Well Friday was a day that started with bright sunshine and blue skies and maybe just a little warmer by early afternoon but the gentle breeze kept it bearable in the direct sunlight. I worked outside all day long that ended around 4:30 as we got ready to head out to Sparta around 5:30 to pickup a bread order from Becca's Backwood Bean Shoppe then a stop for supper at the Dalton Farm. After supper we got into a raucous game of Sequence before heading home around 10 o'clock.
The day started with a sleep in until nearly 8, this is now becoming the norm instead of the exception. After my usual routine's and then a few quiet moments to lift up several on my mind and reflect on life's circumstances I finished up the cantaloupe for breakfast. I tried to eat sparingly for the day as I knew we were eating heavy for supper at the Dalton's. I posted my ramble and then we headed out for our daily hike to the top of the mountain before I started to mow. We saw Mike and Nancy on top and chatted a few minutes, we saw lots of cars but no one else out and about. After getting back down from the hike I fired up the riding mower. It's been a couple weeks since I've mowed all of the yards and weed whacked. The backwoods yard was really needing mowed as the new grass was 6-8 inches in places over the stump burn outs.
I stopped around 12:30 for a small salad before heading back out to finish mowing. It was 2:30 before I finished with the tractor and then picked up the weed whacker and did the driveway as well as around all of the perimeter, trees and gardens. Needless to say I got almost as much exercise doing that as another hike. It felt great to hit the shower afterwards and the nice breeze made it conducive for a 10 minute power nap after showering. I spoke with Paw Paw up in Winchester and learned Uncle Frankie(his younger brother) was in the hospital with some nose bleeds. We hope all he is well as he has suffered from some long time illnesses. We also learned that our nephew Jeremy Tharp has been moved to Portland Oregon by the Nike Company he works for. They have furnished him with a home and moved all of his household furnishing as well as flew the family out there, many congrats to him and the family. I know he will be missed by his mother, sister Pat and brothers John and Justin.
We headed out for Sparta and picked up 2 loaves of bread and a blueberry coffee cake for when our company arrives today(Sat) for the week end. I know where all of that good eatin' will go; right to the spare tire. Oh well!!! I'll just have to do 2 hikes a day next week. I took out baby back ribs to thaw for the smoker as well as a small deer ham. I've never done a deer roast on the smoker and I'm excited to see how it will turn out as well as a new recipe for ribs. It's called 3-2-1. You place the ribs on the smoker for 3 hours then take them off and wrap them in tin foil for 2 hours with either apple juice or beer(my favorite) for 2 hours then unwrap them for another hour in the smoker uncovered but covered with your favorite barbeque sauce. We love Sonny's sauce on our smoked meat.
Sister Dee and hubby Mike are expected sometime around mid-morning today so Nancy was in her prep mood all day long as one of her gifts is hospitality. We will have some great eatin' the next couple of days and I will try to post pictures. We had some great burgers at the Dalton's with home grown beef, wow what a difference from what you purchase in the store. The meat was superb almost as good and wholesome as fresh venison which of course is my very favorite. Nancy made a colorful and delicious pasta salad and there were other goodies as well. I hate to report the gals once more won at Sequence but at least it wasn't a skunk as we pulled out a lone game. We had a newbie in Frank playing for the guys as he is Karin date and she of course has played several times while unattached. Kallie was home from UNC for the first time since school started and she spoke about her first couple weeks away in college. She seems to be adjusting quite well, LATER
