Visiting our Granddaughter at her NC State Apartment

1910 Tower Hall

Service Desk

Photographs on this Post

All photographs taken by and belonging to Judith Richards Shubert October 17, 2014; digital format used.

Copyright 2014: Judith Richards Shubert

Counting Cows in October

When my daughter told me this morning that she was on her way out the door to take Shelby to work in the Corn Maze down the road ~ yes, it is already October ~ and then she had to come back and check the cows, I thought to myself, "I can't miss this!"

It is a beautiful Fall day in Caldwell ~ one of those Saturday mornings when you have already gotten a lot of light housework done and the outdoors is calling you! I quickly messaged Gail that I should ride with her to check the cows. Of course, she thought I was crazy. Her 70-year old mother surely didn't want to ride behind her on the 4-wheeler????? I told her to ask Shelby. She told her I have ridden with her before! So, in less time than I could get my jeans and tennis shoes on, Gail was in my driveway, texting me that she was ready ~ where was I?

I grabbed my camera and we were off. Gail doesn't have to check the cows often. Only when she is the only one around. Charles and Brenda have been away for a few days with friends enjoying the scenery of the Amish country and Troy is on duty at the Fire Station in Roxboro. Someone is always here though. That's the way it has to be when you have animals to care for.

It really felt good to be able to get close enough to the cows to photograph them. Gail pointed out things about them that singled them out, such as markings they have, or how they acted. Number 24 is still with us ~ I took several pictures of her last year when I called her my favorite. We still have the two white or grey cows, too. There are two new calves so far. One of them has a mom with pigment markings on her bag that make it half white. She is nursing in the picture I took.

All of them were gathered in the woods behind the pasture below Gail's house. I was hoping they were closer to my house, so we would have further to ride! Maybe next time.



Content and Images:
Copyright 2014:Judith Richards Shubert, digital format used.

Ice and No Power

Some of the old-timers drinking coffee and sittin' around on the turned up cold drink cartons, visitin' and comin' in out of the cold the other mornin', reminded Andy that Caldwell and Orange County had not had an ice storm like this in a long time.

Charles said the ice was getting rid of the dead and brittle wood that was in their forests. Now for the clean-up! He and granddaughter Shelby rode 4-wheelers checking fences yesterday after most of the ice had melted. They had to replace a lot of plastic clips on the electric fences and spent quite a while removing a tree or tree limb that had fallen over the fence near our house and the old store. Shelby really enjoys helping Pop and her dad around the place and they have come to rely on her. But as Brenda said, there is enough debris this time, that it will take all of us doing our part to clean up the place!

Shubert has been out early picking up fallen branches over here at Gail and Troy's. He was getting house happy!

We have all shared the warmth and the cooking made possible by Charles's generator and enjoyed the hot coffee, banana bread, ice cream sandwiches, hot dogs, laughter, and love shared in a time like this. Brenda shared Maw-Maw's chili recipe with me because Shubert loved it so, and we told stories of the past. But we never did get around to any of those games the kids like to play. I have been having trouble with my eyes so I couldn't look through the camera lens for long. I didn't get any pictures of the damage the ice did, just a few icicles here and there. I'm sure there are plenty of pictures on Facebook and on the web that represent the same week of ice, sleet and snow we had here in Orange County, North Carolina, this week.

Piedmont Electric and Duke Power, with the assistance of several out-of-town power companies, have restored power to thousands of their customers. The Blalock's have power, we don't. But we all have our family around and they have been fantastic. 

Welcome back to North Carolina, Bob and Judy!

Our Big Snow of Valentine's Day Week 2014

 Sisters Angie and Judy at RDU ~ February 12, 2014

Angie Ready to Board Flight Back to DFW and Home

Leaving Just Before the Big Snow

 On Hwy. 70 in Hillsborough

On Hwy. 57 Headed to Caldwell

Home Sweet Home in Caldwell

Some Digitally Enhanced Water-colored Photos

of Home in Caldwell

Before long we can get back to good food and sunny days! 

By Valentine's Day afternoon the snow was melting and 

we are getting ready for freezing temperatures again tonight.