MIKE AND GARBO

Dear Ones, how are you today? I have had requests for a blog every day, but sometimes i cannot come up with enough exciting stuff to tell you....There are times on the Farm that are routine, downright boring. Alot depends on the weather...but today was different.

I usually wake around 6-6:30 am..the sounds of the mountains awakening are enough to get you on your way, and what a treat you have before you when you do force yourself out of the warm bed to the cool new day. This morning, as usual, Charlie and the chorus of bird songs calling me to leave my dreams,... now downstairs , start the coffee , a spoon of food for the most important male in my life, sorry Brian and Dudley.., We go into the quiet dawn, and see the deer stealing blackberries from the row, and the rabbits running from the sudden human noise. The deer, use to us , (the intruders, )keep grazing on our planted fruit as if it was there for them. Later , we find that they also enjoyed the ripening tomatoes along the fence line. Good thing I made my tomato soup earlier this week..

After a quick reality check on FOX news, and a protein bar, I am ready for the day. Then the unusual noise, Now, in the mountains, it is not uncommon to hear neighbor's muffled yelling from far, gunshots, cattle mooing and dogs barking. But a beep, beep , beep,?? sounded like we were in downtown Atlanta with a garbage truck backing up..disgusting !! on investigation, we found that our new neighbors, across the way had their house alarm going off, and they could not turn it off.. Eventually, after many phone calls , there was silence again. and this was only 8:30am !!Whew.. Then in comes the truck..

Some of the people that have been important in our lives here have not yet been mentioned, and this is the day that Mike and Garbo will be officially entered into the blog.

If you were walking down the street in any town in America, and you saw Mike and Garbo walking towards you, you would discreetly cross to the other side of the street. They are scary looking dudes!! But as we have learned here in Appalachia, looks can be deceiving, especially if you count teeth and tattoos. It seems that Garbo, don't know his last name, was a security guard for 'biker rallies' (so that gives you some idea on his size). but anyway he tells us, that when it was slow at the biker's convention, he would let the tattoo artists 'practice' on him. Now those of you out there that think you are a man..think again. He is a women's dream with his spider forms covering every inch of his 'exposed' skin.. with his toothless grin and slow drawl I'd trade Dudley and Charlie for him.....gulp. maybe not Charlie, a lucky girl for sure would see the beauty within. I guess it takes all kinds, but you could not get a better worker and a more honest man. although he does spend his Winters in the Carter County jail,.. When the work gets slow and the temp gets low, he violates his parole and has a nice warm bed for the the winter, It seems like Garbo has it all figured out..OBama should get him as one of his Czars !!

Now , Mike on the other hand is the brains of the operation, he is 52 years old and has the body of a 35 year old. That's what working hard everyday will get you, none of these gyms and aerobics classes for him, he is hard as nails and can out work most 20 year olds. One of the things I like about Mike is that he isn't impressed with himself, he will do any labor job, no matter how demeaning, and he will do it well. he does like his rolled cigarettes and will only talk to me if necessary, after all I am only a 'woman' ,but he loves Charlie and spoils him with his lunch leftovers. You see, every time we have them do work for us, we buy them a cheeseburger and onion rings from out local 'MOM and POP' store. it is the only time Dudley and i partake in the local fast food and i have to admit it is good ! After many evictions and girlfriends he is now living alone in a camper trailer down by the lake. Times are hard for his social and job skill level , but he keeps smiling.

Mike and Garbo were here to cut down yet more of our dying 'Locust' trees. the trees are cluttering our beautiful property with their leafless limbs and brown leaves. But before they die, in a last ditch effort to re populate themselves,they are sending out massive amounts of seeds that quickly grow into small 'Locusts' !! so, my quest, is to remove all LOCUSTs from this property...a daunting task which will not be done in my lifetime. hear that Brian, But.. I can try. The place already looks better,and every tree that is down will not produce more babies.. The guys accidentally broke Dudley's chain saw , but it is still all good.......

Then Brandon, our neighbor boy, He has been given a truck to drive. it does not matter much that he does not have a licence, or a learner's permit, they let him drive it up in the 'holler' anyway, after a lot of prompting on my part he did admit that he couldn't read the driver's licence book so he couldn't study to get his licence., I offered to help, so we will see if he comes around. All of his friends are in school now, so i expect when Brandon is bored he will come over here, I think I will have to call someone at the school board soon.


It has been raining so much here that the grass is knee high. so tonight after dinner, supper, as it is called in the mountains. I mowed the fields. what a lovely time to do that. it was cool and breezy and as the sun went down,the barn swallows followed the mower in hopes to catch a few disturbed insects, and the swans preened before they were forced into the water by the nightfall, traffic was low on 321 and stillness slowly took effect as I parked the John Deer in the barn. Only an hour later, I marvelled at the bright full moon above the fields that i had just mowed, a reassurance that all is right with the world, even tho we on Earth try very hard to make it not. May you find the peace you seek. Love, Sandi