Hit It

I hope hit it doesn't conjure up negative images.  There are a lot of things to hit in a good context... like the trail (on horse or foot), the music, the road, the golf ball, the stage, or the gym.  I tried hitting the good things this week.  I have also tried just hitting the highlights while writing this blog, not going into long descriptions.


Saturday was Hit The Trails Fall Festival for the hiking marathoner's to pick up shirt and patch. 



Even Maggie got a bandana for completing the full and half marathon.





The event was held at Mirror Lake with all sorts of outdoor activity vendors there.  Both these owls are rescues.

Seen right, RJ and I in the Polaris that is used to rescue people out on the trail.  It has already been used to transport a lady who fell off a horse, an older hiker who collapsed from dehydration, and to apprehend buglers who tried to escape on a four-wheeler down the power lines behind the stables and onto the back dirt roads of Fairfield Glade.

Joe and I ate an early lunch while listening to music.  Then we hit the road for Nashville.  On the way out of town we dropped Maggie off at the Kennel.

We checked in at a Super 8 motel at 1:00 and then arrived at Courtney's just as Dan and Valencia pulled in.  We just hung out, napped to Bob Ross (3 episodes) and later Courtney and I went for a walk and did a little Pokemon hunting.

Dinner was at Olive Garden and we all ate plenty, I think six baskets of bread sticks, two large salad bowls and our main course.  Once back at Courtney's we eventually played different video games from Jack-in-the-box.  This was a new and fun experience for me.  Joe and I didn't get back to the motel until almost 11 pm.

Sunday was a lazy morning.  We had a good sized complementary breakfast at the motel and were at Courtney's at 9 am, waking her up.  Opps.

We all just kind of hung out and lazed around.  Courtney ran to the airport to pick up Twylla (a friend from high school) and after more hanging out, we had pizza for lunch.





Joe and I were on the road for home to pick Maggie up (between 5 and 5:30) during the short 1/2 hour window the kennel was open.
The girls (Courtney, Valencia, and Twylla) headed down town to the Nissan Stadium to see a Byonce concert.



As soon as we got home I got busy with watering, especially the new grass seed.  Joe's friend Greg, arrived after dinner and the guys watched football on TV while I sat here at my desk making notes for my blog and for a meeting about work.





I chatted with the guys some, but went to bed while they were still going strong with their drinks and popcorn.

Courtney sent this photo of Byonce, who is quite the entertainer.  I knew the girls were enjoying the show with seats so close to the stage.






Monday trash day, meant cleaning the cat's pan.  I watered grass seed morning, afternoon and evening... and continued with this routine all week.  I also took a photo of Brian's tomatoes while caring for them, to send him.  I worked at typing up notes for a meeting, to have Joe print them before he left.  He and Greg golfed and then hit the road for the Smokey mountains.

I went to the barn to check on Amiga, and she didn't appear lame so I decided to take her for a spin and see how she felt.  I rode bareback knowing I wouldn't ride long and it is easier for me to feel if her gait is off.  We had a fun 20 minute jaunt on the trail and in the pasture by the old town which they are fixing up for a haunted trail.  Her walk, gait, and canter all felt even and smooth.  Now I need to re-condition her... and myself.  Zorro got a cocklebur removal treatment.




I met with Kim for an hour and felt better about my 'lot in life' in terms of getting back on at the front desk.  I will wait for the seasonal position to open up and then apply for it.  Until then, I will work the short summer seasons at the adult pool, which I really enjoyed.

Maggie and I hit the road, walking, and went for an hour.  A quiet evening at home consisted mainly of computer time and reading out on the back porch.

Tuesday started with hand watering the grass seed, and then I put the sprinkler on in some other spots.  I did two loads of laundry and computerized most of the morning.

After an early lunch I got to work in the back, finishing off my last two bags of concrete mix.  One batch I mixed up to fill in some cracks and put under some of the ground rocks that were a little wobbly.





The other 50 lb bag of fast setting stuff I used dry, filling in between rocks on the lowest wall.  I hosed this down and covered it all with plastic, and hoped the cement would set up to solidify the wall and keep most of the water from rushing through it.  I am trying to direct the water into the ditch I dug that leads to the creek.




I decided to finally hit it and get back to finishing my goal of walking all the roads in Fairfield Glade.  I loaded up Maggie and we hit the roads near Lake Pomeroy.  A large tree was blocking one road, but made for a fun photo shoot, and we just climbed over it and proceeded.  Seen right, what looked like trash, are very white, large leaves that have fallen. 

I finished off the day with beer & popcorn and an episode of Fixer Upper.

Joe sent this photo of he and Greg during their 17 mile bike ride down the Virginia Creeper trail.


Wednesday morning I had Ladies Club meeting and lunch, followed by my exit interview meeting with Abby and Nancy.  Shirley took this selfie of us after lunch.  My work meeting went well.



I took Maggie for a short walk when I got home, then changed clothes and was off for the barn.  Jan, Shirley, and Judy were there hangin' out, so I joined them.  Seen left, a selfie from atop the manure pile which I got 12-5gal buckets of.






Eventually Jan and I saddled up our horses and hit the trail for a short 45 minute ride.  Amiga again showed slight signs of lameness about halfway out, causing me more angst.  I hate that she is not sound.  Seen right, a look at the very low pond with the setting sun.

Including dog walks and watering, my night also consisted of a toss salad, an episode of Fixer Upper, and hitting the hay to read.  I didn't even last till 9 pm.


My Thursday started at 3 am but included a one hour nap during sunrise.  I attended to phone calls and paperwork at my desk, in addition to computerizing.


Mid-morning I unloaded all the manure in the way back (one spot seen left) to use it for fill, then I went to town and hit the stores.  Three hours later, and $300.00 less in the bank, I came home with a carload of stuff.  Once all the groceries were put away, I got to work in the back yard to use the new grass seed, soil, and concrete mix I now had.





First to get more grass seed planted.  I raked up leaves from the areas I had seeded earlier in the spring and then readied the ground in the washed-out places.






The darker dirt is the new soil I just bought, now covering grass seed.  It shows the areas that needed re-seeding.  All of this, of course, then got a good watering.  Sometime while I was working, Joe and Greg got back from Eastern TN.  I visited for a bit but then Greg had to hit the road home towards Illinois. 

Once finished with the seeding, I took the two bags of quick setting concrete and used a coffee can to pour it dry into all the nooks and crannies along the dry wall, down stream from the end of my cemented ditch.  I also put some around a few of the large voids in the 'floor' of the dry rock ditch to help hold things in place in preparation for the day we get a gully washer of water... like we'll ever see rain again.

Joe grilled and after dinner we watched both of the survivor season shows we taped on Wednesday night.

Friday I woke up later than usual, but also more refreshed than I normally feel.  During my morning watering I noticed that the grass seed has sprouted and is emerging.

I went to the Administration building to turn in paper work and pick up my separation notice required to apply for unemployment.  Once home, I needed quite a bit of Joe's help to fill out the on line application for unemployment.  I questioned whether all this was worth the $74 per week I would be receiving.  I recon it is.

Finally I was able to get outside and work in the yard.  I planted this new little Holly bush I had also just bought and then prepared the area at the edge of our back yard for mulch.  Getting a load of that is on my list for this fall.

I watered down the quick setting cement that seemed well hardened on the floor and back of the wall, but might need more moisture.  Then I added a mix of horse manure and dirt to the back of the wall and got it seeded.  I watered everything well, and recovered with plastic. 

After a quick shower, it was time to hit the street for the monthly Down Town Crossville Festival.  I met Judy at Nancy's (wife of Gerry from the barn) Horizon Initiative booth.  Below is Gerry, by his car that he has completely rebuilt and fixed up.  What a beauty.














We ate dinner that Nancy had picked up for us, to help support the Rotary club.  Then we walked around to check out the different booth's and festivities, and do a little dancin' in the street.

While wandering down Main Street, we bumped into Shirley and enjoyed chatting with her.  She was 'manning' the Community Band (try an instrument) booth.



From the festival, Judy picked up Ambrie and we met Joe at the Playhouse to see The Addam's Family.  From the time the cast hit the stage, until the end, it was a very well done, hilarious production, with great singing and dancing.


Life is short.  If you are putting off a productive, rewarding, or fun activity; it is time to stop thinking about it and... Hit It!  Get-R-Done!  Just Do It!