Monday Morning..Oct 21st..Last Monday this year at the cabin

Well it was nasty to start the day with a drizzle and cool temps but not nearly as cold as last week when we had the rain. It was in the 50's which is a heat wave compared to last weeks 30's. The sun broke through and the skies cleared by late afternoon and the distant views on our evening hike was fantastic. There is one thing for sure in the mountains the weather can turn very quickly either from great to gloomy in hours and vice versa but we do have the occasional all day rain and gloom and thats when I'm ready for the sunshine state.

I started the day with now a 7'ish roll out due to those comfy snug flannel sheets which has upset my internal alarm clock which usually goes off before 6; but that has sure changed since we changed the bed linen, oh well. If it wasn't for yesterday being a church day we were thinking of staying in the sack past 7, but we got up and did our usual morning routines then headed out to Cornerstone around 9:30 for worship after watching our local church in Florida on the web.

We had a missionary family who are from this area and he is an emergency room doctor as well. The Richie Family serve in Ghogoria Kenyan which is in Africa at a mission hospital. The whole family serves there as well. He gave a great presentation on how this mission not only serves the medical needs of this area but trains others doctors to serve in different areas of the continents medical needs but their spiritual needs as well for Christ. All of the personnel are Christians and they serve under the WGM (world gospel mission) bringing Christ to this land that is still varied in their pagan beliefs as well as the influence of the muslims. Serving their medical and physical need is a great way to influence their spiritual needs which is helping to change the culture.

After church we headed over to the Pizzeria for the last time this year for their delicious Sunday buffet of a salad bar and fresh pizzas which have now become one of the best pies in town. We met Mechelle, Jake and Kaitlyn there as well and met a new couple who we have seen at Cornerstone the past couple of weeks; Ed and Tina. They moved here permanently and he is a private pilot and she is a teacher at one of the schools in the county. We chatted briefly and are looking forward to getting together with them next summer.

We headed home and while we were too full from the lunch decided to vegetate until around 4 then take a long hike. The temps had reached the lower 60's with lots of sunshine which was very nice. I watched some NFL and then loaded up the pumpkins that we would no longer need and take them down to neighbor Gerald's where he will take them to Blacksburg to Karyl's house as we no longer have any need here for them. We headed out on a nice long hike and noticed the leaves are showing more color each day. Usually by the third week in October its peak but its going to be much later this year.

I skipped supper except for a bowl of ice cream we must use up before leaving next Sunday morning. We will eat leftover for the next couple days and try to eat the freezer down. The Tracy's are leaving about the same time and are planning on us sharing a couple meals together this week as well. I started winterizing the cabin last week by putting away the porch furniture in the shed but this week will be a really busy one with hauling manure for the gardens, putting up fences, weed whacking the flower beds and sorting out clothes and tools I want to take back to Florida plus digging up my bedding plants for the garden etc. It's hard to believe how fast this summer slipped by, LATER

 A look at the back trail and at the fake tree Nancy ordered this year for Christmas.