Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a catch up visit day with old friends which we have been putting off due to reasons beyond our control but it was great to see Eddie and Kimberly and their new grand daughter. We even stopped to see another old church friend who lives in the area but she was gone so we stopped and visited with our "mountain mom" for a few and blessed her with some fresh baked cookies. We ate a late lunch or early supper around 3 ish then settled into reading until late evening when we took our hike for the day.

The morning started with my usual routines with a little after 6 roll out. I had my cup of hot turmeric tea and then posted this ramble before my quiet time spent with my Creator. We ALL need to be in prayer for our nation as it becoming evident this world is in a mess now that we have no competent leadership with this present potus. The nominee for the Dem's is even more evident of the vain and corruption and there is evidence the courts are going to make it easier for voter fraud to get her elected. The world is no longer a safe and secure place without our leadership and our country is becoming increasingly violent and divided which I think is all a plan by this present potus. I have faith that if we are vigilant with our prayers those who are corrupt will be found out and exposed. GOD can do anything and we must be continually seek HIS will in all of this as well as pray for Israel.

I headed out to check on the gardens after a boring breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon and honey. I picked more cucumbers and then picked a bap of fresh lettuce as well as jalapenos and green beans for Eddie and family. He has progressed better than most would have thought after breaking his neck in a fall 2 years ago. He is able to sit up in a motorized wheel chair and move all of his limbs somewhat except for the left leg which still has no feeling. He is able to feed himself with difficult but does get the job done and his breathing at times is labored. He still needs to be bathed by a health care worker as well as has no bathroom privacy. He does exercise daily with an exercise bike that allows him to sit in his chair and move his limbs. He is now convinced he may never get a whole lot better and is thinking of making an addition onto his house that would allow him more privacy with a wheelchair roll in to the bathroom as well as to sleep in his own bed. He now sleeps in a bed in the front room. He does have a ramp onto the porch which allows him to get outside for fresh air at times and yesterday he motored up to the barn where we were petting 3 of his horses at this farm. He has 10 more horses in Virginia.

It was after 2 'ish before we left their place. It was great to see both of them and then Kimberly's daughter, husband and their daughter came for a visit with us. They live just 5 minutes away and spend most of their time at the farm helping her with Eddie. The grand daughter is such a ham and a cutie despite she was cutting teeth and not feeling great.  I will go over to their farm next week and clean out their stables for the manure for my gardens which will help both them and me. We made plans to get together and play that game"sequence" which we use to have so much fun playing before he was severely injured in a freak accident. Those were some raucous great times eating and playing together.

Well we had some of the many leftovers from the past couple of huge meals we had on Thursday and Friday nights for our big meal of the day. The pasta, chicken and salad was awesome with a couple fresh baked cookies for dessert. It was an awesome day weather wise with dark clouds at times but no rain. We need some rain but it passed by us again today. At least it was cool enough we could open the windows and doors. We had a nice late evening hike to the top of the mountain and visited with Jetta briefly. She is such an artist and she showed up the house cat picture she is painting on a huge rock in Joe's yard area. Joe was gone as he returned the new mower back to Lowes's which wouldn't start.

Well we settled into reading after the hike as we wanted to finish our books and return them to the library today while in town after church. Take a few hours today and gather with others to honor our GOD and pray for healing for our land. We lost another police officer yesterday in a needless act of violence which has permeated our land and perpetuated by this racial and race baiting administration. It's such a disgrace to see the one line of defense between the peace loving folks of this land and the criminal element being slaughtered. What was once was good is now bad and what was evil and bad is now upheld and honored by this divisive administration and the liberal left. This criminal element was honored at the Dem's convention. These are times spoken about in the Bible and there are plenty of examples of utter destruction to a people

when we take God out of the equation and while that occurred in the olden days it looks as if that is coming to fruition now, LATER

Here are a few pics from yesterday!!!

Saturday Morning

Well Friday we never left the cabin except to hike the mountain. The light rain we received on Friday evening was a blessing both with giving the gardens a drink but mainly because it lowered the temps considerably and moved the humidity out. We had the windows and doors closed on Thursday with the window a/c units on and Friday was completely different. Windows and doors where back open with a nice breeze all day long. We had 8 of us for supper Friday evening and we all sat out on the deck and ate supper as well as played sequence until nearly dark comfortably.

The day started with my usual routines and roll out around 6'ish. I had my proverbial cup of hot turmeric drink while I posted my blog and then took some extra time with my Creator to lift up those I know and love and my country. Our nation is under attack and I can see such polarization that started with this present potus. The GOD fearing, law abiding family man is no longer the norm and is being undermined by those who want big government dictating how and what they should believe. We have moved to becoming a socialist nation and have failed to look at what has happened to Europe when they did the same move. We all need to be in prayer for the very existence of what our founding fathers believed in and wrote into our constitution.

After a lite breakfast of boring oatmeal with cinnamon and honey I headed out to check on the gardens and harvest a few cucumbers and pick green beans and one nice yellow squash. I'm hoping the squash will pick back producing as the high humidity is favorable for the rapid growth of fungus for squash which causes the small ones to turn black on the bloom ends and dry up or fall off. Nancy made a delicious squash casserole for our supper to accompany smoked ribs, green beans from the garden and taters' right out of the garden the Luffman's brought and a very tasty homemade chocolate silk pie Kathryn contributed as well as a superb dip to start the juices flowing. We know how to put on the "feed bag" when we all get together.

I started two slabs of spare ribs on the smoker loaded down with plum and applewood around 11'ish when we got back from our daily hike to the top of the mountain. We stopped and visited briefly with the Browning's as we hadn't seen them for a couple days. Joe purchased a new riding lawn mower but the thing wouldn't start for some reason; so I tried my two cents worth of knowledge but nothing happened with just getting some reaction to turning on the key; nothing, no sound or clicking just dead silence, oh well!!! Anyhow we headed home as I had wood soaking in water ready to be placed in the smoker. Well, we had that wood smell from time to time all day long. Our supper guests were arriving sometime between 6 and 6:30 and all came within minutes of each other. We were surprised to see Caleb driving the family as he now has his learners permit; where did that time go? He is taller than all of us and is a great young man and we are so proud of him.

Well after eating too much again and having so much leftovers to share we got into a heated came of Sequence between the 8 of us and once again I was accused of cheating as always; despite the gals smoking us 5 games in a row. I love it when I cheat and lose but I always thought you cheated to win, oh well. I least I brought out the competiveness of the gals!!!! We sat outside on the deck eating and playing our game until nearly 9 o'clock. We were hoping for rain as the clouds moved in but none fell. After they all left we cleaned up the dishes and the kitchen and I watched a little of the FOX Cable News. I will be so glad when this election is over but of course we ALL know the fix is in for this crooked woman. Just today the courts in N.C. ruled it was discriminatory for voters to show an ID at the polls. We know that will definitely load the votes for this liar and corrupt nominee. It wasn't long until it was shower time for me then I took off to the reading room for some horizontal lab around 10:30, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a busy day that started with a trip to Sparta to run several errands and then back to the cabin to work out outside with mowing and weed whacking the yards and then to put in those two a/c window units. We were entertaining the Tracy's for supper and the temps while not as high as a couple days ago were still in the upper 80's with high humidity. We finally got enough rain to settle the dust but that was about it. The temps did drop some what over night and once again the windows and doors are open this morning(Fri.).

The day started much the usual for me as I rolled out a little after 6. I took my handful of vitamins and supplements along with my hot cup of turmeric drink then settled into posting this ramble from yesterday's activities before spending a few quiet moments with my Creator. Afterwards I heated up the leftover sausage egg biscuit in the microwave for my breakfast and was soon on my way to town. I wanted to first pick up a couple of filled propane tanks that I had dropped off to be filled the day before then headed to the barber shop. Kermit who I used for years finally got some help which moves folks in an out much quicker. I only had to wait about 30 minutes. Afterwards I headed out to the library to drop off a book then gassed up the truck across the street all before heading to the landfill with garbage. One last stop at the produce stand for fresh tomatoes before heading back.

It was going on 11 by the time I started the mower and then I stayed busy for the next couple hours as I mowed all the yards and then edged and trimmed the whole the place. I decided to skip lunch as I had a rather substantial breakfast with the biscuit and I knew we were eating early and big when our guests arrived. Nancy was busy in the cabin with her food prep and of course cabin cleaning. We never got to take a hike as we were busy with getting ready for the Tracy's. They came somewhere around 4'ish and we had the a/c units in and they were cooling the cabin to where it was quite comfortable. There were some dark clouds around and we were hoping for some rain and by the time they left before dark we did get a light rain shower which just did settle the the dust. But it was better than none.

Nancy made chicken picatta with fettuccine and sauteed' greens, yeow what a delicious meal and to start the juices flowing she made a favorite of mine, spinach artichoke dip. We savored a glass of the fruit of the vine to accompany this feast. Kathryn made a Key Lime pie for dessert which was delicate and oh so good. Yeow I'm so glad I skipped lunch as this meal was excellent in both filling and taste. We played a game of Euchre after the clean up and the new team of me and Kathryn won on the last hand.  The whole reason for the dinner this night was we wanted to see what the liar Hillary said at the DNC but after watching some of the built up to her speech we were so sicken with those sycophants who support her and the party we couldn't watch the show. They left for home and we watched "mountain men" for awhile before hitting the shower and eventually some horizontal lab.

We are so disgusted with those who perpetuate this criminal and crooked liar as their nominee. It has become so sickening to think this is what will lead the country as we know the fix is in with her just as in the failure to prosecute her for violating our national security. The corrupt voting practices will once again be evident by those who monitor and count the votes as it did when this potus was elected a second time. We are in a downward spiral for humanity and she will destroy all civility and the rule of law. We had better be ready for a revolution against the forces of evil when she is put into power. The crooked elites are in control of our future and short of an uprising we will be facing anarchy within the nation. I fear for this land that I love, LATER

Thursday morning

Well Wednesday was a fun day which found us once again gone from the cabin for nearly 12 hours with Patrick and Kathryn Tracy. We headed south to the Boone area then we visited Beech Mountain and the surrounding small towns and had a marvelous dinner at Bella's Italian eatery in Banner Elk. We did run into a terrific storm that had streams of rain water flooding the highways along with lightning and thunder, yeow!!!! We never got a drop at the cabin and so we go on two weeks with out rain and once more the temps were on the high side but we did see some relief with cooler temps as we got back on this side of the mountain.

The day started with my usual 6'ish roll out to a hot cup of turmeric drink, the posting of this ramble and then a few quiet moments with my Creator before heading out to check on the gardens for any damage. Ted Smith one of my pickle ball buddies mentioned on Tuesday night he had a bear get into his garbage bin during the night destroying his bin and 4 large bags leaving garbage strewn over his driveway. We have heard from several folks that bear sighting have been common this summer for our area. I have noticed the compost pile gets dug into almost nightly but the night time game camera only shows a raccoon, possum and a feral house cat.

I cooked sausage patties on the outside grill and we had biscuits in the oven so we had those with some egg and cheese for our breakfast as we would skip lunch on our travels for the day and dine later in the evening in Banner Elk. We met up with the Tracy's just before 11 and traveled together in their fuel efficient Prius. We made a quick stop in Jefferson as we wanted them to meet Sami Ashley(Bobby's school mate) at her Harvest Cafe on Main street. Her husband Steve and a couple of their daughters were present as well. We just love Sami as we have know her since she was just a kindergartener. We got to Kathryn's appointment in Boone right on time at 12:30 then dropped Nancy off at the christian book store while Patrick and I shopped at Walmart. We came back around 1:30 and picked both of the gals up and headed to Starbucks where they had their special drinks.

We headed south to the the Beech Mountain area which is magnificent in vistas, yeow is all I can say. We have never been there or to that area. I'm not sure I could live there as they have some few necessary places such as grocery stores, gas stations and farm markets on the mountain. There was one place on top that had grocery items and fresh veggies but that was it. I spoke at length with one of the owners and this is primary a ski town with only 350 or so folks living there year round. All of these majestic homes are mainly owned by Floridians she told me, who visit mainly in the summer and then again in the winter for skiing. It's quite a trip down the mountain for basic necessities but views of GrandFather Mountain and surrounding vistas are awesome. I'm at a loss of explaining the construction of some of these beautiful huge buildings and homes on the ledges and steep slopes in the area.

We did run into a party of 6-7 gals who were all classmates in high school and were celebrating their 70th birthdays together as one of them had a place on the mountain. They were very cordial and we shared a few moments with them as well. We headed over to Banner Elk and saw the beautiful Lees McRae College located in the heart of the town. It was a two year school when I was at Gardner Webb in '64 and we played them in sports. We saw some huge Episcopal conference centers located on the mountain with beautiful long distance vistas. It was after 5 when we arrived at this eatery The Tracy's and Botbyl's had eaten there earlier this summer. The food and service was awesome and the place quickly filled up as we dined. We managed to get out of the building in between down pours and lightning strikes as the mountain was inundated with the storm, yikes did it ever down pour and we were hoping that some of this rain was heading our way.

We stopped in W. Jefferson on the way back at the huge Walmart for some items that required the cooler which we had brought with us. The drive back to Sparta was uneventful except for the many deer feeding in the fields along the roadway. It was dark by the time we got back to our place only to find the lack of any moisture from the skies. It had cooled down some what and a hot shower felt good. I was soon reading for a few minutes until 10 o'clock before it was lights out. We didn't bring the camera so we have no pictures to share but the pictures in my mind where awesome of the new areas we visited, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well it was another hot and muggy day on the mountain and by late afternoon most all we could do was sit in the shade and read for a couple of hours, however I did get some garden work in during the morning hours. We got our hike in as well before lunch and on top of the mountain the sun was really bearing down as we walked across the open road. It was nice to get back into the shaded woods on the way down. We took a long golf cart ride out to the mailbox then up the side road and across the back of the property before heading back to the cabin. We noticed the little creek that runs along parts of our road was not as full of water as normal. I did get in a good workout on the pickle ball court later in the evening.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out. I did my morning routines; hot cup of turmeric drink, posting of this ramble and then a few quiet moments with my Creator before a lite breakfast of boring oatmeal with cinnamon and honey. I even awakened Nancy at 7'ish so she could see the morning dawn. I headed down to the lower garden and drug out the rotor tiller and worked up a section that was beginning to get weedy and then planted 3 rows of bird egg beans or as they are called commercially October beans. They are much like pinto's but much more flavorful and they can be canned as well. We use to eat these when I was on the farm and oh so delicious. My aunt the one that raised me use to send me canned jars of these for my Christmas present for years before she passed. That is how much I loved this bean.

Our hike was uneventful and we saw no one on top, even the Brownings were gone. It was 11'ish by the time we got back to the cabin so I fired up the golf cart and we headed out to the mailbox and then took a ride up the side road that is not safe for vehicles except 4 wheelers. We hadn't been up that rode this year as I recall and then across the back road that separates our properties. We noticed that 4 wheelers have been using that road frequently as there was a much used path around the rocks and gullies. We came back and had a great lunch of a fresh garden salad while setting on the front porch. Delicious. The garden is still producing cucumbers and yellow squash and the lettuce is holding on despite the lack of rain and high heat.

Nancy wants to drag out the two A/C window units which we haven't used in years and we have kept in storage. I have a dislike for them for some reason as they take away the ambiance of the cabin but she is constantly complaining of high humidity and heat in the afternoons. It has been rather warm but we have only sat down in the cool basement once the past few days when it's been so hot, oh well!!! Down off the mountain it's been over the three digit mark several days in a row. There was rain all around us but we were skipped over again. She did hand water the flower garden last evening while I was at pickle ball. My shirt was dripping by the time I left close to 8 o'clock while these 5 younger guys continued play. I guess the window units would feel good but by late evening the temps drop and by morning we are reaching for the blankets, oh well.

We had our first mess of green beans from the garden along with a grilled marinated chicken breast for supper. The beans were oh so good but Nancy had to string each bean as this is the first time ever growing this brand. Well it wasn't long after a hot shower and a few minutes with my book that the sand man calleth around 10'ish, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was another hot and muggy day here on the mountain and despite some rain clouds that never dropped any rain here specifically there was plenty in the areas. The cloud cover and eventually a breeze cooled things down some what but it was still too hot in mid afternoon to get much done except sitting on the porch reading and that is what we did for a couple hours.

I started the day off much the usual with my morning routines of a 6'ish roll out. I had my cup of hot turmeric drink with my handful of Nutrilite supplements, posted this ramble and then did my quiet time to honor my Creator, give thanks and pray for those I know and love. Nancy was still doing her horizontal lab until about 7:30 so I headed out to check on the gardens. The veggies are holding their own despite the lack of rain now for about 10 days. We have been getting some heavy dews so they are getting some moisture throughout the night. The grass has been wet each morning requiring me to wear my gum boots until nearly lunch time.

I pulled another handful of yellow squash and cucumbers as well as a bag of lettuce to share with our neighbors Carl and Donna Hudson. They are back at their beautiful cabin after a long two weeks of vacationing with their grand children. It was great to see them again and they were most pleased with the fresh veggies. We will make plans to get together with them for a supper in the near future. My golf cart goes right up their steep driveway with no problem as usually only 4 wheel drives make it to the top easily as its that steep with several curves mixed in.

I decided to stake the tomato plants above the wire cages already in place as the plants are now above my chest in height. They are bearing the largest green tomato's of any in the garden so I want to make sure they don't break down. It's the first year of growing them in this location with any success. I changed locations on many of the plants this year despite rotating the crops. I'm not sure if the extra manure over the winter helped or the use of the Garden Magic minerals I use is the real difference. I get those from my organic gardening store in Florida and I think they have more than paid for their use with my productivity.

Well we took a hike before dark as we were scheduled to go on the river in our kayaks but the storms in the area (none out this way)forced us to cancel. After a supper of grilled Salmon fillets and grilled veggie's that included whole fresh mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, onions, yellow and zucchini squashes lightly coated with olive oil and placed in my grill basket for about 35 minutes. These were accompanied by some Jasmine rice, yeow was that ever some fine eatin' and healthy as well. We piddled around outside as dusk settled in and then read until it was shower time. Our Fox News Cable Channel was at the DNC and I just could not stomach listening to those who garner support for their lying crooked nominee. I have a sickening feeling there will be so much voter fraud as there was in the last election. We see how the country is in such a bad state of affairs as a result and there are those in the media who are blind to this corruption and actually help promote the destruction of our values and mores. Never before have I ever seen so much of a double standard for these elitist in the political realm as it has been for the Clinton's and the Obamas, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship that started with watching live from our home church Bridgepoint in St.Pete, Fl. and then heading to Cornerstone in Sparta. Afterwards we tried out what I think will become one of my favorite eateries called Kanpai which is Japanese. The food was awesome and very reasonable as well as was the service. We had passed by the place which seemed to be not very popular but yesterday there were several tables of customers after church. Delicious cuisine and it was prepared fresh as well.

I started the day with my customary 6'ish roll out to my morning routines of a few quiet moments with my Creator, a hot cup of Turmeric drink and then the posting of this ramble from the day before activities for posterity. The morning coolness was quite nice as the past couple of afternoons and evening have been rather warm and muggy. I think we have another day or so before the rain comes in and cools things down which we need. It's been over a week since we last had any moisture except for the heavy dews at night which have been a blessing to the yards and gardens. I did hand water again last evening parts of the garden.

I picked more cucumbers and yellow squash and now I'm building up to where I need to start giving away more than usual. I know of a fellow gardner at church whose cukes didn't make so I will bless him with some next week as well as one of our neighbors just got back into town so I will visit them today with some as well. This has no doubt been my best year for cukes and squash and now the green beans are doing well also. Most of my friends tomato plants have the blight but mine are doing well so far with lots of green ones set. I'm excited to get those ripening and again should have plenty to bless others.

We met up with Patrick and Kathryn at the eatery and I had shrimp with fresh veggies in a delicious hunan sauce with fried rice and a bowl of hot and sour soup to start the juices flowing. Nancy had the chicken with fresh veggies as well in a sauce which also wasn't quite as spicy as mine but very good. The meal for two of us was less than 12 bucks and we were quite satisfied as we didn't for a change over eat. Eating at this place after church may help with reducing our caloric intake thus reducing the spare tire. That meal held me for the day except for some Chex Mix which needed eating and I popped corn for Nancy later.

It was a rather hot day so we sat down in the basement where its a cool 50-60 degrees on a hot day for a couple hours and read. The large shade blinds I installed on the front porch helped with the keeping the bright sunshine off the porch but still with no breeze it was rather warm and muggy. Finally as evening approached we worked out in the flower beds dead heading, pulling weeds and then hand watering. I noticed the Morning Glory vines are about half way up the arbor as it the honey suckle vine on the upper half of the arbor. I'm excited to see the "heavenly blue" blossoms which they produce as well as the sweet smell of the honey suckle blooms.

We worked outside until 8'ish then watched the Lies and Legend's show on Fox and this was very well done about one of our Revolutionary War militia leaders in the south called the "swamp fox," Francis Marion. It was a great reenactment of the situation and how his persistent efforts in the south helped General Washington to drive Cornwallis to surrender in Virginia. Students of history should watch these life like portrays of our nations beginnings. I must say Bill O'Reilly has done a great job in bringing to us some history lessons about the rise of our nation. I want to read the book as well.

Well it wasn't long after this show I hit the showers and then some reading until 10'ish. It was lights out for me, LATER

Sunday Morning

I must say Saturday was once of our hottest day's to date with temp's getting into the higher 80's while in town but out at our place it may have reached the upper 70's. It was very still and more humid than usual. Nancy almost had me talked into pulling out those window unit a/c's of which I hate. They take away so much of the ambiance plus they are so dang noisy; anyhow we survived until after sundown when things cooled and of course the shower revived us completely. I awakened this morning with a sheet and a comforter against the cool morning temps. She just got so hot in town that she never really cooled down, oh well.

Saturday started with a little later rollout somewhere close to 7'ish. I'm not sure why the internal alarm was a bit off but I enjoyed the extra few moments. I did my morning routines of a few humble minutes with my Creator and then the posting of this ramble before a breakfast of grits, eggs and a jalapeno pepper cut up in the mix and a little Chrystal sauce for some flavor, yeow was that ever delicious. Nancy was getting her beauty rest as it was almost 9 before she emerged from the bedroom; of course she is a night owl. Speaking of night owls we heard an animal noise last night like never before that caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. At first I thought it was a coyote but at the end of the cry it sounded somewhat like a screech owl and maybe even a panther. I took a flash light to shine into the woods looking for the eyes of a critter but whatever it was took off. We've been hearing tales of panthers being in this area and we know coyotes are hear so I'm really not sure what animal made this noise or scream.

I did some chores around the cabin and gardens hand watering and then emptied the rain barrel. I found lots of rocks at the bottom of the barrel as our littlest grand daughter Eliza Faye loved to play with rocks while she was here. I had a melancholy moment remembering her great time while wondering around the cabin. She is a country girl no doubt. I harvested some lettuce and beet greens for the Tracy's as well as dug up a portion of my Oregano plant which just multiplies more each year to share with the owners of the Tracy's rental. I have given away several diggings to folks in the county as Oregano is a great herb for tomato dishes and on sandwiches. It loves this clay type soil here. We decided to get in a hike before lunch so off we went up the steep backwoods trail. We visited wiht Sarah on top for awhile petting her big watch dog that looks like a dust mop. We then headed across the top and could feel the heat from the bright sunshine. We stopped and sat a spell with the Browning's on their front porch which the thermometer read 90. Yeow it was hot there. We were glad to get back onto the shaded road where it was rather nice as we hiked home. Our back porch read in the middle 70's. We had a lite lunch of salad with some canned chicken mixed in with the fresh garden greens. Delicious.

We got ready to head to town and meet up with the Tracy's at Crouse Park once again as the many vendors were showing off their wares. Another band was setting up with 70's and 80's music and I even got in a little rockin' and rollin' on the dance floor(concrete slab) with some gals. At one time I had 5 gals out there and got to meet some really nice folks. One of them was so glad I started the ball rolling but of course no men joined me; I worked up a sweat in no time and met some great folks. I also met a feller' at the mechanic shop whose wife is a wood worker and they had a booth set up. We became FB friends and I learned he is an artist and one of our neighbors has a couple of his paintings in their house; what a small world and one of the many plus's for small towns and communities.

Well after my moves on the dance court(which were a bit rusty) we headed out around 4'ish as the band changed on the stage. We made a stop at Walgreens on the way out of town then headed towards the cabin. We made a stop at our "mountain mom's" before heading home. She blessed us with some coconut cream pie and wow was that ever tasty after our bowl of Zuppa Toscana for supper. I know it was a rather warm day but the soup was very tasty. After the cleanup I headed out to pick my first mess of green beans and they were very plentiful. They are Kentucky Wonder bush beans the first time ever planting them and they are long, thin and very difficult to pick off the vine. I needed both hands to extract them for fear of pulling up the vine. They looked beautiful and they are loaded with blooms as well. I drug out the garden hose and hand watered all of the flower beds after the sun left them in the shade. I noticed a few more Zinnias have opened up their blooms as well. I soon hit the shower as darkness enveloped the cabin and then to the reading room until 10'ish. It was lights out for me as I inserted my ear plugs.

Don't forget to gather today with other Believers and honor our Creator with worship in music and word and lift up our nation for some healing. Pray for healing for our land and for some new leadership that will put our nation first instead of themselves. Also pray for those who are our allies in this world especially the state of Israel as their enemies who are our enemies also want to destroy them and US(A), LATER Check out our FB page for the pictures of the day!!!

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a fun day and even into late in the evening as spent most of the day with our dear friends the Tracy's. I did get my truck worked on as I had noticed an unusual sound coming from underneath the front undercarriage when traveling on our bumpy driveway. The sway bar bushings were shot and needed replaced so I had the mechanic check the ball joints as well as the brakes while he had it up on the rack. All was well for the 10 year old truck which I will probably replace this coming year.

We headed to town for our 10 AM appointment on the truck then The Tray's picked us up and we headed back to their rental for a delicious lunch of baked zucchini rounds as an appetizer , cold turkey sandwiches with potato salad, Wow does she ever set a great table. Anyhow we sat and watched Trump's acceptance speech on the laptop while eating and while there is some skepticism of his ability to get elected with the rampart voting fraud seen in the last election, we pray he could turn the country around.  We were hopeful as in his speech his addressing the corruption in the government, the political correctness, racial divide, economic downward spiral and our safety from the radical Islam. He will need to surround himself with great advisors and folks with the same regard for the country and the desire to once again be the beacon of hope in the world.

We decided to visit real estate in our county as the Tracy's are looking for property now that they have sold their Florida condo and are looking for a place for about 8-9 months of the year. We hope they stay within the area as we cherish their friendship. We looked at several beautiful pieces of property with some very nice homes. Some were river front property others secluded in the woods and some with magnificent distant views. We spent a couple of hours perusing the county and traveled some roads we had never traveled before. We met up with Mechelle at her place of business and made some temporary plans for a get together next week with a supper and some game playing.

We met at Becca's coffee shop in Sparta around 6'ish for supper where we dined on several different entrees all of which were very tasty and prepared on the spot. I had the pasta with sausages and Nancy the orange chicken with veggies and cheese cake with blueberry topping for dessert. Very tasty. Afterwards we walked down to the Crouse Park area just off main street for some great 80's music. There were different vendors during the day but most had closed for the evening except a few who sold ice cream, a winery that served IPA beer and wine and a popcorn stand. The band called themselves the Craig Vaughn Band from over in Virginia and while they did have a banjo, fiddle, drums, mandolin and two guitars they didn't play much mountain mountain. I did get in one flat foot dance with three other gals on the concrete slab but the music was from the Eagles, lots of Blues, some country Jonny Cash style and some Vietnam era sounds. They were exceptionally great vocalist and we personally knew the fiddle player, David Woodie who occasionally fills in at Cornerstones Priority Blue gospel quartet. A great time was had by all and we hugged several who we hadn't seen since last year. We stayed and closed the concert which was a little after 9'ish. We walked backup to the main street area where we had left our vehicles. The town was closed up.

We just love the folks in this small town. We are headed back there again tomorrow afternoon for more "music in the park" with the Tray's. They too love this small town atmosphere. Well it was going on 10 o'clock before we got back to the cabin after being gone for over 12 hours, yikes where did that time go? We hit the showers and I was soon seeking some horizontal lab, LATER  

Friday Morning

Well Thursday found us out berry picking at our "mountain moms" place which is just loaded with berry bushes. The bushes were there but we were a week late doing the berry picking. We did find some berries but they were in a sad state with lots of fruit flies camped on the either mushy berry or nearly dried up berry. We picked in the hot sun bundled up with long pants, long sleeve shirts and boots to thwart the thorns, yeow was it ever hot as we constantly where on the watch for snakes and other critters in these bushes. Well to make a long story short we soaked the picked berries and found at the bottom of the pan lots of small moving larvae from those small fruit flies so we discarded all of the berries into the compost pile. We were totally disappointed as we were ready to make blackberry jelly not so much for ourselves but to give away to family and friends. We will have to be more vigilant next year when to pick.

The day started much the usual for me with a 6'ish roll out and after my usual morning routines of my quiet time, the posting of this ramble along with my cup of hot turmeric drink. Nancy slept in until nearly 7:30 as we wanted to get an early start on the berry picking adventure which turned out to be somewhere around 10'ish in the hot sun; and then the berries we were seeking weren't in abundance as usual and what we did find were less than stellar.  It was lunchtime when we finally got back to the cabin. We were drenched in sweat from the heat and the wearing of protective clothing as wild blackberry bushes will eat you alive with their thorns. We still managed some pricks despite the added protection and then having to discard the results of our effort was heartbreaking, oh well.

We didn't do much the rest of the day except take a hike after supper and visit with the Browning's on top for a spell. The sun was starting to slowly drop down into the tree line as we hiked down the mountain. We saw our small fawn again in the same area as last time and it seems to have grown but still wears it spots. It turned around and watched us as we walked away. He or she was so cute and cuddly but I know the damage they can do to a garden or flower bed so I don't anthropomorphize these critters; plus they taste good when reaching adulthood.

I hand watered the gardens while burning trash in the fire pit. I must say after the recent bleaching of the black mildew from the outside of the cabin it looks freshly painted. I think next year I may give it a new coat of stain as its been several years now since it was last painted. The bleaching does wonders and doesn't hurt the paint or the boards. We headed in to watch the RNC convention a little after 8'ish and we were somewhat reassured that Trump will be a good change for the country.

He speaks in black and white and is not your normal politician which is what is needed to turn this country around to what the Regan years gave us. I feel good about his chances to make us once more a nation to be proud of and to rid the incompetence of this present  administration's blunders and divisive leadership and to make us safe from the radical Islamic terrorist. He will have his and his cabinet hands full but we are an exceptional people and hopefully willing to make our nation proud and strong again. I pray GOD'S blessing on him and his family and on those he chooses to place in positions of leadership. There is no doubt of his success as a businessman and while many feel he is to blustery I think that is just what we need to garner respect from our enemies. Remember Teddy Roosevelt stated to "walk softly and carry a big stick". We can no longer be a political correct nation with special interests groups dictating the future. I know plenty of skeptics with his nominee but he may very well be our last great hope for America especially when comparing him to what the democrats offer for a nominee. Hillary is a criminal as well as a liar and cares only about the cash she will pad her bank account with while allowing our secrets to be accessed by those who wish to do us harm, LATER  

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was a work day that had me back up on the end of a 24 foot ladder with a extender for a paint roller and my bean sprayer as I wanted to complete the project of getting rid of the black mildew on the outside cabin boards. Wow, what a job but the results are fantastic as the cabin looks as if I just painted or stained the large hemlock boards. I'm thankful that task is completed for another year.

The day started much the usual with my 6'ish roll out and then my morning routines of a few quiet moments to honor and humble myself before my Creator, the posting of this ramble about what were the highlights for the day before while having a cup of hot turmeric drink. The stillness of the day at that time of the morning with the coolness of the night and the sound of the dew dripping onto the tin roof is just so awesome. Occasionally the sound of a lonely crow breaks the silence of the morning as the dawn approaches with some sunlight streaming through the tall trees that surround our place. Such peace and tranquility surrounded by everything GOD made with the beauty of the various flowers in bloom and the many rich vibrant greens of the trees and garden plants is beautiful. We are so blessed to be here this time of the year and in addition to the ambiance be surrounded with many dear friends.

I ate lite for breakfast and lunch as the Tracy's invited us as well as the Carlan's to their beautiful rental for a Thanksgiving dinner so it was watermelon for breakfast and sliced cucumbers and tomato's for lunch as Kathryn set the table with roast turkey breast, dressing, gravy and smashed taters, corn on the cob and Marcia brought green beans and Nancy the pumpkin pie, Yeow what a feed that was. Luckily we managed to work in a hike to the top of the mountain just before lunch time. I did have to hand water the gardens as the rain predicted never occurred either day of this week. I still have a rain barrel full of water so that helps from the rains of a week or so ago. Everything still looks great and I harvested more lettuce, beet greens, cukes and yellow squashes and blessed the Browning's with a couple of each.

Well after supper we got into a game of domino's which was a bust as the interest quickly died so we turned to Qwirkle which seemed to hold everyone's interest enough for two games. We were on our way home just before dark and then managed to watch Gov. Mike Pence from Indiana give his acceptance speech at the RNC as the vice president candidate running mate with Trump. I must say Trump is very smart as he brought the right man on as his running mate. Pence is the real deal to add some balance to the ticket and while were not thrilled initially with some of Trump's actions; Pence is just what we need with his dedication to his faith, his values and to his country. He is very Reganist in his philosophy and desire to help bring the nation out of this chasm of terrible downward defeat both from within and abroad by this present inept and crooked administration led by the special interests and the secular progressives. I haven't felt this great about a politician since Ronald Regan who like Trump was not a politician in the beginning but went on to bring America to the pinnacle years of being that shinning city of hope for the rest of the world. Hopefully this will happen again under this ticket at the RNC. America had better wake up as this could be the last hope we have for our country, our kids and for the future of America we once knew based on Judeo-Christian values. I remember the left mocked Regan as the actor with a monkey and who was not a politician, but he was incorruptible and became a great leader giving US(A) the best great hope for mankind, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was a rare day for me and at times I felt guilty about what I did for almost 6 straight hours as I'm not use to such emotions all in one day and such inactivity at one sitting, but at least I was in the company of great friends and enjoyed some fine eatin' cantered to the three of us; Patrick, Sam and me. The halves of each of us(wives were know in trooper jargon) did lunch out, shopping and perusing the whole town of Sparta while we watched the Lonesome Dove saga in totality on DVD. Patrick had never seen the series made for TV and Sam just happened to have it and of course I've read the book and watched bits and pieces on the tube over the years but never the whole thing at one time.

The day started with a 6'ish roll out for me which is almost automatic. The time may vary a few minutes either way as its become almost too routine ad so has the bedtime around 10'ish unless something exciting keeps me awake. I did have a couple 11'ish a few weeks back when all the family was here and we played games but that was rare as all of us were so whipped by the end of the day. Anyhow after my routine(s); a few quiet moments to honor my Creator, humble myself and pray for those I know and love and for my country I posted this ramble while having a cup of hot turmeric drink before heading out to check on the gardens. Nancy was still sleeping as she has become a night owl sometimes staying awake until after midnight. I have adjusted to the ear plugs which helps with reducing the noise she at times emits.

We decided to eat lite as Kathryn was preparing a sumptuous lunch for the three of us as we had to meet there around 11:15 along with Sam and Marcia. I did the boring bowl of oatmeal slathered with fresh fruit, cinnamon and honey and then walked the property checking out the veggies. We should have a mess of green beans in a few days. The yellow squash is doing well and they are just beautiful and perfect in size and color. I picked a couple of cucumbers as well as the blooms per plant are outrageous in number. I did notice several new green tomato's set on all eleven of my plants so if the blight stays away I will have plenty to share with friends when they ripen. The yards look so great after manicuring them that I just stand in wonder of the beauty of this place set back in woods. The Zinnias are heading up so we should see some color in the circle bed in a week or so. I will post some pics when it explodes in color with their different shades.

I headed down below the cabin to the wineberry patches and picked another quart or more to give away as Nancy has frozen enough for several cobblers. The bushes are still producing but the berries are quickly ripening and if not picked almost daily they start to quickly turn to mush and or fall off the vine. It has been a great year for berries so far and I'm almost tired of them but there are still many more waiting to emerge from their husks like enclosures. We noticed the wild blackberries are ripening at our "mountain moms" place and Nancy wants to pick enough for at least one batch of jelly. I'm not sure if I will make a small batch of blackberry wine or not this summer but I'm leaning to a small batch in gallon jars instead of the big bucket. I still have a gallon from last years batch aging in the basement.

The movie Lonesome Dove invokes so many emotions during this story of which I would have loved to have lived through. The man versus the elements, the life and death situations and of course the camaraderie between these different men and women from all walks of life evoked some deep emotions from me and the giving of one's mans word toward another at the end was just unbelievable in the hardships he suffered to fulfill that promise. This was definitely a tear jerker at times and I loved this book by McMurtry. I try to read it every so often despite knowing the outcome; it's that good of a read and one you can place yourself in the scenes and how you would react to what was before you. The DVD series is rather close to the actual storyline and the the acting was superb by all.

It was going on 7'ish before we got back to the cabin and decided to have some fried yellow squash from the garden for our supper. I gathered fresh oregano, sweet basil and thyme along with a fresh a jalapeno pepper to adorn my slices and add different flavors. Wow this was an awesome meal as well as we each had a glass of the fruit of the vine to spice up this already spicy entree'. After the cleanup we settled into the RNC and see where Trump won in a landslide the nomination for this party. I know the country needs a positive change from the corrupt and inept apologetic and divisive administration that has nearly ruined our nation for the past 7 plus years. Trump would not have been my first choice but at least he has been a success in business and that is the way to run the country's economy. I feel sure he will at least make an effort to once again make the country number one in the world with good people surrounding him in office. The alternative to him is despicable with what the other party offers as a candidate. She is the epitome of deceit, corrupt and incompetent leadership in the cabinet position. Her desire to fill her bank accounts is what she is most adept at and at the expense of the nation. She is utterly an evil person and this is what the libs have put up as a candidate, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was mainly a work day here at the cabin except for early evening when I headed out for some hour and a half of pickle ball at Roaring Gap with 5 other guys. Wow, did I ever leave there with a soaked shirt and plumb worn out but it felt great as these mountain men have really got their game together.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out. My other half slept in until 8:30 and was awakened by our mountain mom calling to let us know she would be out from the house mowing. I had my quiet moments with my Creator, my cup of hot turmeric drink and then the posting of this daily ramble before having a hearty breakfast of grits, cackleberries(eggs), toast and a jalapeno pepper cut up in the eggs, grits and sliced tomato. Yeow, did that ever wake up the taste buds and held me until a late lunch around 1'ish with a garden fresh salad.

I decided it was time to clean the black mildew from the cabin boards, soffits and fascia's with bleach. Ive been doing this for the past couple of years and it works amazingly. I use a bean sprayer with full strength bleach but have to wear goggles and a hat as the solution is falling down as I spray up especially at the highest peaks. I managed to clean 3 of the 4 sides plus the bump out which requires me to get out on the roof which gives Nancy much concern. Last year I had to rid a large colony of yellow jacket bees that had infiltrated one corner and built a paper nest within. I used the cover of darkness and a fogger to finally rid them and this year there was another paper nest of yellow jackets and a huge wasp nest. I destroyed them from the ground usually some ingenuity with taping some extension poles together; what would country boys do without gray tape and baling wire; needless to say I avoided any bee stings. I was bushed after being up and down on the ladder on the deck side which is rather high up especially when the deck is another 12-15 feet off the ground, yeow!!!

Nancy cut a watermelon which we had purchased before the kids came and we just never got around to eating it. Well it was the best melon ever and seedless at that. It was so firm and sweet that she usually has to throw away about half but not this melon. We even gave some to our mountain mom who loves melon. After lunch I headed upstairs with her rug shampooer and gave the carpeted bedrooms a good cleaning. They turned out great as I've never seen so much hair that I had to take a knife and cut it from the roller bar, yeow. The vacuum has a difficult time extracting hair from this short shag rug but the shampooer picked it up. That kept me busy for quite awhile and by the time I was done and cleaned out the shampooer I was ready for a rest.

We sat on the porch and read for an hour or so then Nancy popped a couple chicken frozen potpies in the oven and that was our supper with some fresh melon afterwards. I headed out around 6'ish for the get together on the pickle ball court and what a workout. We had some great play with long rallies and after an hour and a half I hung up my paddle and left the younger guys to play another hour or so. Well we settled in to the NRC convention and heard some great speeches about what is needed to turn the country around from this present inept administration. People who are proud of our once great nation and their vision for all of our people and once more be a beacon for the rest of the world. America has always been a leader in the world and the first on the scene when there is a catastrophe with our generosity. Now we have apologized to those who disregard our exceptionalism as anything but good. We have enabled those who want to change our way of life and even promoted their roles into changing our culture for their own selfish ideology which wants to destroy us. I certainly hope the folks wake up to see what a crooked administration that has done everything to destroy us from within by taking away our jobs, promoting racism, disregarding the constitution by their lawlessness and giving up our christian faith based ideals of jurisprudence.

I love the fact this first lady to be loves America and is proud of the country which was once the shining city on a hill as an example for the world; whereas the present one in the white house is ashamed and hated the land which gives her so much and she gives nothing back but hatred and disgust. We need real patriots and we saw some of that with the men who spoke who spent their life in service to this land and her people, WAKE UP AMERICA as this maybe our last election if those liberal secular progressives in the democrat party get elected, LATER  

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was another beautiful day here in the mountains that started out with temps in the high 50's and reached a rather warm 80 by late afternoon. We watched our local church service in St.Pete, Fl. live on the internet at Bridgepoint.com and then headed out to worship locally with some fine folks at Cornerstone in Sparta. Afterwards we met up with The Tracy's and Carlan's as well as our dear friend Mechelle and her son Caleb for lunch at the local Mexican eatery. We saw lots of familiar faces from church there as well. The gals made plans for Tuesday and Wednesday's get together's for shopping and eating supper together. If this keeps up I'm never going to get my flat tummy back despite all the work, hikes and pickle ball, oh well!!!

I started the day with a little after 6 roll out for a change. I did my quiet times then posted this ramble with my morning cup of hot turmeric tea before heading out to check on the gardens. There was a heavy dew overnight and it was dripping from the upstairs dormer breaking the silent inside the cabin. It's still somewhat dark in the early morning hours when I roll out and so still. The grass was extremely wet and starting to get rather high. I haven't mowed in over two weeks as we have been gone in the evenings and the mornings find the grass just too wet to mow. I decide after getting back to cabin to fire up the riding mower as well as the weed whacker. That kept me busy right up to 7 o'clock when we decided to have a lite supper out on the deck.

Well I must say the mowing and trimming sure brings out the beauty of the yards as well as the flower's and gardens. Nancy was out with her camera recording the results of this event as the flowers are exceptionally beautiful this year. I noticed we have our first Zinnias heading up in the circle drive and if they are anything like the ones we are use to having they will be awesome as there must be a couple hundred plants in that bed. The cone's and Shasta daisy's as well as the larkspurs are so colorful. I did notice a few Japanese beetles but so far they haven't taken over as I've been sending them to their early demise. I have lots of green tomatoes on the 9 different plants and so far they look good. I've been told by some gardeners there is a blight within the county on tomato plants but I've been using dried organic chicken manure fertilizer which seems to kill the blight or keep it at bay. So far so good.

Well we tuned into the Legends and Lies program on the Fox Cable news channel which takes episodes of our history and accurately portrays them and last evening we watched the story of Benedict Arnold and how he became famous for being America's top traitor during the Revolutionary War. It was very interesting and well done with some commentary from Bill O'Reilly and other top historians. All school age kids should watch this re-enactment and learn about our history.

On a sad note I must say this movement by those who are killing our police officers by ambush is out of control and there will be a heavy price to pay. This potus has exacerbated this movement with giving legitimacy to those who are needlessly targeting the police and failing to reign in those promoting these deadly acts. He has destroyed the unity of the races and continues to be sympathetic to their unwarranted cause; sure there are instances where injustices occur and that is usually handled by the departments or the justice system but this random killing of innocent officers is unconscionable.  Our total way of life is being disrupted by these law breakers as well as immoral acts of violence. The police stand between us an anarchy which I think this potus wants so he can declare martial law and stay in power. His actions are so repugnant as are those who fail to report in the mainstream media the consequences of his inactions on this divide as well as his sympathy for the Islamic terrorist. Folks these are bad signs of what is to become of our once great nation of law abiding citizens, LATER

 

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was another moe or less fun day as I didn't get much accomplished around the cabin but did do my good deed for the day for at our "mountain moms" cabin. We did get in a hike and visit with the Browning's for a few during the afternoon. There was the threat of rain for most of the day until the late afternoon when those clouds were replaced with bright sunshine and blue skies. We got ready and headed to Sparta around 4:30 to meet up with the Tracy's for a pizza at JB's then an evening at the fairgrounds for the competition between Blue Grass and Old Time Bands at the annual Fiddlers Convention.

The day started with my usual roll out around 6'ish actually it was a little after but not much for a change. It was cool outside and while most of the windows were closed it required a shirt on while sitting at the table listening to the quietness of the moment and seeing dawn approach while nestled down in the shadows of the tall trees surrounding our cabin. Wow such ambiance for connecting with our Creator as I did my morning quiet time and then putting together this ramble from the day before's activities all while having my cup of hot turmeric tea. Speaking of the use of turmeric I haven't worn my knee brace for a couple of weeks now and neither has Nancy while hiking or just up and down these hills for whatever. Most homeopathic user say we have most everything we need right in our spice and herb racks to treat the ills of the body. I know ginger takes care of any tummy issues almost immediately and now the use of turmeric has tackled the joint issue in the knees as well and I actually believe the issues in my shoulder with bursitis has been helped substantially as well. I don' t feel that pain unless I move it in an abnormal motion while lifting or digging, oh well!!!

We had a semi mountain breakfast of grits one of my favorites along with a couple cackle berries and toast with some homemade jelly and of course I cut up a fresh Jalapeno pepper into my mixture of grits and eggs, yeow what a flavorful combination. Speaking of Jalapeno peppers I pulled 17 large ones from the plant I brought up from my Florida garden in May and it has just taken off. I still have nearly that many smaller ones on the plant. I cut them in half(not wearing gloves which was a mistake) and then cleaned out the seeds and membranes while Nancy took a mixture of cream and cheddar cheese and filled them in and wrapped a piece of raw bacon around them. We froze them in a tupperware container and when we want poppers we only have to pop them in the oven for about 45 minutes. They are so great horderves' when having guests over for supper.

Well I did sit an read for awhile waiting for the time to head out to Sparta for supper and then the Fiddler's Convention. I sat next to a feller and his wife who at first I didn't recognize as its been several years since I last met them and that was only for just a few minutes at our friend in common at Walt Hampton's house. Richard Nickel and his wife are also related to our good friend Daryl Blevins and his family, such a small world and I just love getting to know about folks in this small town. He also enlightened me on the aspects of Blue Grass vs Old Time music about what instruments are necessary for each group and who leads in the bands. He also plays weekly the big base instrument at Crouse Park and at the Jubilee dance place on main street. We haven't been to either in years. We shared some stories from the past as well. We left before the competition ended as 29 bands were vying for some bragging rights as well as prize money.

We got back to the cabin going on 10'ish so it was hot shower time for me and then I curled up with my book before it was lights out sometime before 11'ish. My hands still burned from the Jalapeno project despite lots of hand washing and several hours in between. Next time I will listen to Nancy and wear gloves, LATER

Here are a few pics from last nights Fiddlers Competition with some bands and square dancing!!!

   

  

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was mainly another fun day except for picking berries and a hike which was a little like work. I met up with neighbor Gerald for a few minutes as he gave me the OK on the use of his tractor and the routine for starting it so if another wash out comes our way I can put the rake and shovel up and use diesel power; that's comforting to know. We headed to the town of Galax to meet up with The Tracy's at 1 for a Mexican lunch and then afterwards to the super Wal-Mart for some shopping.

The day started much the usual with my internal alarm going off at just a few minutes before 6, dang it, I wish I could shut that thing off at will until at least 7'ish  but NO!!!Anyhow I did my morning routines of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator and lift up those who were murdered needlessly in Nice, France and to lift up my family and friends and our nation for some strong leadership. I posted this ramble from the day before's activities then had my cup of hot turmeric drink while doing so. I then had a bowl of cereal with fresh wineberries while walking around outside inspecting the gardens and flower beds. I picked 4 cucumbers and then another bowl of wineberries of at least a quart or more with that many or more to open in the next day or so and ripen. I gave this bowl of berries and a couple cukes to Joe and Jetta as they have family arriving for a few days visit.

We piddled around the cabin and I had hung a load of laundry outside before we headed off for the noon time trip. They did get wet as a rain shower got to them before we got home so they were off to the dryer. It was going on 4'ish before we got back on the mountain with a load of goodies to unload. I purchased several gallons of bleach and a new bean sprayer to apply it with to the mildew on the cabin boards as well as a covered paint roller as I apply the bleach to the undersides of the fascia boards. Hopefully this will help keep the bleach from dripping on me. Bleach does a fantastic job eradicating the black mildew and when complete it will look as if I just freshly painted or stained the cabin. That is my yearly project scheduled for next week.

Well we had lunch at El Torito which was super and very reasonable. Their chips and salsas is very good as was the entrees. Afterwards we headed for a gas fill ups at 1.99 a gallon which is always nice compared to last summer or whenever it was nearly four bucks per gallon a year or so ago. We made plans to attend the Allegheny County Fiddlers Convention which is much smaller than the week long one in August in Galax, Va. We will meet at JB's Pizza place around 5 'ish on Sat. evening with the Tracy's then attend the pickin' and strumin' of some amateur folks at the fairgrounds for a couple hours. We have missed both conventions the past couple of years due to other commitments.

Well I noticed the bush beans are setting beans and I picked 16 large jalapeno peppers for making poppers that we will freeze for a later date. Several of the tomato plants have fruit as well and the Walla Walla onions are showing a bulb as well. I have lots of squash and cuke blooms and everything except for the lower garden which is too wet is doing great except for the pole beans which have now climbed over the 6 foot fence. I need to add another support pole for them to climb on as they are much easier to harvest when standing up.

That was about it for the day except we or I skipped supper due to the hearty lunch except for a little Chex mix while having my glass of red "fruit of the vine" around 6'ish. We tuned into the only news channel which is the FOX cable channel to get the real news as I'm so skeptical of the major networks which has become a bunch of sycophants for this administration and for the democrat candidate. Never in my life time would I find such biased reporting by the majors and remember the 1984 Orwell book well its here now and we are in for those times with the help of these biased networks. The only thing somewhat different is the radical Islamic element which now has no borders and could be a ralling point for our nation to take back our heritage with some rather non political leadership like Trump. We need to stand up to the crooked elite in D.C. and annihilate the scourge of these radical jihadist who are muslim. I convinced not all muslims are terrorist but ALL terrorist are muslim which tells me to become suspicious of who we let into the country. Europe is now facing the consequences of that lack of judgement and especially France with the killings, Wake Up Folks and use common sense for a change and disregard the political correct crowd and those within this administration who are sympathetic to this insidious scourge in the world, LATER  

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a fun filled meetin' and greetin' kind of day as we traveled down to the quaint town of Blowing Rock where we spent the biggest part of the day with our daughter in law Katie's immediate family; unfortunately she wasn't able to be there as she was here last week, oh well. Next year we will have to coordinate dates in advance. The weather was perfect and despite threatening rain clouds we never got more than a passing drop or two. We had lunch with most of the family at the Storey Street Gille which has always been one of my favorite eateries on main street.

The day started with my usual 6'ish roll out and as well for Nancy as we had to leave the cabin and meet up with The Tracy's in Laurel Springs to ride together to Blowing Rock. They are renting a cabin for the summer on the other side of Sparta so we thought it best to meet to where they wouldn't have to drive an extra 20 miles or so to be together. I did my quiet time to honor my Creator and then posted this ramble and had a bowl of cereal with fresh picked wineberries for my breakfast.

I took us close to an hour and half as we traveled down the Blue Ridge Parkway with a potty stop in Boone before arriving at the beautiful Meadowbrook Inn in the heart of Blowing Rock. This is just off the main drag and is just huge with gorgeous spacious suites and the landscaping is so pretty with lots of flowers in bloom as is the whole town with its many flower gardens. We walked to the center town where a public park is located with lots of shade trees and recreational areas for adults and kiddos. We hadn't seen Katie's folks since the week after the wedding when we all gathered to get their new house cleaned and painted before they moved in to start housekeeping.

We were made to feel so welcome with lots of hugs and smiles and after a visit to the park we decided to eat at one of my favorite places in town for great gourmet food at reasonable prices at the Storey Street Grille. I was a little disappointed they no longer have the meat loaf with Cheerwine sauce on the lunch menu and now its only for supper so I had the fried green tomato sandwich with bacon with a very tasty sauce and Nancy had the proverbial cheeseburger and fries while some had the pulled pork on a flat bread and others the Salmon and egg plant parmesan. We dined for nearly two hours as the food was plentiful and had a great time in each others conversations. Afterwards we walked the main street while the gals did the shoppes and made some purchases. The street initially was very quiet with few pedestrians but after lunch it was elbow room as we maneuvered through the sidewalk crowd. We men did fine a few shady areas for some sitting and story telling as the gals perused the many shoppes and merchandise. We did shop the area of the street farmers market which opened at 4 with fresh organic grown veggies, honey's, stone ground grits and flours, beautiful cut flowers and even some home grown meats. We had most of the veggies in our garden with a few exceptions and I learned from a bee keeper how pollen is collected from the bees and preserved for consumption in its raw form other than honey.

We headed out after our good-bye's and left them with an invite to visit us at the cabin. They are limited to their schedule but did make a date for next year to at least visit for the day as we put on the "feed bag" or in modern terms have a cook out. It was a great time to get to know and meet Katie's family and we are so thrilled for her and Bobby's relationship. We got back to the cabin sometime going on 7'ish and decided to forego any supper after the large lunch so I popped some corn and we settled in to watch the news and learned of the horrific terrorist plot that killed innocents in Nice, France by the radical Islamist. We need some real leadership to hunt out and kill these who murder indiscriminately innocents for some ideologically reason. What is with these murderers and the lack of this potus to give our military the go ahead to hunt them down and rid the earth of their presence.

Well it sure was a great day for us here in the mountains only to be soured by this violent action by these Muslims. It the real peaceful Muslims were to be outraged by these radicals then why aren't they doing something about it besides cheering them on. We here in America had better be vigilant as surely these actions will come to pass here again as we have a sympathetic potus to their cause, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was a mixed day of work, fun and some great eatin' as we visited with another couple up for the summer who are also members in the Kool Peoples Club, Patrick and Kathryn Tracy. She always set a great table and last evening was no change. I worked around the cabin as the ground was just to wet to do any gardening except for harvesting some squash and cukes. The rain this week has just been more than enough especially the gully washers which give me a real workout with the rake and shovel on the driveway. Up and down the stairs also gives me a good workout with the vacuum cleaner as well.

The day started with my usual rollout at 6'ish and then my daily few moments with my Creator giving thanks for so many blessings and lifting up those I know and love by name. After posting this ramble I had my cup of hot turmeric drink and then a bowl of cereal with fresh picked wineberries before heading out to check on the gardens. I'm really surprised the slugs haven't done more damage as the wet mornings are so conducive to their proliferation, but I haven't found many the past couple of wet mornings. (not that I'm unhappy) The lower garden is just so wet I'm not sure the plants there will make, but the other gardens are doing just great with beginnings of squash and cucumbers and the leaf lettuce is so gorgeous and tasty for our almost daily salads accompanied by beautiful beet greens.

I worked the cabin over with the vacuum cleaner as Nancy awakened with some back pain. I even gave her a 15 minute massage which seemed to help as well. I piddled around in the basement deflating the blow up queen size mattress and storing that for the year unless we get guests who want the basement suite which our son Bobby always requests. The new paint job of the floor really made it nice down there along with the dehumidifier. Nancy has a problem with the possibility of radon but we had it checked and its very minuscule in the amount found to be present and way below what is unhealthy by government standards, oh well.

I picked another quart or so of wineberries and there will be plenty more to pick in the next day or so especially with all of the rain we've been getting. We had a lite lunch as we knew Kathryn would have a delicious and plentiful meal later in the evening. We took off for town and I dropped Nancy off at the beauty parlor for her hair appointment then I ran errands to the dump or landfill, to the drug store for her scripts and then to the library for new reads they were holding for us. I sat and read for the next hour or so until she was finished and then we headed over to the Tracy's for some fruit of the vine before a delicious gourmet meal of beef stroganoff and we brought the home grown salad, yeow. She also had homemade biscuits for a awesome strawberry shortcake with ice cream and whipped cream for our dessert, we "licked the bowls clean" it was that good; what a feed and then afterwards played a couple games of Qwirkle of which Nancy and I both won and then played a couple games of Eucher of which Kathryn and I both won(we played partners as we sat at the table). Its usually the guys vs the gals but we changed up for a change.

It was going on 9:30 when we pulled out of their drive for the cabin which usually takes between 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes for the trip home. We saw no deer which was a blessing as they some time decide to jump towards the headlights killing themselves and even hurting those inside the vehicle. It wasn't long after a hot shower and then a few moments with the new book and it was lights out for me. We have a big day planned today as we head down to Blowing Rock to meet up with our daughter in laws family. We will meet up with the Tracy's somewhere along the parkway and then ride together as they too know the Korte Family, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was a work day up until the rain came again with another inch or so but not with the vengeance we saw on Monday as the down pour caused some major ruts and gully's in the driveway. I spent two hours with a rake and shovel leveling out the driveway and had a soaked shirt by the time I finished; at least it was a good workout. We sat the rest of the afternoon and read as it was too wet to do much outside.

I started the day with my usual 6 'ish roll out while Nancy caught up on her rest from last week. I think she rolled out sometime after 8'ish. We both after our quiet times ate cereal with fresh wineberries from our patch. They are such a delicate berry and very tasty with lots of tiny seeds but oh so good. They are perfect for jam and jellies and for cobblers so I will be picking again today before the rains come for giving away to friends and neighbors and for freezing. I don't anticipate making jelly this year as I've just about quit using jelly except for the cadillac of berry's; the black raspberry.

I headed out to check on the gardens after my quiet time and found some little green tomato's set on a couple of the plants as well as lots(two) yellow squash ready to pick and lots of cucumbers that will be ready in a day or so. I did harvest a nice mess of leaf lettuce and beet greens for a fresh garden salad that we will be taking to the Tracy's this evening(Wed) for supper. Nancy has a hair appointment this afternoon in Sparta so we will visit with them and have supper together. Tomorrow(Thur.) we are traveling together down to Boone/Blowing Rock to have lunch with our new daughter-in-law's folks who are vacationing there with most all of their family except for Katie. The Tracy's were friends with the Korte's as their daughter Lauren was friends with Katie during high school; what a small world.

We are sure glad for the great weather last week when all of the family was here as the rain has made itself a major player these past two days with over 2 and half inches and mostly cloudy skies. The sun did pop out for an hour or so this morning so Nancy had more bed sheets and blankets on the clothesline but we had to quickly gather them as the skies quickly clouded over and dropped a rain that lasted for several hours off and on through the afternoon and evening. We had to don extra clothing as the temps dropped down into the 60's. My old FHP buddy called after supper from Florida and it was so hot there with temps and humidity into the 90's, yeow I often wonder how I managed to spend 30 years out in the heat wearing a uniform, oh well!!

We are slowly getting over the post family blues after such a great time together last week. I surely hope we can do this again next year being here all together at one time. We so enjoyed the time together and while we usually play games at night we were just too worn out except for one great game of Bauderdash. Nancy speaks with Amy everyday on the phone and Ava is still somewhat melancholy about leaving here but Eliza Faye tells her "grandma is at the cabin". She now knows what the cabin means and she had a splendid time here for a 2 year old going 10. She is just too smart and sharp for her age and her vocabulary is amazing. Well there wasn't much excitement around here except I finished a interesting read by John Irving. We settled into the Fox Cable News channel to get the real scoop on what's happening on the world scene and once again saw this potus politicize the death of 5 policeman in Dallas while bringing up gun control and racial grievances as the cause. His inept leadership is the root cause for much of the violence in the land and for failings to follow the laws already on the books, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday found us working around the cabin for most of the day and then after a hike I headed down to work on the ruts in the driveway and cut some of the brush that had started to grow into the roadway. I had just finished the driveway when we received a "gully washer" of a rain which dropped an inch and half within 30 minutes destroying the driveway and washing deep ruts as well as moved lots of the gravel down to the bottom of the hill. It's times like this when I wish I had a tractor and a box blade. Neighbor Gerald usually keeps the drive in great shape with his tractor so since he only comes every couple of weeks I may have borrow his to keep the road up.

The day started with my usual 6'ish roll out now that we are company free and not staying up late at night. It's back to bedtime around 10'ish or so. I did my quiet time with my Creator to give thanks and lift up those I know in need and then posted this ramble. It sure was an exciting week last week with both of our kids and their kids here for the first time ever together. The week went so fast as we were always doing some adventure and with Bobby's cooking expertise as an extra measure we sure ate good especially his pulled barbecue pork, yeow that was the best ever.

I worked around the yards and gardens after we fried up the last of the bacon from Virginia for our breakfast along with a couple cackleberries and the last of the bakery bread. It was going on 9 before we ate breakfast and that held us until nearly 2 PM. After breakfast I picked about a quart or more of wineberries from our patch below the garden and there will be more in a day or so. It looks like a banner year for berries. We headed out just before lunch for our hike to the top of the mountain and then we stopped and visited with Jetta and she blessed us with some Buttercrunch lettuce from her garden.  We decided to clean up the rest of the deli meat for lunch and then forgo any supper except for a bowl of cereal. I was scheduled for pickle ball at 6'ish so I didn't want to eat heavy.

Nancy had a couple loads of laundry from last week as she stripped the beds and blankets and had them drying in the warm sunshine. I headed down the hill to work the driveway until nearly 4'ish when the skies opened up and destroyed the driveway. After the rain stopped the skies cleared and the sun came out which was great for the grass and gardens but made for a rough road. I headed out just before 6 for Roaring Gap Club and along with 5 others we had some good pickle ball play on the non skid aluminum court. I did about an hour and a half then called it quits with a soaked shirt from a good workout. I forgot to wear my knee brace and noticed no ill effects from doing so. I'm thrilled the turmeric drink has made such a difference in that joint as its been almost a year since I first started having some aches and swelling to the knee joint. I'm a firm believer in that herb and Nancy started using it as well for her knee ache and she hiked the mountain without her brace as well with no ill effects.

Well that was about it for the day as we kept busy outside as much as possible. The flowers are bursting with color and I picked yellow squash as well as today my first cucumber with many small ones on the vine. The tomato's are blooming as is the green beans. I sowed more okra seeds yesterday as well as some Swiss chard and the egg plants are finally growing. The Morning glory vines are twisting their way upwards on the arbor as it the Honeysuckle vine. I'm thrilled for the added beauty and delicious smell they will add to the ambiance. The Black Raspberry vines are growing
steadily and I will soon have to tie them up onto my trellis. I did find some shuttlecocks from the badminton set in the wineberry bushes while picking berries. The kiddos had a great time playing last week. We sure miss them and their activities as they ran and played all over the yards and backwoods, LATER