2016 SUMMER MISSION TRIP TO WISE, VIRGINIA

In July 2016, the youth and some adults from Dublin United Methodist traveled to Wise, Va.  It was a short drive of two and one-half hours.  The team totaled eighteen.  Four ladies cooked the food for our meals and twelve youth and six adults worked on the project. 

We were assigned to work on a trailer home that had two additions that were placed on the trailer several years ago.  The home was owned by a lady around seventy years of age plus she had taken in her daughter and two grandchildren.

The week prior to us arriving another team of approximately fifty individuals had replaced her roof and had put up T-11 siding.  Our job was to finish painting the outside, install fascia aluminum covers, install soffitts, repair ceilings in three rooms inside the house, and guttering in four and one-half days. 

Ladies that cook and keep us nourished.

   

 

I must say the trip was a great experience for all the individuals.  The youth worked well together and were always asking what they could do next.  If they did not know how to accomplish a task they were willing to learn.  I am proud to have attended this trip with the youth and other adults.  

           

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION VIEWING EARTH

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to view earth from space.  Now you have the opportunity.  Via You Tube you can view the earth from the space station.  When viewing make sure you watch full screen and you do get the sense you are floating above the earth.

Here is the link to watch live from space.  Enjoy.

GRANDKIDS AND BIRTHDAY

Oh my, another year has pasted.  Another year older and thankfully no debt just birthdays.  My father-in-law always said that when you get to sixty it is a good thing to have birthdays, consider the alternative.

I hope everyone doesn't see me as "Walter" the puppet from Jeff Dunham's show.

Both grandkids were here for a family get together and to give me birthday greetings.  It was a rainy weekend but we did not let that stop us for having fun.  My son-in-laws and I set up some bales of straw and hung targets on them for target practice.  We shot our handguns for about ninety minutes and just enjoyed being together.  We had a range of weapons, Glock 17, 40 cal., Colt revolver 357, Smith and Westin 40 cal, Springfield XDS 45 cal., and a snub nose 38.  We torn up some targets.

Son-in-law Nick and grandson Micah

 

Grandson Micah

Micah and Kendall saying good-bye

Kendall saying bye to Kenyon

Kendall saying bye to Grammaroo

We dined at Preston's on the River for dinner in Fairlawn, VA.  It is owned by Va. Tech and is the restaurant on the Pete Dye Golf Course.  Not an elaborate menu but just enough and the food was good.  Their main restaurant on Tech's campus is much larger and has extensive menu.  

Ah, all is quite now and everyone has left.  We will have to plan another get together in the near future.  The way time is moving in retirement, next year will be here before one can blink an eye.   SLOW DOWN CLOCK!

GREATER, The Movie

     

      If you are like me, you probably like a good movie.  This is a football movie based on the true story of Brandon Burslworth of Harrison, Ark.  It tells the story of a kid dreaming of playing for the University of Arkansas and how he beat the odds and gained a scholarship.

   Well, I had seen it advertised that the movie "GREATER" was going to be released around Labor Day 2016.  I went online to search if it was going to be released in my area,  unfortunately, it was not.  I kept searching and searching but to no avail.  My next best thing was to get it on Netflix.  It finally arrived this weekend so I sat down and watched.  What an inspiring movie.  

    

    This is a movie to watch with your children, your football team, your church group.  Yes it may be a little slow at the beginning but it brings across a great message.  You might want to have a box of tissues next to you and it does make you tear up. 

ABOUT THE MOVIE

Brandon Burlsworth is perhaps the greatest walk-on in the history of college football. Brandon dreamed of playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, but was told he wasn’t good enough to play Division I ball. Undeterred, Brandon took a risk and walked on in 1994. Written off by fellow teammates and coaches, Brandon displayed dogged determination in the face of staggering odds. The awkward kid who once was an embarrassment to his teammates and an annoyance to his coaches, ended up becoming the most respected player in the history of the program, changing the lives of all he touched.


 Watch this clip from YouTube to hear the former head coach of Arkansas talk about Brandon Burlsworth.

LEARNING TO FLY A DRONE

On Christmas my sister gave me a box to open and said it would be for both of us, but I would be the one that would us it.  Upon ripping off the paper it turned out to be a small drone.  She purchased it through QVC as a Christmas special.  It is a Talon HD (#talonhd) by PCT Brands.

Zero Gravity Talon HD 

The drone comes with the props already on the motors so you have to charge the three batteries included.  With the drone weighting 0.32 pounds, it does not qualify for registration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).   

Underside of the drone with the small camera attached.

 Once the batteries are fully charged, each battery will power the drone for seven minutes.  That means you have to have the two spares in your pocket in order to learn to fly this thing.  After reading the manual and watching the online video at www.myzerogravity.com, I felt ready to fly this thing.  I must say it is easy to fly and the controls are very responsive.  I tried to keep the altitude high enough that the drone would not hit any objects.  This way you can get use to the controls and the orientation of the drone. 

Flying high above my house and shop. 

Since the drone only weighs less than half a pound, the wind will pay havoc with it.  When trying to descend and bring the drone back close to me, flying into a headwind was a little tricky.   

Landing Talon HD on my equipment trailer

 After a week of practicing, it was time to see if the Talon HD could land on a solid platform.  It looks like trying to land on an aircraft carrier.  A successful landing was accomplished in the first try.

You cannot compare this to heavier drones.  A relative of mine has a larger drone, similar to the DJI Phantom 3 and it seems easier to learn to fly since it is heavier.  

For my first drone, this is not a bad choice to learn to fly.  It is limited to 300 feet in altitude and 300 feet distance to the horizon.   This should keep one out of trouble. 

BOXED--Better Way to Shop

Have you heard of an online company called "BOXED.Com".  This is now my new way to shop instead of going to Sam's Club or Costco.  You don't to have pay a members fee to shop online.  Shop online for the non-perishables you need and it is delivered to your front door.  They post the savings for each item so you know exactly what you are saving.

Use this link https://www.boxed.com/invite/MDRZ4

Here is a listing of the categories that they have.

• Grocery
  • Meals & Prep
  • Spreads & Sweeteners
  • Breakfast
  • Salty Snacks
  • Chocolate & Candy
  • Condiments & Spices
  • Fruits & Nuts
  • Cookies & Bars
• Beverages
  • Coffee & Tea
  • Dairy
  • Juices
  • Mixes
  • Sports & Energy
  • Water & Sparkling
  • Wine
• Bath & Body
  • Deodorants
  • Hand Soaps
  • Shaving
  • Shower
  • Skin Care
• Health
  • Ladies'
  • Dental & Eye
  • Relief
  • Supplements
  • Adult Care
• Cleaning Supplies
  • Surface Cleaners
  • Paper & Plastic
  • Laundry
  • Dish Soaps
  • Air Fresheners
• Home & Office
  • Stationery
  • Appliances & Tools
  • Tabletop & Storage
• Babies & Kids
  • Care & Cleaning
  • Diapers & Wipes
  • Nutrition
• Lifestyle
• Pets
• Send a Gift Card
• Free Samples
• Boxed for Businesses
• Your Favorites

Items just arrived from Boxed

Some interesting facts about this company.  They paid for a wedding for an employee and they also pay college tuition for children of the employees.  That is a novel approach for employee benefits.  

Go online and check it out.  They make it easy. 

OLD OAK PRODUCED GREAT LUMBER

There was a massive red oak on the farm that began to show signs of stress.  Some of the top branches were leaf free, so in speaking to a couple of people to confirm my thoughts, they concurred that the tree was beginning to die.

I did not want to lose this tree to rot or to fire wood since the base of the tree measured over four feet across.  After checking with my friend that cuts firewood, he said he could cut the tree down since he could get a chain saw with a three foot bar.  He started making his cuts and notch and fell the tree where we wanted it to land.  Sure enough, the center of the trunk had a two rotten spots about six inches across.  I counted the growth rings and determined that the tree had stood for approximately 150 years.

 

I stood my granddaughter up to the base of the tree to get a better perspective of the size of the tree.  She stood about twenty eight inches tall at the time.  The tree had two large branches that branched off of the trunk, one of which measured over thirty six inches across.


An Amish fellow with a portable sawmill came and sawed the logs into one inch by six inch boards.  This large oak yielded about 1100 board feet of lumber.  I had cut two additional oaks that had also died and they yielded an additional 1100 board feet combined.

It took two days to stick and stack the 2200  board feet of lumber in an old barn to begin the drying process.  For those not familiar with the sticking process, a small stick is laid across a row of boards.  Depending on the length of the boards determines the amount of sticks to lay cross ways.  This lumber is a little over eight feet long so we used two to three sticks per layer of lumber.  It usually takes one year per inch thickness of board to dry.  In April of 2017 these boards will be ready.

BUCKET LIST MINUS 1

I can now say I have been able to check one item off of my bucket list.  I don't really have them written down and just keep them in my head.  That way they are mine and no one can change them except me.

No, I do not have jumping out of an airplane to skydive.  Since I have a pilot's license, there is no sense jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

This a a Cat Tract Loader.  It belongs to a cousin of mine that has property in Reliance, Tennessee.  I had more fun on this than any piece of equipment I had operated in a long time.  I drove this bad boy for four hours and could have gone longer.

Next up on my bucket list is to go to Idaho.  It is one of the seven remaining states I have not visited.  It may be next year but I will get there.  I will post it on the blog when that is crossed off the bucket list. 

ITALIAN HOT CHOCOLATE

I always thought hot chocolate was suppose to be the consistency of water only hot.   This hot chocolate is the got to be the best and easiest to make.  Man, is it creamy.  I must say this is delicious and it is absolutely a 10 out of 10.  Here is the recipe

Prep Time         2 minutes
Cook Time        5 minutes

Servings           2
Calories            116 kcal
Author             As Easy As Apple Pie

Ingredients

          300 ml  (1 1/4 cup) milk.  Whole or skimmed  ( I used skimmed)
          2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
          1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
          1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
          Toppings:  (Optional) whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate chips 

Instructions

          1. Warm milk in the microwave, about 1 1/2 minutes

          2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the dry ingredients

          3. Add 60 ml ( 2 oz) of milk and whisk until well combined and smooth

          4. Add the remaining milk and whisk well

          5. Place the sauce pan on medium heat and whisk constantly or until the mixture
              starts to boil and it reaches the desired thickness.  You can usually tell by the sound
             of the  liquid just before it thickens.

          6. Remove from heat and pour into two mugs

          7. Top with whipped cream and other desired toppings.

          8. Sit back and enjoy.

Since there are only 116 calories per serving, it is easy to drink the whole mixture in a large mug.

I am glad I found this recipe on http://aseasyasapplpie.com/italian-hot-chocolate

I thought about including a picture of the mixture but it did not do it justice.   Y'all will have to try this.  It is that good.  This could be my new addiction.

Three YEARS WOW

 I am amazed that it has been almost three years since I have posted to the blog.  A lot of things have taken place over these past years it is hard to remember.  If you look at my last post you will see that it shows a pile of snow at the end of the house. Well, here it is January 9, 2017 and there is snow on the ground with an overnight low of 8 degrees.

 As you can see from these photos this building was added in July of 2014.  A great addition as it allows me to keep the tractor and now the truck stored out of the weather.  It still is not fully insulated but that is something that is in the works to finish this fall.  Also a wood stove will be installed so one can work comfortably inside during the cold days of winter.

I plan to relive some of the past three years on future posts.  Stay tuned.