looking west

smoky mountains at sunset

also the title of the new tea leaf green album - http://tealeafgreen.com/album/looking-west

peace and chicken grease

what happens when a dog sticks his head under the grill while chicken is cooking?

firstborn sex same as dog?

i have done a highly unscientific study involving everybody i can think of which supports the conclusion that the sex of a first child is likely to be the same as the sex of the dog those people own.

i would say 75-85% of people i can think of who own/owned a dog before having a child are blessed with a baby of that same gender. it is not 100% and there are exceptions to every rule, but it seems to be the great majority. it does not hold as true for second or third babies.

think of someone you know who had a boy baby.

did they have a boy dog?

is this true across the board or just with people that i know?

if it's true - why? do the dogs emit hormones?

is it true for cats too?

chime in!

william christopher mctammany

my brother and angela had their baby! monday night almost midnight. i think 5-10-10 is a sweet birth date. he was 8lbs 1 oz. they named him william. i asked chris if it was after braveheart, and he said 'obviously.' they're going to call him will. i'm going to call him willie. ang pushed him out with no drugs whatsoever. i want drugs just thinking about it. he's pretty freakin adorable!

breakfast burrito chorizo cheese grits

also from sunny point, cheese grits and a breakfast burrito involving eggs and peppers and other manner of deliciousness including chorizo which is tasty sausage crumbled up like ground beef and not in a casing or any weiner form.

oil spill help

i think reading news about the gulf of mexico oil spill is frustrating and gut wrenching.

i want to do something to help, and here is one way to contribute: RiverLink is collecting supplies to clean off the animals.
(from http://theriverwhisperer.blogspot.com/)

Though Asheville's RiverLink primarily works to improve the French Broad River watershed, the events surrounding the April 20 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are of special concern to the organization as well. Like many in Asheville and Western North Carolina, RiverLink staff will be unable to travel to the region to engage in the cleanup effort, but feel called to help in some way.

RiverLink has decided to offer its office at 170 Lyman Street in Asheville's River Arts District as a dropoff and collection point for the supplies cleanup agencies in the Gulf region will need in their efforts to save the area's manatees, turtles, fish and birds and other marine wildlife.

Specifically, RiverLink is asking citizens to bring used (but clean) towels and bedsheets, toothbrushes, paper towels, soft scrub brushes, rubber gloves, extension cords, kennels for dogs or cats, dish soap (such as blue Dawn) and Pepto Bismol for collection and donation.

Though the oil spill may be capped and contained in the near future, the cleanup effort will be ongoing. RiverLink asks the public to think of this effort on shopping trips and perhaps pick up an extra bottle of Dawn or roll of paper towels.

A map to RiverLink's office at 170 Lyman Street can be found by entering (828) 252-8474 into a search engine such as Google or Yahoo. Business hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday thru Friday. For more information, contact RiverLink's Volunteer Coordinator Dave Russell at (828) 252-8474, ext. 118, or (828) 545-9099.

a message from nacho

sunny point breakfast salad

with red potato hash browns, 1 egg over hard, bacon, cherry tomatoes, with maple dijon dressing and an angel biscuit. not pictured pint glass full of mimosa. sunny point cafe

tried to go to 12 bones but a water main broke so they were closed. this was a great plan b.

party nach

happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.
beautiful weather today here in asheville, about to go for a hike and then later for some dinner and drinks. can't beat it!

could a puppy be cuter than nacho?

florida trip

had a great time in florida for a few days last weekend. flew into weather so bad they closed the PNS airport and turned off the lights and had to use the light of my cell phone to use the bathroom. after that it was very sunny and very windy all weekend. stayed at a very nice place called watersound in santa rosa. the sand was like powdered sugar and the whole area was deserted. lovely! this was the waking up view.

and here are two pelicans about to do it.

and here is a 2 year old in a coffee table.

and here is the beautiful drive home.

also they charge $11 for a watered down well bloody mary at the CLT airport, with NO olives. obscene!

we heart peace obama

barack and michelle obama are visiting asheville this weekend, staying at the grove park inn. security is heightened. cops are riding around in golf carts. i bet they'll have a fantastic time here.

nugget of cuteness