GOOD MORNIN'

All is quiet at the moment.  Company left this morning on their way back home to Ottawa.  H.H. is off to have breakfast with the guys, don't know if they will play today or not with the drizzly weather here today.  Of course I know they claim it never rains on the golf course.  But he doesn't like to be damp so might be home sooner than I expect.  So all is quiet here for the moment.  The dishes are sitting on the counter waiting to be done.  The bedding is sitting on the washer waiting to be washed.  The beds are yet to be made.  And, I, I'm sitting here at the computer, enjoying my cup of coffee and the quiet of having my house to myself for a little while, and playing on Xanga.  Even the cat is having a morning of taking back his territory and examining all the rooms without the feline guest sitting at the guest room door daring him to enter. 

While the guys had a couple nice days weather wise to get out on the golf course, I took the wife on a little ride up into the mountains and on to Gatlinburg.  Think she had an enjoyable time as we hit several little shops on the way.  Once there we walked around looking into a number of the shops and had lunch before heading back to the house to prepare dinner.  The second  day we just kicked back here at the house and relaxed.  She was ready for a laid back day before getting into the car for another two days of being on the road.  

DOORS:  I found doors. 

These were on a new Information Center and Real Estate Office on the way into Pigeon Forge.  

This last one a shop entrance in Gatlinburg. 

Different concept for entrances, will have to look for more another time.

Hope the sun is shining where you are today and have a great one Y'All!

For everyone who is a Mother, Stepmother, Grandmother, Godmother, favorite Aunt, Sister, Sister in Law, or someone who is like a Mother to someone. 

HAPPY  MOTHER'S  DAY  Y'ALL!

Now we come to the weekend.  What has been accomplished this week?  Darn'd if I know or recall.  H.H. hasn't complained about not being fed or finding clean clothes, so guess I must have gotten laundry and meals taken care of.  Know I played golf with my league on Tuesday, no I didn't play well but I stayed clean and dry, no sand and no water.  Went to, if my calendar is accurate, a luncheon with some other lady friends on Wednesday, Should know better when the fashion show is from one of my favorite stores.  Cold Water Creek was our shop of the month,  will just hang on to the coupon they gave  us and wait till one thing that caught my eye goes on sale.  Thursday was run errands, Friday was help H.H. as we did yard work.  I had already sprayed weeds in an area we can't weed well with this orange clay down here.  Though after a night of rain other areas were easier and I got those cleaned up.  Friday night is Tiki Bar Night at the club so we joined friends there for an evening of burgers, drinks and music lake side.  Always tastes better when someone else does the cooking.  Today we had a lazy morning then went and got grass seed for an area of the lawn that is looking pretty sad.  Supposed to get more rain tonight and over the next couple days so that should help interspersed with warm temps and sunshine.  Maybe one of these years we will have a lawn that is completely green.  Why it isn't now is another story all together and one that someday I will tell on H.H. Tomorrow is a day of golf fun with some neighbors at one of our village courses and we will play in that.  They are awarding numerous prizes including one for best dressed golfer, guess we bring out and press one of the knicker outfits tonight so H.H. arrives in sartorial splendor.  I hope I remember to take the camera with me to get him as well as several nice scenic areas on the course.  Couple places with great view of the Smokies.   Then while he is off doing his thing on Monday I'll be readying the house for the guests that will arrive that night.  Have invited D.D. out for that morning with offerings of Coffee and favorite creamers.  Devious mom will hand her either the duster or the vacuum when she walks in the door and make her earn that cup of coffee.  Then as I need a couple deserts for while guests here, maybe will chain her to the stove and hand her a recipe book.  Might even be able to come up with a few other chores for her while she is here.  Shhhhhhh, don't tell her though or she won't come over. 

I had promised to put up some pictures of some of the homes and gardens along the lake when we last had friends  out on the boat.  Think it is about time I got that done, so will see how many will load and show and we can see how the other half lives. 

No neighborhood is complete without at least one castle.

And this is his back yard.

And one of the toys parked at a back door.

.

Finally one of the favorite ways to pass time with the local youngsters.  Given that the water temps are still only in the 60's, it is too cold for me to even think of dipping my big toe in let alone jumping in from here.  Was a bit of chop out there so rather shakey on the video, not easy to film when you are bobbing up and down,

Wanna join them?  Have a great weekend Y'All!

AOL AGAIN!!!

Where has it gone, what has gotten done, have we been busy, who has been here, has it been fun?

The second round of company has come and gone.  They arrived Wed. evening and left Saturday morning.  These are friends from VT who stopped on their way back north from FL.  H.H. plays golf with him down there and she and I have become friendly.  So to cap the week.  Of course the cleaning and shopping all got done Wednesday before they arrived and dinner started.  Thank heavens for Crock Pots and Yankee Pot Roast.  Thursday the guys were up and off for the golf course, we gals sat and relaxed over another cup of coffee then showered, dressed and out the door for a day of riding and sightseeing in the mountains.  Have some pictures we took there that will go up at the end of this epistle. 

Friday was the day to take out the boat and cruise around the lake, more pictures but those are for another day.  Went to one of the local restaurants that is on the lake for lunch.  Frustrated Hubby trying to dock the boat, in the wind.  Needless to say the "First Mate" takes the brunt of that, though male guest tried to be helpful.  As we were leaving the restaurant he untied the back of the boat and hopped on board.  I didn't notice that as I was doing the front lines.  When I stood up, as H.H. hollered, and looked back the aft had swung in the breeze and now wedged against one of the pilings.  Needless to say the fore immedietly wedged against the dock.  Amidst grumblings and growlings of the captian, nope won't repeat it, I threatened the bar of soap, I finallly got everyone to move aft so I could lift and swing the fore to the port side and move it forward so could then swing the aft and manouver out of the docking space.  Male friend thought it was hilarious, female friend was furious with both of them, her H.H. for laughing and my H.H. for carrying on and blaming the first mate.  But all ended well and we putt putted our way back out into the lake for the ride home.

On the way we swung by the area where there are ledges and watched the first of the season of jumpers.  It is an area where the local kids jump and dive off the rocks into the lake.  Would have been a tad cold for me, if I even liked to dive and swim, as the water was a tepic 67 degrees.  With the breeze blowing would have thought their goose bumps would have goose bumps.  Guess that is part of youth, you don't notice little things like that.  Have a short video of that which I'll post another time.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful and we docked with no problem back at the marina.  Didn't cover the boat as supposed to be a nice night and we were going to take others out the next day.  Needless to say that didn't happen as started to rain later and we had to make a run and do a quick cover up.  Handling canvas is so much fun in a drizzle. 

Decided not to eat at home that evening as the first Friday in May is the opening of the Tiki Bar at the Yacht Club. So Hamburgers and chips along with music and entertainment seemed the order of the evening.  The Tiki Bar is a favorite place for villagers to congregate over the summer months and you will always run into someone you know. 

Of course the house was interesting as they have a small terrier and we have a cat.  Needless to say the cat spent most of their visit either hiding in my closet or puffed up about 3 times his normal size, hissing and growling at a confused pup who couldn't figure out why this other critter didn't just want to play with her.

Come Saturday morning we waved goodby as they drove down the street then got ready for the day.  Of course it rained for the better part so we didn't go out on the boat with the neighbors and their guests as we agreed to do.  It did mean that I managed to get the guest room and bath laundry done so we can get things remade for the next set to arrive next week.  At least I have a week in between this time to get things ready again.  Of course that doesn't mean that I will relax.  Sunday morning we were up and out by 7:30 to head for the golf course with our neighbors to play with one of his coworkers.  Then that afternoon we went with them and their guests back out on the boat as that didn't happen Sat.  Once back from all that we had dinner with the neighbors and finally home and crashed. 

The rest of this week?  Well today was put in the plants, that we got from a friend Sun. as they were thinning out a couple beds.  Take the extras over to D.D. so she can find someplace to put them.  Go get a much needed haircut, restock the larder, gas up H.H. car as I used it last week.  Hmmmm, wonder if he has done mine yet.  Back home put everything away, do a couple more loads of laundry, and maybe I'll settle down and read later.  Well once I get dinner over when H.H. and neighbor get back from golfing, do the dishes and another load of laundry.  Tomorrow is golf for each of us, he with his league and me with mine.  Wednesday is our last Ladies Club Luncheon for the summer, can't miss that.  Thursday is golf again for him and time to think of starting to clean for the weekend and cooking for the next guests to arrive Monday evening. 

Have I bored or worn you out yet?  Well I'll just finish off with some of the floral pictures we took on our mountain ride and wish everyone a great week Y'All!!

Dogwood was at peak at the higher elevations.

Violets along the stream bank.

Of course some early buttercups.

These next four pictures I have no idea what the plants are.  If any of you Tennesseans see this and can identify what they are for me I would be glad to know.  They were all up in the higher elevations and are completely new to me.  I'm ready to learn something new about the flora in this area. 

ANOTHER MOANDAY!

Rain Rain go away

Come again another day

So I can go out and play!

A couple days of rain is just about enough for a while, though we still need it to get back to pre drought levels.  We just don't need it all at once.  Fortunately it all held off Saturday till the blessing of the fleet and picnic afterwards was done.  Then in the evening it started and rained off and on all night.  Yesterday was a wet one all day long.  Took a ride to Steak and Shake as H.H. Wanted to get some cans of their chili to use on Spaghetti and such.  Much to his surprise they no longer have it.  When one of the food recalls happened a while back they had to send back all their supplys and the plant that processed it is no longer in business.  So much for his cravings, will have to find another brand that he can learn to like. 

Then on the way back we saw signs for the Dogwood Trail that was up for the Dogwood Festival in this part of TN.  We decided to drive through and see what was still blooming though the peak had passed.  This ride was marked with signs and red arrows on the roadway through at least 3 neighborhoods.  Expensive neighborhoods with fabulous houses and beautiful golf course.  The course is private of course so he could only drool and dream.  Saw a lot of dogwood, some fantastic landscaping and the azaleas were at peak.  They really bloomed in profusion around here this year, yards were full of them and in more variety of colors and shadings than I knew existed.  Naturaly as we were just going to one place and back home I left the camera and was kicking myself the whole ride, never fails!!  It was a beautiful drive even in the rain.  Of course it poured all night long so everything here got well watered and no draging out the hose today. 

Sun is out now so H.H. is off to the neighbors to work on a golf cart that they are trying to make run right, yup it is the one I wrote of earlier that he let run into the water in FL.  He brought it back with him to see if they could get it running again.  Fortunately it is just a small electric hand cart so wasn't too difficult to transport even if it did take a good amount of room in the back of the car on the way home.

Here are the last of the doors that I took earlier this spring for the door posts.  These were taken over Easter weekend and are my favorites of them, so saved them for last.  Now will have to make sure I have camera at the ready to find new ones as we go places over the summer.

We went here -- with friends for dinner and a performance of "Funny Girl"  It was a great meal and performance.  An enjoyable afternoon.  While we were waiting for the doors to open we took a walk around part of the old downtown section of Sarasota.  I saw these doors and had to get shots of them for the Great 2008 Door Contest.   This one was part of a greater mural painted across the entire back of the buildiing. This was the back entrance to a jewelry boutique.   On this one I liked the tile work around the pub door. An old fashioned door to another restaurant.   This I just thought was unique with the old framing and vines around the glass.  OOPS, looks like I caught more than just the door in that shot, hmmm, coming or going I wonder! Have a great week and I'll be around to visit Y'All!