Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was a stay at the cabin day except for a late evening hike with Patrick and his son Ryan who came to the mountains for the first time ever from Florida. It also was the birthday of my youngest sister Dee who is now a grandmother for the second time to a baby girl named after her mother, JoAnn. Her mother and father raised me from a small boy around the age of 4, so of course I was there with them when she and her two other older sisters were born until I left the farm after graduating high school in '64. My birth mother was her dad's sister, so really we are first cousins by blood but brother and sister in real life.

I started the day with a 6'ish roll out to my usual routines of a few quiet moments, a lite breakfast of melon and then the posting of this ramble before heading out to check on the gardens. It is dry here and I've been watering by hand for the past several days with a watering can. I know it would be easier to use the garden hose but for some reason I hate to wind that thing up after it's use as it takes away from the beauty of the flowers in the yard; plus by walking up and down the hill to the water spigot I get some extra workout and that helps to keep me in shape or at least work off some of the fine eatin' that goes on here in the mountains.

I fired up the riding lawn mower which was a present to us a few years back from Dee and Mike which by the way has saved me when it comes to mowing this huge at least an acre or more of yard(s). We are expecting them for a visit this weekend from Woodstock,Va. After the couple hours of mowing I trimmed the yards and trees with the weed whacker. The place looks so prim and neat especially with the beautiful flowers in all of their grandeur. The morning glories were in full bloom this morning with over a dozen showing their "heavenly blue" color. It's hard to describe this blue as it really is magnificent and each morning they are in full regalia until about lunch time when the sunlight strikes them from beyond the tree tops. That chore kept me busy right up to lunch time when we sat down to fresh sliced cucumbers from the garden on a ham and chicken wrap and watermelon for the kicker.

We got a call from the Tracy's that they would be coming by earlier than first expected after picking up Ryan in Greensboro at the airport so we tided up the cabin and had an early supper of rice pilaf and fresh green beans. Nancy made up a batter of chocolate mocha pecan cookie dough so as to serve them when they came by for a visit to show Ryan our place. The boys(myself, Patrick and Ryan) took off on a hike to the top of the mountain while the girls stayed back and planned our bike trip down the mountain today. We ran into our departed friend Helen's son Rick who is from Brandon, Fl.(near us) and a friend who were visiting the area and staying at her cabin. We had a nice chat with him as we had met him and his brother and sisters last year at his mother memorial service here on the mountain. He mentioned they were thinking of renting the cabin so it would have some use as it has been setting unoccupied for over a year. The view from her place is awesome and they took down Patrick's name as a potential renter in the future.

We headed on back down the mountain and Ryan was impressed with the views and the ambiance. They soon headed out for their rental cabin the other side of Sparta. We will meet with them early this morning(8'ish) in Sparta to ride together to the Damascus area to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail for 17 miles down the mountain on an old railroad bed. It's supposed to be quite the experience with little or no pedaling as it meanders down the mountain along side a stream. You can go as quickly as you want to or take your good old time with several stops along the way for pictures and what ever. We are excited to have this adventure but the ride there is supposed to be quite a trip as the road twists and turns through the Grayson Highland Mountains which is also called "white top" due to the accumulation of snow in the early winter months.

Well we just chilled after my hike and piddled around the cabin. I loaded our bikes and got out some snacks and a few tools in case any adjustments to the bikes would be needed. We are taking extra dry clothes as the weather forecast is for showers through out the day. We really need the rain so if this adventure brings it on so be it. I have some lite weigh ponchos we will back pack along with some energy and sports drinks from Amway. I will post pictures tomorrow if we don't get washed away or get eaten by a bear( I only have to be able to out run the slowest person, just kidding), oh well!!!

It wasn't long after the O'Reilly show and a hot shower that I curled up with a new Lee Child book for a few chapters before it was lights out. I set the alarm for 5:30 so we would have plenty of time to get ready before meeting up with the Tracy's in Sparta and then carpool for about 50 some miles to Damascus which is rather close to the Va./Tn. border, LATER