Magnolia Blossoms

It's magnolia time again.

Stone Mountain

Monday after breakfast with Nina, Matthias and Samuel we went to Stone Mountain, which was close to the hotel where we had stayed. It was very windy but the sun was shining. Stone Mountain consists of one solid stone. On one side the mountain has a huge carving of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson, three Confederate leaders from the American Civil War.

On the way up Stone Mountain.

This is a most disgusting sight in the middle of the trail: A power pole covered with used chewing gum.

Reaching the top.

Atlanta from the top of Stone Mountain.

Afterward we ate lunch at Udipi Cafe, an Indian vegetarian restaurant in Atlanta.
We had a hard time choosing what to order with more choices than ever (since every dish was vegetarian). Everything we ordered was delicious.

Germans in Atlanta

After the wedding reception we met Nina, Matthias and Samuel in Atlanta. They were on a family vacation from Germany and made a one night stop in Atlanta. We enjoyed the short evening together and breakfast the next morning.

Wendy and Dwayne's Wedding Reception

Sunday, May 11, we attended Wendy and Dwayne's Chattanooga wedding reception.
We enjoyed meeting up with friends and having good food.
Wendy and Dwayne are missionaries on Palawan, a Philippine island, where Wendy works as a nurse and Dwayne as a helicopter pilot.

Nesting

This morning while eating breakfast, we were looking out of our kitchen window admiring a little bird sitting on one of our hanging flowerpots. He flew away and came back with a little twig in his beak and disappeared among the flowers in the pot. This scene repeated itself a few times, so after breakfast we peeked into the flower basket and found a pretty little nest.
I'm sure the little bird thought he found the most beautiful place in the yard for his nest and was not aware of the daily flooding hazard from my watering can.

Biking on the beach

Yesterday we went biking on the road between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach with Wilf, Janelle and Maria. This road is still in the process of being repaired after it was damaged in hurricanes Ivan and Dennis. We heard it is planned to be finished by this summer.

rest stop halfway

On our way back to the car we were attacked by birds, presumably because of our riding through their territory. At one point two birds were chasing Janelle ahead of us.
Below you can see a short video clip of a bird attacking Mark.

After the bike ride we went to Live Oaks National Park to have a birthday picnic for Wilf.

Amaryllis

One of the things we look forward to in spring is the Amaryllis blooming.