We Were Lucky

It was quite a lucky thing that we broke camp and came home yesterday.  Last evening and into the night there were serious thunder storms as well as a tornado warning in that area.  We were, indeed , glad to be home.  Today we unloaded the van and opened it up and opened the awning so the sun can dry out everything.  I'll post a few pictures.  Notice the reflections in the water.

Camping Woes

Left yesterday morning for Cumberland Gap National Historic Park.  We had a nice drive, but when we got there the park was closed.  It is open year round, but they have been doing some major repairs and they aren't yet finished.  From there we went to the Camp Center and they gave us a list of parks nearby.  We ended up going to Cove Lake State park and it's just about 50 miles from our house.  We were extremely delighted with the sites and we had one right on the lake.  There were so many wonderful birds..most of all Canadian Geese, but also a Snowy Egret and the mate as well as a Piliated Woodpecker and other woodpeckers and tons of other birds.  This morning we also saw a possum wanter by.  It rained a bit kyesterday, but it did not last long.  This morning, however, it started thundering around 5 and rained quite a bit.  It finally stopped and I made breakfast, but everything was wet .  We didn't bring along our big canopy because rain wasn't really expected.  We finally decided around noon today to pack up and come home.  It wasn't clearing up at all and we figured it would rain more.  I think it was a wise decision as it rained all the way home and is raining now.  The bane of campers is rain.  We are glad we found this park and will definitely go back....later....

Warming Up A Bit

Today will warm up a bit more than yesterday, but tomorrow it should reach almost to 80.  I guess we'll wait until this afternoon to clean the van and pick up a few things we forgot yesterday.  I'm about to make Spanish Rice to take along.  This is always a dish we make when camping, but I'll make it here and then will just have to warm it up.  If we were still camping a lot like we used to do I would infest in a camp kitchen.  They are very effecient and make things much easier.  We won't do much cooking this time..breakfast, of course and either spanish rice or hot dogs for dinner.  We'll go in to Middlesboro for lunch and will NOT be driving up to the Pinnacle.  It is very scary to drive up in the van with the stick shift.  We did that once before and I vowed to never to it again.  The second time we went up we had friends with us and they had an suv with automatic drive and it wasn't so bad.   I so enjoyed the pictures of Miss Eva eating her Mac and cheese!!  later...
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Cold, but No Frost

I need to see the sun.  It was absent all weekend!  Today is laundry day and R. is about to go for groceries.  It was a quiet weekend with Sunday night being our favorite tv night.  Harry's Law, The Good Wife and 2 new shows on HBO.  Veep was good..a bit fast and was followed by Girls.  I'm not sure I like that..we'll see.  We need to wash the van and vacuum inside before we go camping on Wednesday.  we'll do that tomorrow and get it packed except for the food...later...

Where did Spring go?

Chilly this morning and even moreso tomorrow morning, but then warmth returns.  I guess we'll wait until Wednesday to go camping.  Not much going on today..brunch is over the NY Times puzzle is solved and I'm still in my pjs.  I just finished making potato salad for tonight and we'll have slider burgers to go with.  I'm planning to finish the book I'm currently reading...The White Pearl.  It takes place in December of 1941 just before and after Pearl Harbor.  The family is British and lives on a rubber plantantion on Malaya.  They fled in their sail boat just after the bombing of that island and are currently dodging Japanese by sailing only at night, etc.  It's very good..an author I haven't read before...later...

Finally!

The humming birds showed up yesterday afternoon.  The first one that came to the feeder was Greenie.  I call him that because he's green.  We have that guy every year.  He came 2 or 3 times to the feeder after that, but we saw no others.  I did see another one this morning.  They must not be too hungry.  I'm assuming they have been eating all their way.  Today we're going to clean and fix up the back deck.  R. needs to trim and cut ivy around it and we'll power wash it and I'll clean the chairs, etc.  We're planning on going camping next week for a few days.  The first of the week is supposed to be chilly, so we'll likely go later when it warms up.  I guess we'll go to Cumberland Gap.  It's about 2 hours from here and the sites are very nice and the bathrooms are super!  I'm going to see if Linda and Vic want to go.  We have a tent and air bed they can use.  We'll sleep in the van which I need to go through and check everything out.  I know I want to wash the towels, etc.   It's been 2 years since we've camped and I got the bug to do this last night.....later...

End of the Gloom

That was pretty much all of yesterday.  I thought it would end as evening approached and the sun did appear for one brief moment, but then the rain reappeared.  This morning we had fog and the clouds haven't dissapated yet, but the sun will appear soon.  I'll be sprucing up the back deck when that happens and doing a bit of work inside.  Still no humming birds.  The latest they have ever come that I recorded was the 20th.  R. is headed over to Richard's again to do some work for him.  Not much planned for the weekend, but Sunday is supposed to be cool and rainy!  Yuk!  We need to do something fun...later..

Sorry to be Late

I had an appointment this morning and from there went to Target to get the J. Bird's birthday gift and then to Walgreens to pick up a prescription for R.  When I got home R. was on the computer so I started cleaning the kitchen.  By that time it was lunch time.  I still haven't finished the kitchen.  I have the floor to do, but I'm waiting until R. leaves to go pick up Richard and they have to pick up Richard's car and then R. is going to Richard's house to make some repairs.  By the way, it's quite chilly today.  I think the rain is over, but it rained most of the night and was still drizzling this morning.  I came home and put on sweats.  Tomorrow it is supposed to be 76.  I stopped yesterday at the market and got 2 beautiful tomatoes and will have BLTs for dinner tonight..hoping the tomatoes are as yummy as they look...later;..

No Rain

The rain didn't come yesterday.  We had a few sprinkles last night and we may get some this afternoon and again tomorrow.  A nice shower would be nice for my newly planted flowers.  I'll be going to the library in a bit.  I finished the Hunger Games trilogy which was on my Kindle, but now need to get books from the library.  After that I'll be hitting the gym...that's it for me today.

Flowers Make me Happy

Just looking outside at the flowers makes me happy.  I finally have everything planted except for my hanging baskets by the front door.  The flowers that I put in them aren't in yet, but should be any day.  Today we're going to Knoxville for a few chores.  Muir, Suzanne has a cork floor in her kitchen and loves it.  She sait it's very easy to clean.  I saw it and it's really pretty.  I'd like to have cork in my kitchen;, but have never priced it.  Rain is expected later today, but we should be home by then..later..

Pictures

Here are a few pictures of the flowers I planted yesterday..one is of our Rhododendum which is blooming like crazy now as is our rose bush!  Happy Spring!

Plantin Day

Yesterday we got most of what we need, but a few things I wanted weren't in yet.  The front beds where I put the marigolds were so full of clay!  In the past R. has dug them up to great soil, but all of the rain we had over the winter has turned them into nothing but clay..impossible to plant.  He has just gone to K-Mart to get bags of soil to use.  While he's doing that I've been planting my pots.  I have a few left to do.  I'm doing some different things this year and hope it turns out to be beautiful. Still no humming birds!..later...

Getting my Annuals

We'll be off to Lowe's as soon as it warms up a bit and get our annuals.  I'm hoping everything I need and want will be in.  There are a few that usually come in a bit later.  I'm hoping to get most of the planting done this weekend.  Right now it's too chilly to be outside.  I'm waiting, although not patiently, for the humming birds to arrive.  Last year they were here on the 10th and the year before on the 18th.  I thought they might be here earlier this year due to the mildness of our weather this year.  Not much else planned for today...later...oh...for anyone wanting to lower their mortgage payments the rate is the lowest it's ever been at 3.8%.  This is a good time to refinance.  ...later...

Computer Problems

Everytime Microsoft does upgrades our computer goes nuts.  I've been trying to blog all morning and it freezes and then I leave and R. works on it and I come back and it does the same thing.  More than anything I wanted to read Muir's blog and see the videos she posted of Eva.  That still isn't happening.  We're going to dig and plant after lunch.  It's warming up nicely and that's all I have for today.  Now I try to get Muir's blog up again...later....

Brrr

Really chilly here.  I covered my herbs and marigolds, but I don't think we got down that far.  Tomorrow, however is supposed to be even chillier and then a nice warmup.  Just finished my shower and we'll be going to Knoxville later this morning.  Nothing else to report...later...

Sunny and Chilly

Warming up today before tomorrow's cool down.  I'll wait until the frost scare is over before planting anything.  Today I'm just doing some ironing..catching up on that before the ironing basket gets too full.  R. is going to the grocery store and then it's to the gym this afternoon.  Nothing else going on around here.  Tomorrow we have to go to Knoxville.  Nothing at all exciting or otherwise to report.  I'm currently reading the 3rd book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  When I finish that I need to go back to the library and get books out of there.  I've put the Hunger Games on my Kindle...later...

Not a Great Easter

My meal was so.so.  The weather was lovely, but that's the best I can say for the day.  It's nice and sunny here, but cooling down the next 2 days.  I need to finish the laundry and get myself together.  Hope everyone had a nice weekend.  I did enjoy watching Bubba Watson win the Master's....later...

Happy Easter!

It's bright and sunny here, but a chilly start to the day.  Brunch is over and we were working on the NY Times puzzle, but I needed to get busy so left R. to do it alone.  I was going to make Cherry Crisps for dessert this evening, but I could not find cherries.  It called for frozen tart cherries.  Walmart had sweet cherries and Kroger had none.  Now we're going to have Key Lime pie.  I'm not making my traditional pear/jello salad, but instead making a pear/blue cheese salad with a walnut vinigtrette.  I'm thinking we'll eat outside, but it does get chilly as evening approaches, so I'll decided that later.  We watched We Bought a Zoo last night...very enjoyable.  That's about it for this Easter Sunday...later...

Easter Weekend

It's a beautiful morning here and starting to warm up after a chilly start.  In a bit I'm going to wash my windows on the outside thanks to the Windex window solution that you attach to the hose.  My kitchen window is especially gross-looking.  Last night we watched another Doris Day movie...Love Me or Leave Me which is the story of Ruth Etting.  It was very good.  I have nothing else to report on except to say that my other blogger buddies are losers!...later...

Good Friday

Got up too early, but am getting a good start on cleaning the house.  The great room is finished and I'm about to tackle the kitchen.  Loved watching the Reds win yesterday and loved knowing J.J. was at the game with his Daddy and Aunt Muir.  Also enjoyed watching the Master's.  We watched a Doris Day movie last night.  The rest of today will be just hanging out.  The rain is over, but no sunshine yet and it is a bit chilly...later...

Big Sports Day!!!

The Reds open their season today.  Go Reds!!  I miss living in Cincinnati and rooting for the Reds and going to many games.  The last opening day I went to was 16 years ago and the home plate umpire died and the game was cancelled.  We did go back the next day.  I still am a big Red's fan though it's not as easy to follow them down here.  Atlanta is the team people root for...Boo!  Also, the Master's starts today.  I love the Masters, but listen to this.  IBM sponsors it and the last 4 presidents of IBM have been admitted to the club which is, by the way, and all male club.  The president of IBM now is a woman.  Is the board going to break tradition and allow her in?  I doubt it.  I'm thinking she should say that IBM will be dropping their sponsorship because the Master's board doesn't go along with the philosophy of IBM!  There...I've said my piece.  We got our marigolds yesterday and had planned to plant them today, but more rain made the bed pretty muddy and more bad weather is expected today.  We'll wait...later...

Getting the Van

The van has been in the shop for ages and is ready to be picked up now.  I was hoping this day would never come!  After that we're going to get our marigolds for the front.  I'm not going to plant the rest of my flowers for a while yet, but want to get the marigolds in before Easter.  We'll also shop for our Easter meal.  Richard, Jr. will be coming over and I'll have the usual, for the most part...ham, scalloped potatoes and asparagus.  I'm having a blue cheese/pear salad this year and am making cherry crisps for dessert.  The Pioneer Woman had that on her show last week and they looked good and R. loves cherries.  Weather is supposed to be perfect on Easter and I'm thinking we'll eat outside on the deck.  later....

Afternoon Storms

It seems they are happening every afternoon.  Knoxville had a lot of flooding with trees down yesterday, but we just got wind and rain.  Every morning starts out sunny and lovely and the storms brew around 4 or 5.  More expected today.  I'm hoping Jack comes to cut the grass today as it really needs it, but it is pretty wet out there.  Just talked to Maggie and they're back from the Dominican and had a great time.  Eva was a joy, as always.  Anne and the kids are having a great time in D. C.  Today they are going to Mt. Vernon among other things.  I need to make up my Easter menu and get the groceries in the next day or so.  Watched some of the game last night and PBS had 2 great shows...one on Margaret Mitchell which I watched and the other was Harper Lee which I DVRd and am anxious to watch...later...

More Rain and Hail

Yesterday we had more of the same, but a lot less hail and no real storm.  More is expected this afternoon.  It's beautiful here this morning.  R. has left for his stress test at the Drs.  It's a 3 hour procedure.  The laundry is finished here and now I need to make spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight and do a few other chores.  Muir, I must say I loved you analysis of The Hunger Games.  I think it was right on and I agree with all that you said.  I especially wished the relationship between Katniss and Haymitch and been shown as it was in the book.  I'm reading Catching Fire now, but haven't read much this weekend.  I'm enjoying pictures that Anne is sending from D.C.  .....later...

Disappointing Basketball Games

I was kind of rooting for Louisville and they lost.  I was really rooting for Ohio State and they lost.  Throughout all of this tournament, not one of my teams have won!  I'm not even interested in watching the final game.  Kentucky did look great and I guess I want them to win.  So..yesterday we were watching the game and we got thunderstorm warnings.  Baxter was here and we got a few big booms, but not much.  All of a sudden it started to hail.  It was really something and I'll post the pictures.  It didn't last too long..maybe 10 minutes.  Today it's beautiful.  I'm having to blow off the deck every day due to the debris from all of the trees.  We put the fountain together this morning...later..