$133.00 for 4 Days and 877 Miles

I know my habits are often different from most people. When I vacation, I usually rent a car instead of driving my own.

One reason I rent is to force me to calculate the transportation cost when budgeting and deciding among vacation choices. I believe many people disregard vehicle cost when deciding to travel.

Another reason to rent is the life of my own car is extended by not adding the vacation miles to my automobile.

A couple weeks ago my wife and I vacationed four days at Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains. We parked our cars at home and drove a rental for 877 miles at a cost of $133 plus fuel. We drove a car that was newer than our own and didn't have the worries of a breakdown on our trip.

When our children were young, we did the same. I'd rent luxury cars that were new, low mileage, and more spacious than the vehicles we owned at that time. We'd go to the beaches in comfort, get sand on the floor mats, and return the car for someone else to clean.

Does renting a car for your vacation make sense?

Have a good week!

Pigeon Forge & Smoky Mountains National Park

My wife and I just returned from a four day R & R getaway at Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Here are some highlights:

Saw black bear and cub in the wild.

Observed the Pigeon Forge Rod Run (classic car owners assemble and car enthusiast come by the thousands)

As first time visitors to the area, we drove around to see the sights.

Drove through the national park.

Visited Cherokee

Three pictures are here and by clicking on the link below 20 more can be seen.

http://gallery.me.com/mikemabe/100408

Have a good week!

Bee Hive

My friend and woodworker, Herschel Lamb, is in the picture above with his latest building project.

Lamb was commissioned by another person to build two bee hives following a design plan from another country. Local people and area beekeepers I've spoken to have never seen this style hive which is built using cedar or cypress lumber. All beekeeping in this area are swarms kept in painted wood structures with a square footprint and towering upward to form the shape of a cube.

The pictures below show the inside compartments, bee entry holes, and slats where the honey combs will adhere and hang.

One neighbor beekeeper who looked at the finished hive didn't understand how the queen bee would be kept separated from the combs where workers make and store the honey that is harvested for human consumption. All of us are interested in following the new project to learn about the benefits of this design compared to the traditional hive used in this area.

Herschel Lamb is a retired trucker and a previous owner-operator of 5 new Kenworth trucks that pulled temperature controlled or flatbed trailers throughout the United States. He grew up in Wadley, Georgia, served in Korea and New Zealand while in the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, worked as a foreman for a period in furniture factories, and moved to Clemmons and Pfafftown many years ago. His time in retirement is devoted to building custom-made furniture of high quality like beds, computer desks, file cabinets, book cases, lamps, bowls, armoire, and many other fine pieces.

Have a good week!

Jesus Paved The Way

The two churches shown here are located near Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Both sets of my grandparents are buried in the churches' cemeteries. My father is in nearby Forsyth Memorial Park. Each grave marker is shown in pictures below. Click to enlarge for better viewing.

Age at time of death:

father 71.88 years

1 grandfather 82.78

2 grandfather 75.30

1 grandmother 83.16

2 grandmother 87.37

Have a good Week!