Posted on Monday, May 14, 2012
Mother's Day In IN
We left the farm a little after 8 AM Saturday and drove towards
Daleville, IN. Linda called her Mom and she had already ate lunch, so we
went on towards Daleville. We stopped in Anderson and ate at Gene's Hot
Dog stand. The place was packed, with every parking spot filled. The hot
dogs and root beer all tasted great. After eating, we unloaded the HHR
and put Coco in the cage at my Mom's house in Daleville.
We
then went to Pendleton and visited with Nana. Linda gave her a potted
flower for Mother's Day. Reba had a new dog that was named Reese. The
dog was well behaved and about a year and a half old. We played with her
and talked, then Linda K and Imon arrived. I took a few pictures of the
dog and Nana wanted some printed, so I went to the drug store and made a
few prints for her to have.
We
left a little before dark and filled up with gas, then called Pizza King
in Chesterfield for a take out order. We picked it up on the way back to
Daleville and ate it at my Mom's house.
Sunday morning, we headed to
Muncie and stopped on the way to pick up some flowers, cupcakes and a
Mother's Day card for my Mom. We went inside at the Woodlands Nursing
Home and saw Virginia sitting with her jacket on and her hood tied. She
had been outside smoking and hadn't taken her coat off, I guess?
We
got Mom to take off her coat and stay awhile. I gave Mom her card and we
talked and had a good visit. Stacey gave Mom the cupcakes and Linda gave
her a potted miniature rose bush. We stayed over 2 hours and when Mom
ran out of things to talk about and was getting tired, we said good bye,
gave her hugs and left. We stopped for lunch, then went to visit Lana
and Frank Dial. We found them in their front yard doing some work. We
talked with them for a while and checked out the new boat that they had
bought a week or so earlier. We made plans to get together at Dale
Hollow later in the summer and then we headed out. Stacey watched the
Pacer game on TV while we took a break. After the game was over, we went
to Jessica and Jeff Summer's house near Markleville. She gave us a tour
through their house and showed us their animals. They have chickens,
ducks and two horses. There are several dogs too. Airianna and Trevon
were also hanging around as we talked with Jessica and Jeff. We made one
more stop while we were in Markleville at Jessica's Mom's house. Anita
had been working outside planting a small garden when we arrived. She
was surprised to see us. We talked with her for a half hour, then headed
back to Daleville for the night.
Monday
morning, Linda baked a package of cinnamon rolls and then we loaded the
HHR and headed back towards Burkesville. We stopped at Kingfish in
Jeffersonville for lunch.
The
traffic was light and the trip went quickly. We made it home by 1:30 PM.
We rested a little while, then rode around to see what the weather had
done while we were gone. I guess we had quite a bit of rain, but by
going to IN we had missed it all.
Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Hay Cut
When Stacey and I returned to the farm after the Events Committee
meeting we noticed that Phil and Steve Garmon were cutting the hay in
the fields across from the house.
The
spring weather had started early and the hay had been growing fairly
well, so they decided to cut it before it was too tall and began laying
over. When Linda came home from working at the school we took Daisy for
a run. Daisy has been acting badly by not coming back to the Mule when
we are ready to return her to the barn. Brent helped us get her back in
the Mule on Sunday after her acting up. Today, she wouldn't stop trying
to catch fish in the creek. When we drove the Mule closer to her, she
just moved on down the creek. She ran back and forth across the road a
couple of times, then up the hill behind the house. She was spastic,
running all over the hillside and finally down by the back porch. Linda
was able to get close enough to Daisy to get her attention, then Daisy
ran to the Mule and jumped in the back. We put her in the barn and
parked the Mule. All of this took about a half hour. We've tried giving
her treats when she comes back, but that doesn't work to get her to come
back. I'm thinking a shock collar maybe the only thing that might work.
☺
Update: Stacey and I took Daisy for a run on Thursday morning and she
was back to normal. She ran and stayed fairly close to the Mule, played
in the creek when we were close to the water, then ran with the Mule
while we were back in the 'holler'. At the right time, she hopped in the
back of the Mule like she was supposed to do.☺
Posted on Saturday, May 05, 2012
Cool Water Hot Day
Pauline and Brent arrived Friday evening.
About 2:30 AM, the weather
radio sounded an alarm. There were severe thunderstorms on the way to
Cumberland County. An hour later the storms reached the farm. Thunder
and lightening with driving rain, but not much wind lasted for about a
half hour, then just a gentle rain for another hour. When daylight
arrived there wasn't any damage that could be seen. We had breakfast and
Linda and I took Kyle for a Mule ride with Daisy. Then we rode on the
tractor for a few minutes, all at Kyle's request. Oh and a short trip to
the 'pop sickle barn' for a treat. It was nearly 10:30 AM when we
returned to the house. Pauline and Brent were ready to get outside, so
we went back to the pole barn and messed around in there. The
temperature was going up and the sky had cleared. Brent mentioned that
we should go to the lake and run the boat. Everyone was eager to go, so
we began our preparation for the first boat trip of the year. We had to
stick on the new TN registration stickers, put the life jackets back in
the boat, take the cockpit covers off and put on the road covers, get
the pickup truck and hook up the boat trailer, pull it out of the barn
and tie down the road cover. Then we headed to the house for coolers and
food. Swim suits were next, would we use them or not, no one knew for
sure. Finally we were ready, Julie went with Linda and I in the truck
pulling the boat, Stacey rode with Kyle, Pauline and Brent. After
filling the boat with gas, we drove to the State Park and launched the
boat. I changed the routine, I was driving the boat off the trailer
while Brent parked the truck. The boat started right away and a few
minutes later we were under way. After exiting the dock area, I moved
out of the driver's seat and let Stacey take the wheel while I took a
few pictures.
We
rode for awhile, letting the battery charge and making sure things were
working properly as we enjoyed the view. There were other boats on the
lake and some people were on jet skis. There were a few boats with
people on tubes and skis. Stacey moved out of the driver's seat and let
Brent take the controls before we stopped. Julie and Kyle were ready to
swim and were dancing around on the deck at the back of the boat. Brent
was the first in the water and said it was chilly. Kyle about fell in
and was going in once he saw his Dad in the water. I grabbed his arm and
lowered him in the water before he fell in. Kyle said it was cold, but
swam over to his Dad. Julie went in next and right to Brent. Then Stacey
jumped in. Pauline, Linda and I remained in the boat.
After
they were out of the water and had dried off, we started the boat and
rode around the lake. The lake was 'flat' without much traffic and no
wind. The ride was really smooth and the air temperature was nice as we
checked out several places. Julie was needing a sandwich so we stopped
and had sandwiches for a late lunch. She had wanted to get her float out
earlier, so Brent used the extra time to blow it up and then tossed it
in the water. Julie was unsure how she had got in it last year, so Brent
had to give her a refresher course. It worked and away she went.
After
Julie returned to the boat, we rode around until nearly 5 PM. Then we
pulled the boat out of the lake, covered it up and towed it back to the
farm. After backing it in the pole barn, we went to the house and had
supper around 7 PM. People drifted to the bedrooms beginning around 8:30
PM.
It wasn't a perfect day, the water was a little chilly, but the
air temperature was 87 degrees most of the time we were on the water and
we all enjoyed our first trip of the season.
Posted on Friday, April 27, 2012
Tractor Delivered
I had been looking for a tractor for a month or two on the internet. We
went to look at a used tractor that was supposed to be in TN, but when
we were about half way there, Linda finally was able to contact the
person, they told her it had already sold. I started looking at a new
model that New
Holland had brought out this year called the "WorkMaster".
I thought I wanted the '45'
model and went to look at it at the local tractor dealer, Hobdy,
Dye & Read in Columbia. When I saw the actual tractor, I thought
it was too small for what I needed. I asked the salesman about the next
size that was larger. A '55'
model that had slightly more horsepower and bigger tires. I thought I
knew how much they would ask for the tractor, but he gave me a price a
couple thousand dollars below what the internet had shown. I told them I
needed to think about it and then I went back to the farm because they
didn't have the tractor at that location anyway.
The next morning,
the salesman called and reduced the price five hundred dollars and said
that he could have the tractor picked up and brought to their location
the next day. We negotiated for a fiberglass top to be put on the
tractor at a reduced price, so then I told him I would buy the tractor.
I went to the bank and picked up a check to pay for the tractor, then
took the check to the dealership and signed the papers. Stacey and I had
appointments it Tompkinsville on Thursday, so we scheduled the tractor
delivery for Friday morning.
The delivery driver called and asked
where our farm was located as he was coming back through Burkesville
after delivering a hay roller south of town. I told him our location and
that we would be waiting in the driveway. He backed the truck in the
driveway and unloaded the tractor.
Stacey
helped me hook up the bush hog to the tractor. She loaded Daisy in the
back of the Mule while I checked out some of the controls and hookups.
Stacey followed me down the road and across the creek. She let Daisy run
while I made two trips around the hayfield with the new tractor and bush
hog. Stacey put Daisy in the back of the Mule when I was done and we
went back to the farm. I parked the tractor while Stacey put Daisy in
the barn and we went inside.
Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Cruiser Car Show
Linda and I had been getting things ready for a couple days. We headed
to town around 8 AM. The weather was the worst we've ever had for a car
show. It was cold, somewhere between 50 and 55 degrees, but it felt even
colder. It was misting rain and a brisk breeze. The CRC club members
voted 7-1 to go ahead with the show. Amazingly, people started showing
up with their vehicles and registering. Darrell opened up his Mid Night
Special DJ trailer and pepped up the crowd with the old tunes and the
kids from 21st Century sold hot coffee and sandwiches.
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It
seemed to get colder as the time passed. At noon, registration was
closed and the Crusiers gave everyone notice that they had 1 hour to
vote for their 3 favorite vehicles and then the awards would be passed
out. While the votes were being counted, the Cruisers had a small boy
draw for the door prizes as they passed them to the winners. The
trophies for Long Distance and Club Participation were then awarded. The
list of winners was then handed over to the announcer and each winner
was presented a Top 20 Trophy as their name was called. After those were
presented, the Cruisers called Walter Hendley to the tent and presented
him with the Best of Show Trophy for his blue and white 56 Chevy.
The
50/50 drawing was done and the money paid to the winner. The Cruisers
thanked the owners that brought their vehicles out in the bad weather.
We
hope we made the best of a bad situation for those that attended.
We
packed up the stuff and returned to the farm. Linda started a fire in
the wood stove and we relaxed for a few hours. Around 5:30, Marna and
Jim came over from their campsite and we played cards and talked until
about 9 PM.
Posted on Friday, April 20, 2012
Marna & Jim Visit
A few days ago, one of our friends called and said they were coming to
KY and going to camp at the Dale Hollow State Park. Marna and Jim were
pulling a 5th wheel camper and wanted to visit us, so we made plans to
visit with them. We drove out to the park Thursday evening and found
their campsite. We talked with them a couple of hours and made plans for
them to visit us at the farm.
Friday, Jim drove into our driveway
about 10:30 AM. Linda and I went out to meet them and talked a few
minutes before riding around in the Mule. They wanted to see the farm
before going inside the house, so we rode around for a little while,
then went in the pole barn. A little later, we returned to the house and
talked until time for lunch. We went to the Hot Rod BBQ for lunch and
talked more as we ate.
When
we finished eating, Marna and Jim went back to their campsite and we
returned to the farm. We were supposed to go to the campground at 6 PM.
We took chicken breasts and potatoes to cook on their grill for supper.
We also had a couple types of salad along with the meat and potatoes.
Once again, we finished eating and then talked until 9 PM. We said good
night and went back to the farm.
Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2012
Back Home
Saturday morning we woke to a rainy day. There were thunderstorms and
the rain was coming down steadily. I fixed breakfast. A little later,
Linda painted the trim in the hallway and the bathroom door. We decided
we would go home without visiting anyone because we were both sick and
didn't want to spread the dry cough we had to others. Alton Sneed
stopped by and we talked with him for about a half hour. He agreed to
mow Mom's yard again this year and to also mow the yard at the gray
house across the street. Linda and Stacey packed up our things and I
carried the stuff out to the HHR in the rain. We locked up the house and
headed towards Burkesville at 2 PM in a pouring rain. Linda slept in the
back seat all the way to Jeffersonville where I woke her to get ready
for King Fish. The sun was shinning as I parked and we all went inside
to eat. The food was delicious as always. After we ate, we continued on
to the farm and parked the HHR in the garage just before dark. We
carried in our clothes and left the tools in the car till morning.
Sunday
morning was hot and clear as I went outside early. The flowers at the
back of the house had bloomed while we were gone.
I
took Daisy for a run since she hadn't been out for a few days. A little
before lunch, Linda and I began mowing and we finished several hours
later. Just before dark, Linda had Coco outside and he found a "little
bitty bunny" in the flower beds. She said the bunny was squeaking and it
was like one of Coco's toys.
Posted on Friday, April 13, 2012
IN Trip
Thursday morning, we loaded a lot of tools and a few clothes into the
HHR and headed for IN. We picked up breakfast along the way and ate it
as we were driving. I parked in front of Mom's house a little past noon
and we went inside for a short break. We put some of the battery powered
tools on their chargers and then went outside. I used the chainsaw I had
brought to cut down the scrub trees that had grown up along the fence
around the back yard. Linda picked up the debris while I kept cutting.
When we had finished that job, I exchanged the chainsaw for the battery
powered hedge trimmers and worked on the bushes along the front porch.
Linda and Stacey once again, picked up the debris and cleaned up the
mess I was making. The battery's power ran out and had to be recharged
three times before I had the bushes completely trimmed. We cleaned up a
few items at the gray house across the street while we were waiting.
We
went to White Castle for some 'sliders' and then to Muncie to visit with
Mom. Virginia was setting by the door when we arrived and was doing
really well. She talked with us for a good bit and seemed better than
she had been in a long time. They came to take her for a smoke break and
she was gone about 10 minutes, then returned in an ill mood. I guess she
had a problem while she was outside with another resident, because she
was mad at the world when she came back inside. We listened to several
complaints and then said good bye and left around 8 PM.
After
breakfast Friday morning, we relaxed a few minutes and then began work
on the bathroom vanity. I drilled the holes for the plumbing lines to
fit through the bottom of the vanity and we tried setting in over the
lines and against the wall. Of course, the holes weren't quite big
enough the first few times we tried putting the vanity in place. We
pushed and tugged until one of the lines came loose. We found out it
wasn't glued, just stuck together. I glued the line and we tried again.
Finally the vanity was in place. I installed the faucet on the vanity
top before setting it on the cabinet. This made working on it much
easier. I used plumber's tape on the threads and tightened the braided
hoses, then installed the drain plug and hooked up the lever to open and
close the drain. I carried the vanity top into the bathroom and set it
on the cabinet. "Houston, we have a problem!" The ends of the braided
water lines were not the correct size. I tried hooking up the sink's
drain pipe and there was a problem with that too. I needed a trip to
Lowe's! We drove to Lowe's in Anderson and a real helpful employee
pointed me to every piece I needed to complete the job. We ate lunch in
the car on the way back to Daleville. I installed the new hoses and put
the drain pipe together, it was time to try the water. Linda went
downstairs and turned on the shut off valves one at a time. The hot
water was fine! The cold water, umm, not so much. It popped off the
fitting where the hose was connected. It had not been glued. I glued it
in place and we waited about 10 minutes then tried turning the water on
again. This time, success, both hot and cold water was working, the sink
was holding water and the drain didn't leak. Ta Da! Only a half day to
do a one hour job. Those dang home improvement shows make it look so
easy.
Linda
shot me down, she told me, now we needed to install the cabinet door
handles, the drawer pulls, then the towel bar and the toilet paper
holder, and etc... After taking nearly another hour getting those
screwed to the drawers and walls, only one more item and it was scary.
Remember, it was Friday the 13th! I needed to put the mirror back on the
wall. The mirror was a 30" square, but felt like it weighed 40 lbs when
we were holding it against the wall and putting in the small screws and
brackets that held it in place. Finally, DONE! No cracks, no 7 years bad
luck. I was ready for a break.
A
few minutes later, the phone rang, Kim and Kenny Bourke were coming over
to visit. They brought some old purple Crown Royal whiskey bags for
Linda to take to Pauline. I guess Pauline is going to put the bags
together to make a quilt. We talked for a while, then called and had
Pizza King deliver a pizza. Kim and Kenny stayed and visited until
around 11 PM.
Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2012
Easter
Saturday morning, Linda and Pauline helped Julie and Kyle color eggs for
Easter.![]()
Sunday
morning, I took the kids for a Mule ride while the Easter Bunny
delivered the baskets and hid the eggs. When we returned to the house,
the kids ran inside and began opening their baskets of goodies. Candy
was being ate as fast as possible too.
After
the kids had opened all their stuff, we loaded into the Mule and rode
down the driveway and across the road to hunt Easter Eggs.
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After
finding most of the eggs, we sat at the pole barn and opened the plastic
eggs, dumped out the surprises and counted the eggs. There were several
missing, so we went back and tried to find the remaining eggs. We found
a few more, but 4 plastic eggs remain in hiding.
After
the egg hunt, we cooked chicken breasts on the grill for a late lunch.
Pauline and Brent took their kids and went home around 4 PM.
Posted on Friday, April 06, 2012
KY Headhunters
We began the day with breakfast with Julie and Kyle, a Mule ride with
Daisy running along and preparing for the bake sale. I had to go across
the creek to meet with the loggers and when I returned to the house,
Pauline and Brent had arrived. We spent awhile talking with them and
messing around, then it was time for Linda and I to load the HHR with
our baked goods and head to town. We took a table and set it up near the
entrance to the grocery store and began selling the stuff Linda had
baked. Surprisingly, things were selling fairly quickly and we were soon
worried about running out of items. Misty, Bernice and Cheryl brought a
few of their things to replenish our supply. We kept selling and talking
to people until our three hours were over and Tammy Dyer replaced us.
We
returned to the house and took a break with everyone for about an hour
and a half. After changing clothes, Stacey, Linda and I took the HHR and
picked up Jason and headed towards Glasgow for the KY Headhunters
concert at the Plaza Theatre. We stopped at Mancino's for sandwiches and
pizza, then drove into the center of town and parked at the Courthouse.
There was a line waiting at the Plaza's doors and the marquee said the
show was SOLD OUT.
Our
tickets were waiting at the "will call" area and after picking them up,
we went inside and found we were in ROW D on the center aisle. I had
ordered them online a few months earlier and didn't remember the
location, but we were happy with them. It wasn't long till the show
started with hard rock 'n' roll.
The
music was loud and the beat was pounding. The crowd was loving it. After
about an hour and twenty minutes, the guitar players took a break and
the drummer did a 10 - 15 minute solo. Just when the crowd thought he
was at his fastest drumming, he was spinning his drum sticks between
beats, he stood up like it was over, threw his sticks in the air and
continued playing with his bare hands for another 5 minutes. The crowd
gave him a couple standing ovations and then the remaining band members
returned and began playing.
They
played over an hour and 45 minutes, did their finale then walked off.
The cheers brought them back and they played a couple more songs, then
played "Down To Dumas Walkers'" and people thought they were done. A few
people in the crowd started to leave, but the guitar player said, "don't
go, we're not done yet" and they played about 3 more songs.
At
the end, the KY Headhunters took their final bow, then stood and told
everyone thanks for coming and how they had a great time, they also
thanked the Mayor for giving them the "Key to the City" that day, they
waved good bye and the concert was over. Two hours and ten minutes of
rock 'n' roll had came to an end and the crowd was well satisfied.










