Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Hawk-Watching, Et Cetera

Something is snatching our son-in-law's birds -- 4 chicks and 2 ducks so far.  I wish I could get a pic of the sneaky chicken hawk, but that probably won't happen.  It even got Henryetta:(  If you will remember, I posted a pic of Henryetta a week or so ago.  Every morning Henryetta would "fly the coop" and sneak in the garage for a helping of cat food.  Now, she is gone.



So, Alan has been appointed as the  official hawk watchdog, hoping to scare it away before it claims another soul.





Scattered throughout rural Eastern North Carolina are many old tobacco drying barns such as these:



The introduction of tobacco into North Carolina has a long history.  When settlers moved from Virginia to North Carolina in the 1600s, they struggled to grow any other crop besides tobacco because of the dry, sandy soil.  At the time, the Europeans viewed tobacco as a luxury and bought it from Spain.  The new settlers saw the opportunity in the overseas demand for tobacco and started growing tobacco in North Carolina as a way to gain entry into the European market. 


Even today, tobacco continues to be an integral part of North Carolina's economy, ranking number one in the production of tobacco, with an approximate annual income of over $750 million dollars -- even with so much negative emphasis on tobacco use.  I am thankful tobacco has never been a part of my life.  However, Alan smoked for many years but finally gave it up a few years ago.

I completed my root canal last week -- with no pain.  So thankful we found Dr. Weeks.  I will start deep pocket cleaning tomorrow, so half of my mouth will be numbed and then in two weeks, the other half will be treated.  We are so ready to be rid of all these doc/dentist appointments -- they are cramping our style:(

We are moving right along with our no meat lifestyle-- three weeks and counting.  

Not much else going on.  I've been organizing the cabinets -- if we haven't used it in the past year, it's out of here!  It was cold this morning, but the sun came out this afternoon and warmed things up a bit.  Rain is predicted tomorrow and Friday.


I want to end our blog today with the following:  We have had a picture in storage that was given to me by dear friends when I retired in 2008.  It now hangs proudly next to our door in the Motorhome, and I wanted to share it with you.


At the bottom, it states, "It's Not Just the Destination God is Interested in, It's How You Make the Journey."

And the Bible verse, "Go ye therefore...Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.  Amen."  Matthew 28:19-20
   


Lord, help us to remember that You, and only You, are in control of our journey and no matter where we go, You are with us.  And may we, in some way, reflect You as we travel.

Until next time, may God continue to bless our voyage, as well as our family and friends near and far. 

 

3 comments:

  1. Oh...so sorry about the chicken and ducks. Hope they went silently so you didn't have to listen helplessly. Love the history of tobacco farming in North Carolina.

    Do you have any tentative plans for when you're leaving NC and the destination after your final doc appointments. I know you have to be in Little Rock for June 19.

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  2. I love that picture, motto, and Bible verse--words to live by, for sure!

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  3. Sorry about the birds being snatched, but are you sure it is from the air? We used to get weasels coming in our hen house stealing birds. Loved the tobacco history.

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