Out with Friends (literally)

When I separated from Connie I just kind of clammed up.  Got in my shell and hid.  I didn’t really want to talk about what happened or what was going on.  I loved getting the boys, and we did a lot together.  I had friends who checked up on my and make sure that I was alright, but I didn’t really go out with them or get together with them.

Then Catherin and I started dating.  We liked to spend time together, and she was going through a lot of the same things I was.   We didn't want to give up that time together to other people.  So it has been just us for awhile.  We have gotten together with and without the boys.  We rarely get together with friends and family, but when we do we have a really good time.

We recently went camping with friends, and as soon as we got home we planned another trip together.  

Here are pictures from that trip:

Traffic on the way to the mountains.

Arrival after dark.

Waking up COLD!

The camp site.

Breakfast.

Mark telling me how to split wood. 

The ladies impressed with my wood splitting ability.

Feeding fish at the Mark of the Potter--Shop in an old mill.  

My favorite picture of her (from the weekend).

Her favorite picture of me (from the weekend).

Why I have always opted for motels.

This is why I like walking with her.  This look of wonder is always there.

Love this picture of them.

Tourist pic.

We think so much alike that when we left, we drove about an hour and stopped to eat.  Mark and Katie stopped at the same place.  We had taken different routes to get there.

It was fun to be out with friends.  I have looked some old friends up and plan on meeting them in the near future.  

The Walk

Taking a walk.  It is strange to think of myself as a walker.  I just started walking at the beginning of this school year.  I have taken walks all my life though.  I know Papa better than any man on the planet including my own father because of the walks we took around Eatonton.  I remember walking with my father in the woods.  In the past I have hiked, trekked, strolled and wandered, but never really walked.  I have been a runner my whole adult life. Well maybe not my whole adult life, there have definitely been times when I did not exercise at all, but when I exercised I ran.  Today I walk.  I still do not consider myself as a walker though. I plan to run again.  I just didn’t want to go too fast.  So I started walking for exercise.  I have been pretty good about getting the walks in to.  I feel pretty good when I finish.  I can talk and walk, and that has improved my relationship.  It improves my relationship with Catherin when we walk together, and it improves my relationship with God when I walk alone.

Over the past 3 or so months I have walked a lot of places.  I didn’t even realize all the places that I had gone.  I have favorite spots behind my house, and memories from walks taken on sacred ground.  I have walked the dog, and cleansed the soul.  Here are few of my favorite pictures from some of the walks I have taken:

Walking in town.

 Walking in a field of yellow flowers.

Walking by the stream near dusk.

I take pictures of the things I see from time to time.  This tree is rotting but keeps standing.

Lake Meriwether.

My favorite spot behind the house.  

FDR parkKolomoki Mounds, we walked all the way to the top!!  A lot of history here.

This is were FDR picnic'ed.  The view is AWESOME.

And the best walking partner around.  She points out the beauty in this world, and shows it to me with a childlike enthusiasm and is infectious.  It makes me long for the next walk with her.   

Think we'll take a walk..

When we decide to take a real walk it's usually to take Benny so that he can get some exercise... We found a new dog park recently and this is the route we take when going there. 

Starting out we saw some sort of line going around one the buildings near the apartment. Who knows what they're waiting on. New iPhone or some kind of sale? or maybe extras in a movie??

Every time I see this place I wonder if it's where the Soup Nazi came from.

This is Fraunces Tavern. George Washington used to frequent it.

Made our way around to the American Indian Museum. Every time we go by here I want to go. It's free to go in and open seven days a week. 

Tourists going to or coming from the Statue of Liberty.

Battery Park and Castle Clinton National Monument. Way back there is an old circular fort and the line you wait in to get on the boat to the Statue of Liberty. Sometimes they have people come in and sell good around this park. We've frequented a few times and enjoyed the local wares.

They've set up these globes all designed with different themes.

Some of our favorites.

Benny chasing pigeons.

Rebel.

A sculpture on one of the piers looking out the Statue. Not sure what it's all about. Haven't read up on it yet.

World Trade Center view. Almost to the dog park...

Here's the dog park. Much nicer than the one by our place. It was pretty empty today so we ran around and chased Benny ourselves. 

Here are some older pics from the park...

What the dog park usually looks like.

After we left today he made a new friend.

We took another way back around the water. This is Brookfield Place.

(click to see this one closer)

You can see our apartment all the way from the Hudson River on the other side of the island.

World Trade on the left. The Oculus is over there (center right) with the white wings that look like bones. That's where I get on the subway.

Tina called this one from pretty far away. It's a portion of the Berlin Wall donated to Battery Park City. This was on the Eastern side of the inner wall not exposed to the West.

South WTC Memorial.

We're back and everybody passes out.