ThinkOfDave

Halfway to Heaven. Mornings like this—coffee in hand, crisp fall air, the southern Blue Ridge stretching out before me—remind me how grateful I am to have quit drinking 20 years ago. I wouldn’t be here to savor this if I hadn’t made that change.

Really enjoying following this project—especially how open you’ve been about everything, tradeoffs, and what’s actually working vs. what’s not. That kind of transparency is rare, and incredibly helpful for a lot of people. I’d love to hear what you have planned for the space between the cabins and the tree line. We ran into the same challenge after buying our place about 18 months ago—beautiful long-range views, but everything below the deck was overgrown. Vista pruning and mulching made a big difference, but that in-between area is still a bit of a no-man’s land… not very attractive, and not suited for grass. Looking forward to seeing how you tackle it.

Quick view of the progress of the retreat center. (Sound on for my overview)

The world needs more parents like her. To the people who feel otherwise- I wish there were a way for you to walk in her shoes (without actually having to suffer the pain of living with an addicted son/daughter).

@pestctrlguy You could get your money’s worth—if you edit that review at all (even a single space), it’ll jump right back to the top.

I called a company on 3/20 to get my yard aerated. They said it’s usually $125 but in March there’s an early bird special for $118.50. I said cool and they came out a few days later. The bill just comes in through the mail and I notice it’s for the full $125. I ask about the discount and they say the discount is only applied if the payment is made in March regardless of when they performed the service. It’s literally a $6.50 difference but it pissed me off. What a wild way to run a business. Helps me streamline our office policies and make sure we are getting bad reviews over $6.50

@SandLot84 If that had been one of our kids (well, grandkids now!), my wife would have quickly baked a cake and we would have hand delivered it with genuine word of thanks & praise. The world has changed in many ways since I was a kid; not all for the better.

Earlier today, two boys I didn’t know (roughly 12-13 years old) knocked on my front door. My house is about 200 yards off the road, so outside of deliveries we don’t see much front door action here. I answered, and one of the boys was bleeding from scrapes on hands, elbows and knees from falling off his bike. They asked if I had bandaids. Brought them inside, got them water, stuff to clean wounds, and patched him up. Offered to call his parents, drive them home, etc. They declined, thanked me and left. A few hours later, dad is banging on my door asking why I thought it was ok to let a child I didn’t know into my home. Motherfucker…why is your teenager not trained not to knock on strangers doors then go into their home if that’s your position? I sincerely can’t stand people. You can’t even be fucking human anymore. So demoralizing. Am I crazy?????

@CherokeeOwl I was eight and living nearby at the time. In an odd twist of fate, 50 years later our oldest son & his wife bought their first home—a townhouse built on the old Rodeway Inn site—while we were living within walking distance of where she had been buried near Berkeley Lake.

Living just off the original AT route here in North Georgia, I think about her from time to time—especially at sunrise. There’s a good chance she watched that same first light from these ridges back in 1955, heading north with that denim bag and a pair of sneakers. Hard not to respect that kind of quiet courage.

Grandma Gatewood: The 67-Year-Old Who Shocked the Hiking World 🥾🌄 In 1955, a quiet Ohio grandmother named Emma Rowena Gatewood set out alone to walk the entire Appalachian Trail. She was 67 years old. With no modern gear, no hiking experience, and carrying little more than a homemade denim bag with basic supplies, Gatewood walked more than 2,000 miles from Mount Oglethorpe to Mount Katahdin. She wore simple sneakers instead of boots and often slept under the stars. Against all odds, she became the first woman to solo-hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Even more remarkable, she did it again at age 69 and once more in sections at 71. Her journey wasn’t just about adventure—it was about freedom. After raising 11 children and surviving years of domestic abuse & hardship, Gatewood simply decided it was time to walk. Her story later inspired the book Grandma Gatewood’s Walk and helped bring national attention to the Appalachian Trail. At 67, most people are slowing down. Emma Gatewood started the adventure of a lifetime. Most people today couldn’t handle a 2,000-mile hike with the kind of simple gear she used.

Why does my guest have this 1953 Masters Logo Locket that was only handed out to the tournament winners? And how does it relate to President Eisenhower? Find out the story and inhale the Augusta azaleas on the brand new @RoadshowPBS episode, airing 3/30/2026 at 8/7C on @PBS Check your local listings! . Castle Farms, Hour 1 . . . . . . . #fyp #golf #masters #augusta #thehobby #antiquesroadshow #womeninsports

@casiretired @JamesTaylorHaub @ProLifeisProGod Please- no! Take it from someone who has walked in those shoes- Antabuse *will* keep someone from drinking…but does nothing to take away the urge. There ARE medications that can help…Antabuse is not the answer. I’ve been there- I know 1st hand.

@JamesTaylorHaub @ProLifeisProGod Antabuse 🤔 if it's still around

This week has been a struggle. Our daughter came home to live with us last weekend, after a week in detox and 60 days in patient. Three suicide attempts in the past 2 years, all while drunk. After one day, she drank. We talked to her, she promised it was a slip up. She drank every day this week. She's 37, I can't babysit her. Yesterday she lost her car (long story), lost her phone (long story) and drank enough she should have died. Last night, while driving her to detox at 10pm, she begged me to buy alcohol for her so she could be drunk through the intake. I would have SNAPPED yesterday ... but God. Before things exploded late in the day, before the police showed up (long story), I was walking the dog when I heard, 'chin up. YOU are made in my image. I live in you. I will do what you can't do' Out of nowhere. Right before I heard Him, I was thinking about nothing. He is faithful all the time. Please continue to pray.

I feel for you. While my path wasn’t identical to your daughter’s, it was close—I was 44, drinking, broke, divorced, and living in my parents’ basement with little hope of things improving. By God’s grace—along with humility, determination, and help—I found my way out. I’m now 21 years sober. I’ve shared my journey online in hopes of paying it forward, including a chapter on what helped me most. It’s not a pitch—just a story of hope. You’ll find it linked in my profile if you’re interested. Either way, you and your daughter are in my prayers.

@RoyRogers_HTMS @rocknrollofall Thanks for the follow. My father-in-law—like me—was a big fan of bluegrass, swing, and Americana. Life is about the journey, and sharing it makes it worthwhile. You might enjoy this reflection: blueridgehorizon.com/reflections/po… Cheers!

👏 👏 👏 that road doesn’t even have painted lines on it 😂 👍 good job . Back when I lived there Hiltons probably didn’t have 1000 residents but Johnny was one of them and stars like Marty Steward , Willy Nelson and even Billy Bob Thornton would show up sometimes . Thanks for sharing the story and photos

Johnny Cash getting in and out of his Ferrari will be the best video you'll watch today😂

@EricCMeadows Sunrise, from the back deck…

The world needs more objective beauty today. Show me your favorite photo you have taken. This one may be mine. It’s hard to choose.

@RoyRogers_HTMS @rocknrollofall Did that too—and I was amazed at the road into Hiltons. Definitely not built for tour buses or crowds. Still, the people couldn’t have been nicer. It was a terrific—if all too short—vacation. ❤️

@thinkofdave @rocknrollofall That’s awesome ! Its out in the middle of nowhere but the 2nd most famous family of country music is from there . Plus its a dandy of a dance hall 😉

@RoyRogers_HTMS @rocknrollofall We made a weekend trip to the Carter Family Fold a few years ago at the request of my late FiL. What great memories!!

@rocknrollofall Back in the late 90s early 2000s he stayed /lived at The Carter Family Fold and at the time we lived just a few miles from there . My kids got to trick or treat him . He gave out full size 100 Grand candy bars . Johnny was a class act 😊

Wowzers! Going from $10 to $50 a year? Just cancelled- and moved to Outlook, which I already owned.

@papiwontmiss 44, broke, divorced & no future when I quit drinking. Through hard work, dedication and a great deal of humbleness, the next 21 years have been amazing. I put my bio online 3 yrs ago in an effort to pay it forward. It’s linked to my profile, if interested. Not selling anything.

My brother stopped drinking and getting stoned at the age of 54. Started working out at 55. At 56 was an apprentice at a Union job, at 57 he got the job. At 61 he learned to read music and play an instrument. You’re never too old to change your life.

@mattvanswol @CynicalPublius Yes! And, please, please let us know the location. If there’s a back-story…even better!

A lot of people don’t know this about me… …but long before I was on X, I was a landscape photographer and got to travel the world taking photos for some amazing companies. I have huge stashes of landscape photos, maybe I should post them. I love seeing them in my timeline ❤️

📸REDWOODS PHOTOGRAPHY BREAK📸 Seeing as Mrs. Dr. Publius is on a redwoods binge, this is one of my favorite shots from our many hikes in California's redwoods forests. This is from Wunderlich County Park, near Woodside, CA, just a few hundred meters from Neil Young's heavily guarded private estate. 😉 Olympus E-P1, Lumix 20mm, f/1.7, 1/60th, ISO 800, handheld.

@bluestein The AJC deserves scrutiny as well for the role it’s played over the years in shaping readers’ views—almost always advancing a liberal perspective, sometimes subtly, usually more forcefully. Oh wait- no printed paper anymore? I’d suggest your readers have weighed-in.

One of Jon Ossoff’s defining political moments came in 2017, when he rushed to Hartsfield-Jackson to protest a Trump-backed travel ban. Nearly a decade later, the airport is again a political battleground — and Ossoff is the one under fire. ajc.com/politics/2026/…

@linderje @luinalaska Same!

@luinalaska I gotta follow you. Just for this!

Lisa Murkowski legitimately believes village dwelling Alaskans can’t figure out the tasks of adult life and went on the floor of Congress to tell everyone on planet earth that.

@MikeBales @Chris__X__ I might be able to beat that… my little brother and I used to play Pachinko in the original BGE store (it was a Pachinko/ fireplace store) across from PDK in the 1970s. Dad’s 1st ‘egg’ wasn’t even green- it was terracotta! Man- time flies!

@Chris__X__ I’ve had a Green Egg since they first started selling them. HQ is here in Atlanta.

My new toy that I’m picking up on Friday. 😍 Who else has a Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe?

@SidneyPowellQ Absolutely.

Question for MAGA from a liberal woman. "Hi, I'm just wondering if you guys who voted for Trump — did you vote for the Department of Education to be dismantled? Because that's what he's doing right now. MAGA?