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!