Category: Southern Pines

The Myeloma Twins

During the time I was in treatment, I coordinated my doctor visits and chemo with another myeloma patient who lives about 25 miles from here.  We traveled to Chapel Hill appointments together and, when we were told the only treatment left to us was a stem cell transplant, we had ours together through The Duke Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant (ABMT) Program in Durham, NC.  We even had apartments next door to one another!

One of our doctors started calling us the “myeloma twins.”

I’m really glad to have just gotten the news that Joyce is moving to Pinehurst, which borders on Southern Pines (where I live)!  She’ll only be a few miles away, so we’ll get to see each other more often.

Yay!

New customer

Equine Fencing Southern Pines, NCI’ve been working with a new customer, Brad Charles, to construct a web site.  I have to say that I don’t think I’ve met such a nice person in a long, long time.  I want to give hm a little plug here!  If you’re in the Southern Pines area and need equine (horse) fencing, please give him a call!

Equine Fencing, Southern Pines, NC

910-692-8276
910-690-7000

Spring is definitely here!

According to the Ohio State University Extension fact sheet on wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), it’s a member of the pea family!  I think wisteria is a beautiful plant, but many here in NC think it’s a monster, because it devours its host.  Around here, you see it everywhere, growing on any tree or structure it can find.  I found this vine on some trees behind our office.
Wisteria in Southern Pines

Another sure sign of spring (aside from the haze of yellow pine pollen currently engulfing us), are the blossoming of azaleas.  These are in front of my house.

Southern Pines azaleas

It feels like winter’s over

Buddy at Martin Park Southern PinesBuddy and I went to Martin Park in Southern Pines yesterday for a walk. He really had a great time, as you can see.  Today is warmer and sunnier! I’ve been doing some chores in the house, but every chance I get, I’m going outside to soak up some sun.  the forecast for the upcoming week indicates high temperatures in the 60s and even 70!  The lows are creeping up too, with night time temperatures in the 40s and 50s.  My favorite time of year is approaching.  I predict that I’ll be getting the pool ready pretty soon.

If you’re looking for an interesting movie to see, get The Informant!

North Carolina spider identification

Does anyone recognize this spider?  It was on my back yard fence last weekend.

Sept. 29, 2009:  I found out that this is a Silver-backed Argiope.

Is it even a spider?  In the photo (from my phone), I can’t distinguish 8 legs.

Shiny North Carolina Spider

One spider I found in my front yard is a black widow, I’m pretty sure.  I didn’t handle it. I captured it in a jar and then let it go in some woods.

North Carolina Black Widow Spider

Cell phone cameras are really handy, but the image quality isn’t so great.

Southern Pines North Carolina spiders

It looks like an ant, but it’s a wasp

Red Velvet Ant Dasymutilla magnifica

This is a Red Velvet Ant (Dasymutilla magnifica) that was wandering around in the yard.  They’re actually not ants though.  They’re wasps! When I got back in the house, I googled “read and black wingless ant” to find out what she was. What I found out is that they have a painful sting and are pretty tough creatures.  They’re also known as “Cow Killers.”  They’re not actually capable of killing cows though, so no need for dairy farmers to be hyper-vigilant.