Saturday

Well it was a busy, busy day that started around 7 AM. After our quiet time I ate a couple slices of banana nut bread before heading out to check on the gardens then get ready to head to the top of the mountain to the corn patch. I took the golf cart up and wow has the corn grown tall since I last saw it as its nearly shoulder height. I would guesstimate about 80% of the hills germinated. The ground had retained enough moisture that it made for easy hoeing as well as pulling weeds. I hoed the my and Joe's patch, pulled the weeds from around Norm's squash plants then headed over to his patch and hoed the 4 rows of corn he had planted as well. I never saw Norm but something tells me he isn't doing so well as his doors and window blinds are closed. I know he has been having trouble with severe swelling in his legs.

I worked up a good sweat with all that hoeing. I headed home and stopped by Jetta's as she had a nice bag of 1/2 runner beans she just picked for us. Wow were they ever nice and we had so many we shared with our "mountain mom". Thanks Jetta for this awesome gift as well as a fresh cucumber. I picked up Nancy as she was on her hike and drove her back down to the cabin with me. It was going on noon so we decided to go ahead and eat lunch as I wanted to edge the yards and the mow. I finished up the last of the leftover Swaii on a bun with onion, mayo, lettuce, tomato and a jalapeno pepper. Yikes did that hit the spot.

After lunch I fired up the weed whacker and edged the all the yards then cranked up the mower and mowed all but the back woods yards. After the mowing I spread 3 sacks of pellatized lime on all the yards and it was nearly 3 o'clock by the time I finished that job. I definitely needed a shower as we were meeting up with Helen and Joe for supper. We headed out to the River Rock Grill in Sparta where we had a dewisheous meal. Afterwards we made a quick stop at Lowe's then took a few side roads on the way home as we planned our next outing. I think a day trip to Blowing Rock is our next major all dayer with lunch at Storey Street Station.

After getting back to Helen's, Joe headed for home and the three of us walked around her freshly mowed  yards and then I dug her couple hills of potato's. Wow did she ever get a good mess but most of them where small; just right for cream potato's. We left there as it was going on 8 o'clock and headed for home. The yards looked great as we drove up the driveway and we both commented how great the place looks after being newly mowed. I checked the hole where some yellow jacket bees have built a nest in the space between the foundation blocks and the plate. We have been getting some bees in the basement so I doused a small strip of cloth in gas then poked that into the hole the bees have entering last night before going to bed. I think that may have killed the nest but I saw some new live bees again this morning trying to get in so I filled the space with caulking. Hopefully that with do them in.

Well we have kept busy today which helps fill the void the kiddos have occupied the past couple weeks. Its so darn quiet around without them playing on the porches, decks and hearing the screen door slamming. Poor little Gabe got his fingers smacked several times by the door closing; but he loved to play with it as well as did Sam. There is something those little fellars like about going in out those screen doors. LATER