Mom's turn: We did it AGAIN!

Kay & her friend enjoying the busride to the drop

The Ocoee River,

me happy to still be in the boat!

home of the 1996 Olympics and the best rafting trip ever…mostly in part due to our guide, Popcorn. He has been doing guided trips for seven years and knows exactly how to make the best run. He also was able to control the raft with the skill of a kayaker and would turn us back around after the run to go play in the rapids so we got completely drenched. TOTAL fun!!!! Next he had us doing 360’s and spinning down the river during one rapid and laughing all the way! The Ocoee is known for it’s fast Class IV & V rapids, so it was intimidating to sign up for the trip…but he put us at ease on land as he hopped across the raft wishing the “entire world were covered in rafts. They’re so fun!” and then skipped the pre-safety speech with practice rowing and pushed right off into the water! Here we go…oh my! Good thing all but one of us had been on many trips before (information that he knew). Afterwards Kay, Kristian and their friends headed back home and Travis and I stopped to watch some rafts come down the river so we could see what we had braved – good thing I didn’t see that first. We also watched the local kayakers playing in the rapids. That’s Travis’ next adventure – kayak school. Home to rest and recover and off to Sewanee tomorrow for a visit, some hiking, and cave exploring – Travis’ old Alma mater.

Mom's turn: Got butter?

Today was all about vegging and eating :-D We took the dogs walking down and then back up the mountain…that was a little more than they bargained for when we asked them “you wanna go for a walk?” Half way back up the mountain they were looking at me like I had lost my mind and O’Malley’s tail was dragging the ground behind him. WIMPS! Along the way we found several ripe blackberries so I made a deal with Travis – if he picked them (I have an aversion to thorns) I would make a blackberry cobbler! I didn’t have to twist his arm…he went right back down the mountain and picked every single one in sight. Since I was doing dessert, I thought I would go ahead and do dinner as well with a fabulous chicken pot-pie recipe that I got from GG (with a few alterations). The cobbler is by no means “light” – it contains one whole stick of real butter. Paula Dean would be proud of me!! And of course you need ice-cream to make it complete; that’s where I attempted to make it healthier by going with the “light, low-fat, frozen yogurt.” I’m not sure how many calories it saved, but I can justify it with the fact I got my fresh fruit serving for the day. Doesn’t get any fresher or better than “just picked.” Everyone enjoyed their bowl

Kay enjoying a full belly

as we watched the sunset over the mountains. A fabulous ending to a glorious day.

Travis relaxing with the sunset

I can only hope Teeny’s was as enjoyable. This should have been her first day out hiking!!!

Mom's turn: All wet

Well, today should be the high ropes course for Christina – we will have to verify when I pick her up…because I can’t talk to her for 10 days!!!!! AHHHHHHH, okay, I’m calm! While she’s swinging through the air like a monkey we are off to go white water rafting on the gorgeous Nantahala River! First stop was the NOC because Travis needed some water shoes. Leave it to him to find the strangest looking pair possible! They are barefoot technology by Vibram Five Fingers and are supposed to be the best possible thing for your feet. They still look like alien feet to me! We also found some irresistible t-shirts for each one of us. The Nantahala does have a Class V rapid on it, however we left that to the pros and I just bought the shirt. For Travis – well, I think it’s pretty self-explanatory…but if you’re at a loss, it’s a reference to the movie Deliverance. We found out later that it is thanks to this movie that rafting got it’s start on the rivers up here. Since we had all previously been on guided rafting tours, we went for the more adventurous route in individual duckies. That is definitely the best way to experience the rapids – up close and personal!! The water was a nippy 50° and the trip took about 3 hours. Our guide was awesome and made us feel like experts. Everything was great – until the very last rapid! Travis mastered it, Kay concentrated her way through it, and Kristian – well he practiced the white water swimmer technique! And finally me…all smiles and then UH-OH! Whew, I saved it!!! We had so much fun we’re headed to the Ocoee River on Thursday to try our hand at a faster and higher class of rapids!! Stay tuned :-D

Mom's turn: Road Trip

Teen High Adventure Camp – today was the day that we dropped Teeny off for an exciting adventure of backpacking on the Appalachian Trail in the Smokey Mountains with 600 million years of ecological studies available. She & I were both nervous…this was going to be a long time apart for a first camp, but what an awesome opportunity!! After getting checked in and feeling comfortable knowing her cousin was close by we left her for ten whole days!!!!!!!! Travis and I went with Kay, Kristian and their friends to hike the Panther Creek branch of the Middle Prong Trail. We only hiked about half of the 2.3 mile trail as we had already had a very long drive and unfortunately my foot was hurting due to the possible re-growth of my neuroma. We did see some fascinating “puddles of butterflies”, however! The most brilliant blue butterflies, pipevine swallowtail, with an occasionally yellow one in the middle were all over the ground in puddle-shaped clusters. They didn’t move for anything either…so I was totally enthralled in picking them up and taking pictures! Samson loved the hike but was not amused with the butterflies. I found out later, from our guide on the raft trip who had a degree in biology, that the butterflies are getting the mineral urea from the ground where another animal has previously urinated. AHHHH – I’m feeling the need for some serious hand sanitizer!

We left there and went to dinner at a lovely restaurant, the River’s End, that sits right on the Nantahala River then to the cabin in Murphy. My SIL invited us to stay a few nights with her, so we will put off the camping until the end of the vacation. After we got settled in for the night she informed us they were having a scorpion problem in our room. Sleep tight!! Uh…uh…uh…good night?

Mom's turn:I Had a Bad Day

Today Samson & O’Malley went to the vet for their annual vaccinations and, for Samson, a teeth cleaning. In order for Samson to get his teeth taken care of he must be go under general anesthesia, which means no nummies in the morning (how rude) and a very groggy and disoriented afternoon. He also had a small skin tag on his side and this was the perfect opportunity to have it removed. Now he is home feeling rather battered and bruised from his excursions with scalpels, needles, and teeth scalers – OH MY. This will require some extra love tonight!

Mom's turn: Sour-puss

We are still busy canning with the garden producing so much yummy stuff. We tried bread & butter pickles first. They turned out so delicious we thought we give dill a go next…because goodness knows we’ve got plenty of cucumbers!!!!! These were a bit more time consuming because the cucumbers had to remain in an ice-bath in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. After that the process went pretty fast. I gathered all of the ingredients so they would be lined up and easy to get to. For the brine you need white vinegar and pickling salt. The rest of the ingredients go directly in the jar: dill seed, garlic and cucumbers. However Travis decided we needed more: colored whole pepper corns and onion slices! O’Malley was happy to oversee this process but was disappointed in the dropped “scraps” of garlic skin. After the brine comes to a boil and you’ve sterilized the jars you have to be a quick “stuffer” or your hand gets hot! I put all of the ingredients in the bottom of the jar and then packed the cucumber slices in. Travis poured the brine mixture over the top and, voila, we have pickles of all sizes both whole and speared.

Who's up for a walk?

The LSU lake is SOO pretty. I love going running around it.
I especially love going around the lake with friends!
So far I have gone around with Brenna, Jean Luc, and Brooke.
Total, it is a 4 mile path. You don’t have to run around it.
You can bike, walk, skate, or anything else you can think of.
I am always looking for partners! So if anyone wants to go with me
Let me know!

Mom's turn:Look Mom – I’m a schnauzer

Samson the "schnorky"

Hmmm, not the cut I wanted. Now my baby looks like a schnorky, a cross between a schnauzer and a yorkie!!!!!!!! God forbid…but I’m sure that combo will pop up soon enough. Anyway – today was “groomy day.” Occasionally I send the boys to be professionally groomed and most of the time she does a great job. This time, however, I sent them with my HH and his directions to her were simply, “I want him cut SHORT!” That was his idea of low maintenance because we are headed out of town to go camping. I still had in mind that Samson would come home in a puppy cut style, as that is the only cut I like on a yorkie! The groomer, on the other hand, went for the gusto and shaved him completely down except for his under side (which is the most troubling part with him being a boy)! Oh well – good thing hair grows!!!

I'm still adorable!

* Independence Day July 4th *

We feel blessed to live in the land of opportunity full of many freedoms and pray daily that they will continue and the leadership of this great nation will make the best decisions for us as a whole.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

"The Star Spangled Banner"
The Defense of Fort McHenryby Francis Scott Key20 September 1814

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.O say, does that star-spangled banner yet waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly sworeThat the havoc of war and the battle's confusionA home and a country should leave us no more?Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.No refuge could save the hireling and slaveFrom the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall standBetween their loved homes and the war's desolation!Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued landPraise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Mom's turn: Fabulous Friends

There is no better fountain of youth than a night out with friends full of apple-tinis and giggles!! Thank you ladies for being the best Botox a girl could get!

Christy, Michelle, me & Callie

Mom's turn:A voyage to Brobdingnag

Okay – now I know how Gulliver felt when he landed in Brobdingnag where everything was on a 10:1 scale in size! Something my HH has done to the veggies has made both them and their produce abundant and monstrous! He has grown tomato plants over 10’ in height, cherry tomatoes the size of tangerines, and cantaloupe as large as a football – and it’s still not even ripe. He definitely has a green thumb, or more like an entire hand!