer, especially in the second quarter, when he scored 20 of his 25 first-half points to give the Bulldogs (23-2) a 44-32 lead at halftime.

Greer (20-9) led for much of the first half — until Council heated up.

Gary’s 3-pointer with 2:25 remaining in the opening quarter sparked a 15-4 Camden run that ended with Council’s layup. The result was a 25-22 lead for the Bulldogs. The lead was Camden’s first of the game.

Greer’s Chandler Hash and Chris Dean, who came into the game averaging a combined 45 points per game, were held to seven in the first half. Hash finished with 14 points and Dean had seven. Joseph Neely led the Yellow Jackets, who were seeking their first state title since 2005.

“We came out with the right momentum, and then we just couldn’t keep up with them on the boards,” Greer coach Jeff Neely said.

Coincidentally, Camden’s last state championship win was against Greer.

“Fifty-one years is a long time,” Camden coach Ron McKie said. “The whole community came out and that has been tremendous. It’s an unbelievable group of kids. It’s just been a thrill ride.”

Camden extended its lead to as much as 19 points in the second half before the Yellow Jackets mounted one last threat. Hash’s three-point play and Michael McIver’s 3-pointer cut Camden’s lead to nine, 58-49, with 2:04 remaining in the third quarter. McIver finished with 12 points.

That was as close as Greer drew. Camden led 62-51 going into the fourth, and Greer had no answer.

“This is just an incredible feeling,” Council said, looking around the arena for words. “I don’t know what to say.”

The scoreboard said it all.

Reach Davis at (803) 771-8442

G: Joseph Neely 15, Chandler Hash 14, Mike Rox 12, Dean 7, McCullough 2, Michael McIver 12. C: Evrik Gary 23, Perkins 2, Jay Council 10, Wingate 6, Lee 2, Josh Council 34.

Friday Catblogging ::

I had planned to pull out for Camden Monday, but with the shuttle Discovery scheduled to launch Tuesday I can't get away so I should be able to make the trip in a couple of weeks.

Class of 65 Facebook Group ::

I have had a Facebook account for 2 or 3 years, but I never did anything with it until prodded to do by Helen Sheorn and my good friend in Colorado, Margarita. I have come to enjoy the ease with which one can share short messages, photos and videos and, like all things, this has been another learning experience so I decided to put up a Class of 65 Facebook group where anyone who wishes to can interact. Pass the word around and hopefully we will have some participation!

Here is the link to the group, or anyone can search "Classof65" within facebook.

What we really need is a photograph for the group page so I'd like for someone to take a photograph of the old school and post it to Facebook.

Been Missing In Action! ::

I've been fighting computer problems for the past week and I finally admitted defeat and turned the computer over to my friend Don who does computer maintenance full time. This is the first time I have not been able to solve a problem on my own. I thought I had a hard drive problem, but I'm beginning to think that the trouble is in the motherboard itself. It's time to build a new computer anyway and I think I'll just turn the old one into a file server for photo storage. Yeah, that's the ticket!

I'm relegated to using the incredibly old and slow laptop this weekend, but the weather is supposed to be nice so I'm hoping to spend a lot of time outside enjoying the weather plus I've begun to build a cigar box guitar. That should prove to be interesting.

Here's wishing a wonderful weekend for everyone and those of you who do not have facebook accounts should make it a point to sign up for one. It's a great way to keep in touch!

More News From Johnny Deal ::

Camden High Alumni / Stakeholders:

There is a lot going on at Camden High. Please take a moment to see what interests you:

The Camden High Academic Booster Club (ABC) will hold their annual golf tournament on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at White Pines Golf Club. See attached flyer for contact and sponsor information.

Also, reminder that tickets are on sale for the Patrick Davis concert at the new performing arts center at Camden High on Saturday, February 28th at 7:00 pm. This event is being held to raise funds for the Roger J. Davis Scholarship program and for the CHS alumni association's operating expenses and activities. As many of you know, Patrick is a CHS graduate.

Ticket sales to the public begin today, February 6th. General admission tickets are $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the door. VIP tickets are $25.00 and include a meet and greet time with refreshments before the concert at Carolina Cafe - 1011 Broad St. Start time for the meet and greet is 5 PM.

Tickets may be purchased at Camden High or at Davis and Sons Guitar Shop on Broad Street. Call (803) 425-8937 for more information about purchasing tickets.

There are many other activities coming up on behalf of Camden High. Take a moment to stop by their website to see the other event that may interest you:

http://chs.kcsdschools.com/home.aspx

Have a nice weekend.

Johnny Deal
Class of '79

If anyone needs more information Johnny's e-mail address is:
jdeal151@aol.com

Sunday Morning Catblogging ::

CHS Alumni News ::

From Johnny Deal:

Members of the Camden High School Alumni Association:

Construction is nearing the end at Camden High. The new wellness center and performing arts auditorium are complete and will have their ribbons cutting/grand opening on Monday at 5:30 PM.

This email is announcing a fundraiser we have organized to "show off" CHS's new performing arts auditorium. Camden musician, Patrick Davis, and some of his friends will be in town, Friday, February 28, for a concert to benefit the alumni association and the "Roger Rules" scholarship fund.

If you don't know Patrick, he is a CHS grad. His Dad, Rusty, owns the guitar shop at Rutledge and Broad St., his mom, Jean, is a school teacher here and his brother, His brother, Roger, was killed in an automobile accident last summer. The family has set up a "Roger Rules" scholarship fund that will be awarded each year to a CHS student. The first award will be made the night of this concert.

Alumni Association members will get first choice of tickets and preferred seating. Please check out the attached flyer for all the details.

Thanks a lot for your support of Camden High School.

Johnny Deal, Chair
Camden High Alumni Association
Class of 1979

If you need more information Johnny can be reached at:

JDEAL151@aol.com

Here are the contents of the flyer-sounds line a good show:

The Camden High School Alumni Association

&

The Roger J. Davis Memorial Foundation

Proudly Present

“NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS NIGHT”

February 28th, 2009 - 7:00PM

Camden High School Performing Arts Auditorium


Saturday, February 28th, 2009 a very special “one night only” concert event featuring 4 of Nashville, TN’s top country songwriters is coming to Camden High School’s just completed Performing Arts Auditorium. Making the trip down to Camden from Nashville, TN for this “Blue Bird Café Style” in-the-round show are Grammy Winning Songwriter Hillary Lindsey, Guitar Virtuoso Jedd Hughes, 2008 ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Dave Berg and Camden’s very own native son Patrick Davis. Together these 4 singer-songwriters are responsible for radio hits like Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel”, Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy”, Rodney Atkins “These Are My People” & Jason Michael Carroll’s “Where I’m From”, which was of course written about Camden.


All proceeds from this once in a lifetime event will go directly to the enrollment/administration works of The CHS Alumni Association and the charitable works of The Roger J. Davis Memorial Foundation, which will announce the recipients of the very 1st RJD Memorial Scholarships during “Nashville Songwriters Night”.


CHS ALUMNI MEMBER TICKET SPECIAL On Sale Monday, January, 26th (Tickets on sale to the Public begin on Friday, February 6th) $15 General Admission Tickets $25 VIP SEATING & Pre Show Meet & Greet Tickets (VIP Ticket includes Premium Seating and Pre Show Celebration w/ all 4 Songwriters)

Available Starting Jan. 26th @ Camden High School & Davis & Sons Guitar Shop

Alumni may also mail their tickets orders to Camden High School Attn: Laura Horton 1022 Ehrenclou Drive Camden, SC 29020

Make checks payable to the Camden High School Alumni Association


“Celebrate Life but Please Remember The Roger Rules:


Don’t Speed, Always Wear Your Seatbelt and Never, Ever Drink and Drive.”