Homeward Bound

2 September, 2009
Rural Retreat, Va 

Dear Jeff and Lucy-- 

Hansi and Rob just left for St Catherines (about10.30 am), and John is in NH, so it is just Pat and me for the next couple of days. Pat has gone down to the barn to exercise and work with her horses—something she has had no time to do with four houseguests—so I am now on the computer. She asked me if I would like to ride with her, but my hip would definitely not enjoy sitting astride a horse.

Sammy cat is still very loving and adorable, but John and Pat have a new dog—a really darling wire-haired dog they named Nellie that looks as though it should be in a TV ad—and Sammy is very wary of it. I just fed her in the new shop/garage in the back of the Ranger. She'd take a bite then look all around to assure herself that Nellie wasn't going to sneak up on her.

Nellie

Border collies Breeze and Gunner still herd anything in sight, including Nellie. I've been helping Pat muck out the stalls, feed the horses, and sweep the barn. Breeze nips constantly at the push broom, keeping it in line.

Pat also has a new horse, Cinebar. Song and Cloud (the other two horses) gang up on Cinebar so he has to be corralled separately. Song is especially territorial and vicious to this new horse so she is in a separate pasture during the day also.

John has gone to NH to visit Liz & Jeff (going to split firewood for them) and Rob wanted to read and work on the computer, so Hansi, Pat and I went to Abingdon yesterday and ate and shopped and had a fine old time in this neat little colonial town with some buildings from the 1700s, the Barter Theater, and the Martha Washington Inn, among antique shops etc.—sort of like Gettysburg, PA.

The Tavern--now a gift shop and tea house

Martha Washington Inn

Barter Theater

We shopped in crafts and antique stores, stopped at The Tavern, ate in Zazzy'z  Coffee House and Booksellers, and explored the wolf cave behind one shop. This is a big cave where a pack of wolves that were shot by Daniel Boone once lived. They were the cause of the town's first name, "Wolf Town." Virginia is really a very beautiful state . . . hilly and green with beautiful old farms and houses sprinkled about.

Zazzy'z with it's zany laughing women

The wolf caves were behind this house

Squirrelly and Nutkin, the two flying squirrels that John has caged in his new wood turning workshop, are getting more and more socialized. Squirrelly, the female, who belongs to Rusty, John's neighbor one hill over, is shyer (more shy?) than Nutkin.

It is up to me to catch fish for our dinner tonight. John has pulled out a variety of rods that he said I could use. I will try first for steelhead trout with the fly rod. If that doesn't work I will try to hook a large-mouthed bass with the "frog" lure. Finally, if that is a bust I know where some bait liver is in the freezer and will try for a catfish or two. Whatever I catch, I must fillet (watched John do this at the hose bibb with his electric knife so think I can do a fair job of imitating him) but Pat will cook. We have all sorts of leftovers to eat with it, too, including the red cabbage dish from P & S's cabbage. I missed the good early morning catching time so shall go down to the pond this evening when the sun in low and try my luck.

I got lucky and caught a nice sized steelhead for dinner; note the blue toenails, from Hansi's pedicure treat

Squemish me scaling the steelhead before fileting it; the worst part of dressing the fish was killing it

My shoulder is nearly there—still a bit sore and I cannot reach behind me with it, but I can lift my arm above my head and get a tee shirt on in the normal manner now. Ironically, yesterday at Starving Mother State Park (where we are planning next year's reunion), I stepped on a hickory nut wrong while crossing a parking lot to inquire about renting a paddleboat, and fell. My left elbow hit first and then my shoulder so I was only minimally injured. My elbow was red but did not reopen and all seems okay now. Crazy. The fall was caused not only by the hickory nut, but because I am also wearing the inserts in my sandals. The athletic shoes which you dutifully mailed to VT are too short and painful to wear. I am giving them to Lucy when I get home.   

Think I will shoot for home Friday so should be pulling in around dinner time on Saturday. Will stay in Jackson again on my first night out. Can't wait to see you two and the two puds with their fancy nails.

[Our cats, Paddy and Teddy were trying colorful claw covers to keep them from scratching the furniture. This did not work as neither of us could get the things on the cats, so they go once every six weeks or so and get a nail trim at the Cat Clinic in Stillwater. We might be able to perform either of these tasks on Teddy, but Paddy goes ballistic and needs two vets to hold him down. If I even use a scolding voice with Paddy, he turns and tells me to back off with some mean looks and hisses. He was abused as a kitten before we got him and is not about to take any guff from anyone.]

Love, Susan