Blitz. Day 2. July

The awesome, incomparable, and really-fun-to-work-with Jen Carter presented us with the long anticipated "aesthetic", or logo, for our little homestead this month. If you have ever visited with us you will notice features in the image that are unique to our place. The color brown (hello, it's a farm), the goats, our newly constructed Gooneybush road, and our small, but much-loved, barn. Someone even saw a beet in its shape (hi Darryl). It is very special to us, and so is Jen. The image converted to milk label in a flash, and we are very pleased.

Our summer fun continues with a paddling trip down a 7 mile section of the Etowah River.
Joni (DIL),
Ethan (son on right), Jonathan(son on left),
and Cindy (BFF, who is a vision) went with.

I have been fascinated with the concept of rivers since, oh, Ms. Garrison introduced us to Mark Twain in 7th grade. I am not fascinated with whitewater, water falls or drop-offs, rivers traveled by anything bigger than my car, or being knocked silly by a sturgeon. I'll take mine flat and glassy. I was not disappointed. We researched our trip pretty carefully. Funny thing, the outfitter didn't say a thing about the nuclear test site, or wasps' nests bigger than my head . Still, better than a sturgeon.

Drop the T and you have surgeon. Dr. Charles Mixson assisted Chloe in parting with her tonsils and adenoids this summer at St. Mary's Hospital. Two nurses attempted to start her I.V. during which time she and George felt a little funny . While Sleeping Beauty was in her repose I slipped down to the gift shop and found her the most adorable stuffed ostrich. Her name is Uvula (in honor of Chloe's uvula which was vexed, to say the least). As you can see, Uvula is a compassionate bird .


As fate would have it, the best medicine for Chloe was a brand new puppy...with her own set of troubles. While Chloe recuperated on a futon mattress in the living room, her brand new puppy was recuperating with two very tiny fractured legs - right beside her. A victim of abuse, the puppy was brought to Shannon Veterinary Clinic where Nic and Jon both work. After two months of casting, Agnes (which means pure) Felicity(which means luck) Rinke was fully recuperated. She is the apple of her mother's eye, now fully grown, weighing in at a whopping 3 pounds.

We capped off the month by winning third place in the Athens Farmers' Market "Taste Your Pie" competition. The challenge was to make your pie with local ingredients. Butter, eggs, nuts, and milk were the primary ingredients for the Gooneybush "Tortoise and the Flair Pie" . Primarily a chess pie, we used locally grown pecans (making it a turtle confection) and caramel from the goats' milk (for the flair). These folks paid $5 to be the judges. Tough job, but somebody's got to.


Last, but not least, I had two brushes with the other world in July. Rural Georgians are not unfamiliar with apparitions. There are none-too-few locations that will receive your donation in exchange for a drive onto their property and the chance to see the Virgin Mary's face in the spots on the side of their pig. I am the first, that I know of, to have been contacted by Jim Henson. On July 6th I was visited in my skillet while cooking breakfast , and again on July 22nd in my sink (that's goat cheese curd in the drain). I'm still searching for the meaning in the visions. I am your faithful subject, Jim...but you'll have to be more clear.