Monday Morning July 31st

 Well Sunday started out wet, from the last evening heavy rain storm and we got a few sprinkles during the afternoon but we did see a drop in the temps and some sunshine by late afternoon. It was an awesome day of worship at Cornerstone in Sparta as well as on line. I watched the Ray's in the afternoon come back from an awful loss to win big in Houston taking 2 out of 3 games and staying in reach of the Orioles who are in first place in our division.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my routines after posting this ramble with my quiet times to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name. All are holding as I make this post. We met up with the Frankis Family after church at the usual Pizzeria for lunch and afterwards did some small shopping at the Food Lion before gassing up which increased 30 cents a gallon in a week and now up to to 3.49 a gallon, oh well it seems this administration is doing everything to hurt US(A) if possible and making energy high is one sure way. I'm hoping patriots and christians wake up and send all of the corrupt politicians packing come next election.

We picked at some leftovers for supper as we paused in our game playing during the afternoon. It was too wet to hike so we played hand and foot and Nancy won both games and then she was on the phone with neighbor Carol in Seminole for hours before bedtime. I watched videos on the laptop then got ready for some horizontal lab around 10. The bats are back after being away probably due to the storm as they took up residence in the a/c covering on the driveway side of the cabin. I'm hoping the bat lady with capture them and remove down the mountain as they are driving Nancy crazy and then she is driving me crazy, oh well, LATER

Sunday Morning July 30th

 Well Saturday started out a little on the warm side with a heavy dew and eventually it got really hot with a 90 on the back porch by early afternoon. Of course that was the recipe for a thunder storm and we got one around 6 which dropped rain so hard it came down in sheets and in about 30 minutes it had dropped over an inch of rain, unbelievable. It was like a hurricane outside during that spell as all of the windows were covered in blowing rain.

I started the day much the usual with a 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 by name; all are holding as I make this post. I fired up the riding mower and worked on the yards for the next couple of hours. The place sure looks great after the manicure. I piddled around the gardens for the next hour or so until it got to hot to be outside in the sun.

Well I noticed the bats are back to roosting under the eve on the deck side as lots of bat poop was evident to the deck. Seems twice as much as the night before and now last night I saw a large ball of them under the eve and I displaced them out from under with one BB shot. This morning they were all trying to get inside the a/c vent cover on the other side of the cabin. The bat gal is coming next week once again and hopefully she can trap them and take them away, any how we now know where they are hiding.

We had the 5 Luffman's for supper and then a game of sequence afterwards. The meal was delicious and too much as always with burgers, dogs, corn on the cob, 1/2 runner green beans, baked beans and cole slaw and coconut cake for dessert. The gals won the rubber game of sequence and then they headed out before dark. We cleaned up the dishes then I settled into the Ray's game which they were getting blown out by the Astros so I headed to the showers and then to bed by 10.

Today is corporate worship day at Cornerstone but we will watch several services on line and then out to lunch with the Frankis Family before heading back to the cabin after a stop at the Food Lion in town, LATER

Saturday Morning July 29th

Well Friday was another work day for the most part, although we did visit with neighbors out here for a couple of hours. I did my good deed for the day helping a widow on top of the mountain with giving her two outside windows a second coat of paint from within. That was a back bending job which could have easily been accomplished by standing on a ladder, but I was forbidden to ever use a ladder again it seems because of my age, wow all of a sudden I'm too old to ever use a ladder again according to Nancy, oh well. I got the job done and then I did weed whack the property starting in the morning and finishing later after lunch and the rain shower and will mow today, Saturday as we have several guests coming for a cook out and then games afterwards in the afternoon.

I started the day much the usual with a 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 for comfort and healing. All are holding as I speak. I worked outside until 10'ish then headed up the mountain to the widow lady's cabin and was done from there in about an hour or less. We took the golf cart as it was too hot to hike up the mountain so then we rode out to the mailbox and stopped and visited with Mike and Linda and they showed us the mobile home and land they purchased this summer from an older couple who come up occasionally from the coast and decided to sell out. It's a really nice two bedroom 1 bath home with a deck on the back and its been well kept over the 38 years its been situated in this spot. They made a great buy and it was totally furnished right down to the bed sheets and silverware.

We then headed out to the mailbox and stopped and visited with Grant and Shirley Heglar who own the first place on the right coming into our lane. I've been praying for him daily as he was suffering bladder cancer and its now in remission which is an answer to prayer for him and her. She has been suffering a weird malady in her mouth for a couple of years and it has been investigated by some experts in the medical field all the way to the Mayo Clinic and there is no reason or explanation medically except yesterday we learned they are right close to a huge farming operation which sprays their corn and soybeans with pesticides. We brought up the fact that just maybe the reason she is having these weird maladies which causes her mouth to skim over and shed skin. She mentions it got worst just before they came up for a few days and it dawned on her they sprayed a huge field next door to their house and garden just a couple days before. Hopefully they can find what pesticide they use and see what the side effects are on the human body, oh well.

It was after 1 before we got back to the cabin and had a late lunch of salad and a frozen pizza which  really kept us full until around 6:30 when we broiled a fresh salmon filet we had purchased on Thursday. Neither of us was really hungry but we didn't want the fish to go bad and we were having company today for burgers and dogs and we eat out on Sunday after church so we fixed the salmon and a can of beets. I headed outside after the cleanup to walk around the property and pulled a few weeds until dusk. We had got a nice rain of about a tenth of an inch to cool things off after the hot afternoon which reached the upper 80's. The gardens sure loved the rain as well. I have radishes breaking ground after sowing seeds just the first of the week. I pulled another two zucchini's from the circle drive bed and the supposedly dahlia's are starting to bloom. They sure look like zinnias despite the seed package saying they are dahlia's, oh well at least they are tall which is what Nancy wanted in that bed which we usually have wild flowers from seeds.

I tuned into the Ray's game vs Houston and it was tied as I headed into bed around 10'ish, LATER

Friday Morning July 28th

 Well Thursday was a busy fun day as we didn't do much work around the cabin except check the gardens and then I hand watered some plants in the late afternoon as we traveled to Galax to shop and then up to the Frankis beautiful land for supper and cards. It was one of our hotter days this summer and we did get some dark clouds with thunder and lightning in the afternoon, but no rain which would have cooled things down a bit, oh well.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out to my morning routines that always start with some quiet time to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift several up for comfort and healing. All seem to be doing as well as can be expected due to ages and health issues. We headed out around 9:30 for Galax and did some stops along the way at the dumpster to deposit some garbage and then the veggie stand before the barber shop stop to have my ears lowered. Then it was off to Wal-Mart for groceries and few other items for our "mountain mom" and then a stop at Food City for item we couldn't find at Wal-Mart. We have found a new pasta called Orzo which is delicious when made with Feta cheese, olive oil, fresh parsley, lemon juice and cherry tomatoes. Nancy was taking that to the Frankis supper in the evening and it was delicious even after being made a couple hours ahead of time.

We got back from town around 1'ish and had a nice fresh garden salad with my first cucumber of the season then settled into reading as it was rather hot outside. We saw the middle 80's for a change and its supposed to be this way until next week when it dips back in o the 70's for highs. The a/c felt good on this warm afternoon. We took off around 5 and now with their move to the area of Air Bellows its an extra 15 minutes or more on the drive to their place. But the drive is beautiful and we saw lots of critters coming home around 9'ish.

The supper was simple but delicious with grilled marinated chicken breasts, a fresh salad, Orzo dish and rolls. After the cleanup and putting little Seth to bed we got into a game that takes a good hour plus to play titled "hand and foot". Well is was not a good night for the guys as the gals slaughtered us by 3 thousand points. It was fun and on the 4th round the guys came through and held the gals to not getting into their foot, but it was too late as they were so far ahead in the first 3 rounds, oh well.

We got word form the Nymark's that when they got home from being gone a couple of weeks a pin hole in their copper water line overhead in the kitchen leaked and ruined a portion of their kitchen. The pics showed lots of water damage. That is one reason we shut the water off to our place in Florida when we leave for 5 months, oh well, LATER

Thursday Morning July 27th

Well Wednesday started out very nice but by lunch time it was warming up quickly and it did reach the 80's by late afternoon but a nice breeze kept it bearable. I also did my good deed for the widow on top of the mountain by painting her two upstairs outside windows from the inside which was a feat in and of its self. It was a back breaking job as I got one coat of primer on and will finish it tomorrow morning. It would have been a lot faster and easier if Nancy would let me get on a ladder to stand on the roof, but no ever since our friend Dan fell off the ladder and ruined his one foot, oh well.

I started the day with my 6'ish roll out to my usual routines that start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name. All seem to be holding as I make this post. I did wake up this morning and looked out the window and a large deer was chowing down on my blue berry bushes which is a first for me. I'm totally shocked they would eat them, oh well. I chased it off and while I didn't see any antlers its really a very large deer. Hopefully it will stay away but I'm very doubtful as it was really going to town on the bushes.

We got in a hike to the top of the mountain where our friend and widow lives so I worked there for close to an hour as I painted the windows and then we walked on across the top. The distant views were not evident due to the haze and we stopped and visited with Bertie who is another widow. She blessed us with her stories as she can talk so fast and change direction right in middle of a sentence. She was getting ready to leave her cabin and head back off the mountain but entertained us for nearly an hour. She never had any children and so just loves to make over our kids and grand kids when she is up at her place and we stop and visit. She had several of her large trees trimmed and removed from the front yard at her cabin and told us all about that event as well as many more. I mentioned I went to Gardner-Webb college in the early 60's and she had a best girlfriend who was there the same year I was. I must look up Rhonda Green in my yearbook when I get back to Florida who has now passed away from cancer.

Well we had our big meal of the day around 2'ish as we were heading to church to meet with our prophecy small group. We had 12 folks very concerned with the ills of the nation and our culture so we watched a very chilling movie title NEFARIOUS. It's not for the faint of heart but very eye opening on the demonic forces of evil that inhabit this world and mankind. We had a delicious supper of grilled shrimp on a skewer on top of buttered pasta. I added fresh chopped garlic to mine as Nancy now has some issues with garlic as does Tyler and then a fresh garden salad to accompany, yeow was that ever delicious and now is one of my very favorite meals. I'm growing garlic and this year was a bumper crop and now Nancy is having issues with it, go figure.

I did tune into the Rays game around noon and they played terrible after beating this same team the night before losing 7-1. They need to get back to playing ball like the first of the season or they will be out of the playoffs, oh well. We made a stop at Walgreens on the way into town and then a stop at the library for some new reads for both of us before heading out to church for our meeting. It was going on 9 before we got back to the cabin just before dark. Today we head to Galax for a haircut for me and then some shopping at Lowes and Wal-Mart and then to supper and games with the Frankis Family out near BullHead Mountain which is quite a distance from the cabin, oh well, LATER

Wednesday Morning July 26th

 Well Tuesday was a another nice day with great weather and mild temps except for a brief 5 minute sun shower around supper time. We had the windows and doors open until dusk when we shut all and turned the a/c on despite it still being nice outside. Nancy doesn't like the windows open at night as she is still bear afraid, oh well.

I started the day 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 lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected due to ages and health issues. I checked the gardens and saw where that lone big buck was into the back yard garden and this time he munched on several lettuce seedlings and a few flower plants before moving on through the beds leaving his large hoof prints. I'm thankful he hasn't developed a taste for the other leafy greens growing in that same bed.

I did some piddly inside jobs like cleaning the drain to the shower which is always interesting with hair that causes it to slowly drain and then some outside small chores like digging thistles that some how find a way to get into the yards. The birds love thistle seeds and I think they spread them to sprout up anywhere they decided to poop while flying over the property. I did finish separating my garlic bulbs and now have a couple pounds or more of kernels to use this coming year. I try to eat garlic daily as its a super food. Nancy had clothes drying outside on the line which is always a down home memory. We were supposed to take a hike up the mountain but it soon warmed up when we were ready to go and thus we postponed until later after supper; but I got caught up in the Ray's game and Nancy on her Ipad and we forgot until too late.

I sauteed peppers and onions in a frying pan on the outside grill and had brats on the grill for supper which were delicious. I headed out to check on the gardens after supper and the cleanup while Nancy checked on our "mountain mom", all looked well. I have cukes finally maturing and will have at least one ready for the table today. No tomato's yet but the jalapeno peppers are starting to really produce. Our neighbor widow on top of the mountain called and wanted us to check her neighbors squash plants for her as its too steep for her to navigate. I headed up in the golf cart to check but the squashes were to small to harvest. She wanted to know if I knew anyone who would do a small painting job for her and I decided I could paint the two upstairs outside windows from the inside. I'll do that this morning for her. I took her a sack of kale for her and her sister who lives just across the way from us.

Well that was about it for the day as the Ray's bats finally came to life and they beat the Marlins 4-1 at the Trop. I soon hit the showers and was ready for some horizontal lab by 10'ish, LATER

Tuesday Morning July 25th

 Well Monday started out with my usual 6 ish rollout 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 up several by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding as of now. It was quiet around the cabin after having family and friends here for most of the month. I headed out to check on the gardens after my morning posts and checking social media updates and the news and saw where a large buck had walked right through the backwoods garden over night. But I'm thrilled he found nothing to munch on, as just his tracks made it clear of his presence. I did have an over night visitor to the compost pile where it dug around looking for something to eat.

The gardens are looking good after the 1/2 inch of rain on Sunday as so is the grasses. I did spread lime on the backwoods yards as moss is making a come back in the upper areas. Not nearly as bad as years past when that yard was mainly nothing but moss. It has come a long way with showing green grass over the past couple of years. The grass was heavy with dew along with the wetness from the rain the day before so just maybe the pelletized lime with make a difference in those areas. I took out the now matured leaf lettuces and composed them as it did so well this year as we ate and gave so much away. I sowed radish seeds in its place and then sowed some Igloo lettuces seeds in hopes it will germinate and we have to accompany the black seeded Simpson lettuce already getting close to be big enough to harvest for our salad bowl. I did harvest beet greens, kale and a couple collard leaves to add the bowl as well.

The Japanese beetles are a pain this year especially on the bean plants and some flowers like the dahlias. I continue to harvest them in a bucket of water where they cling into a ball and then I dispatch them with my foot as well as spraying some with an insecticide. Grass and weeds grow where I don't want them and they are in every bed so that keeps me busy constantly pulling them up. This year the clover is evident to most all areas of the yards with their little white blooms which I like except in the garden and flower beds as it holds the soil and hopefully helps get rid of the moss.

Well Nancy was busy washing sheets and changing bed linins for the next batch of friends who come in September. I think we are free through the month of August except for locals for dinners. We did have our Orkin bug man come by to check out the cabin where Amy and Nancy found one bat tick in the upstairs bathroom which is where we heard the bats in the walls. It seems they are like bed bugs and hard to get rid of, but he said he had to have an expert to come and survey the cabin to determine if we have any in the walls. I doubt that we do because the single tick came in around the screen and the only time we had the upstairs bathroom window open since the bats have been removed. Nancy is in a tizzy over this one tick we saw a week or so ago and I'm sure the bats were only in the cabin roof a couple days since we had all the rain for nearly a week. Thankfully after getting the bats removed we haven't seen or hear any in the cabin roof and walls. Her friends at church have sent her into hysterical mode with war stories of past infestations of bat ticks, oh well, LATER

Monday Morning July 24th

 Well Sunday started out with some great worship on line with Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Va and then again at our local Cornerstone in Sparta with dear friend Jake filling in for Pastor B who is on vacation. While Jake is the youth pastor and not accustom to being in the pulpit he did a fine job despite his nervousness. We all along with Jake and family as well as his mom and Katelyn's mom ate lunch at the Pizzeria afterwards. I finished up my worship day with S.R.B.C. and our pastor Dereck later in the evening after retiring from being outside and a heavy rain shower that dropped a half inch of rain in about an hour.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my routines that always start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and them lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All are holding as I make this post. We did stop by our "mountain moms" place on the way home after church and some shopping at the Food Lion to drop off something for her. She is doing well despite her advanced age and some knee issues. I did a honey do for her before we headed for the cabin as the weatherman was predicting another storm which we got later in the afternoon.

I watched the Ray's lose again to the Orioles and they are now two games down from being at one time the best team in baseball which the Orioles and Braves are now hold the bragging rights, oh well. Right now they will be in the playoffs but I'm afraid if they keep losing that could be in doubt. Their hitting has gone into a slump as well as their relief pitching, oh well. I still enjoy pulling for them despite losing. Since we had the normal Sunday lunch which was a salad and a personal pan pizza I was satisfied the rest of the day except for some snacks later in the afternoon. We did walk around the property checking out the gardens and flower beds once the rain stopped and the sun came out. I harvest my first zucchini squash and three nice bell peppers and noticed three cucumbers which should be ready in a day or so, finally. No ripe tomato's yet and no dahlias either, despite some buds which look like they could be pink in color.

Today Monday its foggy this AM and very wet outside. I'll weed whack this morning and attempt to mow either today or tomorrow, once the grass dries, LATER

Sunday Morning July 23

Well things are quiet around the home front this morning after the Ross Family left yesterday morning at 6 for Seminole, Fl. They got home safely around 6 in the evening. It was a rather cool day here with overcast skies for the biggest part of the day and even a lite rain shower in the afternoon. The skies cleared around supper time and it was beautiful the rest of the evening.

We started the day much earlier than usual as Amy awakened us around 5:30 as they made their last minute preparation for leaving so we stayed up the rest of the day. Actually after our morning routines of quiet times and the posting of this ramble we started on cleaning the cabin of Rocky slobbers and hairs. I vacuumed and then cleaned the floors while Nancy stripped beds and cleaned the upstairs as well as had two loads of laundry going. I even vacuumed the basement because Rocky spent a lot of time down there cooling off on the cold basement floor. That kept us busy all morning until lunch time then it was outside working in the yards and flower beds. What a keep busy day until late afternoon when I settled into the Rays game which they lost in the 9th inning 6-5 to a good Oriole team which is now in first place.

I'm finally going to get some cucumbers and zucchini squash as I see some on the vine which looks like they will make instead of rotting which has been the occasion thus far. I did add some bone meal(calcium) around the plant so maybe that made the difference. The tomato's are loaded with lots of large green fruit but none ripening or signs of ripening yet and both types of beans; 1/2 runners and bird eggs(October) are loaded with blooms and small beans. The bell peppers are maturing and need harvesting as well as are the jalapeno peppers. The wine berries are ripening but not enough to make any jelly with, which we really never enjoyed like the black raspberry jelly and the blue berries are huge this year with what looks like a bumper crop and should be ripening soon. I think I'll have plenty to freeze for cobblers this winter in Florida.

The dahlias still haven't budded up but the plants looked nice and healthy. They sure look like zinnias which we love and now some of them are showing some colors in several different beds. The marigolds are beautiful once again around the fire circle garden as well as are the cones and snap dragon's. Finally things are getting beautiful but about 2 to 3 weeks late according to last years pictures. We did take a modified hike over and up the Rich Hill Mountain road and stopped to visit with Ann and Frank. They are doing as well as can be expected as Frank is on constant oxygen. Anne is gardening with what little land that is usable. Their front yard is so steep and continually washes with these heavy down pours but they have small beds along the driveway which is filled with all kinds of flowers and veggie plants and of course she has tons of potted as well as hanging baskets and plants on their front porch and deck. She has a tomato plant in a pot that is showing signs of ripening. We visited for close to an hour before heading up the steep roadway and then across our back road and finally down the steep backwoods trail to the cabin. What a beautiful place GOD has blessed us with and to come into clearing of the cabin and the land is just so awesome and magnificent. We of course did a lot of work but its just so rewarding to see this creation out of the once wooded land.

Well that was about it for the day as we cleaned up some leftover and then I cut up a whole chicken we were going to fix with the Ross's but ate fresh caught bass instead from our "mountain moms" lake. After supper we walked around the yards but the grasses were so wet from the lite rain shower I had to put on my gum boots and Nancy called it quits since her tennis shoes got soaked. I pulled a few weeds and grasses in some of the beds until dusk then settled in until it was shower time and some horizontal lab.

Today is corporate worship day at Cornerstone in Sparta as we missed last Sunday due to Amy and the girls being here. We will watch Cornerstone in Leesburg with Gary Hamerick then S.R.B.C. later in day with Pastor Dereck after worshiping locally with our Pastor B and then lunch out at the Pizzeria with the Frankis Family. Hopefully we can get a hike in later in the evening, LATER

Saturday Morning July 22nd

 Well the Ross Family just pulled out around 6'ish for hot Florida moments ago. Keep them in your prayers for safe travel. The Rocky wasn't letting them out of his site as he followed them around until they loaded him in his place in the back of the car. He is such a big part of that family and just full of energy as the kiddos run him around especially here at the cabin where its a lot cooler. 

Well Friday was a busy fun filled day as we had a full day with the whole family; eating was awesome with French toast, sausage and eggs for breakfast and then left over Zuppa soup for Sam and we had  leftover burger s and dog's for lunch but Ava eats all day long munching on her various snacks. Eliza is a picky eater and I was surprised both her and Amy didn't care for the fried fresh caught bass that I filleted for our supper. The rest of us ate all of the fish which was superb along with Jasmine rice with black beans and corn on the cob. Nancy made a black raspberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert which I passed on. I'm off desserts for the immediate future for now as I need to get back to hiking and eating less.

We had a campfire last evening and the kiddos has smores and a grand time playing outside in the yards until nearly dark. Then it was shower time after checking on the Ray's game and they came back after losing the night before to beat the Orioles in a shut out at the Trop. We never got in another hike to the top but the kiddos took several golf cart rides as did Amy and Tyler through out the day. Amy did laundry and Tyler put their camping equipment out to dry and air out. Ava did a fine job with her driving the golf cart and she ran through several gallons of gas this past week, burning up the roads up with Eliza and Sam.

Well I need to de Rocky the cabin today by taking down the fences around the flower gardens and pick up sticks which he loves to bring into the yards and chew on. It will be quiet around here for a change as we clean up slobbers and hairs from the furniture and as well as the floor, for a big lug he is lovable and so friendly and will be missed along with all of them, LATER

Friday Morning July 21st

 Well Sam and Tyler got back last evening around 9 after hiking 40 miles or so on the Appalachian Trail ending down near Franklin, N.C. after starting in Georgia on Sunday. They were pumped but did have an odor about them and were glad to be back at the cabin and in a soft bed.

I started the day on Thursday with my usual roll out around 6'ish or a little before to my usual morning routines that start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, to give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing after posting this ramble. All seem to be holding on as of now. I headed out to check on the gardens and so far the deer have left it alone but now the Japanese Beetles have decided to eat on everything, especially my bean plants. I've been taking a plastic bucket with a little water in the bottom and knocking them off into it where they curl up in a ball and then dispatching them with my foot while laying them on a rock; I'm not a fan of pesticides and I'm not sure they would die from using them, but this way I'm sure.

I piddled around outside working in the gardens pulling some weeds and hoeing around some plants. I hauled some mulch and rocks from the backwoods yards to build up a barrier along the new patch that is growing cucumbers, radishes and zinnias. Next year I want to put my squashes in this area as they aren't doing well in the circle drive. I don't believe they are getting enough direct sunshine as the fruit that has been set are drying up despite the plants looking pretty good. I did add some bonemeal around them hoping the lack of calcium maybe the issue, oh well.

I didn't do much except enjoy the grand girls as they took several golf cart rides through out the day and then we all except grandma took a nice evening hike to the top of the mountain after supper. I tuned into the Ray's vs Orioles and the Ray's are now in second place after losing at home to the Birds. Terrible lack of no hitting with 2 on in the bottom of the 10th with no outs and could not score, oh well, LATER

Thursday Morning July 20th

 Well time is moving right along as this month is 2/3 rds gone already and I'm still awaiting ripe tomato's, cucumbers and squashes as well as mature peppers, oh well. The weather on Wednesday was awesome with low humidity and cooler temps. I don't believe we ever reached the high 70's with some cloud cover and a sprinkle in the late afternoon. Nothing to amount to anything with just enough to see it out line the truck on the gravel.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish rollout to my 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 for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding at this moment. I headed out to check on the gardens after everyone awakened. We did have a heavy dew once again which required me to wear my gum boots. Everything looked good and the flowers are really starting to show their beautiful colors. I'm still waiting on the dahlias to head up and bloom but everything else is showing off their beauty especially the cone flowers.

I decided after eating one of Ava's delicious home made cinnamon buns to clean out the black raspberry patch of the dead stalks and pull out the grasses and weeds then cover the patch with dead pine needles. It seem they are holding down the weeds and giving the ground some compost and the new shoots seem to love the acid from them. I headed up into the backwoods with the golf cart where I loaded up two large trash cans of them and covered the ground. All I have to do before leaving in the Fall is to fertilize the patch and hopefully next year have enough berries to make jelly for a change.

I loaded up the garbage for the girls to drop off on their way to Galax to shop. I usually burn most of the burnable stuff, but Rocky is in fire pit munching on the leftovers so I forgo burning while he is here. After the girls left to shop for the next 6 hours I painted the red shed and then settled in to watch the Ray's lose their first three games in a row to the Rangers, oh well. They are now tied with the Orioles who are playing great ball and who are in town for 4 games. I sure hope our pitching and hitting comes to life for this series or we will be heading down in the standings.

We all took a late evening hike to the top of the mountain after a lite supper and it was a perfect evening for hiking. We need to do this instead of the mid morning hike when the heat and sunshine are more evident on top of the mountain. We had cleaned up some leftovers for supper as the girls ate out in Galax and then had ice cream at a local shop. It was after 8 before we got back from our hike and then they settled into HGTV while I watched some You Tube video on Viet Nam. I saw some areas that I was familiar with when my flying days were in several different places in the country. Lots of memories from there in those days when I was a young man, LATER

Wednesday Morning July 19th

 Well Tuesday was a little warmer after a beautiful cool morning that actually saw a sun shower late in the evening. It didn't amount to much except settle the dust but it did cool things down a little. The a/c remained on over night until this AM when the temps reached the 60's once again to start the day.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish rollout to my routines that start with some quiet time to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name for healing and comfort. All seem as well as can be expected. Tyler and Sam are doing well on their hike and have at least one more over night stay before getting back to the cabin on Thursday evening.

We didn't do much here at the cabin as I headed up to the back road with Ava and Eliza in the golf cart to saw up a small maple tree that had fallen down over the road. I saved the wood for the camp fires for a later date. We did take a late hike to the top of the mountain around 4'ish and came back and started on supper. Nancy is making all of the dishes they usually don't get because of Tyler allergy to garlic. We had fried squash as well as Tortillas soup for our supper and I cleaned up the last of the pot roast for lunch which was very tasty while they had sandwiches and Zuppa soup. Breakfast had me frying biscuits in bacon grease outside on the grill which was very tasty, they are almost like a donut and the taste is delicious, another favorite of everyone.

Well today I think the girls are all going to Galax, Va. to shop while I keep Rocky company. I have some piddling chores to do around the cabin then I'll take him for a hike. I'll catch up on some down time as well, LATER

Tuesday Morning July 18th

 Well Monday started out just beautiful with temps in the low 60's with tons of sunshine and blue skies but as the day wore on it became much warmer and the humidity creeped back into the picture causing the a/c to be back on. It wasn't intolerable like last weekend. I started the day with my usual 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 several up by name for comfort and healing after posting this ramble. All seem to be holding as of this post.

I headed out to check on the gardens and flower beds and they also seem fine with no deer damage. I piddled around outside pulling some weeds and grass which seems to grow over night in some of the beds. I found a spot that had some fishing worms and picked up several to add to the compost pile so when we next head over to our "mountain moms" lake we will have plenty of bait. The bass there are excellent eating and last year grandson Sam reeled in several which we fried up for supper before they left for Florida. He and his dad, Tyler will be back on Thursday from their Appalachian Trail adventure which is going great from their nightly posts.

We all took a nice hike to the top of the mountain before lunch which was awesome for a change. It was a rather warm on top compared to our cooler temps down below. The haze was very strong down off the mountain as no long distant views were evident. We came back and had a lite lunch before getting ready to head out to visit our "mountain mom" Helen and then up to the Air Bellow's area to visit with Jake and Katelyn's family and to see their beautiful property snuggled back into the mountain. Their two kiddos are beautiful and smiley especially Seth who is close to being a year old. Skylar who is 3 is going on 13 with her intelligent and mannerisms. They have moved permanently from their existing residence to a mobile home on their property and plan on selling their place in the near future to build their dream home. Both of them are workers and Jake is so skilled at building and she at designing. They make a great couple as well as both lead the youth program at Cornerstone Church. We visited with our "mountain mom" first taking her some cinnamon buns and a sack of cleaned lettuces from the garden on the way to visit Jake and Katelyn's.

We made a gas stop before heading back to cabin so Ava and Eliza can ride the roads in the golf cart as they like to do. They took off after a delicious supper of Zuppa Soup and happened upon the friendly dog from onto top of the mountain and she followed them back to the cabin to play with Rocky. I think they planned that, oh well. Nancy was not happy as she will not go home on her own so she, Amy and Eliza loaded Lucky on the golf cart and drove her home while I got a campfire going for smores. Everyone but me took part in smores which just adds to my belly especially late in the evening. I did have two of Ava's delicious cinnamon buns for breakfast.

I tuned into the Ray's game and they blew a 2-0 lead only to loss to the Texan's 3-2. They are having their hands full as the second half of the season is under way and the Orioles are winning big who come to St.Pete later this week and are vying for first place over the Ray's, LATER

Monday Morning July 17th

 Well Sunday was a beautiful day weather wise after the 4 1/2 inches of rain on Saturday afternoon and evening, yeow did it ever pour enough so that the water running off the top of the mountain once more created a stream in the back woods gully, albeit wasn't as full as the last major 4 day event with the 8 inches of rain. The temps dropped and a nice breeze blew out any humidity so we turned off the a/c until night fall and opened all of the windows and door. Just a beautiful day.

I started the day with my 6'ish 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 by name for comfort and healing. All are holding as I make this post. Tyler and Sam located their first overnight shelter on the trail and were doing well on their trip up from Georgia into the Carolina's for a 40 mile or so hike on the Appalachian Trail. Amy and the girls brought no clothes for church so I listened to our SRBC service which is live on line and worshipped that way. Pastor Dereck brought a great message from the gospel of John which warns us of the dire straights America is in now with what was once good is now evil and what was once evil is now considered good in our changing culture. America had better wake up to what these radical wokers are doing to destroy the very fabric of our society which was once based on GOD's truth in his Word.

We headed out for Sparta around 12:30 to have lunch at the pizzeria and once more their pies were delicious and filling. We made a quick stop at the library to return some books and then I dropped the girls off at the Food Lion for some shopping while I picked up Nancy's script at Walgreens across the road. We then made another stop at the veggies stand before taking a scenic drive back to the cabin. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the Ray's lose to team with a terrible record after winning a double hitter yesterday, oh well. They have lost enough games that the second place team is just one win away from tying their record.

The young girls used the golf cart for tripping around the mountain and down to the creek while Nancy and Amy sat on the front porch in the gentle cool breeze which lasted until it was time to close up the cabin for the night. I did some yard work after the game and then the young girls and I took a hike up the backwoods trail just before dusk. Ava made homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch and the smelled delicious. I passed until this AM when I'll have one for breakfast. It wasn't long after dark that it was shower time and then some horizontal lab for me a little after 10. The girls were all watching HGTV when I hit the sack, LATER 

Sunday Morning July 16th

 Well Saturday was another humid day with plenty of sunshine until late afternoon when the skies opened up with down pours, some thunder and lightning as well until late evening. I'm sure the driveway is washed out with ruts once again. It was a fun day with great eating and game playing as Sheri and Steve joined us after lunch for a couple of hours of Hand and Foot. We now have Amy and Tyler interested in the game as well but the guys prevailed once again despite their complaints of my score keeping. It was a fun time but we will not see the Nymark's again until the end of September as they are off traveling around the country visiting with family.

The bat lady came around 1'ish and worked finishing up her project of making the cabin unfriendly to bats. Her work already had them roosting outside the roof under the eves but she made it even harder for them to do that. Hopefully this is the end of them seeking our cabin for their home. This was an expensive event but one that now has the cabin free of their invasion. We love the fact that bats eat so many insects but not with their dropping on the deck and their noise inside the bump out over the roof. She brought her young kiddos with her and we got to meet another Ryder who is 5 months old along with her oldest son who helps her with her job. She is a worker and is not afraid of heights and seems to know what she is doing. Lets hope they are gone for at least 5 years which she guarantees on the contract. We got to know a little about her and how she got in the business and about her family.

Well we all took a hike down to visit Sheri and Steve's "bear cave" as Sheri calls it. Its a very nice shipping container that Steve made into small apartment like living dwelling. Steve has done a great job making it livable. They still have the camper but will probably take it back to Florida this winter for repairs and to sell purchasing a larger one for the campground. He has three areas already for camper's or RV's. We visited with them and then took a hike with them up part ways to the top before heading back down the steep backwoods trail on our property. Rocky was having a great time running through the woods but he got so hot we let him stay down in the basement where the floor was cold.

Well Tyler and Sam left at 6 this AM for their hike on the Appalachian Trail for the next 4 days. They hope to hike at least 40 miles starting down in Georgia and go north. Lets keep them in our thoughts and prayers for safety and good weather, as well as for the Nymark's as they also leave this AM for Tennessee and eventually to Michigan to see family, LATER

Saturday Morning July 15th

 Well the Ross Family arrived safely around 6'ish and Rocky leaped out of the vehicle and ran around like it was the best thing ever, especially up into the woods where he does his business. He was in heaven according to his reactions of being back at the cabin. He is such a big sweet goof especially in the mornings as he comes into welcomes us with his tail wagging and making booming sounds against the wall.

Friday started out with my usual 6'ish roll out to my morning routines that 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 of this date. I headed out to check on the gardens and flower beds and we now have 4 o'clocks blooming in red, pink and yellow colors in the circle drive and some orange marigolds showing some colors in the bed by the fire circle. The cone's are showing colors and now I'm waiting on the dahlias to start heading up and blooming. We got nearly a half inch of rain during the afternoon which cleared out the humidity and gave everything a good drink.

I transplanted the rest of the lettuces seedlings as well as several onion seedlings into the now empty garlic bed. The tomato and pepper plants are loaded with fruit as well. The garden over all is doing better than expected and I'm hoping the deer stay away as well. It was a work inside until lunch time with vacuuming the house and doing some house hold chores as we got ready for Amy and family to arrive. Since we had caught up on all our chores and preps we invited Sheri and Steve up around 1'ish to play cards until the family arrived.

It was a gals day as they won both games of Hand and Foot and then after supper we introduced Amy and Tyler to the game and they loved it as well. The guys won this game. It wasn't long after the game I hit the showers and was soon ready for some horizontal lab. The pot roast supper was delicious with plenty of leftover for another meal since Tyler and Sam are leaving Sunday morning for a 4 day hike on the Appalachian Trail, LATER

Friday Morning July 14th

Well The Ross Family should be on the way as I'm making this post from hot Florida for a week or so. Please keep them in your prayers for safe travels.

Thursday morning started out with my usual 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 several up by name for comfort and healing. All are holding as I make this post. It was another dry day but that changed over night with a soft rain and the yard and gardens are welcoming this event. Speaking of the gardens I transplanted several hills of lettuces I started from seeds before we took off to shop in Galax, Va. and they seem to be doing just fine despite the afternoon heat. We now have the a/c on here due the summer time heat which hasn't been all that bad thus far this summer.

We stocked up at Wal Mart once again for the Ross visit and we should get squash and cucumbers while they are here as well and the tomato's are finally getting big enough to turn and ripen. The wine berries are ripening as well but no blueberrries as of yet. I harvested my garlic and they are great this year with beautiful bulbs. I got them out of the ground just in time before this soaking rain. I gave away a couple of nice bulbs to Sheri and Katelyn.

I put up a fence around the front  porch flower bed as Rocky loves to trample through that area while chasing the kiddos. I'm sure there will be casualties in some of the flower beds but hopefully not this new bed with the first time of growing dahlia's. I piddled around the cabin until supper time when Sheri and Steve came by to make a delicious mango salsa. They had brought 3 large mango's from neighbors trees in Florida and they were ripened to perfection for this salsa. Steve did a fine job putting it together. We had  veggies grilled on skewers and London broil grilled to perfection with baked taters on the side. Wow what a delicious supper and the Frankis Family joined us as well.

We all headed outside after eating to sit and enjoy the coolness of the evening as Steve had taken the two little fellers out to play in the grass. It was such a relaxing time to keep the kiddos busy and happy. We came back in and decided to teach Katelyn and Jake the new card game, Hand and Foot and Steve and I played two rounds with them. They caught on quick as they love to play games. They left some where around 9 which was way past the kiddos bed time but Nancy and Sheri kept them entertained while we played the game.  After they left we played 3 rounds of the game and decided since we guys were so far ahead, they would concede the final round and they left home. It was going on 11 and we still had supper dishes to do. I washed and Nancy dried and then I hit the shower and was soon out before midnight. It was a fun day once again with great eating and then again this evening we will start all over with a pot roast for when the Ross Family arrives, LATER

Thursday Morning July 13th

 Well Wednesday was another beautiful day weather wise but it did get rather hot and humid by late afternoon so on went the a/c plus we were having the Nymark's for supper and then games. It also was a work day and the bat people came back to start their project of eliminating the bats from the roof of the cabin. It was close to noon before they arrived and they worked for about 3 straight hours before running out of materials so they are coming back on Saturday to finish the job. It a mother and son team and we got to know them and they come all the way from east of Charlotte to do this job which pays well but hopefully gets rid of the bats.

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 for another day and to lift up several for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding as I make this post. After breakfast I headed out to weed whack the entire property and then decided to mow everything as well since we were waiting on the bat people to arrive. I did do some some piddly chores and then did lend them a hand with some ladders that were heavy to maneuver around on the porch to the deck. The mom was the leader and she was up on the ridge cap without a harness installing blocking items to keep the critters out from under the roof cap with out any fear while wearing shorts. She seemed to know what she was doing at all times as her 17 year old son assisted. 

After a supper of chicken ala king over biscuits that Steve prepared which was delicious we played "hand and foot" until after 9 and then Nancy and I went out on the deck and the bats were swirling trying to get back under the roof. Seems she had allowed them to exit the roof but now they were unable to get back in to their safe place, which is the plan altogether, so it seems she knew what she was doing.

We are off to Galax, Va. today to stock up for Amy and family who arrive on Friday evening for a week. This evening we are having Jake and Katelyn and family for supper with the Nymark's. I doubt we will play any games as they will have the two youngsters with them, LATER

Wednesday Morning July 12th

 Well Tuesday was another near perfect day with cool temps to start the morning and highs in the upper 70's by late afternoon and no humidity. Total sunshine and Carolina blue skies. I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish rollout to my routines that always start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and lift up several for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding as I make this post. I headed out to check on the gardens before breakfast and so far no deer damage and very little slug damage as well. We were planning a float down the New River in kayaks with Sheri and Steve and they were meeting us here at the cabin at 10.

Well the float was awesome to say the least and only a couple times did we get hung up on rocks along the 5 miles or so float. The area is just beautiful and the waster was cool enough you could refresh immediately with a foot or hand in the water. We did it in about 2 1/2 hours from the start to finish. We made a stop at Foley's Fried chicken place on the way home in Sparta after dropping off the two borrowed kayaks from Mechelle's and picked up a family bucket of delicious fare with tater wedges, cole slaw and rolls. We will definitely do that again this summer as the chicken flavor was awesome.

We got back to the cabin and chowed down around 4'ish and then settled into the card game" Hand and Foot" and the guys wiped the floor with three wins. This game takes about awhile as there are four phases to the game and it was going on 10 before we called it a night. The game is addicting and we play gals vs guys. It wasn't long after the Nymark's headed down to their place that I was in the shower and some horizontal lab.

Today the "bat people" are supposed to come and start the process of eliminating them from the cabin. I'm some what skeptical of them but we will see if they are legit or a scam, LATER

Tuesday Morning July 11th

Well Monday was as near a perfect day weather wise we have seen in several days. There was just enough coolness in the air to keep the a/c off even during what is usually the hottest part of the day and by late evening there was a chill in the air. It was also less humid which makes a difference. 

I started the day with my usual before 6 rollout to my routines that 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 seem as well as can be expected due to ages and health issues. After a lite breakfast I headed out to work outside almost all day long starting with down on my knees, weeding several flower beds of grasses and unwanted weeds as well as some gardening. Neighbor Gerald came by and I blessed him with a sack of lettuces. He and Phylis are heading back to Winston for the week but he scraped the driveway which had some erosion from that hard rain on Sunday morning. It's nice to not have to due all that work by hand.

We had an estimate on ridding the cabin of bats and since Bobby picked this outfit from seeing a truck in Sparta last week we gave them a call. I'm still skeptical as to whether they are legit but their estimate was out of bounds I thought initially but came down to 2200 bucks with a 5 year guarantee. I gave her half to start and the rest when there are no more bats. I sure hope they are legit and competent, oh well. They were over an hour late in their appointment but the gal in charge jumped right up on the roof to look over the areas, got stung by a wasp and said she would rid the bee's as well. She showed us how she would make a tunnel so the bats could leave but not get back into house after once leaving. Made sense to me and now lets see if they come back.

We had an early supper around 4"ish with Steve and Sheri who picked up a salmon filet while shopping in Galax and we played some Hand and Foot before eating and then again afterwards until it was time for the gals to head off to Cornerstone for the women's Monday night Bible study. Steve and I took and extra long hike after doing the dishes to the top of the mountain and back down to his place before ending at the cabin. He mentioned his electric weed whacker broke, so I had an extra one that Mike gave me so we worked on getting this one ready to use with new line, fuel and adjustments to the head. It will suit his needs perfectly.

We sat on the back porch until the gals arrived and then played the last hand of the earlier game and the gals smoked us and then again in a game of Euchre. Wasn't a great night of game winning for us guys but we got the weed whacker working which was awesome as its has sat unused for two years. This morning we head to the New River for a kayaking adventure after picking us two kayak's from Caleb's porch for the Nymark's and then supper and games together once again. The weather is supposed to be near perfect once again. LATER 

Monday Morning July 10th

 Well this month is moving right along and on Sunday morning we finally got some much needed rain which ruined the wash and wax job the grands and I did on the truck before they left for Florida, oh well. We had such a fun time with them. Thankfully Steve and Sheri have taken up the void left by them when they leave and Sunday found us picking them up for church in the rain and then lunch out afterwards at the Pizzeria and then some grocery shopping at the Food Lion in Sparta.

I started the day 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 by name. All are holding. We got a frantic call from daughter Amy who looks after our place in Seminole and she found a black snake in the house. Seems grandson Sam never close the screen door tightly when they come to mow the yard for us and a small black racer entered into the house for a week and Amy found it in the bathroom, thankfully an old neighbor kid, Andy who is the son of our friends the Botbyl's, came and rescued it, so everything is back in order.We now have bats in the roof of our cabin, so it must be a sign with a snake in the house and bats in cabin, oh well. We saw a fawn and its mother in the backwoods yard while playing games with the Nymark's after church yesterday afternoon. Animal life has come all at once to us.

Church worship was awesome with a good message on the full armor of GOD to battle the evil spiritual warfare that is now so evident in our society where the truths in God's Word is being replaced by wokeism's of the left. We are seeing the moral decay to our culture that comes from failing to adhere to these principles and truths. Christians need to wake up and be bold and brave again to battle these evils.

The Nymark's met us for a lite supper of hot dogs and some salad after playing a round of Hand and Foot a card game which Nancy and Brian taught us this year. It takes awhile to play but is exciting when playing as a team. The guys won the first game which takes quite awhile to play but the gals rebounded and won the second game. We will play the rubber game another day. I did get to watch the Ray's finally defeat the best team in MLB by a score of 8-4. Finally the bats and pitching came around for the Ray's who are still the best team in the American league against the best team in the National league although they lost the best of a three game series.

Well we have a company who is coming this morning, Monday who specializes in pest or animal removal from buildings. Lets hope they are reasonable and can do the job. I removed the bats last year from the A/C covering on the deck but I think the heavy rains of a couple weeks ago drove them back to the roof line. I even built a bat house a few years ago but it doesn't seem to be their place to take up residence in the backwoods, oh well, LATER

Sunday Morning July 9th

 Well Saturday was a work day after the Triplett Family left around 4:30 in the morning. We went back to bed and slept in until nearly 7 then it was work the rest of the day until we had the Nymark's up for leftovers and games until nearly 9'ish.

 I did my morning routines that start with some quiet times that honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift up several for comfort and healing and for traveling mercies for Bobby and family. They got back after a nearly 12 hour trip safe and sound to a hot Florida. It was a bit on the warm side here and by late afternoon we had the a/c on as well.

I headed out after a lite breakfast to check on the gardens and to harvest a mess of leafy greens for a huge salad bowl. After cleaning and spinning it dry I headed upstairs with the vacuum and cleaned all three floors and then cleaned the a/c filters before heading outside to weed the flower bed near the front porch where we have dahlia 's growing. The weeds sure grow fast here which is a good sign the soil is fertile. That kept me busy right up until lunch time which had me cleaning up the last of the spaghetti and meat balls.

 After lunch I transplanted 28 black seeded Thompson lettuce seedlings into individual 4 packs which will be replacing the Bibb lettuces in the upper garden as its now finished. What a great year for that type of lettuce which makes for delicious salads. I must say this has been the best year ever on growing lettuces here in this clay soil as opposed to the sandy soil of Florida. Even the kale and collards have done great this year thus far.

Well I cleaned up the smoker and made it ready for the next big social event with pork ribs. This has been a great smoker that must be 15 years or more old. Its so old you can not buy this one again made by  Brinkman which I think has gone out of business. I took an hour and sat on the back porch and read until it was time for the Nymark's to arrive for supper which was around 4'ish. I had Steve help me carry the mattresses off the bunkbeds in the basement which Annsley and Gabe slept on, up to the upstairs beds where they will stay until next summer.  The basement over the winter months does get a little musty so we didn't want to ruin them.

Well we played Jokers and Pegs after a supper of leftover ribs, taters, with fresh green beans and the guys won the first two games before eating and gals the next three games after supper. I believe they spiked our supper to cause us to go easy on them. After they won the rubber game we played one game of Euchre and gals won that as well, oh well. Supper was delicious despite being leftovers.

Today is corporate worship day and then lunch out and some last minute shopping before leaving town. We will pick up the Nymark's and ride together. They are here for a week and will probably do suppers and excursions with them as well as a kayak trip later this week, LATER

Saturday morning July 8th

 Well its quiet around here as I make this post this morning but at 4 Am it was a busy cabin as son Bobby and family were up at 4 and away close to 4:30 on their way back to hot sunny Florida. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers for traveling mercies.

Well Friday was another fun filled day that started with my usual routines after a before 6 roll out. I spent some quiet moments with my LORD giving thanks for another day and lifting several up by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be doing well except Nancy got word a close friend of hers growing up in Seminole passed away suddenly with a heart attack. Not sure if she had a relationship with Jesus but we can only hope she did.

We decided after breakfast to take the boys over to our "mountain moms" pond and do some fishing and get some pics of their first time ever fishing, well needless to say the bass and blue gill were biting and the boys each caught a bass large enough to fillet with a total of three, so we had them for a snack before supper and everyone had just enough to say how delicious they were. If we had more worms we could have caught more but they weren't biting on the artificial worms, oh well. The experience was awesome for the boys despite them being afraid to touch the bass.

We came back and the big grands took the golf cart for a ride one of many for the day. Gabe and Annsley both do quite well especially Annsley while Gabe is a little of a lead foot. I felt comfortable they both were responsible to take the cart out by themselves. I piddled around in the gardens after getting two racks of ribs on the smoker around 12:30. which turned out to be delicious as well with parsley taters, steamed broccoli, left over baked beans and a fresh garden salad around 6'ish. Friends Sheri and Steve joined us as well as they finally got up to their place, just down the hill from us for a week.

We decided since it was a beautiful evening and the sun was behind the trees that eating out on the deck was perfect and it was and then afterwards we got into a game of Euchre and the guys won in a close match on the last hand after being ahead big to start the game. It was a fun evening and I headed out to water the gardens and watch for bats which have once again moved into the roof line of the cabin. I almost forgot to mention after the twins nap they along with Anns and Gabe helped with washing and vacuuming both their vehicle and mine. Everyone did a great job and the wetness of the event helped with cooling off and waking everyone on this some what hot afternoon, thankfully we had a shaded spot in the front yard.

Well it will be quiet around until the Ross family come again for a week in a couple of weeks, too bad they all couldn't be here together, oh well. Everyone seemed to have a great time and many first's happened on this visit with a first total hikes by the twins up the steep backwoods trail, Anns and Gabe shooting pistols and driving the golf cart alone without an adult, catching a fish by the twins, the twins riding on a pony and them no longer in a seat but at the table in a chair. My how they have matured despite some 3 year old antics and knuckle headness which they will grow out of as both Bobby and Katie give them guidelines.

The weather stayed near perfect as it once was predicting rain everyday and yet just one shower that lasted maybe an hour, we actually could use some rain as I'm hand watering the flower and vegetable beds. The older grand and us played Jokers and Pegs close to 11'ish before calling it a night, last night.  They of course can sleep on the way back home as Bobby hit the sack earlier in the evening. We had many card and board games through out the week along with some dominoes as well., LATER

Friday Morning July 7th

Well Thursday was another near perfect day with weather being very nice until a nice welcoming rain shower in the afternoon which gave every thing a drink and settled the dust coming in the road. I started the day with my usual before 6 rollout to my 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 for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected due to ages and health issues.

We ate a lite breakfast as we wanted to visit Katelyn and Jake's small farm so the twins could ride on a pony and have pictures taken. They had a grand time playing with Skylar and Seth and Nancy got to hold a just recently born a baby goat just minutes before we got there. We stayed there until after 11'ish then headed back to the cabin for some lunch. After awhile to digest we put the boys down in separate bedrooms for a nap and they did go to sleep for over an hour.

Bobby and Katie were gone for the whole day to W. Jefferson to shop, visit a winery and out for dinner. It was after 7 before they got back just in time for the boys to shower and be down for the night. I took all of the grands down to the small creek at the Heglar's in the afternoon to let them play in the cold water and I caught a small crawfish. I let Huck hold it and of course he closed his fingers around it and it pinched him and he cried for a couple minutes. I held it but let it craw along my hands and arm and it never pinched me which made him want to hold it.

I let Gabe drive us back to the cabin and then he took Nancy and the twins on a ride to the top of the mountain. I dug up some lettuce seedlings and transplanted them into 4 packs for a couple of days before setting them into the ground. This has been a banner year for lettuces as the butter crunch or bibb is just about gone. The tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers are starting to set fruit and we should be harvesting some in a week or so. So far the deer have stayed away with no damage thus far.

 Bobby wanted everyone to play dominos and the gals especially Katie whupped us all. It was another late night for me as it was after 11 before a shower and some horizontal lab time, LATER

Thursday Morning July 6th

Well Wednesday was another busy fun filled day that lasted until midnight after an early morning start around 6 'ish. I did my usual routines that start with some quiet time while the cabin was quiet with only the sound of the morning dew dripping onto the dormer to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name. I lost another '64 high school classmate, but all on my list are holding as of now. Nancy had a large breakfast once again for everyone and then we headed out to Sparta to get the twins hair cuts while the gals shopped. I ran to the dump to drop off several large bags of trash since we are eating mainly off paper plates and then to the library before joining Bobby and the boys at the barber shop.

We then met at the play park in town where the boys ran and played and then we saw close to the play area a water park and they had fun getting splashed on and dumped by buckets of water. After that we headed to the Pizzeria for a delicious lunch of three kinds of pies before heading home. I brought everyone home except Bobby and Nancy who once again filled several bags of groceries at the Food Lion before joining us an hour or so later.

The boys fell asleep on the way home so we put them to bed and they napped for an hour so as we all sat on the porches and read. Bobby had a dear friend and fellow associate at Offerpad visit for some target practice until supper time of which he stayed and ate with us as well as visited by the campfire until nearly dark. After showers and the boys in bed we played Euchre until midnight; Bobby and I won two straight games and then we played a third and the girls squeaked out a win on the last hand which helped with their personality.

Today we head over to Katelyn's for pony pics of the boys and then Bobby and Katie head off for the day an evening out while we play and feed the kiddos, LATER

Wednesday Morning July 5th

Well Tuesday was another rain less day after predictions were for rain through out this week, yet we could use a shower as summer has quickly settled in. I had to hand water the gardens again last evening. It made for a perfect night for fireworks as we and several hundreds other folks gathered at the Alleghany High School parking areas to watch a great 30 minutes of fireworks display.

I 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 for comfort and healing after posting this ramble. All are holding as of now. Everyone was still sleeping so I headed out to check on the gardens and flower beds for any deer and slug damage. All seem well there also. The twins were the first to come down for the morning so we entertained them and gave them some breakfast and then with their noise everyone began appearing after a great night of sleep. We are now sleeping with the a/c on but did cut it off during the pleasant day until late afternoon. We had Jake and Katelyn and their two kiddos over for supper and then we all met at the school for the fireworks around 8:30. Jake brought his flatbed truck and all the kiddos sat on it along with Pastor B's kiddos. It was a good reunion for Bobby and Pastor B as they hadn't seen each other in years.

Bobby and the twins and I took a nice long hike to the top and the boys walked the whole distant. They did great except for a small skinned knee while running. But they made it up and down the steep backwoods trail on their own. I took the boys a couple times and then Gabe on a golf cart ride during the day and then Annsley and Gabe took off together to the top. Roddy had the back road in good shape compared to before the washout rain a couple weeks ago. I gave away two huge messes of lettuces to neighbors that needed harvesting as well as they came by on their ATV's to say Hi.

We watched the Ray's lose at home against the Phillies 3-1 while sitting outside on the back porch. It was a busy fun filled day entertaining the the kiddos and today we are off once again to Sparta to let the boys play at the park and then have lunch out at the Pizzeria, LATER

Tuesday Morning July 4th..Happy Independence Day

 Well since I made a large post yesterday up until we got home from Boone, I'll skip some of the earlier stuff and report what happened since then. On the way in from our last shopping stop in Sparta the flat of eggs shifted to the rear of the car and when I opened the back door they fell out onto the ground breaking several but I managed to save about 2/3 rds of the flat despite many open yolks that fed the rocks. The boys played hard all afternoon and we took a couple of golf cart rides through out the evening waiting for Bobby. They got in around 6'ish and we grilled rib eye's along with corn on the cob and a fresh garden salad. What a feast with cheese cake for dessert.

We all were whupped so we only played two games of Euchre and the wins were split between the guys and gals, LATER

Monday Afternoon July 3rd

Well Sunday was a busy day that started with a well before 6 rollout to my usual routines, albeit they were abbreviated due to us leaving for Boone/Blowing Rock around 9:30. It was an uneventful trip down south along the twisty roads as the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed for repairs. We got there around 11'ish and headed straight for the park in the center of town. The play was jumping with kids and 3 pickle ball courts were in action as well with some decent players. Seems they updated the basketball courts with pickle ball nets and the action was decent, not great . I wanted to play since my aching back as quit hurting but had no paddle plus I didn't have decent foot wear. Instead we soon looked for a place have a bite of lunch and one place close had a to 2 hours wait. We found a deli and outside picnic table and had sandwiches.

Bobby, Annsley and Gabe soon headed out for their 2 appointment for the zip line so Katie, Nancy, myself and boys went to see Katie's aunt Cindy who last year purchased a place in the mountains just a few minutes from our motel. Wow is this place hard to get too due to the road and the steepness of the area but it is huge with a great view, but not one I would like as there is no yard and its nearly straight up and down. It was the first time we had seen her since Bobby and Katie's weddings several years ago. They met us for supper at the Pedalin' Pig in Boone later in the evening for a delicious supper. We got a storm while waiting that was unbelievable in intensity. A complete white out with rain and fog for several minutes then it cleared off with some sunshine. Before we headed out for supper I took the boys in the hotel indoor pool for an hour or so while we waited for the zip liners to return.

After supper Nancy wanted some items she can only get at Publix's so we shopped and then met everyone back at our hotel. We had adjoining rooms so we played Euchre after buying a deck of cards at Publix's. The gals won in a close match as it was the first time Gabe and Annsley ever played the game. The twins had been put down earlier in our room and in bed when we came in from shopping and it was around 10:30 when we called it a night. Everyone in Bobby's room had to be up around 5'ish for their trip to Banner Elk to meet up with their white water rafting group which supposedly lasts until 4'ish and then they have the 2 plus hour trip back here to the cabin later in the evening to have supper. I never slept at all as the boys were up a few times during the night be4side it was a different bed, etc.

We got them up around 7'ish and then headed down for breakfast before leaving around 8:30 for Sparta. We came back on 221 all the way which is the shortest way but the roads are the most crooked in the county. We had to make another stop at the Food Lion in Sparta for some items and everything is full to the hilt in both fridges and freezers. We let the boys play with the new Lincoln logs and train set then they wanted to play outside.   I took them on a a golf cart ride to the mailbox and then they rough housed outside until 2'ish after a lite lunch, LATER

Sunday Morning July 2nd

 Well I'm up early once again after a busy day on Saturday that started out with a well before 6 rollout to my routines and some quiet moments to honor my Lord, give thanks for another day and lift several up for comfort and healing as well as traveling mercies for my son and his family as the travelled from Brandon, Fl. to here. It took them about 12 hours which is about right especially when traveling with two 3 years and two teenagers. We had a huge supper waiting for them but first those boys ran down the hill and tumbled over several times as they got their mountain legs under them. They thought it was so much fun tumbling down the steep yard that I was concerned for their safety at times.

We both worked all day getting the place ready for them and then because of a change in sleeping arrangements we had to undo a couple mattresses and get the bunk beds ready for Annsley and Gabe in the basement. They both were excited about that which means the twins were in a separate room together which worked out fine as that gave Bobby and Katie some privacy. After a supper of spaghetti and meatballs with a fresh garden salad  and garlic bread I took the twins on a golf cart ride to the top of the mountain as they mention a ride when they first got here. Someone scrapped the ruts out of the back road to the top which had huge ruts from the water run off a week or so ago when we had 8 inches in one rainy period over several days. We saw no one which was surprising for it being a holiday weekend.

We got back and let the boys run and play outside as they loved the grass and the hilly yard. They rolled down the yards and picked wild flowers from the backwoods yards for Katie. We had cheesecake for them and me as well as Gabe. They are so cute and full of energy and after a shower they were ready for bed. It took them awhile to settle down after being threaten a few times but eventually they were out. We taught the big kids as well as Bobby and Katie, the new game Jokers and Pegs and they loved it as we played gals vs guys and we(guys) won both games. It was going on 11 before we all got showers and ready for bed.

We head out this AM for Boone so I'll be away from this keyboard until Monday some time, LATER

Saturday Morning.. JULY 1st

 Well June is gone and still its not quite summer time here in the mountains as the temps are very nice and comfortable. We did see a little more sunshine today and at times it was hot, but still no a/c yet except just before bedtime as Nancy cuts on the one unit in the lower level because she shuts all the windows just in case the bear comes by, oh my what a worry wart. Any how it was another day of no rain and actually we could use a nice shower as we hand watered everything last evening once the sun moved down toward's setting.

I started the day with my usual before 6 roll out to my routines that always start with some quiet moments to honor my LORD, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name for comfort and healing. No word on any changes in their status and of course our son Bobby and family are on their way here as I make this post; so please keep him and them in your prayers for traveling mercies. I may be away from this keyboard for some brief periods starting tomorrow due to their being here until next Saturday. We will travel to Boone tomorrow Sunday and spend a night in a motel before coming back with just the twins as the rest of the family stay down around Banner Elk for white water rafting.

I headed out to check on the gardens after seeing 3 large deer the other morning in the backwoods yard and while they walked around the area they didn't eat anything, yet. I now have some lettuce seeds germinating as I'll soon harvest the Bibb lettuces and replace them with the new seedlings. My Swiss chard seeds must be bad as I've sowed them 4 different times in four different places and no germination. We love that veggie and its so good raw and even better cooked, but so good for you. I have lots of blooms on just about every veggie in the garden that blooms but I'm also getting a few green worms on the collards and kale plants which require the finger treatment, which is smashed between the thumb and fore finger. I leave the smashed results there to remind the butter flies not to lays their eggs there as I hate to use any insecticides.

After a lite breakfast of cereal and banana I fired up the riding mower and mowed all but the very backwoods yard which isn't as hearty as the yards closer to the cabin. The saying is that it takes 7-10 year for the grasses to take over where the woods use to be. It still has some weedy areas especially where I took out so many trees the past couple or so years ago but with lime and fertilizer its slowly taking shape and reseeding itself. I mow it every other time during the growing season. That job kept me busy right up to lunch time when we finished up some leftover. Nancy was in the kitchen the whole day preparing a huge pot of spaghetti sauce and 70 some meat balls of which we had some meat ball with white rice for our supper. The smell of the fresh oregano from the garden in the sauce was awesome as it permeated the cabin. She also made a cheese cake which keeps well for a couple of days. I have a huge container of fresh leafy greens from the garden to make into a salad as well as we get ready for their requested supper when they arrive hopefully sometime in the late afternoon. I'm predicting 4'ish as Bobby likes to leave around 4 AM when I do.

Well it was minor chores and then after supper we walked around the property and then used the garden hose and watering can to give everything a drink. It was calling for a shower in the evening but we stayed dry. We both took and hour or so and sat on the porches reading until supper time. We did head out to the mailbox in the golf cart and then up to the top of the mountain but saw no one out and about. The long distant views off the mountain were non existent due to the haze from the heat off the mountain, LATER