CRIME SCENES

Either crime has been down in the past few weeks or the local paper has had more important things to report on. We did have a few incidents this week, though most of them were run-of-the-mill things 

Like eating at a restaurant. Without paying. (Customer was arrested for theft by taking.)

And like picking up something at a convenience store. Without paying. (Police found him, chased him, caught him, and arrested him.)

Also, a man and woman were arrested for fighting and children living with them were given over to custody of DFCS. (Poor babies. What chance do they have, growing up in a household where fights and arrests are the norm?)

And finally, a man hired a taxi to take him out of town to pick up a television. He then brought it home but tried to pay the taxi driver with narcotics instead of cash. When the driver refused--he wanted his money!--the man ran off. (But the police now know where he lives so wonder how long he'll be free?)

Gotta love our local paper! And our local criminals!

WOMEN'S GYM

On the outside, nestled close to railroad tracks, the place looks like an old warehouse. Stepping inside, it turns into a classroom for canopy students. The same feel, appearance, and odors mark it as a gym. But where most people go to exercise and box and lift weights, this gym is for aerial students. Most of them are female. So it's like a gymnasium for women!

This photo shows two classes going on. Trapeze class is in the front and the silks class (the pink and blue streamers) is toward the back.

Here is a closeup of some trapeze students:

And here are the silks students behind the trapeze students:

And here is a closeup of a silk student in the air:

If they fall, they have a thick mat on the floor but no nets. Scary, huh? Don't know if I'd be brave enough to try it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We ended 2015 by going to St. Augustine, the oldest US city, with relatives. We took the tour, walked through the narrow streets filled with small stores and generally enjoyed ourselves. We've been before but playing tourist is always more fun with people you enjoy, isn't it?

This is the oldest schoolhouse in the US. You can barely see it, but the guy on the right is leaning against a huge anchor. A chain comes from it, goes up to the schoolhouse corner and wraps around the structure, which is slightly leaning forward. Maybe the chain is to keep it standing. I must admit, I felt uneasy standing in front of it.

And this is looking down one of the streets with the shops on either side. There were blocks like this!

Can't go to St. Augustine without going to the fort! Especially on a day just right for strolling and sightseeing! Isn't the view from the top marvelous?

Here's one of the rangers giving some kind of demonstration. They had one making a fire with flint, one telling about what the garrison soldiers ate (hardtack, dried beans, etc.) and some doing other stuff.

Overall, a lovely way to say goodbye to 2015! Here's hoping 2016 will be a great year for everyone!

GOODBYE TO CHRISTMAS

Christmas has come and gone. It's time to think about taking down the tree and putting away the little doodads and packing up the Christmas cards so I'll have them next year to know who to send cards to.

Gooebye, angels with too-tall candles!

Goodbye, little bird-that-brings-good-luck on the tree!

Goodbye, old beloved Opus with festive Christmas antlers!

Goodbye, Christmas, goodbye!

The football bowl games have already started, but I can look forward to their ending soon.

A new year is nearly upon us, so hopes for the future loom large and gratitude for seeing it arrive is downright overwhelming.

Then we're back to the ordinary life of roof leaks and plumbing problems and stringent diets!

DANGEROUS PLACE TO LIVE

We live near the airport. No, the planes landing and taking off don't bother us. Most of the air traffic is in the daytime and the runways are parallel to our neighbothood so the planes don't fly directly over us. Even when we first moved in, we seldom noticed the noise.

But last year, a plane fell as it was taking off. It landed on a house beneath the takeoff runway path a few blocks away from us. Sadly, the pilot was killed. The house was damaged but no one was home at the time.

Okay. These things happen. Right?

Then a few days ago, another accident. This time the plane was en route to Savannah-Hilton Head Airport but the pilot had engine trouble and headed for our little airport. He didn't make it. Instead, he landed on a roof some distance from the end of the runway. (And from our house, thank goodness!)

Here's a picture of the plane on the roof

.

The homeowner was out in the yard when the plane alit on his roof. His wife was on the back patio relaxing. Can you imagine their disbelief? 

There was a happy outcome. A paramedic was nearby and rushed to help set up a ladder to get the men down. Neither the pilot nor his passenger were seriously hurt. Some scratches and cuts to the legs did lead to a hospital visit but it was brief.

The pilot must have been very experienced and very lucky to have pulled off this landing!

As for my guy and me...

We look up everytime we hear a plane going over. Just to make sure it's staying in the air, you know?

CANDY

I don't cook except for making candy. I make the old-fashioned kind. Like fudge:

And divinity:

And pralines:

And my favorite that my mother used to make when I was a kid, peanut butter candy:

Tomorrow I get to cut them and parcel them out. It's hard to know who eats candy and who doesn't nowadays but I've never had anyone refuse it. My petsitter gets a package and also the vet's office for their loving care of my sweet cats. Then my critique partners and some other friends.

I try to give it all away--yes, I do, I really do!--but somehow there always seem to be a few pieces left over.

Guess they'll take care of those pounds I've struggled to lose.

COMMUNITY BAND

Forgetting our whining about all our tiny disasters, we went over to the mainland Thursday for a concert by the community band. This one had a theme of classics. Like the William Tell Overture. That always make my toes tap. The medley of Beatle tunes was familiar while The Klaxon March wasn't. (This is a salute to the car horns, or klaxons, on old classic cars.)

The band's members come from three counties. Since anyone who plays an instrument is welcome to join, they have senior citizens, high school students, middle school students, and everyday business people. Several are band/music teachers at different schools who have some of their children playing.

They believe music should be free to everyone though a donation is always welcome. There was no one in the lobby to take it when we left, but I will see if I can send a check this week because the music was well worth it. The hour went by very fast.

This photo was taken before the place started filling up. I thought from the red shirts it might be a Christmas concert, but it wasn't.

Anyway, the evening was a nice interlude before the man comes to see about the leak in our roof.