Post Thanksgiving Post

Thanksgiving Day! Pretty impressive rime ice on Big Hump Mountain.

So, we woke up to these glorious snow clouds ... and they were ever present!

This is a bigger view of how impending those clouds look off of the porch on the side of the house. They caused a little bit of excitement on the Parkway with all the tourists, but at our house they were simply a source of entertainment whilst preparing for the Feast!

Here are Sabrina and I, cooking "our hearts content" with all sorts of delicious fun.

And before we knew it, the BIG FAT FLUFFY FLAKES begin to fall out of the sky ... at first very lazily, and then with a fervour! It was all very exciting ... for that 15 minutes or so.

But when you have a mission, onward ho! We had herbs combined with all the good smells of traditions past that absolutely made us giddy with nostalgia. It seemed very ancient, women concocting enticing aromas and pleasing all the different palettes. Very enchanting!

This guy was enduring the snow with complete dignity ... in the literal freezing cold ...

While we mighty chefs remained toasty warm and loyal to our tasks at hand.

and for another 45 minutes or so, it looked like it had really become winter in Elk Park!

This CHAOS was on the side of the kitchen you can't see in the previous photos! Half prepared dishes, bags of scrumptious goodies, and all sorts of adornments on the table ...

and then ..... viola'! The very same table after the food began coming together. The menu was such fun to decide with all of us "foodies" being involved. There was the obligatory turkey and dressing, maple syrup coated ham, sweet potato casserole, garlicky mashed potatoes, steamed juicy green beans with lemon butter herb coating, an incredible parsnip bread pudding (Sabrina), a beautiful asparagus puff pastry dish (Janine) roasted baby beet salad with fresh greens, bleu cheese, roasted nuts drizzled with balsamic vinegar (Sabrina), clover yeast rolls, cranberry sauce (both gelled and berries - along with some divine chutney), gravy, butter, etc., etc. Obviously this photo was prior to everything getting on to the table, but it's hard to be resident photographer and chef/hostess at the same time!!

This was the reception table ... where Sabrina greeted each friend with a perfect glass of rose champagne with pomegranate seeds floating in the bubbles (beautiful concept, Sabrina! Such an elegant and wonderful welcome!) Didn't quite make it to the table with the camera in the pre-consumption stage - you'll have to use your imagination! (again)

This (also a typically exquisite Sabrina thought) represented the hors de oeuvres for the evening ... such wonderful cheeses and crackers to accent the taste were every bit as deserving a picture, I just didn't get there ... multi tasking hell! The brie had some lovely cranberry chutney topping that was superb! It was great fun ... I just never tasted it until after dinner! (It was rather busy about arrival time).

And Paul, showing our Champagne drinking guests an old dance video (how embarrassing, Paul!) as well as sharing our new t.v. We are a long way from finished with the house, but every little bit feels good!!! While Sabrina and I were in the kitchen, Paul was in here changing the face of the entire room. Well done, honey!!!! It's perfect!

Table is set and ready to receive our sweet friends and our little contribution to a Thanksgiving feast!!! We have SO MANY things to offer Thanksgiving over it is mind boggling. I just think it was wonderful to be able to spend it with our friends ....

Even the friends who couldn't personally share it and we just had to settle for their photographs. There are photos all around the deserts of friends who we are Thankful for and whom we have shared other thanksgiving feasts with ... and the family members photos are on the wine buffet (which the "photographer" neglected to document - sorry!) Also shown is an incredible apple/Gruyere cheese torte that Janine and Mark brought (OMG! It is to die for!). Unfortunately, the pumpkin, cheese cake double cream pie that Beth brought didn't make it in to the photo (another OMG - squared!) ... and then there is the trifle, which I do believe was still in the refrigerator at this point. The refrigerator that I am still saying thanks for to the Rosenfarbs for their generosity ... and the stove, without which we would NO WAY have had such a successful dining experience!

All in all, it was an absolutely LOVELY Thanksgiving evening if I do say so myself.

To our precious friends:

Beth - who drove all the way to Rock Hill, NC to cook Thanksgiving Dinner for a friend of hers who was convalescing, and then back to Elk Park so she could sit at the table for a few minutes and enjoy friendship blessings;

Sabrina, who drove all those miles and hours up from Atlanta to visit, to enjoy "the mountain thing", sisterhood, good food, giggles, story telling and time away from the city;

Janine and Mark, who both worked the tree "cut and choose" lot the entire day before going home, grabbing food, changing clothes and showing up with their beautiful smiles and enthusiastic spirits ~~~

We would just like to thank you, friends, for joining us and sharing friendship and some fun times.

We would like to also thank the friends and family members (who could not be here) for all the times we have joined together and feasted and laughed and loved.

And to my sweet Paul, without who I would prefer to have no Thanksgiving at all, I love you. Thanks for sharing the adventure with me honey.

Happy Holidays to one and all,

Paul & Cheri

Friday Updates

Today is Paul's Mum's birthday! So, Happy Birthday Beryl ("B") !!!! Sure hope it has been a brilliantly perfect day for you. Hope the Birthday Fairies bring you a GREAT year to come! (the kitty accompanying Beryl is "Princess", who truly IS a Princess! She hisses and everything!)

These are the "boss men" for the Buck Mountain tree operation. Actually, the fella on the right is Graham who is the GM for the entire Christmas Greens Company. The other fella (on the left), Denver, is the operations manager, and a heck of a bow hunter from what I understand.

If you look closely you can see little yellow specks throughout the trees. Those are the men in trees as they look when it's raining and they are sporting the rain gear! Maximize the photo and you can see it more clearly. I love this picture because it shows the beauty of the trees and the way they are planted, kept, harvested and etc. Also, the elevation and the trees on top ... so gorgeous. I wish I could attach the aroma of the trees for you. IT is absolutely delightful when Paul walks through the door and brings "Christmas" with him!

The end of the work day, as the sun sets. Let me say here, this is when the temperature drops drastically and all of a sudden a coat is required!

Paul says it looks like a field of canaries when they're all in their rain gear. I can see why he'd say that! These guys are in the middle of a field with a baler. It's hard enough when things are dry, but when those trees are wet, they weigh a ton! And they're slippery! YUK!

After they're baled, they get stacked on the trailers, just like normal days ... even in the freezing rain (or snow) ... whatever the case may be.

Paul has a new hobby. He now makes "boggans". They are really called toboggans, but up here, all words get shortened for energy conservation. Anyway, this is one sample. I have reserved the entire subject matter for a separate post, but just so you get the idea ....

The trees get put on a conveyor and loaded into the semi trucks. After the initial gathering and "staging" of the trees, the trucks pull in to the staging areas and the guys fill the orders. The stores involved in this are Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Christmas Greens has a very nice list of retailers who buy their trees. :-) Home Depot is actually having their trees put onto pallets this year, so their staging area is a bit more involved this year.

Moving trees ... Paul is somewhere with a counter ...
Moving trees ... s t i l l .....

and it goes on and on and on ....

Shelby's beautiful Christmas cactus in the office

Bows for the BIG wreaths at the shopping center, tied by Mickey, who I work with

and more bows ..... for the Country Club wreaths tied by Shelby, who I work with also

and even a whole wall of bows for wreaths all tied by Mickey

and "the boys" basking in the sunshine waiting on the washing machine repair man to come pick up the washing machine. Apparently we have transmission issues. Thank goodness for warranties! (and sunshine)

our new faucet for the tub. YEAH! We have modern plumbing .... finally!!!

The Building Site!!! The footers are poured! There is progress! Blocks get placed next, then pad poured, then building built! It's in progress!!!!! This is the aerial view from the second story of the house (the sewing room, to be exact!)

The ground view! SO EXCITING!

Happy weekend to all!

P & C

Today!

After several hours of digging, pulling, and scrounging, I've discovered that the bottom corner of our yard was once a pig pen. How do you know?, I hear you asking. Well, it's the smell! I pulled out entire trees worth of logs and limbs ... then our building contractor, Ben showed up with his mega cool back hoe and was able to unearth cinder blocks, and all sorts of things. It is finally cleared of debris ... something I've been staring at and wanting to do for 3 entire years. And it is finally done!

Whoo hoo!!!

I finally found these very comfy chairs at Sherry's antique store (Mother Nature's Closet) on Lower Street in Elk Park. They look perfect in the dining room, and finally made that table look like a regular table instead of a massive black piece of furniture. It looks great ... finally.

Here we have (l to r) Paul, John and John's son ... John is the cement guy that is going to pour the footers for the building tomorrow ... and then the pad for the building on Tuesday (fingers crossed since the weather is always in question around here!). We are seriously hopeful it'll get done before winter weather sets in and makes things much more complicated.

This is Ben with his back hoe. I am seriously respectful of this monstrous machine. A 14 foot arm's reach on this baby. Very impressive. He's told us stories of his swimming in the lake with this thing (accidentally, of course) ... and some other intriguing times of turning over and etc. The life of a mountain man ... so interesting. He also digs a lot of graves around here. It's always interesting to learn about other people's lives, isn't it?

Just look at this beautiful and gorgeous sky! It was a fairy tale kind of day. We are so very blessed. And I mean every word of that! Life is good!

I cannot tell you how very exciting this is! Finally... there is some kind of action on this building construction ... well at least the ground prep part! VERY exciting!!!!! We might be in business by the first of the year after all! I know I keep saying this ... but fingers crossed!!!! And Mr. Boone's goats have been coming to visit on a regular basis, I truly think they might be our good luck charms. The love climbing on the wood pile. SOOOOOO cute!!!!!

Ben Benefield, the great excavator! This man is one gentle giant. He has the most peaceful soul and demeanor I've ever been in the presence of. Such a treat.

AND as a bonus, those HUGE tree trunks and roots will be taking their leave. I know the neighbors are glad ... but I really think I am the happiest person to see them leave. I LOVE not having all the debris lying about. WOW! It's like cleaning out a closet ..... only much much bigger!

It was a GREAT day. We got a lot of things accomplished that have been in the works for a very long time. It feels as though some of our dreams are becoming reality. How does one possibly give thanks for all the abundance of gifts that are landing right before our eyes??? We're trying to figure that all out too.

Hoping everyone is healthy, happy and blessed this beautiful November day.

Paul & Cheri

Tractors, Vistas, Views and Men in Trees! oh my!

Senor Paul, tree season 2009.
men in trees ... quite literally all day long!

Preferred tractor when it's snowing ... heater AND radio!

For sunny days

Another cold and wet weather cab

Paul's favorite one ...

Look at those puffy clouds!!! GORGEOUS!

Roan Mountain from Buck Mountain --- in Tennessee

Walking to get up to the trailer either to stack or to unload

remember those empty staging areas? Not so much any more!

More men in trees - smiling at that!

Trees, trees, trees!

Expert stacking - otherwise they all fall down! Not good when that happens!

In the mirror, there are still men in trees!

BIG TRACTOR!

Yep --- more men in trees (actually on trees!)

Beauty compliments of Mother Nature - Blue Ridges, green trees, brown dirt!

Getting started for the day. Bet there are plenty of deer amongst the trees.

Staging is filling up - they look like soldiers to me

another filling up ... coming to a town near you soon!

Yep, this is just what it looks like. Two years before Paul started driving, this fella gave his life in an accident as he was working the tree season. Albeit a bit sobering to realize how dangerous tractor driving is, it is comforting to me to know the guys have an angel out there on the mountain watching over them and keeping them out of harm's way. Thank you, "Nello", for watching over our men in trees. R.I.P.

Til next time,

Paul & Cheri