I ❤️ a Picnic, Part 2

I wasn't kidding in my last post about loving a picnic...or about picnicking on Mother's Day. We did both yesterday, and I loved every minute!

As you can see by the above photo, we enjoyed "Mother's Day at the Garden*" at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden near Belmont, NC. I have wanted to go to DSBG for years, since I see their brown 'points of interest' sign on I-85S every time I drive to/from Atlanta. So, I got to check off one of my "Places I Want to Visit" and celebrate in style! 

We got up early...not by necessity, but by practice: with five dogs in residence, we almost always see the sun rise around here. Getting on the road (I-85 South toward Charlotte), we decided to take advantage of another freebie we garnered at the Grasshoppers game last Friday: the so-called Strikeout Victim (AKA: the designated hitter) did just what we wanted him to do...he swung and missed three times while we Hopper fans were yelling "biscuit, biscuit, biscuit!" That bit of silliness is sponsored by Biscuitville...naturally...and when it happens, everyone in attendance gets a coupon for a free sausage and biscuit. Yippee! Make that two, please! [Added to the 50% off our Saturday pizza order fom Papa John's...given when the Hoppers struck out five batters in a row...and vouchers for a free basket of Buffalo chicken tenders from Stumblestiltskins (given out to those sitting in our section when the other team made an error...or the "Stumble" of the Night!), we really hit a home run!]

We got to the Garden just before 11:00. All moms got free admission...hooray...and the first 250 got a free plant. I didn't think we would make that second list, but we did...and I got a pot of peppermint for my herb garden. We picked up our preordered picnic basket and drinks and headed to find a nice location on the grounds. We were fortunate to find a cool, shaded area, just beyond one of the walled gardens ...where we could hear the fountain on the other side of the hedge! We had taken our collapsible "shade" chairs, which have attached awnings that can provide shade if needed...but the maple overhead did a fine job of that. Such a pleasant day...the only things missing were Missy M (who started her new job in ATL today) and maybe a nice bottle of wine (which you aren't allowed to bring onto the grounds).

Never fear: we had registered for the Wine Walk! Beginning at 1:00, we strolled the grounds, past wine "stations" which were serving six varieties of NC wines, starting with a Chardonay (white) all the way through a Merlot (red). Our favorite...no surprise here: the Riesling. The stations were set up to draw the Wine Walkers through the gardens and allow us to drink in their beauty...pun intended. Here's the long view of the Fountain Alley, looking from the Riesling station toward the Cabernet station. 

We passed on the carriage ride (too warm by this time) in favor of finishing our day and chilling out with mango gelato. The drive home gave us plenty of time to worry about whether we would still have a home...since we had experienced Doggie Wars between Abbie and Ella Rae on Friday...at 5:45 a.m.  After that, ER had begun staying under the deck...and inaccessible. Sigh. Guess it was inevitable. But I was sad nonetheless.

Thankfully, when we returned to HPNC all was well. Well...sorta. Apparently the Fab Five had banded  together in common pursuit of disturbing the peace in our neighborhood. Our neighbors had just returned from the beach, with their arrival revving up the dulcet tones of the protective beasties...including Dixie, Missy M's beautiful Basset, who carries on when barking 'enthusiastically' as if someone were removing her toenails without anesthesia. Double sigh. At least the pups were getting along again. Reasonably well enough.

Life might not be a picnic yet, but we are on the right track.

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* Speaking of gardens...we were, weren't we? Check out the latest post to our gardening blog, Gardening with the Giants here: http://gardenwithgiants.blogspot.com/2014/05/may-has-arrivedfinally.html

I Love a Picnic

Look at that: just flipped over another month on the calendars. Goodbye April, you with your wild ride of weather. The merrie old month of May has arrived! And we welcome thee!

May usually means the first iris blooms, the first flush of roses, and pollen. Lots and lots of pollen. Ah choo! No disappointment on any of those counts around here. The rain this past week helped wash away the top layer, but everything still has a fine yellow dusting. Allegra-D anyone? 

I took this picture of the purple irises (names unknown) along the front walk (with the last of the flowers on the dogwood in the background), and both the Beverly Sills and the Rock Star iris are in bloom at the mailbox. The heirloom bronze iris (the ones I treasure because my cousin Betty Jean gave us the original rhizomes, years ago) have started to put on a show in the Way Back, and we had our first rose to bloom in the Rose Garden this morning: one of the white 'Susan Ellis-Williams' English shrub roses from David Austin...which, according to my Garden Journal, was the first to bloom last year, too.

May is also the month of picnics, in my mind. While we have enjoyed our share of lavish Mother's Day feasts, my fondest memories are of the picnics in the park: fried chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, rolls, deviled eggs (ok, so I'm the only family member left to like that last one...;-)...all served on a red-checked tablecloth. 

The very first 'second Sunday in May' that I spent as a mother included a picnic at Shelby Farms in Cordova, TN; and, if being a first-time Mom wasn't memorable enough, that was the very same day that Baby M...all of 7 months old at the time...took her very first steps! And she hasn't stopped moving yet...pah-dum-pum...;-)

So, I have this image of love and warmth and good vibes when I think of picnics...and I try to plan one at every opportunity. Like, when we were driving back to NC from (no longer 'Baby') M's house in Louisville. It was a clean-out-the-refrigerator-before-the-movers-come mentality that prompted me to make thick ham-and-cheese sandwiches on honey-wheat bread and to pack chilled, diced pear fruit cups. Wouldn't this be the ideal time to have a picnic? Stopped at a rest area, while the dogs rested in the shade of a nearby tree?

The dogs. The five dogs. Sometimes I can be so silly. 

Stopping at a rest area with five dogs was difficult in the best of circumstances. They all wanted to vault out of the vehicle at the same time...kind of like circus clowns from a VW..., and we learned the hard way that we had to leave them leashed together to keep them from making a mad dash when the door was opened. Of course, the tangle of tethers was worse than when some of my knitting projects get jumbled in their pouches. Good grief!

Once released, none wanted to TCB when they were supposed to. Way too many new and intriguing smells to be investigated. So each 15-minute break turned into a half-hour (minimum) halt.  And my idyllic idea of a refreshing and relaxing picnic along the way? Pish tosh! We were otherwise occupied in trying to cajole the canines to p-o-t-t-y. Found ourselves fortunate if we could eat & drive...making those delightful pear cups totally impractical, since you need a spoon to consume. Forget the tablecloth!

Ah well, we made it. Arrived alive, although it took 10.5 hours for the 8-hour drive. All are in residence at Casa 3917, and after an initial digestive woe or two, settling in for the duration. And how long might that be, several have asked?

Who knows? As then-candidate Clinton said: "it's the economy..." Missy M is working hard to get her house and property in perfect order to sell quickly, but there is only so much that is within her control. She cannot control the economy. She has to be in ATL to start her new job a week from Monday, so she made her lists and checked them twice. Interviewed candidates for realtors, moving companies, and service providers over the past week, while divvying up her possessions into To Move To GA, To Donate, To Keep To Stage This House (putting blue painters' tape Xs on the stuff that was staying off the truck — as you can see in the bottom picture below), To Send To NC, and To Toss. She's had the movers in yesterday and today (see photo below); carpet cleaners, painter, and Merry Maids are coming in early next week; and she will stage her house and make her decision about realtors, so they can plant a For Sale sign in her yard...and she can bury St. Joseph under the sign*...before she heads her Honda toward the highway.

Meanwhile, we will keep her fur-babies happy here. Just as a reminder, she provided a refuge to our three Bassets (as well as Nana) during our last move from MO to NC: from Thanksgiving to July 4th. We owe her big-time, and it's our pleasure to take this worry off her mind. That's what families do, right?

Since May is such a busy month here at home, we probably won't feel too tied down. We have a lengthy To Do List for our own property, including some catch-up gardening chores. Our first Grasshopper game is tonight, and we will enjoy the nice weather (for a welcome change), the fireworks, and our time together. Next, I am attending the NC State Master Gardeners Conference in Winston-Salem next week, serving as a Tour Guide on Monday, and will then be helping get ready for the annual Guilford County EMGV Passalong Plant Sale next weekend. 

I'm looking forward to my return to business-as-usual in the Land of the Sighted after my one-month follow up with my eye surgeon. He is pleased with his work, has taken me off all eye drops, and wants to see me in six months. I, while also being pleased with his work, still await seeing clearly. I am happy to report that the headaches have stopped (thank heaven), the floaters have either reabsorbed or been assimilated by my brain (either way, result is the same: I don't notice them much anymore), and my depth perception is slowly returning to normal (although you might not know that by watching me walk). My left pupil still appears to have "a sluggish response," to quote the Dr. (who continues to quote the four-to-SIX week recovery timeframe.) I should see (pun intended) some more improvement in the pupil (and consequently, in vision clarity) after stopping the steroid drops...and when my new lenses come in next week. 

I think I'll begin planning our Memorial Day picnic. Missy M will be here then (unless her house sells in the interim, and she has to hot-foot it back to KY...oh, wouldn't that be wonderful?!). To simplify it, we will probably picnic in our own back yard, with dogs as guests instead of ants. Still I think I'll pull out that red-checked tablecloth. 

Another fine memory in the making.

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*About "Burying St. Joseph": chuckle if you will, but many realtors swear by St. Joseph's ability to help sell your house. Read more about it here: 

http://saint-josephstatue.com/Where_to_bury_a_St_Joseph_statue.html

Did make me wonder, though, if the Realtor shares commission with St. J? Just sayin'...

It's About Time

Hello again! Remember me? Long time, no see...pun intended. It's certainly about time, as the title says, that I post an update, isn't it?

It's about time...I gave you an update about my eye. Short version: Recovery continues on schedule. Whose schedule, you ask? The doctor's, of course. He has said from the beginning: 4-6 weeks. Period. The fact that I think all should be "normal" by now has absolutely nothing to do with anything...other than making me nutz. 

The long version includes some medical mumbo-jumbo about how my previous eye surgery on the left eye in 1985 caused some scar tissue, which nessicitated the use of an extra opthalmalic instrument during this surgery to create a more-perfect "ring" in the iris (through which the cataract was removed and the new lens implanted)...the use of which potentially "stretched" the iris muscles (who knew the iris had muscles?!), which now need to return to their normal shape...which will help clear up my vision and restore my depth perception. Voilá! Personally? I keep looking for a shortcut...pun intended. Meanwhile, I "goose step" my way through life because I can't judge distances very well, even the distance from my foot to the ground I'm walking on. But, it's getting better...on schedule.

It's about time...I updated you on my pretend bike ride to Disneyland. I had to put it on pretend-pause in the Commonwealth of Kentucky...so that I could go to...the Commonwealth of Kentucky...for real. Yep, we went over the mountain, through the toll booths, and across four states with three dogs to M's house for an extended Easter visit. Couldn't pack my recumbent bike for this trip...there wasn't enough room. Heheheheh, she's making a funny...right? 

Well...

It's about time...I told you the real reason I haven't been posting to my blog. I knew a secret...and frankly, I didn't trust that I could keep it. Well, the proverbial cat is out of the bag...so I can spill the beans! (I know, I know...mixing my metaphors...:-) 

Missy M has accepted an offer from Popeyes Lousiana Kitchen (PLK) and is moving to Atlanta! She has worked as an instructional designer for Yum! Brands here in Louisville for almost 8 years (can that be possible?!): first for the Long John Silver's brand; and then for KFC for the past 3+ years. She was pursued pretty enthusiasiastically by recruiters for the rival Popeye's, who had some rather large carrots to dangle, including: an opportunity to create and design instruction for their mobile strategy (a passion of hers); an opportunity for advancement with a company in growth-mode; and an opportunity to make a co-paid relo to a city that welcomes corporate transfers. We should know, as we were the recipients of that hospitality ourselves! Big plus for us: she will be closer to HPNC by about 3 hours. (If you don't think a relatively flat 5-hour drive is much easier than a mountainous 8-hour drive, then you haven't been paying attention!) Trust me when I say we are ALL thrilled about this...except maybe the State of West Virginia, who will lose some of her best toll-paying customers. 

So, we are here...with our dogs...and when we head home to High Point in a few days, we will have ALL of the dogs with us...hence one of the reasons I couldn't bring my bike with me, heheheheh. Fun with the Fab Five! M needs to clean, paint, and stage her house to get it on the market; then the movers will come in and pack & move the stuff that has been designated "going to GA." If you have ever moved before, you will understand that the process is complicated enough as is...removing her two dogs from the scene makes it a little less so. Happy to help where we can!

So, it's about time...I put my Ray Charles shades on and get back to my designated pre-move task: staging the Secret Garden. You mean I get to work in my favorite spot here on Franelm? Yep. Garden therapy...just what the doctor (should have) ordered. Hey...it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it, right?

Heheheheh. 

Detour to the Surgery Center

OK, I didn't get that catch-up bike post done, did I? No, I took a little detour on Wednesday to the High Point Surgery Center for cataract surgery on my left eye. Not unexpected...just not expected to happen NOW! No matter...as my eyesight was deteriorating daily it seemed, I was ready to have this over and done!

You may recall that I had my right eye "done" in October 2012, at the High Point Surgery Center, and ultimately very successfully, too. So I had high hopes that things would go every bit as well. 

We checked in before we were due at 7:30, using my passport as my picture ID. I told you about the Pound Puppies eating my Driver's License, didn't I? 

Yes, well, they insisted I bring something that actually had my picture intact, and the only thing I could think of was my passport. Just think, somewhere on Wednesday morning someone used her passport to fly to Paris. I used mine to gain admittance to eye surgery. Ah well, comme ci comme ça!

Anyway, things seemed to go smoothly from the moment I walked in the door. And when the nurse got my IV inserted with minimal discomfort ON THE FIRST TRY, I thought "ooh baby, this is gonna be a piece of cake." 

Ah well, indeed. My luck may have run out then...or at least taken a detour.

I had a bad reaction to the nerve block anesthesia, causing a severe headache, nausea, etc. Since I still had an IV in Recovery, they were able to give me Percocet...and then morphine. And finally something for the nausea...which I didn't keep down long. Let's just say Wednesday was not what I would describe as a fun day. 

Then yesterday when the dr removed the shield and bandages, I discovered the vision in my left eye was cloudy. He is happy with the way the lens implant looks under the scope, so we wait and see whether the cloudiness will clear up on its own. Three kinds of eye drops 4 times a day ought to help with that! No strenuous activities, limit bending and leaning over to limit any pressure on that eye, no driving (bummer), keep bright lights to a minimum...blah, blah, blah. I see him again in a week, by which time it will have cleared up...or not. We shall see...no pun intended...;-)

Meanwhile, I have these really UGLY dark shades to wear that are probably the best incentive I can imagine for getting better quickly. Ugh! Here they are...as you can see. I titled this photo "going to my happy place...mentally if not (yet) physically." 

I have great nurses in Mr. T and Missy M, who are here for me...and who are serving as dog-wranglers for the Fab Five in residence. I don't have to worry about anything other than getting well. So, I'm going to "take the weekend off," do what the dr ordered, and be a patient patient. 

Well, two out of three ain't bad, right?

Returning to Our Regular Programming

I'm back! Sorry I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. Some of this...some of that...and, well, you know. That's life, right?

Let's see...where were we? Ah yes. Winter was holding us captive.

Winston chilling out in the Rose Garden

Yeah...still is in a way, even though the calendar has rolled over to Spring. Well, Mother Nature did NOT get the memo because we had snow flurries on Tuesday. March Madness is not just for basketball! (Sadly, my Tigers did not make it out of the first weekend of NCAA tournament play again this year. Sigh. And that's all I'm going to say about that.)

Here are some more frozen photos to chill you out: be sure to click on the windmill one (below) to get the full, freezy effect! It was actually spinning when I took the shot!

Brrrr----
Thomas in the Way Back
"Don't think I'll sit in those chairs!"

Icicles on the Windmill

Actually, here at Casa 3917, March is marching on, bringing on the buds regardless of the temps. First came the tiny, ground-hugging crocus...yellow ones, followed by purples and whites. Severe weather is nothing for them...but how they survived being trampled several times daily by the dogs, I'll never know. Impressive.

Winston in the Way Back
surrounded by King Alfred Daffodils

Now, our daffodils are blooming all over the property (as you see in the picture of the Rondel, right), making me smile whenever I look out a window. Some of you may remember when we moved here 5 years ago (can you believe it has been that long? Neither can I!), I was saddened to learn that the previous owners were apparently not daffy fans, since there wasn't a blooming one on the place. Never mind...I've fixed that little problem by planting over 500 bulbs (so far!). And now we are reaping the rewards...everywhere we look! Big, bold, bright yellow King Alfreds...delicate, fragrant Tahitis...frilly Rip van Winkles and Golden Ducats...beautiful white Ice Follies...and many I don't know the names of because they were in those two big mixed bags o' 90 bulbs each. They are all out there...and I bring countless ones inside weekly.

And, let's not forget the almost overpoweringly-fragrant hyacinths...deep purples (my personal faves), light "blues," pinks, white, "reds." You name it...they are apparently defying the catalogs that say: "may not return in Zone 7 or higher without digging and chilling." The Blue Star ones that I bought on sale in January of 2011, way past the time to plant them...and planted them anyway, some at the mailbox, some in the back yard next at Hyacynth Bucket's feet...and next to the yet-to-be-built-shed? Yeah. They keep coming back, making me smile to see them...and making me smirk to know that together, the bulbs and I, we beat the odds. A gardener's delight!

Next up in the Show of Blooms will be the iris, both the delicate-looking Dutch Iris (which come from bulbs) and the more rugged Bearded or "German" iris (that grow from rhizomes). Both varieties are preparing to astound us again this year, for I see the sword-like "leaves" coming up through the ground, most often right next to the daffodils. Since you should leave daffy leaves alone after they finish their bloom cycle and allow them to yellow naturally in order to feed the bulbs for next year's show, I have tried to interplant daffodils, iris, and (the next in the succession) daylilies, in order to hide the unsightly yellowing process.

And, in the middle of all this actual gardening, I've been working on several Master Gardening projects. The volunteer opportunities are endless! My latest was doing some revisions for the Speakers Bureau Totally Tomatoes PowerPoint presentation...then previewing those for the other speakers who were giving the presentation across Guilford County...and then giving the presentation last Sunday at the Greensboro Arboretum. Tomatoes? I know, I know...it's too early to plant them...but not too early to talk about growing them!

So, winter weather or no...gardening has been front-and-center. And you can read more about that topic over on our garden blog, Gardening with the Giants. Click here to go there.

I'm guessing you have figured out by now that I've been off my bike more than on. Yes, folks, I'm still biking to Disneyland...just not as much or as often as I was. I made it to Kentucky...and then weather intervened (3 days without power...and my stationary bike has a vital electronic component in keeping up with my mileage, etc.), followed by garden intervention, both here and out at the Extension's Demo Garden/Rose Garden...and oh yeah...life in general. Some were real reasons creating real time constraints...some were/are just plain excuses.

Well, no more of that silliness. I'm back in the saddle(seat) yet again, and I'll do my next post on my ride tomorrow. I'll also get my Twitter feed up to date this afternoon following my ride...which will hopefully follow my annual visit to the eye doctor, which will be followed by a stop at the grocery shop. And probably a run to the bank...the post office...the cleaners...

See? There it goes again. Life in general...interfering...just like at your house...

Sheltering in Place

What a day! We had sleet, then snow, then ice, then more snow last night...three inches of the stuff in the rain gauge. Then this morning brought freezing rain and wind. So you won't be surprised to read that we lost power about 10:00...and are still waiting for High Point Electric to restore it to the Oak Hollow area.  Truly thankful that we had fully charged our phones and iPads overnight, and that Mr. T has a Sprint Hot Spot to give us a WiFi connection and a Power Bank to recharge the Hot Spot. Ain't technology grand?

The ice that was coating the tree limbs was just beautiful...but wicked in more ways than one. First up...the damage that the weight of the ice does to the tree itself as you can see on these photos of the magnolia and a cedar from our front yard.

Next...the after-storm. If you've been to our house, you know we are surrounded by tall, tall trees...and the ice-laden limbs and branches began to start snapping and popping and dropping about noon. The noise it made sounded like rifles firing. A friend posted on Facebook that it sounded like a war zone in her neighborhood! It actually became quite dangerous to go out in the back: if it wasn't a branch, it was an icicle that could bean you! 

I did take some photos with my Canon camera before I realized the peril I was in, and headed back inside to safety. I'll have to wait for power before uploading those to my laptop. Meanwhile, I thought you might enjoy these pix taken out front with my phone. 

You just don't realize how many ways your life is connected to electricity...no pun intended. I have gone into our windowless closet three times today...and flipped the light switch three times. And my bike riding? On hold, since the bike has a computer dashboard for tracking time, distance, etc., which needs electricity of course. And don't get me started on how funny our "so whatcha want for supper" conversation went. (Most of the restaurants in the area are still without power, too; the one we did find open has a wait list of over an hour...and besides, we have been asked to stay off the roads and "shelter in place" for safety. So we decided on sandwiches since we can't cook or reheat anything, unless we fire up the grill...but it's COLD outside!)

Still, don't worry about us. Mr. T got up early, when the first flicker of electricity warned us we might be in for it, and he flipped the wall switch that turned on the gas fireplace, so we have heat. He is heading out to his car to recharge the mobile phones now. We still have two old-fashioned landline models that don't require electricity to work, so we do have access to the outside world. We'll be fine until the power co. cavalry arrives. We have all the bread and milk we need!

And the forecast? Weather wonks are calling for a fabulous weekend: sunny and sixties! Frankly my dears, I'm ready for it!

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Read more about us here: 

http://myfox8.com/2014/03/07/guilford-county-declares-state-of-emergency/

I Brake for Gardening

There I was, rolling right along on my pretend bike ride* across the USA, when what should happen but sunshine, blue skies, and temps above 50! So I stopped my trip to work in my garden here at home last weekend, which you can read all about in my latest post on our gardening blog, Gardening With Giants. Click here to go there.

And you know? That's as it should be, really. Remember, the whole purpose behind this ride was to get/keep me in shape for gardening 2014. Guess what? It has worked! We put in 10-12 hours outside this past weekend, and the aches and pains were minimal...mostly in my upper arms, which don't get worked out on the bike. No worries...I sure made up for that oversight while prepping (6) potato Grow Bags! 40 pound bags of Top Soil and Mushroom Compost still weigh 4-0 pounds!!

On to my latest Ride Report!

When I left you, I had made it to Gainesboro, TN, and chalked up 429 miles. Now, if I were riding for real, I would have had to stay in town a little bit longer than I did, due to a a Winter weather "event," as reported to me by Cuz HFC from nearby Mt. Juliet:

Good grief! So glad I can pretend ride in pretend good weather, from coast-to-coast. Do hope all is well in Jackson County once again.

Moving on...

2/21/14: 9.3 miles, riding northwest of Cordell Hull Reservoir in Macon County, near Defeated Creek State Park. What a funny name...Defeated Creek, not Cordell Hull...:-). I'm not having a whole lot of success in researching the origins of the name, as it seems to have been called that as far back as the skirmish there in 1786, as is mentioned in this 1909 "Early History of Middle Tennessee" by Edward Albright: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnsumner/early27.htm. Interesting.

Cordell Hull: native Tennessean; longest serving Secretary of State, over 11 years under FDR; known as the Father of the United Nations; received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945. OK, so he's more important than the name of some obscure creek. I'm easily distracted sometimes...:-)

 

[2/22-24/14: 0 miles. Beautiful weekend...worked in the garden back home. Told you about that already. Then, through the wonder of magic, I popped back on my bike and picked up my journey West, right where I'd left off. To quote Harry Potter:"I love magic!"

2/25/14: 12.0 miles to Lafayette, on Hwy 262. This town, like many counterparts throughout the USA, was named to honor the Revolutionary hero, Marquis de La Fayette, whose reputation is more polished in the US, albeit somewhat tarnished in his native France. And it comes oh-so-close to the French pronunciation (just kidding...:-): 

Lafayette, Tennessee

Population (2000 Census): 3,885

Population (2010 Census): 4,474

Lafayette is pronounced luh-FAY-et.

2/26/14: 12.0 miles to west of Eulia, crossing into Sumner County on Hwy 52. I'm in an old part of the state now, since Sumner County was created in 1786, ten years before Tennessee became a state, and named for Jethro Sumner a Revolutionary War hero. But long before the long hunters ever ventured into the area by following the Indian paths, the Mound Builders were here, leaving the evidence in nearby Castallian Springs.

BTW, Sumner has a "local" connection to me, if you can follow the thread: originally from Warrenton, NC, he served under General Nathanael Greene (hero of the Battle of Guilford County Courthouse). As Wikipedia tells the story:

He was originally buried approximately eight miles outside of Warrenton, but in 1891 his remains were moved to the Guilford Courthouse Battlefield (in Greensboro, NC), where they were interred under a monument intended as part of a "shrine to patriots". In March 2012, a driver struck Sumner's monument after going off-road to avoid hitting a deer, nearly destroying the stone structure. The monument was restored by May 2012, and Sumner was reburied in a public ceremony.

Shall I say it or will you? It's a small world after all.

2/27/14: 10.2 miles, to outskirts of Westmoreland on Old Hwy 52.

Look what I found nearby:

The Little Tunnel

Built in 1886, this tunnel was part of a Chesapeake & Nashville Railroad line connecting Gallatin to Scottsville, Kentucky. It was known as the “"shortest railroad tunnel in the U.S.,"” measuring just 46 feet and 6 inches in length, 13 inches shorter than the famous Bee Rock tunnel in Virginia.

2/28/14: 10.5 miles, arriving at the home of my Portland cousins. How exciting! As I've said in a previous post, I have family and friends in almost every state of my journey across the USA, and the L's are the only ones on my entire route to Disneyland. Better make the most of my visit!

Of course, it is fitting that I should visit these cousins on my way to Disneyland. You see, when I was a tot, Momma, Daddy, and I went to CA, visiting the LA area where the L family was living then (Brothers W and W were mere teens). We spent a day at Disneyland, where older Cuz W took me to ride the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups. I hope he has forgotten how loudly I screamed. Hated going round and round then; hate it more now. Sigh. I'm sure there's an old black and white pic of the evidence somewhere in this house.

Portland is a place that is going on my "visit this one for real, one day." Again, from my "Ring of Fire" guidebook:

Portland

This town is perched on the Highland Rim, an area known for its rich soil. Like many of the towns on the Ring of Fire, the climate and soil were perfect for growing dark-fired tobacco. In the 1920s, Portland was gaining a reputation for a different crop, with its farmers providing about 20 percent of the national market for strawberries. The town celebrates its strawberry heritage every May with a popular festival.

When I was growing up in West Tennessee, if the words "Strawberry Festival" were used in a sentence, thoughts turned to Humboldt (not Portland). Looking at the promotional material on the vying websites, it appears the West Tennessee version edges out the Middle Tennessee version by a couple of years (Humboldt's 75 years to Portland's 73). Sounds like they both know what they are doing, though.

So, let's add it all up: 429+9.3+12+12+10.2+10.5=483 miles! Hurrah!!

Next up: a new month...a new state...and more miles. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

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* Bike Ride Footnote: To bring you up-to-date, in case you are just joining me...

My plan to get/keep in shape for gardening this year is to ride my stationary bike. Because I always need a reason to do something...or at least to continue doing something, I have decided on a program based on a distance of 2600 miles...which is the distance from our house to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, as Google-mapped using the (beta) Bike function. I started 1/3/2014...and am continuing the saga today. 

BTW, I am tagging all the posts about my ride "Where in the USA is Patricia" on my blog, and #WhereintheUSAisPatricia on Twitter. While I won't be blogging about my ride on a daily basis, you can check my Twitter Feed over there in the right column for daily updates on my ride and location.

Happy pedaling!

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