How about that Texas weather?

Leaving the Farm on Father’s Day, we rambled on down to Aberdeen and spent a few days finishing up some projects at the park.

It was SO HOT and humid in Carolina…..more so than back in Montpelier and it was really HOT there!!   So our Texas friends were smiling and saying “Just wait til you get to Texas…it’s really going to be hot and humid”.   So, we’re thinking “O K, we’ll be well prepared for the heat and humidity in Livingston”.  But…guess what?  The hurricane that brushed Texas pulled all of the humidity and much of the extreme heat up to the Northeast…it has been almost delightful since we arrived!   Makes for great walks in the evenings and most nights Kellie and I swim for a couple of hours…and it’s chilly when we get out!!! Who knew???  It’s beginning to get hot again, but so far the humidity has remained on the low side, making for some pleasant summer days.

I drove much of the way into Texas; Bob decided to share the wheel  so I got lots of time in the seat. Easy travel days, and we headed to Lufkin to spend a little time with Keith and Donna…..

They are finally settled into their lovely new home; of course the cards came out and Hand N Foot ensued.   The gals got stomped…really stomped.   If you read Keith’s blog, you already know this!!   There WILL be a rematch for sure!!

Arriving in Livingston on the 29th, we got our hugs from Tommie Sue, Harrell, Kellie and Walt.  After settling in, we got to work on the advance planning for Escapade.  These guys are just the best to work with; along with Bud and Cathie, we do a lot of brainstorming and feed off each other pretty well so there’s a lot of progress and a lot of fun going on!!  Yes, lots more card games, and Bob says to make sure to say that I’m still not winning!   But Kellie and I did have a victory one night….must have been brief because it’s long since forgotten…. And then there’s Farkle and bowling to add to the fun.

So life is pretty good in Livingston these days and the wheels will soon be rolling North…but so far we are loving this Texas weather!!!

Hugs to everyone!

Down on the Farm

After our time at Tiff’s, we returned to Montpelier to  do ‘farm things’.   Being one of the hottest June’s I can remember, we just kept on doing our thing, and spending as much time as possible with the kids.   Paul was on vacation from the House most of the time we were there, so he and Bob got lots of things done, while I……..

gathered and washed eggs (that’s only about four dozen, Deb!)…..and “mow de lawn”…….…there is soooo much grass to cut! (We’re still waiting for Dortha to send Andrew up!) Since it’s something I enjoy doing,  it seems nice to give Katie and Paul a break from their routine.

I love working outdoors, and decided that I would tackle some of the undergrowth while the guys were building a “chip pit” for Katie.   (This is for the wood shavings (chips) that go in the stalls)   Well, the undergrowth project proved to be a mighty one…so after complaining that I had NO power tools(well, none that I could handle myself!)…and the guys have every conceivable powered tool, machine or device known to man…..I got a  “Goat”…..yes, indeed, this goat eats everything, and I can clear around fence lines,  drives, the barn, creek….you name it, and the goat will chew it up!! I am a happy girl!!!   So, many of the days were spent behind my goat…..we were delighted to discover blueberries growing all over the front hill.…the goat spared most of those. 

After we got the bushwacker  home, I couldn’t help but think about Daddy’s “goat”…..he had a yard and leaf vacuum, which Mama always called “the goat”.   It must have weighed about 3oo pounds and was self propelled; he used it constantly to vacuum the yard.   After Daddy died, I remember trying to use that old goat, which must have been at least twenty years old by then….it was way too heavy for me  to manage.  I’m not sure who got it, but that old goat was still running strong when Mama sold her home.   The new “goat” weighs much less and eats much more….maybe  it will  last for the next twenty years!!! 

While I am not a “horse girl”….I did get smitten by Sir George, which Heaven foaled in April.    He is a friendly little guy…and loves attention!

Here’s Katie getting ready to ride Robin….. So we finished out our days with the kids having many wonderful breakfasts, lots of road trips (a road trip is anywhere past the little town of Montpelier) and dinners, both home cooked and ‘on the road’.  Paul and Katie took us to Maggiano’s  for a wonderful dinner one evening… umm, umm, good!!! :)

And here are the “guys”, together on Father’s Day before we left, headed to Aberdeen, then on to Texas……    …it has been  wonderful being here with the kids; we love working alongside them on the Farm, and we sure will miss them!!   Y’all stay cool and HUGS to everyone…we are Texas bound!

From the Farm to the city

 

We left the Farm for several days and headed to Catonsville to spend some time with Scott and Tiff.  While not a “city” girl,  I really like the little town of Catonsville, which lies just West of Baltimore and has remained relatively untouched by the “hood” atmosphere  found in some of Baltimore.   It’s kind of like a small town with with all the amenities of a large city.   The weather was amazing….no humidity, bright and sunny.  So most mornings  found us having breakfast on the sidewalk at Dusenberg’s…… mmmm, mmmm, good……

then we’d walk up the street to  Sugarbakers to buy Smith Island Cake, and over to Atwater's Bread  for fresh bread.  

Then it was back to Tiff’s to help with a few projects.   They have just remodeled their kitchen, taking out a wall in the process.   They did a beautiful job designing their own kitchen and making it just what they wanted……

  they did keep the dining room, along with Grannie’s china cabinet and mine……it is so welcoming!!!  When I was growing up, Mama always kept the lace tablecloth on the dining room table, with another color under it (always red at Christmas time) and a heavy, plastic protector over it all.   I always swore that I would never do that…but,  I sure did, and I loved it.   (Don’t look too closely at that table) :)

So, Bob helped finish up a few things and I helped do a good clean up after all the sheetrock dust and just to generally get things back together after two months of construction in their home.   And of course, there were long walks with little oggy-doggy the princess Beagle, Dixie.  

On one of the gorgeous evenings, we all went out to Camden Yards to see the Orioles play the Yankees.   A really beautiful stadium, and  the Yankees out-classed them, (no surprise there!) including a grand slam home run, but it was a great night at the ball park!

It is just so nice to spend time with the kids and enjoy a little part of their lives.  I miss them so when we leave, but we always make some good memories and look forward to our next visits. I even managed to drive around town for several days and emerged relatively unscathed, save for quite a few “one finger” salutes from those crazy Maryland drivers (apologies to all of our Maryland friends!) :)

All too soon it was back South down I 95 to Montpelier….and lots more Farm projects with Paul!!   

Hot...hot....hot

No...it's not snowing in Virginia...it is hotter than blue blazes; while I was on the tractor cutting the grass under those Pear trees today, I kept thinking about how pretty they looked all covered with snow...they look pretty nice when they're blooming in the Spring, and when they start to turn russet in the Fall. And since I really LIKE to cut grass, they looked great to me today, too!!! But that photo just makes it seem cooler....that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!! :)

Back on the Farm is where we are....Bob and Paul are doing their "projects"...the biggest of which is trenching, laying and completing new water lines and power lines over to the machine shop, our parking spot, and the front pasture. They have mostly completed this little chore. My job is to cook breakfast and dinner, and I love doing it!!! Usually I will run out to the hen house for fresh eggs in the morning...to snatch a still-warm egg.
Colonel Sanders (the loudest rooster) makes sure we are awake every day at 0'dark thirty and the guys get an early start, trying to beat the heat!!!

I did have to break down and do one of the dreaded "Three P's"....which I don't ever do. (For those that don't know, the 3 P's are Pee, Poo, & Puke.....all of which are abundant here at the Farm) Katie is so good about taking care of the animals...she mucks the stalls and cleans up when the dogs or kitties or whoever throws up; so I will cook and clean, and cut grass and help the guys with the projects...but I don't do the 3 P's!! BUT Paul hurt his back the other day, and he had to take the horse trailer to get Heaven and George.....and there was a huge pile of......you guessed it......POO....in the trailer.....so I had to oblige!!
Don't worry...it will not become a habit!!!! (That stuff is heavy when it's wet!) :)

So, life is pretty good here at the Farm and I am enjoying every minute...the time is going by so quickly and it feels so good to have life in the slow lane, for just a little while!!

Back in Carolina

Just a quick to post to say that we are back in the Sandhills of North Carolina, busy as beavers, crossing things off our lists!!!

After managing to get out of Betty's web, we made our way up to Red Bay, AL and had a good visit at the Tiffin Factory Service Center. Greg, the technician in Bay 35 was very proficient, and got lots of things fixed for us pretty quickly, including the living room roof leak!! They also laid out a plan to replace the floor tiles and attempt the wall work when we return, so things are looking up.

They got us out promptly, so we made it to the Multi-Chapter Rally in Marion, NC in time to enjoy a little fun with those guys....Bryan & Jane and Larry & Marilyn hosted a fun rally in a lovely mountain location!

Larry and Marilyn

That's just called "T R O U B L E"!


Then it was on to Pine Forest Park in Aberdeen, NC...right there with Pinehurst and Southern Pines, and all the other small Southern towns that are "all about the pines" in the Sandhills of Carolina. We are working our bums off, but having a great time getting lots of things done. I took a few days and hopped on the train in Southern Pines to spend Mother's Day weekend with Tiff and Scott....that was a real treat, and it was, indeed, a wonderful Mother's Day. That picket fence I have long been wanting, was waiting for me when I returned...Bob had been a busy guy!!!

Yesterday, we had a great visit with Barb and Bob, who are nearby at Sycamore Lodge in Jackson Springs!!! It was a real treat to spend the day with them, share some laughs and some good fried chicken and Carolina BarBque at Smithfield's. Safe travels, guys, as you head West towards Idaho!

Photos and stories may come soon.....it's a busy time here in Carolina. But we'll be ready for a game of Hand and Foot very soon!!