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!

Scenes from Haywood Hollow

Hello dear friends!

Although it still seems like we are on an extended vacation,
the fact remains that we are NOT!

This being retired business feels pretty strange too.
Among other things, I'm getting used to not getting up and getting myself all prettified for work.
Geesh...I used way too many gettings in that last sentence, didn't I?
See what happens when you retire?
But on the the upside, think of how much $$ I'll save on makeup!
And, I'm learning how to sleep in...
...instead of getting up at 4:30, I now sleep until 5:30...even 6:00 one day!
That's saying a lot since we are on central time and it was actually 7:00 eastern time.😁
And these guys certainly look right at home, don't they?

They don't care where they go as long they are with us.
And they also have new cousins (cousins???) to play with.
This is Millie...



...and this is Dolly, the two newest members of the family.

These sweet dogs were evidently dropped off down the road and hanging out together.
Dolly, an Australian Shepherd mix, is unrelated to what were three German Pointer pups,
including the one now known as Millie.
Adam took them all to the vet where they were checked out, vaccinated and the females spayed.
And they are now living the good life, getting lots of food, water and plenty of attention.
The other two pointer pups were also adopted very quickly.
~
So one beautiful but chilly morning this week while Jim was taking the kids to school,
I decided I needed a good, brisk walk so I donned my chicken boots and flannel jacket...



...and proceeded down the 1/2 mile plus decline to the bottom and then over to our land.

There was no frost up top but quite a heavy one down below.

Bonfire, anyone?

I could have used one right about then since the sun had not yet peeked up over the hill.

Too bad I had forgotten my matches. 😏

Some fall color is finally beginning to show it's beautiful face.

It's kind of amazing to see these lovely little wildflowers still blooming...

...among these dried up thistles.

I'm not sure what kind of tree or bush this is...

the branches were heavy laden with these clusters of berries.

But I do know what these (below) are and believe me, they are plentiful.

I am envisioning fresh blackberries included in many recipes next summer. 😋

Just a little nippy for swinging...I think I'll pass.

~

Time to trek back up to the "house"...

On my way back up the steep incline, my eye was drawn to this huge but familiar tree.

Adam, Carrie and the kids carved their initials into it when they first bought this land,

long before they built their lovely home.

But I think this was the first time I noticed that the tree had legs and a...crotch.

Well, what else would you call it? 

And this is a super cool way that the neighbors below get water for their livestock...

...the spring coming off the side of the mountain drains through this pipe under the gravel road

and empties into a hose that fills their watering trough below...pretty smart!😉

Up, up, up...

...finally I made it to the top.

I was tired...but it was exhilarating!

Just what I needed.

~

Such is life in Haywood Hollow...I still can't believe we're here...

...and as I always say, God is GOOD.