Saturday

Finally had a little more sunshine for most of the day until late evening when it poured once again. I spent the day for the most part outside after a hearty mountain breakfast of sausage patties, buckwheat cakes with a banana in the batter and a fried eggs with cantaloupe to start the juices flowing. We managed a few quiet moments in between our awakening and the gang coming down for breakfast. Some of our guests ate with the main group but Betsy always managed to eat later as she loves her horizontal lab.

I headed out to check on what plants the slugs and beetles were eating and managed to squash a few. The skies looked like it might be a rain free day so I dusted the cabbage, sweet potato, cukes and bean plants with Sevin. I try not to use any pesticides but the rain had raised a great crops of worms and slugs and they can eat up a plant overnight. I killed about 15 of the slimy critters on some of the flowers out front as well. This is the season for them as they and ducks love wet weather.

The gang finally emerged from the cabin and wanted to take a hike; the first since being here and oh how I missed that exercise. Seems the only exercise we got was bending the elbow as we ate. I did manage a swim at Austin's earlier in the week. We stopped and visited with several on the mountain as many were up for the weekend. I headed back down to get GG and bring her up in the golf cart as the views were awesome. We learned a medium size black bear was seen on our path last evening. That is the first sighting in a couple years of any bears up our way. The hike and cart ride was nice as the sun shine was warm and the plants seemed to come alive. I cut a watermelon when we returned to the cabin that was chilled and so sweet. Many were a little bushed and sweating after the hike and it picked them as well. I made that my lunch after that large breakfast; it was our first melon of the summer.

Arianne had never shot a pistol before so I got out the .40 cal and she hit the target every time(better than her hubby) while the rest of the gang was getting for their trip to town.

I stoked the smoker with mesquite wood and got two birds(chickens)ready for the upright beer can stuff. Nancy had them seasoned up and shining with some olive oil when I put them on around 1 PM; so the earliest they would be done is around 6. I left them on all afternoon and until nearly 7 PM before we were ready to eat. I roasted corn in the shuck on the grill and that was a first for many as well as the standard way is to boil the corn; but if you've never tried roasting on the grille in the shuck try it. You won't even need butter the flavor is so good and natural. I soaked the corn in the sink in cold water for an hour or so before draining them and putting right on a medium heat for about 20 minutes tops, turning the corn every 4-5 minutes. When it's just Nancy and I the microwave is great also. GG had made her famous Greek potato salad and along with home canned green beans and crusty bread we had us another feast. The chicken pulled apart and was smoked just right with the mesquite flavor. We ate out on the deck picnic style for the first time all week until the little flying bugs became attracted to one person in particular so she headed for the dining room table.

After the clean up we played a game of 5 Crowns and it was still rather early so we started a game of LOGO. That is a scream of a game but by 11'ish my eyes were failing and filling up by the sandman. I worked out in the yards while the rest of the gang went to Sparta to shop around the small town and they were gone most all of the afternoon and early evening. I raked moss out in the backwoods yard and then trimmed the wine berry bushes which are just loaded with unripened fruit. This looks like a banter year if the bears and birds don't get them first. Well around 11:30 after a shower I hit the sack and the gang was still playing somewhat as GG was ready for her rest as well. The gang was supposed to get up at 4 AM for a 5 o'clock leave for Florida but after a couple showers, packing and loading the car it was 5:30 before they pulled out in a lite rain, LATER