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!

Stone Soup Supper

Well, we were up early and off to chruch, our crew has dwindled down to 4 due to people working, being out of town or unavailable, so we had to hustle a little more than usual. Dan and I started cooking about 8AM, we made a nice strong pot of "Navy Coffee", started cooking hamburger, onions, peppers, sausage, garlic, and Dans wife Ginny came out to check on us to see if we were working, AND we were working in between coffee breaks and "Sea Stories"!!!

After the meat and ingredients were cooked we put on 15 gallons of salted water to boil so we could get the Macaroni cooked, we boiled and boiled macaroni, got it cooked and drained, AND then these 2 old Navy Vets started making "Hungarian Goulosh!!

We mixed a little meat, some sause, some macaroni, taste tested it and made some more, tasted it again and had the girls come in and taste it and when the 4 of us all agreed it was delicious we finally got enough made for 125 people, thank goodness for those old ARMY COOKING KETTLES !!!!!

Anna Mae and Ginny helped cut up the Onions, peppers, and we cut up, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, for enuff Tossed Salad for 125 people.

Anna Mae and Ginny set up the tables and chairs, and set the room up, we can seat 85 people at one time in the dining room, Bread Butter, grated Cheese, were put on the tables and we always use our best church china for these meals.

The ladies of our church out done them selves again cooking deserts, Being short of help I had to cut home made pies, cakes, check out the cookies, cupcakes, and other deserts that came in to make sure they were fit for Human consumption. They were OK but several I had to have Dan come help me taste again to make sure they were OK!!!!!

We had everything ready, fresh coffee, punch, hot tea, 4 five gallon kettles of Hungarian Goulosh, Home Made Bread, real butter and fresh tossed salad and at 4:30 PM we opened the doors, anna mae served drinks, Ginny waited tables, Dan served salads and I served goulosh, it was pretty much a steady stream of people thru the doors, we filled the tables, hustled about and after people finished eating we hustled and reset the tables and kept serving. I guessed about 125 people and was off by 5, we served 119 people and 1 take out meal.

Several of our regulars were in the hospital, a couple had been placed in Nursing Homes and those regulars who showed up got a nice meal, AND we got lots of compliments on how delicious the food and deserts were!!!!

We had an extra gift for those who came to dinner tonight as we had 3 to 400 ears of "Fresh Sweet Corn" donated and we sent people home with bags of corn who wanted it and it all went out the door!!!!

Well everyone got their fill of food and desert, it quited down so the 4 of us got a chance to sit down, relax a few minutes and enjoy some of the fruits of our labors and I must admit, the Goulosh was good.

Then it was clean up, we were lucky as several ladies stayed and started whalloping pots and pans, we filled the dish washer, sereral ladies washed dishes, pots and pans, hauled out the garbage and cleaned and swept up.

Right after our break it was back to work finishing up and getting things put away the ladies so kindly washed!!!

BACK TO NORMAL

To all those who have taken the "Walk to Emmaus" WE send this song out to you and wish you "DE COLORES"!!!!! Gary WTE # 89 and Anna Mae WTE # 90!!!

Well it's nice to have my Honey home, it took a day or 2 to get her rested up from her 4 day adventure at Emmaus, Today we went shopping for ingredients for Hungarian Goulosh, bought supplies for church and tomorrow we will spend the day cooking, setting up tables, and getting ready for our "Stone Soup Supper"!!!

I plan of cooking for 125 people, it has cooled down and you now go from shorts durning the day to pants at night as it is cooling down.

After thursdays "Stone Soup" we are having our Sunday Church service "In the Woods", we did it last year also, we end the summer this way, we will have guitars, music, a cook-out and "smores" and bon fire saturday night and sunday's service will be guitar music, hymns and a nice short service and then picnic lunch in the woods at a church couples place in the country,!!! Last years was really enjoyable!!

Then we have a September 9th "Gospel Sing" planned for all 3 Housing Units here and will be playing for that.

September 2nd "My Honey" and "I" will have been married 20 years!!!

It doesn't seem that long, but we have traveled many miles, wandered many places, played hard and prayed hard. I can't wait to start the next 20 years with here and maybe hopefully many more, if not here then in eternity.

Hope everyones week is going great and the rest of your short summer is filled with excitement!!!!!!!!!

We can not forget our "Veterans"!!!!!

Honeys Walk to Emmaus!!

Well, its 12;01AM, just got settled in, we just got back from Ilion, NY, what a "RAIN STORM" we came thru to get home!!!

Anna Mae has been there since thursday, they are staying in the Methodist Church, It was Hot, muggy and humid!!!,

We went down this afternoon about 3PM for a Church and Prayer Service, Karl and I took the Guitars and we got there just in time for the Pot Luck Supper, about 50 of us joined in prayer and some mighty fine vittles!!!, We then went upstairs to the Church for a prayer service for all the women making walk number 90 to Emmaus!!! We started off with some tunes, but first our Musicians, Karl and I played Guitar, Dave who's wife is on the walk brought his Mandolin, Jeff who's wife is also walking the walk and talking the Talk brought his fiddle, and Drew's Daughter Sarah brought her guitar...

We did a couple of the Old Standard Hymns to open the service, Slow and smooth with some good harmony.

THEN it must of been the heat and humidity because, first while waiting to do the next set I started picking a few notes of some "Bluegrass" to limber up my fingers, Dave jumped in with the Mandolin, then Jeff started sawing on his fiddle and then next thing there was, foot stomping, hand clapping, and we did a fine rendition of "Soldiers Joy"!!!... Well the Lay Minister in this fine and proper Methodist Church was grinning from ear to ear and calmly said, "Thank-You!, and asked us to play "Let us break bread together" and we then had communion!!

We were not allowed to see the candidates as they did not know we were there as they were in another church across the street having prayers and a late dinner, so we had to wait a while, WELL, someone in the back shouted "FIRE THEM THINGS UP"!!!! so we did, we did Hank William's, "I Saw The Light" followed by "Do-Lord", followed by some fine picking and grinning, and sawing on the fiddle and strumming on the Mandolin, we played and sang, then "Sarah" let loose with a fine beautifully sung rendition of "Because He Lives" ...and we sang back-up, OH IT WAS HOT & MUGGY!!

I couldn't see as my glasses were all fogged up, We paused and offered prayers for all the women at Emmaus, all the cooking staff, the servants, the helpers, and the Musicians, then we all 50 or so very quietly left the church, crossed the street to another church, and entered a very dark section of the cafeteria which had a huge black tarp hung across it, we were very quiet, on the other side of the tarp were the Women, leaders, helpers and musicians doing "Walk # 90"!!

They were singing "Do-Lord" and had their musicians on the other side of the tarp with them, we could not see them and they didn't know we were there, we were not expected there until Sunday at 5PM.

As they sang a song we joined in, they stopped singing, we stopped singing, this went on for about an hour, finally they started singing "I saw the Light" and I led us off with "I saw the Light" and played and sang along with them, they had no idea who was behind the tarp!!!!! BUT they will find out tomorrow as we go back down Sunday about 2PM and do it all over again except this time there is a surprise and I can't tell you in case you ever get the chance to do an "Emmamus Walk".

Then the women and staff left the cafeteria for their rooms, people started drifting off for their long rides home and well, we decided to have a "JAM SESSION", so we stayed, did some bluegrass, country, gospel and a few hymns and closed with Amazing Grace and we hit the road for the 2 hour ride home in a blinding rain storm!!!......

The Mandolin Player was a Vietnam Vet, the fiddle player was Korean War Vet, most of the men who had women there for the long weekend were Vets!!!!!!! SO, to end the night we closed with "My Country Tis of Thee" and we hit the Road!!!!!!!!

Never forget our Veterans, I just saw on the news a few minutes ago our local Fort Drum 10th Mountain Division lost another 2 brave souls today from "IED"!!!!!! Thats 60 from our Base here in Carthage we have lost so far this year!!!!!! That's 60 too many!!!

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!!!!!!!!!

QUIET TIME:

Its almost midnight, I just got home, I am gonna rough it till Sunday, My Honey is now down state in Ilion, New York doing her "Walk to Emmaus" , Walk number # 90. I did my walk # 89 in March and what a Life Changing event!!!! On the Walk to Emmaus the men and women go separate, it starts on a thursday after noon and ends late Sunday.

This is a picture of my honey giving me my instructions for the next 4 days so I will survive!!!!!!!!!

My Honey has me and also a lot of other people praying for her on this "walk"!!!!

Let also not forger to pray for our service men and women in harms way!