Monday Morning

Well Sunday was just a beautiful day with temps into the low 50's to start the day and hardly a cloud in the beautiful Carolina Blue skies. We started the day with a before 7'ish roll out as the extra blanket felt so snug and cozy on the bed. I quickly closed all of the windows as the cool air enveloped the cabin. We quickly donned extra clothing and Nancy put on a coat to do her quiet time outside on the front porch in the stillness of the morning with her cup of hot coffee. What an awesome place to connect with our GOD in all of his natural beauty in your morning prayers. We listen to our pastor from BridgePoint Church on the Net as he brought to life the story of David and Goliath in a two part message from the series titled Old School. What an inspiring message from Tim Whipple and for those whose wish to view the message all of them are archived at our church website.www.bridegpointchurch.com in St.Pete, Fl.

We got ready and headed out to Cornerstone to meet with other Believers in a message from our mountain pastor. We hugged several necks and once again were made to feel very welcome. We decided since most of our close friends weren't in town to eat out so we would skip eating out and head home to eat leftovers from last nights get together. We did make a couple stops before heading out to the cabin for last minutes needs for Monday's supper with the Hamptons. Walt is helping me install a new water heater in the basement and we plan on feeding him and Ms. Theia for supper afterwards. It's been awhile since we last got together and chatted and we are looking forward to his help and the visit.

Well after lunch I headed out to the raised planters in the back yard. I purchased at the local veggie stand some very old and nearly dead bed seedling but I'm somewhat of a plant doctor or at least I think I am. I bought at half price 4 pickling cucumber plants, two bell pepper plants with fruit already set and a jalapeno plant with two peppers on it. They all are root bound but I did see some green on the leaves so I do believe I can get them to grow and produce. I mixed up some epsom salts and liquid plant food and gave them a feed then set them in the soil with some potting soil from my compost bed and some organic(dried chicken manure)fertilizer. Hopefully they will make. I did notice I have lettuce breaking the ground in two areas where I sowed them last Thursday afternoon and some 1/2 runner beans sprouts poking through the ground in only 5 days. I'm still hopeful the Swiss chard, beets and radishes seeds will poke through the ground in a day or so.

Well we took off on a hike to the top of the mountain and visited with friends Joe and Jetta for a spell. The temps were finally up into the middle 70's and the air was dry which was perfect for a stroll up the mountain. We took our time as we are still experiencing so new muscle activity on the steep back trail. We visited with them, then took off across the top and sat at Tommy and Carol's cabin with the chairs out by their fence and stared at the long distant vistas. The buildings in Winston-Salem were so clear and visible at nearly 70 miles away. A large doe walked out of the woods next to us and watched us but stood in the shadows so we couldn't get a clear picture on her camera/phone. She was a beauty and wasn't really scared of us as we had been talking when she walked near us.

We stopped at Billy and Paula's and hand watered their small garden as they are away for a couple of days and the ground seemed dried out as its out in the open on a slant and the soil drains quickly. They have some very healthy plants and the tomato plants are loaded with fruit. We headed on back to the cabin and Nancy wanted to visit Russ and Linda who are down from Ohio. Their cute cabin is on the way in on our lane. We stopped and visited for an hour or so. They brought a Hickory bed from the Amish and its just gorgeous. They have really made their cabin so cute with their furnishings and remind of so much of ourselves with decorating using old wood and very creative what nots.

We headed home and I cut the watermelon the Luffman's brought last night and we didn't eat. This melon although it had seeds was so good. We cut it up and got a huge bowl as well as eating several pieces since we didn't made supper. I did pop some corn a little later as we watched little TV after dark. The Ray's finally took a game from the Yankees in a 4 game series and are still in the race to make the play offs. Their bats are some of the best in the league but the relief pitching is less than stellar.

Nancy had a good talk with her mom who seems to be doing well in the rehab facility. She mentioned the food is almost too good which is a far cry from the food at the hospital. We are thrilled she is doing so good so far and now this gives us a few more days and maybe even weeks here at the cabin. We are planning on a trip to Winchester the second weekend in August to attend the annual yard party at the Gravel Springs Picnic. I will get to see family and old friends as well as have a turn on the dance floor with oldest sister Josie who likes to scoot her booties to Blue Grass Music. We both can't sit still when the banjo and guitar get to making music, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a fun day that started with a trip down the New River in our kayak's with our dear mountain friends and then we had them plus their parents and our newest friend from on top of our mountain with her dog for a cook out. The weather turned cool and everyone was chilled as the sunset over the mountain. What a change from last week when we had the a/c running.

The day started with our routines that started with a 6'ish roll out for me. I did my quiet time to the sounds of dew dripping onto the tin roof but absolute silence outside as I looked for our new fawn and mother in the dawn but haven't seen them for a day or so as they like to browse in the back woods yard in the evenings. We had a breakfast of oatmeal doctored up with some cereal, honey and cinnamon.

I loaded up the kayak's and piddled around the cabin as we knew we would be late getting back late from the river and that company was coming around 6 ish for supper. Nancy checked on her mom and she was doing find and has seemed to have gotten into a routine as well and just loves the facility. She is eating well and Erica took her for a wheelchair stroll outside and around the grounds. This is a beautiful place with all kinds of folks living there from separate housing to intense nursing care. It's pricey and out of the pocket but if she gets strong enough to come back to Seminole we will be thrilled.

We had a beautiful day on the river and I only felt the submerged rocks a couple of times after the heavy rains from the past couple of days. We floated the 5 miles or so in less than two hours as the current was very nice. We did have to contend with the wind at times but no one broke out in a sweat and the broken clouds kept us from any sunburn. Just absolutely a gorgeous mountain day. We headed back to town and picked up fresh hamburger meat and some groceries at the new Grants Market in town and the meat was very tasty from the grill. Nancy made her famous baked beans  and brownies for dessert and others brought drinks, a watermelon, chips and cole slaw.

Some of us sat on the deck but the air was dry and that made everyone chilled despite the temps in the low 70's. We got into a couple of corn hole games afterwards and then we played the best of three in Sequence where the boys whupped up on the gals 2-1. We introduced Jamie to the gang and to this game and she was very good at it but we had Juan who made the difference and Mechelle had to be a guy on our team; both of which gave us the victory. I ran Jamie home on the golf cart along with "Blue" their found parkway pup who was fantastic. The two young girls around the ages of grand daughter Ava played with him until he nearly dropped. Mechelle's new male friend Allan and his daughter and her friend came as well as Gerald and Kay, Juan and Kallie and Jamie. We had a raucous great time until it was going on 9 when everyone headed home. We cleaned up the cabin then hit the showers. That fresh mountain air and the kayak trip wore me out and I was soon in the horizontal lab position until 6'ish this morning. We added another blanket to the bed overnight and it felt so warm and snuggly.

Well today is corporate worship day at Cornerstone. Despite our daily quiet times and prayer time of giving thanks; we love to be with others who share the same reverence for our GOD. We are so blessed with this beautiful place we can share with so many, make new friends and entertain so many old friends and for the healing thats going on with Paw Paw and Nancy's mom GG. Take time where ever and honor our Creator with other Believers and rejoice in knowing we can worship without fear of retribution from any government authority. Pray for our president despite your political affiliations as he continues to want Make America Great Again and lifts up our GOD daily, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a stay home day on the hill except for a mid morning hike to the top. I got in some work in the yards and some reading time on the front  porch. We did get some more rain in the evening and the temps dropped with the overcast skies; but it was another memorable day with such beauty being surrounded with nature.

The update on GG was great and Nancy was able to see her via this smart phone. She is doing well and acclimating to her new surrounding as well and just loves the facility. Grand daughter Erica comes three times a day with a different child to visit her for short periods as she just walks across the street. The food she says is great and she is back to eating and taking some form of PT twice a day. We are hoping she will soon get on her feet and get her legs back as well and get to the bathroom; but that will take awhile as she has been in bed since May 21st.

We had a great breakfast to start the day after our quite times and catching up on our social media contacts. Its hard to believe August is just around the corner and summer is quickly slipping away. We headed up the mountain for our daily hike which hasn't been daily the past couple of days. The rain kept us away yesterday and the tire muscles the day before, oh well. This up and down the stairs is giving us some form of exercise plus the hills around the cabin. I did walk the property several times after lunch when I use the spreader to lime and fertilize all of the yards. I worked up another good sweat and just as I finished a lite rain fell; perfect timing to get those nutrients down to the roots and then again later in the evening we got a nice constant soaking rain.

Well we finished up some leftovers and I fried some fish fillets on the grill for our supper. Delicious. Afterwards with the soft rain on the roof we settled into the FOX Cable News and learned our president is shaking things up in D.C. once again which I think is great. I love the fact he is not your beholding to anyone politician and is doing what he thinks is best to get the country on the right foot once again and make us great. He is destroying or attempting to destroy these ruthless gangs called MS-13 who the last potus gave exemptions to enter the country and now they have a foot hold in the nation killing unmerciful. It's sad day when our folks in the "blue family" are murdered needlessly as well and all this comes from the lack of empathy from the last potus as well and his disregard for keeping this class safe.

Well that was about it for this day as the Ray's once again lost to the Yankees after being ahead in the last inning and then again last night they lost big, oh well, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday found us in the town of Galax, Va. We had several errands to run but mainly shopping at the super WalMart and Lowes stores. We gassed up the truck at 1.99 a gallon and then I got my ears lowered at the barber shop I have used for years when being here. I notified Harold the owner that our friend Eddie and Joe probably wouldn't be back for a spell if at all as they both are incapacitated in different areas. Harold is a strong Believer and a patriot has even gone down to Baptist Hospital to cut Eddie's hair when he was first injured and admitted to the hospital with a broken back. Joe has been using Harold for years as well and knew that Joe was having health issues as well.

Well we headed to Lowes and found a 40 gallon electric hot water heater and loaded it into the truck then headed to Walmart for shopping. None of these two stores had any bedding plants or seeds but we did find a farm feed store on the way out of town and purchased some lettuce, beets, radish and Swiss chard seeds. That was about all they had left for the season except for pumpkin and squash seeds and they too had no bedding plants. We groceried up at WalMart and made a final stop at Horton's Grocery for additional fresh veggies but other than corn on the cob the tomato's didn't look all that great. We thought we will stop after church in Sparta on Sunday.

We hit a little rain on the way home but nothing fell at the cabin as the road was dusty. We unloaded our bounty and the heater into the basement and then I fired up the tiller and went to work on the two raised beds in the back yard. I worked for a couple hours tilling and weeding the beds then sowed some lettuce seeds in one whole bed as well as sowed the other seeds in the upper garden. We should at least get some veggies toward a fall garden. I'm hoping to still be here to harvest some. I'm thinking about doing away with the lower garden as it's never really been a great producer except for cukes one year. It flat so I can use it for recreational games like badminton and corn hole, oh well. I still have my garlic patch which is next door to the compost pile and I will keep that for now.

Well no sooner did I finish with the gardening than did the skies open up and we have a very nice well needed rain. We got a good soaking as well as a couple down pours for over an hour. The temps really dropped down into the 60's and Nancy was covering up with a jacket. We ate some leftovers for supper from a couple nights ago then settled into the Fox News Channel where the Dem's and part of the Rino's are obstructing our president once again. I wish he would do away with their exemptions in health care and make them purchase it just like we the common folk have to do. No more privileges for them beyond what we must endure.

The update on GG is good so far. Her grand daughter Eric lives just across the street from this rehab facility so she walks over a couple times a day with a different great grand child to visit with her. She is eating whole foods and started PT yesterday and is getting around in a wheel chair. Her attitude is exceptional and while she still has the catheter and drain tubes as she is still swollen with fluids. She is making some progress towards rehabilitation and we hope towards getting her back to our home area. I would guess that it will take a month or more until she can get back to using her legs and for that to occur. At least we can be here in the mountains until she is released to come back home as she will have daily visits from family in Miami. So far so good. Thanks to ALL who have prayed for her healing and for us. This is a life changing ordeal when your away from your home while being there for a family member and believe me Miami is NOT where I would ever want to be again for any extended period of time, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well we are here for another day as we got some good news from the Miami Rehab Facility that GG made it through the first night. This was the same place where some 7 weeks ago or more she spent approximately 5 hours before being carted off in an ambulance to the hospital after being released the evening before. Nancy video chatted with her and she seemed in good spirits, back on solid foods and grand daughter Eric was at her bedside visiting as she lives just across the street and walks to visit her. This is a big plus for everyone. Now we just want GG to get strong enough to stand, walk and control her bathroom issues and then we can get her back to Seminole hopefully for some quality of life at her advanced age. I must say she is a fighter and I never expected her to ever reach this rehab facility again. Thanks to All who kept her in your thoughts and prayers because without it she never would have made it.

Well our day started with a sleep in until nearly 7'ish. We had entertained our "mountain mom" the evening before and while I usually am up at before 6 ish the cool night air had me snuggling deep within the covers. It seems a front passed through the night and dropped the temps down to the upper 50's and the breeze made it feel even colder. We didn't get much out of the low 70's for the whole day as a overcast kept the temps down and the breeze made it perfect for working outside and that's just what we did after breakfast and the bug man from Orkin left.

I headed own to scrape some of the loose gravel into the center of the lane that was making it difficult to get up the hill even with the lock rear end. The loose gravel was 5-6 inches thick right where I needed traction and could not get any. I was making two running starts to finally get up the hill with much tire spinning. Now I can get down to the hard surface for traction plus it looked as if it was going to rain which would help even more with packing the driveway. I also cleaned out a couple culverts on the way back that was clogged with leaves and debris from the winter and made some channels for the rain to run off the road into the ditches.

I decided since the news was so good on GG to rotor till the front circle drive and sow the Zinnia seeds I had saved from last year. I headed up to Joe and Jetta's and retrieved the tiller and worked that piece of ground for an hour or more working up a good sweat despite the dry cool air. Nancy was outside on her knees pulling weeds from her flower gardens and cutting back some dead head flowers. After sowing the circle bed I decided to maybe put in a late garden in the upper bed. So I put the tiller to work and for the next hour or more turned that bed up as well and sowed some old 1/2 runner bean seeds I had saved from lat year. I didn't bring my collection of seeds from Florida because I wasn't planning on any gardening this summer but will pickup a few seeds today when we go to town today for some supplies and a new water heater.

We were whipped by 5:30 and decided to quit never getting in our daily hike. It was a workout in the yards and gardens and our muscles were sore and give out. We had a fresh salad with left over chicken breasts for our supper and it was delicious. I had two kale plants that either survived the winter or reseeded itself and I picked several nice leaves to add to the lettuces. We sat and watched the Fox news channel after the cleanup. I'm beginning to think Tucker Carlson is as good if not better at interviewing as Bill O'Reilly and may even be better. I noticed one question inparticular that he asked the vice president about congress and their family and staff regarding their enrollment in the present health care called Obamacare and they are ALL exempt. Trump can change that with an executive order and if so why doesn't he do that. We all need to get on the phone to the WH and demand that the gov't leaders have the same health we have and then we will see something done. I think and I hope Trump has the brashness to do just that and if so things will start moving, oh well, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was another warm day without the humidity which means no a/c running. For some reason the sound of a window a/c unit ingratiates on me even at nights when you need it most. Last night was the first night we haven't had it on in several nights and this morning in down into the upper 50's Yeah. It's overcast with a breeze which makes it feel even colder.

We started the day about the same with me up at 6'ish and Nancy slept in until 7'ish. he was on the phone starting around 8 and never quit until after lunch with the case worker for her mom and her brother and sister. It seems the plans were for the hospital to releases GG to a rehab facility later in the day and arrangements needed to be made money moved and clothing purchased for her release. We are contemplating heading out over the weekend for Miami which is not to my liking when there are other family much closer oh well. We haven't heard as of late last night if they moved her or not. The doctors didn't feel she was strong enough to make the 4- 5 hour or so ride to our area in an ambulance but was strong enough for a local rehab facility which she had been released to for 5 hours several weeks ago before being readmitted to the hospital. She has a long way too go to before she will be able to walk again as her muscles have no strength even for sitting up.

We were having our " mountain mom" for supper so we had a pot of dried pintos on the stove cooking which is her's and mine favorite and something we never eat in Florida as well as creamed fresh corn off the cob and grilled marinated chicken breasts and sliced home grown tomatoes and corn bread, yeow what a feed. I picked her up and took her home as the hill up to our drive has so much loose gravel it takes me two attempts at getting up it with the lock rear end. Today I need to move some of the deep pockets of loose gravel so I can get some traction, oh well.

We took a golf cart ride down to visit the Conley's who are down from Ohio and where at the Heglar cabin. Grant has finally retired but had to go home after mowing for some family business. Ruby his mother in law is celebrating her 90 th birthday this Saturday but I think we will pass as we are packing to go back to Florida. We had a good visit with them then took off for the top of the mountain to visit with Jamie and "Blue" the lab puppy. He was so excited to see us his puppy teeth snagged both of us in the hands and arms. Eddie Harris the next door neighbor to Jamie came by with a friend named Rick and we visited with them and introduced them to Jamie who will be in the rental house until the middle of August and in Galax at the physical therapy facility until October, so we will see her again even if its for sure we are leaving this weekend. We headed on out to visit with our dear friends the Browning's for a few before heading on back down the mountain. It was starting to get dark in the woods and the sun was a fireball as it settled behind the mountain casting a red glow through the woods.

I tuned into the Ray's game and the relief pitchers almost blew another lead with the Orioles but we barely prevailed with a win finally after losing 5 in a row, oh well. Keep GG and our dear friend Joe(Helen's brother who is 90) as well as all of us in your prayers for some healing and comfort in these our hours of discomfort and the unknown, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well we have some what settled for a couple of days into a routine. I love waking up at 6'ish after hitting the sack around 10'ish to the quietness of the morning. I hear a distance crow cawing and the slow drip of the dew falling from the upstairs dormer onto the tin roof. The air is so clean and pure with no pollution from mankind. I see the bunny's out in the yard munching clover. Everything is almost surreal after being in a major metropolitan area. I will never take such natural beauty for granted that surrounds our little cabin in the woods and the majesty of GOD's creation, oh well.

Monday was a fun day with a few chores thrown in to make if worthy for being here. We hiked, visited with mountain top neighbors, hung laundry, cleaned out some ditches after the gully washer during the night, went to Sparta and ran some errands then headed out to the Luffman House. Mechelle helps weekly 5-6 middle school age girls to be familiar horses; teaching them about the safety of being around horses, saddling, grooming etc. so Nancy wanted to help with that for an hour or so while Gerald and I got in a good 2 out of 3 corn hole games. We had a good match with him winning on the third game by one point. He is one good thrower like Katie's dad, Bruce.

Gerald had pork chops and corn on the cob on the grill all of which was fantastic. We also had beans out of the garden and cream corn which is to die for along with sliced tomato's and Nancy brought a pan of oven taters of which we brought half back home as we always over fix. (They will make good fried taters for breakfast with a couple of cackleberries). The food was fabulous and then to top it off she had a container of homemade blueberry and peach ice cream, yeow. Did we ever waddle out of the house a couple hours later. It was after 9 before headed home. We missed seeing Caleb as he was in Charlotte on a mission trip with some kids from church for a week and Kallie is back in Raleigh. She is now 21 which we find so hard to believe how time just slips away. Mechelle is doing great with her tummy issues and now has a new male friend. She is quite the worker juggling jobs and community service with these girls who love horses and helping her dad Gerald with the farm. Kay is quite the cook and as strong as a man when it comes to haying and gardening. They truly have become family to us. It was a great evening and we never even played the game of Sequence where we cut up with each other. We are happy for Andy, Mechelle's ex who now has a squeeze. He was always great to us over the years and we were saddened when they parted company but it seems all things worked out for the best for both of them.

We sat awhile and visited with Billy and Paula on our daily(I love saying that)hike to the top. They bought the beautiful real log cabin that Mike and Nancy built 25 years ago. The views from the back screened in porch are perfect and just right for reading and napping anytime during the day. Billy had done some granite work on the backsplash and the island which turned out beautiful with laying individual small pieces together to form this pattern, yeow what a lot of work that was. We shared some garden tips and he has a small one in his front yard area which is producing beautiful tomato's and okra and some onions. They are leaving on Wednesday for several days and invited to help ourselves to their bounty.

Well that was about it for Monday and it was a great one when your here in the mountains. It was a little too muggy for Nancy when we got home so she turned on the room/window a/c unit to cool things down which is nice. I'm still coughing but did get some extra strength Robitussion. I'm hoping this will break up the congestion and it will go away as its annoying and keeping Nancy on my back about seeing a doctor for antibiotics which is a waste in my opinion and not really good for you, oh well, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship, a good lunch out in Sparta and then reading on the front porch most of the afternoon before taking a two hour hike to the top of the mountain where we visited with several friends and mountain top neighbors, many of whom we haven't seen in nearly two years. We came back somewhere around 7:30 and I popped corn the old fashion way for our supper and I tuned into the Ray's game and see where they lost three in a row to the Rangers which puts them back several games out of first place. All three losses had them leading until the bull pen was called on to perform, oh well.

Let me start with the morning activities as I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out. I did my routines which feel oh so good to do. Here is the latest on GG while I'm mentioning getting back to a routine. We are starting to adjust to being away from the Miami debacle with hopes GG can get back to our home area. She is refusing now to eat the clear diet the staff is giving her despite the fact she now can swallow satisfactory for that diet. She still has fluid build up which is keeping her in the hospital so we are at a quandary with what to do about getting her released and into a rehab facility. We do not want to go back to Miami if at all possible. She shuns Eric when he tries to get her to eat something more than just a spoonful. She just closes her eye and ignores him so he leaves, oh well. She is acting somewhat childish which goes with the age and could be a good sign she is getting somewhat better I suppose. Her rehab is going to be a long road ahead as she still hasn't walked since May 21st.

We heard a great message at Cornerstone on Truth. We had heard a similar message before with Focus on the Family video and it was to the point. Today our society is twisting GOD's word to fit our situation when clearly the Bible points to the truth in a different direction and there its no wonder we are at a cross roads when now what was bad is now good and what was good is now bad. This philosophy is now being seen as the real deal especially with a group in our society know as the secular progressives or liberals. On a different note we heard some sad news from a few of our folks who attend the church with one in particular we have grown to know and love. Our dear friend Carroll is having some major health issues and he needs lots of prayers as well as Sherry a mom who was taken to Winston with some stroke symptons.

We took off up the back trail around 4'ish as the sun was hidden by some overcast clouds that dropped the temps down from the upper 80's to the low 80's. A nice breeze kept us quite comfortable on the front porch for hours until we took off for our daily hike. We saw old friends and neighbors Tommy and Carol Brown who were on their way out off the mountain. They blessed us with a couple tomatoes from their garden and we in turn blessed Jamie(our new friend and neighbor who is renting Helen's place and who found the beautiful lab puppy last week ). While speaking with them at the intersection at the top of the mountain old friends John and Shirley drove up. They stopped briefly on their way to their place and we then headed over to sit and chat for nearly an hour. We caught up on two years worth of info before we left to stop and visit with Jamie and play with Blue the pup. She starts work this week in Galax and is quite the world traveler as well. She had a Phd in sports medicine and is doing a stint with a facility until sometime in  August and is enjoying Helen's cabin with terrific views. Blue is such a sweet dog and so smart.

Well we headed home as we saw Joe and Jetta on their way out while speaking with the Browns so we cut through the old Shalley place which our new old friend Eddie bought and fixed up. It was still quite humid so we closed all the windows in the cabin. The breeze had died down and it was still 80 at 7'ish despite the overcast skies. The wall unit cooled down the cabin after an hour or so and it became quite comfortable as Nancy flipped channels and I read and perused the internet. Around 9'ish I decided to hit the showers and then read in bed until 10 then it was lights out for me with some horizontal lab. I was awakened around midnight with a lightning and thunder and heavy down pours of rain which hopefully washed away the pollen which has been keeping me congested. I'm still hacking and taking all kinds of natural remedies and antibiotics like raw organic garlic that I harvested when we got here, lots of Vitamin C and some OTC expectorate. The temps dropped from the 80's overnight to the low 60's this morning with a strong breeze and overcast skies, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a work day until it got too hot to do much of anything except set on the front porch and read in between naps. It got down right hot here with temps in the middle 80's but we had a nice breeze. I almost headed down to the basement which is a constant 68-70 but instead sat on the porch looking out at the natural beauty of the land.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to a hot cup of green tea laced with turmeric after washing down a handful of vitamins with some apple cider vinegar diluted with some water. I'm at a point I need to get rid of this chest congestion/coughing that I'm resorting to some old fashion fixes to get the body strong enough to reject this whatever it is. I'm even taking whole gloves of fresh garlic as its a natural antibiotic. I'm a big fan of onions and garlic and they are natural fighters of invasive germs and bacteria plus it helps keeps the mosquitoes away. I'm not a big fan of doctors and their prescriptions and they will be my last resort if necessary.

I did my quiet time to honor my Creator and to lift up several who are hurting and Nancy's mom GG is one of those. She is still in a Miami hospital and while she has passed the swallow test she is refusing to eat the clear diet of soups and jello. What! She is doing nothing to help us get her out of there and back to Seminole for some rehab and at times acts like a spoiled chid. We are not thrilled about the idea of going back to Miami to babysit her. We do have family who live there and they have decided to visit her daily when her son Eric leaves on Wednesday which will be a huge blessing for us until the end of the month. We are hoping the hospital will get her well enough to be released for an ambulance ride to Pinellas County to a rehab facility near our home.

Well I fired up the riding mower and cut the grass again this time wearing a mask. I think all of the pollen from the last cutting was a big culprit in this chest congestion. The deck and porches where covered in the yellow stuff when we arrived last week and I'm sure that was a huge reason to once again become congested. I spent a couple of hours mowing and by noon was finally finished. The cabin by this time was in full direct sunlight and the heat was becoming a major factor. The surrounding tall trees keep us in the shade for most of the morning and again in the late afternoon which helps to keep us somewhat cooler than being on top of the mountain.

We sat and read for nearly 4 hours with an occasional nap in between. There was a stiff breeze which kept it quite pleasant until suppertime. We heated up some leftover spaghetti and had a fresh salad for our supper. After the cleanup and and an hour to digest we took off on foot up the mountain for our daily hike. We saw a few on top and visited for a few before heading back down. The views were some what hazy due to the heat from down under which was some where into the over a 100+ heat index. We didn't get much above the middle 80's but it was hot and then became humid about dark; so we turned on the window a/c unit and let it run through the night.

I tuned into the Ray's game on the internet and once again they blew a lead only to lose for two games in a row. Our neighbor and friend Dan and Patrick where at the game. We need some bull pen pitching if we are going to compete down the stretch to make the playoffs, oh well. Today is corporate worship for us at Cornerstone Church. We were so thrilled to once again hug so many necks last Sunday and made to feel once welcome again like family. We are looking forward to honoring our LORD with our presence and to sing praises to his name with fellow Believers. What a privilege we have in this great nation of ours that was founded on the Judeo-Christian principles to worship without fear of retribution. The left secular progressives are trying their best to change our history in conjunction with the liberals in the Democrat Party and destroy those principles with their political correctness and complete disregard of those principles. We need to stand with our new president and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a run errands day as we headed into Sparta. I'm still dealing with this chest congestion and hoarseness of voice but I'm able to get out an about. I'm hoping it's just from all the pollen in the air and the fact when I mowed last week that I breathed in a bunch from the tall grass, oh well. I seem to be strong up to a point so we headed up the mountain around mid-morning after a breakfast of leftover pancakes and sausages. We saw Billy on top and spoke with him briefly before moving on across the mountain. It was really hot up there, probably a good 10-15 degrees warmer as that is out in the open, luckily we are in the shade until later in the day.

We had a good hike and made it up the back steep trail with only a couple of rest stops. Finally starting to get our mountain legs once again. I loaded up the truck with garbage for the dump then we got ready to head to town. We stopped and picked up my leaf blower from in town as I had it repaired from the effects of ethanol in the gas. My lines had disintegrated inside the tank. Now I know to completely drain the tank and the engine when leaving it for the winter; that was a 26 buck learning mistake. We headed out to the landfill which is just outside of town to dispose of our garbage much of which I use to burn and table scraps which I use to compose; but since we are here for just a short time I decided not bother this year, oh well the gardens will lay fallow.

It was lunch time so we headed to Subway for a footlong we shared and some chips. It had been awhile since we last had basically one of their salads on a bun with some deli meat. It was delicious to say the least. We next visited the local library which has moved from in town to the outskirts and into a beautiful renovated old building and so much larger. We picked up some "honor" books which means you don't have to check them out but return when able. We aren't sure when we will get back or when we will leave for Florida with GG's situation. We each got two books and then I located Bobby's book the THE GREAT DARKENING which is book one in the trilogy of the Epic of Haven on the shelf. We took a picture to show his book in the library.

We headed for the new grocery called Grants which took over after Lowe's moved out. We saw some of the same folks who worked there with Lowe's and we noticed their meats are very fresh looking and reasonable. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were 99 cents a pound what a good buy but we passed as we aren't sure what our situation is with GG. Speaking of GG she has been introduced to some puree foods which she abhors. Eric is doing his best to get her to eat by mouth so they can remove the feeding but she is refusing except for a couple of spoonfuls. They did do another procedure on her drain tubes which we are hoping will help with getting the fluids out of her swollen body but it still is a day to day situation. Eric is in Miami until Wednesday so we maybe heading back on Tuesday at the earliest, unless they get her into a rehab place which from my perspective doesn't look great; with tubes everywhere and she is unable to even stand now without help. Her muscles have atrophied to the point she can't even pull with her arms to roll over.

We took off around 3'ish to finally get in a visit with our "mountain mom" Helen. She looked terrific for nearly 90 and still lives alone and drives everywhere. She filled us in on her brother Joe who is a year older and is now having some life changing health issues. Seems he will not be living alone again and may not be living in his place near her but over near his daughters place in Tennessee. He always had such beautiful flowers and veggie gardens and just loved working out in his yards mowing and weed eating. We are sad for him as I know he hates to lose his independence. We had a good visit sharing all that is happening with us. We are sorry we missed having Bobby and family come by to see Helen as she was one of the first people beside family to hold both Bobby and Amy in her arms. She truly has been a family member for years and we love her so and she too has been told by her son Rick she maybe moving back to Florida for the winter as age creeps up on us all.

Well friend Kimberly and her daughter Rachel, husband Brandon and grand daughter Miyah came by for a visit around 7'ish. Kimberly isn't doing well with all of her health issues and is scheduled for surgeries in the next couple of weeks on her back and throat. Eddie who is still paralyzed is in the VA hospital in Richmond, Va and isn't doing well after the three year anniversary of his accident. Brandon is in the police academy in Mt. Airy as he wants to go into law enforcement and Rachel is pregnant with their second child. Miyah is two and very inquisitive and runs the show. Nancy made salsas and cheese dip which Kimberly just loves and put her order in for and they visited until nearly 10'ish.

Well it wasn't long after they left I hit the showers and tuned into the Ray's game on the internet, they loss in heartbreaker in the 10th inning after leading the whole game. They are still in contention in their division with a lot of baseball to be played in the season, LATER

Friday morning in the mountains

Well Thursday started out very early around 4'ish when we heard Bobby and Katie up doing their last minute packing for the long trip back to home in the Tampa Bay area. We were saddened to see them go especially having the grand kiddos around with so much excitement the past 3 days. It was non stop fun, eating, adventures and hikes. We watched then off down the driveway and heard from them later in the day in Florida with just a few hours to go before reaching home. We went back to bed until 7'ish.

After my morning routines that started with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric which helped with washing down my handful of vitamins and supplements. I did my quiet time after posting this ramble then perused my usual websites before heading down to the basement to deflate the mattress and rearrange the area where we had Bobby and Katie's sleeping while they were here. Nancy had laundry on the line and then we heard neighbor Gerald come in from Blacksburg. I walked down and met up with him for a few and to thank him for mowing the grass back in May. That sure made a difference with the yards when I mowed last Saturday.

I still have this crud in my chest so I'm trying not do to much to pull my energy level down as the middle of the day its quite hot in the direct sunlight. The coughing has just about gone but the voice was ragged to say the least. I'm not sure if its the pine pollen so I took a Benadryl to see if that helps but that only makes me feel worst. I did harvest some lemon balm that was growing in my herbs and made a tea last night before hitting the sack and took the last of the OTC expectorate and this morning I'm somewhat talking better with less hoarseness which is a blessing. I'm heading to Sparta this morning to pick up my leaf blower I had worked on in town and then a couple stops to the dump, drug store and grocery. We still haven't decided on our schedule for the weekend as I would like to see Paw Paw in Winchester while I'm up this way but not sure when we have to go back to Florida. We should get an update on GG as of yesterday she had a good day with the swallow tests but the fluids are still present.

Well that's about it for Thursday as it was another rather warm day here in the afternoon with the low 80's as a high and a breeze but the mornings are awesome with high 50's. The day was perfect for hanging laundry outside and I did do some piddly things. I sure miss my gardening chores but mainly the rewards with fresh home grown veggies, LATER

Thursday morning in the mountains

Well Wednesday was such a fun day with Bobby and family and then later in the morning with Katie's mom Lynn and dad Bruce who came up from Blowing Rock for the day. We started the day early with getting a couple racks of baby back ribs on the smoker and then another mountain breakfast of eggs, bacon and cakes. We got ready for the Korte's by picking up, vacuuming and tidying up the cabin. Gabe was so excited to see "moose" (that's Katie's dad nickname) when they arrived around 9:30. He personally wanted to take him on a tour of the cabin. We decided to take a hike to the top of the mountain and show them the views and the area where we hike each day when we are here. Everyone did just fine up the steep trail through the backwoods and onto the top where the haze obstructed the long range views of the city of Winston-Salem but Pilot Mountain was visible through the haze. The views were awesome and a selling point for any buyer to this area.

We set up the "corn hole" boards and played several games with difference partners. Moose is undoubtably the best player I've played against in awhile. He is right up there with Gerald Luffman and Andy Dalton in consistency in every game. The only game he lost of the many we played was with Bobby as his partner when Katie and I barely won. She is a right good player herself. We sat down to eat around 1:30 with a great meal of ribs smoked to perfection and Bobby's rub was fantastic in taste along with corn on the cob, fresh 1/2 runner green beans(store bought) cooked with smoked bacon, fresh carrots from my garden and salad, yeow. That held me for the rest of the day except for a light sandwich around 7'ish.

After Katie's folks left around 3'ish as her mom and dad were in Blowing Rock for the past week we loaded up the golf cart with water pistols and boats and headed down to the creek for some creekin'. The water was oh so cold on this hot afternoon with temps in the low 80's. We or I captured a crawfish and he gave me good pinch a couple times to the delight of the kiddos. We had an old fashion OK Corral shoot out with the water pistols and even a few times made ourselves a nuisance to those who didn't want to get wet; guess who. Gabe and I had a ball chasing each other around with loaded pistols. Some of the other adults were less than enthusiastic when we attacked them, oh well it at least cooled them off.

Bobby and Katie took a long golf cart ride and the kiddo's threw airplanes off the deck and watched some of them glide for several hundred feet. I eventually popped them old fashion popcorn and then we settled in a raucous game of domino's until after 10'ish Once more the host family were the victor's, edging out a victory by just 10 points over a second time player Katie's who is quite competitive and hates to lose(those are her words). We had a good time with Bobby being dead last both times and its him who wanted to play every night.

They headed out this morning around 4:40 for Tampa. I mentioned Charlotte would be nightmare with the road construction both ways and thought an alternative trip plan would be necessary. Maybe by leaving early would get them through without big delays. I'm anxious to hear later today how they did as I'm sure I will be heading back that way myself in a few days.

We had a good update on GG still in the hospital in Miami as she passed another swallow test with eating light foods and drinks. Maybe this will help with her many other issues and help with her recovery. We cherish your thoughts and prayers for her and a recovery that will give her some quality of life , LATER

Wednesday morning in the mountains

Well Tuesday was a busy day that started with a sleep in until nearly 8'ish. I've somehow let my immune system down and have just about let those cold symptoms take over. I picked up some powerful OTC fluids at Walgreens while we were in town and that it starting to work except I've just about lost my voice.

Nancy made a mountain breakfast with blueberry pancakes, sausage patty's and eggs to order all washed down with orange juice and coffee; of course I had green tea laced with turmeric while I washed down my handful of vitamins. It was in the high 50's to start the day and did reach the middle 70's and after a late afternoon gully washer the temps were down into the upper 60's until the clouds moved out and then once again it warmed back up to the upper 70's. The weather has been perfect.

We decided to catch our supper over at our "mountain mom" Helen's pond. Gabe was the big fisherman of the day and we put 8 bass in the bucket big enough for filleting for our supper. Bobby made a beer batter for the small fillets and they we delicious to say the least along with corn on the cob roasted in the shuck in the oven and salad. We had gone to Sparta after our fishing expedition to the new pizzeria for a buffet lunch. Their salad bar is excellent and so are their pizzas and tap room beers of which Bobby and I had one. Afterwards we waddled out and everyone ventured into the downtown area and then to the barber shop where Gabe got his ears lowered by a young barber who attends our church. I took off to the landfill while they shopped and made a stop at Walgreens.

We got back around 4'ish then Katie and Bobby took off for the tennis courts in town where they got in an hour or so on the court. I filleted the fish and got them ready for the frying pan and the kiddos played on their Ipads and rested. I too rested for awhile as this cold has sapped some of my energy. They got back somewhere around 6'ish and we decided we should eat supper as it was going on 7. We ate in the dining room as the deck was still wet and sprinkling at times. After the clean up we decided all should have baths as we grown ups wanted to play dominos. Katie had never played but she pick up on the game quickly and was leading most of the way until the final couple rounds when Nancy came from behind and won just before midnight. I was wanting to throw in the towel around 11 but everyone else decided we should finish the game and so we did.

We learned that Katie's mom and dad Bruce and Lynn are coming this morning for a visit up from Boone and Blowing Rock area and will have lunch with us. We took the baby back ribs out to thaw and will but them on the smoker this morning. We have enough corn on the cob and along with fresh green beans and carrots from my Florida garden we should have enough, LATER

Tuesday Morning at the cabin

Well the first part of the day was a work day then after lunch we played with Bobby and family. Just before they arrived and old friend Ray Todd stopped by for a sit down visit and we caught up on all thats been happening with him and his family since we last visited. Bobby got see him as well which had been many years since that had occurred. We did our routines after awakening with some hot coffee for Nancy and hot green tea for me laced with some turmeric while I posted this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator.

It was 58 once again in the morning with dew dripping from the eves and the stillness was awesome. I got busy after a breakfast of eggs in a tortilla wrap loaded with fresh onion and hot sauce. I headed down to the basement to finish with the cleaning. Bobby likes to stay down there as it's a constant 68 and its like an apartment with everything but a kitchen. We had a great lunch of deli sandwiches then the kids wanted to run and play outside with balsam wood airplanes they dropped off the deck. Some of them flew 100's of feet. We taught Katie how to shoot and she amazed both of us as before she wanted nothing to do with guns period. She never missed the target once and made some very good shots with both a snub nose and a long nose 9 millimeters. She ran through 20 rounds or more and was unbelievable consistent and listened to all we taught her as well.

Nancy had the pot of spaghetti and meat balls warming so we decided to eat supper around 6'ish. The kiddos(Annsley and Gabe) were given permission to play with their Ipads for an hour so before supper. We ate outside on the deck which was perfect with temps in the 70's. Katie was actually wrapped up with a blanket and took a snooze on the deck before supper while we played with the kiddos outside. After the cleanup we decided it was hike time around 7:30 and we had a good hike and workout for the first one of the year. We saw a few folks on top then stopped at Helen's place to visit with Jamie and Brandon's new found lost Lab puppy which is now called Blue since he was found on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He is such a cute and very smart puppy and very friendly. We headed on towards the Brownings as it was starting to get dark and visited with Jetta for a couple. She handed me a potted rose bush from her beautiful roses as I had mentioned I would like to have one at the cabin.

We came back and got a fire going in the circle for smores and when it got really dark I wanted to burn out a paper hornets nest that was about the size of a dinner plate underneath the front porch steps. Luckily no one got stung as we had worked in the area weeding and weed whacking. I made paper torches and Bobby helped me burn them out and take down the nest. Mission accomplished with no one getting stung. Everyone had smores but me as I was starting to get this chest cold back again for some reason. I think my resistance was down from all the traveling, not enough sleep and rest and being hyper about having the cabin ready for Bobby and family. After a hot shower and my ear plugs in I hit the sack and slept through the night for a change which was awesome. I'm coughing up some yellow flym mucus this morning which is a good sign the body is fighting some infection. I actually feel much better after this good nights rest, LATER  

Monday Morning in N.C.

Well I must say the difference in temps overnight was quite a change. It was 58 here with dew dripping from the roof and the birds broke the silence with their singing. It's almost too quiet. The smell from the fresh cut grass is awesome as well and just the natural beauty of the trees, flowers and green grass is splendid to one's senses.

I started on my morning routines with a 6'ish rollout. Nancy was still sawing logs so I got in some real quiet time and then posted this ramble before getting ready for our first time back to Cornerstone Church since last October. We were made to feel very welcome and we heard a good message by Pastor B. before meeting up with Gerald, Kay, Mechelle and her son Caleb Dalton. He is now 16 and will be driving alone in a couple of weeks. We had plenty of hugs and handshakes and then after a lunch at the Pizzeria we ran errands in town. First to drop off a prescription at Walgreens for Nancy then to Food Lion and back to pick up the script and then to the veggie stand and finally the gas station for gas for the golf cart and riding mower, whew!

We got back on the hill somewhere around 3'ish and there was a chance of some non planned pickle ball play but that fizzled out due to not enough players and not being scheduled. The leader has scheduled play on Tuesday evening but since Bobby and family are coming I may have to cancel unless he wants to play anyhow I proceeded down into the basement to clean and blow up the air mattress as well as move the kayaks and bikes out to the storage shed and under the back porch. Bobby and Katie like to sleep down there as its has its own bathroom and its stays around 68 during hot weather. I have  pulled 2-3 buckets of moisture a day since I hooked up the dehumidifier on Friday night and now it quite cozy and cool down there. I still have some cleaning around my work bench but the biggest job was removing everything stored there for the winter.

Well after a supper of leftovers and a few of Nancy meat balls in a red sauce for spaghetti tonight as per the kiddos request we took a golf cart ride to the top of the mountain. We met up with Billy who suffered a heart attack in March. He and Paula bought Nancy and Mikes place. He has lost 20 pounds or more and seemed rather cautious about his heath. He introduced us to the older couple who bought the Cline place and they were very nice and from Jacksonville, Fl. Ben and Laura were their first names. We then saw Paula who is Billy's wife and got big hugs. She was sitting on the back porch with her 98 year mother who is in great shape and still lives alone in Winston. We moved on down the lane and met some new folks who were renting Helen's old place. Jamie is a traveling physical therapist and will be working in Galax for a month and her boyfriend Brandon is in the Army stationed near Jacksonville. They found an adorable yellow lab puppy running loose on the Parkway down near Boone. She will now have company when he goes back to the base in the next couple of days. It seems Helen's family decided to rent the place out through a booking agent which is the same one we found our rental for New Orleans which we never got to use for the wedding of Patrick and Kathryn's daughter in May.

We next stopped to see Joe and Jetta and it was so good to hug their necks. They haven't changed a bit and once again blessed us with some of her homemade black raspberry jelly. We visited until darkness had enveloped us and it was a scary ride back down the mountain according to Nancy. It wasn't long afterwards it was hot shower time for me and then some horizontal lab. The news on GG isn't great as it seems she has slipped backwards the past couple of days. She is back on oxygen had a blood transfusion and is filing up with fluids once again. She is scheduled for a cat scan this morning, Monday to determine where the fluid is coming from as she continues with gibberish talking some of which makes no sense so we think she has another infection. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers, LATER

Sunday Morning at the cabin

Well I've longed for this view as I make my daily post; looking out the dining room window off into the woods at a distance but first seeing the fresh mowed grass and the blooms from the flowers that surround the back yard. I do miss the veggies growing in my raised beds. I have oregano and thyme that have come back from last year and one kale plant in the lower garden that either lived through the winter or reseeded itself, as I weed whacked the gardens yesterday. I have lots of volunteer tomatoes in the compost pile and one plant a green tomato but unfortunately there we so many weeds I didn't spot it in time to save it from the string. I do have lots of wineberries and the gran kiddos coming on Monday will enjoy picking and eating them.

This will be a short post as I did a double one last night while trying to keep my eye lids open after a hot shower. I was soon in the horizontal position after that post and finally slept through the night; wow I ever beat. Both Nancy and I have done little the last 7 weeks or so except sit by with GG in the hospitals. Yesterday wasn't a good day for her according to Eric as she slept most of the day. There was no new drain tube or any attempt at some PT as she laid in the bed all day which has been the case since May 21st. I don't know if she will ever be able to walk again as she has no muscles in her legs or arms. She is still on the feeding tube and catheter. Only the power of prayer in my opinion has kept her alive and one of the family being by her side daily.

Well we are off to our mountain church in Sparta this morning. It will be good to hug so many after such a long time and already folks are lining up after church for a lunch date with us. Sometimes I feel like a rock star when we come here for the summer. We will make a pharmacy stop, eatery stop, grocery stop and finally a veggie stand stop before heading back to the cabin sometime in the early afternoon to once again get ready for Bobby and family on Monday. We had accomplished a lot so far and the inside of the cabin was almost pristine except for a few dead bees. It looked like we had just left yesterday. Take a moment and continue your prayers for GG and for us, LATER

Friday and Saturday Evening in N.C.

Well Friday saw us pull out of the drive just a few minutes before 4 AM. I like to get an early start mainly because I still don't sleep well the night before. We made great time until reaching Charlotte when everything slowed down to two lanes and it took us one hour and half to go 20 miles. I promise not longer will I travel I-77 until they complete the road work. We stopped around 11 in Colunbia,S.C. for lunch at Chic filet and then stocked up at a super Wal-Mart right across the road before heading north. If I get a little fuzzy its because I've been up since 2 AM Saturday morning as I was contemplating all the things I wanted to accomplish today plus Nancy Jean was sawing logs again which didn't help along with the wall unit A/C which makes a terrible racket. It was rather humid when we arrived a little after 4'ish on Friday and she is not use to this heat. It was 102 in Charlotte when we entered the city just after lunch time and a nice 76 when we finally got to the cabin. It did rain a little which quickly dropped the temps as we came up the mountain.

Today Saturday was an all out work day that started very early for me around 6'ish. I was able to finally get on the internet around 8'ish and now we have TV for the next 5 months as we fulfill the contract last year with FIOS in our area. I wish we could could get this service in Florida, anyhow after a lite breakfast I headed out to check on the grill which has stayed on the porch all winter. I did find two little critters that were nestling and dispose of one of them with just a swipe of the hand. The other managed to scamper off to never to be seen again. I installed the battery on the riding mower and it cranked right up. I spend the next 5 hours on that machine and my butt feels as if it grew in my shorts. I did take two stops for water and a potty break and rode the machine until nearly 1' ish when we broke for lunch that included sardines, onions, mustard and crackers, yeow one of my favorites. After lunch I fired up the weed whacker again and ran two tanks of petro through the machine before finally calling the yard complete . I caught up on some honey do jobs for Nancy then decide to dig my garlic bulbs I planted last fall. I harvested 20 -30 bulbs before cleaning out the space and getting it ready for another planting in a couple of weeks. I want to plant some sets from a bulb that my old Air Force buddy Mike brought to me several months agao ago

I grilled marinated chicken breasts and along with canned beets and a side dish of broccoli and a fresh  salad we chowed down. Gosh I'm so beat I can hardly hold my eyes open. It seems GG is supposed to get released  today or tomorrow but today she needed a unit of blood as her white cell count was to low, anyhow she has one good day then two days backwards. They still haven't reinserted the new drain tube and she continues to swell with fluid, oh well, LATER

Thursday Morning in Miami(Hollywood)

Well Wednesday another work day for me here at Arianne's. I gave the new addition two coats of paint and then saw where the raccoons attempted to once again reenter the attic over the front porch vents into the roof. I had noticed the screening had been torn away the day before and reattached the screening which was damaged to say the least and sure enough the critters had once again torn the screening and tried to enter the attic space but the moth balls and ammonia combo must have been too strong for them as none was heard from them during the night. So I found some strong mesh wire screen and cut it to fit and covered that area. There is no way they will chew through this screen, oh well. There will be lots of work in making this old house critter proof when Errol gets back from Bulgaria.

There is no improvement on GG as she is still full of fluids and swelling is still there. The medical staff decided to install another drain for her chest cavity and she got no PT at all for the past couple of days since we have been here. They had at least for several days in a row had her sitting up in a chair but that has stopped. The chance for sending her to a rehab in Seminole is looking dim at this time before we leave for the cabin on Friday morning which is tomorrow. Hopefully we can spend a couple of weeks there as well as visiting family in Virginia.

Well thats about it from hot muggy Miami. Amy is preparing supper for us this evening and then we will leave early on Friday morning for the long trip north so as to open the cabin and make the yards presentable for Bobby and family's visit on Monday, LATER

Wednesday Morning in Miami(Hollywood)

Well I must say yesterday Tuesday was a very different kind of day as after my Uber duties I came back to Arianne's house and learned she had been hearing noises in her attic for the past couple of nights. I never heard them as I wear ear plugs at night due to Nancy's sawing logs; but Nancy also heard the noises. So we began to investigate. She managed to wiggle through the attic opening and into the crawl space and saw what appeared to be the evidence of some critters. Luckily they were gone from the attic during the day and only return at night but their stay there was quite evidence and then we learned later in the day more damage when the a/c ducts into her bedroom had been chewed through.

She called critter Control and they sent a young fellow into the attic with a camera or smart phone and there was the real evidence of raccoon scat, chewed wires and destroyed a/c duct and plenty of their tracks in the dust. They gave her an outrageous quote of 2500 bucks to trap the animals outside the house and then plug all of the egress areas along the roof line where it meets the walls. Thankfully the initial inspection was free, so we found out what the was animal as we initially thought of rats, bats and squirrels and then we did some checking on our own on getting rid of them and stopping their ability to get into the house.

Long story short I climbed a ladder and plugs the holes with bricks to keep them out from re-entering the attic overnight; then we got some moth balls and soaked them in ammonia (as per a Bass Pro Shop employee who had the same problem) and scattered them in the attic. We left the house for several hours and while the initial smell was revolting by bedtime around midnight with the fans blowing it was sleepable in the house. This morning the smell has left the inside of the house but we hope the attic still has some leftover smell. The raccoons never came back last night; either because of the plugged holes or the revolting smell.

Arianne and I did get two coats of primer on her new closet addition and I want to finish the job today with the final coat of paint matching it with the rest of the bedroom. We will be staying and extra day to help her with getting some jobs done and giving her a break from the hospital. GG was about the same as the day before. I stopped by last night when picking Nancy up who had been there for nearly 10 plus hours and GG was lucid but was tired and ready for some sleep.  Nancy picked her up a nice bouquet of flowers which gave her a few smiles but she still hasn't done any PT in the past couple of days and is just lying in bed. She still is retaining lots fluid despite the drain tubes and medicine and now that seems to be the biggest issue she must overcome before getting close to being released to a rehab facility.

We picked up Arianne after getting back from the hospital and went to a Mexican eatery last night around 10'ish and had a fabulous meal which started with a huge margarita's, yeow both were excellent and we were the last folks to leave the restaurant around midnight. I soon hit the shower and then some horizontal lab, LATER

Tuesday Morning in Miami

Well we had an uneventful trip which is always nice when your traveling. We made a couple potty stops and to recirculate the blood in the legs along the way and the one stop along Alligator Alley had a bunch of vultures just sitting around the picnic tables, wow was that ever crazy. We weren't sure if that was an omen or not but these birds would allow you to get with 2-3 feet before they just walked away. They are one ugly bird but are necessary and that is why they are protected, oh well I thought that was interesting to say the least. We did hit some rain along the way and once we got into Miami it was a stand still at times on the interstate and that road on the way out of town was a parking lot. It was still a parking lot when Arianne left the hospital to head north an hour or so later.

GG seemed to be in good spirits and happy to see us. She failed her swallow test today and is still hooked up with drain tubes to her chest cavity. Her left arm is still swollen so she is still retaining fluids and that is one of the problems with her getting released to a rehab facility. Nancy read her several cards from her choir friends she had received and that seemed to cheer her up. We are concerned she has no muscles left in her legs and standing was impossible for her earlier in the day when they attempted to get her out of bed. I'm afraid that is going to be a major problem later if she gets to rehab.

We headed over to an Apollo eatery on campus about 8 and had a late supper of chicken, salad, rice and fries which was tasty and filing. About 9'ish we headed out for Hollywood and the traffic was at least moving better than a couple hours ago. I have no idea why so many folks find this area so inviting but there is no shortage of people on the roads. Finally around 10:30 I headed for the shower and some horizontal lab. I have no idea what time Nancy came to bed as she Arianne talked into the wee hours of the morning, LATER

Monday Morning in Seminole

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship with our BridgePoint Church Family at the Rec. in Seminole. We are now in our 4 month with this campus plant and we are thriving with new families each week as well as many returnees who have made us their home church. We want to have 10 campus's throughout Pinellas County as there are over a million folks who live here and many have no knowledge of GOD or any relationship with his teachings or with other Believers.

We actually worked both services greeting and handing out programs but I was able to sit in on the first service and heard a great message on Joseph in the Old Testament as the theme for the past several weeks have been Old School. We have much to learn from this story and how GOD used him despite his pitfalls in life. GOD has a plan and He only wants whats best or good for each of us. It was nearly 12:30 when we got home and had a light lunch of bean burritos and guacamole. Afterwards I settled into the Rays game and once more they came from behind to win the game and the series from the league leading Red Sox. Most of the teams are off as the All Star game is this week and everyone gets a break. It's hard to believe the season is half over.

The update on GG is promising as they moved her to a private room and out of ICU. Arianne spent the afternoon and evening with her and she was able to suck on some ice and we are hoping she will pass the swallow test today so they can take the feeding tube out and then we are hoping the drain tubes will go next as well and then she will be a candidate for travel back here to our area. She really misses being home but if all goes well that may occur sooner than later. It will be so much easier for us if she is back in our county.

Well we are getting ready to head out this afternoon for Miami once again for a couple of days. We hope if all goes well to leave for the cabin on Thursday to get ready for Bobby and family next week as they are on vacation. There is much to be done before they arrive but that all depends on how GG does on getting better and hopefully out of Miami, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday found us once more in hot muggy Seminole with rain clouds all around, lots of thunder and lightning but no rain. We cancelled a beach trip with the Ross Family on account of the weather so instead after the thunder and lightning disappeared I worked in the yard clipping the shrubs after a good workout at the rec. on the pickle ball court at 8. I got in a good hour and half of play and left with a wet shirt around 9:30. I rode home on the bike thinking it was going to storm any moment but no wet stuff fell from the sky. There was plenty of rumbling and the clouds were very dangerous looking.

I did some inside stuff until the skies somewhat cleared then headed out to work on the shrubs and vines. Nancy took off to run some some errands then I finished some leftover pizzas for lunch and then settled into some reading for a couple hours as the heat was just too much with the humidity. Nancy had made plans to meet up with Dan and Carol and head over to Millers Ale House which is just a mile down the road around 4:30. Usually there is a wait but we got seated right away and had a delicious meal of fish and chips for me and she had some salad with grilled chicken strips. The strips were blas'e to say the least but everything else was great. We even shared one of their chocolate frozen desserts which was awesome.

We came back to the house and played 12 rounds of dominos with Carol being the big weiner. It was still light outside when they headed for home and we got the last inning of the Ray's game against Boston with a win by one run. It wasn't long until it was hot shower time for me and then I read a little until it was horizontal lab around 10'ish. The latest on GG is we spoke with her via face time on the new smart phone and she seemed to be having a much better day. We told her we were coming down on Monday and staying until Wednesday then we were heading to the cabin for a couple weeks. Arianne gave her a taste of coffee with a sponge as she hasn't passed the drink test yet and she was all smiles with the taste. Hopefully she will pass the test and be allowed to take food and drink by mouth again. They are supposed to move her out of ICU and into a private room in the next day or so and she was thrilled about that, although she has constant care where she is.

Well that's about it for the day as we head out to BridgePoint Church this morning around 9 for worship. I truly believe the only reason GG has come this far is because of the power of prayer as so many are praying for her. It has been amazing so many have taken a moment to lift her name up for healing. We thank you all, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a busy day for me as I tackled an ant problem in the kitchen, had a VA appointment with a dermatologist and had the truck serviced at Walker Ford and then replaced my mailbox that my neighbor accidentally knocked down when he was taking his boat out of his yard. That should get me nice piece of fresh snapper or grouper next time he is diving in the Gulf.

The day started with my usual wake up around 6'ish. I did my routines oh how I like the sound of routines which means I'm not in Miami, going to the hospital or fighting traffic jams on the freeway. We did decided to make a plan for the next couple of weeks while trying to see GG as much as possible but also get the cabin ready for a visit from Bobby and family around the 16th of the month. We decided to go back to Miami this Monday afternoon and spend two days and nights visiting GG, that is if she isn't released to come back to the Seminole area before hand which I doubt will occur and then come back to Seminole a night before leaving for N.C. next Thursday. That will give us two days to get the cabin open and the grounds at least mowed and edged. The summer garden is out for this year as I'm already 6 weeks behind plus it's not sure we will be there for any length of time. I do want to go to Virginia for a day or so to visit family there before we come back to Florida.

The skin areas in question turned out to not be cancerous which I'm thrilled to hear and there was no follow up visit either which is even better news. She did warn me to wear sunscreen when and if I'm at the beach or with my shirt off, that will be something new to me as well. I'm at an age where the skin begins to breakdown from the ultraviolet rays thus making it susceptible to skin cancers, so sunscreen I will now wear. Walker Ford gave me a years worth of service, oil change, rotate tires etc free with the purchase of my new truck plus the saleslady has become a friend of ours and helped me with setting up both phones on the truck as well. She is a blessing as well as a top notch sales gal for Walker Ford. This is the third truck I've purchased from them over the years.

Well I grilled marinated chicken breast for supper along with a baked tater for me and a salad for Nancy. After the cleanup I settled into the Rays game and they were losing when I shut the lights off with an inning or so go, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was another hot and muggy day that started off with temps in the 80's and bright blue skies, eventually we got a breeze which kept it bearable until middle afternoon when it was almost to hot to venture outside. The good news today(Thur) was I was able to get a dermatologist appointment for today(Fri.) with the VA as someone cancelled. I had cancelled back in May when GG went down with her heart attack as we were in Miami. It takes so long to get an appointment and I have been checking daily and one came open. I have a what looks like the beginning of a basil cell carcinoma on my leg and a couple moles that look weird so its best to have them checked and removed especially after being exposed to that nasty Agent Orange that was used in Viet Nam to defoliate the jungles. It has been proven to be very toxic and carcinogenic.

The update on GG is she is talking in complete sentences and her voice is much stronger since the tubes have been removed, YEA. We are hoping the rest of the drain tubes will be taken out so she can be transferred here sometime over the weekend and we can get her in either in another local hospital or a rehab facility. We've learned there are now no places to stay in Miami or Hollywood except for hotels and with that being so expensive we are hoping to not go that route. Arianne was with GG throughout the evening and Nancy was able to speak via face time with her. GG has several cards and Nancy wanted to read them to her from her friends. GG has mentioned she is somewhat concerned about her living conditions after leaving the hospital so that is a good that she is thinking ahead and making some plans. We were afraid at one point she may have suffered a minor stroke and that her memory would have been affected.

We had Amy and her kiddos for lunch and then again for supper. Tyler took Sam to the Rays vs Boston game at the Trop and Rays won 4-1. Nancy went with Amy to watch Eliza Faye do her ballet lesson and I went to play pickle ball at the rec at 6 PM. I got in a good hour and half workout with several new players many of whom were beginners to intermediates and a couple advanced players to make it interesting. I left with a wet shirt around 7:30 and headed home to eat some deer tacos which were very tasty.

That was about it for the day as it was shower time after the game and then some horizontal lab for me. I had stiffen up some from the PB play while watching the last couple innings of the game as been weeks since I last ran around on the court. It felt good to use these muscles that were so inactive for weeks, LATER  

Thursday Morning in Seminole

I now know why we head for the mountains during the summer. It is so stifling hot and muggy here its almost unbearable especially anytime after noon until near sunset when we at least get some breeze. Oh how I long for cool mornings, fresh air and cold water coming from the well. Oh well such as it is. We had a good report on GG yesterday which calmed our fears since she was thought to be septic along with all of the other maladies. The nursing staff has removed one of the down the throat breathing tubes which is plus for her as well as one of the other tubes for drainage. There is still hope we can get her back to our area where we can visit with her on a daily basis and be close to home albeit will be in a skilled nursing facility for some time. She is back on the catheter which is horrible and still with the feeding tube in her stomach but she had hours of lucidity which was a plus for all of us.

I did get in a workout at the rec in the weight room with a 45 minute trip on the elliptical and treadmill and left with a wet shirt. Tonight there is pickle ball that starts at 6 so I will get in some court time as its been several days since I was last on the court. I did get in some garden time after my workout until it got to hot and muggy before lunch. Mainly I cut shrubs and pulled weeds in the shaded section of the garden and this morning I want to work on the other side as several weedy vines and grasses are starting to emerge through the layer of leaves. I still have hot Asian peppers producing as they love this weather and most all the herbs such as; Rosemary, Thyme and Thailand Basil are still producing and looking healthy.

Amy and the kiddos all came for lunch then Nancy baked cookies for them and then later Bobby came by and we discussed options on how to address the situation with GG and if we were going to get to the cabin. I said I would go alone if necessary to open up the place, get the yards ready and make the place friendly for the week or so they will be here. We discussed Nancy flying down to the Miami area if need be from Greensboro if she travels with me to the cabin and or from St.Pete if she stays here. I definitely want to visit my family this summer if possible unless GG goes down hill for good. She has been a fighter and I'm completely surprised she is making a recovery of some sort.

On a sad note our dear friend Joe, our "mountain mom" Helen's brother is not doing so well. He is also having some severe health issues and his daughter is taking him back to Tennessee where he will be under her constant care and supervision. Seems he will have to give up on his beautiful mountaintop place and we know it breaks his heart. He has managed for as long as we have known him on his own since his wife passed and has been a companion for Helen since she lost her husband as well several years back. Helen maybe going back to Florida for the winter as well as she too is up there in years but so far has managed on her own with such vigorous independence.

I spoke with Paw Paw and he has bounced back since his hip replacement to living in his own in the Winchester house which is three levels. He must navigate the stairs daily much to our chagrin to use the bathroom but he say's he is using a cane and is taking his time. He is back to driving as well which was against the doctors orders but he is a stubborn one and relies on his own decisions and counsel. It seems he fired the night time person who was staying with him and who cooked a good meal for him daily, oh well. We were hoping he would not go back to that accident prone house but once he got back he will not leave until they carry him out and one slip on those stairs could be his down fall(no pun intended).

Well that's about it from hot muggy central Florida. At least we aren't fighting the traffic around the Miami area and are now sleeping in our own bed and eating at a reasonable suppertime. We forgot what an awesome privilege it is to have such normal daily occurrences when changing your lifestyle overnight. The stress of being away from home itself is debilitating but to see a loved one undergoing such dramatic changes adds to the stress level as well. We are starting to adjust to being home and are not looking forward to upending that change by going back to Miami, LATER

Wednesday Morning in Seminole

Well the 4th of July started with my usual 6 ish rollout as Nancy was cutting timber in the early morning hours so I crept out and into the spare room around 5'ish; needless to say I was pretty much awake so I stayed up and did some keyboard time on the laptop until it was time to have some breakfast and then get ready to head over to Brandon for a cookout at Katie's parents home.

The update on GG sounds a little better than the day before as she was responsive for a couple hours and made small talk albeit was very slight due to the reinsertion of the breathing tube down her throat. The medical staff is not quite sure she is septic as the tests are still somewhat inconclusive on what is causing the high white cell count but she has responded to the antibiotics. GG really responds to Arianne as they have a very close relationship and always seems to perk up when she is around. Her youngest sister Elise is there with her also and just maybe that will be a perk as well as she loves to be around them when ever she visited Michigan in the past. We are still hoping GG will recover enough to get her back here to Seminole in a rehab facility.

Nancy is contemplating on going back down to Miami with me either driving her and then myself coming back the same day or her flying down and staying while I go to the cabin and get it ready for Bobby and family coming on the 15th of this month. Either way I'm not enthused about staying Miami and will do whatever is needed to help with the situation. We got back to Pinellas around 6'ish and visited with the Cool Peoples Club at the Botbyl's as the Tracy's came down for the day from the Dade City area. We shared a little of their supper but I was still satiated from the meal of smoked brisket and all the fixin's at the Korte House. We did get in a game of Sequence and gals thrashed us big time with a 4-1 beat down.

We walked home around 10'ish and the fire works were everywhere with some major type fireworks exploding above the 'hood. There seemed to be some competition between two separate sets of works but in the same area and the show was brilliant with colors and big bangs. I hit the sack a little after 10 and all was finally quite on the western front, LATER

Tuesday Morning in Seminole.. Happy Independence Day

Well it is great to be home for a few days and hopefully no more trips to Miami but the news on GG isn't good at all. Eric her son has been there for the past two days since we left on Saturday and now Arianne will be there daily now that she is finished with her camps and school is out and Dianne is on the way back down from Michigan. We were hoping to get GG to Seminole for rehab but that isn't looking possible as of this date in fact GG has taken a turn for the worst with her now being septic. They have her on strong antibiotics and have done everything possible but the fluids keep building because the heart functions just aren't strong enough to get the fluids out despite med's to help with that. The outlook as I write is not promising now with this new infection and the doctors inserted another drain tube near her lungs.

Well we got together with both Bobby and Amy's family minus Tyler yesterday as he had to work. We all met at the Redington Shores Beach at 10 AM for two hours of beach time. There were lots of sand castles built by the kiddos and Bobby. I got in a little swimming time which was awesome; the first this year for me. It was a very nice day but just as we were getting ready to leave clouds were building and we saw a little lightning in the distance and some thunder claps. It was perfect timing as we did hit some rain on the way home. Bobby took his kiddos back to Brandon after showers at the outside beach service area along with all the kiddos and Amy headed home to change clothes before heading over to our house for lunch. Nancy made cookies for the kiddos with Ava's help and I headed to the post office to get our mail which has been on hold for the past 6 weeks. Betsy brought GG's mail by later and I paid a couple bills for her as well.

Well we had a salmon fillet with fresh corn on the cob at 10 cents an ear from Walmart and it was delicious to say the least along with a fresh salad. Needless to say I put back on nearly 9 pounds while in Miami with those late night suppers and eating out a lot. I start watching what I eat, when I eat and once agin how much. It was good to get between the sheets at my normal bedtime hours for a change around 10'ish. Keep all of us especially GG in your thoughts and prayers, LATER

Monday Morning in Seminole

Wow, its so good to be back home again even if its hot, humid Seminole. I would rather be in N.C. at the cabin where its in the high 50's to start the day and end with the high 70's all the while looking at all things natural outside from within the cabin. We are still planning on a trip there around the 10th or so as Bobby and family are coming for a week and then I want to visit Paw Paw up in Winchester while we are that far north of Florida. Other family members are going to have to step up and stay with GG or at least visit her until we can get back to Florida later on this summer.

We headed out about 9:15 to visit with our church family and to worship at BridgePoint Church in Seminole. It was good to be welcomed back and we heard an awesome message on the Old Testament book of Esther. Afterwards I rode home with the neighbors while Nancy headed to the grocery. After she got back we had a sandwich then she headed out to look at two facilities with Betsy for GG if and when she gets released from the hospital in Miami. They found a very nice one in Largo which is so much closer to home than Miami. Hopefully we can get her back here and into rehab but that is going to be a long drawn out ordeal as she hasn't been on her feet to speak in over 6 weeks and no nourishment in her mouth or throat since the operation. She is on a feeding tube but the swelling of fluids throughout is really holding her back for a release.

Well we met up with friends and family for a 40th anniversary celebration in Tampa for our dear friends Patrick and Kathryn. It was a cook out/pool party at one of the palatial high rises in down town Tampa where their daughter and new husband reside. There were 30 to 40 folks there with plenty of burgers, dogs and ribs as well as side dishes. We got to meet his side of the family and they were very nice as well as many of their friends. We had a hot game of volleyball in the pool for an hour or so which was quite refreshing. It was after 7 when we broke up and headed home. It wasn't long after getting back to Seminole the sandman calleth around my normal bedtime of 10'ish when I was introducing myself to some horizontal lab. Nancy had gone to the Botbyl's to visit with her friend Carol who suffered a slip tearing her hamstring last week and had to forgo the celebration in Tampa, LATER

Sunday Morning in Seminole

Well we are finally back from this last two week hiatus in Miami/Hollywood after being there for over 6 weeks total.  We encountered rain for most of the way back but luckily the traffic was relative light and we never saw any traffic crashes or back ups. We sailed across Alligator Alley which was nice after leaving the awful traffic congestion on I-95. We got in around midnight dropped Betsy off at GG's house where Gus was waiting for her.

Saturday was another typical day for me as I once again made two separate trips to the hospital from Arianne 's house in Hollywood. The traffic backup's where unbelievable both going down and coming back. The 20 mile trip was at least an hour with stop and go traffic all the way. At one point there was a 5 mile solid backup northbound as I headed south to get the girls when I found out we were heading back to Seminole for at least the next couple of days.

We encountered Errol on Saturday morning after he got back from his two week trip to San Salvador. He was most unhappy to find several changes to his house with the addition of the closet and the studio where he lost his room because of a new partner in the studio which she gets half of the building for her students and the fact we were still there at his house. I did do lots of work for him both inside and out to help Arianne with all that was on her plate, oh well. I know its difficult having company or family to move in for days at a time. Believe me I was as anxious to leave as he was for us to go but Arianne was saddened for us to leave and wanted us to stay but her dad Eric, Nancy and Betsy's brother was coming last night and would be there to visit his mom and make any decisions necessary. We are still hoping she will be released to come to Seminole the first of next week. GG did have a better day on Saturday but still has a long way to go, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday found us all excited as GG was doing so good that we thought she might be released later in the day but all that changed when she took a sudden turn for the worst when she became unresponsive for several hours. The cardiac staff became very concerned and did all types of testing and did discover her white blood count was elevated. It seems they had removed her catheter but had to reinsert it later in the day which may have caused that to occur. It now seems we will be stuck here for at least the weekend once again. Hopefully she will get better by the first of the week so we can get back home next week.

I had a work day after doing my Uber duties in the morning. I worked in the mowing of this huge yard once again. I was totally soaked with sweat by the time I finished and then I cleaned the house, vacuuming and then washing two loads of clothes. I then spent the rest of the day reading until it was time to go back to the hospital and drive the girls back to Hollywood. We stopped at IHOP for a late or early because it was before midnight for some supper. We headed home and it was shower time for me and finally some horizontal lab around midnight, LATER