Author: Tom

A Surfiet of Kayaks

Posted on By Tom 5 Comments on A Surfiet of Kayaks
Gear, Paddling

Kayaks for Sale

I own more kayaks than the average person, but probably no more than the average avid paddler. Folks that have seen my collection have asked why I have so many boats. I started with two whitewater rec boats – one for me and one for Laura. As a favor we bought another from a friend who was moving away, and Laura’s sister and various friends have used it on paddling trips with us.

In the past year I added two flatwater boats, again, one for me and one for Laura. Chip kept a couple of kayaks at our house, so the collection looked larger than it really was. Five kayaks for two people wasn’t really unreasonable, since they served different purposes.

Even so, I was surprised when Laura gave the OK for me to go to the Confluence Watersports Friends and Family Kayak Sale and shop for another boat.

Read More “A Surfiet of Kayaks” »

Using Surveys in Google Earth

Posted on By Tom No Comments on Using Surveys in Google Earth
EdTech, Geocaching and Maps

This week I’m doing a workshop for our teachers on creating virtual tours in Google Earth. This part of a graduate course dealing with Google Apps, and I was trying to find ways of using Google Docs to create the tours. In the process I came across a neat way of using surveys in Google Earth.

This process is similar to one of the collaborative activities I described in a previous blog post. The process is similar to the one I described there, but instead of having students create PowerPoint presentations and upload them to Google Docs, the teacher creates forms with which the students interact.

The following is from the handout that I created for the workshop…

Read More “Using Surveys in Google Earth” »

Ebenezer and Pelham with Karen B

Posted on By Tom 1 Comment on Ebenezer and Pelham with Karen B
Local, Photography

Ebenezer Methodist Glass Negative

Karen Buchmueller is a good friend and colleague of Laura’s, and she’s also an avid photographer. Both of our spouses were tied up for the afternoon, so we decided to head out with our cameras and shoot some photos. Our targets for the afternoon were the old ruins of Pelham Mills, and Ebenezer Methodist Church.

I had visited Pelham Mills several times with my camera, but it was Karen’s first visit. I always enjoy visiting places with other photographers, even if it’s somewhere that I’ve already taken lots of photos. They often spot things I’ve overlooked, or see an angle or composition that hadn’t occurred to me. This was definitely the case at the old dilapidated mill office.

Read More “Ebenezer and Pelham with Karen B” »

An Evening at the Fair

Posted on By Tom 4 Comments on An Evening at the Fair
Entertainment, Local

Laura had an American Chemical Society meeting Tuesday evening, so I was free to explore. I decided to take my camera out to the Upper South Carolina State Fair.

When I arrived at the fairgrounds, there were a few people, but it wasn’t too terribly crowded I was able to park fairly close to the entrance. I got another surprise as I got to the entrance. It was “Gate Buster” night, so there was free admission to the fair, and $15 for an armband for unlimited rides.

I got there at the height of the “golden hour”. The setting sun bathed the garish colors of the fair, creating a warm pallet with a darkening blue sky accented with clouds.

Read More “An Evening at the Fair” »

North Carolina Arboretum

Posted on By Tom No Comments on North Carolina Arboretum
Local, Travel

Monday was an absolutely stunning day. The air was clear, and the temperatures were much cooler than they had been. We decided to take the convertible up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and have a picnic. We knew it would be crowded with other Labor Day travelers, but we couldn’t resist.

Initially, the drive did not disappoint. The views from the overlooks were much more spectacular with the low humidity. There was a steady stream of traffic, but it wasn’t too bad. We stopped at one overlook for our picnic lunch, then continued on up to Mount Pisgah. That’s where things went crazy.

As soon as we pulled into the parking lot for the Mount Pisgah trails, steam started billowing from under the hood. There hadn’t been any other warning. The temperature gauge looked fine. However, something wasn’t right. We opened the hood and let it cool for awhile, then decided to hike along one of the trails for a bit to give it some more time to settle down. We decided that the best thing to do would be to head back down the mountain, since continuing would take us further from civilization.

Read More “North Carolina Arboretum” »

Sunday in the Park with Olivia

Posted on By Tom No Comments on Sunday in the Park with Olivia
Family, Photography

Monday is Chip’s birthday. Appropriately enough, he was born on Labor Day 34 years ago. To celebrate, several of us met at the Overlook Grill for a Sunday lunch. However, the day really belonged to little Olivia. Chip and Anna wanted a good photo for Oliva’s upcoming first birthday. Houston and I were happy to oblige, and began a photoshoot camera war in Falls Park.

The day was absolutely spectacular, and lots of people were taking advantage of the nice weather. We found a couple of good locations and started taking pictures.

Read More “Sunday in the Park with Olivia” »