Sunday Morning

Well Saturday morning was a busy get ready for company and then after they arrived sometime around 10:30 it was a play day. We started with a before 6 roll out as we had a few big things to do that we weren't able to do the day before. Initially we thought they would arrive between 9:30 and 10 but there was a delay on their part so we had an extra hour to sit and read before they arrived. It was great to see my old Air Force buddy and my ex brother-in-law Bruce along with his now wife Norma and his daughter Sandy and her husband Bob and their oldest daughter Stephanie and son Ryan and her husband Kenny.

I got two fat chickens stuffed with fresh herbs and a beer in the rear on the smoker loaded with apple and plum wood around 8:30. Wow did that ever make a great smell for the next 6 hours as these birds pulled apart when I took them off their beer stands. The skin was almost ebony but oh so delicious and the flavor of the meat was awesome. In the meantime while they sat in the smoker we snacked on some guacamole, salsas and con Casio after a nice slow hike to the top of the mountain. It was a beautiful day but soon turned into the hottest one so far but still much cooler than down where they live. The gals rode in the golf cart except for Stephanie who initially hiked with us on the way up but rode back down. Sandy had a bum knee and Norma is starting to feel her age and didn't want to hike. They all loved the views from the top.

We came back and chilled for awhile before getting into some corn toss games and the old men whupped up on the youngsters several times as we old guys alternated games and then we hit the badminton birdie around for awhile as we worked up an appetite. That was the first time I ever had used that portion of the garden which I had converted into a badminton court. It was going on 4 ish or a little after so it was time to chow down. The chicken was so delicious along with baked beans and potato salad and a very nice fruit salad that Sandy brought. We had all kinds of cookies for dessert but only a few of them were eaten after we just about demolished the birds.

We headed outside with the cameras after eating for pictures.  Sandy has her own photography business in the Hickory area called Keys Photography. She made several pics of the group using a tripod which we had fun doing and then we headed in to play Balderdash, a game none of them had ever played. Well Stephanie was the big winner with Nancy a close second but everyone was quite creative and we had lots of laughs.

They headed out for home as dusk started to settle and wanted to be out of the mountains before dark. It is about an hour and half ride for them down off the mountain to their homes in the small town of Newton which is near Hickory. Bruce and Sandy live just around the block from each other and Stephanie and Kenny live close as well. Ryan is still at home as he, Bob and Kenny all work together in the telecommunications business. Bruce is into his workshop now retired and he is a perfectionist when it comes to wood working and carpentry. He is having some health issues but has it under control with medication and does well as he advances in age along with Norma.

 It was a great time of reminiscing as we flew together during the Vietnam era. He was an engineer and I was loadmaster on the C-141A jet aircraft. We were at one time married to two sisters; he to the oldest one and I to the youngest one. He had two kids; a boy Bruce Jr. and a girl Sandy and I was always their Uncle Butch. I even helped raise Jr. after he divorced and went overseas while serving in the USAF. We have stayed in contact over the years and really enjoy getting together every once in awhile and now they are much closer so we will have to visit them in the future

. Well that was a fun filled day and after they left we soon hit the showers after putting away the chairs and boards from outside and catching up on Facebook and few chapters with a Lee Child, LATER