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!!!