Weird?

What on earth is this?

Where on Earth is this?
(Found on Google Earth)

West(ern) Virginia Mountaintop

Christmas 2006 brought good traveling weather to those going to Virginia and Minnesota/Wisconsin.
Here we're on a mountaintop - a homesite? (add a comment to more fully describe the area) in full sunshine with blue sky. It wasn't too windy.





Can you imagine yourself here in the summertime, with cool breezes? Lying down on the grass, looking up into the nighttime starry sky?








Look who's playing Queen of the Stump!








Finally, a group photo with the big valley in the background.

Why's that camera always in my face?

Sean is having a good time in these recent pictures.

Keep watching and you'll see how fast he grows.

Notice that new little front tooth of his.
Those blue eyes will really shine in a few days with all the Christmas lights!

Moved in!

Well, almost. Look at the pix: the sunshine on the front porch, and the Wandering Trail as seen from the front porch. Anyone want to buy another house just a few miles away? Already we've been enjoying the living-on-one level.

Success in Virginia

As Autumn has left us all, look what it left behind... 'neath the blue skies of the Virginia hills is this gem.











[If you're afraid of heights, stop reading now]






Talk about a Cathedral ceiling, getta look at this.

More little ones at the beach

From more than a half-century ago ...

click to enlarge

Thanks, Rick.

Success in Seattle

A tour through the living, dining, kitchen, guest and family rooms. Then, go UPSTAIRS to see the En Suite. Finally, two of his best friends in the bedroom!
Click on the pretty lady reading Real Simple to see a slideshow, including Teddy! As needed, your browser Back button should return you to River Bend Currents

Success in Seattle

Forget that "Sleepless in Seattle" jazz. As you take the tour notice that all these two are doing is reading. They want us to believe that they are working so hard.


No visit to Seattle is complete without a swing through the touristy fish market.

The Magic of Marriage

(click on pictures to see what Jim is thinking)

I was walking away from the camera with my dad. When I turned around, he was handsome and young!

Fall Colors at Bryce & Aspen

How 'bout those early fall colors in the Virginia mountains behind that new gray siding?

• Could you picture yourself here next summer?
  
• Remember this house just a short while ago?
• Let's watch (patiently) to see the chimney brick climb to the sky
  

Click me to see lots more pictures: The front of the house is looking impressive.


Someday we may get to see this house in the daytime!

• It, too, now wears siding
• Soon the front porch will be ready for a couple of rocking chairs. One'll be for you.
  

Nice house

Look for a recently posted comment by Anonymous Lindsey to a 'progress' post.
Stay tuned for some real progress. This weekend we traded the River for Puget Sound & its environs.
Saw a complete transformation of a skylight_drenched Master Suite, complete with sleek built-ins. Very professionally done. Did Conscientious Construction sneak out to Seattle? Hope to have pix for you soon.

White and wonderful?

Soon it will be Wintertime!

Winter 2003-2004

Feb 15, 2004 - 6 Photos

Click on the photo to see the entire riverfront. An album will open up for you to view. Then you can return to River Bend Currents when you're finished.
Hope your snow is white and wonderful. Out in the country it always is.

Bob Woodward's new book reveals ...

So now we have State of Denial by Bob Woodward & the media is on a feeding frenzy-- again. It might not be the most important thing today.





His last book, Plan of Attack, set off the same kind of headlines.


It wasn't the most important thing nearly two-and-a-half years ago.


This was:

Topless! ... by Busy Beavers

Out here at the river, its good to have trees along the riverbank to slow down erosion. Here we can see the balance of Mother Nature. (click to enlarge)

• The first inset shows a thorn tree. The thorns, on a larger tree will pierce the tires of a farm tractor and ruin the tire. But, they provide protection against...
• The second inset shows what had been twin trees. Just last weekend, one had been cut, but one 6'+ tree remained.
• The third inset shows most clearly those bucky-beaver tooth marks.
• Over to the side you can see the path the beavers made as they hauled their booty to their lodge.
• The beaver at the top, alas, is from the internet. 'Tho I've seen a few beavers swimming in the river, they are elusive. So, come on out here for a visit before the trees are all gone!

If you look closely, you can see the cat. She did lots of sniffing along the beavers' path.

Who are these little people?

Hints:

• They both got married this summer, but not to each other.
• They both live in states that have a Long Beach, but they do not live in the same state.
• They both have dads with a particular sense of humor and way of seeing things, but they do not have the same dad.
• They both grew up to be neat big people.
  

Be a contest winner!

There are still no winners for the contest! So YOU could be the winner (such a deal)!
see the post Friday, September 08, 2006 From the mountains... to the Oceans...

More Dan & Amy wedding pics! over on the left is a new link, More Dan & Amy wedding pics!

Where do they store all this stuff on the web? Landfill material, for your times of sheer boredom:
25 THINGS YOU SHOULD HAVE LEARNED BY MIDDLE AGE
1. If you're too open-minded, your brains will fall out.
2. Don't worry about what people think; they don't do it very often.
3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing
in a garage makes you a car.
4. It ain't the jeans that make your backside look fat.
5. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
8. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.

9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.
13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
14. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
16. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist
change places.
18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
19. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks
before you need it.
20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a
mistake when you make it again.
22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
24. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real
world.
25. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never
tried before.

Turkeys and Turkey

Yesterday morning, while at the kitchen sink making coffee, these turkeys were strolling across the yard.

Not to be confused with the PT Cruiser which Amy would probably characterize as a Turkey.

It's the first day of Autumn here. The cosmos (flowers) have been fun this summer. The sunflowers, so dominant earlier are in the picture, but they're done for the year.






They continued their stroll across the yard and into the dry creek, disappearing just after this telephoto shot.
Turkey hunting is a very big deal around here.

Fall Turkey Hunts:
Fifty-four counties will be open to fall turkey hunting. A full listing will be included in the hunting guide. Those 54 counties will be open for quota shotgun/archery hunting on Nov. 13-19. The same counties will also be open to non-quota archery-only hunting with a bag limit of one turkey either-sex during all archery-only deer seasons for that county. Twenty-four will also be open to fall turkey hunting Dec. 13-17.

Wish these fellas well; the next time they're shot at probably won't be with a telephoto.

Progress - sewer pipes

The Meade at Avalon continues with its construction.
The color of the siding you see will not be the real color. It will be painted. It's probably cheaper for them to use just one color for all houses and get immigrant labor to paint.

Amy's excited to see the sewer pipes.

Progress... and a bonus!

Progress...
The new house looked like this. The blue exterior will become fake concrete-based clapboards like the neighbors' house in the picture (taken last night). We forgot what color we chose, so again, Stay tuned!

The pretty brunette in the PT Cruiser is talking on her cell phone to someone in River Bend Currents. Who?


the Bonus
The link on the left, "A fun,handy Screen Capture for your PC", will take you to where you can get this:It's free! Hope you enjoy it.

You've gotta love Google

Recently I was able to re-visit Andersen Air Force Base on Guam in the Marianas Islands, thanks to Google Earth. Boeing B-52 bombers were launched from here to Southeast Asia.
Thought you might like to share the visit. Notice , in the foreground, the cliff at the end of the runway.

Someone whose pictures appear here in River Bend Currents was born on this island. Who?

From the mountains... to the oceans...

anytime you're stressed, come on back here. You've got to feel good just putting yourself into these picures. Life is good.

"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

You sang this silently as you were reading, didn't you! Who wrote these words? First person with the correct answer wins a prize (click on comments, below, to answer)

Conscientious Construction means New Home Quality in Virginia (VA)

Progress is exciting. Imagine looking out those windows after a new winter's snowfall! (Stay tuned)

Valley view

If you're not a River person, maybe you'd like to spend some time in the mountains? Be patient. (these pix are from late July). Wonder what this dream house looks like now?

Watermelon

come sit at Dan's picnic bench and enjoy!

... and go Fishing

Sometimes you just need to be laid back.
It's a 55-pound yellow catfish.

Wrap-around porch

A summertime late-afternoon cloudburst.Can you imagine being here and enjoying the riverview while comfortably setting on the covered porch?

Soldiers

Today's Sunday, when all the TV networks have their Meet the Press type shows. Perhaps you haven't heard...

Donald Rumsfeld briefed the President this morning. He told Bush that three Brazilian soldiers had been killed in Iraq.

To everyone’s amazement, all the color ran from Bush’s face, then he collapsed onto his desk, head in hands, visibly shaken, almost whimpering.

Finally, he composed himself and asked Rumsfeld, “Just exactly how many is a brazillion?”

More wedding pix (good ones!)

The pictues you've waited for! Mark & Laura have made over ONE HUNDRED pictures from the July 1st wedding weekend available.
Click the link over on the left "100 Wedding Pix" to see them all)

Here's some teasers:
Amy and Lindsey at the riverfront restaurant.


Along the St. Croix, with a riverboat cruising downstream.








The wedding ceremony

• Seated: Mickey & Jim
  
• Standing: Nathan, Jim, Natalie, Kathy, Lindsey, Amy & Dan, Laura, the minister
  
• Seated (in front of minister): Amy & Geoff
  

The Wedding Toast.

Dan & Amy at the right edge of the picture.
(The teary-eyes don't really show up well in this picture)

Downsizing - to all-on-one-floor

It has been awhile, but now you can begin to see signs of progress. You'll see the stack of pre-fabbed lumber;
view from our front porch to the walking trail.
A view of the entrance to the house (already with bathroom facilities).









Also, see the view from the back porch and garage to our neighbors-to-the-south's garages on the service road. Look carefully & you can see the clock tower between the 2 houses.





Finally, 2 shots of the model house. Be sure to imagine: there will not be 16 steps between the garage and the main floor!
Our's should look very much like the model by December or January.
Stay aboard & watch the progress over the next weeks and months.