Riding through Robbins

Here I am in Robbins again. Reckon I will ever get over this and grow up? This is Elise High School. Still in use, but now it is Robbins Middle School...

Entrance to the school was at the top of this circle drive...that's where daddy dropped us off every morning on his way to work.

When the school system moved all the eighth grade students and part of the seventh grade students to the high school, I was one of the seventh graders picked to move. Just as sure as the world, I was sent to Elise High School to embarrass and drive Shelby crazy. Now tell me, was it my fault that I was bashful and backwards and scared of everything. Nobody will ever know the fear I had of climbing onto one of these school buses parked here at the top of a cliff overlooking the railroad tracks down below.

Back then a sixteen year old student with a driver's license could drive a school bus. Why if he didn't let that clutch pedal out just right we would have rolled back and down that cliff. That would have surely been the end of us! Today there are trees growing back behind the buses.

Shelby was loved by all the teachers. She was popular, had lots of friends, always in the Beta Club. Me, not too smart. Oh, I did pretty good until they sent me to the high school...

Have I ever told you about the lint on the girl's back? We were at a basketball game. A home game here in the gymnasium. Daddy told Shelby she could go to the ball game with her boyfriend Garland, but they had to take me along. I tagged along behind them as we walked that beloved sidewalk to town.  Now I didn't care one thing about basketball. I had much rather been home putting my dolls to bed, but here I was up on the bleachers with Shelby and Garland. Coats and sweaters were piled between us, probably so no one would know I was with them. Well friends, I went to work picking those little lint balls off all those coats and sweaters...every color you could think of. Sweaters used to knot up worse back then than now. It turned out to be a good size ball of lint...and kind of pretty. I flattened it out real good and when that horn went off at the end of the game...I gently placed that lint on the back of the girl sitting in front of me. How funny it would be when someone said to her, "hey, you have some lint on your back". Makes you understand why Shelby ignored me in school.

Let me show you one more building, run down now, but beautiful when we were growing up. The Community Building. This building was down the hill from our house...within walking distance...

Upstairs was the skating rink, downstairs the bowling alley, the windows on the left was the library, on the right downstairs was where we met for Brownie Scouts, and also downstairs where Shelby met with the Girl Scouts. We were here many many times roller skating. In fact, we were here the evening Daddy came walking through the door. He called Shelby aside to tell her that he was on his way to the hospital with Mama. She was in labor. We were soon to have a baby brother.

Better get off this computer and check on things. Eli has been mighty quiet. Thank you if you have managed to read this mess, these times that are so near and dear to my heart.

Love,
Henny Penny 

Visiting Robbins

I've been on a little trip, of sorts. That's right. Things fell into place this week making it possible for Shelby and me to visit our beloved little home town of Robbins. What a fun day we had, but you know what? As the title of the book by Thomas Wolfe says, "You can't go home again". That longing in my heart to relive those sweet childhood memories just can't be. 

We drove the old familiar street past the grammar school and along the sidewalk that we so often walked, all the way up past the mill where Daddy worked, on up to the houses on the hill and there it was. Our house! The same little house, upgraded a bit, but the same little house.

The land and the big trees look the same and the little houses are the much the same...

That sidewalk came all the way down the hill at the side of our house and then went all the way around the block. We wore out many a pair of roller skates and suffered many skinned knees and elbows on this very sidewalk. Shelby and I laughed when she reminded me of the time she walked a barrel down that hill! 

Back down the hill and across the street was Kennedy's store. With a dime we could buy a pepsi and some candy...

As Daddy moved up at the mill, and in the Textile world, the family moved from the small house to a bigger nicer home just up the hill and across the street. I was saddened to see that this home was rundown and not nearly as beautiful as it was in the 1950's.

This is the home I want to go home to, but never can...

Those lovely bay windows, now covered with blue curtains, were in our living room. The living room where mama and daddy entertained friends and family...

The living room where mama played the piano and sang the old songs that I remember and love today...

The living room where mama held Randall when he was less than a month old...

And the textile mill where daddy worked, the mill that made Robbins a booming little town. Nothing now but a pile of bricks...

It was sad going back because so many things in Robbins have changed or disappeared completely.

Shelby and I left Robbins and drove to Seagrove...ever heard of all the potters and pottery shops in Seagrove? Anyway, we stopped by to see our niece Vicki and take her to lunch, which made the day even more special.

I have more pictures and stories, and hope to be back soon.

Thank you for stopping by.

Love,

Henny Penny

Robbins, North Carolina

All kinds of stuff!

Late yesterday Poppy said he would like to have a wing dinner from KFC for supper. I, trying not to sound too happy, volunteered to go get him one! That meant no cooking for me! There was an extra bonus in it for me too. The sky! I got to see this beautiful sky on the way in to town.

To add to the beauty of this view, there were geese flying in a V shape in front of the red clouds, that I somehow didn't get in the picture. It's amazing how quickly the colors fade and the clouds change.

Have I mentioned that Poppy is on vacation this week?

Yep, another deer hunting week, even though the hunting is not very profitable this season. In fact, we aren't seeing any deer. There is a disease called EHD, epizootic hemorrhage killing the deer. As of October 1st, sixty cases have been reported here in Franklin County. The disease causes the deer to run a high fever and lose their appetites which sends them looking for water. Remember the post I did about the deer at the birdbath? We thought it was tame. It must have been sick and thirsty. Poor deer. We have also found a dead deer near the pond. There is a rumor around that ninety eight deer were recently found dead in the Tar River, which runs through town. But you know how people stretch things. Sure hope the disease doesn't kill all the deer.

Mr. Eli got another ten dollar bone yesterday and guess who is helping him eat it...

Sweet Eli doesn't seem to mind sharing...

Well I am done and done with picking peppers. After picking the last of the peppers, one more time, I pulled up the plants, to make sure. I pickled one jar and strung the others up to dry. You would think there was a row of peppers in the garden, but not so. All these peppers have come from two plants.

I've given away one bunch and added the newly strung peppers...

Okay, I am jumping from one thing to another here. Thank you if you have managed to still be here. Guess I need to start supper. No KFC tonight.

Hope to return soon.

Love,
Henny

Trying to make preserves...again!

What a morning! A couple of weeks ago my friend Nellie brought me another Citron melon. Hating to let it go to waste, I decided to make a few more jars of preserves. This melon was not as pretty as the one that volunteered and grew in my garden...

Anyhow, I put the chunks of melon, the sugar, and the water on the stove to cook until tender. Then covered the pot and let it sit overnight.

Adding the remainder of the sugar and the sliced lemon this morning, I put it back on the burner to boil gently until it became thick. Well folks, it was just about ready to put into the jars when I walked off and stayed away too long. The smell of caramel drifted through the house. 

Remember the pretty yellow citron preserves from last September...

Darn it! Why do I do these things? I poured the caramel looking preserves into two jars. What a difference...

Maybe a bite of this would cure a craving for candy. It is very dark and sticky and chewy. I'll probably end up throwing these out, but not just yet. I need to look at the mess for a day or two! Will I ever learn to "not wander off"!

We had wind and rain last night as a cold front pushed through. I was happy to see the sun come out early this morning. Mr. Goat scratching his head...

Pictures of the same old stuff, but the sun on the trees just looked so pretty...

Better get busy. Poppy should be home soon. His vacation, yep, another one, starts tomorrow. Nine days! Time at the computer will probably be brief at best! 

Thank you for visiting.

Love,
Henny

Kitty and more leaf pictures!

You know, kitty cats can go just about anywhere. Smokey  has found a new place to sleep where he can look down at the dogs and poke fun...

Smokey gave me a scare a couple of nights ago. He loves Eli and Weetie and most of the time stays on the front porch with them. But he was missing. We called and called and called!  Poppy and I walked around the house and down to the pond but no Smokey. Feeling mighty sad, I walked out to the shop, opened the door, turned on the light, and there he sat, squinting his little eyes like the light hurt them. I sure hugged him and held on to him. Listen, Poppy was mighty worried too.

This antique wooden box makes a good bed for Smokey. Plus, I slid it under an old table on the porch. Now he can have a little space of his own to play without big Eli stealing his little pink mouse...

I've lost two of the baby guineas which makes me feel just awful. Hopefully all the others will make it. Aren't their little orange legs cute?

Leaf raking for me is just around the corner...

But for right now the leaves are beautiful on the ground...

I had planned to put up more T-posts for the fence today but it's a dreary day here. Cool, cloudy and a sprinkle of rain here and there. 

Off to fold a load of clothes. Sorry for all the pictures. I get carried away with fall colors. What would I do if I lived up north where the fall colors are just unbelievable!

Thank you for stopping by again.

Love,
Henny

Still waiting on Fall

Oh my! Three days go by like a flash! Life is busy!

For a month now I've been saying it looks like fall. Actually, it is just now looking like fall. Around our house anyway. The leaves have been slow changing and haven't been as pretty as in years past.

These are from the yard this morning. Still lots of green.

I love being outside this time of the year. It always reminds me of a time back in the 1950's. I was probably eleven years old. It was a cool Fall day. Cool enough for a sweater.  It was Saturday and Mama was busy cleaning house and fussing about the mess things were in. Shelby was helping her, and probably getting blamed for everything. Sorry about that Shelby. :(

At the first opportunity, I slipped out the back door and went around the house to the side where the sun was warm and the wind couldn't hit me. I sat down in the warm leaves and leaned up against the house. That was the perfect feeling. Perfect! I could sit for hours day dreaming or making stick dolls and playing with acorns and the little worms that live in acorns. Shelby eventually saw me sitting out there in the sun and told Mama. 

Looks like a squirrel sat here...

The big Mimosa tree on the hill by the pond has lost most of it's leaves...

Better get busy. Got people coming to buy the dog box listed on Craigslist and the two deer feeders. Business is booming here! :) 

Thank you for visiting. Not much of a post here. 

Love,
Henny

A blustery day at the market

A dry towel! Thank you, Eli!

We got our first taste of winter yesterday! Yes we did! Where was I? Out in the wet, windy, wide open Western Wake Farmer's Market with lots of other shivering, chilled to the bone vendors. Wind, rain, falling temperatures, everything the weatherman predicted, and more. Vendor tents bounced in the wind unable to blow away because of the water filled jugs that hung from each corner. Two boat anchors and two milk jugs barely held down my tent. Not even one picture do I have to show you. I was too busy warming my hands in my pockets, wiping my cold runny nose, and keeping the bonnets from blowing off the table.

Poppy called it a wasted day. Not me. Shelby and Jimmy always make any day fun. We don't see enough of family anymore. Shelby and I are the only two left in our family and Jimmy is just the best brother-in-law ever! Shelby and I talked about old times. We talked about mama. We laughed, we visited other vendor's booths. Shelby traded an apple pie for vegetables...kale, eggplant, and broccoli. We bought a large coffee to warm us which by the way was the best cup of coffee I have ever put to my lips. I selected the "dark, ghoulish, halloween blend"...really good!

It was probably going on 2:00 when I got home yesterday. There was no coming in the house, curling up with a warm dry blanket and relaxing. No sirree! I unloaded the car, changed into old jeans, got my feed bucket and headed right back out into the cold wind to the animals. The baby guineas were my biggest worry, but they were all fine. After feeding and giving them clean water, I found a piece of plywood which I stood up to make another windbreak. Their corner of the dog lot is now enclosed on three sides...toasty warm what with the heat lamp and their mama to snuggle under too.  I continued on with the chickens, goats, ducks, Bun Bun, the cats, Weetie, Smokey, all needing attention, and of course Eli needed to be hugged and walked. Just finishing up and stepping back up on the porch, Poppy pulled into the driveway. Thoughts of cooking supper sent burning red flashes through my mind! Crap! 

Plundering through the cabinets with my cold, numb fingers, I pulled out everything needed to make a big pot of chili beans...Good hot chili using...

    1 lb. Hamburger
    1 onion cut up
    bell pepper cut up
    1 can diced tomatoes
    1 can tomato sauce
    2 cans pinto beans
    1 can (almost) water
    2 heaping T chili powder
    1 tsp. cumin
    salt & pepper
    and one chopped, long hot red pepper like 
    these...

(This was my last pickings from the 
    teeny tiny garden last week) 

Brown hamburger, add peppers and onions browning a little longer. Add other ingredients. Simmer couple hours or longer.

Putting chili on to cook did warm me up some so I kept up the pace and began unpacking the damp bonnets, aprons, and dolls. Did I mention the only sales yesterday were one small doll, one bonnet, and one girl's apron. Yep, I made $28.00. 

Shelby had two pieces of her chocolate fudge cake left. She sent these to Poppy...

Speaking of Poppy, look who has become all buddy buddy with him...

Thank you for putting up with my rambling on and on about nothing. Hope to be back soon.

Love,
Henny Penny