Outside of Nashville

Our daughter recommended that Becky and I should take a little trip down to Leipers Fork. Leipers Fork is nothing more than a crossroads with a few stores  and a couple of restaurants. It's about 45 minutes southwest of Nashville. 

Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant is well known as a music venue. We were there in the morning and the music did not start until the evening. We just grabbed a soda and decided to take a ride through the surrounding countryside. I have heard it said that 1% of the people have 90% of the money.  Well, I have decided that 90% of the 1% live around Leiper's Fork. I have never seen so many expensive estates in one area. 

Street view of one estate. 

And another

And another. 

This goes on for miles and miles. Black wooden fences everywhere, manicured pastures and hardly a cow in sight.  I guess the people who live here do not want to be bothered with smelling cow manure. 

I never felt so poor in all my life. Well, back to the real world. It was time for lunch and we had just enough money to go to the Loveless Cafe on the way back to Nashville. 

This place has great food and is also a famous music venue. Someday I hope to come back and enjoy the entertainment. 

Short Visit with Grandson and Family in Nashville

It had been a couple of months since we had seen our family in Nashville, Tennessee. Our 18 month old grandson, Levi, is growing so fast and we were anxious to see him. We see him every week on FaceTime, but it is not the same as being there in person.  

You can see how mature he is. Check out that fedora. Thank goodness he got his good looks from his parents and not his grandad. He is the happiest child I have ever seen. 

Their neighborhood has lots of children. They were having a neighborhood block party when we arrived Monday afternoon. 

Levi was sweeping the sidewalk. 

Now that the weather is beginning to warm up, we were able to plan some outdoor activities. We took Levi on his very first trip to the zoo. The Nashville Zoo is very popular. I think everyone in Nashville decided to go that day. It also has a lot of exhibits and activities for children.  

Levi wrestled an alligator into submission without losing his hat. 

Check out the kid wearing his hat in his stroller. We got to see many animals including this giraffe which is the tallest one I have ever seen. The zoo had a good selection of animals including a kangaroo petting park. We probably saw about half of the zoo before leaving to get Levi home for lunch and nap. Maybe another visit in the future. 

Oriental

Saturday was a nice day for a boat ride so we took a trip with our friend up the Intracoastal Waterway from Morehead City to the small town of Oriental on the Neuse River. It's about a forty-five minute ride.  

Oriental is the sailing capital of the east coast and they certainly have a lot of sailboats there.  

They have a public dock downtown where you can park your boat while you explore the town or eat at one of the few resturants there. 

You will likely see a few fishing boats, but mostly sailboats. 

The public dock. 

The Tucan Resturant is right by the dock where we had lunch. It is not crowded at all this time of year. In the summer it can get a little busy. 

Photograph taken up one of the creeks there. 

It's a great day trip by boat or car from the Beaufort, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach area. It is much faster by boat. For you land captains, you have a choice of driving up to New Bern US 70, crossing the Neuse River bridge and driving east on hwy 55 to Oriental. It's about a hour and a half trip.  You can also take highway 101 to the Minnesott Beach ferry where you cross the Neuse then drive east to Oriental. The ferry is free and leaves the dock about every 30 minutes. This trip can take a little longer but the scenery is better and you get a free boat ride. 

Chicken Bog Time Again

We had several "old" high school classmates over for a low country chicken bog last night. There were about 20 people in all. The chicken bog was good and the fellowship was outstanding. 

I got the recipe off the internet. I cut back a little on the hot spices but it was still plenty hot. I think I will cut back even more the next time. It must not have been too hot, since I made a triple recipe and only four servings were left. They say you can freeze it so that what we did with the leftovers. 

Following is the recipe. 

Chicken Bog

Ingredients

1 (3-5 pound) chicken (cut into pieces)

1 pound smoked sausage

1/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch of salt

Dash of garlic powder

3 bay leaves

8 cups water

3 cups raw white rice

Directions:

1. Cut the sausage into 1/2-inch pieces.

2. Combine the chicken, sausage, butter, seasonings and bay leaves in a large stock pot.

3. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 40 minutes at a low boil.

4. Remove the chicken. WARNING: VERY HOT

5. Remove the meat from the bones of the chicken. (Throw away the bones and skin. )

6. Add the rice to the pot with remaining chicken broth and seasonings.

7. Bring to a boil, stirring well.

8. Boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot and let cook for 10 more minuets or until the rice is done.

9. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, return the chicken to the pot, mix well, and

serve.

10. Pour your self a big glass of iced-tea and enjoy.

Grandmother's 20 gallon washpot with chicken, smoked sausage, water and spices. 

Rice with deboned chicken and sausage and smelling good. Almost ready to eat. Yummmmm!!!

Oh, I failed to mention that several people brought deserts. Banana pudding, cobbler, 2 cakes, candy.  Too much. 

Another Classmate Hits the Big 70

It has come to my attention that we have another classmate that is going to turn 70 this Saturday, March 7. 

This is a picture of Rex and his lovely wife Pat that was taken a few weeks ago. I spoke with Rex by phone recently to hear how he is doing with his recent cataract surgery. He now has near perfect vision in both eyes and no longer wears glasses. Can anyone remember when Rex did not wear glasses?

Please join in wishing Rex a Happy Birthday. 

If you are a classmate that has already turned 70 and have not been included in the blog, it is simply because I don't know your birth date. Please give me your birth date and any other information that you would like to share and I will be sure to post it. 

Sunday at the Museum

We have hardly been out of the house this week due to this cold, crummy weather we have been having. My 12 year old grandson and his mother came to Raleigh Sunday from Winston Salem to see one of her friends and her new baby. They also plannned to go to the museum after the visit. We decided to finally get out of the house and take a trip to Raleigh to meet our grandson and daughter and to go to Trader Joe's. We meet Eamon and Kristen at the Museum of Natural Sciences just after lunch. 

Eamon with a T-Rex. 

 I have been to the museum a number of times over the years and have seen most of the exhibits. One exhibit I missed was the butterfly conservatory. It was very interesting and was filled with butterflies. Not only that, it was a warm tropical setting and if I need anything it is warm and tropical. I have included a few photos. 

I apologize for the photographs. It is hard to take a picture of a butterfly. They are kind of like dolphin. By the time you press the button they are gone. Anyway, if you are ever in Raleigh and have some time to kill, go to the museum. They have some interesting things there and it is all free. 

Cabin Fever

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Wikipedia defines it as follows:

Cabin fever is an idiomatic term, first recorded in 1838,^[1] for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in a small space, with nothing to do for an extended period. Cabin fever describes the extreme irritability and restlessness a person may feel in these situations.^[2]

This weather sucks. When people get older, they are not able to cope with the cold weather. I'm 69 years old and I have seen all of this cold Siberian weather that I can take. When the weather drops below 50 degrees outside, you will find me inside. I just can't take it!  

I've done everything I can think of to fight off this cabin fever. I have watched so much tv and Netflix that I am about to go blind. I've got this crummy book I am trying to read. I've cleaned out my desk drawers that have not been cleaned since 2002. I got all my tax papers together for the accountant. I never do that before April 1. I've surfed the internet for hours.  I have Facebooked, Pinterested, e-mailed and texted.  I've even taken my wife to Wal Mart shopping. Now that is extreme. 

The weatherman is forecasting another 7 days of record breaking cold weather. As I look out my back window it is snowing a blizzard. 

My wife and I have been talking about cashing in some frequent flyer miles and heading south.  Unfortunately we can't afford a place to stay once we get there. I swear that next year this time I will be in a warmer climate.  In the meantime, I can only sit here and dream about some of places I have been and would like to be right now. 

New Orleans and being photo bombed by my Nashville Tn. grandson. 

Peurto Rico, El Conquistidor in Fajardo 

Breakfast at the El Conquistidor in February with my Winston Salem family. 

Cabo, Mexico 

I don't know about you, but I am feeling better already. 

Winter on the Water

I hate cold weather. I can't afford to buy a winter home in Florida, so I just struggle through the winter here in North Carolina the best I can. Every now and then we get a day here when you can actually get out on the water on a boat. Saturday was such a day. It was in the 50's with light winds.

I'm fortunate to have a friend who has a boat with curtains on it that fully enclose the cockpit. When you are inside, it is really quite comfortable. He loves the water just like me. A typical weekend at the beach includes a trip by boat to Beaufort for breakfast and a trip around Morehead City waterfront. 

During the winter months, the Beaufort waterfront is nearly deserted.  There were a few very nice live aboard yatchs there.  I often wonder what it would be like to own one of these, to have the the freedom to follow the sun.  So why are they here in NC in January?

I will never own one of these, but it cost very little to dream. 

A nice trawler and a motor yatch tied up at the Beaufort dock. 

A picture of Jarrett Bay Marina on the intracoastal waterway where you can purchase one of the mega yatchs. 

What a difference a day makes. 24 hours later rain and wind. Not a day to be on the water.  Oh well, we had one nice January day this weekend. 

Sweet Potato Chili

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Well it is January, cold, 34 degrees and drizzling.  I'm certainly not going out today. Just trying to stay warm and getting ready for the State vs UNC game tonight.

I gave Becky a new crock pot for Christmas. It the large one with all the bells and whistles. Just chop it up, throw it in the pot and you are done. No need to stir. 

One of our favorite slow cook recipes is sweet potato chili. It taste better than it sounds and is ideal for this kind of weather. I found this recipe on the Internet last year and featured it on an earlier posting.  Some of my friends have tried it and they all say that it is good. Maybe just so they done hurt my feelings--I don't really thank so because most of my friends don't care if they hurt my feelings.  Anyway, here is the recipe. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-chili/detail.aspx

Give it a try. 

Sweet potato chili doesn't last long in this house, so we are doubling the recipe. Four Johnston county sweet potatoes diced. 

Really easy to make if you know how to use a can opener. After 69 years, I've got that covered. 

The finished product with shredded cheese and a dollop of yogurt. Enjoy. 

Welcome 2015

2014 was a good year, but unfortunately I have put on a FEW pounds over the holidays. We have had a number of events that we have attended and it seems like they all revolve around food. Not just plain food, but some of the best food I have ever tasted. 

There has been ham, turkey, mexican, seafood, beef, chicken and that just a start. Desserts include sweet potato pie, coconut cake, church window cookies, and nearly every candy that you can name. 

On New Year's Eve we went with some friends to a Morehead City restaurant named Calypso North. It is off the beaten path and patronized mostly by locals. Although we have passed the restaurant many times, I had never eaten there. Since they were the only place that we could find that would take our last minute reservation, we gave them a shot. GOOD CHOICE! 

I had the shrimp and andouille pasta which was very good. Becky had a fish dish with a side of collards. I had a taste of her collards and I am here to tell you that they were the best that I have ever eaten and I am not a big collard fan. 

Well, the last meal of 2014 was a real treat. Good food and good friends. Starting today, I am going on a diet. Losing the extra pounds that I put on over the holidays is my New Year's Resolution.