July 26, 2013

Finishing the walk -
Max was most tired I think
 

This has been a busy week. Two of my sisters and their husbands were here since Sunday/Monday. We had a long walk the first day that Robin and Dom were here and sometimes shorter walks on other days!

We visited with a lot of family- cousins (Jimmy, Margaret Enid and Bud), second cousins (Mary Jane and George), neighbors (Cathy & Doug, Gina & Ted, Harry Joe and Alana), and of course, my in-laws (Luci & Butch). The visit to their house - a work in progress - is always a highlight for my family visitors. 

We also went to the farmers market in Rural Retreat on Wednesday.  Met the folks who have the Cobb Alpaca Farm - located on old Umberger property. Stafford Umberger built an A-frame house there that Mary Jane and George used as a vacation spot and sold to the current owners. I bought eggs from these folks and Blueberries from Henley's blueberry farm (Matney Flats).  Robin noticed on the wall that there

was letterhead paper from the Spence-Ward, formerly the Lindsey Company - this firm sold vegetables, eggs, cabbage, etc.  Picture is hard to see because of the glare.  We also talked to Ellen Brown Schack and Evelyn Lahman at the registration table.

Some rain evenings and mornings but not enough to stop Dominic, Jonathan and me from playing tennis - first doubles with Lea Thompson as our fourth, and then Mary Jane the next day. And finally a valiant effort at singles by Jonathan and me, which we cut short for lack of time and lack of energy.

Dorothy took this great picture of the view from the front of our house. This faces west and in the evening, the sun sets right down this creek-line.

The wonderful new Sunset View sign, made last year by Jonathan and Lynley finally got put up. Yeah!  Now everyone must have their picture taken with it! Looks great.

Nelson, Ginny, Max



Dorothy & Jonathan

Robin & Dom

Dorothy, Jon, Nelson and I went on Thursday to a play at the Barter; silly but fun. Then stopped on the way home at the Black Rooster, the restaurant at the Francis Marion Hotel in Marion, Va.


Set of the play, Southern Fried Funeral at Barter Theater

At Black Rooster



At Black Rooster

The Turks Head Lilies continue to bloom - only a few of them, but so spectacular!



Once everyone is gone it's off to Wytheville to file the new deed and get some supplies.

Then into the garden to pick beans, tomatoes (though there are very few), cucumbers, zucchini, squash, lettuce, and peppers. And the first time using the pressure cooker to can.

Now I've figured out how many beans I need for a full load and how long canning beans will really take - much longer than I thought.
 It's definitely an art to get the pressure cooker to be at the right pressure during the canning process. Now I know why so many people use the cannery. But, you'd need to have a big crop though to make that worthwhile, I think.

In between, I was doing some research on questions that have come up about history and family roots. (See about the letterhead above) By accident found some information about some family tombstones that might be the same tombstones that Kathy is finding on her property, so have given the info to her. Think the names on them are  from Olive's mother's family- the Earharts.  We think that Doug may be related to Olive through Olive's mother while we are related through Olive's father, Seldon Repass. Chloe Spence, our grandmother, and Olive Anna Repass Brown were first cousins.  Everyone here seems to be extended family somehow!



Cut the cukes

Salt and ice the cukes for B&B

Once the beans were done, then it's on to making pickles. Started with bread and butter pickles. And next day made Harry Joe's pickle recipe - not quite as sweet - but sweeter than dill (my favorite).  Will need to taste the HJ ones in a few weeks to see how I like them.

Today is rainy so not sure how Heritage Day in Rural Retreat will make out. Some good entertainment tonight so hope it clears up!