Saturday

We got a nice shower on Thursday night and it seems the overcast skies have stayed around for most of the day on Friday. The temps haven't been uncomfortable at all with warm morning in the 60's and late afternoon somewhere around 75. Now in the sunshine when its been direct has been rather warm. This warm up will probably be the last hurrah for this summer as September is here tomorrow and we are just a little over 2 months before heading South for the winter, oh well.

We have been starting the day around 7:30 which is kind of nice after all those 6'ish wake ups but I must get back in that routine again as I'm usually on the pickle ball at 7:30 in Seminole. Speaking of pickle ball I got a shipment of inside balls for my proposed pickle ball ministry at our church here in the mountains. I'm just waiting on the portable net to arrive so we will set up one side of the multi-purpose worship center for play. That will require us to move some chairs each time we play but will be nice this winter when the snow is blowing outside.

After our morning routine of a few quiet moments and a lite breakfast of oatmeal and fruit we got ready and headed out to Sparta for the Allegheny Cares to drop off some  household goodies for the needy, a stop at the post office and then by the library for new reads before stopping at the bake shop for some bread and finally a stop at the grocery for some items we missed getting in Galax the day before. It was after lunch time before we got back so we had a salad and finished up the last of the bakery bread as we now have 3 new loaves to work on. There is no wonder we can't lose this spare tire as we have become breadaholics especially the bread made by Becca at the Backwoods Bean Coffee Shop in Sparta. We are having guests for a few days and this is an added highlight to our eatin', especially the sourdough bread, Oh well!!!

I fired up the riding lawn mower after lunch and gave the yards all except the backwoods yard a mow. The new grass I seeded a week or so ago is finally starting to show some color and the moss is finally taking a back seat due to the extra fertilizer and lime I've been applying. The gardens are looking better and the new lettuce and spinach seedling are putting on extra leaves. The Swiss chard is really looking good and I will be able to pick some while our guests are here for them to try when we do steak night. That really is a nice side dish to any meat or main course.

Well Nancy was in the kitchen all afternoon with making a cheesecake ahead of our guests arriving this afternoon as well as preparing a delicious spaghetti sauce from fresh garden grown garlic, oregano and basil. I could smell the sauce as I mowed. We were having another gang from our church and just good friends; the Dalton Gang, Gerald and Kay(Mechelle's folks) Karin and her friend Roger and eventually her daughter Katelyn came by after work. Kallie missed out on the festivities as she was hard at work. We had a sumptuous supper of spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and Kay made a freezer of homemade berry ice cream which was awesome for dessert.

After clearing the table we soon made way for a highly charged game of sequence between the guys and gals. Now I must admit we(guys) have been the butt of many comments about what lousy sequence players we are and they mostly have been true but the past 2 times we have played the game the end result has been different in our favor. Roger was a big help in our raucous victory over the gals last night and its nice to be able to rub it in. GUYS WON!!! I know many who read this ramble pull for the gals to be victorious and I hate to disappoint you but GUYS WIN AGAIN!!! That's 2 in a row they have lost and I'm afraid their string of victories are becoming less convincing. We broke up early as a few were tired especially after being hit hard by a second loss in a row, LATER 

Friday

Well Thursday was a "see new places and travel old country roads" day. We did our usual morning routine after a 7:30 sleep in. It looked like it was going to be another beautiful summer day with bright blue skies and lots of sunshine and it did reach 82 on the back porch late in the afternoon. Now out in the sun it was downright hot but a nice breeze kept in bearable and quite pleasant in the shade.

Our morning routine is much the same after a few quiet moments to reflect, give thanks and lift up those we know who need some special considerations from our maker. We did our own thing for breakfast as I ate the leftover buckwheat cakes and Nancy had oatmeal with fruit. We spoke with daughter Amy and grandson Sam on the land line before heading out around 10:30.

We traveled up the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 25 miles or so looking for our friends Eddie and Kimberly barn in the Pipers Gap area of Virginia. Well needless to say we got lost based on the directions we were given and we failed to bring their phone number but at a little old country store one of the patrons knew of their existence when she mentioned does Kimberly work at Wal-Mart in Galax. Well we were only about 5 miles off so we found their place which looked like a horse farm from somewhere in West Texas. Horses of all types but mostly Quarter horses with lots of Paints, Appaloosas's and a few Tennessee Walkers as well as ponies and a mule for diversity. Their barn is huge with individual stalls and a huge arena as well. Their pastures are on top of a mountain so they get a constant breeze in the summer but oh so chilly in the winter as they move their trailer (they live in) inside the arena and out of the cold. They eventually want to build a house there as soon as their place sells in the Ennice area of N.C. They have 26 acres with a horse barn, log cabin and lots of out buildings for sale.

We hung around and took pictures as well as watched some nice horse flesh for a couple hours before taking roads we had never travelled on before. We saw old farm houses that have been abandoned and some really nice bottom land that is still being farmed along a nice stream of water called Crooked Creek.We eventually ended up just outside of Galax the nearest big city with about a half dozen stoplights.

We headed to Wal-Mart and Subway for lunch which is inside the super store before shopping for some goodies. We loaded up once again and headed to the old town section of the city for our stone ground buckwheat pancake mix and for a gas fill up before leaving town. Gas is always at least 20 cents a gallon cheaper in Virginia than N.C. because of the road taxes imposed on each gallon.

Well it was going on 4 PM when we got back to the cabin and then we headed out to the top of the mountain for our daily hike. It was 82 on the back porch in the shade and by the time we reached the top of the mountain I had a good sweat going. The road across the top was shaded which made for good walking as well as a nice breeze. We stopped and scratched Zeke's head and visited with Joe and Jetta for a few before heading down the back road to the cabin. Coming back down the mountain is a breeze and we saw lots of new deer signs along the way. We have a mother deer with two fawns living in our area along with a big buck which we see quite often. He would taste good on the grille sometime this next winter.

Well we had a couple tough grass fed beefsteaks marinating for fajitas for supper. I picked some green peppers and Nancy sautéed some fresh mushrooms, onions while I grilled the steaks and then we mixed them together onto a flour tortilla. The New York strip was tough and chewy but the rib eye wasn't too bad. We managed to get them down but learned Zeke our canine buddy was the recipient of the Browning's tough steaks. The beef farm has agreed to send us replacement aged beef steaks in the near future; then and only then will I give them a plug if they are better than the ones we purchased last month.

Well after the clean up we headed out to view the flower gardens and I hand watered some of the vegetable plants that are starting to show some growth. The cone flowers are on their last leg and they have been so beautiful this summer. The marigolds are starting to bloom with some plants having

30-40 flower heads along with the Zinnias. We actually could use a nice shower and after dark we got one for an hour or so. Nancy checked the rain gauge this morning and we got a 1/2 inch after dark last evening.

Well that was about it for Thursday except the Rays lost again to the Angels and the Bucs were losing in football. We are heading to Sparta for some errands at the library, post office, bread shoppe and probably lunch at the Mustard Seed and then a few items at the grocery as we are having guests for the Labor Day weekend from northern Virginia, LATER   Nancy has a few pictures from the day!!!   

Thursday

Well we did get a summer day today with temps near 80 and lots of blue skies, bright sunshine and some more humidity. It felt good to go into the cool basement during the afternoon after working out in the yard. The morning temps were much higher as well at close to 70 to start the day on Wednesday. There are thundershowers in the forecast for the next several days as well and a shower would be welcomed.

We started the day around 7:30 and after our quiet times Nancy made buckwheat cakes with a banana and blue berries in the batter, Yeow were they ever tasty with a little butter and honey. Afterwards I headed out to work in the gardens until it was time for our daily hike to the top of the mountain. We stopped and visited with the Browning's first as we did a reversal on our hike and then stopped and visited with Norm briefly. I took his mail up to him and he shared he has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He seemed to be in good spirits despite the doctors pronouncement for an 85 year young feller. If you think about it keep Norm in your thoughts and prayers.

We headed on back to the cabin and had a lite lunch of leftovers for me and salad for Nancy. I headed out to gather leaves from the woods then mulched them down for my garlic patch and the compose pile. The worms love mulched oak leaves as well as they add compose to my gardens and help keep the clay soil loose. It was rather warm in the sun so a few brief stops in the basement really was like walking into a meat cooler. I piddled around until 4 PM when I decided to sit in the shade on the back porch and finish my last Karen Robards book.

We had left over stir fry sugar peas, mushrooms over Jasmine rice which we ate with fried rainbow trout fillets. Yeow that is some fine eatin' and thanks to my fishin' buddy Caleb Dalton for his provision. That boy would rather fish than eat and he is always blessing us with a bag of fish. Well after the cleanup we headed outside to enjoy the evening as the sun dropped below tree top level and the evening shadows dropped the temps considerably. I hand watered my garden plants that are still surviving and actually putting on new growth then started a campfire. I needed to burn our paper trash plus pick up sticks that fall almost everyday in the backwoods yards. We sat around the fire until after 8 o'clock before heading in to watch some T.V.

I tuned into the Rays game and they held on to win over the Angels but the Red Sox are still leading the division by a game or so. We did watch the newest episode of Duck Dynasty at 10 PM before hitting the showers and then the sack around 11, LATER....Here are a few new photos that Nancy took during the day.

Wednesday

Well Tuesday was just another beautiful day with wonderful temps and lots of bright sunshine, finally a summer like day with some humidity in the picture but no rain. Actually a light shower would probably benefit the gardens as long as it didn't gully wash and stick around for days and weeks.

We started the day after a sleep in to around 8 AM. After our quiet times and daily morning routines Nancy fried up a couple cackleberries along with some leftover ham lunch meat and some grits to start the gastric juices flowing. I headed out to check on the gardens and yard shortly after the cleanup. The morning temps were 10 degrees warmer than the day before so the beetles were out in full force munching on my garden plants; so I harvested a bowl of them. I hoed around the lower garden plants which seem to be starting to thrive since the ground is drying out. I actually hand watered several of them with a little miracle grow mixed in the water. We may yet get enough lettuce from the once nearly dead romaine plants for a salad and the sweet taters plants have runners everywhere. The cabbage plants are actually starting to form a head so maybe they will give us enough for some cole slaw if the worms and slugs don't eat them first.

We headed out to the top of the mountain for our daily hike around 11 and stopped and brought Norm's mail onto the porch for him before heading across to the Browning's. We stopped and even sat on their back stoop for a visit before heading on back to the cabin for a lite lunch of salad. We knew we were eating with our "mountain mom" for supper at her beautiful place around 5 'ish so we ate lite.  Her brother Joe and his son Randall as well as her sister Martha were in attendance and she really put on a feed. I grilled some delicious sirloin steaks that she purchased with her Delicious Ribbon Gift through Amway and then she had baked taters with all the trimins', onion rings, garden salad, garlic bread and a lemon dessert that was out of this world. Wow what a feed and the plates were licked clean. I must say the sirloins put to shame the steaks we bought from the local grass fed beef place in Grayson County a couple weeks ago. This meat was less than half what we paid for the other and was shipped to her on dry ice from the mid west; very favorable and tender.

We sat around after the clean up on the front porch until nearly 8 before heading out. The evening was so nice as we gandered off in the distance at the beautiful scenery of Bull Head mountain and the several distant ranges seen from her porch rockers. What a beautiful sight as the sun was starting to drop toward the mountains. Nancy and I took off before sunset on a different road heading home and was amazed at how this road brought us out to the parkway when going in the opposite direction from Helen's place. The road was narrow and turned to gravel as we traveled deeper into the back woods before it brought us out to the hard top at the parkway. We saw several deer and a coyote on the way home as well. It was just a beautiful evening especially after a sumptuous meal.

Well I tuned into the Rays game on the Internet and they blew a 4 run lead and were losing when I tuned them out. It wasn't long after my shower and a few minutes reading before it was lights out, LATER

Tuesday

Well Monday was just another gorgeous day with temps down into the high 40's to start the morning and then a high of around 78 for the afternoon. There was bright sunshine with deep blue Carolina skies and just enough of a breeze to keep it comfortable and very little humidity. Yeow, these are the days we long for here in the mountains in summer.

We slept in until after 7 then rolled out to start the morning with our usual hot drinks and then a few quiet minutes before a lite breakfast of oatmeal and fruit. I headed out to check on the gardens and the deer were back once again feeding on the hydrangeas around the well house. They walked through the herb gardens but seemed to of had no desire to munch on them. I picked beetles once again who were loaded on anything that was green and disposed of them.

The new lettuce seedlings are adding another leaf so it won't be long before I can put them in the ground especially if this weather holds. The nights produce a heavy dew but so far we have been rain free and a lite shower would probably benefit the grass and the shrubs. I picked a nice mess of 1/2 runner beans and sugar peas. Nancy stir fried the sugar peas with some fresh mushrooms and onions and put that over Jasmine rice to accompany a grilled salmon steak for supper and wow was that ever some good eatin'.

We got our hike of the day in around 10 and it was just beautiful on top of the mountain. We could see Pilot Mountain clearly and down off the mountain for some distance. The gentle breeze kept the bugs to a minimum as well as the cooler temps. We stopped and picked up Norms mail for him then headed on down the road to the Brownings where we stopped and visited for a few before heading on down below to the cabin. There was evidence of fresh deer tracks all along the back trails and we saw 2 fawns later in the day as we rode out to our mailbox. Nancy made a delicious salad for lunch topped with local grown Feta cheese.

Well after supper I picked up neighbor Gerald and we headed out to Roaring Gap for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball play with 3 other fellers. We played were after every 4th game you got a break so it was almost continuous action until nearly 9 PM. There were lots of wet shirts as a result of the action. It wasn't long after a hot shower and a few minutes of pre-season football I was in the horizontal position in bed reading for a brief few minutes. The softball game on Sunday and now this good pickle ball workout left me whupped, LATER   I learned Nancy built her first campfire while I was gone so here are a couple pics!!!

Monday

Well Sunday was another one of those memorable weather wise days with bright sunshine, deep blue skies and cool dry temps. It was just awesome with temps in the low 50's to start and ended with a high of 75. We started the morning around 7:30 hugging an extra blanket as it was cool in the cabin. I quickly closed the windows and we left them closed as we were gone for most of the day until after 5 PM.

We headed out for church at Cornerstone after our usual morning routine with an extra change of clothes as we were having a baptism at the river then a cook out and then a softball game. The church attendance was nearly a full house with lots of new faces and family members for those who were getting baptized after the service. The youth did an awesome drama of the various instances of CHRIST healing and giving life to those who are dead and dying.

Nancy and I opted out to help with the setup at the park; carrying the food and drinks, setting up the tables, grilling the hot dogs and waiting for the crowd to show up. We had around a hundred folks show up for the picnic and ball game after what turned out to be a rather large baptism. There were 4 original candidates to be immersed and it ended up with 14 being dunked with life changes. It was after 2 PM before the baptism was over and we started to feed the crowd. The hot dogs were tasty with chili, cole slaw and onions. There was melon and all kinds of chips as well as homemade cookies, cakes and of course sweet tea and lemonade. One feller brought a mango and most folks never ate one before so I cut it up and those who would try it loved it. I found it to be delicious but there were some who never heard of it and just would not venture to taste it.

We got into a youth(21 and under) versus the old folks(21 and over) game of softball. I pitched for both teams last year so I was given the honor to do that again. We played 9 innings and the game was close until the youths had a bad inning with lots of errors and the old folks(both guys and gals) won in the end 21-14. It was a fun time and some exceptional play by a few as well as some nose dives on the pack field of play. I know some of the old guys will be sore and stiff this AM. It was going on 5 PM when we headed out for the cabin after dropping off our fishing buddy Caleb at his house. Speaking of fishing he showed us a couple fish he and his dad Andy caught earlier in the morning; a nice 4 pound trout and a speck with had to of weighted over a pound.

Well I managed to catch a few sun rays while pitching and feel a little sunburn on the face and wow did I ever get sleepy last night after my shower. By 10 PM I was ready for the sack and slept like a log until 7:30 this AM, LATER  Nancy brought her camera but some how she forgot to take pictures!!!

Sunday

Well it's another nippy morning here in the mountains at 51 degrees but no rain (or snow) and I can just see the sunlight as it reaches the tree tops that surround our cabin in the woods. Looks like it going to be a fine day and hopefully much like the gorgeous day we had on Saturday.

Saturday turned out to be awesome with cool morning temps, bright sunshine and blue skies with a nice afternoon breeze with temps in the high 70's. We started the day with a 7:30 roll out and then a few quiet minutes before a lite breakfast of oatmeal with tons of fruit. Afterwards I headed out to check on the gardens for any deer damage and finding none I fired up the weed whacker. It took me nearly an hour to edge the yards and trees in the back woods yard. We decided to take off around 10:30 for our daily hike as we wanted to let Zeke out from his garage as his master had gone off on a road trip earlier in the morning and would be gone until late in the afternoon.

 We came back around 11:30 and decided to eat an early lunch of a ham sandwich and leftover potato salad before I started up the riding lawn mower. Well it took all of 2 hours to mow the yards and wow did they ever look good afterwards and the smell of fresh cut grass is delightful to the senses. I wonder why someone hasn't developed that smell and put it in an aerosol can. We love that smell no matter where we are or go. It was going on 3 when I finally finished outside so It was time to make guacamole for the card game along with Nancy's salsa and chips. She had been in the kitchen making cookies for the picnic on Sunday as well as getting ready for tonight's get together. Kimberly was bringing a layered taco dip and Audean a pound cake and brownies. We had us a good time snacking throughout the evening and playing Sequence.

Well for the first time this year of playing the game it was a slaughter to start with as we(guys) won the first 4 straight games and then Gerald left around 9:30. Well Nancy had been playing the extra hand which we call the Harvey or as Ray called it the Dummy hand so after we were down to just the 6 of us as the gals started a come back with 3 wins in a row. It was going on 10 PM and the score was 5-4 for the guys and we played one more hand to see if we needed to play a tie breaker. There was no need to as we lucked out and won the last hand. The gals were at their best accusing us of all kinds of shenanigans and while they did much worst in trying their best to win. They cried all the way out the door but we held on to be victorious as we have suffered their ridicule for years. Guys Win!!!

Well the Rays won as well as the Bucs won, so it was a good night for Tampa Bay. It was time for showers and then some reading before lights at 11:30. Sunday is another busy day with church in the morning at Cornerstone and then a river baptism afterwards followed by a church wide picnic at the ball field and then a soft ball game. What a busy fun filled weekend. We have finally had some great weather and today looks like it will be another to add to the already 2 in a row, LATER

Saturday

Brr it's 55 this AM but it looks as if it will be a rainless day. Friday was mostly a rainless day except for a few sun showers which didn't last very long. We started the morning with temps in the upper 60's and then ended around the middle 70's. The afternoon was just gorgeous with a nice breeze that kept the gnats and bugs away.

After our usual quiet moments and a lite breakfast of cereal with berries, peaches and a banana I headed out to check on the gardens for deer and beetle damage. The deer only visited us one night this week and had a meal of hydrangeas on the back side of the well house but the beetles are finding everything to their liking. Once again I collected at least 75 on the first go around and disposed of them before the first shower of the day struck. I headed down into the basement where I strained and racked my wine berry must into glass containers. It looks as if I should have about (5) 750 ml bottles of the finished products which will take a few weeks to age and mellow.

The rain stopped so I headed out to transplanted some lettuce and spinach seedlings into small 6 pack containers which after a few weeks I can plant into the ground. These 2 kind of plants love the cool nights and warm days and if it rains sensibly they should produce in a couple weeks after putting them into the ground. We decided to take off to the top of the mountain for our daily hike. It sprinkled a little as we headed up through the woods to the top but quickly dissipated. We stopped and got Norm's mail and placed it on the porch for him then stopped and visited with Joe for a few minutes before heading back down for a bite of lunch.

We finished the last of the tortilla soup and it was as good if not better than the day Nancy prepared it. Afterwards I piddled around the yard and gardens then decided to read for a couple hours and Nancy made a delicious potato salad to take with us to our small group gathering at the Crouse House. The evening was perfect for an outdoor cookout and I got in a couple games of corn toss with young Caleb Dalton and a couple of the older gents. There was burgers, dogs, salads, dips and desserts. I was strong and passed on the sweet stuff for a change. We sat around and talked until after 9 PM before heading out for the long drive across the county on some twisty winding roads. There were about 16 or so there and the men kind of gathered out on their deck while the ladies gathered around inside and the two youngsters did their thing outside chasing one another.

I tuned into the Rays game and they had beaten the Yanks 7-2 and then Amy called and they were spending the night at our house as their a/c unit broke and the repairman was unable to fix it right away due to getting parts. So our house had some company for at least one night or maybe more. We did get a call from our niece Kelly (Dillon) Zander with some exciting news which they are keeping quiet for another couple weeks and then she and Halley with their husband and boyfriend may stop and visit us on their back from vacationing with their folks, Dee and Mike in Woodstock the first of October. Hopefully we will be back from Florida after several days of celebrating birthdays the end of September and the first week in October.

Well that is about it for Friday as we are entertaining our old gang for finger food and games tonight here at the cabin around 6 PM. It looks as if it's going to be a beautiful day so I will mow and edge and get ready for company most of the day, LATER

Friday

Well finally a summer like day with blue skies, bright sunshine, warm temps that were close to 80 and a little humidity. What a change from the past several weeks and did the garden plants that are still green love it. The morning started out with a sleep-in until nearly 7:30 for a change and then a phone call from our neighbor and friend Carol who lives a couple houses up from us in Seminole. Well she was a Chatty Kathy as she and Nancy talked for almost 2 hours.

I finally ate breakfast, did the dishes, loaded up the garbage and gas cans and then got ready for our weekly run to Galax, Va. while they were still talking. Nancy and she concluded their catching-up via the land line and we got ready to head out around 11AM. I made a stop at the bank to cash a check, a stop for the ears to be lowered, a gas fill up stop before our shopping stop at Wal-Mart where we loaded up on groceries. Afterwards we made a late lunch stop for a pizza at Little Caesars. It's been awhile but I love the flavor of their red sauce with pepperoni. We headed on back to the cabin around 3 PM.

We decided to get our daily hike in to the top of the mountain. It felt good to work up a sweat as we hiked in the warm sunshine and cloudless skies. Finally a summer like day for a chance and actually we were looking for the cooling off breeze as we headed across the top. I gathered Norm's mail and took it up to him as its quite an uphill walk from his mailbox with his bad legs and shortness of breath. We stopped and visited with Joe and Zeke and I shared the e-mail response from the beef place in Grayson County that advertises range fed beef and my complaint about the toughness of the meat with little or no flavor. I got a favorable e-mail offering free meat that will replace the steaks we bought together and this meat will supposedly be aged. That was a nice surprise for us. Now we will see if they follow up on their offer.

We sat on the front porch with the nice breeze for an hour or so before I got ready to head out for some 2 plus hours of continuous pickle ball play with 3 other guys under the lights. It was a beautiful evening and the play was good and getting better each time these guys play and get use to the game. Everyone had a soaked t-shirt and by 8:45 we were calling it night and setting up the next night to play. Looks like Monday night is the next night for us.

Well it was a hot shower and then I finished the book BAIT by Karen Robards which was a fantastic read and soon there after it was horizontal time for me as the Rays had the night off. I did manage to watch the Panthers football for a quarter or so of pre-season and they looked tough as they were putting a whupping on the super bowl champs, the Ravens. Our Bucs didn't look good or the score indicated the last couple pre-season games they played they were needing some extra practice and some skilled players, LATER

Thursday

Well I'm still holding my breath as we had another NO RAIN day, despite rain clouds all around. This morning as I awakened I noticed blue skies and some sunlight in the tree tops that surround the cabin. Looks as if it may be another dry day on the horizon despite the heavy dew that is dripping from the dormer onto the tin roof.

Wednesday we did very little except for our daily hike to the top of the mountain and then a trip to the library in Sparta. Nancy was out of reading material and while I still had another book I went ahead and picked up another and she 2 more plus I renewed the ones I still hadn't had time to read. I found this author Karen Robards who is very good at keeping the storyline moving right along with tons of action. I highly recommend her writing and storyline.

We made a stop at Becca's coffee shop where we once again picked up a loaf of homemade bread, crutons and some feta cheese. They are now carrying local goat cheeses, organic veggies and some range fed beef as well as home grown pork and lamb that is frozen. I want to try their meat in the near future to compare to what we got from Grayson county. Matt, one of the owners was aware of Grayson meats and he thought the reason their meat was so tough and tasteless was because of the aging process. I'm curious to try their products which is also raised here in the mountains.

We are entertaining and being entertained Friday and Saturday evenings so we stopped at the veggie stand for some goodies plus I found a pack of 4 collard plants which I brought home and immediately got them in the ground in the upper garden. I noticed some new leaves on the beet plants as well as the Swiss chard so with a few more days of drying out these plants may make it despite the ground being very wet. I'm picking sugar peas as well as some green beans. The hot peppers are looking good as well as the sweet potato plants which like all this rain as I found out they are semi-tropical in nature.

I grilled the last of the deer back strap we had in a marinate all day for supper along with some flavored  rice and blackeye peas. Yeow was that ever delicious along with some fresh cilantro. After the cleanup I headed out to walk around the yard and gardens. We noticed the sunset which was a first for some time. I headed in to tune into the Rays who lost to the Orioles and then we watched our favorite show, Duck Dynasty before getting ready for bed. We read until it was time for lights out around 11PM, LATER

Wednesday

Well hallelujah no rain for the day or evening despite rain clouds and overcast skies for part of the day. Tuesday evening looked so much like rain with dark ominous clouds that we were just waiting for the down pour at any moment. Anyhow the temps have moderated back into the low 70's for most of the day after a chilly start in the high 50's.

We started the day around 7'ish with our usual routine of hot coffee and tea then a few moments to give thanks, reflect and lift up those who we know who need some special considerations. I then made this daily post for posterity sakes and for the few who like my ramble. Afterwards I checked in with our "mountain mom" by phone to make sure she hadn't washed off the mountain and was still kickin'. She is down right tired along with all of us of this wet weather we've had this summer. The fore cast for today, Wednesday is for more rain but maybe it will by pass us as it did on Tuesday.

I finished up the two leftover blueberry cakes with a banana in the batter for breakfast with a little honey on top in place of syrup, yeow was that ever delicious. After eating I headed out to check on the gardens and still found some rain runoff trickling down below in what is normally our dry gully. I noticed the regular potato vines were starting to turn black so I figured there was a possibility they were going to rot in the ground. Well it was messy but I dug the few hills that I planted last November and I was surprised none had rotted. I probably found between 4-6 pounds of the red and russet spuds and several of them were of a nice size. These grew from small potatoes leftover from the harvest of a year before and I put them in the ground when we left last Nov. I heard tales where my great grandfather planted his potatoes every fall. Everyone one thought he was a little batty; but he was the first to have potato plants in the spring when the ground warmed up and now I know those tales were true.

My gum boots where just a muddy mess from the wet ground so we headed for the mailbox on the golf cart and then stopped off at the creek where I waded around washing my boots. We love our gum boots as they save your regular boots and shoes from the wet and mud. We took off on our daily hike to the top of the mountain and stopped and visited with Joe and Zeke. We headed on back down to a lite lunch as once again the subject of food and in particular the grass fed local beef from Galax, Va. came up. We were going to try the ones we bought last week for supper. Well we were thoroughly disappointed in the tenderness and even the flavor in the New York strip and rib eye. There was very little flavor despite the grilling spices for the $16 a pound meat and very chewy. The meat was not nearly as good as the meat we bought with our Delicious Ribbon Gifts through Amway which was less than half the cost.  I'm glad we tried the local beef and satisfied our curiosity and now we know there are no bells on this meat; we have two more steaks which I think we will marinate and grill for fajitas at a later date, oh well.

The rest of the day was doing piddling chores and we even sat on the porch and deck reading for an hour or so before grilling those tough steaks for supper. I snapped and stringed some 1/2 runner beans the Dalton's blessed us with and shared some with neighbor Gerald, to go along with the steaks and a sweet tater. I sure hope my sweet taters make as this one was superb with a little butter and nutmeg, yeow!!! Well I put a hurting on some beetles and slugs and then tried to loosen up the mud around what plants are still surviving in the lower garden. The sugar peas are doing great all of a sudden and I picked a couple handfuls and they are loaded with blooms. The cukes have succumbed to the wet ground in the lower garden but one plant in the upper patch is still hanging there with lots of blooms and a few nubbins.

After supper I burned trash and then marveled at the flowers as they have just loved this wet weather. This is the year for wild flowers and butterfly's. I have never seen so many different varieties and some are bigger than my hand in size. They love our sunflowers which have added some color to the upper garden area. These are multi-headed with as many as 8 heads on a single stalk and to think they were volunteers in the garden when I arrived in June. I managed to save 4 of the plants and plant them around the fence.

Well that's about it for a Tuesday as we are excited about another day without any rainfall, today is supposed to bring us the wet stuff once again and the skies definitely look that way as well. Here's to keeping your feet dry another day, LATER   Nancy was out with her camera so we will indulge her ability to capture the moment!!!

Tuesday

It was rain, rain and more rain to start the day but by late morning it had stopped with only a few sprinkles the rest of the day. We picked up another inch of rain to add to the already 3 feet plus of rain we have received this summer. Speaking of summer Nancy wore a sweat shirt as we headed out to the mailbox for a hike instead of walking through the wet woods which was still dripping rain.

After sleeping in until nearly 7:30 as the rain on the tin roof made for good sleeping; I awakened a little stiff after the 2 plus hour workout on the pickle ball court the night before. After a few trips up and down the stairs my joints limbered up and I was ready for some outside activities once the rain stopped. We did our quiet times then Nancy made her famous bacon, egg, green pepper and onion omelet which we put on toasted sourdough bread slathered with mayo and then garnished with a home grown tomato and lettuce. My oh my if that is not the best tasting sandwich ever; then I've never eaten one.

I caught up on some Internet work as the rain came to a halt and we actually saw outlines of the sun through the clouds for brief moments before taking off on our daily hike. We chose the road to the mailbox as the trees were dripping rain and I'm sure the back road was flooded with runoff. The hike to the mailbox has plenty of steep grades so we definitely got a work out. We did a little extra as we hiked up to the back road past the old Todd place then cut across and down the back trail. It was so good to get outside and walk around despite the yards being soggy. The fresh air was awesome and still with a little chill.

I was looking for something to do outside and the wet soaked ground made for easy pulling of grass that grows in the gravel rocks of the drive and walk way to the fire circle. I pulled several buckets and then transplanted them into some bare areas in the back woods yards. They should take hold and hopefully grow in dirt as the ground was soaked. The reason the grass grow in the rocks is because the gravel is limestone and now that I'm liming the yards a couple times a month the grass should grow in the dirt, oh well. We just picked on some leftovers for lunch as breakfast was quite filling as well as it was nearly 10 AM before we ate our breakfast sandwich.

I headed down to the lower yard and started raking moss in a few areas. I cleared the green stuff for a couple hours until it was time to get ready for supper. Gerald our neighbor was coming to eat with us and Nancy had made a delicious pot of tortilla soup and a superb looking and tasting fresh salad. We sampled some vino before we sat down to eat of this sumptuous meal. After eating and the cleanup we got into a couple card games; the first of which was 3 handed Hearts. I slaughtered them with running the table twice and then we taught Gerald a new game called Golf. We played 9 holes(rounds) and Nancy slaughtered us in that game. We had a good time of eating and playing cards and it was going on 10 PM when he headed for home(next door) down the drive.

I found the Rays playing the Orioles on TV and watched them win in a close game 4-3. We headed for the showers and then to read a little before lights out around 11:30. It turned out to be a great day now that the rain had ceased for several hours. We are hoping for some sunshine or at least no rain for the next day or so. We got a call wanting our presence for a cook out on Friday Night with our small group at church; so the weekend is starting to fill up with a church picnic and soft ball game on Sunday afternoon with a river baptism following our regular service, LATER 

Monday

Well Sunday was another day that saw lots of rain and overcast skies. It rained off and on through out Saturday night and then again during Sunday night. We started the day around 7 AM and after our quiet times and a lite breakfast we got ready to head out to Cornerstone for our weekly gathering. Pastor B had another awesome message on "stress busters" taken from the 23rd Psalm. The worship music was great as well. I briefly spoke with several men and Pastor B about starting a pickle ball ministry at the church using the multi-purpose facility where the floor is already lined for basketball. Everyone seemed on board with the idea. If this takes off we will have a dry warm place to play throughout the winter and of course now these rainy months.

After church we met up with the Dalton's minus Kallie who had to go to work at Lowes grocery at noon and with Katelyn and her friend Curtis. We sure miss seeing Karin(Katelyn's mom) who will be teaching this year at the new Christian school. We had a sumptuous meal of enchilados for me and tacos for Nancy. There were several from Cornerstone who also dine there as well as many from the local churches. It's Tex-Mex cuisine and quite tasty and reasonable. After eating we headed home and chilled the rest of the afternoon. Nancy actually had the oven on to take the chill from the cabin as the 60 degree damp weather had her in sweats. I thought it was comfortable despite the overcast and gloomy conditions.

I tuned into the Ray's vs the Jay's game on the net and the Ray's won again in extra innings. They are hanging within a game or so of the Red Sox's who are in first place in the division. We watched some little league games then I headed out around 6 to pickup neighbor Gerald for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball with 4 others guys. We introduced the game to a new guy who also attends Cornerstone and he loves the game as well. Gerald and I are the senior players and the rest of these guys are in the late 30's and 40's. We had a great time of exercise and the level of play with long rallies has risen substantially. We opted out around 8:30 and left the 4 younger guys to wear each other out. We will do it again on Thursday weather permitting.

I'm ordering a portable net system so we can get started at Cornerstone an evening or so a week and maybe more depending on the interest that is generated. It will be nice to have a facility available for play more than once a week and even offer some spiritual camaraderie. Well that was about it for Sunday and maybe once more we better think of building that ark as the rain fell most all night long, LATER 

Sunday

Saturday started out cool and overcast but no wet stuff until the afternoon around 3 PM when a fog with heavy mist set in and eventually a steady moderate rain. We saw the sun briefly a couple times as we hiked the mountain before lunch and while it was cool it was really good for hiking. We stopped and let Zeke out of his garage as Joe and Jetta were off on a side trip for the day and Zeke walked with us part ways around the mountain.

After our quiet times and a hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes with a ripe banana in the batter and a couple home grown cackleberries(eggs) I headed out to the dirt pit in the backwoods. I found a large tree that had blown down many decades ago and the roots of the tree open up a large area of an exposed mound of dirt. I cleaned away the top debris and found some excellent dirt beneath. I loaded up several golf cart loads of the dirt and moved it into my raised planters where I grow my herbs and a few veggies.  I also hauled several loads and spread it into several low places in the yards. I then sowed grass seed and covered it with some old hay to help hold the seed from being washed away. That kept me busy until the rain finally washed me out from being outside.

We sat an read for an hour or so before getting ready to head over to the Dalton's Farm for some supper and games. Nancy made a nice salad replete with nasturtium flowers on top and one of sister Dee's superb home grown tomato's. Andy was deep frying fresh caught catfish and along with green beans and fried taters from their garden we had us a feast. Yeow was that ever some good eatin' and there was a cheesecake and apple cobbler for dessert that Mechelle made as well.

Gerald and Kay came late from another birthday celebration down off the mountain and they played games with us. Well I hate to say it but the gals whupped us (Gerald and I) in Sequence one again despite the games being close and then we played Logo. Well Kallie was trouncing us until she got stuck into the final area and had to answer two consecutive questions to win but Nancy snuck in and won right away. It was a fun time had by all. They loaded us up with some green beans from what was left of the garden and a pack of frozen bass fillets they love to catch but not crazy about to eat. We left in a moderate rain that had been falling all evening and is still falling this morning(Sunday).

 I watched the Ray's lose to the Jay's on the Internet while Nancy watched the Little League World Series until it was shower time and then some reading before it was lights out. We are heading to Cornerstone for worship this AM in the rain once more with temps a little warmer than the last few mornings. At least its not in the 40's but in the 60's which helps a little. There is nothing worse than cold damp conditions unless it hot and humid with heat indexes of over a hundred which is what it is Seminole, Fl. We are thankful we are here despite the rain, LATER

Saturday

Well Friday turned out to be a great day in several ways. The weather which was fore casted to be rainy, overcast and unseasonably cool turned out to be almost the opposite except for the cool temps which were almost ideal as it reached the upper 60's. There was plenty of sunshine and blue skies with an occasional fluffy white cloud. The morning started rather nippy with the low in the 40's.

 The other good news was the radon tests came back for the cabin and we are 0.6 of 1 per cent that it's not very evident in the cabin which is great and so that helped to relieve some of the stress that has helped to influence Nancy's health. Her heart has been fluttering and flip-flopping the last month or so and it's been due to the stress she has created for herself about certain issues which has been the possibility of radon gas in the cabin which could effect us, kids and grand kids. We saw our doctor here in the mountains and while he is an internist he specializes in the heart. He gave Nancy a through exam along with some other tests and tells her she is fine and that she should take some over the counter magnesium oxide daily. Well that was more joyful news as well.

The morning was rather quiet for us as we awaited our time to head to Independence, Va. around 1 PM for her doctors appointment so it was doing little chores around the cabin. I checked on the wine berry must which is just about through cooking. I've had it in a plastic bucket upstairs for about 10 days or so and the fermentation process should be about finished. I need to strain and rack the solution into individual bottles and let it age. I should have around 6 or 8, 750 ml. bottles of wine berry wine by Nov. We got a load of laundry on the clothesline and then took off on our daily hike to the top of the mountain. Nancy wore sweat shirts and I did have long pants on as well. We ran into Sarah who just had a heart procedure as a result of an afib condition(what Nancy is experiencing to some degree). She was experiencing runaway heart pounding, lack of energy and of course the fluttering. Speaking with her also helped to relieve some of the stress Nancy was having with her occasional pulse racing and fluttering of the heart. It's not unusual for people to have afib conditions for several years and it can be corrected with medication and the severe conditions by a surgical procedure as did Sarah have hers corrected. So things were looking up as we headed to see the doctor.

We stopped and visited with our "mountain mom" Helen on the way back home. We sat out on her deck in the bright sunshine and did that ever feel good. She to was in a sweat shirt as the air had a Fall like cool crispness to it. I do believe summer is on the way out; much to the chagrin of those who are here year round. What a weird summer with little or no real hot days. We noticed all of the homes who normally have beautiful gardens are gone and full of weeds.

Well, we finished up the left over new potato's and green beans along with a fresh salad for supper, yeow was that ever as good as the day we prepared it. We took a golf cart ride to the top of the mountain and visited with Joe, Jetta and Zeke for a few minutes after supper. Joe and I wanted to try some locally grown grass fed beef that you pre-ordered and picked up at the Farmers Market in Independence. He picked it up earlier in the day for us. I'm curious as to the flavor of the meat as its rather expensive. It was a beautiful evening but the air was quickly cooling off as we headed down to watch Fox News and then Nancy tuned into some T.V. shows while I watched on the Internet the Rays come from behind once again to beat the Jays in the bottom of the ninth, LATER

Friday

Brrr was the norm for most of Thursday with temps down into the high 40's to start the day, yikes this is the middle of August and we had no hot summer days here. Summer is gone and not once did I go and sit in the basement where it's in the 60's most all year round to cool off. I should be thrilled as we had 2 sets of company for a week at a time during what is usually the hottest part of the summer and no one complained about being uncomfortable. It did reach 61 for the high on Thursday and we actually did see some periods of the sun and blue skies; but for the most part it was overcast. I had on long pants all day for the first time we have been here since leaving Florida in early June where the heat index is in the 100's and above. It was 105 in Seminole yesterday.

The morning started with a somewhat sleep in under the extra blanket which made for warm, snuggy stay in bed conditions until around 7:30. I rolled out and checked the thermometer on the back porch and it was 49. I spoke with our "mountain mom" who lives just a couple miles from us and at 6AM it was 46. I have a feeling its going to be a cold wet winter for the mountains this year. We are fore casted for the next 4 days to have rain and unseasonably cool temps.

We got ready after our quiet times and a lite breakfast of fruit and cereal to head out to Sparta for Nancy's hair appointment. It was time to make her a blonde once again after the grey began to show at the roots. I sat outside in the truck and read for nearly an hour while she was transformed in the beauty shoppe. We headed out to drop off a prescription refill for her at Kerr Drugs then headed to the post office for stamps then headed to the Pines Restaurant for lunch. We saw Clarence Crouse along with Clara and the Brady couple there as well. We spent a few minutes speaking with them as we all once went together to Boone for the Merle fest concert a few years back. We had a delightful time with them and they have all been friends since high school.

We decided on the unlimited trips to the salad bar of which we made 2 and no bread; just wheat crackers. After eating we headed to Blevins across the street to purchase a new overhead light and fan for the bathroom as the old one while still working doesn't allow you to have a bright enough light bulb. That is my next rainy day job to change that out. We made a stop at the grocery for some salad fixins as we are invited out with the Dalton Gang on Saturday for supper and games.

After getting back from town I headed out to the back woods for some fill dirt as I had dug some huge boulders out of the yard that had been exposed from all the rain run off. I dumped two 5 gallon buckets of dirt in one hole it was so big. I rolled the boulder down the hill as it was too big to lift. It took a couple loads of dirt to fill in a few other low places as well and I'm thinking about adding some of this fine dirt to a couple of my herb beds before we close up for the winter. Here, I'm talking about winter and its still August. It's strange what cooler weather does to your psyche.

We took off for our daily hike to the top of the mountain and saw Dean once again spreading mulch at one of the cabins. We headed on across the top and visited with Jetta and Zeke for a few moments before heading on back down to the cabin. Nancy was chilled despite wearing a sweat shirt and jeans. I thought it was perfect for working and that's just what I did. I cut back the wine berry bushes, loosened up some of the still damp and clumpy soil around the few garden plants still alive, rebuilt some of my rock wall around my compost pile and moved some piles of moss with a pitch fork and then checked on the chickens next door where I found 3 eggs in the nests. Wow they are finally on track with their laying as that was the first day of 3 eggs.

It was after 5 and cooling off once again despite the sunshine so I fired up the grille for some salmon and she had broccoli and garlic pasta on the stove a cooking. Yikes that was some great eatin' and definitely one of my favorite meals. I substituted fresh thyme for fresh dill(the rain washed my dill out) and it worked for flavor as well. Thyme is much hardier in the garden and can stand dry as well as wet conditions better than dill and cilantro. After the cleanup I wondered around outside gathering a few beetles and just walking around admiring the beauty of the flowers until it was time for Shepard Smith at Fox News. I can't believe it was getting dark all of a sudden at 8'ish whereas just a couple weeks ago I was outside after 9'ish messing around in the yards.

The Ray's have come back and won 2 in a row and got one of their starting pitchers back after being struck in the head with a baseball. Lets hope they continue on their winning road. It soon became hot shower time and then off to bed with a good read, LATER 

Thursday

Well Wednesday was almost a perfect day except at times Nancy was wearing a sweat shirt. The sunshine was gorgeous with bright blue skies and a gentle breeze that helped to keep the gnats at bay. We spent the biggest part of the day outdoors and it was just a delight with no rain for a change.

The morning started with us both sleeping in until after 7 as the overnight brought much cooler temps so with the extra quilt on the bed it was so cozy plus I exerted extra energy the night before on the pickle ball court. After our quiet times and a bowl of cereal with fruit I headed out to check on the neighbors chickens and the gardens. The hens are finally laying at least 2 and sometimes 3 eggs a day and wow are they ever tasty with some grits or fried taters. I once again was on safari for Japanese beetles and they were out in force on many of the plants. I collected a hundred or more and sent them to their final resting place away from my gardens.

I noticed my garlic patch was looking rather dismal so I took my pitchfork and began extracting the tall stalks. Well I learned the rain had the patch very soggy and wet and that many of the kernels had started to rot. Luckily I dug them when I did as we are fore casted for more rain the next 4 to 5 days with below average temps which makes for rot in the ground. I retrieved several nice bunches of garlic as well as plenty for starting next years crop in October. Garlic does best when planted in the Fall. I don't have as much as I harvested last year but do have enough for several months as we use a lot of garlic in our food prep. I laid the garlic bulbs out in the sun to dry before storing them in the basement.

I fired up the riding mower and did all the yards except the backwoods yard which is still wet and soggy from all the rain. I did fertilize and lime all of the yards again in hope to keep the moss from regaining a foothold. These weather conditions are perfect for moss to grow and once it gets a foothold lookout as it will take over on poor or very acid soil of which I know my soil is very acid as it's reclaimed woods soil due to all the years of laying fallow with lots of leaves from oak trees. The yards look so great with being edged, weed whacked and mowed and the smell of fresh mowed grass is just wonderful.

I stopped about half way through the mowing so we could take out daily hike to the top of the mountain. We stopped and visited briefly to Norm as I took his mail up to him and we saw Dean Todd doing some mulch work at once of the houses before heading on down to visit with Joe, Jetta and Zeke. Jetta gave us a nice mess of freshly picked 1/2 runner beans from her garden which were beautiful and oh did we enjoy them with new white taters for supper. We actually made a meal of that combo with some ham base in the pot, yeow was that ever delicious. We headed on back to the cabin as once more our visit always gets back to food and it was after 12 before we made it down to the cabin for lunch.

We decided to eat lite as we need to once more shed some of the food we ate over the week-end while sitting around doing nothing but eating more. Well we sliced up one of sister Dee's marvelous tomatoes along with a couple cukes and some olives and finished the meal off with some watermelon we forgot was in the down stairs fridge, luckily it was still good and oh so tasty and to boot it was a seedless one as well. After eating I once more fired up the mower and finished the job. It takes around an hour and 1/2 where it use to take me most of the day with 2 of us using the push mower.

We took off on the golf cart to mailbox and Nancy was chilled as the air was still in the 60's but just right for working in my opinion. I headed down to the lower gardens to try and loosen the wet soil around what's left but I'm afraid unless we get some real dry conditions the garden is nearly a total loss. I pulled up the dying from too much rain tomato plants and cut them up for compost. The only good tomato plant is the volunteer spoon tomato which is loaded with itty bitty green tomatoes. They will look good in a salad and some are starting to turn.

Supper was awesome as we just ate the fresh beans, taters and a salad. Yeow is all I can say and I could be a vegetarian at least a couple days a week with that combo. After the cleanup I headed out to piddle around the yard and gardens. I gathered another hundred or so beetles in my bowl of water and disposed of them. Nancy dead headed some flowers and we just stood in amazement at the beauty of the yard and flower gardens. I noticed some areas where a small portion of rock was protruding through the grass and discovered some very large rocks below the grass line as I pulled and dug them out. I will need to fill in these holes later with some dirt as some of the holes are basketball deep.

Well the evening

came upon us quietly and so beautiful with a chill in the air. It was in the 40's this AM(Thursday) when we awakened and with overcast skies. I tuned into the Ray's game and they pulled out a win in the bottom of the ninth over Seattle and then we watched my favorite homebody show, Duck Dynasty. It was a real hoot and sort of reminds me of another favorite show in years past, Beverly Hillbillies. Good clean family entertainment, LATER  I almost forgot to mention the doe deer we came upon on our golf cart ride. It headed into the woods and then just stopped and turned around staring at us.

Wednesday

Well we awakened yesterday to rain falling and dark overcast skies. It had started to rain on Monday evening and all through the night into most of Tuesday morning and once more the rain gauge showed over an inch and a half. We also saw a little of the sun at times enough so I could get out and work a little in between the rain showers. We need a few dry days and this morning(Wednesday) the sun is shining in the tree tops but the temps dropped down into the middle 50's.

There wasn't much we could do in the early morning on Tuesday so Nancy slept in until nearly 9  o'clock but I was awake early around 6'ish so I caught up on some Internet traffic before venturing out with my gum boots on to head to the mailbox on the golf cart. We had been doing a radon test on the cabin while we were gone to Virginia and needed to get the test kits in the mail for an analysis. Nancy heard about this part of N.C. that showed the strong presence of radon gas and she has become fanatical about the possibility of its presence in our cabin and what we must do to correct the problem if the test kits shows it's here.

After my quiet time and lite breakfast of a couple of the neighbors cackleberries(eggs) and grits I headed out to check on what's left of the gardens and the neighbors hens. The Japanese beetles did a number on the bean plants while we were gone so it was time to exact revenge with my water bowl to catch them when they fall from the plants in their get away mode of survival. I gathered at least a hundred of them in just a short time and helped them along to their end. I noticed I have some 1/2 runner beans that need picking as well as some sugar peas and a few cucumbers. With all of the fresh produce Dee gave us we are set for a few days.

We took off just before lunch on our first hike back up to the top of the mountain. The hills were beautiful with the fog and mist that comes with the wet weather. We stopped and took Norm his mail and he seemed a little better except for his leg wounds. We then headed on across the top and noticed the blueberries at Helen's are trying to ripen but the brush and undergrowth have just about taken over. A couple years ago I had it all cleaned out but last year the crop never made as the crows seemed to beat us to the berries. We stopped and visited with Joe and Jetta for awhile and we always wind up talking about food and while it was after twelve our tummy's were growling so we headed on down the mountain to a lunch of salad, yeow was that ever delicious.

I headed out to once more attempt to spread lime on the backwoods yard after lunch as I was rained out earlier in the morning. This time I managed to get the lime on the grass before the rain ran me off. I can really tell a difference in the deep green color of the grass and the lessening of the production of moss.  I have been spreading lime about every 2 weeks through out the summer as well as raking the heavy concentrated areas of moss and it has made a difference.

Well it rained again in the early afternoon so we sat on the porches and read for an hour or so before we started supper. I grilled a couple chicken breasts and Nancy sautéed some peppers and onions in olive oil and we made fajitas with sour cream, cucumbers(for the crunch) and fresh cilantro, Yeow was that ever delicious as well. I had a pickle ball match at 6:30 with 3 other guys so it was off to the court while Nancy did the clean up.

Ted, Rich and Craig and I met up for nearly 2 1/2 hours of continuous play and there were a few wet shirts as well despite the cool temps in the high 60's. There was rain all around but just a few drops hit the court at times as we played on. We are expecting our fifth player, Gerald to be with us the rest of the summer and fall as we try to meet at least once a week for some great play. Well it was hot shower time and shortly there after I headed in for reading until nearly 11 PM. The Rays are once more stinking the field up with their play for some reason as they play teams out of our division. They were losing to Seattle as I headed in to read and eventually call it a day, LATER

Tuesday

I think I pretty much covered all that happened on the earlier posts as I missed a couple days then caught up all at once Monday night when we got back from our 4 day 3 night visit to Northern Virginia. I'm always amazed at how beautiful the landscape is in the Shenandoah Valley nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains. The huge farms that are still producing are manicured to perfection with just a few exceptions. The lonely large barns that have been abandoned when there are no heirs to work the land or when the farmers give up due to whatever and sell the land to developers who build modern houses that stand out between the old abandoned houses and barns. It's no wonder the Valley was the breadbasket for the South during the Civil War and was a must for the South to hold. When they lost control of this food producing area the war was virtually over.

We saw lots of historical markers that indicated where many battles took place along route 11. Many of the towns were established in the 1700's and we found or saw lots of the original buildings that are still in use from that era. The history is just abundant throughout the Valley and throughout Virginia.

The Goochenour dairy farm next door to Dee and Mike's home is enviable. He milks along with several members of his family Holstein dairy cows twice a day and raises or grows all the feed he needs for them as well. The fields of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat are beautiful as well are his gardens for their own personal use. I also believe he raises hogs for slaughter as well. This is just a beautiful farm that butts up to their sub-division that was once part of the original farm land. I think that is why Dee's garden is such a good producer. Her garden is bearing an unbelievable crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers both hot and sweet along with Mike's sweet onion's. They blessed us with a bag of all of the above as our garden here in the mountains is zilch for this year except for a few things that love lots of rain. Speaking of rain it rained hard last evening after we got settled in from the trip and it's raining now at 7 AM this morning as I make this post.

Well it's back to a routine with just the two of us for a couple weeks then Mike and Dee will visit us over the Labor Day week-end. I sure hope we get some sunshine this week and at least a few hot summer days before Fall sets in and then winter, LATER 

Sunday and Monday

Well Saturday turned out to be a very nice day for the Gravel Springs picnic despite the early morning rain showers. We were up late on Friday night until after midnight and then late again on Saturday night. Wow did we ever put on the feed bag Saturday morning with a great tasting egg casserole, fresh fruit and cinnamon toast. We sat around and visited with nephew Martin Steger and his girl Rosie who just got back from a year teaching English in China. She is such a delightful young lady and quite attractive as well. Martin needs to put a ring on this girls finger as they have been sort of a couple for the past 3 years. They left to visit other friends shortly after breakfast.

Nancy and I got ready to head out to Star Tannery for the annual Gravel Springs Church picnic. I have missed this event for the past couple of years and find this occasion great to visit with different family members as well as long lost friends and acquaintances. I found an old friend who was at one time a relative by marriage who I hadn't seen in 50 plus years, yeow does that tell you I'm becoming vintage. We hung around for 3-4 hours visiting with folks and eating a lite lunch before we decided to head back to Woodstock. The drive up to the picnic on Back Road with the mountains in the back drop is awesome with many old farm houses and beautiful crops of corn, soybeans and alfalfa hay. The cattle looked fat and content as the pasture land was lush and green.

Mike our brother-in-law was having his folks Ken and Rose Dillon spent Saturday night as they too were attending a family reunion in the area of Mike and Dee's residence. Ken entertained us with his guitar and harmonic playing before supper. Dee once again out did herself with lots of food preparations. She made a delicious chicken salad along with some of the salads left over from the night before on Friday. Mike had prepared a plate load of jalapeno poppers( peppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon) as a starter and then he made a batch of fresh homemade peach ice cream for dessert. Talk about some fine eatin' as there was none finer to be found.  We got into a game of dominoes afterward and even had his folks playing for awhile until it was their bedtime. We stayed up until after midnight once again.


Nancy and I got up early on Sunday and headed out once again up Back Road to pick up Paw Paw and his friend Adeline. We drove them to church at St. Johns Church where I attended as a child and teenager before leaving for college at Gardner-Webb in June of '64. I saw another old friend who I hadn't seen in over 50 years and some other folks who I went to school with that long ago as well. It was a nice service and we hugged lots of necks afterwards. We decided to head to Winchester for a late lunch at a local restaurant where the food was good and plentiful before heading back to Star Tannery. We got back to Adeline's home and visited an hour or so before heading back down to Woodstock where Dee and Mike live and where we were staying for the week-end.

Once again we indulged in good eatin' which mostly came from leftovers and afterwards we became involved in another game of dominoes. I had won the night before after only a few rounds as the hour was late when we started to play. This night, Sunday Nancy was the big winner after playing 15 rounds of double 15. I was the loser and Mike opted out after the hour of 9:30 was reached. He gets up at 4:30 in the morning to reach his job by 7 AM in Winchester. It was close to midnight before we decided to call it a night and head for bed after our showers.

Well we decided to head out on Monday morning for our return trip back to the cabin. We dined on a hot cereal after a walk through the hood with Bonnie their Jack Russell terrier. The morning was glorious after the light rain from last night with bright sunshine and blue skies. Speaking of last evening we saw 3 hot air balloons on the horizon just before dark. It seems the travel route for these majestic modes of transport go right over or near their house. I loaded up the truck with some home grown tomatoes, peppers and onions before we headed out at 9:30 AM this morning. The trip was uneventful except for getting somewhat lost while trying to find our designated road through the mountains after we made a stop at Sam's Club in Roanoke for some goodies and fuel. Yikes it was $3.02 per gallon which is considerably less than we have paid for gas in quite some time.

We made a stop at Wal-Mart in Galax for some additional goodies before heading back to the cabin. It was close to 4 PM before we headed up the driveway and everything looked good except for the bean plants which were covered with Japanese beetles. After getting the cool items into the fridge and freezer I went on safari capturing a bowl of the voracious eaters. Yikes they can decimate healthy plants in no time. The rain gauge showed about a .1 tenth of an inch of rain while we were gone but after dark this evening the skies opened up and we are having a steady rain with a few heavy down pours. There isn't much lightning or thunder which is good but the rain has been steady for the past hour or more.

I thawed out a couple hamburger steaks and along with a salad and sweet potato we called it supper. My eye lids are getting heavy after a glass of vino and I'm starting to feel the effects of not sleeping all that great in a strange bed. We spoke with all the kids and grand kids and all seems well. Ava started the first grade at Keswick School on this day and Annsley starts kindergarten next week at Bell Schoals Church school in Tampa. It hard to believe the summer is just about gone and these two will be in school this year, Later.. Here are a few pics from this past week end!!!