
My view of the eclipse: probably could’ve done better if not for the lack of motivation—it’s COLD outside!
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On Friday, the camp entrance road was the absolute smoothest I’d ever experienced, but after Saturday’s deluge, my Sunday departure was a 5MPH creep over the bumpiest I’ve ever seen
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Biltmore mansion upper floor hallway
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Biltmore mansion servant bedroom
Most uncommonly for the period, Biltmore servants had a comfortably furnished, heated, private room. Most servants were allowed two hours off daily, but were still on call. They received one afternoon and one evening off per week as well as a half day every other Sunday.

2017 Nissan Versa SV
Ignore that temporary tag. My regular MAC-USER plate will go on there as soon as the registration arrives in the mail.

Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 5
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Found this relic of technology last weekend—a 3G iPod that sadly will not power up, even with a charge cable attached
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The original sugar mill wheel
In the photo: Local residents pose at the mill wheel in the late 1800s. The building is no longer standing.
This artifact is all that remains of the original sugar mill wheel. The sugar mill was constructed in the 1830s and operated until 1864, when the property was Spring Garden Plantation. The wheel powered the machinery that pressed sugar cane for its juice. It was the only water-powered sugar mill in Florida!
In 1835, the mill was destroyed by Seminole Indians at the beginning of the Second Seminole War. In 1864, it was destroyed again, this time by Union troops during the Civil War because the owner, Thomas Starke, was supplying food to Confederate troops.
The abandoned mill deteriorated from insects and rot in the late 1800s. Around 1910 it was rebuilt, possibly as a tourist attraction. A project in 1998 removed this part of the wheel, replacing it with the current wheel, which is not operational.

After 15 years, it is finally time to bid this workhorse behemoth Cinema HD Display—which only recently has begun to exhibit signs of failure—a fond farewell
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Charleston architecture
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Biltmore Gardens Railway video
90 seconds of miniature railway footage.

Biltmore mansion pool
Though no longer holding water, the 70,000-gallon indoor pool was heated and still has its original underwater lighting. Call buttons located near the doors allowed swimmers to order refreshements or signal they were ready to leave and needed help changing.

Ark Encounter
Water and waste technology.

Pediatric emergency room suite
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Candlelight Processional performers in the holding tent ready for rehearsal
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When designing gas pumps, who decided, more often than not, that the hose has to hang in front of the part a customer uses the most?
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Interesting history on a building in Charleston
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Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion tiled loggia
Looking across the patio toward the tower that houses servant quarters in the basement (behind the stone portion), the music room on the main level, George Vanderbilt's chamber on the second level, and guest chambers above.

I wonder what my car is counting down to
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Third Annual Myers’ House Easter Egg Hunt
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Never knew Uno made a version with these huge cards!
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Picked up a few new geocaches today with the nephews
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Biltmore Gardens Railway
Part of the railway miniature ran past an amazing scale model of the mansion.

Family and guests visiting at the barn venue during rehearsal the day before the event
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Biltmore mansion walk-in refrigerator
Several rooms used early forms of mechanical refrigeration instead of iceboxes or springhouses.

Views of Biltmore Gardens
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It's time for another exciting chapter of "Can Lee publish this month's podcast before the end of the month?"
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The apocalypse approacheth
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Mac Mini Unboxing
Apple understands product packaging better than *any* other business. Fight me.

Ark Encounter
Dining area.

Day 2
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.

Biltmore mansion servant dining room
Between 30-35 servants ate three meals per day in this room.

Biltmore mansion pastry kitchen
The chef used this kitchen to make elaborate desserts, protected from the heat of the other two kitchens.

I was surprised today to see Calvary Orlando refurbished with brand new multicolor seats, replacing the pews
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It was probably for the best that I couldn’t use Flickr while it was down—I had a LOT of weekend preparation work to do
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Afternoon beach time has been cancelled
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Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.

Ark Encounter
Three types of lighting.

Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Family outing to Crepevine
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Celebrating Adri’s 14th birthday during a walk around Lake Baldwin
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Scenic moment at Church at the Cross
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Sun not visible, skies are dark—why travel to Tennessee? There's a total eclipse happening right here in Florida!
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Charleston architecture
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Pouring pancake batter onto the in-table griddle
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Ironwork by renowned blacksmith Philip Simmons
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Another popular station was the free kettle corn (yummy) set up outside along with several bounce houses
(Photo by Lori Bennett since my hands were full and couldn't easily snap my own shot here.)

Current status
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And we're off…
We're loaded up in the Honda Pilot my sister-in-law graciously loaned us for the trip, ready for adventures.

Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
This is my wife, Lori's, shot that she let me use in this album, taken later in our visit when a storm began brewing.

The Fountain of Youth
To attract tourists in the 1880s, local business owners changed the name of this property from Spring Garden to Ponce De Leon Springs. The area was advertised in northern states as a winter resort with its own Fountain of Youth, pouring out millions of gallons of "deliciously healthy" water.
In the 1950s, this site became one of Florida's many roadside attractions. Again, the Fountain of Youth was featured. It included two structures. The wall in the next photo is said to have been the location of a small fountain where visitors could drink the water. About 200 feet south (up the hill, two photos after this one), you can see the second structure with basins at different levels. This created a waterfall effect then flowed down into the fountain wall here.

Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.

Day 7
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.

We successfully escaped Moriarty’s Game Room—SO MUCH FUN
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When there are 1,645 letters with a two-page enclosure to mail out, having a machine to fold and stuff them all is a godsend!
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 4
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I'm a material witness to this "materiel" typo (seen on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation)
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Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you this nomination for the photo example of the 2019 edition dictionary listing for “redneck”
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Ark Encounter official photo stop—evening lit-up version
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Still beachin’ it
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Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.

Biltmore mansion third floor living hall
This was the common space used by special visitors who stayed in the guest accommodations located on the third floor.

Terry Shaw, President/CEO of Adventist Health System
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Biltmore mansion servant bedroom
Most uncommonly for the period, Biltmore servants had a comfortably furnished, heated, private room. Most servants were allowed two hours off daily, but were still on call. They received one afternoon and one evening off per week as well as a half day every other Sunday.

Z88.3 radio has a splendid beginner geocache perfect for introducing someone new to the game—the cache code to search is GC7TGTE
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Receiving our instructions and introductions for the day in "The Best Friend Room" at The Mills Hotel
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Well this was definitely a project-and-a-half that I helped fabricate
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"Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates…"
During our return home on Monday, we made a pit stop in Savannah, GA, where the welcome center had a few exhibits including this representation of the famous Forrest Gump bus stop scene.

Colorful flag entrance
Photo by Lori Bennett

Prepping for performance
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Tiffani Casey, soloist for Florida Hospital Voices of Legacy, performing "Together"
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Ark Encounter
Deck floor plans.

Florida Hospital Voices of Legacy, directed by Vivian Cook
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Good night, Florida
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Sears in Altamonte Mall is shutting down—more than half the upper floor is bare and looks creepy
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Dad picked me up from college today and handed me breakfast
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Sorting games at work
I have already stated that my new job is fun. I’m not saying it’s glamorous!

Crowd Walk Life
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Ark Encounter
Live animal exhibit.

Charleston Harbor where slave ships landed
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Biltmore mansion main kitchen
Biltmore's chef led a team of more than a dozen kitchen workers. The copper pots are original to the house.

Biltmore mansion—Edith Vanderbilt chamber
Purple and gold fabrics adorn Edith's Louis XV-style feminine retreat. Eighty years after the original fabrics were created, replacements woven by the same French company were installed during restoration of the room.

Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 3.

1850s-1870s sugar mill ruins
Description in prior photo.

Biltmore mansion smoking room
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This hired entertainer walked around demonstrating a variety of stunts including plate spinning, juggling, and stilt walking
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Biltmore Gardens Railway
Model train passing in front of the mansion scale model.

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon
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Lee: “Since when does Eeyore smile?” Lori: “Since someone fed him Prozac. It’s wonderful stuff!”
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Biltmore mansion Halloween room
Originally used for storage, the walls were painted over the course of several weeks by the Cecils, joined by family and friends, with this unusal theme for a New Year's Eve party in 1925—the year after George's daughter, Cornelia, married John Cecil, a British diplomat.

Charleston architecture
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The Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant seen from across Ponce de Leon Springs
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…and now for the reveal
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Biltmore mansion tapestry gallery
This space was used for tea and music (given that the music room was unfinished in George Vanderbilt's day). The huge Flemish tapestries adorning the walls are part of a 1530s set known as The Triumph of the Seven Virtues, representing Charity, Faith, and Prudence. Among the art displayed here is a painting of George above the library door.

Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Sweet 16 (photo by Lori)
Well, her birthday was actually last week, but a number of different celebrations at a number of different venues were planned.

Biltmore Gardens Railway
There were several different separate railways throughout the greenhouses.

Biltmore mansion library
Nearly half of George's collection (22,000-23,000 volumes in total) is in this library. A chess set and gaming table in this room was once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Bulk paper cutter hilarity
Sometimes, my job amuses me.

Biltmore mansion banquet hall—opposite angle
This photo was from later in the tour looking from the opposite corner of the room. It has a better view of the overall size.
The largest dinner held here seated 38 people at the large oak table. However, the Vanderbilts and family members often dined at a smaller table near the triple fireplaces in the background.
At the elegant dinner parties, guests were treated to fine linens, and family silver, china, and crystal including five wine glasses per person.

2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall
Looking the opposite direction toward the organ loft.

Ark Encounter
Japheth and Rayneh.

More celebratory banners
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Fountain of Youth—upper portion
Description in photo two prior.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Bennett/Bixby/Myers family
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Who Built the Sugar Mill?
The rubble in the next two photos is the sugar train, which was used to boil cane juice to produce sugar. Enslaved Africans constructed the bottom 5-6 rows of bricks in the 1850s. The ruins in the following two photos is all that remains of their work here when the area was Spring Garden Plantation from the early 1800s until the Civil War. Slave labor also constructed the original sugar mill building in the 1830s (rebuilt around 1900), as well as docks and storage buildings.
The top section of bricks was added in the 1870s. In 2011, park staff performed stabilization work, adding missing bricks and mortaring the joints to preserve this important part of the park's history.

Entrance to Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
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What is this miracle product that keeps your food off dirty grill bars but can still leave dark grill lines?
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Kids after dinner
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Marvelous rainbow last night
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Time for another installment of the post-dinner-family-outing-group-selfie series
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Release of white doves
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Biltmore mansion organ blower
Near the kitchen is a small room housing this motor which powers the fan that provides are to the large organ above in the dining hall (photos earlier in this album).

Hunted a simple geocache—first one I've looked for in a great many years
Crab Cakes
www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3M3HY

I guess that explains the early morning power outage
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Ark Encounter official photo stop—ramp to door version
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Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.

Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.

Greek salad—who knew eating healthy could taste so good
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I have a back-and-forth, love-hate relationship between the old Modular Apple Watch face and the new Infograph Modular face
The complication sizes on Infograph Modular are great on the Series 4, but I disdain Apple’s mandate for the small ones to be circular based. I really want the old style small Modular complications on the new Infograph Modular face.

Biltmore mansion pre-tour
The sky was a bit wet and dreary when we arrived. I shot these exterior photos before the mansion tour, unsure that I would have another chance with sunnier skies after the tour.

Biltmore mansion third floor living hall
This was the common space used by special visitors who stayed in the guest accommodations located on the third floor.

Shelf cloud
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Biltmore mansion breakfast room
In spite of the breakfast room name, both breakfast and luncheon was served in this room. Portaits in this room include George Vanderbilt's grandfather, Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt (the founder of the family fortune), and his father, William Henry Vanderbilt.
The two smallest paintings in this photo (bottom of the trio of art to the right of the fireplace) are by Renoir: Young Algerian Girl and Child with an Orange.

Mystery Mine ride at Dollywood
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Sometimes I wish Sunpass transponders were available in black
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Nissan advertises the 2017 Versa with highway fuel economy of 39 MPG—real life never reaches perfect testing conditions, but this is quite impressive
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Back yard bear sighting at my sister-in-law’s home
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Ark Encounter
A splendid index explaining what "kind" actually means and how the Ark could accommodate what was necessary. (Note that the Bible states Noah brought two—or seven—of every "kind," not necessarily of every single "animal.")

My relocated workspace
It’s been a few months since I posted a photo of my workspace at the time of my relocation from Communication to the Service Center which showed my desk in a still-being-set-up state. Last week I finally finished making the new location my own space by getting my framed art and diploma on the surrounding walls (thanks for the help, Miguel).

Day 6
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.

Heyward Washington House
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Biltmore mansion pool
Though no longer holding water, the 70,000-gallon indoor pool was heated and still has its original underwater lighting. Call buttons located near the doors allowed swimmers to order refreshements or signal they were ready to leave and needed help changing.

Charleston architecture
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Ominous weather bearing down on Central Florida
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Sun, moon, and stars (okay, sun, moon, and planet, but somehow that doesn't sound as inspirational!)
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Charleston architecture
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
It feels like I've attained a certain official-ness by finally being able to ditch the temporary tag and install my custom license plate.

Our Tuesday afternoon tour of downtown Charleston began with a meetup at The Mills House hotel
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Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.

Centennial banners greeted incoming visitors
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Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.

Ark Encounter
Ventilation.

Info panel on how sugar was made at Spring Garden Plantation
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"Please do not bend" — (there was literally nothing but this piece of paper in the envelope!)
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Biltmore mansion music room
Poor exposure in this dark room, but it shows the Meissen porcelain figures of the 12 Apostles from the 1730s-1740s, created by Johann Joachim Kändler. And to the left of the figures is the "Triumphal Arch of Maximilian," an 18th-century woodcut print Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) commissioned from Albrecht Dürer and others about 1515.

Someone chose not to ride
This was hilarious. Adri not only had little interest in riding the more extreme Dollywood coasters, she totally owned her lack of desire. Aunt Lisa and Uncle Danny bought these shirts for the girls. Yes, Adri happily wears her "chicken" shirt.

I’m only mixing for rehearsals and not the actual performances, but it was fun to get back into this seat after such a long time
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Fire!
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Xmas door decor
I swear, this was my boss' idea, not mine! I only executed the production of it. (It might help to disclose that besides the print work I am largely responsible for, the Service Center also processes the building's incoming and outgoing mail.)

Ark Encounter
As we were leaving, the girls pointed out that throughout the museum, there were marks in the floor as if they had been scratched by animal claws. Fascinating detail!

I wore a new dress to church; "modest is hottest" LOL
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Scenery before tomorrow's storm
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Christmas at Epcot
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Visiting Peach World on the way home from S.C. was, shall we say, an experience
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Storm clouds swirled most all of the afternoon, but a fair portion of the afternoon avoided rain
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Biltmore mansion upper/exterior view of Winter Garden atrium
This view looks out from a window on the third floor above the master bedroom hallway.

Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
Washing was aided by a belt-driven barrel washer.

Geocaching First To Find
Collaborated with a seasoned player who placed a cache at my work property (with permission) enabling me to claim a coveted FTF.
If you’d like to hunt this cache, search for GC85N88.

A great anniversary day at Magic Kingdom
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Ark Encounter official photo stop—daytime angle version
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Looks like my home has a guardian—guess it’s a good thing I don’t really tune in the satellite channels all that much any more
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Biltmore mansion gymnasium
Rowing machine, parallel bars, Indian clubs, medicine balls, and needle bath shower massages.

It was a nice couple of hours at the beach, but then the clouds rolled in
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Charleston architecture
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
It's a relatively basic model, but includes a driver-side armrest (a requirement for my long-ago shoulder injury), USB and 3.5mm jacks which both carry audio, Bluetooth for phone calls and voice control (but not audio streaming), and two conveniently placed power ports—one under the dash and one between the seats which can be reached by the rear passengers.

Storm a-brewin'
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Home for the next seven days
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Biltmore mansion gun room
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Biggs house
One of Sweetwater's oldest still-standing homes, occupied by Sweetwater pioneers, Isabella Rankin and her husband, Alexander Biggs.

My wife is part of the choir during two services today at Florida Hospital Church—live stream beginning at 9:30am. http://hospitalchurch.org/sermons/watch-live/
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Biltmore mansion bowling alley
Automatic pinsetters didn't yet exist, so servants would set up the pins by hand and roll the balls back down the alley to the players.

Dubose Heyward House
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 3
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The apocalypse approacheth
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Luggage is Tetris'd into the van and we're ready to go
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach
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Plenty of photo-op locations
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Lunch with the family
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Ark Encounter
Twelve Stones Monument.

Biltmore mansion pool
Though no longer holding water, the 70,000-gallon indoor pool was heated and still has its original underwater lighting. Call buttons located near the doors allowed swimmers to order refreshements or signal they were ready to leave and needed help changing.

25-year recognition
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On duty all day since 7am to record the HR Summit hosted by my office
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Day 1
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.

Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 1.

Smyrna sky 360
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Ark Encounter
Inside looking at the bow.

2017 Nissan Versa SV
Very cool-looking accents in the form of chrome door handles.

Replica water wheel at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Rehearsal day at the Barnett ranch in Sweetwater, TN, for the Hunt's 50th anniversary party and vow renewal ceremony
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Biggs house
One of Sweetwater's oldest still-standing homes, occupied by Sweetwater pioneers, Isabella Rankin and her husband, Alexander Biggs.

Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.

My parents joined Lori and me for the trip
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Biltmore mansion—Edith Vanderbilt chamber
Purple and gold fabrics adorn Edith's Louis XV-style feminine retreat. Eighty years after the original fabrics were created, replacements woven by the same French company were installed during restoration of the room.

Famished after a long day at the mansion, we thorouthly enjoyed a late lunch at Cedric's Tavern—my sandwich was DEELISH
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Brother-in-law Danny Myers joined us for the hospital tour
Photo by Lori Bennett

Biltmore mansion rotisserie kitchen
A separate kitchen for roasted meat (venison, wild boar, and other game) was used to keep the smoke and grease out of the other kitchens.

So, a funny thing just happened…
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Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 3.

Always a treat to come here
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Tim Cook, Senior Vice President of Florida Hospital Apopka
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Anyone remember BitCam?
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Biltmore mansion library
George's collection ranges from American and English literature to history, religion, philosophy, art, and architecture.

The beach is devouring Mason
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Good night, Florida
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Ark Encounter
Creation vs. evolution.

Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Biltmore mansion kitchen pantry
Both electric and manual dumbwaiters raised trays of food to the butler's pantry and floors above.

Managed a shot of the eclipse through a coworker's pair of glasses—not a great shot, but it's mine
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The neighborhood park lost an enormous tree #HurricaneIrma
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Good night, Florida
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Good night, Florida—and good riddance, Dorian
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The neighborhood park is a mess #HurricaneIrma
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Enjoying a trip on Dollywood's vintage steam train—except for the tiny specks of soot!
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Dollywood's Harvey Water Clock
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Wow—my Nissan Versa’s average MPG has passed the 40 mark (it’s rated 39 highway)
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The moon was super-moony tonight!
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Biltmore mansion Winter Garden
The atrium area has a glass roof illuminating the center fountain sculpture, Boy Stealing Geese, by Karl Bitter which was installed just weeks before George Vanderbilt opened the house to his family on Christmas Eve, 1895.

2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Charleston architecture
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Sugar Mill Machinery
Description in prior photo.

Sugar Mill Machinery
Two examples of sugar cane crushing machinery from the mid-1800s are shown. Dunlawton Plantation used machinery similar to what is seen in the next photo, but the mill was steam powered. Spring Garden Plantation (here) was the only water-powered sugar mill in Florida.

Hello from Florida Camp Meeting
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Lots of activities—including face painting
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Ark Encounter
Welcome.

I offered to Facebook Live my brother’s wedding next weekend—my “compensation” is getting to keep the Glif mount and iRig Pre he bought that will make the broadcast much better (I just tested them and they work flawlessly)
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First time geocaching for my nephews
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Been a while since I've driven beneath a Hyperlapse-worthy sky
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Just found out (typo notwithstanding) a submission I made to this year’s Society of Adventist Communicators annual awards was chosen as a winner (hat tip to Alicia and Heidi for letting me know)
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Ark Encounter
Retrieving the dove with an olive branch.

Ark Encounter
This True History of the World board was a fascinating display. I kind of wish I had a print of it, which were available for sale, but I wasn't prepared to spend the money.

Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.

The requisite silly snapshot
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

The Exodus away from the beach
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Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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Biltmore mansion second floor living hall
The two large pantings on the far wall are of architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The left wall features a painting of the Cecil family, descendants of George Vanderbilt.

Wekiva River at Wilson’s Landing Park
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The view from the Biltmore mansion's main level tiled loggia
The patio has splendid views of Biltmore's Deer Park and Blue Ridge Mountains.

My wife and I labored on Labor Day, getting our garage straightened up sufficiently to bring the car inside for protection during Hurricane Dorian
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 3
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Crazy—nearly 400 kids registered for VBS at my church with more than 200 volunteer staff!
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We saw Chalmers Street…
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My office’s previous bulk cutter was 3-decade-old busted jawn and died a couple months ago—today, we had the new hotness delivered!
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 2
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Shelf cloud
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Thanksgiving family portrait
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Charleston architecture
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Biltmore mansion pool
Though no longer holding water, the 70,000-gallon indoor pool was heated and still has its original underwater lighting. Call buttons located near the doors allowed swimmers to order refreshements or signal they were ready to leave and needed help changing.

Biltmore Estate Gardens
Following an all-day Tuesday drive to Asheville, NC, where we met up with my parents, we spent Wednesday touring the Biltmore Estate, starting with the gardens which was featuring a temporary attraction, Biltmore Gardens Railway with miniature train sets.

Looking forward to this view every day this week—hopefully a few sunrises, too
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Sampling a few of Biltmore's wines
We ended up purchasing a bottle of dry rosé and Century™ Sweet Red which tastes amazing

Prepping my iced tea, I asked Meg to "hand me some yellow stuff" and this is what she gave me
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Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 2.

Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, final day
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The kids—deceptively calm
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Biltmore mansion entrance hall
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Charleston architecture
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Ark Encounter
Kitchen.

Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 6
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Dollywood's Harvey Water Clock
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Good night, Florida
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The Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Ark Encounter
Shem and Ar'yel.

Panorama of the approach walkway to Ark Encounter
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Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
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Sign shop: “Do you want that with or without typos?” / Customer: “Without.”
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Florida Hospital Voices of Legacy
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It’s been a long, busy weekend—I’m tired, but it’s been a wonderful Camp Meeting, and the last big meeting is over
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Fountain of Youth—lower portion
Description in prior photo.

2017 Nissan Versa SV
After having lost both the Pontiac Vibe and the Honda Accord to mechanical issues, I finally bit the bullet and, with my wife's blessing, purchased a 2017 Nissan Versa SV in April 2017.
I didn't initially set out to buy something brand new. In the process of seeking a car for me to replace the Accord and the borrowed Silverado, a number of used options as private sales came to my attention, but none quite seemed right. I eventually chose to talk to a childhood friend of mine who is co-owner of an Orlando-area Nissan dealership. Upon looking at a couple used vehicles in my price range, I was nearly ready to buy a brick red 2013 Versa. I slept on the decision and, the next morning, readjusted some budget numbers which resulted in my ability to increase what I could afford monthly. In doing so, the dealer came up with this brand-new 2017 Versa that was much better equipped than the used model. So, this makes my third-ever brand-new car (or only two that I've purchased—one of them was a lease).
Interesting footnote, it *technically* was not sold as a new car. From what I understand, it was previously sold, but never delivered. I'm not sure if that means the buyer didn't pick it up and reneged on the sale, or some other circumstance. Whatever the case, it had literally been "sold" once prior, thus had to be sold to me as a used vehicle, in spite of never truly having a previous owner and only 8 miles showing on the odometer!

Ark Encounter
Space utilization.

Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
George's grand walnut bed.

Vacation officially begins now!
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Super thrilled to once again have a respectable-looking front lawn, with massive props to my father-in-law, Dean, and his colleague, Dave for the install
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Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.

Ark Encounter
Feeding and removing waste for large animals.

Ark Encounter
Noah's prayer.

1,370 pieces printed, collated, stuffed, and stamped in 40 minutes—1.75 seconds per piece: not bad!
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Biltmore mansion salon
Edith Vanderbilt, George’s wife, had a love of drama throughout her life and often hosted masquerade parties and theatrical events in Biltmore House. After setting aside her plan to convert the Salon into an auditorium, Edith furnished the room as a Turkish Sitting Room, complete with Persian rugs, oversized cushions for guests to lounge on, and a draped fabric ceiling treatment that remains today.

I blinked, and the little girl I’ve known was suddenly a young woman
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Rock-painting craft at family camp
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(Pre)Rehearsal dinner at FlameStone for my brother’s wedding on Sunday
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Charleston architecture
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Good night, Florida
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Blue tungsten carbide
Don't worry, it's not a replacement. I still have my original. But, with my wife's blessing, I now have a colorful alternative wedding band. I don't impulse-buy things like this very often, but I found this beautiful ring at a Strawberry Festival vendor at an extremely attractive price.

Good morning, Florida
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall organ loft
A 1916 Skinner pipe organ looms over the banquet hall. A large motor for the fan providing air to the pipes is in the basement—photo is later in this album.

Biltmore mansion gymnasium
Rowing machine, parallel bars, Indian clubs, medicine balls, and needle bath shower massages.

Biltmore mansion library
A brightened panorama photo of this very dark room gives a view The Chariot of Aurora on the ceiling, originally painted for the Pisani Palace in Venice in the 1720s by Giovanni Pellegrini.

Biltmore mansion grand staircase
Inspired by the staircase at the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley, Biltmore’s grand staircase is a marvel of physics built using counterbalance. The weight of each of the solid limestone slab steps is offset by the weight of the wall bearing down.
There is a 1,700-pound electric light fixture suspended from the middle of the grand staircase. It hangs from a single bolt that runs through steel girders under the dome roof. The bolt has been replaced only once since the house was built. Wisely designed, the copper dome opens for easier access to the fixture.

Fast group photo of Florida Hospital Church choir prior to Candlelight Processional rehearsal
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I had set a goal of meeting my 500-calorie goal for 365 consecutive days—blew past it and hit 400 days yesterday, so I’m REALLY ready for a break!
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Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
In the background, a mirror in the bathroom doorway gives a glimpse of George's paw-footed bathtub.

The ancient Apple Cinema HD Display has been replaced by a Dell UltraSharp U2415 LED monitor—half as thick, much tinier bezel, and, at long last, adjustable height!
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Hey pastors—ever accidentally drop your wireless mic transmitter pack while standing in the baptistry?
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Family in the Biltmore Gardens greenhouses
It was wonderful that my parents could join us for this portion of our trip.

Picked up a geocache this morning—I hope its owner replaces the broken container soon
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Whopper of a storm raced me home to Apopka from the west as I approached from the east—the storm won
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Good night, Florida
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You might think the packets in this themed container are mustard, but you’d be wrong #Hellmans #Mayo #Mayonnaise #fail
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Operating room
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Charleston architecture
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I'm not quite sure how a metal box with no electronic parts can be "out of order"
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall
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The neighborhood park lost an enormous tree #HurricaneIrma
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Heyward Washington House
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 2
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The Barnett ranch is a beautiful property with scenic views
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall
I shot a panorama to show a full floor-to-ceiling view, but exposure often ends up yucky in panorama shots.

2017 Nissan Versa SV
Apologies for the somewhat blurry picture here. Didn't realize it wasn't sharp until after I set up this album.

Enjoying a trip on Dollywood's vintage steam train—except for the tiny specks of soot!
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The kids—sillier
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Good morning Mr. Hawk
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My 2017 Versa is averaging ½ mile per gallon higher than the maximum rated highway economy—way to go, Nissan!
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The "cake" was a creatively decorated cardboard stand for holding cupcakes
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Recovery room
Photo by Lori Bennett

Does a flock of turkeys in my back yard mean Thanksgiving comes early this year?
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LOTS of awesome BOGOs at Publix right now—love it!
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Based on available information, let's take a guess what time Lee will get away for lunch
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At last, proper storage/organization of all my iPad accessories and gadgets thanks to Skooba Design products—thanks mom/dad for the birthday gift!
I. LOVE. THIS. BAG.
After a good many years, I have retired the too-small Case Logic tote which carried my iPad in one sleeve and an absolute hodgepodge of gadgets in another pouch. I had previously bought Skooba Design's Cable Stable DLX (the green-lined organizer) thinking I could use it for my stuff and simply lay the iPad inside and close up, but it was too full to close.
When Skooba confirmed the DLX would fit inside the largest pouch in the V.3 Satchel Mini, I knew I'd found my solution. Most of my gadgets are organized in the DLX with a few larger ones in pockets located in the Satchel's smaller storage pouch (top of photo). Then the iPad slides easily into the third pouch normally designed for a small laptop. My 10.5" iPad Pro fits nicely and I suspect a full size iPad Pro would fit instead in the unlikely event I ever choose to upgrade to that size. Besides not having enough room for my gadgets in the old Case Logic tote, the 10.5" iPad Pro only barely fit, whereas it easily slides in and out of the V.3 Satchel Mini.

Charleston architecture
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Replica water wheel at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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It's been a very busy day
1,000 copies each of 10 Spanish-language Bible lessons, double-sided and folded in half, for a total of 20,000 impressions on 10,000 sheets of paper. WHEW!
Fortunately, these will last the evangelist a LONG time before I ever have to print more.
Oh, and for anyone who follows me on social media, lesson 2 of this batch is the one I was talking about a while ago that had two erroneous booger elements colored blue and causing the entire inside spread to want to copy in color instead of only B&W!

Day 5
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.

Biltmore mansion entrance hall
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Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber closet
None of the clothes displayed here were actually George's, but they are representative of the style of the day. Custom dictacted varying types of attire for different events, so George would often change clothes four to six times per day—a busy prospect for his valet. In George's time, it is generally understood this space was only used for hats and other accessories, with clothing stored elsewhere.

Ark Encounter
We're inside the door!

Biggs house
One of Sweetwater's oldest still-standing homes, occupied by Sweetwater pioneers, Isabella Rankin and her husband, Alexander Biggs.

After leaving FLA, Lori and I stopped for dinner and I shot this evening sky before walking into the restaurant
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I wonder if my coworkers will concur
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, final day
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Charleston alley
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
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Mystery Mine ride at Dollywood
Lori captured Lisa, Danny, Meg, and me on the the Dollywood Mystery Mine ride

Side view of a typical slave quarters (left) built behind a master's home in front (right)
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Good night, Florida
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Charleston architecture
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Sunday, the day after the anniversary party, our immediate family drove back to Pigeon Forge for a trip to Dollywood
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
The trunk is rather cavernous for such a small vehicle, and the rear seats fold down to allow even longer items to fit.

Happy Birthday, USA!
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Caricature time lapse
Clearing old/unneeded files from my computer and realized I never shared this time lapse of Meg and Adri's caricature drawing at 2018 Strawberry Festival.

Arriving at Ark Encounter
After lunch in Lexington, it was just a 40-50-minute drive to the attraction. (Yes, it was an extremely windy day!)

Pediatric section
Photo by Lori Bennett

So this happened today
A few insta-impressions:
(1) LOVE the size.
(2) When can I add Dark Sky to the middle and Fantastical to the top of the Infograph Modular face?
(3) Gonna miss Time Travel. I know people seldom used it but it was great for Dark Sky forecasts.
(4) Obviously I will wear it next time I’m swimming, but coming from a Series 0, I’m paranoid!
(5) Jury is still out whether I’ll keep Digital Crown haptics enabled.

Biltmore mansion vegetable pantry
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Biltmore mansion pre-tour
The sky was a bit wet and dreary when we arrived. I shot these exterior photos before the mansion tour, unsure that I would have another chance with sunnier skies after the tour.

Day 3
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.

If I fits, I sits
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Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.

I love relaxing piano “muisc” in the morning
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration—we had a yummy lunch at Hunter's Cafe
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Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.

I presume there was some sort of gas spill or leak (fire also?) at the intersection of highways 437 & 44—foam clumps flying around everywhere!
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Musicians for second song performance, "Healing Tower"
Terry Sampson, drums; and Kevin Sorensen, bass. Not pictured: Jason Salagubang, keyboard.

I know you guys think this is funny—looking like a turban—but would you please let me have the rest of the blanket?
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Biltmore mansion banquet hall
A seven-story high ceiling and Flemish tapestries from the 1500s was the scene of dinner parties and celebrations such as the annual Christmas party for Biltmore workers and their families.

Ark Encounter
Live animal exhibit.

Ark Encounter
Feeding and removing waste for small animals.

The energy of birthday sugar rushes cannot be clearly captured on camera
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Pre-fireworks sunset—good night and happy Independence Day, Florida
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Good morning, Florida (bonus points if you can find Venus in this photo)
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Sunscreen application #fail
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Rainbow Row
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VIP grand opening of the new Florida Hospital Apopka
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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Biltmore mansion oak sitting room
This paneled sitting area connected George and Edith's bedrooms. The room is where they usually shared breakfast and was where Edith planned the day with the head housekeeper.

Ark Encounter
Ark size and shape.

Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, final day
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Good morning from New Smyrna Beach, day 6
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Joe Kilsheimer, Mayor, City of Apopka
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Door cam belonging to a neighbor not far from my house caught an image of this guy about the same time I was walking out the house to the car to go to work this morning! 😱
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The ambiance inside the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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Finally spotted some dolphin at the beach (excuse the grainy, digitally enlarged/zoomed video)
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Without the Mac Pro sucking power, my UPS should provide LOTS of iPhone and iPad recharge cycles if we lose power
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Biltmore mansion master bedroom hallway
This hallway connects George and Edith's bedrooms along with the sitting room between the two bedrooms.

Reaching the first drop of Dollywood's Wild Eagle coaster
I'm unsure whether we are on the ride vehicle in this particular shot. In any case, this was an amazing coaster. Smooth and fun. There was surprisingly not a long ride, so after the four of us completed one pass, we looped around and got right back on again for a second ride. Lisa and I sat in the front, and we agreed—Best. Coaster. Ever!

Meg believes she can fly
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Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities
Washing was aided by a belt-driven barrel washer.

I clearly don’t live in a bear-free community, as evidenced by this guy hanging out in a retention ditch near my home
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Many gas street lanterns in downtown Charleston
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Ark Encounter
Feeding large animals.

Spectacular double rainbow over my home ahead of Hurricane Irma
I'm choosing to interpret this as God's way of telling me we're going to be okay through the storm.

Vacation Cross Connection
In planning our June 2019 vacation, it was fascinating to realize all our destinations collectively formed the shape of a cross.

Charleston architecture
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Moving day
I have officially transferred to a new department now that Communication has been deprecated. I'll tell more in a blog post next week. For now, I'm sharing a farewell image of my previous office and a glimpse at the early stages of setting up my new workspace.

Got to catch up with these guys on vacation from Texas and have a wonderful lunch and conversation
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Charleston architecture
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Biltmore mansion—Edith Vanderbilt chamber
Purple and gold fabrics adorn Edith's Louis XV-style feminine retreat. Eighty years after the original fabrics were created, replacements woven by the same French company were installed during restoration of the room.

Entrance to Biltmore Winery
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Biltmore mansion photo op
A spot in the Halloween room has cutouts of George and Edith from a popular photo of them on the main floor loggia.

Biltmore mansion dressing room
Plenty of space for changing into bathing costumes, adjacent to the indoor pool.

Ark Encounter
Food supplies.

Biltmore mansion Halloween room
Originally used for storage, the walls were painted over the course of several weeks by the Cecils, joined by family and friends, with this unusal theme for a New Year's Eve party in 1925—the year after George's daughter, Cornelia, married John Cecil, a British diplomat.

Lavender in Biltmore Gardens
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Say whaaaaaat‽
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Biltmore mansion laundry facilities drying room
Some of the damp laundry was dried indoors draped over rolling racks warmed by heating elements.

Biltmore mansion music room
This multi-shot stitched panoroama is better quality/exposure than the next photo, but doesn't show as much of the complete room.
This was a bare/unfinished room in George Vanderbilt's time. Before it was completed in 1976 by George's descendants, it was used during World War II as a secret storage location for valuable art from the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Florida spring afternoon
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Newly remodeled Altamonte Apple Store is SWEET
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Weekend video duty for 2018 Florida Pathfinder Red Zone
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Biltmore mansion detail
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Good night, Florida
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Obligatory departing SSE shot
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Ironwork by renowned blacksmith Philip Simmons
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Ark Encounter
Scale model.

We found a Fazoli's!
After our Biltmore trip, we headed to Lexington, KY, intending to reach our hotel before terribly late. Unfortunately a nasty storm slowed us down, even pulling off on an exit for a while, and we arrived in the early morning hours the next day. We had a much-needed sleep-in, and then had lunch at a nearby Fazoli's—a rare treat for us ever since the chain pulled out of Florida except for one store in Pensacola. My meal was essentially free due to a promotion they were running on the overhauled chicken parmesan entree where I just completed a short survey about it.

Three down, seven to go
Actually, this was progress two days prior to posting this photo, but I sort of forgot to post it. The photo shows the process of manually adding front and back covers to 500 sets of a 20-page booklet. So yes, that means earlier I ran 11,000 sheets through the copier—21,000 impressions since the inside pages were double sided.

ALL. DAY. LONG. TODAY.
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Biltmore mansion—George Vanderbilt chamber
Forgive this horrible grainy exposure of this heavily brightened photo of what I believe was the darkest room of the entire tour. But the panorama shows the entirety of George's master bedroom.

First time joining Lisa and Danny at the AHA Heart Walk
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I know—I put up a B&W version for the 7-day project, but I wanted to post the color version as well
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That feeling when you were doing oh so well with your hand lettering, until… 😖
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We nearly didn’t go to Epcot today—torrential rain around 8:30am that cleared up very quickly
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
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Time to update my prescription—went with a whole new look with my frames
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Biltmore mansion stone hallway
After descending through a narrow service stairwell below the grand staircase, this long hallway runs along the house's foundation toward the south side.

Hangin’ out on Orlando Wall Street Plaza’s Big Chair
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Family dinner with bonus of my parents and brother
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Lots of activities—including balloon artists
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The cotton candy station was extremely popular
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Biltmore mansion tapestry gallery
This space was used for tea and music (given that the music room was unfinished in George Vanderbilt's day). The huge Flemish tapestries adorning the walls are part of a 1530s set known as The Triumph of the Seven Virtues, representing Charity, Faith, and Prudence. Among the art displayed here is a painting of George above the library door.

Xander's vacation
First stop, Pet Paradise Resort where Xander spent the week while we traveled.

Y’all are just a bunch of turkeys!
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Biltmore mansion kitchen storage
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Good morning, Florida—time to get back to work
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Ironwork by renowned blacksmith Philip Simmons
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Turns out a colander does pretty well at showing eclipse shadows—pretty, too
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Good morning, Florida
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Biltmore mansion billiard room
This room in the bachelors' wing on the main level (although it did not deter female guests) featured custom oak billiard tables made in 1895. There is also a doorway disguised to look like part of the wall which allowed gentlemen to discreetly retire to the adjacent smoking room.

Good night, Florida
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Marvelous rainbow last night
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Rainbow Row
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Video clip of the closing portion of "Together"
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Finally reorganized the shelves for large-size paper stock to something a bit more logical and even created room to get yet-to-be-opened cases off the floor
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The next day we drove to Pigeon Forge and had lunch at Cheddar's with a few of the family members who would be attending the 50th anniversary party that weekend
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1850s-1870s sugar mill ruins
Description in photo two prior.

A tech glitch prevented video to the system on opening night, but it’s now been resolved and media is ready for Friday morning at Camp Meeting 2019
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Biltmore mansion bowling alley
The house featured one of the nation's first bowling alleys instealled in a private residence.

Old Methuselah
This cypress tree, which is more than 500 years old, got its name in the 1950s when the park was the Ponce de Leon Springs tourist attraction. The tree somehow survived in the early 1800s when cypress trees throughout Florida were cut for lumber.

Visiting historic downtown Sweetwater prior to the anniversary celebration
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iPad on a monopod—that's a new one for me
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Happiness is a freshly washed car
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Meeting Terry Benedict
Enjoyed a fabulous workshop day with special guest Terry Benedict, producer of Hacksaw Ridge and producer/director of The Conscientious Objector.

Ark Encounter
Panorama shot showing the opening between all decks—level 1.

Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Lori and Meg in the Candlelight Processional performance
Photo by Jeff Krause.

Biltmore mansion breakfast room
Grainy and poorly exposed, my panorama shot of this dark room gives a glimpse of the elaborately decorative ceiling.

Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Good night, Florida
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50,000 miles in just two years and 19 days—whew!
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The Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.

Views of Biltmore Gardens
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Biltmore mansion post-tour
The weather was much more pleasant when we exited the house after our tour, enabling me to capture a few nicer shots of the exterior.

Biltmore mansion official photo stop—Winter Garden version
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Replica water wheel at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms. This is one of the house's 43 bathrooms—a rarity in 1895 when many homes didn't have a single indoor bathroom.

Beautiful day for an outdoor lunch
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Biltmore mansion gun room
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…which is paved with discarded ballast stones from ships
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Day 4
7 days, 7 photos in black and white of your everyday life. No explanation. No people.
I was challenged by no one and I won't be challenging anyone. I just wanted to do this.

Parent orientation for our new high school freshman—wait, what? We have a freshman‽
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The kids—silliest
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Awww, poor guy must either be old/sick or hurt—found him on the sidewalk, wouldn’t move for nothing, and I didn’t know what to do :-(
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Biltmore mansion canning pantry
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For those who might ask, that’s a Blackmagic Design ATEM Production Studio 4K in the background of the previous photo
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Danny and Meg ready to ride Dollywood's Wild Eagle coaster
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Daryl Tol, President/CEO of Florida Hospital and Adventist Health System Central Division
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Church picnic at Wilson’s Landing Park
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Cooking pancakes and veggie sausage patties
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Good night, Florida
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The masses of performers make their way to the stage
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Lars Houmann, COO of Adventist Health System
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2017 Nissan Versa SV
The trunk is rather cavernous for such a small vehicle, and the rear seats fold down to allow even longer items to fit.

Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

My neighborhood sits high above three enormous, deep retention ditches—virtually zero flood risk #HurricaneIrma
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Biltmore mansion tapestry gallery
This space was used for tea and music (given that the music room was unfinished in George Vanderbilt's day). The huge Flemish tapestries adorning the walls are part of a 1530s set known as The Triumph of the Seven Virtues, representing Charity, Faith, and Prudence. Among the art displayed here is a painting of George above the library door.

Good night, Florida
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Biltmore mansion official photo stop
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Biltmore mansion—Edith Vanderbilt chamber
Purple and gold fabrics adorn Edith's Louis XV-style feminine retreat. Eighty years after the original fabrics were created, replacements woven by the same French company were installed during restoration of the room.

Silly nephew thinks he needs my glasses
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Current status
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My very yummy dinner at San Miguel Mexican Grill in Apopka
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Biltmore mansion guest accommodations
A scene from within the numerous guest rooms.

Biltmore mansion tiled loggia
Huge rear patio on the main level. It serves as an extension to the adjacent tapestry gallery when the French doors are opened.

Biltmore mansion official photo stop—garden version
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