Grape Hyacinths

These little grape hyacinths used to grow in deep shade near the back fence where the squirrels liked to dig them up and leave them on top of the ground. Last spring we made a long bed in semi-shade, so I poked in the grape hyacinths to accompany daffodils and narcissus and scilla.


The freezes killed the buds of the daffodils, leaving the stage without headliners and the spotlight shining on the bit players.


For Monica the Garden Faerie, who needs to see some spring.

Jemez Creek Rest Area

The Huffman/Hoffman Kinexxion :: Detrick

According to “The Henry R. Baldwin Genealogical Records” Didrich Hoffman was “born June 23, 1751 and died Mar. 10, 1826 age 74 yrs. 8 mos. 13 days” and was buried in Washingtonville Cemetery - the same cemetery where John and Catherine Hoffman are buried. On a visit to the cemetery in October .. I was unable to find any of their stones.



Samuel Hoffman and John Hoffman were named administrators of the estate of Detrick Hoffman who died intestate. His estate was valued at $263.14 on May 12, 1826 when the inventory was submitted to the probate court.



Detrick's wife, Susanna was still living when Detrick died and received her Widow's Distribution on May 12, 1826.








Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) FHL film 2032459

Columbiana County, Ohio

A Schedule of the provisions and other property allowed to Susannah Hoffman Widow of Detrich Hoffman late of Salem Township Columbiana County Deceased for her Support for one year by us the Subscribers duly appointed appraisersers to the Estate of the Sd Deceased to wit:

one lot of meat, one hog, a Small lot of Kitchen furniture, one Cow, twenty Bushels of wheat, five Dollars in money, eight Bushels of oats, three lbs of Wool, one bushel and a half of Salt, a lot of Soap, twenty lbs of Sugar, two twiled bags

We the Subscribers do certify that the foregoing is a correct Schedule of property allowed to the above named Widow given under our hand this 12th day of May 1826.



George Wirick, John Yoder, Andrew Altman } Appraisers

The final account dated March 12, 1828 indicated that there was a balance in the estate of $586.392 to be distributed to the heirs, according to law. However, the heirs were not named.



On my visit to Columbiana County last July there was a file on Detick Hoffman at the Columbiana County Archives, which included a transcription of a Petition for Partition published on September 29, 1832 in the Ohio Patriot of New Lisbon. The library in New Lisbon has the Ohio Patriot on microfilm. The printer on the microfilm reader was out of order and the image on the screen was quite dark so the photo that I got of the article isn't that great, but after a bit of enhancement, it is readable...








The Ohio Patriot. September 29, 1832. Page 1.

The State of Ohio,

Columbiana county, ss

Common Pleas, Vacation after August Term, 1832.

Petition for Partition.

John Hoffman,

vs.

Samuel Hoffman,

Daniel Coler and Elizabeth, his wife,

John Swarts and Margaret his wife,

Henry Hoffman,

Samuel Hoffman,

Jacob Hoffman,

Abraham Hoffman,

Samuel Fox,

Edward Rhodes and Sarah his wife.

The petitioner this day filed his petition in the office of the clerk of said court, setting forth, that said petitioner and the defendants are entitled, as heirs at law to Detrick Hoffman, late of said county, deceased, to twenty-seven acres of land, being a part of the north west quarter of section 12, township 15, range 3, and praying the court to cause the one-sixth part of said land to be separated and set off to him in severally. Said petition will be presented to said court for hearing at the next term, commencing on the 15th of October next.



Fisher A. Blocksom, Att'y for petitioner.

August 23, 1832 – 31s6w

The key element here is that there are 10 people named in the Petition for Partition but John was requesting his “one-sixth part of said land” indicating that there were only 6 children of Detrick Hoffman.



It was more than a little frustrating when I was unable to locate the deed record, assuming that the land was sold. The only other record I found relating to the partition of the land was the following record in a Common Pleas Journal at the Columbiana County Area Archives.








Common Pleas Journal (v7 p512) April Term 1833, 4th day, 2nd of May

Samuel John Hoffman vs Samuel Hoffman} Petition for Partition. Writ of Partition returned that the frieholders therein named upon actual view of the premises were of the opinion that the land could not be divided according to the demand of said writ without a manifest injury to the value thereof. They therefore appraised the Same at $280; which return is here now approved, and no one or more of the parties concerned electing to take the said Estate at the aforesaid appraised value, the Court at the instance of the Demandant order that the said Lands & tenements be sold at public auction by the Shff. who held the inquisition, or his Successor, according to law that [?????] accordingly.

Through evaluation of various records (primarily Columbiana County census and marriage records as well as several deeds) and information from another researcher who contacted me late last year (he's a descendant of Michael Hoffman), we believe the relationships of the individuals listed in the Petition for Partition are as follows:

• John, Samuel, Jacob, and Abraham - children of Detrick


• Elizabeth wife of Daniel Coler, Margaret wife of John Swarts, Henry Hoffman, and Samuel Hoffman - children of Michael & Mary (Coy) Hoffman


• Samuel Fox and Sarah wife of Edward Rhodes - children of Phillip and Susanna (Hoffman) Fox

Various undocumented “sources” give Berks County, Pennsylvania as the birth place of John Hoffman. The manuscript on microfilm of “Church record of Zion's or Spiess's Reformed and Lutheran Church, Upper Alsace Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1774-1845” copied by William J. Hinke, July 1921. Typed April 1944 shows the following births for children of Dietrich/Diedrich Hoffman (the mother of the children wasn't given):

• Henry b. Dec. 14, 1777, bapt. Febr. 20, 1778


• John b. June 22, (1778)


• John Michael b. Mar. 10, 1782


• Samuel b. Apr. 6, 1785 bapt. May 29, 1785.

The son Henry was not named as one of the heirs of Dietrich. It's likely that he died young or perhaps as an adult without issue.



In 1997 John T. Humphrey published “Pennsylvania Births: Berks County 1710-1780” and a second volume for the years 1781-1800. All four of the above named children of Dietrich Hoffman are included in these books with the same dates – with the exception of John. The Humphrey book gives John's date of birth as 09 Nov 1778. According to the cemetery transcriptions noted in the 2nd post in this series “my” John Hoffman was born in November 1779. I don't know if the Zion-Spiess Church records have been microfilmed, they are not at the Family History Library.



It is rather slim evidence but based on the following, I'm going to go along with other researchers, for now, and say that John Hoffman who was married to Catherine Coy is the son of Dietrich Hoffman:

• They lived in close proximity to each other near Washingtonville in Columbiana County, Ohio. Dietrich lived in Salem Township and John in Green Township (which later became part of Mahoning County).


• They are both buried in Washingtonville Cemetery.


• Michael Hoffman married Mary Coy, sister of Catherine Coy.


• John had four sons: Samuel, Henry, Jacob, and John. The first three were presumably named after his brothers. Why couldn't he have named a son Dietrich?


• John had five daughters: Mary, Susannah, Elizabeth, Margaret, Catharine, Hannah, and Sarah. The first daughter, Mary, was presumably named after his wife's mother. The second daughter, Susannah, was presumably named after his presumed mother, Susannah Alder. Elizabeth and Sarah are also the names of his two (presumed) sisters.

Obviously, additional research needs to be done... One of the items in the inventory of the estate of Dietrich Hoffman was “one German Bible” which was purchased by Samuel Hoffman during the estate sale. Where is that bible today?



I'll be posting some of the documents from the estate files of John and Dietrich as well as the few documents that have been found on several sons of Dietrich. Hopefully, if any descendants or anyone else researching the Hoffman family find these posts they will contact me at kinexxions “at” gmail “dot” com.

Still Climbing

So as many of you might have noticed our updates have been kind of few and far between lately. We've had some pretty hard times this summer and this site has felt the effects of tired rangers. We as a group definitely want to extend our thanks to everyone that has supported our program and what we do here at Rainier throughout this summer. Your positive support is greatly appreciated!



As we enter the backside of August, a time when climbers start to shy away from Rainier for many reasons, we just want to say that Rangers are still up there climbing, staffing high camps, training (still) with some new and very exciting rescue techniques and pretty much around to serve you for a while still. The standard routes are holding up great right now, with the DC staying as direct as it can for late August and the Emmons holding solid all the way up the Winthrop. Many of the non standard routes such as Mowich Face and Edmunds Headwall, to name a couple, seem to be in really good shape up high still, access over the bergschrunds seem to be the major cruxes. The weather looks good for a late summer adventure, so come on out and get some!

Teakettle Rock

This is Teakettle Rock. It even has a sign to tell you it is but someone who visited here took the time to shoot a hole in the 'O' of Rock. It is a huge, ancient rock that looks sort of like a teakettle. It has an arch way on top for the handle. It sit is a little valley way, way, way back in the way back of the Jemez Mountains which are part of the Santa Fe National Forest. It is my opinion that the Jemez Mountains were once a volcano that has been extent for thousands of years. This has allowed all the trees, scrubs, grass and flowers to grow and let wildlife and people evade the area. But when that volcano was active it spit out tons and tons of rock, lava, and volcanic ash out on what would become this beautiful forest some day. When it spit those tons of rock there was this one spit out in the middle of an open area that just happened to look like a teakettle to someone that would find it thousands of years later. I have heard it said by some that it looks more like a huge ostrich pecking at something. The handle of the 'teakettle' being the 'neck' of the bird.

Clipless Pedals on a Fixed Gear

For the final phase of my transition to clipless pedals, I've now installed them on my fixed gear roadbike. I knew that clipless would be trickier on fixed gear than on a freewheel bike, since you have to clip in and out while continuing to turn the pedals.I expected to have two specific problems: getting my left foot clipped in once I got going (I start with the right), and unclipping. For obvious reasons, the latter one worried me especially: What if I could not unclipwith the pedals revolving constantly?




Now that I've done it, my impressions of the whole process are different from what I'd imagined. Clipping in my left foot is not as tricky as I thought. Yes, the pedal keeps going. But at least I no longer have to fish aroundfor a strapwith my toe as it rotates. Instead I just hang on and keep pressing into it even if the cleat doesn't engage right away; eventually it does. And clipping out is fine. Some cyclists say that they can only unclip when the pedal is in a specific position, but I guess I have been spared that problem. Sure, some positions are more awkward than others, but I can still unclip from them.




So that's the good news. The bad news, is that starting is surprisingly challenging. I guess I didn't think this part through very well ahead of time. On a freewheel bike I clip in my starting foot on the downstroke, then pull the pedal up to start. Within a fairly short amount of time, this process has already become automated. Of course on a fixed gear you can't pull the pedal up without lifting the rear wheel, which I've never managed to learn how to do. So when I try to start I nearly topple over, because I automatically try to pull up on the pedal and all this does is jerk the bike violently. It's kind of funny that I do this every time, even though I knowthat you can't pull up on the pedal in fixed gear. Habits form quickly!




Anyhow. So I am not quite there yet with clipless in fixed gear, but I am enjoying the challenge. I either need tolearn how to quickly lift the rear wheel while pulling up on the pedal, or reprogram my brain to clip in my starting foot on the upstroke, the way I used to do with Power Grips. Suggestions from fixed gear cyclists most welcome. Is there a way to make this easier on myself?

Full Fat Cream! In Love with My Grand Bois Hetre Tires

Notice anything interesting about this picture?



Here is a closer look - And yes, the bicycle is standing in the sand without a kickstand!



The Grand Bois Hetre tires are 42mm wide and the Velo Orange "Zeppelin" fenders fit over them nicely.



Made to resemble the French randonneuring tires of yore, Grand Bois Hetresare available with either white or red tread, and they are made for 650B wheels only. The white tread version is really a cream colour with tiny little caramel specs, and the red version is really a brick colour. Both look beautiful. The picture above is the only one I have of the tires looking shiny and new.



After 1800 miles, this is what they look like now. Considering that I haven't washed them, I don't think that's too bad actually.



And this is what they look like after going through sand in the rain - though all that caked sand comes off almost immediately once you start cycling on a paved road.



The ride quality of theGrand Bois Hetre tires is truly superb. Better than Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. Better than the famous Fat Frank and Big Apple tires. Faster too. It is worth getting 650B wheels just to get these tires. They are cushy, stable, have excellent puncture protection, and are just as fast as narrower road tires, yet can go off-road. Almost too good to be true!



Also, keep in mind that the width will enlarge your overall wheel diameter - making 650Bs nearly as large as 700Cs with standard, narrower tires. Something to consider if the only thing keeping you from 650B is their slightly smaller size. With theGrand Bois Hetres, they will no longer be smaller.



Grand Bois tires are hand made in Japan and are of extremely high quality. Aside from thefatHetres, there is a range of other models available, suitable for various wheel sizes. In the US, these can be purchased from a handful of bicycle shops (if you are in Boston - Harris Cyclery had some the last time I was there), or from here directly. If you love the idea of a go-anywhere bicycle that is fast on the road and perfectly at home off-road, the Grand Bois Hetres are surely as good as it gets. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they are beautiful - even after 1800 miles!

Adventures with Shellac: Olive Handlebar Tape

Okay: So say, hypothetically, you acquire a Mixte. It is a beautiful pale marine-blue. And it comes with drop handlebars. And after reading an article by Sheldon Brown, you decide to give the drop bars a try rather than immediately replace them. Now, keeping this entirely hypothetical scenario in mind, what kind of tape would you get for said dropbars, if the awful rubbery stuff they are covered with will not do?

It is surprisingly tricky to complement pale marine-blue. I think that black deadens the colour, but brown tape can have a look of medical bandages to it that I don't like.

[image from rivbike.com]

Inspired by the above picture from Rivendell, I thought that olive tape would look perfect. It is a neutral colour that seems to tie together the blue frame with the brown saddle and accessories. And it has a classic touring look to it, evoking images of the countryside.

Olive handlebar tape is pretty much impossible to find. But colour-theory tells us, that applying amber shellac to standard green tape would be akin to mixing brown into green, producing an olive drab colour. Let's hope it works out that way!

Dreadful rubberized wraps after surgical removal. Ewww!

Naked handlebar. Mmmm!

Handlebar wrapped in green Tressostar Cloth Tape. This is a standard green, looks very Christmasy. Definitely not the colour we hoped to end up with, but we have faith in colour theory. I should mention, that of course it was the Co-Habitant who did all the work, since I am still in Europe. He tells me that wrapping handlebar tape is not the easiest thing to do. So this project is definitely one step up from cork grip installation.

And now, voila: The green tape covered with amber shellac. This is what it looks like before the shellac sinks into the cloth and dries. I posted the above pic on bikeforums in response to someone's question about shellacking green tape, and the nice people there promptly told me that my tape looks like sh!1 : )

Here is the colour after it soaks in a bit. It becomes a true olive drab, exactly what I wanted. Hurray for colour theory! (Oh and that enormous reflector will soon be gone.)

Of course, this is all entirely hypothetical. Mixte? What Mixte!

Gretton to Brigstock

With Barry and Gordon. Weather dry, cloudy. Chilly wind until we warmed up.





Part of Mel Jarvis's Around Corby walk, but clockwise.

From Gretton we walked along Southfield Road (opposite the village hall) and down the track labelled on the map in my link as 'Fullen Lane'. All the way to the gate at the end, and through the steep field downhill - full of cows which were not too disturbed by us. The four-stile section at the bottom was not muddy - we've had a dry summer. Up the hill to the stile at the top and down to the gate next to the way in to Kirby Hall.

































One of the peacocks was standing by the gift shop door, but didn't deign to perform for us.





We walked up the road past the car park to Kirby Lane, crossed over through the newish gate with its stiff spring and followed the marked footpath downhill, through another gate - easier to open. The path leads down to a brook - the crossing is a muddy mini-scramble since whatever bridge was once there has disappeared.





The footpath is a bit tricky to follow here, as the area is being redeveloped - we made our way toward the road/path that will become the official route eventually! We decided to emerge near the roundabout where the A43 meets the road from Weldon (there are three exits). The path is actually about 200 yards further towards Corby on the A43 - it's easy enough to walk along the verge and turn left along a narrow footpath leading into the village.At this point we had to play shepherd and discourage a sheep from braving the traffic.





Note below from Barry:

I visited the area behind Priors Hall today and found a waymarker pointing right just after we emerged through the wood onto the disused quarry. I never even noticed it. Following that marker we would have joinedthe gravel path much earlier that we actually did. The final bit which we wereon, eventually lead to the A 43 and across the A 43into Weldon. We turned left there where the sheep was loose and joined the correct way.

The path turns into Bridge Street, leading to the Oundle Rd. We diverted slightly along School Lane to see the old lock-up.

Oh no, they're making a bid for freedom!

Just after the road-narrowing markings on the right hand side is a short footpath leading to the Oundle Road. It leads between the houses and over the brook and crosses Church St to the main road. Here we had to walk uphill alongside the road. The verges are wide enough to walk on though the grass was quite long.





Up and up until we reached Bears Lane, an unsurfaced road to the right which took us past a large house with its own airstrip and wind sock, and towards the woods. Soon after the house the footpath turns left through the hedge then right. We turned left again to follow the edge of the wood, first more or less east, then, as it turns, south. We passed a huge rectangular water tank and not long afterwards came to the Bocase stone (see the notes below). Next was Bocase Farm with its twin knights, its twin stone lions and eagles.

There are, of course, two of these guarding the entrance

From here the route took us directly down towards Brigstock, though we had to cross the A6116, following Old Dry Lane down to the side of the old factory.





Note to self: I'm not overly happy with these pics - I think it's partly because the light was rather dull. Maybe I was too impatient as well - the backgrounds to the knights - both too fussy and distracting.

Extras

Brigstock Woods Trail and info

Bocase Tree and Stone

Robin Hood in Corby?

In Corby can be found the magnificent Rockingham Castle - where records show a man called Robyn Hode was imprisoned in 1354. Robin Hood is not normally associated with this part of England, but there is a reference in Dryden’s Memorials Of Old Northamptonshire (1903) to a boundary stone near Brigstock called the Bocase Stone – so called, intriguingly, because Robin himself is said to have hidden his bow and arrows in a tree that once stood at the spot after slaying Sir Hugh de Hanville.

Component Porn... Film Noir Style

When we talk about "bike porn," all too often the attention is on the obvious stuff: the frames, the lugs, the cranksets, the handlebars. But what about the more subtle components? I know what you're thinking: I must be into some fancy, handmade, outlandish stuff. But I am really a girl of simple tastes at heart. Take, for instance, the little brass bell. Round, shiny and boisterous, I cannot get enough of these perfect little creations. All the world reflects in their polished surface, and they have seen everything your bicycle has seen. Sometimes I will be rolling along, and I catch a glimpse of the sky and trees reflected in my bicycle bell. How delightful to see my surroundings in miniature form, right on my handlebars.

And then there is my excessive affection for the classic Sturmey Archer 3-speed trigger shifter. God, I mean look at it! Something about the shape, the font, and the overall design just says "stare at me, touch me, use me!" That little notch on the trigger so eager forme to shift gears. No other shifter has inspired such emotion within me. Am I being weird?



Although if you want weird, I will admit that I also have a thing for indicator chains. That's right: those little bits of chain stretching from the hub. Oh how I yearn for glimpses of their jewel-like elegance - unobstructed by the horrendous plastic enclosures in which they are often housed today. Please, manufacturers: Free the indicator chains!



And I must not forget my longing for classic brake levers. I have tried to cope with standard modern ones, but how can I forsake the curves of theseVO classics? The gentle tapering and the ball at the tip... A cold sleek modern lever cannot hope to offer the same tactile experience.



With all of these things now installed on the same bicycle, the overall effect is overwhelming. And it makes me realise that I am more taken with the looks of simple 3-speed components than with anything more complicated. Having a visible indicator chain on a hub is more important to me than the kind of derailleur I use, and my preference for the trigger shifter is by far more passionate than my admiration of bar-ends on roadbikes. Give me a classically outfitted 3-speed, and I will swoon with delight. What is your component porn of choice?

The Tree Knot

Different view of the odd knot on the juniper tree.

Myrtle Beach State Park~The Boardwalk

When we were in OBX this summer, one question I was asked over and over again on the phone was, "is there a boardwalk there?". There wasn't. There is one here in Myrtle Beach though. We haven't visited it yet so I can't share what I think of it. I can say that I've loved all of the boardwalks I have visited so far so I am guessing I will love the one here too.



In the meantime, we enjoyed the boardwalk at the State Park. It connects the park areas to the beach and connects the access points to the beach to each other.



There is just something about boardwalks that scream summer to me. I know, it isn't summer...but it still feels like summer here.



And the view is just gorgeous from here! I'm content to just hang here for a bit! Can you blame me?





Living the life in South Carolina!

Hershey Chocolate World and Shady Maple Buffet

The first day we were here, Austin went down to check out the pickleball courts. He came back to tell us people were playing and was very excited about who the people were. Rene and Mira are here! We were not expecting them so it was a nice surprise! We played pickleball as long as we could meaning until the sun went down.



Yesterday it rained so we caught up on fun things like cleaning the RV and getting groceries. Today we headed out to explore. We went to Hershey's version of a factory tour. Austin, Auburn and I went before but Nathan and Aric had not been there before. I love this place. It's Chocolate World. What's not to love?

If you do the tour part, you get a piece of candy at the end. Last time we were with Diana and she twisted our arm to go on it twice, just to get two pieces of candy. As much as Auburn and I hate candy, we went along with it. This time was even better. When we came off the tour ride, there was a lady doing surveys there. Aric, Nathan and I all qualified to do one. Which means we got to eat chocolate while doing the survey and then they gave us a free full sized candy bar for participating. Austin got the candy bar because he had to sit and wait for us. We went to explore all the other goodies afterward and bought a bag of Hershey Kisses each.

After all of that fun, we headed to Lancaster to try the Shady Maple Buffet. We somehow missed this when we were in the area two years ago. We quite literally stuffed ourselves in ways I am not personally proud of. It was soooooo good and there was so much food to pick from. Half of my plates were for the desert part alone.



We had a great day! We're hoping the sun comes out tomorrow and warmer weather comes with it!



Living the life in the land of wonderful food!

Attach of the Birds

Everyonce in a while we have a big flock of blackbirds come in to water.

Rain, Rain Go Away? Or on Second Thought, Stay!

I have not been cycling for the past week due to nonstop rain. But today I finally could not take it anymore: Despite the overcast sky and the morbid forecast, I went. By mid-day, it did rain. And it was great!


Some nice things about cycling in the rain:
. it's good for your complexion
. you can sing in it (and I did!)
. the grass and trees look super green, almost neon
. the lovely scent of flowers really comes out
. you have the cycle paths mostly to yourself
. you have an excuse to wear screaming red and lobsterman yellow!


Above: My empty Apfelspritzer mug, in an empty outdoor cafe -- in the rain. Look how red those geraniums look!

Quality, price and value?

Youdecide for yourself which ones are important to you. Just make sure none of themare the monkey on your back.









Cold Thistleis about the alpine stoke. But it is easy to get stuck on gear. I have failed on a lot of climbs and actually succeeded on a few as well. Still, way more failures. But I have NEVER failed because of a lack of or the wrong choice in gear. Weather maybe? But generally it was simply a mental error some where along the line from planning to alack of will in the final execution.



Only takes one real shitfest in the mountains to realise what ever the bad choices you made they weren't worththe time and money you saved.



Newbies can learn. Just takes an open mind. The ones that already know all the answersseem to get stuck more often than not. Or get even less done.



I found this comment several weeks ago on an Internet forum.



The first comment,

"I never pay full retail, preferring to trade hungry climbers food money for
their used gear."



An observation was made:

"So not only do you buy used but generally from climbers who don't
have the funds or may be the experience to buy the best or the most useful in
the first place?"



Q: Do you plan on climbing in
it?



A: "Maybe, very rarely..."



Q: If the jacket is only going to get used occasionally or sit in your pack then
things like collar height, type of wrist closure, pocket orientation, or some
new down treatment will make no difference to
you



A: "Indeed- none of those things matter..."





There are times whenthe only real concern is the price you pay. That kind of economy never seems to
end well in the long run. Applied to alpine climbing it might well be painful.



Climbing (especially alpine climbing) is a thinking man's game if you are to be successful. Nothing that you use or put on is more important than what is between your ears. Nothing. A reality check on that particular space is a good place to start when sorting gear, getting in the car and again when you lace up your boots. Because the reality of it is "everything matters."

Tour of Homes

A friend and I went on the Blount County Tour of Homes. Ticket sales help fund grants and special projects for local schools.

This year, I guess they had a hard time finding people to open their houses. Out of the five "homes", one was a church, and another was a tea room.



It was fun anyway, and the refreshments at The Ruby Radish were so good that I doubt people would mind them being on the tour every year.



The photos here are all from the same house - the smallest one on the tour. (I haven't processed the other photos yet.)



I'll never live in a house this fancy, but I enjoy seeing other people's homes... their doodads, their decorations, their dishes, and so forth.



She had a large collection of nutcrackers near the fireplace.



"Nutcrackers are scary," says my husband.



Shiny festive mantel.



An abundance of matching candles.

-----

The schools need help because Blount Countians tend to spend their money in Jefferson county, where most of them work, rather than in their home county, where their kids go to school. It's a problem.

All that lovely new paving on Hwy 75 is thanks to stimulus money, by the way, not local tax money.