Monday

Well Sunday evening turned out to be just a pleasant fun filled family event. We arrived there after taking the scenic route(missed the turn off) into the heart of Hillsborough County's farm land. The Dover area is just loaded with tons of truck farming from all kinds of veggies and fruit growing, especially strawberry's. The day was warm with temps in the upper 70's. We missed the baptism's but got there in time for a little flag football, a huge bonfire ( which I put together with one flick of the bic) food and a great time of music, worship and thanksgiving. I would guesstimate 75 + folks attended for what could be an annual event. We were on our way home by 7 PM.

Monday morning was just absolutely fine with cool temps in the 60's to start and reached the middle 70's by afternoon. After an early start of the day at 6:30, quiet time an a lite breakfast(leftover 7 up pound cake) I pedalled out to the rec for some pickle ball. We had 5 initial players and ended up with about 14 for the 2 1/2 hours we played. Great play with lots of wet tee shirts. Nancy did her 30 minutes on the treadmill and she later in the afternoon took about a 2 mile walk through the hood. I passed on the walk with her.

We headed out to Walmart in Pinellas Park after the rec so I could get my truck serviced and she could get her baking supplies as its that cookie baking time for the holidays. We got back at noon and Amy and Ava came for lunch. Ava is just starting to get into the Christmas spirit as she now talks about Santa and just loves playing with all the decorations. She is so aware of everything and never stops talking. Nancy and I are not going to have a dull moment when we keep her for several days in January while Amy and Tyler go to Atlanta for Passion with the college group he teaches. Ava just loves being outside and involved in whatever your doing. She loves to garden and to pretend she is planting. Today she and the next door turkey got into a verbal shouting or gobbling match. It was so funny as she stands right next to the turkey(through the chain link fence) and mimics that bird.

Well I finally got the grill out of the shed and did a couple of marinated chicken breasts for fajitas along with black beans, rice and a salad for dinner. YUMMM!!!! I will enclose a couple of pics from yesterday's Element event. LATER.

Saturday on Sunday Morning

The morning was rather nippy for Florida standards. After our quiet time and superb mountain breakfast of buckwheat cakes with a banana in the batter, bacon and egg on top I ventured out to do some garden work. I wore an old jacket but had shorts on so it wasn't extremely cold. The sun was shining brightly with clear blue skies. Nancy took off to Largo Mall with her mother to do a little Christmas shopping. I jumped on the bike and headed for the library and then did a little power biking through the hood to get the heart rate up on the way home. The air was still nippy in the shade but I could feel the temps were going to be nice by the afternoon. I don't believe it reached 70 but it was close.

Lunch was just snacking due to the late big breakfast and besides we were eating out at 5:30 at our neighbor's Dan and Carol for dinner. I mostly read and watched a little football until Nancy got home then headed out to hand water the gardens and front yard, again. The grass seed I planted 2 weeks ago is finally poking through the once "dust bowl" front yard. The huge oak sucks up all the moisture and nutrients from the yard so its an everyday job to keep the dirt wet. Hopefully we can get grass to grow there again. Neighbor Jim dumped some much needed dirt from when he dug out his back yard to put in an above ground pool. He spread the dirt around the big oak this summer while we were in the mountains. What a neighbor!!The Bermuda grass is slowly showing some color.

The Florida Gators ripped the Florida State Seminoles up yesterday in Gainesville. Tim Tebow is a super athlete and a strong follower of CHRIST. Many of our Seminole friends are sure glad to see him graduate this year. I'm just proud that he is not ashamed of his love for the LORD and proudly wears his beliefs for all to see. AMEN brother!!!

Well we had sumptuous lasagna Carol made and a crisp fresh salad with Greek dressing Nancy made for dinner. Yikes was that ever good and tasty. We then played Mexican Train dominoes and Nancy whupped us all. I was dead last by several hundred points. The fact the gals are always winning of late is getting quite boring. We need to play a new game like RISK or BATTLESHIP just to get our confidence restored.

This morning, Sunday we will not be going to ELEMENT for the usual 10 AM service as it being Thanksgiving Day weekend we are going to have an afternoon gathering outside with a cook out, baptism, vespers and bonfire from 3 PM until after dark. Definitely a different way to gather for worship and offer our praises unto the FATHER. I imagine the setting will be like many when our nation was first settled as well the 40 years of wandering after leaving Egypt before finally reaching the promised land. This should be interesting especially with the coolness in the air around a bonfire. I will post pictures later.

Well better go. LATER.

Friday

Well when we awakened this AM it was downright cold for Florida. I don't think it got much over 60's today because of a steady brisk breeze. The sun was brillant and beautiful with clear blue skies. It's so nice to have the a/c off and actually we have closed the windows but it was nice earlier this day with the windows open. After our quiet times and the leftover breakfast from yesterday I ventured out to work in the garden for about an hour.

Nancy's folks came by just before lunch and picked up some the sherrid tomato soup Nancy made yesterday. Boy was that ever good and we had enough as well for a small bowl for lunch along with some garlic bread. We took off for about an hour walk and had to wear long sleeve clothing; however I still wore shorts. It wasn't the great cardio workout we get while hiking up the back trail to the top of the mountain but at least it was better than sitting around doing nothing. I then climbed into the attic to retrieve several large tubs of Christmas decorations as Nancy likes to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. Well we got the tree up and trimmed as well as her many other decorations though out the house. The cold air sure helps one to get into the Christmas spirit. We stayed away from the malls and that mad rush.

Well our neighbors took off this afternoon to the Brooksville area to camp out for the next couple of nights where its supposed to go down into the 30's. Yikes that will be a big change for us warm, thin blooded Florida folks. Well not much else going on except a lite supper of Mahi-Mahi, salad and bread. LATER.

THANKSGIVING DAY on Friday

Well we awakened to bright sunshine with much cooler, drier temp's. It actually felt like a N.C. morning. YEOW !!! that is one of the reason's except for family we live in Florida in the winter. After our quiet times we got ready to host our daughter, Amy and her family as well as friends and neighbors, Dan and Carol for a sumptuous breakfast. Nancy made the day before a ham and cheese casserole that just needed to go in the oven and bake as we were expecting to eat between 8:30-9:00. Amy brought hash browns and fruit and Carol made cheese blitz's. My what a good eatin'. I forgot to take any pictures of this beautiful breakfast, Oh well!!

After eating we just lazied around letting this high fat and carb meal add inches to our waistlines, actually that was just a warm up for what we would consume later in the day around 5PM at son Bobby's house in Riverview. After the kids and neighbors left I did a little garden work; hoed, weeded and believe it or not I had to hand water the garden, even though we must of had a couple inches of must needed rain the past couple of days. The sandy soil here in Florida will just not hold moisture for very long.

We were planning on heading out to Bob's around 2 PM after picking up Amy, Tyler and Ava. Nancy made a delicious sherried tomato soup from Pioneer Woman's recipe book as well as about 10-12 lbs of fresh asparagus which needed to be in a cooler along with Amy's 2 pumpkin pies. G/G (Nancy's mom)was bringing her famous dry stuffing and candied yams and the GAB(great aunt Betsy,Nancy's sister) brought her frozen cranberry salad. Susan(Jill's mom) made ton's of smashed 'taters, candied pecans and rolls. Brian (Jill's dad) made his perfect sliced apple pies. Bobby made a beautiful brine(overnight) infused 25 pound turkey and the gravy which had blackberry's in it as one of the ingredients along with tons of other good tasting stuff. I must say I had never had gravy with blackberry's. It was YUMMM!! We feasted and then sat around watching Ava and Annsley be cute while our waistlines once again grew and just chatted up one another while trying to enjoy the mismatched football games on the T.V.

We headed out about 9 PM and the traffic was as heavy then as it was earlier in the day. I could barely keep my eyes open after a hot shower. I think I'm still on DST or could it be my waistline was growing. I will enclose a few pic from yesterday at Bob's. Altogether there were 19 family members and friends. Later.

Wednesday

Well it was another cloudy, overcast, muggy and eventually rainy day with heavy downpours at times. Even as I write this the hard rain is evident on the roof. The a/c is still on and we are hoping for some relief in that area tomorrow as a cold front is headed our way with lows into the 50's. After my quiet time this morning and a banana I pedalled out to the rec where we had 14 players trying to get in that last workout for the week until Monday as the rec will be closed the rest of the week. We had some spirited play and lots of wet tee shirts. Luckily Nancy drove the truck for her workout so I had a ride home from the rec as the skies opened up and its rained off and on since then.

After getting home we got ready and headed out to Pinellas Park to the bookstore and then to Sam's for some last minute items and some gifts cards for the family. We got back home around 1 PM and found Amy and Ava at the house for lunch. After lunch I replaced our worn out DVD player with a new one we purchased at Sam's and then we played with Ava until it was time for her to head home for her afternoon nap. I took a small nap of about 10 minutes then read the rest of the afternoon until it was time to eat dinner. Nancy oven baked a couple chix breasts, made a super good turnip casserole and a fresh salad. Mmnn was that ever good eatin'!!!

Ava is here now as Amy and Tyler headed out to do some toy shopping for Ava. Tomorrow will be a big day as we all are heading to Bob's after lunch around 3 PM to visit and celebrate dinner with Jill's family as well. Should be a fun day with lots of good eatin' as everyone is bringing their speciality dish as Bob will prepare the turkey. LATER.

Tuesday

Well it sure was foggy, overcast and muggy all day here in whats supposed to be sunny Florida. I believe I did see the sun for just a moment right before we had a much needed downpour around 4 PM. After my quiet time and a banana for breakfast I headed out to the rec at 7:20 on the bike for some pickle ball. There were 3 die hard players at first then we had a 75 year old lady to join us who played absolutely wonderful. Irma had been to the rec before and was know by the other 2 players, anyhow we teamed up and managed to play 5 sets before winning the 5th and final set 12-10. She is a delight to play with and so much more so at her age. There was a total of 9 players altogether as several were away for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Tomorrow is the last day until next Monday as the rec will be closed for the weekend.

After a wet tee shirt and 2 1/2hours of play I stopped off at the library to pick up a book I had ordered before heading home to do a little garden and yard work. Nancy had taken her mother and sister to Citrus Park Mall to do Christmas shopping so I had the rest of the day to catch up on some reading. I read a book by Philip Carlo entitled THE NIGHT STALKER. Yikes this book with make you make sure your house is closed up tight at night. What an animal he was and is thankfully now on death row in California.

Nancy got home around 5 PM so we had oven french fries, bratwurst's and green peas for dinner. Quick and easy. Well not much else going on, LATER.

Monday

We had some much needed rain Sunday evening and through out the night. The morning was a wet one but there was sunshine in the east when I headed out to the rec. after my quiet time and a lite breakfast. We still have the a/c on as the humidity is still high with temp's in the low 80's all day. After a good 2 1/2 hour workout at pickle ball with about 14 players I headed home on the bike and got another good hour before lunch in the garden.

Amy, Ava and Nancy headed off to the grocery store to pick up a few things and I finished up the leftover chili from last week for lunch while the girls made BLT's. After lunch I worked in the garden transplanting lettuce, staking my pole beans and weeding until nearly 3 PM. Boy did I ever work up a sweat. I sat out under the big oak tree in the back yard and read for nearly an hour before it was time to get ready and head to Amy and Tyler's for supper. She made a chicken and rice casserole, green beans and stuffing on top. Nancy brought a salad. Yikes, Amy that was really good. Thanks for having us.

Not much else going on around here except I'm ready to cut the a/c off and let in some fresh cool air. LATER

Saturday on Sunday Morning

Well I'm waiting for Nancy to get ready to head out to Element Church in Tampa to support our son, Bobby who is the pastor and worship leader. He has done a marvelous job this past year with the new church plant so much so they are having to rent an additional space and construct classrooms just for the great number of children which has grown 10 fold plus in a year.

Saturday was a just relaxing day after a little shopping and garden work. The muggy humid air has returned so we have the a/c back on and the windows closed, yuck!! This past week the fresh clean spring like mornings were super, much like the mountains in the springtime. Anyhow we were entertaining neighbors and good friends Dan and Carol for dinner. Nancy had a large pot roast in the oven since about 1:30 and the smell had all of us salivating and trying to speed the clock up to 5:30. The 'taters were home grown; some I brought back from the mountain's given to me by a church friend from Cornerstone as most of mine rotted in the ground this fall. Everything was delicious. We sampled a little vino they had shipped back from Texas, peach and strawberry. It was sweet and great to smell. Thanks guys for sharing!!! After eating we played 18 rounds of golf. That is actually a card game where the lowest score is the winner. Once again the gals had the lowest score and won while I had the highest score and lost. I don't like that scenario. We had lots of laughs and caught up on lots of the worlds problems that we could solve in our own households. Dan still does the nursing home service on Sunday afternoons a couple times a month and Nancy and I will lend a hand this afternoon. We will sing a few hymns and share a little personal part of our lives and just visit with these who are confined to wheelchairs and many without any family left.

Well its time to get ready and head out as it takes about 45 minutes depending on traffic to make the trip to south Tampa. Its mostly interstate so its not a bad trip. Just an update on the garden; sugar peas are breaking ground, kale now has 4 leaves and a few have 5, radishes are up about an inch, 1/2 runner beans are up 4-6 inches, beets are slowly getting taller, cukes are up as well as a zucchini squash along with lots of lettuce(all kinds) seedlings, 'mater plants are 8-10 inches, green and jalapeno peppers are doing nicely as well as the sweet basil, oregano, dill, cilantro and parsley. We have been using the herbs on a daily basis. LATER

Friday

Yikes here I am posting before dark because we are having Tyler,Amy and Ava for dinner then a couple of couples from the hood for Sequence around 7 PM. I know when all clear out I will be ready for a shower and bedtime especially since I've been getting in 2 1/2hours of pickle ball play all week long. I love it!!! I have dropped a couple of pounds this week, actually I've just firmed it up a little I hope. I never thought when you get older it would be so difficult to firm up. I loved Jack LaLane!!! Anyhow!!!

This morning was a froggy one the first we have had since we left the cabin. My we had our share this fall of froggy and rainy days in N.C. Oh well we could use a little rain here as I have been hand watering the garden twice a day. The ride out this A.M. after my quiet time and a 'nana was uneventful even if you couldn't see far down down the road. By the time I left the rec. around 10:30 it had cleared off with bright sunshine and warm temps. The highs were probably in the high 70's today. The girls after lunch headed out to the mall for some Christmas shopping. We are getting The Ross Family taken care of first as they travel to Kansas this Christmas to share the Holidays with Tylers family.

I hung around the house did a few honeydo's and just relaxed by reading until the girls got back around 3:30. The Ross's are coming for dinner tonight for fried ham, scalloped 'taters, broccoli and a fresh salad. I've just started picking a little dill, basil and cilantro(for the salsa tonight) from the garden.

Tomorrow its a beach day and a trip to Sam's and Aldie's and then Dan and Carol for dinner. LATER.

Thursday

Another beautiful spring like morning with temps in the 50's and high 70's by the afternoon. After a few quiet minutes with the Creator I finished the last of Amy's banana nut bread with a cup of hot green tea it was time to ride out to the rec. The bright sunshine and coolness in the air made for the beginnings of another super day. I got in once again 2 1/2 hour of play along with about 10 other players. The first 45 minutes made for some great play with just 4 of us hard hitters. Yeow is that great fun and we all have a few bruises resulting from the tremendous overheads.

I left out from the rec around 10:30 after working out with the heavy weights for about 15 minutes while Nancy did her thing on the treadmill. She walked up and back to the rec. which gave her a little extra workout time as well.

Amy and Ava came for lunch around 11:30 so Nancy made a great salad while Ava had a pbj sandwich.My does she love the homemade black raspberry jam we made in the mountains last summer and it looks like she takes a bath in the jam. She looks good in everything she eats!!

I got a little garden work in as most all of my beans are through the ground so it was time to get the poles out for the beans to climb. I have radishes up after only 3 days. The girls all took off shopping so I managed to water and soak everything and then relaxed while catching up on a little reading. Wow was it ever good to sit in the back yard under the big oak and relax with a book for a couple hours. The girls made it home just before 4 PM with lots of clothes for the grand girls for Christmas.

Well we had leftover chili for dinner and I think it was better tonight than last night. LATER.

Wednesday

Wow I couldn't help but think as I pedaled to the rec. this morning after my quiet time and a lite breakfast how beautiful it was here in sunny Florida. The low ground fog and fresh crisp air made the morning all the more spring like instead of the cold drab Novembers I was use to growing up in Virginia. It always snow on Thanksgiving Day.

After 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball of which we had 10 players today and the first 45 minutes we only had 3 and that really made for a strenuous workout with 2 on 1. I headed by the library on the way home and picked up a couple books that were on hold for me. I got back around 11 AM and Nancy was getting ready to take her mom, G/G shopping. They left around 11:30 so I ate a ham sandwich and then watered the garden before tackling the window screens. Many had small holes and some were just so discolored it was time to change them. I did 9 window screens in all. Now that we can open the windows and turn the a/c off for now as the temps go down in the 60's at night. It's most pleasant.

Nancy got back around 3 PM so we headed out for about a 45 minute walk around the neighborhood I sure got my exercise for the day. Nancy made up a large pot of chili to take to our house church at Carol and Dan's house this evening at 6:30. Several made chili as well as salad, brownies and a corn pudding much like corn bread. It sure was good eatin' especially with 5 different chili's. We finished up the last chapter in Fireproofing your marriage and talked about several different community projects.

Well its after 10 PM and my eyelids are getting heavy. LATER.

Tuesday

Well what a beautiful way to start the day with a few moments with our Creator then a piece of homemade banana nut bread our daughter, Amy made along with a cup of green tea. After all this I jumped on the bike and pedaled to the rec. for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had some very good play the first hour; fast and furious until the newbies started to arrive around 8:30. We had a total of 12 players in all with 3 nets in use. There were lots of wet shirts.

After PB I got in a little gardening before Amy and Ava came for lunch. Nancy got back from her 30 minutes on the treadmill and we had an early lunch as we were expecting dear friend Daisy and daughter Niki to arrive some where around 1 PM. Keep Daisy in your thoughts and prayers as she has been initially diagnosed with a form of cancer in her back and neck area. There is a chance since she has been taking self administered shots because of her low white blood cell count that this maybe the reason for this diagnosis. We can only hope and pray that the MRI that brought this condition to light to the doctor is a result of those shots.We had a good visit with her and Niki and shared lots of laughter, stories and pictures.

Well after they left Nancy took another walk and I continued working in the garden as I moved some plants up into larger containers. I moved up kale and lettuce and I have just about finished with the turning the garden under or over with a shovel. I have lots of beans poking through the ground as well as the new marigolds seedlings putting on another leaf. Its hard to believe I just started planting seeds 8 days ago. The soil sure looks good and black after all the leaves I put on it last May before heading to the mountains. The earthworms really did a number breaking down all those leaves into compost.

Nancy fixed the last of the beets I grew in the mountains along with sweet potatoes, ham and a salad for dinner. Yumm!!! No wonder I can't lose any inches off this waistline. Well will close for now, LATER.

Monday

Well this morning is one word gorgeous. The cool air had just enough moisture for a lite dew. If I could see mountains I would think I was in "nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning." Yikes what a way to start the day after our quiet times and oatmeal with a 'nana. I headed out to the rec. about 7:15 on the bike for some pickle ball. There were at times 12-14 people. 4 of us hard hitters got in about an hour of some fast and furious play before others meandered in and all toll we played until 10 AM. Good workout with lots of wet shirts.

After PB I headed out to Home Depot to pick up some gardening essentials; potting soil, perlite, seeds(radishes & broccoli) and some basil and a jalapeno pepper plants. I also picked up a bag of Bermuda grass seed, hopefully it will help to cover the bald spot under the oak tree in my front yard. Its supposed to not need much water as the once St.Augustine grass which has dried up since we were in the mountains this summer. Oh well I have a nice stand of grass up there.

I ate a quick lunch then got out the hedge cutters and gave the bushes a good trimming as well as potted up the new plants and sowed the grass seed after raking all the acorns, sticks and dead dried leaves from the front yard. I was busy with this until after 4 PM. Ava and Amy came for lunch and Ava visited with me in the back yard. She is such a talker and I found her a "molly grub" while turning over some garden. She said it was to ugly to play with but did go back from time to time to check on its whereabouts.

Neighbor Ken went deep sea fishing on Sunday and brought us a nice red grouper fillet he and a couple buddies caught in 40 feet of water. He said they hooked over a 100 fish but only 4 were large enough to keep. They have to be 25 inches to keep. Nancy fried that 1 fillet for supper and we had 2 pieces left over. Yumm was that ever good and fresh. Thanks Ken!!!

Well I want to post a few pics from Saturdays wedding reception for George and Felicia who were married in Texas a couple weeks ago. LATER

Saturday on Sunday Morning

The morning started out with unbelievable beautiful temp's in the high 60's and eventually reached the middle 70's, Yikes is that not fine?? All most like a N.C. morning. After our quiet times and a hearty breakfast I headed out to the back yard to check on the garden. Well beets are showing some color as they emerge from the ground as well as the green tips of the garlic I brought back from N.C. I had started some garlic bulbs in a pot there and the roots were very strong with lots of runners so I thought I would give them a shot here in the sandy soil of Fl. Well they look good so far. The newly transplanted lettuce and kale looked good as well.

We headed out around noon for Lake Seminole Park where the newlyweds George and Felica where having a reception for the Florida folks who couldn't make it to Texas for their recent nuptials. There was a good turnout at pavilion #12 with lots of food; YAYA's chicken, finger foods,etc. We stayed for a couple hours as the sun was delicious while the brisk breeze in the shade had people putting on jackets. The little ones had a merry time playing. Ava, Phoneix and Madison played hard. It was so nice to be outside without any humidity.

We left the park and made a couple stops at Nancy's folks to pick up tickets for the dinner/concert G/G was singing in that evening. I decided to stay home and eventually was invited to Amy and Tyler's for a new dish Amy was trying from Pioneer Womans Cookbook. Chicken fried steak and gravy, mashed 'taters and green beans. Well that was the best I had ever eaten. Amy sure is becoming a great cook like her mother. After eating I visited and played with Ava before heading back home to finish watching a couple football games. Nancy got back from the concert with her sister and mom around 9:30.

Well we are getting ready to head out to ELEMENT CHURCH in Tampa to support Bobby. We will sure miss our Cornerstone family in N.C. but look forward to next May to be reunited with them again. It will be so good to renew friendships here in Tampa as we have not seen some of them since last May when we headed to N.C. Well will close for now. LATER

Friday on Saturday Morning

The morning started out with me once again up at the crack of dawn(6:15) as I now pedal out about 7:15 to the rec. for PB at 7:30. After my quiet time, cup of hot green tea and some oatmeal with a banana I'm ready for some PB. That extra 1/2 hour gives us hard hitters a real good start on a wet tee shirt, but by 9:30 I can really start to feel the lead in the legs. Oh well maybe I can get back into shape or least trim a little off the the middle. At least I'm not eating those big breakfast's; fried 'taters, brown free range eggs, buckwheat pancakes with a banana in the batter, grits with a dollop of Amish butter. Oh man, those were the morning in the mountains!!!

After 2 1/2 hours of continuous play at the rec. I stopped by the library and picked up a couple books, Oh by the way if your interested in a true crime book by Philip Carlo, THE ICE MAN. This book is not for the squeamish!!! Neighbor, Gerald in the mountain let me read his copy and I finished it here after getting the hardbound from the library. Pictures are included.

I managed to get a little more garden and yard work in as the afternoon was delightful with temps in the low 70's and bright sunshine. After a lite lunch I sat outside under the big oak tree and read for a couple hours with my shirt off, soaking up that delicious sunshine. Nancy and I knew we were heading out to Tampa around 4 PM in hopes we would beat most of the rush hour traffic. We took the toll road over to Brandon then headed south. We stopped at Publix and picked up a rotisserie chicken along with the sides for dinner as Bob and Jill were eating out with there small group.

Nancy and Annsley made a batch of chocolate chip cookies together. Annsley is so cute in her little apron and is very studious about mixing all the ingredients into a large bowl. She often helps Bob make things while standing on her a chair while wearing her apron. So Cute!!! The cookies were great if you judge them by the smeared chocolate on her face. Sorry I didn't get a picture of that but use your imagination. It took 2 wet paper towels to clean her up.

After her bath time and 3-4 books she was ready for bed and we never heard a peep from her once she went to bed. Bob and Jill got back a little before 11 so we headed out as it takes a little less than hour to get home. The traffic that was on the roads at that hour was just unbelievable. At least no deer jumped out in front of us. We commented many times on the weekend we would come back to the cabin on the main road (21) to and from Sparta at 10 PM and never meet another vehicle. Interstate 75 and I-4 looked like parking lots at 11 PM. What a difference in life styles.

I slept in after initially waking at 6:15 (the internal alarm clock) and Nancy did fix one of those big breakfast's of; fried ham, leftover 'taters and fried a couple eggs along with toast and homemade jam. Good eatin'. I checked on the garden for squirrel damage as the little buggers like to dig holes in the soil looking for acorns from the 2 big oak trees in my yard. I did notice that I had beets poking through the ground after only being planted on Tuesday. All of my seedlings I brought back from N.C. made it and even the large mature kale plants made it as well. Well I've rambled long enough. LATER

Thursday

Well the morning started out with a light rain but much cooler temps. Actually it was 59 degrees and I had to wear a flannel shirt as I pedalled to the rec. at about 7:15. After my quiet time and a breakfast of oatmeal, banana and blueberries I headed out. There were 4 of us for pickle ball and we played fast and furious for about an hour before the others began to arrive. We wound up with a total of 10 players today. I played an extra 1/2 hour and finally gave it up for the day after 3 hours of play, but it sure felt good and I think I can feel the ounces melting away.

After PB and Nancy's workout on the treadmill we wanted to checkout the new Walmart grocery store in Largo. Their can products are significantly cheaper than Publix. We stopped by the vegetable stand and picked up 'maters, turnips, cukes, peppers and a dill plant. Amy and Ava were waiting for us when we got home so we had lunch together. After eating I headed out to the gardens. I finished turning over the one garden and planted some sugar peas and some more beans. I transplanted about a dozen lettuce and kale seedlings along with some marigold seeds.

Nancy fixed steak fajitas for supper along with re-fried beans. Yumm!! Well not much else is happening around here except one of our long time dear friends was just diagnosed with the possibility of cancer in her back. She has to see an oncologist next Tuesday. Please keep Daisy and her family in your thoughts and prayers. LATER.

Wednesday ..Veterans Day

First let me say how proud I was to serve our country during the Vietnam War. I never once thought about cutting and running away as a draft dodger to another country, of course I was only 20 when I volunteered and signed up for the USAF. I was fortunate to be on a large jet aircraft that delivered material, men and munitions into the war zone. I also brought back medievac's(wounded) and the silver coffins of the dead out of the area as well. I always will and still do think that America is the greatest nation in the world to live and raise a family, even with all of our failures. I personally knew several men who gave their life during that war and my name would have been on that Memorial Wall as well had it not been for the grace of GOD. So today and every day take just a moment and thank all who served and are serving because without them America would not be the same. We need good debate on both sides of the issues because that is what makes Americans unique and different from the rest of the world despite what the professors, politicians and the biased media report.

Well since the rec. was closed today to honor our veterans we slept in or tried to but I'm still having some issues with all the noise in the hood; sirens, loud cars and motorcycles, a/c running, ceiling fans and of course thick pillows and a large hard mattress. Yikes am I hard to please or what?? Hopefully by the weeks end I will have become acclimated to Florida living as it took me a week or so to get use to the cabin living; the quietness, smaller mattress, thin pillows. Oh well!!

I headed out to work in the garden after my quiet time and a lite breakfast of oatmeal and a banana. I took a shovel and turned over about a 1/3 of the garden and not once did I encounter a rock or a stone. Our second name for the cabin in N.C. could have been rocky ridge. I then edged the garden and cut oak roots that each year invade the growing area. Some of these roots were so big I used an ax to cut them back. I then planted some yellow squash, marigolds and another row of beans. This took me up to lunch time. Amy dropped Ava off while she headed out to the doctor for her pregnancy checkup. Wow is she getting a belly and Samuel isn't due until the first of March. (I will enclose a pic).

Nancy fixed a nice chef's salad for lunch and then the girls made some chocolate chip cookies. Ava is such a cutie but a little messy when it come to eating chocolate. Her vocabulary and constant chatter just amazes me for a 2 year old. After the girls left, Nancy and I tried to get in a neighborhood walk. Wow what a difference from walking the mountains as I constantly had to wait for Nancy to catch up; but here on the flat land I run to stay with her as those long legs leave me behind. We got in nearly an hour before a rain shower cut us short.

Nancy fixed a meatloaf, green beans and buttered macaroni, comfort food as she calls it but I call it down right good eatin' especially with a little fresh ground horseradish on the meatloaf. We are cutting our portions as well this fall, as we both need to shed an inch off the waist line, but it was fun putting it there this summer. We ate out at friends houses at least one a week and usually entertained that much or more at the cabin and always with a dessert while playing sequence, dominoes or cards.

This weekend finds us watching Annsley Friday night and then Element Church on Sunday.LATER.

Tuesday

Well it was an early start for me today as I met with 4 other pickle ball players at 7:30 AM so we could get in some fast and furious play before some of the less aggressive players arrived which is usually around 8:30. After a lite breakfast and my quiet time I headed to the rec. on my bike. It seems the tire patch worked on the rear tube, so far.The 5 of us had a great workout which lasted until 10. I was really starting to feel tired around 9:15 but stuck it out. We had about 10 players today total. A couple have some health issues so their play was sporadic at best.

After the workout I stopped by the library and picked up a couple books. It was good to be made to feel "welcome back" from several of the library staff. I pedaled on home and got a chance to thank neighbors Jim and Laurie for his care of our yard and her keeping a lookout on our house while we were gone this summer. It's a great feeling to have super neighbors. Thanks again, guys!!!

I managed to catch upon a few chores plus plant a few more seeds in the garden. It looked like rain all day and finally around 5 PM it started to rain. Wow is it ever dry here. Nancy took off to the mall with Amy and Ava to do some shopping. They got back a little after lunch. I read a little with Ava before the girls decided to make chocolate chip cookies. Nancy sure makes it tough to lose a little of this spare tire, oh well. The girls headed home around 3 PM so I picked up a book and read until it was time for supper around 6 PM, by then it was not only getting dark but was pouring a well.

Nancy did fried chicken in the oven with some oven 'taters, fresh broccoli and a small salad. Good eatin' as usual and I was hungry since I hadn't eaten since about 11 AM after getting home from the library.The rec. is closed tomorrow in honor of Veteran's Day so we will probably walk the neighborhood. LATER

Sunday and Monday on Monday

Well as most of you know we are back in the Sunshine State for the winter and now with daughter, Amy expecting her second child which just so happens to be our first grandson it looks as if it will be towards the end of May or first of June before we get to return to the mountains. When I say we love the mountain folks and the ambiance there believe me, we do. Anyhow we had a great trip down on Sunday and we want to thank all who prayed traveling mercies for us. I couldn't sleep Saturday so I just closed my eyes and rested for about 5 hours before getting up at 3:30 so we could leave by 5:00 AM. The temp at the bottom of the mountain was 34 and it was 84 when we reached home. Not to terribly hot but hot enough the a/c is still on.

We were able to pickup the BUCS on the radio and learned they won their first game of the season by beating the PACKERS. Look out my PANTHER buddies!!!

Sunday evening after unloading all the coolers, clothes and whatnot's we headed over to GG's and Pap's house for a birthday celebration dinner for Betsy(Nancy's older sister). Pap had a beautiful sirloin roast cooked to perfection(pink in the middle) along with smashed spuds, spinach casserole, mac & cheese, salad with Greek dressing and coconut cake for dessert(Betsy choice). YUMMM!!! Both grand girls were there and course with their parents along with Aunt Betsy and her oldest son, Braden.
Sunday night found me unable to get to sleep; the pillow was to fat(next year I'm taking these pillows to the mtns.)the a/c ran all night(not use to the noise), fan on over the bed(only on very hot nights in the mtns) I couldn't find Nancy in this King size bed( its a queen in the mtns.) plus I had lots of little chores so I completed most while trying to sleep, anyhow I was staring at the clock at 6 AM. It's been many moons since I've been awake at that hour.

I headed out with a PB buddy who came by to give me a ride to the Rec. as my bike had a flat tire from when we were in Fl. in Oct. Nancy came around 9:45 to do 30 minutes on the tread mill. We headed out to Sam's club around 10:45 to stock up and of course Nancy found some stuffed horses that make all kinds of noises for the grand girls for Christmas. So after getting back from Winn-Dixie, Sam's and Publix we finally were able to have a bite of lunch. At least I'm on the way to lose a couple of pounds from all that good eatin' in the mountain.

After lunch I headed out to fix my flat tire so I can now pedal my rear to the Rec. and then I worked in the garden and yard. I brought back from the mountains some kale plants, parsley, oregano, mustard greens and course some volunteer 'mater plants. I spaded up the garden an planted 3 rows of 1/2 runner beans, marigolds and the other plants I brought back. The whole time I was working in the back yard a little black dog barked non stop. Yikes I miss the distances between our properties. Oh well at least it was overcast today and not blazing HOT.

Well I've rambled on enough. First let me say I love my Florida Family, church and friends but there is just something about the mountains that blesses us and draws us. Maybe it the lack of people and I love people but seriously what we see everyday is GOD made in the mountains and what we see here is people made. We were at an intersection today with 6 lanes each way and I know there were more people in the cars at that intersection than all of Alleghany County, N.C. We are not the only snow birds back. The roads look like the ending of a football game. Packed!!!

Well I must say everything thing here is flat, no hills, no stairs and the super market and stores are 5 minutes away, so its cheaper in that respect. But nobody waves, everybody is in a hurry and most are just downright rude.

Well I can't forget to say how great it was to get back into the PB swing of things. Everyone made me feel welcome to be back for the next few months. There was 12 players today and we had some slug fests . Tomorrow we are starting at 7:30 so we can get in a little fast and furious play before some of the lesser aggressive players arrive. Jersey Jim is noted for the marks he leaves on your body from his powerful overheads.
LATER!!

Saturday

Wow was it ever cold this morning with ice and frost everywhere, down in the 20's. Yikes!!! The day turned out to be a beautiful day though with bright sunshine and blue skies. After a great breakfast of buckwheat cakes and ham I ventured out to take my seedling's out of the basement and into a sunny spot in the yard. I think they will make it back to Florida.

Nancy and I headed to the top of the mountain for a mid morning hike. We ran into Fred as he was using his new toy; a shredder for mulching up brush and small trees. We then saw Mike and Nancy for the first time after learning they had put their beautiful log cabin up for sale. It was good to see them again. We had a great hike and worked up an appetite in the cool mountain air. After lunch I headed back to the dirt pile.

I hauled bout 10 loads of dirt for all the flower beds before we got ready to head to the Daltons for supper and games. The food was out of sight, especially Andy's ribs. Well I must say the gals talked trash all through supper and after they won the first game they were really being macho. Well all that changed when we won the next 6 games. Yikes they wanted to play all night to catchup but even after winning another game they were through as we won the final game and a total of 7 games to 3 for the night. Guys have bragging rights for the winter. We have a new couple(Don and Stacy) to play with us and with the Daltons this winter. Go Guys!!!

Well its about that time to head to warmer temps. On the way home around 10 PM it was 29 degrees. Yikes thats to cold for me. LATER

Thursday

I must say this has been an interesting day. The morning wasn't as cold as yesterday but with the wind blowing it felt colder.When I wakened this morning I noticed a little discomfort on the left side of my upper molars. It seems the past couple of days a molar was very sensitive to hot and cold. I naturally associated that with working outside in cold air and of course having my hot cup of green tea in the morning. I didn't give it much attention as the sensitivity would come and go but this afternoon 2 teeth from what I assumed was the sensitive tooth began to be very pressure sensitive with just the tip of my tongue. Well wouldn't you know it the dentist we use up here is closed on Friday's; plus we are planning on leaving here on Sunday morning for Florida. So far Tylenol and Ibuprofen have made it bearable. I just hope its not the start of something more serious. Luckily Nancy had some Amoxicylin from and abscessed tooth she had extracted just before we came to the mountains in May.

After our quiet times I had leftover buckwheat cakes for breakfast before heading to put my seedling out in the sunlight. While waiting for the outside temps to warm up I called all of our creditors and did the address change back to Seminole. The reality of having to leave here became all that more evident. I've been keeping my new seedling's in the cellar at nights because of the frost and cold nights and then setting them out in the sunlight as the mornings temps warm. These seedlings will go in my garden when we get back to a warm Florida. I also plan on digging up my parsley plant and transplant it as well. I still need to finish digging up my beets tomorrow.

Well we headed up the mountain around 11 as the temps finally reached the middle 40's. It was a windy chilly hike but the sun shining made for a pleasant hike. Walking in the crackling leaves is a sound we associate with cold weather and one we seldom get to hear. Sure reminded us along with the bare trees that winter was upon us and once again it was time to leave the mountain for the warm climate of Florida.

After a lite lunch of leftover chili we got ready to head over to our friends Eddie and Kimberly farm. Eddie is recuperating from shoulder surgery and Kimberly is still having a difficult time mending from her broken ankle last summer. I scooped up 12 -5 gallon buckets of horse manure for the fishin' worms in my compost bin. Next spring I will use this compost for potting all of my plants.

Well its time to call it a day as darkness closed us in at 6 PM. Yuck!! This time change has our internal clocks messed up. LATER

Wednesday

Brrr it was 28 this AM, frost and ice was everywhere. Well it eventually warmed up to 58 degrees by the early afternoon. After our quiet times and a hearty breakfast of buckwheat cakes and eggs I ventured out into the yard. Of course I was wearing an under shirt,long sleeve shirt and a thermal shirt.Wow was it ever old. This morning was the coldest we have seen in Florida for as long as I can remember.

I worked outside until it was time to take our mid-morning hike. I raked leaves and then ran the lawnmower over them to break them up so they would compost more quickly. I covered the lower garden with leaves. I then burned a pile of trash, moved lots of deck and porch furniture as well as the smoker and grill into the basement. I'm slowly getting the cabin and yard ready for another winter.

We took a rather long hike this morning to the top of the mountain. It was still cold as we headed out and Nancy looked like she was wintering in Alaska. By the time we reached the mountain top she was shedding the hooded coat. WOW is all I can say after viewing the surrounding area with all of the leaves gone from the hardwoods. We saw cabins and houses we least expected in areas of the ridges that surround our mountain. This is the same hike we took last week when friends Jerry and Becky visited from Tampa. The temp had warmed up close to 60 by the time we headed back to our cabin. After a lite lunch I continued to dump several trash cans of leaves onto the lower garden.

Well I met with friend and new pickle ball lover, John at the Roaring Gap Club.We played about 6 sets in the 50 degree weather and worked up quite a sweat. Man is that a great sport for a cardio workout plus its just downright fun. Looking forward to next week's 5 days of playing this sport with all of my PB friends in Seminole, Florida. LATER.

Tuesday

Well it was 40 degrees this AM but by 4 PM it was nearly 60. Helen said there was frost at her place but by the time we went out I didn't see any. There was lots of sunshine with a pretty stiff breeze most of the day. After our quiet times we had an old fashion country breakfast with fried 'taters, ham, eggs and toast. That held me all day until we headed over to Joe's for supper around 4:30. Joe is a great cook and baker as well. This evening he made chili, rice and a salad and for dessert he made a pumpkin roll. Mighty fine eatin', thanks Joe.

After breakfast I bottled up the scuppernog wine I had made in September and it tasted pretty good, not bad for my first try. I then hung a load of laundry before getting the ground ready to plant my 'taters for next year's crop. I planted 44 hills of spuds and by this time Nancy was ready to head to the top of the mountain for our daily hike. The fallen dried leaves are nearly a foot deep in places in the woods and back roads. The air was still cool on the walk but was warming up enough to where I could shed the sweat shirt.

After the hike Nancy had a lite lunch and I skipped it because of the large breakfast so I headed off to dig up about a dozen small pines trees to plant down below the garden as a border on the lower side. This time of the year with all the trees being leafless we can see workers at the stilt house down below us and on the upper side of the ridge. I then gathered all the pumpkins and cut them up with a shovel and spread them in the garden for compost. After mulching them I started moving the bench seats around the fire circle up under the back porch out of the weather. I tossed all the marigolds, inpatients and begonias into the garden for compost as well. Later this week we will head over to Eddie and Kimberly's for some real compost; horse manure.
Well Nancy took a few pics of the bare leafless trees surrounding the cabin. Its supposed to get so cold by the weeks end there is the chance of snow once again. I almost forgot to mention I raked the outback yard for the 4th time since the leaves started falling. LATER

Saturday & Sunday on Monday

Well first Saturday started out with cool temp's and rain as we waited for family to arrive from Virginia. Nancy took off for Alleghany Hospital to get another antibiotic shot for her UTI around 10 AM after our quiet times. I stayed home thinking family would arrive earlier than 1 PM when they did get in through the fog and rain. It was good to Dad and his friend Adeline, brother in law Mike who we hadn't seen for couple years and baby sister Dee. Nancy had made up some grilled cheese sandwiches as well as a huge pot of beef vegetable barley soup. WOW did that ever taste good on such a cold wet day. I don't believe it got out of the 40's the whole day as the rain fell for about 24 hours. We just visited after lunch until the girls decided to do some shopping at some of the galleries and show Adeline the big town of Sparta. The guys just watched college football and visited.

The girls made it back around 6 PM so we got busy putting supper together. I grilled some pork chops and Italian sausages while Nancy rustled up some oven 'taters, greens and a salad. Now that was some good eatin' and the girls did brownies for dessert. We tried a little of my homemade blackberry and wineberry wine. All declared it was very good. After supper we just chilled telling stories and watching football until we all began to doze off around 10 PM. The steady downpour made us all sleepy so we decided to call it a night, even though the time change gave us an extra hour of sleep. We finally got to bed around 11 PM.

Sunday morning brought cold temp's and just a sprinkling of rain. Finally just about the time we were to leave for church the rain tapered off but it was still overcast and quite chilly. Worship was awesome and Cornerstone was set to celebrate their 6th year with a pot luck luncheon. My family took off for Virginia after church so Nancy and I stayed and had lunch and visited for the last time this year with our friends. There were lots of hugs, handshakes and a few tears.

After lunch we headed to the hospital for a third shot of antibiotic. The antibiotic has cleared up the blood in the urine and there is just a little discomfort.We aren't sure if that comes from menopause or the infection.

Sunday afternoon found me relaxing with a little NFL football. The locals love the Panthers much like me supporting the Bucs. Neither team looks like a winner but the Panthers have won a couple of games whereas the Bucs are 0-7. Nancy put together a superb pot of chili as the Dalton Gng was coming for supper. We had cornbread to go long with the chilli, a noodle salad, and Kay made 2 pies of strawberries and coconut creme. YUMMM!!

After clearing the table we started playing Sequence and the guys put a whuppin' on the gals. We have a new secret weapon; its 8 year old Caleb. Anyhow the gals were crying and we almost called the wambulance but eventually they maintained their composure. I guess we have to resolve who has bragging rights for the year on Friday at Mechelle and Andy's place.

Monday found us heading to Sparta for what we hope is the last doctor appointment this year. The doctor was taken back when the culture revealed an usual strain of bacteria. He mentioned very people get this strain and we are at a loss where she may have contracted it. Anyhow hopefully we are on the road to a full recovery.

We stopped by Helen's on the way home and shared the last of the beef barley soup as well as a nut bread and some brownies. I climbed on her roof and waterproofed her chimney once again for the winter. After that I took the chainsaw and sawed a pine tree that broken off into her yard as well as knocked out a few stumps with the sledge hammer and got her a brush fire going. We headed home after sharing a few books and she gave me Nickolas Sparks new book THE LAST SONG to read. I like him as an author.

After getting home we headed out on a hike to the top of the mountain. The temp was 62 on the back porch and for me it was short sleeve weather. It was just plain gorgeous out. After getting back I got a campfire going so I could burn our household trash. While it was burning I turned over both herb gardens with a shovel, transplanted some Cilantro and Oregano for transport back to Florida for my winter garden. Evening was upon around 5 PM and the temps were dropping as well. Nancy made a superb turnip casserole along with leftover pork chops and a salad for supper. By 6 PM it was starting to get dark outside and by 7 PM it was black out outside.

All I can say is the day tuned out to be one of the nicer ones after a cold 38 degrees morning. The sky was blue with bright sunshine. LATER