TIMBER! (or Two Men and a Truck?)

This is what happened, God-honest truth.

It started raining this spring in Atlanta like it would make up for lost time. Years of drought. Years of damage to the root systems of all our precious trees, even the mighty oaks. Suddenly, the evening news was full of stories...oak trees falling on houses and cars. Tree experts warning us to go check our trees...so it wouldn't happen to us.

So, living on 3 acres in the woods, I was no dummie! DUH! I counted F-I-V-E oak trees near the play set and driveway, any of which, if they fell, would damage an investment. Donica agreed to get the deed done. It would leave a bad taste in a buyer's mouth if "it" happened AFTER they moved in. So I did my homework and found a local man and dad who were properly licensed and insured.


In one day they quickly felled 4 of the trees. Boom boom boom boom. One right after the other. That was easy. Maybe 3 hours worth of toil and trouble. The son had to climb only one of the trees and after getting to the top, decided he didn't have to after all. Boom. It fell exactly where he wanted. Dad was there to "spot" him.

The entire time, I was busy with my camera. HA! Yes, me! I wouldn't have missed this for anything. As I walked around, however, all the contraptions, the 2 trucks and bobcat, the gizmos...all interested me much more than the trees. This was a photographer's paradise.

The 1969 Ford F-250.

The 1973 Ford F-750.


The bobcat.

Okay, now hold your breath for a month! There was still one last mighty oak to come down, the biggest of them all and half the entire price. The Mother of all Mighty Oaks! But no one came and no one came and no one came. One month!


Just when I was ready to give up on the enterprise, I heard a chainsaw buzzing one morning and there they were. Son was already at the top of the tree (the first tree at the head of this post), with all the top limbs already de-limbed. RATS! I had wanted to catch that. Not to worry, I soon found out why this one was half the price. I think they were there for 6+ hours!

And what I found out was that Dad had a pacemaker "installed" during that month and was not released to do any work for 4 weeks. Well, DUH! But the biggest topper of all was when I found out he grew up in Dansville, MI, where my sister and BIL live on their farm. The more we talked, the more connections we made. Unbelievable. What a small world.

Which makes a nice segue to tell you that I leave on Sunday (tomorrow) to drive 750+ miles north from Atlanta to Dansville, to said farm, to help sister Ruth all next week in prep for their daughter's wedding "down on the farm" August 1st! It will be a humdinger of a wedding, trust me. I can just imagine what it will be like. YES, I'll take as many pictures as possible to give you an inkling, once I return (on the 2nd).

In the meantime, here's a little photo album on the tree-cutting. Please pray for journeying mercies as I drive both ways by myself, hopefully in one day each. I will rest whenever necessary, I promise. Once back home, I've decided the house can sell just as quickly as anyone can say TIMBER five times (but hopefully without a month in between)!

The Last Single Digit

Last Friday we celebrated grandson Nicholas' 9th birthday! First he wanted to celebrate it at the Aquatic Center...then at Monkey Joe's (indoor inflatable playground)...but when the two friends he wanted to invite couldn't come, Amy suggested the bowling alley. And that's where we went! Amy, Dennis, Noelle and Brooke (Dennis' 2 girls who are here for 6 weeks this summer from LA), Uncle Mark and G'ma (moi!).

You can imagine how proud I was when Nicholas told me he wanted me to be on HIS team! OMG! How to make friends and influence people. He's no dummie. So on adjoining alleys, we were 2 teams: Nicholas, Noelle, Amy and G'ma against Brooke, Dennis and Mark.





Noelle (15) and Brooke (11) are buddy-buddy and held their own, often with each other on the same alley...in spite of playing on opposite teams across the ball return.





Amy and Dennis often bowled side by side, which was also fun to watch, especially when they snuck in their sweet, tender kisses.





And Mark showed us how to do it, wiping off the oil with my towel from all those years ago when I was on a bowling team and was a serious player!



In between our 2nd and 3rd games, we celebrated with the birthday cake:

And then when we were done, the BB (Big Boy) opened his presents.

I told Amy I can't remember when I had so much fun as a family. We all were in our zone and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was a total blast.

And just think...next year and going forward, Nicholas will be in double-digit numbers! He is no longer the BLB (Big Little Boy). He is growing up before our very eyes!

Oh, and here's the complete Birthday Album. Just what the doctor ordered while I still wait and wait....with NO ONE coming by to look at the house this past weekend! Not even that man from Iowa with his wife. What a bummer.

Steady As She Goes

I've been trying to mind my own business while waiting these days. Waiting for house-hunters. Waiting for someone to be interested enough to make an offer. Waiting for a contract. Waiting for a sale.

The other day, when I bounded from the front door to go get the mail, I almost tripped over this steady-as-she-goes box turtle on the sidewalk just a step or two away from the porch. Needless to say, I immediately went back inside for the camera!

Believe it or not, I actually lay down on the sidewalk and looked this incredible creature in the eye! The entire time she sat motionless while I clicked away. I have no idea if she was frozen with fear or was just letting me do my thing, posing.



What I neglected to tell you was that there was a blob of something in front of her that seemed to be her goal and destination. Was she as curious of it as I was of her?

Finally I walked up our long drive to get the mail, pulling a few weeds along the way (as I am wont to do!). But as I walked back to the porch, I wondered if I'd still see Ms. Turtle. And had she investigated her prize?

Well, she was NOT there but I did see her hiding under the hosta leaves next to the porch and chuckled. I'll never know if she took the time to investigate the blob, but she clearly knew how to high-tail it out of there.

All I could think of is a turtle may not be the fastest vehicle in the world but she sure can get from A to Z if she sets her mind to it. I'm guessing the same thing will happen to the selling of this house! It may not be the fastest time in our economy right now to sell a house, but steady as she goes...it's just a matter of time.

Speaking of which...a gentleman spent an hour looking at the house 2 weeks ago and supposedly will be bringing his wife by to see it this weekend. They're relocating here from Iowa, with 3 little boys. Like the turtle, will they find their prize here? You'll be the first to know, trust me! If you think of it, please say a little prayer....