Wednesday was one of those days that we have had too many of since June. It rained lightly almost all day with a couple hours during the early morning when it was mainly fog, drizzle and very overcast. I don't think we even saw the outline of the sun at all during the entire day, yuck. There were times in the late afternoon when we would have 10 minute breaks in the rain and then downpours again. We managed to get in a hike up the back trail about half way to the top when we could hear the downpour coming through the trees so we headed back to the cabin and by the time we got back some what wet the rain stopped, so down the steep driveway and up the back road we went until it started again then we cut through the woods to the cabin. Nancy slipped going down a steep embankment and cut her leg so I being the good "horse doctor" I am took care of her infirmity. She is a good patient and seems to be well this AM. I stopped by the chicken coup and found a total of 4 eggs for the day from 3 chickens, not bad as I think one was from yesterday. We could hear them cackling throughout the day despite the rain.
The morning started out much the usual with a 6'ish roll out for me; my internal alarm has me awake at 6:15 most every morning(except for this morning, Thursday when it was after 8 before I awakened, yeow). After a few quiet moments, a cup of hot green tea and the postings of this ramble I had a piece of birthday carrot cake for breakfast. It's loaded with fresh carrots, nuts and of course bad sugar which isn't good for you but it tastes good and held me to lunchtime. I just can't let it go to waste as its one of my favorite desserts, oh well.
The fog rolled in and a mist shrouded the cabin so I donned a plastic parka and headed out to the backyard where once again moss is trying to take over. I raked for a couple hours in the inclement weather until it really down poured then I would rest and do it all over again. I managed to raked out most of the heavy moss parts but was unable to carry it off the yard as the rain was just too heavy at times. What a wet day.
We caught up on some reading and getting ready for our week-end trip to Woodstock and the Winchester area of Northern Virginia. I grew up at the top of the Shenandoah Valley and long for those old familiar places and family. We will attend a mini-Triplett reunion at the Gravel Springs Church picnic on Saturday then visit the old church where I attended growing up at St.John's. We were there last year for my niece Kelly Dillon's wedding who was married outside on the grounds. This church and cemetery is hundreds of years old and lots of my relatives are buried there as well as my great grand-father who was General Lee's bodyguard during the Civil War.
We leave on Friday morning and like to take Route 11 as we get closer to the Winchester area as there are many historical sites along the way with lots of roadside markers. The small towns have many of the old limestone buildings still in use today and we are amazed at their conditions. The farms are just beautiful with their huge fields of corn and soybeans as well as large herds of cattle, hogs and chickens. It's no wonder the Shenandoah was know as the breadbasket for the South during the war. The limestone rich soil is evident all through the valley as the rocks protrude through out the landscape.
Well we had one of our favorite suppers with pork spareribs roasting in the oven covered in sauerkraut and then we spooned that onto smashed taters. Yeow what fine eating and the smell throughout the cabin was just awesome. After I cleaned up(Nancy cooked) I vegetated in front of Fox News as the Ray's game didn't start until 9:40 out in Arizona. We watched Duck Dynasty for several re-runs then I hit the showers. I could barely keep my eyes open until 10 PM when I turned the lights off and slept in for the first time this year.
The atmosphere here this morning is about the same as yesterday with the exception of no rain is falling as I write but it sure looks as if it could. The birds are singing in the wood and a lonely crow is cawing off in the distance. Maybe that's a sign the rain is over and its just going to be overcast. That's alright if I can at least get outdoors, LATER
