Georgia vs. Florida

Florida and Georgia fans coexist peacefully in the stands

The Georgia Bulldogs will meet the Florida Gators (in Jacksonville) for their annual clash in what is known in these parts as the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party". I see in the paper that the good fellas in Las Vegas have the Gators pegged as 9-point favorites over the Dawgs and I think that this is a fair estimation of the relative balance of power between the two teams. If anything, it might have been a little too generous towards Georgia who have yet to really beat anyone of stature besides Alabama.

UGA will be traveling to Florida to show his support.

As y'all know I am a longtime fan of the Dawgs, but must say that I also really like the Gators as well. I like their quarterback Tim Tebow (who should be a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy this year) and their coach Urban Meyer (who went undefeated at Utah when I was a resident of that state a few years back). Judging by my t-shirt collection I'd say that the Gators are definitely my second most favorite team.

Tim Tebow & Urban Meyer

I'm not prepared to go out on a limb and say that I really believe Georgia has a good chance of winning this game, so I am going to just refrain from making a prediction and be content to sit back this Saturday and enjoy a grand spectacle of football tradition in the sunny precincts of the Southeastern Conference.

Alberta & Albert will also be in attendance.

The game will air on CBS at 3:30 EDT.

Pumpkin pie is back

Even though it is still broiling in the lower 90's down here each day it's also still October. You know, the fall? So now that Wal-Mart has finally dropped the price on pumpkins, as they always do in the last week of this month, I have begun to prepare my ever popular homemade pies. It is a sure sign that Autumn has arrived and one that I hope will give Mother Nature a clue to turn down the thermostat here in the Florida jungle. I've even promised her a whole pie if she'd just cool things down a little. The mid-80's would feel oh so refreshing!

About ready to emerge into the world


Get the knife!

Kentucky

As promised, I am showcasing some photos of the Kentucky leg of our recent journey to the rolling hills of the mid-South. We spent several days at Aunt Sue's farm near Bowling Green and used it as a base from which to explore nearby Mammoth Cave National Park as well hit every thrift store in Warren County. I also went on a geological expedition in Green County that resulted in the collection of many fine specimens of crystallized limestone and seabed fossils that were duly handed over to Aunt Sue's grandkids. It's never too soon to turn young minds on to the wonders of science.

All in all a rather peaceful and unaffected corner of America. I could live there. Enjoy the pictures.

Good Spring Church cemetery
Mammoth Cave National Park


First Creek Trail in Mammoth Cave N.P.

Vintage Mountain Dew sign


Freshly harvested tobacco


Mexicans hanging tobacco in a curing shed


Rural post office


Tourist trap merchandise
Cave City, KY


Entrance to Mammoth Cave


In the cave


Coral Hill, KY


Nolin River
Mammoth Cave N.P.

Wigwam Motel
Cave City, KY


Aunt Sue's pumpkins


Sunset on the farm

Mississippi State vs. West Virginia

Mississippi State mascots "Bully"

As many of you know I'm a hit or miss college football prognosticator this season but I still keep making predictions nonetheless. This week I'd like to stick my neck out on the chopping block and say that the odds makers in Las Vegas have underestimated the boys from Starkville, MS by proclaiming them 23 point underdogs against the West Virgina Mountaineers in Morgantown. I predict otherwise and hereby proclaim, in this season of improbable upsets, that the Bulldogs will win the contest 34 - 31.

I think they will at least cover the point spread so get on the phone and call your bookie NOW!

Travels in Tennessee

We spent last week visiting relatives in Tennessee and Kentucky. In amongst the socializing and family gatherings we also managed to experience a wide array of nifty places. As a result I have decided to split the trip into two separate blog posts, one for each state visited.

I've included two shots I took from the airplane looking down on Florida which I think y'all will appreciate. (Click on the ones you want to see in more detail.)

I'll post the Kentucky leg of the journey later this week.

St. Johns River and tributaries
Volusia County, Florida


Downtown Jacksonville, Florida

Tennessee River from Signal Mountain, TN


World famous onion rings at Nikki's Drive-Inn
Chattanooga, TN


Dry Pond Lead Trail in the Little Frog Wilderness


Inside the Texaco station
Cowan, TN


The Parthenon in Centennial Park
Nashville, TN


Railroad tracks climbing the Cumberland Plateau
Franklin County, TN

Forgotten Florida

Limestone, Florida

This past Sunday we headed south into the deep interior of the Florida peninsula in search of wild unadorned nature and to experience the essence of a largely ignored and forgotten region of the state. As many of y'all know I like ignored and forgotten places. The world is full of 'em and I intend to get to as many as possible before I finally expire in one.

Thank God for the forgotten places.

Downtown Bowling Green, Florida


Salvation and Full Service Beauty
Bowling Green, Florida


Highlands Hammock State Park

Frostproof, Florida


1948 Studebaker Truck in Frostproof


Downtown Frostproof


Leaving Frostproof

College shirts

My newest hobby is collecting vintage college logo shirts. I like to comb through thrift stores and yard sales looking for these unique and rarely preserved relics from the past. Some of the shirts that aren't my size I give to my wife to wear and have even put some up on eBay, where the prices for this stuff can go pretty high, depending on the team.

So dear readers, the next time you're at a yard sale and see a really cool old college team shirt think of your old pal Beamis who wears a size L and who would be mighty glad to reimburse you for postage.

Some cool oldies I've collected so far:

Florida vs. LSU

Just wanted to put in a prediction about the upcoming game on Saturday night that will pit the defending national champion Florida Gators against the currently #1 ranked LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. The odds makers in Las Vegas have the Tigers winning by 7 points, so do yourself a favor and pick the Gators who will manage to squeak out a win in the bayou.

Score: Florida 27 - LSU 24

Remember to enjoy SEC football responsibly.

Georgia vs. Tennessee

Old Smokey

My beloved Georgia Bulldogs travel north to Knoxville on Saturday to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in Neyland Stadium. This should be a good match-up but one in which the Dawgs will ultimately prevail.

The predicted score: Georgia 37 - Tennessee 16

UGA is way cuter!