Tuesday Morning

Monday was just a fun filled day from beginning to end as we were entertaining and being entertained through out the day. It all started for me with a 6 ish roll out and I managed to get most of my routines out of the way before 2 sets of little feet came bounding down the stairs around 7 ish. Bobby got to sleep in until about 8 before he came down and put together some pancakes from scratch with blueberries and pecans in the batter while I fried a pan of bacon on the grill burner outside on the deck.

After the clean up I headed down to the garden to look for fishing worms and we found a couple dozens which was just what we needed to catch plenty of fish for our supper at out "mountain moms" Helen's pond. Boy were they ever biting and I lost several big ones using artificial worms and the kiddos and Nancy had all kinds of fish on as well that managed to get off. Gabe caught the first fish and Annsley thought she was hung up on the bottom when I took the rod from her and managed to land the biggest bass of the day. So she had bragging rights on the biggest fish and Nancy claimed the girls caught the most fish. It was a fun time and the interest was there for a couple hours as the fish both bass and sun perches where feeding on almost every cast.

We visited with Helen and sat on her front porch watching the yellow birds feed before we headed down to her pond. She was excited to see Bobby and his kiddos and of course she always has a candy jar which the kiddos soon found out about. Annsley and Gabe saw their pictures on her fridge and she told them she use to hold their daddy when he was a baby. We did get a good group picture of her with Bobby and the kiddos.

After a lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches along with a fresh guacamole I settled into filleting the fish out by the fire circle and the kiddos chased butterfly's and ran around trying to fly Annsley kite. We decided to take a golf cart ride down to the stream of water that runs through our friends property, Grant and Shirley. We noticed when we got there the heavy rain from a few months back had washed away part of the bank and also created an island. It wasn't noticeable from the road but that must have been some force within that small stream of water. We played in the cold water sailing boats down the stream and Bobby made a movie called Pirates of the Cabin-bbean. We found a little craw daddy and captured him for awhile before letting him go. That water was ice cold. The kiddos had a grand time splashing and running in the water but never really getting totally wet. It was after 4 before we headed by to the cabin and the kiddos got into a video game while Nancy and I prepared supper.

Bobby made a beer batter tempura for the bass and wow was that ever delicious as I fried it in olive oil on the outside grill burner. Yikes that was the best ever and not one bit greasy as is most fried fish. We had fresh broccoli and salad to accompany as well as tater tots for the kiddos. After the cleanup we headed up the mountain along with Annsley's kite to fly it on top of the mountain. We had a grand hike and Gabe was determine to not let anyone beat him on the return back to the cabin. We had a fun time trying to sneak up on him and pass him on the trail but he ran most of the way. We laughed at his antics as he stayed way out in front. The view from the top was magnificent once again and Bobby did get the kite up for a short while before we came back and had a campfire.

We had a nice campfire with Annsley help placing the paper, lighter knot and sticks we retrieved from the backwoods yards. The kiddos had smores and once more played in fire with long sticks until it was bath time. It wasn't long after bath time for them and then story time as they headed upstairs for bed. I too hit the showers as well and then the sack as it was going on 10 o'clock.

I was worn out from all the activity. Bobby sat outside on the porch and did some editing while puffing on a stoogie into the late hours, LATER  

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was a rather chilly day that started with temps in the low 50's and a strong wind which made it feel even colder; however the sun did shine most all day long and it eventually warmed to the low 70's. It was church day so we did our usual morning routines to get ready and then headed out around 9:30. We met up with lots of our old friends and enjoyed a great message from our youth group that spent several days on a mission trip to Shelby,N.C. Afterwards we met up with Patrick and Kathryn and the Dalton's minus Andy and Kallie for lunch at the Pizzeria. Both Mechelle and Caleb leave today Monday for Europe for about 2 weeks and Kallie leaves for Peru for 5 weeks. We will miss them.

We did a little last minute shopping at the grocery store after lunch as we wait for son Bobby and grand kiddos Annsley and Gabriel to arrive which happened around 5 o'clock. They were so happy to be here after a long uneventful 11 hour trip. Nancy had made fresh ginger snap cookies which was a big hit to all and after settling in and running around to release some pent up energy we had a delicious spaghetti supper which a fresh garden salad and garlic bread. Annsley had 3 bowls of salad as she is a green veggie eater. After the clean up we wondered back outside and decided to take a hike to the top of the mountain where we encountered the dog Dancer at Rex's place and then Zeke at the Browning's. This was our second hike of the day within the last couple hours and we were feeling it.

We played outside until a chill in the air had us heading into the warm cabin. The kiddos got their baths then watched Chrek 2 until it was bed time around 9'ish. I soon thereafter hit the showers and it wasn't much after 10 that I hit the sack as well and read a few chapters of a Lee Child book before reading the inside of my eye lids. We have lots planned for this week with river rafting, fishing, Tweetsie Railroad, animal petting, horse back riding and golf cart rides as well as some hikes and butterfly catching. I'm whipped just thinking of all these activities planned.

Well if I'm a little late and preoccupied this next week with my posts you will understand as these punkins are up and rarin' to go. It's a little funny they love playing with all the old toys, dolls and figurines that have been here at the cabin for years that all of the grand kiddos have played with over time, LATER  Here are a few pictures from our hike, me wearing my new hiking shoes, a Fathers Day present from Bobby;  Annsley's shrine to attract butterfly's into her butterfly house she made and a beautiful lunar moth we saw on the back trail. I actually picked it up as it was thrashing about thinking it was injured when suddenly it took off flying higher than the highest trees.

Sunday Morning

Well I must say what a change in the temps overnight, yikes it down into the low 50's with a very strong wind, so it must feel somewhere in the 40's with the wind chill. Saturday found us doing last minute chores as we prepare for our son Bobby, grand daughter Annsley and grand son Gabriel for a week's visit. We were afraid it maybe a little warm for them but this weather will feel like winter as they leave hot muggy Florida which has been at times in the high 90's and even higher. They will notice a big change when they reach the top of the mountain.

I started the day with my usual roll out a little before 6 and then my routines of a few quiet moments and then the posting of this ramble. We decided to have one of our favorite breakfast's with sausage patties, grits and free range eggs, yeow the yolk is pure orange in color and so tasty. After breakfast I headed out to check on the gardens for slug damage as we had about 3/10th of an inch of rain over night which was much appreciated and needed. The forecast was for rain the whole the day(Sat) but somehow most of it went around us except for a few sprinkles throughout the day.

I fired up the mower and gave the yards a mowing then used the weed whacker to make it look even better. Nancy was in the kitchen making her famous spaghetti sauce using fresh oregano and thyme from the garden. I could smell it as I worked outside. The temps never got out of the middle 70's and was just a perfect day for working outside. We saw very little of the sun as the morning was very foggy and then it just stayed cloudy most of the day. We got the cabin ready with another good cleaning; vacuuming, dusting and lots of sweeping. We were ready for our guests and then by early afternoon Patrick and Kathryn came by and we tried out the Saddle Mountain Cafe for the first time in years.

Well since the cafe changed hands we heard the food was excellent and they are even on Face Book with their daily specials which are quite reasonable and plentiful. We got there somewhere around 5 and the parking lot was full. I had to double park for a few minutes until a spot opened up. We saw several Cornerstone folks eating there as well along with a couple of folks we know from the community. Well we each ordered something different except Patrick and I had the Lexington style barbecue with hush puppies and fries, Nancy had fish and fries and Kathryn a Philly cheese sub. Yikes the food was very tasty and just enough especially with dessert. They served hand packed ice cream and I had a cup of the black cherry which is awesome, Nancy had chocolate and Kathryn a mixture of both vanilla and chocolate.

We took a side road on the way back to the cabin and showed them some beautiful places along the road they see from the top of our mountain which runs parallel to the parkway. We were back by 7:30 and got into a game of Euchre. Well finally the guys spanked the gals in a heated shoot out third rubber game. It was bragging rights for a few minutes but of course we were ridiculed with the accusation of being less than honest. In other words we caught them cheating at times and then they turned it around and accused us, oh well!! It was a raucous fun time and we always delight in each others company.

On a more somber note we learned our friends in Elk Creek, Va. the Carlan's must have had a tornado go through their area overnight as several huge trees were uprooted on to cars and houses causing considerable damage as well as rain blew up and under the roof into their attic. One huge oak that was completely uprooted was estimated at 16 feet in diameter, yikes. The Tracy's headed over to help them with the clean up Saturday morning and Sam and Marcia mentioned it was quite frightening for awhile as the storm struck.

Well today is corporate worship day and with all that is happening in our culture we need to be on our knees seeking forgiveness for those who make ungodly decisions for the rest of us and hope that our Creator will heal our land. Never in my life time have I seen so much change and its definitely not good for our people. Things that were bad and evil are now good and justified by political correctness. We kill the weak and unborn with tax payer money, the homosexuals can now marry and cause havoc with those who refuse to accept this abomination, we are experiencing our law enforcement personnel being excoriated and the lifting up of criminals to hero status, and the race baiters causing strife in the communities for personal gain and last but not least we have taken GOD out of everything in our society and culture that was founded on the principles set forth in the Bible. Wake Up America, LATER  

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a rather mundane day that started with a 6'ish roll out for me. We didn't leave the cabin except for a hike before lunch and then after supper we rode out to the mail box on the golf cart. After Thursday's adventures it was nice to stay home. I did my usual routines of a few quiet moments, a lite breakfast and then posting of this ramble about the activities from the day before and then heading out to check on the gardens for overnight slug, beetle and deer damage.

It seems some critter overnight ate all of the new growth off the recently transplanted berry bushes. I meant a couple of them looked as if they were pruned; now tell me why would an animal eat those leaves as some of them are rather prickly, oh well. I never could find any deer hoof marks but it sure looks as if a large animal ate the leaves completely, whereas an insect would cut the leaves off and there would be some dead leaves on the ground. The rest of the gardens fared well overnight and continue to grow and mature. The 1/2 runner beans are over 6 foot in height and the lettuce is doing much better than expected. I picked a colander full of beet greens, kale and lettuces for the fresh salad Nancy put together. My radishes are starting to mature as well. I don't have any green tomato's set yet but do have lots of blooms.

We took a nice hike to the top of the mountain and the clouds gave us some relief from the high heat we have had the past several days. We saw no one on top except for Kathy and a friend sitting in the shade and they waved as we passed by. A couple of their wiener dogs came out barking and gave us some lip service but shortly gave up. It was back down the mountain for some lunch of leftovers and a salad. Nancy had clothes on the line and I piddled around cleaning the filter on the dehumidifier. I did manage to hand water the gardens the first thing in the morning before the sun got to hot.

We sat on the porches and read for a couple hours after we installed a second blind on the front porch. Wow has those two new additions made a tremendous difference in the heat radiating off of the porch and into the living room. That area is now shaded and the breeze is much cooler for the inside when the afternoon sun shines on that area of the cabin. I grilled a couple salmon fillets and we each ate 2 ears of fresh multi-colored corn on the cob slathered in real butter with salt and pepper. That takes me back to my younger days on the farm when we would pull several ears of corn from our patch and have them almost daily during the summer with sliced tomato's. This corn must be coming from Florida as the corn around here is still about knee high.

After supper we headed out on the golf cart to the mail box and visited with Keyes McGee a fellow who owns the place as you enter our road. He and his parents owned and ran a nursery down near the Wilmington area since 1908 he told us. They no longer run the nursery but he has started all kinds of fruit trees, grape vines, etc on this piece of land as he knows his horticulture. On the way back we stopped and trimmed the bushes in our drive that were starting to intrude into the road. My truck mirrors caught a few small branches on the way up yesterday. We cut and hauled a large load of branches which opened that area up considerably.

Well we piddled around outside until after 9 as I transplanted more Zinnias around the well house in a new flower bed. Nancy pulled weeds that mingle with her flowers and we marveled at the beauty of the various assortments that are starting to bloom; cones flowers, daisies and snap dragons to just mention a few in beautiful shades of yellow, pink, reds and whites. The awesome smelling white roses are in full bloom as well but the dang Japanese beetles love them too, so I pick several of them from the blooms several times throughout the day. The huge rhododendron in the back woods yards is blooming as well with large pink blossoms visible from the cabin.

Well it wasn't long after a hot shower and then a little Fox News to learn the liberal supreme court has decided to once again over rule GOD'S judgement on aberrant behavior with making all of us recognize homosexuality in same sex marriage. I really could care less what you do in the bedroom but please do not make it a law that I have to condone what you do and with who you do it with and in what manner. I see our culture quickly heading toward what happened to the once great Roman Empire and how it was destroyed from within; we are seeing that happening to America, LATER

Friday Morning

Well we did some traveling, eating and mingling with the folks where ever we adventured to on this at times hot and muggy day with our friends Patrick and Kathrine. We made a big circle through these mountains and the only disappointment occurred in Fries, Va. when we learned the weekly Thursday 6-9 mountain music jam session was cancelled because a memorial was being held at the Blue Ridge Music Center for one of the Crooked Road Musicians. It was a full day of doing the touristy things and did we ever learn so much history about the areas and the folks who lived here.

We started the day with a 6'ish roll out. I did my usual routines of a few quiet moments, a cup of hot green tea with my handful of vitamins and supplements from Nutrilite and then a bowl of cereal after the posting of the day before activities in the ramble. The morning was nice with temps in the middle 60's and just a little dew on the grass. I did find a couple slugs and beetles on my walk around in the veggie and flower gardens and sent them to their final rest with my boot. The morning glory vines are almost to the top of the arbor as finally we will have some green for our picture taking under the barren structure.

Everything looked good and the 1/2 runner green beans are on the second row of fencing as they climb upwards. I'm convinced if I could get another row of fence up they would continue to climb. I will now have to stand on tip toes to reach the beans but that is sure a lot easier than bending over harvesting them from the ground. The tomato's are blooming as well are the squashes, cucumbers, green and jalapeno peppers. If all of these mature I will be able to set up a vegetable stand but I have several who are unable to have big gardens this year and hopefully I will be able to supply them with some fresh veggies.

We took off for Galax, Va. around 10 and met up with the Tracy's at the WalMart parking lot and headed out shortly thereafter to the Hillsville area. The gals wanted to visit this Emporium with items much like the Mast general store only this place was one level and in a rather new and modern building. It carried lots of the same type of items but the ambiance just wasn't there but it was an hour or two closer. We did find a few little things we wanted and spent some time meandering through the merchandise. I bought a bag of roasted peanuts and sat on the porch enjoying the rocking chair and taking the edge off my hunger. We left out of there and decide we wanted to eat at the local diner that was once an air stream trailer that was transported there from Mt. Airy. This particular diner was once one that Andy Griffith ate at in his home town. There has been an additional dining room added on to the back of the trailer for extra seating and we were thankful for that as the place was jumping with customers. We talked with the owner whose dad originally purchased the diner back in the 30's and he has worked there ever since as well taking over for his dad when he passed. Everyone treated us so well and was small town friendly through out our whole visit to this beautiful small town that became infamous with the court house shooting in the 20's that killed 5 people.

The food was tasty and very inexpensive with hamburger, fries and Cole slaw for $4.25. No wonder the place was the hit of the town for lunch at those prices. Just up the street was the courthouse with the statue of the Confederate soldier standing at attention in the court yard. We ventured inside and was met right away by a very friendly gentleman named Edward who personally took us under his wing and escorted us through the museum and then upstairs to the actual court room where the shooting took place. Two bullet holes from the 57 fired bullets in 90 seconds are still evident to the outside stair way as one of the shooters exited the court house and attempted to leave on his horse. He was captured after being shot in the leg and was unable to mount his horse and was then taken to the nearest hotel down the street where he was later arrested. This was a big occasion and the national press settled into this town. Several weeks later this story was taken off the front pages of America's newspaper by the sinking of the Titanic.

There was this large 5 story building next door to the courthouse called the Carter House and did we ever get a grand tour of that place which is being renovated to its original appearance inside with private raised money by the local town folks. Once inside we met a very knowledgeable  lady who gave us a private tour of the building and the history of the man who lived there and had it renovated the first time in the 20's building on two more stories to the building. The building was constructed in 1845 just before the courthouse next door. It's first 3 floors are complete with period furniture and and is just beautiful. We saw the two upper floors which are under renovations as well and they have done a remarkable job with the make over.

The owner of this building was a man called the last empire builder named George Carter and who was reported as the 9th wealthiest man in America at one time with holdings in real estate, railroads and coal mines. He at one time worked in a hardware store across the street for 50 cents a day as a young man in the 1860's and from there built 2 complete towns in W.Va. with homes for his workers with running water and was noted for not wanting any attention of his achievements. He also built 2 railways and at one time was the largest land owner in the country during his days. I purchased his book which is on display titled the LAST EMPIRE BUILDER : a life of George L. Carter, 1857-1936.

We left there sometime around 3'ish and headed down the mountain through Fancy Gap and stopped at the Mountain Man curio place which has everything imaginable. The place has really been cleaned up and I almost didn't recognize it. There use to be a small pig which they usually butcher in fall outside where you could feed it but that practice is no longer. They do still have cured meat hanging in the smoke house room and we did buy some Florida tomato's as well as some local peaches. Nancy wanted to visit the more modern shop on the Va/NC line and there we found some black raspberry jelly, peach butter and honey before heading back up the mountain and onto the parkway. Since we went right by Eddie and Kimberly's Windy Hill Stable farm we thought we would stop by if the gate was open and it was but she was no where around. We did see a for sale sign on the property. There were several horses in the pasture as well. This barn is amazing in both size and amenities.

We decided to cut through the local area with a short cut back to Galax and as we needed to make a purchase at Lowes hardware. Just as we were leaving Lowes in Galax we spotted a familiar face face and it was Edward from Hillsville in the parking lot. What a small world and we had a mini reunion with him before heading down to the Creek Bottom Brewery for calzones, salads and drinks. I tried one of the local brews and the food was delicious and plentiful. This is a rather new business and they are doing quite well especially for a Thursday. We had a great waiter who is home for the summer and is in the criminal justice program at George Mason University near D.C. After eating we decided we wanted to visit Fries, Va. which is right on the new River and was once a mill town. The setting is magnificent as the gently flowing river runs along the edge of the hills in town. We wanted to hear the mountain music that happens every Thursday at the local rec center but several folks on the steps of the center told us it was cancelled due to the memorial being held at the music center on the parkway. We were right there and would have stopped if we had known about the cancellation, oh well. We had a beautiful ride along the river and met a nice couple from Pittsburgh who were both riding motorcycles and bicycles in the area.

We headed back to WalMart and dropped the Tracy's off and we both did some shopping for a few things before heading out for the cabin. It was nearly 9 before we got home and still light enough to hand water the gardens, Phew, what a busy fun filled day and we learned so much about the area and those who loved it and still practice that kind of friendliness,  LATER

Thursday Morning June 25th

Where has this month gone??? Well Wednesday was another busy day that found me outside for most of the day except for the mid afternoon when it got rather warm so I sat on the back porch and read for a couple hours. It was 82 in the shade but rather humid for a change but by late afternoon a nice gentle breeze enveloped us and once again made it pleasant to be outside.

The morning started with my wake up a little before 6 and then a roll out to start the day with my usual routines of a few quiet moments, the posting of this ramble and a lite breakfast before heading out on safari to squash slugs and now we have Japanese beetles back into the picture. Seems they show up around the first of July each year but are early due to the heat index this year being so high. They are notorious eaters of all of my veggies but especially like rose blooms. I did away with several of both slugs and beetles as I did my walk around the gardens.

I wanted to clean out and redo the rock in the one flower garden in the backwoods yard which seemed to be going down hill with the flower and plant production. I had Fall Daisy's planted there for years but since I cut down a couple trees last year that were within the plot the daisy's haven't done well. I tore out all of the rocks, added a couple loads of dirt that I dug from my backwoods quarry and then pulled out all of the grasses before sowing Zinnia seeds and giving the planter a good watering.

We took off on our daily hike before lunch as the heat was starting to show up on top of the mountain. The distant views were already being affected by the haze and mist in the air from the heat. We stopped and chatted with Shirley Cottle as they were up for the day. John was off spraying weeds somewhere down below. He is undergoing chemo for prostrate and bladder cancer and must take chemo for the rest of his life. He seemed in good shape and spirits the last time we saw them about 2 weeks ago. He is another person who is quite active  despite his new health concerns.

We saw no one at the Browning's then headed on down the back road which was so much cooler in the shade of the tall trees. What a real difference in the temps when you get off the open road across the top of the mountain and back into the shade. We settled into a lunch of fresh garden salad and crackers on the back porch picnic table. Wow what a setting for enjoying a delicious lunch with a nice breeze and the temps still in the high 70's. After lunch I headed back out to my dirt quarry and loaded the golf cart up 3 more times to fill in some low places in the backwoods yards. It was starting to get rather hot out so I decided to head for the basement and cool off in the 50 degree settings.

We chilled until it was time to eat an early supper as I had pickle ball at 6:30. We finished the leftover meatballs that Nancy had frozen and she made a gravy over Jasmine rice with Brussel Sprouts for supper, yeow was that ever delicious. I headed out about 6 for the court and we had 5 players which allowed for a small break every fourth game. After an hour and a half my shirt was dripping as was everyone else's but I decided since I had hiked earlier that I would let these 4 younger guys wear each other out for the duration. These guys have really become good players and we had some tremendous rallies and decide the inside pickle ball worked better on this non skid surface than the outside ball. It was nearly 8:30 before I got back to the cabin and we still lots of sunlight for piddling around outside. The temperature had dropped back into the 70's for the evening.

Well it was time for a hot shower around 9:30 and then I settled into Abbott's book on the Civil War until 10:30 and then it was lights out, LATER      

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was another day which saw us with some rather warn temps here in the mountains; however despite the hot afternoon we were still 10 degrees or more cooler than down off the mountain. It reached the middle 80's on the back porch during the hottest part of the day so we sat a spell in the shade reading for a couple hours. Since we don't have a/c we do have the basement which is usually cool some where in the 50's so if it gets really uncomfortable we can head down there for a cool off but by late evening it had cooled down enough that we took our daily hike to the top of mountain. The views were shrouded in mist or fog as the hot air met the cool thermals coming from the hollers and vales.

We took off for Galax, Va. around 10 after our morning routines, quiet times and a lite breakfast to shop for our son and grand kids who be heading this way next Sunday for a week. We stocked up and then tried to find a laundromat to wash our old comforter so we could get it repaired as the sun has caused some damage to it; but everywhere we were told one existed we could not find it. We will put that on the back burner until a rainy day. I did purchase a large screen that will block the evening or afternoon sun that directly strikes the front porch which leads to heating up the cabin. Its a roll up and let down when needed type and already it made a difference during the heat of the afternoon. We thought surely we would get a thunderstorm as we did hear a few rumbles in the distance but not rain. I hand watered the gardens after the direct sun retreated for the day.

We got back from Galax in the early afternoon and decided to eat our big meal for the day around 2 PM. We cleaned up the left over Zucchini Pie which was even tastier than first prepared and just had some cheese and crackers when we normally eat supper around 6'ish. I piddled around in the gardens and yards in the shaded areas pulling weeds and doing some "honey do" chores. We caught up on our reading during the hottest part of the afternoon until the sun hid into the tree tops.

Well the Rays finally won over the Jays in their evening match up in St.Petersburg at the Trop. I stayed outside until after 9 as it was still light outside enough to piddle around then it was shower time and curl up with my book for an hour before lights out for me sometime around 10:30. I did get a call from my old friend Walt who wired and plumbed our cabin. We remain friends through the years and try to at least get together with him and his wife Theia while we are here for a supper out and visit during the summer. He said both of them are having severe health issues as he can hardly breathe and get around  and now she has a form of cancer in her arm. She will have surgery next week to remove the lump and he has been to three doctors and they have no idea why he is having so much difficulty breathing. Keep them in your thoughts are prayers, LATER  

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was another busy day that started after my 6'ish roll out. I wish I could sleep in but this alarm clock in my brain wakes me up around 5: 45 and then I force myself to lay there for a few minutes longer and think about what I want to accomplish during the day. I let Nancy sleep in until sometime around mid morning as she has become the night owl flipping channels until the wee hours of the morning, oh well.

After my morning routines of a few quite moments, my handful of Nutrilite supplements and vitamins and a cup of hot green tea I posted this ramble about what happened the day before that might interest our grand kids when we are long gone and of course when they are much older and want to know how we spend the summers here in the mountains of North Carolina at our cabin in the woods. I sat out at the dining room table with the look of the woods surrounding me and the windows open and a slight chill in the air as the temps are down into the 60's with the call of a lonely crow off in the distance breaking the absolute stillness. Wow what a difference from the city life we lead in Florida. Occasionally we do have the fighter jets that fly at tree top height practicing their maneuvers as they roar over head. Usually they are out of sight by the time the sound reaches us as they fly at such high speeds. They practice their runs in these mountains which are somewhat similar in height to Afghanistan I've been told.

There were rain clouds all around and by 10'ish  it let loose a nice shower and then the skies cleared and the sunshine was evident for the rest of the day. It did get a little warm by late afternoon and once more the thunder heads began building with some rumbles in the distance but we never really got any major rainfall. It was during this period we sat under the porches reading for an hour or so in the shade until it was time to start some supper. After the morning rain we took off on our daily hike to the top of the mountain and stopped and chatted with Mike and Nancy who have their beautiful log cabin up for sale. They have dropped the asking price almost in half but its still on the market despite the beautiful long distant views. We headed on across the mountain and saw no one else before heading down the shaded back road which was several degrees cooler than on the exposed front road. The Browning homestead looked quiet as their two grandson have returned to the city after a week here in the mountains.

I managed to load up the golf cart and the spreader with bags of pelletized lime and did the yards. What a work out that was on the less than level yards and then replaced the fixture I had holding the weather vane on the storage shed. Seems I had to do a new redesign from the old one as the vane kept tilting. The Zinnias and lettuces I moved up to larger containers are doing well and I hope to get them in the ground in a few days.  

We had a lite lunch after burritos for breakfast. I wanted to use up a couple slices of bread which I've basically stayed away from in maintaining the spare tire so I had one of my favorite peanut butter with sliced onion sandwiches. Nancy did the salad as she turned up her nose at trying one of my favorite combo's. Speaking of salad,  I'm now harvesting a little more lettuce, kale and beet greens to add to the store bought produce. Caleb our mountain buddy gave me a bag of frozen in water creek caught trout so I thawed them out and filleted them for our supper along with taters' loaded with fresh parsley from the garden, yeow did that combo along with the fresh salad make for a healthy and tasty supper. After the clean up we headed outside until nearly 9 o'clock which was still light enough to see to piddle around in the garden and flower beds.

Well it was hot shower time a little later and time to pick up the true story book about the 4 women who were doing their best to help their side in the Civil War. Very interesting. The Rays were losing big at home to the Jays, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday which was Fathers Day turned to be a relaxing day with worship at Cornerstone and then a sumptuous lunch at the Pines Eatery in Sparta with several locals and our friends from Florida. Afterwards we stopped by Kaitlyn and Curtis's place on the way home to see their menagerie of animals which included a couple calves that still bottle feed, lots of rabbits; mommas, poppas and little itty bitty babies, goats, chickens and dogs. Wow do they ever a great garden as well especially with the abundance of animal poo. Yelp, that is the secret to great gardens.

We started the day with sleeping in for me which is quite unusual until nearly 7:30, yikes I felt like half of the day had passed me by. We did our morning routines hurriedly as we had to be ready to leave for church at 9:30. Pastor B had a good message on fathers and their relationship with GOD, their families and how they set the example for others. There were four graduates from the Top Gun II class that finished the 9 month course and each of them gave a testimony to the difference this weekly gathering made to them and their families.

We saw lots of familiar faces especially those who came to support Curtis as he graduated the class. His mom and Kaitlyn's mom and grandparents were there to show their support for him and them together. They are such a cute couple and now he has completed the Law Enforcement Class for certification as an officer of the court and is actively seeking a job hopefully with Sparta P.D. or whereever one becomes available.

We didn't do much of anything for the rest of the day as it was after 3 before we got back to the cabin. It was rather warm outside with temps in the middle 80's but the nice breeze and shade kept our place comfortable. We were able to Face time with the grand kids. Bobby and Tyler took all the kids except Eliza to the beach and then came back to get ready to head to GG's for supper. Eliza kept trying to hug the monitor when she saw us and kept giving us kisses on the screen. She pitched a fit when they kept her back as she wanted her grand parents. The kiddos are growing it seems so much since we last saw them 3 weeks ago. Bobby will be here with his kiddos a week from today for a whole week of excitement and fun.

I got a phone call from an old FHP buddy who I had actually broke in way back in '75. He was my first rookie to train and eventually was the best man in our wedding in '79. He has since retired as well and is still in the pan handle of Florida but wants to eventually move to the western part of Georgia some day. It was good to hear from him as he saw the old pictures Bobby put on Face Book for Fathers Day of me in uniform with a flat tummy and a head of hair. He wanted to know if I still had my head of hair as he has lost all of his, oh well!!!

Well we skipped supper as lunch was filling for me. I did pop some corn about 7:30 as we watched a little of the Last of the Alaskans show. Great scenery and wow did it ever look cold and dreary at times with no sunshine for over 3 months at a time. I'm not too sure I could handle that place in the winter. We did get a nice thunder storm around 6'ish which dropped some much rain for a few moments and really cooled things down. Nancy went from ceiling fans on to a flannel shirt and shutting the windows in just minutes. I'm finally getting some water once again in my rain barrel which I use for plant watering when its dry. The garden is doing well. I transplanted a couple dozen Zinnias as well as some black seeded Simpson lettuce seedlings and started another Steevia plant for a friend as everyone wants one.

Well today, Monday we will hopefully get in a hike and I've a few honey-do jobs to finish. Tuesday we will take off on an adventure into Va. with the Tracy's and do some shopping on the way home in Galax, LATER

Sunday Morning ...Fathers Day 2015

Well Saturday became a full day of work that started around a 6 'ish roll out for me. Nancy took her time rolling out somewhere close to 8 or after as she has become a night owl. The temps were in the 60's to start the day and with clouds and overcast at times it never reached 80 and then after a rain shower in the afternoon it cooled down to the 70's. Just a beautiful summer day for working outside.

After my usual routines of a few quiet moments, a lite breakfast and then the posting of what we did the day before so our grand kids will sort of get the feeling of what life was like in the mountains with us I headed outside. There was plenty of dew and wet grass which is great for slugs. I smashed dozens as they made their way towards my gardens and a few that were already there. They or their first cousins the cut worm took down two of my Zinnia seedlings over night. Luckily all of my Zinnia seeds sprouted and I have tons more up and ready to transplant into individual 9 packs. These flowers are amazing as they will produce several flower heads on one stalk as they mature and some will grow to 3 feet in height. They definitely have become one of our favorite annuals for color and overall beauty.The steevia cutting I made for a friend looks great and should have roots by now and soon ready for transplanting.

I fired up the weed whacker and did all of the yards which took me right up to lunch time so we decided to get our daily hike out of the way before eating. We did the mountain hike at a fast pace as we saw no one and never stopped except for a quick rest stop on the steep incline. We were back at the cabin around 12:30 for a lunch of deer sausage(Caleb blessed us with), cheese, sliced cucumbers and crackers. The deer was excellent much like salami and if you didn't know the difference you would guess it as the best salami ever eaten.

I headed out to fire up the riding mower and commenced to mow for the next couple hours non stop. No sooner than I finished mowing we got a heavy down pour which was welcomed by the grass and the gardens. We received nearly a 3/10ths inch of rain which is right much in such a short period. We sat on the porch and read until neighbor Gerald came by with his new bride Karyl for a visit. His son Gabriel came by later as he had driven up from Raleigh for a visit with his dad over father's day. We remember when he was but a small lad always wearing his little red rubber boots with his mother carrying him piggy back while we hiked the mountain and now he's over 6 feet tall and built solid as he is a wrestler in high school. I think he mentioned he will be a junior next year. Wow do these kids ever grow up fast.

Well it was close to supper time after they left and declined to get together for card games later so I whipped up a guacamole for us using fresh cilantro and thyme from the garden, wow was that ever tasty and took the edge off of our hunger until it was time to fry up some fresh rainbow trout that I caught on Thursday evening, yeow what a tasty meal along with some steamed Brussel sprouts in a Dijon sauce. The trout was superb and you can't get it any fresher as it came from a private mountain lake and into an ice chest after unhooking it. I blessed our "mountain mom" with a couple meals of it as well and she said it was delicious as well. I froze enough for another meal for a later date in a plastic zip lock bag with water which keeps it almost like the day you caught.

After the cleanup we wondered around outside the yards and gardens where I found tons of the slimy slugs out in the grass from the earlier rain. Needless to say I sent them onto their happy hunting grounds with the toe of my boot. Well it was after 9 before we headed in the cabin and I finished the book by Lee Child BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE. He is a decent author and keeps the story interesting with lots of action and thought provoking insight into his main character Jack Reacher. I started the new read based on actual real life scenarios of spy's during the Civil War involving women. My daughter Amy read the book and recommended it and she was right on with the interesting facets of these real women who took sides in the war and did their best to make a difference. It's titled LIARS TEMPTRESS SOLDIERS SPY by Karen Abbott and what I've read so far is fascinating.

Well today we headed to worship with our mountain family at Cornerstone Church on this special day as they graduate a men's 9 month in depth program called Top Gun that started last fall. The stories they tell of their relationships between this band of brothers is awesome and this all reflects onto their family life. There will be many tear filled eyes as they share about this experience as well as does their spouses and kids on the change that occurs between and within them. Should be an awesome day of worship and afterwards we will visit one of the local eateries for lunch which always offers free pie to all the dads or men. I may just have to have some of the butterscotch pie which is always offered and seldom seen in Florida, LATER Here is a picture of our new quilt from Cracker Barrel and some after mowing and grooming the yards and the fresh trout supper.

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a little cooler to start the day with temps in the lower 60's and some dew dripping from the dormer onto the the tin roof. We did get a small rain shower during the night which gave the grass and plants a much needed drink and another drink sometime in the evening as the roads were wet when we got back from Independence, Va. somewhere around 10 PM. I had to leave for Sparta around 2 PM to help with setting up Cornerstone's tent for the Relay For Life event later in the evening so I never really got into any large projects.

The morning started much the usual with a before 6 roll out to get the day started. After a bowl of oatmeal with honey and cinnamon and a few quiet moments I posted this ramble from the day before's events then headed out to check on slug damage. I found a couple of the slimy critters but they have been rather quiet for the past couple nights due to the lack of precipitation but since the rain during the night, I did find a couple to squash. I did find the Swiss chard is showing some good color as well as is the spinach in their rows. The tomato's are blooming, the 1/2 runner beans are climbing and (I added another row of chicken wire for them as well) the jalapeno's are producing as well. The only thing I've lost completely was my dill plant. I also have October beans or as we always called them "bird eggs" up from seeds my baby sister Dee gave me last year. I have three rows of them poking through the ground.

I piddled around outside burning garbage and then we took off for our daily hike to the top of the mountain. We stopped on top and watered a new shrub for Sarah as she won't be up for another week or so and then headed on across the top. We chatted briefly with Rex and his dog Prancer(Maltese type) who rides on his 4-wheeler and then headed across to chat with Joe. He and his 2 teen age grandsons have split and stacked several chords of firewood for his stove for next winter. We headed on down the mountain to the cabin and settled into a delicious chicken salad with grapes in the mix on a wrap, yeow one of my favorites.

I couldn't get involved into any thing major so I sat on the back porch in the shade with the temp's in the low 80's and a nice breeze and read for an hour or so before getting ready to head to Sparta. I brought a change of clothes as we were meeting Patrick and Kathryn for supper at JB's pizza place at 5'ish and then heading over to the old courthouse in Independence, Va. for a hand bell concert. (Nancy and Kathryn met up in town while I went to the stadium and did the shopping circuit in Sparta.) Marcia, our new friend from last year who lives in Elk Creek, Va. is a member of this talented group and they had an outstanding performance with guest pieces from a local Sparta doctor Jack Caan on the violin doing one of the world's renown moderator, Shelby Foote pieces that is always heard whenever he did any commentary on the Civil War for PBS. This was a great concert and the director is renown as well as she travels world wide and is one of the foremost hand bell experts.

The old courthouse is quite the museum as well with lots of artifacts from the early history of this region dating back to the Cherokee who first inhabited this region. I could spend hours just walking through this building and observing the history present; we must do it again at a future date. We drove up behind the courthouse to what was once a bed and breakfast that is now for sale. The building is majestic and grandeur in its architect. Wow, we all wanted to buy it right there and reopen it with the magnificent view it has of the valley below and the mountains in the distant. What a gorgeous piece of real estate. I want to bring a new friend here to see this building when she next visits she has an architect degree.

Well it was starting to get dark and we noticed the roads were wet when we got back into Sparta. We could hear the music from the football stadium where I spent a few minutes assisting with the erecting of the tent earlier in the day. It seems it rains every year when folks walk the stadium track and pledge for cancer awareness and funds to help eradicate this disease. There are usually several survivors walking this walk and proclaiming their initial victory over this dreaded disease. This is a big event in this small town and we missed participating due to the concert. There is all kinds of good barbecue and home cooking as well and we always see lots of old friends we have made over the years. We were sorry we missed this event.

Well it did rain while we were gone so this morning(Sat) I will mow the yard as it starting to reach some height once again after being so dry the past several days. We noticed neighbor Gerald and his new bride, Karyl made it down from Blacksburg, Va. for the weekend as the lights were on his place as we came up the drive. Hopefully we can get into a card game later this evening with them, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was anything but usual after my early morning routines which started a little before 6 with a roll out, a few quiet moments and then left over pancakes for breakfast. I hand watered the gardens which despite no rain in the past several days is still doing well. We had some huge thunderheads around and many black clouds but they seemed to pass around us which is very unusual as we are noted for our fog and wetness at this end of the county.

I piddled around outside digging fishing worms and pulling weeds while waiting on Nancy to get ready to head over to our "mountain mom" Helen's place to do a few chores for her. Well, when we arrived she was all into viewing several large houses through her binoculars from her back porch. These houses were high atop a mountain some miles away so she said to skip the chores and let's go exploring which we did for the next couple hours. Both she and Nancy love to travel the back roads and Allegheny County has a ton of them.

We found the houses she was inquiring about after a steep drive on to the top of this mountain but since a couple drives were marked private we never could get next to a couple of these majestic structures. We ended up on dead end roads and stopped at an

old wooden built bridge and took pictures of the small river. We saw wild turkeys and deer out foraging in the day time which is unusual. We saw lots of pumpkin, corn and cabbage truck farming as well as tons of Christmas Tree farms. I often wonder how long it took for the old timers to get to town to buy their necessities back in the days of horse and wagon as these hills are steep.

Well we got back to drop Helen off after nearly 2 hours of exploring that area of the county around lunch time. We settled into a fresh garden salad for lunch and then never did get in our hike for the day as a storm came up with thunder in the distance. It sure seemed like we were going to get a gully washer as some one close by got a terrific storm. We even unplugged the TV and laptop in fear of the lightning which was accompanying the thunder. We may have received 20 drops of rain which didn't even turn the driveway rocks wet, oh well. We sat on the porch and read for the next couple hours. At least the clouds and breeze dropped the temperature down several degrees.

I had a fishing date with one of my pickle ball buddies so Nancy had a Zucchini Pie in the oven by 4 so I could eat early and meet him at 5:30. We fished a private lake and the rainbow trout as well as the large mouth bass were biting. All of the trout were 20 plus inches long and several of the bass were 2-3 pounds as well. What a peaceful setting and we fished until nearly 8 PM. That's the first time I've been fishing in many moons and that use to be one of my favorite past times and since this was a private lake I didn't need a fishing license, great!!

We after cleaning fish until dark I headed for the shower and then watched the Rays vs the Nationals on the tube. They are or were in first place in the division and where beating the Nats 5-3 when I decided to call it a night around 10'ish. I read a few chapters in the new Lee Child book before lights out for me, LATER