Jim and Roxanne have made sure that NO crows will hit their garden this fall.  Their scarecrow display is great.  Makes me smile every time I walk by it.

 

So cheerful!!!

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

OK...Lately, I have had several friends ask how to make a comment on the blog.  

 

Up until yesterday, it was only possible to comment if you were logged into the website.  Which is fine for Five Forks residents, because you all have a login password.  However, visitors to the site can read the blog, but weren't able to login and comment.  Well, I changed that.  You can now add a comment without being logged in.  Comments will be monitored by the blogs' author, and then made public if appropriate.  Sometimes the comments may just be a personal note between the reader and the author, not for everybody to see.  Sometimes they may be great to publicize because the reader may not be the only one with that thought.  

 

So let's see how it goes.  I love it when you respond to my blog posts.  It lets me know you're reading them.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

 

 

We harvested about 4 bushels of apples from our trees.  Yay!!!  Our squirrel-proofing worked!!!

 

We started canning applesauce, but still have a couple more days to go before we are finished.  Sandy canned 30 quarts and as many pints from her 4 bushels of apples.  She worked constantly for two days.  We have also made apple pies, apple cakes, and fed a bunch to the deer.  

 

When we were little, there was an apple tree in the back yard.  We all have fond memories of Momma and Nanny and BeeBee sitting in the shade of the apple tree, peeling apples by hand.  They made a LOT of applesauce.  

 

And our friend, Ruby Whitman made tons of apple cake.  Her recipe is in the recipe section.  Try it:  it is easy and delicious.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

 

 

We got MUMS this week!!!  This is a 14" pot full of 3 colors of chrysanthemums.  It stands 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide.  Gorgeous!!!

 

It came from Gracie's Nursery on the Blairsville Highway.  I know you've seen all the mums when you drive by.  Well, stop in and get some for your Fall decorating.  Do it soon, so you can enjoy them longer.  If you wait til the flowers are all the way open, you will have missed out on about a month of beauty.  

 

I'm sure you can buy them at Walmart or Home Depot, but don't you love to support the small businesses here?  Prices are about the same.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Yes, you can thank Patty Tegtman for the fabulous fall decorations.  

 

She and Bill made these adorable Folk Art Scarecrows and pumpkins, including the ones at the signposts.  She asked for a hay bale, which Jim had delivered.  Then we spray painted this great face on it.  (I bet you didn't know you have graffiti artists as neighbors.)    ;D

 

She's the mastermind behind the whole thing.  I just provided the transportation and cheerleading.  

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

 

 

I told you about Nancy's puzzle.  It has 1500 pieces, and now it's finished.  She did it in less than a week.  WOW!!!!!  

 

She's smarter than I am though; she put it together on their dining room table which is pub table height.  She could stand up or sit in a chair to add the pieces.  No bending over the coffee table.  

 

I'm excited to trade her and tackle this one this winter.  So pretty.

 

 

HOW ARE YOU KEEPING OCCUPIED?  

 

Mark made this sign for me a few years ago, commemorating my advanced degree in blogging.  Well, I guess I've finally earned it.  The current status of blogs on this website is 496, and I have written 463 of them.  That's a lot of rambling over the last three years. 

 

Wait!!!  Is 'bloggery' a real word?  Or do you think he made it up?  If he did, that makes it even better!!!  ;D

 

Thanks for reading.  Love, Gerry

 

This man!!!!!  Really?  Did I tell you that he's 72 years old?  Yep, and nothing phases him.  Now you know why we call our home:  Crazybrook Farm.

 

This time he's tying down the antenna to the corner of the house, to prevent wind damage.  See those guy wires?  They attach to the front corners of the house.  He had to lie on the roof on his stomach, and lean out over the edge to attach it to the hooks he had screwed onto the fascia.  

 

Where is Tim when you need him?

 

HAPPY HOME OWNERSHIP!!!

 

This is what Jon did the week of his birthday.  It took all week.  You can see it's almost done.  

 

He had to use a 28 foot ladder to do the top part, and it was a bear!!!  The last time he stained this part of the house was at least 5 years ago.  So this time he double coated it, and hopefully it will last a little longer.  Doesn't it look beautiful?  

 

He did declare that the next time this job needs doing, he's going to hire Tim to do the top part.  Maybe he should call him soon, and book the job.  Tim is one busy guy.  

 

HAPPY HOME MAINTENANCE!!!!!

 

We are members of Farm Bureau, and every month we get a newsletter/magazine.  It always has good stories, tips, and general information about North Carolina.  So I read it every month.  This month I read a short article on roadway safety that I'd like to pass along.  

 

Agricultural vehicles are on the roads now, delivering food and necessities, or just getting from one field to another.  And they are very slow-moving.  They can only travel at 20-25 mph, but need to use the same highways we use traveling 55 mph.  When you see them, SLOW DOWN, for their safety, and yours.

 

I thought it was an excellent reminder that we're not in the big city, and we ALL need to slow down.  That's why most of us are here anyway, isn't it?

 

HAPPY TRAVELS!!!