FALLS HERE!!!!

Today started out nice, cool, then it started to warm up to 60, sunny and the leaves are falling, there is some nice color now as the leaves change from green to yellow, red, and orange and we don't have to take any long trips like the "Leaf Peepers" do that travel thru by the "Bus-Loads" from down state to see our Majestic Mountains change colors!!! We just look out the windows!!

Anna Mae's back is OK, still a lot of pain off and on and she is going to the Pain Management Clinic to monitor the pain and do some therapy!!, They have her on some electrical machine every other night that puts electrical impulses into the back and leg to try to fool the brain that there is no pain, but her brain is a lot smarter than that machine!!!

I see the Captain "Jack" and his First-Mate from the "SHIPSLOG" boogied on out of New York State and have headed for Belmont NC to where its WARM!!! We have had several "FROSTS" and have had to scrape the windshield already.

We have been busy at church and around here, we had Bingo Friday nite and had a nice crowd here at the terrace. On Last Tuesday's Coffee Hour we had a good turn out, the 2 vacant housing units are now rented and all 50 units are now full.....

We went from Sunshine to to clouds to heavy wind gusts about 4PM and the leaves on the trees took a beating, it looked like it was raining and blowing leaves ...sideways...It's now cleared up after the wind and rain!!!

On Saturday some of our chef's made 144 "DONUTS" with delicious Donut Holes!!!! Today at Church we had a very nice turnout and we did some nice "Praise-Songs", today's Coffee Hour included "Dozens" of "Homemade Donuts" complete with fresh squeezed Burrville Cider.

After Church we came home and packed up and headed out with the Minister and went to our Local Nursing Home where a nice Service was held by our Pastor and Leeann and I played a few Hymns and some Praise Songs which was enjoyed by those attending.

We have quite a few of our former church members living at the nursing home now and after the service we got a chance to get around and visit with many of them, how sad, we are little children, we grow up, we age, we grow older, and some of us return to that stage of being little children again.... I think that's why I refuse to grow up!!!!!!!

Don't forget to remember our Men and Women in Uniform!!!!!

F A L L

Fall is fast approaching, we have had our second "frost" and have had to scrape the windshield, we are ready for winter, new snow tires on the front of the "old ford" for traction, anti-freeze set for -50 below zero and shovel, sand, blanket, candle, matches and water packed in the trunk.

I am just getting so I can see a little better after surgery friday morning, I had a small growth starting on my eye-lid where I had prior surgery and had to have it removed as it felt like a small rock rubbing on my eyeball, It was removed and stitched up and I go back friday coming to have the stitches out, I don't like being "Popeye" with a squinched up left eye!!!

We have been busy, My Honey is going to "Pain-Management" for her back and has shown a little improvement, she took us for a ride to see some of "Falls" beautiful colors as the leaves are now changing with the shorter and cooler days.






While driving around the Lake we saw several "flocks" of wild Turkeys wandering around, there is plenty of berries and nuts and there are lots and lots of turkeys around, this old mother hen was taking her off spring across the road so we waited for her to cross!!!

There are lots and lots of Acorns like these in the picture below, there is also lots of wild grapes, butternuts, beechnuts and plenty of feed for the critters to fatten up on for the winter! Also there are lots of pretty leaves to see as the soft woods turn colors!

We went out and walked our fence line and cleaned out the Blue Bird Houses along the fence line so hopefully they will come back next year, this has been a terrible year for "BEES"!!! I have never seen so many Mud Dubbers, and Yellow Jackets, Honey was careful when she opened the bird boxes to make sure there were no surprises like a bees nest inside which sometimes happens!!!

Every night now we are getting large flocks of Canadian Geese flying overhead, "HEADING SOUTH", they must be trying to tell us something!!

Well, my eye is aching and its time to call it quits for tonight!!

Hope the coming week is a great one!!!

Let us never forget our men and women serving, we had a service Saturday Night right here in Carthage for 1 of our fallen Fort Drum Soldiers who was killed in Afghanistan!!!!!

Staying BUSY

I HATE TO SAY THIS BUT... we are getting "Flocks" of Canadian Geese flying overhead and they are all heading "SOUTH"!! Also the nice dark green leaves on the trees are now turning, brown, yellow and red and you can see them falling to the ground, there was an over abundance of Acorns, Butternuts, Beechnuts and the Wild Grapes were heavy with clusters of grapes, *THIS IS NOT A GOOD SIGN!!!!!

Well we been lax about posting so will catch up as to what we have been doing, Last night was our "Monthly Birthday Dinner" and we had about 30 people show up, there was homemade Goulash, Salads, Hot-Dogs, Soup, Fried Potatoes, and other delicious dishes to share and also "Homemade CAKE and PIE!

It was a nice feast that everyone enjoyed, after dinner we got together and provided a couple of hours of some good "Old Fashioned" Gospel Music, some "Sing-Alongs" and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, In the picture is yours truly, and then Karl, Karl and Roger, we call ourselves the "Friends of God" as we all come from different Churches and they didn't like the name I gave us which was the "Soggy Bottom Boys" !!!






Some of our residents and also some ladies from the adjoining buildings came down to listen and enjoy themselves!!

Everyone enjoyed themselves and thanked us for providing a little "Excitement" and enjoyment, and they even said the "Singing" was not too bad!!!




The week before LABOR DAY WEEKEND was spent mostly at church, we are tearing out some "PLASTER and LATH" off the walls in our Old parsonage which is not the church office and Sunday school, if you have never got involved in taking down old plaster walls and ripping off lath, *(DON"T) it is dirty, hard, back breaking work but we got a lot done in 5 days, we are remodeling, fixing, patching, replacing broken windows, and doing duct work and some minor electrical and we got a lot done.

I exceeded what the Doctors said I was suppose to do regarding work but I paced myself pretty much and didn't over do all that much, besides, I had "My Honey" there checking on me all the time and the weather was beautiful, God sure smiled down on us as it was sunny, warm, and I got to work outside while the inside crew worked away!!!!!

This coming Sunday, September 13th is "RALLY DAY", everyone who moved to their camps and cottages for the summer will all be back, for "Rally Day" we fill the church with "Balloons", streamers and I will be playing the Guitar for "Praise Music".

In this picture I am just finishing up the painting of the rear entrance after patching a hole in the cement, painting the railings after resetting them in the concrete as they were falling down and as you can see the color is "NAVY GREY"!!!!!!!

This is "Ginny", she is one of our Church Trustees and also is our Sexton, custodian, electrician, carpenter, fix it upper and she is dangerous with a hammer and pry bar tearing down plaster and lath and walls!!!

Ginny's husband Dan after tearing out the plaster and lath insulated the walls, I can't handle the insulation as it makes me itch and scratch!!

I spent one whole afternoon rebuilding this stone wall around the window where the "SNOW-PLOW" hit the wall and smashed the rocks last winter then put it a great job of painting it "NAVY GREY"""""!

MY "Honey" getting up in the world tearing out lath and putting up insulation even though she is not supposed to climb or do any of this type of work because of her back!!!

I had to PAINT these Red Bilco Doors going down into the cellar and besides, I like Grey Paint!!!

This is part of the work crew, Dan, Ginny Anna Mae, Me and Bruce!! Dan, Bruce and I are all "Old Navy"!!!!!

I get to be a "Stone Mason" or "Brick Layer" while trying to fix this hole, this is caused by using "Rock Salt" during the winter to keep ice down and the steps clear so nobody falls!!!

This is Zack and Kelsey, they are pulling nails out of the "Lath", they are both hard workers, I kept them busy hauling bricks, sweeping, chipping paint, stacking wood!!!

For a "Treat" we did have "Pizza" for lunch which was enjoyed by all!!!

Well, I had to come inside and work, this is LT. Commander Rounds, US NAVY Retired.. This hole in the wall needed to be filled, a wall needed to be built, SO....... we built a wall!!!!!

As you can see, the Bulkhead now has a framed wall which went up according to specifications and stress loads and clean sharp 45 degree angles and also was PLUMB as per orders of the Commander!!!

In the picture below I am just finishing painting the Handicapped Ramp and Spray Painting the Hand Rails, this was just about the last job before things are "SHIP-SHAPE" for Rally day!

BUT... before I could paint the ramp I had to drill and put in anchors for the railing to hold it up, repair the concrete where it was hit by the "Snow-Plow", the white in the picture is new concrete or (Quickcrete) which hardens up in 15 minutes and can be painted in about an hour!

While up on the ladder getting the fixture ready for the new Fan and Light I got a picture of the "Work-Crew" !!!

We still have a lot of work to do but like they say, God's work is never done!!!!!!

Let us not forget our fighting Men and Women and keep them in our Prayers!!!

20 YEARS WED

A MARRIGE CAN LAST FOR YEARS, BUT "TRUE LOVE WILL GO ON FOR ETERNITY"!

This was our 1st place in Florida, it was on the Peace River outside Punta Gorda!!!! It had an orange tree, flower bed, 2 Air Conditioners, nice Oak Cabinets in the beautiful kitchen, full size remodeled bathroom with a shower, we were young, there was magic in the air, the weather was great, AND THERE WAS NO S N O W !! it was a great Vacation Spot, walking a short distance to the dock and boat and plenty of fishing in the river or just past the bridge and Port Charlotte and you were in the Gulf of Mexico, we bought this beauty for $500.00, Later on we sold it to another couple FOR WHAT WE PAID FOR IT. On a trip down after Hurricane Katrina we went and found it and it had no windows or doors and was trashed!!! there were piles of trash, junked cars, garbage, palm trees, how sad BUT we have the memories of some great times there!!!

This was in Florida, I think I was ""blowing her a Kiss"!!!

20 years ago, September 2, 1989, the happy couple!!

This is at our 10 year Anniversary Party at the American Legion put on by friends, I STILL HAD HAIR!!!!

This picture below is my last day on the Job!!! I WANTED MORE TIME WITH MY HONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This our second place we had in Florida in Buck Head Ridge, on Lake Okeechobee!!!!

This is me and Anna Mae in Key West Florida celebrating my 60th Birthday in Jimmy Buffet's Place, found out Jimmy Buffett doesn't live in Key West any more!!!

This is the love of my life, she even baits her own hook and takes her own fish off!!!!! This is in Florida!!!!!!

This was the house we spent the longest in, in sit on 4 building lots in the outskirts of the village and was the biggest building lot in the village, complete with flowing creek, a pond, 2 large gardens, flower beds, a storage building, garage and a wood shop for me, ducks on the pond, deer and turkey in the back yard BUT we sold it and moved on!! I sure do miss those long wintry snowstorms and 30 below zero and 4 to 6 feet of snow when we were snowed in for 2 or 3 days!!!!!!!!

After 20 + years we still got that "Sparkle" in our eyes!!!!!!!! but sad to say somewhere I mis-placed my hair!!!!!!!

Let us not forget that August was a bloody and tragic month for our troops in Afghanistan and in Iraq! Please Keep them in your Prayers!