This was taken last night around 6pm
what a nice fall evening

Friday was my last full time shift at the place I work. I am now back to as needed and I will be working "day" shift, mostly 10am to 10pm. I am so happy to be off nights and to be back to as needed. Of course I'm working full time but I guess thats good. I had hoped to only work a day or so a week this next month but when you are PRN you take the time when you are needed. At the beach I worked as needed for 5 years and never was not needed; we will see how things fare here.

my boys

I cant believe its been two weeks since I was at the beach. I had a great time but it was good to get home. Two weeks ago I was hot the boys were surfing and it felt like summer.

One week ago fall was in the air and today has been a rain day (no photo).

I am sitting inside my sons house here on the Outer Banks, sweating (I don't like hot weather...) I had a few days off and decided to hit the beach. I am enjoying visiting my friends and my mom but I have been so busy that I have not even touched foot on the beach. I haven't seen much of my boys, the surf has been good and what do surfers and sailers choose when the choice is surf or family, not family. Today I am taking "it off" and plan on hitting the beach for a little while this evening. Tomorrow morning I am going to catch the sunrise before I hit the road back home.

I have been to a few restaurants this trip; Striper's in Manteo was good, Colington has a new place called Skeeters that was GREAT! Last night per mom’s request we went to Awful Authors, I have never been all that impressed with them, and I wasn’t last night either, but my mom likes it there so what do ya do. We will all be getting together again tonight for dinner most likely at Tortugas Lye. How do you get a bunch of surfers and sailors to meet up with you, feed them.

Addendum; Tortugas was great!!!

It’s the last day of summer, my mind was thinking that yesterday was but I was corrected so here I sit looking out my windows at the clouds rolling over the top of the Buffalo wondering where the year has gone. Fall is my favorite season. I love the change in the air, the cool crisp mornings and almost blanket needing nights. I love the way the sun reflects on the tree leaves as they change color. I have been told not to expect much in the way of fall colors, we had a wet beginning of summer followed by a very dry mid August and early September and I have been told that that leads to a less than stellar fall show but I don’t care. On the beach we had two seasons summer and winter so any change is nice to me. I will say that fall on the beach is wonderful, just in a different way.

If all goes well I will get back to the beach soon, fall and spring are the best times on the Outer Banks!!

I was not able to plant a garden this spring so I am attempting a small fall garden. I may have planted too late but what the hay. The cabbage and broccoli are doing ok’ish the collards are not, all have been eaten by bugs so I sevens dusted them. I did not want to use the dust but it was that or no hope for cabbage at all. We will see what happens. That is one thing I missed about the beach this year, the early garden, of course by July it was almost too hot so I guess its all relative.

I have come to the conclusion that I like to work I just don’t like going to work and if I had my drothers I’d rather play. I can’t believe Labor Day weekend was last weekend. Time has just flown by. Last Saturday night I was in Floyd with “old” friends meeting new friends, listening to music and having a few beers. 1 week ago today I was at another friends house and again I was meeting new friends and enjoying a pot luck dinner. The food was sooo good. Last Monday, Labor Day I had an awesome 3 course lunch and a bottle and a half of wine with a few friends; we were going to hike up the buffalo before lunch but we decided to walk around my friend’s property instead, left more time to eat. I was going to hang some drywall but after all that playing I was too tired!! Of course having that long week end off means that this week is going to be hell; on Tuesday, off Wednesday, on Thursday off Friday, and so on and so on for 10 days.

I did do a little work I got some plants in the ground a few weeks back. I planted cabbage, broccoli and collards. I may have planted them too late but what the heck we shall see!!

Well off to bed, I'm too old for night shift!

photo from
advocacy.britannica.com/.../coyote005-004.jpg

Around 10pm last night a jet flew low near the Buffalo. Within seconds yips could be heard in the distance and at that sound both my dogs sat up, the girl dog began to howl. There are coyotes around where I live. Someone I know asked me recently if I had noticed the coyotes that were watching me as I was using my weed eater. The answer to that question was no; I would not have been weed eating if I had seen them.

There is a lot of wild life up here. I moved to the country in part to experience nature so when I hear about the occasional bear, or the rattle snake, or the coyote, a hint of concern does cross my mind but I don’t stress over it. I make a lot of noise, and if possible take my dogs, when I walk in the woods. The one time I remember getting “scared” in the woods was when a deer growled at me, a deer! I always thought the scene in “the Simpson’s” of Lisa is strolling through an idyllic wood much like the first part of “Bambi” and then suddenly the deer growl at her was someone’s ideal of funny, I did not realize it was real!

Lets face it the dogs let me “feel” safe but Trip the girl dog is 8 and Zeke the boy is 7 so in the next few years I will have to get another dog. I am thinking about the Great Pyrenees, over a 100lb of guard dog, that if well disciplined and allowed to associate with others, can make a good companion. And from what I hear you can use the fur to make sweaters!! This is just a thought; I won’t even start looking for a new dog until Trip is 10 and if she stays active maybe even longer. I do like the large breeds, and I do want something that can hold its own with the local wild life but it has to be able to be acclimated to people and animals and I don’t really want a hunter. The dog will also have to be a companion. My dogs are a part of the family. So what do I want and need, a big dog that will guard the property, get along well with other animals and people, and be my buddy. I have time to look so today it is the Pyrenees, tomorrow who knows.

Pyrenees Rescue

Oy, oy, oy…. On, off, on off. I can’t take this, I’m too old. Working night shift with an on, off schedule will kill ya, literally. There have been studies that show flipping from one shift to the other is not healthy. To me on again, off again is like shift work. I worked last night but I am off tonight so I feel like I cant sleep all day and "waste" a day off so what do I do? I sleep a few hours then get up and accomplish half of what I could have accomplished on a good night sleep. I cant do this any more…… Shoot me and put me out of my misery (just kidding) but I do have to find me a different job. I'm getting too old for night shift.

It’s been a month since I have posted to my blog. The truth is that I have not “felt” like writing. Things have been very busy and I have just felt like I did not have the time. I have also been a bit down in the dumps. I love my home but other parts of my life are not as I had pictured them and I have allowed these less desirable things take over my thoughts. As I sit here looking out at the Buffalo I can only think how lucky I am; Life has been good to me I have all I need and most of what I want. To allow the few things in my life that I don’t like to take over my happiness is not good. Starting tonight, this very minute I am going to make an effort to get my happy self back out there. This year is winding down and I am not going to allow my memories of it to be bad.

In this past month both my #2 and #3 sons have been up to visit. #2 put up my spiral stair and framed in the loft half wall. Of my 3 sons he is the handy man. He can bang nails and fix a car. #3 is the computer/IT geek and he's good when I need some muscle, I had him moving paving stones and working on my computer. #1 has not made it up yet, I still have hope but he does not normally go any where unless he can sail there. He told me he is looking forward to my fall trip to the Outer Banks. He can’t wait to see me. As you can see I put the boys to work when they come up I do feed them well so it evens out.

Things are moving along on the house. I get a little done every chance I get. This week I had the gutters put in. I was going to buy the stuff and put the gutters up myself but the place I was going to buy them from had a hard time getting the gutter in the color I needed. I finally called a company that installs “seamless” gutters and got a price. That price, materials and installation, was just $7 more than the materials alone were going to cost me. I’m telling you someone or something is looking out for me. I have to stop being impatient, when things “go wrong” for me it usually means I’m going down the wrong path.

Its 11 o’clock at night on my first day living in my new cabin and I am using my DSL hook up!!!!!! I should be excited about having my first dinner here (chicken rice and fresh picked green beans), sleeping in my new bedroom and enjoying my wonderful view but to be flat honest I’m totally excited about the DSL. It’s was great cooking on my new stove and taking a shower in my nice big shower but now I can also watch the Daily Show when ever I want!!

I have so much to do, finish moving out of the house my friend so generously allowed me to use, and it is a MESS I will start that clean up tomorrow. I also have to get this house in order, I have so much to do that that aint gonna happen any time soon. I have had 6 days off and I got a lot done but I’m getting ready to work 5 out of the next 7 days, that doesn’t sound like much but I work 12 hour days, so I wont be able to get a lot done this next week. Oh well I’m in my new home, I have DSL and a phone so all is good!!

I have so much work to do around the house I am living in and the cabin I’m having built that’s its not even funny.

Yesterday my day started early; when I was at the bear & wine fest last Sunday I saw some wood boxes one of the venders had. I asked him what he wanted for them, the price was right, and we arranged for me to pick them up this week so off I went at 8am to pick up boxes. When I got home I unloaded the boxes, dropped the trailer, and went to have a “quick” cup of coffee with friends. I mentioned I needed to go to Lowes for light bulbs and asked them if they wanted to go and off we went to Galax. At Lowes I bought my light bulbs and an under counter trash can holder, (it was on my list of things to get for the cabin) then I made the mistake of letting them take me to the garden center. One of my friends is forever looking for deals and she found one. In the garden center there were these racks of $1 plants. I now have about $25 worth of plants in my yard that were not on the list. On the way home one of the ladies asked if we would mind going to this little restaurant she knew about. Close to that restaurant was this little model home she wanted to look at; the rest of us were game and off we went to Fancy Gap. After lunch we went “a little further” to Canen to check out a vegetable “stand”. By the time I got home it was 5pm but I knew I could go the cabin for a little while soooo...... I fed the horses and the dogs and got ready to head up to the cabin. As I was putting the dogs in the jeep I noticed that I had a flat tire and it was starting to rain. I looked off into the distance at the rain clouds; they did not look too bad so I changed the tire and went up to the cabin. I got home around 8pm. I did a lot yesterday just not the lot I needed to do.

Today I am going to get things done around the house and the cabin, after I go into town and get the tire fixed………

I spent a few hours at the Floyd Fandango Beer & Wine Fest today. I was supposed to spend all that time directing traffic but because of the weather traffic was light and I was able to scout things out. I will say that for the very short time I was there I had a great time. I heard three bands, Robert Jospe & Inner Rhythm Sextet, Blue Mule and my favorite Basshound. I experienced my first wine tasting, I don’t seem to have much of a wine pallet, and checked out some pretty good beer. Of course I got a funnel cake. There were some nice vender's there but because I was pressed for time I could not check them all out. I’m going to do my best to take in a full day next year. Its’ a bit pricey at $30 a person and then you have to pay $5 for a wine or beer glass and then pay a $1 to taste the beer (you get a nice big “sip” for a $1, it seemed worth it to me and the wine is “free”) I feel if you factor in a whole day of music its worth it.

I have been watching these two all morning. The male has been taping on and around the window I took these photo from. He has also been checking out the bird house the two are resting on. The pair have been putting on quite a show, hoping over each other on the power line over head. The male has been ruffling his feathers and chirping. The female just sits there and listens. I don’t know what type of birds these are, anyone know?

The tree my friend has been working on

I have been very fortunate to have met people I consider to be mentors. My first mentor was Mr. Simms. He worked at the Christ Child Center in Tampa Fla and in my short time there he taught me much. Next was Mary, she is still a friend and I have learned much from her in the 28 years I have known her. Recently I have been fortunate to meet another person who has in the short time I’ve known her taught me a lot. Today she taught me how to use a chain saw. My life has not been easy and I have been thrown some big curves but I have also been lucky to have met people that have helped me to make the right choices. Mentors are great I wish everyone had a few.

There is this scene in “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” where the Chevy Chase character, Clark, after many attempts, finally gets the Christmas lights on his house to light. When he connects those two extension cords a chorus singing halleluiah starts up, his face lights up as bright as the lights on his house and you could see in his face how happy he was. I had that same look and could hear in my mind the choir singing when I rounded that corner and saw a truck and excavator in my drive way. The power company’s contractor was there to hook my cabin up. I now have power to the cabin, all I need is for the electrician to come back and finish his work and I will have lights!! Halleluiah! Halleluiah!

We humans are a strange lot. We allow ourselves to be “ruled over” by the lowliest of rulers. We give to them when we know we will receive nothing in return. They greedily take from us and scold us when we are not quick to give them what they feel is there due. We humans are a strange lot.

The humming bird feeders were empty this afternoon when I got home. I did not know how much noise humming birds made until at the request of my friend, who is graciously allowing me to use her house while mine is being built, asked me to put out the feeders. Humming birds are greedy, bossy and noisy. They are Speedy Gonzalez with wings. They are cool. I like watching them. There is one that seems to know who I am. It will buzz by me turn around and then hover just a few feet from my face. They all seem to know who fills the feeder because when they see me and the feeder is empty they come to the fence sit on it and “yell” at me. I am their servant and they are my masters. I dutifully buy sugar for no other reason than to feed the humming birds. They say the average American eats over 100lb of sugar a year. I wonder how many like me by 10 lb bags of sugar every 2 weeks to feed the birds. I wonder how much folks like me are messing up the statistics.

Dogs, cats and now humming birds what will demand my time and energy next? Are we thinking chickens?

It’s hot here in the mountains so as was sitting under the fan trying to cool down I looked out the window and saw what looked like a dozen hummingbirds at the feeders. I decided to try a few shots and was surprised that I got anything. It was nearing dusk and my camera is not the best so I did not expect much. At first the birds refused to cooperate, I had the door to the porch open and stood there as still as I could with my camera on a tripod. No luck so I decided to hide. I placed a bright red blanket over the door window, adjusted my nifty camera view screen so I could see my subject and waited. I am happy with the results. I cant wait to try this in the daylight.

Good morning campers, long time no write.

It’s promising to be a nice day here in the country. I was awakened at 6:15 this morning to a lighter sky and the singing of birds. It’s all so poetic this being awakened by nature until one takes into account that I worked Wednesday and Thursday from 7 at night to 8 or so in the morning. This schedule made my Friday “day off” just a day to kinda recoup and I had hoped to sleep in today(Saturday). On days when I want to sleep in and I can’t I am reminded of a window commercial that I saw a long time ago where you see this guy sleeping under an open window, there is a gentle breeze, kids are playing, birds are singing and in the distance there is the sound of a lawnmower. It’s just a perfect weekend morning scene. The guy underneath the window sits up, grabs hold of the window and closes it. All becomes quiet and the guy goes back to sleep. I tried that this morning but I had slept over 5 hours yesterday afternoon and I was wide awake at 6...15...in the morning. ugh.

Oh well it’s gonna be a busy day, I might as well start early and it is a very nice morning for the dogs and I to take a walk, then I can hook up the trailer and drop it off at the property for tomorrow, then head up to the grocery store and the feed store before I………..

I was talking to my cousin last night she wants to come down for a week. I told her she is more than welcome but remember there is not a lot “to do” around here, of course that does depend on what you mean by “to do”.

I cant believe how long it has been since I last bloged but.. life has been busy.

Most of my not going to the job hours have been spent at the cabin work site. Things are moving along well (for now) and I try to get every thing I can do done. I keep the work site clean, I salvage wood the builder considers trash and I consider usable (It‘s unbelievable how wasteful building a house can be). I am also trying to get at least some of the property mowable.

You wont believe how many rock there are. In the old days farmers would send their kids into the fields and have them move the rocks. I’m not a farmer, its not the old days and I don’t have any kids with me so this old lady is moving them one by one. The weather here is much cooler than at the beach BUT when you are moving rocks 75-80 degrees feels hot. Now you would think that doing all this work would give one a since of accomplishment but nooooo. When I mowed around the barn I saw how much work needs to be done to the barn. Cleaning up around the cabin I see how much landscaping needs to be done. Every time I get one thing done there is another thing that needs to be done staring me in the face. Its Kinda like that Gicko commercial where the stack of money stares at people symbolizing how much money they can save. Well every time I see something that needs to be done I see a little stack of money that symbolizes how much money I have to spend. I knew that there was a lot to be done and I don’t mind the work. I figure that at about the time my kids decide I need to be in a nursing home I will have the place looking just like I want it to look.

I was looking out what will someday be my bedroom window when I saw this "tree" I have been told it is an azalea. I have been very fortunate to find so many "surprises" on my property

Just a few lilypad flowers in my friends pond

The town of Floyd is trying to build a park so last week they had a benefit concert with four bluegrass bands, the music was good but I think I have had my fill of blue grass for a while

It’s been a while since my last blogg but I have had a lot going on. Between work the cabin and keeping up with friends my days have been full.

First things first, we have been having a LOT of rain, A LOT!... but in a way this is a good thing. The work on the cabin has been great. There is paint on the drywall, the trim is almost done, they are working on the floors right now and the cabinets come in next week. Now I’m not holding my breath that this pace of work will continue but I am hopeful. The weather is supposed to be better next week, we will see if they come back.

I am discovering a disadvantage to living in the country; socializing with friends takes a lot of time. At the beach it takes at the most 15 minutes to get most of my friend’s homes and for the most part I could walk. At the beach having a morning cup of coffee with a friend could be spontaneous here almost everything has to be planed out. I am adjusting but I miss those unplanned morning coffees with friends.

One of these days, when the stars align just right I will be moving into a little 750sf cabin that I am having built. For the past few days I have been sick. The stay in the bed except to do what has to be done sick. The, if I still lived at the beach one of my boys would have had to feed the dogs and wait on me hand and foot, sick. Today I realized one of the disadvantages of a small house; there is no place to hide stuff. I had to wash cloths while I was sick but I did not fold them. They are piled on a bed in the back room. Dishes got put in the dishwasher that I seldom use. Thank goodness the new kitchen will have a dishwasher. The house looks cluttered, not very presentable. I am living in a small house but it is bigger than the cabin is. I can imagine what the cabin would look like after 2 days of me being sick. The moral of this story is that if someone is not family or a really good friend, they can’t come to my house if I’m sick. Period!!