The big boy in the morning sun

 The little guy with his stick 

the river at Foster Falls VA

Me and the girls

OMG summer is almost over and I say almost because even though the official first day of fall is still 3 weeks away (Monday Sep 23, 2019) today is labor day and that means the end of summer.

I has been a fast busy summer.  We went from cool and wet to hot and dry. Oh my.  The summer started with 2 of my boys graduating college (thank the gods) Progressed to a normal summer of gardening, hanging with friends and working.  Things ended with a new job and the end of summer camping trip.  Very little has been different in my personal life.

But there is a lot of angst in the world "out there".  We have trouble in Hong Kong, trade wars, liars in high office, climate change, gun violence: there is a song about that:

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on.

Billy Joel

It is important to be informed but for me there is no sense in dwelling on things I cant control.  I will cut my consumption of the things that are harmful to the world.  I will conserve what I can and I will live my life with as positive an out look as I can.  And I will vote and support those that respect others and share my view that people are basically good and we need to help those that need help. Period!

Fall is coming, one of my favorite seasons.  Because there has been little rain I do not anticipate wonderful fall colors but fall brings cool clear nights just right for looking at the stars and cool pleasant days just right for taking walks.  Life is good.

Well darn its been a long time,  keep saying I have to get back to this but just too busy right now but "soon".  I will post this little painting I did as a hope for an early spring and the planting season to come.

I'm still here just not into writing at this time......

I had not realized how long it has been since I posted.  In all honesty 2017 was not the best year for me mentally.  I don't  mean mentally in a medical way, I have just not been in a "good mood" for the past year.  I can feel the, for lack of a better word, anger starting to dissipate a little.  History is cyclic, humans tend to repeat the errors of the past but slowly but surely we do advance.  Hopefully we will advance on the path to Shangri-la and not the dystopian path that is depicted in so many modern novels.

I had a dog named Zeke and he would sit on the edge of the yard and look down on the field below.  My friend, Farmer Tim, keeps cattle down there and Zeke would just watch them from up high.  You could see him scouring the horizon just looking.  He seemed so at peace when he sat there. About 3 years ago Zeke passed away, he was twelve, and he is sorely missed.  I have a new boy, Sarto, and I often find him sitting there, looking down on the cows, scouring the horizon and seeming at peace. Zeke died long before Sarto was born so these action are all his own, not learned behavior.  Sarto doesn't remind me much of Zeke, Zeke was a very laid back dog and Sarto is not but every once and awhile he does something that is just uncanny Zeke.  Like sitting on the edge of the yard looking down on the cattle.

Just one thing, Sarto can come in and out as he pleases. These photos were taken out of a window so as not to disturb him. It is cold and dreary out this AM and he is now curled up on the couch. Warm and dry

Simple

When I woke up this morning I could tell that it would be another cloudy and most likely rainy day.  You get so you can feel it in your bones.  I must say I am tired of the damp.  Of course this time of year if it is not wet then it is hot and dry.  I hate to wish my life away but I am looking forward to mid August, that is when the temperatures start to mellow and I can once again comfortably work outside and as always I have a lot to do...

This morning I did catch a little glimpse of sunshine,  that one little red orb waiting for me to come and get it.  I will wait a little while and hope that a little sun touches it.  One of the most simple of pleasures is popping a warm fresh off the vine cherry tomato in the mouth.  Sun or no that tomato will not be there tomorrow....

Trip is starting to really show her age, she is having some trouble walking but heck she will be 15 in September, she is an old lady, her time left on this earth is measured in weeks or months not years.  She is still alert, her bark still set's the other dogs off.  She still seems to like to lie down by my chair while I drink my coffee and tool the net.  And while her eyes are not as bright as they once were she seems to still "be there".  Its hard to tell with a dog but she seems to still understand what I want her to do.  She is a good dog and I very much enjoy her presents.

The world today is a troublesome one.  It seems like political discourse is every where and if you listen to the media Armageddon is around the corner.  It is hard to find simple right now, simple pleasure, simple conversation, simple life.  But if you look hard enough you will find little glimpses of it.  That cherry tomato, the rain, that loved dog. Simple.  One does not have to stick their head in the sand for simple,  one can be aware of the world around them and know what is happening.  One can actively live in the world and do what they can to change it and still not be consumed by the troubles of the world.  Find that little simple every day, be truly happy for just a few minutes every day.  Your life will be better and the lives around you will be better.

Summer pleasures

Life is full of simple summer pleasures, things that are just nice to look at. Simple things that bring a little bit of peace in an other wise busy world.  How lucky I feel to be able to experience nature. 

Number 3 is away from home for the first time

First day in their first home

The mountain,

They cut the top off of a mountain but not exactly the top and not exactly a mountain. What they actually did was cut trees and when they cut those trees they ruined my view. Well they didn't exactly ruin my view but they changed it and you know as humans we don't really like change that much. But I'm going to take exception to this I don't think it was a bad thing, I am watching the scene change. What was a hill, yes I am changing the mountain to a hill, full of trees as green as could be is now a barren wasteland. Well not exactly a barren wasteland more like a clean canvas. What started this spring as a grey barren area now has blotches of green and Orange.  I am watching as the view changes.  What will happen there?  I can see what looks like a flat area on the top of the wasteland with a road cut into the red clay leading up to it.  What will happen up there?  A house, the return of nature or a little of both.  We shall see.

Late spring 2016

The first cut of hay for the year, I never tire of this view. 

The girl dog will be 15 in September, she is a good dog, I love her dearly... 

 This is the start of the 2016 garden shots.  I have enjoyed this little flower garden over the past few years.  The plants in it come up on their own every year.  I did add the short red ones in the front, cant remember what they are called.

These two wanted to help unfortunately my ideal of help and theirs differ, hence they are on the outside of  the fence...

January wrap up

Boy this month has gone by so quick!!

January was pretty much normal,  The weather finally decided to turn cold, the first real snow of the season was on the 22-23.  I had to stay at work over night because the roads were a bit harry.  The folks further north had it much worse than we had it around hear, IE blizzard.

I had my normal January get together and the animals are doing great!!

Like I said a normal January.

Now if you were to look at the 2016 political shit, its been a real interesting January and not in a good way.....

Zeke

A year ago today my dog Zeke died,  he was a good dog and I have missed him BUT I know he had a good life.  I will always remember him fondly.  Dogs are such a comfort to us and I will always have one;  they are the companions to human kind, they are a pleasure and a grief,  their lives are so short and we know it but we treasure their presence any way.  I am thankful I had Zeke's companionship and I treasure my two dogs I have now, Trip and Bear.  The world is good and dog's are a big part of that goodness

2015

Another year has gone by and  my has it been uneventful for me personally;  the world on the other hand has had a crazy year with political unrest, the refugee crises in Europe and the middle east.  The climate has had its say also this year with a 4 year drought follow by El Nino, California and the west have been on a very scary roller-coaster ride.  One that effects the rest of the country.  We get a lot of our food from out west.  Here in the east we have had a very warm year.  Its December and we have had only a handful of cold days how are the trees, insects and animals going to react to this change in climate. 

There is good and bad in everything,  I have used very little wood so far this year and I am still getting lettuce, carrots and collards from the garden.

On reflection 2015 was not a good nor was it a bad year for me.  It started with the loss of my dog Zeke.  He was a good dog and I miss him very much.

My joints have been telling me that I am getting older another definite downer for the year.  I think that is why I got WAY behind on the yard work.  Its hard to go up and down the hill with knee that aren't happy.   Gotta address the knees this year, I HATE doctors!! 

Aside from the loss of Zeke and the "I'm getting older" feeling the year pretty much followed the same old same old.  Work, garden, friends, camping trip with friends and to the beach 3 times to see the boys.  I know that I have said that I like the same old same old but I guess I would prefer the same old with a little new for next year.  So what is there to do about it.

This year 2016 I am going to go to school to be a paramedic.  I have been volunteering with the Floyd County EMS as an EMT for the past 6 years and feel this would be a good thing to do.  It wont be easy and the lazy part of me does not want to do it but it will be good for my mind.  It will make me use the brain a bit more.

Body wise I guess I will just have to trudge on try and lose a little weight and watch what I eat.  Cut way back on sugar and wheat two big time inflammatory agents for me.

I need to clean out the house this year, I have way too much stuff.

It would be good to relocate the garden...... Hummmmm

Maybe go on an adventure.........

"Winter" morning

It is hard to believe that in just a few days it will be winter.  Where has the year gone.  I have heard that as you age time seems to go by quicker.  It seems like just a few weeks ago the garden was green and just last week the trees had leaves of color but now....  the official first day of winter is almost here and while the trees are barren the grass is green and the few things left in the garden are thriving. Lets face it the seasons seem to be changing,  where I am the winters seem to be getting milder and while that has its up sides nature is not a speed boat able to turn on a dime, its more like a giant tanker it needs a bit of leeway to change course.  I hope the fruit trees are the kind that have a large variance in cold days needed to produce fruit.

Well I am off to start the day looks like another nice one

First day of summer 2015

Today is the first day of summer I have the windows and doors open as I sit here at my computer with a cup of instant coffee, yes instant coffee I LOVE IT, enjoying the sounds of morning.  I have to work today but that’s not all bad, the weather guru’s say it’s going to be hot and muggy so I might as well be at work.  Tomorrow on the second day of summer I can cut the grass and weed the garden and when rest demands its place in my day I can enjoy my book.  Life is simple for me and I love it.

Its been a long time since my last post, what can I say life is good and I have been busy.  This is going to be an interesting return to blogging but heck hear goes!!!

Replacing the toilet fill valve

All I wanted to do was replace the toilet fill valve.  The old one had been broken for months.  How hard can it be to replace a fill valve?  WELL let me tell you…..

 First my toilet is in a little “cubby” so things are very tight that really should not have been a problem; just unscrew the old fill valve and screw in a new one.

 NO, NO that is not how things rolled, I could not get the old one off it was stuck and I could not get a plumbers wrench back there to unscrew it so I had to move the whole toilet.  A 30 minute job became a 2 hour job.   But it is done and I was able to paint behind the toilet and all is good.

I love fixing things; I get such a good feeling inside when I accomplish these simple little tasks.

View from Buffalo Mt

 the Buffalo from my house;

 my house from the Buffalo

 friends on top of the Buffalo

selfie of me on the Buffalo

Well I am still here, it was another busy summer and fall is here big time.  Some friends and I hiked the Buffalo today, most likely for the last time this year, and the colors were very nice. We had some bad weather come through last week so the colors were not a good as they could have been but none the less it was worth the hike.  

Where has the summer gone?  It is August already… what have I done this summer?  To tell the truth not much;  I have gardened, done a little camping and when ever possible enjoyed the company of friends.  I have spent much of my summer mulling around at home, avoiding the tumultuous news outside my little piece of paradise.  And the world news has been most disconcerting; emboli, the middle east, and Russian/Ukraine conflict   are just a few disturbances in the world “force”.  Political discord, drought and fracking related disturbances in the USA “force”.  Talk of pipelines in my local “force” aughhhhh  give me my little piece of land with grass to cut weeds to pull and bees to avoid.  I love to walk this small spot of land with the dogs every morning just to clear my brain.

 the garden in mid July

I very much enjoyed planting flowers this year

The view from the Buffalo 5-18-2014

I took another hike up the buffalo with some friends yesterday; the weather had cooled this past week so it was a very pleasant hike.  As you can see from these two photos things have changed quite a bit over the past 3 weeks.

I had hoped for a sunny day today but it is mostly cloudy with a bit of a breeze; no matter I still have to get the garden in.  I want that good food next winter!!

Buffalo Mountain, April 2014

What a beautiful day in the neighborhood!!  I spent the day scraping and priming the out side French doors, then a friend and I took a hike up the Buffalo.  We then came back to my place had a nice dinner and now its just me and its movie time.  I love spring!!!

 Its a little rocky on top of the Buffalo

Rock to the left, rock to the right

Things on the mountain are still in winter mode but from time to time we did see little touches of spring,