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   

Friday

Well we awakened around 6 AM expecting a call from son Bobby as he drove all night to Florida after leaving the cabin around 7 PM on Thursday night. We had a great time with him and the family for the past week as we roomed next door last week end in Woodstock, Va and then again at the cabin Sunday through Thursday. We did all kinds of things and many were firsts for the grand babies. He got back to Florida around 5:30 AM and decided to call us after a couple hours of sleep and we are thrilled to know he had an uneventful trip and of course the babies slept all night. I remember doing the same thing when he and Amy were little as I drove all night from Florida to northern Virginia which at that time was about 15 hours non stop, yikes those were the days!!!

After our quiet time we decided to clean the house. We still didn't have any Internet connection as it had been down since Thursday afternoon. I vacuumed the whole house then use a cleaner and conditioner from Amway on the hardwood floors and wow did they ever turn out nice. After doing the floors I worked outside in the garden until the rain chased me inside and we had a bite of leftover pulled pork for lunch. I did a few other non major jobs that I had been putting off until after company left then we got ready to head over to help our "mountain mom" get her tractor back in working order. Seems the battery cable shorted out the positive terminal burning the terminal in half so I had her pick up a new one and I redid the terminals and finally got the diesel mower running. Wow was she ever happy as she just replaced the battery a couple days ago.

We headed home after that chore and then got ready for supper which turned out to be left over chicken on a bed of salad, yikes was that good and just what we needed after 5 days of full rich meals. Bobby is quite the cook and he made some awesome meals but very rich and dewisheous. I headed outside after the clean up to pull a few weeds in the gardens as the evening turned out just right with temps in the low 70's after a strong afternoon rain which dropped about a 1/2 inch.

Tomorrow I will head up to the corn patch on top of the mountain to hoe a little and pull a few weeds and possibly edge and mow the yards before we head out with Joe and Helen for supper, LATER     

Thursday

Well as you can tell this post is nearly a day late because we lost our Internet service for nearly 24 hours straight, oh well its strange when just a few years ago we never had a computer or access to the Internet and now when you lose your connection it feels like you have a lost a friend.

Thursday was a busy day especially with the grand babies. The morning started out with our 6:30 AM wake up then our quiet time before the kiddos awakened and came down the stairs. I fired up the grill and cooked bacon and sausage to accompany our eggs, leftover 'taters and toast, Yummy was that ever good eatin' and that held me until suppertime when I fired up the grill again and made chicken fried deer steak rolled in flour and cooked in olive oil then I made a gravy from the dripping. We had Jasmine rice and cooked carrots to go with that and Nancy made a fresh blackberry cobbler for dessert.

After breakfast I took the kiddos up to the top of the mountain on the golf cart to visit with Zeke and Ms. Jetta. They had a grand time throwing the stick for Zeke as well as swinging, reading the words on the colored rocks she had on her patio table and of course picking flowers. We said our good bye's then headed back down the mountain  looking for newts and once again saw a large doe standing in the road. Bob and I decided to take the kiddos over to "mountain moms" pond so they could fish. I dug some fishing worms and we loaded up the truck and headed out. Just as we arrived Ms. Helen's riding mower went on the blink as the battery cable shorted out burning the cable in to. She was down for the day with her tractor being disabled.

We fished for just a few minutes as there was a large storm approaching but we caught a fish for each kid and then they touched it and we threw it back into the pond. We stopped and picked a few wild blackberry's that are everywhere along side her pond. Both kiddos picked and ate a large handful and Gabe wore his all over his face. After the berry picking we headed for home and Gabe took a 2 hour nap, so the rest of us chilled on the back porch reading until it was time to head out to the creek for one last time this summer. We took the kiddos in the golf cart down to the creek and they played in the water, threw rocks and then each of them enjoyed the swing that goes out over the creek. We headed home and stopped to visit with Russ, Linda and their 2 dogs who loved up on the kiddos. We needed to start home as it was time to start supper as Bobby wanted to head out for Florida around 7PM.

Well they got away right around 7 as planned after a dewisheous supper and tub time for the kiddos. Wow it sure was quite around here after they left so we decided to take a hike to the the top of the mountain. That was my first hike since injuring the knee the first week of June and it felt good to be able to put some pressure on it. I took my time coming down and I think by taking it slowly I will gradually get back to being able to do normal activities. After the hike we headed in to watch the tube as the Internet was down so after my shower I read until it was lights out, LATER

Wednesday

The morning started around 7 AM after a cool night with temps down in the high 60's. We had bright blue skies to start the morning with lots of sunshine so I put a load of laundry in after our quiet times and a breakfast of French toast and dippy eggs for the kiddos. I took the kids on a golf cart ride to play with Zeke at the top of the mountain while Bob and Jill slept in.

The kiddos had a great time with Zeke and we visited for nearly an hour with Zeke and Jetta while Bob, Jill and Nancy got in their hike to the top. After their hike we came back and did another load of laundry and I got a little garden work in while the kiddos played. We did leftovers for lunch  and then Gabe got in a nap. Bob made a marinate with all kinds of herbs for Mediterranean chicken breasts for supper and wow did that ever turn out dewisheous as well as did the spuds which were saturated with tons of herbs I would never have used. The tzatziki sauce was fabulous and just tied all of it together. A great supper and to top it off we made a freezer of homemade peach ice cream, yikes was that ever good. We had our mountain mom over to eat with us as well. We have pictures where she was holding Bobby as a baby and now she is holding Gabe and Annsley, yikes where did those years go.

After supper I built a nice camp fire and the kiddos did smores and we did a few leftover fireworks until Annsley burned her toe while doing sparklers, nothing serious but she did meltdown for a few. After everyone had their fill of the fire I did burn the garbage and by now it was close to tubby time so Bob and Jill were on bath duty.

Looks like the gals are not in for a rematch tonight so we will just chill and watch the tube, LATER

Tuesday

Well it was another beautiful day with temps in the low 80's in the afternoon but the morning was rather cool with the high 60's. We got a late start as the kiddos slept in until nearly 8. After my quiet time I headed out to fry some sausage patty's on the grill and then Bobby made an excellent sausage gravy while Nancy had great biscuits baking in the oven. Yikes was that ever a great way to start the day and it held me all day until we made supper around 5 PM.

After the breakfast clean up we got ready and headed over to Helens(mountain mom" for a visit. She really enjoyed seeing Bobby and his family and we stayed for a 1/2 hour or more before heading back to the cabin. Bob and Jill took off for a lunch date into Galax and we took the kiddos home so they could have a bite of lunch. After lunch we took the kiddos to the top of the mountain on the golf cart so they could play with Zeke and to visit with Jetta. Afterwards we headed across the top and saw our friends John and Shirley so we stopped and visited with them for awhile before heading back to the cabin. Gabe was showing signs of needing a nap so I gave him a bottle and rocked him for just a few minutes before he was out. He slept nearly 2 hours. Bob and Jill got back around 4 PM and then we got ready for supper. I did some beer batter Swaii fish, my was that ever good eatin' along with yellow rice, brocolli and a salad.

After the clean up we headed over to the Dalton far where the kiddos played with their doggies, chickens and then pet some horses and actually rode Poco the quarter horse. Bob, Nancy Gabriel and Annsley all rode him for a couple minutes and it was the first Gabe had ever been on a horse. They really had a good time and many thanks to the Dalton gang for being so hospitable. We got back to the cabin just before dark and the kiddos did the tubby time before calling it a night.

We decided to play some Sequence and Nancy and I played the kids and beat them 2 in a row then Bob and I challenged the girls and they won the next 4 out of 7 so they were the big bragging winners, oh well!!! LATER

Monday

Well we were awake around 6:30 after hearing little feet upstairs, so we got Annsley and Gabe and so their mommy and daddy coukd sleep in until nearly 9 AM. I fried up some bacon outside on the grill, Nancy made buckwheat cakes and a couple dippy eggs so we had us a "mountain breakfast". I took the kids on a golf cart ride to the top of the mountain and the kiddos got to play with Zeke the friendly dog of Joe and Jettas. They had a real good time playing with Zeke throwing the stick for him and watching him retrieve them. After they wore him out we headed back down on the golf cart to find mommy and daddy up and moving around.

Annsley was upset that daddy had let her newt loose before going to bed last night so we were on the look out for another one. We never saw another one but I did find a nice small tree toad which satisfied the loss of the newt and Joe and Jetta had a box turtle Joe had saved from the roadway in a tub for us as well. Well Annsley and Gabe were tickle with both finds and we wrote in magic marker both kids initials as well as todays date on the underneath of the box turtle then let him go after a couple hours and he crawled off into the woods. The kids had an eventful day and by the afternoon they were ready to do some creeking.

Our good family friend D.J. drove up from Clemmons to visit with Bobby and family around 10 AM as he use to be Bobby and Amy's youth pastor at S.F.B.C. His family came us last week to visit with Amy and her family while they were here but the rest of the family was working today so he took a day off to visit and have lunch with us. He took a hike with Bobby and Nancy to the top. I drove the golf cart with Jill and the kiddos and we visited with Jetta for the second time today.

Bobby had been cooking a Boston Butt all day and made a dewisheous pulled pork(cervaza mojo) which we put in tortillas along with a homemade pico de gaio and then roasted corn on the cob. Bob roasted his corn in the shucks in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes and I did my ear the new way of microwaving it for 4 minutes in the shuck as well. They were both excellent and I liked mine better because there was no heating up the oven.

After supper the kids headed out to play ball and to play the new game similar to corn hole where you try to wrap balls on a string around a pole. They played this game until it was tubby time then grandma Nancy made chocolate chip cookies. Well it was a busy day and we are planning on Annsley and Bobby riding horses tomorrow evening at the Dalton Farm. LATER 


























































I found them a crayfish and a waterbug which didn't seem to thrill them as much so we put them back in the cold water and proceeded to wade in the ice cold stream through the large culvert and then Bobby let the kids swing a moment.

Sunday

The day started out around 7 AM with a wake up at the Hampton Inn in Woodstock, Va. Wow was that ever nice accommodations but I just don't rest good in strange beds and besides I would be hot one minute then cold the next; could it be a sign of man menopause?? We got ready when Bob, Jill and the kids came over(adjoining rooms) and we headed down to the lobby for our hot breakfast. The waffles were great but this morning there was biscuits and gravy as well as scrambled eggs on the menu; actually its a self serve buffet type venue  and it comes with the room. After eating we checked out around 9:15 then headed over to visit with the Dillon's before heading south to N.Carolina. We let the kiddos play with the 2 pups, Bonnie and Molly for awhile before giving and receiving hugs and kisses. We are looking forward to Mike and Dee coming for a visit in Sept as well as Halley Jo returning back to the mainland after her tour in Hawaii.

We left their place a little after 10 and got on the south bound I-81. We made a couple potty stops as well as a gas stop and still got into Hillsville around 2 PM. We ate lunch at Wendy's then we split up as the guys headed to the farm market and the gals headed to Wal-Mart. We gassed up in Galax at $3.05 and saw it as high as $3.49. It was in the middle 80's in Galax but there was lots of clouds and thunderheads which indicated the chance of rain. By the time we headed into our road the temps had dropped down into the 60's and there was evidence some considerable amount of rainfall had fallen since we left on Friday. The rain gauge had over 3 inches of rain plus our driveway had washed badly with some deep furrows.

Bob and Gabe had a good walk around the cabin as Gabe needed to stretch after being in his car seat for the past several hours.He wondered around and eventually picked up the trucks that Sam played with a week ago. He also loved the dinosaurs as well. The gals showed up so I took the kiddos for a golf cart ride while they got the cabin in order. Bob grilled some Italian sausages to go along with spaghetti sauce Nancy had frozen last week and I picked fresh beet greens, lettuce, kale, nasturtiums and basil from the garden for the salad I made. The supper was awesome especially after eating fast food for lunch.

The kiddos got their baths and Bob and Jill took Gabe on a ride and sure enough he fell asleep. Annsley fell asleep watching some Disney movie. We had closed the cabin up while we were gone and it was a little warm in the cabin so we have the attic fan on which is cooling down the upstairs quite well. I can barely keep my eyes open as I have already taken my shower and I'm bushed and ready for some horizontal lab, LATER