While I was sleeping

 ...or at least healing.

The week and a half since I saw the house build on First St. showed this. I would have tried for another shot, but suddenly there was this unhappy car passing around me. I forgot to even put on my blinkers, I think my mental acuity was still not at the highest level. I drove home carefully.

And I paused before coming inside, to snap this of the porch plants. I finally watered them  after 2 days of forecasts that were fabrications. None of the pottery sculpture has been dragged out again, and I'm thinking of letting some of it go...which is a big trick with heavy pottery. My son said he's going to get rid of some of his sculptures (which these are also).

So the rest of Wednesday was pretty subdued. Listened to my book a while, watched NCIS old shows and Jeopardy from last month. Life is simple.

Grateful and hoping the fever cycle is behind me. No coughing at least (this was at 9 pm Wed.)

Today's quote: 

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? 

-Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (1712-1778)

Lake Tomahawk construction

 I've seen the dam as it was begun to be scraped down, from the road. They are going to find leaks and do something about them. 

And the playground extension is begun as well.

So it was a good opportunity for some young people to dabble in the lake waters...

Their dog wandered where he pleased, but was dragging his leash behind him, so was obeying the "dogs on leash" sign literally!

Today's quote:

The smallest surprise, received gratefully, yields a harvest of delight.

BR. DAVID STEINDL-RAST

Sharing with My Corner of the World

Snowdrops and heavy equipment

 

After lunch last week there were big trailers which had downloaded the earth moving bobcats.

They were doing something next to the playground, and I heard the playground is going to be updated for more accessible play by handicapped children. Sounds good!

So I walked down to the dam along the almost dry Lake Tomahawk on Fri. 3.22.24

Which was good because I wouldn't have seen these snowdrops otherwise.

So almost all of them are out of focus.

There's fencing along the dam...

And big barricades that you can't miss!

More Lake photos and blossoms and critters coming soon.

Today is:

Waffle Day, 

National Tolkien Reading Day

Today's quote:

You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don’t have to do anything to earn it… No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here.

RAM DASS

Some background on the dam at Lake Tomahawk

The Lake Tomahawk dam as of 1936.

But let's look at more recent history (according to Barbara) of the Lake Tomahawk dam.

 This is how the dam looked when I moved here in 2007. Posted in 2013. I was pleased that the trees' roots helped stabilize the earthen dam.

This plaque was on the dam at that time, showing it had been there since 1933-34. Just 80 years before I took these photos in August, 2013.

The valve controlling release of water through big culvert pipes under the dam...and now that I think about it, perhaps the tree roots might have been interfering with them.

By the following winter, you could see a good crop of mistletoe in the branches of these old trees.

In 2015 the trees were cut down on the dam

Drained the lake in March 2015

Earth movers, and vibrating machines to tamp down the soil into the holes left by the roots.

Man in center with his back to us was using vibrating machine to fill in hole left by tree roots.

New walkway on dam, and permanent bench, as this photo shows in 2018 (to present.)

But there will be yet some new changes coming soon. I'll try to capture them. When it's below freezing it's a bit hard to get me out and about!!

Today's quote:

Don’t plan it all. Let life surprise you a little.

JULIA ALVAREZ

Garage apartment with view of Lake Tomahawk

 The garage apartment is finished which overlooks the dam of Lake Tomahawk..

Here's how I saw it in 2019.

It apparently is connected to that steep slope roofed wing of the house to the left, How did I miss coming by and taking any updates for so long?

I've never seen that raised roof above a lower level on the ends like that. Interesting construction.

Today's quote:

Quiet time each day is so important, but many are so out of practice that it’s almost unnerving to be in stillness.

Just saying...

 The ABC's of life

by Lori Roberts

Some beautiful Florida skies, sharing with Skywatch Friday.

Downtown Tampa, and one of the mid-size buildings in the middle was designed by the architectural firm I worked for, and I did preliminary interior design for the board-room. That was in the 70s.

Among the views I recognize in St. Petersburg FL, this movie theatre's plaza (and shops)..

Wish I knew what kind of tree this might be, blooming in December in FL.

Many many apartments/condos going up in St. Pete FL. Fence pic shows what it's supposed to look like when finished.

And a bit of bare knee to show the circle of teeth marks from the dog which bit through my slacks this morning when I walked closer in hopes of getting to know my new neighbor, while his dog continually barked. It was a tiny little thing, white with black nose and eyes, and on a leash. I reported it to the management. He's (dog's owner) been living in another apartment and just moved across from me, and the dog barks constantly when he's outside. My peace and quiet has a limit now. I am surprised by how shook-up I felt from this small creature's attack.

I found out after reporting this to the management, that the dog used to belong to someone else here before, who had died.  I remembered the dog would mostly obey her and sit at her feet on her electric chair, but if it got off the leash it would be really hard for others to catch. And the dog's name is Barkley. I was cautioned to just stay away from the dog.

Hope you have a wonderful peaceful healthy weekend!

Today's inspiration (perhaps having to do with Christmas shopping)

We all want to provide our children with a good and happy life, but most of us know deep down that material possessions play a very small role.

Lake Tomahawk being drained

 There was ice on the edges of the lake on Friday at noon when I took this header photo.

I noticed a couple of days ago that it was going down, but this looks like a big drain. It has happened before for construction.

And when I asked Melania, the Recreation Admin. if she knew why, she said it was for construction on the dam. I had seen a note in one of the Black Mountain Facebook pages that several thousand dollars were allocated to improve the dam. Pretty early to do so, but also, not many people around to go fishing when it's below freezing.

So whenever it's warm enough for a walk around, it will be less interesting in reflections of the sky and tree limbs, but more interesting to see what has settled into the muddy bottom.

Construction making big changes

 

A neighborhood with nice old growth trees and underbrush across the street...between two dead-end roads so all the houses looked into the small forest. Sometimes a fox was seen there.

My friends who lived on either of these streets bewailed when the trees were cleared out and construction began.

You can see the remaining forest. I wonder if it will go the same way and become condos.

This is the mark of progress. We have a housing shortage, but the ones developers are constructing aren't within the price range of those who work hourly jobs and keep our infrastructures running. These will be bought by more tourists wanting to live in the mountains.

Today's Quote:

 

The Lakotas know that the song sings the singer. The Spirit sings the song.

—Basil Braveheart

More construction shots

First the old house was rennovated...

Then the father's house was laid out with a slab...taking the space that used to be grass and woods

I wish I had a penny for all the trucks and workers that have been across the street from me in the last year. As well as all those who just stop by to use the Porta-potty (green in the corner right outside my living room windows)

Some days it was kind of interesting to watch what workmen were doing, as I sat at my keyboard looking from the front of my house.

Roof is on, a plumbing truck was delivering fixtures last week, and windows and some doors are in.

In my opinion this is a monstrous building which looms over all the other houses in the neighborhood.