The Peachoid

Here it is in all it's splendor, a ginormous peach that looms on the horizon like a giant… peach-thing.  It's been called "The Peachoid" by many, so we'll stick with that term.

Daddy snuck up to Gaffney after our fun in Spartanburg this morning (more on that in a moment), and had to get just one more glimpse of this roadside attraction.  It's 135 feet tall, and holds one million gallons of water inside.

It was built in 1981.  Daddy remembers this as a landmark along I-85, as we drove from New Jersey down to Georgia to visit the grandparents.  You were getting close when you saw the giant peach.  Or, as some locals like to call it, "The Moon over Gaffney."

Anyway, it has been about sixteen years since I'd been up this way - and I've never really stopped to take some photos of the thing.  A big fan of roadside America, I just had to get this out of my system!

The rest of the day for Daddy was Summer Xtreme in Spartanburg, from 7:30 - 4:00.  We had our famous water day there, and a big service for the kids in the morning, complete with all the bells and whistles of a normal KidPak service in Gainesville.  It was very well received, I might add.  It had the feeling of "Summer Xtreme on Tour" for us a bit, but the enthusiasm of the volunteers and children always make up for everything, as does God's grace over the experience.  I was truly glad I could go.  But really tired when I got home.

Madison had spent the day doing what she loves:  creating origami, playing some new math games on her handheld device, and watching episodes of "The Monkees."  The Olympics have started, so there's that as well, although we'll have some catching up to do soon enough.  Things seem to be okay there, which is a great relief to organizers and the athletes.  The media built this up to be a huge disaster as usual.  And while there are legitimate complaints, why not focus on the sports themselves, the athletes and their stories, and the unity that this is all supposed to represent?  

Anyway, it was a long day, but worth it for the reaction we got from all the kids at Spartanburg's KidPak.  Next year, we'll do it again, and even bigger.  And yes, Madison will be there for it as well!