25 Monday May 2015
Posted in Photography
Tags
365 Day Photo Challenge, Alabama, America, American Flag, Boy Scouts of America, BSA, Eagle, Freedom, Memorial Day, Statue of Liberty, USA
It’s not about me nor my family today. It’s about all those that gave their all for our country. Let us never forget what these people have done for our freedom. If you’re still serving and or have served THANK YOU!!
“Life Goes On!”
24 Sunday May 2015
Posted in Photography
Tags
365 Day Photo Challenge, Alabama, Dependant, Depression, Girls, High School, Independance, Kids, Memorial Day, Photography
http://tchphotography.smugmug.com/FT-Toulouse/i-kDFMrB9/A
I woke up to the sound of the bathroom door closing and my daughters inside getting ready for work. Normally I try to sleep in on the weekends but the last two mornings I’ve gotten up to the sound of my girls taking showers and doing their hair. This has been so tough on me because my baby girls are growing up on me. What made is so bad today is that my wife had found some pictures of them yesterday when they were about four or five playing with our then kittens.
I have never been diagnosed with depression but I know I have it at times. Today was one of those days. I didn’t ride my bike, too windy was my excuse. I spent the day on my computer looking at pictures of my kids when they were little. Not really feeling sorry for myself but then again maybe. When my girls are at home we don’t spend much time with each other because our interests are so different. They stay in their room watching tv and I stay in the den either on my laptop or watching tv or both.
The girls are seventeen and are both working at a local water park. I am not ready for them to be working but I’m proud of them that they want to work and earn money to spend as they wish. My girls are smart and make great grades in school and have never given us any cause to worry. Neither one date which is fine by me because some of the boys they hang around with would not be my first pick for a boyfriend.
As a parent I worry about each of my kids. My son is going back to school tomorrow and I won’t see him for several months. But I worry about them each time they get behind the wheel. My girls are not that experienced behind the wheel and I just worry that each time they leave the house it may be the last time I see them alive.
I’m reminded of yesterday while at the ballpark all those kids that are dependant on their parents to do everything for them. My kids are independant and I’m proud for that but I’m also reminded that it wasn’t that long ago when they did depend on us to everything for them. I sometimes miss that.
“Life Goes On!”
23 Saturday May 2015
Posted in Photography
I stood between home plate and 1st base. I watched kids step up to the plate, most of which needed help of some sort. Some were in wheelchairs, some had walkers while others needed no help at all. Regardless of their abilities, all made a home run and you should have seen their faces once they hit that ball. It was funny watching these kids
“run the bases”. Nearly all kids ran to first but second and third would always seem to be missed but they always found their way to home plate and managed to “jump” to score.
There were no outs and no scoring involved. Although I did hear the announcer say that the blue team scored 732 points during their time at bat. “Could the green team have a come back and win the game?” All team members had a chance to hit the ball then it was the other teams turn at bat.
Each player had a specific song that was played as the child’s name was announced. It made the kids feel important. Some gave high fives and waved to the crowd as they stepped up to the plate. A couple even danced a jig when they made it back to home plate after their home run.
Only two innings were played but in the faces of all these kids it might as well been twelve innings. These kids didn’t care, they got to play baseball, they got to hit the ball, they got to run the bases and they got their names called out over the intercom system along with their favorite song. There were no parents fighting with the umpires or among themselves. Both sides cheered for all the kids not just for their own. For about an hour we lived in a perfect world, at least in these kids eyes.
For now this is the only picture I’ll post. I’ll have to get permission to post the link to where the rest are located.
“Life Goes On!”
22 Friday May 2015
Posted in Photography
Tags
365 Day Photo Challenge, Alabama, Arson, Cycling, Fire, Photography, tornado
My cycling route takes me through mostly subdivisions just so that I will stay off the busy streets in our city. My route does take me on two of the most busiest streets that we have but I’m only on there for maybe a mile or two. Just enough to get some motorists mad for having to wait until I get up the hill.
As I’ve stated before, our city was hit by a massive EF4 tornado back in 2011. Only one quarter of our city’s homes were rebuilt. Most packed up what ever was left and walked away and never looked back. There are some houses that still remain that were severely damaged that for whatever the reason were never torn down nor rebuilt, just boarded up and left to rot. The above picture was just one of those houses. I past there yesterday evening and noticed that this house was all boarded up and no one had lived there for a least a couple of years. Today, well, you can tell what happen to it. I don’t want to lay blame here but I have a feeling that this was a case of arson. With no power to the house an electrical fire would seem to be out of the question. We had no storms last night so we can rule out a lightning strike. We’ve had a few cases where the homeowners had issues with their insurance companies and a accidental fire would be the only way out.
Have a good weekend everyone!!
“Life Goes On!”
21 Thursday May 2015
Posted in Photography
Tags
365 Day Photo Challenge, Alabama, Ashlyne, Cancer, Cycling, Cycling for a Cause, Great Cycle Challenge, Kids Cancer
I received this in my in box while I was at work. This tore me up.
It is with great sadness that we are contacting you today…
Ashlyne, our ambassador and superhero, has lost her battle with cancer.
She passed away late on Tuesday evening at home in California. She was surrounded by loving family and close friends.
As you may know, she recently flew back to California to spend her last days at home, after her cancer had progressed so far that it could not be cured.
She made it home safely and she spent her last days catching up with old classmates and was even able to go to a movie with her friends.
One big highlight last week was that she got to pick out an early birthday present, a pet Chameleon named Lemon. Ashlyne’s mom told us she shed ‘happy tears’ on the ride home when Lemon wrapped his whole body around her finger like a huge hug. 🙂
That’s Ashlyne — she always saw the joy in things.
We’ll remember Ashlyne for her love of penguins and the color pink, her sound advice to “not eat the hospital food,” her skill in removing hospital bracelets and her bright pink cape with the letter “A” on it…
Because as Ashlyne said, “my favorite superhero is me.”
Ashlyne was a remarkable young lady and it was a privilege to know her, she will be in our thoughts and hearts as we ride next month to honor her memory and fight this terrible disease.
This is why we ride…to fight for kids like Ashlyne and fight kids’ cancer!
Every hill we climb, every mile we pedal, it’s to give these kids the chance for a better future.
As June draws near, we want to introduce you to some of the children you’ll be riding for next month. THANK YOU for your support to give these kids the brighter futures they deserve.
https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/TimHughes
“Life Goes On!”
20 Wednesday May 2015
Posted in Photography
Tags
365 Day Photo Challenge, Alabama, Cancer, Cycling, Fundraising, Great Cycle Challenge, Kids Cancer, Photography, Ride of Silence
I had the opportunity to ride in the Ride of Silence ride tonight. This was the third year that I’ve ridden in this ride and to me it’s quite an honor. We ride in silence in remembrance of those that have been seriously injured or have been killed while riding within the past year. The ride is less than ten miles and is a fairly easy ride. Tonight was estimated in having over 100 cyclist riding in the ride.
Don’t for get to donate if you can to help me raise $1000 by the end of June. Follow the link to donate. Thank you.
19 Tuesday May 2015
Posted in Photography
Tags
365 Day Photo Challenge, Alabama, Cancer, Challenges, CML, Cycling, Fundraising, Great Cycle Challenge, June, Photography
https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/TimHughes
I’ve signed up to ride in the 2015 Great Cycle Challenge this June. My goals are to ride 500 miles in the month of June to help raise money to fight Kids Cancer. I also have a goal to raise $1000.00 between now and the end of June. Both goals will be a challenge but I honestly think that they are achievable. If you would like to donate please follow the link.
I am fortunate to have kids who were born healthy and cancer free. I can’t imagine what a parent goes through hearing the words that their son or daughter has cancer. Great advances have been made in the medical field to help those with cancer, I know, I’m one of those patients. However, there are some types of cancer that they are still still learning about. I’m hoping and praying that with these funds a cure will be found.
18 Monday May 2015
Posted in Photography
Meet Tom Johnson, he’s the one waving at me. He’s an avid cyclist who has put many miles on his bike. Last year he went to Puerto Rico: 339 miles in 23:10 over 3 days. I can only hope to do what he’s doing. He did 65 miles during the ride this Sunday. My next big ride will be the Tri States ride in Dothan, Alabama. I’ll be riding the 41 mile loop. This ride will be in June so it might be a little warm.
Thanks for following me
“Life Goes On!”
17 Sunday May 2015
Posted in Photography
Tags
365 Day Photo Challenge, Alabama, Cheaha Challenge, Cycling, Cyclist, Intern, Photography, The Anniston Star
I had the opportunity to work the Cheaha Challenge today. It started off wet but as the afternoon approached the rain soon went away. But with the roads being wet and a new layer of asphalt it made for a very dangerous morning. 1000 bikes were anticipated but only about 700 showed up due to the rain. Only one accident was reported and they young lady took a spill and dislocated her shoulder and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. No word on her condition.
We were fortunate to have with us at our rest stop a young journalist from The Anniston Star, a small but widely known newspaper/newsite. Five interns tweeted their coverage for most of the day. My partner and I were interviewed about our part of the ride and had our picture taken for the article that is to be written for later on this week.
It was a long day being that I had to get up at 4am this morning to be at my station by 7am. I have one more week to work then I have a three day weekend coming up. I’m so ready for an extra day off from work.
BTW, the Cheaha Challenge was broken down into several rides including a 24, 44. 64, 103 and a 129 mile ride and is thought to be the toughest organized ride in the state of Alabama. For all you cyclist that follow me, you should seriously consider coming down here and riding it. We has someone come as far away as Miami Florida to ride this ride today. Are you up for the challenge. I’m not.
16 Saturday May 2015
Posted in Photography
http://tchphotography.smugmug.com/Chicago/i-pm2NDVj/A
Today was a good day. I got most everything done that I wanted to do today. I got up and ate breakfast, changed clothes and hopped on my bicycle. When I returned home I had a bite to eat and started getting things ready for tomorrow trip to Mt. Cheaha.
My bike ride today consisted of a leisurely ride through town. I followed my weekend route in which I normally get around 23 miles. The route I take has a lot of hills but not any steep grades. I took a few new roads just to see some new sites and it increased my mileage a bit. My total mileage for the day was 25.8 and my average speed was 12.1 mph. Like I said, I took my time and didn’t get in a big hurry.
There are several things that kind of bug me while I’m riding through my fair city but the one thing that really pisses me off is the amount of trash that is on the roads. I bet I counted four trash bags while on my route today. I think it’s really uncalled for when people throw out their trash from their cars instead of waiting until they get home and throw it out in a trash can. Doesn’t make sense. The other thing that gets on my nerves is the amount of dogs that are not on a leash or in a fenced in yard. Our city has a leash law which requires all dogs to either be on a leash or in a fence if outside. The little ankle biters don’t really bother me that much, it’s the big labs and german shepherds that make me nervous. I’ve been given permission by the city to use Mace when I feel threatened. The thing about using mace it that it could get in my eyes if the wind is blowing the wrong direction.
Photo is of the Pier in Chicago
“Life Goes On!”
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