This is today's entry on "Randy Walks The Blog"... my blog journal about one of my favorite pastimes.... hiking and walking... It's on my fave blogs list if you're interested in looking at it...

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"The Mountain- 5/18/2007"

Those that have read my stuff on this blog or elsewhere know about the mountain that rises up behind town here... I have always loved to drive up to the top.... it's my special place where I can go to think and enjoy the view and of the valley and the surrounding mountains.... It's a very steep drive by car and a grueling hike to the top on foot. I have done this hike of 6.2 miles, roundtrip, several times and it is very difficult no matter how good in shape I am in....

On Friday, I parked my car at the post office and did the 1 mile to the base of the mountain as the usual warm up. I walk up a lovely shaded street that typifies everything a small sounthern town street should be.... lovely well kept homes with lawns and gardens tended with love and care... folks are friendly and will always wave and say hi and I will comment on how nice their yard looks... it's after this first pleasant mile that things pick up... the road hits the base of the mountain and begins a steep ascent that brings on the huffing and puffing and the burning in the legs in short order.

It's an unmerciful grade for a good long stretch and that section is the toughest part..... luckily if I can soldier through that part I am rewarded by a level section that winds back through a hollow that is cool and wet with little brooks and small waterfalls.... this is a section where I have seen lots of deer and wild turkey through the years and this trip gave me a turkey sighting but no deer.... then the road begins to go up again at a less steep grade than before but at a longer stretch..... the reward for getting through this section is the incredible view from the 2 little parking areas near the peak... that's the thing.... you cant get to the very top because there is a gate with a fence slung with razor wire to keep folks from mucking about on the radio towers and the fire tower..... but today the gate was open, beckoning me to go to the higher places I normally cant get to.... I looked for posted signs and amazingly there werent any... so I went through the gate and on up..... the view here was even more incredible than the parking area..... there is an observatory there that was put there in the last few months and they had cleared out the trees giving me a view back off to the East that I had never seen before.... It was an incredibly clear day as well and I could see mountains 40 and 50 miles off in the distance that normally cant be seen in the humid haze of the Spring and Summer. I had the place to myself and most of the hike to myself as well... I soaked up the quiet and the view with a zen like tranquility...

The hike back down is a breeze... just one foot in front of the other and gravity does the rest...

A GREAT hike!

Hiya Blog Crawlers!

Most people wouldn't peg me as a Depeche Mode fan but they are actually one of my favorite bands..... my sister had their albums when I was a teenager and I would grab some of them and whisk them into my room to spin them.... This band has alot of the elements that I like in music... dramatic, moving, intense and yet alot of their songs are undeniably catchy.... this song "Never Let Me Down Again" is a great place to start for those out there who aren't all that familiar with them.... It's a great song and it's got an incredibly powerful atmosphere that compliments the lyrics perfectly.

One of my favorites by them and I hope you will like it too.

btw.... CRANK IT UP! It's THAT kind of song!

I'm taking a ride
With my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
He knows where he's taking me
Taking me where I want to be
I'm taking a ride
With my best friend

We're flying high
We're watching the world pass us by
Never want to come down
Never want to put my feet back down
On the ground

I'm taking a ride
With my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
Promises me I'm safe as houses
As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers
I hope he never lets me down again

Never let me down

See the stars, they're shining bright
Everything's alright tonight

SONG IS IN COMMENTS NOW

Yes, I've been back in the Hollow basement again.... I found this under some old clothes and Neil Sedaka albums.... My "Top Ten Signs You Live In A Hollow!"

This has become the top 12 signs since this was first posted last July... now I can say... and once again, from real life..

11. You actually debate with a friend on whether your road has more road kill on average day than theirs!

12. Your next door neighbor has a deer blind in their back yard!

So.... from last July..

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Ok. So, I have moved from the stylish and cosmopolitan suburbs of Dallas, Texas to a little hollow in Appalachia, Alabama and it has been a really interesting and fun experience.

So, in honor of my time here, I offer up from real life experiences...

Top ten signs you live in a hollow!!

10. If you get a good rain, it's a "gullywasher" or "There come a flood", NOT "It rained alot."

9. You have to carry a stick at all times when walking off your property to fight off possible attacks from vicious dogs!

8. There are ramshackle houses on your road with 5 luxury cars parked in the front, always!

7. When you talk to the neighbors you wish God would just run subtitles for you in the air so you can figure out what in the HELL they are saying through their dribbity drawls!

6. You can walk into the woods behind your house and not cross a paved road for 45 minutes as you explore!

5. You actually stop to examine excrement in your yard to see if it's varmint or dog poop! I'm getting GOOD at that!

4. Everyone has to stop down for "tick check" after playing in the yard!

3. You have more than 3 "snake in your yard" stories!

2. When conversing you have to suffer through a litany of "ain'ts" until your head wants to explode! I say--- What, am I living in an "ain't colony"?

1. And the number one sign you live in a hollow is....

You ACTUALLY get irritated about a neighbor's ROOSTER crowing too early!!

*applause*

Well, that was fun. I love it here!

Hiya Streamers...

Well, not so much random thoughts as just checking in with the man behind the zany Randy420 character...

It's down in the crisp 40's here in The Hollow this morning and flirting with the 30's up in the higher elevations.... a PERFECT sunny Spring morning!

I talked to the broker I interviewed with last week and she said the man I need to talk to is out of town.... Trying to get back into the real estate world has been an experience that could make Job himself have a meltdown. It's always something...... I guess it's not God's will for me to do what I have done for years and years... I dont get that... I have applied at gas stations; grocery stores; all kinds of places and maybe they look at my resume and think I wont stick around so I dont get a call.... I am going to a temp agency this morning.... having to leave Secret's mom, who I have been watching for two weeks as all her help fell through.... it's a worthy cause but I cant afford to stick with it....... I'm looking at my car being repoed in less than two weeks. That CANT happen!

I have been walking on the local trail this week.... something I used to do quite a bit but had gotten lazy about... I did 6 and a half miles the day before yesterday and while it made my feet sore it took the edge off my nerves to a large degree.... that is one of the most positive things in my life... walking for better physical and mental health!

While all this may seem kind of dark, I am actually doing ok. I have spent alot of time in prayer lately and seem to have some protection around me against the anxiety and depression.... I had a pretty bad fall last night in my world outlook but seem to have recovered nicely during the night... I have been contacted back by a magazine that might be interested in publishing some of my photos/writing. That's a lift!

I feel like I am in a vise grip these days.... I have nothing stable in my personal life and day after day after day of that can take a toll on even the hardiest of spirits....

Oh well, I didnt mean to be such a bummer today, but it helps to get it out.

I'm ok and I need to appreciate the very few blessings that I do have right now..... my friends here being very high on that list.

Thanks and Happy Friday...I mean Thursday!

Hi there, my phlegmatic yet lovable Streamers.

It's time for some more questions!

*fanfare*

1. Are you a poodle or a pit bull?

2. Do you floss your teeth?

3. Should bloggers wear pants?

3. Do you kiss on the first date?

4. What's your business?

5. When's the last time you ate stir fry?

6. Is your doctor hot?

7. When's the last time you walked a dog?

Ok. Since Belle is the originator of the blogger twist but isnt likely to ever twist herself, I'm gonna step in and do the deed. WOOT!

1. I like Belle because...

2. Belle makes me...

3. Belle has..

4. Belle is..

5. My personal message to Belle is..

Thanks for playing!

Peace and pennyloafers,

Randy