First Trip on the Boat This Year

Thought it was time to change the lead picture of our house for warmer weather.

Today it was up to 88 in Byrdstown and about 80 on the Dale Hollow Lake. We spent about three hours tooling around, did a little fishing and some sightseeing. Had a pretty good wind out there and it kicked up quite a chop. We had to lower the Bimini cover to maintain speed as it was acting like a sail and slowing us way down. Didn't catch anything but had a real good strike on the Jitterbug lure. Will have to try that one again another day. Gonna put some of the pics on the blog that we took last year and will update with more from this year as we take them. These pics were taken from the State Park overlook in Kentucky. If you look at the last photo, following the lake to the left takes you into Wolf River which runs about 2 miles below our house. That would be about 17 miles following Wolf River. Looking at the 4th photo down - if you were to follow the water all the way to the top right then hook a left and go about 7 miles, it would take you by Star Point marina where we keep our boat. If you continued on down the lake instead of turning left, after 14 miles you would come to Dale Hollow Dam. This is a humongous lake and it's easy to get lost on, even with a map. Cel phones don't work well and all the marinas removed their UHF/VHF radios cause they don't work out there either. I'm hoping my GPS will work after I download the TOPO maps. Anyway, the top photo is what we saw as we returned to port near sunset. What a relaxing day.

Spring is supposed to be here

The wx guy says that spring has sprung but you sure can't tell by the weather. One day it's kinda warm with the sun shining and the next it's overcast, windy and cold with a dusting of snow. Whew! Anyway today it was warm when we started for Cookeville to get my hair done and do our monthly shopping. It's an hour drive so we make a day of it. Temp was 73 while we were in Cookeville but a storm front came thru and when we left it was 57. On our way up the mountain we saw lots and lots of wind damage, especially with trees down all over the place. As we were pulling into our driveway there was a tree that had fallen across the road that someone had sawed up so people could drive up the mountain. Chuck will have to finish cleaning it up tomorrow. Electricity was off when we got home. Our neighbor called to see if we had "juice" and to invite us up to his house until the power was restored. It had been off for about 3 hours. We lite our candles and lanterns and opened all the doors and waited until the power was back on. Surprisingly, they respond fairly fast for a mountain community. Gonna have Chuck put a more recent pic of our house showing the current season as the trees are just starting to leaf out and green up. It's pretty this time of year. Gotta run. Will write more later.

Wimpy Weather

Boy is this weather fickle. One day it's sunny and warm and the next it's overcast, windy and snowing. Go figure! Was gonna start working on the garden next week but it's still a little too Iffy lately. Gonna wait a couple of weeks. Chuck hasn't spent as much time out hunting the hills like he wants to because of the weather but he has managed to get out a couple of times. He spotted this fossil just below the falls where he's digging.

It has tenatively been identified as fossilized wave action from a prehistoric ocean beach. Seems this whole area was under an ocean back in those times. Anyway the stone measures 18" x 36" x 4" and probably weighs 175-225 lbs. At first he thought it might have been a fossilized rib cage off an animal? Interesting stuff. Our neighbor brought a strange looking rock down for Chuck to look at. We took it out to the National Park to the Archaeologist and he said it was a Lycopod root from about 30 million years ago. Can't even imagine that many years. Apparently these were roots from humongous trees that died, decayed and became the coal that we burn today. Anyhow - Chuck has found a bunch of artifacts out on the mountain. Almost all of what he has is from surface finds and along the creek bed. Mostly projectile points (arrowheads), scrapers, drills, hand axes, lances, knives, a bead, and some bone fragments (animal).

I been kinda trapped inside lately. Having trouble with my hip and lower back. If I sit too long it starts aching and if I walk too much it really starts hurting. Have been putting up with this off and on for a couple of years and I have to find out what's causing it. I'm scheduled for an MRI next week to see if they can find anything. We have a 12 hour ride coming up in May for Stephen's wedding in Florida and I'm not sure if I could sit for that long a time. I crocheted this kitchen set for Lisa's (Stephen's fiance) shower, which I won't be able to attend but at least I can send something. I crochet the hand towels so they can be hung on a drawer in the kitchen. Anyway - that's about all I have for now.

Catch'n Up

Chuck is still hunting for arrowheads whenever he gets the chance. Lately, he's been digging in an area down the mountain from our house under a waterfall. There is a fairly large overhang that used to extend about 30' farther out but the creek has eroded the limerock back to where it is now. Our neighbor says there used to be a still under there where they made "Tensee Spring Water." There must have been a lot of foot traffic cause the ground is hard packed and digging is slow going. So far he's found chert/flint chips/chunks and a couple of flint tools (broken drill and worn out scraper) but nothing significant - yet.

Oh, Well - we had a new porch squatter show up recently. This guy is really unusual. He's real friendly and you can tell he's been around people a lot. He talks to you when you go on the porch and if you meow back at him he answers. Really unusual. He was dumped - no doubt. He about 18-24 mos old. He disappeared for about 3 days after a big thunder/wind storm and showed back up holding his paw up. He was real lethargic and just sat on the hill with his head down and paw up. So - being the kind of people we are, off to the vet he goes. Got both ends fixed at the same time. He had a large abcess on his leg that ran from his shoulder to the wrist area. Surgery and lots of antibiotics. Also had him neutered - so no more fighting. Will keep him on the porch til he heals then out with the rest of the pack.

Its been a long time since I have written anything on the blog. We have had quite a winter here lotz of snow and cold weather. This week its been in the mid 50's and 60's but its to turn colder later on next week. We went down to the marina to check on the pontoon boat yesterday and its still covered up and secure. Maybe sometime in March we will get it ready for the water. Will take it in to be served. The guy who services the pontton will loan us a trailer to go and pick it up and take it to his shop. That will save us as he charges $120 to pick it up and take it back. Can't wait to go out on the water again. We will have to get new fishing licences in March. Next year Chuck will have a lifetime licence (for those age 65 and above).

Kristy and the girls were here for about a week right after Christmas. Hopefully this Christmas they will be here. Sure wish they would move up here. It would be nice to have them closer.

Haven't heard from Lisa in a couple of weeks she must not have any minutes on her pay as you go phone. She was suppose to start a job at Goodwill I think this month. Only pays minimum wage though. She has to move out of her trailer by the end of March as HUD is longer funding this place. The landlord is really a pain. Lisa said she found a 2 bedroom townhouse that may come open in April. She says they have really been having alot of snow there of course she is way up there in the mtns of WV. They have at least 3 ski area's there. It sure was pretty in Oct. when we went up there.

Stephens wedding is coming up on May 7th. We will drive down there on the Thurs. before and come back on Sunday. It will be a short and tiring 12 hour drive one way. We can't leave the animals for very long. We thought we had someone to take care of them but she is having surgery.

Next week is our monthly trip to Cookeville. Plan to visit Lowe's for some things we need for the house. Had planned on remodeling the master bath this past winter but decided to wait until the fall. So we will start buying everything we will need a little each month. Hopefully, it will not be out of commission to long! Plan to put radiant floor heat, porcelain tile, paint, new toilet and all new fixtures including light fixtures.

Anxious to get the garden ready for spring planting. We are already planning what we will plant. Also plan to buy two more tree's (maples) for the one side of the yard that gets alot of wind. The ones we planted two years ago are doing well. Got three lilac bushes planted last year. Some of our flowering plants died out this winter so will have to replace them out front.

Well thats all that is going on here in the mountains of TN.

1st Big Snow

This is our 1st big snow of 2010. It's been snowing off and on for 3 days now. We've got anywhere from 5 - 8 inches of snow on the ground now and it's still snowing. Supposed to stop about 10 pm tonight - then start again on wed and thursday. Oh Well. It's almost winter. Hope it sticks around thru Christmas - Love white Christmas's. Been kinda getting cabin fever lately cause of the weather. Even Jim stays in his stall rather than brave the cold and snow. I started feeding him in his stall to keep him out of the cold wind. Did go and winterize the pontoon yesterday and put the winter cover on it. This was our first time putting the cover on and it may be on backwards. It fit at any rate but had to tie it down cause it doesn't have snaps. Got it done anyway. Had my sister, Diane, down for Thanksgiving. Was really nice. Her son, Robert, was going to Ohio so we met them just outside of Lexington, Ky and brought Diane to our house. Robert stopped by on his way back home on Saturday and the left for Illinois on Sunday. Don't look like we gonna have any company for Christmas as we haven't heard from Kristy in a bit. I guess we'll survive but we sure miss the Grandkids at Christmas.

Winter is Here

We have had the most beautifull weather this fall. It was nice being able to go out in the pontoon as late as mid November.

Finally, the canning is done. I still have a half dozen tomatoes ripening in the kitchen window. Our neighbor will have some winter cabbage soon. The mustard and tenderleaf greens died out due to a heavy frost last week. I did manage to put up 6 bags of greens in the freezer. My pantry is full of jars its so nice to go into my pantry and take out a jar of spagetti sauce or salsa. We are thinking of buying a small chest freezer and keeping on the porch and filling it up with more veggies next year. My little 9 cubic ft freezer is full as is my one in the side by side.

We had a nice Thanksgiving Chucks sister was here from Wed night till Sunday morning. Her son was going to Ohio for Thanksgiving so we met them in Ky and brought Diane home with us. Robert arrived here on Sat. night.

We think our daughter and 3 girls will come up either for Christmas or right after Christmas. They were here for three weeks in August and they all seemed to have a good time. They loved going out on the boat and swimming in the lake. In FL, you have to worry about aligators in the lakes and brackess water. Thats the first thing they asked us are there any aligators in the lake. The little 3 year old Lilly couldn't wait to go humming (swimming). She loves the water even did a little fishing with her Dora fishing pole, she loves Dora so we got her a Dora life vest as well.

Its time to start decorating for Christmas will start with the outside first. I hope to get some crafts done this weekend for gifts. And maybe start on crocheting an afgan for my sister. She and husband lost everything in a fire last Jan. and are finally back in their newly fixed home. Since she lost her afgan in the fire, I told her I would crochet her another one.

The weather has gotten considerably colder this week and its to be in the teens the next couple of nights. We did get snow flurries earlier in the week which left a dusting on the ground. Of course as soon as the sun came out it was gone. Everyone around here says we are in for a hard winter. Time to get the camp stove ready and buy candles, batteries for the flashlight and butane for the camp stove. We are ready if the power goes off and the heater in the dining room will be our only heat if the power goes off. We are thinking of getting a ventless gas fire place for the living room or bedroom. Need to do some research on them first.

Well not alot going on here we do manage to get quite a few books read during the winter months since we don't leave the house that much.

We still have to go down to the marina and winterize the pontoon.

This is all that been going on. More later.