Saturday

Well it was certainly"time to head south with all those smart birds" as the snow(light dusting)and ice were prevalent on all things outside, YIKES!! Florida here we come on Monday morning bright and early. The morning started with us acting like kids on the Christmas eve, wondering if there would be a measurable amount of snow. We weren't disappointed totally as there was enough on the windshield to add a message;(see photo) the leaves in the yard were coated with ice and stayed there just about all morning even with the bright sunshine. It finally got above freezing around lunch time but not much more than that even with the deep blue skies and sunshine so bright it nearly blinded us as we left the cabin around 5:30 for the Dalton farm.

After our quiet times and a smorgasbord of a breakfast; lets see there was 2 biscuits that needed baking, a patty of Jimmy Dean sausage, 2 small leftover fried fish fillets and 2 eggs that needed eating along with a couple slices of must use tomato. After breakfast we started on some serious winterizing the cabin actually it was more like what to we take back with us and what do we leave for next Spring, what clothing needs to go or stay. I headed outside to check on the propane as it was still below freezing, yet it was snug as a bug inside. With this cold I believe we could come in the dead of winter and stay warm enough for a couple weeks, maybe we should try it some winter and do some really winter activities, anyhow it was close to noon before we caught up enough to head out for our only hike of the day.

Nancy had been baking a cheesecake and getting her Mexican rice dish ready for Cornerstone's
homecoming lunch Sunday after church so the cabin smelled as Grand daughter Annsley says "dewishious". She also had a couple pumpkins pies baking for our "Thanksgiving dinner" with the Dalton Gang later in the evening. So it was difficult to leave this warm, smell good cabin but we did and believe me when I say it was nippy it was down right cold. The wind made for it to feel like in the 20's, but the sun was shinning and we loved every step of the way.

After another weird lunch as I grilled a couple of preformed hamburgers patties that I had brought back from Florida a couple time along with a small fillet Mignon and once again a couple tomato's that were going bad, Nancy stuck with some deli ham on Rosemary bread. I ventured outside to dig up the rest of my herbs that I had covered with buckets to keep from freezing then took the plants from in the basement and separated them into wet newspaper for the trip south and into my winter garden there. I planted some mums in the ground and threw away my gorgeous geraniums into the garden as they were just to big to take back. Ms. Helen's has some smaller ones which I will take back as she too has to throw hers away for the winter. I just about finished all of my outside chores except for taking the battery out of the golf cart and storing the grille in the basement which I will do after church on Sunday.

We headed over to the Dalton's to a great dinner and to find that Andy has harvested an 8 point buck in the early morning hours. Well needless to say his way of processing the meat is superb and he sliced up the hams; we tenderized some and ground some into hamburgers, backstrap and tenderloin's for me to take back with us to Florida. Yeow is that ever going to be some great eating. Well I have to report the evening activities with regard to Sequence left the girls on top once again as they squeaked out a controversial win in the end, just as we were getting our second wind and starting to show signs of a come from behind; much like Zenyatta in the Breeder Cup Race but lost by a hair. But the evening was a total success with lots of super eating, laughing and fun. We will surely miss these fine folks.

When we left their place around 10:30(old time) it was 27 degrees and looked as if it would drop even lower as the night progressed. Well better get away from this keyboard as its time to get ready for worship and another day of culinary delights as some of the best eatin' you will ever experience is right here in these mountains. LATER