It is bitter cold and windy this morning but I am hold up in the house with a warm fire and a hot cup of coffee. I love the wood fire heat but one of the disadvantages of wood heat is that you have to bring the wood into the house. On a cold day bringing wood in is not fun. I like to keep at least one day ahead on the indoor wood supply, I feel wood burns better if it is room temperature, so every morning right after feeding the dogs and my first cup of Joe I bring in the wood. This morning right as I stepped out of the house Mellow whinnied really loud at me and then just stared.

Mellow is a nice sized tan mare that belongs to my friend who is letting me stay at her house. My friend also has a mule named Amos. While she is away farmer Tim normally takes care of the horses but it makes no since for him to come down here every day while I’m here so for the next few months I have taken over that job. It seems I am being or have been trained by the horses to feed them on their schedule and Mellow was ready to eat. Dutifully I prepared their food, donned my shoes, heavy coat and gloves and marched my way up to the barn and fed them. I don’t mind feeding the animals and there is something about the feel and smell of a horse that I like but I wish they would be a little more patient in the morning. It would have been nice to have had two cups of coffee before I went into that cold windy barn yard.

The dogs are checking out the cows in the back ground.

This morning there is a dusting of snow on the ground and ice on the pond. The air is cold and damp with scattered snow flurries flying about on the breeze; perfect hot coffee and warm fire weather. I know in a few months I will most likely be complaining about this type of weather but today I’m enjoying it.

Today we had snow! Well actually it was more like the world had a bad case of dandruff but it was white and it did come from a cloudy sky. I’m not really wanting a cold snowy winter but it will be nice to see a little snow.

I had a good weekend. I spent both days enjoying food and the company of friends. I also took the scenic route around Floyd County to get to some friends house on Sunday and again on my way home that evening. I find it difficult to locate land marks while driving winding county roads at night; I call that taking the scenic route.

There was some progress on my cabin today. They started putting up the logs and my builder says weather permitting the walls should be done by the end of the week. Could be a good week; could be an even better week if one of my job inquires works out.

The weather for the past few days has been kinda dreary but on my way out yesterday afternoon I took this shot. We are back to cooler temperatures today; if the gurus at the Weather channel are correct the cooler temp’s are here to stay for a while. I don’t mind I seem to work better in the cold of course if this wind doesn’t let down I wont be working out side!!

Not much has happened this last week in fact I’m getting kinda board. I find myself looking forward to Thanksgiving not so much to see the family but to go to work. I’m soooo ready to get back to work. I keep telling myself that when they get really working on the cabin that my altitude will change but to be honest I like going to work. I’m doing a lot of physical work around here but I miss the interpersonal relations that you get at a job.

Today they are calling for rain all day so I guess I have to stay inside which is OK. I will do some reading and work on a new project I have started. I eat a lot of eggs so I decided to make Christmas balls out of the egg shells. Its really quite easy, I just remove the egg yoke and white from the egg through a small hole, rinse the egg shell out and then paint them with primer followed by a metallic acrylic paint and then a clear coat to make them shiny. It takes a little time in between coats and I usually only do one coat a day but since I’m stuck inside maybe I’ll get two coats of color on each egg. I have never done this egg thing before but it is turning out OK

Just a few fall shots

I awoke this morning to a low guttural growl emitting from both my dogs. It was dark and just around 5:30 am so I told them to be quiet! I felt that most likely there was some type of vermin out outside that they caught a whiff of so I just wanted them to shut up and let me sleep a little more. There was no quieting them in fact they became more agitated and after about 2 minutes I found out why. Its hunting season around here and the men who my friend allows to hunt on her property were driving down her long driveway and as the growls turned into barely restrained barks all I could say to myself is that its going to be a long.. long 6 weeks.

I woke up this morning to “change”. Barack Obama has been elected by a wide majority as the president elect of the United States of America. We as a nation needed a definitive win in this election. We needed there to be no question who won and that is what happened yesterday. Now comes the hard part, now comes the time of reckoning, now Obama has to deliver on his promises. I don’t expect the economic crises to be over tomorrow or even next year, it took along time for us as a nation to get into that mess and it will take along time for us to get out of it, but I do expect to see some true progress to a more stable economy. I don’t expect our involvement in the wars over seas to be over tomorrow, or for our status in the eyes of the world change over night, but I do expect to see great progress in both those areas. It is important for Obama to represent our country in a dignified way, to avoid scandal and extremes. To work towards a united country and to make me proud to say to anyone that I’m an American.

The election is over for the most part and it looks promising for an Obama win. Right now it looks like it may be a definite win, something this country needs. The last two elections left a very bitter taste in the mouths of many, there were too many questions about who "really" won. We need an election were there is no doubt who won. When I wake up tomorrow I hope we have Obama as the president elect.

It really is a small world out there. Yesterday I met a couple who like me moved to Floyd County in July from Virginia Beach VA. Virginia Beach is about 80 miles north of where I am from. They appear to be about my age, she is nurse and I think he is a chemical engineer. I have met a lot of very nice folks here, both local and transplant, I am really happy I moved here.

Now something I have mixed feelings about, mice. It seems my cat and girl dog are real mousers. That is OK except they feel the need to eat only half the mouse, I mean they seem to be Kosher. They eat the tops and leave the bottoms. Its disgusting! I appreciate that the animals are ridding me of a very destructive force that can also harbor disease but they do not have to show me what they are doing, they don’t have to share. If they catch them outside they can keep them out side I won’t mind. I am just tired of picking dead and often times half eaten mice off the floor. Country life….. gotta love it.

It’s been another good week things are progressing on the cabin and I have been trying to spend at least 4 hours working at the property a day. Tim the farmer and I moved my camper down the hill Friday, I have a little more clean up to do on it and then I will be putting it up for sale. The camper has served me well these past few years but I don’t need it any more. I can’t pull it with my Jeep so there is no need to keep it. Any one interested CAMPER FOR SALE!!