Well the month is gone and so is the drought here at the cabin. We got some much needed rain which finally gave everything a nice drink. We could have used a little more but thankful for what we got. We got a light rain on Saturday but just enough to settle the dust while our house guests were here but other than the nice down pour late Sunday evening the weather was perfect. I got in a good hike in the morning with Nick and the two dogs as we climbed the mountain then had to hold back the dogs as they spotted a couple deer and some wild turkeys. They like to run and chase which required a good strong rope to hold them in check.
I started the day with my usual roll out to a cup of hot green tea while everyone else was asleep and did an abbreviated morning routines. Once the dogs awakened and came down stairs it was outside with them and up the mountain while Nancy and Jamie stayed back and prepared breakfast. We skipped leaving the cabin for the day due to the dogs and the fact they were staying until mid afternoon. We had a good visit and probably won't see them again unless for some reason they settle here in either the Virginia or North Carolina areas. Both of them are from Texas with family there. They do like Oregon as she once did a job there but who knows as they are still in the traveling business with her job which pays very well.
After they left around 3'ish I settled into the NFL games and became a couch potato for the rest of the evening. We had to eat some guacamole for supper along with salsa and chips, she had made for us to snack on but we never got round to it with all of the other food and the large breakfast. We did each have a piece of the flourless cake she made which we all had a piece around noon which satisfied us until the evening snack. We are now guest free until the 11th of October when family come for a long weekend with their 3 little ones. I have some major jobs to do between now and then and after they leave we have just a few days until we winterize the cabin until next June. This summer has just flown by and I will be ambivalent about leaving until next summer. We surely love the mountains and all of our friends but I'll be thrilled to start my winter garden and get back to being on the pickle ball court daily as well as being close to our Florida family and with the new babies coming in January to Bobby and Katie, Oh well. We surely have two different lifestyles which never get boring with friends and church family. We are blessed and give thanks daily to GOD as we live the American Dream, LATER
Oh by the way the Bucs beat a last years playoff team in their home stadium and the Ray's are in the playoffs.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Sunday Afternoon Sept 29th
Well our guests for the weekend arrived mid morning and it's been non stop talking, eating and game playing since then until bed time around 11'ish. Yikes what a grand time getting to meet Nick for the first time and of course Jamie has always held a soft spot in our hearts for her. There is a marriage on the horizon for them as she is a couple years older and despite her professional career of a traveling doctor of physical therapy she is getting the motherhood notion and would like to settle down in one area.
We got in a great hike with their two large dogs which had to be leashed because one was a rescue dogs and a hound mix and loves to chase anything that moves and the other large lab is a big baby. Its too bad they could not be allowed to run free but they were afraid they may take off and not return after a chase or lose their way. These two are their babies and they do mother them.
After the long hike which tired out their pups we settled into some game playing which started with domino's, golf and then dice all before supper. I grilled marinated chicken breasts and had a basket of squash, peppers and onions on the grill while Nancy had her speciality of oven taters in the oven and a fresh garden salad to top the meal off with. We all passed on the flowerless cake until today Sunday as we were full.
We slept late this morning or at least until nearly 7 AM and since they weren't leaving until after lunch we skipped any church service at Cornerstone, so we will watch on line our BridgePoint service later today as their dogs were not comfortable being in a new place. The dogs were great in the house but they would not let them run free as the one was a deer chaser and would take off. Nick and I took them for a long morning hike before breakfast and we jumped up two large deers and a couple wild turkeys which the one dog wanted to chase.
We had a breakfast of venison sausage, eggs, muffins and toast with tons of coffee. Afterwards we sat around and talked then we decided to teach them the game of Euchre. We also needed to take pictures when the dogs needed to go out for a potty break so we suspended the game with Nick and Nancy up 9-6 and finally conceded them the victory when we decided to have the dessert from last night we didn't eat. They also had more strong black coffee with theirs and we talked and shared stories for the next couple hours before they left around 2:30. It was a fun time renewing an old acquaintance and getting to meet and know Nick. Since Jamie is a traveling therapist which is very good paying job but it does have some draw backs as they both move around a lot. He works remotely from home so they do have a constant source of income and a dog sitter as well. They aren't sure where their next assignment is but there is an opening in Eugene, Oregon and they both love that area of the country, LATER
Here a couple pics of the pumpkins we picked up on Friday from Melia Edwards place and the some of Nick, Jamie and the big black lab Titus and the hound Ringo.
We got in a great hike with their two large dogs which had to be leashed because one was a rescue dogs and a hound mix and loves to chase anything that moves and the other large lab is a big baby. Its too bad they could not be allowed to run free but they were afraid they may take off and not return after a chase or lose their way. These two are their babies and they do mother them.
After the long hike which tired out their pups we settled into some game playing which started with domino's, golf and then dice all before supper. I grilled marinated chicken breasts and had a basket of squash, peppers and onions on the grill while Nancy had her speciality of oven taters in the oven and a fresh garden salad to top the meal off with. We all passed on the flowerless cake until today Sunday as we were full.
We slept late this morning or at least until nearly 7 AM and since they weren't leaving until after lunch we skipped any church service at Cornerstone, so we will watch on line our BridgePoint service later today as their dogs were not comfortable being in a new place. The dogs were great in the house but they would not let them run free as the one was a deer chaser and would take off. Nick and I took them for a long morning hike before breakfast and we jumped up two large deers and a couple wild turkeys which the one dog wanted to chase.
We had a breakfast of venison sausage, eggs, muffins and toast with tons of coffee. Afterwards we sat around and talked then we decided to teach them the game of Euchre. We also needed to take pictures when the dogs needed to go out for a potty break so we suspended the game with Nick and Nancy up 9-6 and finally conceded them the victory when we decided to have the dessert from last night we didn't eat. They also had more strong black coffee with theirs and we talked and shared stories for the next couple hours before they left around 2:30. It was a fun time renewing an old acquaintance and getting to meet and know Nick. Since Jamie is a traveling therapist which is very good paying job but it does have some draw backs as they both move around a lot. He works remotely from home so they do have a constant source of income and a dog sitter as well. They aren't sure where their next assignment is but there is an opening in Eugene, Oregon and they both love that area of the country, LATER
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Saturday Morning Sept 28th
Well this time next month we will be back in Florida. Where did these past 4 months go? Oh well. Friday was a work day until around 3'ish when we headed to town(Sparta) for some shopping, pumpkin patch picking, supper out and then to a rodeo until 9'ish.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea. This morning the temps had warmed from the 40's to the near 60's which was still pretty nice out and it stayed that way for most of the day with a nice breeze to keep it comfortable in the high 70's. The humidity has stayed away but we really need some rain and the forecast is for some today(sat.) when we have guests coming with their two huge dogs, oh well. I did my morning routines after my quiet time and the posting of this ramble which is now a quick hike to the top of the mountain before breakfast and back. I'm loving the hike which means I do not have to stop and wait on Nancy. I did this twice today as she was getting ready for guest with her normal cleaning, baking and whatever. You would think the Queen of England is coming but I'm thrilled she treats everyone this way with her fastidious preparations.
I decided since most of my yard work was completed to do some maintenance on the golf cart and riding mower. It's been awhile since I last changed oil on either one so I worked on the golf cart first. Cleaning the air filter and then changing the oil and blowing out the dust from the engine area with the air hose. I then worked on the riding mower which so much easier to change the oil as the oil export tube is up from under the body whereas the golf cart was underneath and required some ingenuity to get to the plug. While at it I sharpened the mower blades so as to be ready for next years initial cutting which is usually knee high grass. I may cut the grass here one more time but the growing season and the lack of rain has just about stopped the grass from growing. Those two tasks kept me busy until lunch time.
After lunch I took off on a longer hike up the mountain and back a different way and then rested a spell on the back porch in the shade and nice breeze. It was another perfect day for being outside but the sun was quite strong out in the open. We cleaned up and headed to Sparta around 3'ish for a stop at the grocery and then the drug store before heading over to Mechelle's. We picked her up and headed to where we knew the folks who owned the pumpkin patch. They use to have a shop that specialized in curios, jewelry, wine, etc out near Mechelle's place and they even came to Cornerstone for awhile. They have discontinued the shop for health reasons and now lease their 80 acres for pumpkin planting and there were thousands of them laying around. The one that were being harvested for resale were marked but all the rest were for anyone and as many as you wanted. We loaded up about 30 or so and headed to the eatery called Crave for supper. Gerald and Kay loaded up a whole pickup truck full which they give to their cattle and horses.
It's Italian/American and the place was hopping for Sparta. I tried their calzone and Nancy had a grilled chicken over linguine. It was OK, but nothing to write home about and reasonable in price. Gerald and Kay joined us along with Mechelle as we haven't seen them in a couple weeks. We then headed over to the fair grounds for the high school rodeo. There were some really good cowboys and cowgirls all high school age who participated in the usual events and the bull riding event had some mean bulls. Yikes only one rider managed the 8 seconds on a bull and another rider got hung up on a mean bull and it looked horrible initially but he walked away after finally getting dislodged from the spinning animal. We saw lots of old friends and former neighbors and I met a new state trooper who lives in town who was sitting in front of us and was a friend of a friend .
We got back to the cabin just before 10 and it was shower time and then I checked the Ray's game in Toronto and they are now assured a playoff spot with the win. It wasn't long until it was horizontal lab for me, LATER
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea. This morning the temps had warmed from the 40's to the near 60's which was still pretty nice out and it stayed that way for most of the day with a nice breeze to keep it comfortable in the high 70's. The humidity has stayed away but we really need some rain and the forecast is for some today(sat.) when we have guests coming with their two huge dogs, oh well. I did my morning routines after my quiet time and the posting of this ramble which is now a quick hike to the top of the mountain before breakfast and back. I'm loving the hike which means I do not have to stop and wait on Nancy. I did this twice today as she was getting ready for guest with her normal cleaning, baking and whatever. You would think the Queen of England is coming but I'm thrilled she treats everyone this way with her fastidious preparations.
I decided since most of my yard work was completed to do some maintenance on the golf cart and riding mower. It's been awhile since I last changed oil on either one so I worked on the golf cart first. Cleaning the air filter and then changing the oil and blowing out the dust from the engine area with the air hose. I then worked on the riding mower which so much easier to change the oil as the oil export tube is up from under the body whereas the golf cart was underneath and required some ingenuity to get to the plug. While at it I sharpened the mower blades so as to be ready for next years initial cutting which is usually knee high grass. I may cut the grass here one more time but the growing season and the lack of rain has just about stopped the grass from growing. Those two tasks kept me busy until lunch time.
After lunch I took off on a longer hike up the mountain and back a different way and then rested a spell on the back porch in the shade and nice breeze. It was another perfect day for being outside but the sun was quite strong out in the open. We cleaned up and headed to Sparta around 3'ish for a stop at the grocery and then the drug store before heading over to Mechelle's. We picked her up and headed to where we knew the folks who owned the pumpkin patch. They use to have a shop that specialized in curios, jewelry, wine, etc out near Mechelle's place and they even came to Cornerstone for awhile. They have discontinued the shop for health reasons and now lease their 80 acres for pumpkin planting and there were thousands of them laying around. The one that were being harvested for resale were marked but all the rest were for anyone and as many as you wanted. We loaded up about 30 or so and headed to the eatery called Crave for supper. Gerald and Kay loaded up a whole pickup truck full which they give to their cattle and horses.
It's Italian/American and the place was hopping for Sparta. I tried their calzone and Nancy had a grilled chicken over linguine. It was OK, but nothing to write home about and reasonable in price. Gerald and Kay joined us along with Mechelle as we haven't seen them in a couple weeks. We then headed over to the fair grounds for the high school rodeo. There were some really good cowboys and cowgirls all high school age who participated in the usual events and the bull riding event had some mean bulls. Yikes only one rider managed the 8 seconds on a bull and another rider got hung up on a mean bull and it looked horrible initially but he walked away after finally getting dislodged from the spinning animal. We saw lots of old friends and former neighbors and I met a new state trooper who lives in town who was sitting in front of us and was a friend of a friend .
We got back to the cabin just before 10 and it was shower time and then I checked the Ray's game in Toronto and they are now assured a playoff spot with the win. It wasn't long until it was horizontal lab for me, LATER
Friday, September 27, 2019
Friday Morning..Sept 27th
Well Thursday was basically another work day as we stayed at the cabin except for a couple hikes for me and a long hike in the afternoon with both of us. It was another beautiful day with temps in the 70's, no humidity, lots of sunshine and a nice gentle refreshing breeze for most of the day. Wind chimes on the back porch played a nice sound all day long.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected. We definitely need to be in prayer for our nation as the left is once again trying their best to subvert the last election with another fabricated attempt to destroy our duly elected Potus Trump. It's a shame they are so full of contempt for this man and his policies that has helped to make the nation strong once again and has given some self esteem to those who want the American Dream. I'm at a loss for words to describe what the dems are doing to this man to cover up what they themselves are guilty of. The msm is so in bed with the dems its now become a mute point with their lying and obvious attempt to persuade the public to impeach this man and cover up for the last administrations corruption.
I headed out shortly after my morning routines for an abbreviated hike to the top of the mountain. I do the two upward climbs and skip the flat walk across the top which I can do in about 20 minutes which is perfect for good cardio for the non stop hike. It usually takes us close to an hour when Nancy is hiking as she needs several rest stops whereas I do the short hike without stopping at all. I'm starting to get my legs and tummy back into shape with these extra hikes as well as being on my feet most of the day. I dug and hauled three golf cart loads of dirt from my backwoods small mine. I used the dirt to fill in low places mainly in the backwoods yards. That kept me busy until lunch time then after wards it was some garden work and piddly jobs.
I grilled bone in porch chops for supper and we ate out on the deck, it was that beautiful with the nice gentle breeze which kept the bugs away. We piddled around in the flower beds pulling weeds and some dead heading until dark then settled into the Fox News channel for awhile watching the liars in the congress to their best to excoriate Trump. We decided to watch the show on NetFlix titled TURN which is about the spies during the Revolutionary War. I managed to get through two episodes with brief nodding offs and then it was time for a hot shower and some horizontal lab just before 10, LATER
We had only one Heavenly Blue morning glory bloom today.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected. We definitely need to be in prayer for our nation as the left is once again trying their best to subvert the last election with another fabricated attempt to destroy our duly elected Potus Trump. It's a shame they are so full of contempt for this man and his policies that has helped to make the nation strong once again and has given some self esteem to those who want the American Dream. I'm at a loss for words to describe what the dems are doing to this man to cover up what they themselves are guilty of. The msm is so in bed with the dems its now become a mute point with their lying and obvious attempt to persuade the public to impeach this man and cover up for the last administrations corruption.
I headed out shortly after my morning routines for an abbreviated hike to the top of the mountain. I do the two upward climbs and skip the flat walk across the top which I can do in about 20 minutes which is perfect for good cardio for the non stop hike. It usually takes us close to an hour when Nancy is hiking as she needs several rest stops whereas I do the short hike without stopping at all. I'm starting to get my legs and tummy back into shape with these extra hikes as well as being on my feet most of the day. I dug and hauled three golf cart loads of dirt from my backwoods small mine. I used the dirt to fill in low places mainly in the backwoods yards. That kept me busy until lunch time then after wards it was some garden work and piddly jobs.
I grilled bone in porch chops for supper and we ate out on the deck, it was that beautiful with the nice gentle breeze which kept the bugs away. We piddled around in the flower beds pulling weeds and some dead heading until dark then settled into the Fox News channel for awhile watching the liars in the congress to their best to excoriate Trump. We decided to watch the show on NetFlix titled TURN which is about the spies during the Revolutionary War. I managed to get through two episodes with brief nodding offs and then it was time for a hot shower and some horizontal lab just before 10, LATER
We had only one Heavenly Blue morning glory bloom today.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Thursday Morning..Sept 26th
Well Wednesday was another perfect day with cool temps in the morning, no humidity and lots of sunshine, blue skies and a gentle breeze, wow is all I can say and one of the reasons I so love the mountains and this cabin in the woods. It was another workday for me plus a couple hikes and then out to Sparta's BJ's eatery where we met up with the Tracy's for a late lunch early supper.
I started the day with a 6'ish rollout to my usual routines that always start with a cup of of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I post this ramble and then spend some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected due to their ages and health issues. I took off shortly after posting this ramble and checking the world news and social media's on my first hike of the day. Nancy eventually joined me on a longer hike later in the morning which turned out to be the longest and most demanding since we've been here. It was probably a couple hours as she was on the phone with her brother Eric in Michigan along the way and we sat for a few on top of the mountains enjoying the ambiance.
I had a breakfast of cackleberries, a home grown tomato with a jalapeno on a wrap then headed out to work in the garden and yards. After hand watering everything and weed whacking the areas I couldn't reach with the mower I fired up the golf cart and loaded several sacks of pelletized lime and the spreader and headed to the backwoods yards. I gave it a good liming so as to help with moss control and sweeten the soil for the grasses next spring. Eventually I limed all of the yards which was like taking another hike while walking behind the spreader up and down the yards and working up a sweat despite the cool temps. It was about this time she wanted to hike the mountains so off we went down the steep driveway and up the backroad which is nearly straight up and at least close to mile or so. We made several stops for Nancy to reach the top but she did it.
We headed out around 2:30 for Sparta and met up with Patrick and Kathryn. We each ordered a pizza pie which I think has the best crust in town and we devoured a large pepperoni and mushroom one. That had me stuffed as I finished off the last piece which was a little more than half. We visited for an hour or so then headed to Food Lion to pickup some needed articles for our guests coming on Saturday for an overnighter. We will entertain them as well as Kathryn for supper as Patrick heads back to Florida for a few days for a doctors appointment. It was back to the cabin for another hike to the top of the mountain and once again most everyone is gone from on top. We did meet Sheri the daughter of Helen who passed a couple years back and she is buying the old cabin from her siblings and had an adjuster there for the purchase. It has magnificent views but the cabin is rather small and smelly from mildew to say the least; but its perfect for weekenders and was used at one time as an AirBNB. It was during this time we met Jamie who is a traveling physical therapist, who was renting this cabin and is now our friend and is coming on Saturday with her beau.
Well the evening shadows were overtaking the cabin so after hand watering some of the new seedlings I headed in to watch an exciting game between the Rays and the Yanks. The stands were finally packed for the last regular season game and the Rays won 4-0 and continue in their quest to make the playoffs as a wild card team. Hopefully they will succeed as they travel to Canada for the final series with the Blue Jays who are near the bottom of the division and no chance for the playoffs, LATER
We finally got our first Heavenly Blue Morning Glories blooming this morning and they are just beautiful and so vivid in color. I had one seed and it germinated and I planted on the fence thinking the potted plants Helen gave us were vining plants called Jasmine when in fact they were 4 o'clocks which do not vine. Most morning glories grow wild and come back every year in your garden but not these ones which are just so gorgeous and how I wish they were perennials.
I started the day with a 6'ish rollout to my usual routines that always start with a cup of of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I post this ramble and then spend some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected due to their ages and health issues. I took off shortly after posting this ramble and checking the world news and social media's on my first hike of the day. Nancy eventually joined me on a longer hike later in the morning which turned out to be the longest and most demanding since we've been here. It was probably a couple hours as she was on the phone with her brother Eric in Michigan along the way and we sat for a few on top of the mountains enjoying the ambiance.
I had a breakfast of cackleberries, a home grown tomato with a jalapeno on a wrap then headed out to work in the garden and yards. After hand watering everything and weed whacking the areas I couldn't reach with the mower I fired up the golf cart and loaded several sacks of pelletized lime and the spreader and headed to the backwoods yards. I gave it a good liming so as to help with moss control and sweeten the soil for the grasses next spring. Eventually I limed all of the yards which was like taking another hike while walking behind the spreader up and down the yards and working up a sweat despite the cool temps. It was about this time she wanted to hike the mountains so off we went down the steep driveway and up the backroad which is nearly straight up and at least close to mile or so. We made several stops for Nancy to reach the top but she did it.
We headed out around 2:30 for Sparta and met up with Patrick and Kathryn. We each ordered a pizza pie which I think has the best crust in town and we devoured a large pepperoni and mushroom one. That had me stuffed as I finished off the last piece which was a little more than half. We visited for an hour or so then headed to Food Lion to pickup some needed articles for our guests coming on Saturday for an overnighter. We will entertain them as well as Kathryn for supper as Patrick heads back to Florida for a few days for a doctors appointment. It was back to the cabin for another hike to the top of the mountain and once again most everyone is gone from on top. We did meet Sheri the daughter of Helen who passed a couple years back and she is buying the old cabin from her siblings and had an adjuster there for the purchase. It has magnificent views but the cabin is rather small and smelly from mildew to say the least; but its perfect for weekenders and was used at one time as an AirBNB. It was during this time we met Jamie who is a traveling physical therapist, who was renting this cabin and is now our friend and is coming on Saturday with her beau.
Well the evening shadows were overtaking the cabin so after hand watering some of the new seedlings I headed in to watch an exciting game between the Rays and the Yanks. The stands were finally packed for the last regular season game and the Rays won 4-0 and continue in their quest to make the playoffs as a wild card team. Hopefully they will succeed as they travel to Canada for the final series with the Blue Jays who are near the bottom of the division and no chance for the playoffs, LATER
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Wednesday Morning... Sept 25th
Well Tuesday was a work day after playing around the last 4 days with our trip to the Shenandoah Valley. I got in two hikes one early in the morning alone which I never stop and then another hike later in the evening with Nancy which takes a couple of stops for her to catch her breath and rest. I did lots of garden work and even spent the afternoon on the riding mower and mowed all of the yards. That will probably be the last time this year for the backwoods yard and maybe one more time for the rest of the yards. It does look so beautiful after being mowed and the smell of fresh mowed grass is so wonderful to your nose.
I started the day with another sleep in for a change. I did that mostly on our vacation as well and rather enjoyed the extra hour or so; but of course it was later than usual for me retiring for the night. I've been up late watching the Ray's baseball games and they won again last night over the dreaded Yankees to remain in the hunt for a wild card slot in the playoffs coming up in a week or so. They are the least paid team in the big leagues going up against the best paid players in all of baseball and they won in extra innings...GO RAYS...The Bucs lost a game after being up by 18 points in the second half to a second string QB. Whats with them. I would bench these players and put some guys in there who want to win, not just collect a pay check, oh well.
There really isn't much to write about except after doing my morning routines which always include some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting several up by name and a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I post this ramble and check the world news as well as give my two cents on FB and wish several happy birthday's to many. I'm back to at least two a day hikes and eating fruit for breakfast at least 4 to 5 days a week with an occasion fried egg on the other days. I did harvest a couple stubby cucumbers but they are delicious despite their size and shape and then a handful of of cherry tomato's, kale and some Swiss chard for our salad bowl. I transplanted the lettuces the deer failed to ruin into 4 packs in hopes they will make for the salad bowl as well. The dill seedlings are still holding their own and I hope they will mature enough to take back to Florida next month.
Speaking of heading home we will leave now on the 27th a Sunday as Nancy needs time to get ready for a baby shower for Katie our daughter in law who will give us twin boys in January or sooner as twins usually come early. Nancy wants to have that done before she becomes too large to travel so its back a few weeks earlier than usual. We have our last guests coming over Columbus Day weekend then it will be winterizing the cabin and getting the gardens and flower beds ready for next summers arrival. There is always something to do here which I love doing and which I'm sure keeps me healthy and physically in shape. I do not enjoy sitting around inside and thats why I love the mountains in the summer and Florida in the winter. I'm looking forward to getting back daily on the pickle ball courts with our snowbirds in Florida as well, LATER
I started the day with another sleep in for a change. I did that mostly on our vacation as well and rather enjoyed the extra hour or so; but of course it was later than usual for me retiring for the night. I've been up late watching the Ray's baseball games and they won again last night over the dreaded Yankees to remain in the hunt for a wild card slot in the playoffs coming up in a week or so. They are the least paid team in the big leagues going up against the best paid players in all of baseball and they won in extra innings...GO RAYS...The Bucs lost a game after being up by 18 points in the second half to a second string QB. Whats with them. I would bench these players and put some guys in there who want to win, not just collect a pay check, oh well.
There really isn't much to write about except after doing my morning routines which always include some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting several up by name and a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I post this ramble and check the world news as well as give my two cents on FB and wish several happy birthday's to many. I'm back to at least two a day hikes and eating fruit for breakfast at least 4 to 5 days a week with an occasion fried egg on the other days. I did harvest a couple stubby cucumbers but they are delicious despite their size and shape and then a handful of of cherry tomato's, kale and some Swiss chard for our salad bowl. I transplanted the lettuces the deer failed to ruin into 4 packs in hopes they will make for the salad bowl as well. The dill seedlings are still holding their own and I hope they will mature enough to take back to Florida next month.
Speaking of heading home we will leave now on the 27th a Sunday as Nancy needs time to get ready for a baby shower for Katie our daughter in law who will give us twin boys in January or sooner as twins usually come early. Nancy wants to have that done before she becomes too large to travel so its back a few weeks earlier than usual. We have our last guests coming over Columbus Day weekend then it will be winterizing the cabin and getting the gardens and flower beds ready for next summers arrival. There is always something to do here which I love doing and which I'm sure keeps me healthy and physically in shape. I do not enjoy sitting around inside and thats why I love the mountains in the summer and Florida in the winter. I'm looking forward to getting back daily on the pickle ball courts with our snowbirds in Florida as well, LATER
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Tuesday Morning..Sept 24th
Well we are back on the mountain at the cabin after a 4 day 3 night visit to the Woodstock/ Winchester/Star Tannery towns and communities in the northern area of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Its where I started in life and I did go by my grandmothers house where I first lived until about the age of 4. It now sits empty as cousin Richard who was 20 years or more younger than me lived after Nannie(grandmother) passed away back in the 70's. It sure needs an occupant or at least a caretaker. We did quite a tour of the area visiting some long ago visited places and farms and I gave a running commentary on what I knew of the farms I worked on as a youth baling hay, threshing grain and fishing in some ponds. We even went up the mountain to the water falls which the community was named after; Mountain Galls, Va. and looked out over the valley and as far as the distant mountain ridges. Wow, a memorable afternoon after a delicious pot luck luncheon after the church service at Gravel Springs where we go on the second Saturday in August for the huge picnic.
We had an uneventful trip up Friday as we traveled through the mountains into the back side of Roanoke and then up I-81 to Bridgewater, Va. where we got on a back road and stopped in the Mennonite town of Dayton. We spent an hour or more visiting their shops and made several purchases of fresh baked breads and sweet rolls, jerky, cards and napkins as well a towels and calendars. What a nice place all under roof and air conditioned as it got rather hot in the valley after a cold start from the cabin. We left there close to 4'ish and traveled through the town of Harrisonburg and up to Edinburg where we met a dear friend from my days of working for her family at the farm market. She was just a wee girl of about 4 or so when I came into her life and we have stayed in touch and now more so over the past couple years. She has a grown son but no grand children and runs a museum next to the New Market battle field. Her family has always made the best apple butter and she now blesses me with a couple pints jars of it yearly. We reciprocated with home made black raspberry jelly to her delight. It was a grand visit and we caught up on all who I remembered in her family. She lost her younger sister due to health reasons a year or so ago who was also adopted as was she.
We met up with sister Dee and husband Mike who treated up to supper at the the local famous Southern Kitchen which specializes in fried chicken and needless to say I picked the bones clean. We all had the same and it was delicious to say the least. We made a Food Lion stop on the way to Woodstock and picked up some pies for the homecoming meal on Sunday after the church service which we would attend with all three of the sisters and their husbands as well as Paw Paw. He is quite frail and not in the best of health at 91. We met a fellow who is 97 and is in so much better shape than Paw Paw. I would have guessed his age in the 80's but he was up and down in the church pew as well as anyone. He ran the local Four Corners bar and grill for years which initially was a beer joint. I've heard beer is great for controlling your cholesterol and if that's true he is a walking symbol. We had a great service with their old pastor from 25 years ago giving the message as well as communion. It was very inspiring and the church was packed with overflow into the choir section which no longer has a choir. Everyone treated us very friendly and the same pastor at St.John's also covers this parish as well.
Saturday morning Mike blessed us with a delicious breakfast of omelets made to order and along with sourdough bread, apple butter and sweet rolls it was a filling meal until our buffet supper at the the reunion in Winchester at 6'ish. The facility was huge and very busy with an outside area showcasing a live band as well as a sports bar like look inside on the first floor. Our banquet was on the second floor of this warehouse turned eatery. We noticed several dressed to the nines and some wearing shorts and flip flops on the first floor. We were casual in our attire as were most except for a few jackets and ties. The food I thought was very well prepared and plentiful; Nancy had some tummy issues with the spicy green beans and real roasted taters and the gravy but they were perfect for me. We each had a glass of the fruit of the vine while I mingled, hugged some necks and saw lots of old people many of which I did not recognize.
There were a few we keep in touch with on FB so that made it easier. We have lost about a third of the class and several have never attended any of the reunions but we had probably close to 75 or so there. Many were widows and widowers as well. It was an enjoyable time and i'm glad I went. We initially had 211 who graduated in 1964 and now are planning a picnic each year in September but I'll probably skip that and look forward to the next one at the 60th reunion if I'm still around. I sure hate to be around so many who have let their health go as it was seen in their physical appearance, oh well, I've been blessed with growing up on the farm despite all the hard times but eating fresh grown vegetables and meat we have processed ourselves. We ate very little meat from the grocery store as we slaughtered 5 hogs every Thanksgiving day for as long as I can remember.
Well the trip back on Monday was uneventful as we left around 8:30 and made a couple stops to walk every hour and half or so and then we stopped in Galax to shop at the super Walmart for a few goodies before heading back to the cabin. It was around 2'ish when we pulled in and unloaded . We could tell there had been no rain since last week so I drug out the hose and hand watered everything. The deer had just about ruined the back yard gardens as they trampled what they did not eat but I did harvest a couple cucumbers and a few small tomato's which were delicious. The bell peppers have one set but the jalapeno's have a couple as well as tons of little ones. We took off on a hike around 4'ish which was perfect as the road across the mountain was in the shade. We saw no one on top before heading back down to the cabin. Nancy's foot seems to be alright since the blister and the hike was perfect as we both have been rather sedentary since leaving the mountain except for one walk in Dee's hood with their dog on Saturday morning.
We want to thank all of those who gave congrats on FB for our 40th anniversary of being together. Its been a smooth road and I can not complain with two awesome kids and now soon to be 7 grand kids. We have been blessed and we have never forgot to honor our Creator daily and tried to live our lives according to the precepts Jesus set forth in his Word, LATER
Here are a couple pics of the reunion and the water picture is still a ford where there is no bridge. Its called Moores's Ford and the river is Cedar Creek where many battles were fought. First with the Indians against the settlers as there is a 1600's fort just around the bend from this picture which is now and historical site and then of course the Civil War battles fought along this creek. The creek was really low in depth as the area is in need of rain. The two gals in the picture are both FB friends sitting with us at the table and they seemed to be a couple of the better physically gals from my class.
The two gals are Mary and Myra from the class with Mary's husband. Nancy only took a couple.
We had an uneventful trip up Friday as we traveled through the mountains into the back side of Roanoke and then up I-81 to Bridgewater, Va. where we got on a back road and stopped in the Mennonite town of Dayton. We spent an hour or more visiting their shops and made several purchases of fresh baked breads and sweet rolls, jerky, cards and napkins as well a towels and calendars. What a nice place all under roof and air conditioned as it got rather hot in the valley after a cold start from the cabin. We left there close to 4'ish and traveled through the town of Harrisonburg and up to Edinburg where we met a dear friend from my days of working for her family at the farm market. She was just a wee girl of about 4 or so when I came into her life and we have stayed in touch and now more so over the past couple years. She has a grown son but no grand children and runs a museum next to the New Market battle field. Her family has always made the best apple butter and she now blesses me with a couple pints jars of it yearly. We reciprocated with home made black raspberry jelly to her delight. It was a grand visit and we caught up on all who I remembered in her family. She lost her younger sister due to health reasons a year or so ago who was also adopted as was she.
We met up with sister Dee and husband Mike who treated up to supper at the the local famous Southern Kitchen which specializes in fried chicken and needless to say I picked the bones clean. We all had the same and it was delicious to say the least. We made a Food Lion stop on the way to Woodstock and picked up some pies for the homecoming meal on Sunday after the church service which we would attend with all three of the sisters and their husbands as well as Paw Paw. He is quite frail and not in the best of health at 91. We met a fellow who is 97 and is in so much better shape than Paw Paw. I would have guessed his age in the 80's but he was up and down in the church pew as well as anyone. He ran the local Four Corners bar and grill for years which initially was a beer joint. I've heard beer is great for controlling your cholesterol and if that's true he is a walking symbol. We had a great service with their old pastor from 25 years ago giving the message as well as communion. It was very inspiring and the church was packed with overflow into the choir section which no longer has a choir. Everyone treated us very friendly and the same pastor at St.John's also covers this parish as well.
Saturday morning Mike blessed us with a delicious breakfast of omelets made to order and along with sourdough bread, apple butter and sweet rolls it was a filling meal until our buffet supper at the the reunion in Winchester at 6'ish. The facility was huge and very busy with an outside area showcasing a live band as well as a sports bar like look inside on the first floor. Our banquet was on the second floor of this warehouse turned eatery. We noticed several dressed to the nines and some wearing shorts and flip flops on the first floor. We were casual in our attire as were most except for a few jackets and ties. The food I thought was very well prepared and plentiful; Nancy had some tummy issues with the spicy green beans and real roasted taters and the gravy but they were perfect for me. We each had a glass of the fruit of the vine while I mingled, hugged some necks and saw lots of old people many of which I did not recognize.
There were a few we keep in touch with on FB so that made it easier. We have lost about a third of the class and several have never attended any of the reunions but we had probably close to 75 or so there. Many were widows and widowers as well. It was an enjoyable time and i'm glad I went. We initially had 211 who graduated in 1964 and now are planning a picnic each year in September but I'll probably skip that and look forward to the next one at the 60th reunion if I'm still around. I sure hate to be around so many who have let their health go as it was seen in their physical appearance, oh well, I've been blessed with growing up on the farm despite all the hard times but eating fresh grown vegetables and meat we have processed ourselves. We ate very little meat from the grocery store as we slaughtered 5 hogs every Thanksgiving day for as long as I can remember.
Well the trip back on Monday was uneventful as we left around 8:30 and made a couple stops to walk every hour and half or so and then we stopped in Galax to shop at the super Walmart for a few goodies before heading back to the cabin. It was around 2'ish when we pulled in and unloaded . We could tell there had been no rain since last week so I drug out the hose and hand watered everything. The deer had just about ruined the back yard gardens as they trampled what they did not eat but I did harvest a couple cucumbers and a few small tomato's which were delicious. The bell peppers have one set but the jalapeno's have a couple as well as tons of little ones. We took off on a hike around 4'ish which was perfect as the road across the mountain was in the shade. We saw no one on top before heading back down to the cabin. Nancy's foot seems to be alright since the blister and the hike was perfect as we both have been rather sedentary since leaving the mountain except for one walk in Dee's hood with their dog on Saturday morning.
We want to thank all of those who gave congrats on FB for our 40th anniversary of being together. Its been a smooth road and I can not complain with two awesome kids and now soon to be 7 grand kids. We have been blessed and we have never forgot to honor our Creator daily and tried to live our lives according to the precepts Jesus set forth in his Word, LATER
The two gals are Mary and Myra from the class with Mary's husband. Nancy only took a couple.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Saturday Morning..Sept 21st
Well here we are in beautiful Woodstock, Va. at baby sisters home in the Shenandoah Valley. We had an uneventful trip up through the back roads of the valley after several stops along the way. The weather was perfect with bright sunshine and blue skies. We visited with an old friend on the way who blessed us with some family made apple butter and then Dee and Mike blessed us with supper at a local eatery called Southern Kitchen which specialized in fried chicken in a town of New Market which is one of the original 1700's town along the valley pike which is Route 11. Beautiful old homes and farms and a couple plantations with lots of Civil War markers of the various battles fought on this hallowed grounds aline this roadway with parallels I-81
Well we are relaxing, eating and enjoying family time and then Nancy and I will attend my 55th high school class reunion this evening in Winchester, LATER
Well we are relaxing, eating and enjoying family time and then Nancy and I will attend my 55th high school class reunion this evening in Winchester, LATER
Friday, September 20, 2019
Friday Morning..Sept 20th
We started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out and the cup of hot green tea was very welcoming on this high 40's degree morning while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet time with my Creator. I lift up several by name daily and there has been no change in their status as well as giving thanks for our many blessings. I find that our politicians are so corrupt on the democrat side of the aisle that I'm beginning to wonder if they aren't the enemies of this nation. We are facing threats from various countries, lawless immigration, runaway debt and so much violence in the big cities and an attempted coup of this potus who is working for the country; whereas the potus's before him have kicked the issues down the road. It's such a shame and I'm thinking we are heading for another civil war which will pit conservatives against liberals. It has already become that in the MSM with their biased fake reporting. Oh well we shall see what happens in this next election if America fails to see the reality of this situation.
We took off on a regular hike now that Nancy's heel has mended and she is able to wear a shoe again. She did fine and we got in our regular hike. The temps made for good hiking conditions as the cool air kept the bugs away. We enjoyed getting out and working on our physical conditioning once again. I only hiked once for the day as I knew 2 hours of pickle ball would suffice for the exercise I need daily. There were 4 of us players and we played hard for the entire 2 hours and worked up a sweat despite the chilled night time air. We played 10 sets of regular scoring, pairing up with the different players for the best 2 out of 3. I managed to be on the winning team each time with the different players. I was whupped by the time I got back to the cabin and the hot shower felt extremely refreshing and soothing on these old muscles.
I did watch a little of the NFL game which was boring to say the least before hitting the sack around 10'ish. We head out this morning for northern Virginia for a busy weekend with my 55th class reunion, homecoming at a local church and then just some family time with Paw Paw and the sisters. We will stay with Mike and Dee in their beautiful Woodstock home until Monday morning before heading back down to the cabin. I'll be away from this keyboard until then. Keep us in your thoughts for traveling mercies, LATER
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Thursday Morning ..Sept 19th
Well Wednesday was basically a stay in the cabin day as it was wet, damp, foggy and cold plus we had a couple first ever visitors to the cabin. One was a friend of Nancy's she has know since childhood and lives near us in Florida and the other gal was a neighborhood friend of both of ours who we would see often when we walked or road bikes through the hood. Both of them worked together at Honeywell and are now retired and travel. Jessie the close friend of Nancy's is a year older than Nancy and Jane the older of the two is a year younger than me and now lives in Tennessee. I knew her late husband and his brother was my district captain with FHP. So we go way back and we just got in touch through Facebook. It was a great visit that lasted 5 hours or more.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish rollout to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected due to their health and age issues. I ventured outside on this cold chilly damp morning as a lite rain fell and that was about it until after supper when it did clear off enough to get in at least one hike for the day before dark. With the overcast skies evening and darkness came early. It's so strange here in the mountains that we go from almost daylight until 9:30 in the evening to now no sunlight around 6 as the tall trees shade the cabin and on overcast days it really gets dusk quickly, oh well. Winter is coming and will be here before you know it.
We sat and reminisced for hours and then basically told our stories in spurts. Little did we know they both traveled together for their jobs working on the avionics and guidance systems for aircraft and tanks that Honeywell produced. They have been lots of places in the world together as well as many states and that is what they are doing now together as they had never been to Chicago. So they vacationed there and will do another city next year they haven't visited. Jane and her late husband Paul had a motorhome for years and travelled everywhere until he became ill and passed away 4 years ago. We spoke with them often as we walked through the hood and was so surprised to learn of his passing and then she sold out the house and moved to Tennessee to be near kids and grand kids. Jessie had one daughter who we know who married a young man in the neighborhood and still lives in our county but Jessie never remarried and basically lives alone but does take in relatives from time to time. We would see her occasionally but now that we are reconnected she wants to start going to church with us at BridgePoint when we get back for the winter. GOD works in mysterious ways
Well we cleaned up some leftovers for supper as we are leaving for a long weekend to the Winchester area on Friday morning. I washed the dishes then took a nice long hike to the top. It was too cold for the golf cart ride to the top for Nancy so I did the circuit without stopping on this chilly overcast evening with fog off the mountain. I did see a couple deer but no one was out an about on this cold evening. Thankfully the cabin is well insulated or we would have the heat on. We did have the a/c on while our company was here but soon afterwards we shut it off as the cabin quickly cooled down. I tuned into the Fox News and then watched the Ray's game in California for a couple innings as they are 3 hours behind us. They were losing 3-1 when I hit the shower and was soon ready for horizontal lab around 10:30; but the final score in extra innings had the Rays winning 8-7 and their hopes for a wild card slot in the playoffs alive, Later
I almost forgot that today was grandson Gabriel's 9th birthday. Happy Big Day to him as he was the last male to carry on the Triplett name; but with the two twins both being boys they will have that honor.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish rollout to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected due to their health and age issues. I ventured outside on this cold chilly damp morning as a lite rain fell and that was about it until after supper when it did clear off enough to get in at least one hike for the day before dark. With the overcast skies evening and darkness came early. It's so strange here in the mountains that we go from almost daylight until 9:30 in the evening to now no sunlight around 6 as the tall trees shade the cabin and on overcast days it really gets dusk quickly, oh well. Winter is coming and will be here before you know it.
We sat and reminisced for hours and then basically told our stories in spurts. Little did we know they both traveled together for their jobs working on the avionics and guidance systems for aircraft and tanks that Honeywell produced. They have been lots of places in the world together as well as many states and that is what they are doing now together as they had never been to Chicago. So they vacationed there and will do another city next year they haven't visited. Jane and her late husband Paul had a motorhome for years and travelled everywhere until he became ill and passed away 4 years ago. We spoke with them often as we walked through the hood and was so surprised to learn of his passing and then she sold out the house and moved to Tennessee to be near kids and grand kids. Jessie had one daughter who we know who married a young man in the neighborhood and still lives in our county but Jessie never remarried and basically lives alone but does take in relatives from time to time. We would see her occasionally but now that we are reconnected she wants to start going to church with us at BridgePoint when we get back for the winter. GOD works in mysterious ways
Well we cleaned up some leftovers for supper as we are leaving for a long weekend to the Winchester area on Friday morning. I washed the dishes then took a nice long hike to the top. It was too cold for the golf cart ride to the top for Nancy so I did the circuit without stopping on this chilly overcast evening with fog off the mountain. I did see a couple deer but no one was out an about on this cold evening. Thankfully the cabin is well insulated or we would have the heat on. We did have the a/c on while our company was here but soon afterwards we shut it off as the cabin quickly cooled down. I tuned into the Fox News and then watched the Ray's game in California for a couple innings as they are 3 hours behind us. They were losing 3-1 when I hit the shower and was soon ready for horizontal lab around 10:30; but the final score in extra innings had the Rays winning 8-7 and their hopes for a wild card slot in the playoffs alive, Later
I almost forgot that today was grandson Gabriel's 9th birthday. Happy Big Day to him as he was the last male to carry on the Triplett name; but with the two twins both being boys they will have that honor.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Wednesday Morning ..Sept 18th
Well Tuesday was another fine almost picture perfect day that started out with cool temps only to get in the upper 70's by late afternoon but the humidity seemed to creep back into the area by late evening, so the a/c is back on over night, plus it helps to keep out the sounds by bugs at night. We hung around the cabin except for a hike to the top and across the mountain. I actually took two other abbreviated hikes during the day with my first one before breakfast and then another just after supper.
The day started much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then lifted up several by name to my Creator for comfort, healing and even a miracle if any were available. A couple really are in dire need of one. I give thanks each and everyday for our good health, our kids and grand kiddos and for our beautiful place here in the mountains as well as our country and that we now have a Potus who is trying his best to save the nation from those who want to destroy her and our culture. I never thought or could imagine we have a political party that hates the very founding fathers that gave us a constitution to guarantee our freedoms and rights and these folks want to change it all. What has happened to America. Everything that was once good and decent has now been changed to it being bad in their eyes and everything once deemed evil and bad is now good and acceptable.
I piddled around in the gardens gathering a few small tomato's as well as the last of cucumbers. The vines are still showing lots of blooms but I'm afraid they are finished for this season. The deer continue walking through the back yard beds each night destroying the lettuces and beet greens; but the jalapeno peppers are starting to produce a few peppers almost daily. Everything else is just there but not producing despite the much needed rain over the weekend.
We cleaned up some leftovers for lunch and had a huge fresh garden salad for supper with a grilled chicken breast. Nancy is expecting an old friend from her much younger days to visit today(Wed) as she is on her way back to Florida from Chicago. This friend and Nancy paled around during high school and go way back. The morning is starting out with a drizzle and cloudy skies and much cooler temps. It's not a good day thus far for hiking or seeing long distance views or for showing first timers around this humble abode.
I did watch a little of judicial hearing on the dems attempt to impeach our Potus Trump and it was a fiasco once again. They will never give up due to their hatred for this potus who is uncovering all of their corruption as congress folks. They are willing to sacrifice the nation with their "do nothing" agenda to tear this potus down and destroy him. I'm hoping middle America will send these folks packing from the congress in the next election and elect real patriot Americans to govern our once great nation which had morales and the rule of law. If not our next generations will never know how much freedom and liberty we once had and that justice was blind. The corrupt elitist dem's have a different rule of law or at least it seems that way as the last corrupt potus and his minions tried a coup on this duly elected Potus Trump who is making the nation whole again or at least trying his best to do, LATER
The day started much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then lifted up several by name to my Creator for comfort, healing and even a miracle if any were available. A couple really are in dire need of one. I give thanks each and everyday for our good health, our kids and grand kiddos and for our beautiful place here in the mountains as well as our country and that we now have a Potus who is trying his best to save the nation from those who want to destroy her and our culture. I never thought or could imagine we have a political party that hates the very founding fathers that gave us a constitution to guarantee our freedoms and rights and these folks want to change it all. What has happened to America. Everything that was once good and decent has now been changed to it being bad in their eyes and everything once deemed evil and bad is now good and acceptable.
I piddled around in the gardens gathering a few small tomato's as well as the last of cucumbers. The vines are still showing lots of blooms but I'm afraid they are finished for this season. The deer continue walking through the back yard beds each night destroying the lettuces and beet greens; but the jalapeno peppers are starting to produce a few peppers almost daily. Everything else is just there but not producing despite the much needed rain over the weekend.
We cleaned up some leftovers for lunch and had a huge fresh garden salad for supper with a grilled chicken breast. Nancy is expecting an old friend from her much younger days to visit today(Wed) as she is on her way back to Florida from Chicago. This friend and Nancy paled around during high school and go way back. The morning is starting out with a drizzle and cloudy skies and much cooler temps. It's not a good day thus far for hiking or seeing long distance views or for showing first timers around this humble abode.
I did watch a little of judicial hearing on the dems attempt to impeach our Potus Trump and it was a fiasco once again. They will never give up due to their hatred for this potus who is uncovering all of their corruption as congress folks. They are willing to sacrifice the nation with their "do nothing" agenda to tear this potus down and destroy him. I'm hoping middle America will send these folks packing from the congress in the next election and elect real patriot Americans to govern our once great nation which had morales and the rule of law. If not our next generations will never know how much freedom and liberty we once had and that justice was blind. The corrupt elitist dem's have a different rule of law or at least it seems that way as the last corrupt potus and his minions tried a coup on this duly elected Potus Trump who is making the nation whole again or at least trying his best to do, LATER
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Tuesday Morning..Sept 17th
Well Monday was another picture perfect day with cool morning temps and lots of bright sunshine but by late evening it got a bit muggy so we turned the a/c back on which also helped to drown out the noise from the bugs as night time brings out their mating calls and whatever makes them sing. We played for most of the day as we visited friends who are flipping a huge place about an hour from us with magnificent distant views close to the parkway.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then lifted up several to my Creator as well as gave thanks for my many blessings in life. I headed out just after Nancy got up for my first hike of the day before any breakfast. I'm trying to get back into shape and believe me when I say this backwoods trail is a real kicker for working up a sweat and getting the heart and lungs up and working. I do not stop until I reach the top of the mountain and that is only to turn the corner and head back down again. I'm really starting to enjoy the endorphins from the hike which I usually get from pickle ball play on a daily basis.
I ate light for breakfast with a chopped apple, raisins, pecans, blueberries mixed in with a yogurt. I really believe in the old saying of "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away" plus the exercise. I piddled around in the gardens and then caught up on some bill paying online before a light lunch of leftovers and then we headed out to meet up with the Tracy's on the parkway. We met them in Laurel Springs and headed down to the house Caitlyn and Jake are remodeling just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's between Jefferson, Boone and Wilkesboro and the place is on a ridge which gives you those million dollar views. Wow is it ever going to be a huge beautiful house.
Jake has done a remarkable job as he is just about done it all with his building skills and she is right in there as a helpmate. They have made some major changes to the house and when finished it will be a show place. It has 4 bedrooms with 4 baths a finished basement with an upstairs loft/bedroom and a deck/porch thats just about encircles the whole place. A detached two car garage/workshop on 3 acres over looking the mountains with a hard top road into the place. Wow is all I can say and he has just about finished installing red oak hardwood flooring. The whole insides of the house and the basement where finished with drywall which he has done to perfection and its has a/c through out the house. He has built the cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms and they are beautiful as I said this will be a showplace when completed and it goes on the market for resale.
We got back to the cabin around 5'ish and decided to take a hike to the top as it was just a beautiful evening. Nancy drove the golf cart to the top and walked across from one end to the other on the gravel road which is easy to do with flip flops. She still hasn't healed from the blister and hiking shoes would be difficult on the blister. I hiked up the backwoods trail and met her on top and walked with her. We saw hundred of dragon flies in front of Eddie's place and none anywhere else, whats with that we wondered. We chatted with Billy and Paula for a few and he now has one of the walls put together and will be ready to raise it and bolt it into place for his garage. He yelled he might need some help with raising the wall in the next day or so. I yelled back give me a call when ready.
We ate a fresh garden salad with most everything except some lettuce from my garden. The tomato, cucumber, kale, Swiss chard along with some sweet basil was delicious, yeow. We wanted something sweet afterwards so she made a couple smores in the microwave which was the first for me in many moons. We settled into the Fox News after the cleanup and learned once again the biased fake networks and newspaper are in trouble with their salacious and unverifiable stories, coming back to haunt them. I'm hoping they are sued out of business its that bad as they hate everything about this potus and his appointments. Its disgusting and criminal and I'm hoping Trump wins again in 2020 if for no other reason to show these contemptible folks they are without standing. He has done a remarkable jog in righting this ship called America despite the false stories the libs and dems promote and I'm hoping the silent majority see what he has been able to accomplish over the no help from the dem's in congress. I say clean house and start over with patriotic folks who love this nation and want to make her great again. He certainly has helped with the economy and making US(A) strong again against those who wish us harm
Well that was about it for this day as it was shower time and some horizontal lab around 10'ish. The NFL game was a dull, LATER
This is the place our friends Jake and Caitlyn are remodeling and will eventually resale.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then lifted up several to my Creator as well as gave thanks for my many blessings in life. I headed out just after Nancy got up for my first hike of the day before any breakfast. I'm trying to get back into shape and believe me when I say this backwoods trail is a real kicker for working up a sweat and getting the heart and lungs up and working. I do not stop until I reach the top of the mountain and that is only to turn the corner and head back down again. I'm really starting to enjoy the endorphins from the hike which I usually get from pickle ball play on a daily basis.
I ate light for breakfast with a chopped apple, raisins, pecans, blueberries mixed in with a yogurt. I really believe in the old saying of "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away" plus the exercise. I piddled around in the gardens and then caught up on some bill paying online before a light lunch of leftovers and then we headed out to meet up with the Tracy's on the parkway. We met them in Laurel Springs and headed down to the house Caitlyn and Jake are remodeling just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's between Jefferson, Boone and Wilkesboro and the place is on a ridge which gives you those million dollar views. Wow is it ever going to be a huge beautiful house.
Jake has done a remarkable job as he is just about done it all with his building skills and she is right in there as a helpmate. They have made some major changes to the house and when finished it will be a show place. It has 4 bedrooms with 4 baths a finished basement with an upstairs loft/bedroom and a deck/porch thats just about encircles the whole place. A detached two car garage/workshop on 3 acres over looking the mountains with a hard top road into the place. Wow is all I can say and he has just about finished installing red oak hardwood flooring. The whole insides of the house and the basement where finished with drywall which he has done to perfection and its has a/c through out the house. He has built the cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms and they are beautiful as I said this will be a showplace when completed and it goes on the market for resale.
We got back to the cabin around 5'ish and decided to take a hike to the top as it was just a beautiful evening. Nancy drove the golf cart to the top and walked across from one end to the other on the gravel road which is easy to do with flip flops. She still hasn't healed from the blister and hiking shoes would be difficult on the blister. I hiked up the backwoods trail and met her on top and walked with her. We saw hundred of dragon flies in front of Eddie's place and none anywhere else, whats with that we wondered. We chatted with Billy and Paula for a few and he now has one of the walls put together and will be ready to raise it and bolt it into place for his garage. He yelled he might need some help with raising the wall in the next day or so. I yelled back give me a call when ready.
We ate a fresh garden salad with most everything except some lettuce from my garden. The tomato, cucumber, kale, Swiss chard along with some sweet basil was delicious, yeow. We wanted something sweet afterwards so she made a couple smores in the microwave which was the first for me in many moons. We settled into the Fox News after the cleanup and learned once again the biased fake networks and newspaper are in trouble with their salacious and unverifiable stories, coming back to haunt them. I'm hoping they are sued out of business its that bad as they hate everything about this potus and his appointments. Its disgusting and criminal and I'm hoping Trump wins again in 2020 if for no other reason to show these contemptible folks they are without standing. He has done a remarkable jog in righting this ship called America despite the false stories the libs and dems promote and I'm hoping the silent majority see what he has been able to accomplish over the no help from the dem's in congress. I say clean house and start over with patriotic folks who love this nation and want to make her great again. He certainly has helped with the economy and making US(A) strong again against those who wish us harm
Well that was about it for this day as it was shower time and some horizontal lab around 10'ish. The NFL game was a dull, LATER
Monday, September 16, 2019
Monday Morning..Sept 16th
Well Sunday was a beautiful almost perfect day after a somewhat cloudy and cool morning to start. The sun broke out of the fog and mist and it was a day that if you could dial up for weather this was one of them. It stayed in the 70's with bright sunshine and clear blue skies.
It's hard to believe half of this month is gone already and that we have only about 6 weeks to go before we head back to hot sunny Florida for the next 7 months, oh well. We worshiped here at the cabin on line with our BridgePoint Family before heading out to Cornerstone for their 10 AM service. Both services were awesome and afterwards we met Patrick at the Japanese eatery in town for a delicious lunch; Kathryn was still under the weather from Saturday's issues.
We came back and chilled on the porch for Nancy and me on the couch watching some NFL. I'm hoping these over paid players are not acting up on the sidelines and I've heard nothing to indicate they are. I watched a couple decent games and felt sorry for the Saints QB Brees as he was knocked out of the game with an injury. They and the Bucs are tied for the best record in their division as the Panthers lost and now are at 0-2 to start the season. The Patriots continue to be the best team as they have been with Brady as their QB for what seems like ages. He is no spring chicken but plays like one. The Rays got beat again by the Angels and their slot for the wild card in the playoff scheme gets tougher with each loss. They are in the toughest division of any of the clubs in MLB, oh well.
We spoke with both Bobby and Amy over the course of the day and all seem well. Gabriel will be 9 this week along with Tyler having a birthday on our anniversary which is the 22nd of the month. Where did those 40 years go? We took off on a hike around 4'ish to the top of the mountain; Nancy rode the golf cart up and and I hiked as she is still doctoring her blister on her heel and wearing shoes just aggravates it. She does walk across the top of the mountain a couple times to get in some exercise.
Eddie Harris was up to his "man cave" and we sat and chatted with him for awhile. He is such a nice guy and a very talented artisan with his leather and silver shop. They travel all over the states to horse shows bringing their hand crafted silver inlaid leather products, most of which are a small fortune in cost. They ship all over the world and have a very successful business but the skilled hand crafted pieces of leather are just absolutely beautiful and those who are into the horse world thinking nothing of the price to pay for these leather adornments. We headed back down and the evening shadows had enveloped the yards as the beginning of the turn from summer to fall is quite evident here in the mountains. Its now dark at 8 PM whereas before it was light out at 9:30, oh well.
The delicious lunch held us until we snacked on a left over hot dog around 7'ish. I tuned into the games and Nancy was on line ordering for the baby shower for Katie when we get home. Thats the main reason we are heading back two weeks early. She got a text from one of her childhood friends who is passing through the area on Wednesday and wants to stop for a visit. I don't know if it's an over nighter or not. We are leaving next Friday for three nights as we visit sister Dee in Woodstock, my 55th class reunion on Saturday night and then Paw Paw at the homecoming event at the Gravel Springs Church on Sunday. Another fun filled busy weekend, LATER
It's hard to believe half of this month is gone already and that we have only about 6 weeks to go before we head back to hot sunny Florida for the next 7 months, oh well. We worshiped here at the cabin on line with our BridgePoint Family before heading out to Cornerstone for their 10 AM service. Both services were awesome and afterwards we met Patrick at the Japanese eatery in town for a delicious lunch; Kathryn was still under the weather from Saturday's issues.
We came back and chilled on the porch for Nancy and me on the couch watching some NFL. I'm hoping these over paid players are not acting up on the sidelines and I've heard nothing to indicate they are. I watched a couple decent games and felt sorry for the Saints QB Brees as he was knocked out of the game with an injury. They and the Bucs are tied for the best record in their division as the Panthers lost and now are at 0-2 to start the season. The Patriots continue to be the best team as they have been with Brady as their QB for what seems like ages. He is no spring chicken but plays like one. The Rays got beat again by the Angels and their slot for the wild card in the playoff scheme gets tougher with each loss. They are in the toughest division of any of the clubs in MLB, oh well.
We spoke with both Bobby and Amy over the course of the day and all seem well. Gabriel will be 9 this week along with Tyler having a birthday on our anniversary which is the 22nd of the month. Where did those 40 years go? We took off on a hike around 4'ish to the top of the mountain; Nancy rode the golf cart up and and I hiked as she is still doctoring her blister on her heel and wearing shoes just aggravates it. She does walk across the top of the mountain a couple times to get in some exercise.
Eddie Harris was up to his "man cave" and we sat and chatted with him for awhile. He is such a nice guy and a very talented artisan with his leather and silver shop. They travel all over the states to horse shows bringing their hand crafted silver inlaid leather products, most of which are a small fortune in cost. They ship all over the world and have a very successful business but the skilled hand crafted pieces of leather are just absolutely beautiful and those who are into the horse world thinking nothing of the price to pay for these leather adornments. We headed back down and the evening shadows had enveloped the yards as the beginning of the turn from summer to fall is quite evident here in the mountains. Its now dark at 8 PM whereas before it was light out at 9:30, oh well.
The delicious lunch held us until we snacked on a left over hot dog around 7'ish. I tuned into the games and Nancy was on line ordering for the baby shower for Katie when we get home. Thats the main reason we are heading back two weeks early. She got a text from one of her childhood friends who is passing through the area on Wednesday and wants to stop for a visit. I don't know if it's an over nighter or not. We are leaving next Friday for three nights as we visit sister Dee in Woodstock, my 55th class reunion on Saturday night and then Paw Paw at the homecoming event at the Gravel Springs Church on Sunday. Another fun filled busy weekend, LATER
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Sunday Morning.. Sept 15th
Well Saturday was basically a work day inside the cabin except for two hikes for me as it was a wet soggy day with heavy mist and fog throughout the day. We had some old friends as well as our usual gang over for a cookout which was held inside the cabin except for the grilling under the shelter of the porch. We had our first time ever person here at the cabin as Kaitlyn brought her new husband Jake. They are the young couple who lost their 9 day old premie son a couple months ago. What a tragedy and we all shed tears for days and held out hope that baby Finn their son would survive. They have adjusted to knowing he is in GOD's arms.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and intercessory prayers for several. Nothing has changed with them as I've heard nothing to the contrary. It poured buckets over the evening and night with some close cracks of lightning and thunder. I headed out before breakfast as I wanted to get in an extended hike to the top as I missed my 2 hours of pickle ball this week. I noticed the neighbor on top had over 3 inches of rain in his gauge as I passed by his place on my hike.
We had a mountain breakfast of bacon, eggs and grits which held me until suppertime when I grilled burgers and dogs. Nancy had a large pan of baked beans and each party brought a specialty from their farms and gardens. We had deviled eggs, iron skillet fried apples, a cauliflower salad which resembled potato salad and tons of appetizers and an apple cobbler for dessert. The food was delicious and afterwards we played Sequence with the whole group except for the Tracy's who bowed out after supper. Kathryn was having one of her days so they left early.
We played an 8 person best of 5 games and the gals whupped up 3-2. Everyone left around 8'ish as Frank has a dairy and is up at 3:30 to milk his herd, but Kaitlyn and Jake stayed for another 2 hours and we taught them 3 new games as they love to play games. We taught them Golf, Kings on the Corner and the Dice game and they loved all three. It was after 10 before they headed out and we made plans to get together soon again before leaving the mountains. They also attend Cornerstone Church and we have seen them weekly but just haven't had them or her mother Karin and Frank over this summer. They are great folks and then of course Gerald and Kay came as well along with the Tracy's who are our regular eat together gang for cook outs.
Nancy did get in a hike before the noon hour as she drove the golf cart to the top and walked across the mountain. The fog was heavy and we saw no one out and about. I got in two great hikes and plan to do that for the next couple of weeks as I need to shed a few pounds and get back into shape for the winter pickle ball playing when we get back to Florida. I sure miss the daily workouts on the courts. The rain barrel was nearly filled overnight from the storm and the fog and mist caused everything to green up. I did work the driveway with a rake for an hour or so during the morning as the down pour washed a few gullies but with the soil wet it worked out easily. There was lots to do to get ready for the 10 folks here for supper and games which kept us busy.
I tuned into the end of a couple college games and saw FSU lose to Virginia, I'm sure that made our Gator fans happy. Gerald Luffman is a big Braves fan so we had the game on in the back ground and they are winning their division handily. It was a fun evening and after everyone left we did the dishes and I hit the shower and the sack sometime before 11, LATER
A few fog pics from our morning hike which looked like this ALL day. I was afraid some of our guest who hadn't been here in awhile would get lost and a couple did take the wrong turn.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and intercessory prayers for several. Nothing has changed with them as I've heard nothing to the contrary. It poured buckets over the evening and night with some close cracks of lightning and thunder. I headed out before breakfast as I wanted to get in an extended hike to the top as I missed my 2 hours of pickle ball this week. I noticed the neighbor on top had over 3 inches of rain in his gauge as I passed by his place on my hike.
We had a mountain breakfast of bacon, eggs and grits which held me until suppertime when I grilled burgers and dogs. Nancy had a large pan of baked beans and each party brought a specialty from their farms and gardens. We had deviled eggs, iron skillet fried apples, a cauliflower salad which resembled potato salad and tons of appetizers and an apple cobbler for dessert. The food was delicious and afterwards we played Sequence with the whole group except for the Tracy's who bowed out after supper. Kathryn was having one of her days so they left early.
We played an 8 person best of 5 games and the gals whupped up 3-2. Everyone left around 8'ish as Frank has a dairy and is up at 3:30 to milk his herd, but Kaitlyn and Jake stayed for another 2 hours and we taught them 3 new games as they love to play games. We taught them Golf, Kings on the Corner and the Dice game and they loved all three. It was after 10 before they headed out and we made plans to get together soon again before leaving the mountains. They also attend Cornerstone Church and we have seen them weekly but just haven't had them or her mother Karin and Frank over this summer. They are great folks and then of course Gerald and Kay came as well along with the Tracy's who are our regular eat together gang for cook outs.
Nancy did get in a hike before the noon hour as she drove the golf cart to the top and walked across the mountain. The fog was heavy and we saw no one out and about. I got in two great hikes and plan to do that for the next couple of weeks as I need to shed a few pounds and get back into shape for the winter pickle ball playing when we get back to Florida. I sure miss the daily workouts on the courts. The rain barrel was nearly filled overnight from the storm and the fog and mist caused everything to green up. I did work the driveway with a rake for an hour or so during the morning as the down pour washed a few gullies but with the soil wet it worked out easily. There was lots to do to get ready for the 10 folks here for supper and games which kept us busy.
I tuned into the end of a couple college games and saw FSU lose to Virginia, I'm sure that made our Gator fans happy. Gerald Luffman is a big Braves fan so we had the game on in the back ground and they are winning their division handily. It was a fun evening and after everyone left we did the dishes and I hit the shower and the sack sometime before 11, LATER
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Saturday Morning..Sept 14th..We got rain
Well Friday was another warm day but mainly overcast from lunch time on until late evening when the skies opened up big time. Thunder and lightning all around and at times it sounded like hail on the tin roof the rain came down so hard and it did that for hours and even this morning there is a heavy mist with fog. Does not look like a great day for a cookout but getting this much needed rain is worth having to stay indoors or at least on the porches.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric after my handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements and while I posted this ramble. I spent some time in humble thanksgiving for my many blessings and lifting up several to my Creator for comfort and healing. Most of these will never regain their full use of their limbs unless a miracle happens and I do believe in them; so all I can do is lift them up by name. All is well with my family and our twin boys are right on time with their maturation in the womb and we are expecting a January arrival for them if they don't come early, oh well.
We got ready and headed out to Galax for shopping at the super Walmart and then a gas stop at 2.23 a gallon. We traveled the parkway and they have just about resurfaces the areas of the road with new asphalt which is such a blessing as some areas were starting to have pot holes and break down. We got back to the cabin in record time; 2 1/2 hours. We cleaned up some leftovers for lunch and then chilled until I took off on 1 of 2 hikes for the day. I'm going to start doing that until its time to head up to Virginia next weekend for my 55th class reunion. I will probably not get in any pickle ball this coming week so the extra hike does get my respirations up and is a good workout as I do not stop on my hikes.
Well The Ray's won in L.A. 11-4 last night and continue their march for a playoff slot. Let's hope they can continue to win and stay a game ahead of the Athletics in Oakland for the playoffs which will be starting in a couple weeks. That was about it for the day as the rain was much needed but could have come a little more gently and so much all at once, LATER
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric after my handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements and while I posted this ramble. I spent some time in humble thanksgiving for my many blessings and lifting up several to my Creator for comfort and healing. Most of these will never regain their full use of their limbs unless a miracle happens and I do believe in them; so all I can do is lift them up by name. All is well with my family and our twin boys are right on time with their maturation in the womb and we are expecting a January arrival for them if they don't come early, oh well.
We got ready and headed out to Galax for shopping at the super Walmart and then a gas stop at 2.23 a gallon. We traveled the parkway and they have just about resurfaces the areas of the road with new asphalt which is such a blessing as some areas were starting to have pot holes and break down. We got back to the cabin in record time; 2 1/2 hours. We cleaned up some leftovers for lunch and then chilled until I took off on 1 of 2 hikes for the day. I'm going to start doing that until its time to head up to Virginia next weekend for my 55th class reunion. I will probably not get in any pickle ball this coming week so the extra hike does get my respirations up and is a good workout as I do not stop on my hikes.
Well The Ray's won in L.A. 11-4 last night and continue their march for a playoff slot. Let's hope they can continue to win and stay a game ahead of the Athletics in Oakland for the playoffs which will be starting in a couple weeks. That was about it for the day as the rain was much needed but could have come a little more gently and so much all at once, LATER
Friday, September 13, 2019
Friday Morning..Sept 13th
Well its been hot and dry here on the mountain with temps reaching the middle 80's however the humidity hasn't been all that bad but the a/c we had installed last year is a blessing, especially in the mid-afternoons. It's very comfortable in the mornings and I usually open the windows and doors until after lunch when the sun light clears the tall trees around the cabin and then gives us several hours of full sunshine.
I started Thursday out much the usual with a 6'ish rollout to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I post this ramble and then spend some quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name, all seem well as I make this post. I can hear the dew dripping from the roof and the wind chimes are playing a soft tune outside my window from where I'm sitting every morning writing this blog. I can hear the crows off in the distance and the gentle breeze is ushering in the cool morning smells and air that's never been breathed. Oh how I love this place especially in the early morning hours.
Yesterday was a work day during the morning hours before it got too hot so I did get in an early morning hike as Nancy is still ambulatory with her injured heel. We did hike just before supper as she rode the golf cart to the top and then we walked across the mountain which gave her some exercise. I came back loaded up the golf cart with the rake and weed whacker and headed down the driveway. I raked some of the piles of loose gravel which cause my truck to spin out coming up the steep drive as it loses traction into the middle of the drive then opened up so water runoffs for when we do get heavy down pours, some of which we could use now that its been so dry. The trees are losing leaves like its Fall and the backwoods yard and areas on top of the mountain are covered in fallen leaves.
I fired up the weed whacker and worked the driveway on both sides as well as some of the bushes protruding into the drive. The grass and weeds had really grown since I last manicured the driveway despite the lack of rain. That was a good workout as most of the drive is up hill while working the whacker. I finished with a wet shirt despite the low humidity around noon. I settled into the last of the ribs for lunch and then checked on the world news while it digested. Our duly elected Potus Trump has won a major decision by the Supreme Court to continue his immigration policy on those seeking asylum many of which are a fraud to start with and supported by the dem's who want open borders with the hope of garnering illegal voters to regain power. I really think the liberal left dem's hate the nation with their constant defying any support for Trump and continuing a path to try and impeach him for what reasons that are unknown to me. I certainly hope every dem is thrown out of office the next general election.
Well there wasn't much to write about except I did watch the Buc's win the first half of the game between the Panthers 10-9 at half time then it was hit the shower and some horizontal lab for me. I did check the Ray's score before hitting the sack and they were losing and did lose after checking the boxscore this morning. Its off to Galax for shopping this morning (fri) as we entertain this Saturday with another cookout. I'll make a garbage dump run on the way, LATER
The fog and haze finally allowed for some distant views around 5'ish which was a perfect time to hike as the evening shadows covered the road on top of the mountain. The front porch is inviting for rest during the hottest part of the day.
I started Thursday out much the usual with a 6'ish rollout to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I post this ramble and then spend some quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name, all seem well as I make this post. I can hear the dew dripping from the roof and the wind chimes are playing a soft tune outside my window from where I'm sitting every morning writing this blog. I can hear the crows off in the distance and the gentle breeze is ushering in the cool morning smells and air that's never been breathed. Oh how I love this place especially in the early morning hours.
Yesterday was a work day during the morning hours before it got too hot so I did get in an early morning hike as Nancy is still ambulatory with her injured heel. We did hike just before supper as she rode the golf cart to the top and then we walked across the mountain which gave her some exercise. I came back loaded up the golf cart with the rake and weed whacker and headed down the driveway. I raked some of the piles of loose gravel which cause my truck to spin out coming up the steep drive as it loses traction into the middle of the drive then opened up so water runoffs for when we do get heavy down pours, some of which we could use now that its been so dry. The trees are losing leaves like its Fall and the backwoods yard and areas on top of the mountain are covered in fallen leaves.
I fired up the weed whacker and worked the driveway on both sides as well as some of the bushes protruding into the drive. The grass and weeds had really grown since I last manicured the driveway despite the lack of rain. That was a good workout as most of the drive is up hill while working the whacker. I finished with a wet shirt despite the low humidity around noon. I settled into the last of the ribs for lunch and then checked on the world news while it digested. Our duly elected Potus Trump has won a major decision by the Supreme Court to continue his immigration policy on those seeking asylum many of which are a fraud to start with and supported by the dem's who want open borders with the hope of garnering illegal voters to regain power. I really think the liberal left dem's hate the nation with their constant defying any support for Trump and continuing a path to try and impeach him for what reasons that are unknown to me. I certainly hope every dem is thrown out of office the next general election.
Well there wasn't much to write about except I did watch the Buc's win the first half of the game between the Panthers 10-9 at half time then it was hit the shower and some horizontal lab for me. I did check the Ray's score before hitting the sack and they were losing and did lose after checking the boxscore this morning. Its off to Galax for shopping this morning (fri) as we entertain this Saturday with another cookout. I'll make a garbage dump run on the way, LATER
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Thursday Morning ..Sept 12th
Well Wednesday was the 18th year the radical muslims struck inside of America and killed nearly 3 thousand folks and most were Americans and who were just doing business in this country, but they wanted to send a message and we got it; except for a few who have forgotten and elected some to the congress. I'll never forget this day of infamy along with our fellow Americans who were left in Benghazi to be tortured at the hands of the radicals again and left there by our Obama government. When will the real patriots of America stand up and say enough is enough and now these same thinking folks in the government want to take away our guns and leave ourselves to their control.
Well the morning started out with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spend some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected due to their health issues and ages. We all must stand with our potus Trump who is trying his best to keep America safe and prosperous despite the vile and fake news networks along with the dem's in the congress who do not care for the nation and want to see it fail just to destroy this potus. I'm incredulous to think we have a government party that hates the nation so much. The folks in N.C. came through in a special election last evening to reinstate GOP members into the government with Trump's endorsement. I'm hoping this sends a message to the nay sayers and dem's that hate this potus so much that America is not buying their message.
We weren't planning on leaving the mountain today so Nancy got a couple loads of laundry out on the line and I planted my garlic bulbs for next years crop and then piddled around in the gardens. I loaded up the golf cart with some wood I had sawed up from a huge fallen limb near the backwoods trail and stacked it by the fire circle. I did cut off most of the dried dead leaves on the cucumber vines as I've noticed lots of new growth as well as several new nubin's. They have slowed down considerably this last week. I'm harvesting a few more cherry tomato's but its no where near a good crop with just a couple a day ripening.
Nancy made a delicious shrimp fried rice for supper much like the way it's made in the orient. I use to eat that regularly on my many trips to the Philippines and Japan. Wow, a delicious meal in an of itself. After the clean up we digested for a few then she took the golf cart to the top of the mountain and I hiked the back trail and we walked across the mountain top and back so she could get some exercise. Her heel is still raw from the blister and can not wear any hiking shoes but I got in a good hike which I needed. Pickle ball is cancelled for today(thur)as we are a player short for a foursome, oh well. I'll take an extra hike this morning to make up for the workout. I did speak with Paw Paw and he sounded good but his short term memory is just about gone as he asked where we were living. The CBD gummy's seem to have made a difference with is demeanor and sleeping habits which is a plus for Pat his full time caregiver. We told him we would see him towards the end of the month as we are coming back to the Woodstock area for a visit before heading back to Florida in October.
We noticed the leaves are really starting to fall and wonder if we will have any left for color. We got a 5 minute shower towards evening which settled the dust briefly but we are really dry and need rain. I'm still hand watering the gardens and flower beds. I need to cut some stakes for the winter fence which we will put up around the flower beds this year to save the hydrangeas from the deer as well as the black raspberry bushes. I also need to go over and clean out the stables at Kimberly's for the horse manure for my gardens before we leave. We are expecting two sets of guest before we leave for the winter and they will probably be just over a long weekend.
Well the Ray's came back the night before and won in extra innings but fell to the Texans last night 10-9. Their playoff hopes are still alive but they need pitching to stay in the race, LATER
The tomato plants are skimmy to say the least but I do have a couple starting to ripen and the dish below is the shrimp fried rice, delicious
Well the morning started out with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spend some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected due to their health issues and ages. We all must stand with our potus Trump who is trying his best to keep America safe and prosperous despite the vile and fake news networks along with the dem's in the congress who do not care for the nation and want to see it fail just to destroy this potus. I'm incredulous to think we have a government party that hates the nation so much. The folks in N.C. came through in a special election last evening to reinstate GOP members into the government with Trump's endorsement. I'm hoping this sends a message to the nay sayers and dem's that hate this potus so much that America is not buying their message.
We weren't planning on leaving the mountain today so Nancy got a couple loads of laundry out on the line and I planted my garlic bulbs for next years crop and then piddled around in the gardens. I loaded up the golf cart with some wood I had sawed up from a huge fallen limb near the backwoods trail and stacked it by the fire circle. I did cut off most of the dried dead leaves on the cucumber vines as I've noticed lots of new growth as well as several new nubin's. They have slowed down considerably this last week. I'm harvesting a few more cherry tomato's but its no where near a good crop with just a couple a day ripening.
Nancy made a delicious shrimp fried rice for supper much like the way it's made in the orient. I use to eat that regularly on my many trips to the Philippines and Japan. Wow, a delicious meal in an of itself. After the clean up we digested for a few then she took the golf cart to the top of the mountain and I hiked the back trail and we walked across the mountain top and back so she could get some exercise. Her heel is still raw from the blister and can not wear any hiking shoes but I got in a good hike which I needed. Pickle ball is cancelled for today(thur)as we are a player short for a foursome, oh well. I'll take an extra hike this morning to make up for the workout. I did speak with Paw Paw and he sounded good but his short term memory is just about gone as he asked where we were living. The CBD gummy's seem to have made a difference with is demeanor and sleeping habits which is a plus for Pat his full time caregiver. We told him we would see him towards the end of the month as we are coming back to the Woodstock area for a visit before heading back to Florida in October.
We noticed the leaves are really starting to fall and wonder if we will have any left for color. We got a 5 minute shower towards evening which settled the dust briefly but we are really dry and need rain. I'm still hand watering the gardens and flower beds. I need to cut some stakes for the winter fence which we will put up around the flower beds this year to save the hydrangeas from the deer as well as the black raspberry bushes. I also need to go over and clean out the stables at Kimberly's for the horse manure for my gardens before we leave. We are expecting two sets of guest before we leave for the winter and they will probably be just over a long weekend.
Well the Ray's came back the night before and won in extra innings but fell to the Texans last night 10-9. Their playoff hopes are still alive but they need pitching to stay in the race, LATER
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Wednesday Morning ..Sept 11th a day of infamy
Well Tuesday was another gorgeous day here in the mountain but it did get a little warm towards the late afternoon but we were at our friends cabin west of Sparta and it too has a/c but it was so nice at supper time we sat outside on their deck and ate and then played a couple games before calling it a day.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then lifted up several by name for comfort and healing to my Creator. All seem as well as can be expected at this point in time. Nancy once again slept in as she is a night owl and not a morning person; I'm just the opposite although I can stay up if there is something interesting to watch or if we are playing games with family or guests. I like to get up early and have the quiet morning to myself and have some quiet time in prayers for many as well as giving thanks for my many blessings.
I ate lite for breakfast as I knew we would be snacking at the Tracy's with their delicious assortment of finger foods while we enjoyed some fruit of the vine which is usually cheeses, olives, crackers and spreads, yikes they do know how to entertain and then she is a fabulous cook with her lasagna, Italian sausages and we brought a garden fresh salad with our tomato's and cucumbers on top. What a feast. They still have house guests who are fun and live in their 'hood in Florida.
We did do a hike before noon as I hiked up the mountain and Nancy rode the golf cart then walked across the top and back as she is still hurting from the blister to her heel. My hike was awesome and I did see a single large wild turkey which must have been a gobbler. The deer have been making forays into my back yard garden nightly but seem to be only eating my Swiss chard, beets and parsley, oh well they could be doing more damage. The tomato's are starting to ripen but I only have a few large ones big enough to slice with probably no more than a dozen or so on three plants. The cherry tomato's seem a little better with perhaps a couple dozen mostly green ones at this point in time.
The cucumbers have stopped for now but I do have a few nubins but the vines are yellow and look as if they are dying, oh well. The two weeks they were great looks to be about over and we did manage to bless a few folks with them. That was about it for the day except I did sow several garlic kernels for next years crop and moved a couple dill seedlings into pots in hopes they will produce. I did manage to dig up a couple of large rocks from the yard which I just happened to spot since the grass isn't growing due to the lack of rain. It was huge and all I could do to move it to the rock pile. What a hole it left and I had to fill it with a 5 gallon bucket of dirt. Now maybe grass will grow once again in that area.
We made a stop around 2:30 at our mountain mom's cabin to see her new fridge and to take her a piece of Nancy's flowerless chocolate cake she made for the cook out on Monday. We visited with her before heading to the Tracy's for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Her fridge has a water dispenser as well as an ice maker which she loves. It's a beautiful stainless steel fridge and adds so much to her beautiful cabin. She is thinking about getting rid of the carpet and adding the vinyl plank flooring which will really update her place so I'll call my fellers who did mine and see if they are interested in tackling the job. Well that was about it as we got back on the hill just at dark. I tuned into the Ray's game and they were losing as it was close to my bedtime but this morning I see where they came back in extra innings for the win over the Texans. Its looking like they will get into the playoffs as a wild card contender, LATER
It was foggy most all morning which was quite the change and most unusual when there was no rain to precede it. It did hold down the temps and made for a great hike. These pics were taken around noon and we could not see down off the mountain.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then lifted up several by name for comfort and healing to my Creator. All seem as well as can be expected at this point in time. Nancy once again slept in as she is a night owl and not a morning person; I'm just the opposite although I can stay up if there is something interesting to watch or if we are playing games with family or guests. I like to get up early and have the quiet morning to myself and have some quiet time in prayers for many as well as giving thanks for my many blessings.
I ate lite for breakfast as I knew we would be snacking at the Tracy's with their delicious assortment of finger foods while we enjoyed some fruit of the vine which is usually cheeses, olives, crackers and spreads, yikes they do know how to entertain and then she is a fabulous cook with her lasagna, Italian sausages and we brought a garden fresh salad with our tomato's and cucumbers on top. What a feast. They still have house guests who are fun and live in their 'hood in Florida.
We did do a hike before noon as I hiked up the mountain and Nancy rode the golf cart then walked across the top and back as she is still hurting from the blister to her heel. My hike was awesome and I did see a single large wild turkey which must have been a gobbler. The deer have been making forays into my back yard garden nightly but seem to be only eating my Swiss chard, beets and parsley, oh well they could be doing more damage. The tomato's are starting to ripen but I only have a few large ones big enough to slice with probably no more than a dozen or so on three plants. The cherry tomato's seem a little better with perhaps a couple dozen mostly green ones at this point in time.
The cucumbers have stopped for now but I do have a few nubins but the vines are yellow and look as if they are dying, oh well. The two weeks they were great looks to be about over and we did manage to bless a few folks with them. That was about it for the day except I did sow several garlic kernels for next years crop and moved a couple dill seedlings into pots in hopes they will produce. I did manage to dig up a couple of large rocks from the yard which I just happened to spot since the grass isn't growing due to the lack of rain. It was huge and all I could do to move it to the rock pile. What a hole it left and I had to fill it with a 5 gallon bucket of dirt. Now maybe grass will grow once again in that area.
We made a stop around 2:30 at our mountain mom's cabin to see her new fridge and to take her a piece of Nancy's flowerless chocolate cake she made for the cook out on Monday. We visited with her before heading to the Tracy's for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Her fridge has a water dispenser as well as an ice maker which she loves. It's a beautiful stainless steel fridge and adds so much to her beautiful cabin. She is thinking about getting rid of the carpet and adding the vinyl plank flooring which will really update her place so I'll call my fellers who did mine and see if they are interested in tackling the job. Well that was about it as we got back on the hill just at dark. I tuned into the Ray's game and they were losing as it was close to my bedtime but this morning I see where they came back in extra innings for the win over the Texans. Its looking like they will get into the playoffs as a wild card contender, LATER
It was foggy most all morning which was quite the change and most unusual when there was no rain to precede it. It did hold down the temps and made for a great hike. These pics were taken around noon and we could not see down off the mountain.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Tuesday Morning ..Sept 10th
Well Monday started out as a work day but ended up with some fine eatin' and fun and games with our friends the Tracy's and their neighbor friends Tom and Elizabeth also in Florida who we have become friends with as well. We ended the evening with a campfire under the stars and nearly a full moon. The setting was picturesque.
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric after my daily handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and in intercessory thoughts and prayers for several who I know are hurting and could even use a miracle to get back on their feet. Nancy and I have both been so blessed with good health and a clear mind and we pinch ourselves daily with the blessings of being here in the mountains and showing our first time visitors our place. We get so many great compliments on how we have fixed this place up and how we share it with so many folks its almost embarrassing; but we love the fact we can spend 5 months here during the summer and then head south to Florida for the winter. GOD is good and we honor Him daily with thoughts and prayers as well as weekly with corporate worship and with our tithing.
Breakfast for me was a bowl of chopped apple, blueberries from my bushes, pecans and a cup of yogurt in the mix I headed out to check on the gardens. Once again the dang deer came through eating the beet and Swiss chard tops as well as pulling a few from the ground plus stomping through the new lettuces and turnip seedlings. Dang it!!! I did get a scare as well as scared a large buck on my first hike of the day as Nancy can not hike due to a large blister she acquired on Saturday while wearing her cowboy boots for about 6 hours at the horse sale. I meant to say it is a large blister on the heel of her foot and she can not stand any type of pressure, anyhow I wanted to hike so off I went before lunch and while I'm very quiet in the woods, I walked up on this large deer just a few feet from the path. Well he snorted and I jumped as I was looking off in a different direction.
I got the weed whacker out after breakfast and cleaned up a couple spots around the buildings and trees after Sunday nights mow. The grass has slowed down so much from the lack of rain but its still nice and green from the overnight dew that forms. It was beautiful up until about 3'ish when we were expecting our guests for an afternoon of games and then supper. We turned the a/c on and it quickly cooled down the cabin as the afternoon sun did warm things up a bit. The humidity has stayed away for now. We had tons of finger foods and some fruit of the vine while eating and teaching Tom and Elizabeth the game of Euchre. The boys prevailed despite all the chatter by the gals and we Euchred them twice. It was a loud crowd to say the least and then it was time to take the ribs off the smoker around 5:30. Yeow is all I can say as the meat fell off the bones and the flavor was delicious. I used a mixture of applewood and hickory that I cut up from trees here on the mountain.
Nancy had parsley taters, a broccoli casserole as well as a fresh garden garden salad and I finally had enough home grown 'maters to adorn the salad. I adorned my taters with a jalapeno from the garden as well and does it ever compliment the dish. We sat outside on the recently cleaned preserved deck in the evening shade and it was magnificent to say the least. After the cleanup which we all helped with it was decided a couple folks would ride in the golf cart one being Nancy and the other Kathryn to the top of the mountain so we could show off the beauty of the area and to show our guests a lot for sale on top with awesome views. They made it up the steep backwoods trail but did ask if we do this hike daily as its rather strenuous. They were blown away by the views on top and I've nearly convinced them of purchasing the lot there and putting a mini log home on site. We showed them a couple places that just sold and another one for sale but they all like our place which doesn't have the long distance views but is nestled back in the woods and seems very comfy to all who venture here.
The campfire was perfect as the woods chunks were dried out and made for a great evening fire. Nancy made coffee for those who wanted it but mostly we rested after the hike enjoying the ambiance with the stars shining brightly and the near full moon coming up in the trees behind us. We laughed and cut up until nearly 9 o'clock which is usually their bedtime. It was a fun afternoon and evening and we will do it all again today(tue) evening at their rental cabin the other side of Sparta. I tuned into the Saints vs Houston game and Brees brought them back with seconds to spare for a victory. It makes all the difference in the world when you have a good QB which the Bucs seriously needs, LATER
I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric after my daily handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and in intercessory thoughts and prayers for several who I know are hurting and could even use a miracle to get back on their feet. Nancy and I have both been so blessed with good health and a clear mind and we pinch ourselves daily with the blessings of being here in the mountains and showing our first time visitors our place. We get so many great compliments on how we have fixed this place up and how we share it with so many folks its almost embarrassing; but we love the fact we can spend 5 months here during the summer and then head south to Florida for the winter. GOD is good and we honor Him daily with thoughts and prayers as well as weekly with corporate worship and with our tithing.
Breakfast for me was a bowl of chopped apple, blueberries from my bushes, pecans and a cup of yogurt in the mix I headed out to check on the gardens. Once again the dang deer came through eating the beet and Swiss chard tops as well as pulling a few from the ground plus stomping through the new lettuces and turnip seedlings. Dang it!!! I did get a scare as well as scared a large buck on my first hike of the day as Nancy can not hike due to a large blister she acquired on Saturday while wearing her cowboy boots for about 6 hours at the horse sale. I meant to say it is a large blister on the heel of her foot and she can not stand any type of pressure, anyhow I wanted to hike so off I went before lunch and while I'm very quiet in the woods, I walked up on this large deer just a few feet from the path. Well he snorted and I jumped as I was looking off in a different direction.
I got the weed whacker out after breakfast and cleaned up a couple spots around the buildings and trees after Sunday nights mow. The grass has slowed down so much from the lack of rain but its still nice and green from the overnight dew that forms. It was beautiful up until about 3'ish when we were expecting our guests for an afternoon of games and then supper. We turned the a/c on and it quickly cooled down the cabin as the afternoon sun did warm things up a bit. The humidity has stayed away for now. We had tons of finger foods and some fruit of the vine while eating and teaching Tom and Elizabeth the game of Euchre. The boys prevailed despite all the chatter by the gals and we Euchred them twice. It was a loud crowd to say the least and then it was time to take the ribs off the smoker around 5:30. Yeow is all I can say as the meat fell off the bones and the flavor was delicious. I used a mixture of applewood and hickory that I cut up from trees here on the mountain.
Nancy had parsley taters, a broccoli casserole as well as a fresh garden garden salad and I finally had enough home grown 'maters to adorn the salad. I adorned my taters with a jalapeno from the garden as well and does it ever compliment the dish. We sat outside on the recently cleaned preserved deck in the evening shade and it was magnificent to say the least. After the cleanup which we all helped with it was decided a couple folks would ride in the golf cart one being Nancy and the other Kathryn to the top of the mountain so we could show off the beauty of the area and to show our guests a lot for sale on top with awesome views. They made it up the steep backwoods trail but did ask if we do this hike daily as its rather strenuous. They were blown away by the views on top and I've nearly convinced them of purchasing the lot there and putting a mini log home on site. We showed them a couple places that just sold and another one for sale but they all like our place which doesn't have the long distance views but is nestled back in the woods and seems very comfy to all who venture here.
The campfire was perfect as the woods chunks were dried out and made for a great evening fire. Nancy made coffee for those who wanted it but mostly we rested after the hike enjoying the ambiance with the stars shining brightly and the near full moon coming up in the trees behind us. We laughed and cut up until nearly 9 o'clock which is usually their bedtime. It was a fun afternoon and evening and we will do it all again today(tue) evening at their rental cabin the other side of Sparta. I tuned into the Saints vs Houston game and Brees brought them back with seconds to spare for a victory. It makes all the difference in the world when you have a good QB which the Bucs seriously needs, LATER
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