Neighbor Logan is a Teenager!!!

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I met Logan when he was four years old. The first photograph I took of him was on Halloween when Shawn brought him over, wearing his costume. Over a year later I took the first picture of David and Logan playing together. Now Logan is 13 years old!!

As his birthday party began, he and David played a game of chess. It didn’t last long. David said Logan won quickly. I suspect the new teen has already played more games than David ever did.

We had chips and dip before dinner, then we were engrossed in watching a slide show of little Logan.

Like many folks, Logan didn’t know where to look while we sang Happy Birthday to him. With the deep breath he took, he could have easily blown out 13 candles.

After dinner we sat on the porch, watching David and Logan play with a new game. Since I’ve known him, Logan has had a victory routine when he does something well. I was hoping he would perform, and he did. I laugh every time.

Logan asked that we come with him for a moonlight swim, and we did, although we sat on the deck and watched him. I was impressed that he stood at the top of the steps and did a flip into the water. There wasn’t enough distance for him to complete the flip, but he landed (or watered?) on his back.

It has been a privilege to watch Logan growing up. His inquiring mind is always active, and his body is disciplined from participating in many sports. I am impressed that he has wonderful manners and is aware of people’s feelings. Those two traits alone set him apart from many his age and older. Thank you for celebrating with me this milestone of a new teenager from the best neighborhood in the world.

Family Flexibility

I have photos to show how flexible our family can be. Here is daughter Kate on a roll (or many rolls), always ready to join in.

Grandson David bends as easily as Gumby. Kacey is checking to see if he is irreparably broken. His feet don’t seem to be going the right direction.

I was amazed that David could rise from the floor without using his hands, and friend Karen in NY said she used to do that, too. Not to be outdone, Kate said she could still do it. They agreed to demonstrate the most difficult one with the camera rolling. Neighbor Logan wasn’t here at the time, but I’ve seen him do the impossible, too.

I’d love to know if any of you have done such amazing things.

Goodbye One Year Later

A full year has passed since John died. I was aware of the date (June 11) and felt it should be acknowledged, but how? While I wondered what we should do, family, friends, and neighbors took care of it. They sent texts, e-mail, e-cards and flowers. I never expected others to remember the date, much less to notice it. I was touched, feeling cared for and loved.

Just as neighbors Shawn, Bob, and Logan were first to be with me last year, their family came over this year. Their daughter Brittainy brought fresh-picked flowers, and Shawn gave me a cardinal charm. She and I share a love of birds, and this one is most charming.

The next day daughter Kate drove back to New Jersey, and I took a last photo of her with David. This goodbye was an ordinary one, because I fully expect to see her in the near future. We’ve already put a tentative date on the calendar for her next visit. Although I have not set a tentative date for my death, I fully expect to see John when Jesus takes me to the place he has prepared for me. With God, there is always something to look forward to.

Vacation Activities

Daughter Kate petted CAT several mornings, a welcome interruption on the way to the creek.

Here are shots taken at or near the creek.

Getting the waterfall ready for summer was a big job. Kate was the cheering squad, while David removed dead leaves and muck. They used their phones to coordinate filling the pools, since the spigot was out of sight. I intend to get the broken pipe replaced to make things easier.

They trimmed the Wicked Wisteria, even cutting it back where it had reached out to the evergreens. I don’t like it when those plants collude, trying to tie off the back yard.

They took a few minutes to enjoy their work, watching and listening to the waterfall.

An Outing on the Parkway

After our small family reunion, we settled into a routine for daughter Kate’s visit. Each day began with a walk to the creek, with the obligatory photo on the first walk.

David took the week off to be with his mother and me. Some days were warm enough for us to eat lunch on the porch. The dog loved this, because she had entertainment watching birds while waiting for us to be attentive to her again.

All of us enjoyed stopping at Sunburst Falls, my favorite in this area. David took Kacey out on the rocks where she found a place to step in the water.

Here is a shot of the family on the bridge over the stream.

Going further up the mountain, we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway. True to its name, the road is on the very top of these old rounded mountains. It was a chilly day, so we wore wraps while eating our picnic lunch. A very light shower threatened us, but we fought back and finished our meal peacefully. This was the most vacation-looking day of our week together.

Sunday Visit

The first full day daughter Kate was here, her son Nathaniel and girlfriend Sarah came to visit. What a marvelous day we had! We celebrated David’s birthday at the end of a late lunch.

Nathaniel had sent his mother a jigsaw puzzle for Mother’s Day, and they began working it. The the puzzle picture was a photo of Kate and her two sons. Kate has continued working on it, and I’m waiting for most of it to be done before trying to find a piece.

I asked them to pose under the old oak tree. I think everyone was satisfied with the result.

The amusing video from the day was Kate’s directing people to sit up, but not that straight, and Nate’s lighting the candle with a flourish.

David’s Birthday

June always starts with celebrating grandson David’s birthday. He had to work that day, so we began with a birthday candle in a breakfast donut.

The next evening David and I had his celebration dessert, lemon pie.

The third day daughter Kate arrived from New Jersey, another cause for celebration. I like this photo of Kate with her son and grand dog.

Kacey accepted Kate quickly. Kacey wouldn’t know that Kate was terrified of all animals when she was young. She has come a long, long way since then.

Logan on his Trampoline

Neighbor Logan has had a trampoline for months, and I had been longing to see him use it. Stretching it a bit, I said he made my dream come true. Another first that day was his calling himself to see if he could stay with me rather than go with his parents to an appointment in Asheville. I was pleased, so it worked well for everyone.

We had quite a bit of time to fill, so we began by playing games. It took me 8 minutes longer to work the Set puzzle for the day, and he finished Wordle in a very short time. I didn’t figure it out until that night, probably four hours after he did. It’s not that I’ve slowed down so much, but he has an extremely bright mind.

Logan’s favorite sport these days is basketball. After lunch he went out on the street to dribble a ball and use up some energy. I took a few videos, mostly of things I had already recorded. When I asked if I could see him on the trampoline, he kindly agreed. As we walked down his steep driveway, he suggested I might like to use the steps instead of walking in the grass. His thoughtfulness and good manners are amazing.

It was so much fun to watch him jump and turn flips. I had no idea he could that.

After we came back to my house, he shared videos of some of his favorite basketball players. One did a running jump, and he was high enough that he could have landed on my shoulders! I was editing the videos I had taken and shared them with his household before Shawn and Bob came home. It had been a most satisfying afternoon.

No Weeping for the Cherry Tree

Shrubs and trees needed attention – heavy trimming or removal. The property was in very good shape when we moved here almost nine years ago, but the weeping cherry tree got away from us. John cut a few large limbs over the years, and David removed one last year. Every summer I hacked my way through the dangling branches so that people could walk along the gravel path. Despite several trimming sessions each year, I couldn’t keep the walkway clear. Before the tree got a nasty name like the Wicked Wisteria did, we decided it had to go. I watched Jeremy’s deft movements and heard the saw do its job. As the tree fell, I had not one regret. The rhododendron and lilac bushes had been bullied and overpowered by the cherry, and they certainly had reason to cheer.

Before
After

With great pleasure, I saw Jeremy use his nifty machine to pick up the tree, parade it around the house, and put it gently on his truck. His wife was standing by me, and you may be able to see his two-year-old son in his lap. Young Hudson loves to “work” with his dad.

This photo shows the stump, the path, and the two plants that are now relaxing their limbs after years of crowding.

The Wicked Wisteria is in the center of the photo. Doesn’t it look like it is sticking out its tongue at me?

Neighborhood Snake

Neighbor Joyce came over to porch sit, since we hadn’t had a chance to chat for ages. As we sat there, she realized birds were making a fuss in the garden. The non-poisonous black snake was there, with three different kinds of birds on the ground near it. They were squawking and jumping. Evidently they were not afraid of the snake. I wondered if they had nests nearby and were ready to pounce if he began to climb. Snake climbed into a low bush at our feet, his body looking like one of the lateral limbs. I took a photo of Kacey and Joyce watching him, only a few inches away. Joyce thinks it might be the same snake that has hung about her house, catching rodents.

A bit later the snake slithered close to the house, and Joyce exclaimed that he was going into the generator. The day was a bit cool, so he might have enjoyed being in that enclosure that was warmed by the sun. Before Joyce left, Snake was back in the garden, perhaps heading to her house.

Neighbor Shawn has seen a snake like this, too, so perhaps he makes the rounds of all our homes. No one will bother him, because he is our free pest control agent.