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!!!

 

 

 

We went out on Lake Appalachia yesterday with our friends to celebrate Tere's birthday.  She's 29, wink, wink!!!  She signed up for a 3 hour tour, complete with boat captain, Roger.  He and his wife own The WagonMaster Adventure Ranch, in Murphy.  It's off 294, past the Fields of the Wood.  What a fun place.  Oh, wait...

 

http://wagonmasterranchresort.com/  You can go look for yourself.  Cool place to take your grandchildren and visitors.  We had a great time.

 

We floated on the lake in a pontoon boat, short hike up to this waterfall, and even went swimming at the smallest beach in the world.  Can't wait to do that again.  

 

Thanks for including us in your big adventure.  ❤️❤️❤️

 

 

 

My girlfriend in Virginia sent me this gorgeous picture of her gorgeous Mountain Laurels blooming.  As you can see, they are in their element:  under tall trees, part sun/part shade.  And apparently the deer don't eat them.  They have as many deer as we do.  
 

OK. Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia.  Don't laugh, but I remember that name from Horticulture school, c.1973.  Hahaha!  According to one of my field guides, they grow 3 - 15 feet high, and bloom mid-May into July.   But I'm guessing these are close to 20 feet tall and are blooming NOW!  
 

FYI. This is just one glimpse into her backyard.  It is FULL of Mountain Laurel.  Thanks, Linda, for sharing with all of us.  These are beautiful.  Ours will be blooming soon.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

BOY!!!  What some people will do to feed the birds!!  

 

This is my friend, Nick.  He is standing in the windowsill, about second story level, filling the bird feeders.  The feeders hang outside this window, too high off the ground to fill from below, without a ladder.  So he opens the window, and stands IN THE WINDOWSILL!!!!!  

 

We have spent many hours sitting here watching the birds on these feeders.  It was Momma's favorite room in the house; she could sit there all day watching the cardinals and titmice and other birds coming and going. We've seen woodpeckers, an owl, and lots of other feathered friends.

 

See the canister of birdseed on the table?  Nick calls those "birdseed silos."  My friend, the wordsmith.

 

Did I mention that he is a senior citizen?  Old enough to know better, but still young enough to not care!!  Gotta feed the birds!!!      and the squirrels!  ;P

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

 

 

I couldn't help myself!!!  I had to take this picture.  I think it was in August of this year....but...

 

We were walking the loop, and saw Mark out working in his yard, sweating up a storm.  Even his sweat shows that it all comes from the HEART!!!!!  And he is ALL heart!!!

 

Thanks, Mark, for being such a good sport!!!!

 

Hey, Linda, this is our friend, Mark.  Cute, huh?  Told ya.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

 

 

 

I spent a few days with my three sisters at the beach in Nags Head, on the Outer Banks of NC.  

 

We rode bikes and walked on the beach every day.  We got lots of fresh air and exercise. We saw sunburned tourists, wind surfers, and beautiful Brown Pelicans.  

 

I looked for fun things to blog about, but it wasn't much different than here:  persimmons on the trees,  the start of autumn, and beautiful blue sky (read: no rain.)  Oh yeah!!!  I did see some bayberry bushes loaded with berries, and fields of cotton.   I'll show you those pix another day.

 

Today, I wanted you to see the flock of Pelicans flying over the Atlantic Ocean. 

 

I AM BACK!!!  Missed you.

 

 

 

I am leaving today for Virginia.  My three sisters and I are getting together for the first time since Momma died in March.  Our plan is to go to the beach cottage at Nags Head, on the Outer Banks of NC.  We're going to ride bikes, walk on the beach, and drink wine for lunch.  We're going to look at the old pictures, and tell all our great "Momma stories," and laugh and cry together.  Just the girls.  

 

Here's a picture of us when Momma turned 80, in 2003.  We were all a little younger then, but it's a good picture of us all dressed up.  From left to right:  Betsy, Julie, Momma, me, Linda.

 

I'm sure I'll find some fun things to blog about, but give me a few days.  Talk soon.  

 

Love, Gerry

 

Sorry it's been so long since I've written a blog.  The last couple ones were written on my phone. Way too much work. 

Well I have an iPad now, a gift from a friend. And I have something important to write about. 

 

 

This is our friend, Floyd Bowen.  He was very instrumental in the establishment of our Fve Forks community.  When the Board of Directors was getting started, Floyd volunteered and served on the board for 2 years. Then he was reelected for two more years. During that time he facilitated the establishment of the bylaws for our HOA. Lots of legal stuff, which he understood. He offered wisdom and advise based on his experience as a lobbyist for Exxon in the state of Texas. 

 

Floyd and Lois were some of the first residents in Five Forks.  Their permanent home is in Austin, Texas, and they would travel by car to North Carolina; nearly 1000 miles, to spend time in their mountain home.  

 

When they were here, often staying 3 months at a time, they worshipped at the Methodist Church in Young Harris, and played bridge several times a week.  They loved to travel too.  We heard about cruises, trips to Europe, and other adventures.  We also heard good stories about their children and grandchildren.  They were very proud of them all. 

 

Now for the the rest of the story.  Early last year Floyd was diagnosed with liver cancer.  He bravely underwent treatment, and got the green light to go on with his life.  When he went for a 6 month check up, they found that the cancer was back, and had spread.  He volunteered for an experimental drug, knowing that it wouldn't cure him, but may help somebody in the future.  Floyd was only 80 years old, but had such a good outlook on life, we all thought he would pull through it.  The doctors knew otherwise.  So they began Hospice care, and made those difficult end of life decisions. They sold the mountain house, and concentrated on living their best life while they still had it together. Floyd died on Saturday, December 15, 2018, leaving the world a better place for having lived.

 

Our hearts and prayers go out to Lois, because Floyd was her best friend for nearly 60 years!!!  How does one say goodbye?  I will tell you that my life is richer for having known Floyd and Lois as neighbors and friends. 

 

 

Bye, Floyd.  I love you.