Love Them Figs,,,,,,,

I tell you what, it just keeps getting better and better down here on Curry Road.  Seems like every week somebody calls and says "if you want some................ come on over and help yourself."

We've been blessed with peas, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, peaches, blue berries, corn, garlic, etc.


Now, we've even got some Figs.   Man, just how good can it get?

 These are tree ripe, soft, sweet, plentiful figs on trees maintained and carefully watched by Mike and Neda McLean here in Rye.   They are large and firm and make the best jam and sauces you can imagine.

There are two trees and they are loaded.  The Mcleans are just wonderful people and share.  Their yard is a beautiful display of flowers, fruit trees and tropical plants that are ever blooming and  ever producing fruit.

Mike loves his yard and it shows.  While here in Rye he is constantly watering, edging and generally making his place look like a Souther Living garden area.














Neda is the support staff for old Mike and I think she may be in charge of planning and definitely supervision.





This particular day, Neda had just finished canning about 12 bushels of crowder peas.  Both Neda and Mike are long time residents of the area and also enjoy time in the "city".  


We just can't get enough of this country and area.

You come on down and see us soon, we'll share as well.

Thanks Mike and Neda, the figs are already in the jars.

Bob and Mary Ellen's Fourth Of July Pool Party and Bash

Bob and Mary Ellen Nesbitt are two people that have more fun or create more fun that you can imagine.
Bob and Mary Ellen spent their productive years (business years anyway) as event planners and organizers for the Professional Bowling Association union cooperative or what ever.  Anyway, they are masters at hosting and leading the way to fun and joy.    This party is really a "front" for a family reunion of several families of Marry Ellen's side all originally from Rye.  Lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.

Bob is a wounded combat veteran of the Korean war era.   Bob has a gift of welcoming people and just has a ball kidding and joking.   Bob is from New York (yep,,,, YANKEE) but he's 
probably been reborn to be a redneck like the rest of us.  ( I don't think he has changed his car oil on a Walmart parking lot yet, but other than that,,,,he's close)

Mary Ellen now is a "trip".  Never at a loss of or for words, can say anything and "get away with it" and is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.   Pretty good cook and hostess also.  This was a pool party so Marry Ellen had on TWO cover ups....... just to be safe.

Bob and Mary Ellen's house is custom built with a large enclosed great room that can handle a crowd of 30 easily.  That lets two families occupy the same room without a out and out fist fight!?   No, really they all love each other and have known each other for XXX years.

 Jane is seen here enjoying the company and food in the great "Great" room.  Donald Curry is in the back of the room standing and visiting with most likely one of his "First Cousins".  He has about 50 I think.

All of these people are family members and have been together for over 4 generations

The new pool is just to the left of this picture but was  not too busy on this day, since the food line was still open. 

Thanks to Kay and Donald's friends, we have met some great people that enjoy life and are great citizens.  What better way to spend a Fourth of July?

PS  Kay was in Little Rock due to her older sister Gail Johnson having been taken by ambulance to the hospital due to heart problems.  We will update that in the next blog.

We're Almost Done With The West Side,,,,,

Well, after many hours of scrapping, caulking, nailing, painting, cutting moulding and just plain ole hard work we think we are making progress on the Sleeping Room on the west end of the house.  The ceiling and walls are "plank, tongue and grooved bead board".  That means that each board some 90 years ago was installed perfectly in line and square.  Guess what, over a period of 90 years they get loose, some decay and most sag.  Give a little help of decay in the ceiling from previous roof leaks and you've got a project.   We used many man hours and a large amount of caulk tubes but the ceiling turned out pretty good, or at least we think so.  The color is a "beige" but Jane calls it something else.

The walls were also in need of a lot of tender loving care but they finished in pretty good shape as far as we're concerned.  Just keep in mind that if you ever have to paint bead board, it requires almost twice as much paint since you have to force the paint down into each groove and cover the sides of the grooves as well.  A large "1/2" nap " roller is a good start but expect to put a lot of brush strokes with lots of pressure to get the coverage you will want.

We also installed the oak laminate flooring and it just finished the room the way we had hoped.  The white moulding and wood work will set the room off even more.  

We had to take a break during this project for the Annual Bob and Marry Ellen Nesbit Fourth of July Bash so, come back and see what else we have completed real soon, ya hear?