Wednesday Morning May 31st

 Well its raining again after a few periods of sunshine and blue skies but last night it was all night and then again its raining as I make this post. I'm starting to think ARK time again, oh well. At least it has warmed up enough to where the heat doesn't have to be on.

I started the day on Tuesday much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with some quiet time to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several. All seem to be holding and my back ache is still there but tolerable. The kids did out and play at various times during the day wearing Rocky out who loves to chase them and sticks. He is a rough player and is some what clumsy at times as he chases the kids into the woods and around the yards. They just love this dog who will eat anything but his 100 dollar a bag dog food. He loves to eat charcoal and anything I've burned in the fire circle. 

The gals minus LeLe all went to Galax to shop and brought home another weeks worth of groceries. Sam, LeLe and I took a golf cart ride and got rained on in the process after leaving the cabin in bright sunshine and blue skies. The weather turns that quick. Mike and Dee came by during the evening to visit and we sat out on the deck in the bright sunshine one minute and the threat of rain the next. They head back to Va. this morning and we won't see them again unless we go to their place in August which we want to for a visit.

I grilled burgers and dogs for supper after another huge breakfast which held me all day long. We are stacking up the fridge with leftovers and I think we will try to eat them down today, LATER

Tuesday Morning May 30th

Well Happy Big Day to my oldest sister Josie(Sharon) who turned the big 70 today . Blessing on her and her family.

Monday was mostly a rain free day until late evening after an all night rain on Sunday. We had over 4 inches in the rain gauge from the day and night before. We were able to get in a hike to the top of the mountain minus Nancy and Amy. The kids had a great time as they finally got out of the cabin and stretched their legs. They all took off around mid morning for Mt Rodgers to hike and see the wild ponies. They had a great time and came back all excited.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with some quiet time after posting this ramble to honor my Lord and give thanks for another day while lifting several up for comfort and healing. All are holding and I'm slowly getting a little better or at least more tolerable.

We had a huge breakfast once again which held me through out the day until supper time when I grilled New York Strip steaks which were delicious with baked taters, left over green beans and fresh garden salad.

Well everyone is up so I'll cut this blog short for the day. It's foggy and some rain this morning but the gals are heading to town and Tyler is working the rest of the week until they leave for Wisconsin, LATER

Monday Morning May 29th Memorial Day

Well Sunday was a complete wash out day as well as the over night with thunder and hard down pours, the kids are going bonkers penned up in the house as is Rocky. They all want to go outside and play, run and do exercise things and with this small cabin inside they are restricted, oh well. Hopefully this rain will move out today and restore some sunshine and warmer temps as we've had the heat on from time to time.

Sunday started out with my usual 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with some quiet times after posting this ramble to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift several up for comfort and healing. I'm still dealing with the lower back muscle ache which is a pinched nerve as every now and then I get some pain down the leg to the knee. I'm keeping it creamed up as well as taking some naproxin and massaging it when possible. Its tolerable but every now and then it reminds me of the issue with some pain. Thankfully I sleep decently which helps.

I did worship on line with a great message from our home church and watched some other worship music on line as well. It was a stay in the cabin kind of day except for putting a couple racks of ribs on the smoker around noon and they were so delicious when we took them off 5 hours later and done to perfection. We had a large breakfast of French toast, bacon that Dee brought from Virginia and fresh fruit which held most of us until supper. There was some snacking which the grands do all day long as they are growing.

Tyler and I watched the Ray's win again at home over a very good Dodger team 11-10 and at times tried to lose the game with poor pitching, oh well. We did play cards in the afternoon and then again a new word game that Dee brought. They came for a delicious supper of half runner beans, mac and cheese, cole slaw and ribs. We nearly ate all of the ribs as they were done to perfection. Nancy had cookies out of the oven for dessert. We then played a game of Euchre and the gals won despite Amy's first time playing which she did great. 

After Dee and Mike left we soon hit the shower and I was ready for horizontal lab around 10, LATER

Sunday Morning May 28th

Thanks to all to kept the Ross Family prayed up for traveling mercies on this 700 mile trip from Florida. They arrived safely around 3:30 despite rain most of the way and it was just starting to sprinkle here when they arrived as well. Rocky shot out of the car and ran up and down the hill, yards and porches after being couped up for nearly 12 hours.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish rollout after a decent nights sleep despite the back muscle ache at times during the day. I did my morning routines which start with some quiet time to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All are holding as I make this post this morning. We took off for Sparta and made a stop at the meat market for fresh corn on the cob and fresh strawberries and peaches and picked up corn for our "mountain mom" and dropped it off for her.

I took a stroll around the yards and beds and every thing looked as it did the night before however that should change in the next day or so with the nice soft rain fall we received during the evening. No down pours but just a constant drip from the tin roof during the evening hours. It's still quite chilly outside and of course everyone arrived wearing shorts and t-shirts. We had the heat on once again but with 7 bodies in here it quickly warmed up.

Nancy had two roasting chickens in the oven and the smell was awesome and along with smashed taters, gravy, broccoli and salad we feasted. She had cookie dough made up ahead of time and baked them after supper. We did watch the final innings of the Ray's game and they let a lead slip away to lose by a run in the 9th against a very good Dodger team.

The Ross grandkids have matured and are now in the 11th, 8th and 4th grades respectfully for next year. Amy will teach another year as well and Rocky is a big ball of fun and loves being here in the mountains. Everyone was tired by 9ish so it was shower time and then I hit the sack and read until close to 10 after taking a muscle relaxer pill. The back muscle seems better but not 100%, oh well, LATER

Saturday Morning May 27th

 Well the Ross Family should be on their way here from Florida. Please pray for travel mercies for them.

I started the day on Friday with my usual 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with some quiet times after posting this ramble to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and lift several up for comfort and healing including myself with the constant muscle ache in the lower back. I'm able to function but at times its rather painful despite taking a muscle relaxer at night and some creams with a massage by Nancy during the day. I got word another classmate of mine who was the president of our 1964 graduating class passed away yesterday. All the others in my realm seem to be holding as I make this post.

We headed to the big town of Sparta, N.C. yesterday to run some errands and once again shop the Food Lion after a stop at the library for some new reads. We made several stops and saw Dee and Mike in town as well as they were heading to Boone/Blowing Rock for a day adventure. We met up with them again at the Saddle Mountain Cafe for supper. I checked the local newspaper office and got it straightened out why we never received our paper all winter in Florida or not here this first week. I dropped Nancy off at the grocery store and I headed to Walgreens to pick up a script for her and to check on my Eliquis script which I will soon be getting here instead of Florida.

Well after loading up another couple hundred bucks of meats and items we made another stop for our mountain mom at the Alleghany Meat center where their plants look fantastic and picked up some items for her and then headed back towards the parkway. We stopped at her place and then headed home to unload and have a bite of lunch. After lunch I fired up the mower and gave the yards except the backwoods another mowing and then an edging with the weed whacker. The jarring on the uneven ride didn't help with the muscle aches so hopefully when it due for another mowing this muscle will be healed. I'll basically rest it while the kids are here except for some hiking.

Well we came back from eating out which gave Nancy a break from the kitchen as she will be in it cooking three meals the next week until they all leave for Wisconsin and leave Rocky their huge bull mastiff with us. I tuned into the Ray's game and they once again beat the Dodgers team who is leading their division, 9-3. GO RAYS, LATER

Friday Morning May 26th

 Well Thursday was a busy day and we got a couple visitors from the 'hood as well as a good visit with sister Dee and Mike for supper and then a card game afterwards. It was a work day as well as we transplanted tons of flowers and veggies and worked up another flower bed and sowed it with seeds.

I started the day with a before 6 roll out to my routines that start with some quiet time to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several for comfort and healing as well as myself with this constant lower back muscle ache. It's getting better after a massage and a muscle relaxer at night after a hot shower but its a nagging kind of ache, oh well. Everyone else is holding as I make this post. The neighbors through the woods came by around 3'ish for a nice visit and brought widow Laura down from the top with them. They live in Florida as well as have been under attack by this pesky bear in the 'hood for 3 nights in a row. Hopefully it has moved on but we did see a picture of the bear on the night camera that neighbor Mike and Linda had attached to a tree in their back yard. Its a right good size black bear. Luckily he hasn't bothered us yet so we are keeping our garbage in the basement and I'm not composting any scraps.

I did dig and haul a golf cart load of dirt for the one flower bed up by the red shed where we planted two perennial flowers as well as I planted my cucumbers in the circle drive bed and the peppers and tomato's in the upper garden and the kale in the lower beds along with the herbs from the compost pile. The place is starting to shape up and will probably need mowing again but I'll see. Nancy was busy all afternoon inside the cabin making two batches of cookie dough as well as a pot of pasta fazool soup and a kale salad along with corn bread for our supper with Dee and Mike. The guys barely beat the gals in Euchre afterwards and then they headed out to their campground about 15 minutes away. They will be here for about a week I believe.

I did take it easy after lunch and watched the Rays beat the Jay's 3 out of 4 games at the Trop in a 6-3 win yesterday, LATER

Thursday Morning May 25th

 Well Wednesday found us in Galax, Va. spending tons of bucks as we stocked up the cabin with supplies for the next 5 months despite bringing a couple coolers of items from Florida. We are expecting the Ross Family on Saturday for a couple of weeks so we filled up those needs plus we bought a truck bed load of potted plants not only for us but for Joe and Helen and then went by their places after getting home to plant veggie seedlings as well as flowers. It was a busy fun filled day.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out after a decent nights sleep. I'm been burning the candle at both ends as I try to get as much of this beautification of the grounds here at the cabin completed. I still have several jobs to do and the back muscle is giving me some issues because of over working it. I've been using some rub on creams and massages by Nancy which always helps as well and last night I tried a muscle relaxer before going to bed. I think it helped some what as that muscle in the lower back is stiff despite stretches.

I started the day with my usual routines that start with some quiet time to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and lift several up for comfort and healing including myself. All are holding despite Helen falling the other morning and couldn't get up on her own. The EMT's came and got her up but she was sore the next day and even when and had x-rays. Nothing showed up broken which is a blessing. She and Joe are both in their middle 90's and continue to live alone which amazes me. We planted some veggies for Joe on his patio and also some for Helen as well as some flowers. They are a couple tough folks(brother and sister) who want to live alone in their homes as long as possible. We call her our "mountain Mom" and shared many meals with them over the years here at the cabin. We hadn't been to Joe's in 3-4 years and it was good to see his place again because of Covid. He always sat a nice supper table with fine china and his cooking and baking was delicious as well.

We had a salad for supper with a grilled chicken breast since we ate a sandwich at Wendy's for a late lunch before leaving Galax, so our appetites weren't huge. We both are trying to eat lite and less and along with the work hopefully we will shed a few ounces, forget about pounds at this point just some ounces, Oh well. I tuned into the Ray's came on the laptop and watched them finally win after a big loss the night before at the Trop. It was a 7-3 win over a big bunch of hitters from the Blue Jay's, LATER

All of a sudden pics are coming through on this system. Here are some from last week in Florida with the grand's and son Bobby and wife Katie

Wednesday Morning May 24th

 Well here I am making this post as I look out into the backwoods yard with temps in the low 50's, yep its cold for us thin blooded flat landers but I so love the change. My daughter and family says its so hot in Florida its unbearable to be outside for more than a few minutes. Nancy had the heat on again last evening again. Its been nice during the day with warm temps but a cool breeze made it nice for working outside and I got tons done yesterday that started with a before 6 roll out. I did my quiet times afetr posting this ramble to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing.All seem to be holding at this time.

I headed out after a lite breakfast to check on the gardens and flower beds that I had put in yesterday and all seem to be doing well with no animal intrusion. The neighbor across the way is having bear trouble as its been tearing down her bird feeders and hanging pots as well as carrying off her garbage and the can. So far I haven't seen it but it in the 'hood.

I loaded up the golf cart with all of the porch furniture from the shed down below and carried it up. What a saver the cart has been over the years and it continues to save my back as it took 7 loads to bring all of the rockin' chairs, smoker and swing up the hill. I shred tons of zinnias and marigold seeds that I had collected last fall for sowing in two of the flower beds I worked up over the day. What a job but will love the outlook when all of them are in bloom come July. I ordered some giant zinnia seeds to mix in with these as well.

Nancy worked on the front porch flower bed and we have tons of 4 o'clocks that came up from the wild flower seeds we had sowed there last summer. She moved several into the circle driveway bed and we still have several to either give away or move some where on the property. It was a total work day as there are lots of things still to do before Amy and family arrive on Saturday for a week. The inside of the cabin has very little to do except for hand a few new pictures and the usual with Nancy's cleaning. I'm finally getting most all the tools  out of the basement where I store them during the winter and getting it back to normal. We now can have lunch out on the front porch when its gets warm enough. I fried some fish our great neighbors blessed us with that had frozen and it was delicious grouper and snapper along with broccoli and a salad for our supper. 

I was whupped after supper and it was cooling off quickly plus my back muscles were aching so I stayed in and watched the Ray's lose big to the Jay's. Not much else going on here except work and more work as we take time to stop and enjoy the ambiance. Such a peaceful setting. Today its a major shopping day in Galax both at the Wal-Mart and Lowes and then its over to plant some seedling for Helen and Joe, LATER

Well for some unexplained reason pictures are now coming through for this blog. Here are some of what the place looked like when we first got here.

Tuesday Morning May 23rd

 Well I'm back on line after making my last post from hot sunny and dry Florida on Friday. We left early Saturday morning for the cabin and made it here safely in about 11 hours or less with several stops but no major grocery shopping at the foot of the mountain. It was a day earlier than we had first planned and now I think I like traveling on Saturday instead of the normal Sunday. The grass was knee high but since I had loaded the flower beds with tons of pine needles those were relatively lite with weeds and grasses. We did call ahead at the foot of the mountain and ordered suppers from Cracker Barrel which saved lots of time and brought them with us to the cabin.

We tried to get on line and watch TV after it was quitting time outside but had no service until yesterday (Monday)morning. That's the first time that has ever happened since FIOS was introduced out here in the woods. We made do as by darkness fell we were whupped from all the work. We did go to church at Cornerstone in Sparta, Sunday morning and was warmly greeted by all and then met the Frankis Family for lunch at the Pizzeria. We gave Skylar and Seth some birthday gifts. We made a stop at Food Lion and then again at the meat market for veggie plants as Hawk's which was always the local place for plants, veggies and fruits has gone belly up. 

Once we got back to the cabin it was fire up the mower and begin mowing which lasted close to 4 hours. I still had tons of weed whacking as Nancy tried but its too tough on her after awhile. I finished up the weed whacking Monday morning and then worked on getting the veggie plants in the gardens. I got all of the ones I bought for us and then we visited with our "mountain mom" Helen to plant the veggies we bought for her. She had a tough morning and was hurting from pain from a fall but nothing broken according the medical personnel who attended her. She is one tough gal at 95 young. We still have some veggie plants for her brother Joe and since they didn't have cucumbers which he wanted we will go to his place after our visit to Galax on Wednesday.

Well we finished up some leftover we brought with us from Florida for lunch and supper and then I watched the Ray's on the laptop with the MILB network and they beat the the Jay's 6-4 at the Trop. Nancy was into her shows which are always remodeling or some reality show. The place is shaping up but we still have lots of work to do. Today I want to get all of the porch furniture out from the storage shed and then do lots of piddly stuff. It's just so beautiful here with no noise except for and occasionally hawk or crow in the woods. The air is sweet to the smell with the wild roses blooming along with the wild black berries. My black rasp berries are blooming and setting fruit as are the blue berries and the wine berries haven't started yet to bloom but the vines look healthy.

I had some potato's plants along with dill, cilantro and tomato seedling up in the compose pile and so I saved several for the garden proper. I did plant 4 rows of two kinds of lettuce seedlings, several pepper plants along with two types of squashes, collards and a parsley seedling. I have several tomato seedlings from Florida and the compose pile to plant in a couple of days. I ordered new giant Zinnia seeds from Burpee to sow in one of the beds and some beets and kale. That will just about fill up all of my gardening space. Well that just about catches us up on whats going on around here as the main word is WORK which I thrive on for the  rest of the week. We will head to Galax, Wednesday and purchase food stuff for the Ross Family who arrive on Saturday. I'll mow again on Saturday but the place looks good after the initial shock of seeing a hay field, LATER 

Here is grand son Sam in the school play where he was the lead 

Friday Morning May 19th one more wake up until we leave for the cabin

 Well Thursday was unbelievable with this stomach bug we must have received from our friends the Tracy's who were infected last week and shared it with us on Monday evening unknowing to us. It was the worst ever especially for Nancy as she sat on the commode for hours after missing the commode a couple times which meant tons of clean up both in the bed, shower and floor, yikes what a mess, oh well. She has fully recovered and is sleeping and snoring in the bedroom as I make this some what early post, like about 2 hours early. She was up all night on Wednesday night where as I just had stomach aches but not throwing up or diarrhea, just an achy tummy and felt very full. All I ate all day and evening was an apple but did drink lots of fluids with ground ginger which helped with the cramps and ache.  We both are doing well and I felt good enough to work outside in the gardens.

I started the day on Thursday with being awake most of the night with Nancy's issues so I got out of bed around 6 and did my morning routines that start with some quiet time to honor my Lord, give thanks and to lift up several including ourselves for comfort and healing. We are doing much better and even had a decent supper of leftovers. I headed out to work in the garden breaking it down and collecting a basket of mainly green tomato's, both small and large to take with us. I cut up all of the plants including collards, kales and the dead herbs and piled them up to give the worms a place to hide under during the rest of this hot summer and in hopes they will break down all the plants for food. The gardens are bare once again.

 I got in another long bike ride through the hood and then to the library to return some books. I got Nancy to take some Imodium and that really seemed to help with her potty stops and got her back to almost normal. She was bossing me around so I know she is doing better. I washed several loads of bed linens towels and rugs and hung them outside to dry through out the day. A load of laundry will dry in this heat in just a couple hours so I kept the clothes line full all day long.

The Rays were playing a 1 o'clock game so I tuned in and she rested on the couch watching the game and they blew another lead once again. Thats two in a row but they come back to St.Pete tonight so maybe that will change their luck. Today Friday will be busy as we really start to pack up and load the truck, cleaning out cupboards and fridges. This will be my last post this summer from hot Florida, Hopefully my next post will be in cool N.C., LATER

Thursday Morning May 18th

 Well every since we had supper at the Botbyl's on Monday evening with the Tracy's who we found out had a stomach bug for a couple days before and we found it on Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday. Hopefully we didn't give it to the Ross Family. Yikes it been terrible around her especially for Nancy who has tummy issues to start with. I had stomach aches and pain and a couple time after we had the Ross Family here on Tuesday to celebrate Amy's birthday I felt like throwing up. I never did but neighbor Carol and Dan did and poor Nancy has been on the commode for hours. I didn't get it as bad just malaise and aches in stomach and I only ate an apple Wednesday morning. I need to lose a couple pounds but not with those aches, oh well. I'm all most mended but poor Nancy was up all night and she finally laid down around 4'ish this morning. I sure hope she mends today because we are planning on leaving early Saturday morning.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish rollout and while I didn't feet up to par did get up and have a cup of tea with some ginger which seems to help any tummy or digestive issues and it did the trick for me. I had just a touch of a lose stool but nothing like Nancy who it sounded like a garden hose running as she drank it poured out the other end. She was like that all day and most of the night. I did get in a bike ride and some garden work as well did some minor stuff getting ready to leave for 5 months. I never felt hungry at all and still don't this morning but did drink plenty of fluids which I think helped with ginger in all of them. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers that we leave on time and get over this bug, LATER

Wednesday Morning May 17th

 Well Tuesday was another busy day that started out with a 6;ish rollout to usual routines minus any pickle ball. I did get in a long bike ride through the neighborhood after breakfast. At times this back muscle feels great and the other times its a nagging ache. I did my quiet time to honor my LORD, give thanks for another and lift up several by name for comfort and healing.

I headed down to the VA to pick up the scripts my doctor had ordered for me and then made a stop at Home Depot on the way home for some weed killer. I had a 1 PM appointment with my civilian doctor and he gave me a clean bill of health and a pneumonia shot. I had one in 2020 and was slated for one this year. I don't if I had a reaction to it after supper but my tummy felt weird. Anyhow I go through the night after celebrating Amy's 40th birthday with a supper of fajitas both steak and chicken. I kept burping up those onions and peppers I sauteed outside on the grill. Nancy had black beans and rice as made our favorite chocolate cake with white icing.

We tuned into the Ray's game and they were winning big in N.Y. over the Mets 8-3 when I hit the shower and then the bed. My tummy wasn't happy and is still not back to normal, oh well. We have lots to do these next three day to get ready to pull out of here early Saturday morning, LATER

Tuesday Morning May 16th

Well Monday was basically spent at the VA in St.Pete as I had a couple of appointments and then an ear canal cleaning to remove the wax build up that had kept me from hearing properly for the last week or so. I'm sure glad that was a success but did learn I have some infection in that one ear so the doctor called me in an antibiotic for that reason. I also had my eyes check and they haven't got any worse from 6 months ago. I still have a few issues they want to monitor closely but nothing to worry about with regular check ups. I see my other civilian doctor today to renew my script for Eliquis which is a blood thinner. The VA will not authorize that script, but now that I have a Medicare prescription the price should be a low cheaper than over 500 bucks a month.

I started the day with a 6'ish rollout to my routines that start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several for comfort and healing including myself. I'm much better with both ear blockages gone and the muscle in the lower back. Not a 100 % yet on the muscle but much better and the VA doctor gave me a script for some muscle relaxers and a steroid if I need it later. Everyone else seems to be holding as I make this post. I feel a lot better knowing with all the work I have to do to get ready for the Ross's next week that I have some meds in case the back muscles start to ache again.

I got in a good 5 mile or so bike ride before lunch and that felt good as I'm trying to keep up the cardio since I'm off the pickle ball court for who knows how long, at least several more weeks. I'll get back to my early morning hike up the steep backwoods trail to finish my morning talk with the Creator in the stillness of the mornings will will definitely raise the cardio. We headed up to the Botbyl's for a delicious supper with them and the Tracy's and then a couple games of Euchre. We won't see them again until October, I believe when they head to the mountains to visit their daughter in Tennessee and then over for a week with us. I believe the Tracy's are coming that week as well. That was about it for the day as we start to get the house here ready for us being gone 5 months. I'll get down the packing crates and luggage today as we ready start tomorrow. We are having Amy's birthday dinner here tonight, LATER 

Monday Morning May 15th

Well hopefully next week this time I'm sitting at the kitchen table making this post looking out into the back woods yard after leaving hot sunny Florida. Sunday was a great day of worship both here at home at S.R.B.C. and then on line with Cornerstone before we left at 10'ish. It was our last Sunday to work the Welcome Desk at S.R.B.C. before we get back in November. We heard a great message and the service was packed with many new faces as we celebrated Mother's Day. A potted plant was made available to all the mothers on their way out of the church.

It was just the two of us as our normal passengers skipped church to be with family so we came straight home and had a lite lunch as were having Amy's family plus Aunt Betsy and Braden came in place of his dad for a family dinner of sauerkraut and pork, plus smashed taters, hot dogs and kielbasa. Betsy brought some peanut butter pies and a store bought lemon pie for dessert. What a feast and one of our favorite meals as we helped to clean out the fridge and freezer.

I watched the Ray's finally win a game but they were trying to lose after being up 4 runs in the later innings. The Yanks closed to within one run. What a series as we had two grand slams in two days and lost one of those games, oh well. They are still leading the division.

I'm off to the VA this afternoon in hopes to get some meds for this back ache as well as get my ears cleaned out since they are still stopped up. I also have a meeting with the eye doctor as well. Everything seems good in that department thus far, Praise GOD, LATER

Sunday Morning May 14th

 Well Saturday was a busy fun filled evening with family here for supper minus Sam and Ava who were at school with the evening play. Bobby and family came around 5 and we had pizza from Joto's along with a garden salad and Amy brought a marshmallow sticky finger dessert.

I had started the day with my usual before 6 roll out to my routines that start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name including myself as my ears are still blocked and the muscle is still evident but getting better slowly. I did take a good 5 mile or so bike ride through the hood which doesn't seem to bother the muscle. I'm hoping the VA will give me a muscle relaxer which I think will help, oh well. The last time this occurred I had to take prednisone which required 2 regiments and I think started me on the blood clot issues. Lets hope it doesn't come down to that again. At least I'm already on a blood thinner.

I watched the Ray's lose again in N.Y. after their star pitcher had a 6 run lead and blew that with a 9 to 8 loss. I sure hope they play better today against the bottom team in their division the Yankees. Well we all headed out around 6:30 for Keswick as we had second row seats for this performance that started at 7, which was so much better than Friday nights. Sam was awesome despite Friday nights microphone going out during the first act. He was in his element both nights during and after the performance giving lots of photo's for folks especially the young kids who wanted them together. The twins did great and loved the play both during and after as they clapped along with the crowd after each set. They were so cute when they realized Sam who is their buddy was the star of the show in costume. They never fussed one time and were into the play as well. It was after 9 before we got back to the house and hit the shower, LATER

Saturday Morning May 13th

 Well this time next week I should be on the road to the cabin. It hard to believe it will be 7 months since we've last been there and I'm excited for the change in scenery as well as the cooler temps, but sad to leave so many folks we call friends and of course family.

 I started Friday with my usual 6'ish roll out routines except no pickle ball once again as the back muscles just will not quit aching. I'm able to function but most always with some pain and at times greater than others. I still haven't cleared the one ear canal thats being blocked some how despite all of the remedies of baby oil and a syringe clearing with water. Its still blocked or at least it feels that way. Oh well I see the doctor on Monday at the VA and hopefully she can check to see whats going on.

I did take a long bike ride to keep up the cardio exercise after my morning routines that start with some quiet time after posting this ramble to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All are holding as I make this post. I read the afternoon and finish up a couple new reads but started a book titled I KNOW WHO YOU ARE by Barbara Rae-Venter who was able to solve some many cold cases using DNA from crime scenes in conjunction with genealogy and who is an amateur sleuth. What a powerful tool she used to identify people with a no name or no identity and now she used it to clear crimes of 40 years or more with this method. Its no wonder she was acclaimed as one of science most mattered figures in 2018. This is such a powerful tool that many felt it infringed on the rights of those who freely gave up their history in trying to find their next of kin and of course those who had shady back grounds did not want this to be used.

We headed out to Keswick school around 6:30 to watch grandson Sam who was Peter Pan in their yearly school play. He was awesome and is a gifted performer as well as his voice is rather nice. It was a great school production and we saw many old friends there as well. It was sold out and a second performance is again this Saturday evening. Bobby and family will arrive here at the house and we will get pizzas for all then attend the second performance. Last night we took Sam out for ice cream in the Seminole Center and many of the kids from Keswick were there as well and came over to congratulate Sam' on his performance. We came back and watched the Ray's lose to the Yankee's in the last inning on one pitch from our reliever, oh well, LATER

Friday Morning May 12th

 Well we are down to just one week to go before packing up for the cabin and leaving this hot dry place which needs rain. It was once again in the upper 90's for the day but at least the mornings are pleasant as are the evening around sun down. I started the day with a 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, give thanks and lift several up by name myself included. This old back is still aching but not so that I can't function, its just that I gave up pickle ball which is such a big part of my daily life and now I'm riding my bike on a several mile ride daily. That doesn't seem to bother the lower back muscles which is a blessing. The constant muscle ache is annoying and reminds me of my age.

I headed out to hand water the gardens around 9'ish then took my long bike ride which was my exercise for the day except a bike ride to the library for a couple new reads which kept me busy until lunch time. After lunch I read the afternoon away until supper then it was off to S.R.B.C. for the mens Bible study group. I picked up neighbor Dan this week as we take turns driving. Next week will be my last until November.

I got back in time to watch the Ray's bats explode against the Yankee's in and 8-2 rout. It should have been a shut out but the relief pitcher kept walking batters and they scored 2 runs. The Hurricanes from N.C. won in overtime against the N.J. team and move on to the semi finals for the Stanley Cup and will play the Panthers who also won. Should be some exciting hockey the next week or so, LATER

Thursday Morning May 11th

 Well Wednesday was another hot muggy day with temps up into the low 90's with no rain in site, oh well. I've just about given up on the garden except for a few tomato's that are still maturing and the egg plant which is thriving. Everything else is just about gone except I need to harvest some carrots and a little kale that is holding on. The collards have another mess in them but I'm afraid they may be bitter from all this heat., oh well. I'm getting excited about the thought of my summer garden in the mountains and I have several volunteer tomato's in my compose to bring with me for that garden.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with some quiet time after posting this ramble to honor my LORD, give thanks  and lift up several for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding on as well. I stayed away from pickle ball in hopes this lower back muscle will heal and it has enough to allow me to bike ride and clip the shrubbery along our fences. It's not a total healings but enough I can function with out too much pain. I'm still using creams on it as well at night. I'll probably not go back this year and stick with bike riding until I get to hiking at the cabin in a couple weeks.

Nancy was off once again shopping for family before we leave in a little over a week. After she got back we had some lunch then we took off for her doctor's visit for the heart and then off to Sam's Club for some items. I filled up at 3.34 which is down from 3.59 and then we made a couple more stops before heading home. Nancy fried up the fresh grouper our neighbor across the street gave us from one of his fishing trips. There was enough for another meal in a couple of days as this was delicious. After the clean up we settled into the Ray's game and for the second night in a row the bats were silent with tons of base runners in a 2-1 loss to the Orioles. Oh well we are still leading the league and all of MLB thus far, LATER

Wednesday Morning May 10th

 Well Tuesday was another warm day with temps in the upper 80's but a nice breeze kept it comfortable during the morning hours until lunch time when it turned too hot to be outside. I started the day with a 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with some quiet time to honor my LORD, give thanks and to lift several up by name. All are holding as I make this post. I'm still not on the pickle ball court as the back muscle isn't a 100%, yet but I did ride by bike for a long ride through the hood and worked up a sweat. I piddled around in the gardens hand watering and saw where two squirrels pulled green tomato's off the plant and chewed on them. I was sure it was rats but now I know it was squirrels.

I didn't do much the rest of the day except eat some leftovers for both lunch and supper and watch history documentaries on You Tube during the afternoon and then after supper we tuned into the Ray's game which turned out to be one of those games they should have won but lost 4-2. They had tons of chances but continued to hit into double plays and they left so many runs on the bases because of that, oh well. They did hit two home runs but that wasn't enough to over come the Orioles one home run witha base runner, oh well, LATER

Tuesday Morning May 9th

Well we are just 11 days until departure and I'm still nursing this muscle sprain in my lower back so I'm staying away from pickle ball and may not go back until next October when we come home. I'm able to ride my bike without pain but when ever I stretch it, it pains me and stretching is a must when ever I play the game, oh well. I'm hoping it will heal before I have to load all of Nancy's stuff she no doubt takes with us which is usually a packed front and back truck.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out and since I was heading out to the VA for a blood draw for my yearly checkup with them I fasted except for a cup of tea and my vitamins. I like to compare the results from my BayCare lab with their results. Cholesterol is the only high mark and its only 217 but the HDL is good, so maybe the doc will not put me on a script as he threaten to do last year. I had my ear's checked as well and the hearing aids and my ears were waxed up so the tech gave me a syringe and told me to put some baby oil in the ears to soft the wax and then rinse it out. I did that at my shower time and bunches did come out so I'll do that again today.

I piddled around in the gardens after getting back from the VA, hand waterings and harvest a nice size cantaloupe that came up in my compost pile. The large tomato's are setting fruit again and I should be bringing some with us as well despite their being green now. I read and watched You Tube video the rest of the afternoon after taking a nice long bike ride through the hood after eating. The muscle doesn't seem to ache when I do that, so I'm thrilled I can at least get some exercise with out pain. The pain has decreased almost to the point that I wanted to play today, but when stretching in the shower with the hot water on the back it began to ache last night, oh well. Maybe I need to stay away from the hot water and go only with ice packs.

We settled into the Ray's game against the Orioles and they blasted a couple home runs and beat them in their park 3-0. We had leftover chicken on a bed of salad for supper. Today we will finish up more leftovers for our lunch and supper as we are trying to eat down both fridge's and the freezer, LATER

Monday Morning May 8th

 Well Sunday started out with the twins and Bobby and Katie spending the night so we had the twins for the first couple hours as their parents slept in; they didn't get to bed until 3 AM. The boys were great and we throughly enjoyed them through their overnight and morning stay. They are such loving little boys and listen quite well compared to the other two boys who were here last Sunday who we were so glad to see leave. I just do not understand why parents lose or have no control over their kids, oh well.

We fixed them breakfast and then got them dressed and watched a couple shows they like on the laptop and then they soon headed out around 9:15for Brandon. It was a good visit and Bobby said the bed in his old room was comfortable since no one has really slept on it except for a few days at a time. We got ready and headed out to S.R.B.C. where we were greeters for new folks attending the first time. We did have a family of 4 arrive and we took them in to get them registered. We greeted and saw lots of familiar faces, did lots of hugs and handshakes and Pastor Derek gave a much needed message from the gospel of Mark. Next Sunday will be our last here in Florida until next October as we head to the mountains and back to Cornerstone with Pastor B and all those we have grown to know and love over these past 20 some years. We will definitely miss these special folks who have made us feel welcome since joining S.R.B.C. this year. 

We headed out to Texas Roadhouse for a delicious lunch with Dan and Carol after church and ran into a sweet couple we knew from BridgePoint. They said they may try S.R.B.C. as they love the preaching of the WORD as we do. We came back and settled in after being completely satisfied with a delicious meal which held me the rest of the day except for a handful of nuts and a glass of vino around 6. Nancy was off shopping with sister Betsy for the next couple of hours while I watched the Ray's come from 6 runs behind the Yankee's to win in overtime 8-7. What a come back before a packed house which had tons of Yankee fans.

I tuned into the hockey finals and the Florida Panthers went 3 games to none over the team that knocked the Lightning out of the playoffs but the N.C. team lost to the N.J. after being up 2-0 in games. Well that was about it for Sunday as we have one more here before leaving on the 20th, LATER

Sunday Morning May 7th

 Well Saturday was another rather warm day filled anticipation of the twins and their mommy and daddy spending the night. That went well as the boys are now up at 7 Am watching some kids show after spending the whole night in bed since about 8 PM. We don't know what time their parents got in but Nancy awakened me at 3 AM snoring and it was a restless night there after.

We had Eliza come around lunch time and spent the afternoon as Sam had play practice and Ava and Tyler were in Naples with a track meet. Amy and Eliza came back later around 5:30 for a supper of tacos and then Bobby and Katie headed out around 7 for cousin Austin's black tie affaire at his place in St.Pete.

I did get in a long bike ride through the 'hood after breakfast and the back is doing better but not a 100% yet. I'm still taking some naproxin and some analgesic creams to loosen that knot in the lower back muscle. I'll see if my VA doctor will give me a muscle relaxer next week when I go for my annual check up. We did watch the Ray's lose for the first time in weeks at the Trop against the Yankee's in a close game after being ahead the whole game and then we watched the Kentucky Derby. The twins played hard after supper and then it was bath time and they went right down to sleep and through the whole night.

Today its worship day at S.R.B.C. where we will work the welcome table before heading in to the service. That's about it for the day as we have just 13 days until we head out for the cabin, LATER

Saturday Morning May 6th

Well Friday found me once again forgoing any pickle ball as I'm resting this bunched up back muscle which continues to give me some discomfort, anyhow I'm able to function and I even took a long bike ride through the 'hood after doing some honey do's while Nancy was at her Bible Study group. I had started the day with a some what sleep in until 6:30 which is not usual as Nancy snores so loud from about 4 ish on but I some how managed to ignore her noise and stayed in the sack.

I spent a couple hours on the lap top with news and social medias before heading out to hand water the gardens and then after she left around 9:30 I went to work cleaning fans and vacuuming the house after dusting the fans which of course were holding dust, oh well. 

She got back just before noon and started on her dinner prep's for the evening group that was coming at 5 ish for supper. A new couple we have known for years; Nancy and Brian Waters are parents of one of our son, Bobby's classmates at I.R.C.S. and now are at S.R.B.C. They are a delightful couple and game players as well and taught us the card game titled Hand and Foot which we enjoy and now we decided to start a small life group together this fall. They are even talking about stopping by the cabin on their way north to visit their son this summer.

We had a delicious supper of baked salmon, pasta called orzo, green beans, toss salad and a delicious decadent ice cream style layer cake which was very tasty. Afterwards we played Hand and Foot which takes about 2 hours to play with 6 people but very challenging and the gals won as its guys vs gals and we then played one game of Euchre and the guys won that. It was going on 10 went we broke up and called it a night. We had the Ray's game on in the back ground against the Yankees and we won that game 5-4 against them which had the stands packed. We at one time led 4-0 but gave up the long ball to make it a close game, LATER 

Friday Morning May 5th

 Well things were quite different to start the day on Thursday as I decided to forgo any pickle ball so that changed the morning routines. I stayed in the sack even while being awake to lessen the strain on the lower back until close to 7. We did our routines and quiet times but I was in no hurry so I lingered on the lap top until close to 9 before having a glass of OJ which along with my vitamins and supplements would hold me until lunch time.

Nancy was off to her dental appointment and some shopping so I vacuumed the house and then got a bucket of hot water and some floor cleaner and swabbed all of the floors and even the garage floor. Wow, did that ever make a difference as the floors while not looking dirty, the water in the bucket said otherwise. Afterwards I did some touch up paint on the kitchen table and chairs where kids had banged then against each other. That took me right up to lunch time and Nancy arriving with loads of groceries.

I did hand water the gardens to start the day and then again later in the afternoon. I settled into the Ray's game around 1'ish they won again with 3 home runs against the Pirates who attempted a come back in the last innings making the final score 3-2 in favor of the Ray's. After the game I read until time to harvest an egg plant for supper which we ate with some left over spaghetti. They sure complimented each other.

I got ready and headed over to S.R.B.C. with Dan for the weekly Mens Bible study with 20 or so other fellers. I got back around 8:30 and hit the shower and then watched some ALONE on the history channel until lights out around 10:30, LATER

Thursday Morning May 4th

 Well Wednesday was a bit different as I stayed away from pickle ball to let this muscle in the lower back rest which has started to aggravate me but its not debilitating as I'm able to function but with some dull ache. I'm using some creams and basically resting it from any real physical exercise so we fasted and then headed over to Bardmoor to have a blood drawn for our checkups in about 2 weeks. We came back and had a delicious breakfast/brunch  of biscuits, sausage and egg with some horseradish, wow.

I had started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out and did my quiet times after posting this ramble to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and lift up several by name. All are holding as I make this post. We both fasted and then around 9 ish took off for the lab which adjoins where our doctors are housed. This makes it so much easier than using the Quest labs plus they are so much more friendly and efficient with our requests being there electronically.

I didn't do a whole lot except hand water the gardens after getting back and eating and then settled into reading and watching You Tube videos the rest of the afternoon. We skipped any more eating until supper since we had fasted for the blood draw and ate late except for some nuts around 4'ish. Nancy put a large whole chicken into roast for supper and then peeled a couple small butternut squash I had grown from volunteer seedlings and cooked them, wow were they ever delicious with some butter and nutmeg. I had never tried growing them because the vines take up so much space but I have them in with the carrots in the side garden whose tops reach up and over the vines.

We tuned into the Ray's game and once again pitching and hitting took front stage with the Ray's big bats once again came to life with homers. They beat the next best National league team leader the Pirates 8-1 here at the Trop. What a game and we continue to lead out division and all of base ball, LATER

Wednesday Morning May 3rd

Well Tuesday was another decent day to start but as the day grew older the heat and humidity came back. A stiff breeze kept it comfortable at times in the late evening. I started the day much the usual with a well before 6 roll out to my routines that start with some quiet times after posting this ramble to honor my LORD, give thanks and lift several up for comfort and healing. I included myself as I strained a muscle in my back last week and I was hoping to work through it and I even played pickle ball both Monday and Tuesday but later in the day it really started bothering me, so I'll forgo any pickle ball this day and rest it, plus we both wanted to get our blood draws out this morning for our check ups.  Everyone else on my prayer lists are holding as of this time.

I headed out to the Rec on my bike and played for two hours and while the muscle ache was there it didn't keep me from playing, it just ached so I rested it during the afternoon, even ice packs a couple time and some topical creams while I read the afternoon away. I'll sure miss these reading afternoons when we get to the cabin as there is always work to be done. We have decided or Nancy has that we should leave on Saturday the 20th instead of Sunday the 21st which is alright with me, that will give us an extra day to get ready for the Ross Family coming the next week end.

After supper we tuned into the Ray's game against the second best team in baseball, the Pittsburg Pirates and we whupped them 4-1. The Florida Panthers also beat the team that eliminated the Lightning  from the playoff, the Maple Leafs. Not much else going on around here as I hand watered the gardens and yards, LATER

Tuesday Morning May 2nd

Well we are less than 3 weeks from heading out to the cabin in the mountains of N.C. and we are once again getting excited about the move. I'm looking forward to the daily morning hikes up the steep back woods trail and visiting with folks on top of the mountain. I will miss the daily pickle ball play but I should get plenty of physical exercise to take the place of this daily occurrence.

I started Monday out much the usual with a well before 6 roll out to my routines that start with some quiet times to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several for comfort and healing after posting this ramble. All are holding at this time. Nancy was off to her doctor's appointments which we are having a lot of before leaving Florida. I was at the Rec for two hours of pickle ball play then came home and headed over to see my barber for an ear lowering and came back and mowed both yards, all before lunch.

We had left over tater salad that Betsy brought on Sunday on top of a garden salad with Greek dressing which was awesome and then some of the carrot cake Arianne left with us. What a delicious lunch and then for supper we finished up the leftover dogs and Cole slaw and the last of the carrot cake. I read from lunch until supper and finished the book titled LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Rinker Buck and then watched several video on You Tube about his flat bottom boat adventure. He also did the Oregon Trail adventure and I want to read that book as well. He is quite the writer and adventurer and I love his take on history and how life was back in the days and so much of that is forgotten and missed today.

Well there was no baseball or hockey for me so I read until it was shower time around 8 and then watched the History channel's ALONE series until lights out at 10, LATER 

Monday Morning May 1st

Well Sunday started out with some wind and possibility of rain with clouds around but soon the skies cleared and the wind persisted through out the day. All that nice rain was quickly dried up by the wind and sun but at least the grass greened up around the 'hood. I picked up several branches out of the yard from the big oak caused by this strong wind.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my usual morning routines that start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, give thanks and lift several up by name, all seem as well as can be despite ages and health issues. We tuned into Cornerstone Chapel and heard a great message by Gary's son Austin who was filling in for him on spiritual warfare and then again another great message by our pastor Derek at S.R.B.C. It was a great day of worship both on line and in person. We came directly home as we were expecting niece Arriane and her family for lunch. They were about an hour late which wasn't bad considering what she has to handle with, in her two out of control boys. I've never been around a 4 and 3 year old who runs the show and who is so undisciplined and defiant as are these two, anyhow we so love Arriane that it just makes us so concerned for her and her well being.

We had tons of food with potato salad's, toss salads, hot dogs, finger foods and a delicious carrot cake Arianne made and brought. We ate around 3'ish which held us the rest of the day. We had a good visit with her and they have settled into their new home in Parrish which is just a few minutes south of the Skyway bridge. What a change from living in Hollywood, Fl. and Errol seems to really love his new job with real estate evaluations. It's just a shame these boys are so out of control and undisciplined. They really are no fun to be around and you are constantly on guard for what they will get into plus they do not listen. 

Errol finally took them to the Seminole Rec park for an hour so we could enjoy Arianne with out them around and that was most pleasant. Betsy stayed until they left which helped with keeping an extra eye out for them as they ran rough shod through the house, an in and out the doors. I was never so glad to relax before bedtime after they finally left. We all know why they can not get baby sitters even in their new neighborhood. I'm afraid these boys will wind up in real trouble as they grow older and braver with their undisciplined actions and no real concern for what they do at this so young age, oh well.

I did get to watch some of the Ray's game and they blew a 4 run lead in the 9th to finally lose to a team they had beaten every time this season, LATER