Vacation, Day 10, 10/30/2009, Part 6

It's on the move! That yellow car! Looks like a rooster to me!


What are those words on the side of it? The larger word looks like Scheib, but I've Googled Scheib and yellow chicken car and found out not one thing.


I took this photo as I walked back towards the campground. See the arrow? I put it there, pointing at the general location of Milton and Kay's trailer, in relation to the Talladega Superspeedway. You can tell from this, I hope, just how close by we were to the action.


Here's a close-up so that you can see the yellow circle "You Are Here" right outside the Talladega Superspeedway (can you tell I LOVE to type TALLADEGA?)--that is where I stopped to take the photo. The Private Property with the black arrow on it, towards the right corner points to right about where Milton's gonna fry up some mighty fine food--y'all come back, ya heah!

What a wonderful, blessed vacation!

Vacation, Day 10, 10/30/2009, Part 5

Lined up, getting ready for truck qualifying--they're getting ready for Saturday, 10/31/2009, and the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Driving the 15, Aric Almrola; the 24, David Starr; and the 47, Brandon Knupp.




Ricky Carmichael drives the 4 Monster truck. I think that's him in the green suit on the left. Look at the cameras that woman on the right has--one in her hand, one on her shoulder--she's so ready!


So is Chrissy Wallace, driver of the 08 Fuel Doctor Dot Com truck.

Vacation, Day 10, 10/30/2009, Part 4

I've been so-o-o-o tired after work all week that I have not been up to posting on my blogs or reading anyone's blog. But after getting to sleep in, sort of, on Saturday and Sunday, plus catching up with the laundry on Saturday and mopping and running the vacuum on Sunday, I believe that I have some energy left to blog! Hooray!


You know how excited I was when I saw this yellow vehicle, don't you? All I could think about was, "I hope I get to see it when it starts along one of those roads in the infield!" Naturally, I wondered what it was all about.


Two rows of Rams, Dodge that is. These surely are driver-introduction vehicles. Don't you just love that curved cyclone fence? Or do you call it a chain-link fence? Our family home in Jackson had a fenced backyard--there was a tiny metal sign attached to it it a few places that read "Cyclone."


You reckon this huge-screen TV folds back down into that trailer? See the white-headed man on the left of the photo, wearing a pink shirt? He's not all that far away from the TV, and look how huge it is compared to him!


For this particular day at the track, we could sit wherever we wanted, no assigned seats as such. So we were on the first row of the first upper level. All of a sudden these men were in front of me, so naturally I started taking photos. I mean, they're blocking my view, so they're fair game. Right? I love that guy on the right, pointing.


The writing on that one guy's shirt gives away what they're up to--CameraTrux. Must be making a video or a documentary. Certainly, they're heavily involved, focused on their conversation.


See the man on the right? The one who was pointing in the first photo. That pass hanging around his neck has HOT on it. That's not a statement about him. HOT means that as long as he has that pass around his neck, he can go any where in the garage and the pits, any time, even when the cars are coming out of the garage and headed for practice or qualifying or racing. What a luck son-of-gun! My guess is that every single one of them has a HOT pass, so that's a passle of lucky son-of-a-guns!


Yep, there you can see more HOT passes. And the man with the notebook, that's a guy after my own heart. He's got his eyeglasses on, and his sunshades up in his hair. I'll bet he wears his sunshades right over his eyeglasses, just like I do! And I would buy that binder in a New York minute--love those circles. They left soon after I took this photo, never to be seen again by me.

Vacation shall continue, real soon.

Vacation, Day 10, 10/30/2009, Part 2

Yep, he's in there. Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself. When I look at this photo at its very largest size, I can see his helmet and his right arm, even in the shadows. Now I realize, thoroughly realize, that not everyone is a Junior fan. But I am. And, just like with my beloved Portland Trail Blazers, I am not a fair weather fan. I am a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan--have been and shall remain so.

I took these photos during Spring Cup practice on Friday afternoon. The cars are leaving pit road and heading back out onto the Talladega Superspeedway. I don't know for sure how fast they're going, but they're not sitting still--that I know for sure. They're accelerating, probably between 30-50 mph.


Mark Martin, another one of my favorites. That man turned 51 years old last January!


Here's Greg Biffle. H was born in Vancouver, Washington, right there on the other side of the Columbia River from Portland!


Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon.

Vacation, Day 10, 10/30/2009, Part 1

Rise and shine! Or as Mama used to say every single morning while I was in school, "Up and at 'em!" It's breakfast time at Talladega!


A place for everything and everything in its place. Is that the way that saying goes? Or did I get in backwards?


Omelet veggies, on the stove for those who want omelets.


Kay made grits! Perfect grits! The rest of my food filled the bill, too, and really got me ready for another special vacation day.


Seen in the campground.


Time to head for the Talladega Super Speedway for the day's activities.

Vacation, Day 9, 10/29/2009, Part 7

After it got dark, Ian took me for a ride to see some nearby Halloween decorations at the campground at Talladega, Alabama.








Kay's E-Z Ups and Halloween decorations.


I love these bats!

Vacation, Day 9, 10/29/2009, Part 6

First, let me explain my recent absence. It's the same song, four-jillionth verse. Been too busy. Been too tired. The only new thing was a nasty allergy-induced crud which, thankfully, is on the way out. Well, maybe until something else blooms or leafs!

Back to vacation in Talladega, Alabama. Kay and her grandson Ian had a blast playing golf--I had a blast taking lots and lots photos. And if my little white iBook Honk weren't so-slow-to-go, I'd have had a blast putting these two photos through some special effects at Picnik. Enjoy!

Kay swings her club at the ball.


Ian makes a powerful swing that results in a long gone ball and a flying divot.


One of the beautiful scenes at the golf course.


Ladybugs swarmed now and then as we tootled around the course on the golf cart. I finally got one in a photo!


Go, Portland Trail Blazers! We're in the first round of the NBA Play Offs, seeded #6 in the West, first game some time on Saturday. Yippee!

Vacation, Day 9, 10/29/2009, Part 2

It's starting to look like all we did was get ready to eat and then eat. Honest, we did other things. You'll soon see, I promise.


Milton brought lots of ingredients and spices to work with as he prepared more food for all of us. He even brought a blender!












Boston butt that will become pulled pork later in the week.


Ham for sandwiches later on in the week.


Pineapple and cherries for the ham.


Milton injecting the Boston butt prior to it's going into the smoker.


Ready to be covered and put into the smoker.


Injecting the ham with pineapple juice to enhance its flavor.


It's just about ready to be wrapped up.


In the smoker.


One more flavor used to enhance the ham--I think it's apple juice.


Splitting wood for the smoker.


There's the wood, ready to get heated up and impact the flavor of the two meats.


It's all going on inside now, for hours and hours.