Monday, November 18, 2019

Of Hedge Apples and Other Things

No...I haven't fallen off the side of the mountain or anything as dramatic as that.
Just trying to figure out this new way of life...it can be pretty brain numbing.
Sometimes I find myself just staring out into nothingness without a thought in my head.
The good thing is that we feel like the Lord has led us to a great church!
After 27 years, I cannot even put into words how strange it to feels to be doing this.
~
It's been three weeks since I last posted and I realized today that we've been here for over six!
I thought I'd have all kinds of time to write on my blog...and I do...well, kinda.
It seems like everyday we seem to have somewhere to go, mostly by choice.
And speaking of choices, there are a couple of places we have yet to visit...
...one being the DMV to get Tennessee driver's licenses and tags...
...you know, those necessary places. 😏
And I have been taking lots of photos when the weather has allowed me to go exploring.


Something that grows profusely around here are Bodark trees and Adam has many on his property.
The limbs are all gnarly and twisty...


 ...and is among the hardest of woods, in fact bows are made from the wood of these trees.
I wonder why they don't spell it... b o w d a r k??


I call this area of Adam's backwoods the haunted forest.
But enough about the trees...it's what grows on the trees that intrigues me...




...those beautiful hedge apples, also known as osage orange.




These pretty lime green fruits are quite pungent with their citrus aroma and are quite eye catching,
each one measuring about 4 inches in diameter.



They are not edible for humans but at the same time, they are not considered poisonous.



I just like looking at them...except when this happens.



Or this. 😩


So what good are they, anyway?
Some folks swear that they keep mice and spiders away from your basement, etc.
In fact, people actually sell them at farm markets after they've been dried,
and then are placed around foundations and in basements for this very purpose.
Click here if you want to learn more about hedge apples.
~
 The weather had gotten so cold here at one point (as I guess it has been many places),
and we began doubting how we'd ever make it through this winter...and it's not even winter yet!
We were going through propane like water and both times when we ran out,
it was in the middle of the coldest nights with single digit wind chills!
We solved that problem by running an outdoor extension cord from Adam's porch
through a window (that we quickly sealed up) and purchased an electric oscillating heater.
It worked like a charm and we're keeping nice and toasty with it and the RV's electric fireplace...
and saving a bundle on propane!



The beautiful fall foliage is all but gone now after the cold snap.




So as it is with many plans, they are always subject to change.
The power company had been dragging their feet and then decided that several more trees
needed to be dropped before our electric poles could be placed.
Today, to our surprise, there were three utility trucks on the property gettin' 'er done!
We will be traveling back to NC later this week and then on to Ohio for Thanksgiving
so hopefully when we return, we can finally get moved down the mountain!
~
Okay, so this is getting pretty long here so I will share a few more photos,
put a bow on it and call it done.


We were thrilled to be able to share the joy as Olivia won her first cash prize
at a recent climbing competition....the girl is a BEAST!



Parker (on top), man-handling his opponent as his dad shouts out a few pointers.
Although not quite dressed for the occasion, Adam demonstrates how it's done. 😉



 A little venison for the freezer is always a good thing.


These two beautiful kitties are our...well, I guess they'd be our grand cats and they are the sweetest!
Meet Oreo and Cookie....can you guess who is who??



And Sissy gave her ol' Mawmaw some 4-wheeler lessons!



I actually didn't do too bad but it sure isn't as easy as it looks!



Some of the neighbors.😊


And as I wrap this up, last night the Lord truly shared His true colors
as He gifted us with one of the most glorious sunsets I've ever seen.


The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

I hope your week is blessed.

Love y'all!

19 comments:

  1. Oh dear Debby, how good it is to read about your latest adventures settling in to your new environment. Soon you will wonder how so much has settled and how at home you are. Beautiful photos. Those hedge apples are so interesting. God has really created an amazing world for us to enjoy. You are looking good on that ATV. Hope all goes well on your travels and things progress while you are gone.

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  2. My word, those trees are amazing! I don't remember ever seeing or hearing about that kind of tree, although I have heard the term hedge apple I think. I wonder if they make it very treacherous walking through the forest with them on the ground? Living in an RV in winter is not for the faint of heart. We know all about it, quite well. Have you investigated a Buddy Heater? They don't need to be vented, work on propane, and are very efficient on propane fuel. Trailer propane heaters are notoriously horrible. Sounds like you have some exciting things going on with the electric company being there! It will be great to be on your own property and begin to see the home take shape. Always love some great venison, and yes, those quads take a bit to get the hang of, but really they are so much fun. We enjoy getting out in the mountains in ours, a favorite thing for my husband and I to do. You and Cissy looked great together, special moments for sure! Blessings to you sweet friend, and safe travels!!!

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  3. Just look at you enjoying your new life! Glorious photos of your surroundings. I suppose you will never run out of gorgeous subject matter for your camera. LOVE all those twisted and gnarled trees. Safe travels and enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!

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  4. This was such a joy-full post Debby. It was so good to catch up on what is becoming your new life. And what a spectacular place to be! May God's rich blessings continue to flow as you adapt to the changes.

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  5. Wowzer! What an incredible sunset!

    To find a good church where you can serve and be spiritually fed is a wonderful gift. I am so pleased to read that part.

    I was wondering about a Duraflame fireplace or something. My little heater keeps the chill off and helps with the oil bill. Going through propane like water is like watching dollar bills fly out the window.

    So is Olivia going to finance her college education by climbing? 😊 Well done! Maybe I should give it a try. Loved seeing you gals on the four-wheeler.

    It has to be good to be involved with family activities. Parker looks like a beast, too! 😳

    Happy trails and a blessed time in Ohio celebrating Thanksgiving. A sister’s? Brother’s? Cousin’s?

    Loved seeing all your beautiful photos.

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  6. So good to hear how you and your family have been doing, Debby, as the adventure continues! Thanks for taking us along. I enjoyed every word and every photo, and you saved the best of both for last! God bless you and your family:)

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  7. Oh, it was so nice to visit with you today and catch up on what is going on in your life! It looks like you are having a ball with those sweet grandkids and making the most of your new life. I kept thinking back to all you have been through lately with all of the health issues and the move and everything and it just blessed me so much to see you looking so healthy and happy and able to be out and about doing things with the ones you love. I am SO grateful to God for answering prayer and allowing these dreams to become a reality for you. You are so special and dear to my heart! Enjoy your time in our home state, and may the Lord bless you with safe travels and many happy, meaningful memories along the way! Sending much love to you today, sweet friend.

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  8. Wow you got lots covered in this post. So nice to hear all your news.
    What a gorgeous sunset!!
    Love the winding roads and the gnarled old trees.

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  9. Fascinating post. The trees look unique, to say the least. I love the winding road through the trees, together with the fall colors. Yes, God must have pulled out all the best colors to paint that sunset for you. WOW!

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  10. Oh my goodness... that sunset!! Gorgeous! I have missed you and am happy to read you have been "goos" busy, getting it all done there! Love the pictures!! Stay warm!

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  11. I love hearing from you and from Tennessee. It's so pretty there. Way back when I worked in Raleigh someone brought one of those green balls off an Osage Orange tree, asking if anyone knew what it was. Never heard of it before then. I looked it up when I got home and read about how folks use the trees for fence building. Really weird fruit though. You look cute on that four wheeler. Poppy hasn't brought in a deer yet...he hunts about every day. Take care.

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  12. Love this post and seeing all the beauty surrounding you. You are going to love living there, and being near the kiddos, etc. And so happy to hear you've found a good church too! What a blessing! So happy for you. Enjoy your trip home and to Ohio...what a wonderful trip that should be! Be safe and enjoy. God bless you all.

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  13. I sure can see why you've not been on the computer. So many wonderful things to keep you occupied. :) Those "apples" are really interesting and perhaps you'll have to dry some to stash around your new place?
    Wonderful to know you have fresh meat available and that you enjoy the four wheeler. You are right...not as easy as it looks.

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  14. We have some of those bodark trees in my neighborhood, Debby. I didn’t know that the hedge apples keep critters away!! I loved seeing pics of your grands and you! Four wheeling is fun! My late beloved bought one before he passed and we have it on our friends’ property bin Arkansas. Happy Thanksgiving to you and safe travels.

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  15. Debby, this was one of my favorite postings from you!
    So much..and such beauty...I'm not sure where to begin.
    That gnarly tree and the haunted forest is absolutely amazing! I agree though, it is kind of haunted looking and those hedge apples Wow! Those are absolutely amazing. I bet the fragrance is awesome and you know, you could probably put those in your home if the aroma is decent enough and it would put off a nice smell.

    How exciting for your dear Olivia. She's a bit of a thing for being a beast. ;)
    The two of you look darling on the ATV and I'm sure you will have the hang of it sooner than you think.
    You look real good, Debby.

    Your country side is so very beautiful and I appreciate you sharing it with us. That road is picture perfect in all it's glory.

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving in Ohio and safe travels to you.

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  16. How lovely to read of your settling in to your new home place. It's beautiful. I have never heard of a hedge apple - they sound interesting.
    Happy Thanksgiving.

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  17. Well I'm pretty delinquent in my blogging so it's all good haha! It seems that the days are just filled to the brim with work, church, cooking, cleaning, etc. and it's just me and the hubby haha! I love hedge apples! I gather them from side of the roads here and put them right into boxes in the corners of the basement and I think they DO repel spiders, etc. I use them in my fall decorating too - they really have a nice aroma as well I think.

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  18. Oh my … what a glorious sunset :)

    All the best Jan

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Thank you for stopping by today! Your sweet comments are such an encouragement to me.

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