IN MEMORY of DENNY

My husband's only sibling, died suddenly Wednesday evening.  He had been fighting colon cancer the past two years.  His chemo treatments had been suspended about three weeks ago because it wasn't helping, but this past Monday the oncologist started him on a new medication just approved by the FDA.  The doctor seemed to think this would stop the cancer.  Only three days into the new treatment he lost his battle.  To say we are shocked and sad is an understatement.

His daughter talked with him Wednesday evening, he seemed to be fine, in good spirits and there was no indication of any problems.  Thursday she tried to call him all day long.  Finally, late Thursday afternoon she called one of his neighbors, asked them to see if they could get him to the door.  They could not.  They had a key to his condo, so they entered.  He was on the floor in his bedroom, in his pajamas.  It appeared he had been there for a while.  We suspect he died Wednesday evening.  We are thankful he did not linger for day, weeks or months, was not in the hospital or in hospice, he was in his own home all the days of his life. 

He was known as Denny, until he married, then it was Ken.  He was Kenneth Dennard, Jr.  (I'll omit the last name for obvious reasons.)  He was born in 1936 in East Point, Georgia.  He was seven years and seven days older that his little brother, my husband.  He was the studious type, always reading, into electronics and gadgets, a real indoors person, quiet and reserved, just the opposite of his brother, who is an outdoor person, always moving and working, a people person.  They didn't look alike, Denny had dark brown hair, brown eyes and very fair complexion, from lack of exposure to the sunshine.  His little brother has blonde hair (well was, it's gray now), blue eyes and fair, but obviously has been exposed to the sunshine.

They were so funny, like two old women, talked to each other every single day, constantly comparing ailments, talking electronics and theater equipment, whether or not to purchase a new vehicle,  about things that happened when they were growing up and life in general, his routine of eating out and grocery shopping at Kroger on Wednesdays, because that was senior citizens day.  They were a hoot.  My husband was constantly trying to talk his brother into flying to Virginia to visit Colonial Williamsburg.  Denny wouldn't fly.  Last year he talked him into going to Florida to visit their cousin only because we drove.  We are so glad we made that trip.

Needless to say, we are heartbroken and sad.  Denny will be greatly missed.  We must not grieve too much, he is with the Lord and his beloved wife, who lost her battle with breast cancer about ten years ago.  We know if he had a choice of returning whole and healed he would not.  He is finally home.   

We love you Denny.

   

HUNGER GAMES II

Beautiful walking trails

We walk five days a week at the International Park, which was the venue for the Volleyball event during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.  It is a really nice place, however, the place has been invaded...by the movie industry.

 We have been watching the progress of all the construction that has been happening.  It started when they drained the swimming lake just after Labor Day.  Then a group of workers came in and took all the railing off the swimming dock, and started construction on something that looks like...I don't even know how to describe what they have constructed.  It's just weird looking.

A ReDUCKulous situation!

At first, we were allowed to walk our normal route, which was from the front gate, a mile along the walking path, across a huge parking lot around the back side of the swimming lake and then across another parking lot around by the sales office, back across the dam between the fishing lake and the swimming lake then back to the front gate.  But now, about half of our walking route is blocked off and barricades have been put in place and tarps put up so you can see the movie set.  It's just reduckulous.  You would think the Queen is the star of this movie. 

 Now, there are Hertz rent-a-cops posted at various locations to keep people from doing I don't know what, and they have added county police as well.  Since they have altered our walking route we are forced to walk from the front gate, across the dam between the fishing and swimming lakes to the side gate entrance, make a U-turn and back to the front gate.  They have erected these awful green tarps on poles to keep people from seeing the movie set.  Who cares what they are doing.  At one point in the tarps there is a place you can peep through to see what is happening in the lake where all the filming is going to occur.  The other morning we peeked to see what was happening and the police blew his fog horn at us.  Can you believe that?!  

Barrels before putting up major barricades

Beginning construction of the main set

When the construction first started we asked the workers what was going on and they freely told us they were going to be filming part of "Hunger Games II" out in the lake.  We asked one of the employees at the park and she wouldn't tell us because it was a BIG secret.  We finally told her we already knew.  We had never heard of the movie "Hunger Games", so Hubby Googled it and discovered the first movie grossed $364 million.

The sad part, our county is only making $80,000 for the use of the facility, not to mention the cost of all those Hertz rent-a-cops and the county police that are over there 24/7 with the engines on their vehicles running 24/7.  How much is that costing the taxpayers of our county?

Needless to say, we will be glad when the movie people have vacated the park and we can return to our normal route of our daily walk.  

We think they are going to put blinders on all the geese so they can't see what's happening on the movie set as they fly over on their way to the fishing lake.     

Tarps to keep eyes off the movie set

Movie set just before putting back in the lake

This is the area where you can peep through the tarps

A couple of weeks ago when we had high winds from Hurricane Sandy the wind blew some of the fencing over because the tarps were like great sails on a ship, except the fence moved.  Probably another expense for the taxpayers. 

I think I'll take my camera tomorrow to see if the police honks his horn at me again.

Scroll on down to see all the photos.    

I think they are on their way to be fitted for the blinders.