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!!!

 

I love this picture.  

 

This is my friend, Sheri.  She has a friend, Sandy who has a sheep farm outside Charlotte.  They have a Great Pyrenees, and cows too.  Sounds like a fun friend to go visit in the spring, or anytime when the lambs are born.  

 

Sandy's Sheep, Sheri's baby.  I think you should raise sheep, Sheri.  You look like a natural lamb momma.

 

HAPPY TIMES!!!

 

Nancy gave me this puzzle last week.  It was in 1000 pieces.  I started putting it together on Saturday, and was finished by Thursday.  I love puzzles:  Crosswords, Sudoku, jigsaws, all kinds.  This one was so fun, and beautiful.  All the butterflies are numbered, and named scientifically.

 

I sent Nancy a picture when I started, and a couple progress pictures.  She is doing a 1500 piece puzzle of birds.  The center one is a peacock with about 50 "eyes."  This winter we are going to swap puzzles.  She'll get the butterflies and I'll get the birds.  Hey, as Momma would say, "It keeps us out of the pool hall."  

 

I did make one BIG mistake, though.  I started putting it together on the living room table, which stands 16 inches off the floor.  By the time I realized my error, it was too late to move it to a higher table.  So every piece was added by bending over.  AAK!!!  I surely won't make THAT mistake again.  

 

Next time I will monopolize the dining room table for however long it takes.  

 

HAPPY DAYS!!!

 

 

 

Happy hour on the porch with Henry and Tere is fun.  We sit at opposite ends of the porch and solve the problems of the world.  It takes HOURS!!!!  The hummingbirds are right there in front of us.  They buzz in and out at warp speed.  

 

I love this picture.  I set my phone camera to the Live option, and took a few pix as they flew in and out.  Then I could watch them again in motion and pick out the best shot.  

 

Thanks, friends for entertaining us this weekend.

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

A couple years ago, Jon turned 70.  We had a three day birthday bash.  It was tremendous fun!!!  Over 50 guests in all came to celebrate the BIG day.  I had to spread it out over the three day weekend to have enough room to put all our friends.  Everybody chose their own day to attend.  It worked beautifully.

 

We celebrated like kids, with 3 cakes and 3 different homemade ice creams, and presents.  Everybody had fun!!

 

Not to hog the gift-giving prize, but.....when he came home with this yellow Jeep to take me for a ride, I said YES!!! Let's buy it and call it your birthday present.  It has been so much fun every summer since.  Remember that old joke:  How can you tell a happy motorcyclist?  By the bugs on his teeth.  Well, that's how happy this Jeep makes us.  Whenever we drive it, we're grinning from ear to ear.  

 

Today is his birthday, and the Jeep is still the present.  ;D   If you happen to see him on a walk or in the Jeep, be sure to wave.

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JON.

 

Here's Tere having fun in the lake.  

 

 

And me wishing I was on the boat.  Captain Roger tied this life ring to the boat so I could feel secure in all that water.  

 

I did get to tell my college swimming stories, though:  I took Beginning Swimming three times.  I got an A all three times, because I showed up and got in the pool, but I could not bring myself to get in the deep water (10 feet.) And the one time the instructor made me, I had to be rescued from the bottom of the pool!!!  They called me "Brick."  Hahaha.  It's funny, NOW!  (I guess.)  I'm just not a fan of deep water........still.

 

HAPPY TRAVELS!!!

 

 

 

Here's a better picture of the falls.  We could've gone swimming here, but it just looked too slippery to me.  So we just hung out and took a bunch of pictures. 

 

 

Old snag, still standing.

 

Such a beautiful place.  After that, we got back on the boat and went to the smallest beach.

 

 

See it there?  We waded in and floated around a while.  Nice to be in the cool water.  Jon took some pix there, but I'm not sure I'm ready to show those.  

 

HAPPY TRAVELS!!!