A Retreat at the Farm

Thanks to Cindy and Richard, we were able to spend some quality time relaxing and enjoying nature at their farm for a few days.

This is Poco the horse. She and the donkey, Bo come to the porch at mealtimes looking for a handout.
A man named Don came and trimmed Poco's hooves. It has to be done every 6 weeks or else they will split.


Then Don was kind enough to let the kids ride Poco as he guided her a little bit.

Even Hannah got a chance to sit atop Poco.
We enjoyed boating in the spring fed creek that fills the lake with water. We had a car battery and a small trolling motor.
With a single charge of the battery, the boat could make a couple of trips the length of the lake...all the way to the dam and back twice.
The strangest thing happened. A small dog came swimming up to the boat while we were in the middle of the lake. He seemed tired and ready to get out of the water, so we took him in and gave him a ride to one of the docks we saw.
On Richard and Cindy's property, there is a pond that is filled with fish.
A prior owner worked at the bus manufacturing company not far away. That's why they have a bus body for a shed.
Hank and Michelle enjoyed target practice with the BB gun.
They even tried their skill at shooting minnows. Hank persisted until he hit one.


Suzie loved going on boat rides with us.
The bridge and the land across the bridge are part of their property.

The newly expanded dining room and the kitchen and den in the background.
Early morning feeding Poco and Bo baby carrots.
Hannah playing at the water's edge.
Baby S. relaxed well, too.
Hank and Michelle helped clean up after Duk-Sun made us a terrific supper.
Sunrise on the lake. Isn't it beautiful!

Jekyll Island Marriage Seminar

It was so nice to get away to Jekyll Island--just the two of us. Actually, we're still away. I'm posting this during the seminar. How cool! Three couples are playing the newlywed game and we're all watching and cheering. We took walks on the beach Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning at sunrise. We learned how to communicate better as a couple. Specifically, we became better at empathy, expression, and problem solving.

Niagara Falls Trip - Day 5

Why did we stay in Louisville? Because, my sister Crystal and her husband Matt live there! They are both students and they both work, so their schedule was very tight. Still Crystal was able to join us for a leisurely breakfast at Cracker Barrel together. It was our first visit to see Crystal since she got married a few years back. Next time, we promise to stay longer.

It was Hannah's first time seeing Aunt Crystal.

She warmed up to her right away.

We did something spontaneous on the way home. With no plans at all, we stopped for a tour of Mammoth Cave National Park. It was a 3 hour detour, but it was well worth it. While it rained cats and dogs outside, we were exploring a fraction of the Mammoth Cave inside. Oh, there were all kinds of other attractions nearby, too.

Wild turkeys. We saw 5 more later from the tour bus.

Getting on the tour bus.

Our entrance for the tour we took.

It's blurry, but you get the idea. Since we had the cute baby, we got to go in front. There are sometimes up to 120 people on a single tour, but we went at a good time. There were only 11 plus Hannah.

This is looking straight up at a tall ceiling.

After 2 hours, it was time to get back on the bus.

South of Nashville, there was a beautiful mountain ridge to cross.
Here is a view of a runaway truck ramp.

The leaves were so gorgeous, they nearly took our breath away.

Back home with Suzie.

Trip facts:

Miles Traveled	Approx. 2,200
Tanks of gas used	8
States traveled in:	11
	Georgia
	South Carolina
	North Carolina
	Virginia
	West Virginia
	Pennsylvania
	Ohio
	New York
	Ontario (Canada)
	Kentucky
	Tennessee
Animals seen:	over 20 road-killed deer
	3 live deer
	1 rabbit
	countless cows
	numerous horses
	dozens of sheep
	3 friendly seagulls
	2 salamanders
	7 wild turkeys
Restaurants dined in:	Cracker Barrel
	Chick-Fil-A
	Steak-n-Shake
	Long John Silvers
	IHOP
	Wendy's
	Taco Bell
	Subway
	La Nova Pizza
	TGI Fridays
Famous Sites Seen:	Niagara Falls, NY
	Mammoth Cave, KY

Niagara Falls Trip - Day 4

We had a special treat on day 4 of our trip. Our good friends, Boyd and Rae Lyons have a daughter named Laura, who lives with her husband Scott and their three boys, David, Matt and Nathan not too far from Toledo, Ohio. Anyway, the treat was spending the night with them and talking and letting the kids play together. They made us feel very welcome, and we are grateful for their warm hospitality. (This is a photo of a photo, so if you look closely, you can see the reflection of my camera strap on Boyd's suit.)

David.

Their pet rabbit; very calm, and not stinky.

David catches the bus to go to school.

The ladies and girls whip us up some delicious breakfast.

David is there somewhere at recess.

Saying farewell for now.

Scenery from the road.

Louisville, Kentucky

The Marriott, downtown Louisville.

Supper at TGI Friday's.

Back at the hotel.