JIMMY BUFFETT SINGS ABOUT MY LIFE

I've been a fan of Jimmy Buffett for many years. I've written about my feelings previously.  Of course, I liked him & his music before he made it BIG & everyone now knows who he is.  Good for Jimmy, but I still like his (much) older song's & music; his tunes that often seem like they were written with my life in mind.

I've been spending a lot of time recently on my FACEBOOK pages, adding old photos & information to the new "Timeline" feature of FACEBOOK.  It's fun to add black & white photos, many of them almost 50 years old.  [That certainly is a "timeline".] 

One photo I found -- from LONG AGO -- gave me mixed thoughts about adding it to my FACEBOOK pages. I have not been fully supportive of my own emotions in making the photo available to my friends who view my pages.

So ... instead I am going to "publish" it here -- on my blog -- for the world to have access to the photo & then decide later if the photo -- & the story behind it  -- is worth sharing on FACEBOOK.

Yes ... I realize many of my FACEBOOK friends look at my blog, but still the photo will only reach a few people I share FACEBOOK with.

Here it goes ------

Circa 1968 ... this is a photo of me ... with MY WIFE !!!  As Jimmy Buffett sings ... "I got married too early ... cost me much more than a ring".

For now ... just the photo.  Later, "the story" behind the photo -- & the wife -- will appear either on this blog ... or FACEBOOK ... or both.

Yep ... Jimmy sings about MY LIFE.

DUST COLLECTORS

It's a good day for indoor activities & I am taking advantage of it.  Despite the sun & bright blue sky's, the temperature has just now inched it's way above 32 degrees & the forecast is for it to not get too much warmer.  Later today the clouds are to arrive, bringing with them the first measurable snow of 2012.  Oh joy.

Each time I have ventured outside today, I have made sure to wear something warm, to shield me from the cold & especially the wind, which no doubt increases the feeling of cold due to the wind chill factor. [No ... I was not wearing a PLAID coat.  Sorry, don't have one.]

I am cleaning out the closet in my home office; tossing out stuff I don't need, can't remember why I had saved, &/or just moving stuff to gain more room ... for paper/pens/markers, etc.  You know the drill.

On the top shelf of the closet I found some "awards" I have received in my ... "previous life", which would be when I held down a job & when I was a bit involved with a few activities not just centered on me, which is the (selfish) life style I have now.

I'm not sure what I will do with the "awards".  I certainly don't plan on needing them any time soon to add to a resume.  I don't really want to put them on the wall or take up space on any shelves.  They may take a trip to the burn pit, since they serve little purpose at this point in my life.

I am including photos, just so my readers will know what I was "given" to recognize some sort of "achievement" I obtained:

 Ah ... good old MAYBELLINE.  The company got almost 34 years of my life & is the reason I have  ended up in Arkansas.  The above "award" was for leading the implementation of electronic invoicing with Target Stores.  Faster payments.  [Quicker deductions as well.  Oops, bummer.]

 I'm two for two, with another MAYBELLINE "award". I can't remember if there was any "cash" accompanying these certificates, but both where probably the highlight of my final years at the company.  I got this one for helping with the new distribution system. It was mostly downhill for me after that.

 When I lived in Memphis, Tennessee, I was a regular volunteer for the local blood donation company -- LIFE BLOOD.  I gave over four gallons of blood before I relocated to the Little Rock area.  I would get phone calls at work telling me my blood type was needed & it was a great excuse to go to my boss to let him know I was taking the remainder of the day off & going to donate. [I had to "rest" after giving blood. Too strenuous to go back to work. Plus, I got cookies.]

The final find on the top shelf of the closet is the above plaque I got from the Board of Directors of the condo complex I lived in & which I served as Vice President on the board for 15 years. [Unlike politicians, I had no desire to be President of the board.  Too much work involved.]

I've got all these "dust collectors" in a pile on one of the office tables.  I'll decide in the next few days -- after the big snow ...?? -- what to do with them. 

IT'S A "SPRING TIME" ... BAMBOO POSTING

I often wonder how the "visitors" to my blog -- with so many foreign countries involved -- actually "find" this site & if those searching under the word BAMBOO, are often disappointed to find the blog with the name Bill's Big Bamboo, actually has very few postings regarding bamboo.  Got plenty of turtles & cats, however.

One of my blog "fans" -- well, maybe the ONLY one -- commented the other day on Facebook as to the   infrequent postings on my blog; me not writing as often as I had done in the past. He was spot on & I do blame that on Facebook.  It's easier for me to do more frequent & much smaller "comments" on Facebook -- which go out to an initial audience which has been "selected & approved" --  as opposed to more lengthy blog postings, which may or may not, reach an intended audience.

Never fear, I will continue to post on my blog, both views & feelings I need to express & distribute, as well as pure nonsense, with no redeeming value.  Here today will be an example of those extremes.

With the weird weather we have had in Central Arkansas this Winter season -- NO snow/ice (other than a "dusting" of snow in early December) along with mild temperatures -- I have been paying attention to my bamboo groves for signs of sprouting of this years bamboo growth.  The first bamboo to send up shoots ["clums"] is the "Moso" bamboo, which in most years will come through the ground in March.  Other species of bamboo I grow will continue their cycle of growth/sprouting well into early Summer. With the temperatures we have been having, I have been inspecting the groves for any early bamboo growth.  One never knows what Mother Nature will do.

February is normally the time of year -- whatever the weather conditions -- when I start to "clean" many of the locations where bamboo is growing.  This involves cutting out any dead wood, thinning out areas & removing smaller bamboo shoots.  It's the "pre-growth" time to beautify the area & bamboo groves.

 Yesterday was a cool, cloudy & damp day.  Not my favorite conditions to work outside, but then not much of the weather for the past few months has met my "requirements". Still, I was able to cut, trim & haul quite a bit of bamboo out of one of my main growing areas.

 The cut bamboo is taken to the back lot & burned in the fire pit.  Surprisingly, even fresh cut, green bamboo, burns quickly, not having to be "dried" before it will catch fire.  Another added "benefit" is the exploding sound -- think "organic firecrackers" -- from the moisture in the bamboo segments, heating & expanding.  It's my revenge against the neighbors barking dogs.

 Bamboo also burns "hot" ... which is helpful on cool days to warm the hands.  The smoke -- again for neighbors -- adds a nice smell, especially to my clothes, which go right into the washer when I am finished.

 When my body warms with the manual labor, it's time to strip down the layered clothing.  Naturally, a PLAID SHIRT is a vital part of my yard-working wardrobe.

I'll have to check with my friend Bubba, on how to properly wear suspenders. [He wears his all the time, mostly with a "back-up belt".  At least that's what I think he does.]  Obviously from the way my sweater "bunched up" at the waist line, I should have worn my suspenders UNDER my sweater.  [Help me out here, Bubba.  I'm a rookie !!]

As long as the rains stays away -- but, it's in the forecast ... again !! -- I'll continue to work on my bamboo groves & get them ready for Spring ... whenever that season officially arrives.