We recently returned home from a weeks worth of gutting houses in New Orleans. When I say gutting houses, we opened the doors to the house and saw the house as it remained after the flood. All of the furniture, clothing, food etc. We took everything out of the house to the curb, and gutted the walls down to the bare wooden studs. We saw a picture of this Shrimp Boat shrimp boat still sitting where it docked on a house last year. The only people in this neighborhood were the volunteers gutting houses. Most people have left, and you see what is left. New Orleans todaytoday is still in need of our help.

A trip to the mountains is always what you need to relax. Those of you who have gone to Cades Cove know the church, the the water mill, the road scene which always gives you serenity

Not long ago I was visiting my sister near Gatlinburg. I went out with my camera in tow to find off the beaten track roads less traveled. As I went down a stone road I happened to look up to what I thought was a squirrel's nest, but as I drove by the tree I realized it was an owl. I stopped the car and quietly rolled down the window as I grabbed my camera from the passengers seat. The owl anxiously watched as I snapped a few pictures, but he was a willing soul. I have to admit this was my first face to face encounter with an owl and I was far beyond excited. DESCRIPTION_HERE