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
