I do not want to brag but it is no secret, my granddaughters are both angels incognito. I do not tell everyone this, only those who will listen. Since they are nearly perfect, I was a little concerned about what I was hearing through the telephone. My daughter was on the phone with me, but all I could hear was my oldest granddaughter in the background. Ava was having a meltdown. To be honest I was more than a little sympathetic. Someone once said that grandparents and grandchildren get along so well because they have a common enemy, the parents.

It was hot in Philadelphia the summer of 1776, unusually so (according to the Web site http://www.virginiaviewpoint.com). Temperatures throughout June had been running in the 90s coupled with high humidity. There was no such thing as air-conditioning, dehumidifiers or even an electric fan to help. Nor, for that matter, was there even ice for cooling drinks.

Piney and She were veritably drunk to be back in Southwest Virginia!

The weathered old barn sits proudly on the crest of the hill overlooking its Southwest Virginia valley.

The seats were great, but I was not in a great mood. The Phantom of the Opera had come to Charlotte’s Belk Theatre. As we were already in town, it was Linda’s idea that we go. I, on the other hand, was a reluctant patron.

Unfortunately, a longstanding tradition in Appalachia has been that healthcare was often difficult to find due to the lack of healthcare professionals in the region. However, while not at the forefront of easy access to quality healthcare, the outlook for the region, particularly in this area, has improved greatly.

Piney pondered the old age hazard of getting deaf and losing your memory. It wasn’t all bad.

Staring at the television screen, the man said, “That is nothing but a waste of time.” A handful of us were sitting in a car dealer’s waiting room. The wall-mounted television was replaying part of the President’s speech in Cairo to the Muslim people. The man was looking at his wife when he made the remark, but he spoke in a way that everyone in the room could hear. I said nothing, but looked up at him. Without invitation he explained, “It is a waste of time to talk to those people about peace. There will never be peace with them. That is what the Bible says.”

It is often stated that the U.S. now has a service-based economy. That is, much of our economy is based on people providing some kind of service for other people. I have a question for you, “How’s that service thing working out in your opinion?” I’m here to tell you folks, it hasn’t done so well for me lately.

As Piney packed to return to Rural Retreat from Florida, he was pondering the past after reading a novel about New Orleans and its total destruction due to the stupidity of the various governments, ranging from the local to the national. “N.O.“ or “The Big Sleazy” did not exist any longer but was a mass of death and wreckage.