July 4th

Hope everyone's celebration of our country's 250 birthday was a good one.  Most had to deal with this heat wave and that made for us an outside barbeque a no go.   The heat index was around 111 degrees.  We took a drive to Gordonsville Va. and stopped in at "The Icehouse", in the old days it really used to be a real icehouse.   Back to our meal it was a burger for me and fried chicken for Steve.  It was delicious.   Afterwards coming home there was a big storm and limbs were in the road from the trees as there was a good deal of wind.  Didn't last long.

Gordonsville became a railroad stop in the 1840's

Local African American women previously enslaved prepared and sold fried chicken to rail passengers. 

Steve had his fried chicken and I had my burger.  

Mashed potatoes, biscuit, blackeyes with tomatoes like my mom always fixed them and apple butter.

My mom as I do now used to soak her chicken in vinegar water.  Made it delicious.  I have heard that is the secret to the good chicken cooked up by African American women, I will have to look more into that.    

   

On our way back the sky was looking like a downpour any minute.  

A short post of our day.   Til next time

 

 

Happy Birthday America!

 
  It's going to be a very hot one and we are not cooking out today.  The town parade has been cancelled because of intense heat. We will probably just ride out and get a hamburger in the next small town.  I read where it will be 99 degrees at 3 p.m. with real feel 109 degrees and that goes to 112 degrees real feel at 4 p.m.  I have kept up watering my flowers twice a day and sometimes more.  I mostly keep watering buckets filled and put near plants on patio.  I will cover a few plants with dark mesh as the leaves on a few and especially tomatoes look burned from sun.

Our driveway flag

This teensy little portulaca I pinched from mother plant has tiny blooms

Looks so funny being so small with one bloom each.  They are growing. 

Sitting out two nights ago by moonlight

I love this arctic air.  I sit out and the cool mist feels so good with the fan.  I put ice cubes along with water into the tank for even colder cooling. 

I 

Granddaughter used it in garden area while pulling weeds.

I love this wreath from Hobby Lobby; I see the sparkle from our road. 

Took a drive to our local produce farm; there I purchased the sweetest cantaloup. I asked the young man there how to pick a good one and he showed me this one.  I didn't want one too ripe so he showed me the stem area was where it was just a little green but barely green around the area of the stem a few inches beyond which meant I had a few days to cut it before it was too ripe.  He said not to get one where around the bottom is half yellow and other half greenish.  I was told it was not ripened evenly.  This was juicy and just perfectly sweet and tender. 

Til next time

Happy 4th of July to all!