Hikes(2) Trip to Dr.K's for Lipitor,to Cornerstone to take Angel Food Orders and Killing Yellow Jacket Bees

Well the day started out just fine with a mild morning and temps in the high 60's. There was no deer damage once again. After our quiet time we had BLT's for breakfast out on the deck. For a change they were great especially with smoked turkey bacon, home grown 'mater's and lettuce out of the garden.

We had to be at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship for a 3 PM appointment to take food orders so we worked our day around that commitment. I hand watered the gardens while Nancy got ready to hike.We took an hour plus hike and boy was it HOT, so we stayed in the shade of the back roads. We came across a yellow jacket's nest a couple of days ago in the middle of our path. It seems they have taken up residence in a chipmunk hole and buzz out as you walk by. Carson Todd (8yrs) got stung by them last week so I decided to wipe them out. I took an empty plastic drink bottle and put a rag inside and filled it about 1/3 full of gasoline. After dark I took a flashlight and found the hole in the path, unscrewed the cap and turned it upside in the hole. Perfect fit. The rag will help to keep the fumes there longer than just pouring gas down the hole. Tomorrow I will go by and remove the empty bottle and look for the next nest of these nasty buggers.

I got ahead of myself as that was the last memorable thing we did today, so back to the morning. After the hike we decided it would be best to eat our large meal at lunch as it would be nearly 7 PM before getting home from CCF. We had taken out some frozen salmon last night and along with some fresh basil pasta and a salad we had a dinner. YUMMMM!!! After lunch we got ready to leave the cabin and head to Sparta where we refilled Nancy's thyroid prescription, picked up Lipitor at Dr.K's and walked around town. I renewed my newspaper subscription(5 bucks off because I am now 62-tomorrow) and then we made some other purchases before heading out to CCF to take food orders. It was slow but several phone calls of interest.

While at CCF, Darren Woody came in and gave us the latest scoop on Dean(accident victim) as he knows Deans brother, Rickey. Well the news is this; he has regained consciousness and has even spoken. This is truly a gift from GOD and an answer to all of our prayers. He was given up on by the medical staff(told the family he wasn't gonna make it) on 3 separate times. Well its not amazing what GOD can do but amazing that his people don't take advantage of what HE can do. I know both Dean and Angela covet your prayers as he has a long way to go. Just a note of interest of how the men of CCF work. Dean was supposed to get in wood for winter after work for an older couple the day he was injured. Our men's group is going to take care of that need to not only bless this couple but to bless Dean as well. Kudos to Top Gun, CCF's men's group who want to make a difference in people's lives. Using CHRIST as their example of loving your neighbor as you would have them love you.

Well I hear the cicada's insect noise outside as its the time of the year when they are most loud and I think it marks the "dog days of summer." Summer is over for school age kids up here as the first day of classes starts tomorrow. Missing our family and friends and most of all, Ava and Annsley.

Washed Clothes,Took 2 hikes and Got Bad News about Nancy's Cholesterol

Well it was a traumatic morning as the phone ran as we were just getting up at 7:45. Nancy's doctor up here is Dr. K. He informed Nancy her blood tests from last week revealed her cholesterol had risen 35 points, nearly what the original results were a year ago. She had reduced her reading 42 points in 3 months with; diet, exercise and supplements. Since going on thyroid medicine the Doc thought it might cause her cholesterol to line up to the good. Long story short she will go on Lipitor, a statin drug tomorrow because of the history of heart problems in her family. Needless to say, we or she is devastated about the thought of having to take this drug for the rest of her life.



Well after hearing this news we considered ourselves lucky when we thought about Dean(accident victim on Friday) and Angela. The last we heard he is still hanging on. Please continue to lift them up in prayer.



After our quiet time and deer damage check(none) we caught up on washing clothes. We got 2 loads on the clothesline before we headed out to the top of the mountain. It was fast becoming HOT after a beautiful cool morning of 58 degrees. We stopped and talked to Ray, Audiene and Tonya(their daughter) briefly before finishing the hike.



After a lunch of fresh salad from our garden we did a little house cleaning and some boring chores. It was still to hot to do much besides sitting on the back porch and read. I had a sinus that was leaking so I took a Clarentin and got sleepy. A 20 minute nap was all I needed and I was back on my feet. I picked 3 fresh squash and Nancy got them ready to fry(we were going meatless tonight). It was after 5 and we snacked on the fried squash before warming up leftover greens beans and new potato's. Yumm!!! They were nearly as good as when we fixed them on Saturday for supper. It began to cool down around 7 PM so we hiked out to the mailbox where I received 2 birthday card's. Thanks Amy, Tyler and Ava and Sister Josie(Sharon)for your generosity and Larry Pegg's for the card. We came back and fired up the golf cart, picked some fresh squash, cuke's, tomato's, lettuce and a jar of homemade blackberry jam. We took them over to the Todd's and visited with them till after 9 PM.



Well will close for now missing all our families and friends and especially Ava and Annsley.

Great Worship and Luncheon, Visit with Helen and Taking the Rest of the Day Off

Well it was another beautiful morning with dew dripping from the roof and coolness in the air. After a quick survey there was no deer damage for the 3 rd straight night, Hooray!!!! After our quiet time we reflected back on yesterday and the games last night and surmised that Eddie and Kimberley really liked playing "chickenfoot domino's." Eddie led the whole game but lost on the final round. We had a house full of company as well as their 3 pooches. Nancy made her signature salsa and chips, Kimberley brought strawberries and short cakes and Jodi brought "crunch and munch." We snacked way too much!!!!After the domino's we played the best 2 out of 3 games of Sequence; but the girls won in 2 straight. Hooray for the gals!!!!

Well worship at Cornerstone was very uplifting and down to earth. The whole Church is now praying for Dean who was injured Friday morning and is still in critical condition, but alive and some what stable. We now have to be a family for his wife Angela, and be there for her in this her time of need.

We had a surprise luncheon for Pastor B(Brian) and his family. This was the first church wide fellowship in the new building and we answered the call to transform the worship center into a fellowship hall in record time. All of the tables and chairs were set up to accommodate at least 150-175 people in about 15 minutes as well as put out enough delicious homemade dishes to feed about 300. What a sumptuous feast!!!Nancy and I are already getting new recipes for some very tasty dishes. The volunteer's not only set up but stayed after all had eaten and helped to reset the worship center but do the dishes and clean up. Its nice to be a part of such a dedicated family of believers.

We learned this morning at Church that Callie Dalton (part of the Dalton Gang)was the reserve grand champion for the whole 4-H horse show yesterday. Congratulations Callie!!!! Several children from Cornerstone won different classes of horsemanship. Congrats to them as well.

Well we are just stuffed after this great lunch so we will just stay in and nap, talk to family, read and get ready for the first NFL football game tonight. Speaking of sports "how about them Tampa Bay Rays?"It's been so long for our area to be a competitor and for the area to have a reason to cheer for their sports teams. Go Bucs and Rays!!!!!

On our way home we dropped in on Helen and gave her some carrot cake(I shredded the carrots by hand) and some for Joe as well. She fixed us up with some green peppers and cuke's, Thanks Helen and Joe. Well will close for now missing family and especially Ava and Annsley.

Tragedy in Sparta, Hike and Games in the Later Evening

Well Friday morning started out as our typical morning with cool breezes to greet us at 8 AM. After surveying all the gardens we found no deer damage. Our quiet time was great, especially with the use of Ron Hutchcraft Ministeries. He has a fantastic website for daily devotionals.

Nancy had a hair appointment at 11:30 on Friday morning so we were getting ready to head to Sparta. The girl(lady) who does pedicures Angela,(works at the hair salon) has been on our hearts for sometime and Nancy was praying that God would give her the words to inspire Angela about coming back to Church regularly. When Nancy arrived at the salon Angela had just moments before received word her husband was involved in a very bad accident and had been rendered unconscious. Angela was inconsolable and in a state of grief. Nancy along with 2 others girls had to now console her and pray with her about her husband. Little did Nancy know she would praying with Angela for the life of her husband. Her husband was airlifted to Bristol,Va. where his condition is very critical with a severe head injury. Please take the time to lift Dean and Angela up in prayer.

Needless to say when we left Sparta we felt such compassion for all of the ladies who work at this salon as 2 of them go to Church with us at Cornerstone. We called immediately our prayer chain leader and now have several people through the day and night praying for Dean's recovery. From what we learned initially he was not given any chance to survive but after surgery he has lapsed back into a coma yet his vital signs have stablized. We know God can do all things and we are praying for his recovery.

We came back from town and decided we needed to get some physical exercise so we took a long hike and speed walked the back road for about 2 1/2 miles. After our hike we caught up on a few chores and got ready for company as Jodi and Gerald's family was coming around 7 PM to play cards. We had eaten a big breakfast(buckwheat cakes, eggs and bacon) around 10AM so we weren't hungry until about 4:30 when we decided to eat an early dinner.

After dinner we read until our guests arrived then we played a game of Spades. The boy's whupped up on the girls again,Jodi. I must confess Jodi played her best came of hearts ever in the second game and won by a nose after coming from behind.

Well since it was late when our guests left and we had to help with the 4-H horse show early Sat. morning I skipped the blog on Friday night. Sat. morning we were in Sparta a little before 9 AM to assist in what ever way was needed. There were several entries and classes of horses and riders. It was a grand time and the horsemanship was superb. Congratulations to all the kids, leaders and supporters of this worthwhile endeavor for 4-H.

Well after getting back home around noon we had a bite of lunch and began to bake a cake(carrot) and a casserole(squash) for tomorrow's Church luncheon. We are having more quests tonight for domino's and cards. I think I will skip the blog late tonight and write it tomorrow, much like today. Well better go missing our families and especially grand kids Ava and Annsley.

Hike in the Morning then Getting Ready for Company

Well it was another splendid morning with a nice breeze even though is was nearly 70 degrees when we got up at 8:15. The morning was made nicer when I did my deer damage check and found the buggers had left my gardens alone last night. After our quiet time and breakfast we open the new blood pressure monitor and found her first test was 132/86 and the second test after our hike to the top was 118/68 with a pulse rate of 75. We will check in twice a day for awhile just to make sure she is doing alright.

Our hike to the top was more of a speed walk for about 2 1/2miles as we walked along the back road in the shade of the trees. Walking on the very top has some great views but when its warm out its usually very hot on top. We knew we would only get one walk in today(we were having company for supper) so we decided a work out was better than a scenic hike.

After a garden salad for lunch we needed to start getting dinner ready as it was nearly 1 PM. I brought up the oak wood that had been soaking in water for the night and got the smoker ready for the baby back pork ribs. Nancy made a nice rub and then we greased the meat and the racks with olive oil and got those babies(no pun intended) to smoking at about 1 PM. Nancy put a pot of pinto beans on to cook and I did the potato's for oven spuds. She made a pan of brownie and put another salad together. Presto we were ready for the Dalton Gang.The skies opened up and we got a much needed downpour for about a 1/2 hour. We took to the back porch for about an hour to read while waiting for the skies to clear.

After the rain and while the smoker was cooking we took a golf cart ride out to the mailbox and to check on our neighbor, Shirley. She was to have a stress test in Elkin this AM as she has been having some heart palpitations. When we arrived at their place Shirley was mowing with the riding lawn mower and seemed in good spirits. She said the doctor told her to come back next Thursday for a follow up; so that indicates nothing is too serious at present. That is certainly and answer to prayer for her.

We were ready for our guests when they arrived around 6 PM. We had a great dinner and afterwards Caleb impressed us with his marksmanship with a bb gun. We then started a hot game of Chickenfoot Domino's. The first 3 rounds had the guys whupping the girls by a couple hundred points as we totaled our scores together in teams. After those first rounds(and some gloating on our part) we fell apart and finally lost in the total score by those couple hundred points. Great game girls.

Well it was a fun evening with some of us imitating lots of animals, especially chickens and all the stories we told of our summer chickens,Gavin and Henrietta who migrated to our cabin from The Todd's a couple of years ago.They were the only chickens I ever heard of who had a summer home.

Caleb brought us a nice head of red cabbage he grew, thanks Caleb. Well better go missing our family and grand babies, Ava and Annsley.

Visit to Dr. Kovacich, Breakfast at Browns, Trip to W.Jefferson

Well another beautiful N.C. morning. Again it was on the humid side but still in the 60's. We had to be at the Dr's office in Sparta at 9:15 so we rolled out of bed at 6:30. Nancy had to fast(eat nothing) before her appointment as they were once again trying to determine her state of health after last week's overnight stay in the hospital. We did our quiet time then headed out and never got around to checking the gardens.

After we left the Dr's office we headed to Browns restaurant for eggs, ham and grits for Nancy and I had an omelet, fried taters and a biscuit. When we got home about 10:30 I checked the gardens and yelp, you guessed it the deer made a visit last night and helped themselves to green beans, okra, azaleas and roses. What different tastes they have. They stomped around in the tater patch but left everything else alone. I'm sure they will be back again tonight. My a good venison roast would taste good slow roasted and smoked for about 5 hours.

Well, after picking a bucket of beans they missed we took a hike to the top and boy was it HOT up there. My shirt was soaked when we got back. We then read until it was time to head south on the BRP headed for W. Jefferson, about 45 miles away. We were to meet Craig and Beverly, our friends and former pastor at 5 PM. We hadn't seen them in 2 years and it was their first visit with the new grand parents(us).

We met at a very popular Smokey Mountain Barbecue Restaurant. The food was good and this place was jumping. We visited for 2 hours; eating, reminiscing and catching up on all that's happened the past 2 years. There daughter, Susan(Amy's age) is getting married in January to a beau in Palm Beach, Fl. Craig is now the senior pastor at 2nd Baptist in Richmond,Va. It's been over 25 years since Craig baptized Nancy, myself and our son, Bobby. Upon leaving the restaurant I asked a feller outside the restaurant to take our picture, which he did. After some small talk and finding out we were from Florida he mentioned he lived there at one time in Eustis, Fl. After introductions he invited us to his church on Sunday but hearing we were from out of town he accepted my offer to take a picture and to include him and his family in my daily blog. Thank You Alby, Ella and Norman(I hope I got those names right) for showing your kindness in assisting a memorable occasion for us and being bold for Chirst to a stranger.

Well we finally had to head out back to the north but you guessed it a trip had to include going through Wal-Mart on the way home. We shopped and purchased a blood pressure cuff so we could monitor Nancy's blood pressure. Today it was once again high 192/89 but began to subside with a second reading. We need to monitor this reading daily to ascertain it she may require medications. Hopefully it was just the "white coat syndrome." We made it back to the cabin just as darkness fell. We saw lots of deer on the BRP(wish they would stay there). Well, later missing our families and grand kids, Ava and Annsley.

Mundane jobs, Hike,Making Jelly and Visit to Grant and Shirley's

Well it was another nice morning after the great rain last evening. We got about 3/10ths of an inch and did we ever need it. The gardens were starting to show the lack of rain even though I had started to hand water once again. The temp was 62 and a little bit humid but any how it was still a nice morning. Once again there was no deer damage to our gardens but on top the deer are starting to get into the grape arbors. They bite the green grape clusters and then spit them out on the ground. They are so destructive and I know they will get into our gardens as soon as we leave. Oh well the price you pay for being isolated back in the woods.

After our quiet time we took a long hike to the top and saw a couple of neighbors. We sat and visited a spell with Ann and Sandy. They are retired except for Sandy working 1 day a week so he can keep the perks that go along with a machine shop.

After our hike we had leftovers for lunch and then took a golf cart ride to the mailbox and to visit with The Heglars. They weren't home so we would visit them later after supper. On the way back home we picked enough blackberries to make our 3rd batch of jelly. We are becoming pro's at that messy job and by 3 PM we were finished and sitting on the porch reading and listening to the jars popping and sealing. All 9 jars sealed so we have about 27 jars to give away and share with family and friends.

It was after 5PM before we started dinner. Nancy sauteed fresh yellow squash with zucchini, green peppers and onions with garlic and olive oil. Wow is that a great tasting dish and good for you. We ate out on the deck as by now it was nearly 6PM and the threat of rain had clearly passed.

After cleaning up we took a walk down the road to visit with Grant and Shirley. Its about a 1/2 mile each way with a few hills thrown in for good respiration's. We learned Shirley was having some blood pressure problems and they had been to a doctor in Sparta when we visited earlier in the day. She related she is having a stress test on Thursday in Elkin as her family history is conducive for heart problems. A couple of years ago she lost 2 brothers to heart failure in the space of one week. Please keep Shirley in your prayers as she is really having a difficult time with this diagnosis. Well not much else going on except we are heading for the doctor in Sparta in the AM as Nancy must have her blood checked for thyroid and cholesterol. Later, missing our families and especially grand kids Ava and Annsley.