It's Christmas Time in the City

City sidewalks busy sidewalks . 

Dressed in holiday style 

In the air 

There's a feeling 

of Christmas 

Children laughing 

People passing 

Meeting smile after smile 

And on ev'ry street corner you'll hear 

Silver bells silver bells 

It's Christmas time in the city 

Ring a ling hear them sing 

Soon it will be Christmas day 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone, my favorite part of the holiday has got to be the tasty straight sugar of pecan pie

Leland, North Carolina (My New Home)

This past month my parents moved to Leland, NC. Thanksgiving break is in three days and I will be going home to North Carloina for the first time. The Town of Leland is located on the scenic Brunswick River, just five minutes west of the historic river city of Wilmington, North Carolina. Leland, which has emerged as one of the fastest growing municipalities in the Cape Fear region, is home to beautiful championship golf courses, over fifty places of worship, and a vibrant business community.
Town of Leland

A True American Hero

Smiley was injured April 6, 2005, six months into a deployment to Iraq. He led patrols through Mosul, a dangerous city where a too-high pile of garbage could be hiding explosives and the enemy blended in with the populace. Smiley was leading a patrol in an armored Stryker vehicle when, from his perch in the forward hatch, he spotted a silver Opel that matched intelligence descriptions of a potential car bomb. The trunk appeared to be weighed down and the driver acted as though he didn't understand Smiley, who fired warning shots at the ground when it looked as if the driver was going to pull forward. The driver raised his hands, and the car went up in a fireball. Shrapnel tore through Smiley's left eye and lodged in his frontal brain lobe; another fragment the size of a pencil lead pierced his right eye. He was left permanently blinded and temporarily paralyzed on his right side. "When I got to the hospital and I finally realized what happened, what my life was going to be like, I didn't believe in God. I questioned my faith. I questioned everything that was ever said to me before," Smiley said. "Because in my mind, why would God allow something like this to happen to me?" Smiley credits his wife, family and faith for helping him accept his condition. 

Liberty vs Gardner-Webb (Military Appreciation Day)

During halftime of the game, Liberty honored those who have payed the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. That was followed by the playing of "Taps".  Then the marching band played the anthem for each branch of the military and members stood up to be recognized.

Lynchburg Area Rails

The railfan community in this area of central Virginia is blessed as the city is intersected by three primary mainlines and one secondary mainline of two major Class One railroads, those being Norfolk Southern and CSX. CSX serves the city on the east/west line of the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. This line hugs the south bank of the James River as it makes it’s way through town. Rail traffic through Lynchburg covers all the various modes, including intermodal, hopper trains, both loaded and empty coal, grain, manifest, sulfur, and passenger. The city stretches out and up from it's origin along the southern bank of the James River. There is a lot of renewal happening in the downtown area, as the city tries to build on its' rich past.