Settling In

Whew!  It has been a busy couple of days !  After a short ride on Tue. we arrived at Cousin Janice's where she and hubby Phil are the greatest hosts.  It is so nice to be able to spend some time with them.  North Carolina seems so far from VT !   We enjoy good fellowship and a wonderful noontime dinner of steaks Phil char broils for us and Amish potato salad followed by Janice's delicious homemade apple pie. Yum!
After dinner we all hop in the car and head back up to Fancy Gap, near the Blue Ridge Parkway, for a fun time browsing around this really great shop that sells pottery, fabric and many many other interesting things. Then back to the house for more visiting while the guys head out to Phil's workshop to check out his latest project.
We had rain during the night and it was still raining when we were packed and ready to leave on the rest of our journey.  It rained most all morning and cleared in the afternoon with sun and clouds and a good stiff wind that we could feel pushing us around as we drove. When we stopped for the night in GA, a decision we made because we thought we could use a nice quiet and peaceful late afternoon and evening to rest up before all the work of unpacking and putting things away. As we alit from the car we noticed that a cold front that was predicted had definitely arrived. We had a light supper in our room from our 'goodie bag'.
We were up and on our way by 6:30 AM and as daylight arrived it was nice to see it was going to be a bright and sunny one.  Only 50 degrees but that is pleasant.  We were only 3 1/2 hours from our winter quarters so it was a short ride.  After stopping for a few groceries at the local store we were 'home'.  Home is a small, friendly mobile home park in a little community in cattle country.  No big cities for me!!
I'm just a country girl !  There are little cattle ranches scattered around and a really big dairy farm just up the road a bit from us.  It is about 8 miles into 'town' and that isn't a big town but has all we need usually. It is 14 miles to a bigger place if we need something not available there.
It was nice to fall into our big cozy bed at night and to wake rested and ready to tackle the rest of the chores of settling in. Taking a break from all this 'settling' I took a nice walk around the Park.  The temperature here was 68 degrees and that is just right for my liking. I notice the whooping cranes are back and so friendly.  They feed in the green areas here in the Park.  I think some folks feed them.  They are such great birds.

Today I finished my inside cleaning and Dennis used the power washer around outside and then we got the Fl. room/porch all tidied up and the tires on the bikes pumped up.  Now I am officially ON VACATION !!  Amid all my hustle and bustle my thoughts are constantly on my dear friend Betty, who underwent by-pass surgery yesterday.  Each task I work through is accompanied by a prayer for her recovery.  I know she has placed herself in God's care.  If you feel so inclined, say a prayer for her.
This is a different world here in the sunny south... different from my usual homespun existence but I find that where ever I am there are such nice people to meet and get reacquainted with.  A lot of the friends who migrate are already here and more will arrive each day.
I think I'll make a cup of tea and sit a spell.... put my feet up and read a poem or two as I have a new book of Billy Collins' poems.  Take care and have a good weekend.