The Mountain Thymes

Mountain fog doesn't stop us from enjoying early morning mid-air hummingbird acrobatics.  Yesterday was foggy and very moist at 6:15 AM.  Cliff picked up broken tree limbs from from the thunderstorm the evening before.  He had received a weather watcher's alert from the National Weather Service in Morristown, TN that there could be rotating clouds in the approaching storm.  It's an awesome sight to watch the stately trees stand up to that twisting and swaying that comes before the storm.  The weak cold front didn't produce hail, just pounding rain and strong winds.  When we brought our coffee out to the porch this morning to watch our hummingbird entertainment, we actually felt a slight chill in the clean crisp air.  I sit wrapped in a quilt on the cooler mornings listening to the woods awaken with chickadees and titmice talking and the Carolina wren singing at the top of its lungs. One day after watering and dead heading these geraniums, I notice...

Bought myself a new grill for Father's Day.  I enjoy making up marinades and grilling tuna steaks, chicken parts, and garden vegetables.  Anything that can be cooked on the grill saves kitchen clean-up.  Tonight we had teriyaki chicken with rice and garden fresh Dragon carrots.  These carrots are red with an orange core, a little sweeter than regular carrots.  The last couple of years my carrots didn't do well as they require a lot of water.  With such a rainy winter and spring the carrots and beets are showing off.  I'm hoping the potatoes aren't rotting in the clay.  Broccoli and cauliflower never produced heads larger than buttons and most of the cabbage was devoured by caterpillars.  We've been eating just the beet greens but the beets will be ready to be pulled very soon.  Swiss chard is slow, finally maturing enough to be put in a quiche.  Dragon carrots Cliff has become one with the yoga mat and attends yoga classes ...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the men in my life, past and present.

Last Thursday on their way to Pennsylvania, Karen and Bob Swain meandered through Murphy and spent the day with us. We gave them the tour of the garage and our rooms, walked down to the weed infested-garden, then spent the rest of the time sitting out on the back porch.   After catching up on months of missed news and doings, we started talking about retirement.  I told her that when my sister retired from teaching and we called to talk to each other, out of curiosity, I would ask her what she did with all of her free time.  After such a hectic schedule, how did she fill her day?  Her answer was, "just stuff."  What kind of "stuff?"  She'd have a cup of coffee, do some crossword puzzles, wash a load of laundry.  But she did those things anyway when she worked.  I just couldn't imagine what you do all day when you first retire.  Four-and-a-half years ago when I retired, one of my co-workers in 5th grade used to email me asking what I did ...

Today was our 3rd annual Art, River, and Music festival downtown.  I arrived early at 9:30 and had to park up near the center of town.  Every place you go here in western NC consists of walking up and down hills and mountainsides to reach your destination.  There were over forty vendor tents set up along the treed river walk including the regular Farmers Market.   Farmers Market area where I go every Saturday morning to buy any fresh vegetables that are not in my garden, fresh eggs and free-range chickens, delicious artisan breads and muffins, and where I schmooze with my favorite vendors.  I got the biggest charge out of these ladies sitting at the eating table.  At 10:30 the food vendors were still setting up and preparing their foods, nothing was cooked yet, but the ladies were ready to eat.  Important things first.  Food always taste better outside. Tents set up along the shaded river walk. local artists some of ...