Can You Smell That Smell

Lochloosa Lake

Honda NC750X at Lochloosa Lake

Don, Steve, Bobby with Dixie the dog

Steve returned safely from his Florida excursion earlier this week. It’s an 7-8 hour trip down and the same on the return. He said the traffic was wall-to-wall and tree top tall. There are so many people living there now. He said that will probably be his last long trip on 2 wheels, and possibly no more even in the truck. Well, he is 73. It took a lot out of him. Whenever he returns from those visits I have to do the laundry right away. His sister uses some brand of smelly detergent that has such a raucous odor I call it The Entity as it seems to have a life of its own by permeating everything near it. Ugh. I have a sensitive sniffer. In the photo on the right, it’s his brother-in-law Don, Steve, and his nephew Bobby.

Yesterday, we met Steve’s Mom at a local Oncologist for a 2 month check concerning her platelet levels. They had been way too high, but now the Doc said she is normal. A few months previous, by mutual consent, it was deemed much safer for her to take the medical transport available through the Nursing Home. They keep her strapped into a wheelchair so that she remains level, calm and stable. The ride is easier on her rather than trying to shove her into one of our tall pickup trucks. While waiting for the doctor, she shared with us that after being weighed this week, she went from 98 lbs to 91 lbs. That’s quite a significant loss for such a small framed woman! Since I hadn’t been near her for a month, I noticed that she is suddenly getting much more frail. Then, twice while waiting, she had to use the bathroom. I have to go with her for obvious reasons. As always I turn around to give her privacy. This time, though, she couldn’t work the paper, and the odor that now comes from that frail body! Oh. My. Word. It smells like (forgive me) the worse kind of vomit and I’m accustomed to cleaning up after dog sick and other accidents. Wow. I didn’t mind helping, of course, but on the ride home I felt mentally exhausted and kept fighting back the tears. I can see that she is slipping away. Inch by inch. Miserable day by miserable day. Poor dear. And she never complains. I really admire her courage. I’m so glad she believes in Jesus so I don’t have to worry about her final destination. What a comfort He gives us all.

In the mornings, we try to watch the Greg Gutfeld (Fox News) Show that gets posted to YouTube. On one of his shows this week, he talked about a young girl who’s Famous For Being Famous that is now selling a product called Fart In A Jar. Now, I do not for one minute think the product is real back-side emissions. She’s replicating it somehow. But it shows yet another sign of our declining times, don’t ya think? P. T. Barnum was right. There’s a sucker born every minute.

🎄 Ride Safe ✨❤️

Scanning Memories

Not much going on here. Along with Christmas preparations, which are pretty much done, I’ve been going through many of our old photo albums. Then scanning them to be put at Shutterfly for safe keeping. I suppose they should also be put on a CD and/or Flash Drive in case of fire. That’s down the road though ….

One of the first photo books I’m scanning is from our first house together in Jacksonville, Florida.

January 1, 1982

If this house had had wheels, it would have been a rolling wreck, inside and out. The inside was so dirty. Before moving in we ‘bombed’ it for roaches and the next day the floor looked like a miniature battle field with little corpses everywhere. The previous owners had removed all the interior doors, there where holes in the plaster walls, the plumbing needed repairing, and so forth. It was a long list. Plus the Battle Ship Grey and White exterior just had to go. On our meager budget it took over four years to really get the place livable. The LORD blessed us with eleven years there. Then we moved to our little piece of Heaven here in Southeast Georgia. Never looked back.

As you can tell, all I cared about, really, was the yard.

June 1984

The puppy in the right hand corner was my first Miniature Schnauzer, Ruthie. She was half ‘mini’ and half Fox Terrier-mix. We also had her mother, Trixie. (Trixie was a Pound rescue and such a treasure). They where quite a pair, those two. Anyway, can you tell I like Zinnia’s? I grew some award winning ones that year. I used to have people stop and compliment me on the yard and house. Oh, and guess what the brown color name was at Sherwin-Williams? Hudson Brown! It just had to be.

We’re expecting a lot of rain tonight. I hope that forecast is accurate. We sure need it again.

May the LORD bless and keep you.

A Georgia Cheeseburger But Not In Paradise

Ever since the storm Hermaine, it seems we’ve been playing Pick Up Sticks all over the property. The weather is good, the dogs aren’t sick, nothing needs fixing (at the moment), therefore, we decided it was time for a little break. Hopped in the ‘new’ Mazda3 iSport and traveled 3 hours south to the ancient city of Saint Augustine. Lunched at an older than me restaurant called Conch House. The food was h.e.a.v.e.n.l.y! Mine was the Conch House Cuban and Hubby had the Frickle Burger, both with homemade Potato Chips and a Kosher Dill. Yum Yum!

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I have a long time internet friend (yeah, I know, I have a friend? … *lol*), an elderly friend, who is living on a large sailboat with her daughter and son-in-law. They are currently somewhere down in Mexico, I forget were. I’m going to ask that when they get to our coast to meet us at the Conch House Marina. I think they’d be pleased with the slips, the food, and the surroundings. Just don’t get out and drive anywhere because the traffic is atrocious! Who are all these people and why aren’t they at a job somewhere!

Here’s a few more pics of the day:

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Did you notice the posts carved into faces? I want some of those! Our neighbors probably already think I’m weird, might as well go all the way with it. Oh, and on the return trip we also stopped at the Dairy Queen in Folkston to have a ice cream cone. Well, I had to have something to steady my nerves for the rest of the ride home. (That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.)  😉

It was fun and all but I’m glad to be back home to our quiet little neck of the woods. I’m so tired from all the traffic. Florida has lost all it’s appeal for me. Henceforth, I’m officially a Georgian through-and-through. Those sticks I haven’t picked up yet are looking real good right now.

I Remember The 70s

I do remember all these things since I graduated from High School in 1974. My first radio was a ‘portable’ (i.e. no Mack truck necessary for transporting) transistor. And it seems like every guy I knew had that famous poster of Farrah Fawcett in her red swimsuit on his wall. Now how could a ganky, pimple faced young girl compete with that!? *sigh*

Yeah, that’s me, grinning like a mule eating briers. The nice gentleman handing out the sheep skin’s was our Principal Abraham Lincoln “Abe” Collinsworth (now deceased). I think my step mom snapped this little memento for which I am very grateful. Dad never took an interest in anything I did. And if I’d known that my parents where gonna throw me out of the house shortly afterwards, I probably would have looked more worried. Everything turned out OK, though. It was just a lot of ‘anx ‘over nothing.

The temperature’s are beginning to moderate here in SE Georgia. The severe summer heat is waning. We are drawing ever nearer to what I consider ideal riding weather. Can’t wait!