Relief from the Heat

We are having a hot and somewhat dry summer this year. The afternoon high temperatures have been around 95° F all week. Then we had a weather system blow through Friday night to bring us some much needed rain and some relief from the heat. I don’t think the temperature even reached 80° F Saturday.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF DOGS. Tuesday evening I was trimming the ditches by the highway when a man, herding two puppies, walked up and asked for a glass of water. It turns out this fellow has no car and was walking home from Springfield. The two puppies saw him and followed him. He was trying to keep them from becoming road kill. I took him home but he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tell me where the dogs came from. The next day we called friends who work in the classified sections of two papers to see if anyone had placed an ad. I also visited all the houses for four miles up the road toward Springfield. No one was missing any dogs.

They are cute puppies--a mix of Brown and Black Labrador Retriever. I’m guessing they are about three months old. The kids have really taken to them, but they haven’t been around dogs much so it is taking them a bit to get used to how dogs love and play. We have named them Starsky and Hutch and they kids have fallen in love with them.

Sunday morning, as we were getting ready for church, there was a knock on the door. The guy who owned the puppies just happened to make a wrong turn up the road and was turning around in our driveway. That’s when he noticed his dogs in our yard. It was a sad parting for the kids. I found Jenna upstairs in tears. It looks like we’ll need to start looking for a dog now.

SWIMMING LESSONS. The kids are taking swimming lessons this week. Jenna can get across the pool really well but needs to work on her breathing when swimming freestyle. Ben had lessons last year and is eager to jump in and learn new things. This is Nate’s first year of lessons. When I asked him how it went he proudly exclaimed, “I jumped in and swam great!”

UNEQUAL TIME. Friday night Nate spent the night with Mom and Aunt Mar (Jenna and Ben stayed with Pauline and Vicki and I went out on a date). As we were packing Nate grabbed a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD to take with him. After supper he wanted to watch his movie so Mom put it in for him. Then Aunt Mar invited him to sit in her lap. About half way through the DVD Mom, feeling a bit left out, asked Nate if he wanted to come and sit in her lap. He was quite happy in the lap he was in. Later, at bedtime, Mom walked by my old room where Nate was sleeping and saw Aunt Mar sitting on the edge of his bed scratching his back and talking to him. What was so funny was that after getting Nate in his pajamas Aunt Mar suggested that Mom go get ready for bed herself. I think Aunt Mar wanted to have time with Nate all to herself.

A NIGHT ON THE TOWN. While the kids were enjoying time with their grandmothers Vicki and I got a chance to be a couple. We ate at the Depot in Springfield and then went to see the new installment of Pirates of the Caribbean. If you enjoyed Curse of the Black Pearl you will enjoy Dead Man’s Chest, just pick a theatre with comfortable seats as it is a long film. Our one recommendation is that if you have trouble remembering the details of the first movie you should rent it or at least read the plot summary on Wikipedia.

TO TARA AND BACK. I have finally seen Gone With the Wind. We rented it and watched it this weekend. I will have to say up front that if this were a recent production I would not have been the least bit interested in the story. But as it is a classic from 1939, I am glad I have now seen it. I was aware that several of the idioms we use in our speech have their roots in this movie and am glad to have fuller understanding of these expressions. It was also neat to see the acting style of that time. And quite frankly, I feel like Rhett was a gentleman for not speaking more of his mind when he left Scarlet at the end of the film.

Joe

These Are Days to Remember

Where I didn’t have a lot to report last time, I’ll make up for it in this letter. The Cotters came to visit and all the cousins have had a blast playing together. Here’s a rundown of their visit.

WHO’S WHO. This information is for those of you not familiar with my extended family. While I write about these families on occasion you may need to know this to navigate this issue. We were visited this week by my first cousin Jim Cotter, his wife Dianna, and their two sons, Alex (8) and Chris (7). They live near Orlando. Jim is the son of my Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob (who were up on a visit a few weeks ago). Aunt Linda is my Mom’s younger sister.

Mom and Aunt Linda have an older sister, Helen (now deceased). She and Uncle J. C. have a daughter, Judy. Judy and Jim Bradley have a daughter, Amanda, who is a few years younger than me and Jim Cotter. Amanda and her husband, Derek Dee, have two girls, Riley (soon to be 6) and Harper (2). They all live nearby in Ashland City. Now that I have you thoroughly confused....

WAITING ANXIOUSLY. While our kids were counting down the hours until the Cotters arrived they were enjoying a leisurely trip up from Florida. They stopped in Georgia several times to learn about the Great Locomotive Chase from the Civil War. After spending the night in Chattanooga they spent Sunday at the Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park.

Monday morning they headed to Nashville. Amanda, Riley and Harper met them at Fort Nashborough (this is a replica of the fort that James Robertson and the settlers built in 1778--this ties in with the Kilgore story from the last edition). Then they went to the Tennessee Bicentennial Mall to visit and play. They also ate lunch at the Farmer’s Market next door.

We met up with the Cotters at Opry Mills where we ate supper. Afterwards, we walked over to Opryland Hotel to see the Peking Acrobats. They put on another good performance. We got there early to get good seats and while we were waiting Jim, the kids and I went to explore the hotel. You can get lost in there.

LOW KEY FUN. Tuesday morning we got a slow start. We went to see Aunt Mar and all went to Thomas Drugs for lunch. The kids spent a lot of the day just playing in the yard. That evening we went down to the river (which is more of a creek this time of year) where we grilled hamburgers for supper. The kids had a great time trying to build a dam across the river and succeeded in raising the water level behind the makeshift rock wall by four inches. Mom, Aunt Mar, and Pauline enjoyed watching from the deck built along the bank.

MORE WATER FUN. Wednesday was another full day which began with a pancake breakfast. Later in the day we got out all the water guns and balloons and had a war. The chicken house became a great fort for this as well as the swing set.

The Cotters take water fights much more seriously than we do, so our kids were outgunned. Jim has a large pump action gun that holds a gallon or so of water. We laughed when he backed Alex against the wall of the chicken house and soaked him. When Alex ran off you could see his silhouette on the wall where his body kept the wood behind him dry. Alex and Chris have nice pump action water guns as well. The guns are connected to a water tank worn as a backpack. Our poor kids simply have what was on sale at the dollar store. They were a lot wetter for it too. I think it was really frustrating to Alex to discuss battle plans with Jenna and Ben only to have them forget it all and run amok when under attack.

For supper we drove to Ashland City to eat at the Riverview Restaurant to eat with the Bradleys and Dees. We enjoyed a great catfish dinner. Dessert was a birthday cake for Judy. While I won’t discuss ages I did notice that she rearranged the numeral candles on the cake so they read “06.” Maybe we can throw her a Sweet Sixteen party next year.

After supper we all boarded the Blue Heron for a cruise down the Cumberland River. The Blue Heron is a pontoon boat with seating for about 24. The man that owns the boat has been giving cruises for about four years. It was really pleasant floating on the river as the sun went down. The captain had water guns (only for shooting overboard) and bubbles for the kids to play with so they never got bored. He also let them steer the boat which made my mom a nervous wreck.

THINK PINK. Since we were late getting the kids to bed we got another slow start Thursday morning. When the kids did get up they popped The Pink Panther into the DVD player and watched that for a while. I mention this because later, when they all trooped out to play, they were humming/singing The Pink Panther Theme.

Jim and I took all the kids over to Aunt Mar’s to play. I got out my old Girder and Panel construction set and the boys had a good time building skyscrapers. Vicki and Dianna had gone to Springfield to run some errands and they returned with barbecue for lunch. Jim and I left after eating to go across the county to Adams where they were setting up for the Threshing Show. I wanted to film the steam engine and thresher without people around.

LIGHTNING STRIKE. While Jim and I were gone a quick summer storm blew up in Cross Plains (Jim and I ran into the rain but the storm cell developed strength as it traveled east.) While everyone was in the house visiting and playing there was a loud pop--lightning had struck one of the trees in the yard. Mrs. Connie saw it hit from her house. The strike even tripped one of the breakers in the fuse box. Today, as I was mowing, I found the tree that took the hit. Judging by the 5 inch wide strip of bark that was vaporized, lightning hit the middle aged oak about 20 feet above the ground. Walking around the tree there are other places were the bark is hanging loose about 15-20 feet up. At the ground dirt was blasted away leaving a small hole. This tree stands about 50 feet from Aunt Mar’s house. I found bits of wood that had been blasted off the tree as far as 30 feet away from the base. I hope the tree survives, but if not, there are 121 other trees in the yard.

WWII (WATER WAR II). Thursday evening we grilled steaks and chicken over at Pauline’s. The Dees came to join in on the fun. After dinner all the kids got out in the yard for another water gun fight. Harper was so funny as she thought the object was to kiss someone with the lips of her fish water gun. The kid soaking continued until dusk and we capped the evening off with dessert.

As an afterthought, I wonder if we had put soap in the water guns if that would have counted for the evening bath....

THE THRESHING SHOW. The Tennessee-Kentucky Threshermen’s Association put on their 37th annual show this weekend. We loaded up early yesterday morning and headed to Adams for a day full of fun. The Cotters had seen the steam engine parked over at Uncle Paul’s before but this was the first time they saw it in action. They got the opportunity to feed wheat into the separator and blow the whistle (thank you very much Charlie). They enjoyed the other attractions at the show as well. These included the saw mill, blacksmith’s shop, tractors and farm equipment on display, a model railroad, etc. About the only thing we missed were the mule, horse and tractor pulls. Jim and Dianna scheduled this year’s trip to see the show and I think they really enjoyed it.

After getting home and cleaning up we went to the Catfish House to eat. The Dees met us there and all the kids had a good time playing in the front yard of the restaurant after supper.

BACK TO NORMAL. The sad part about any visit is when it’s time to say goodbye. That happened this morning at 8:00. The Cotters left early to tour The Hermitage and the Parthenon in Nashville before turning their van toward Florida. A little while later I noticed Jenna had disappeared. I found her upstairs in her room, curled up in a ball on her bed, on the verge of tears. I held her close and shared with her how I used to feel as a kid when visits with Jim and his sister Ann Beth were over.

The kids and I had originally planned to return to Adams and visit with cousins on the Swann side of the tree today, but after all the excitement of the week and with a trip to Camden for a family reunion with Pauline’s family scheduled for tomorrow we stayed home. About the most exciting thing today was the 1+ inch splinter we pulled out of Nate’s foot. It came out clean and he’s up and running around like it never happened now.

Joe

Cross Plains History 101

There isn’t much to report on this week. The kids are still counting down the hours until their cousins arrive (we have actually altered the plan a little and will meet them in Nashville to do some fun things there before they get to our house). I have started back to work for the 06-07 school year. And, we got some much needed rain which cooled things down considerably around here.

KILGORE REMEMBRANCE. Every Fourth of July our town has a Kilgore Remembrance ceremony. Thomas Kilgore was the first settler in our area. He was also a Revolutionary War veteran. He is buried in a small cemetery along Highway 25 about a half mile or so west of town. We’ve held this ceremony at the cemetery for the last 20 years and we had an exceptionally good program this year. Our guest speaker, a local historian named Mark Lowe, made all the difference. While he talked some about Kilgore he also told about other early settlers to our area and the hardships they endured. We also had a flag raising ceremony, musket salutes by long hunter re-enactors, and a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence. Afterwards people enjoyed cookies and lemonade as they visited.

A BRIEF STORY OF THOMAS KILGORE. While Thomas Kilgore was the first settler in present day Robertson County and Cross Plains and he has hundreds of descendants still living here, it is odd that you won’t find a single Kilgore listed in our phone book. Kilgore was born some time around 1712-1715. His family immigrated here from Scotland.

We pick up on Kilgore’s trail through the tax records for Orange County, North Carolina. His farm fell within the borders of Caswell County when it was formed. Aside from farming, Kilgore was also a long hunter, leaving home over the winter months to harvest pelts for fur trading. Before Tennessee became a state in 1796 this area was part of North Carolina. In the late 1770s, the government was giving 640 acre tracts of land in the western areas away to anyone who could prove they had staked a claim on the land by going there and raising a crop of corn. In 1778 Thomas Kilgore walked here from his home (which is about 800 miles away).

When Kilgore arrived he found some land he liked and planted his corn. He took up residence in a small cave. At that time many Native American Nations used this area for hunting and fishing grounds and they didn’t like it that white men were starting to encroach. Kilgore had many close calls with Indians that summer. On one occasion he discovered he was being tracked by a group of warriors. Taking the river to hide his tracks he rushed to his cave. Inside the cave (which has fallen in today) there was a large room. A smaller chamber existed above this. Kilgore climbed a rope into this small room, pulled the rope up after himself and covered the opening with a large rock. Then he sat still until the party searching for him in the passages below went away.

When the corn ripened he gathered a few ears, packed up and headed for North Carolina to record his land claim. He came back the next year with his wife, his children and a few other families. They settled and built a small stockade, known as Kilgore Station, to protect themselves from Indian attack. Later that year a group of settlers, led by James Robertson, heading for French Lick (known today as Nashville) stopped at Kilgore Station for a short rest before continuing on the last leg of the journey to their new home.

As the settlement that became Cross Plains grew, Kilgore built and operated a grist mill. One day in 1823 he walked to Gallatin to file some court papers and have his gun repaired. (This is a 15 mile trip on Highway 25 today.) He got wet on the way home and stopped at the Villines Inn to warm up where he reportedly danced a jig. On returning to his home he came down with an illness and died most likely of pneumonia. He was around 108-110 years old. It is said that this was the first time he had ever been sick and that he never rode a horse or in a wagon in his life. I hope I’m half that tough when I reach 100.

WE’RE NOT BUYING THAT! Of course, since we painted the bedroom the comforter set on the bed doesn’t match the room. So, Vicki and Jenna went shopping one day last week. At one store Jenna noticed a cubical pillow with the words like “yes,” “no,” and “maybe” printed on the various faces. Thinking of a question she tossed the pillow and then turned to Vicki full of excitement. “Mommy, its true! You’re going to have another baby!” Quickly sizing up the situation Vicki told Jenna to put the pillow back as it was defective.

Joe

Summer Heats Up

July is here. It has brought temperatures in the 90s with humidity not too far behind. I guess this is why I felt it was time to start reading The Collected Jack London.

THE JOYS OF BEING A DAD. As a father, I see it as my calling and duty to provide my children with a daily dose of aggravation. The hairbrush seems to lose itself quite frequently around our house. This is never a concern for me as I keep my hair cut short enough to never need the thing. The other day, when the search was on, Jenna asked if I had seen it. Rather than answer, I began to bellow out the chorus of the Veggie Tales classic Oh, Where is My Hairbrush? Jenna finally looked at me and said, “Daddy, you are a strange man.” I trailed off my caterwauling with a feeling of immense satisfaction.

I got major eye rolls Sunday morning. I had called the kids to breakfast, but they asked if they could finish watching Arthur. Since we weren’t pressed for time I consented. When they finally arrived at the table they placed their drink orders. This was greeted with the following statement: “I’m sorry but since those dining with us this morning chose not to come when summoned the serving staff is now off duty. You will need to help yourselves.”

THE PAINTING CONTINUES. Actually, it’s just about finished. We lack some of the woodwork in our bedroom. At least we have been able to move everything back into the room and resume some form of order. I finished the walls in the foyer today but everything is still shoved into the center of the room as we still have the woodwork to do. The kids have enjoyed racing around the furniture in this room and I wouldn’t mind so much if I weren’t having to straighten out all the drop cloths all the time.

TAXI! One of the latest games the kids have dreamed up is playing “Taxi.” Their “cab” is a bent up hula hoop. The driver and one passenger get inside the hoop and trot around the house. If there is a second passenger they are found holding on to the “rear bumper” of the cab. This is usually Nate and he is heard shouting, “Tacky! Tacky!” as he follows behind.

ANOTHER QUICK VISIT. I reported two weeks ago that Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob stopped by for a brief visit. They came back through this week on their way home from New Jersey. We only got to see them one night which was when we went to the Catfish House to eat. Vicki went over to Aunt Mar’s later that evening for a late night of Spades.

Speaking of Spades, Mom and Uncle Bob had one really memorable game. During the bidding phase, Aunt Mar and Aunt Linda decided to go blind low. With that bid on the table, Mom, who is normally a conservative bidder, looked at Uncle Bob and said, “Let’s do 10 for 200.” The clincher was that Aunt Mar and Aunt Linda were set during that hand giving their opponents a 400 point lead. I hear Uncle Bob kept the score sheet as a souvenir.

ANTICIPATION. It is always fun when cousins visit and our kids are looking forward to a visit from their Florida cousins. Here is a copy of an email I sent to Jim and Dianna around 10:30 this morning which captures the mood around our house pretty well.

To Whom It May Concern:

My children have a solid grasp of the travel plans you have for Monday, July 10, 2006. They know you will be visiting Purity Dairies for a tour of the facility at or around 1:00 pm. Furthermore, they are well aware that said tour lasts about 45 minutes. With this information they (mainly Jenna) have calculated that you will be back on the road by 2:00 and, if traffic is good, you should be arriving at our residence around 2:45. Those who track this sort of thing inform me that at the time of writing this email it is 9 days, 4 hours and 15 minutes until your arrival, give or take 15 minutes.

The parents of the above mentioned clock watchers would like to strongly advise the parents of the anticipated cousins to drive safely but with all possible expediency to arrive here on our children's schedule before we go nuts. The mother of this brood will be on the front lines that day as the father will be at work (the only day he is working that week).

Sincerely,

The practically insane father of the Swann kids.

P.S. You did not hear this from me, but the Cotter kids would be well advised to arrive with water weapons fully loaded.