Fall is slowly arriving

 

in our part of the world.  Though our hardwoods are still hanging on to their greenery for a few more days, the cooler mornings are bringing about some pretty displays of fog. While on the way up country to the house building site the other morning, I passed by this timber cutover area.  I actually turned the truck around and parked along the road. The fog was in different layers, slowly drifting up and down with the air currents. Parts of it were catching rays of the sun.  Others lay in shadow.  It was like watching a ballet. The only music being the birds and the sound of the breeze.

Once again, I only had the point and shoot camera.  I found myself wishing someone like Horst was there to really capture the beauty of the moment.  It’s truly amazing how nature can turn what once was a dismal cut-over, into a place of beauty.

Another sign of Fall in our area are the wolf spiders.  I don’t know if that’s the correct name, or not.  Appearing with the first cool morning, they build huge webs between trees, buildings, even the wires on power lines.  You can’t take a walk in the woods this time of year without walking through some of their webs.  I noticed this one had built a web between a tree limb and our fence.

For scale, that grass hopper is about two inches long.

Though they are huge, compared to other spiders we see, I’ve never heard of anyone being bitten by one. 

I’ve been reading the blogs of many friends moving around the Country.  Some in the Smoky Mountains, and up the East coast. Some headed for Florida, Texas, and other points farther West. 

All that is enough to give a fellow the willy-blues if he didn’t have something on the horizon.  Thankfully, we do…….jc 

What does the Weather Man know?

 

We arrived back in Natchez, MS around noon Thursday. Just in time for the Great Mississippi River Balloon Races.  An annual event held the third weekend of October.  We met up with our balloonist friends, making plans for the evenings dinner at a great local seafood restaurant.  The weather forecast called for a good weekend for ballooning.

Up bright and early Friday for pilots briefings, and finding the launch location for the Hare and Hound race.  Everyone headed to the same location and started laying out their envelopes in anticipation of a great morning flight.

Notice that fog? it wasn’t in the forecast.

No flying Friday morning or afternoon.  Same thing on Saturday. Both flights cancelled due to high winds.  We had lots of time to sit around and visit.  Watch football, etc.

There were plenty of things to do at the Festival site.  Lots of music, food, and other entertainment options, but we came to fly. 

Finally, Sunday morning dawned clear, and mostly calm.  One event for all the money.  Three different scores on the same target location.  Everyone was looking for that perfect takeoff location which would allow them to fly over that target.  The local golf course became the launch site for many.  Only had the point and shoot camera, so the pictures aren’t the best. but………

   

Some worked, and some stood around watching.  That’s the way it is with our bunch.  We always have plenty of help.

 

 

Our guy had a great flight of eight miles or so.  But the best part is that he scored on two of the three drops, and placed in the money for the event.  He couldn’t have done it without his crew.

After a great breakfast, most everyone made preparations for departure.  Wanda and I had decided to spend one more night out before returning home.  We spent some quality time with the daughter, sil, and grand-daughter Sunday evening, and capped the day off with a beautiful moon rise over the river after returning to the RV park.

We made it home around noon on Monday.  Lots of things going on around the home forty the next couple of months. Don’t really expect much of it to be blog worthy, so posts may be scarce for a while.  Hopefully, things will pick up come January, and the Egg will be rolling to lots of new and interesting places……jc

Winter Creek Reunion

 

Down a dusty, wash boarded, gravel and dirt road in Southeastern Oklahoma, you will find the Winter Creek Reunion taking place each October. A festival of dulcimer and acoustic music.  Professionals and amateurs, young and old, are all welcome.

A production of the Red River Valley Dulcimer Club and David’s Dulcimers, it takes place on a working farm. 

Folks from around the Country attend, filling the RV section of the festival grounds.

We found ourselves destined to an overflow area with ten or twelve other rigs.  Actually liked our location better as we had shade trees scattered around.  As it was the location for earlier festivals, we had water and electric available.

Musicians are a trusting bunch. You find instruments laying around everywhere.

Lessons under tents and trees, along with sheds and shops.

You could learn dulcimers and steel drums, Sacred Harp singing, and much more.

There were vendors,

with any instrument you wanted to learn, or improve your ability on.

Plenty of fine food was prepared for supper each night. Peeling potatoes even became fun when being serenaded by an impromptu jam session.

And If playing with a group isn’t your thing, just get yourself a bucket and a friend.

Quite a week enjoying good friends and great music.  The evening concerts by the instructors and other more talented folks started at 7 PM, and lasted till 10 or so.

The after concert jam sessions lasted till the wee hours of the morning, or so I’m told.

Just wish I could play something.

PineKnot IX

We have spent the last week sitting around, visiting with old and new friends, and just enjoying being out again.



The rally is much the same as it is every year so I’m not going to bore you with details or pictures of the campground, or surrounding area.  If interested, you can click here and here for pictures.   Not much has changed other than a little more water in the lake, though this part of Texas is still in drought conditions.

There was an event or two for the ladies.  Arts and crafts, hat decorating, and such.





Even a tea party for all of them to show off their hats.







A demonstration of Dutch Oven cooking with samples for the audience of all the goods prepared.



Chicken pie.



Pot luck on Thursday, appetizers under the stars on Friday, and ending with



 





It was a great week of doing nothing.  Thanks to Wanda for taking the pictures.  I didn’t get my camera out of the truck the entire week.

We are now at a friends home for a few days before heading up to Oklahoma.



Sally loves it here as she has free run on a couple of acres, and two very understanding four legged playmates.  Not a bad view off the porch, either.



That’s all for now…….jc