Wednesday

Well Tuesday I was the birthday boy, yeow what a day of well wishes, cards, gifts, phone calls, eating out and carrot cake afterwards at the cabin with Helen and Joe. There were lots of kind words from family members(both blood and church), close friends and old associates from years past. I was touched by such an outpouring of warmth an endearments. It was fun eating out with our "mountain mom", Helen and her brother Joe and their younger sister at Applebees in Galax. We first went to a seafood restaurant but found the parking lot empty as it was closed on Mon. and Tues. evenings after 2 PM so my next choice was in Galax. We had a nice meal and learned something new; Applebees has a poker night on Tuesday Night in the bar area of the place. There must have been a dozen or so men and women playing what looked like Texas Holdem'.

The day started much the usual with a few quiet moments and a lite breakfast of oatmeal and fruit. After my posting of this ramble I headed out to check on the gardens and chickens. Only one egg today. I captured another bowl of beetles an ended their plant eating adventure. The yards looked so beautiful and manicured after just being mowed. The flower gardens are still holding their beauty despite the daisies losing their freshness and Nancy dead heading many that have begun to shrivel. I noticed some new growth on many of the veggie plants now that we have had 3 days of warm dry air.

I picked a couple cucumbers and a hand full of beans and even a couple small teardrop tomatoes that are trying to ripen and fell off the vine. I noticed several small sugar peas developing on the vines that are just loaded with blooms as well as 2 rather nice elongated green peppers(taste like a Bell pepper) on one plant and a few cayenne peppers turning red(I took a couple with me when I went out to eat thinking I was going to have seafood with a baked spud as hot peppers may the spud taste so great). The 1/2 runner bean plants are starting to bloom and have now covered the fence I built for it to climb on; thus making harvesting so much easier than bending over.

The temps were in the 50's to start the morning and at times when the sun was covered by clouds and overcast there was a touch of Fall in the air. It reached the low 70's for a high. Nancy did a couple loads of laundry which took all day to dry and eventually we had to dry some of the blankets in the dryer. The sun was in an out but mostly it was covered by clouds and we could feel the front as it moved closer to our area. On our daily hike to the top we could feel the temperature drop as we neared the top which has some fog, clouds and mist present on the higher elevations. We stopped and visited with Joe, Jetta and Zeke who is either feeling his age or just not frisky. They seem to think he had a tummy ache. We had a nice chat and it always turns to food or the preparation of food which always gets our juices flowing; besides it was close to lunchtime.

After a lite lunch of canned vegetable beef soup, I gave my pickle ball paddles a coat of polyurethane as the nonskid court is rather rough on the edges. I didn't venture into any major projects just a lot of piddling chores as we knew we were heading out around 5'ish. I went on safari a couple more times capturing lots of beetles and then we settled into some Internet reading and paying our bills. I got my tax bill from Allegheny County and it looks as it stayed about the same as last year.

Well that was about it for Tuesday as we celebrated my 39th birthday for the 28th time. I'm blessed to have such a loving wife, kids and grand kids as well as friends who made my day special with their well wishes. Thanks again from this country boy who's logic is founded in the principal you treat others as you want to be treated( is that not biblical), LATER.....No pictures today!!!