Saturday

Well it was another warm morning with temps in the high 60's. After our quiet times we had Cheerios with a peach, banana and some fresh blue berries for breakfast. After eating I headed out on the crutches to hand water the gardens. We had lots of small chores to do before putting the chickens on the smoker. I loaded up the smoker with apple and hickory wood then filled the chicken with fresh Rosemary and cilantro. The meat fell off the bones after about 5 hours of smoking and wow was it ever tasty.

The kids pulled in around 4:30 after leaving Seminole at 4 in the morning. It seems they had back up traffic for a couple hours in Columbia and Charlotte which really added to their travel time. The heat reached 94 once again but it didn't seem as hot as yesterday due to the high cloud cover for most of the morning and a breeze. I headed up to the top of the mountain after breakfast and picked some fresh lettuce at the Brownings garden.

We finally got a 5 minute rain shower after supper which helped with the heat but not enough to really drop the temperature, anyhow we now have the attic fan on which is helping to drop the temps. Hopefully things will cool off tomorrow, LATER

Friday

Well its Hot and then more HOT, yikes we went from 30's in the morning to 94 this afternoon and tomorrow is forecasted to be even HOTTER. The morning started with 76 which was warmer than Florida at 70. I can't believe that and there is no rain in the forecast except a possible thunder shower the first of the week, Yikes everything has dried out as well. After our quiet time then a bowl of oatmeal with a fresh peach, banana and blue berries we started the day.

My knee has progressed enough to sit on the riding mower so I spent the next couple hours mowing all the yards. I really hated to because its so dry but it was looking shaggy and Amy and the fam is coming tomorrow and we wanted it looking good from them. Nancy took off with neighbor Jodi and they visited the thrift stores as well as had lunch at the Mustard Seed our favorite lunch diner. I did a few little jobs that didn't require me to exert to much pressure on the leg then I relaxed a couple hours with my leg elevated reading on JOHN ADAMS. That is such an interesting book and really spells out all the different personalities of the founding fathers.

Nancy got home around 2 and wow was it ever getting hot despite a nice breeze. We headed down to the basement and spent a couple hours in the 60+ temps. We moved some of my saws and equipment around in case the Ross Family decides to sleep down there as its really hot upstairs. We turned the attic fan on after the sun went down which helps draw the hot air our from the house but the humidity is on the rise as well. Its been since 1914 N.C. has experienced such hot temps this time of the year, oh well.

Nancy made a fresh salad for supper and that took care of our needs and after the clean up she headed out to water her flower beds then I started the weed whacker for her and she finished the upper yards. I hobbled out on one crutch and managed to hand water the lower gardens. Its still in the 80's at nearly 9 PM. We sure could use a thunder storm to drop these temps down, LATER

Thursday

Well the morning started with temps in the 60's which made it pleasant to start the day but did it ever get hot the rest of the day. After a 7 AM get up we did our quiet times and then a lite breakfast and got ready to head to Galax, Va. We stopped in old town to pick up some of the best buckwheat pancake mix which is stone ground and very good. True buckwheat is dark and bitter but this pancake mix from Cherokee is awesome and hard to find at times. It certainly has become a popular item as the price for it has gone up 25% in the last year but the medicinal value of the product is priceless.

We next headed out to a local barbershop that has 4 barbers so the wait was less than 10 minutes and on Thursday seniors get a discount as well,which makes it nice. After the ear lowering we head out to Hillsville to the Farmers Market where we loaded up on yellow peaches 2 kinds of new potato's, 1/2 runner beans, etc. Its a really nice indoors market with several vendors who grow a lot of their produce when in season. After our shopping we headed back to Galax for lunch at Subway then began the marathon shopping at Wal-Mart. It was after 2 PM when we finally decided to check out and in the meantime I was starting to have a little knee ache so I found a bench with an older gentleman sitting as well and we began to interact. I found out we knew someone in common and it was our dear friends the Payne's. He knew Ralph and Sarah Ann who were from Galax and we exchanged e-mails. He is a retired nuclear engineer from Westinghouse and lives over in Floyd County, Va. He use to work off of Dale Mabry in Tampa so he was familiar with the Bay Area. We chatted for nearly an hour while Nancy went crazy with 2 cart loads of goodies, oh well.

We left Wal-Mart and it was 100 degrees and when we got back to the cabin it was 87, that is the hottest so far this year and to think a couple days ago in was in the 30's, Yikes what a change and to think its hotter here than in Seminole, Fl. Nancy had a major job of unloading and carrying most of the goodies into the down stairs fridge as well as the constant cool 60's degree basement. That maybe our place of residency during this next week when it gets too hot upstairs.

Well we heard some disheartning news the Supreme Court up held the health care bill which as they report, its another tax on the American people. There goes another trillion dollars into the deficent column our grand children will be burdened with. I fear for the economic stability of this once great nation and I see examples such as Greece, Italy and Spain where the economy is about to collaspe, oh well!!!

We had Jodi and Gerald up for cards and we played 2 games of Spades with the games lasting well over the usual limit with so many twists, turns, ups and downs. The gals sneaked out a win in the first game and the guys won in the second game, barely. A win is a win!!! It was nearly 10 PM and the temps were still in the 80's which is unheard of for here this late at night. Just 2 more days and Amy and the family will join us for a week. So looking forward to seeing them, LATER 

Wednesday

Well it was 44 degrees this AM and wow was it ever chilly, it would be nice if it would be that cool this weekend as the forecast is for the 90's during the day and only down to the high 60's for the nights. If the humidity stays away it will be tolerable. The morning started with our quiet times then left over pancakes for me with a couple slices of ham on the side. After breakfast Nancy headed out to work in the garden and I managed to hobble down the hill with the crutches to instruct her on the finer methods for such an endeavor. I them put an ice pack on my knee and went horizontal for the next couple hours reading JOHN ADAMS.

Nancy took off on her walk to the top and ran into a gigantic black snake she says, one that reared itself up when she came near and it eventually climbed off the trail and into a tree. There was no one on top as she walked across the top and then down the back trail to the cabin. We kept in touch with the walkie talkie's. After her hike we had a light lunch then I once again iced the knee and went back on the bed reading until our mountain mom came by for a visit. We had a nice visit for an hour or so and she brought a floor fan over so we could put it in the grand kids room for this week end. Hopefully it will help with the movement of air if it gets too hot upstairs for them.

I grilled a couple chicken breasts and we tried a new way to do potato's on the grill as we cooked the chicken. Nancy sliced up several spuds and placed them in a tin foil pouch along with some sliced onions and steamed them, yikes were they ever tasty with a little cheese on top. After supper and the clean up we headed out and I showed her how to use the weed whacker as she wanted to learn how as she knew I couldn't do it. She really did well but her arm and shoulder went numb so she quit after doing about half what I do each week. I'm proud of her for wanting to try that job as there is a lot of up and down the hill walking while balancing the whacker. I burned the trash and hand watered the garden.

We took off on a golf cart ride and ran into Ray and Audiene on the back road, after a short visit we headed to the top and Nancy took several pictures as the sun was about to set. We saw a large doe grazing in Mike and Nancy yard then head over to get some sunset pics as it was nearly 8:30 or later. We got back to the cabin a little after 9 and we could still see the back yard. Paw Paw called and we chatted for awhile and he seemed well and we let him know we were going to be staying in a motel when we come up to Winchester in July for Kelly's wedding. Well thats about it for today and tomorrow we are off to Galax for shopping, LATER   

Tuesday

Well today was a chilly one to start with temp's in the high 40's and stayed cool most all day not getting out of the low 70's. A breeze helped to keep it pleasant during the hot part of the afternoon. After our quiet times Nancy made a mountain breakfast of buckwheat pancakes with huckle berries in the batter, I fried bacon outside on the grill and we topped it off with a couple home grown, free range cackle berries(eggs). My knee felt so good and strong that I decided to walk down to the lower garden but realized what a mistake that was about half way down when the pain returned behind the knee. So I had to be very gentle with it the rest of the day and made myself use the crutches whenever. I even took a couple rest periods of icing the knee and elevating once again.

After my debacle with the knee I took the golf cart for a ride to the top of the mountain to intercept Nancy who was taking her daily hike. We stopped and visited with Joe and Jetta and our conversations seem to end with our recipes and talk of food, yikes we headed home and had a sandwich despite having a huge breakfast as it was nearly 1:30. We had a hunk of smoked ham in the freezer and decieded since it was such a cool day we would have bean soup for supper so Nancy put on a pot of pintos and red beans mixed and had the ham boiling in a separate pot. Well the soup turned out to just fit the bill for supper and with a few raw Vidalias on top with some chipolte pepper it was very good.

After lunch I layed down and rested the knee and read on the book JOHN ADAMS by McCullough who by the way won the Pulitzer Prize. This is an awesome read and if you were ever confused about our forefathers and the start of this nation and the breakaway from England this is a must read as he writes about not only the personal life of this great American but Adams really was the glue that held the beginnings of our countrys foundation together. After a good rest for the knee, Nancy and I decieded to due a chore we have been putting off and that was putting the safety fence up along the porch and deck railing. The pickets are about 8 inches apart and we are always afraid the grand kids or any kid will accidently fall through to the yard which is about 10-12 feet below. So we tie this fence up each year with wire ties that wear your fingertips raw for a day or so. Nancy did all the bending and tying this year. I rested the knee again while she got supper ready and then again after supper.

We got a call from Amy that the power was restored to their neighborhood so they were back home after spending a night at our place. They picked up down limbs and branches that had fallen on our roof and yard from storm Debby which dumped massive amounts of rainwater which naturally caused flooding. Thankfully we are in the highest part of the county at 44 feet above sea level so we were spared any flooding damage. There were several tornado's that caused damage through the Bay Area and to think this was not a hurricane, yikes make one think what could have happened, oh well!!!

We are saddened to learn one of our young neighbors and friends with 3 youngsters was diagnosised with his melanoma cancer evident in his brain today. He has had several radical operations thinking it was contained and gone but it has now showed up there. Keep Justin Newton and his family in your thoughts and prayers. I use to coach him along with son Bobby during youth baseball.

Well its supposed to be the hottest temps of the year this coming weekend just in time to greet Amy and family from Florida. They were hoping to get some respite from the heat and humidity while in the mountains for a week; maybe the forecast is wrong and these past couple of days will show back for them as its really been cool and pleasant here. Here are couple pics of the mountain breakfast and our "fencing job" on the porch and deck, LATER

Monday

Well things are looking up a little with the knee as I was able to get outside and walk around with the help of the crutches. I ventured down to the gardens after a lite breakfast of wild huckle berries and corn flakes, my quiet time and saw where in just in a week the weeds have taken over as well as the cut worms claimed another cabbage. I think I have 1/2 dozen left. The corn is still growing in various stages after replanting it a couple weeks ago. The beans never did amount to much as I think the soil just needs lime, and the tomato plants are down right pitiful, oh well I guess I will rely on hand outs this year.

I took the golf cart to the top of the mountain and returned a couple books that Joe had lent me to read while I was flat on my back as well as did neighbor Gerald. Nancy wanted to get in her hike so I met her on top at Joe and Jetta's and she rode back down with me and then we took a ride out to check the mail. I got a nice card from our local church wishing me a speedy recovery so that perked me up as well as the chance to get out of the cabin. After lunch I iced the knee and rested it for a couple hours and started a new book about the life of our second president John Adams, wow what a good read.

Nancy fried up some yellow squash and I picked some fresh herbs; basil, cilantro, oregano and green pepper to garnish it with and wow was that ever dewisheous. Since she was frying we decided on some Swaii filet's and yikes is that a great fish and we rounded the meal out with some seasoned turnip greens. Now that was some fine eatin'!! After supper I stayed in and kept my knee elevated and let it rest as I didn't want to overdo the first full day of putting some weight on the knee. I could feel it at times but nothing excruciating.

Amy called from Florida and they are spending the night at our house as they lost power on Sunday night due to the storm Debby that dropped 15 inches of rain in our area as well as had spawned several tornado's which caused wide spread damage and power outages. Our yard and roof was littered with lots of limbs and branches but was damage free, thankfully so they were cleaning up the yard for us.

Well that's about it for today except the temps are supposed to be only in the low 70's the next couple of days and then climb to the 90's for the weekend when Amy and her family are due up for a week, Oh well!!! LATER 

Sunday

Well it was another beautiful morning here in the mountains with a gentle breeze and the temps in the 60's. After the usual cup of hot green tea and my quiet time Nancy and I had a bowl of boring oatmeal with some fresh huckleberries she picked from the side yard. I have a couple very large bushes at the edge of the woods and they are loaded with berries and of course I noticed the robins have located them today as well. Nancy picked a cup or so and my are they dewisheous. They are about 1/2 the size of domestic blueberries but very tasty.

I'm still using the crutches but using them mainly for balance as I started putting more weight on the leg today. I don't want to push this recovery to fast and have to start with total bed rest again, so I'm doing a little more each day as long as the knee stays pain free. I read most of the day until Nancy headed out around 3 PM to help in the kitchen at Cornerstone as the Birdsong Family held a concert there in the evening. The church supplied the family with a meal and then fed the crowd that showed up as well. I stayed home and watched a little baseball and finished a great read titled TRUE EVIL by Greg Ilies.

We spoke with our Florida family and learned our area in Seminole has already received 6 plus inches of rain just today and more is in the forecast from tropical storm Debby which is stationary in the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida. Yikes there is wide spread flooding as well. We learned this next weekend is supposed to be the hottest so far this summer here in the mountains just in time for our daughter and her family who arrive next Saturday.  Usually when it gets that hot there are thunderstorms which cool off the area quickly and we got a nice shower of rain this afternoon which really dropped the temp's down into the high 60's; so that will make for good sleeping again tonight, LATER

Saturday

Well not much has changed with the morning temps being great in the low 60's and with the afternoons reaching near the 80 mark; but a nice gentle breeze with a few high clouds have kept it very pleasant, especially for me as I've been confined to the cabin. Nancy has come in from outside and said how warm it was in the sun, but the inside of the cabin hasn't reached uncomfortable yet. I'm still resting the leg and icing the knee most of the day while in the supine position and with a book in my hands. So far the pain has stayed away and the few times I've been awkward with the crutches and rested the foot on the floor I've noticed no real excruciating pain, so just maybe this therapy will work. Of course if and when I can do away with these crutches I know I must go at a slower pace and change my "charge ahead" attitude. Oh well!!!!

After my cup of tea, wrapped with ice knee, ibuprofen and quiet moments Nancy fried up some bacon and eggs for breakfast. I dipped my egg with a leftover buck wheat cake, yikes they are as good as the day she bakes them. I headed for the laptop to write this post then we got a phone call from our good friends and neighbors in Florida, the Botbyl's. All is well with them as they both still work; he runs the Twill Auto Service in St.Pete and she is an office manager for a doctor's firm in Clearwater. They have been having an exchange woman from Sweden who is over in the U.S.A. doing work for the coalition on human trafficking living with them for the past several months and who is about to return back to her native country.

I spoke with several by phone who were checking up on my sanity as most know this being layed up is driving me nuts. I don't think I went out of the cabin yesterday despite being able to get around on crutches. I'm hoping this not pushing the envelope on getting back to some sort of normalcy with being mobile will pay off. I have enjoyed reading and now I'm about 1/2 way through a novel by Greg Ilies that Gerald brought by the other day. He is a page turner author and I'm looking forward to reading more by him, especially on rainy days.

Well Nancy took off and is doing her daily hikes again and she seems to be doing well despite her moments. I think having to boss me around and and care for my immediate needs has lessen the menopausal ills that have plagued her for months. I'm tickled she seems to be less bothered but not happy that the results are from me being infirmed, oh well. I finished the last of the potato soup and she the salad for lunch.

We had an invite out to the Dalton Ranch for barbecue ribs and all the fixen' for supper but thought it best to take a rain check until I can walk with more assurance. I entertained thoughts of going as Andy is back home and is a great cook especially on the smoker/grill. Anyhow I'm hopeful we can get together later this summer and renew our whupping some gals in Sequence. We do have some raucous games of gals vs guys. We decided instead of ribs at the Dalton's to sauteed yellow squash from Jodi's garden in Raleigh along with onions and garlic and put that over Jasmine rice with a little soy sauce. My gallbladder sure missed getting a workout.

 After the cleanup, neighbors Jodi, Gerald and Gabriel came up and we played domino's and once more the youngster put a number on us. Gabriel even helped us with saving points several times and still cleaned our clocks by a wide margin, Oh well after a whupping in domino's by him he wanted to try 5 Crowns again(as he slaughtered us last night) and his momma, an adult finally squeaked out a win over him on the final hand, but the rest of us were milk toast. Thankfully he is going to a camp in Mouth Of Wilson on Sunday for a week and we adults can get back to one of us winning. We had a fun time until nearly 10 PM; when did that did become late?? LATER

Friday

Well it was another beautiful day here in the mountains I regret that I couldn't go outside and play(work), but at least the pain is pretty much gone as of now. I wanna be better yesterday, oh well. I spent the day resting, icing the knee and reading. I caught up on the phone with some old friends up here who are having some health issues as well; one who has been down with an ankle issue so I know what he is going through with not being able to move about and enjoy the outdoors. Dang, I dislike being limited and helpless but Nancy is being very helpful and is handling some chores that is beyond her normal scope. For instance, yesterday she washed all the sheets for the upstairs bedrooms and hung them on the line then headed to town for a haircut but while she was gone a storm came up and drenched all the clothes on the line. She had to uncover the dryer vent under the porch by taking off the plate that I had screwed over the hole to keep critters out while we are in Florida. Anyhow she did manage to do that and she never questioned herself or her ability in the process.

The temps were in the low 60's to start the morning as we slept in until after 7 and after our quiet times Nancy made buckwheat cakes with a banana in the batter for breakfast along with a couple home grown cackle berries from the Dalton Farm, yummy is all I can say and the yokes are such a deep orange in color. After breakfast Nancy once again applied a bag of ice, wrapped in a towel over the left knee and I elevated it on the bed. She had the windows open and the sweet smell of the woods as well as the bright sunshine made a bad situation wonderful. I could hear the birds singing as well as feel the soft gentle breeze across my face and smell the flowers and the woods. Yikes was that ever nice.

I finished the book CULTURE WARRIOR and wow is that ever and eye opener. I think it should be a must read for all who love our country and it will enlighten you to the subtle changes that are taking place within by a group of folks who obviously dislike US. The attemps to no longer honor the Judeo-Christian principles this nation was founded on and for. There is a move to change our way thinking about what is right and wrong, how we are no longer to express our desire to be the best we can be, but to be a nation of takers instead of a nation that values hard honest work, we are being attacked from within by a whole different set of ideals and mores. I'm a student of history and some of the greatest nations in their day were  destroyed from within by their lack of awareness to those who want to achieve absolute power, yikes its frightening to think we are no longer the great America, the symbol of freedom and liberty for all. The great moral decline that has invaded our land with the help of a new philosophy by the secular progressives who utterly hate what America stands for.

Nancy pan fried a small sirloin on the stove which it is quite a change from when I usually grill it; but it was superb that way and cooked just right at medium rare, yikes was that ever dewisheous(Annsley) and it maybe just the way I will do steaks from now on. It was so tender we could cut it with a fork. She also made a garden fresh salad from some fresh lettuce given us from the Browning garden and along with a baked sweet potato with a little cinnamon butter we had a feast. After supper I settled in to watch Fox News until our neighbors Gerald, Jodie and Gabriel came up to play cards. We played Phase 10 which had it its turns and twists but I eventually smoked the group the last 2 phases and then we played 5 Crowns and Gabriel who is in the 6th or 7th grade never got a point until the last 2 rounds as he smoked us big time. (Nancy was the winner of the loser adults) It was a fun evening and lasted until nearly 10PM. LATER

Thursday

Here I am mostly flat on my back with the left leg elevated about the knee with an ice pack strapped to it as well. This is definitely not what I'm use to but since I over did whatever on this tilted property I'm now paying the price. The severe pain has subsided of which I'm very thankful for but the lack of mobility and independence is very disheartening. I'm hopeful that I will be able to maneuver with out these crutches within a few days as Amy and her family is coming next week.

The morning was the warmest so far this summer with temp's in the 60's but still just a beautiful morning with the bright sunshine peeping over the tree tops and the overhead Carolina blue skies. Nurse Nancy is doing a great job I must say of tending to my care and needs. After a shaky start with the crutches I'm doing a little better and can now move around with some knowledge that I won't fall over while getting up and down. I can sit at the table and computer for small periods of time so that's a plus; anyhow after my cup of green tea and usual regiment of supplements I did my quiet time then Nancy fixed me a couple eggs with a bowl of grits. That held me until supper except for a French Vanilla meal replacement shake from Nutrilite. That's the first time I've tried one of those and they are dewisheous and very nutritious, loaded with lots of good stuff and they can be used for a weight loss product as well. Since I'm not doing any physical activity I certainly don't want to add any extra pounds.

Nancy took off with neighbor Jodi for a couple hours as they perused the shops and stores in down town Sparta and then had lunch at our favorite lunch diner, the Mustard Seed. I'm glad Nancy got to get away from all her nursing duties as I just laid around and read. The girls had a great time together and made some great bargain buys in kids toys and books to have on had when the grand babies come later this summer. Speaking of summer its just fantastic here with a gentle breeze most of the day with temps nearly reaching 80.

I did some catching up on some reading and I've wanted to read some of Bill O'Reillys books and KILLING LINCOLN was one of the very beat and while I'm usually not interested in political type books, but I must tell you he is very in tune with whats going on in our land and with those who proport to be in leadership. Well if you have wondered what is happening to our country when we see where our mainstream media and many politicians are promoting gay marriage, late term abortions as well as the promotion of abortion in general and our underage daughters to have abortions without parental consent, the trying to take any reference to our CREATOR out of daily living or out of the country as a whole then let me assure you its a concerted effort by a group of people who are know as secular-progressives that are behind this movement. There is a strong effort by some very influential folks who want to change the culture as we have know it in the past and they have enacted and are still enacting laws to change America. This is a real threat to this country as we once remember the days of "Father Knows Best" TV shows. That era is gone and replaced with garbage that is being used to turn the family and those values into something that will destroy us the USA from within. Believe me when I say it is happening and my eyes were opened when I started this book and read about 2/3's yesterday. The education system is where the biggest emphasis by the SP's(secular-progressives) is taking place because if they can influence our children they have the foot hold necessary to destroy the traditional values of: GOD, country, families, self control and individualism.The book CULTURE WARRIORS will open your eyes and its written by Bill O'Reilly from Fox News channel and the show, The Factor. I know he is hard to take at times but read the man's book and at least make an effort to understand what is happening to our once traditional values and how WE have let them slip away.

I know many of my friends are liberals and I respect you and your beliefs but this isn't about liberal vs conservatives but about traditional values as the basic of our society. The Constitution is being subverted in subtle ways and we are like a frog in a pot of cold water that is is being heated gradually on the stove until the heat becomes so great we are cooked and dead. We are losing our liberty, our family values and what has made us a beacon in the world to so many for so long; the place where a man can have a better life for his family than his forefathers without fear from a govt that wants to control his life. Well I've said my thoughts about whats going on and I think we have to recognize that America is changing from the Cleaver Day's and Happy Days we once knew and that our grand babies will have to face once again those who want absolute power like the tyrants we fought in WW1 and WW11, Oh well!!!

After a light supper of leftover potato our neighbors and friends Jodi, Gerald and Gabriel came up around 6:30 and we played the rubber match in Spades and it was a give and go match with big score swings and the guys prevailed in a nail biter. The game of hearts was another game with big score swings and Jodi prevailed in a close match. We had lots of laughs, snacks and Gabe entertained us with his running in the back woods yard with a short legged little black dog he befriend running lose in the woods. It was nearly 10 PM when the games ended which helped take my mind off being a cripple for a couple hours and was just what I needed. LATER

Wednesday

The morning found me awake most of the night from the excruciating pain in my left knee, luckily I had a pair of crutches to use which helped with trying to get around as I made myself ready with nurse Nancy's help for a trip to Sparta and to Dr. K's office. The diagnosis was better than I first thought which was some type of tear in the ligaments, tendons or meniscus; the Doc thinks its a politeal cyst that surrounds the knee joint and had burst causing inflammation in the knee and leg. He thinks this should be able to heal with rest, ice, ibuprofen, elevation and compression or rice therapy. I certainly hope he is right and I will listen to his evaluation and advice. Anyhow after the doctor's visit we headed home and I spent the rest of the day either on the bed or couch with an ice pack and the leg elevated except after supper when we played cards with Jodie and Gerald who are up for the week from Raleigh.

Nancy took off after lunch on the golf cart to see Jetta on top of the mountain who was altering her dress for our niece's wedding in July. Joe gave her a couple books for me to read while I'm rehabilitating in the supine position. This is very difficult for me to be still and not move about as I'm wired but by this evening I can see or feel a little progress with the reduction in pain in the leg area so that's a good start. Nancy kept in contact with me while she was at Jetta's with the hand walkie talkie's; she is such a good nurse but a little bossy. I now pretend I have a bell when I need something so I say ring-a-dingy-ding for nurse Nancy; thanks to the idea given to me by Bill, one of my pickle ball buddies in Florida.

We played a couple games of Spades with the neighbors and the gals whupped us big the first game and we came from behind in the second game for a victory. The rubber match will be played tomorrow night as the night slipped up on us. It sure helps keeping the mind off the injury. Nancy made a potato soup for supper which was dewisheous. Its really tricky getting into and out of the shower but so far I've made it without falling or pulling Nancy in with me.

Well thanks to all who have kept me in your thoughts and prayers, LATER

Tuesday

Well the unthinkable happened to me this afternoon as we were taking a hike up the mountain. I noticed the past couple weeks that my left knee had been making popping noises occasionally and that a small amount of discomfort would occur but none that was so great to cause me to sit around especially on level ground. Most of the discomfort would happen when walking up and down this tilted land. Well I worked most of the morning in the garden wearing a knee brace which really helped so we decided to take a hike just before lunch and the going up the mountain was no problem but it seemed once I started down from the top the pain and discomfort really became evident so much so I had to stop while Nancy headed down to get the golf cart and drive me back to the cabin. Well I was hurting so much that I actually made an appointment to see my doctor here early in the morning. Luckily Ray Todd a friend and former neighbor had a pair of crutches in his old garage so we headed over to get them which has helped tremendously in my ability to get around as I can not put any weight on that injured knee, Oh well!!!

The morning was much the usual to start with in a 7 Am get up and then my cup of green tea and my quiet time before having the last buckwheat cake with a couple eggs on top and a little molasses on the side. After eating I headed out to check on the gardens and feed my new seedling with some liquid fertilizer. Nancy was hanging laundry out on the clothesline and it appeared to be a great morning with a warm temperature in the low 70's, bright sunshine and just enough breeze to make it comfortable.

Well I've layed around with ice on the injured knee and tried to stay off it the best that I could while reading the afternoon away. KILLING LINCOLN is one of the best ever reads about the ending of the Civil War with the surrender of Lee to Grant at Appomattox and the few days that lead up to the assassination of Lincoln and the story behind John Wilkes Booth. I'm about 1/2 way through as I write this post and its a must read for all who love history.

Nancy made a superb guacamole to go along with marinated chicken breast for supper as the game plan for fajitas changed because I wasn't able to fire the grill up; but supper was tasty despite me being helpless and useless. We are anticipating the next event of getting me in the shower and over the ledge of the tub which should be interesting with only one good leg. How can I say help!!! LATER Here are a few pictures of the new flowers in bloom that Nancy fancies.

Monday

Today was rather a boring day after all the excitement on Sunday but we did find the time to visit with the Browning's (Joe and Jetta) after lunch. Actually Jetta is quite a seamstress as we learned last year when she altered some of Nancy's clothing and she has offered to do the same this year. We took a dress up so she can shorten it and take in the sides as Nancy has dropped a few pounds and thus a couple inches.

The morning started out with the usual wake-up around 6 :30 and roll out around 7 to 58 degrees. It was a little warmer than the past week or so but was still a big difference from the 75 degrees in Seminole which has been reaching into the 90's by the afternoon and with the high humidity its almost unbearable to be outside. Anyhow after my cup of tea and my quiet time I headed out to check on the gardens. I found 4 more hills of sweet corn up and a couple more hills of 1/2 runners as well. The red potatoes are up as well as the beets are showing second and third leaves. We are looking forward to adding beet greens to our salads which are the best along with fresh kale. I had 3 seedlings of kale that lived and are now thriving to some extent as kale is mainly a cold weather plant but it does well in Florida in the heat and we added it to our soups, especially Zuppa soup and to our salads as well.

After the walk around I headed in to have a leftover buckwheat cake with molasses for breakfast. After eating I headed down into the basement as the Pinot Noir must has just about finished fermenting, so I cleaned up my buckets and siphoned the must out of the fermenter into them and discarded the oak and grape sediments. I then transferred the must back into the clean fermenter and set the air lock once again. I checked the specific gravity of the must with my hydrometer and found it to be where its supposed to be at this stage of turning the grape juice into wine. I will let it set in the basement where the temp is a constant 60-65 degree range and perfect for aging the must. That took me a couple hours as you must sterilize any part that comes in contact with the must. The color of the must is a combination of purple and red and it tastes pretty good as well. The wine will be ready to bottle around the middle of July. The next step is to clear or defuse the must and then age it in glass carboys or large glass jugs.

We headed off to town to renew once of Nancy's prescriptions and headed to the Mustard Seed dinner for lunch, yikes to they ever have a great lunch. I had the combo of a bowl of French onion soup with a Robin wrap that come with a Clauson pickle as well and Nancy had the Robin wraps plate(2) that comes with pasta salad and a pickle, Dewisheous (as grand daughter Annsley would say). We stopped at Lowes grocery on the way out of town and got back to the cabin around 1:30. Nancy loaded up her dress and shoes and we drove the golf cart to the top of the mountain to meet with Jetta so she could measure Nancy for the dress alteration and we stayed and visited with them afterwards watching the Hatfield/McCoy documentary that we missed after watching 3 nights of that saga. The 30 minute or so documentary was very helpful as well and true to what Joe knew the feud was about from his family. It was sprinkling so we didn't want to get caught in a downpour so we headed back down to the cabin after a delightful visit with them. Joe lent me Bill O'Reilly's best seller KILLING LINCOLN as that was a book I've been intending to read. I just finished The HUNGER GAMES book 2 and I must say I'm not a science fiction lover as this was a combination of that and individual survival which I love. At times I found it to be juvenile but it held my interest to the end.

We later took a hike after the threat of rain went away and I seemed to aggravate the hyper-extended left knee somewhat again so I soaked it in a tub of hot water as well as gave it an ultrasound treatment. This tilted land is tough on the healing process for that knee, oh well. We had left over spinach casserole, a salad and a burger for supper, once again dewisheous. We stayed in and watched the tube and it was after 9 and I could still see the off the porch and into the woods. I got involved in a journal on the Internet from the Crazyguyonabike.com website about a trip from Florida to Alaska on a bike so it was nearly 10:30 and I had forgot to write this post. The pictures are awesome these riders post with their journals. This is my favorite all time website. My eye lids were heavy so I decided to post this on Tuesday morning. I did read the first chapter in KILLING LINCOLN that's going to be a fantastic read before lights out, LATER    

Sunday (Fathers Day)

Well what a day it turned out to be as we celebrated at Cornerstone with the Top Gun graduates from this awesome course that changes men's lives, we celebrated with our "mountain mom" Helen and her brother Joe and his son Randall with an awesome lunch/supper and then I received phone calls from daughter Amy and then son Bobby wishing me well and then finally I watched my all time favorite movie Lonesome Dove.

The day started with a 7 Am wake up to temps in the high 40's, yikes can you believe that in the middle of June. Anyhow after my usual cup of hot green tea, my quiet time and a boring bowl of oatmeal I ventured out wearing a flannel shirt to check on the gardens. We got ready and headed to Cornerstone for worship and to be inspired by these 6 men who spent the last 9 months fulfilling the Top Gun requirements for graduation. We heard inspiring testimony from not only the graduates but from their wives and children as well about the difference this course made in their lives. Kudos's to all who were involved.

After the service we stopped at the Mexican veggie stand for fresh veggies and other goodies before heading home to get ready for our company. We met Joe's youngest son Randall who drove down from Tennessee at the last moment to honor his dad on this special day. Helen made delicious potato salad, deviled eggs and a container of homemade peach ice cream. I grilled burgers and Nancy made a spinach casserole along with the fixen's for the burgers and were they ever dewisheous. After eating we sat on the porch and reminisced for an hour or so before Randall had to get back on the road to Tennessee. We had a pleasant visit with them which made the day special as well as meeting someone for the first and getting show them around our cabin.

After they left we cleaned up then piddled around in the gardens before heading up to the top of the mountain for our daily hike. We observed the Fullers(Brenda and Fred) are back from Florida as they purchased a house about an hour north of us on the Suncoast. We continued on across the top and stopped to chat with Jetta who picked us a nice mess of fresh lettuce from her garden. It was sprinkling so we headed on back down from the top before it down poured as we could hear thunder in the distance. I check the Internet and learned the Rays beat the Marlins and won the best of 3 for this series.

It was going on 7 when we got back from our hike and we were still pretty full from the late lunch so we snacked  a little and I got interested in the old movie Lonesome Dove. I've read the book several times and just love the setting and story line and the movie pretty much follows the book. Its a tear jerker for me and it put the finishing touch on a great day. I will enclose a couple pictures, LATER

Saturday

Well it was another day that needs to be written about as it was that beautiful. It was in the high 50's this morning with blue skies and bright sunshine and the temps reached the middle 70's in the early afternoon and now at 8 PM it back down into the low 60's. The morning started with me sleeping in until nearly 7 AM and after rolling out I had my usual cup of hot green tea before I started my quiet time. After heading out to check on the gardens I headed in for a couple buckwheat cakes with banana and blue berries in the batter and a couple farm fresh eggs on top. I drowned the cakes in molasses and wow was that ever good.

I had made arrangements to meet neighbor Joe at the corn patch on top at 9:30 to hoe the corn and side dress it with fertilizer. We decided the corn wasn't tall enough to hoe so we will wait until it reaches a little more height before loosening the ground. I headed back down do some piddly jobs like painting an old chair and feeding some of my seedlings. We decided to take our daily hike and we made it up the back trail without stopping to rest and nearly all the way to the top before we took a rest stop.

We saw neighbor Helen and chatted with her awhile about her cruise to Alaska last week then headed on home for a lite lunch of dry Lipton's soup and peanut butter crackers. After lunch I re-painted the chair again as the first coat dried quickly. We decided to take the golf cart out to the mailbox and saw neighbor George Redman with his tractor scraping the hill of our road in from the hard top. We sat and chatted with him for quite a while.

After the golf cart ride we sat on the porch and read for a couple hours in the sun as the air was chilly; despite the sunshine until it was time to fix supper. Nancy made chicken fried deer tenderloin, Jasmine rice and sliced cooked beets, yikes was that ever tasty and we licked the platter clean. Once again thanks to Andy Dalton for the deer meat. After the supper cleanup we planted some Zinnias and then took off on the golf cart to the top of the mountain. We saw Tommy and Lee Cahoon walking along the top of the ridge and chatted with them for a spell then we saw Gordon and Sonja in their yard with 2 Pug puppies so we stopped and played with them and Nancy took some pictures. It was starting to really cool off with the breeze and the sun slowly heading down behind Bullhead Mountain. I was starting to get cold as Nancy has a sweat shirt on and I was still in a t-shirt and cut offs.

Well it was a laid back day and we didn't do a whole lot of big stuff except I helped Nancy get ready for "mountain mom" Helen and her brother Joe and his son Randall tomorrow afternoon to eat with us. I spoke with Paw Paw(my dad) earlier in the day and he having dinner at his youngest daughter, Dee's house in Woodstock  along with his oldest daughter Josie(Sharon) and her husband Wayne. Well, while tomorrow is Fathers Day it's also church day and we will head over to Cornerstone for worship with some great folks, LATER  Enclosed is a couple puppy pics.

Friday

First I must admit I was lazy about making this post on Friday night so here it is Sat. morning and after almost 8 good hours of horizontal lab I feel refreshed and ready to post. Actually, Friday was sort of boring as far as new doings and new seeings as the morning started much the same with cool in the 50's temps, same cup of hot green tea and my usual few quiet moments to reflect, pray for others and give thanks before making myself a couple poached eggs in the microwave and spooning them over a bowl of instant grits, yikes is that fine eatin' with a dash or two of hot sauce.

I headed out to check on the gardens and wouldn't you know it I found a couple hills of beans poking through the ground as well as a cabbage seedling about to die. I have no idea what that was about as it was one of the healthier ones. I then worked on the stump in the back wood yard and finished taking it down to the ground. I felt like working on the railroad as I drove my wedges into the wood with my sledgehammer; that didn't take long to work up a sweat despite the cool temps.

Nancy was moving about and out checking her flower gardens so we planted some marigolds I had grown from seed in the various barren spots in the flower beds where plants for some reason had died over the winter or mysteriously vanished. Helen our mountain mom has a plant that is named the "magic Lilly" that if planted in one spot will surfaced later in a completely different area; thus the name. We decided to get our hike out of the way so off we went. We made it to the back road with only one rest stop up the back trail and were surprised at how easy we made it to the very top. We saw Mike and Nancy and visited with them for awhile when their neighbor Sarah came out and we all stood in the driveway catching up on all that's been going on since we last saw them. Mike related that Sandy(neighbor on top across the road) isn't doing well at all and was once again in ICU in Winston. He now can't drive and the prognosis isn't good with the blood on the brain. Keep him in your prayers as he is rather young; about my age.

We checked on the corn at Norm's and more seems to be up so on Sat. morning I'm heading up with the hoe and some fertilizer  along with neighbor Joe and we will work that patch over. There aren't too many weeds but those rocks are growing and multiplying. I can taste that roastneer now!!! We headed back down to have a lite lunch of grilled cheese with a slice of tomato with mayo, wow this is fabulous sandwich with a dill pickle on the side.We chilled for an hour or so reading before getting ready to head to Cornerstone to help with youth mission team who were over in Independence, Va. visiting nursing homes and doing some drama as well as some singing to those infirmed. There was a change of plans at the last minute after we got to the church when we found we wouldn't be needed to prepare a supper for them so we hung around and watered the newly set out plants and bushes before heading back to the cabin.

Nancy fixed a frozen pizza which of course she doctored up with fresh basil, oregano and some small green peppers from the garden. The herbs made that cheap pizza taste like a million bucks as a matter of fact we had a basil pizza at an Italian restaurant in St.Pete a few months back and wow was that ever dewisheous. Anyhow after a salad and pizza I fired up the riding mower and mowed all the yards except the back woods yard then weed whacked. We still had an hour or so of daylight so we took off on the golf cart to the top of the mountain. We stopped and chatted with Joe and Jetta who were working in their yard then made the complete circle across the top of the mountain before heading back down. The air was crystal clear and we could see the buildings in down town Winston-Salem and we could see the parking area on top of Pilot Mountain as well. Bullhead Mountain was exceptionally clear almost like 3-D.

We turned the tube on and had a cup of hot ginger tea and got interested in Mountain Man show on one of the channels. I checked on the Rays as they were finally winning against the Marlins after being totally taken apart by the Mets and before you knew it it was nearly 11 PM. Time for a hot shower and then to bed, LATER

Thursday

Today was a laid back sort of day with a roll out of the sack around 6:30 to a cool 56 degrees but with bright blue skies overhead and the promise of plenty of sunshine; however a breeze kept the temps very comfortable in the middle 70's and in the shade it was sorta cool. After my usual spot of tea and my quiet moments to reflect and give thanks I had the boring bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and a banana before heading out to the gardens.

The ground is still quite wet from the inch plus rain we had the first part of the week in the lower garden as it gets lots of shade. The potato's that came up from last year are about 2 feet tall and the new red seed potato's are breaking through the ground despite the dampness in the soil. I think my 1/2 runner green bean seeds have rotted in the ground for the third time so I resowed them today in 6 pack containers and will set them out when they come up; at least I can control the wetness until they sprout by putting them under the porch when it rains. I'm about to lose a couple cabbage plants and I'm not sure why as they looked great yesterday and today they have wilted. The radish seeds I planted on Sunday in the upper garden along side the corn are up and looking good but I can't say the same for the Celebrity tomato plants; however the cherry tomato's look pretty good thus far. I think my garden is suffering from too much acid in the soil and this fall I'm really going to lime it well. I've spread a little lime but with plants already up some times it can shock them and cause more or if not worst trouble.

Nancy hung a load of laundry and then we took off for the top of the mountain on our daily hike. We visited the Browning and I delivered their Amway order and then took off across the top. We learned that Sandy our neighbor on top was just recently released again from the hospital as he continues to battle blood on the brain. The doctors have no idea where its coming from which makes it harder to give him the proper treatment. Seems he has lost some balance as well as short term memory, so keep him and his wife Ann in your thoughts and prayers. They have been great neighbors over the years and just good down home folks.

After a lite lunch once again of sardines and onions on a cracker with mustard, yikes do we ever love those combinations, I headed out to do a couple piddly odd jobs. We knew we had to leave around 4:30 to deliver Joe and Helen's vitamins and to give her a couple bottles of the Perfect Water for her to try. We stayed and visited with her for a short while before heading to Cornerstone for another evening of feeding the mission team. I helped grill about 60 burgers and Nancy worked inside with getting all the trimming set for the hungry team. After eating and the clean up we settled in watch their games  and then got ready to head out around 9:15 as they were heading outside to do marshmellows over an open fire. Once again the kids were sleeping over for the night. Tomorrow we go in a little bit earlier around 3 PM as the team is doing a musical concert in Virginia. I think after feeding them we will cancel on that late night trip. Not much else is going on as its going on 11 o'clock, LATER

Wednesday

Well it sure has been a busy day with lots going on after an early morning start around 6:45. The temp was down into the middle 50's with a heavy dew but the promise of a beautiful day was evident with the blue skies and bright sunshine in the tops of our trees that surround the cabin. After my usual cup of hot green tea and my quiet time  I finished the last of the dry cereal with a banana and fresh blueberries before heading over to our mountain mom's place.

I headed over to our mountain mom's place. I took the chain saw and cut up some large limbs then broke up some smaller ones for her and started a fire so she could clean up fallen limbs and debris and burn down around her lake. She is a fire bug from way back. After helping her burn a large pile of limbs I headed home and was back before 10 AM. We decided to get our hike for the day out of the way so off we went to the top of the mountain. We saw nary a soul but the hike was refreshing and the scenery was awesome with such clearness all the way to Winston. We checked out the corn patch at Norms and I feel like a new father as there was lots of new corn shoots poking through the ground. Looks like that dream of butter dripping from a cob of sweet corn is getting closer to reality.

We headed back down off the mountain and Nancy made a nice bowl of tuna fish on a bed of left over salad for lunch. We got a call from a Fed Ex driver looking for our place as he had a delivery for us from Amway. Wow that was fast as we just put the order in on Sunday. After lunch we got ready to head to Cornerstone to help with landscaping the church grounds and then to help with Mission Team and the feeding of them. The youth group went to Boone to see and visit with the Samaritan's Purse facility and they were wowed by how large an operation this really is and then 2 of the vounteers from there came and spoke to the group at Cornerstone later in the evening.

The landscaping was really a lot of hard digging, shoveling and planting plants plus it was hot in the sun and many of us received some good sun tans. We had an awesome crowd of adults and kids to help with this much needed project and everyone worked hard. We did 4 major areas of planting as well as filling in the planters around the building with river rock. We worked hard until around 6 PM then we took a break to hear the speakers who came down from Samaritan's Purse and then afterwards we broke for chow. We had corn dogs, mac and cheese, saugage dip with chips, cookies and strawberry shortcake. After eating and the clean up we decided there wasn't much for us to do so we headed out and got home just before dark. We were beat as we worked hard out in the hot sun for a couple straight hours and there should be no trouble sleeping tonight, LATER

Tuesday

Well I finally had a good nights sleep after being awake most of Sunday night due to too much caffeine, anyhow I slept in until 7+ before rolling out for the day. After my cup of hot green tea and quiet time I fried up a couple cackle berries and microwaved a bowl of instant grits and then combined the two with a little hot sauce and called it breakfasy, Yeow was that ever tasty and it held me until lunch.

I headed out to check on the gardens and the rain gauge which had nearly another inch from Monday and combined with the 3/10ths from the Sunday. The yards and gardens love this weather as the temps nearly reached 80 by afternoon despite a few clouds and fog on the mountain tops. I cut down 2 large holly trees that had been shading my lower garden then worked them up and hauled them down the hill onto a brush pile which I will burn on a wet day later this Fall. I fired up the golf cart and loaded the spreader with a couple sacks of pelitized lime onto it and headed out to the back woods yard to give it a good liming. The moss is so bad in that area because of the shade trees which keep it just right for the growing of moss and heavy coats of lime is the only solution. It was close to 11 by the time I finished this project so we decided to head to the top of the mountain for our daily hike.

We only stopped to rest one time on the trail before reaching the back road, then headed on up by snake rock to the top of the mountain and rested at Fred and Brenda's place before continuing on across the top. We still haven't seen the Fullers since we've been back as they also own a place just north of us in Florida on the west coast. We learned that Helen is on her way back to the mountain after her cruise to Alaska and that she is somewhat under the weather. We never saw anyone else except for Zeke who is Joe and Jettas's friendly dog. Zeke decided he wanted to go with us on our hike and lead the way down to the back trail that goes to our place then he turned around and headed on back towards home.

We got back and it was after 12 so we decided to have one of our favorite lunches; sardines, onions, mustard on a saltine cracker. Yikes is that ever dewisheous and we devoured 3 cans( I eat the bones as well) between the 2 of us and I even had a couple saltines with peanut butter and sliced onion on top. I know it sounds weird but believe me peanut butter and sliced Vadalia onion go together. After lunch I headed out to trim and shape up the 2 large blue spruce trees in the front yard. After that project we decided to ride out to the mailbox and on the way I decided to clip low hanging limbs along the roadway. That took us about an hour and on the way back to the cabin we decided to ride to the top of the mountain. The sun was out in its fullness and it was downright hot on top but the view was awesome as well; the buildings in downtown Winston-Salem were visible.

After cleaning up the tree clipping I headed onto the porch to rest out of the sun before settling in to read before Joe and Helen arrived. We wanted to try the new restaurant called Nikola located in the High Meadows area. Our friend Kallie Dalton works there so we decided to give it a try and we were pleasantly surprised with the food. Nancy and I tried the salmon and chicken picota and the others had steak and veal. The prices are a little high for the area but comparable to a Bonefish Grille. The salad and home made dressings as well as the bread were exceptionally good. I would go back again. They have live music on Tuesday and on Saturday night. The duo was a guitar and a bongo player and both had great voices. It was nearly 8 PM before we left the restaurant.

The rain stayed away today and the warm sunshine is expected again for tomorrow. The night time temp's are going down into the high 50's or low 60's again tonight and are wonderful for sleeping, LATER 

Monday

The morning started last night when I headed for bed, unfortunately I lay awake most of the night after drinking a large glass of sweetened iced tea around 7:30. I seldom ever drink anything with caffeine during the day let alone at night, Oh well. We had a light rain almost all night long and up until the mid morning when it finally stopped for a couple hours. I did my usual quiet time and had a bowl of oatmeal before we got ready to head to Galax to pick up Nancy's prescription reading glasses.

We made a stop on the way to dump cans and bottles and anything that wouldn't burn. It rained on us most of the way to town but eventually eased off and we even saw the sun for brief periods. It was a warm rain compared to what we had last week so this should be good for the gardens. Speaking of gardens when I checked the back yard this morning after getting up I noticed 6 black crows in the yard and lower garden. I believe they pulled out a couple squash seedlings as well as scratched around my recently planted bean seeds eating them as well. This is the first year I've experienced such an abundance of the black feathered birds. I know they will pull up corn seedlings to get the dried kernel at the end of the stalk so I had strings across the corn area with white Wal-Mart bags hanging and fluttering in the wind as well as 3 scarecrow's in the garden areas.

We did our shopping and I saw our good friend Kimberley in the garden department and learned her hubby Eddie was on his way back to Salem, Va for his first check -up after the ankle replacement surgery 2 weeks ago. We stayed in Wal-Mart and had a Subway sandwich before grocery shopping and then headed out for the cabin. We stopped at the post office on the way out of town to mail Father's day cards to Paw Paw, Bobby and Tyler. It was after 1 PM when we finally got back to the cabin and I was so sleepy I had to lay down for a 10 minute power nap. The rain was still in a holding pattern despite the low clouds and fog so we headed out to the top of the mountain and managed to get the whole walk in before it started to rain again.

I sat around and read starting the second book of the Hunger Games as the rain kept us in the cabin. This storyline is somewhat juvenile but there was just enough survival techniques to play to my interests; however I'm not usually drawn to any thing that portrays science fiction. I will see after this book if I want to ready the third book. Many thanks to Mechelle for letting me read her books. Nancy spoke with her mom, GG and our daughter Amy before we decided to start supper. I fired up the burner on the grille and pan fried the 3 trout fish Caleb caught on Sat. My oh my where they ever dewisheous and fried to a golden brown. We had Jasmine rice and leftover yellow squash to accompany those beautiful trout.

After the clean up we got into the Fox News channels and that's where we are now as Nancy is wearing out the T.V. flipping or channel surfing during commercials.The Rays are off tonight after taking 3 straight games from the Marlins in as many days,LATER 

Sunday

Well the morning started with a 7 AM wake up and its so peaceful here and to make it even better it warmed up a little to nearly 60 degrees. The sunshine was bright as we could just make it out in the tops of the trees that surround our little cabin in the woods. We could see the deep blue skies when looking straight up and hear the dew dripping from the bump out onto the tin roof; such a stillness broken only by the dripping dew and a lonely crow cawing off in the distance. Such a difference in lifestyles here as we observe only natural sounds and smells. After my cup of hot green tea and my few quiet moments I had a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and honey, blueberries and an over ripe banana for breakfast. We got ready and headed out for worship at Cornerstone.

Our ride to church was in such contrast to the ride we usually take to Element in Tampa where there is cars galore, high rise buildings, concrete and asphalt  everywhere as well as multitudes of people. We saw nary a car on the way to church or another person along the way on our 8 mile ride through the beautiful mountains and hills covered with heavy foliage. There were rabbits everywhere, a couple deer, cows and horses in nearly every field; but the contrast stops there as we were heading to honor the LORD with our worship with a great group of sweet folks much like those at Element in Tampa. We had a packed house today with a couple hundred or more and Pastor B had an awesome message on our role in missions(telling others about our LORD) and what can hinder us from taking an active role in that endeavor.

After church we headed back to the cabin to have an awesome salad and leftover marinated grilled chicken breast on top, yikes was that ever dewisheous(Annsley) with some homemade Greek dressing. After lunch I wanted to get the corn I had growing in six pack containers into the ground as its supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. Seems the corn I planted in my upper garden didn't do so well either from old seed or too wet or the crows had a picnic when we weren't around but only about 1/2 dozen actually came up, so I transplanted about a dozen or so hills of the seedlings and then sowed more seed as well to finish up the last row. Hopefully they will make it but if not I'm counting on the large corn patch on top of the mountain at Norm's place to at least give us a couple roastneers dripping with melted butter and a little salt and pepper, oh well.

I had made plans for pickle ball this evening with several folks at church before realizing there was a meeting for those who were helping with the mission team this next week. Nancy and I are helping Wed., Thur.,Fri. and possibly Sat.with the preparation of food each evening as well as helping with the landscaping of the church grounds on Wed. after lunch. So this should be busy late nights and evening this next week. I met with Ted, Mechelle, Caleb and Craig for a couple hours of pickle ball on Sunday evening. We had great time playing outside in the middle of the woods on this great court. It had been the first any of them had played in a year or so but they quickly picked the game back up and we had several action packed games and did we ever work up a sweat over the 2 hours we played. Hopefully we can do it again next week as well.

After pickle ball I came home and Nancy had just got back from the meeting at church as well so we made egg sandwiches from the fresh eggs Mechelle so graciously brought us. There is nothing like the taste and the color of the yolk on free range cackle berries. After supper I headed out to work in the gardens until nearly dark loosening the compacted clay soil around many of my plants as well as loading the garbage in the truck for our trip to Galax tomorrow to pick up Nancy new reading glasses at Wal-Mart.

Well just a reminder about the Amway drink special this month of buy 2 and get another one free. If any of you are interested in becoming an IBO let me know as the products are first rate and there is some money to be made if your willing to become involved and share these products. I'm willing to give all who sign up to be a customer on my team wholesale prices for the first 6 months, so take advantage of these great products and this Amway Company that is in 80 countries around the world.LATER

Saturday

Well this was the day we have been waiting for in the mountains with near perfect weather; high 50's to start the day and nearly 80 by the afternoon with no humidity and bright sunshine most of the day. The morning started with a 7' ish wake up or roll out. After a cup of hot green tea I did my quiet time then headed out to check on the gardens then I finished the touch up paint in the basement all before Nancy made a breakfast of left over fried 'taters and scrambled eggs. After eating I headed out with the weed whacker to edge all the yards I had mowed the evening before. I was just about finished when Mechelle Dalton called that Caleb had caught some trout and wanted to know if I wanted them as they aren't trout eaters. I headed out to a creek just off the parkway where a group of kids were fishing an area where it had been stocked with 12-14 inch brook trout the night before.

I finished the weed whacking after cleaning the trout then we headed up on top of the mountain for our daily hike. We stopped and visited with Norm and he needed me to cut a limb off of a hickory tree that was blocking his view of Pilot Mountain. I came back later after a bite to eat to get the wood so I could use it in my smoker. I did some piddling chores the rest of the afternoon until it was time to get ready for Mechelle and Caleb for supper. I grilled some marinated chicken breasts and Nancy fixed yellow squash. Mechelle brought a potato dish and a dewisheous apple pie type dessert which came from Pioneer Woman's cook book. It was so good but very decadent with lots of butter, sugar and a Mountain Dew pored over the top before baking, yikes was it ever great.

After supper Caleb and I shot BB guns and played a couple corn hole games before Gerald and Kay arrived from her 50th high school reunion. Gerald and I got in a game of corn hole before it was time to head in for some Sequence. The girls had been watching the final leg of the Triple Crown horse racing at Belmont Downs and the horse, Union Rags that Nancy initially liked, did win. Too bad the horse I'll Have Another was scratched due to a physical ailment.

Well we got into a heated contest of gals vs guys in Sequence and we smoked them the first 5 games, 4-1 which in all honesty was the best of 7 games which is what we usually play but since they were waiting for Kallie to finish her waitress job we continued to play. Caleb who is 11 years old was up at 4 AM to go fishing was fading fast so we weren't hitting on all cylinders after we initially smoked the gals and they started winning and actually won the next 3 games so we ended up tied at 4 games each. I guess we have to play the rubber game before our next match. They all headed out a little after 9 PM so it was time to wash the dishes and check on baseball scores and make this post. Tomorrow is Sunday and its worship at Cornerstone at 10 so come on out and worship with a sweet group of believers, LATER