Not Standard Issue

My husband came home from the firehouse sporting a new hat.

He said the boys at the firehouse went and had it made for him.

It is supposed to be a floppy hat like Andy Griffith wore in an episode of his show back in the 1960s. The one where he is giving Barney a rough time and wears a floppy hat and a polka dotted tie, and has one of his pant legs stuck down in his boot.

I made him go outside and let me take a picture of him in it.

This is not standard issue, of course. This was an April 1 joke.

He Saw Some Ships

Last week my husband spent four days in Virginia Beach at a firefighters conference. I sent along one of my older cameras, a Nikon Coolpix 4600, and told him to take pictures.

When he returned he gave me the camera and said there were pictures on it.

These are all he took! I expecting shots of the conference or his motel room, maybe Virginia Beach, which I haven't visited since 1989. He said these ships on the ocean were the only thing worth taking the camera out for.

The man does not take many photos.

30 Years of Service

My husband and I went to the Roanoke City Service Awards Dinner in Roanoke Wednesday night. The event honors city employees who have been employed in five-year increments.

It was held at the Holiday Inn behind WDBJ7. I used to call it the Airport Holiday Inn but I don't know if that is the official name. We could smell the garlic from the kitchen far out into the parking lot.

From left: Deputy Chief Jeff Beckner and Roanoke Fire-EMS Chief David Hoback.

Fire Marshall Daniel Rakes, and the crowd gathering for the meal.

My husband, who was off duty and thus not in uniform, greeted a number of other fire-ems personnel during the event.

A little food porn. The salad, I think, was the only thing *not* smothered in garlic.

I did not eat the chicken because I could smell the garlic on it, and I have ulcers so thought it might be best to leave it, but the beans, carrots, and 'taters were good (though I think also full of garlic).

Roanoke City Mayor David Bowers was master of ceremony. Employees who had served 25 years or more received some kind of recognition.

My husband, Battalion Chief James Firebaugh, listened while the mayor recited highlights of his career. James joined the fire service in February 1983.

The mayor gave him a nice little plaque to commemorate his service.

 

My husband is a humble man, an everyday hero who has risked his life several times to save someone else. He is a hard worker and good provider who loves deeply. He cares about the land we live on and the people we engage. I am very proud of him.

Clean Water Farm Award

I am proud to announce to the world that my most excellent spouse received from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation the Clean Water Farm Award for Botetourt County for 2013.

You may recall I mentioned this project once or twice on my blog. The project involved drilling a well and installing 7,500 feet of water line to multiple watering stations for the cattle. We also had a couple miles of fence built to keep the cattle out of ponds and springs on the farm. Our cow pee no longer flows into Roanoke City's water supply.

This was quite an endeavor and my husband spent most of the summer working on it.

New Cattle Watering Station

Fencing along a riparian way

Fencing around a pond.

More fencing.

Watering station
 

 

The project was labor-intensive and I am very proud of my husband for his hard work, and pleased that local officials decided to honor him for his efforts.



He received his award Thursday night at a banquet. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend due to a high fever. I sent along a camera. I think my mother-in-law took the picture of my husband receiving his award. I took the other two after he arrived home.

My husband receiving his award.

Certificate from the Governor

Sign we can put up on the farm.

Congratulations to my fellow. His efforts will help keep the waters clear for a long time, ensuring that each of us has safe drinking.

Thursday Thirteen

I've been married for 30 years and almost a month now, and my husband and I still share things like newlyweds. What do we share?

1. Colds and viruses. Ta da! He developed an upper respiratory infection last weekend and guess who has it now! Yes, yours truly. Thank you, dear.

2. My car. He has his truck but when we go out together, we take what is affectionately called "my car." However, it is really "our car" and "his truck." I can't even *get* into his truck.

3. The bed. We sleep in a nice queen-sized cherry four-poster, and he steals the covers.

4. Cleaning duties. Mostly I clean, but since my surgery in late June and subsequent poor recovery, I have had to rely on him more for chores involving lifting and pulling. He has been very accommodating when I need him.

5. T-shirts. He wears white T-shirts that are actually my leftover nighties. I love sleeping in a huge T-shirt as they are comfortable (and cheaper) than nightgowns. Once I have worn one a little thin, I pass it on to him to use on the farm. Some of them go on his back, others become rags.

6. A checkbook. I know some couples split their money but we have always had an "ours" checkbook. We also have business checking accounts but the main bills are paid out of the joint account.

7. Doctors. We use the same family doctor most of the time. Sometimes he goes to the urgent care because of his working hours, though.

8. Audiobooks. My husband is not a reader but I have turned him on to audiobooks. He loves them. He is especially fond of Stuart Woods, who writes a series of books about a character named Stone Barrington. Hubby thinks he is da bomb.

9. TV shows. Generally we enjoy the same shows - The Big Bang Theory, Survivor, The Newsroom, Masters of Sex - so we don't have to fight over the telly or sit in separate rooms. Mostly he watches TV and I read, though.

10. The newspaper. Both of us were raised to read the newspaper every day. Every single day! And neither of us is interested in giving up our subscription to that wonderful bit of information that appears each morning in our box at the foot of the driveway.

11. Similar tastes in music. Okay, so he's a little bit more rock 'n roll than I am (I like disco, sorry.). But for the most part we can sit and listen to the same radio station without the other one changing the channel. That's because we listen to the 1970s stations.

12. Gardening. We both enjoy working in the garden. We most enjoy eating the fruits of our labor, though. This summer's garden was abundant but unfortunately because of weather and my health, we only planted four things. But what a mountain of those four things spewed forth from Mother Earth.

13. Living in beautiful Botetourt County. We both have long roots here - our families go back generations on each side, and in fact intermingle at one point (making us, truthfully, 5th cousins). Neither of us could imagine living anywhere else, even as the people, the politics, and the lifestyles change around us. We still farm land that was in my husband's family in 1859. The county may be more suburban, but we are firmly entrenched here.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 323rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Thirty Years

Today is my 30th wedding anniversary. I posted many photos last week of our wedding, which you may see here at this link, if you like.

Our wedding day was cold, and there was a hint of snow in the air as the evening hour approached. The day was a Friday; we married at 7:30 p.m., mostly because the next day was the start of deer hunting season (yes, really). We didn't want to inconvenience the men in the family. And besides, who wants to ruin a whole Saturday on a wedding?

We only had a very short honeymoon - we went to a bed and breakfast in Bath County, where we stayed two nights. We were home by Sunday afternoon and ready to settle in as husband and wife.

While the nights away were terrific, the first night in our rented home was not. My husband developed an upset stomach, (not from my cooking, we had eaten out!) and we had no medicine in the house.

Thirty years ago there wasn't a CVS around the corner, and certainly no 24-hour Walmart. But there was a 24-hour convenience store, and I drove to Daleville and purchased Pepto Bismal, because being newly weds we didn't have that kind of thing in the house. It did not occur to me to call my in-laws, who were just a minute away, for some medication. I've always been a do-it-myself kind of girl.

But once we got over that little hump, we settled in, had our first Christmas, and kept moving forward.

We have had our share of problems - what couple doesn't? - but we've always managed to work through them. We have much affection and respect for one another, and I think those are important for marriage to be successful.

Even after 30 years, we still hold hands when we are together. We hold hands while we watch TV, while we're riding in the car, and while we're shopping. If I had to offer one piece of advice to anyone about marriage, that would be it.

Hold hands, and hold on.

He Called It "Pruning"

I planted my forsythia, which runs along the side of the driveway, about 25 years ago. 

Early on, it was four separate bushes. But over time, they grew into a single hedge.

My husband stopped trimming it back because, according to him, the overgrowth would keep the snow from drifting into the driveway.

Last year, the hedge had overgrown so much that the deer found it a wonderful place to live. They moved in, complete with fawns, and proceeded to do their business in the area. In hot weather, it smelled like a zoo outside when you went out the back door.

So I told my husband the forsythia should be pruned back this year, as soon as the blooms were off, so that the deer would live elsewhere.

He agreed. And while I was out one day, he began to work . . .

He took a chainsaw too it. Yeah. He called this "pruned."

Thursday Thirteen

Today is my husband's birthday, so in his honor, I am going to offer up 13 terrific things about him. If you're a new reader, we've been married for 27 years.

1. He's a very hard worker. He has three jobs - he is a battalion chief with the fire department, he installs septic tanks and does backhoe work, and he runs a farm.

2. He loves me regardless of what I do. I am not very wild and crazy anyway, but I can be moody. He is very understanding.


3. He has a great laugh. He finds laughter in so many things - antics on the farm, stuff on TV, my personal twisted sense of humor. He's a great fan of Monty Python and can repeat almost word-for-word the dialogue from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

4. He loves to watch NASCAR races and always has. He rooted for Bill Elliot for many years. Now he doesn't seem to have a favorite and mostly roots against certain people, like Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.


5. He has a motorcycle that he calls a "crotch rocket" which he enjoys riding when the weather is warm.



6. He likes to deer hunt and is very happy when he is out in the woods hoping to bag his big buck.

7. He can run any piece of machinery there is, I think. He fixes them, too. His hands are always dirty and marked with grease.



8. He loves to mow the yard. He is always satisfied when our "estate" is mowed and trimmed.

9. He has spent his entire life here on the farm and his roots are deep and long.


10. His family always comes first.


11. Learning new things is not out of the question for him. I've gotten him sort of up to speed on computer and he is even doing a little of his bookkeeping work these days.

12. He joined the fire department 28 years ago and rose up through the ranks to become chief. I can't tell you how proud I am of him for being so successful.


13. He's a good and great guy in all areas. I am so very lucky to have him! Happy Birthday, baby!




Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 193rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Valentine's Thursday Thirteen

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I thought it appropriate to offer up 13 wonderful things about my husband. He is wonderful man and I am very lucky to have him. We will be celebrating 28 years of marriage this year. I can still remember our first Valentine's together. I had mono and it was his first day on the job with the fire department. Even though I told him to stay away because I didn't want to give him what I had, he came over and brought me a bouquet of artificial flowers (because I have allergies). As he came to the front door, flowers in hand, the whistle in Fincastle, which called volunteer firemen to emergencies, sounded loud and strong (you could hear it from my parents' house if you were outside on a clear day). He thrust the flowers at me, gave me a kiss, and went off to fight the fire.

He came back a little later.

This is what he looked like when he was a toddler!

This is what he looks like in his dress blues as a Battalion Chief with the city Fire Department.

And here are 13 great things about him (though there are many, many more).

1. He is a kind man. My husband can be very tender and loving, a rare quality in this day age when meanness seems to be rampant.

2. He is a hard worker. He gets up at 5 a.m. and leaves the house by 6:30 a.m. almost every morning. He then either goes to the fire department to work or he works on the farm or he goes out to do work with the backhoe.

3. It doesn't matter what I do so long as I am happy doing it. He doesn't try to micromanage my life.

4. He loves his family and is very considerate of his mother, sister, nephews, aunts, cousins, etc.

5. Accompanying me to lectures, poetry readings, or other cultural events is not something he minds doing. All I have to do is ask.

6. He doesn't snore (too much).  He sleeps better than anyone I know, actually. I wish I slept like that.

7. He is fanatical about keeping the car clean.

8. He cheers me on when I am working on projects.

9. Sometimes he will put a load of clothes in the washing machine. Every now and then he volunteers to fix dinner (particularly if I'm sick).

10. Mowing the lawn and keeping the exterior of the home looking good is important to him, and he does a fine job of it.

11. He never forgets a birthday, anniversary, or other holiday.

12. He loves living on the farm and being a farmer. He is happiest when he is working with the cows, cutting hay, or down at the barn.

13. He loves me and only me. And I love him and only him. It's a mutual exchange.



Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here.  I've been playing for a while and this is my 177th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Two Days

With Thursday being our anniversary and all, the husband and I decided to take a little trip to Greensboro for a day of shopping.

A new outlet mall opened earlier this month, and since I had missed out on shopping when we did our dash to Myrtle Beach and back, I had planned to slip down to this larger city and see what I could find in the way of Christmas presents.

But when husband suggested an anniversary get-away, I suggested we head there.

This little second honey-moon really was a second honey-moon for us - we'd never been away from home on our anniversary before. This is because we married during hunting season and we simply don't go away during hunting season.

But husband had already shot a nice deer, plus I hadn't had a vacation of any kind, unless you count being awake for 14 hours of driving, which I don't, so I suppose this seemed like a good idea to him.

I was delighted.

We roomed at Springhill Mariott in Greensboro, arriving there about mid-day Thursday. The room was fine, thank goodness, and we were even able to check in early. We left our suitcases and went to Four Seasons mall (I'm giving you these links because I didn't take pictures), which is three floors of shops. The JC Penny there was the largest JCP I have ever been in, I think. Much larger than the one in Roanoke, anyway.

The husband's favorite shop was Cinnabon, where they make cinnamon rolls that he thinks are the best in the world. Of course we had to buy a box.

Then we headed off to Friendly Center, where there were even more shops.

Finally, we headed back toward the hotel for dinner. We went east instead of west and took a long tour of the city before calling the hotel and asking for directions. We were quite lost!

We had our anniversary dinner at O'Charley's, and then we went back to our room to, um, watch TV.

The next day we headed to Mebane, which was about 1/2 hour's drive down I 40. As we headed toward Exit 154, where the Tanger Outlet was, I spied the outlet sign. Then I saw the shops - acres of stores.

We bought Christmas presents for loved ones. We also picked up a few things for ourselves, including a new set of dishes and a set of knives for the kitchen. After 27 years, things do start to need replacing, after all, and I'm still using dishes and steak knives I received as wedding presents.

While we purchased many items, I did not really see bargains. The best thing about this place is selection. There were, of course, a few nice clearance items but on the whole don't expect to see what one might consider true "outlet" prices. To me, these are really just name-brand retail stores, not bargain-priced outlets.

To reach Mebane, we passed through Burlington, NC. Burlington used to be the place for the outlet mall shopping. James and I made a couple of trips down there 20 years ago, when we were younger and could stand driving for two hours, shopping all day, and then driving back home to fall into the bed. I also went down and back with my mother a couple of times. It certainly can be done and many people will do it for this new outlet mall, I am sure.

Anyway, we reminisced about those trips so long ago in our past. We even drove through the Burlington Outlets to see what was left. Not much. The buildings did not look like they were in disrepair, but many were empty. I don't think the list of stores on the website is current as I did not see some of those stores in the vicinity.

After we destroyed our feet and made our legs hurt from walking around Tanger Outlet, we returned to Greensboro. We had dinner at Golden Corral and then went back to Four Seasons mall, because obviously we had not shopped enough.

Our adventure ended bright and early this morning (Saturday), when, after a scrumptious breakfast at IHOP, we headed north back to beautiful Botetourt. In fact, we were back home by 10:30 a.m. and that included a stop at Kroger for groceries (because we didn't have enough bags in the car yet, apparently).

And that, as they say, was that.

Muzzleloader Kill

If you don't like deer trophy kill photos, please stop reading here. Otherwise, scroll down for the photo and story.

My husband shot this nice 8-point buck yesterday evening with the muzzleloader. He was happy. He enjoys hunting and it serves several purposes. For one thing, it helps with the deer population, which is huge. So many deer are very hard on the hay and other crops. We also eat the meat so it helps with the grocery bill. And deer meat is better for you than beef - not as much fat, etc. And since he likes to do it and finds pleasure in it, that in and of itself has its own worth and I would never begrudge him that even if I am not an enthusiastic hunting fan.

The Promotional Ceremony

Today was the day of the promotional ceremony for Roanoke Fire-EMS. My husband, named a Battalion Chief in December, received a gold badge.



Members of Medic 1 came to watch.



Chief Hoback and the minister.



Chief Hoback shakes hands with my husband as he presents him with his new badge.




The new battalion chiefs, Terry King and James Firebaugh, my husband.




A picture of all of the men who received promotions.



The husband and his proud wife.

26 years

Today is my anniversary. My husband and I are celebrating 26 years together.

We met at a James River/Lord Botetourt football game, played at LBHS. At that time the home team was on the other side of the field from where it is now, and people tended to congregate beneath the goal post on the right side as you look at the field from the school.

I had graduated high school in 1981 and some friends lured me back to the campus for the game. Said friends introduced me to James.

I remembered him. We had ridden the school bus together lo those many years ago. He was four years older than I and of course had no time for the mousy little girl who sat on the back seat and did her homework. I had no hint of a romantic notion for the boisterous boy who would race from the bus and climb aboard a motorcycle left at the end of his driveway. Kids always moved from one side of the bus to the other to watch him zoom around the field. He seemed to free.

And there we were meeting beneath the goal post. We tried to make small talk, talking about the game, going to school, our mutual friends. He asked me if I would go out with him that night, and I told him no, I was with friends. He asked if I would go out the following night and I told him no, I had plans with my parents who were celebrating their anniversary.

Poor thing, he was trying very hard, wasn't he? We left the ball game and then we met up again at Mike's Market, a local hang-out and grocery store. At that time it was located in what is now Bellacino's Pizza. He again asked me to go out and my friends this time urged me to go. One of the couples with us said they would go out also, and the rest would find another way home (I was driving and had my own car.) One of them promised to call my mother (which she did). This was pre-cell phone.

So I drove to meet him at the Ramada Inn, which was a hotel at the Hollins exit of I-81. He was with a friend of his. The place had a nightclub and it was the place to go. And there we danced and shared our first kiss. We quickly became an item and the rest, as they say, is history.

My House

This is my house as seen from the other side of the farm.

The house is difficult to see from the road; you have to be looking for it to find it.

The vinyl siding is brown. Originally the house had cedar siding on it, but that proved difficult to maintain. So we covered it with vinyl.

My husband built this house in 1987. When I say "he built it" I mean just that. He measured and hammered. He spent an entire summer putting our home together, him and his friends.

It is a packaged home or "kit house" made by Timber Truss. I think it is this plan, only we reversed the blueprints and turned the garage doors to the rear. Because we do not have a basement we turned the garage into a single car garage so we would have some place to put the furnace.

We don't have a basement because we built on a rock pile and didn't have the money then to blast it out. Sometimes I am sorry we don't have a basement because it would be a good place to dump stuff.

The house is not very big but for the two of us it is fine. We had plans to add on had we had children, but since that never happened we have never made changes.

We moved in in November, in time for the holidays. We've been here ever since and have no plans to go anywhere else.

This is home.

Socks

I don't know how to darn a sock.

This thought came to me in the middle of the afternoon on this day, a Friday, when I was supposed to be working on the backlog of articles that await my attention.

Instead, I was cleaning out my husband's sock drawer.

We both have a lot of socks. We collect them. My husband in particular never wants me to throw out his hosiery.

So I was surprised yesterday when I sent him out on errands and he actually followed my suggestion to buy himself new socks. If he did, I told him, I would throw out every one of his old socks and replace them with new.

I actually had already purchased 12 pairs of new socks for my drawer with the intention of doing the same. I made that purchase three weeks ago and had left them in the bag because I hadn't found the time to dump my sock drawer.

I always feel guilty when I throw out old socks. Shouldn't I darn them, fix the holes, shore them up for reuse? Doesn't this make me one of the consumers, part of the disposable society?

Well, yes. But I don't know how to darn a sock. Nor do I have the time to learn. And when you think about how long you wear a sock, they're pretty cheap.

Old socks can be used for dust clothes or for stuffing a stuffed animal, or for an oil rag out in the garage. But generally I just throw them out because if I don't they end up back in the drawer.

If I were really keen to preserve and reuse, I would make a sock quilt out of them. "See, honey, that's the sock from that time you stepped into the pond when you were saving the cow and your boot came back all covered with black gunk that wouldn't come out. Remember?" I can see us now, in our 80s, recalling those fond times.

My husband's socks are filthy even after they've been washed three times. The man is a farmer and a fireman and he digs ditches (he does have those three jobs) and they are all dirty jobs. He grinds the dirt into his socks and no amount of bleach will get it all out.

His work boots also bleed color into his socks, so they often turn brown.

His socks get very thin quite quickly, too, and I have been remiss in not replacing them sooner.

Perhaps it was for this reason that he brought home 24 pairs of brand new socks yesterday.

And a few hours ago I dumped them in the wash (we wash everything before we wear it around here), and then I ignored the writing that beckoned me and headed for the sock drawers.

Because my husband is a hard-working man, and he deserves comfy socks on his well-worn feet.

My Week in Review

Last week in spite of the snow and ice and general bad weather, I had a lot of work to do.

Monday I wrote articles for the newspaper.

Tuesday I attended a supervisors' meeting. When I go to meetings, I sit through them and then write about them. The meeting lasted from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a break around 5 p.m. for the supervisors to eat dinner. I came home and had dinner, too.

Wednesday I interviewed for articles for the newspaper. I also prepared my invoices for the month for my work.

Thursday wrote up the meeting and worked on a few other articles. I had lunch with my friend whom I had not seen since Christmas. She was looking great and I was pleased to see her feeling so chipper.

Thursday night my husband and I took our nephew a birthday card. He turned 18. I can't believe he is that old now. Seems like just yesterday...

Thursday night I was up most of the night with my husband, who somehow wrenched his back. He was in a lot of pain and sleep was out of the question for both of us.

Friday morning I visited the beauty parlor (it did not improve my looks, I'm sorry to say) and then it was back to writing more articles.

Friday evening I hovered over my husband and alternated heat and ice on his back in an attempt to get the muscles to loosen up.

Today I cleaned the house this morning and then went to the book store with my friend. I just love Books-A-Million. I walk in and there is the smell of coffee and new books. There is not a better fragrance in the world some days.

I did buy a couple of books. I didn't need anymore but I like to support the arts.

My husband just a few moments ago said his back feels better. Thank goodness.

Feeding the Cows

Fire Station #9

Last Friday night, December 12, the firefighters at Station 9 with Roanoke City Fire-EMS got together for a Christmas meal.

My husband is the one in the hat without a mustache.

I was told this get-together likely was a first for any station, because of course one of the three shifts always has to be on duty.

However, an off-duty crew from another station (I think it was Station 5 but I'm not 100 percent certain) stepped in to sub for the on-duty shift at Station 9 for a few hours so that the crews could all be together this one time.

Station 9, as I understand it, is slated for an early grave when Roanoke City builds a new station on that end of the city in the upcoming months. Things will not be the same for these guys, who are now working out of one of the older stations in the city.

My husband is a captain at Station 9 on B shift. The shifts work 24-hour days every other day with a four-day break. That means my husband goes in at 6:30 a.m. on Monday and comes home on Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., then he goes back to work on Wednesday morning and Friday morning and then he is off for four days (then he works Wednesday Friday Sunday, so his days are never the same. It can get confusing.).

I am very proud of my husband for reaching this pinnacle of his career. He has worked hard to reach this goal, which he stated to me before we married. "I want to make captain," he said when he took the job as a rookie firefighter.

He has been a firefighter for 25 years. It is a noble profession and I have been honored to watch the brotherhood of men who have served with my husband.

Over the years I have sent them many containers of fudge and cookies and cakes. Firemen have big appetites.

I cannot imagine what it takes to go into a burning building, to run a call on a vehicle accident when people have been torn in two, or how it feels to try to save someone who has had a heart attack. My husband, who is also an EMT, knows how all of that feels. I imagine sometimes it must be like a large lump weighing heavily on his heart.

Emergency services workers have a hard job. It's not one I could do. I salute them all for their efforts.

Our Silver Anniversary

Today I have been married for 25 years. That's more than half of my life.

We have been very happy. I think we knew almost from the moment we met that we would end up together.

We met on October 15, 1982 at a Lord Botetourt High School football game. I had graduated from high school a year earlier; he graduated in 1977. We stood under the goal post and chatted. He asked me out that night.

Our wedding day, November 18, 1983, was a cold Friday; I remember snow flurries. Our nuptials took place at the Daleville Church of the Brethren with a reception at the Botetourt Country Club.

The honey moon was at a B&B in Warm Springs; just two nights. We were back by Sunday.





In 1987 we built the house we live in now. And I mean we built it, hammer in hand. Mostly James built it, so his heart and soul is in every nail. He made us a good, strong home.

In the last 25 years he has moved up the ladder at the Roanoke City Fire-EMS where he works. With his help I went to Hollins College and received my B.A. in English in 1993. He encouraged me to quit my job with an attorney and try freelancing. I never looked back.

We are not rich in the monetary sense of the word but we are exquisitely happy with one another. Our biggest shadow was my inability to have children; those six years of trying to conceive remain our main sorrow. Thankfully we have four nephews and a niece to spoil. It eases the sadness most of the time.

We argue some, but we usually resolve our issues. Mostly we just love each other. To this day we hold hands when we are shopping.

We even hold hands when we're sitting on the sofa watching TV.

I consider myself blessed to have met this man and married him. I am so thankful we have been together all of these years.

Happy Silver Anniversary, my wonderful guy!

Here We Go Again - Up in the Air

Two hot air balloons flew over our house this morning around 9 a.m.

The cows stampeded to the other end of the farm.

The balloonists were flying too low. They are supposed to be a certain height over the area and these fliers were not.

It is the "whoosh" of the propane gas burners that scares the cows. This noise like a dragon sets them off and they will run from one end of the farm and through the fence in order to get away from it.

My husband ran outside and began calling the cows to try to calm them. "Whooo cow... Whooo" he cried.

They were not reassured. They ran off like they had Satan on their heels. I took pictures of the low-flying hot air balloons which I will deliver to the Commonwealth's Attorney's office on Monday.

We also yelled at the balloonists. The balloon operators hit their burners and quickly went higher (where they should have been to begin with) and then the wind currents took them in another direction.

I know they heard us because I went up in a hot air balloon once. You can hear everything on the ground, even conversation at normal volume. Sound apparently travels up.

My husband jumped in the truck and went after the cows. They were on the other side of the farm, huddled in the corner at the fence. He had to fire up the tractor and take them a large round bale of hay to coax them out.

After my husband calmed the cows, we called the sheriff.

If the cows go through the fence or if one breaks a leg while running away from these balloons, we are the ones incurring the loss. Not these hot air balloonists. As it was it cost us time, gasoline and a bale of hay that we can ill afford in these times of drought.

Cows are not cheap. We have many thousands of dollars invested in these animals. I understand horses also go nuts at the sound of a hot balloon. I was told last year that one horse badly injured himself trying to jump out of its stall when a balloon went over.

One of the reasons this is so vexing is that if these people would go just 10 more minutes down the road, they could fly over thousands of acres of public National Forest land and not disturb anyone. With all of that National Forest you'd think they could find some place down that way to take off and land that did not inconvenience others. Not all of the National Forest is wooded; there are open fields.

This is the problem with the world today. Everyone is "hooray for me" and "screw you." I don't think for a moment that these balloonists care that they cost my husband an hour of his morning or that he is very upset.

We have had problems with a balloonist in the past. So this is not new, nor is this the first time we've filed a report. We know the drill and that is how I know to take my photos to the Commonwealth's Attorney.

If I were a hot air balloonist and I knew I had people yelling at me, when I landed and was able to locate a computer with the county's GIS on it, I would figure out who those landowners were and I would contact them and apologize. Even if I had to make several calls to get the right farmer.

However we have never had any contact with any of these balloonists and of course we don't have any way to know who they are. I think one of them operates a ballooning business here but I have never seen the multi-colored balloon before.

I wish people would think about their actions. Hot air balloons are lovely but like everything they have their place.

And that is not over a farm full of scared and frightened cattle.