Isla Del Paraiso

My first glimpse of Puerto Rico came through the lyrics of "America" in West Side Story—a portrayal that, in hindsight, did little justice to the island’s true essence.

Stepping onto its shores, I was immediately struck by its rich history and breathtaking beauty. Though my visit was brief, it left me yearning for more. San Juan alone could captivate me for weeks—wandering through its colonial streets, exploring its storied forts, and indulging in its incredible cuisine. Puerto Rico is, without a doubt, a true gem of the Caribbean.

 Mi primer vistazo a Puerto Rico fue a través de la canción "America" en West Side Story, una representación que, en retrospectiva, no le hacía justicia a la verdadera esencia de la isla.

Al poner un pie en sus tierras, me impresionaron de inmediato su rica historia y su asombrosa belleza. Aunque mi visita fue breve, me dejó con ganas de más. San Juan, por sí solo, podría cautivarme durante semanas—paseando por sus calles coloniales, explorando sus históricos fuertes y deleitándome con su increíble gastronomía. Sin duda, Puerto Rico es una verdadera joya del Caribe.

Hungry Hungry Dinos

Squabbling over the remains of a discarded sandwich in a Walmart parking lot, these birds unknowingly showcase their prehistoric heritage. Descended from theropods that once roamed the Earth during the Mesozoic, they still carry the echoes of their fearsome ancestors. Their movements, their instincts—it’s a glimpse into a distant past, hidden in plain sight. As a child, I dreamed of seeing a live dinosaur, never realizing I had been watching them every day.

 

Felis qui nihil debet

There are people that come into your life that you know without a doubt you would bend the heavens for.  No thinking, no hesitation, they ask and suddenly the word, “yes,” falls from your lips without a single regret.   Loyalty like no other… something rare and beautiful in itself.

I Miss Mayberry

Time passes and things seem to get busier and busier and soon we will forget the simplicity that was once part of life in a small town.   For nearly the past twenty years the world has been connected and made to seem very small and now everyone is connected. 

“I miss Mayberry, 

Sitting on the porch drinking, 

Ice cold Cherry Coke, 

Where everything is black and white, 

Picking on a six string, 

Where people pass by and you call

Them by their first name, 

Watching the clouds roll by.”

-Rascal Flatts

Mount Airy, NC is the epitome of the small town; it is also the childhood home of Andy Griffith and inspiration of Mayberry from the Andy Griffith Show.   I had the chance to walk through the town and even have dinner at Barney’s I was reminded of a time not too long ago when the world was smaller and we all knew and cared for one another. 

Breathe

Things do not always go as planned.

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Ok, It is fine now…. It should not take 45 minutes to go two miles, but things are not always perfect.

This is a lesson we should all take….

Count to 10, and breathe.

It will be ok.

Hometown

No matter where the future takes me, no matter the distant shores I walk… this will always be my hometown. The place where I spent my formative years, the place where memories and bonds were created. I crawled up an over pass in traffic to get this photo, it is a photo I have always wanted to take. It shows Pearson Road in Pearl, Mississippi looking North from the I20 Overpass.

Rue Bourbon

New Orleans is the southern city of sin, and I mean that in a loving way. Why there are many tourist destinations in the city, from the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium of the Americas, this is the one that most remember and love the most. With it’s many clubs covering a Varity of types of people and tastes, to its world class drinks and shops. Bourbon Street offers it all, usually at night when the centre of the French Quarter nightlife comes to life, and people walk in mass down this wonderful slice of beautiful sin.

Et ipsa scientia potestas est.

Knowledge is power, which is a credo that I take to heart. U-Haul has had the most wonderful Idea; take facts about all the U.S. states and Canadian provinces… create the oddest graphics and post them on the side of their U-Haul. Not only does it increase the nations useless trivia cache, but it teaches all of us facts about our home states we may have never known. I came across this Mississippi branded U-Haul in Arkansas, and its facts about the Mississippi Sandhill Crane shocked and amazed me, I had never known that one of the last flocks of this ancient bird lives in my home state. Wow, now I want a photo of it for my blog.

For More on the U-Haul SuperGraphics Series Visit: http://www.uhaul.com/supergraphics/

Mind over Matter

The power of the mind is immeasurable, things that were thought to be impossible have come to pass through thoughts creating actions and then things become possible. And there are times where everything bad is mounting up around you and it seems that you can not break through. There in lies the trick, it is impossible to break through if you do not believe you can…. Your mind is working against you. Believe it… Know it… Feel it… and it will happen you will break through! Don’t focus on how it will happen, just know it will… and the “how” will fall into place, I think as a people we have forgotten this.

Mind and matter work in conjunction with one another, and if you focus on nothing but negative things then that is all you are going to attract. Be grateful for all the positive things that are in your life, thank the stars for every thing that is going right, and know that that the negative is on its way out… fill your being with positive energy, and light… and then you will attract nothing but positive things.

It will do good to remember this, it will make you feel better… and things will get better.


Brightest Blessings!