Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Wednesday

Well I must apologize to all my faithful readers for failing to publish my post on Tuesday night. I wrote it last night but maybe due to the extreme cold and windy conditions I had a lapse in cognitive activity. Oh well anyhow it was plum cold and windy again during the night but no gusts that felt as if the mountain was moving as it had on Sunday and Monday nights. The morning temp was once again around 35 F; but of course that was at 8 AM when we finally slid out from under the 4 blankets and the flannel sheets. I wanted to remain longer in the warm boudoir but felt guilty.

 After a cup of HOT green tea for me and a cup of java for Nancy we did our quiet times. It was nearly 9:30 before we made our respective breakfasts. I had 2 dippy eggs over the 2 left over corn muffins while she had the boring oatmeal with banana and wild blue berries. Tomorrow that will be my fare as well as its palatable; but not nearly as tasty. I put a load of laundry in the washing machine and then hung it outside on the line. We decided at the last minute after checking the weather fore cast that Thursday is going to be a nicer day with more sunshine and a little warmer and no chance of snow in the fore cast; so we got ready to make our final trip to Galax, Va. for this year. We headed out on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped at one of the over lookouts to take a couple pictures. The wind cut through your clothing like a knife and we had plenty on as the wind chill was in the 20's. There was no sunshine and the bare trees added to the wintry look which made it feel even colder. We made a stop at a new 5 and 10 store  in Galax and found nothing we couldn't live without.

Our next stop was at Wal-Mart where I had the truck serviced for our trip while Nancy shopped for some gifts for the grand babies. We also picked up a few groceries for our last get together at the cabin tomorrow night. We are having the old crew for a spaghetti supper and then a few games for the bragging rights of the gals vs the guys over the winter in Sequence. It should be a raucous event. We headed home around 1 PM and the snow flakes were evident as we headed back to the cabin. It was nearly 2 PM by the time we sat down to a late lunch of roast chicken on pumpernickel, Yeow my favorite!

 After eating we decided when the snow flakes stopped we would head out. It was nearly 3 before it stopped so off we went; bundled up. You could barely see our faces and still they nearly froze off from the cold and wind. We saw no one on top of the mountain but did see the smoke from Joe and Jetta's chimney. We headed up to the Cahoons and Leslie's place before turning back down the road; I would have liked to walk up to the very top as it has a beautiful view. The wind was clocked at Grand Father Mountain last night at 106 mph and comes up the mountains to this area. The original owners who build on top use to complain about the wind being so ferocious they would lay on the floor at night thinking the windows were going to be blown out. No wonder they sold out and moved down off the mountain top. The leaves were knee deep in places as the wind had them piled up in the leeward side of the road. We continued on down the road past the old Todd Place and noticed the stone mason finished the stone work around the cabin. Wow the guy who bought the place has done a great job fixing it up.



Well walking back up the steep driveway to our place warmed us up and when we entered the warm cabin we were surprised at how nice it felt. It finally reached 39 degrees and the sun was finally breaking through the overcast skies just before the sun set. We got in a call to son, Bobby and then to Helen before we started on supper. I cut up some fresh cabbage for Nancy to boil to go along with some boiled parsley Kennebec taters that complimented a nice piece of broiled salmon. A fresh garden salad with Greek dressing rounded out the meal.

Well its been a fun day with getting off of the hill, along with the snow flakes and the cold hike which made it even more pleasing to be back in the warm cabin, LATER

Tuesday

Brrr is the key word for the day. It was so warm under the covers this morning that we stayed in until after 8 AM. We put another blanket on the bed last night and with the flannel sheets and 3 other quilts it was quite snug and warm. The wind blew so hard again last night we were amazed that no trees were down on the property. We did lose every leaf from the yards as the wind gusts of 50 plus at times cleared them away into the woods. It did finally reach a high of 35 and almost all day we had snow flurries. After our quiet times we had a breakfast of eggs and grits.

I bundled up with shirts, sweaters and hoodies before heading out to check on the cabin. I was needing some physical activity so I carried all of the porch furniture down to the shed as well as took out the battery on the riding mower and stored it in the basement. After clearing the porches I picked up 6 buckets of pine cones and then raked the front yard of pine needles. Nancy finally ventured outside so we took off to the mailbox on foot. That was our hike for the day and with it our noses turned red and dripped. After that hike we had a lite lunch and Nancy didn't leave the inside of the cabin for the rest of the day.

I headed back out after lunch and once again the snow flurries resumed. It seemed the wind calmed down from strong gusts to a steady blow which dropped the wind chill into the 20's. I loaded up my blueberry bushes with dead pine needles and after about another hour of the wind, cold and snow flurries I too decided to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening inside the cabin hugging the gas heater.

Nancy put together a super pot of chili along with cornbread muffins. Yeow did that fare ever fit the day. Tomorrow isn't supposed to be quite as cold and the winds are supposed to die down somewhat as well. I found the water in my rain barrel had a thin sheet of ice on top, yikes!!!! I see where Florida had temps into the high 50's this AM and that parts of W.Va. had some major snow fall, LATER

Monday, October 29, 2012

Monday

Well winter has arrived here in the mountains. We were awakened during the early morning hours with debris hitting the side of the cabin as well as the porch furniture being moved around by the strong wind gusts. My smoker was picked up and scattered over the porch and side deck as well an Adirondack chair was blown against the side railing snapping off a portion of the top. It was 35 degrees when I checked the gauge on the back porch after breakfast and the highest it reached was 38 around lunch time. After our quiet times and a left over buckwheat cake to start the day I ventured outside to move some plants into the warm basement.

The snow flurries started shortly after we got up and at times the snow really came down. The strong winds kept the white stuff from sticking and dropped the wind chill down to around 20 degrees. Yikes it was cold. I was in and out of the basement sorting out articles I'm planning on taking back to Florida next week plus moving some tools into the shed. I drained the garden hoses and it was so cold one of them split into. The wind was so strong it blew all of the leaves out of the yards down into the woods which saved me from that job.

After a hot bowl of soup and a chicken biscuit for lunch we got ready to walk out to the mailbox. It had warmed up to 38 but the snow flakes were falling fast. The wind was still blowing at hurricane gusts. We had on tons of warm clothing as well as hats and gloves. The nearly mile hike was wonderful and the added uphills helped with keeping you warm. I finally received my absentee ballot so after getting back to the cabin and warming up I headed back to the mailbox on the golf cart. Now that was one cold ride but at least it was quick.

I picked some beet greens, kale, nasturtium leaves and flowers as well as some peppers from the garden to add to a salad along with a chicken pot pie Nancy made from the left over roast chicken for tonight's supper. Yeow was that ever tasty and we licked the platter clean. The severe cold will probably due in the garden tonight as it's already down below the freezing mark and with the wind chill its down in the teens tonight and supposed to be even colder tomorrow night. This type weather is sure going to make it even easier to leave for Florida next week as its just plum cold.

Looks like this storm is really causing havoc in the Northeast cities as many are without electricity and being flooded. Our lights have flickered a time or two but remained on as well as the telephone service which gives us the Internet; so we are thankful for that despite the cold and the wind. The little gas heater is keeping the cabin toasty but we have shut off the stairwell with hanging blankets to keep the heat from escaping to the upstairs. The wind continues to howl and move the heavy rocking stairs around on both of the porches. This is a real change as just a couple days ago we were in shorts and t-shirts. The snow fore cast is for an inch or so in the next 24 hours with the Boone area fore casted for 10 inches which is around 60 miles to our south. Areas to our north in Va. and W.Va are fore casted for some really heavy snow fall.


Well its been an interesting day with most of it spent inside staying warm, LATER 

Sunday

Well the morning started out with a good chill in the air with temps in the 40's. It was quiet with hardly a breath of air stirring. We got ready to head out for worship at Cornerstone after our quiet times and a lite breakfast. Nancy finished putting together Paula Deen's creamy mac and cheese casserole to take with us as it was homecoming celebration luncheon after the service. We had an awesome time of celebration and of course tasting all the many delicious dishes prepared by some of the best cooks in the world. These down home country cooks and sure make for some fine eatin'.

After the luncheon we headed back to the cabin to get ready for our company that was coming around 5:30 for supper. It was pretty nice out with the sun shining in between the clouds and the wind had picked up slightly. We got the roasting chickens in the oven and decided since the cabin was clean and all the preps were completed we would take off to the top of the mountain on our daily hike. Well it was invigorating to say the least and it got us moving after eating such a tasty lunch and then expecting to eat heavy again later in the day.

Our company which included; the Luffmans(Gerald&Kay), Mechelle&Caleb, Karin and Katelyn and her friend James and eventually Roger(Karin friend). We had tons of food that included veggies, salad and desserts brought by our company. Nancy's smashed taters and homemade gravy with the roast chicken was awesome as well. All of the people in the cabin helped to keep the cabin warm and cozy. I actually switched the gas heater back to pilot for the evening as we all were a bit warm.

We got in 4 games of Sequence and once again the gals were victorious and then we played a couple different games and the last of the company left around 11 PM. It was really cold with temps in the 30's and a lite rain falling which made for really winter weather conditions as the fore cast is for snow the next couple of days. LATER

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Saturday

Well it was one of those days where the weather fore cast is predicating bad weather with high winds and possibility of snow on Sunday night; so we spent as much time or at least I did outside. I actually wore cut offs and a t-shirt as the temps were in the 60's. We started the day around 8 AM with our quiet times and then a breakfast of buckwheat cakes slathered with butter and honey, yeow was that ever good. After the clean up I headed out to finish liming the back yard and to add lime to the gardens. I even planted my potatoes for next year. I know your saying "what" but its true as I learned from the past couple years the taters will come up in the spring as they are cold hearty. I've always missed a few when digging them in the fall and sure enough last year when we came up there were a dozen or so hills of taters about a foot high.

Speaking of planting taters in the winter my grand father always planted his at that time as well and was one of the first people in the county to have taters up in the spring. I found this out by accident and now I save all my little ones and just plant them deep and then cover the garden in leaves. After doing that I piddled around doing some small things outside then we had a bowl of the last of the Zuppa for lunch; that is one of the best soups around. After lunch Nancy finally came outside and she too wore shorts but with a sweat shirt so we took off through the woods to the top of the mountain on our daily hike. We had a short visit with Norman on top then headed down to Joe and Jetta's. We saw Joe's new Jeep truck and boy its a beauty; red in color, 4 wheel drive and a long bed and in good shape for being 36 years old.

We headed on back and by now its going on 4 PM so I wanted to catch a little college football and what a game between Georgia and Florida. The Bulldogs held on to beat the Gators in a close scoring bout, but there was some hitting going on in that game. Lots of injuries and turnovers as a result of the tackling on both teams. Yikes!!!! The Seminoles won big over Duke and the Giants are one game away from sweeping the Tigers in the World Series. It was a great evening for me and sports. Nancy spent the evening punning on Face Book with her buddies. Where does this gal come up with all her puns???

We are cleaning out the cupboards so we won't have to carry food back to Florida as she found some taco shells. So we had taco's for supper. I spoke with Bobby on his way back from Sarasota where he cooked for 45 folks last evening at a black tie dinner, yeow the menu sounded wonderful but he had been there preparing since early that morning. Well it's worship day at Cornerstone on Sunday as well as Homecoming so we will eat some the fabulous food prepared by some of the greatest home cooking folks I know after the service, LATER

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Friday

Once again it was another calm beautiful day in the mountains before the storm strikes. We slept in as usual until 8 AM, gosh I love this retirement scene. Anyhow after our cups of hot liquids; tea for me java for Nancy we ate a bowl of oatmeal with wild blueberries and a banana. I know it wasn't very exciting but Nancy got back her test results and while they were good they could have been better. The doctor said she was doing good within the parameters of normal, but she wants to do better as do I. The past few weeks with company and all we ate foods rich in fat, lots of gourmet cheeses and dishes, aah but it was good and now we must hike more and watch our intake of the good stuff, oh well!!!

We got a load of clothes ready for the washer then I headed out with the weed whacker for my last yard trimming of this year. There were a few straggly dead flowers that needed to be cut down in the flower beds. After that chore I fired up the riding mower for a last mow as well but I decided to also mulch up the leaves which had covered the yards again. I think I used the leaf blower 3 other times to clear the back woods yard and it was covered. The trees are almost bare so this should do it for this fall. Anyhow I mowed and mulched for a couple hours as the outside temps were just right for cutoffs and t-shirts; even Nancy had shorts on.

After a lunch of Zuppa soup and buttered crusty bread I headed out with the lime spreader and gave the yards a heavy coat of pelletized lime until my spreader broke again. These things are made of cheap plastic so I spend the next hour after our hike to the top fixing it. We stopped and visited with Norm, Joe and Jetta for a few before kicking our way through the deep piles of leaves that littered the road and woods. The leaves must be a foot deep in places. It was such a noisy hike as the dried leaves give you away to any wild life.

I fixed the spreader with a few old fashion techniques; wood and screws. I actually think it's stronger now than when I first purchased it, oh well!!! We got ready to head down to Mt. Airy for our last horse sale this year. We were meeting up with Mechelle, Kallie, Katelyn and her new beau, James as well as the first time for me meeting Roger and Lauren Brady at Goober's Restaurant. Yikes the food was awesome and they were very generous in their portions as well(there goes the eatin' right theory). Anyhow we had a good tasting meal of; Pennie pasta with grilled chicken breasts in a cream sauce of dried 'maters, artichokes,etc for me along with a salad and garlic bread and Nancy had the smoked brisket with fries; of course after tasting mine she wanted to trade half for half so I did. Wow was I ever stuffed. The rest of the gang had steaks, salads, wings (they looked awesome), sandwiches and fried pickles for an appetizer.

We made it to the horse sale and saw our old friends Eddie and Kimberley as well. I like horses and I must say there were some beautiful animals that were being given away at the low prices they were bringing. If I were here at the cabin full time I would have a couple in a pasture some where but that's another day; possibly before I get too old ride. Nancy decides that move as I need her young body to look out for me when that times comes, oh well!!! We stayed until around 9 PM then I was thoroughly depressed as some horses were sold that looked as if they had been malnourished and lacked proper care; depressing to me.

We saw several deer on the way back up the mountain and it was still warm around 60 degrees but with just a slight chill in the air; enough that you needed a long sleeve shirt or jacket. I tuned in the Gold Rush show and watched those people who go nuts seeking the yellow metal in Alaska and now in Ghana, Africa. Interesting to say the least but I would love the adventure of doing so. Anyhow it was too late to make this post by the time I hit the shower, LATER

 

Friday, October 26, 2012

Thursday

I'm finally getting around to posting this day's activities on Friday morning 'cause I stayed up too late watching both the Bucs beat the Vikings and the the Giants beating the Tiger's. It was a great nice for watching sports, although I hope the Tigers win at least a couple games to extent the series to 7 games. I hate sweeps unless it's my team doing the sweeping. Anyhow the morning started out with warm temps in the upper 50's and finally bright sunshine that stayed all day. After our quiet times and a breakfast of wild blueberries(huckleberry) we got ready for a trip to Galax, Va.

We mailed Nancy's absentee ballot at the post office and I'm still waiting on mine from Florida after 2 requests; but no ballot. Maybe I will make it home in time on Tuesday to vote in person as it doesn't look as if I will receive it in the mail. We stopped by several stores looking for items that would fill and fit in the Christmas Shoe Box ministry from Samaritan's Purse. We shopped for a boy our grandsons ages and for a girl our grand daughters ages. These boxes are sent all over the world to kids who are underprivileged and our church Cornerstone helps with this ministry.

We ended up at Wal-Mart where we picked up a few necessities for up and coming get together suppers and eventually had lunch at Subway in the store. After we got back to the cabin our neighbor Gerald came up on his new Kawasaki Mule. I like that machine as its a 4 wheel drive ATV with a dump bed plus its camouflaged. Its really nice and sturdy. After he left we hiked to the top of the mountain through what seemed like a foot of fallen leaves. We visited with Joe and Jetta for a spell and while in the back yard the sun was so hot and bright on our faces. I know in a few days we will wish for that hot sun as its calling for snow and 30's in the fore cast for the start of next week, Yikes!!!

Well after our hike I piddled around outside unloading some lime that I want to put on the gardens and yard. We had salmon, wild rice, fresh green beans and a salad for supper Yumm!!! Afterwards I did the cleanup and then we settled into Fox News and eventually I took control of the channel changer as the Bucs were on as well as flipping back to the World Series. The Bucs took apart the Viking in a good game with some fistacuffs as well as some hard hitting. We(Bucs) needed a reward of victory after playing well in a couple games they should have won, LATER 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Wednesday

Well can you believe this warm weather we are having here in the mountains. After a 7:30 wake up we started the day. After our quiet times we enjoyed a breakfast of oatmeal for Nancy and a left over buckwheat cake for me. I checked the outside temps and found it was nearly 60 degrees. The forecast for the day was to be close to 75 degrees once again; but it was actually closer to 80. I headed down to the basement to start the washing machine and we eventually put 2 loads on the clothes line. It was a glorious day for hanging clothes outside.

I headed down into the backwoods to check out the property lines now that much of the foliage is gone and I can see back into the woods. I clipped some brush and trimmed some dead branches that helped me to clarify where the property line lies. While back in the woods I transplanted about 2 dozen small white pines on the lower level woods. That area has few pines growing there and the dozen or so I transplanted last are doing well. Nancy was preparing our supper which would be Zuppa Soup as well as a pumpkin pie. We invited our "mountain mom" and her brother Joe for supper but first we were going to check out Raven Knob, a boy scout campground in Low Gap which is down off the mountain.

We headed out around 2 PM and wow was it ever warm down there at 82 degrees. We found the place which turned out to be where her husband Roy once received his order of the Arrow Badge many years ago when he was a scout leader. This is a fantastic camp with 3200 acres of pristine property. The facilities are top notch and while the amenities are many there is such a rustic feel for this place nestled in the mountains. We walked out onto the floating docks then drove throughout part of the camp. That was a new adventure for us as we never knew the camp existed until someone posted the name on Face Book; so once we heard it was close to us in Low Gap we decided to give it an explore. The camp leaders were very friendly to us and told us to explore all we wanted.

The temp's fell about 13 degrees the further up the mountain we traveled until it was 68 by the time we got back to the cabin. Nancy put a sweatshirt on after being in the 80's. The soup was going to taste good. While she reheated the soup I took down the laundry and moved my red hot peppers I had drying on the porch in the sun. We started supper off with a crisp salad and homemade Greek dressings, then crusty bread with Zuppa and of course pumpkin pie and whipped cream for the finally, Yikes was that ever a feast. After they left we did the dishes but were too full to walk around the yards; so we didn't get our daily hike in to the top besides it was going on 7 PM and sundown was upon us.









Here are a few pics from Raven Knob campground which is a Boy Scout Camp that is visited by 13 states east of the Mississippi, LATER

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tuesday

Well it was a sleep in morning until around 7:30 when we started the day. After our quiet times we had a breakfast of sausage, eggs and toast which stuck with me until a lite snack around 2 PM. We were heading our around 5:30 to our friend Karin and Katelyn's house for a spaghetti supper. Nancy made a toss salad and we had a sumptuous meal. We also got to meet Karin mom and stepfather.

I headed out after breakfast into the yard to use the leaf blower and it gave me a workout for a couple hours. I mulched up several trash cans of leaves and dumped them in my garden. Hopefully I can built up some good compost for next years garden. We did get a hike in and saw no one on top of the mountain. The day started out in the 40's and quickly warmed up to the high 70's by the afternoon. It was rather unusual to be this warm into the later days of October.

Well we had a busy day and it ended with lots of laughs, good food and the gals won once again at Sequence. LATER

Monday, October 22, 2012

Sunday/Monday

The morning started with cool temps as we got ready for worship at my old church that I attended in my youth. St.Johns Church was founded in the 1790's and has been an influence in our family over the years with many of my ancestores interned there. We located and photographed after the service tombstones from the Revolutionary War, Civil War and of course both World Wars. It was interesting to find the tombstone of our great grandfather who was Gen. Robert E.Lee personal body guard. Afterwards we hugged lots of necks as I found several of my old friends and relatives in attendance as we took lots of photos.

We headed out across the mountain into Wardensville, West Virginia where my middle sister Pat was having a get together for all of her family as well as her husband Keith's family. On the way there we saw some of the mountain land that was once in our family and where my great grandparents once lived. The old springs are still there where they once drew their drinking water but the old building are gone. This area is so rocky, steep and rugged its a wonder anyone could scrape out a living on this land; yet the color of the leaves was just splendid as it was peak for the season.

We had a good visit with family and the food was plentiful. We stayed for a couple hours and then stopped by and visited with Paw Paw on the way back to Woodstock. His friend Adeline gave us some shelled black walnuts and also gave us a demonstration on the process for retrieving those tasty morsels. We got back to Woodstock and chilled for the evening watching football and skyping with Kelly and Halley our beautiful cousins who are in Missouri and Colorado.

We headed out on Monday morning around 9:30 AM for our return trip to the cabin. We decided to return the same route we took on Friday. The trip was uneventful and we were surprised at how warm the day turned as we headed south. The truck was covered in ice when we awakened this morning but by the time we reached Galax, Va it was close to 80 degrees with bright sunshine. After a stop for fresh veggies at the farm market in Hillsville and groceries at Wal-Mart we reached the cabin around 3:30 or so. It was 72 on the back porch in the shade but the cabin was cold as it had been closed up since Friday. I eventually lit the gas heater after a hike to the top of the mountain.














It was great to visit with family in Northern Virginia and the scenery was just remarkable as it was peak for the leaf colors. It's always good to visit Dee and Mike who were responsible for setting up this week-end. The special time we had with Paw Paw is always interesting as he has such vast knowledge of the people and places of this area are mind bending for a man who is nearly 85 years young. Well I will post some pics from the past couple days, LATER 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Saturday

What an awesome day that started early(before daylight) with a trip to the Wal-Mart parking lot where we met up with the group of folks who were flying hot air balloons. That was a first time experience for me being around this operation and now I'm ready to fly next year. We chipped in and paid for Paw Paw to fly for his 85 birthday. He really enjoyed the flight and said he would gladly do it again. It was great to see the flight of 3 balloons fly over Mike and Dee's house with Paw Paw aboard. The balloons set down in an empty field around 9 AM after a daylight take off.

After retrieving Paw Paw we came back for a humongous breakfast of pan cakes, eggs, bacon and juice, yeow was that ever delicious that Dee and Nancy made for us while Mike and I picked him up. The morning temps were a little on the chilly side but bright sunshine and and clear skies prevailed throught the day and by the afternoon it was nearly t-shirt warm.

We decided since we had Paw Paw with us we would visit some old friends and folks long gone areas as we had his knowledge and storytelling at our beck and call. Well we enjoyed all the stories and of course he knew most all about the areas we visited and of course it was so interesting to learn how most folks in this mountain communities are related starting back to the early 1800's. Many of his stories were handed down from his folks as well as his first hand knowledge of experiencing the area.

We headed down to the old Lineburg homesteads where I as a young boy fished for trout and usually was sucessful, then up to the old Dodson homestead where we use to have church picnic's down in his fields by Cedar Creek which empties into the Shenandoah River. On a hill overlooking the river is their old family cemetery where their ancestors are buried on top of a ridge as well as the whereabouts of an old slave cemetery. Both cemeteries are grown over and not visible but I remember seeing one as a kid but not the other.











After leaving that area we rode down to the Moore's Ford area where you have to cross Cedar Creek in the water without a bridge. When I was a young kid we often played in the water during the hot months of summer; folks would drive their cars into the middle of the river and wash them. The area is still pristine and just beautiful. There are a number of new houses but we found the remains of many old log cabins some have been fixed up and some just standing an abandoned. After crossing the creek we saw a fort(Frye Fort) that had originally been built during the indians war and the walls were made of stone some 37 inches thick. That place has been remodeled but the orginal fort still stands. We could only take pictures from the road.

We next headed to the Zepp area where I don't remember going much as a kid. We stopped and visited with the church building St.James Lutheran Church which is now just standing without a congregation. The building was built in the 1800's and was part of a 5 church syndicate that included the church I attended at St.Johns. One pastor served all of the parishes on Sunday in the old days. The inside of the church has been restored and is used only on special occasions. That was such a beautiful setting back in the rugged mountain land. We headed on up North Mountain and eventually crossed over it which was alive with beautiful colors, a narrow road and switchbacks and lots of old homesteads as well as some very modern houses. That was a trip I want to take again.

We got back to Woodstock just about 2 PM then headed to the local bowling alley where we continued to celebrate Paw Paw's birthday. He is quite a bowler and carries about a 140 average as bowls on a league. I bowed out due to the right elbow still suffering from all the square bales of hay I tossed this summer and watched the others get beat by Paw Paw. Finally one grandson, Jeremy Tharp was able to score one game a couple pins higher than the 85 year old but that was one game only and Paw Paw didn't have his regular ball with him. Well is was a fun time with 2 of his daughters, Pat, Dee and 2 of his grand sons as well as 2 of his great grand sons present. We had a good time trying to beat the birthday boy.

We came back and chilled the rest of the evening watching college footbal and eatin chilli and cornbread, yikes was that ever delicious on a cool evening as the temps began to drop along with sun, LATER These photos are of our road trip to Mt.Falls(community where I grew up) and the Zepp areas. I will have to add the balloon pics later.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday

Well we made it to Woodstock in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley around 5:30 after an uneventful trip. We started the morning around 6:30 as Nancy had to be at the doctors office for her 6 months blood check because of her use of Statin drugs. We finally got out of the doctors around 10:45 and too late to find any restaurant in the town of Sparta that's serves breakfast after 10:30. We tried 2 places and finally settled for BLT's with potato's(that was what the waitress said was close to a breakfast). Anyhow we stopped by the drug store to pick up her prescriptions then headed back to the cabin to pack and get ready for our trip.

We headed out around 12:30 and made a couple stops to dump trash and to gas up before heading up Rt.221. Nancy doesn't like traveling I-81 around areas of Blacksburg which is surrounded by the steep mountains, so we traveled a 2 lane road from Galax to the Salem, Va area before picking I-81. The leaves were in full color and just magnificent to see. We stopped in Salem around 3 PM and had a hot dog each to carry us over until supper as it was close 8:30 before we finally got to Cracker Barrel.

It was good to see Mike, Dee and Paw Paw as he is spending the night here also at Dee's. Paw Paw is scheduled for a hot air balloon ride first thing in the morning for his 85th birthday so that will be a first for him. The area has lots of balloon's and they frequently settle down in Dee's front yard. The hay fields around the area are so lush and green and the dried corn fields are ready for harvesting as well, LATER

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Thursday

Well we never saw much of the sun today, maybe for about 10 minutes in the late afternoon and what a difference from the beautiful blue skies of yesterday. The morning started after once again a 7:30 wake up. After our quiet times we had a breakfast of buckwheat cakes and topped with a couple eggs. That held us until around 1:30 when we lunched on a salad.

I headed down to the basement to catch up on some small chores with sharpening blades, etc. We finally headed out on our mid-morning hike to the top of the mountain in the fog and we saw no one. After the fog cleared out the leaves once again seemed to be exploding with color and that appears to be happening overnight. The trees around the cabin are just brilliant with colors that we haven't seen in several years. Last week the leaves were so dull but all of a sudden they have exploded with reds, yellows and browns.

We headed out to the mail box after lunch on the golf cart and also noticed the change in colors along the road into our place. It was rather chilly with temps in the 50's which felt even colder due to the overcast skies and breeze. After the trip I raked more leaves and mulched them with the push mower covering my garlic patch and adding to the compost pile. I spent the afternoon working outside until after 4 PM.

The Yankees were playing the Tigers in the fourth game of their series in which they are about to be eliminated from the playoffs losing 7-1 as I write this post. The Cardinals were also leading in their series with the Giants 2-1, but they have their fourth game tonight as well. Well we stayed up last night and watched Duck Dynasty which is a hoot with all the down home characters.

I will be away from this post for a couple days as we are making a road trip to the Winchester, Va area tomorrow after lunch. We will be celebrating early Paw Paw's(dad/uncle) 85th birthday this coming week end before we head back to Florida next month, LATER  The Yankees have been eliminated from the playoffs!!!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Wednesday

Well it was one of those days which was busy after a 7:30 wake up. Our mountain mom said it was 31 degrees at her place and the ground was covered with a heavy frost; of course by time we rolled out it was about 42 and I never saw any of the white stuff. After our quiet times we decided to do our own rendition of breakfast. I sauteed a whole green pepper and onion in a little butter then added a couple eggs beat with a little milk. I then added a chopped jalapeno after the eggs were done, yeow was that ever delicious with a little toast on the side.

After the clean up I headed down to the basement and started the washer and put a load of clothes in then headed out with the leaf blower. I worked up two large piles of leaves in the back woods yard and also worked up a sweat as well. I heard Joe our neighbor on top on his way to our place with a truck and a small trailer. I had cut up a couple oak trees this past summer and promised him the wood for this winter. It took us 2 loads to get all the wood to his place and it was after lunch by the time we finished.

After a lite lunch we headed out to the top for our daily hike and my was it ever another beautiful day. After our hike we headed on over to our mountain moms place on the golf cart for a visit. It was a great afternoon and just enough coolness in the air to make for great working conditions. After getting back I fired up the push lawn mower and mulched those 2 huge piles of leaves and then raked the mulched leaves and placed them in my raised garden beds. That took me up to nearly 5 PM.

I grilled bone-in pork chops along with a sweet potato and a regular spud(we split them) along with a fresh salad  some of which came from my garden. It's just nearly 9 PM and I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open as I write this post.

Just a reminder about this month's special from our team leaders at Amway. All Ribbon Gifts are BOGO(buy one get one)Free up to a $1000, that's a fantastic offer and deal. There is even a food ribbon gift from Omaha Steaks which would make an awesome gift for Christmas for those who have everything or you don't know what to buy for. Tremendous offer and its always shipped Free, those of you who are personalized pricing customers of mine know in addition to the Bogo's you also have a discount as well. If you want to be a special customer and get this additional discount contact me via e-mail or respond to this blog. This offer ends in October. My website is Amway.com/JNTriplett. LATER

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Tuesday

Well it was a bit chilly this morning down into the low 40's as we started the day. The sun was in the tree tops as we started the day around 8 AM. After our quiet times Nancy had her bowl of oatmeal with blue berries and I heated the leftover buckwheat cakes and slathered them with Smart Balance and molasses, yeow was that ever good and it held me until a peanut butter sandwich around 1 PM. I headed outside after breakfast and fired up the rotor-tiller.

I worked over the lower garden once again and then moved up to the upper garden giving it a good tilling as well. I worked in the leaves and next week I'm going to give it and the lower garden a good dose of lime to sweeten the soil for next Springs planting. It was lunch time by the time I finished this job.

We decided to get in our daily hike to the top of the mountain and while it was cool down at our place the top of the mountain was warmer than yesterday's temps. It was in the high 70's in the sun but much cooler in the shaded areas. We ran into our old friends John and Shirley so we visited with them for quite a spell before heading on back down the mountain. We decided since the colors of the leaves were even more vibrant today than yesterday,we would drive up in the golf cart and take some picture taking. I loaded up the tiller on the golf cart to return it to Norm's and we set off. We rode by the old Todd place and there were a couple stone mason's working on the house walls and steps. It really was looking good.

We headed on back down the mountain after several shots of the beautiful Fall colors. I raked up a couple trash cans of pine needles for mulching the front flower beds, separating out the pine cones to be used later for fire starters. That kept me busy until nearly 5 PM. The air was warm out in the open sun but in the shade you could feel the crispness and a chill in the air. Its supposed to be down into the high 30's tonight but with bright sunshine and clear skies once again tomorrow before the chance of rain comes into the fore cast for Thursday. These kind of days are just what makes the mountain climate awesome and difficult to leave here in just 3 weeks for hot sunny Florida.






Here are a few pics that Nancy took today, LATER

Monday, October 15, 2012

Monday

Well we were awakened in the wee hours of the morning to a down pour of rain beating on the tin roof and it continued right up to about daybreak when it stopped and the fog began rolling in. We had about 6 tenths of the wet stuff. Thankfully it was rather warm at 54 degrees compared to last weeks temp at 39. After our quiet times and a breakfast of hot biscuits with sausage and egg I helped with getting the cabin cleaned after our weeks worth of company. I vacuumed the up stairs as Nancy made up the beds then vacuumed down stairs as well. I noticed the fog lifted and a bright sunshine cleared out the area.

I headed out side to place my trays of seedling in the sunlight after being closed up in the dark basement overnight. I then fired up the golf cart and headed out to the back woods yard to remove some down limbs that littered the areas. I was surprised at how warm it was at 60 degrees and informed Nancy it was time to take a hike. We headed out and when we reached the top of the mountain the temp read 72 at one of our neighbors outside thermometer. It was almost too warm for long sleeves and pants. We stopped and talked with Norm's for a few minutes and he seemed in good spirits. We headed on down the mountain to the cabin and it was nearly 1:30 before we set down to a lunch of leftovers. The leaf colors in the ridges seemed to be a little vibrant today. We headed out on the golf cart to the mailbox and saw our neighbor Keys. He has a mobile home at the start of our drive. We visited with him for nearly a 1/2 hour. That was the first time we ever had a conversation with him.






I headed out on the golf cart to Norm's and fired up his rotor-tiller where I did his garden then did my corn patch and finally ended up at Joe and Jetta's garden. It was nearly 5 PM before I got back to the cabin. I hope to do my gardens tomorrow. We had a salad and some left over steak for supper along with some buttered bread. After the clean up we settled in to watch the Fox News Network to get fair, balanced and unafraid newscasts, LATER  I almost forgot I'm going to read the book THE AMATEUR.. Barack Obama in the white house by Edward Klein. This should give me a little more insight into this man who is making such drastic changes in our nation. Here are a few pics Nancy took while I was on top of the mountain.