Sunday, November 3, 2024

October 2024–a Mixed Bag

October 8-31                                                             Most Recent Posts:
Greenfield Mountain Farm                   I Don’t See Nearly Enough of Them
Foot Hills of Virginia                             September in Virginia: Rain and Covid


This post will cover the rest of October which wasn’t quite as much fun as the last post about the week-end Carrie and the kids came to visit.




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At the end of October, I took Winnona to Malloy Chevrolet for an oil change, grease job and a few other maintenance tasks.

Bringing her back up this short lane into the barnyard I foolishly cut right too close to the shed and caught the metal roof.



It was a stupid and careless move.  I was concerned about getting her turned around in the barnyard.  I have done this dozens of times in the past 5 years.  I have no idea what happened to me.  But I’m sick about it.

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I did get her turned around but now what?   There is only one body shop nearby that will take a vehicle as tall as Winnona.


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To add to my problem, the power went out at the house for no reason I could see at all.  My phones were not charged, I had no back up of bottled water.  In short, I wasn’t prepared.   When it rains. . . . . . . .
But I did have a HUGE stock of candles.  Here’s the bedroom at bedtime.


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Four days later my reliable knight came to the rescue.   I couldn’t get the rig to a body shop in the next 3 weeks before my reservations in Florida and frankly, right now I do not have the money to pay that bill.


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Shannon, who seriously can do anything,  repaired the fiberglass though he couldn’t get rid of a bulge that will need to be professionally taken care of.
The repair even when painted will be very noticeable but it will keep the rain out which is the big thing.
Poor Winnona,  I know she is really missing David who would not have done such a careless thing.







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Wish I knew a professional car/RV painter who could turn this blob into a dolphin.  Wouldn’t that look great?   I’ve looked for a very large decal but to no avail.  The gray whale is 37” long and 15” wide.


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Of course problems come in 3’s right?   Five days after the RV damage, the alternator on my new to me Honda went out on my way to town.   I was hoping to get it to my mechanic but when the power steering went out I made the first left turn and got to the house at Mason Lane where I had to have it towed in for repair.


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While stuck in town, I walked around looking at the nearby Halloween decorations.  These are only a very few of the houses I saw.  I was amazed at the size of that roof spider and wondered where they store him for the rest of the year.

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Wondering the same thing about this huge skeleton crawling out of the ground.  Isn’t it great!

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But this is the Halloween House extraordinaire.   I probably put pictures of it on the blog every year I am in Virginia.  It is full, front yard, side yards, back yards and crawling on the house.

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They even change out their driveway lights.

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One day I got up on the roof to do the detail clean up of mold around the edging of the roof and the solar panels.  One of the men who works for Shannon came in the spring and did a wash/wax but no detailing and he’s coming back in a couple of days.

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As you can see, I had a tough time doing a decent selfie.

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Nearly every day I hike a few miles on the farm.  The deer are out but the bear don’t seem to be.  Although all I see of the deer is their white tails bouncing away since I make so much racket going through the enormous amount of leaves.


Take a look and listen with this link.

In the video, I was on my way up from  what we call the lower field.  These next pictures are from there on my way down.

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Shannon also mows my fields and mows this one high up behind what was the spot where the big old barn stood.   I love the view from here.  I can’t look down on the house for all the trees, but I can see Winnona and the mountain range in the distance.



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Eddie came to do the wash/wax.  I got a picture of him up on the roof but was so busy that I neglected to get any other pictures of him working his way around the sides. 

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On the last week-end of October my friend Laurie and I took our weekly book discussion, which is usually a tela-discussion when I am traveling, up to Carter’s Mountain Orchard.

I think my friends are getting tired of me taking pictures of our lunches.  I quickly snapped this shot of the book discussion part but totally neglected the lunch food which was delicious.


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The view of Charlottesville from atop Carter’s Mountain

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In the background you can see the book.  In the foreground is an apple cider donut ice cream sandwich we had for dessert. 

Carter’s Mountain has everything apple including cider flights, apple cider donuts by the half and dozen, apple pie, apple slushy, canned apples, applesauce and on and on.








And of course they have several varieties of apples, pick your own or buy a bag as this man did.

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I woke up to frost one morning making it clear October is drawing to a close and colder weather is on the way.

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The wonderful scuppernong grape arbor leaves are a golden yellow.  Lately, I’ve eaten enough grapes to make me sick.   The scuppernong is a large variety of muscadine a species of grape native to the southern United States. It is usually a greenish or bronze color and is similar in appearance and texture to a white grape, but rounder and larger.  Ours are best when bronze and they have seeds and thick skins.  These are native grapes, not hybrids.

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From my last hikes of 2024.



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On Halloween I went in to have a temporary crown removed and the permanent one put on.  I was happy to see my dentist office front desk personnel were definitely dressed for the occasion.  What fun!   I always costumed up at work but I was in the minority.  Here it was everyone.

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Including my dentist, Dr. Sapon, and his assistant.  I asked him why he chose to be a fireman and he replied, “that’s what I do, put out fires.”    Love it!

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I was able to eat lunch right after my appointment and my friend Mary took me to a restaurant new to me called Mezeh.  Clearly she too is disgusted at the picture thing.


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Mary created her own bowl.  I had the bowl known as Vibrant Vegan  with arugula,  brown basmati rice, black lentils, falafel, classic hummus, Lebanese tabbouleh, chickpea salad, sumac cucumbers, pickled onions, cilantro vinaigrette.   It was absolutely delicious.   Definitely on my list for a return visit when I come back to the farm in 2025.


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The October sun sets for me on in Virginia.  I leave for parts south tomorrow.


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21 comments:

  1. Great that you got the damage to Winnona fixed so you're watertight. I like your idea of some kind of mural to cover it, I'm thinking a bunch of mushrooms topped with JMC ice cream. :cD
    Paul

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    1. Unfortunately it is not pretty but it is watertight until I can get something else done. Wish I could find a mural to cover it. That would be a lot less expensive

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  2. Safe travels! 💜

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  3. So beautiful there in the Fall! Glad you got to see friends and enjoy the leaves, despite all the mishaps. Now you are ready to be on the road again. Happy and safe travels!

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    1. Definitely beautiful in the fall. Wish you were here. I'm in Roanoke Rapids NV as I write this. So far so good.

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  4. Love the picture of the golden grape vines... I remember trimming those on one of my trips to the farm.. You need an artist to turn the blemish on Winona into a work of art and avoid any body shop expense... Farm looks beautiful. The pictures of halloween deco are great. We had two super decorated houses across from us un Texas. Nice to see young folks getting into the spirit. Had about 75 trick or treaters at our house. Very entertaining..

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    1. Wow! Roger 75 trick-or-treaters is a lot. I'll bet that was a lot of fun. I so remember how much David appreciated your help when you would come and visit. Wish I could find an artist to cover this thing up for me. I don't even know where to look for someone who could paint on a vehicle

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  5. We have 2.5 acres here but they are so thick with mesquite and other prickly bushes that the majority are inaccessible. Nice for isolation and privacy, but nowhere to meander around. I'm so envious of your fabulous property, it is glorious in every way. Even without power! Sad but I'd much rather have cosmetic damage than anything else on an RV - and you might find an artist this winter who wants to give Winona a fun tattoo from her scar :-) Also great the alternator repair happened in an area you could enjoy all the grand Halloween decor!!

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    1. Not sure where I'd go to find this artist in Florida, but it sure would be great if I could. Come on out next fall and go hiking with me.

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  6. Love the fall colors. We don't get much color here in California. So sorry for yet another expense! One of the stresses of full timing I'm afraid. Hope you found your way to Florida just fine :)

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    1. Thanks, Laurie. I lived in California many years ago and one of the reasons I left was that I really missed the seasons.

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  7. Such a drag when you do something stupid that is so impossible to fix. Luckily you have Shannon. Wonderful job to get you on the road. Have a good trip.

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    1. Thanks, Lynne. Shannon is definitely a jewel. Still the boo boo is pretty ugly.

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  8. What?!? Cider donut ice cream sandwiches? I did not know such a thing existed. Thanks for the tip! As always, the farm is gorgeous. Safe travels.

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    1. This was the first time I had had the Cider donut ice cream sandwich Pam. It was delicious so go on up there and get one and thanks for your comment.

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  9. Oh Sherry, I am so glad that you shared so many beautiful photos of fall at the farm. Glad you were able to enjoy it in spite of the nasty scrape on Winona. Don't kid yourself, David could have just as easily done the same. I am careful too, but it just takes a second. I misjudged and dropped the garage door on Mo's Lexus, so now waiting for time to get it fixed. A tiny scrape probably more than a thousand bucks. Power outages are such a pain, expecially without anything reasonable to cause it. Here is has to do with fires, but they never warn us they are cutting the power because they are checking for overhanging trees during fire season. Most frustrating when things need to be charged or we really need the internet or the air conditioner and it's 115 outside. I loved the spider and the Halloween decorations. Only reason I don't have more is for exactlly what you mentioned, where in the world would I store the stuff?? I love those witches, and even looked up how to do them. Maybe next year. First time I ever had a cider donut was in 2022 when we visited Portland, Maine. Sooooo good!!! Also had potato cider donuts which was a double good thing. Loved seeing your frosty fields. So far we have had only a couple of light frosts, nothing killed and the zinnias are still in full bloom. The leaves hit maximum color on November 10 and now it is pouring rain and maybe the leaves will fall. I really hope we don't have to do all that raking when they are wet. So far, atmospheric rivers are predicted for the foreseeable future. Take care and enjoy Florida!

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    1. Sue this is such a great and newsy comment. It is just wonderful to hear your reactions to what I have written. Thank you so much for taking the time.

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  10. Please don’t be hard on yourself. You do so well most days - I’m always impressed!

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    1. I appreciate your comment and encouragement. Wish I knew who you were so I could thank you properly

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  11. Grand parenting from afar is challenging at best! We can try to do the best we can and continue on with our journeys! As fellow campers/ journeyers … we too face the same reality… It is what it is when you live life on the road! Share and shine as you move forward! It’s now deep into November and we too are on the road as you are Sherry! You’re in Florida and we are at Davis Bayou in MS. We just read your blog entry on Walter Anderson and The Little Room! What a fabulous entry! So well written and quite enjoyable! Thanks for posting that! Travel well and safely today Sherry! Looking forward to our daily shares and your next entry here! Sending peace!

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Your comments help me in more ways than you can know. Thanks in advance.