Beth and Zach

Zach and Grandma

Zach and Grandma waiting for the tram to come. Thanks to the unusually warm winter, many of the flowers at the zoo were in full bloom.

Driving

The time finally came to part with my brother's car. Zach wanted to "drive" it first. He absolutely loved sitting in Uncle Dan's car.

Flamingos

Zach was obsessed with the flamingos. He couldn't get over the idea of a bird standing on one leg. He spent the next ten minutes showing Grandma and me how the birds tucked their legs underneath them.

The ostrich

Zach and my Mom and I went to the zoo yesterday. This stupid ostrich found something tasty on the other side of the wall. He would take a bite, then stick his head up, posing for the cameras. Zach was fascinated with the "big chickens".

Way over due

This post has been a long time coming, but it has just been too hard to do. Josh Torrence is the son of my friend, Regina, and her husband Vernon. Regina and I had been extremely close friends, working together and hanging out together after work. She and Vernon have 3 kids, Josh, Vanessa, and Raquel, who I absolutely adored. But as many friends do, we lost touch gradually, always promising to call, going longer between calls, until finally the calls stopped altogether. I thought about Regina and her family many times but somehow never did get around to calling. So imagine my shock and horror when I saw on the news that Josh had been killed in Iraq. Little Josh, who always had his head stuck under the car his Dad was working on, asking a million questions. Little Josh, who was bursting with pride and excitement as we watched a passing glimpse of him and Vernon working as extras in a major movie. Little Josh, who somehow during the years of being out of touch with Regina, had turned into a giant, 6' 2" and 260-pound football player. Little Josh, who no longer was a boy, but a man who chose to serve his country. A man who chose to join the Marines because they expected the most out of you. A man who knew he faced a good chance of going to war and even giving his life. Which is what happened in Iraq on March 14, 2005. Little Josh, who I knew as a curious and fun-loving boy, was coming home a fallen hero. It tears me up knowing that the whole time he was in Iraq, I could have and should have been praying for his safety. Instead I am left praying for his parents, his sisters, and the girlfriend (who I have never met but have heard a lot about) he left behind. I am not here to debate whether the war is right or wrong. I am simply wanting to honor and pay my respects to a young man who was self-less enough to give his life for us. Whether the war is right or wrong, a LOT of men and women have paid the ultimate price for us. For me. And for my son, who is too young to even know what war is. Thank you Josh. And thank you to all the men and women who are serving this country, serving us, to keep us safe. Even if you are opposed to the war, please take a moment and realize that people like Josh have given us the ability to vocalize our opinions in the first place. Please, take a minute and visit the following website; it is an amazing but emotionally difficult page to visit:

http://www.militarycity.com/valor/honor.html

Another shot of the spider

Here is another shot of one of our spiders and his huge web.

Our spider

Here is another shot of one of our spiders. I can't get a good enough look but he has some kind of marking on his belly. He is reddish-brown and about 4 inches long. I would really love to identify what kind they are.

Zach at the river

Another picture of Zach at the river.

This is where Zach watches the cars on the Blossom Street Bridge. Zach is fascinated by the idea of walking under the same bridge we cross to go from our house to church.

Blossom Street Bridge

This is the Blossom Street Bridge. This is one of Zach's favorite spots along the Riverwalk because he can see the cars driving on the bridge.

S.S. Columbia

The arc of wood at the top of the land is all that is left of the hull of the S.S. Columbia, a paddlewheel steamer that ran aground back in the 1900's. The steamer is only visible when the river is low.

Underneath the Blossom Street Bridge

This painting is in my opinion one of Columbia's best kept secrets. It is painted on the side underneath the Blossom Street Bridge. I never knew it was there until I went on the Riverwalk.

Gervais Street Bridge

This is a view of the Gervais Street Bridge from the West Columbia side of the Congaree River looking towards downtown Columbia.

Congaree River

Zach and I have discovered the Riverwalk in West Columbia, which is part of the Three River Greenway. We like going on the stretch bewteen the Gervais Street and Blossom Street Bridges.

Rosie

This is Rosie, my brother's other cat. She also lives with my Mom. They are Maine Coone cats that someone had abandoned in Atlanta.

Guildie

This is Guildie, my brother's cat. He came to live with my Mom when my brother died in 1999.

Gotta love that face

Wiggles finally held still long enough to get a picture of his face.

More spiders

This is the other spider. I'm trying to figure out how to get closer so I can get better pictures, but the web is so large I can't get much closer. I'd love to get a good picture so I can find out what kind of spiders they are.

Spiders

Two huge spiders have taken up residence between my front door and the garage. They are about 3 or 4 inches long and their webs are about 4 feet in diameter.