The news of my demise has been greatly exaggerated...

No...I am not dead, or even bad sick.

A lot has happened since I last wrote you, dear reader, but I can't really remember a whole bunch of it. I have and excuse...I'm 75 now.

Mama is fine, had another birthday since I last wrote...98 and counting. she doesn't remember a lot from today, but she's hell on the years before 90. She does "pretty well for a woman who's soon to be a hundred!"

Janice Faye is fine, keeping me in line. Making beautiful pottery and good food. I'm doing just fine on the old chuck line.

Brother Bob is having another mid life adjustment at 71. Pulling out of his sea side digs in ST Simons Island. He done built him a house on Lake Rabun, Ga., and back to selling high dollar houses to high rollers. He's still got the pool and spa business, North Ga. Pecan, several rental properties. He has emailed  Donald Trump to bring back Reaganomics, for some reason. He's doing much better than he was when Reagan was in the Penn House.

 My sister Sally is doing well. Goes to bulb shows in Holland, Buffalo round ups in Wyoming, and has a job as a master gardener for folks that can't...but can afford one.

Last years garlic crop was alright...too many small bulbs, but they'll eat, too. Better than the Chinese junk, (no the boat). I've got some great garlic left, for those who are garlic deprived...Christmas is coming on and there will be a few social function that would benefit from garlic breath.

The new crop is in the ground...12 rows of 2250 plants each. Thanks to Coralee Hardman and her patient, nimble fingers...and my darling daughter and friends for help. My old knees and back will still do it, but I'd been New Years getting it all planted.

I'm beginning to feel like old Squire Hines in WV. He always said if he could plant a row of corn he'd live another year...I'd plow him a plot every year...he was still alive and well when I left WV.

Hmm. Just a row of garlic. Immortality on bad knees? I don't know...well, maybe I could still play mandolin.

It didn't rain a lot this fall...none, in fact...43 days with VERY little rain. Too dry to plow, breath, swim or do much else. Nice beautiful 70 degree days, 50 degree nights until this last week or so. The rains have come, cold weather will follow. The wood pile will begin to dwindle...got to do something about that this week.

 Life gets tedjous, don't it.

Allegheny Echoes was good. Long as they aske me to come, I'll go...nothing like WV in the summer.  I taught backup guitar instead of beginning mandolin. Always a bunch of fun. There are some incredible people to mess with in West Virginia. Most of them agree that summer time is the ONLY time to really enjoy the place. Can't see it in the winter for the road closings, snow drifts, snow days, and minus 0 temps. Really wonder why they don't have a population explosion every year about August, Sept, Oct., if you know what I mean.

There were some elections this year that worked out well for some in this country...so far. We'll see how the world feels in the next year or so.

My good friend and mentor potter Jerry Brown got called to the Pottery Shop in the sky. Bet he misses old Blue, but I imagine the Lord may have a few good mules up there to mix mud for him.

Spent some time with old friend and banjo picker Diana Runyon at the beautiful old house in Mt Lake Park, Md. this summer. Ready to go spend some time with her in Fl sometime this winter.  She was the banjo player in the old Hooker Holler Symphony.She's converting well from melodic bluegrass banjo to old-time claw hammer style. Good enough to talk me out of my 100 year old English banjo that was begging to be played. Lord knows  I can't play it... foolish pride thinking I could!

Tractor's running good, a great place to learn words to songs and remember old tunes...my hope is to write a novel on the tractor...and not ever have to write a word of it.

Well, that's all the social media I have time for...no cute pictures of grand kids and cats. No beautiful sunset pictures from Belize. Ain't no Pat Shields loves Cheese Whiz on Zesty Crackers in this profile.

Just the facts, folks. News from Strugglesville. Glad to be back in the land of the living.