Today we wanted to have breakfast at our favorite, Panera in Knoxville and purchase an iPad. This past weekend, our son-in-law convinced us that an iPad would fit all our needs in one package. We also wanted a Sam's club to find the Kodak Play Sport video camera to video, take a photo of a video frame and take regular photos even up to 10 feet under water! We are the kind of people that keep an electronic for years and years as long as it works. I have an IBM laptop I bought second-hand 8 years ago - you know, the model with the little red button in the middle? Oh, you don't remember those? Well, I tried to buy a new button, as mine is disintegrating, but they don't make them anymore. Still works, so we're keeping it. Our video camera was state of the art 10 years ago. Remember cassettes? Ha. So off we went.
We took a couple of hours in Best Buy (after a delicious brunch at Panera) to pick the brain of 'Doctor Doug', a true geek - knew everything about everything. We found a really decent GPS app - something really important to us as you remember, and ended up with the iPad2, 32 GB with internal wifi. We have a Verizon MiFi for internet anywhere it's available that we can run up to five devices on at one time. It's only $35 a month for 3 GB which is plenty as we don't download movies and music. So I think we're set with that (it's charging right now).
The iPad cannot connect to our (old) Brother printer/fax/copier/scanner, but there was an HP wireless printer/scanner/copier for $50 because we were purchasing that iPad,that not only will work with the iPad but will work with our HP desktop, too!
Then it was off to Sam's Club for gas - $1.43/gal! - and in for the Play Sport. The original for $119 was out of stock, but they did have the upgraded version for $20 less than Best Buy. Gary's charging it right now, too.
It was destined to be a noisy day. First we drove 10 miles behind 4 motorcycles (so much for our quiet country scenic road we chose to drive), but it was so hot, we had to drive with the A/C on anyway. Then when we arrived at Panera and chose a table outside (too noisy inside, I've always thought), a construction worker repairing a sidewalk turned on the compressor in his pickup 20 feet away. Sheesh. Two fire engines, a police car and an ambulance came tearing by as we were leaving, and the music section in Best Buy was helping a bunch of teens decide which bass was the loudest for their cars. Tomorrow we are definitely heading for the hills, although it's Saturday and who knows what will be out and about...
We had an early dinner (7:30) and I changed the hummer food as it was a little cloudy looking. Immediately the two guys that fight over the 6 openings in the feeder showed up and began their territorial dance. The light was fading as I was trying to get shots hiding behind the Jeep side mirror and reaching over for the shutter button on the tripod. But I put the selector on sports (rapid shutter speed) and got a few: here he is coming in for a landing:
He's not quite turned around enough to see his beautiful red throat:
A mother titmouse listening to her baby screaming "Feed me! Feed me! in the nearby tree:
And Mr. Cardinal grabbing some sunflower seeds:
We had a little campfire, a couple of s'mores and talked with neighboring campers in a pleasantly warm evening. Tomorrow promises to be another hot day, so we're heading to the Sugarland Visitor Center and doing the 2 mile loop hike if we have enough energy after scrubbing our 22 foot awning from the roof and ladder. I hope we do, because we've really enjoyed getting to know the Smokies, and we've barely begun. Maybe, just maybe, we'll make it to Abrams Falls at the far end of the Cades Cove loop that was closed last weekend.
Another day to enjoy. Lucky, lucky us.
Great Day and Great Photos !!
ReplyDeleteLucky, Lucky You :o))