Gleaning Facebook: Live Oak

Love those Live Oaks in Tallahassee draped in Spanish Moss. Melanie Collette Babb There is nothing grander than an old live oak tree. I have a framed photograph of the "Angel Oak Tree" located just outside of Charleston. It is said to be the largest living thing east of the Mississippi.
Larry Madden I arrived In Savannah just in time to start first grade. We lived in Savannah for ten years before moving back to Rome. I and my friends have climbed many of these trees from bottom to top and all the way out to the outer branches from side to side. We also showed the marshes and swamps no mercy, moving through them with caution, but not hesitating to go where ever we wanted.Great times make forever memories....

Michael Moody
Where are all it's cousins ?

Terrell Shaw
The Walmart/BassProShop/Costco developers saved this little island with its outstanding (literally and figuratively) tree. They did plant a few nursery oaks around the parking lots.

Gleaning Facebook: Thanksgiving in Tallahassee

We have had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day in Tallahassee with family!

L-R: Lillian Shaw, Terrell Shaw, Suzan Redmon, Jimmy Matthews, Sheila Shaw, Vada Drewek, Nora Matthews, Sally Matthews, Brileigh, Maggie Mae Quatrain, Charlie Ann Bullington

 Comment:

Beth Shaw

I'm so glad you had a great Thanksgiving with your family. But we missed y'all here. I guess we have to share, right? Glad you had a good day!

Gleaning Facebook: Burwell Today

The beauty of the natural world never gives up - it goes on about it's business of making the world a better place, no matter what we do to it.

I refuse to "like" this one! Chinese privet is about my least favorite plant. It has replaced acres of natives along the Oostanaula. Its only redeeming feature is its attraction to the little feathered dinosaurs that flit through it eating those black berries --- but then the birdies even join the privet conspiracy to replace every native species with privet by planting and fertilizing the seeds simultaneously all over creation!

Stacey Cates: Here's the same path when dry.

This is one of the pathways through the forest that is dry when there's not so much rain (see pic in comments below). My shoes and bottom of my jeans got kinda muddy in just one squishy area right after walking under the Riverside Drive bridge, but after that there was plenty of dry land to walk on. Just the lower places in the forest were filled with water.

Susan Renee: "blighted" land... looks beautiful to me!

 

Gleaning Facebook: Refugees

 I have many friends who disagree strongly about the issue of our very modest acceptance of a mere 10,000 refugees from Syria. Our refugee program has been very careful and these mostly women and children have been carefully vetted. Many, many more have applied than have been accepted.

Is it perfect? Of course it cannot be: it is run by human beings. But it is the right thing to help these people, for their sake, and for the message our help gives to the world: we will not be terrorized.

A stated goal of the terrorists is to push non-Muslims to react cruelly and fearfully toward, not just terrorists, but all Muslims, which in turn will push more Muslims toward the extremists. That is fact.

I love my family and friends who are pushing for ending acceptance of refugees, I have no doubt of their good intentions or sincerity, but they are wrong, and I am convinced to my toes: Those who react to terror as many have, including most Republican governors and presidential candidates, are unwitting allies of ISIS when they allow themselves to be terrorized into forsaking these refugees.

Gleaning Facebook: Post about Refugees Triggers Responses

I have many friends who disagree strongly about the issue of our very modest acceptance of a mere 10,000. Our refugee program has been very careful and these mostly women and children have been carefully vetted. Many, many more have applied than have been accepted.

Is it perfect? Of course it cannot be: it is run by human beings. But it is the right thing to help these people, for their sake, and for the message our help gives to the world: we will not be terrorized.

A stated goal of the terrorists is to push non-Muslims to react cruelly and fearfully toward, not just terrorists, but all Muslims, which in turn will push more Muslims toward the extremists. That is fact.

I love my family and friends who are pushing for ending acceptance of refugees, I have no doubt of their good intentions or sincerity, but they are wrong, and I am convinced to my toes: Those who react to terror as many have, including most Republican governors and presidential candidates, are unwitting allies of ISIS when they allow themselves to be terrorized into forsaking these refugees.

This post on Facebook got 51 comments:

Terri Morgan

I am always amazed at how many clowns actually came pouring forth from that clown car. Smh.

Claudia Kennedy

If only this Clown Show were entertaining. How many times can you watch a train wreck in progress? Trump doesn't care a damn about anything but being talked about. Good or bad, it doesn't seem to matter. He has so many friends in the Gulf area, why doesn't he get them to chip in to house some folks in the Dubai high-rises he owns? He is a buffoon.

Victoria Stanz Abernathy

Sadder is that we always tend to be on the side of fear and ignorance as witnesses our past.

Michael J. Sarver

First of all where are you getting your indisputable information in regards to the age, gender and vetting of these refugees? I suspect your buying into what Mr. Obama says and all the advisors around him say otherwise so I'm reluctant to accept your or his opinion.

And the exact same thing can be said of you and your supporters sir..."unwitting allies of isis".....https://www.facebook.com/john.../videos/10153055728726682/

Terrell Shaw

Michael, yes, the figures I have come from the government that we the people have elected. Of course there is no such thing as "indisputable information" as you and I have demonstrated many times. I have just posted some info from an immigration attorney. So go read it and I'm sure it too will be much disputed. I suspect he is about right.

Jackie D. Huether

I'm not against refugees. My dad came over here during WWII. You can do a background check on an American doesn't mean he's not going to turn into another unibomber. Your talking about accepting a people no matter their religion into this country that are taught to hate us from day one just about it. We have Americans that are trying to join Isis every day. But you can not no matter their age or sex say they are safe 100%. Just the other day one of the bombers was a woman. Yes it's a chance we take but not coincidence that were now accepting them after the Paris attacks. But I am on the side we have to help ourselves to. You have open door homes with children in them shelters with homeless some by choice. But that is left up to the local governments to fix. We have so many problems of our own I don't see us fixing theirs. They will have to fix theirs, we can not. Not even by helping out those sent here. Remember Castro was sending us refugees so many wanted to help but he was allowing a lot of criminals in there to.

Joshua Villines

"Your talking about accepting a people no matter their religion into this country that are taught to hate us from day one just about it. We have Americans that are trying to join Isis every day. "

I'm not sure I understand your, conflicting, points here.

Yes, we accept people regardless of their religion. That's part of what it means to be a secular nation founded on the principle of freedom of religion. That's beyond debate.

"taught to hate us from day one..." - That's great rhetoric, but nonsensical. If the tiny number of Syrians trying to seek refuge in the US hated us, they wouldn't be trying to live here (unless you genuinely believe that every single one of them is a disingenuous terrorist). You might be surprised to learn that many Muslims in Middle Eastern countries go long stretches of time without even thinking about the US. Many others spend their free time watching US TV shows and consuming other forms of American media.

And, if we have Americans - who presumably did not grow up in religions that taught them to hate us from day one - joining ISIS every day, then that significantly undercuts your point that we should be hesitant to accept Syrian Muslims.

Jackie D. Huether

Your right a lot of them don't thin about us. No more than we do them thru our everyday lives. What I'm saying is can you 100% say that the ones coming over here are those. What happened they shot up Paris what did we do opened our doors, but who did we open our doors to. The folks that go there just people or the folks that were taught to hate us. And as for the ones here that are trying to join Isis its not conflicting it's basically pointing out even people here are a danger where does the line get drawn. Sure I'm not up on everything across the seas. Do they keep up with there people like the US keeps up with us. I listened to a man tonight that has been over there within the last week. You now who most of the refugees are that have gotten into Germany. 82% male population ages between 15 and 52. So that only leaves 18% supposedly old men women and children. When my dads family came here they started working a farm making money bettering there life. My grandparents took the citizenship classes to become Americans. How many Germans did I don't now. How many Muslims will do you know.

Joshua Villines

I know a significant number of Muslims, one of the many benefits of living in Atlanta and of teaching World Religions, and of many years in the Army and Contract Intelligence communities.

Even the very conservative Cato Institute draws the line very differently from you, noting that the Syrian refugees into the United States pose "no significant" threat.

Jackie D. Huether

But you nor they can 100% guarantee it. Notice you said they pose NO SIGNIFICANT THREAT. Not that they pose no threat. It's simple they are human same as you and I. The man driving next to you tomorrow may pose no significant threat to you or I. But that does not mean he's not.

Joshua Villines

I'm confused. Are you saying that you do support letting in the refugees, because they are human just like we are and pose no more threat than any stranger we meet driving on the road? If so, I agree with you.

Jackie D. Huether

I said the first time I don't care if we have refugees. Unless your full blooded American Indian we all are. I'm saying don't do it blindly, but y'all act is if there is no malicious will in there. You might as well walk in front of that driver.

Jackie D. Huether

No inconsistencies I basically said we were allowing people to come in that were possibly terrorist. And said there's no way of telling them apart no more than u could tell the home grown ones here that are either against the government or trying to join Isis. Or any other sect. To many people saying its old people and children when it's not the truth.

Jackie D. Huether

And the Deer I drove by on the way home was no significant threat either. That was because he was on the side of the road and not in front of my car. Lol

Terrell Shaw

Jackie no one has suggested blindly admitting refugees. Less than one in ten Syrian refugees approved by the UN and recommended to the US are subsequently approved by the US. It is factually incorrect to characterize our acceptance of VERY modest numbers of Syrian refugees as careless. Please be careful not to conflate Syrian refugees from ISIL & Assad with immigrants in general. Those are different issues.

Jackie D. Huether

But still you can't say that all Syrian refugees are 100% safe. No one can guarantee that we or any other country are not allowing terrorist In with the refugees. It's a valid point. And to me it is blindly doing it if you say there are no terrorist among them. We tightened our security into the US. They attack Paris what do we do we allow more refugees into the country faster and more quickly then before. And they can go he or she is alright all they want but it is still human judgement in the end.

Terrell Shaw

Neither can I assure you that the next plane that lands in Atlanta from outside the US (or inside for that matter) does not hold a terrorist. Though my example is much more likely.

If you insist on 100% security then you must give up America as we know it in response to the terrorists. I will not do that.

Terrell Shaw

Jackie, you are frightened. That is normal and to be expected. But we must not allow our natural fear to overrule our principles. Whenever we have done that we have eventually been ashamed of it.

Jackie D. Huether

I'm not ashamed, frightened or afraid. I refuse to be bullied and shamed because I believe there is a threat there.

Terrell Shaw

It is your reaction to the threat that I object to.

Terrell Shaw

And I contend that "you" (those who want to give a cold shoulder to legitimate refugees) are being "bullied" by the terrorists.

Jackie D. Huether

True legitimate refugees. But not terrorists who are riding the tails of that wind into the US.

Jackie D. Huether

And it's not a reaction.

Terrell Shaw

That "wind" is a tiny minority of those fleeing ISIL. A tiny minority of those approved for US placement by the UN. A tiny message to the world that the US will do a little and encouraging others to help. If we refuse even this tiny help, how can we ask the rest of the world to help?

Jackie D. Huether

I'm not saying not help nor have I in any of my comments. I'm saying the possibility is there. That tiny wind you talk about can grow into a mighty big storm. Help the folks but do it with the knowledge that there is always a danger to doing so.

Terrell Shaw

If this is your stance: 

"Help the folks but do it with the knowledge that there is always a danger to doing so."

Then you are in perfect agreement with me and the President on this issue. 

Jackie D. Huether

No I'm not because y'all were saying there was no danger. Definitely do not agree with the president.

Jackie D. Huether

Truth is we allow refugees in by the thousands every year. From every country. But this infuse of refugees was done by a terror attack.

Terrell Shaw

I don't understand?

Jackie D. Huether

We tightened our borders up. We started screening people harder. So did other countries. Not just from the iSIS threat, but terrorism in general. How do you get into a country that is shutting its doors, you cause panic and an inflow of refugees. Which like I said you nor I nor the government can 100% guarantee that there not allowing terrorist movements into the us.

Natalie A. A. Thiele

"Half of the Syrian refugees brought to the U.S. so far have been children; a quarter [1] are adults over 60. And I think you will have heard that only 2 percent are single males of combat age. So we – there’s slightly more – it’s roughly 50/50 men and women, slightly more men I would say, but not – not a lot more men. So this is normal that as you’re – as we set a priority of bringing the most vulnerable people, we’re going to have female-headed households with a lot of children, and we’re going to have extended families that are maybe missing the person who used to be the top breadwinner but have several generations – grandparents, a widowed mother, and children." 

This is from a briefing on refugee screening and admissions from the U.S. Dept. of State 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/11/249613.htm

[ETA the link has a footnote for the bracketed 1 that corrects the number of adults over 60 to 2.5%]

Background Briefing on Refugee Screening and Admissions

Jackie D. Huether

Well time will tell, but at who's families cost. Hopefully no ones.

Susan Barnes Babb

Jordan and I talked about this just this morning and I told him that he should read your posts about the refugees. May not agree with all your political viewpoints, but on this, I am 100% with you! (So is Jordan.) This isn't politics, this us humanity.

Lynne Kelly Loveless

My issue had been that we have homeless children and veterans

Terrell Shaw

Yes. And the very folks (GOP) who are all for cutting programs for the poor and even vets are also the ones who want to stiff-arm helpless refugees from the very folks who are trying to terrorize us.

Lynne Kelly Loveless

I think our congress should take pay cuts. They seem to think no one else needs a pay increase. I feel we need to take care of homeless children and veterans before we take anyone else into the country. This is meant as a respectful comments. I am not sayong someone else is wrong in their opinion.

Terrell Shaw

I always try to assume my friends are posting honestly, Lynne.  I, of course, think you are wrong, but I also assume you are honest and have a right to your opinion.

We should do much more for our vets and we should work toward less extreme inequality in America. We should ALSO do our part in easing the refugee crisis among Syrians.

Lynne Kelly Loveless

I think we can respect each other's opinions. We don't have always agree to be respectful to each other my friend.  we all have opinions.

Ruth Baird Shaw

Being" terrorized" and using common sense are two different things. We have been and are doing our part and more in easing the refugee crisis.

Terrell Shaw

But the GOP presidential candidates and governors want us to stop doing that.

Don Henderson

Evil is in the heart and mind of man, not on paperwork.

Betty Smith Franklin

You have friends who agree with you. The Bible is pretty clear on refugees.

Don Henderson

Except, these "leaders" want us to be a Christian nation, minus the values.

Joshua Villines

That's my point, exactly:

http://blog.villines.com/.../the-gop-and-the-destruction.../

Don Henderson

It doesn't affect me, all religions are just fairy tales to me, created by Neolithic man who didn't have scientific reasoning.

Paula Graves

I find it interesting that the United States has accepted around 750,000 refugees since 2001 and not one person has had a problem. No one has said a thing about the homeless or vets until last week. If ISIS was going to "slip in" and cause havoc, they are doing a terrible job.

Michael J. Sarver

This refugee crisis is one of the reasons why we have the United Nations. Safe havens can be created and assistance provided in Syria for these folks to rebuild their lives in their own country. Please watch the video I posted earlier for a better understanding of the bigger picture.

Joyce Mink

Refugees are part of the widows and orphans Jesus admonished us to care for

Gleaning Facebook: A Dark and Stormy Night

Don't miss it!

Bring a pot luck dish.

If you want, also bring a

pot luck story!

Free admission!

We are meeting at Trinity Methodist, 606 Turner McCall in Rome. Y'all come on!

This is grown-up storytelling but appropriate for the whole family ... but very young children (seven and under) may get squirmy.

 

Gleaning Facebook: Clocktower Cup

 Sheila and I have at least a couple of these cups and have used them for souvenir gifts for our guests sometimes. The artwork is by our friend Debbie Brown.  They are available at the visitor's center gift shop.

Gleaning Facebook: Leslie Knope's Letter to Noah Lepp

My friends who enjoyed Bil Lepp at last spring's Big Fibbers Festival will get a kick out of this letter to his son Noah. Noah has just become an Eagle Scout. Be sure to read to the very end, but no looking ahead! Lillian Shaw, a Parks & Rec fan, will enjoy the letter, I'll bet. I post it here to preserve a chuckle for future need.

 

Gleaning Facebook: The Tempest Tossed

Two of my Facebook friends posted about refugees today:

-------------------

From Andy McCullough:

This xenophobic response of many Americans towards is maddening. Actually it saddens me more than makes me angry. We are repeating the sins of our fathers.

If I'm a terrorist and I wanted to come to US to enact harm, I wouldn't choose to go the route of living for years in refugee camps to be thoroughly screened with a slim to none chance of ever making it out of the camp. I could come here as a tourist or under a student visa far more easily. Turning our back on poor refugees - many of whom are widows and orphans - does not make us more safe; it makes us more vulnerable because it backs up the false narrative that we are callous and self-centered. We are becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Yes ISIL is evil. I support a multinational response to bringing justice. I grieve for those affected by terror in Lebanon and Paris. But we must not embrace fear and hate. We should not enact hate on all Muslims.

Even if there is a risk involved in welcoming refugees, I'd rather take it. If we become martyrs for doing what is just and right then so be it. I will not let terror win. As a follower of Jesus, I truly believe that he said 'when I was a stranger (Greek word - Xenos) you welcomed me" (and parenthetically when I was a stranger you didn't welcome me). He said there were consequences to how we respond to the least of these. If I want to be his disciple I am called to obey his commands: to 'love my neighbor as myself', 'love my enemies', 'visit widows and orphans in their distress' & 'welcome strangers'.

Let's roll!

----------------------------- 

From Amber Clark Ware

I find it more than a little ironic that many of the people I have seen posting in opposition to our country allowing refugees from Syria have also posted pictures of The Statue of Liberty as a way to show their support for Paris. Stop and let that sink in a moment.

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

("The New Colossus" is a sonnet written by Emma Lazarus; it is engraved on a bronze plaque which is mounted in the lower level of the Statue of Liberty.) 

Gleaning Facebook: Burwell Poll

After a week online the folks who want to destroy our 80 acres of park land (wetland, floodplain, mature-forest, and duck-pond) managed to build up to 12% — the highest percentage I’ve seen for them. Now this is not a scientific poll, but when considered with the 71% victory of Craig McDaniel and the 62% victory of Sundai Stevenson over entrenched incumbents Milton Slack, Bill Collins, and Evie McNiece (51% each) and no-confidence votes of 43% and 41% for incumbents Bill Irmscher and Buzz Wachsteter in the City Commission election, in is crystal clear that the people of Rome do NOT want their park land sold to private developers. I think 85% is pretty close to the actual majority our side has on this issue. Mayor Jamie Doss, and the rest of our commission have been given a mandate to preserve this wonderful natural heritage for our children and grandchildren.

It is time for us to hear from them about what they intend to do in response to the wishes of the people. 

Gleaning Facebook: Terror in Paris

I call on all Americans to put aside all partisanship and stand shoulder to shoulder with our President and our Congress, and all decent Americans in solidarity with our French allies in the face of the obscenity of terrorism today. We must refuse to be terrorized. Of course we will be careful. Of course we will work toward sensible security improvements. But we will not bow to the terrorists. We will not give up our principles of liberty, equality, and brotherhood.

Vive la France!

From President Obama:

 "This is an attack not just on Paris, it’s an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share. We stand prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance that the government and the people of France need to respond. France is our oldest ally. The French people have stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States time and again. And we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism. Paris itself represents the timeless values of human progress. Those who think that they can terrorize the people of France or the values that they stand for are wrong. The American people draw strength from the French people’s commitment to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberté and égalité and fraternité are not only values that the French people care so deeply about, but they are values that we share. And those values are going to endure far beyond any act of terrorism or the hateful vision of those who perpetrated the crimes this evening. We’re going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and with nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice, and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people." —President Obama on the attacks in Paris

Gleaning Facebook: Tellabration 2015

Please share this far and wide! Let's get a ggod crowd. Last year we had about 100 folks. Let's get even more! And think about whether you can share a five-minute story. The only requirement? It must include the sentence "It was a dark and stormy night" Ala Snoopy! How about it...

 Joan Shaw Turrentine

Does it have to be an original story, or can one tell a published story (appropriately acreddited, of course)?

Terrell Shaw

It can be a traditional or published story with permission/attribution and some effort at 'making it your own'.

Gleaning Facebook: What Are Your Dreams For Burwell Forest and Wetland?

I will get to wander the beautiful heart of our Central Park again tomorrow and Sunday morning with videographers. If we can save it for our children and grandchildren, this beautiful property can be a showcase for visitors and homefolk for generations. It will, in fact, be a much greater economic boon for our comunity as a park than it could ever be, in my opinion, as just another typical strip mall.

What are your dreams for this place?

Short term -- next two or three years, maybe? Privately financed through individuals, civic clubs, hunting/fishing groups, Scout projects, grants, & donations.

• Trails, trails, trails, around and through from Jackson Hill to Ridge Ferry

• Boardwalks into the wetland

• Wildlife observation platforms, just above water level, but also elevated ones.

• Restored "Duck Pond" with manicured margins, flower beds, picnic tables and a gazebo in its center.

Longer term --

• small drive with environmentally friendly small parking areas near the tracks, and near the "Duck Pond".

• picnic area near the tracks

• camping area near the tracks & creek

• meandering nature trail to encircle the property -- with numbered bollards keyed to small guidebook available at the ECO Center.

Longest term for the present Public Works area --

• Arts Center?

• Enlarged ECO Center (check out the Gwinnett county cenetr: https://gwinnettehc.org/

• A planetarium to serve Floyd County & Rome City schools

• A history center to integrate the efforts of the history museum/ Chieftains and other local history efforts.

More?

From Save Rome's Central Park:

If you want to walk around the Burwell Creek property, you can enter it from any side, but one of the popular options is to go the same route as is shown in our "Tour of Burwell Creek Natural Area" photo album in the Photos > Albums section of this page. You can walk under the Riverside Pkwy bridge that's over Burwell Creek to get to the property. You can park in the parking lot that is connected to the shopping center that includes Las Palmas. The parking lot section is the one closest to Ridge Ferry Park and is next to Burwell Creek. Follow the creek toward the Riverside Pkwy bridge. You'll walk into some tall grasses right before you go under the bridge - look for the trail through the grasses. After you go under the bridge, you'll see the wetlands on the right, and on the left will be the trails and open spaces. ... Can anyone post below some other popular ways to enter the property?