The New Green...

Our first Chevrolet Volt showed up and was about to be delivered to it's new owners today - but I was able to get one quick photo of it before it left our premises..

I apologize for the picture quality-but it was the best I could do through my office window with my phone.

This Is What Brings Smiles on Christmas Day!

.

I know this is not what Christmas actually stands for...but it sure does put a big smile on my face!!

Rare Sightings

I stayed up to see a rare sight tonight...A Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse" .

The following tells you just how long we will have to wait to see another one...

(This was taken from NASA's website) This lunar eclipse falls on the date of the northern winter solstice. How rare is that? Total lunar eclipses in northern winter are fairly common. There have been three of them in the past ten years alone. A lunar eclipse smack-dab on the date of the solstice, however, is unusual. Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory inspected a list of eclipses going back 2000 years. "Since Year 1, I can only find one previous instance of an eclipse matching the same calendar date as the solstice, and that is 1638 DEC 21," says Chester. "Fortunately we won't have to wait 372 years for the next one...that will be on 2094 DEC 21

Here are a few photos I snapped while chatting with the folks on the WVEC Eagle Chat (Thanks for the reminder, Sioux!)

Get this widget at roytanck.com

Cooper's Hawk Revisited...

Yes...He is still around-and I think he is here to stay.

Get this widget at roytanck.com

...When Birds Fly...

We now know to grab the camera and search the skies "when birds fly" ! I saw all the birds scatter and take off for the sky this morning so I grabbed the camera and was able to take these two poor quality pictures before the resident neighborhood hawk took off.

We have caught glimpses of him trying to catch a feathered snack -but we have not actually witnessed him being successful.

Water Play

Anyone have a clue as to where you can find these birds and more in one spot?







...and the answer is.....

GOSH- I Love My New Job!!

Where else can you find.... not just one turkey...but...

multiple turkeys under a "Thanksgiving Feast" sign....

or a Sunset like this all on the same day?

Experimental Posts...

I thought I would experiment today...
These photos are of the Blue Angels. (now let's see if this works...)

Get this widget at roytanck.com

Take a Walk on the Wild Side...

...No...not the "Lou Reed" walk....but a walk where you can see some of the following views...

New Blog...or Am I Crazy???

Another Eagle Chat Member inspired me (okay...I admit it - I copied Sioux's idea) to set up a blog that has the birds I have seen - or I guess I should say that I can prove that I saw via the camera lens... so I am officially introducing :

Feathered Friends which is actually located at " www.FeatheryFinds.blogspot.com "

I hope you will give me your feedback and/or sign up as a follower of the blog.

Happy Viewing!!

Birds of a Feather....

I happened to snap a few photos of different feathered friends today - so I thought I would share a few with you. I hope you enjoy them...

...Smiles and More Smiles!

I am going to tell you that I found myself smiling "ear to ear" this morning as I drove into work at 8:30 AM...and here is why:

It is foggy and overcast at home and I would normally be driving into the fog and I would probably have gray skies most of the morning at my old job... but as I turn onto the freeway and head the opposite direction I am blinded by sunlight shining through the clouds!

I am smiling as I drive into work and then realize the following song is playing too...Yes - life is better than good!!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

My New Employer...

Folsom Chevrolet is where I will call my new home away from home...and I can not be more excited!! The dealership is known for treating their employees like family. The dealership also has a great reputation with their customers as you can see at this link.

Another added benefit is that I will be so close to Nimbus Dam and the Folsom Lake area. I bet this will be a Birder's Paradise!

(You can see the water in the map photo below.)

View Larger Map

It will be great to have a smile on my face each day when I go to work again!

YIPPEE!!!

I am Free!!!

Okay...maybe I am not free..BUT I do feel that I will be working at a much better place when I start my new job soon!!!!

Life Ever-Changing

Life is like the beach...You sometimes have strong powerful waves that you are always struggling against ...

... or you may experience soft gentle waves that make you smile as it tickles your toes...

...But whatever your life path is... it is ever-changing like the grains of sand being washed over by the ocean.

Dedication or Craziness??

Many of you know that I work at a General Motors Dealership...but few of you may know that all Automotive Manufacturers expect their dealerships to complete the manufacturer training requirements.

I can remember a few years back that the dealership missed the year-end certification completion by one test. This test was through the manufacturer "Interactive Training Class". These classes are at a set time with a limited number of participants. Can you imagine having a month left to complete the course BUT there are no openings in the class? The dealership was not able to complete the certification requirement because they did not complete one of over 200 tests.

I decided that I would do my part this year to make sure that same circumstance did not happen again this year at the dealership I work at now. I have completed eleven certifications at this time. I have 4 more certifications I will complete by taking a total of six more tests. (I am enrolled in two that are similar to the "Interactive Training Class" and the other four classes are still in development.) I can also take 4 other tests to be certified in the Parts Department area but they will not be needed for the dealership certification.

I bet this might be of value to other GM dealerships as well as the one I work!

Here is my Certifications List as of today:

GM CERTIFICATION
Status as of: October 22, 2010

		Top Honors
Body Shop Manager	100%	N/A
Certified Internet Manager	100%	N/A
Certified Internet Service Manager	100%	N/A
Collision Consultant/Estimator	100%	N/A
CUV Sales Consultant	100%	N/A
CUV Sales Manager	80%	N/A
Partner Security Coordinator	100%	N/A
Parts Consultant	70%	0%
Parts Manager	80%	0%
Sales Consultant	90%	100%
Sales Consultant - Commercial	100%	N/A
Sales Manager - Commercial	100%	N/A
Sales Manager - New	88%	100%
Sales Manager - Used	90%	N/A
Service Consultant	100%	100%
Service Manager	100%	100%

Northern Flicker Play-Time

I was enjoying a cup of coffee this morning when I heard a different bird call. I grabbed the camera just in time to catch this male Northern Flicker landing in the backyard tree.

Here is a series of photos of what looked to be a "courting dance" - but I am unsure if that is what was going on.

I hope you enjoy the photographs....

I also included a slide show at the bottom of all the pictures I took.

Dedicated To My "Special" Friends

This Blog has an offensive rating- Please do not allow small ones around....

This Blog is dedicated to all my "Special Friends"..and also a few that don't even qualify as that...

Evidently Jimmy Buffett does not have a You Tube video of his version of a song with a similar name (which is I was really looking for) but I have included the lyrics to his song below...

Jimmy Buffett..."Dickhead"

He ain't nothin' but a Dickhead.
He's been one all his life.
If he ever gets married
he'll be a Dickhead with a wife.
He's got no damned excuse.
God knows how he tries.
He'll be a f * in' Dickhead until the day he dies.

He's got a pretty girlfriend
and he flirts behind her back.
He looks at other women,
tries to get them in the sack.
He tells her that he loves her,
then he doesn't call for days.
When it comes to bein' a Dickhead,
he's got a million ways.

He ain't nothin' but a Dickhead.
He's been one all his life.
If he ever gets married
he'll be a Dickhead with a wife.
He's got no damned excuse.
God knows how he tries.
He'll be a f*in' Dickhead until the day he dies.

When he's out drivin' he's a Dickhead in his car.
When he's out drinkin' he's a Dickhead in the bar.
When he's at a party he's a Dickhead drinkin' beer.
He's got to be the winner of "Dickhead Of The Year".

He ain't nothin' but a Dickhead.
He's been one all his life.
If he ever gets married
he'll be a Dickhead with a wife.
He's got no damned excuse.
God knows how he tries.
He'll be a f*in' Dickhead until the day he dies.

If he's got no job he's a Dickhead out of work.
If he's got no manners he's a Dickhead and a jerk.
If he's got no money he's a Dickhead with no class.
If he's got no brains he's a Dickhead and an ass.

He ain't nothin' but a Dickhead.
He's been one all his life.
If he ever gets married
he'll be a Dickhead with a wife.
He's got no damned excuse.
God knows how he tries.
He'll be a f*in' Dickhead until the day he dies.
He'll be a f*in' Dickhead until the day he dies.

Giggles & Glee!

We spent some time with Granddaughter and her parents yesterday with many smiles being shown all around. She is quite smart and says some of the funniest things - even though she is only two!

She definitely is a day-brightener!

You can see where the bubble has just popped in this photo!
Hand Puppet Fun!

She is such a happy little girl! Gran'pa even admitted that these two parents are doing an excellent job with her. Don't change what you are doing, kids!

We are very proud of you both. Keep up the great job!!

The Definition of "Ogre"

I had a conversation tonight where the thought of an "ogre" came up. I decided to look up the word and found this definition of "Ogre" on Wikipedia.

Painting: "Norandino and Lucina Discovered by the Ogre by Giovanni Lanfranco

An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a large, cruel, monstrous and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature. In art, ogres are often depicted with a large head, abundant hair and beard, a voracious appetite, and a strong body. The term is often applied in a metaphorical sense to disgusting persons who exploit, brutalize or devour their victims.

I can tell you firsthand that not all ogres possess "abundant hair" and Ogres do come in many forms. I think people have known at least one ogre in their lifetime. My Ogre is someone that I have worked with in the past. He went to jail for a weekend once for beating his now ex-wife. She has since divorced him...but this is not his only fault. The Ogre knows how to lie and manipulate people also.

Beware of my Ogre and any others that you may meet.

Commonalities Answered....

Young Cooper's Hawk

Bounce House













Two Candles















Kenny Lattimore











Boney James



All of these things happened on September 18!

Happy Birthday Grace!!!!

Commonalities?

I think this is called a "teaser" blog...but can anyone take a guess what the following things have in common??

• Young Cooper's Hawk
• Bounce House
• Noise
• 2 Candles
• Easter Seals
• Kenny Lattimore
• Boney James

...stay tuned...the answer will be posted in the not so distant future!

Calendar Photo courtesy of Tim Fearington

I just wanted to remind everyone who has not ordered this gorgeous calendar that it is now available to be shipped to your mailbox!

This calendar benefits the Wildlife Center of Virginia & "Buddy". The Wildlife Center is a nonprofit group so you will be able to write off these calendars as a tax deduction too.

The story of Buddy is a heartbreaking yet heartwarming story at the same time...You can read the story and see that the funds from the calendar sales will be used for a great cause!

You can place your order via the Web. Copies of the 2011 calendar may also be ordered by telephone through the Wildlife Center of Virginia reception desk at (540) 942-9453. The Center’s front-desk is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. They accept the three major credit cards - so have one ready when you call to place your order.

Crime in Small Town Americana

I have always felt safer in the smaller towns in America-but that feeling is no longer there for me. There seems to be an increase of crimes in the small towns of America and I am unsure why.

I have found statistics that covers a 2 year period of time for a town in Northern California that I am very familiar with.

It is hard for me as a female to realize that 41 women reported being raped in that time frame. I cannot imagine how many rapes were NOT reported. (We all know many women do not report this type of crime.)

Can you also imagine 170 assaults occurring? That happens to be more than 130% of the national average. That number is hardly a drop in the pan when you realize that there have been more than 460 auto thefts in this town. That turns out to be more than 400% above the National Average...but even more staggering is the amount of thefts for the two years. There were over 2300 thefts which is more than 20 times the National Average.



I also wonder what type of losses employers in other "small towns" may have suffered due to damages or losses that have happened already - not to mention the guilt that might be incurred due to a female employee being assaulted.

I can honestly say that I will never feel safe in this part of "Small Town Americana" now that I have actually read these statistics...even if it is just walking to my car at night.



Statistics were taken from this location.

Crazy Mama

QUESTION: Who in their right mind would go "camping" and stay in a non-shaded area in a small compact space while enduring 110* temperatures??

ANSWER: Someone who wants to get away from the phone, the chores at home and yet still have all the comforts and conveniences of home.








(PS...you need 50amp service so you can run both ACs!!)

Pool Play Time

I was blessed with a visit from an Eagle Chat Member and part of her family yesterday. We met because of the Norfolk Eagle Cam that we both followed this past season. She is traveling with her daughter and grandson to a family gathering but was nice enough to adjust her schedule in order to spend time with some of my family and me.Our grandchildren are only a week apart in ages so we tried to make the visit more of a "play date" for the two grandchildren. I am sharing a few photos of the some of the fun we had.

We will have to plan a visit just so the adults can visit next time, kdg! (The only discussion we had in reference to the Eagles was about the calendar that we are ordering again this year. (It will be a great calendar if it is half as good as the 2010 calendar!)