New Years Eve

This is the last day of 2016 and I would like to take a moment and reflect on 2016.  It was another full year of activities.  We had some medical issues, okay I did, we had a very bountiful garden and due to our wonderful success in growing cucumbers Lisa and I were donned with the title of Pickle Queens.  We had some sad times losing a great neighbor, Reg, and a scare with our Rory but also had many more good times with golfing and bowling and spending time with lots of family and friends.  We expanded the population at the farm by three welcoming Travis and his two dogs and expanding some of the living areas at the farm.  We learned what TMT (Tennessee mountain time) was and it allowed us frustration and some fun.  It was a good and productive year and we are ready for another one ready to welcome 2017 here at the farm.  Happy New Years Eve!

Shelving Is Up

The cold storage room has shelves!  George built the shelves on one wall of the room for plenty of storage.  On the other wall he relocated the freezer that was in the utility room and left room for a second freezer to be purchased later.  The lower shelves will be covered for storage of potatoes, etc during our summer picking months.  The upper shelves will be used to store all the canning items and of course the canned goods made at the farm.  It looks good and the extra storage will make pickling much easier. Good job George!

A Whole Lot Of Nothing

Not much going on at the farm.  Lisa bowled for me and the team won all of their points.  The new puppy got her check up and is doing well and George had a major migraine and was unable to work on the cold storage room.  All in all, as Lisa put it best, "a whole lot of nothing".  There is nothing wrong with having an quiet do nothing day.  Check back tomorrow and see it things change.
One sad note, one of my favorite actresses has past away. Rest in peace Debbie Reynolds.  I had the pleasure of meeting her once and she was a very classy and friendly lady; Pure Hollywood royalty.

Something New At The Farm

There is a new addition to the farm family.  Welcome Gaia a 10 week old female boxer mix that has just been adopted by Travis.  He already has a dog named Nix and yesterday was her birthday so for her birthday Travis decided she needed a playmate.  Gaia is a mythological name, along with Nix and they both just happen to be sisters, in mythology and in real dog life.  Welcome Gaia!

Progress Has Been Made

There was a lot of work going on at the farm.  George has been working overtime on the cold storage room even working Christmas day getting  the floor done, the insulation completed and the new doorway has been relocated.  Yesterday was just as busy for him as he now has a new doorway to the cold storage room and the old doorway has been permanently closed in.  It looks great and I am sure Lisa is looking forward to having some more storage room especially for all the canning items.  Speaking of Lisa, while George was busy outside working on the cold storage room Lisa was busy in the kitchen preparing treats for her upcoming Christmas party with friends.  Yes, it has been a couple of busy days at the farm!

A Room Addition

Now that Christmas is over projects at the farm have begun again. We had a great Christmas in Florida and a little bird told me it was a nice one at the farm too!  Anyway, just before Christmas George began a new project.  There is a room at the corner of their house that was used to house the Air Conditioning unit.  Since George and Lisa have a brand new system that room is no longer used for anything so George and Lisa decided to turn the room into a cold storage room.  After growing so many cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes last summer it was determined a cold storage room is needed.  So George began the project, has gotten the material for the floor joists and has began to lay them down. So a new project has begun and I will follow up with the progress as it proceeds.  I hope you all had a nice Christmas; we sure did!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.  We hope this will be a special day for all and that you will be able to celebrate it with family and friends.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve. Tim and I have not celebrated a Christmas Eve at the farm and may not while we have an opportunity to spend it with our girls.  Today will be a rainy but not cold day but we need the rain.  Since Tim and I have been married our Christmas eves have varied depending on where we are.  Through the years, especially the last few our Christmas eve has been different and so we are always open.  Do you have traditions on Christmas eve?  If so, share them with me by making a comment below.  I will then share them in later blog.  It might be fun to see the different things that happen on Christmas eve.  To all the retail workers, thank you for your hard work and sacrifices you make during this time to ensure for a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hannauka.  Also a huge Thank you to all who serve during this time; the military, police, fire, and medical staffs.  You are all appreciated.  Merry Christmas Eve!

All Is Good

Before leaving to come down to Florida Tim and I had our 6 month check ups with our Dr.  Since we both take some meds we have to be seen every six months.  We are both great!  That is always good to hear.  So with our health in check we are good to go on our Winter journey.  Phase one is complete and we made to Florida safely.  We did run into holiday traffic once we hit I-95 so we were a little later than expected but we made it.  Let the Christmas celebration begin!

Rime Ice

We woke up, on the first day of winter, to everything being covered with Rime ice.  Rime ice is white ice that forms when the water droplets in fog freeze to the outer surfaces of objects.  It is often seen on trees and is caused by low hanging clouds that cause freezing fog and the temperatures are usually between 17 to 28 degrees.  The conditions overnight were perfect for freezing fog and we woke up to rime ice on the trees, bushes, etc.  It was very beautiful and cold.  It was 22 degrees outside when I took the pictures posted to the right.  It was a very cool sight.
I said I would be making an announcement about our Winter trip today so to find out what is going on please go to my other blog, Travels with Ruth, travelswithruth-ruth@blogspot.com, and check it out!  Today we are headed to Florida to spend Christmas and New Years with our kids.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

Do you remember the children's story of Little Toot?  The tugboat that had to pull a boat much bigger than it and Little Toot kept saying, "I think I can, I think I can, etc"?  Well Tim and George had that same thought pattern yesterday.  George wanted to move the backhoe and the dump truck ( both are not operational right now) to another area of the farm and away from his house.  The plan was to use George's pick up truck to tow them to their new parking area until they are both repaired.  Well let's just say they did try, several times, ( I think I can, I think I can, )but the hills around here made it difficult and ended up being the reason they could not complete the original plan.  It was a good plan and it would of worked it there were more horsepower involved.  The Chevy truck just could not tow the heavy equipment up the hills.  So the backhoe was reparked using the hill and a little ingenuity.  Good effort guys!

Christmas Shopping Is Done!

For the first time in a long time I am done with my Christmas shopping early and have everything wrapped and ready to go to Middleburg for Christmas.  It seems so strange to have things done and early.  It was a tradition for years for me to be wrapping Christmas Eve when everyone else was in bed.  I do have a few stocking stuffers to get but other than that I am done and it feels good!  With our days wi ding down until Christmas Tim and I are doing final preparations for Christmas and our winter trip which I will announce in tomorrow's blog.  For now I am having a mini celebration about being done with Christmas shopping...woohoo!

Weird Weather - Part Two

Yes, it was weird weather yesterday and when I woke up this morning we even received a dusting of snow.  Since we had rain most of the day and the temperatures continued to drop waking up to a dusting of snow could mean no one will be in a hurry to go down our hill because it may end up being a bit icy.  We will have to wait for daylight for that answer. For now, let's just say that it was a nasty day and one where Tim and I stayed in watching movies and football.  George, Lisa and Travis did venture out to see the new Star Wars movie and we were invited we just decided to stay home.  By the way, I heard the movie was great.  As far as our weird weather part two?  We started the day at 67 degrees and rain. At the end of the day it was 30 degrees and snow. All 37 degrees difference in one day and not traveling anywhere.   Weird!

It Is Going To Be A Weather Day

It is going to be a weird weather day.  After waking up to being 67 degrees with each hour going forward the temperatures are going to drop.  There is a major cold front coming in bringing very windy weather followed by rain and then eventually snow.  I have not seen this happen here yet so it should make for an interesting day.  The wind just went from calm to gusts of 20+ mph and will continue to grow until the front has past and then snow or at least freezing rain.  Yesterday we barely got up to 50 but overnight we went all the way up to almost 70 but later on we will be in the 30's.   II think Mother Nature is playing with us a bit especially since George, Lisa and Travis just got back from Florida where it was in the 80's to us leaving for Florida in a few days where it will be in the 80's.  This type of weather is tough on the wardrobe. Check back and see what happens.  There will be pictures!

A Festive Fence

Since we have had our "MASH" signs up with our addresses the fence around it has become a great place to decorate for the seasons.  It is a group effort sharing items to put on the fence.  It started last year for Christmas and has continued.  This years fence is courtesy of Lisa and Cheryl.  They did a great job with the decorations and the fence looks so festive.  Thanks Lisa and Cheryl.  Now when anyone does come to visit they can't help but feel the Christmas spirit around here.  It's just another way of saying Merry Christmas from the farm.

A View Of Snow

We had a view of snow yesterday.  Our Eastern view looks at the mountains in North Carolina and yesterday we noticed they had a dusting of snow on them.  It was a nice view and we were glad it was just that, a nice view.  It is cold enough to snow right now but there is not any moisture to do so.  We have had some very cold days and nights but we are suppose to get up to 60 by the week end. Anyway, the snow that fell in the mountains never made it below 3000ft.  By the afternoon the snow was gone on the NC mountains.  It was a sunny day and I guess it was enough to melt what snow had fallen.  It was nice to see but I am okay if that is all we see around here for now.

Pin Busters In First Place

That's right after the second 8 weeks of bowling the Pin Busters are in first place and have qualified for the roll off at the end of the season.  With this win we will be one of four teams to compete at the end of the season.  Needless to say we are all thrilled.  When I got back to the team after my break I did give them all an early Chrstmas present, a keychain made by my daughter Jenny,   Saltedbyjen.com; see the ad listed below for details.  It has the team name on it and a bowling charm.  I think they liked it and  I love mine. Thanks Jen!  Way to go Pin Busters!

Christmas Shopping

The Christmas shopping is almost complete!  It feels so good to say that because a week ago I had not even really started, except for Rory.  A week later and I only have two more people to buy for and hopefully  that will be completed today!  Tim and I went Christmas shopping after my Dr appt in Morristown then headed over to Greeneville to hit some more stores.  The stores were busier but they did have cashiers so the lines to check out were not bad at all.  The one place they were the worse we did not buy anything.  It does feel good to almost be done but I am racking my brain trying to figure out what to get the last two.  Hmmm, maybe that is what gift cards are for?  Thanks Tim for shopping with me!

Making Tags

I know that you can buy 100 gift tags, usually the small stick on ones for $1.00 and everyone is happy with that but I decided a few years ago that I would start making my own tags because I could.  I know no one really looks at the tag except to see two things; to: and from:.  Other than that the tag is just there and is forgotten except for the few that save the tag to remember who the gift was from.  I still make my own tags knowing they are all going in the garbage but I don't care.  They do add to a package that is sitting under the tree and I have fun making them.  So this year, I will not get offended if my tag just gets tossed, I am use to it, but I will enjoy the fact that I did make them and, in my personal opinion, they turned out great.  It is 12 days until Christmas!

Look What's Back...

The rental backhoe is back and George has been on it since it has returned.  The RV pad that was built earlier needed a little reinforcement so George started adding to it by continuing to dig out the turn around spot by the house.  It is a win win situation where down by the house vehicles, no matter what their size, can turn around and the RV pad gets more dirt making it even bigger and stronger. The whole dirt thing is all done by a couple of guys and a big machine; amazing!  Way to go George and Tim!

Tomato Basil Soup

Last night we enjoyed the fruits of our labor from last summer.  A hot steaming bowl of Tomato Basil soup that we made from the tomatoes in the garden.  Lisa and I decided to freeze the soup in canning jars instead of processing the soup.  It was delicious and it tasted as fresh as the day we made it.  We know this because we did sample the soup when we first made it.  We teamed the soup up with some grilled cheese sandwiches and it was a delicious dinner that was perfect on a cold night in the mountains.  I think it was already 25 degrees outside.  It was good to sit down and have dinner again on the week end like we have done all summer long and I know I am the one that was not here for quite a while but it was good to be together again and the soup was good!

I Hate Ladybugs Right Now

I know lady bugs are cute and harmless unless they are Asian Lady Bugs.  Asian Lady bugs are orange with black spots and are great during the Spring and Summer months where they are outside eating aphids.  They were introduced in our country in 1916 and now are all over the world.  In the Fall and Winter months these lady bugs look for warm places to live and they especially like light southern exposure areas...like my Crafty Cottage.  I was gone when they first infested my Crafty Cottage and now I am fighting the battle with hundreds of lady bugs everyday.  Did you know lady bugs bite and they also dive bomb you?  I battle them everyday.  My day begins with sweeping up several hundred off my floor, work bench, desk, etc.  While I work they dive bomb me, they crawl all over the place and they smell.  I heard burning a lemon scented candle and sweeping them up help control them.  So it that is the case I think I will also start wearing lemon scented lotion and body spray.  I hate lady bugs right now!

Protection For The RV

On our RV we have slide covers to help protect our slides from the elements.  Well, with how we sit on the mountain for our great view we also fight a wind element that can play havoc on the slide protector.  Tim designed a way to protect the slide and make it last.  He purchased tin, like the kind they use for tin roofs and figured out how to secure it to the main slide.  It looks nice and will protect that slide for years.  Way to go Tim!

The Outdoor Christmas Lights

We are not decorating the RV this year for Christmas because we are only here for a couple of weeks and then we are gone for a couple of months so decorating just does not make sense.  That is not to say I do not have Christmas decorations up because I do I just an not doing our trees and everything else this year.  We did, however, put up our outdoor Christmas lights.  We chose to try something different and purchases one of those spot lights that move and makes patterns on your house.  I got a very inexpensive on due to the fact we were not sure how well it would turn out but it was great and next year we will get a better one to really look like Christmas lights.  Until then we are happy with our current display and it took Tim about 5 minutes top to set up. 

I'm Back AtThe Farm

I'm back at the farm and here are some updates at the farm.  First of all it is cold.  Now some may say cool but I say cold especially since I have been in Southern California and Floida for well over a month.  It was 51 degrees when we got home last night and so was the inside of the RV but once we got the heat on it warmed up pretty quick.  Second, there is sickness here on the farm.  I guess it started with George getting sick over Thanksgiving who in turn gave it to Lisa.  Needles to say, we are glad to see them but we will be keeping our distance just to make sure those sick germs are gone. Third, I have a new neighbor, which I have reported on, but seeing it is different; Welcome Travis!  It is good to be home and I have a lot to do which I will get to after I go bowling today!  I am back at the farm!

What A Great Day

I had a wonderful Birthday and I want to thank my family for making it such a nice one.  Being greeted with "Happy Birthday Gammie" started the day off right and it just got better from there.  I also appreciated all the cards and social media greetings I received from family and friends.  It really humbles you when you see so wishes and greetings and so with that and simply say Thank You!  I actually had two birthday celebrations. One with Carrie and Daniel (they had plans on Monday) on Sunday night and one with Jenny, Nate and Rory last night.  I received some great things from my family and I love them all; thank you.  Today we head back to the farm and it looks like some cold weather.  I think I will leave my summer clothing here in Florida since I will be returning in a couple of weeks.  Thanks Jenny and Nate, Rory, Carrie and Daniel.  I will miss you but will see you soon!

Short & Quick

Today is my Birthday and in honor of it I am just going to give a brief update of the show and when we did it. First Salted By Jen did great and I am one happy and proud mom!  Way to go Jen!

Wow, Wow, Wow!

The show went great yesterday and Salted By Jen did very well.  It was busy!!!  We were non stop for  the first 5 hours and we couldn't even stop to take a breath!  Once again I want to thank my friends for coming by and saying Hi!  Your support for Jen is appreciated.  If you are interested in her merchandise please check out saltedbyjen.com!  Time to begin the final day of the show!

A Busy Day Away From The Farm

It was a busy day for me but not at the farm.  I am down in the Jacksonville area helping my daughter Jenny with her first big show.  The Vintage Market Days are going on and it is a huge show.  Yesterday was good and we are hoping today will be even better.  Check back tomorrow for a progress report!

Update On The Wildfires

I am not sure what has been happening on the farm lately so instead of talking about the farm I figure I would give an update on wild fires in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area.  There are now 11 people dead from the fires and still several missing.  The various departments from our government are out searching every house to find survivors. Starting tomorrow for a specific time the residents, renters and business owners  will be allowed to return to their property and check it out.  I am sure there will be more bodies found, so sad, and more property damage but the people of Tennessee are hardy folks that will clean up and rebuild and not expect a ton of handouts to do so.  Thank you to all the firefighters and police and volunteers that are helping with all that has gone on over the past few days.  Pray for Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Finding Chinese Food In Eastern Tennessee

Coming from an area where Chinese food was abundant we have now been with out it for two years in Parrottsville.  Even in Newport and Greeneville it is had to find.  This is new to us because there seems to be Chinese food places everywhere in the Jacksonville area and all over during our travels.  It is not quite fair to say we do not have any Chinese food places in Newport or Greeneville because there is a place in each town.  Both are buffets and in fairness we did hear that the Greeneville place was actually good.  The Newport Chinese Buffet may be good but since we never see any cars in the parking lot we are a little afraid to try it.  Lisa and Travis decided to be adventurous and they tried the China Buffet in Greeneville.  They said it was very good and reasonably priced for a Chinese buffet. The best part is neither on got sick so we know we can now go for Chinese food in Greeneville!

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge Fires

By now I am sure you have heard about the fires that are burning in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  Tennessee has been so dry and in drought conditions that any spark can build into a huge fire.  I am not sure what caused the huge fire in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge but 15,000 acres have burned in that area including The Great Smoky Montain National Park.  We are not in any danger at the farm but it sure is sad to see some of our favorite areas getting burned.  It rained yesterday and is raining today which is great news.  Let's hope the fires get put out.

The RV Got A Bath

Last week an RV for Travis was delivered after a long awaited period.  When it arrived at the farm it was filthy.  Now a few days later the RV got a bath and is looking a lot brighter.  Now that Travis has moved into his RV he has named the new RV pad also.  It is now called the Frontier which I have no idea why but when I find out I will share the reasoning of the name.  So, Francisco Farm has a new area called the Frontier.
Update- I was incorrect on the name.  Travis has named the RV pad the Wilderness.  He named it that because that is what his RV is called

Turkey Broth Central

Lisa, with the help of her daughter and daughter's friends managed to can 11 quarts of turkey  broth to be used at a later time to make Turkey soup through out the winter.  Lisa chose to freeze the broth for canning; a little easier process.  I am sure her homemade soup will be delicious.  While they were making the broth they also played games and watched football.  They made lasting memories and every time she makes some turkey soup she can relive those memories. 

Revisiting The Parkway

It has been a busy Holiday week end but a good one.  While I am enjoying being in Florida with our kids Lisa, George and Travis have been enjoying their holiday week end with their daughter and her friend.  They have done the usual things around the area including driving the Foothills parkway.  The colors along the parkway are even prettier and Kaitlyn, Lisa and George's daughter, got some really great pictures during their drive.  It has been a great Thanksgiving week end and I am hoping yours was too!

Back To The Farm For Tim

I am staying in Florida for a few days...10 but Tim is back at the farm to get a few things done. He will be returning to Florida mid week to help with Jenny's big show; more on that later next week.  We had a really nice Thanksgiving and the turkey turned out well.  Rory helped my make my pumpkin pies and I think she really enjoyed it.  She loved working with the mixer and she was a great help.  Tim's drive back was uneventful until he hit Columbia, SC and the next couple of hours seemed longer than they should because of the traffic probably due to Black Friday traffic.  He still made pretty good time and got home for dinner.  I hope Black Friday was good for you!

A Nice Thanksgiving

It was a nice Thanksgiving at the farm and Lisa and George enjoyed their Thanksgiving sharing it with friends, Linda &Larry and T, and family, Travis and Kaitlyn.  Lisa had a few things prepped and ready to go on Wed. Night and even celebrated a family tradition shared by T; baking batches of. Cookies before Thanksgiving.  It was a nice day!

Happy Thanksgiving!o

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and that you get to share some or all of your day with family and friends.  Tim and I are especially grateful this Thanksgiving to be spending it with our girls and their families,  We are extra grateful to be spending our first Thanksgiving with our Rory!  To all our family and friends, we are so very thankful and grateful for you! Happy Thanksgiving!

The RV Has Arrived

After a month long wait for delivery the RV has arrived.  I have not said much about why Tim and George have been working hard on the new RV pad but now I can. Lisa & George's son, Travis, is relocating to Tennessee now that his job can allow him to work from home.  Travis will eventually build his own home on the farm but until he does, he purchased a used RV to live in.  It looks a little dirty now, the outside, but inside it is really nice and it was well  cared for.  There was a slight snag with the gentleman that it was bought from but it got all worked out and yesterday the RV was delivered to the farm. Travis has some remodeling to do inside to make it his own but the bones of the RV are good and it will make a nice home.  Welcome to the Francisco Farm Travis.

My One FULL Day At The Farm

It is good to be home and I made the most out of my one day at home.  I spent the morning unpacking and repacking then Lisa and I met our friends Linda and Larry at Monterrey's for lunch to catch up and Linda wanted to know how to make a barn quilt.  After a nice lunch and a little grocery shopping I got back to the farm and visited my Crafty Cottage and gathered some items that I will be working on while I am down in Florida.  The rest of the afternoon was spent getting things ready and getting the RV ready for dinner with Lisa, George and Travis.  We are Barbequing here, yes it was in the 40's, but Tim didn't mind and we ate inside.  Lisa was so sweet and decided to celebrate my Birthday early since I am not going to be here during it.  She made my favorite cake and gave me the coolest Santa ever made by a local who has made tree decorations for the Whitehouse.  I will share in a later blog.  It was a full day home but a good one!

Back Home For A Day

I am back at home and was welcomed with some cool weather.  Well, not exactly cool it is more like COLD.  I got off the plane and it was already 33 degrees.  By the time we got back to Parrottsville it was a cool 22.  Now that is cold!  It is going to stay cool today them warm up a bit this week but that really won't matter too much to Tim, Shadow and I because we are going to be headed south tomorrow.  I just have to stay warm today!  Time for hot cocoa!

Returning To The Farm

Today I will be flying back to Tennessee.  I have had a great time here in California and I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Pam and Brian!  You both have made my visit so great and I really appreciate everything you did.  Some exciting things have happened while I was here in California like the Cubs winning the World Series.  I am so glad I shared that with Pam and Craig!  Way to go Cubbies!  We elected a new President and it wasn't who the media was pushing for.  I have to say watching election night coverage was an experience seeing the media back pedal a bit.  There has been wild fires in our area of Tennessee but yesterday there was finally some rain so let's hope it helped. I have a full day of travel but I will be back home with Tim and Shadow tonight!

The Shed Gets Lit

The shed on the new RV pad is being wired for electricity.  It will need it to run some things. Tim and George spent the day working on running the electrical lines and putting in outfits and switches.  Now, almost everything is ready for the RV which is still on hold due to the seller waiting for his house to be completed.  What's a few more days to wait when it has already been a month.  George is a very understanding guy!  At least the RV pad will be ready!

The Netty Mountain Fire

Just when you think you have things under control Mother Nature decides you don't.  The Netty Mountain fire that was 100% contained jumped the containment line and is still burning with 75% contained right now.  One of the major roadways by that area has been closed making traveling around that area a bit difficult.  Cocke county fire department is busy fighting it and just wants people to avoid the area and to be careful not to spark other fires.  If the area could get some rain that would help a lot.  Unfortunately there are wild fires in several southern states due to drought situations with Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee being the worst.  Come on Mother Nature, please send us some rain!

The Shed Gets Gutters

The shed on the new RV pad got an improvement when Tim and George put gutters on the shed.  The gutters will help protect the shed and the ground and also keep whoever walks into the shed during a rain storm a lot dryer.  The RV pad is almost completely ready for the RV to arrive soon.  Way to go George and Tim!
Update on the wild fires - the fires around our area has subsided and the wind shifted so the air quality at the farm got a little better.  In a picture Tim sent me you could actually see the Smokey Mountains.

Wild Fires Are Dangerous

It has been extremely dry in eastern Tennessee and during this time of year it is not good to be so dry especially with the fall leaves that are falling that are also very dry.  Anything can spark a wild fire from farm tractors to flat tires and sparks setting fire when pulling over to stupidity like throwing a lite cigarette out a car window.  Eastern Tennessee has been fighting wild fires for about a week and as of Monday night they have finally contained the Netty Mountain fire 100%.  With fires burning all over the county you would think the residents would be aware of it and be more carful but no, that was not the case just down the road from the farm.  Some idiot threw his cigarette out the car window that just happened to fall in a bunch of dead leave and started a wild fire.  George and Travis went to help put it out with some other neighbors but they could not get it under control.  Thankfully the Parrottsville Fire rescue got to the fire within 10 minutes of it's discovery and put the fire out.  The fire on Netty mountain was terrible but the wild fire close to home was too close for comfort.

More Prep for The RV

There will be another RV at the farm soon and prep for it is still continuing with some comforts for the RV.  We have a well here at the farm where we get all of our water.  The water here is very hard so a water softener and filter are good to have.  We do not have a softener but we do have a filter and even with that we have lost a few things to hard water.  Nothing major but it does take its toll on small appliances dealing with water.  That is why a water softener system was installed in the shed where the new RV will be placed when it arrives.  The sewer, water and electric lines were run last week so now when the RV gets to the farm it will be all ready to get hooked up and have all the comforts of home. 

The Crafty Cottage Barn Quilt

In a post in October I had mentioned that I was working on a project that I would be sharing later on and today is the day I share it.  I know that I have shared my new found fascination with barn quilts and after going on two barn quilt tours and creating one for my mail box I decided it was time to make a barn quilt for the Crafty Cottage.  I finally picked a pattern I liked and I knew I wanted to use bright colors on it.  Tim and George had saved me a nice piece of siding from when there were working on the shed addition.  The piece was 24 inches by 24 inches and Tim painted the entire piece white so I would have a clean canvas.  I gathered all my materials, pencil, ruler or yard stick, paint, brushes and green Frog tape.  I chose green frog tape over the regular blue tape because it leaves cleaner edges not allowing paint to seep in.  I picked my design, I found a ton of barn quilt designs on Pinterest, and started to draw the design on the board with a pencil.  After the design was drawn I used the frog tape and started taping around the areas of where I was going to paint first.  I decided to paint the orange color first because that color had the most spots.  After painting the first coat I followed with a second coat before moving on to the next color.  I continued the same process until all the colors were painted.  I then went over and touched up the paint that may have run or did not meet up to the lines.  Once I was done painting the barn quilt Tim took over and sealed the barn quilt with a poly seal so the barn quilt will weather well.  The next day Tim hung the barn quilt on the Crafty Cottage and my barn quilt was complete.  I love the way it turned out and from the RV you can really see the barn quilt with its bright colors.  It was fun to create one and I am ready to create another but have to figure out where it would go.  I guess until I do I will just enjoy my barn quilt.

A Turkey Mailbox

A couple of years ago we went to the Craftsman fair in Gatlinburg and there was a booth where you could purchase decorations to put on your mailbox.  Lisa and I both purchased a cute reindeer for Christmas but Lisa also purchased a turkey for Thanksgiving.  It is so cute and it is now time to place it on her mailbox.  They just got a new larger mailbox so there had to be some adjustments made to get the turkey on the box but they made it work.

Kind Of A Crappy Job

Tim and George had kind of a crappy job or it will be soon.  They installed a new sewer pipe for the new RV pad.  I did not ask what they did with the old one because that would definitely be a crappy job.  Instead I learned that the new one was relocated the
down into the holler which meant most of the work was done along the side and down a hill; a steep one.  They also took down some more trees, the picture of Shasow kind of shows the downed trees.  The new sewer pipe is in and it will soon be in use making the job kind of crappy.

Thank You Veterans

With today being Veterans Day I want to take this opportunity thank all the Veterans out their especially my family and friends who served or are serving.  Thank you to all the men and women  for our freedom and for protecting our rights and allowing us all to live free.  I would like to say a special thank you to my husband Tim, son in law Nate and Daniel.  I also would like to thank the families of those who have served and are serving.  Being one I know the sacrifices that are made and the support that is given to our men and women so they can serve.  With the new administration I am hoping veterans will become more important than illegal immigrants and that we all do appreciate all the vets because I sure do.  Thank you and Happy Veterans Day.

Moving Lines

To improve on the newly expanded RV pad at the farm lines had to be moved; water and electric lines that is.  The post with the water and electric had be moved from the current spot, the middle of the pad, to a spot where they would be out of the way but handy for hook up.  In order to do that ditches had to be dug and lines run along the new ditches.  It is not easy or fun just work.  It got done but it took some time since it had to be done by hand.   Moving nag lines and making improvements is what is happening at the farm.

We Have A New President

Congratulations to Donald Trump, the next President of the United States.  It was a very long and tough election and if you voted, thank you.  My regrets to Hillary Clinton.  As for me, I am very happy the election is over and it is now time to heal, forget, for give and get to work on making our Country great again.  It will take all of us so let's get to work!

Election Day

Well, Election Day has finally arrived and it could not come soon enough.  By tonight we will have a new Presidrnt elected and it is pretty scary.  Neither candidate is a popular one especially since they both have major issues.  With this said it is very important to go out and vote.  It is a privilege and your civic right to vote.  If you do not vote then you have no right to complain.  So please go out and vote and if you already have, thank you.

A Relaxing Day

It was a relaxing day at the farm...for some.  The weather is still great, in the 70's and it is hard to believe that two years ago we had already had snow.  I don't know if it is global warming or just Mother Nature giving us all a nice Fall.  Either way, the weather has been great and the colors are coming through even though they are getting to the end.  The trees are losing their leaves and we know winter will be upon us soon enough...well, maybe!  It was a good way to start off a week!

The 46th Annual Holiday Bazaar

This week end in Greeneville, TN the Greeneville Women's Club is hosting the 46th Annual Holiday Expo and Craft Bazaar at Henard Elementary School.  This is a huge event for Greeneville and one of the best craft bazaars around.  It is held in the gymnasium at the school that have two levels and both levels are filled with over 100 vendors selling holiday decorations and gifts.  This is one of our favorite events and had always been a success in buying Christmas presents.  This year, since I am in California, Lisa attended it by herself but said it was great and had some great gifts and gift ideas.  Maybe I will be around for the 47th!

Oh Wow! Chicago Celebrated!

I am still on a Chicago Cubs "high" after winning the World Series again after a 108 year deficit.  Yesterday Chicago honored and celebrated the World Series win and it was huge.  WGN America broadcast the entire celebration and it was incredible especially if you were a Cubs fan.  It was a 5 1/2 hour televised celebration and I loved every minute.  Over 5 million people showed up for the celebration... 5 million!  The streets along the parade route were packed and when the buses carrying the players drove down Michigan Ave.  the roar of the crowd was amazing.  Way to go to the Chicago fans who attended.  The Cubs did not expect such a greeting but deserved it.  I have always said that a Chicago sports fan is one of a kind.  They support their teams, win or lose, and the fans of the Chicago Cubs have proven that for the past 108 years.  Way to go Cubbies and Go Cubs Go!

The Mail Box Facelift

The mail boxes at the beginning of Quail Way we're rearranged yesterday in order to add the new address.  Travis, George & Lisa's son, will be joining us at the farm.  He was able to work from home with his job so he decided to relocated to the mountains of Tennessee.  George and Lisa have been doing a lot of things around the farm to make his move easier.  With a new tenant comes a new address.  Tim and George spent most of the day down at the mailboxes moving and relocating mail boxes to squeeze in the new address.  George and a couple of other neighbors upgraded their mailboxes but they all pretty much look the same.  Nice job guys!

My Cubbies Are World Series Champs!

Wow, what a feeling!  Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs - World Series Champions 2016!  They earned it the hard way by earning it.  Greatest season ever!  I am one very happy Cubs fan and can finally feel the sheer joy of winning.  As a Cubs fan, and all Cubs fans, we finally get to feel the joy of winning and it is even sweeter knowing win or lose we are fans until the end.  What a series with the Indians with the highs and lows bringing an emotional roller coaster especially in a Game 7.  Thank you to the Chicago Cubs!  This fan is very grateful and proud!  Go Cubs Go!

Go Cubs Go!

This will be a short post today and I definitely do not want to predict or curse anything.  All I have to say is WAY TO GO CUBBIES.  This has been a great World Series with its ups and downs but now it is game 7.  Let's do this Cubbies, just one more win.  Go Cubs Go!

The Dump Truck Has Donor

The dump truck that decided to break about a month ago has a life saving donor.  Another dump truck was purchased for parts to help get and keep the first dump truck running. George purchased dump truck #2 then had it towed to the farm where it will rest down neat the orchard until it is time to start giving new life to dump truck #1.  Thank you dump truck #2 for donating your parts to give life to good old dump truck #1.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  It will be another quiet one at the farm since we don't have any little kids, our neighbors do not either and we are on top of a mountain.  Maybe the cows and raccoons will visit but the garden is done so all they can get is weeds.  It will be a warm Halloween, in the 80's again.  I am not at the farm this year again since I am in southern California and it will actually be colder here in California then it will be in eastern Tennessee.  If we should get some trick or treaters Tim will be there to pass out the candy, if we had some.  I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween!

Pre Game Family Fun

What does a family do when their favorite baseball team is playing in the World Series and we all just happen to be in the same state during the game?  We get together for some pre game fun then watch the game together.  I was lucky enough to fly over Wrigley Field yesterday then feel the energy that Chicago has for the Cubbies.  For this Cubs fan it was an amazing sight and feeling.  My sister Pam and SIL Karyn put out an amazing pre game spread and we enjoyed it all and had some fun with it.  We have always known how to have fun as a family and yesterday proved it once again.  Even though the Cubs lost it was fun watching the game together during the high points and feeling eachother's sorrow during the low points.  This fan is not giving up because the Cubs are going to win the next three games.  Thanks Pam, Brian, Craig, Karyn, Carrie H and Peyton for getting together for the game and pre game fun!  GO CUBS!

Flying The Friendly Skies!

We had an early start this morning as I have an early flight out of Knoxville.  I am headed to San Diego for a. Our of weeks!  WooHoo!  I will be staying with my sister and brother-in-law and I am so excited to be going.  It has been a year since I have been there so it will nice to be back.  We have lots of plans but tonight we will be watching the Cubs game.  My brother and sister-in-law are coming down so we will be all together for the game.  Let's go Cubbies!  San Diego, via Chicago, here I come!

Gatlinburg's Arts & Crafts Community

We spent the day checking out Gatlinburg's Arts & Crafts Community.  It is located in the Glades area of Gatlinburg and has been established for 75 years.  Over 100 artists and craftsman reside their with shops, galleries, restaurants,  and lodging.  The shops are located on a large loop and being off the main drag makes it easier to pull off the road to check out the shops.  We saw some incredible crafts and got to see some really great demos.  The pottery and wood carving is amazing and there were so many things I saw that would make perfect gifts for family and friends.  I even got some ideas of items I could try to make.  It is a great way to spend the day and we didn't even get through the whole loop which means I will be returning for another round.  Thanks Robin and Lisa for a great day.  It was fun!
Today we have to say good bye to our friends Bob and Robin.  They are continuing on their journey and will be heading to Florida to visit family and friends.  We have had a such a great time and it still amazes me that when ever we get together, no matter how much time apart, it is like we never were apart.  We just pick up where we left off.  Thank you Bob and Robin for visiting at the farm.  We loved every minute and we love and will miss you!  Safe travels my friends!

Bowling Update

The Pin Busters are still going strong and have just finished the first round but in dead last.  I do believe I am definitely the reason for our standings but my team members are so sweet and do not seem to mind.  I really do not mind because I am doing this just for fun which is what they both agree with.  I have gotten a little better and yesterday was one of my better matches and we took all the points.  So, now that we are in our second week of the next round maybe we will get better.  The only regret is that I am going out of town and will miss the next three weeks but I will be bowling while I am gone for practice.  Go Pin Busters!

More Apple Barn Fun

After spending the morning at Cades Cove we were hungry and decided to go into Pigeon Forge for lunch.  There are a ton of places to eat but we decided to go to the Apple Barn for lunch.  When we got to there it was packed.  The parking lot that is normally only about half full during the week was completely full and cars were being parked along the road.  We surprisingly got a space and headed directly to the Apple Barn Farmhouse for lunch.  On Sundays there is only one menu and it is a bit more expensive but for the money you get a lot of food.  When you get seated you are served the apple julep and some apple fritters with apple butter.  We all decided to order the Pecan Chicken Salad with fruit.  When it was served it was huge and delicious.  There was so much that we all got two meals out of it.  After lunch we walked around the Apple Barn then headed to one of my favorite stores, especially during the holiday season, Old Time Pottery.  We walked around the store and picked up a couple of items.  I did not realize that Pigeon Forge had an Old Time Pottery so now that I do I will definitely be visiting it more often.  We had a great time in Pigeon Forge.

Cades Cove

On Sunday we had an early start, well at least the girls did.  While the guys were still sleeping and later playing golf the girls, Robin, Lisa and me, got up early and went to Cades Cove in the Smokey Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg.  It take a couple of hours to drive to Cades Cove from the house because of its location in the park but it is worth it.  We got there early because it can get very crowded and with the colors at their peak the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area is busy especially on a week end.  We got there right after that area of the park opened and were greeted with deer right away.  Cades Cove was a farming area until around the 1930s when the land was purchased by the park service and converted to a National Park.  The community moved out but all of their cabins, barns, etc were left.  The park service left the housing area and created an 11 mile loop you could drive, bike or hike to see what life was like in the mountains back then.  It also is a beautiful area with great views of the Smokey mountains.  We saw lots of deer this trip in all of the meadows and not just one or two but there were at least four to five every time.  We did not get to see any bears but heard they were around.  The weather was perfect, a little cool but sunny, and we had a great time.

Happy Birthday Tim!

Today is Tim's birthday and I want to take this opportunity to wish him a very Happy Birthday!  This year we are celebrating it at the farm and with great friends.  Lisa and George and also Bob and Robin.  We have no real plans for the day just a relaxing day at the farm ending with a dinner out somewhere.  Instead of making Tim a Birthday cake I will be making him Pumpkin pies, his favorite.  One to share and one just for him.  Tim, I love you, I am so happy to be spending our lives together and have loved our life so far together.  Happy Birthday Tim!

The Cubs Are Going To The World Series!!!

We had a great day yesterday and an even better night!  We went to Mountain Makings Festival yesterday in Morristown yesterday.  This is a great festival and very well attended by both crafters and shoppers.  It is held in the Rose Center and have both crafters booths inside and outside.  We saw some great things, purchased some things and even got some ideas to try.  We had a great time!  Later in the evening  we went to dinner at one of the better restaurants in Newport, The Fox And The Hound.  We had a great dinner, thank you Bob and Robin.  After dinner we all came to our place to watch the Cubbies play game six of the National League Championship Series.  They were up 3-2 games and going against the toughest pitcher in baseball.  The last time this guy pitched against the Cubs he got a shut out but not this time.  The first inning did him in and he never got back in his groove.  The Cubs played a great game, offense and defense, and won making the Cubs National Leagues Champions for the first time in 71 years!  It has been a long time for Cubs fans but we are loyal to the end and we have finally been rewarded.  So to the Chicago Cubs, THANK YOU from one loyal cub fan who has been waiting for this, literally, her whole life.  Now on to the World Series to play against the Cleveland Indians.  GO CUBS GO!

The Farmer's Daughter and Marketplace

We had our first real dose of Fall weather yesterday with temperatures in the high 50's/low 60's and rain.  What a change from the 85 degree weather we have been having all week but now it feels like fall.  So our plans changed up a bit.  Originally we were going to Abingdon, VA but the rain stopped that then we were going to have what is considered THE BEST BBQ Ribs in Eastern Tennessee but since it is outdoor seating that wasn't going to happen so we decided to only eat one big meal for the at and went to The Farmer's Daughter.  It is a restaurant that serves family style, all home cooking and really good.  If you leave this place hungry then you didn't like the food.  We had two meats, our choice, and about 15 sides along with a drink and dessert all for one price.  It was delicious and sharing it with wonderful friends made it even better.  I think we are still FULL!

Barn Quilt Tour - Greene County

While the guys were out golfing the girls (Robin, Lisa and me) went on a barn quilt tour.  Several months ago Lisa and I did a barn quilt tour in Cocke county and it was fun but there were not a lot.  Greene county has a great barn quilt tour and after introducing barn quilts to Robin we all decided to do the tour.  Barn quilts were a form of decoration on the barns a hundred plus years ago and then it was stopped until the late 1990s to early 2000s.  The barn quilt is very similar to quilts made of material except is it usually on square and about 8 ft x 8 ft.  Most barn quilts are made of a simple design of bright colors so it can be seen from a distance.  Today barn quilt tours are very popular especially in rural areas with several barns.  We saw quite a few barn quilts but had to drive all over the back roads of Greene county.  It was challenging but fun to find some of the barns.  Thanks Lisa and Robin for coming along on the tour and a big THANK YOU to Lisa who drove.

Hanging Arouind The Farm

We all had a lazy day at the farm, well sort of.  While I was bowling there were some adventures that were taken.  Tim and Robin decided to go ginseng hunting.  Ginseng is a cash crop that can be found in the woods through out Tennessee, North Carolina, etc.  If a mature root can be found it can bring thousand of dollars.  We were talking about it at dinner so Robin and Tim decided to check out the holler at the farm and they did find one small immature root that only has another 15 to 20 years to go before it is worth anything.  Lisa and George had a little acrobatic fun on the Gator but that is all I can say about that without getting into trouble.  We spent the afternoon relaxing, playing games, Robin taught us a couple of good ones, and had a great steak dinner before the debate.  It was another great day with great friends.  Oh yeah, and as for bowling?  I did bowled my average and handicap.

Gatlinburg Fun

We had a great day in Gatlinburg yesterday.  We started with a very colorful drive to Gatlinburg, a little over an hour's drive, with the fall leaves all changing.  This week is the peak of the season and leaves changing.  The mountains are looking a little more colorful with shades of orange and yellow.  We were going to Gatlinburg to visit because the Craftsman's Fair at the convention center.  There were hundreds of craftsman selling and working on their crafts.  This year there was even a glass blower with a portable oven.  There were some really beautiful items there and it always amazes me the talent these craftsmen have.  After the fair we decided to visit Ole Smokey Distillery for some moonshine tasting.  The tastings cost $5.00 a piece but then you receive a coupon for $5.00 to be used toward the purchase of some moonshine.  Our tasting host was a great and fun guy, Trever, who made the tasting so much fun with his jokes and one liners.  He even took a selfie for and with us.  There were some new flavors, seasonal, and they were good.  The peppermint and salted caramel were delicious and would taste really good in hot chocolate.  Thanks Trever, you were great.  After the tasting and doing a little shopping we were hungry and headed for one of our favorite restaurants, Texas Roadhouse, for linner (lunch/dinner).  After that we walked around Gatlinburg and checked out some shops.  It was crowded especially for a Tuesday which kind of surprised us but it did not stop us from enjoying ourselves.  On our drive back to Parrottsville we went via the Foothills Parkway just to take in some more scenery and color of the season.  It was a great day with great friends and it is only the beginning of our time together. 

The Colors Around The Farm

It is really getting pretty with the fall colors around the farm.  The trees are changing quickly and in only a week the color change has been amazing.  We have one tree that leads down to the Crafty Cottage that is just a magnificent orange color that every time I look at it I am just in awe of the color.  The camera does not do it justice.  All the colors are starting to pop and looking out at the surrounding mountains the color change is happening.  We do not get the vivid colors like up in New England but we come pretty close.  It is beautiful!
Bob and Robin have arrived and we had a great first evening all together last night.  It has been a couple of years since we were all together but it did not feel that way.  It was like we were never apart.  Today we are all headed to Gatlinburg for the day so check back tomorrow for an update!

The Pad Is Ready

After several days of digging and hauling dirt to create a bigger RV pad it is now officially done and more than twice its size.  This is good because we have guests coming for a two week stay at the farm.  Our best friends, Bob and Robin, are traveling with their travel trailer and will be staying with us for a little bit so we can all be together again.  Bob and Robin, George and Lisa and Tim and I have been camping together for at least 20 years and we have had some really great times and trips together.  We even did annual camping at Stephen Foster State Park every New Years. Our kids grew up together camping and going to the same Church for quite a while.  We are very excited about being all together again and we have lots of plans while we are together.  Follow along and see what we do; it is going to be a fun two weeks!

On Cosby

We went to On Cosby, the Cosby Fall Festival.  It is the best one in the area with lots of crafters, good food, entertainment, a vintage car show, a beauty pageant, a dog show, games and rides.  There is even great parking for a small fee which is worth it.  This is one Fall Festival that even Tim and George enjoy going to.  It was a great day for On Cosby too; warm and sunny.  There were some really great items at the festival and I got a few ideas that I could make for gifts or decorations.  I also so a few "dream cars" I would love to have.  All in all, it was a great festival and a lot of fun!  Way to go Cosby; another successful Fall Festival!

Erwin, TN

We took a little trip yesterday afternoon to Erwin, TN a town about an hour northeast of Parrottsville near the North Carolina border.  Erwin became a town in the 1879.  It's original name was actually Ervin named after N.A. Ervin who donated 15 acres to become a town and a county seat of Unicol county.  The name was changed to Erwin due to a post office typo error that switched the V with a W.  It was never corrected and the name stuck.  Erwin is also known as the town that killed Mary the Elephant.  Mary the Elephant was an elephant that killed it's trainer while performing in Kingsport, TN. in 1916 and was ordered to be hung.  Erwin's rail yard had the only crane large enough to support the weight of the elephant.  Over 25,000 people showed up to watch the hanging.  Since the Mary the Elephant hanging Erwin has been trying to change it's image from being known as the town that hung Mary.  It really is a nice town that is surrounded by mountains and sits along the Nolichucky river.  With the leave changing it was a beautiful ride.

Honey Glazed Carrots In The Slower Cooker

It was such a nice cool Fall day that we decided to grill out last night with George and Lisa.  We do grill out every week end but last night we grilled out instead because we are going on a little journey tonight.  I wanted to do something with carrots and I found a recipe that I could use in my slow cooker and it turned out really well.  It was delicious and easy.  Lisa made a new potato dish too that was really great that I will post on another day if she agrees to share it, I am sure she will.  We had a great dinner on a beautiful cool night. 

Honey Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of honey
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray
2. Place the carrots in the slow cooker
3. Add the butter on top of the carrots
4. Drizzle the honey over the carrots and butter
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

Fast and easy and yummy too!

The Colors Are Beginning At The Farm

Now that we are back at the farm the colors are just beginning to change.  We have had some cool nights, in the low 50's/high 40's so the leaves should begin to really change.  The only thing is we don't know how long it will last because it has been so hot or at least warm during the days.  So the Fall colors may be brief but at least we are here to see and enjoy what we get.  So, with that said, bring on the Fall colors.  I have posted a couple of pictures of what we have so far! It is beginning!

We Are Back At The Farm

We are back at the farm and in just in time to watch the Cubs game.  It was not looking good for the Cubs but they persevered and won the National League Division series.  Now it is on to the National League Championship Series.  Go Cubs Go!!!
Our drive was uneventful again and that is always good when traveling almost 700 miles.  We had great weather during the trip and rewarded once again when we got just west of Knoxville with some beautiful Fall foliage.  Even though it was getting dark I was able to snap a few pictures to share.  I am just waiting until it gets light here to check out our view.  We had a great time with Mom C and Jim and seeing brothers Bill and Rick and families and last but not least seeing Robin and Bob early.  Thanks to all for a great trip but it is good to be home!

We Are Headed Back To The Farm

We are headed back to the farm today after a great visit with Mom C and Jim and Branson, MO.  We have had such a great time but it is time to head back to the farm.  We have a long drive to make but it is worth it because we had such a good time here  If we could we would stay longer but  I have bowling tomorrow, look for a special announcement tomorrow about bowling, and we have to get ready for our visitors and great friends, Bob and Robin, who are coming to stay at the farm for a couple of weeks.  Thank you Mom and Jim for a wonderful time and your hospitality.  We love you both and will miss you.

The Equipment Saga Continues

The rented backhoe has been doing really well and a lot of dirt was being moved utilizing the dump truck and after thinking there would not be anymore issues the dump truck decided it needed a break so it broke down.  It is out of commission until further notice.  Now there are still a few more days left on the rental of the backhoe so what is George doing about moving the dirt form the house to the top of the hill?  He is moving it one scoop at a time.  The dump truck will work again...after they figure out what is wrong with it.  The equipment saga continues!

Parrottsville Heritage Days

The second week end of October is when Parrottsville holds it Heritage Days Fall Festival and for a small town this is no small event.  They Parrottsville city park gets transformed into a wonderful festival that has great crafters booths, food and entertainment.  The park is a beautiful area with a big pavilion, lots of green grass, a barn for the entertainment all sitting along a creek.  There is lots of parking and it is set up around the walking path so it is easy to see the booths.  Not only does the park get decorated for fall but the town does with every telephone/electrical pole in town decorated.  Even town hall is festive.  Thank you Parrottsville for making autumn a bit more special.

Parrottsville Fall Festival Part 1

Today is Parrottsville Fall Festival and even though I will not be able to attend Lisa will be going and will share the with us how it was.  Parrottsville Fall Fest is held at the town park that I shared with you last Spring.  It is a great location in the middle of Parrottsville with lots of parking.  This festival is one of a few events that happen in Parrottsville and I just hope the weather will be good.  It takes place rain or shine but I hope for the crafters it will be nice.  There are usually great vendors and this is what I think a Fall Festival is compared to Newport's Fall Fest last week.  This is the second Fall Festival in the area with a few more to go to in the coming weeks.  Enjoy Lisa, George and Kaitlyn.

Hurricane Relief At The Farm

As the Hurricane moves in on Florida here at the farm we have a Hurricane evacuee here at the farm.  Lisa and George's daughter, Kaitlyn, decided to move up her visit to the farm to this week end instead of next week end to get out of Florida during Hurricane Matthew's reign.  Travis, their son, was also going to make the journey but decided to ride it out in Jacksonville.  So Welcome Kaitlyn!  My kids decided to also stay in Jacksonville and ride out the storm.  They are prepared and ready for whatever Hurricane Matthew brings.  Be careful my Florida family and friends.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you. 

Just A Glimpse For Halloween

While Tim and George continued to play with the dirt I was busy creating something very cute, at least in my opinion, for Halloween.  My sister gave me the idea and so I had to make some for family and friends.  It is a 3D Halloween card but it did take two days to make just 6 of them. The first one I made was actually for my Rory.  I think she will really like the card and even though she is only two I still think she will like it.  I know her Mom will!   So check out the pic and here is a hint, there is a glimpse of the card in the picture.  Today Tim and I are headed to Branson, MO to spend a long weekend with Mom C and Jim. 

Expanding The Pad

The RV Pad at the top of the hill at the farm is being expanded.  When George originally built it he did it for his Class A motorhome where he drove into the pad.  That works great for Class As but 5th wheels and travel trailers do not have the luxury.  So, in order to be facing the direction of  a few and not a bunch of trees the RV pad has to be expanded.  How do you expand something that is surrounded by a holler?  You need dirt, lots of it, and there is plenty of dirt to be had but it needs to dug up and moved.  That is what Tim and George have been working on for the past week or so.  Of course one important thing needed is for the equipment to work.  Last Thursday things were going great and progress was made until Friday when the dump truck broke an axel.  Tim and George had it fixed by Saturday and the digging continued until Sunday when the backhoe decided to stop moving forward.  At this point the backhoe is needed to finish the pad and moving the dirt around is what is needed to complete the pad.  If you remember right, the last time the backhoe broke it took over 6 months to get repaired mostly due to TMT (Tennessee Mountain Time).  So, with a mess created something had to be done.  George decided to rent a backhoe to get the Pad project completed.  Monday afternoon, a backhoe was delivered and George has been digging up a storm.  Tim and George have spent the rest of Monday and into Monday night and all of Tuesday and Tuesday night working on moving the dirt and expanding the pad.  One more day, today, should do it and the pad should be well on its way to being completed.  Good thing too since Tim and I leave for Branson, MO tomorrow.  Check out the pictures of the old and new equipment and how the new pad is progressing.  Good job Tim and George! 

A Giant Spider?

I came across one of the coolest Halloween decorations I have seen in a while and it was all homemade and HUGE!  Lisa and I were driving to Morristown to do some shopping and along one of the back roads was a huge spider.  What it was made of was genius and I would love to do it myself.  The house where this was located used a rolled hay bale for the body, tubing for the legs, it had big eyes and then used some spider webbing and threw in a critter in the web.  It was great and when you drive past it really leaves an impression.  We passed it on the way to Morristown so on our way back I stopped and took a picture because it was so cool.  Way to go to the family who did it.  Halloween is only 27 days away!

Victory Lanes

The bowling alley in Newport, TN is Victory Lanes and that is also where I bowl in the Coffee League on Wednesday mornings.  As you know, I am not very good so Tim and I decided to go bowling to get some practice in for me.  I really needed to figure out what I was doing wrong and why I could not get a pattern set for bowling.  Victory Lanes is a very nice bowling alley.  It is a bit older than a lot of bowling alleys but it is well maintained and the staff is very friendly.  The best part is that it is very reasonable to play a few games.  It was quiet when we went but that was great for me because I could try things without making me look really bad; I do that really well already!  Tim and I bowled three games and after all that practice I figured out that I do not have a step pattern to approach the lane and if I don't think and just roll the bowl I do much better then when I am trying to concentrate on the pins.  It was fun and we will be going bowling more often.

Newport Fall Festival

It is fall festival time here in eastern Tennessee and for the next five weeks there will be fall festivals in the surrounding towns.  Last year I was in California so I missed all of the festivals but this year I will be able to attend a few.  The first one is the fall festival in Newport, TN.  Main Street for a couple of blocks is closed to vehicle traffic and lot of booth are set up.  The Newport Fall Festival is more of a business related festival with many businesses and churches manning booths. There are kiddie rides, food trucks and lots of games too.  They is also a Beautiful Baby Contest and the Miss Newport Pageant.  It is our least favorite festival but it is the first and gets us ready for the rest of the festivals.  Next week is Parrottsville Fall Festival.

Welcome October!

Welcome October and with it some more seasonal temperatures.  The past couple of days have been in the high 60's low 70's and at night it is getting down into the 50's.  The leaves have not started changing yet but with these temperatures it should start to happen soon.  In saying that, last night when I was coming up from the Crafty Cottage, I looked over to the mountains in North Carolina and they were glowing.  The sun was setting and lite up the mountains and even though the leaves haven't changed yet it looked like it had.  It was a beautiful sight and a nice view to end the day with.  Today, the first fall festival starts here in eastern Tennessee and for the next 5 weeks they will continue in several towns around up.  Check back tomorrow to see how the festival was.

The Earth Moved At The Farm

Yes, the Earth did move at the farm but it was moved by George and Tim.  Cross your fingers and knock on wood but yesterday the dump truck and the backhoe were both back in operation AND lasted all day.  That is all I am going to say because I do not want to jinx anything.  With the equipment working a lot of dirt was moved.  George's mountain is showibg signs of actually disappearing and the dirt from the mountain by their house is being moved to the top of the mountain where an RV pad is getting expanded.  When George fills up the dump truck with dirt then Tim drives to the top of the farm and dumps the load then returns the truck to where George is working.  The good thing is progress is being made and soon George will have more space around the house and the RV pad will be bigger too.  Let the progress continue!

Some More Fall Decorating

It is beginning to look like Fall around the farm but it is not that the leaves are changing.  So far it has been too warm for anything like that to happen.  Instead, with our decorating, Fall has come to the farm.  Lisa had decorated her back porch and it looks great.  Meanwhile, I did a little decorating in the RV.  I know I have more decorations but Tim has to climb into the basement to get them. So, until then, I did get a few things up to make it feel more like fall.  The sign area on the farm has been completed and it looks great.  We did simple decorations but it does make the area a little more festive.  Finally, we added the barn quilt I made to our mail box post.  It looks really great and you can see it well from the road.  Quick note - the Pin Busters did okay yesterday.  We won 6 of the 8 points.  As far as my bowling...I need practice!  Happy Fall everyone!

"The Magnificent Seven"

We went and saw the movie "The Magnificent Seven" yesterday.  I know it was a remake of the original one made in 1960 and I am probably the only person who has not seen the original but the remake was fantastic.  The cast was great, but then again anything with Denzel Washington in it is usually good, and the story was interesting.  It was action packed so the movie went by quickly since it was actually 133 minutes long.  If you liked the original I am pretty sure you will like this.  If you have not seen the original don't worry just go see this one; it is good!

Being Creative And A Bit Messy

Now that Christmas is less than three months away, don't hate me for bringing that up, I have been busy working on Christmas cards for my sister's November SAS which is all about Christmas and is her most popular.  Once again, I will be there for it and I am looking forward to it.  Pam does such a great job on her SAS's and the Christmas one is the best.  She has it in November so the participants have time to order and use the stamp sets to create their own Christmas masterpieces.  I will be doing the door prizes but this time I am also helping with making the cards that may be used for her SAS.  I am not normally a messy worker but I was trying to do so many different techniques that I have created a mess along the way with literally every work space in the Crafty Cottage being used.  Check out the picture posted!  I have created over 30 cards and gift tags, so far, so that Pam has several choices she could use.  I did clean up my messes at the end of the day but who wants to see a picture of that!  I will once again today be creative and messy...it's a process!

Sad Days

Sad days can come randomly but there are two days a year that are particularly sad days for me and that is just the way these two days will be.  My sad days are July 5 and September 25.  These two days are the days I lost my Dad and Mom.  July 5 has been a sad day for a very long time since I lost my Dad in 1967.  Now September 25 is be another sad day because a year ago I lost my Mom.  Do you have any sad days?  For the longest time I thought it was just me who felt this way but after talking with my sister and brothers they have felt the same on July 5 and now on September 25.  Of course yesterday was an even sadder day with the loss of  Arnold Palmer one of the greatest golfers ever.  Also because the Bears lost, again, and I got to watch it the whole thing. All my pro teams lost yesterday.  With sad days there are also Happy days and the great thing about my happy days is there are so many more of those then my sad days but that will be another post.  I do want to say thank you to my daughter Jenny who Facetimed with me yesterday morning just checking if I was okay because of what day it was.  Thanks Jen, Nate and my Rory, you made my sad day a little brighter!

Football Saturday!

I know you all know that we here at the farm are all from Florida so naturally we would be Florida Gator fans.  Now that we live in Tennessee would any of us change to being Tennessee Vols fans.  Well to live here on the farm the answer would be NO but living here in Tennessee you can't help but follow their games.  Yesterday was the Florida Gator/Tenn Vols football game played right here in Knoxville, TN.  The Gators have an 11 game winning streak going from their rivalry but Tenn is ranked higher in the polls.  So, Tim, George and Lisa were watching the game and the Gators were ahead at halftime.   Then I showed up during the 3rd quarter and things changed.  Tenn began to score.  I hope me watching the game had nothing to do with their scoring and thank goodness Lisa did not believe it otherwise I would of been kicked out of the house. The sad news for Gator fans is that Florida lost to Tennessee breaking the 11 game winning streak.  I am sorry to all the Gator fans; it was a tough loss.  Most of my college teams did not do great yesterday either  Michigan and Tennessee won but NAU, NIU and Gators lost and Navy had a bye. Another Football Saturday has come the an end.  Just waiting for the new rankings now.

The Fall Decorating Has Begun

Now that Fall is officially here it is time to start putting some Fall decorations up.  The first thing decorated was the fence and signs at the top of the mountain here at the farm.  Last year we built the fence and made the signs to help direct visitors at the farm.  This year we want to make things a little more festive so we decided to decorate for Fall.  Lisa was in town and purchased some decorations and when she got back to the farm we started decorating.  We are not quite finished so this post will be part one of the Fall decorating.  Check back for more decorating!

The Equipment Saga Continues...

The equipment saga continues here at the farm.  The day started out great with an appointment for the dump truck to get fixed and so George continued to dig up the dirt to create the cud-u-sac.  Everything was great for a couple of hours then the backhoe sprung a leak and work came to a complete stop.  A hose on the backhoe will need to be replaced so until the dirt digging will be stopped and the backhoe parked until the new hose gets delivered; bad news.  The good news is the dump truck was worked on at the farm then driven by Tim into town to have the brakes repaired.  Soon both pieces of equipment will be working again.  Until then some of the hill has been moved but there is more to do.  The saga continues!

Returning To The Pin Busters

After missing three weeks of bowling on the Coffee League I returned to my team ready to bowl.  Thank you to George and Lisa for subbing for me.  We got to throw a few practice balls and then it was time to really roll.  I am the lead off member of the team, I volunteered, and my first ball thrown was a Strike!  Okay, this was encouraging.  My second frame I got a Spare.  Things started off well. The rest of the game was okay but not great.  I ended up bowling an 89.  Okay, not great but hey, it was only the first game.  Then we started the second game and my bowling fell apart.  My first frame, in the second game I bowled a gutter ball and that continued for the next 9 frames.  Every single frame had at least one gutter ball.  What the heck was going on.  I ended up with a big 46 on the second game.  The third game I came back, after following some advice from my teammate Cheryl.  Thanks Cheryl!  I ended up bowling a 109.  So in the same day I got my lowest score, probably the lowest for the league, and my highest score so far.  Let's hope next week goes better.  Thanks to the Pin Busters for being so supportive.  Go Pin Busters!

"Sully"

We went and saw the movie "Sully" yesterday and it was not what I expected.  I thought the movie was going to be about the landing on the Hudson River and it was actually about what happened after he landed the plane on the Hudson.  The FAA put he and his co pilot through Hell and instead of treating him like a hero they were trying to prove what he did was wrong.  It was very interesting and a movie all should see.  Capt. Sullenburg was a hero but he is a modest one.  Way to go Capt. Sully!

A Mini Barn Quilt

Since living in Tennessee I have been interested in barn quilts and have seen quite a few of them on barns, homes and other buildings.  A couple of days ago I had posted that I was creating something new but would not share unless it turned out.  Well, I was creating a mini barn quilt and since I think it turned out great I am sharing it.  I am going to create a larger one for the Crafty Cottage but before I do I wanted to test out a pattern, color, paint, etc.  With the mini barn quilt I did.  I used Autumn colors because I will use the small one as a decoration and it all turned out great.  Since the mini barn quilt turned out well I now am ready to start planning the barn quilt for the Crafty Cottage.  Once I begin the project I will share and may even have a couple of polls on which pattern to use, colors, ect. so check back and see what happens.

Guest House

Our guest house was used for the first time this past week end.  What guest house?  The Little Cabin on Wheels became a guest house while Carrie and Daniel were visiting this week end.  Daniel's family has a family reunion it the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee every year around this time of the month.  This year, instead of getting a hotel room or cabin, Carrie and Daniel stayed with us and commuted to the reunion.  This way we got to see them more and they saved a little bit of money.  The guest house worked out well.  They slept good, had their own TV and a place of their own.  The only thing that was missing is a bathroom but since is sits right off the deck getting to our bathroom was easy.  We enjoyed our time together.  Thanks Carrie and Daniel for coming to visit.  They were our first guests to the farm two years ago and now they are our first overnight guests too!

Being Creative And Horse Poop

It was another hot day here at the farm and I cannot wait for the heat to go and we just get some nice warm days.  I spent the day in the Crafty Cottage working on some things.  I could not get motivated enough to work on Christmas cards so I shifted gears and started working on???  You will have to wait until I am ready to share what I have been working on.  If it turns out okay then I will share it but if it is terrible I will dispose of it and go back to card crafting.  While I was busy creating in the Crafty Cottage George was busy driving to a near by horse farm and getting the horse poop to put in the garden in the orchard.  He has tilled up the beds where the crops have been growing but are done and now it is time to treat the soil and get it ready for next year.  Thanks George, I know that is it a pretty "Sh*#ty" job.  Next summer's crops will be so good!

The Raccoon Season

With Fall just around the corner and the harvest season starting to slow way down I thought it might be a nice time to revisit "The Raccoon Season".  The raccoon season began once the first section of the corn started to mature.  We knew that the orchard is a haven for the local animals around here.  Remember the "jumping cow" who loved anything and everything in the orchard and gave us some lovely scented gifts, cough cough. and then there are the local deer that loved the orchard and were helping themselves to several of the crops and one was even bold enough to do it while we were harvesting one morning.  The opossum also liked our orchard and I am sure we had some more visitors too.  The Raccoons were the pesky ones because instead of just nibbling here or there they were on full destruction mode.  Not only did they eat all of the corn that was ready for harvest but they then trashed the corn stalks so if they missed an ear it would die and leave us with nothing.  We started the trapping the raccoons, taking them to the river and releasing them.  After talking to some experts on raccoons we discovered that the only way to get of raccoons is to kill them.  Here we thought that maybe we were making a dent in the mass destruction of the corn because we were able to actually harvest some corn but that did not last long.  We still have some corn that needs to mature but we have stopped the trapping of raccoon. We have trapped 25 raccoons so far and some were really cute but we knew we lost the war after taking 4 raccoons out in a day and then seeing a mother raccoon and her babies cross our path and head to the orchard was a defining moment that we have lost the war.  It is let bygones be bygones and a losing battle for us making the 2016 garden and harvest is the raccoon season.

Smaller Harvests

While I have been gone from the farm the harvests did not quit but they have gotten smaller.  The nice thing about smaller harvests is that it doesn't take as long to harvest or put away the harvest whether it be canning or freezing.  The strong crops that are still producing big time is the Okra and Green Peppers.  The eggplants, tomatoes and butternut squash are still hanging in there but not much is being picked.  The last two watermelons have been picked and we have thoroughly enjoyed them.  I was fortunate enough to share them with my family in Chicago and Jacksonville.  I am not a fan of the crops that are left to be harvested but when I return to the farm if there is mote to harvest I will be there to help; even if it is just Okra.  We still may have potatoes but we have to do some digging to find out.  I guess that will be a project soon.  Check back and see!

Pin Busters Win

The Pin Busters have won their first match by taking 6 of the 8 points.  According to Lisa no one bowled well, including the other team, but the Pin Busters bowled well enough to earn 6 points.  The first week we split the points 4-4.  The next week we only got 2 points.  Last week they were split again but this week we won.  So, way to go Pin Busters.  Next week I will be back and I am ready to bowl.  I don't know how well I will do but I will give try my hardest.  Thanks to Lisa and George who have been subbing for me.  I really do appreciate it.  Go Pin Busters!

Time For More Hay!

It was another Hay Day yesterday for our neighbors and Tim and George were lucky enough to help out again.  Since this is the second time doing it they now can call themselves experts.  There is a TMT, Tennessee Mountain Time, story to go along with the hay stacking.  Last week when they did their first Hay stacking the delivery guy said he would be at the neighbor's barn by 3:00pm.  So they waited and waited and then waited some more.  At 7:00 pm the hay arrived; see TMT time.  Well yesterday they were hoping to have a different outcome but this is Tennessee and it was the same delivery man so of course TMT came into play again.  The Hay was only an hour late which in TMT time equals only 5 minutes.  Thanks Tim and George for being such good neighbors and helping out the neighbors with their hay.  Now the horses in both barns will have plenty of hay to get them through the winter. 

It Is Fall At The Farm

It is Fall at the farm with the first tree changing its leaves. The first Redbud tree has had its leaves change color.  It is very pretty and I am very happy to be able to see the fall colors this year.  Last year I spent most of Sept and all of Nov in southern California and I miss the fall foliage so this year I should be able to enjoy it.  I am missing the Redbud now because I am still is Florida.  I did not drive back to the farm with Lisa because my daughter asked is I could stay a few more days and since my other daughter is driving up to Tennessee this week end I will be hitching a ride with them.  So I will be enjoying a few more days of summer while the weather is beginning to change a bit at the farm. 

The Dump Truck Saga Continues

After having the dump truck repaired and ready to go for a couple of months we now have a new part of the saga.  While George is running the front load Tim was driving the dump truck, once it was loaded with dirt, and dispensing the dirt that was being used as fill and other things.  Tim had just dump a truckload of dirt and was headed down to George's place for another load and the brakes gave out in the dump truck which was the original issue to begin with.  Luckily Tim handled the truck well and got it down the hill without injury but with the saga beginning again what is the next step with the dump truck?  Stay tuned to find out!

Pro Football Season Begins!

Today the pro teams begin their season for Football and right now everyone is even.  I know my Chicago Bears are still building a team and I always hope for a great season but I have my reservations about them.  However, with that said, it will forever be Da Bears!  I am actually only following four teams this year.  Three because I live or have lived in the area and the four is strictly curiosity.  The first team is, of course, the Chicago Bears.  The next team is the Jacksonville Jaguars because we lived in Jacksonville and because we have watched them from the very beginning.  The next team is the Tennessee Titans because we live in Tennessee and it will be the one game that will be televised for us.  The fourth team is only because I am curious about it since it just moved back to the town it originally started and that is the LA Rams.  Unfortunately, they start their season playing the SF 49ers and I hope they kill them.  I do not like what Kaepernick and how he is disrespecting our country by not standing during the National Anthem.  Somehow, I think it is just a publicity stunt to get some attention since last season was terrible for him.  Kaepernick, stop being a jerk and start appreciating what this country has done for you.  With that said I can only hope the LA Rams beat the SF 49ers.  Also GO JAGS, TITANS and DA BEARS!

Stacking Hay

Tim and George had the pleasure of helping the neighbors with some Hay.  Both of our neighbors have horses and they order their Hay together to save some money.  For the past several years they have shared the hay and stored it in one barn but this year with Tim and George adding on to our neighbor Cheryl's barn she will be able to store her hay in her own barn.  Tim and George were happy to help both neighbors get their hay stacked and ready for the fall and winter feeding.  Way to go guys!  Check out the picture of Cheryl's barn cat making itself comfortable on a stack of hay.  Do you think the cat was supervising?

A Road Created

A day after George cleared the dirt a road was created!  He realized that he still needed access to the top for some work that needed to be done so he created a road to the top.  Once he is done doing the work needed at the top he will remove the road and get everything flattened out.  I have no idea what work needs to be competed but once I find out I will share it with you! Ian very curious!

Pin Busters Subs Again

After joining the bowling league and my team The Pin Busters I have already missed two of the three weeks. Thank goodness I have two great subs to help me bowl.  The teams are made of three but ours is made of five which is pretty helpful to have two subs on the team.  George was the sub yesterday and he did so much better than I did I am in fear of losing my position and becoming a sub.  Of course George is not ready for the weekly commitment so I am safe for a while.  Unfortunately, another member of the team was sick yesterday so even with five members we ended up being short.  They still took two points.  I will be back to bowl next week and I only hope I can help my team get some points.  Thank you George for covering for me this week.  Go Pin Busters!

Digging Dirt...Progress Was Made

After a couple of days of digging dirt progress has been made and George was able to reduce part of the mountain by quite a bit.  There is still a lot more to do but when you see the picture it shows that progress was definitely made.  That is very good news for the backhoe which means its repair was a success.  The last time George had the backhoe repaired and started digging the mountain he got about few scoops moved and then the backhoe quit.  I am happy for him that it is still working and has not quit.  Maybe this time it was repaired correctly and it will continue to do well.  George operates the backhoe and Tim drives the dump truck, once full, and distributes the dirt to the various areas on the farm that need some fill.  So far so good and progress is being made.

New Project - Digging Dirt

George and Tim started a new project at the farm, digging up dirt to create a driveway/garage.  Step One, remove a mountain.  George finally got his backhoe returned to him after 5 months getting repaired.  It was done on TMT, Tennessee Mountain Time.  It sat for four months and then it was repaired.  It is working now, along with the Dump truck, I am sure you remember that TMT saga.  So the digging has begun to create a cud-u-sac to make things easier for turning around vehicles that come down to George and Lisa's place.  Check in on the progress this really should be interesting.

The Tool Shed Really Is Completed Now

The tool shed that George and Tim put an addition on is now completed inside and out.  They did a nice job and it looks like the shed was made like it.  You cannot tell that an addition was put on it.  The outside has been been completed for a couple weeks but the inside still needed work. Shelving, electricity and organizing of the shed still needed to be complete and now it is.  The tools are safe from the environment and easier to get to when needed.  Way to go George and Tim!

College Football -New Season

It's College Football season which is one of Tim's favorite times of the year.  He enjoys College Football so much more than Pro and will watch as many games as possible.  I like it too but near as much as Tim, Lisa and George.  This year I am rooting for six college teams.  Last year I think I was up to about 9 teams.  Here are my teams I will be following and tracking: Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks (NAU), Northern Illinois University Huskies (NIU), Florida Gators, Tennessee Vols, Navy, and The Michigan Wolverines.  They have all played their first games and four out of the six were successful.  Unfortunately my two favorite teams lost.  Check out the win/losses list below.  Go Lumberjacks, Huskies, Gators, Vols, Navy and Wolverines!  It's going to be a good season!

Lunch, Laundry And More

I took some time off from unpacking to go to lunch with our good friends Larry and Linda and Lisa.  Lisa had Lready had plans to meet up with them for lunch and they invited me to join them if I could.  We went to the local Mexican restaurant and hat reminds us of the one we all love in Orange Park, FL where I even have the same thing at either restaurant.  At La Nop in OP it is combo #9 and at Monterey's here in Newport it is combo #10; Two tacos, rice and beans.  We had a great time at lunch then when we got back to the farm I finished the laundry and started to repack.
Lisa and I head to Florida this morning for a week.  Lisa will be visiting her kids, Mom and friends and I will be busy helping Jenny with her business and, of course, spending time with Rory!  Meanwhile, back at the farm, Tim and George will be busy with some projects of their own which will be shared later.  Thank you Hermine for leaving the area we are traveling home through and to so quickly with minimum damage. Florida, here we come!

Back On The Farm

We are back at the farm and we were greeted by Shadow meeting us at the car.  Lisa and George have been taking really good care of Shadow while we were gone.  Shadow usually travels with us but this time we could not bring him.  Thank goodness we have such wonderful friends to take care of Shadow.  Lisa also made us dinner so we would not have to worry about what we were going to eat when we got home.  Thank you Lisa, it was delicious!  So we are back but for me it is a very busy day.  I leave for Florida tomorrow as long as Hurricane Hermine lets me go.  I  guess we will just have to wait and see.  Until we know for sure, it is good to be home!

Heading Back To The Farm

We are headed back to the farm and even though I am leaving my hometown I guess I am ready to get back to "normal".  We had a great time at Lake Geneva and Chicago and I know my Mom would have wanted it that way.  Just a side note, the pickles were a hit!  Everyone seemed to enjoy them.  Thank you to all who made it possible!  We have a long drive but we are getting out of Chicago with minimal traffic which is always good!  In a few hours we will be back at the farm so it can be just another day at the farm.

Bowling League Today

So it is only the second week of the bowling league and I am already being substituted.  Lisa and George joined the Pin Busters as subs, which I appreciate very much, since I will be hit and miss a bit in November, January & February.  Lisa will be subbing today and I know she will do great.  So even though I am not there in body I am there in spirit!  Go Pin Busters!

Not On The Farm

We have now lived on the farm for two years but have not been able to celebrate during our anniversary because we have not been on the farm when it is time.  Last year Lisa and I were in Jacksonville, FL attending a wedding of a good friend's daughter.  This year Tim and I are in Lake Geneva, WI attending a celebration of life and family reunion.  Who knows where we will be next year but if our track record has anything to do with it I am guessing it won't be at the farm.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.  Until then keep checking in as I continue the daily happenings at the farm.  It could be fun!

Missing Our Boy

We are having a great time at Lake Geneva, WI and even though we have stayed very busy we still have our moments when we miss our dog Shadow.  He is still at the farm and I know being well taken care of by George and Lisa.  There are no dogs allowed at Barr Camp so we had to leave him at the farm.  This is the first time that we have traveled without Shadow.  It seems strange not to have our boy with us.  Shadow, we will be home soon.  Thanks George and Lisa for taking care of him.

The Diamond Delema

While Tim and I are with family in Wisconsin Lisa and George are taking care of Shadow for us.  They also have visitors at the farm; their kids and their fur babies.  So they have their hands full this week end.  They all started their week end by Lisa losing the diamond off her wedding ring set.  Luckily for her it fell in her sock drawer.  There is one small problem in getting the ting fixed.,.getting it off Lisa's finger,  They all headed to Newport to find a jeweler to cut off her ring.  There were none in Neeport so they headed for Greeneville where they did find a jeweler who successfully cut off the ring and will be fixing it.  Diamond delema solved!

Celebration of LIfe

Today we are celebrating my Mom's Celebration of Life.  My mom died last September but we knew in order for the whole family to attend we had to plan it at a much later date.  We are holding her celebration in Lake Geneva, WI at Norman B Barr Camp where we use to live every August for several summers until 1967.  That is the year my Dad died and we stopped going to Barr Camp.  My brother Ford, as an adult, continued to go to Barr Camp and eventually got his own cottage.  So, we decided as a family that is where we would hold my Mom's celebration of life especially since she was born and raised in Wisconsin.  The service should be nice and I know we will do every thing we can to honor my Mom.  We love and miss you Mom!