Back in July after reading the Almanac for 2018 fall color in Blue Ridge Mountains I made reservations close to Valle Crucis for Tuesday thru Thursday this week. Got my D7200 with lenses and filters set up for this trip. On Monday the 8th watching the weather as all of us were Michael was making inroads to hit Florida and come streaking right toward us here close to Charlotte. Oh well, past the cutoff time for canceling the reservation decided to go ahead and drive North. We left at noon Tuesday and of course it had just started to rain. According to reports the leaf color was behind schedule due to the late heat but that there was some trees starting right then. We will continue. It rained all the way up even though Michael was not to hit yet. Checked in about 4 p.m. and the rain was coming down at a good clip. Wednesday morning came with rain coming down hard. Decided to go out and see what we could see. Creeks are running hard and lots of waterfalls not normally seen I am sure. Colored leaves are on the ground stripped off of mostly green trees by the driving rain. Water getting ready to crest the bridge and this was before the heavest rain was to start. I would not live this close to this creek. I took very few pictures not wanting to get the camera wet. I post a couple here and direct from camera without any PP. We had a great time enjoying each other in the mountains. Got home noon Thursday and the rain stopped at 3:30 p.m. Then I saw the pictures of Florida. My heart hurts for those close to Mexico Beach. SMH

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http://ncn21.com/abc_national/judge-throws-out-lawsuit-filed-by-horse-against-former-owner-abcid36111091/

I believe animals feel and think and deserve to be cared for if kept. However CA and OR as well as few other states have lost their minds. That's why I moved my CA butt to NC. Judge does what was required by law.

I saw this in real time and I live in NC. It was a rough few days and we are thinking of our neighbors. When my wife and I watched this the first thought was 'WOW' check this out. After giving it some thought I believe it is possible that there may be to the right side unseen in the frame a building or a hedge row or some other wind obstructing item that the two men were walking around??? Most of us have witnessed the wind when behind a semi-truck and then pulling out to pass hitting head on the increased wind coming around the front of the truck. The wind speed directly adjacent to the truck drivers door is usually where the wind is traveling the fastest and once you get past the truck it calms down a bit. Wind can be traveling at different speeds within a few feet of another spot. So I am speculating about this incident because I don't know but it may not be as it seems. However, the media is certainly suspect, especially NBC. I like to call NSNBC MSLSD.

You are correct about the torque. The only time that the plane was hard to fly was if only one engine was developing torque. With both engines running properly and because of the tricycle gear the P-38 was extremely easy to land and takeoff especially for new pilots. One of my favorite planes as well as the B-25, P-51, F4U, Constellation, DC3........................

YEP! Richard Prior was one of the funniest. And Gallagher & Carlin. We all used to be able to laugh at ourselves. Too many today having pity parties.

It is critical to our well being to laugh at one self. Today I believe that this PC culture has tarnished the ability to do this in too many of us. I refuse to become that humorless sad human who is unable to laugh at my own mistakes which have been many. And I will continue to laugh at the jokes I find humor in and have today. In all these lists here.

I'm sure one of the Girls here could come up with a similar list applicable for us guys. And I did find humor in here as life's experiences can be funny. Number 9 made me cringe as did number 8.

Class 1 is of interest to me because my bride of 45 years still thinks that turning down the thermostat on entering an 80 degree house to 65 will cool it down faster than a setting of 72. It still takes the same several minutes to get it to 72 but just keeps going until it reaches 65. Then she complains about being cold.

Class 2 problem solved. We each leave the seat in the position we needed at the time We each move it once or not at all. We are both equal by the way. Since learning that, we have been able to have separate bathrooms. If she uses my bathroom she leaves the seat up and if I use hers I leave the seat down. We are happy with our solutions.

Class 6 is where we do have issues. I am a single minded person and focus on one thing at a time. I need to listen carefully to dialogue as I have loud tinnitis. She is Italian and there is the rub. We haven't figured this one out yet.

Now for class 11 ...... Maybe I should take this class. Sometimes I do hit the brakes a little tough. I used to have a 1966 GTO with 4 speed and tri-power. Shifting became second nature for me. After several years passed and had sold that GTO I decided to buy another. This 66 came with a 4 barrel and automatic. I grabbed a car full of friends and went for a drive. After deciding to go thru a drive thru we were back on the boulevard with burgers and shakes loving the ride. Stopped at a light that just turned green I pulled ahead and as the engine RPMs came up my brain decided it was time to shift to second and my left leg went into action slamming into the clutch pedal (really a wide brake pedal) hard........but the slamming of the car into a sliding halt kept me from using my right arm to shift the imaginary shifter into second gear! My passenger to my right had to clean off the vanilla shake that had come flying over the seat from the startled guy in the back right. It looked like there had been a food fight in that car. We still laugh at me about that and it happened about 20 years ago. I still have that second GTO but with a 468 BBC and 5-speed tremec.

Long time film guy here. Started DSLR with a D3200 a couple years ago. A few months ago upgraded to a D7200 after much research because the 3200 couldn't keep up with my needs. The 7200 is the bees knees. A very happy camper. As far as Amazon goes I do go there for reviews and look for reviews that show the reviewer knows what he/she is talking about. I read the questions first. The ones that drive me crazy are the answers from someone who says, "I don't know!". WHY ANSWER if you don't know..........Geesssss

Now that I am retired I need to Google to find rides. My first trip in a large radial engine plane was in 1965 from Seattle to Chicago. I was 17 and flew without parents. At night looking at the flames coming from the loud exhaust, the vibration, rough over the rockies, etc made for a very fun flight. I am guessing it was a DC6 but could have been a DC4. I fell in love with flying by flying in that plane. I need to ride in a radial again.

I, being a Vietnam Veteran with 12 years service, started using the VA health system back in the 80's. It was hurry and wait then and still is now. About 10 years ago for about a year I was being seen by the Palo Alto Hospital and although quite beautiful and able to get seen rather quickly I did spend a one night stay there with a heart condition that they were unable to diagnose. Watching them try to figure it out was weird. The Fresno VA saw me and they also didn't know what was happening. After about 2 years I finally diagnosed myself with the help of Google of all things and I went to my primary and suggested that I was having bijeminy. They confirmed such and spent the next year seeing drs in cardio regularly. They were unable to stop it. That whole year I tried to figure out the trigger and finally I stopped taking the albuteral they gave me to control COPD. I had trouble breathing but the bijeminy stopped. Restarted the albuteral and the bijeminy came back. Went to my primary and she found a replacement for the albuteral and after over 3 years of heart pain my COPD is under control and the bijeminy is gone. So, my take is if you are good at watching your own health and keeping a close watchfull eye on the VA it might be good for you. But if you let them be in control you just might not get the best care. Their computerized system doesn't seem to help them care for their patients. Google just might be better. Just saying.

Well I am not too sure about the BS and gravel thing. I have tried both and both can put you in the ditch. BS never gets you to the finish line - she knows it when she sees it and gravel and car tires - you know the rest.

Yes, and when you pay into an IRA, 401k, roth or some other retirement don't you get back more than you pay in? SS should be no different.

I also flew on a DC3 Ozark Airlines from St Louis to Waynesville when going for a 2 month visit to Ft Leonard Wood in 1965. I loved that ride. Even had a stewardess. Not a flight attendant back then.

...Oregon...San Francisco... Kinda says a lot there