Well Friday after a some what chilly start turned out to be very pleasant with lots of sunshine and a gentle breeze and although the dew was heavy, things started to dry out, so I burned on the two stumps all day which kept me busy adding old wood and lots of lighter knots which I had collected the day before. I did do some gardening as well and dug up some Rose of Sharon seedlings that came up volunteer in the gardens. I'll give some to the Frankis Family as well as to Bob and Mary, our new neighbors. I did finish circling the backwoods garden patch with rocks to keep it from washing away the dirt this winter. I did all of this and more after my morning start and 6'ish for a change rollout.
To start the morning and my routines of honoring my lord, Jesus after posting this ramble I lifted up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding and I finished up my quiet moments with my morning talk as I circled the perimeter of the property, walking at least a mile and getting some exercise. I sure miss seeing the top of the mountain early in the mornings, but with the presence now of bears and mountain lions its probably wise to not attempt that hike alone. Nancy still isn't strong enough to that particular hike, but she has been walking the perimeter of the property as well. I'm getting plenty of cardio on these morning walks but in just shorter spurts than the steep one hike up the backwoods trail and then the second steep hike up to the top, oh well. I've learned to adjust instead of making waves.
I picked blueberries from my bushes to accompany my oatmeal with cinnamon, honey and pecans for my breakfast and are they ever so delicious. That held me until a meatloaf sandwich for lunch as we knew we were attending a yard party to celebrate Seth's second birthday at the Frankis Place around 5'ish. They have such a beautiful setting for huge parties next to the small creek with plenty of play equipment for the kiddos as well as room for corn hole and a fire circle and room for any out door activity. Actually as the evening progressed the fire felt good to everyone except the kids who were at times playing in the creek. They didn't seem to mind the cold water or the wet clothes as they ran and played and wore us out watching them play.
Jake had burgers and dogs on the grill which were delicious and folks brought side dishes of slaw, salads, dips and cup cakes in place of a birthday cake. There was tons of foods and all delicious along with tons of kiddos. We got to know several of those in attendance and especially the wife of the new Baptist Church pastor in Sparta. She is from Naples Florida and now her and her 4 kiddos just love Sparta as well as the folks here. I did get to meet and know Jake's mom's new husband as we both were in Viet Nam about the same time I was there and shared many stories. He worked on C-130's as a crew chief but didn't fly and knew all about the C-141's and my job as a loadmaster and air crew member. It was old times again for both of us.
I did get Jake's mom, Audrey to throw some corn hole and she is competitive and did a fine job and then I played another feller by the name of Ethan who played quite well also. We had some great talks sharing life's stories and how and why we were here in the mountains. Jake and Katelyn have some great friends and their kids will be buddies, making many memories, especially at this setting along this creek. We left just before dark and got back on the mountain around 9'ish. We did see several deer on the road as well as its that time of the day or evening when they emerge. We saw one field with what appeared dozens of them grazing, LATER
