Vacation Time and Other Things

We planted another row of snaps before we left on vacation this past Friday and they are already 2 inches high. George plowed the garden and we picked over 20 watermelons along with two 5 gallon buckets of tomatoes. The butterbeans are hanging but still need to fill out some. Tonight we are getting a good soaking of rain and with tomorrows expected heat and humidity I imagine there will be plenty to pick this weekend. We might slip away to the river with the kids and dig for sharks teeth, too.

My garden spider friend is still hanging around the cucumber trellis and has spun quite an impressive web over the last few days. He or she I don't know which, is a valuable asset and several bad bugs have been caught in its ever expanding web. I'm not a spider person, hate them, any size, period. But this one has intrigued me with its beautiful vivid colors and its large size.

Miss Ellie Mae enjoyed her trip to the mountains with us but was certainly glad to get home and back into the routine of things. She was very well behaved since we had to sneak her into our efficiency room at the lodge. The morning after we checked in, the maid came by and knocked on the door, the growl alone would have sent one running. When we opened the door she was halfway down the corridor. A couple of hours later when we left for the reunion we checked to see if our keys worked, no luck, and after working the night before. The first thought that came to my mind was that we were busted. I called the front desk and told the woman of our problem, when she asked what room I hesitantly said the numbers. Someone came within 10 minutes, fixed the door keys and told us that they were having several problems that morning with the key swipe cards. Whew, what a relief, but to play it safe we hid her in the car when the maintenance guys came and took her with us to the reunion lunch. On the way back to the lodge that evening we imagined a big sign on our door stating, "Don't even try it, we know about the dog, please see the front desk for your luggage!" We are still chuckling about that incident.

Nathan was glad to play in the dirt again!

Miss AnnaBelle was stung by a wasp for the first time not long after this picture was taken.
We cut open a watermelon for them to eat and a wasp that was hanging around her head immediately went for the watermelon she was holding and stung her on the palm of her hand. She screamed and shook her hand. I took her inside to check her reaction. George's side of the family has reactions to bee and wasp stings so I grew concerned but it was short lived. I checked for the stinger, squeezed and didn't see it and then put an ice cube on it and then let a wet tea bag sit there for as long as a 17 month old would allow. She only swelled up a little on her palm and was ready to go back outside for some fun in the sandbox.

I took this picture the evening we returned from vacation. I love the wispy cloud color transformation.

AnnaBelle found her some mountain rocks to play with at the 4-H campground where the reunion was held. It is a wonderful facility for a family function. The kitchen is equipped with every industrial appliance you could think of and outside are bbq pits, a sanded volleyball court, a full size basketball court, several baseball fields with a batting cage, a nine hole golf course, and all kinds of holding pens for livestock. We had around 100 relatives attend and I was named the new historian for the family. It is quite an honor and I hope I can do half as good a job as the past historian, Kathy Ray has done. She has compiled a two volume set of the Parsons History and Record and I am so glad I can rely on her help, because I know I will certainly need it!

Tori Belle brought along her blow up castle and the kids had a really good time playing on it, even in the heat because it was so hot during the day. Nathan's lips are blue stained from drinking berry kool-aid!

This is a view of Germany Valley in the Allegheny Mountain chain of West Virginia. It is loaded with dozens of caves and cave development. It was settled by German families in the late 1700's and then Pennsylvania Dutch and Scots arrived and set up farms in the limestone valleys. During the Civil War it was divided with the Germany Valley sympathizing with the confederates while the Seneca Rocks area (not too far away) sided with the North. It is a beautiful stop on our yearly trip with the elevation reaching 2100 feet.

This is Seneca Rocks and is one of the most popular scenic locations in West Virginia.

Wind Energy is big up this way and there are mixed views on its presence. I find them amazing to come upon and then stand beside. They tower a few hundred feet and dot the mountain side in Tucker County.

This is another picture of Germany Valley.

This was taken at the 4-H Campground the evening we arrived. We were waiting for dinner to be served and decided to take a walk around the place since we had been sitting and riding for quite a while. They slept good that night, but not as good as the night we came home and they were comfortably nestled in their own beds. It's nice to get away but it's even better to come home.