Saturday

Whew was it another HOT day here in what is usually the mild mountains. I slept in until 7 AM and then after my quiet time and a couple poached cackle berry with some grits I headed out to check on the gardens before we got ready to head to Sparta for the open class 4-H sponsored horse show at the fair grounds. I had the privilege to m/c the show once again and Nancy helped with giving out the award ribbons and trophies. It was a grand time with lots of young participants and even though it got into the 90's by the early afternoon there were no casualties and a good time was had by all.

After the show we came home and chilled until it was time for supper then afterwards we headed down to our neighbors Gerald and Jodi for some 5 Crowns and Spades. The gals once more were victorious in a close game of Spades and the 5 Crowns games were won by Jodi and myself(these were individual efforts). While down at their cabin it started to rain softly and is raining as I make this post. The temps have cooled down considerably and the sound on the roof is putting me to sleep as I make this post. We probably won't see them again for at least 2 weeks as Gerald heads to Sturgis for the motorcycle rally and Jodi heads back to work the middle of August.

Just an update on Paw Paw's progress. I spoke with him today and there are no beds in the Martinsville hospital so they are keeping him in the D.C. Va center. He is taking physical therapy daily and seems to improving slowly. He is just ready to get home and be where he can be visited more easily by family and friends, although he has no complaints about the VA care he is just ready to get back to some aspect of normal surroundings. Once again we are indebted to those who were prayer warriors for him and we are so thankful he has had no real major complications especially at his age.

Well its been a busy week and tomorrow its worship at Cornerstone then entertaining the Dalton gang along with Gerald and Kay. Hopefully this rain will keep things cooled down enough we can their company. I will enclose a few pictures from the horse show today, LATER

Friday

Today was a busy day but not a whole lot accomplished; however I did manage to finish with neighbor Gerald's artistic weld the homemade handle for the ice cream maker of our "mountain mom's". After our quiet times and a bowl of oatmeal with 3 fruits I headed out to water the gardens before meeting up with Gerald to work on the road into our cabins.

This is a private road so we(those who have cabins and property) are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance. About 1/2 or more of those who have access to the road help(money and labor) with the upkeep but just a couple actually do the work and Gerald does the most work as he has a tractor with a scraper. Anyhow we met around 9 AM to move(by hand) a large load of stone into the drainage ditches to help stop erosion and before that I trimmed lots of branches, limbs and briar's that were starting to intrude into the drive area of the road and any over hanging branches. It really started to get hot around 11 so we called it a day for working in the sun and heat until we get another cooler day.

I did a few little jobs around the cabin while Nancy was at the beauty salon getting her hair cut and colored. It was really getting hot and the temps soared close to 90 once again so there was very little to do except work in the basement and on the porches out of the direct sunlight. Well I decided to work in the shade on the back porch staining the walls. I managed to get about 2/3 thirds of the porch stained before calling it a day.

Nancy put together one of my favorite dishes for supper using Zucchini squash and dill from my garden called Zucchini pie. We used our last pack of frozen ground deer meat instead of hamburger fried up with onions and green pepper for the base then mixed all this into sliced sauteed squash and dill. She next places this in a baked croissant roll glass dish and then puts cheese and sliced tomatoes on top. My oh my is that ever good and whats weird is I like it to cold pizzas the next day if there is any left overs. Yikes is that ever good eatin' and especially when most of the ingredients you grow or known who killed the meat.

Well after supper we cooled down watering the plants then headed down to Gerald and Jodi's for a game of Spades which the gals won and the a game of domino's which Nancy won(and I was the biggest loser) at least I was sleeping with a winner!!! Well we head back around 9:30 and it was still in the 80's so it was time for cold showers, reading and bedtime, LATER

Thursday

Well the day turned out to be another scorcher with high temps and a blazing sun and once again a dry evening; could we ever use a shower just to cool things off. I hand watered the gardens this evening but so far they seem to be holding up or should I say still green and producing. I picked a couple cukes today and noticed a few more cherry tomato's had started to turn a light shade of pink. The spoonies are still producing but not nearly as fast as they need to be, as a dozen of them in your salad is like a bucket of sand at the beach.

After our quiet times and a bowl of cereal with peaches, blue berries and a banana I head over to Helen's(mountain mom) to assist with Lowes delivering her upright freezer. Well Lowes was fast and they were gone by the time I got there just before 9AM so I headed over to Joe's to see if I could figure out why his phone which is on the same jack as his DSL will not work. The phone works on the jack in the next bedroom but will not work where it use to; as lightening struck the electrical receptacle but it still works but not the phone jack, anyhow that was a fruitless try but we eliminated the possibility the phone was no good. I can't for the life of me understand the phone line for the DSL works on the same jack but not the phone, we even changed the filter as well but to no avail, Oh well!!!

I headed home and we had a lite lunch before taking off on our hike to the top, wow was it ever starting to heat and fast. After the hike I starting a fire in the fire pit while Nancy filled a pot with raw peanuts, salt and water. I boiled those babies for about 4-5 hours and my oh my were they ever good eatin', so much so we had them for supper. We did manage a salad also but the main course was boiled salted peanuts. While they were cooking I headed down to neighbor Gerald's as he and the family arrived from Raleigh, wow was it ever hot down there as well with temps over a 100. I helped him move a pallet of slate rocks that will be used to finish the block walls of his cabin. We loaded several loads in the back of the golf cart and carted them down to the lower area behind the cabin, what a work horse that machine is as he was initially carrying them by hand. Luckily we were in the shade but it still was downright hot.

After the rock job was over I headed down to the basement where I continued to work on fabricating a handle for the White Mountain Ice Cream maker that I borrowed from our mountain mom. I found an old wrench with a box end that fits the nut that goes on the drive for the maker. I then took a hack saw and sawed off the open end of the tool then drilled a hole that allowed me to insert the old handle and spindle into the tool. I then crimped the handle to the tool using an 1800's anvil(my great- grandfather used during the Civil War) and now I need neighbor Gerald to arc weld the nut to the inside of the tool. Actually this crank and handle will be much stronger than the original cast handle that came with the maker; and it looks pretty good as well. If I remember I will post a photo. Well that kept me busy for a couple hours as that forged steel was hard and besides I was using all hand tools.

It was still in the 80's as supper time came so we ate light and never heated up the kitchen besides it was too hot to really enjoy a big meal. After supper I headed down to basement and strained my blackberry must and placed the liquid into (2) 1 gallon jugs where it will cook(ferment )for about 6 months. Well not much else is going on except in the morning while its still some what cool, I will help neighbor Gerald to place some large rocks(ric rack)into the drainage ditches along our private road that washes heavily when we have these down pours. He has a tractor with a front end bucket which will make it nice in the movement of these rocks from a central location to various areas along the roadway. LATER These 2 pictures are of a salad we had with Nasterium flowers which are delicious and the blue pot of raw peanuts on the fire.

Wednesday

Well I woke up after 7 AM this morning for a change, actually felt good to sleep in except I was dreaming about taking a seminar for motorcycle riding; I know that was a dream as I've investigated my share of m/c fatalities over the 30 years I spent with the patrol. It sure was nice to wake up and realize this was just a night mare. After my quiet and of bowl of cereal with; banana, wine berries and blue berries. Yikes did that ever taste good but not nearly as tasty as the French toast of yesterday.

I headed to the basement to put some long pants and boots on as I was heading to Ms. Helen's place on our mountain top. We have an agreement that I will give her half the blue berries I pick from her patch. I also volunteered to clean the briar's and trash bushes out as well. I picked about a quart of berries but spent the next hour or so in the hot sun cleaning, clipping and hauling the trash down from the patch. The briar's are a real problem as they are the kind which just reaches out and grabs you. When I left the patch my shirt was soaking wet and even my socks were damp from the sweat, yikes was it ever HOT and on top of that the mosquitoes, gnats and deer flies loved to buzz your eyes and ears.

I changed clothes to some shorts and a dry shirt before we took off on our hike for the day and decided we would stay off the front road as the heat was really building and beside there is no shade. We stopped at Joe and Jetta's and sat a spell as Joe told us about the bee's nest above his garage door. Last evening when we walked I noticed they were Yellow Jacket Bee's but he didn't think so, well long story short a couple of them popped him today so he took my advice and destroyed the nest. Those are mean and nasty insects and I have no fondness for them and now he believes me. I took him a spoon tomato which was good for a chuckle and a head of cabbage from my garden.

We came back and I cut lettuce and Nancy made an awesome lunch of homemade bread with mayo, sliced tomato, sliced onion and lettuce, WOW that is the best ever sandwich. We just chilled after lunch as the heat was up into the low 80's again, this has been the hottest summer so far and for such a long time. We took it easy and read until it was time to get ready to head out with Helen and Joe to Galax to do some shopping and have supper at a home cooking restaurant called Flossie's. The meal was good and reasonably priced. Afterwards we headed to Lowes and then to Wal-Mart before heading home. The evening had slipped away and it was going on 8 o'clock by the time we headed in the drive. It was still 90 degrees when we left Galax; but the temp had dropped down to a pleasant 77 when we started up the drive. I watered the upper garden and I'm going to add some Epsom salt to the tomato's and peppers to see if that will help with production.

Just an up date on Paw Paw as I spoke with him around lunch time. He was waiting to be transferred back to the Martinsburg, W.Va. Veterans Hospital. Hopefully that went through for him, and as well as for those who live close to there. LATER

Tuesday

Well I was awake and ready to roll at 6:30 but Nancy convinced me to stay in bed until after 7:30 so I gave it a try until 7 then I had to get up. You would think being retired I would want to sleep in but that's not the case as I need less sleep now that I'm older, anyhow it was a beautiful morning with temps near 70. There was a heavy dew once again and I could hear it dripping from the roof. After our quiet times we had a delicious breakfast of cinnamon bread(Mennonite bread) dipped in egg and fried, my oh my was that the best ever.

I had promised an old friend from church I would come by his old dairy farm(he retired and sold his milkers) and collect some old cow manure for my garden. Well we loaded up about 8-5 gallon buckets plus 6 sacks of the dried stuff, wow was that ever cured and I could just see plants growing before my eyes once I spread this in the veggie and flower gardens. Many thanks to Clayton as he knew I was a avid gardener. We were close to Eddie and Kimberley's farm so we stopped by and played with the orphaned colt and she gave me some peonies she was wanting to move from one of her flower beds. It was getting close to lunchtime so we headed for the cabin.

Nancy was putting together a fresh salad and I added to it some fresh arugula and nasturtiums leaves and flowers, wow do those ingredients add much flavor but Nancy isn't fond of any of them. After lunch I dug up a new bed for the peonies and planted them then got ready to mow the yards. It took me about 2 hours and wow was the sun ever bright making it definitely a straw hat occasion. Luckily I now have the riding mower thanks to Mike and Dee.

Well after mowing I headed to the lower garden which was by now in the shade so I loosened the dirt around all of the plants except for the potato's as they are starting to finally bloom. I cut 3 heads of cabbage as the slugs are starting to have over night feasts on them and have just 2 more heads growing. I slawed one for supper to go along with our fried fish and 1/2 runner beans. Yumm what a supper and complimented with some home grown sliced cucumbers. After the clean up we headed out on our hike to the top of the mountain. We stopped and visited with Joe and Jetta and she blessed us with a mess of fresh picked 1/2 runners from her garden and a small loaf of homemade bread. She makes awesome bread as we found out last year. We headed for the cabin and decided to call it a day. I had a call from oldest sister, Josie that middle sister Pat and Keith were down to visit with Paw Paw today and he seems to be progressing but at a slower pace than he wanted. Seems he will be there a few more days as there are a few minor problems which will require daily monitoring of his lungs and kidneys.

Well I picked another dozen spoon tomato's today and probably could have added a couple more to them in the soup spoon, yikes are they tiny. Well the Ray's are having a tough road trip as they are in California, maybe its a good thing they don't start play until 10 PM so I don't see the results before bed time. Tomorrow we are going to Galax and taking Helen and brother Joe along as we dine out then head to Lowes and finally Wal-Mart, LATER

Monday

Well this has been a busy day that started around 6:30 this morning when I rolled out. After my quiet time and a bowl of cereal with a peach, banana, wine berries and blue berries I got ready to head over to Helen's too work on her shop door. I checked it out on Friday and determined the anchor board for the chain assembly had pulled away from the frame causing the door to hang up when opening and closing. I aligned it up and tried to drive the large spikes back into the frame but finally put some large screws into the anchor board, that seemed to work and the door moves smoothly once again. On the way out her driveway I noticed what at first I thought was a black snake curled up but on closer inspection I determined it was a pile of bear scat(poop) that resembled a large pile of black berry seeds. She has tons of wild black berries and her neighbor Odell Wright saw a black bear just across the field from her on Saturday evening checking out his grapes. Yikes a bear in the 'hood.

After getting back from Helen's we got ready for our daily hike to the top of the mountain. It was another warm day with high humidity and as we crossed over onto the front road the heat was becoming intense, sort of like a typical Florida day in the summer. I was wringing wet with sweat by the time we got home and I could feel my tummy growling so we made a tuna salad with lots of fresh lettuce, cukes, olives, pickles and herbs. I headed out to rotor-till my garlic patch after lunch and then spread some compost on top as I'm getting ready to sow garlic seeds for next years crop. I probably harvested 20-30 garlic bulbs and have them drying under the back porch. I then rotor-tilled the weedy areas in the lower garden before a sudden thunder storm ran me into the basement and shed. While waiting on the rain I took off the riding mower blades and sharpened them, then changed the oil in the mower as well.

I next worked on changing the regulator on my gas grille as its been making a loud noise while cooking. I had to change out the side burner valve as well which required some country boy engineering but it worked and now I'm back into the grilling business. The rain finally let up so I started to weed whack the yards and got about 2/3 Rd's complete when Nancy called me for supper. I headed into the lower garden on the way in an cut a small head of cabbage which she cooked in the microwave, wow was that ever tasty and so mild. While waiting to eat I spoke with Paw Paw in D.C. and he sounded good except for his desire to get back home or at least back to W.Va. Glad to hear he's coming along as it was 2 weeks today he had triple by-pass. We also had some fresh new potato's with parsley and sliced tomato's to go along with the cabbage. Yeow was that ever a great meal and no meat for a change.

After supper I finished weed whacking including all the trees in the back woods yard; the skies by now have started to clear with some blue overhead and the humidity seemed to have disappeared also,so we headed out on another walk. This time we stayed in the road down to the creek at The Heglars then walked back, wow it was another good workout. When we got back I decided it was time to burn trash so I got a fire going and burned two large bags plus picked up sticks and limbs from the back woods yard. I finally headed in around 9 PM and hit the shower.

It's been a busy but fun day and tomorrow is starting to look like it might be busy as well. The rain cooled things off and helped the garden. I picked 2 really nice size Zucchini's; perfect for a pie later this week. LATER

Sunday

Well it was another warm day but the afternoon thunderstorm with hail and a downpour which dropped 1 1/4 inches of rain in about 20 minutes was a real temperature changer. The morning started out with a sleep in until 7 then a lite breakfast after our quiet times before we got ready to head out to Cornerstone for worship. We had a large crowd today with several new faces and we were missing some regulars especially one sweet lady in particular who is battling cancer. Keep Sherry Edwards in your prayers and thoughts as she is battling this terrible disease and it seems to be getting the upper hand as of right now. Also continue to keep Paw Paw(dad) in your thoughts and prayers as well. I spoke with him this morning and he seems to be getting stronger each day and is looking forward to going home.

After church we made a quick stop at Lowes before heading home for a light lunch. After lunch I dug up my garlic as the plants had dies and strating going to seed. I got several nice bulbs and will get the bed ready for the seeds to be sown in the next couple days. I had noticed several Yellow Jacket(bees) flying in the space between the outer boards around the window frame of the bathroom, well needless to say I went to war with them and killed about 50 with a fly swatter as they entered and exited this small space. I helped to slow them down when I inserted a folded piece of newspaper in the crack so it made for easier killing, although a couple did chase me onto the porch a couple times but survived without any stings. These are the meanest, nastiest bees and will sting and bite at the same time over and over again, so I have this love/hate relationship. I hate the bees but love to kill them one by one. After darl I removed the paper and sprayed an insecticide into the space then replaced the paper hoping that will kill the nest and any bees left inside.

Helen our mountain mom came for a nice visit just after the worst of the storm had passed. She shared pictures of their last week-end family reunion in the Outer Banks area of N. Carolina. We had a good visit and I picked her a mess of collard greens as well as a spoon tomato. Well after supper we took off on our hike to the top of the mountain. The temps were in the low 70's and it was still cloudy with just a little sunshine. We saw the Browning's, Sarah and her pooch Penny and the Fuller's with their pooch Rico. Well its another busy week as neighbor Gerald is coming up to his cabin after spending the week in New York for a family wedding

Saturday

Well today started out around 7 after waking earlier but I forced myself to stay prone until Nancy awakened. It was another warm morning with the temp. close to 70 and eventually it was 85 on our back porch which usually isn't bad except for the humidity. Anyhow our quiet times Nancy made egg sandwiches as our good friends the Luffman gave us several really ripe home grown tomato's and oh my did that ever compliment a fried egg on toast with mayo, onion and lettuce. Yikes that is gourmet!!!

After breakfast I piddled around in the yard until Nancy was ready and we took off for our hike of the day to the top of the mountain and believe me when I say it was HOT as we crossed over from the back road which is in the trees to the front road which is in the open. It must have been 10-15 warmer in the open. We stopped and visited with the Browning's and I brought them 3 Zucchinis from my garden I picked just before we hiked. Their 1/2 runner beans are doing fabulous as she has already canned several jars but their tomato's have blossom end rot which is a terminal disease for tomato's. After getting bad to the cabin and a drink of cold mountain water we rode off to Joe(Helen's brother) as he wanted to be rid of the onions he had planted. He gave a us a dozen as well as some cucumbers. His tomato's are looking good but no peppers this year which is unfortunate as he always grows good bell peppers. We bought one at Wal-mart the other day and it was 98 cents for 1 pepper, oh well I think I'm going to have a few jalapenos which make good poppers but they have a ways to go as well.

We came home and had a fresh salad for lunch then I headed out to paint the black spacer boards on the front porch and on the upper side of the cabin. I managed to stay out of the direct sun as it was pushing 85 plus. Finally about 4 o'clock the wind came up and the clouds rolled in with thunder in the distance but just a 10 minute light shower. The shower cooled things down enough to make it bearable the rest of the day. After a supper of leftovers with tater tots and a cucumber and onion salad we headed out on the golf cart for an extended ride out to the hard road then back across the mountain and down the back road. It was close to 8 PM before we got back so I worked in the lower garden pulling weeds and hand watering until nearly dark. The bugs were extremely busy this evening for some reason and just love to invade my ears, eyes and nose so I was ready to get in the cabin.

Well we didn't do a whole lot today but stayed busy just the same. I did manage to speak with Paw Paw(dad) this morning and he sounded good, he thinks they are going to release him from D.C. back to Martinsburg, W.VA. VA hospital the first of next week, so that will make it a lot easier for visitors and for him with his follow up check ups. Thanks for all those who remembered him in your thoughts and prayers, today we saw our mailman and he inquired about his health as well, don't ya just love a small town!!! LATER Nancy was playing with the camera today and shot some pictures.

Friday

Well it was another warm day with temps up into the low 90's and lots of humidity, thankfully the nights cooled down into the 60's so sleeping was no problem. After sleeping in until 6:30 and our quiet times we had a lite breakfast of oatmeal and me with a buckwheat cake. I jumped in the golf cart and headed to the top of the mountain to pick some blue berries that were starting to ripen at Ms. Helen. I told her I would pick them for her and she insisted we share them which is great for us. I cleaned out around the bushes last fall but another vine type bush along with a few briar's have moved back in so as soon as the heat wave breaks I'll attempt to clean up the patch again with clippers. I gathered about a pint but there seems to be a bunch to ripen in the near future especially with all the heat.

I drug out the paint brush and ladder and painted the fascia boards on the porch sides of the cabin then started on the front porch side when it got to hot in the sun. I managed to finish the front side with the stain before it got to HOT. I will paint the spacer boards black this morning but that doesn't require any high ladder work so that should go fast. After staining yesterday we took our shower then cooled off with a cool rinse and wow did I ever take a 30 minute power nap with the nice breeze that finally came with the thunder and rain clouds. We were heading over to Gerald and Kay's(Mechelle's folks) for supper and Sequence afterwards so we had our showers out of the way for the day. We finally got about a 20 minute rain shower which dropped the temps into the low 70's, boy did we ever need that.

Supper was great with pulled pork barbecue, corn on the cob, slaw, sliced home grown tomato's, cantaloupe and home made peach and berry ice cream. I had just a taste of the ice cream which was great but I made up for it with the rest of the delicious dinner. I almost forgot Nancy made her potato wedges to go along with the rest. Well the after supper came was once again in favor of the gals; at least we won 3 out of 8 games. We decided to call it a night around 9:30 and headed for the cabin. Mechelle and Kallie entertained us with their world wind California trip stories and pictures. Its been 40 plus years since I last saw the smog that surrounds that metropolis.

Well the Rays played well against the Yank's but were getting beat by the Royals as I headed in to read before calling it a day, LATER

Picture of my 10 red ripe tomato's on a spoon

Thursday

Well it was warm this morning with temps near 70 when we awakened around 6:30. After my quiet time and a breafast of buckwheat cakes with a banana and blue berries in the batter we got ready to head out to Sparta. First we got a load of laundry on the line as temps were to be in the high 80's but actually reached 92 today, Wow is that HOT for here. We headed out around 10 AM and stopped at the new pottery place on the outskirts of town. We saw nothing there that sparked our interest so we headed to the library to pick a few reads then headed to Farmers Hardware before going into the Smitty Shop.

We had lunch at the Mustard Seed Cafe and lunch was great and reasonable and the place was jumping with customers. I bought a new 50% off straw hat as mine is starting to show some wear plus lots of sweat streaks. We then headed to Family Dollar for some canning lids then stopped off at Food Lion as its the only place that carries her shampoo. We then headed out of town and made one last stop at hawks produce for some spuds,'maters, beans and onions. We got back to the cabin around 3 PM and then decided to head to the basement as its about 60 degrees down there. The outside temps were just nearly unbearable.

I strained my wine berry must and moved it into 2 glass jugs with ballons on top then I smashed my black berries and got them ready to for the yeast tomorrow. I'm not making as much wine this year as its cheaper to buy plus I don't have all that mess, anyhow the novelty is starting to wear off just a tad.

We cooked some 1/2 runner beans along with fresh carrots for supper as we were eating lite. After the cleanup we took our walk to the top and thankfully the temps had started to drop down to being comfortable once again. LATER I almost forgot that I picked 10 red ripe tomato's today..they all fitted on a soup spoon but they tasted good.

Wednesday

Well it was another HOT and Humid day here in the mountains which doesn't happen often but when it does its miserable; actually when it got close to 90 this afternoon we headed for the basement for an hour until we actually got too cool. The morning started with a 6:30 roll out with temps in the middle 60's. After my quiet time and a bowl of Cheerios with a banana, blue berries and a peach I headed out to check on the gardens, so far the deer have stayed away overnight but yesterday after lunch 2 deer in broad daylight were looking at the flowers in the circle drive. Nancy walked out on the porch and they snorted causing her to jump which alerted the deer so down the driveway they went all the way to the bottom.

We headed out about 9 AM for Helen's place to pick wild blackberries, wow it didn't take long for the heat to show and by the time we called it enough we had picked about a gallon and a 1/2 of berries. We headed home and I was soaking with sweat and Nancy was red faced as she doesn't perspire. We cooled off down stairs then had a bite of left overs for lunch. After lunch we got ready to make a batch of jam so I turned the berries into a liquid then separated the seeds while Nancy got the sugar and Surgel ready as well as the jars. We are a team and it only took us about and hour and half to make 10 jars of jam and to have enough berry juice for another 10 jar batch as we didn't have enough lids for the jars for another batch so we froze that liquid. We have to go to Sparta tomorrow for a few items we forgot yesterday in Galax so we will pick up more lids. After the clean up we headed back down to the basement where we read and cooled off again.

There was thunder in the distance and it got cloudy which dropped the temps back into the low 80's. I grilled a couple bone-in pork chops as well as 2 fresh Zucchini's from the garden and Nancy fried up a couple spuds with onions for supper. My was that ever good eatin' and the Zucchini was superb. Well after the clean up I hand watered the gardens before we headed out on our daily hike to the top. I worked up a good sweat once again. We stopped and talked with Joe and Jetta Browning then worked our way back to the cabin. The sun was starting to set and it was a huge red ball in the west as it slid behind Bull Head Mountain.

I just got off the phone with oldest sister, Josie who was giving me the latest up date on Paw Paw(dad). Seems he was walking with a walker today up and down the hallway as well as eating and drinking table food. He expects to be there awhile longer but is progressing nicely, thanks be to GOD. Well better get out of here as its time for a cool shower, LATER Here are a few pics of our friend Kimberly's foal which had become an orphan as her mother suddenly died last week. They are feeding him from a bucket.

Tuesday

Well first I need to apologize for last nights post as I could barely keep my eyes open and I never went back and proof read the piece. I read it this morning and I'm embarrassed for the grammar and spelling errors. Usually when I'm that tired I write it the next morning, Oh Well!! This morning was most uneventful except I rolled over at 6 AM and slept in until nearly 7:30, yikes!!! We decided to take the day off for a couple reasons; one, I had a hard day yesterday and two, it was supposed to be a very hot and humid day and it was.

We headed out for Galax around 10 AM after my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with blue berries, peach and a banana with a little cinnamon and a splash of milk. I hung a load of laundry while Nancy got really to head out. We headed to the post office in Galax to mail Jill's makeup kit she left here last week then Nancy wanted to copy some pics from the camera so I headed up to the barber shop and got my ears lowered then gassed the truck and got a can for the golf cart. I headed back to pick her up at CVS then we headed to a new Mexican restaurant El Torito for lunch. The chips and salsa were excellent as well as the 2 entrees we had and all for less than 10 bucks for the two of us.

We next headed for Wal-Mart for some goodies and then headed back to the cabin with a couple other stops for veggies and fertilizer. It sure was hot in Galax and very humid so much so we ran the a/c in the truck which is unusual for here. After getting home I fertilized the back woods yard and my shirt was soaked in no time; since I was on the shade side of the house I finished staining the area left undone on the upper side of the cabin from last week when I ran out of stain. That only took me an hour or so and my shirt stayed soaked with sweat. We could hear rumblings in the distance but no precipitation as a shower would really coolthings off. The basement was nice so I cooled off down there for awhile before it was time to start supper.

I cut my first head of cabbage from the lower garden and while it wasn't huge it was very good. Nancy made salmon cakes and I picked some fresh parsley for some 'taters. We topped the meal off with some fresh cantaloupe. I did the dishes and afterwards we got ready to head out for the hike of the day. It was still nearly 80 degrees at 7:30 but the evening shade did make a difference. There was a small breeze which helped to make it bearable. Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter yet. In the morning we heading over to our "mountain mom, Helen's" field to pick black berries for jam and wine. Did I mention I have a gallon of wine berry must cooking in the basement. I will let it cook for 5 days or until it stops gurgling then strain it and let it cook some more. The color is beautiful and the taste is nice, hopefully it will age well.

Well better get out of here and check on the Rays, they lost again last night to the Yankees and are losing at present. LATER

Monday

Today started out at 6 AM when I rolled out as I promised to help good friend Eddie weed wack his steep hill behing his house. I made myself a couple poached eggs with some deer sausage in a bowl of grits after my quiet time. I reached his farm a little before 8 and already it was starting to get warm. There was a heavy dew along with the rain last evening so the hill was very slick besides being almost straight up and down. Well it took 2 of us about 2 1/2 hours but we got her done before then I loaded up several containers of horse manure for my compost pile.

I got home around lunch time and we had a salad and afterwatds I headed down to basement to work on sorting out all the stuff I had stored ynder the porch while we had company. I spent the better part of the afternoon doing that in the cool basement until 4 PM so I headed down to the lower garden as the sun usually is hidden bt the trees that time of day. I loosened up the dirt around the plants as the wet weather we've been having keeps the dirt packed hard.

Nancy had a pot of pinto beans cooking along with some smoked turkey necks for flavoring , yikes was that ever good eatin over white rice. After the cleanup to took our daily hike to the top of the mounatain then walked the long way home down past Ray's old cabin. Wow was that pull up our hill a work out. Not much else going on except tomorrow is a rest day as we go the Galax for shopping and a haircut. LATER

Sunday

The morning started out the usual after our quiet times with a bowl of oatmeal loaded with blueberries, peach and a banana and topped off with a sprinkle of cinnamon. After eating I headed out to check on the gardens and noticed no deer damage but saw lots of holes in my lettuce; yesterday I sprinkled slug poison around the upper garden so I sure hope it works. I have several spoon 'maters starting to turn but even with a dozen or two I may have a tablespoon full, they are really small but sorta of cute if tomatoes can be cute. I have a couple dozen other green tomatoes about golf ball size or slightly larger.

After church this morning we headed back to the cabin for a late lunch then I headed out to catch up on some yard work that was a week over due. First I hauled several 5 gallon buckets of compost and put it around my tomato's in the upper garden then did the same to the lower and herb gardens. I then hauled out the riding mower and went to town on all the yards except the back woods yard. It took me about an hour an a half. After mowing I did the weed eating around everything and boy does that look good. We had supper after the edging.

Supper was a baked potato and fresh broccoli. After the clean up we headed out for our hike of the day to the top of the mountain. It was in the low 70's with some sunshine but mostly cloudy. It sure looked and felt like rain. The hike was uneventful and we saw no one. After getting back I started a fire in the fire pit and burned trash. I picked up the back woods yard as its always loaded with small limbs and twigs and added them to the burning trash heap. Finally everything burned and I found a used diaper from baby Gabe in the trash can down in the basement. These things are difficult to burn so I dug it out of the heap and will add it to the garbage that goes to the dump.

I headed in the cabin just about 9 PM and I heard a screech owl in the woods and it sounded like there was more than one. Well that rain that was threatening has arrived and it falling softly on the the tin roof, should be a good night for sleeping, LATER

Saturday

Well I awakened around 6 AM and there was a soft rain falling on the tin roof so I rolled over and let it put me back to sleep until after 7 AM. It was cool at 59 degrees. It rained softly until about 11 when it finally stopped. The sun never came out all day but it did get a little lighter by the afternoon. We headed out for our daily hike just after the rain stopped. After our quiet times and a breakfast of French toast made from the bread we bought yesterday I headed down into the basement to get a gallon of wine berry wine started.

After the hike we had a salad for lunch then I headed down into the gardens to spread some slug poison as I saw several small ones on the lettuce. I then helped with vacumming and did some piddly jobs before weeding my garlic patch. Little did I know there was a yellow jacket nest in the ground and although I stepped on it somehow I blocked the hole momentarily with my shoe. I saw a lone bee flying around which put me on alert then I spotted a couple more. I managed to get away without being stung and then I blocked the nest hole in the ground with a shovel of dirt and began to kill bees that landed on the dirt blocking their nest. After about 20 kills and no more flying bees I left them and will check on the nest tomorrow and if they are still there a gas bath is in store for them tomorrow night. These bees are the nastiest ever and I can't believe I got off without any stings.

We snacked for supper as we were playing Sequence at Eddie and Kimberly's house as they have to feed their new colt every 4 hours from a bucket as it mother died this pass week. Nancy made salsa and chips and Kimberly made jalapeno poppers and Audine brought con queso dip. The gals really had a smackdown tonight with 10 straight wins of course we had a 11 year old playing with guys. Well tomorrow is church day at Cornerstone and the pillow is calling my name after that hot shower. LATER

Friday

Well we headed out Friday morning for N.C. after spending 5 days with youngest sister Dee and husband Mike in their Woodstock, Va. home. We had a grand time despite the reason we were there as our dad was being treated at the VA hospital in Washington, D.C. for a triple by-pass heart operation. We learned Friday morning the doctors had taken out the breathing tube and that he was sitting up and doing what he liked to do best and that is to tell stories and jokes. He still has a mind for dates, places and things.

We headed out around 9 AM after a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit as we need to get back to some sensible eating after eating at the hospital a couple days, fast foods and of course over indulging at Dee and Mike's. They were so gracious to put up with us for 5 days and even sent some home grown tomatoes with us as we left. Dee told us about a Mennonite community just south of Harrisonburg called Dayton, so we thought we would check it and we did.

There is a huge farmers market with everything from "what nots" to fresh bakery, meats, deli, canned goods. We purchased a couple different loaves of breads(back to sensible eatin')and while Nancy was shopping and looking at all the curios I struck up a conversation with a gentleman who first asked where we were from. He was knowledgeable of the area as he grew up there eventually helped along with 2 other fellows to author several volumes on the Civil War. They were for sale at 49.95 each but he was most interested in my history as well and was taken back that I served in Vietnam and was in law enforcement for 30 years and that I was from "down" the valley in Winchester. We must have talked for 30 minutes or more and then another local fellow came in who joined in the conversation and I learned neither of these guys had ever left the area. Both of them knew all of the local history especially regarding the battles and local lore about what happened in the war, but hung on every word about my travels an experiences. Mr. Rhodes handed me a small pamphlet as I left and then I realized he was a co-author of these civil war books. I want to go back and visit there again. Most of the clerks there were in the traditional Mennonite dress and he himself was Mennonite but only in ethnicity and not as a religion.

We headed on south into a small town called Bridgewater, Va. and the first thing we noticed there were lawn chairs lined up alongside the road for blocks with no one sitting in them. We spotted a motorcycle officer directing traffic when a large group of old time tractors were crossing the road and learned there was to be a parade later in the evening(now this was 10 AM) of tractors, fire trucks etc. as there was some type of festival. Wow, people had staked out their spot on the parade route the many hours before to insure they had front row seats. We headed out of town and realized if we didn't use the interstate we would be forever getting back to the cabin, as it was after 4 PM when we finally pulled in.

We made a stop in Salem, Va for lunch and gas then at the farmers market in Hillsville before a stop at Lowes and Wal-Mart in Galax, Va. The temperature had dropped down into the 60's by the time we got home and Nancy was donning a sweatshirt. After unloading and turning on the water pump and water heater we headed out for a mountain top hike. Wow was it ever good to see familiar surroundings, but no people as the community on top were gone. We cut the hike short as it started to sprinkle so to avoid getting wet, needless to say it didn't last long but did start up again around dark and rained lightly all night and it's raining as I write this post on Sat. morning. Looks like is going to be an inside day but we needed the rain as our "mountain mom" Helen stated we had little or no rain and its was the hottest it's been all year while we were gone. They had the same weather we did in Winchester on Monday and Tuesday where the temps soared to triple digits.

Well I will post a few pics from Thursday and Friday as we get ready to eat sensible(Mennonite bread). We spoke with the family last night and all is well in Florida. I pulled a few cukes, squash and the lettuce made it through the drought. I also picked a quart of wine berries before it rained me out so with what I have frozen I want to make a gallon of vino. Thanks again to all who remembered us in their thoughts and prayers as Paw Paw's condition was critical at times because of his age but the doctors said he was "stoic" and had a very strong heart, probably due to lots of hard physical labor most of his life. LATER

Thursday

Well the morning started out around 6 AM as Uncle Mike got ready to head out to work in Winchester. Dee was spending the night at the V.A. Hospital so Nancy and I did our quiet time then had a bowl of oatmeal before getting ready to drive down to D.C. again. I walked Bonnie while Nancy got ready and we headed out around 9 AM.

The GPS saved us once again as we drove through the heart of the city and we finally reached the hospital around 11:30. We met up with Dee and checked in to see how Paw Paw was doing. Well what a change from yesterday as today he had his eyes open and while unable to talk due to the ventilator in his mouth we were able to communicate with hand squeezes, head shakes and facial expressions. He was in some pain but a whole lot better than the day before. After a visit with him and a shot of pain medication which caused him to rest we headed down to the canteen for some lunch. The food was very tasty and reasonable.

We met up with the surgeon and a couple of assistants around 2 PM as they came in to check on him. After a few tests they determined tomorrow they would take the trachea out and also the catheter and get him up out of bed so he can exercise. That will be a big step for him. We all headed out around 2:30 for our trip back to Woodstock. I told him Nancy and I would visit with him the second weekend in August for the Gravel Springs Church picnic which is always a hit with our families.

We made it back around 5 PM and Dee put on a large pot of frozen shrimp for a boil. Yikes was that ever good boiled in Old Bay Seasoning. We picked up a quart of cole slaw from this catering company in Woodstock to go along with the shrimp. After the cleanup we took Bonnie on a long walk in the neighbor hood then took a trip over to Massanutten Mountain.

We climbed to the top of mountain in the suburban then hiked on a trail to the old fire tower which was raised to about 50 feet above the mountain and climbed it. It looked out over the city of Woodstock and the 6 bends in the Shenandoah River. It was really a beautiful site and along the way saw some neat old log cabin houses as well as some really old stone houses. This is a beautiful small town. We stopped at Katie Kustard's stand and each had a cone. It was just very picturesque and especially with the full moon that was rising in the east overlooking the mountain and valley. What a great way to end another day filled with hope for Paw Paw's health and recovery and just getting out and away from the busy city of Washington, D.C. Tomorrow we will head back to N.C. LATER

Wednesday

Well the morning started out around 6AM after a good nights rest. That travelling back and forth from D.C. is stressful but after a good nights sleep we were ready to tackle the roads, traffic and heat in the nations capital. After our quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, banana and a peach we got ready to head out. First I walked Bonnie Lou(dog) while Nancy got ready then checked with map quest about our trip into the city while driving. Driving would save us about 25 bucks a day(a day pass was 9 bucks each plus another 5 bucks to park) plus we would still have to buy gas from Woodstock to D.C. which is close to a 100 miles. I wonder how those folks who work in the city 5 days a week and ride the metro can afford about 500 bucks a month just for getting to work plus the extra hours of travel.

We left the house around 9 AM and made it into the city around 11:30. Thanks To Uncle Mike's GPS (Garmin) we made it without too much delay. I think that will be my next purchase as I feel like I could go anywhere in a big city and not get lost. This GPS is amazing as it brought us right to the front door of the hospital.

Paw Paw is starting to respond as the anesthesia is starting to where off yet he is still on the respirator and it seems just late this evening his heart is back on cycle and starting to respond to the treatment for the arrhythmia. He managed to lift the eyelids of the left eye and had some muscle movement in his jaw as if he was trying to speak. It will take some time for him to get to where he can start any type of rehabilitation. We are hoping by Friday morning we can head back to the cabin and that he will recognize us and that he will be taken off the respirator.

We headed out from the hospital with older sisters Josie and Pat as Dee was spending another night with him at the hospital. The V.A. found her a room to where she can get some rest during the night and still be close to him. They have been great and the care seems the best as a single nurse is assigned to him exclusively for an 8 hour shift. We are hopeful we can get him completely off being sedated and on the road to recovery by this week end.

Well Uncle Mike had prepared a pasta dish with chicken and mushrooms for supper which was delicious. After supper we took a long walk with Bonnie to get the circulation back as we had been in the car for a couple hours. There was some rain in the area which dropped the temps back into the 70's after being so hot yesterday and earlier this morning. LATER

Tuesday

Well what a good nights sleep last night and around 6 AM I was up and ready for the day. After my few quiet moments and a bowl of oatmeal with a banana, peach and blueberries I was ready for my morning walk with Dee and Bonnie(dog). We did a good 45 minutes and I worked up a sweat by the time we got back to the house. The surrounding here are just magnificent with a clear view of the Massanutten Mountains to the east and North mountain to the west and the valley in between. There is a huge Holstein Dairy just behind their house with fields of green corn and rolls of hay. The quietness is super except for the mooing of the cows and occasional dog barking.

We got ready to drive down to D.C. so we took I-66 and headed towards D.C. about 10:30. We stopped in Manassas for Chik Filet before getting to Vienna where we caught the Metro, leaving their car at a parking garage. Well let me say the Metro was quite an experience and luckily Dee had taken it before and knew the route so we were well informed. It still took us nearly 2 hours as we had to change different lines and eventually rode a shuttle bus to the VA. hospital and let me say there were heat records being set in that area. After leaving Woodstock around 10:30, which is about 75 miles away east of D.C. we finally arrived around 2 PM.

Paw Paw(dad) was still sedated as the doctors wanted to do another procedure to remove the blood clots that had formed and eventually were successful after freezing the clots to make them easier to remove. He was of course on a ventilator and unconscious but a lot of the swelling had started to go down and his color was starting to improve. Hopefully tomorrow they will bring him to and start to get him up and moving around as now there is the risk of pneumonia and infection. He also has some arithmya or irregular heartbeat which is common with his age in this type of operation. We are hopeful as the doctors were very upbeat about his chances of a complete recovery. Many thanks to those who took a few minutes to lift him up in your thoughts and prayers.

We got back to Woodstock around 7:30 leaving Dee at the hospital where her 2 older sisters(Josie and Pat) had been staying the past couple of nights. Dee will stay the next couple of nights giving them a break so Nancy and I will drive in again tomorrow morning shuttling clothes and personal effects. Well at 8 PM it still was 91degrees but at least the humidity has lessened. LATER

Monday

Well we awakened in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance at youngest sister Dee and Mike's home. After recouping from the D.C. trip on Sunday we spent the day in the Valley. After our quiet times, oatmeal with fruit and a walk with Dee and Bonnie in the 'hood we got ready to head up to Winchester.

Paw Paw's yard needed mowing so we loaded Mike's mower in the back of the truck and headed out while Dee headed off to work. It's about 25 miles or so to Winchester. Wow was it ever starting to heat up. The yards weren't large but by the time I finished both front and back I was starting to sweat. We cooled off inside before walking downtown which was just a couple blocks as parking is a premium there. We visited main street which has been closed off and no traffic is allowed for about a 1/2 mile or so. The neat old buildings many built out of limestone were constructed in the 1700's. We visited inside the old courthouse which was built in 1840 and was still in use up to 1988, was that ever interesting as its still in its original form. There were lots of Civil War memorabilia with musket shells and cannon balls. We missed seeing the building with the unexploded cannon ball in its wall. We walked around the downtown area until it became miserably too HOT; as we left Paw Paw's house the thermometer read 105 degrees, Yikes that's a bit warm even for sunny hot Florida.

We came back and cooled off at Dee's and had some lunch still waiting for sisters Josie(Sharon) and Pat's report on how the surgery went. We finally got some word around 5 PM and we had good and bad news. The good news was the surgery went well but the bad news was there was some blood clotting around the esophagus and that he was being kept sedated until they could control the excessive bleeding and clotting. Anyhow we were overjoyed that he made it through the operation but of course disappointed with this setback as he was scheduled to be transferred back nearer to his home at the Martinsburg Hospital in about 5 days if everything went well. This DC trip is really an adventure and not one we are looking forward to as its about a 5hour plus trip when you use the metro.

Well for supper Nancy cooked 1/2 runners, new potatoes and sliced cukes from my garden and tomatoes from Dee's garden and grilled marinated in soy sauce chicken breasts. After supper we took a long walk in the hood and by 9:30 it was showers and shortly after bed time. Nightie night, LATER enclosed are a few pics from DC and mainly from downtown Winchester. The picture of Nancy in front of the large red apple is where as a child she got car sick many years ago as she and her family traveled through Winchester.

Sunday

Well we made it to sister Dee's beautiful place around 1 PM after leaving the cabin in cool moist Glade Valley. We got up and got ready to head out after our quiet time and a lite breakfast. We made several stops on the way to the Shenandoah Valley; the dump, to fill up with gas, the Farmers Market in Hillsville and in Lexington to do my 15 minute walk. Dee and Mike had some great chicken salad and croissant rolls ready for a quick lite lunch as we left for Washington, D.C. shortly after eating. We actually drove into D.C. as he has a fantastic GPS.

I would never had made that trip without this GPS which talks to you plus has a map right before your eyes. The traffic was unbelievable along with the street roundabouts and really was a test of your driving skills. Yikes, what a cluster that was but we found the V.A. hospital around 4 PM. I know the next time we head into D.C. it will be on the metro and then shuttle buses to the hospital. Anyhow Paw Paw looked good and his spirits were high. He is quite the story teller and he was bending the chaplains ear when we arrived. We shared stories and lots of pictures of some old faces as well as pictures of our kids and grand babies which thrilled him. We were briefed by a very knowledgeable nurse and we viewed where he will taken during the recovery process. This hospitable has every imaginable new aid to assist major operation patients. We were all throughly impressed. I'm so glad the facilities are so modern and up to date for Veterans who need this special care.

We stayed until about 7:30 then headed back towards Woodstock. We took a couple wrong turns even with the aid of the GPS but it reloads and took us in the right direction but somehow we drove through Georgetown proper. I have never seen so many young college age people walking the streets. We saw the Washington Monument as well as the Lincoln Memorial from a distance. This is one big city and the roads are just like a maze with roundabouts, one way streets and a system of traffic signals that make it difficult to know who going where. Anyhow we stopped off in Front Royal and had supper about 9 PM at Cracker Barrel. Yumm what a good meal.

We got home around 10 PM so we took Bonnie(dog) for a walk then hit the showers and finally some horizontal lab(sleep). Wow what a day. LATER

Saturday

Well it was another get ready to leave for Northern Virginia day as we were still catching up from our company that left Thursday night. After our quiet time Nancy made buckwheat pancakes with a banana and wine berries in the batter, wow were they ever good. We took a hike around 10 AM and came back to settle into small chores. We were still washing clothes and the rain held off so we could hang them outside on the line, wow what a clean smell from drying outside. I picked a few wine berries and put them in the freezer as they still haven't ripen to their fullest. I'm hoping to get enough to make at least a gallon of vino but if not I will settle for blackberry, anyhow they should be in by the time we get back from Virginia.

They have moved the surgery for Paw Paw up to Monday morning and we are planning to see him Sunday evening before and then again afterwards on Monday. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he is 83 years young. We will be staying with youngest sister Dee in Woodstock then drive down to Vienna and catch the metro into the D.C. area. Its been 20 years since we've been down into that area of the country and its wall to wall people and the traffic must be horrendous.

We headed over to the Dalton Farm on Saturday evening for a cookout, corn hole and eventually Sequence. The smoked venison was awesome and the baby backs looked great but since I've been eating high on the hog this past week I passed on the ribs and stayed with the deer tenderloin. That is absolutely the best tasting meat ever!!!

The gals put it on us in Sequence again and we had a new player as well. Eric, Mechelle's brother was visiting along with Dylan from Raleigh and they still somehow beat us in the best of 7 games. We headed out around 9:30 as we had lots to do before pulling out Sunday morning. We hung extra bags around the cabin in hopes it would keep the deer out of the gardens while we were gone so it looks like the Wal-Mart shoppers passed through here with all the white bags flapping in the breeze. LATER

A few pics