A Saturday Vibe

 Good morning from the foggy valley. It's the kind of fog that counts for how many snowfalls in the winter. Word from most is a cold winter but we hear that almost all the time toward the end of August. We shall see. My eyes are looking for those signs, those hints of fall. Poplar trees are moving right along as well as sugar maples in color and then into winter transition. These welcomed cooler temps of the last week are so welcomed, just giving those of us who are autumn people that little extra spring into our steps hoping fall, not falls so guess autumn, to begin. 

Since the first of the year it has felt like I've dealt with an overwhelming general malaise. Not just physically but mentally as well. A few small flare ups of afib that haven't been bad, just annoying. Knocked out a few Dr visits and the next one comes in September. I made the appointment in June, confirmed in July and put on the cancellation list. Either the list is long or no one wants to cancel.  On Monday I took G Mo for his snip snip procedure and didn't leave the house until Thursday night for choir. Other than during the pandemic, this has to be a record of consecutive days at home. Friday, started out with me not feeling good but got better after breakfast. We decided to make a trip over to TN. TN is not charging taxes on food for the month of August and since the stores had a couple of things on sale that we use regularly, we headed that way. Just hit two stores and no Johnson City. On the way home we also stopped at Publix cause they have the butter we use two for one. I think we can clearly classify ourselves as older types when the big activity of the day is grocery shopping. Once September hits, hopefully we can make it to a couple of places for a day trip or two. 

Being around home this week there wasn't the excitement of the toddler and the dogs, but I did see the sister that was supposed to keep an eye on the guy, maybe 4 1/2. Thursday night was choir and afterwards Teresa and I visited out in the parking lot. Since I silenced my phone for choir I and didn't notice any vibrations from the phone, I was clueless to the texts Roy sent. It was later than usual so when I got in the car I called Roy and he told me it was now safe to come home. What??? He said look at the texts and sure enough he texted me about gunfire nearby, not like target shooting but like someone desired to scare or direct these shots toward something or someone in particular. He called the sheriff's office to report. Before they could arrive it all stopped. So, Roy called them back. Last night some people down the road were setting off big booming firecrackers and small ones as well intermixed with a few shot gun sounds. Sometimes as busy and as noisy as our road can get, the sounds of car or motorcycle intimidation happens, now a little more than usual. It sounds intimidating because those are the sounds in bigger cities that someone is sending a message. Haven't a clue if the same  here or not. 

It feels a tad strange after working so hard to pay off law school loans back in the day that now a $10,000 debt forgiveness would be possible. This is not a political discussion just a remembrance as Roy worked so hard to go to law school, at night. That meant four years rather than three. He finished the last three years without any paid vacation and working three jobs. When he was laid off, he lost his company car so we were down to one car. I picked him up at U of H four nights a week after classes. For everything else he depended on taking the bus, after I had dropped him off at the Park and Ride in the mornings to go to work.  Many times on the bus, he felt threatened but made the best of a bad situation. We scrimped and saved and finally was  able to buy him a small truck, paying cash for it because we knew after he graduated those loans would kick in. He took the least amount of school loans to just cover books, tuition and other incidentals involved for school. Some of his friends took out loans to use for living expenses. After graduation we owed thousands of dollars but his friends owed hundreds of thousands of dollars. Several loans, the interest rate was ginormous and seemed almost to have you in their clutches for an inordinately long period of time. Roy clerked in law school and assisted a lawyer part time after graduation. All that schooling made him realize he didn't really want to practice law in a courtroom. That's good cause Roy doesn't have a poker face. His specialty more so, contract law and he used his law degree in his work. Law school was a great decision for him. It matured him and taught him the way to think in solving issues and such.  Law school and Toastmasters were great decisions on his part. I will never forget the day those college loans were paid off. We had doubled up on payments, so we didn't travel much, didn't eat out anywhere too costly and cut back on other things to pay off the loans, early. 

Hezekiah part two has surely been eye opening. This week while studying for the lesson, I have learned so many things and insights into his life even more than expected. We start Amos next week so, it will have to be a wrap this Sunday. 

Last night I was looking at Macy's and Nordstrom online. Roy said he had heard from all his financial programs he follows that now is a good time to buy overstocked stuff from Macy's and Target. We have taken advantage of those opportunities, plus the discounts given as birthday gifts. Macy's has tons of stuff whereas The Nord, not so much. I mainly was looking to see what from last winter is still in style. Not that this would affect anything, still going to wear the same old stuff. Hey, I'm old and earned that right. The shacket is still popular although not too much of a fan...even in flannel. 

Roy had all the fun this morning going to the dump. The Boys are behaving out on the porch and time to get this finished up. 

Wrapping Up On A Wednesday

 The month of August is wrapping up with foggy mornings, the thick kind of fog. Although, we live in a small valley, so fog accumulates a bit more some days. Yesterday, I took G Mo to the vet for his snip snip procedure. The fog thick and early commuters along with trees being trimmed back on the river road made for a morning adventure. G Mo came through the procedure with flying colors and now the fun begins. No rough play for several days and that means keeping The Boys separated which is difficult. Now, they want to be together and G Mo came home famished from his procedure pre-fast. His diet should be light but the boy wants to eat. We let him this morning and then some meloxicam for the inflammation. Mr Mo is a tad lonely out on the porch without his cuzbro. Thus, he is wont to get into trouble like climbing up to the top of the screen. 

I would like to think maybe my email and comments to a national retailer of women's clothes helped change their policy. They have made pricing equal and they carry some big girl sizes in their stores now. These days I can wear pants in the smaller girl sizes but it certainly is welcomed. 

We are doing a two parter of Hezekiah. Such an interesting king and follower of God. We got to his prayer with the threatening letter all rolled out for the Lord to see. We looked at the threats that were made and how those tactics are the same time old tactics of our adversary. We also spent a little time discussing Hezekiah's tunnel. In 1988 it was not the spiffed up version that is available now. Our group went through it on an extra day we had in Jerusalem. The men who built it were short and fortunately for some reason, I brought the Eddie Bauer flashlight you put in your mouth thus freeing up your hands to cling to the side of the walls. 

Today, we need to slice peaches and get them ready for the freezer. We are loaded with strawberries and blackberries. Nothing like summer fruit in the cold of winter. The prediction this year is snowy December and shivering January and February. I have not seen any wooly worms to bear this out though. Someone put a picture of an asp, white deadly stinging caterpillar, on FB and said it will be a very snowy winter. Someone kindly told her, that is an asp and don't touch it cause it will burn and hurt immensely. When we were kids our mom wouldn't let us go barefoot in August because of the asps. Whatever trees that were in the front yard held an attraction for them to congregate. 

Roy sprayed the firs yesterday for bagworms. Even got up on a ladder to get the ones residing in the top. He will probably spray the apples trees for Japanese beetles this evening. Just have a few more ginger gold apples to pick and we are calling it quits for the season. 

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Day 2 of keeping The Boys separated has started. Let's just say no one is happy and I will leave it at that. 

In 1987 the book A Southern Family by Gail Godwin was published. I've had the book for years and it has made many moves. Yesterday, I finally began reading it. I knew in that long ago, a day would come when not satisfied with anything I am reading that it would come to the rescue. It was a slow start for me but I told Roy all the thoughts on patterns of life and such, well I loved to read that kind of thing back in the day. Now, not so much but I can appreciate her ideas. I think the story takes place in Asheville or maybe one of the smaller towns. I recognized some places as the characters describe where they are going or have been. Now in 1987 I would not have recognized anything relating to NC. 

I woke up last night and could not go back to sleep. Quietly as not to wake The Boys, I came downstairs and read. Slept in a little this morning.

Well, we put the boys to bed. We are exhausted from them as well as work outside in the side flowerbed. Getting those sunflower seeds ready to plant next winter. 

Just Stuff For Now

 Roy is out running errands and then working out. The Boys are on the back porch behaving and Mike the Mower Man is weed eating both front and back. After a couple of weeks with rain included it was a tad overgrown and messy. This leaves me here with my own quiet and thoughts. Really, my thoughts should be on Sunday and Hezekiah. I'll get there soon enough though. 

We have found a new house to play our game, "Would We Buy This House if We Were Younger." This one is in Burnsville, just a little north of the city. While higher than what we would like for the flood zone, I think we have determined that we would purchase this house if we were younger...it is tempting now to tell the truth, but no go, we like where we live. The Burnsville house has a small, I mean cozy second building that has kitchen, bathroom, great porch and such. A small stream runs in front of the property and yes, I checked to see what the flood zone rating is. Just a tad below the extreme level of the Flag Pond house. 

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We had such an eventful yesterday. Our plans were to head out early to Barbers Orchard, Duckett's and Pigeon River Mercantile in Canton. Coffee on the back porch with Roy and The Boys. Roy went to feed the Feral Fam and that is when the morning broke open. Two big dogs and a toddler with a battery operated riding tractor were in the backyard. After all the events of the day, we reviewed the security camera and the boy and the dogs spent a good deal of time on the front deck off the front porch. With new neighbors moving in and after talking with the boy, they headed up to the house of new neighbors. I will spare details since I wrote about this on FB but the boy returned home after getting out of the watch care of a sister and finding out the two dogs were not theirs and protecting the Feral Fam from attack we were exhausted. The Boys were frightened by the big dogs, who seemed very friendly, and would not come out from underneath the day bed. Add to this, we found three dead kittens. We gathered them up and put them where flies and other creatures could get to them and just assumed they had been killed by the dogs. It was quickly becoming a situation where we both said, we need to get out of the house for a bit. So, without further delay we headed over to Haywood County like we originally planned, just a little later. When we got home we began preparations for the kittens we found and soon realized the dogs had not taken their lives but neglect of their mother, who we really didn't even know she had kittens. These were very young maybe not even a week old. I did some research why cat moms sometimes do this and have a better understanding. We have help coming, so that is good. The Feral Fam population has thinned somewhat due to the change in food, almost always dry food and less interaction with them. In the garage it is easy to pet them and such, but they lose the trust somehow in the great outdoors. 

Today we need to get the corn ready to freeze and start slicing and freezing peaches. Every year I order Amish peaches from Troyers and they are so good. Lots of work but it will go faster this year since I have a helper.   

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We got the corn done on Sunday afternoon. All packed away in the freezer.

Since it is taking forever for this post, I'll close it for now. Tomorrow is the big day for G Mo, a little snip snip surgery. 

Cool Temps, We Will Take Them

 The sound of progress and the fragrance of tar is in the air early this morning. Progress on repaving the road paused then completely stopped as we received bountiful and needed rain. The rain lasted into the early evening. Made for good napping weather especially on the back porch. It even had an effect on The Boys as their roughhousing slowly came to a close and ending with them on the day bed with me. This morning we all started out on the porch enjoying the bit of cool we experience in the morning and evening. A cold front is forecasted to come through tonight giving us less humidity and lower temps. Oh yes, for the weekend that hint of autumn. For this we give thanks. 

Last night I watched the hymn sing at Houston's First Baptist. Mark Lowry streamed it from his FB page. I sat here and sang along with every hymn. Deep and meaningful words and along come memories of singing these as a child and teenager. Those words came alive so many times to help but I have to admit there were many more times I just sang, without paying attention to the words, by rote because I knew verses 1,2 and 4. Interestingly, here when we sing a hymn in church, we sing ALL the verses. I told the pastor at the time, if Just As I Am was sung the Sunday we joined the church, we would make our way forward on the last verse. It was fun seeing long time friends singing in the choir last night. 

Yesterday afternoon, while studying for Sunday, I learned a lot about the division of the Samaritans and the Jews. When it all started, what made the situation worse and then the eventual breaking point between the two groups. One commentary said that after both the north and the south kingdoms being in exile, there was probably just as much Jewish blood in each group. The religious rift was, Samaritans only believed the Pentateuch, none of the poetry, history or prophets. They didn't worship in or acknowledged Jerusalem because it was not mentioned in the first five books. Push came to shove and they built their own temple and had their own priests. Both groups shared Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob though. It's kind of like when rivals in the SEC meet in grocery stores or sporting good stores. After both sides talking about the greatness of their team or school, we can agree on one thing, how much we both dislike Alabama. (apologies to Alabama friends...it is getting very close to football season.)

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We have changed our plans several times already this morning and I think we have finally decided what we will get taken care of first and what can be done next week. This has been an odd week but a good week. It is a week I have needed to get back on track health wise. 

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And here we are on Monday August 15th. Funny thing about the 15th, this was Roy's original date for retiring. That news popped up on my calendar this morning but we have been talking about over the past few days. We are glad, except for being robbed, that the timing of Roy retiring in December happened. Roy sensed that he needed to be here for me and truly, that is the truth. Someone said the other day to me, I was worried about you and having Roy here all the time might be a difficult adjustment. No, it really has been a smooth ride with just a couple of minor pot holes...like forgetting Roy has the deep pause before he speaks and such. The stress in the office was palatable in his voice when we talked and he was dealing with political issues more so than projects or work concerns. When the part of the project he was working on neared completion, he and the company saw the timing of retirement and he jumped at that chance. He clearly sounds better and the stress level is minimal. 

Now it is Tuesday. The bike repairman has been here and left. Roy is on the back porch with The Boys and I just finished up breakfast. The sounds of road work greets us this morning and having that smooth road is worth the noise and the wait one can encounter with one lane open roads. 

The next few days brings cooler temps, our highs in the upper 70s. That is a welcomed temp. Last night when Roy picked tomatoes and I went through the sunflowers leaving some for the birds and taking some sunflower heads into the garage to dry over the winter, we appreciated the breeze that made the work more enjoyable. More work later but today errands are calling and we must go. 

Usual and Unusual and Unexpectedly

 Good Tuesday morning! We slept in this morning while not unusual for me, it is for Roy. So, before going downstairs I checked on him to make sure he was okay. Yep, just stayed up a little later than usual. 

We went to Costco yesterday. Roy likes the Kirklands brand of Kind Bars, so he was out and was almost out of smashed avocado spread for his eggs. Not only did we pick up needed supplies, we also found a very limited display of Christmas items. The small pre-lit birch trees were a good buy and we will use them on the front porch during the holidays. On the way home we stopped at Red Hill Orchard which is on the same exit as Strawberry Hill but in the opposite direction and only two miles down the road. We picked up peaches and muscadines. Roy freezes the grapes and has them as a snack in the fall and winter months. 

Last week we both had eye doctor appointments. Mine, as usual, quick and easy. Roy, well not so much as he has an eye that always brings in other doctors and such to look at him during the exam. He was there longer than me, he went the next day, and he goes back sooner than me. In the midst of appointments there were the Wee Ones that we had rescued from fleas and flies. We kept the clean, hydrated, fed and loved but the internal goings on were just too much to overcome. Our neighbor had guidance from her friend who is a vet and Peanut did not make it either. So, it is sad to report that one of the ones who did not make it was Bear. Just about broke both of our hearts. 

In related Feral Fam matters, we have not seen Sweetie. This is not unexpected but it is sad. This afternoon while cleaning out pics on my phone, I saw several of her as a kitten and when she was a little older. It broke me, I cried. She was one of the most beautiful cats around here. She was compassionate and kind to the others. She did not deserve this treatment by that mean old King Herod. 

On Wednesday last week, I met my brother Doug at The Blue Rooster for lunch and it was yummy. We then went to Sylva to look at a couple of antique stores and the bonus score was finding Asheville Popcorn, Bourbon Cinnamon Pecan, at the cheapest price yet. We stopped at Barber's Orchard and then tried to go over to Duckett's and Canton but they had a pretty fierce storm come through knocking out electricity and with the flash and crashing thunder as we started to get out of the car, we decided it was time to leave. On Thursday, my birthday, we went over to Burnsville stopping in at Christy's Crafts first, then heading over for lunch at the Cast Iron Kitchen and a saunter through Lamp Post Vintage Market. Such a fun day and I will do a separate post on the surprise that Doug brought. 

Trying to be a good choir member, I went to choir Thursday night. Think we might start having choir on Thursday nights and that makes Sunday a whole lot easier. Nothing like the beautiful voices of a choir singing Happy Birthday. 

We are still trying to solve the unsellable house mystery in TN. I just checked the listing and I see it is contingent. Zillow gives more of the story than realtor.com. We are not interested in buying the house but the contract, not under contract thing several times in the span of weeks got our interest. Being over that way on Friday, we did a drive by. Beautiful home but no for sale sign in the yard. It had been taken off the market on 8/2 and listed again on 8/4. My brother being involved in flipping houses said it was probably an inspection problem. I thought the back part of the yard was not terraced enough to prevent massive amount of rain and water getting into the house. More detective work and I found it is in an extreme flood zone and flood insurance would be needed for sure. There is a small creek near the property as well. Soon, we will have to find another listing to play if we were younger would we buy this house game. If we see House Hunters on TV, we play the game that before they even see the first house, we guess which one they will choose. 

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The Boys are wild this morning with energy. Roy is trying to have his quiet time but I don't think they want him quiet timing. The fragrance of asphalt is in the air as our road is being repaved. Hallelujah! Last night we were watering plants in hope of rain taking over. I began going through the sunflowers and getting the flowers that were done blooming for planting next year. I share the bounty with the birds and leave some or take some of the heads and put them in the feeders for them. While we were outside I got the chance to see and then get the two of Mama Cat's litter. Off and on the past few weeks I have seen them and heard them, but we assumed they were no longer around since no sign of them in the last week. From a distance, I thought they might have matted eyes and they do. Got some antibiotics in them and cleaned out their eyes. A little squirt of peppermint flea spray, not too much since they are young, and took them back to Mama Cat. She was nervous that I took them but I think she knows we are trying to help them and her. Once you clean out those eye buggers and get their eyes open, it is such a joy to watch them realize they can see. They are not weaned but they are both boys. 

I made crock pot applesauce yesterday from some of Roy's apples. Turned out pretty good. Think he was surprised when he got back from working out and picking up a few items from Publix to see the crock pot fired up. An unusual sight in the summer but a regular for winter. 

The temps are forecasted to be cooler beginning tomorrow. We might see lows in the mid to upper 50s. July is usually the hottest month in the summer with hit and miss relief in August. Counting fog mornings to keep tabs on how many snow showers we will have in winter. It's an inexact science but fun. As of yet, no wooly worms have been around.

Updates on The Feral Fam and The Boys

 We are exhausted with all our cat and kitten care. The third day in a row we have punted our original plans and adjusted accordingly. When spending time with the boys on the back porch I have been writing out and working on tomorrows lesson. Hopefully, I will not say so Elisha, Mr Mo and G Mo went out into the desert. Just an example, no desert in the lesson. The boys are conked out in sleep after a vigorous morning of play. We are too but the luxury of a nap isn't in the plans right now. The first check of the morning was on the little one that I didn't think would last the night. He did. He was really bad off yesterday and we worked very hard to get all those things off of him. I brought him to the back porch to dry off and much to my surprise he took several syringes of milk. I put him in the carrier with Lamp Chop and some water. Such a great surprise and joy to see him moving about. So, food was brought to him and he ate most of it. A little later he joined his sibcousins for inspection and the bucket brigade. In the garage we hunted down the deadly foes, flies. Just some small ones so the weapons of our warfare are fly swatters. We took out about five of them. Think there might be one or two more for the hunt. So, set free a few played then they all went to the cardboard box. Then some ate. Like I said a lethargic group for sure. We will get more kitten milk on our errands today. 

Last night we had just fallen into bed and almost fast asleep, the electricity went out. I jumped up to check and see if it was an area thing or just us. Looked to be area. It didn't last long but the generator kicked in. Such a good investment that's for sure. Soon enough power restored and we checked around and in the garage to see how the troops were doing. They slept right through it. Now a funny thought came to mind. When I was in the 7th grade or so, we went on vacation to Cherokee Village, Arkansas. We stayed with my grandparents in their air stream, which is already cramped with just two people. My mom and I drew the lucky straw and we both had to sleep up in the bunk in the back of the air stream. It was like sleeping in a crowded coffin. My brother and father slept in the table that makes out into a bed below us. Can I tell you it was stinkin' hot. No AC, no breeze and we are up in the heat sleeping in the size of a little wider space than a twin bed. My mother asked that a fan be turned on to keep the air moving up there, but my grandmother was hesitant, she just knew if the fan ran, it would blow a fuse. Finally, she gave in to our request and wouldn't you know it, the power went out about fifteen minutes later. Not just the trailer but the whole area. My grandmother wasn't a bit too happy and she berated my mom for causing the whole camping area to lose electricity. Now, it wasn't the fan at all but I cannot help but tell you that last night this story of the fans came to me as we left them on in the garage. I asked Roy do you think the fans did this? Uh, no.  

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All this began on July 29th and now it is August 8th. What a week! It has been a hard week with good interspersed throughout. The saddest news is five of the little kitties did not make it thus forcing us to make the decision to take the remaining ones to the humane shelter to give them a chance. Our neighbor had taken one from the crew to see if she could help it and thus helping us know how to fight the battle of flies and fleas. She had help from the vet friend and Peanut didn't make it but like ours passed away clean and loved. We had put up two more playpens in the house to help them but the four who made it regularly ate both from the bottle and wet food. The kittens were weaned but took both kinds of food. Cutie and the cat who abandoned her babies to her sister finally figured out their kids were on the front porch from time to time. Cutie sat and watched and cooed to them. Tupac watched for a bit and she was off. Both Roy and I shed some tears over these babies. Wednesday Roy took Beulah, Busby, Bizby and Joey B to the shelter. At the same time Sweetie is declining. I think she has a bacterial infection and since she won't let me near her, never has let me, we are limited in helping her. This is the result and work of one KH with his signature hip injury but this time he went after her throat and that seems to be what has caused her decline. On Saturday she briefly let me touch her back in a petting way but it was one touch and she moved away. Several days earlier she did the kitty eye blink which is an honor to receive from a kitty. She did it over and over. Highly unusual because I never could get her to respond to my eye blink in all this time. The Feral Fam has taken a hit this summer. The Fam is not happy they are being fed outside and not in the garage. Insult to injury, we are mostly giving them dry food and we sneak wet food to Sweetie. In these summer months they didn't really use the garage and for one, I am happy to have a lot less flies around. 

The Boys are doing well and even sleeping and cuddling up together for some naps. They both fell asleep on my lap last night. We are introducing them to house life and freedom a little bit at a time, well hours at a time but I do want them to sleep at night in the playpen cause mama here, needs her sleep. That time schedule got pushed back when the kittens came in and so much of our attention was deflected. Mr Mo now greets me on the back porch after I place them down. He comes running with or to me and sits for a quick minute before he is off to eat or conquer the cat tree/condo. G Mo is a very healthy eater and is an equal rival for Mr Mo. They are so fun to watch. 

There was so much more to the week but since this has mainly been themed around The Feral Fam and The Boys, I decided to begin another post later today or tomorrow.