Bullfrog Relocation II

Posted on October 26, 2004 by jeb

Back in May I wrote about catching and relocating a bullfrog from our little pond. This led to some conversation about how bullfrogs eat everything they can get their huge mouths around and are environmental pests. Carol denied that bullfrogs eat fish (which is why I think our goldfish disappear at times.) I posted this article that says they not only eat fish but birds, too!

I did not mention there was a much younger and smaller little brother who I thought could do little damage. He got bigger, and fish started disappearing again last month. He was a much harder catch. He jumped much more randomly and proved too difficult to sneak up on at night. I spotted him on some rocks in the day while working in the yard, so I snuck around a bush with a net and caused him to jump away from the water instead of towards it. After a few minutes, Stout and I trapped him!

I asked Mary Claire if she wanted to pick him up. (I didn’t want to!) She ran off and came back with some work gloves. Stout had a fit.

Caution! Only zoom in on these pictures if you dare! They scared Nicole.

Note: We let him go down in the storm drain where he was free to hop under the street and go live in a creek.

Now playing: It’s Not That Easy Being Green by Kermit the Frog

Southern Catholic College

Posted on October 24, 2004 by jeb

Today the five of us got up early and headed up to visit the grounds for Southern Catholic College set to open in the Fall of 2005. Originally SCC was going to open in 2002 at another location, but building from the ground up was proving too costly. They have been able to secure about 100 acres including a set of buildings that can be converted to dorms, offices, and classrooms.

The new campus will be small but impressive because it was formerly an executive conference center adjacent to a 27-hole country club in the rolling hills just north of Dawsonville. The photo on the web site shows the circle of villas that will become dorm rooms. The villas on the left sit on the lake.

We started with Mass held by Father Kevin Peek. He started by dressing in front of the group of about 200, explaining the tradition behind each vestment. Kelly and Claire were craning their necks. Kathy used to play at Kevin’s house when they were kids. Grant and Kevin were also friends, and he later asked about Grant, promising to visit him in Athens soon. Kevin is currently the official chaplain of SCC.

We got to personally talk to the founder, Tom Clements, who showed the five of us the drawings for the grounds, explaining what would be added each year.

Paul Voss is a professor who took a year sabbatical from Georgia State to create the SCC curriculum. Mary Voss and Kathy were in bible study together at SJN, so we had a chance to catch up with them. Paul is enjoying teaching at Georgia State where he is writing and teaching “the Shakespeare stuff”. His words.

Mary brought us over to talk to the President of SCC, Jim Ashcroft. When Jim heard Danny was interested in playing baseball in college, he showed Danny where the field would be and explained that his son had already arranged to get scoreboards donated from Coca-Cola.

Kevin Peek offered to fund uniforms for the team.

The trip was a fun one to take, especially in the Fall with all the leaves turning. The idea of helping start a new college with 149 other classmates has definitely got Danny (as well as Kathy and my) curiosity up.

Georgia Trends Article on Southern Catholic College.

Home Coming 2004

Posted on October 19, 2004 by jeb

For those of you who may recall Home Coming 2002 (and we all have tried to forget it), I am happy to report than Danny and his date, Morgan, had a wonderful time with six other couples all the way from the football game, through the photo session, through the Bar-B-Q, and the dance. Still not sure about the footwear choices.

Triops Are Gone

Posted on October 16, 2004 by jeb

The Triops have all died, true to the estimated 30 day life cycle. They grew at an amazing rate and swam constantly. When one would die, the others would eat the carcass. The last one got a burial at sea last night. (Toilet.) There were requests for photos, so here are a few:

Now playing: I Don’t Want to Grow up by Tom Waits

Go Get The Paper

Posted on October 15, 2004 by jeb

Ted writes about the game Susan and Beacon play called The Pine Cone Game. There is some parallel to Clyde, Stout, and my morning ritual of “Go Get the Paper.” This is how that ritual goes:

1. On every business work day, except Thursdays, I get up and poor a cup of coffee so it can start cooling. Clyde and Stout are very excited to see me. I then say “Let’s go get the paper.” Both dogs run to the front door. I open the door and leave it open.

2. We all three proceed to walk up the sidewalk and then the driveway. Stout runs ahead and back, ahead and back. About 6 feet from the end of the driveway, both dogs stop. This is where the radio fence stops them. I proceed to the paper which is generally in the grass or on the driveway near the mailbox and on the outside of the radio fence.

3. I return down the driveway where both dogs are wagging their tails. Sometimes Clyde will take the paper from my hand, or sometimes I put it back in the grass so he can pick it up. He is happy either way. Stout watches.

4. Once Clyde has a good grip on the paper, Stout rushes ahead. Clyde follows proudly retrieving the paper and wagging his tail. I follow Clyde.

5. Generally both dogs beat me back to the kitchen. Sometimes Clyde drops the paper in the hallway, sometimes in the kitchen, and sometimes he still has it in his mouth when I get to the kitchen.

6. I then reward both dogs by letting them share a cookie-bone. Clyde gets a 2/3 piece and Stout gets a 1/3 piece.

Since I actually retrieve the paper part of the way, and Stout does nothing, I’m not sure why Stout deserves a reward, but needless to say, he as excited as Clyde about the entire ritual and feels he is making some important contribution.

The Thursday paper is packed full of advertising flyers, so it is too big for Clyde to pick up. Clyde is not sure why I don’t hand it over, although I offer an explanation… “It’s too big.” I just bring it in myself, and both dogs wonder why they don’t get a cookie.

I’ve considered trying to figure out how to make the radio fence wire extend to the end of the driveway just so Clyde (with Stout) could go get the paper without me. It would require putting a crack in the pavement somehow and then filling it over. Bob would know how to do it.

Now playing: Sunday Papers from “Look Sharp!” by Joe Jackson

Bronco Fans On AJC.com

Posted on October 6, 2004 by jeb

The Brookwood vs. Parkview game last Friday night was another disappointment for Bronco fans. Neither team did very well offensively. Most of the game the score was 3-0 with Parkview scoring in the last few minutes another 7 for a final 10-0 score. Kathy, Kelly, Claire and I managed to get to the game an hour early and found some of the last seats available. So that was an improvement from sitting on the end zone hill in past years.

Danny and friends were up front cheering their hardest. Seniors get the best seats. This photo appeared on the AJC.com high school fan site. That’s Andrew on the left. Chris, who had a very strange paint job, did not make the picture.

Danny reports that’s a smiley face on his chest that included too much paint and started dripping. His back said “GO BHS” in gold.

Morgan and Danny went to Wendy’s after the game. He managed to get the paint off of his face, but had red arms sticking out from his shirt. When he came home, he used a hose to wash off most of the paint outside so as not to mess up the bathtub too much. Considerate boy.

Now playing: Paint It, Black from “Hot Rocks, 1964-1971 (Disc 1)” by Rolling Stones

Triops

Posted on October 4, 2004 by jeb

Kelly bought a Triops kit, which reminds me of Sea Monkeys, but these things are huge. We now have four of them. They have grown at an incredible rate in a week.

More than most would want to know…

The Triops Information Page

I think we should try moving the four monsters to a new dish and see if new Triops develop. The article suggests bigger ones eat newly developing ones.

Stonegate's End

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Monthly Archives: October 2004