At long last, a post!

My time on the Net is limited to when everyone is asleep and about 30 minutes during the day when the girls are watching a video or otherwise engaged, and we've all been off our schedules a bit, so that's why its been awhile. I have lots of posts running around in my head, but of course I forget them once I sit down to write. What have we done lately?
The most exciting I think has been the Maple Festival up in Highland County - there's still time to go, if you missed it last weekend!
Its held the second and third weekends every March. This past weekend was cold - and rainy. I think it was 37 degrees when we got there - to Monterrey.

(entering Monterrey)

The doughnut line for those delicious maple doughnuts looked to be about an hour wait, so we visited the school complex for hot dogs, crafts and displays first. Then it was off to the Highland Center for cloggers, but 220 South was still playing so we drove back over to the doughnut line. I mean, we make that hour long drive every year for the sole purpose of getting those warm maple doughnuts, so we had to keep tabs on the line. It was still long, so we went to the VFD to check out their craft displays. OK, I was scoping out ideas, but that is to be expected. Once finished there, we drove back over to the doughnut line, which was still long, but was moving.
Now, this is where I get to brag on my husband who makes such big sacrifices to ensure his girls are taken care of. We had a dilemma: the Highland Cloggers started in thirty minutes, but the doughnut line looked to be a 45-minute weight. I mean wait.

(Abbo getting a lift up the hill to the Highland Center)

So what did Andy do? He stood in line for 30 minutes while we girls sat toasty in the car. Then, when there were still about 10 people in front of him, he had us go back to the Highland Center so Hannah could get her fill of clogging. He walked - oh, I dunno, I guess 1/4 a mile at least - in the rain and cold with 3 dozen doughnuts to where we'd parked the car (below: view from the Highland Center).

Then he waited for us in the HC for the cloggers to do their thing: He was dry by the time we found him - warm the whole time in his cammo coat, but a little damp. Thank you Daddy-o!!
We revived on warm doughnuts (this may be sacrilege, but I personally think these warm fresh doughnuts are even better than Krispy Kreme! There, I said it!) and went back to the school complex for another craft show (this time to scope out the gourd displays), and then to hit the road home at about 3PM.
A good time was had by all - the snow was just about all melted (snowline started just north of Warm Springs Mountain) by the time we left, and it was still overcast and foggy, but we were tired, happy and bottomed out from sugar withdrawals, so it was a quiet, peaceful ride home. A quick stop at Bartley's Meat Market and we were set for supper and an early bedtime!