My Daily Smile

Life is short - begin every day with a smile!

Video: Intrigued by Tiny Houses? Check this out.

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Tiny houses are quite popular these days thanks to their relative affordability and lower maintenance costs.

Some folks are attracted to tiny homes as a means of maximizing their retirement incomes.

Others simply desire the simple lifestyle that comes from not buying (and therefore not storing) a lot of “stuff”.

Most tiny houses end up in places where the owners can have lots of privacy and individual freedom, but others are located in actual tiny house communities, surrounded by dozens of other tiny homes that are inhabited by like-minded owners and renters.  [Read more…]

Video: Drone’s eye view of the mountains that surround Shady Valley, Tennessee

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“When snow falls, nature listens.”
     –Antoinette Van Kleef

Today I’m going to share the beauty that winter can bring to a locale that’s just a very short drive from my home.

If you have ever visited or driven through the rural northeastern Tennessee community of Shady Valley you surely must have noticed how beautiful it is there.

And if you’ve ever crossed one of mountains that ring the valley while snow was on the ground you were probably treated to one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of your life.

This wonderful short video shows what you just might encounter if you ever decide to drive across one of the mountains to Shady Valley in the wintertime. (Recommendation: Don’t try it when the road is covered with ice or snow. That might not end well.)

Note: This video really needs to be viewed at full screen. Just click the little square icon in the lower-right corner of the video after it begins playing.

How’s this for a winter vacation?

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Most folks love heading south to spend a little time in the sun during the winter, but there are actually many among us who prefer to head north instead.

New England is famous the world over for its breathtaking fall foliage, especially when the leaves are at full peak color.

But truth be told, there’s plenty of beauty up north even after the last of those gorgeous leaves have fallen to the ground.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Why don’t we see used UPS trucks on the highway?

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Question from Marvin:  For years now I’ve been wanting to get myself a used UPS truck and remodel it into a small RV. Those things are so cool!

The problem I’m having is finding one. I’ve looked at every used car dealership I could find and I’ve never seen even one of them for sale.

And here’s the crazy thing – I’ve never seen a used UPS truck on the highway being used for some other purpose (like my dream RV, for example).

I know you’re pretty good at answering questions so I’m hoping you’ll be able to answer these:  [Read more…]

Which Time Zone is used at the South Pole?

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Image credit: WorldAtlas.com

Living (and loving) Life

As you probably know, all of our planet’s longitudinal lines (also known as meridians) converge at the geographic South Pole.

For that reason, the South Pole doesn’t have an officially designated Time Zone.

However, there is indeed a specific Time Zone in use there…

[Read more…]