Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Wednesday

Wow was it nippy this A.M. 42 degrees and the wind was blowing 10-15 mph..yikes that felt about as cold as it gets in Florida during the winter months. After our quiet times Nancy fried up a couple eggs with some buttery grits and sliced 'maters with toast. Good Eatin'.

I checked out the gardens and no new damage of course there isn't much left just a few beets, green beans, peppers, kale and some herbs. I have 1 tomato plant in a hanging basket that is blooming. The cold may set it back of course I can always bring it into the basement over the night. Well we set out on our hike around 11 AM and had a super walk to the top. Once again it was a good day for hiking as we set out for an hour and half hike. The sun was shining and there was blue skies but the wind was blowing so the outside temp's were down right cold in the shade.

After a lite lunch we headed over to visit with our "mountain mom." The afternoon sun felt delicious but the cool temp's were evident with the brisk winds. I grabbed a sledge hammer and began knocking out pine tree stumps that had rotten off below ground. I probably knocked out 25 plus in about an hour. That was a great way to warm up as in no time I shed my long sleeve shirt and worked up a good sweat. Well we headed home around 3 PM and a few residents from up on top of our mountain stopped by for a visit; Joe and Jetta Browning and Helen. They stayed for about a 1/2 hour. Helen had never been to our cabin.

Well Nancy made a garden salad to go along with the left over soup from last night. Yummm!! Well the temps are dropping rapidly and if the wind lies down there is a strong chance for frost tonight.Our Florida friends are finding the lows of 60's to be the first sign of fall to that state and everyone is so excited while we are looking forward to a warm up as we head back there this weekend. LATER.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Tuesday





























Yeow, what a windy night in the mountains. Chairs, tables and benches moved all night as well as pine cones striking the front porch. The temp this morning was 48 degrees and a wind chill in the 30's. After our quiet times and left over buckwheat pancakes for breakfast I ventured out to check on the cabin. The wind had blown over my pole beans and dumped several hundred pine cones on the front yard and driveway. I picked up 6/ 5 gallon buckets of cones and deposited them in the fire circle for kindling. After cleaning up the yard I attempted to salvage the pole beans and managed to get them back upright and tie them off with twine. The plants are loaded with little beans and lots of bloom so if the cold and deer don't get them I should have another mess of beans before we leave for Florida on Sunday. Nothing like fresh grown beans.

I got a load of laundry out on the line while Nancy got ready to hike. Our hike took us up the back trail through our property and then the golf cart path to the top. The air was clean and fresh but a bit on the nippy side. There were lots of leaves, sticks, pine needles and cones on the path from the strong over night wind. We didn't see anybody today as we hiked on top across the ridge. We could see all the way to Winston-Salem as the air was clear. We decided as we started to head back to the cabin to take the road all the way to the top. Now this road is straight up and its been a couple years since we have been up to this section of the mountain. We at one time were friends with the folks that originally built this house but they have long since sold out and moved away. The view is awesome from this side of the mountain but the winds are extremely strong there during the winter. This day they were gusting strongly and it was down right cold. So we headed back to the cabin. At least we were coming down the mountain instead of heading up. Once we were back into the woods the cold winds were gone and once again it became rather pleasant to walk.
After a quick lunch of leftovers I headed out to work on some stump removal in the back yard. I now have spit the large red oak stump down the middle in several areas with a sledge and wedges. I just need for the elements to rot and decompose this stump. There was another large pine tree stump behind the outhouse. Now this stumps looks as if its been in the ground for 25 years as it sort of petrified. What a job too just split this monster with wedges. I managed to remove about half then I just drove wedges into and all around to once again get rain water leaking down into the heart of the stump that will help speed up decomposition. That 15 pound sledge is a real workout.
Well I picked some fresh Kale, gathered dried onions I had grown and hauled some fresh potato's from the basement for Nancy to made her Zuppa Tuscana Soup for supper. Wow was that ever good and especially on such a cold windy evening. By the way I lighted the gas wall mounted heater. It is rated at about 15 thousand BTU's which is rather small to heat a whole cabin but with the great insulation job in the 6 inch walls the cabin stays rather snug. I also hung a curtain on an expandable rod at the base of the stairs to keep the heat from going up the stairs. What a difference that little barrier does in keeping the heat down stairs with us. We are ready for a cold night.

Our neighbor and friend Ray came by for visit just about dark. He always fills us in on whats happening in the hood. He also informed us he is no longer a dog owner as he gave his dogs away to the SPCA. They informed him they had several offers for his Blue Healers and that homes had already been secured. It should make a difference in the amount of barking hopefully. Now if our other neighbor would reduce their number of dogs to a reasonable number maybe the hood will stay a little quieter. Well I can barely keep my eyes open after that workout on the hike and the sledge hammer. So I'm ready for a hot shower and muscle massage. Where's Nancy?? Enclosed are a few pics from today.LATER

Monday onTuesday Morning

Well Monday was another day of dry but blustery weather. We hung around the cabin after our quiet times, washing and hanging laundry out on the clothesline before taking off on our daily hike to the top of the mountain. It was a clear day with Pilot Mountain quite visible. We noticed lots of color on the ridges and some on our back trail. The Sweet Gum trees are showing some brilliant red's and the Maples are starting to show the different shades of light green, yellows and some reds. If the wind doesn't blow all the leaves off as this cold front moves in; it should be a colorful fall.

I picked a bucket of green beans that the deer haven't eaten. It seems now they have taking a liking to the garden but have left the beet greens and herbs alone, so far. The deer have been kind to us this year except for an occasional night foray. The unusual heavy rainfall has done the most damage this year.

We headed out to Elkin around 1:30 to visit with the dentist for Nancy. On the way we made a quick stop into Walmart for a new hand mixer and a few groceries. It was 81 in Elkin but as we climbed the mountain around 4:30 the temp began to drop dramatically. By the time Nancy dropped me off for pickle ball at Ted's house it was 67.

Ted and I had a match with John K. and a guy by the name of Matthew, he brought in to challenge us. So far we have smoked him and his pardner's but today this new guy who is in his 30's and who we found out later grew up on a tennis court, smoked us. Well, Matthew his new pardner was a very good player and it turned out to be his son. We aren't sure why he never introduced him as his son. Well Ted and I took 2 out of 7 sets and really I feel we were lucky to win those 2 as Matthew was one of the best players I've run across. Hopefully we will get to play them when the conditions are a little better as the wind was a factor for all. It definitely was a great workout with 10 and 12 ball rallies throughout the match. We later paired off with different players and each of us won a set from the other. Great fun!!! I was whipped when I got home just at dark.

Well it looks like the season for the Buc's and Panthers is pretty much over. Both of my teams aren't showing much promise. After last night's loss to the Cowboys I can guarantee next week the Panthers will win as they are in a bye week and the Buc's should beat the Redskins, my old home team for years growing up in Northern Virginia. The 'Skins loss to the Lions a team that hasn't won a game in 2 years.I'm not sure what the solution is but something needs to take place to put a winning team on the field.

Well it was really windy last night and chilly this morning. I picked up 6 /5 gallon buckets of pine cones in the front yard alone just after breakfast,which by the way was leftover buckwheat pancakes from yesterday. Yumm with butter and honey on top. LATER.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Sunday on Monday Morning

The day started out with cloudy skies and cooler temp's; but no RAIN. We noticed all the small creeks on our way to Cornerstone this A.M. were full with muddy water. Unbelievable the amount of rain that has fallen the past few days. I can understand why there were flash flood warning posted for the counties below the mountain. Not to belabor the point but we need a couple of really nice days to dry out. Sunday made a start.

After a super worship this morning we stopped by Sparta on the way back to the cabin. We noticed lots of what would have been beautiful leaves on the trees were already blowing on the roadway. The heavy rain sure knocked lots off onto the ground. We managed to get in an afternoon hike and the amount of leaves on the ground was amazing. I'm afraid there won't be any to change colors. The air has just a touch of fall as the humidity seemed to leave the area for now. There is a nice gentle breeze that is helping to dry out the ground.

After the hike I got in a little "are you ready for some football."The games on for this area are not the greatest as the Eagles slammed the Chiefs much like the Giants annihilated the Bucs, luckily that game wasn't shown here. We headed out to Cornerstone to help with the Father/Son True Love Waits -American Gladiator Event. There were probably 30+ boys and dads and once again there were a couple boys present without their dads. Several of the men of the church as well as myself filled in for the dads as the boys needed a man to witness their commitment to remain pure until marriage. I stood in for a high schooler by the name of Ryan. I had never seen him before so the word got out into the community.Cornerstone went all out to make this an event they will remember for a life time. Nancy and I helped in the kitchen and serving line and one again working with these folks is such a joy and a blessing. It kind of reminds me of "ask not what your church can do for you, but what can I do for my church."

Well we came home and watched a little of the Colts vs Cardinals and I must say they are very impressive with their play. Better go, will update today's events LATER

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Saturday on Sunday Morning

Well not much has changed except its raining harder. After our quiet times it was time for breakfast(brunch) as it was nearly 10 AM. There wasn't anything we could do outside as the rain never let up plus the fog had once more began to roll up the mountain enveloping us in white blanket. It really was exotic except we have seen this show; off and on for about 10 days. Time to change the reel,we want sunshine.

We made a breakfast of fried spuds from some of our freshly dug Kennebec's(that didn't rot in the ground), fried brown eggs, sliced tomato's and toast with some of the best jam(rhubarb) I've ever eaten next to the black raspberry jam we made this summer. Wow that lasted us until supper time with only a piece of cheese cake around 2 PM as we watched bits and pieces of the 'Noles and Bulls football game. We had been invited to Sparta for chili beans, cornbread and an apple based salad much like Waldorf Salad without the mayo. Thanks Kay and Gerald for that spread. Good eatin'!!!

On our way to Sparta we found water running down the road ankle deep in places, Yikes!! It was not a very good day for the 150 year celebration of Sparta as a town. We understood the parade was about 10 minutes in length with a few brave souls in old timey dress-up marching down main street.Oh well last year we were hot, dusty and dry and praying for rain. Prayers were answered!!!

This morning we are heading out to Cornerstone for worship with no rain yet partly cloudy skies and cool temps in the 50's. It's supposed to drop down in the 40's over the next few nights and the promise of fun time weather is here. Speaking of fun time and not to gloss over the victory for the gals(Mechelle, Kay and Nancy) versus the guys(Gerald, Andy and myself) in last nights Sequence game where they once again handed it to us by winning 6-3. Great game, gals but try not to call the kettle black!!!!

Well better go as its nearly time to head out for worship. LATER

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Friday on Saturday Morning

The morning started out with a little rain and a lite fog but cleared up enough to where we could take our daily hike to the top after our quiet time and a breakfast of buckwheat hotcakes. Those cakes were loaded with blueberries and a banana in the batter and then I loaded on the Amish Butter and a coating of honey. I needed to eat good as I had worked up a real good sweat waiting for Nancy so we could head out on our hike. I was using the mattock(grubbing hoe) digging up the upper gardens. It's the new rotor tiller called 2 arms and a strong back. I like to replicate how the ole' timers did it before all this new machinery. Anyhow I find it a way to work out plus I get to know the soil and I can remove any rocks and roots.

Our hike to the top was uneventful. I had to take a breath break as that mattock had me puffing as well as the heavy work boots I wear when gardening. Nancy and I usually make it all the way to the towers on top with only an occasional slight breath break. That's a sure sign we are staying in shape. We met up with our senior buddy Norman as we walked across the top of the ridge. He told us he had received some bad news regarding his health. The doctors think he may have prostrate cancer. He is 82 and seems in good health while his wife Betty has real breathing problems. Norman takes total care of her as she can barely get around. Keep both Norman and Betty in your thoughts and prayers.

After our hike we had the rest of the meat loaf on a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo. Yeow is that ever a tasty combination. I continued to rotor till the lower garden as I had noticed some roots that managed to sneak into my 'tater patch. After digging them out as well as a few rocks I had the lower garden ready for my winter planting before heading back to Florida in November. I have room for about 60 plus hills of spuds when I plant. I would stop briefly and savor the smell of Nancy's spaghetti sauce she was preparing for supper. I had picked oregano, basil and parsley earlier and wow the aroma as it she prepared the sauce was drifting out to the lower garden. Yummm!!

Well around 4 PM I called it a day and decided to put the rotor tiller in the basement shower as she had cleaned, vacuumed and had the upstairs ready for our company which was to arrive at 5. Around the time I called it a day the clouds took over and fog began to roll in and up the side of the mountain. For a moment I thought I was back in the San Francisco Bay area. I can remember the west coast of California, Oregon and Washington getting socked in with such heavy fog nothing moved. I flew out of a base in Fairfield that was about 50 miles north of 'Frisco and this fog reminded me of that type of fog,as a matter of fact this weather pattern we are in is much like the weather we were accustomed to during the winter months on the west coast. I once saw it rain for a solid week 24/7 and the town of Suisun(where I lived) and the surrounding areas where under water. I think there are droughts now in California with all the wild fires and we are getting all of their rain.

Our company; Clare, Clarence, John and Sandy arrived a little late after calling and saying they missed the roadway due to fog and rain. What miserable weather to have first time guests visit our humble cabin. The fog was so bad we were unable to see our gardens and flower beds, however we had great fun eating and playing "chicken foot domino's." Nancy's sauce was great as well as the salad with Greek Dressing and garlic bread. We played games for about an hour before eating our dessert of homemade cheese cake(original) with red raspberries and whipped cream on top. YUMMM!.A quick note about the cheese cake preparation; while beginning to blend all the ingredients the mixer suddenly broke, so naturally Nancy panicked as we are miles from town.I checked out the mixer an determined one of the beaters still turned. Well you guessed it I had to hold the mixer while turning and beating the mixture while Nancy used a spatula. Teamwork and wouldn't you know it, the cake never cracked. I told her it was because we only used one beater so there was less chance of air getting into the batter and cracking the cake while cooling. Our guests thought it was the best they had ever eaten.

Well the girls won the first game as we played gals vs guys by combining the scores and the guys won the second game. It was going on 11 PM by the time we said our good nights. The rain fell all evening as evident by the sound on the tin roof. The temps were starting to drop as they left for home. This morning found us with 52 degrees, still raining and lots of fog. We had no plans for this evening but shortly after a breakfast of fried spuds, eggs and sliced 'maters with jalapeno and toast smothered in homemade rhubarb jam blended with strawberry and pineapple( thanks Clare for that tasty jam) we got an invite out to the Luffman's for chili and Sequence.

As I write this post it is pouring rain much like the hard rains we get in Florida. Well will close for now and will update all on the out come of this slug fest tonight between the guys and gals. LATER..

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Thursday











What an unbelievable beautiful day except it did feel a bit like a summer. The temps were in the low 80's with a little bit of humidity or I was just working and playing too hard as I had 2 wet shirts today. I will explain! This morning we were up early, 7:30; well that is a change since last week we were sleeping in until 8:30 or so. After our quiet times we had a super breakfast of homegrown 'taters and 'maters with a couple free range brown eggs. There is something for me about the combined taste of 'maters with eggs. I love that taste just like I love the taste of onions and peanut butter together on a sandwich. Sorry as I digress oh where was I, yes the beauty of this day. The blue Carolina skies and bright sunshine just filled me with the such energy and thankfulness that we could share this ambiance with all who read my ramblings.

After that sumptuous breakfast I was ready for the morning. I got 2 loads of laundry out for Nancy on the clothesline,while she put together a cheesecake for tomorrow's company. It's hard to describe the smell from hanging clothes in the fresh morning air with the bright sunshine drying them slowly. YIKES does that take me back to my childhood of growing up in the country where there was no such thing as a clothes dryer other than the real thing, the sun.

We headed for the top of the mountain just before noon and made it all the way with just one "catch your breath stop." The top was beautiful and clear with Pilot Mountain clear as a bell at 70 miles away. WOW is all I can say, such a beautiful day. We got back around 1 PM and Nancy rustled up some meatloaf sandwiches with mayo, 'maters and onions with lettuce. What a lunch!! After eating I decided to dig up the 'taters in my patch and low and behold 90% of the 'taters had rotted due to all the rain we had the past 7 days. I wanted to cry but I did find about 6-7 pounds that were ok. The rest had rotted below the ground. I would say about 50 pounds worth. Oh well I learned from this experience. When the vines die dig the spuds out of the ground. It was my fault as I procrastinated but the 5 inches of rain this past week was too much and helped in the rotting process. I had such beautiful Kennebec spuds, some as much as 1/2 pound each.

After the potato dig it was close to the time for heading out to Roaring Gap to the pickle ball court. I picked up Ted around 4 PM and we headed out for some great singles. My shirt was soaked by the time Craig and LeAnn arrived for doubles. Wow did we ever have some spirited play. The points were fast and furious with some 8 and 10 ball rallies. That is so much fun and so good for your cardio workout. LeAnn and myself took Ted and Craig in the best of 7 sets with a score of 4 to 3. We had to come from behind at a 3-1 deficit to win. After 3+ hours of play my shirt, shorts and others were soaking wet from sweat. What great fun and exercise. Check out pickle ball. Its similar to tennis, racket ball and ping pong. Its so much easier on you than tennis and tons of fun with lots of rally's.

Well Nancy had a pot of 1/2 runner beans(homegrown) boiled with freshly dug spuds boiled with smoked ham for supper. Man was that ever good eatin'. Well will close for now. Someone mentioned why do I write this daily blog. Well here is the reason. I want our grand kids to see Nancy and I as we really are in our daily lives. The work, play and just our love for each other as we share these places where we live in Florida and North Carolina. I want them to experience each place; the beauty of the land and those folks we have grown to love in each area. LATER..

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Tuesday












Well it was the same old rain and fog this morning when we awaken; but as the day wore on the sun began to shine the clouds went away and the day was fast becoming one of the days you look forward to. Wow did it ever turn out nice. Now with a few more days like this we will quickly forget the rain, fog and overcast skies since last Tuesday. We have had over 5 inches of rain this past week. Well after our quiet time and a lite breakfast I headed out to check the gardens and yard.
I warmed up the weed whacker and started to edge the yards, around the trees and gardens. It took me about an hour and a half. Nancy was ready for our hike so we headed out. We made it all the way to the top with just one slow down stop. There were still a few clouds around but by the time we got back the sun was in full bloom. Gorgeous!! We had a few leftover pinto beans and salsa so I chowed down on them, plus I knew I would need the extra boost as I had a 5 PM pickle ball singles match. After lunch I climbed on the riding mower and spent the next couple hours mowing. Man is that so much easier than using a push mower. I almost feel quilty sitting in the sun's warmth mowing my yard. Well I finished about 4 PM then just chilled until it was time to head out. While mowing I thought I had run over a hoppy toad but it was this gigantic spider. Check out the picture. Sorry all you arachnoid lovers but it is demised with the shovel. It was a big sucker.

Well I had a total wet shirt from my pickle ball match. We played 7 sets and I came out on top all but 2 sets. This guy is a good player of course he is an excellent tennis player so that makes learning to play pickle ball that much easier. He has his own tennis court. Well I got back home around 7:30 just before dark. Nancy had a meat loaf, baked potato and mustard greens ready to eat. Hummm Good!! Well will close for now, check out Nancy's pics. LATER

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Tuesday (Anniversary Day)






























Well the morning found us sleeping in because it was raining once again. It was nearly 9 AM before we showed ourselves and 10:30 before we started making breakfast. After our quiet times we had a buckwheat pancakes with fresh blueberries and banana in the batter, along with a couple fried brown eggs on top. While eating we noticed the rain had quit and the fog had lifted. It was starting to look like a day to be outside.

I headed outside to check on things when I noticed large oak limb lying in the back yard. I cranked up the chain saw and quickly cut it up and hauled the wood to the fire circle for later bon fires. Man did it feel good to be outside and there was evidence the skies were trying to clear off.The sun felt delicious and the plants and flowers were looking perky once again. Nancy and I headed up the mountain for our hike. A beautiful day for a hike with cool 60's temp's but still a lot of water hanging around in the tree limbs. We had a good hour plus hike and got back around 1 PM. We decided to skip lunch as we were having and early dinner and the fact we had just eaten breakfast about 2 hours ago.

I worked in the garden's and yard for a couple hours before we had to get ready to head out to Galax with our "mountain mom", Helen and her brother Joe. We headed to Boggie's, a favorite restaurant on the golf course but when we arrived we noticed no cars in the parking lot. There were no signs to indicate it was closed except the door was locked, BUMMER!! Oh well our next choice was Applebee's. We asked our waitress about Boggie's and she informed us a couple weeks ago they just closed the doors without any notice to their employee's and said don't come back. Oh well it was a very nice place with decent food. We had a good meal at Applebee's but it just doesn't have the atmosphere.
After eating we just drove across the parking lot to Walmart and picked up a few things all of needed before we headed back to Helen's for some cake that Joe made yesterday. It was a delicious pound cake. Well we decided to head for the cabin around 7:45 as it was already getting dark. We saw several deer along the road as we drove into our lane.

Well it was a special day as we reflected back on the 30 years we have been together. God has truly blessed us. The pastor who married us told me when he married us that he didn't think I should marry Nancy as she was 10+ years younger than me and the marriage would never last. He use to ride along with me on weekends as he liked police work. Well he is now divorced, no longer a pastor and is a policeman; go figure.
Enclosed are a couple pictures; one from yesterday as I read all day, notice the fog outside in the window , a couple flower pic's, Joe and Helen's pic and a new profile pic we took for face book at Applebee's. LATER

Monday, September 21, 2009

Monday

The day started out with the neighbors large pit bulls bounding around on our porches and deck first thing this morning. That was the first time we have seen them up to our cabin this year. Oh well maybe they were bored as we were most of the day. The fog was the heaviest I've seen and stayed that way until after 5 PM. We could not see the trees in the back yard. After our quiet times we had a breakfast of brown eggs, grits and toast.

We both took turns on the Internet and I finished a great read by Grisham. I started the book RAINMAKER on Sunday evening and finished it this evening. Its a good read and a real page turner. We just stayed in the cabin except for venturing out to collect some herbs for dinner and to take the trash out. I had to cancel my pickle ball match as I doubt you could see from one end of the court to the other. We have rescheduled for Wednesday evening at 5.

I had taken a piece of fresh venison(deer meat) that Andy shot on Saturday morning and sliced it into thin strips and let it soak all day in milk. We drained the meat and rolled it in flour and fried it in Smart Balance oil for dinner. Yummm!!! Nancy did some oven spuds and along with some fresh garden grown green beans we had a simple but delicious supper. Well not much to write about when you stay inside all day. We want to wish our son-in-law, Tyler a big Happy Birthday today. Sounds like the lamb dinner Amy for him was great as they invited G/G and Pap to celebrate with them. LATER

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sunday on Sunday


Wow was it ever an overcast and foggy morning. We headed out to Cornerstone after a lite breakfast of fruit and cereal.We packed up our goodies and took them with us to our friends house after church. Worship was awesome this morning and once again there were several new faces. Next Sunday evening we are doing the boys and dad's event that is comparable to True Loves Waits we did for the girls and their dads. This event we be something like the Gladiators program from a few years back. The intention for this event is to help teach integrity and the Biblical principal of staying pure until your wedding. This should be a great time and hoping for as much success as we had with the girls and their dance. We will help with the food and whatever is needed to help make this a yearly event for our youth.


What a spread of ribs, burgers and dogs, grilled Zucchini and onions, chili and macaroni salad as well as salsa and chip. There were a couple of desserts but I was strong and passed them up. We watched the Panther's get whupped up on by the Falcon's and the Saints beat the Eagles. We left a little after 4 PM and learned the Buc's were getting beat and eventually lost to the Bills. Thanks Don and Stacy for opening up your home and for sharing with the NFL ticket.


We took a long drive back through the mountains and it amazes me people can build homes on some of these steep mountain slopes. We saw lots of cattle, pigs, chickens and horses. We saw a large flock of wild turkeys as well. They were so close to the road their beards were visible. This time of the year they are beautiful in color with some red tint to their feathers. Nancy practiced her gobble and they all jumped up and looked around wondering where that "turkey" was coming from.


We got back to the cabin around 5:30 and the rain was gone but fog and overcast skies seemed to make it feel later than it actually was. Oh well maybe some sunshine tomorrow. I'm scheduled for pickle ball at 5 PM on Monday with one of the local doctors. There seems to be some real interest in the game. LATER

Saturday on Sunday Morning

The rain let up for a little while and the sun broke through for a few moments this morning(Sat) an early afternoon. After our quiet times and lite breakfast we managed to get in an extended hike. The mountain top was fogged in as well as the surrounding valley's but the air was free from moisture for a couple hours. We were able to move about outside but other than hiking there wasn't much you could do. The garden is so wet I can't believe what is left is still growing or at least hasn't died.

We were invited over to the Dalton Gang's house for dinner and games so we knew to eat light for lunch. I had one of my favorite sandwiches of peanut butter with sweet onions. I absolutely love this combination. Nancy had pickle, lettuce and mayo. Now that sounds weird to me. I read and watched college football as Nancy prepared dishes to take to the Dalton's and the Adams Family after church on Sunday. Are you ready for some football??? He has the NFL ticket where you can pick and choose what games you want to watch. Please, Buc's don't embarrass me!!! Of course they didn't lose as bad as the Carolina Panthers did last week. O.K. just please don't out lose the Panthers!! Speaking of losing Gerald, Andy and myself did it again last night and gave the Sequence game away to the girls. They are the best at referring to us as "table talkers" all the while perfecting that scheme. They barely won!! But no they are now making reference to our masculinity. Sissy's, huh!!!. No more Mr. Nice guys.

Well its about time to head out and the rain just stopped or slowed down to a drizzle. The fog lifted and we can see the trees in the back yard. LATER

Friday, September 18, 2009

Friday

Well the day started out quite wet with tons of fog. We haven't seen the sunshine since Wednesday and we are starting to mildew. I noticed when we came back from Galax this morning the fungi had really started to take over the back yard. They had popped up every where.There is a tree on top that within 2 days has some of the most beautiful fungi I have ever seen. Hopefully I can get a picture. This red in color fungi is growing up the side of an old oak tree.

The trip to Galax was uneventful even if visibility was about 2 car lengths most of the way into town. We made the appointment on time and by 10 AM we were on our way to Wal-Mart to catch up on some shopping. The fog somewhat lifted in Galax and the rain stopped. After gassing up we headed home to once again see heavy fog and a light rain on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We made it back to the cabin around noon and decided since the rain stopped momentarily we would try to get a hike in before lunch. The hike was uneventful but the woods were soaking wet. After getting back to the cabin we had a frozen pizza for lunch.

After lunch the rain held off long enough for me to pick beans. I noticed most of the new lettuce and mustard greens I transplanted on Tuesday were just washed away or drowned. Oh well such is the life of a farmer(gardener). After picking beans I just chilled and read until it was time to help prepare supper.

We decided we wanted Taco salad for supper as we had tons of fresh tomato's, lettuce, jalapeno peppers and cukes for the topping. Man was that good eatin'. You take flour tortilla's smeared with refried beans, add ground beef, chopped onions, cukes, tomato's, lettuce, jalapeno peppers(optional)tomato's then add a couple spoons of sour cream and then sprinkle some Taco Bell sauce on top. I like the HOT; Nancy likes the MILD. I even use a little Tabasco sauce, also.

Well we are chillin' tonight. LATER

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Thursday
















Wow has it ever been a rainy and foggy day. The closest it came to stop raining was for about and hour when it just drizzled. I went off the porch once during that drizzle to take a couple pictures of the cabin so you could see what we have looked at all day. After our quiet times this morning Nancy made her famous buckwheat pancakes with a banana and blueberries in the batter. Man was that good eatin' especially with a couple fried brown eggs on top. The rest of the morning was spent on the computer for Nancy and I spent a couple hours in the basement cleaning up my work bench and sweeping the floor.

We decided around 1 PM to finish the left over soup from last night. There was just enough for a bowl each. Man did that ever go with the damp overcast day outside. After lunch I vacuumed the upstairs and talked Nancy into heading down to the basement where we hit the pickle ball back and forth for about a 1/2 hour. At least we got the respiration's up several time by bending over chasing the ball around. Nancy quickly bored with this effort to exercise. I made several trips up and down the stairs for some exercise.

I spent the next couple hours reading and waiting for the rain to let up so I could go outside and play, actually I just wanted to take a hike, but no the rain never stopped. Around 5:30 we decided to get supper ready so Nancy oven fried some chicken thighs, boiled up some macaroni and added milk and butter and sauteed some garden fresh yellow squash with onions and olive oil. That is a tasty dish. I had a garden salad as well. Nancy cooked so I cleaned up the kitchen while she played on Face Book. We sat around hoping for a let up on the wet weather but it remained foggy and wet.
I started watching Miami beating Georgia Tech when the new season for Survivor came on; so I was through with foot ball now that she has the channel changer. They have a real character on the yellow team named Russell.
Well its off to Galax, Va in the early hours for a 9:30 doctors appointment for Nancy then to Wal-Mart. Exciting day lined up don't ya think. This type of weather is the only draw back about living in the woods. It's not safe to be on the roads because of the heavy fog and rain so if there is no really need to be out its best to stay home. Cabin fever is real. Here are a few pics I took when the rain let up enough to venture outside. I posted them on Face Book as well. LATER

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

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We were awaken to a light rain falling on the tin roof so we turned over and went back to sleep until 8:30. Yikes!! I can't believe we slept in that late, but it did feel good. After our quiet times and a lite breakfast(nearly 10 AM) we decided to go to Sparta and pick up a few things. First we stopped by the Dollar General then headed over to the book store to browse. We picked up 6 books by authors like; Grisham, Ludlum, Robbins, Fuller, Wick and 2 non fiction books titled BLUE LIKE JAZZ and THE AIRMEN WHO WOULD NOT DIE. I paid a total of 6 bucks for these books today and starting Fri. & Sat. everything is half price off of these prices. Now that is a bargain no matter where you go.


We stopped at Lowes and picked up some goodies to finish the fixin's for a pot of vegetable beef soup. Most everything in the soup was home grown except for the carrots, celery and Lima beans. Nancy used our tomato's, potato's, green beans, parsley, kale and beet greens. Yumm was that ever a good soup and good for you. She also made a batch of chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal added for dessert. After supper we took a bowl over to our"mountain mom"as well as some cookies and a few books for her to read.


After getting back from Sparta around 1 PM I decided it would be an excellent time to burn some brush piles out in the back yard near the woods. What a job that turned out to be as the brush was damp so I had to continuously feed the fire by hand to get it to burn. I finally got the job done after about 4 hours of using a pitchfork. By the time supper was ready I was hot, sweaty and smelled like a burnt log. Man did that soup ever taste good and I ate too much once again.

Nancy felt a little better today so she managed to get a hike in to the top of the mountain while I burned. We have to go to Galax on Friday for another doctors appointment(female stuff). We had to cancel our trip to Virginia this weekend but hope to reschedule before we head back to Florida for the winter. Nancy took a few pics of the first changing of the leaves, me burning and our back trail that goes nearly straight up through the woods to the top of the mountain. Check out the fall Daisy's in the red pump picture as they are just starting to bloom.LATER

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

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It was another beautiful morning with just a few more clouds than yesterday. The temps were in the low 60's and the steady drip of dew onto the roof top from the dormer was evident. There was such stillness in the air. The forecast is for rain and cooler temps up and throughout the weekend. After our quiet times, Nancy mixed up some buckwheat pancake batter with a banana and fresh blueberries. Wow, that was great eatin' especially with a fried brown egg on top. I smothered mine with Amish butter and honey for a change.

After breakfast Nancy got a load of laundry on the line and I worked in the garden pulling weeds. I weeded my garlic bed and finished removing old tomato plants that have died and are no longer producing. We were ready for our morning hike and headed up the mountain. We made it all the way to the top without any rest stops. The top is pretty much a "ghost town" except for one household. Joe is redoing his porch and deck by stripping and re-staining. I think that is such a waste with pressure treated wood, Oh well it does look good for one season then it begins to peel and crack.

After our hike we had a ham sandwich with tomato, lettuce, onion and mayo on toast. I mentioned to Nancy I like buying the smoked whole ham and slicing it your self better than buying sliced ham from the deli; its about 1/5 of the cost, plus you know what your eating. This smoked ham was $1.27 a pound and deli ham is at least 6-7 bucks a pound and I think it is pressed meat. Oh well!!!

After lunch I planted some frilly ferns around the lower border of the the wooded back yard, dug up and planted volunteer wine berry plants below the lower garden, and then dug fresh potato's from my spud patch for supper. I had 3 that were at least 1/2 a pound each plus lots of regular size taters. Man are they ever good tasting. Nancy rolled these spuds in olive oil after slicing them lengthwise several times like large french fries. She then chopped parsley and rosemary and dipped the spuds in olive oil and coated the spuds in the fresh herbs and baked them in the oven while baking chicken thighs. That along with a fresh garden salad all of which I grew was delicious. We love eatin' what we grow and if we lived here year round we would grow our own chickens and have our own fresh meat and eggs.

We took off to get the mail on the golf cart and stopped to watch a logger who is clearing nearly 40 acres near our area. Wow what a mess they can make out of a pristine piece of mountain land. It usually takes around 7-10 years to hide all the destruction they do while logging a mountain side. The afternoon was about gone by the time we got back to the cabin as rain clouds moved in. I managed to spread some lime on the new grass I sowed a couple weeks ago as we are expecting rain and clouds for the next few days. That should be good for the grass and with the changing of the leaves.

Well I cleaned up the dishes as Nancy cooked and by 7:15 it is already showing signs of darkness. It's now 8 PM and pitch black outside. I miss being able to be outside until 9:30. Looks like we will not be taking our side trip this weekend to my home town in Winchester. Hopefully we can get up that way later on this month. Nancy took a few pics while I was liming the back yard. Check out the spider on a cone flower, the lack of Shasta Daisy's and the garden without plants, also the neatly manicured yard.LATER





Monday, September 14, 2009

Monday

WOW is all I can say about this beautiful late summer day. The morning started out with our quiet times and such stillness its so hard to describe. The only sound was the dew dripping from the dormer roof onto the main roof of the cabin. The sunlight streaming through the tree tops indicated the possibility of another beautiful day. I don't think the temp got over 75 all day.

I fried up a couple of brown eggs with sliced tomato's and a jalapeno pepper on the side with a couple pieces of toast covered with Amish Butter and black raspberry jam. That is just what I needed to get the engine running and it didn't stop all day until a little after 6 this evening when I got home from mowing Ray's yard. We slowed for about 10 minutes around 1 PM to eat a couple sliced 'maters and cukes with a few chips and crackers.

After breakfast I worked in the upper garden taking out the sugar pea vines and stakes as well spading and turning over a major portion of the patch so I could transplant some mustard green and lettuce seedlings.I then moved up some other Romaine Lettuce seedling into pots for transplanting later.Nancy decided she was ready to take her daily hike. It was just another perfect day for hiking. Temps maybe in the high 60's with just a breath of air moving the leaves. We stopped and visited with Norm as I carried a couple empty egg carton back to him so he could reload them with free range brown eggs at 2 bucks a dozen. Several of these eggs looked like they could be double yokes.

After we got back I cranked up the weed eater and did the whole yard. After about an hour and a half of edging I was ready to mow the front and back yards. Man do I love that riding mower. It was around 4:30 when I finished, according to Nancy and headed over to do Ray's yard. I got back around 6 which surprised me as I had no idea what the time was. Nancy had supper ready and then I realized I was hungry. She had made a small casserole for us when she made the large one for the fish fry on Saturday. The potato casserole was perfect with fried smoked ham and green beans from the garden.

Speaking of the garden a couple deer got in there either Saturday or Sunday night. Not sure which day as I noticed the hoof prints there this morning. They didn't eat much maybe a few beans and vines but I noticed that at least 2 different deer visited the garden. That was the first time this year. I consider myself lucky compared to last year when they devoured everything a couple times. I think they needed some green veggies to go with the corn and apples neighbor, Gerald placed out in the woods for them this weekend. I hope he gets a couple this year, Mmmm deer sausage.

After supper I burned a couple days of trash and by 7:45 it was starting to get dark. Yikes summer is quickly leaving us as next week is the first day of Fall. LATER

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sunday

Well one could not imagine such a nice day as this one was.We started out with a 7 AM wake up to cool temps in the 50's and such stillness in the air. There was the sound of dew dripping from the roof. After our quiet times and a cup of hot green tea we made ourselves a breakfast of Cheerios, banana and blue berries. We got ready to head out to Cornerstone for worship. I slipped down to neighbor Gerald's to say goodbye and send a bag of fresh green beans and tomato's home with him to Raleigh. We don't get to see Jodi and Gabe much now that school and baseball practice has started but hope to see them for the neighbor weenie roast at the Heglar's the first Saturday in October.We need to whup up on the girls in spades, again Gerald.

Worship was very interesting and the music was great. The message was about being patience but I about lost it today with the play of my football teams. Yikes, the Panthers looked awful and the score with Bucs vs Cowboys indicated its going to be a long season. After church we stopped in town an dropped a couple movies off and headed home for one of my favorite meals. I grilled a salmon fillet smothered in garlic, lemon pepper and dill. We also fixed some fresh green beans, yellow rice and sliced tomato's. Wow was that ever good eatin.'

I switched back and forth between the Falcon vs the Dolphins game and it was not a good day for any of the Florida teams. The Saints and Falcons have a shot at a winning season if they continue play as they did today. I hate to give up so quickly but things don't look promising for the Bucs or Panthers.Oh well and they make so much money!!!

Pickle ball at the Roaring Gap Club was a very good workout. Craig and Le Ann came with their new paddles and played quite well for only their third time. Ted is getting so much better with his game as well. I hope they continue to play after we head back to Florida in November. Well will close for now. LATER

Saturday, September 12, 2009

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Wow the morning started out with the alarm waking us up at 6 AM as we had to be in Sparta at the fair grounds by 8:30. After our quiet times and a lite breakfast we headed out. I had been asked to MC the annual 4-H Horse Show and Nancy was asked to assist with giving out the awards. The morning was just beautiful with bright blue skies and cool temp of 56 when we left the cabin.
We started the show around 9 Am and finished up about 2 PM. We had such a great time and met some super nice folks plus Nancy got to be around her favorite animal, the horse. There were 12 classes the kids were judged in and 1 class for the adult plus a costume class. Some of the Cloverbuds were as young as 4 years old. This is a great family affair. We had a very nice judge who took the time to instruct the younger kids on proper showmanship. Nancy and I had a great time and could think of no better way to spend a Saturday.

After getting back to the cabin around 3 we just chilled or I did watching a little college football while Nancy put together a potato casserole for the fish fry at the Woodie's River House. We got there around 6 and already the temps were dropping and by 8 I had to put on a long sleeve shirt. The food was plentiful and the catfish was very good. I would guess there were 50 plus people there including the superior court judge Mr. Doughton and his wife.

Our little fishing buddy Caleb Dalton brought his fishing pole and caught a 2+ lb Brooke Trout from the bank while we were waiting to eat. He sure was a beauty and it was hard to put him back in the river but we did. Well tomorrow is church day at Cornerstone.
I will include a few pics from the horse show. LATER