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Ian’s 8th Birthday Party

Saturday, August 28, 2010

I’m still catching up on what has been happening in our lives since our road trip.

Grandchildren’s birthday parties are so much fun.

By his 9th birthday, he should have two front teeth again.

Soccer was his theme of choice.

His sister, Jana, played while we all sang Happy Birthday.

Now who could be doing something like this to a birthday boy?

Of course, it would be big brother Josh

Time for cards and presents

Oh, yes, Gummi Bears from Grandma Buch

Money is always a welcome gift!

Birthdays are much more fun when I get the gifts.

Jesse and Jared: Yes, it’s finally time to play”

These are a true threesome – they like dressing alike, and doing the same thing.

Dad and Mom with the birthday boy.

Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

Philippians 4:1 (The Message)

Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

Philippians 4:1 (The Message)

Paving Our Road

Wednesday, August 25

The day after returning from our trip, we woke up to this.

We were delighted, because our road really needed a new cover of black top.

The pictures are self-explanatory.

By then end of the day we had a beautiful road. They did a finish coat the next day – and center line markers.

~~~

Thanks Martin Paving! We love our road.

~~~

Paving Our Road

Wednesday, August 25

The day after returning from our trip, we woke up to this.

We were delighted, because our road really needed a new cover of black top.

The pictures are self-explanatory.

By then end of the day we had a beautiful road. They did a finish coat the next day – and center line markers.

~~~

Thanks Martin Paving! We love our road.

~~~

He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always.

Psalm 121:8 (The Message)

Road Trip – Day 7

Last Day

…heading north from Roanoke

Tuesday, August 24

Our first stop on Tuesday morning was Cracker Barrel.

As we approached Roanoke on Monday evening, I thought, “This is were Ike Risser lives, we should call and see if he is available to meet us for breakfast.”

We were delighted that it suited him. He was a regular speaker at our TFC Northeast Retreats in the eighties and nineties. It had been many years since we saw him – and the first time since his wife, Mildred, passed away.

It was wonderful to catch up on his life.

We had an appointment in Culpeper, Virginia, and decided to go by Liberty University in Lynchburg because we had never see it, and some of our friends attended here.

It was a rainy morning, with lots of water on the road in Lynchburg, as you can see by the water spray caused by this car.

Our stop in Culpeper was to check out this truck.

The owner was not home, but told Cerwin where to find the keys. He wanted to donate it to TFC. It was interesting that he called Cerwin while we were in Virginia (heading south) – so it worked out nicely to see it on our way home.

While Cerwin checked out the exterior, I went inside the cab.

It had a lot of neat, plush features – and stuffed animals.

I am used to seeing the interior of TFC’s 1992 Volvo, and found this 2000 Freightliner layout to be quite different and more modern.

The dash was quite elaborate.

Cerwin checked out everything – wheels, engine, and body.

Since the only reason TFC needs a tractor, is to pull the International Chapel to truck shows and churches – and to deliver new chapels – a new tractor must be an improvement over what we have.

Cerwin’s conclusion was that this needed too much work, and would be expensive to change into a TFC tractor. It also has 1.4 million miles on it – a lot more than the Volvo.

 Thanks, Tom, for thinking of TFC.

That means we’re going to keep on driving yours, Barry.

Since Culpeper was our last planned stop – we looked for a few antique shops. Both of us enjoy browsing in these unique places. The exterior of this one got my attention!

We didn’t find anything here, but I loved her creative decor.

After supper at Mountain Gate Restaurant, Thurmont, Maryland, we headed home.  It was a great road trip – one of the best we have ever taken – but it is good to be home again.

~~~

Tomorrow night: Blacktopping Our Road

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God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.

Isaiah 40:28 (The Message)

Road Trip

Old Barns

…and other interesting things from our trip through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina

August 18-24

One of the things I like about driving on back roads is finding old buildings.

Oh, the stories they could tell.

Cerwin liked this old bus and wanted me to photograph it. It appeared to be used, and had an antique license plate on it – which I blurred.

I didn’t crop this one very tight, because I thought the herd of deer added to the photo.

This abandoned house was probably a nice place to live in at one time.

It was difficult to tell what these buildings had been.

As we approached the Roanoke area, we noticed a vine of some kind that was covering anything it is path.

Though I found this interesting, I’m sure it is killing everything under it.

~~~

I received lots of interesting emails and comments on this vine. Everyone says it is kudzu.

Frost kills it in the winter, but it comes back with a vengeance in the summer. Cows love it.

It grows a foot a day, and it’s invasiveness is quite a problem.

That is kudzu, a vine that originated in China and Japan, that was introduced to the southern US for some reason, and is now widespread everywhere. It is bad and I think that it is just about impossible to get rid of. You see it everywhere in the South

~~~

Tomorrow Night: The Last Day of Our Southern Trip

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Everything God does is right—the trademark on all his works is love.

Psalm 145:17 (The Message)