Anyone follow the weather in the Boone, NC area? I have always thought that the area has such a unique climate due to the elevation and local weather patterns there. My parents are retired and considering moving to the area due to the mild climate, good healthcare nearby, and the outdoor recreation trails everywhere.

I'm not holding my breath for too much snowfall in the North Carolina high country this winter, though.

I am looking for a new position in the Geographic Information Systems career field. It is quite the difficult field to get into at the entry level- even with a solid amount of experience. I am getting a certification to improve my odds, but the entire field just seems so insular to me regardless of the professional networks that exist. Frustrating!

In a time long ago in the past I made my first trip to the south. This was not the deep south, but to eastern Tennessee. I am not sure what I expected but many things surprised me. One thing that struck me was that neighbors seemed to care less about broken down cars and junk littering the yards. I think this has to do with the prevailing "live and let live" mentality that is common throughout the Appalachian region.
Another item that amazed me was the landscape. I think I was...

I am looking forward at the moment, and it is just tiring to listen to the constant negativity about the economy. I thing we need to have a two-pronged approach. First, I do agree that we need some of the items in the stimulus, but do we need everything that exists in the package? I think not when China still holds our indebted bonds that are becoming even further wrangled in increased defecits by the day. The developing countries are continuing to gain a greater influence due to the fact that so...

This fall has just been spectacular so far in terms of:
Temperature- most days with highs in the 60s and 70s.
Sun- many sunny days with light winds.
Foliage- warm days and cold nights has led to a brilliant display of color in most areas.

As fall advances the soft shadows become more stark as the sun angle becomes lower in the sky during the afternoon. At the ridge lines the sun goes behind the mountain at around 4:30 in the afternoon with dusk about 45 minutes...