Worship at Cornerstone, Late lunch and Tortilla Soup

Well it was a great morning after a super night at the PBA(Pro Bull Riding) in Mt. Airy. I tell you we were both impressed with the venue. They did a moment of salutation to our service men and women and then and invocation. This was definitely a family friendly occasion plus a sport I definitely want to watch ONLY. Many kudos to the men who ride those sirloin steaks. I like mine rare.

Well after a lite breakfast of cereal with bananas and peaches I watched a large deer in the back area of the yard for about 10 minutes. He or she certainly(the deer) looked mighty fat of course from my beans, beets, tomato's and all the flowers they have eaten this summer. I can taste a good venison backstrap(tenderloin) fried like fried chicken. YUMMMM!!! Oh well Gerald and Andy(our residence deer hunters) I'm a waiting for that knock on the door.

We didn't get home from church until nearly 1:30 and it was after 2 before we ate lunch. We had a workers meeting for the concert next week end at Cornerstone featuring a nationally know contemporary Christian Music group called New Song. We are expecting between 6-7oo people so there will be much to be done by the members. Everyone is excited and the work is just the icing. What a super group of people who find no excuses to not serve this community. How exciting to be around real people who love one another and want to share the love of Christ with this effort. Wednesday evening we will be setting up chairs in the church for Saturday and then many of us will be at the church on concert day all day doing various jobs.

Well I did get a little NFL this afternoon and watched the Panthers defeat the Bears and of course my Bucs whipped the Falcons. Nancy and I got an afternoon hike to the top of the mountain and Fred invited us in to see the progress on his new house. WOW is all I can say and its very large with 2 living quarters and the view is awesome.

Well at 6:30 we decided to start dinner which was an absolutely delicious tortilla soup. A jalapeno pepper (home grown) gave it just the right bite. It has carrots, onions, garlic, chicken stock, chicken breast, celery and diced tomato's and other spices. You serve it with grated cheese on top with a spoon of sour cream and tortilla chips. What a meal!!!!YUMMMM!!!

Well we got some sad news this morning as Audiene our neighbor and friend(Slide) slipped and fell breaking her left ankle in 2 places last evening. She is afraid she may have to have surgery this week. Keep her in your prayers as well as Ray. Will keep all of you posted on the outcome as she has to see an orthopedic surgeon on Monday.

Will close for now, missing all and especially Ava and Annsley. Enclosed will be a few more pics fom last night.

Warm and Humid,Mowed and Bull Riding

Well this morning(Sat.) was a warm and humid morning with temp's in the 60's. The dew was dripping off the roof almost like a drizzle however the beautiful sun was shining and the Carolina blue skies were clear. After our quiet time we ate cereal with banana's and peach. I did a walk around the gardens and discovered my 1/2 runner beans are blooming again and I had enough for good mess that needed picking. I didn't notice any fresh deer tracks of damage. The fire's I had on Friday were still smoldering in some of the old rotten stumps so I took a pitchfork and remove them from the ashes so they would die out(Nancy was going to wash clothes and hang them out on the clothes line, so she didn't want any smoke smell on the clothes).

The grass was still very wet from the heavy dew so I grab the weed whacker and edged everything for about an hour while Nancy took off for the top of the mountain. It was warming up fast and already I had a wet shirt. I then picked a bucket of beans and weeded in the garden while waiting for the sun to dry out the grass enough to mow.

After a lite lunch of celery and apple with peanut butter I cranked up the new riding mowing machine. I'm starting to get use to riding and how much easier it is to mow on these hills while sitting down(thanks again Mike and Dee). Meanwhile Ray, neighbor came by for a visit so we sat on the front porch when our neighbor, Gerald walked up. He looked like a "mud puppy" and wanted us to take a picture of him for Jodie, who is still back in Raleigh. The picture was a show and tell for her from Gerald as to his "what do you do when your in the mountains" from her. Well the picture cleared that up or did I hear swamp buggy start up down below?

Well we had an early supper; grilled pork chops, baked spuds, carrots and cucumber and onion salad. YUMMM!After washing the dishes,getting the clothes in and getting cleaned up we took off for Mt.Airy, N.C. It's about 45 miles down off the mountain and was it ever HOT there with 87 degrees at 6:30 PM. The views from the BRP were breath taking.

We arrived at the Bull Riding Arena and what a production. The arena is part of a circuit that includes several states that participate in this exciting, thrilling and very dangerous sport. These riders are all in the late teens and early 20's and from here they go to the big money with T.V. exposure. Let me assure you this is a first class arena with big bulls and every much as exciting and dangerous as I've ever seen on T.V. I believe a couple of the bulls have been on the Pro Riders Circuit.

The main reason we went was to see our friend and little buddy, Caleb Dalton do his mutton busting. That for kids up to 8 years of age who like the bull riders ride on their backs and are judges by how well and how long they stay on the backs of the sheep. Caleb didn't do as well this time but he did win the dance contest and carried home a 26 in 21 speed red mountain bike. Congratulations Caleb!!!!

Well I'm writing this Sunday morning so will close for now. Later , missing all especially our grand babies Ava and Annsley.

Cool Wet Morning with lots of Fog, Trip to Dr. K's, Great Hike and Burned Some Brush

Well the morning was cool with a constant drizzle until about 10 AM when it finally quit although the fog hung around until the early evening. After our quiet time and breakfast which was supposed to be buckwheat pancakes, however let me explain, Dranielle. On our way home yesterday from Galax we stopped at a little market that always has ground buckwheat. Well we got a sack and when we opened it this morning it was full of weavils so needless to say we didn't have buckwheat pancakes with Helen's fresh pear preserves. We were so looking forward to those cakes with the Helen's preserves.

After we ate we got ready to head to town(Sparta) through the fog and overcast skies. About half way there we observed bright warm sunshine and clear blue skies. We made it to the Dr's office just before noon and Nancy pick up her paperwork for her Florida doctor and then we made a stop to buy some birthday cards. I sat in the truck while she shopped and it became rather hot while waiting for her. Well we got out of town by 12:30 and headed back towards the BRP when we observed a line of fog enveloping the mountain and our area. Needless to say we were socked in once again with fog, by the way our road is located off Foggy Mountain Road. Well we took the first of 2 hikes and did see the sun peeping through occasionally. After our hike we had a lite lunch of celery, apple and peanut butter.

I thought there was no better time than the present since we had 2 inches of rain over the past 2 days than to burn 2 large brush piles up in the woods behind the cabin. Nancy is paranoid about the possibility of me setting the woods on fire when I burn. It was all I could do to get the brush piles on fire, but eventually I did get them to burn.

Well I burned until nearly 4:30. Nancy walked around in the woods, took a few pictures while offering up her 2 cents every now and then. We decided to finish the veggi soup along with a salad for dinner. We sat around and watched the local news til about 7 PM then took a short hike over to Ray and Audiene's. We stayed until almost dark then walked back through the woods.

The fire has nearly died out and most of the debris(sticks and stumps) burned up. The insects have begun to serenade us with their night time symphony and the evening air has warmed up from this morning cool 50's. Well the day turned out to be very nice in the later evening with bright sunshine and the orange sunset was spectacular. The rain and fog of the past 2 days where much appreciated and life giving to this drought stricken area. Hopefully our water levels are back to near normal with the 2+ inches we received. The new grass seeds I planted about 5-6 days ago have sprouted an are a lush green.

Well will close for now missing our kids and grand kids, Ava and Annsley

Rain, Fog, a Trip to Galax and finally a Hike

Well we awaken to a light rain and heavy fog (so dense was the fog the birds were grounded). We had a light breakfast as we knew we were having lunch out at what has become our favorite place to eat lunch, Subway.Yep that's right it fresh, filling and nutritious plus its reasonable. As a mater of fact instead where we once packed sandwiches to eat on the road while traveling, we now stop at Subway because they are at nearly every gas stop. They are fast and that means a lot when your trying to make time on the highway.

After our quiet time and check of the news on Hurricane Ike we headed out in the fog for Galax. We had cancelled our day trip to Floyd,Va. because the weather was not conducive to traveling any distance on the BRP. Wow am I glad we decided to wait until next week for our trip as there were times we were going maybe 5 mph. We almost drove past Cumberland Knob on our way to Galax and decided to take a different route on the way home. Actually it was nearly as foggy away from the BRP as it was on it.

We did some shopping at Wal-Mart as I needed a new electric razor(I damaged the screen on my Braun) so I found one there. We needed a few groceries etc. and on the way out of their many entrances and exits spotted a Subway inside Wal-Mart. We had lunch there thus saving us an extra stop. We stopped and filled up with petro at 3.49 a gallon and then made a last stop to buy ground buckwheat flour for those delicious buckwheat pancakes with a banana in the batter. We will have those for breakfast on Friday morning so all who are interested come up or from where ever at 9 AM tomorrow, Friday.

Galax was overcast but without any fog so it was good to be able to see further than the length of your vehicle in our case our pick up.We made it back in the fog but without the drizzle so we put away our things and decided to head out on a hike to the top. About half way up the heavy drizzle began but we were so excited about being able to exercise we continued on inthe heavy mist, fog and light drizzle. Our heads and clothing were damp after about an hour and the drizzle hasn't stopped since then. This weather is wonderful for the dry woods and gardens as western Carolina has been in a drought for the last 2 years.

Nancy ventured out to take some interesting pics(enclosed) of the fog's affect on spider webs, tree branches and the cabin. Enjoy. Nancy also got some great news with regards to her cholesterol. In just 4 weeks with the help of Lipitor her readings have dropped more than 80 points. We are still trying to do all we can(diet an exercise) but this smallest prescribed amount of .10mg has seemed to make the difference and without any know or obvious side effects.

Will close for now and Nancy and I have not forgot where we were and what we were doing 7 years ago on this infamous day when evil men, filled with hate tried to destroy our way of life. Our nation and her people are the most generous and is always the first to be there to assist others(no matter who) when there is a need. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who perished and with their families but most of all for the men and women who serve this nation in the Armed Forces. Later missing our families and grand children, Ava and Annsley

Rain,Fog, Cool Temp's and Homemade Vegetable Soup

Well the morning started out with overcast skies and 62 degrees. That's as warm as it got all day. After our quiet time and breakfast I worked outside doing little odd jobs like; stacking scrap lumber and cleaning out under the porches, replacing and cleaning spark plugs for the mower and doing some shoe repair. I also racked my homemade blackberry wine.

Around noon a slow steady rain began to fall and fog began to set in. The temperature also began to drop from the 60' to the high 50's. It was time to set up indoors for the rest of the day(or at least while it was raining) until it was time to get a hike in. Well that never happened and the only climbing we did was up and down the stairs. Oh well I caught up on some reading and Nancy worked on the musical she will have a part in at our church in Seminole.

The day called for a hot soup for supper and we had a couple of homegrown veggies for a start. Fresh green beans and spuds got the veggie soup off to a good start and the end result was superb along with some crescent rolls and the homemade blackberry jam was like a dessert.YUMMMM!! After washing dishes and Nancy drying we settled down to Fox news(and Nancy channel surfing) and listening to the rain falling on the tin roof. What a cozy, warm, snugly evening.

Well we heard from several today as all is well with our kids and grand kids as well as friends Carol and Daisy. Later missing all especially Ava and Annsley.

Rain, Doctor visit for Nancy, Lunch at Browns and Cornerstone

Well it started raining last night around 11PM with some thunder and lightning and rain hard off and on all night long. What a welcome relief and so very good for the new grass seed and whats left of the garden. We had around 2 inches of rain or more during the night with additional showers during the day. We saw the sun only for a moment or so.

Nancy had to fast before her doctor's appointment at 9:45 in Sparta so I fasted with her except I had a cup of green tea with my supplements. After our quiet time we got ready for the trip to town. I went to the hospital to get an itemized copy of our bill when Nancy spent about 18 hours there in July. WOW, what they charge is unbelievable.

We met our old friends, The Hamptons at Browns restaurant around 11:30 after making a couple stops in Sparta to kill some time. I bought a reflectorized sign for numbering our house and Nancy bought a children book for Ava and Annsley. Our lunch was very good with both of us ordering club sandwiches and fries. After lunch we headed back to their residence for a sit down visit until it was time to head to Cornerstone for taking Angelfood orders.

At Cornerstone we were rather busy between phone inquires, mail in requests and walk- in orders. The time goes by much faster when your busy. We headed home after Cornerstone and Nancy made a super guacamole dip and we mixed that with refried beans, fresh tomato's, sour cream and jalapeno peppers(I did) over tortilla chips. Very tasty and light. Well darkest came quickly as the skies were gray and overcast with the threat of rain. Tomorrow is supposed to be another rain day, Yea as we need the wet stuff. No pics today or hike's. Well, will close for now missing all our family and especially Ava and Annsley.

2 Hikes Today, Transplanted some Mustard Greens and Yard Work

Well it was a little warmer today and last night, however the weatherman is calling for some rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. The high for Thursday is only 60. WOW we can hardly wait. After our quiet time and breakfast I caught up on a little yard work. I transplanted 2 dozen mustard green seedlings and hopefully will get a mess before heading back to Florida.

Nancy and I took our first hike of the day just before lunch and had a great cardio workout. We came back to a lunch of left overs and they were just as good as the day we fixed 1/2 runner beans boiled with new spuds. YUMMMM!! After lunch I fixed a new handle for a broken rake, picked 1/2 runner beans and dug up some flowers for Nancy to transplant into different beds. I then dug and hauled 3 loads of top soil for the yard and flower beds. Nancy took the golf cart out to get the mail while I planted wine berry plants and trimmed the dead stalks from the berry bushes.

We fixed some stewed corn (corn cut off the cob), wild rice and ground turkey burgers for dinner. After the clean up we took our 2nd hike of the day and it was our longest. Down to the bottom of the drive then up to the back road and through Roddy's Place out to the view road on top. We came back down through the path through our property out to watch Ray with a bobcat working in the driveway at Gerald's. We peaked in at the floor in the cabin and does it look good and shiny. The new white gutters made the back porch look complete.

Well we decided to take tomorrow off as Nancy has a doctors visit at 9:45 for a cholesterol check; she was put on Lipitor in August. We have to be at Cornerstone to take orders at 3 PM for the Angelfood Ministry until 6 PM. We made arrangements to meet our friends Walt and Theia for lunch at Browns in Sparta as Nancy will have been fasting for her blood tests.

Time to get ready for some Monday Night Football. Later, missing our son, Bobby and daughter, Amy and our 2 sweet and special granddaughters, Ava and Annsley.