First CRMPOA Meeting

Thankfully we got a full autumn weekend by the river this week, Friday to Sunday evening.  Better still, the time-change provided an extra hour of sleep (or of raking leaves, depending).

Saturday was the semi-annual meeting of the Property Owners Association, and our first such event.  The group met at 11:00 at the church in the middle of town followed by a social luncheon hosted by one of the members.  At the business meeting they decided, among other things, to build a hand-rail at the common area, give $200 to a local food bank, and participate in the July 4th parade next year.  We had an opportunity to introduce ourselves and got to meet many of our friendly neighbors.

They are a varied and eclectic bunch: some young, others old; some retired, some semi-retired; many weekenders, like ourselves, and some full-timers; some liberals and some conservatives; all good people.  I'm undecided on which topic of conversation I enjoyed the most.  There was the discussion of Spence, a deceased resident whose spirit apparently inhabits the subdivision now.  Then there was talk about one of the neighborhood artist/authors whose first fiction book set in New Orleans is too racy to repeat.  Finally, there was one gentleman who sadly reported his rocks were being stolen.  I'd kindly offer him my rocks, but it was all too sensitive.

Sunday was a treat too.  As a family with two kids, so often my attention is split between the boys and we end up doing most everything as a group.  Today, however, my elder son and I hiked to the green bridge and back by ourselves.  Later we climbed around the closets outcropping of rocks, some of the oldest in the world, I am told.  The whole thing was joyous.

The menu this weekend included bacon and egg sandwiches, baked ham, cabbage soup, steaks on the stove, boiled potatoes, salad, rice, and hot dogs and hamburgers over the open flame.  The shower was hot, the beer was cold, and the kids were singing and playing.  It is almost hard to imagine life getting any better.

Pictured above, with Halloween behind us, the jack-o-lanterns are becoming restless.

Early Snow

Our decision to go to the property late Saturday was partially based on curiosity.  Snow late this week was the earliest in the season our family has seen snow ever.  We were curious what the property looked like after an early snow.  What we found was very impressive.  Many trees still had colorful leaves which contrasted nicely to the white now.  And, our jack-o-lanterns survived without aggression by squirrel, deer, or bear.

Sunday I walked for the first time to the nearby deli, about a mile away.  It was a good walk dotted with points of interest like a tree fallen in the river, another tree laying on a sagging power line, and a friendly neighbor asking whether our cable TV was out.  I easily convinced him that we do not have cable, but was not so successful at diagnosing his cable trouble.

The family enjoyed a spaghetti dinner before returning late on Sunday.

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Got another late start, arriving at 9:30 PM so the boys could attend a dance-theme birthday party beforehand.  Our ritual of singing Take Me Home, Country Roads during the drive has been enhanced now that we are accompanied by the disk playing on the car stereo.  The song is so addictive, I'm afraid we are going to have to limit to two hours per day the amount of time the kids listen to it, along with TV and video games.

Sunday was an action-packed day that began with a "secret mission" to deliver eggs to the neighbors.  The morning air was brisk.  A round of eggie sandwiches from the dozen we kept for ourselves was followed by a couple hours of raking in the yard.  The autumn leaves were deposited in a small area designated for next year's vegetable plot.  We'll leave it up to Mother Nature and the leaves to kill the grass there.  Hopefully the bugs and snakes don't retaliate.

Into the slow cooker went a batch of potato soup, the kind grandma made when I was a kid.  Spuds and onions from our home garden, combined with corn, milk and bacon.  A family walk through the neighborhood gave the soup time to consummate as we worked up an appetite.  Along the way we met Corbin and his young dog, an athletic husky with enchanting blue-gray eyes.

After lunch I replaced the mower's battery before slipping away for a scenic drive down real country roads to enjoy the fall colors.  We built a campfire for no particular reason, and spent a good thirty minutes shelling three walnuts with a pair of pliers.  Our youngest took me on a Power Ranger "scavenger hunt" along the riverbank to the "magical staircase".  Just the kind of agenda I like.

After dinner we left drove home which, of course, gave us another opportunity to listen a few more times to Take Me Home, Country Roads.

Pictured above is an autumn scene from Ridersville, WV.

Update on the Bear

The Department of Natural Resources reviewed our photo of the bear and gave this response:

Yes, that is a rather large bear.  I have camped in many areas where bears are habituated to humans and never had a problem.  Be aware that a bear of that size has been a nuisance in your area for much of the summer and this may be the same bear.  If people camp on your property, make sure absolutely no food, including snacks, are kept in the tent.  I would also recommend making sure all trash, bird feeders, pet foods, and BBQ grills are kept inside.  With hunting seasons now being open, this bear should start to make itself scarce.

Bear on Film

Thanks to Nick, our gracious neighbor, for providing the above image of our local bear captured about a week ago at 1:30 AM via Nick's automatic nature cam.  Initial reports were that the bear was "about as big as a trash can."   Upon closer inspection it appears that the bear has the trashcan beat, sitting down.  Maybe our concerns about tent camping are not completely unfounded.

We returned to our vacation home Saturday after spending the morning doing house chores, and visiting with family.  Funny how having a vacation home throws a wrench in normal housework.  At least we found that newborn cousin "Alex" was oblivious to chores, vacation homes, and almost everything else.  Baby and family are doing well.

Saturday night daddy fell asleep early in response to a lingerly cold, so he cannot report what really went on that evening in the cabin.  Clearly the kids stayed up longer because they kept waking him up.

On Sunday the kids enjoyed carving pumpkins, hunting bugs, and collecting walnuts.  We built our first daytime campfire.  Daddy mowed the yard for the second time, this time with Dee Dee, Nick's aging John Deere.  Nothing that a new battery, fresh breaks, and a better drive-belt won't fix.  Sadly we had to leave Sunday night and return to our normal lives.

Apple Butter Festival

Ten-, 20-, 30-, 40-...100-percent there!  Bedtime, first...and last..chapter of Bad Kitty.

Theraflu and Halls.

Nine o'clock watched parade, ten o'clock ate blueberry pancakes, eleven o'clock gathered walnuts, noontime ate peanut-butter  and honey sandwiches.

Unloaded half a cord of firewood, set up tent, discovered a vandalized fallen sapling.

Cousins arrived late, stew by the fire, talent show by candlelight, learned that the sapling was fallen by vandal beavers.

Bedtime stories, sick cousin coughing, thinking about bear, shivering in hammock.

Children's Tylenol.

Last fire log, last crying kid, too damn cold, going inside.

Breakfast by the fire: cornbread, eggs, bacon, peaches, and apples.

Hide-n-seek inside and out, raked leaves, played Stomp Rocket, built a rake, raked more leaves.

Weekend almost over.  Wait!  Kayak trips up the river.  No, wait!  Canoe and raft trip to the green bridge.

Coloring with crayons, baked chicken, Grandma's bread, doing dishes, waiting for laundry.
Sleeping on the way home, Black and Blue Berry Life Water with Pizza Goldfish.  Fifty hours away from mommy.

First October Weekend

Last weekend was the first weekend that nobody went into the water above their ankles.  The cooler temperatures, however, did not discourage anyone from enjoying the river and the autumn color.  We arrived late on Saturday after completing many chores at our neglected first home.

On Sunday morning we made our first river journey by canoe.  Our large aluminum vessel is adequate for parents fore and after, with kids hanging on in the middle.  The river was not so much high as it was fast-moving.  Mommy and daddy made a quick (and wise) last-minute decision to take portage at the shelf.  After a potty break in the weeds and a canoe-drag to the other side, we were on our way again.

Thanks, Nick, for the shuttle back to pick up the car.