July 4th Virginia Visit 2024

above:  My Uncle Bill's day lilies replanted at Mom's.  

 July 4th Virginia Visit 2024

Wednesday July 3 through Sunday July 7, 2024

Kenny & Dana Koogler

Earline & John Watson

Valerie Graham

Hunter Bryant, Emily Bryant

Melvin & Jean Glass 

Gerald & McKenna Boyne & Heather Youngblood

**Missed but Not Forgotten -- Jennifer Watson- aka Sistah Gurl! 

and Kelly & Illyria Brooks & Daniel Mahon --- we missed you, but stuff comes up. 

July 4th Photos

    We had planned a whole family trip to Virginia for Memorial Day. The plan was to have a big get together and celebrate my son Jared's birthday.  I decided the six hour drive to Virginia was a bit more than I could handle after my knee surgery.    I ended up not going.  Jared, Lydia & their kids did not go because Lydia just started a new job. Also there were two other big trips planned out of state later on.

It upset me having to admit I wasn't ready for travel yet, but I made my peace with it.   I was still going to therapy.  I was okay to be home alone and had been driving for awhile short distances.   Knowing Jared & Lydia were nearby to help me was reassuring.   Kenny went ahead for just two days.  He did not want to leave me, but there was legal business in Virginia that needed attending in person by him. 

    I later learned my brother-in-law, Brian Thomas had been concerned about me attempting to travel comfortably for that distance.  He was right yet again!  It was a blood clot risk and I sure didn't want that.   The comfort thing was at issue as well.    We made plans instead to head up July 4th to celebrate Independence Day and Kenny's birthday.    

         It turned out my Dad, step mom, and that chunk of the family was going to be at Top Sail Beach for vacation. Bummer, but we went ahead anyhow.    My trip up the interstate went very well.  I got in the back seat of the truck and napped for part of the way making the trip seem a lot shorter.   It was great to get to my folks place.    They have done a lot of fixer uppers at home which is my great grandparents old home place!   It is marvelous that it is still solid, snug, occupied, and thriving. 

        It was great to see my mom and step dad.   I am blessed.   My parents may have divorced when I was in my final years of high school, but I gained two of the best step parents anyone could ask for. Everyone gets along fine. It was good to see my sister Valerie, my niece Emily and later in the weekend my nephew Hunter.   Sister Jennifer was supposed to come up, but is working a great job with Nissan in Nashville.  She had things that needed adulting so she held off.   I know what that is like.   Our family is pretty low pressure. No one tries to make you feel bad if plans don't work out.  

            My folks yard is huge and we were able to "camp" there.   They put in an electric hook up for the RV.   They also bought a camper in anticipation of some trips to the Outer Banks and elsewhere. 

It is handy to use as a spare bedroom when needed.   

         We had to visit and catch up on all the family news.  I had to check out the garden which is was thriving as well as the flowers.    The chickens and ducks were running around their lot.   They have had several pets cross the Rainbow Bridge so they are down to one cat right now.   It was a weekend of fire works, great food, great company and conversation, swimming, and all around fellowship.   

      I got to meet my cousin Gerald's new friend Heather who I LOVE!  She is about as goofy as I am. 

She is a keeper.    I laughed more this one weekend than you could believe.   I love, love, love my family.  We have so much fun. We love each other AND like each other.    

         Mom had the pool up and running. The water was cold, but on a 98 degree day it was just right! 

I spent a lot of time in the water.   It helped me sleep so good.  Marijuana is legal for medicinal and recreational in Virginia so Heather brought me a gift of an edible THC nerds rope!  It helped me sleep good and helped ease my pain without making me feel weird.   Plus it was delicious!   

        My sister Valerie took us to her work and we got some massage therapy. She fixed the kink in Kenny's neck.    She tried to work the muscle memory out of my surgical leg. It did help, but not a cure this time.   She encouraged me to seek acupuncture treatment once I got home which I did.  I knew I'd had some kind of disconnect between my mind/body.   Lots of anxiety with no apparent cause and lots of insomnia.    Not sleeping makes me feel ill very quickly.  

Below:  My folks home and our camper out back to the right.

       

Below:  flower bed where they cut down one of the big trees in the front lawn.   

    

Below:  the front porch all freshly cleaned and painted.  The flowers are amazing! They came from the Drive Brothers Greenhouse and Farm Market a stones throw from the house.  I worked there when I was in college.  

Below: blow up pool for Mason. Kenna, Mia and littler kids.. Mom & Dad's camper to the right. 

Below : Gerald standing on the porch and Dad sitting talking things over.  

Below: my beautiful niece Emily and Hunter's silver lab puppy Freya.  She was staying with Auntie Emily while Hunter visited some other folks.  

Below: In the living room Freya is being eyed suspiciously by Frances the Cat.  She was so distracted this evening it lead to an incident with the chickens later on!

Below is a video of Mom &  Dad's place.. the old home place 

and below is a video of the fireworks and the fire pit. The place is magical especially at night.  Lots of spots to relax and enjoy the scenery and get out of the heat.  I love the table under the river birch.  It was so small when they moved it here from Cleveland TN.  You can see lightning bugs too! Tennessee comes to Virginia we goan bring our fireworks and blow shit up! 

        Kenny and I got out and went for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway on Saturday.   We were hoping to beat the heat by going up high.  It was a little better. It went from 97 down to 87.  We're spoiled here in Tennessee being able to go into the upper elevations of the Smokies.  In Virginia the highest elevation is in the 3000 ft range so it doesn't have as much of an impact on temperatures.  

  The scenery was beautiful. I saw my first turks cap lilies in Virginia!   Native bee balm in lavender was in bloom.  The views were clear and beautiful.    It was worth the drive from Afton Mountain and Rockfish Gap to Montebello and coming off the parkway on SR 56 to Vesuvius.   

Below is a photo I got of a clearwing hawkmoth nectaring.  They are the cutest little creatures.

Below is one of many views 

Below: Kenny takes in the view of the Shenandoah Valley 

Below is a view from Ravens Roost.  Folks were trying to climb and rappel here.  I don't ever connect it with those activities. Historically it has been used for hang gliding and landing in the fields below. 

Below another view from Ravens Roost a little further to the southwest 

Below is a photo of a large cluster of turks cap lilies in bloom.  So pretty!

And finally a video of the highlights from the Blue Ridge Parkway drive.

      Dad and the Incident With the Chickens 

Above:  Chickens,,,, I thought I had photos of my parent's chickens, but I cannot find them. These were at the Museum of Appalachia, but illustrate the point.

    I was sitting talking with Dad on the porch.  Just relaxing and catching up.  He was filling me in on some things he knew I was not aware of.  It was calling for a thunderstorm and it was 7:30 p.m.  They put the chickens in around 8 pm in Summer.   They have ten chickens. All but three were already on the roost.   The ducks went in just fine.   I noticed as we walked to the duck and chicken pens that Frances, the cat who helps Daddy herd the chickens and ducks was not on duty. I guess she figured if I was going to help she was going to hunt mice.  I saw her heading into the fence row in the distance.    The ducks went in no problem they were ready for bed.  Three hens remained running around the chicken lot.   Two trotted up their ramp into the hen house. One skinny young leg horn hen kept running round avoiding going in for the night. I coaxed her to be a good girl and go on in.  Daddy on one side and me on the opposite side of the hen house and their ramp.   She went up and in and like a bolt of lightning came flying back out so fast she knocked something down!  Dad seldom ever curses, but he blurted out "Bitch!" at this biddy. 

She ran around some more. He yelled at her "You either get in that coop or you're going in the pot!"  (going to cook her) I lost it. I started laughing so hard I thought I'd pee my pants.  

I am known for getting in trouble for inappropriate laughter.   I started walking away back toward the house.  I was no help at all.   I was laughing so hard I could barely walk.   I got back to where Mom, Kenny and the rest of the family was.  They knew something crazy had gone on. 

   I was finally able to relate it to them and then everyone was laughing.   Dad is a great sport and laughed too. I didn't even get in trouble for being a jackass.     It is so out of character for him to lose it like that.   It takes A LOT to get him riled up, but that annoying chicken got to him. 

                 It was a wonderful trip and I was thrilled to see everyone.   The trip home was uneventful.   Traffic was light and Lady Luck was with us.   We were getting off I-40 South at Exit 407.... the traffic exiting was light to normal. The traffic from there south we could see was stopped and went on into the far distance.  It did not confront us so on to the house we went!

   Already looking forward to the next trip!