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Posted on Thursday, October 01, 2009
Roller Coaster Yard Sale
Linda wanted to go look at some yard sales since the Roller Coaster Yard
Sale was being held this weekend. We took the red truck, with Julie in
her car seat in the back with Stacey, and headed towards Albany. The
first stop we made, I found two little cars for Julie to hold onto
during the trip. I bought those and a car seat for us to keep at the
farm that was just like the one P&B has for Julie. We went through
Albany KY, we ate sandwiches and on towards Byrdstown TN. We made a
couple of stops there, where Linda bought some kids' clothes, then on
down to Livingston TN, through there and to Algood TN. Linda and Stacey
went inside a shop there while Julie napped and I waited with her in the
truck. We went back towards Livingston and then turned towards Celina
TN, where we found a very large group of sales at a baseball park.
Some
of the items people had for sale amazed me. After walking through the
entire area, we returned to the truck and drove to Tompkinsville KY,
where we stopped at Sonic for some milk shakes and then rode on back to
the farm. Later in the evening, we took the dog for a run around the hay
fields. Nancy and Steve joined us in their Mule with their dog, Lady
running along with Daisy.
Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009
Pauline and Brent Returns
Pauline and Brent called Friday evening and said they had made it home
safely.
Saturday morning we woke early and loaded Julie and all her
stuff into the HHR for the ride to Smith's Grove. We stopped and I
bought sausage biscuits to eat while we made the hour ride to Pauline
and Brent's house. Julie ate most of her biscuit and what she had left
over we fed to the three dogs. When we arrived, Brent opened the door
and came out on the porch, he blocked Pauline from coming out. Julie
squealed when she saw him and went running to the porch. Brent picked
her up and then Pauline was able to get out the door. Julie hugged and
kissed both of them and the dogs were happy to be home too. We went
inside and watched P&B hugging and squeezing Julie as we listened to the
stories about their trip to California. Around 9:30 AM, Pauline and
Linda went to WKU for a seminar about decorating gourds. Stacey and I
stayed with Julie and Brent and we watched TV and talked about how their
trip had went. A little before noon Brent drove us into town to
Grandma's Attic. Stacey wanted to look around in there, so we stopped
and walked through. I ended up buying an old shelf type radio with two
speakers for $6 and Stacey found a few books to buy. We left there and
met Linda and Pauline as they were leaving the gourd seminar. 
We
went to Mancino's for lunch, then to Hobby Lobby for some shopping.
After a little while, we returned to where Pauline had parked their HHR.
Linda and Pauline rode together in the HHR and the rest of us went back
to PB&J's house. Pauline made brownies later for a snack while we all
played with Julie and the dogs. We left for the farm about 5:30 PM after
getting kisses and hugs from Julie and saying good bye to Pauline and
Brent.
Posted on Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Highway Work Across the Road
This morning there was a lot of activity across the road from the house.
There was a track hoe removing the top soil from the drainage ditch
between our property and Connie and Bill Pollock's property.
The
operator was dropping the dirt into the back of large dump trucks and
they were hauling the dirt a few hundred feet south and dumping it along
the edge of the relocated road bed. There was a bull dozer leveling the
dirt to make a shoulder for the road bed. The crew had also unloaded
several large steel tubes they will use to make a drain under the new
road. I had teddered the hay in the fields on Monday and was planning on
baling hay, so I had moved the hay rake out of the new pole barn and
hooked the baler to the bigger tractor. I checked the hay and it was
still damp from the dew, so I was waiting for it to dry. The highway
crew was making fairly good progress until around noon, then the rain
began and quickly caused them to quit working. The rain also stopped my
plans for the day. I went and closed the doors to the pole barn and
watched TV the rest of the day.
Posted on Saturday, October 10, 2009
Garmon's Hog Roast
Saturday began cloudy and cool, and it stayed that way all day. Linda
began fixing cookies and corn bread muffins to take to a hog roast that
was happening at Betty and Phil Garmon's cabin on Jone's Ridge. We
packed a small cooler and put our lawn chairs in the back of the pickup
and drove up the hill to their cabin. Several people were already there
and the hog had been ready for a few hours. They still had the meat in
the smoker to keep it warm until time to eat. We mingled around and
talked to others for a while.
A
little after noon, a short blessing was said, then everyone passed
through a line to load their plates with the various dishes that people
had brought. There was a nice variety of dishes including vegetables,
breads and desserts.
The
food was good and the conversations were friendly. Everyone seemed to
enjoy the meal and the get together.
Betty
asked me to get everyone together for a picture, so I lined up some
chairs and asked the ladies to have a seat and others to fill in behind.
The
full size image is HERE.
The
crowd of people spread back out after the picture and began talking
again. We stayed until most of the people were gone and then helped
clean up a little before saying thanks to Steve, Betty and Phil Garmon
and then leaving.
Downtown Days, Rock House & Buddy Jewell
As we were leaving the hog roast at Betty and Phil's cabin, Nancy and
Steve Riddle asked us if we wanted to go to Columbia with them to look
around at the Downtown Days. Linda and Stacey wanted to go, so I told
them OK. They said they would pick us up at home in a few minutes, so we
took our dishes home and got ready to leave with Nancy and Steve. They
picked us up and drove to Columbia, then parked and we walked through
the Courthouse Square and looked at the items for sale.
There
was also a stage setup with a local band playing music. We returned to
the truck and Steve decided to take us to an abandon town that was
called Creelsboro. The people moved away after Wolf Creek Dam was built.
There
was a National Natural Landmark there also. Steve drove down to a small
parking lot and we walked a short distance down to where we could see
the hole through the hillside, a natural arch.
Locally,
the place is called Rock House and it was used by native Americans
before white men settled in this area. As it was getting dark, Steve
drove us back to Columbia and parked again. We went back to the
Courthouse Square and stood around about a half hour before the Buddy
Jewell concert began.
We
watched Buddy sing several songs including "Help Pour Out The Rain",
then returned to the truck. Steve drove us back to the farm, we said
good night to Nancy and Steve and thanked them for the ride.
Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009
Weekend Campers and Visitors
Friday afternoon Linda K and Imon arrived followed by Shelly and Jeff
soon after. Shelly and Jeff pulled their camper and set up camp in our
driveway since the rain had made most of the other places muddy. We
hooked up water and electricity and that was all they needed. Pauline,
Brent and Julie were the last to make an appearance just before dark. We
all talked a while and ate the two pizzas that Linda K and Imon had
brought from Pizza King in IN. They are our favorite brand of pizza.
Saturday
morning the weather had changed for the better, but only a little. The
misting rain had stopped, but there was still a breeze blowing and the
temperature was in the mid-fifties. After breakfast, Julie and Shelly
went with me to take Daisy for a run around the fields. Later, we went
down to the fire pit where Shelly and Brent managed to get a fire
started. We used some dry wood to get the fire going and then started
burning the stuff we had stacked nearby. I opened the pole barn and
aired up a couple tires on the ATVs, then drove them out to the fire
pit. Imon took Winston's leash and drove around the hay fields with him
running alongside the ATV. Julie and I followed on another ATV, with
Linda and Stacey on one and Shelly, Jeff and Brent in the Mule.
After
a partial lap of one hay field, Winston knew what he was supposed to do,
he was leading the way and liking it.
After
finishing a lap around the fields, we went back to the fire pit and
roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Linda K and Linda N took Stacey and
went to the Foothills Festival in Albany. We stayed by the fire and kept
throwing more wood on it, then taking ATV rides with Winston running
along.
We
went inside for a while, had some sandwiches made with BBQ, then back
down to the fire pit. Pauline joined us for a little while, but she
wasn't feeling well, she was having flu like syptoms. She returned to
the house to get warmer, take a nap and take care of herself.
We
stayed outside around the fire pit until around 9:30 PM, then we went
inside and ate chocolate and lemon pie before bedtime.
Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009
I'm Finished With Hay
Sunday morning, Linda K and Imon left fairly early, then Shelly and Jeff
were next to break camp and head back to IN. PB&J waited a while, then
left about 4 PM. Charla and Earl came over and visited a little bit.
Charla was wanting some ideas from Linda for a wedding party, so they
worked on that while Earl and I checked out the work I was doing on the
pole barn. After they left, I went and hooked up the hay tedder to the
tractor and teddered the hay still in the field.
Monday, I raked the
hay and Steve Riddle helped me by stacking the hay on the wagon as it
came out of the bailer. We baled seventy two bales, put the equipment
up, pushed the hay wagon in the barn with the hay still on it and then
sat down at the barn and drank a cold pop.
Tuesday, I teddered the
last small field of hay and we baled it around 3 PM. It only made twenty
some bales, but at least it was done. Steve picked it up and threw it on
the trailer behind his truck, then backed it into the hallway of the
barn while I was putting the baler in the barn. We drank another pop and
talked a while before Steve left for school. The talk around here is
that the Johnson Grass in the hay will kill cows or horses if it has
been standing when a frost hits, so the farmers are planning on waiting
about two weeks before cutting the last bit of hay that is left
standing. That is supposed to give the grass time to lose it's chemicals
that build up after a hard frost kills it. I don't know, will have to
wait and see how it goes.
Posted on Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Road Work Continues
The road crew has made the jump on to our farm and are spreading dirt
and debris for the new road bed. First they bulldoze the top soil off
and push it over to the side, then they bring old road bed and asphalt
from where they are tearing out the old road and dump it on the bare
ground. Then a bulldozer pushed the piles to level them to the proper
height. The trucks keep coming and dumping and the bulldozer just pushes
the road bed further along with each load.
The
grader keeps the road bed smooth and level and fills in the ruts made by
the large dump trucks. There are large slabs of pavement mixed in with
the dirt and gravel they're dumping, but the dozer just pushes it on and
covers it with dirt and gravel. We knew it was coming, but it is still a
shock when they actually start ripping up the grass and putting down the
road bed.
Posted on Sunday, October 25, 2009
Julie's Hospital Stay
Saturday morning, Julie and Brent contacted us using Skype and Julie
seemed OK as she talked with Linda and I. We went about our usual day
and around 3 PM I asked Linda to contact PB&J and see if they wanted to
meet in Glasgow to eat. Brent said Julie wasn't feeling well and Pauline
didn't think they should take her anywhere. We talked about her
condition and then Julie started talking on the instant messaging
program. She sounded terrible at times, and then OK at other times.
Pauline and Brent didn't know whether to take Julie to see the doctor or
not. We recommended to take her if they were worried and didn't know
what to do. After finishing the conversation, PB&J went to the Urgent
Care and the doctor there recommended taking Julie to the hospital. They
said her breathing was labored and her oxygen levels were low. PB&J went
to the Medical Center in Bowling Green and Julie was admitted for
overnight observation. Brent called and told Linda what was being done.
Julie was getting breathing treatments and was given steroids and a
decongestant to break up the mucous in her lungs.
Sunday morning,
Stacey, Linda and I drove to Bowling Green to visit Julie and see how
she was getting along. We found Pauline and Brent had stayed all night
with Julie and that Julie was doing better. She was up and acting like a
kid, playing, talking and seemingly completely OK. After a little while,
Stacey and Linda took Pauline to her house to get some things and take
care of their dogs.
A
therapist came in and gave Julie another breathing treatment, then the
usual blood pressure and temperature checks and the results were almost
normal. Julie's doctor came in about 11:30 and told Brent what his plan
was for Julie. He was releasing Julie, giving her a week of steroids,
some medicine to break up the congestion and keep her on the road to
recovery. The doctor said she didn't have H1N1 flu virus and that she
would need to see him on Wednesday for a checkup. About a half hour
later, the nurse came in with a stack of paperwork and medicine for
Julie. Brent signed the paperwork and we were ready to go. We walked
out, then drove to meet Pauline, Stacey and Linda for lunch at
O'Charley's. After about an hour wait, we ate, then said good bye and
drove back to the farm.
Posted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Club House Project
With the rain falling for the last few days, Linda and I have been
working in the pole barn to upgrade the "clubhouse". We went to Lowe's
and bought insulation, screws and a roll of black plastic. We bought 12'
two by fours locally and a few other items we needed like staples and
utility knife blades. We started the work by attaching 2 by 4s to the
pole barn posts with screws and blocks. Then we cut the insulation to
length and Linda hung it using nails to hold it in place.
After
we had finished hanging the insulation we unrolled the black plastic and
stapled it to the 2 by 4s we had installed. We either folded it over or
cut it to fit, whichever was the easiest.
We
started cutting the barn siding to length and began screwing it to the 2
by 4s. We quickly found that the siding wasn't straight or even. After
fitting several pieces, we decided it was barn siding and would look
like barn siding regardless of how straight or crooked it was installed.
We trimmed the pieces to keep them plumb and fitting as close as
possible without ruining the barn siding effect.
We
finished the end wall and I cut the pieces to frame out the window. We
put the counters in place and cut the counter top to fit, then shoved
the refrigerator in to the space we left for it. It will be a few days
before we work on the "clubhouse" again as we have company coming down
for a few days.
Posted on Friday, October 30, 2009
Kim, Kenny, Alicia, Jordan, Cameron, Eli, Riley & Kai Visit
Kim, Kenny, Alicia, Jordan, Cameron, Eli, Riley & Kai came down for a
visit from IN Thursday afternoon. While driving through Louisville,
Kenny's Suburan was hit by a semi truck and it scratched the side and
broke the mirror. No one was hurt in either vehicle and the cops had to
stop the semi truck because he didn't know he had hit anything.
After
breakfast Friday morning, the boys were ready for an ATV ride. Jordan
rode one ATV with Cameron on the back and Stacey rode another ATV with
Eli riding behind her. Riley rode in the Mule with Alicia and Linda.
After crossing the creek, we turned Daisy loose and let her run as we
rode around the hay fields.
The
boys with Stacey in the picture above from left to right are Eli, Riley
(with both legs in casts), Cameron and Jordan. Riley had corective
surgery on both legs and they put them in casts to keep him from
walking. Their youngest brother is Kai and he is a month old. We took
several rides to keep the boys occupied.
Pam Tillis Concert
Even though we had visitors from IN, we had made plans with Jason and
had tickets to a Pam Tillis concert in Glasgow. We picked up Jason at
his grand parents, Hazel and Otis' house about 4 PM and drove to
Glasgow. We ate at Mancino's and Jason gave Stacey an early birthday
present. Stacey opened the gift and Jason put the bracelet on her arm.
We
finished eating and then drove to the Courthouse Square in Glasgow,
parked, took a few pictures and then walked to the Plaza Theatre. We
picked up our tickets, went inside and found our seats. We talked to
Patsy and Lanny Judd from Burkesville, who just happened to be sitting
in the row behind us. Promptly at 7 PM Pam started her concert. She sang
a lot of songs and her #1s too.
After
about an hour and forty minutes her concert was over, the crowd gave her
a standing ovation and she thanked the audience and said she would be
signing autographs in the lobby. We headed on out of the theatre and
walked the short walk to the car in a light rain. We made a pit stop at
a station for drinks and then on back to Burkesville.
