It's About Time!

Well, before you say it just let me say it "It's About Time" that I posted a new blog. These days time has a way of getting away from you and it sure flies when you're having fun.

It seems only yesterday that I wrote--that was waaaaay back in August. Now September has come and gone and also October. We have celebrated Halloween, Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas is fast approaching.

You ask me what we have been doing?? We have been having lots of fun. Here's some snippets of what has been going on.



We spent our honeymoon in a new neighborhood - Goshen Indiana - with lots and lots of friends and a few relatives. 794 RVs and 2000 Rvers. The "shivaree" to the Amish Country was the greatest - Thanks to all of you. We'll see you in Gillette!!


We watched the kudzu grow! That stuff will cover your entire car in three days.

Had a great visit with the Wishnies and Boo Boo. We enjoyed a family Breakfast at Hardee's (where else) a great way for Jo and Fred to meet my entire family!

Walked the Appalachian Trail Hampton TN to Damascus VA with Jo and Fred - well we did slack a little.

We all enjoyed Backbone Rock

A couple of friends talking over their lawnmowers


I learned to make straight lines with my lawnmower -even in the barnyard

We enjoyed a visit from my sister

And a 1965 class reunion - NO I didn't graduate in 1965!!!!

Watched the Longhorns have a losing season

but was especially proud to see a "Future Longhorn" Carter you've stolen my heart!!

Chased an old car up the Shady Mountain - never did catch up to it!!
Spent time with family

visited some cemeteries

Stacked some wood

Enjoyed the view from my favorite mountain
got up close and personal with an old fence post

and shared a wonderful view on the Gorge

Went shopping -- it's Retail Therapy!!

Voted for and elected my favorite politician Scotty Campbell to the Republican House of Representatives --Way to go Scotty!! Now about all these taxes.......

And if this wasn't busy enough we even found the time to go to Carthage TN to spend some time with some of our favorite friends---I will save that for another blog here real soon until then you will find us "making the most of the rest of our life".

That's it for today!

Fogs in August

Well, we are three days into August and there has been fog every morning. Now some of you might think that a bit strange to be counting the fogs in August but according to the old timers the number of fogs in August predict the number of snows during the coming winter.



I remember when I was growing up it was one of the things my Dad set great store in. He had his "special jar". Usually it was a Nescafe coffee jar and beside it he had a handful of dry beans. Every time there was a fog he would put a bean in the jar. At the end of August he would put the lid on it until the first big snow. Every time it snowed he would remove a bean from the jar. At the end of winter when there were no more beans in the jar he would declare winter officially over. It was amazing to see how right he was. More often than not he was "right on". This year I have my jar and my beans and we will see if I am "right on". I will keep you posted.



Today's photo is one of a herd of cows I have been watching all summer. The owner keeps moving them from pasture to pasture and I keep trying to get them all to stand still for a group photo. (For a larger photo double click on photo).





That's it for today.

Things I Did This Summer

Well, it has been a wonderful summer so far---most days I am on my lawn mower trying to keep up with weeds which seem to grow despite the dry hot humid weather of the south. After a thunderstorm or two the grass begins to green up again and I am right back where I started - mowing grass.

In my spare time I have been out and about taking a few photos how I am spending my summer.

Watching the deer grazing in a hay field.

Waiting for ripe tomatoes

I never tire of seeing this hill every day

A "fiddle concert" on the porch

Brown trout - just the right size for smoking

1960 classmates - 50 Year Reunion

Canning Half Runners

Watching the "9 O'clock Bloomers every night

How can they tell time??

Eating fresh vegetables right from the garden

Joshing with the local politicians

More deer grrazing

watching the flowers bloom

and that's how I am spending my summer. That's it for today.

Company's Here!

Well, Darrell says, "It was way back in the year of Ought Six" and Jenny says, "It was umpteen million years ago" when we first met.

Actually, it was more than three years ago when we both stumbled into the RV Dreams Chatroom and made our acquaintance--virtually that is. The fact is we had never laid eyes on each other until today and what a wonderful meeting it was.


When we found out Darrell and Judy were making a special trip to our neck of the woods just to meet us I was so excited. I have to admit Don was a little skeptical at first, "You mean you have talked to them for over three years and you've never met them? "Yes", I said, "that's true but I do know them. I can tell you the names of their kids, where they live, when the latest grandchild was born and I can also tell you about the Katts, Alex and Katie, and where they have been and where they are going. Heck, I can even tell you how Darrell even got his given name of PA". PA says it is his given name because Jenny J "gived" it to him.

After emails and facebook messages we set the date and Ms Judy offered to cook dinner. We arrived at Lakeview RV Park in Bluff City, TN, their home for three days and it was like old home week greeting friends you hadn't seen in awhile.





After visiting for awhile and "catching up" on all the news, PA and Ms Judy prepared a wonderful dinner followed by a scrumptious chocolate pie and coffee. I was "full as a tick".

More conversation ensued, RVer's we had met, places we had been, and even talk about another "get together" -- maybe next time in our hometown of Mountain City. Too soon it was time to leave and so we said our "see ya's" till next time we meet face to face.



Until then, there's is always the chatroom, emails and facebook -- With good friends like Darrell and Judy you always want to stay in contact.

That's it for today.



Note From Don: First impressions are usually lasting ones. If all RV'ers are as nice and friendly as Darrell and Judy I look forward to joining the RV community and meeting a lot of new friends. --DM

On The Road Again

Well, it is way past time for a new blog so I thought i would take you on a trip------

It was last year when my sisters, my brother and I had a great idea -- The last time we were all together for any length of time was too many years ago so what would it be like if we all went to visit our sister who lives in Vermont. After planning and adjusting our schedules and readjusting our schedules we were just like Willie Nelson's song On The Road Again. The only thing we had to leave behind was our brother who was unable to get away. Join us as we travel to East Haven, Vermont.

Leaving Mountain City In The Broad Daylight

Traveling through rolling hills of Virginia

we used our handy GPS whom we affectionately call "Rover"

along with our trusty map

and printed directions from the internet

we traveled through Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

As we traveled through the night and into the morning some of us even had "cat naps"

before we reached New York and a beautiful sunrise and then a huge fog bank which was like driving through "pea soup".

In Lake George we stopped at a restaurant which advertised a "bountiful breakfast buffet". That, in itself should have given us a clue --- but we were starving and thought any kind of food would be appetizing. Let's just say we won't be stopping there on the return trip home. I did try to call Jesse and Ginger but was unable to connect with them.

After miles and miles of New York and New York and New York we finally caught a glimpse of New Hampshire and then on into Vermont.

As we traveled from White River Junction into Vermont we stopped for a stretch at an ice cream stand where some of us admired these pretty berries
while others had a "two scoop" ice cream cone
or a milkshake
In Vermont we passed pretty churches
Oops same church

beautiful old houses

pretty green mountains

rocks

and beautiful scenery

until we reached our destination of East Haven, Vermont. For the next few days we look forward to lots of visiting, eating and sightseeing. We have a very loving family and we all are very blessed.

Stay tuned to this blog -- I am on the lookout for a moose--as soon as I find one you'll be the first to know!

That's it for today!