Grandson Day

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A day with Caine...

Love those ducks !

Any over this thing?

Where did they go ?

I think they are there....

Thats better ! Now I'm on their side of the rails !

Think I'll sit here and watch them...

Love this park ! This is a cool chipmunk !

John Deere colors, like Grampa's tractor...

Found these shades, aren't they cool looking ?

Grandma things I'm really funny !

Playing chase and scare...RAHHHHHH !!

Man, am I in trouble...I really made a mess of the kitchen..

I better stay here, Grandma's pissed !

Boy, that fruit punch was too heavy for me...Grandma should never turn her back on me,even just to wash my sippy cup. One climb up on the chair and I had the handle quick as could be ! I was just trying to help Grammy get it faster !

That was a fun day Gramdma, and I'm sorry about the kitchen. I liked you reading to me, really settled me down and I got tired..

I hate going to sleep for a nap, cause by the time I wake up, your gone!

See you next time you come...

Love you, too !

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Pigg River Outing and awards

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First of all, thank you to Amy Tate for giving me this Humane Award !
The dictionary describes 'humane' as ,
"Having the good qualities of human beings, as kindness, mercy, or compassion."
Thank you Amy, all my 'furry critters' and I accept and will try to be worthy of it!



Next, sorry for the long span in between blogs, I have had company, and have been away from my computer and out and about! My brother Clay and wife Jan have been down working on their retirement home up the hill, Jan has been down a month and Clay flew in a week ago...We have been busy, but also have had some fun!
These next picutures are from two different trips to the Pigg river via the 4-wheelers...all three dogs, my two Aussies Belle and Penny, and their Aussie Jiggs ran the entire route to and fro, about 2 1/2 miles each way! Neighbors, the Newcombs and their 4 dogs were along as well, they rode in their Rhino most of the way, although their Aussie, Penny's sister Jazz, jumped out of the Rhino and took up the run with the other Aussies!


Clay on his machine beside Bobs with Rhino feorground.

Jiggs, Belle and Penny, right to left.

Samantha and her Aussie, Jazz.

Lunch in the Pigg, 4-wheel style! Teyah on Clays lap.

Bob on left, then Troy and Clay with Melissa and Jan seated.

Quarrie thought he might like to try a ride on the 4-wheeler, that is until it actually started up!

A little wet from the walk up the river!

Jan cooling off, Pigg river style!

Clay with Penny, and Bob racing around making waves!

Clay and Jan relaxing on the swing they got me for my birthday! Thanks Guys!



We , Clay and I and sometimes Jan and Bob, ran the dogs on our trails 2 times a day, morning and evening. They would pant and pace when they knew it was time to run. The turtle findings were scarce, I think because of the heat and the dryness. Lately Clay and I found two new turtles, marked 'V' and 'W'. As always we found new and colorful mushrooms along the creek area, where its cooler and wetter.

This one looks like purple velvet...

Last night was Clay and Jans last, for this trip anyway...

Brother John and wife Bette, grandson Luke and daughter Kate called early evening and said they were close to Roanoke on their way to drop Kate in Texas to start her new life with her guy. Naturally we said, "come on, we'll make room"..

so Clay and Jan spent their last night at their house, while the others packed in here for a fast meal and a good nights rest. They were up and gone by 7 am, Clay came down and ran the dogs with me for one last run, and had a quick breakfast and left.

The house is very quiet...

the dogs are asleep on the floor and Bob is scoping out a job...

Its bittersweet when company leaves...

on the one hand, I like the freedom an empty house affords me.

On the other hand, I miss my family, the card games and meals and the company...

Gemini's are truly twins in one person. Thats me exactly.

Safe journeys to all my traveling loved ones...

Until next visit!

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Baltimore and Shennandoah trip

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We took an overnight mini-vaca to see Bobs Mom in Baltimore..here she is with Bob in front of her place..it was 100 degrees in Baltimore..We stayed overnight, saw Bob's sister Lil and grand neices Tori and Abbi, and left the next day after breakfast to head home via the Skyline Drive. It was in the 70's up in the mountains...Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

I could gaze at these mountains forever.....

The tunnels on this drive are awesome...

There were so many deer, it was difficult driving...this young buck was in a pull-off view area.

We saw a bear cross right in front of us while driving, but of course I couldn't get the camera out in time!

A rest stop produced this herd, and they aren't the least bit afraid of people or cars!

I had forgotten that John Denver had sung about part of these mountains...

"Almost heaven...Blue Ridge Mountains"....yes.

These were just a few of the snaps I took. Bob and I both realize that I need a better camera, this little digital does well, but a zoom would be great! Someday, maybe Santa will bring one for me, if I am a really good girl....

My mind has the best camera there is, and it is full of lovely snaps of the mountains and the Keys and friends and especially family and friends..

Love you all.

Snake in the bush/writing thoughts

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First of all, this is a caution to my friend Amy Tate:

SNAKE ! SNAKE ! SNAKE !

Do not look further !!!!!!!!!!

Ok, with that said,

Becky, you can't have it!

Here are the pictures of the little snake that decided to lay up in the butterfly bush, just off the right corner of my front porch.

He( or she), wrapped its tail around the branch and laid out along the leaves and flowers with its tongue flickering 'tasting' the air. When the hummingbirds landed just inside its reach I was sure it would snap them up.

But no, it just laid there most of the morning, and then moved down in the shrub as the day got hotter.

My sister-in-law, Jan and I were having morning coffee when she spotted it. I may never have noticed it, as it's not my habit to check the bushes for anything but flowers and birds.

I think it may have been forced upward because I weed whacked the area the day before it was noticed. I wonder how many times I have brushed a snake aside while pushing through the butterfly bushes in the yard???

I found it fascinating, and we checked on it throughout the day...

Todays dog run netted yet another turtle. This one was marked 'U', and it was a male. This makes 21 turtles found and marked so far...I suppose to some this would seem a waste of time and effort, but I think of it as a treasure hunt. My nephew John and his son Adam do 'Geo caching'. It is a treasure hunt of sorts. (Look up geo caching on the web.) I suppose I could spend time trying to write something that would sell volumes and make me some money for my work, isn't that what writers are supposed to do? I suppose the worth of a writer could be measured in how many books they have sold or how much money they make or how famous their name is...

For some reason unknown to me I can't seem to get there.

I am content to write a little about my experiences on a daily basis and my encounters with nature. I don't have that drive that so many of writers I know have. I like being home, chasing turtles and snakes and tracking bears and cougars..chasing rainbows I suppose. I am drawn to the literary world and it's people and I love to read what they write. I like people, but I'm afraid I like my animals and nature more...or am I just too lazy to do the work it takes to write something worthy of an agent?

Below is the beginings of dill pickles, the dill picked from my front yard, and the cucumbers grown in old tires up by the horse area. This batch netted 4 quarts. I am running out of shelf space for my canning!!!

My husband has faith in my ability to write something of worth. My question now is what is worth? We can't all be J.K. Rowlings, or even Baldacci's, and I wonder if the joy of writing can be tainted by having to 'produce' to keep an agent or publisher happy ?

I have figured out one thing, I won't have to worry about that! Poetry is what soothes my soul , and it is said there is no money to be made in poetry.

I can smell the cinnamon walnut/raisen bread baking in my kitchen, my dogs lie about me on the floor as I type away my thoughts into nothingness. My husband is out trying to eke out a meager living, to keep our simple way of life going and I am troubled that I do not help bring in the money it takes to run a household anymore, not since I stopped hairdressing and then ruined my ability to work by getting hurt in a horse accident. He assures me this house could not run at all without me doing what I do to take care of him and everything else here on a daily basis. The truth is, I love what I do. I never was a home-body, not in all the years leading up to my mid- fortys, and now it's hard to drag me out in the world.

Sometimes I worry that I am wrapping myself in a cocoon here in the country, and I am getting too secure in this simple life.....

I'm going to eat a slice of that bread...

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Letter to Dad

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Dear Dad,
I am having a great time here in Virginia with Mom. I was really good on the long ride down, although Mom was a nervous wreck, I tried not to notice. I knew I was at Auntie Claudia and Uncle Bob's house as soon as we turned down their driveway, and I wanted to jump out the window, but Mom yelled and shut it fast so I had to wait for her.
We run every day, me and Penny and Belle and of course Aunti. I try to keep an eye on her, but its hard to watch Belle and her both.


When we start out, Belle barks and runs Penny up the ramp or under the porch and she even snaps at me, Dad. She's really mean and bitchy.

Then if there are any really good smells, Belle hogs them up. I don't know about these cousins of mine Dad. Penny's ok but that Belle is really hard to deal with, but I am really trying. A few days ago I was watching Belle, cause she ran at me and snapped, so I backed up fast and didn't see Aunti and she hit me! She was going really slow, and it scared us both! I screamed,"Get off of me!", but she really wasn't on me, and when I moved forward, that machine didn't really have me like I thought. Aunti shut it off and checked my hiney, and I was fine, just scared. She yelled at Belle, so I was happy and we ran on.

I'm getting really fast and I can catch Belle and sometimes pass her. Boy does that piss her off!

I usually lay back just because I am a gentleman like Aunti says. I try not to bite her tires when we start, but I forget sometimes, and Aunti yells at me, so Belle runs at me with her big mouth going full bore! One of these days I'm gonna tell her what for!

I'm being really good, and I sleep with Mom in her room, so she won't be scared. Uncle Bob lets me out if I want when he gets up, and sometimes I do, but I need my sleep after running hard all day. Aunti says I'm slimming down. I sure love the creek, I love to get in and soak my belly and stuff, and then I shake and make that noise. Aunti always laughs.

I'm being good about the cats, too. They're ok, as long as I don't crowd them. I stay well away when I go by, especially that one-eyed one and the black one. They have bad tempers. The big whitish one and his brother, the grey one are pretty cool, though. Uncle Bob really loves those cats, and he always carries the grey one in the door when he comes home, AND he lets him play cards with him, and they can get on the furniture, but me and my cousins can't. I hate that, cause I want to sit with Mom, but I am being good.

Well Dad, I can't wait until you come down and play with me. This is the coolest place, cause I NEVER have to be on the leash at all!!!! Today I went up the hill to our house. I followed Mom, and she didn't want me too, so she was mad. She went to the store and I was bothering Wayne and Uncle Bob, so Uncle Bob drove me back to his house in his work truck. I like to ride now, and that was really fun cause Belle saw me get out and she has never riddin in Bobs truck, and I did!

HA- HA to her!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I'm going to bed, and so is Aunti. She wrote this for me cause my paws don't work well on that typing thingy.

Love you Dad and miss you, but I don't want to go home to the leash yet, ok?

XO, Jiggs

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