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[REGGAB]

Bear with me, Family, PLEASE!  This one hurts.

Thumper and I set out on the highway this morning to take care of a few "last minute" details, before we close the sale of our beloved Tennessee Home.  Our close friends know we've been mulling this over ever since I found a job for my former tenant.  I think it's time to share with everyone.

This was our first home together.  Renea and I LOVE this place.  It hurts Renea to the core so much that she just couldn't go today.  It was the first home either of us owned.  It ain't much, but for 8 years, it was OUR home.  We loved it so much that when in 2004 the Army decided to relocate me to Ft. Rucker based on my skill set as opposed to my impending retirement, we decided to draw up our belts real tight and keep it.  By the grace of GOD we were Blessed with wonderful tenants, folks we've known for 15 years now...............as a matter of fact, Steve was my First Sergeant back in the day when I was a young Warrant Officer One (WO1) Labiche.  So the plan was, Steve and Mary were gonna rent it until I finished my two year stint at Rucker, then we were gonna move back home, I was gonna gather my tools, and go to work fixing green helicopters for the 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell.....about 36 miles from our home.

My, my, my how things evolved and changed.  WOW.........and did they ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Long story short, life's curve balls dictated we sell our beloved homestead, so she went on the market on 1 May, and we had a contract on 24 May.

So I hopped on Thump, braved the rain, and went up there for one last walk through before closing.............and to say a very tearful good-bye to our beloved Tennessee Country Home. 

Thank you so much for allowing me to share.

Here's a couple pictures.

[REGGAB]

180 degrees out from the last one.  I maintained a gang of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in that detached garage, reared three CVO Boxers in that field, tilled countless gardens for my beautiful bride, had a bazillion bonfires and "welcome home" parties, shot twice as many clay pigeons, damn near killed myself on a Honda 4trax, spent many a Saturday afternoon mowing that field, walked across it numerous times to visit with the folks who own the farm next to us.......................the memories will last for the rest of our lives.  We are really gonna miss the Crossroads.

Again, Thanks for letting me share.

[HogBreath]

Henry..thanks for sharing buddy....Beautiful place.

I think you're as redneck/country/bonafide as I am.

[FNGw/08SERK]

I think as one chapter closes something unexpected usually opens. Thanks for sharing Henry and I know good things will be coming youze guyzes way. Keep your chin up buddy.

Howie

[Keats]

Nice to share such a personal story........it is very hard to leave a home so beloved

but the memories will stay even though the house is gone......what made it a home was your family

and you are very fortunate to have those memories

[REGGAB]

Henry..thanks for sharing buddy....Beautiful place.

I think you're as redneck/country/bonafide as I am.

Thanks Ken!  There's a HUGE red oak on the other side of the house that still has a rope swing in it that Stef used to play on.  We used to have a henhouse out back, and we stocked it with guineas during the summer to keep the ticks and chiggers back.  At that time, our Annie Bea was a young pup, and Sassy Girl, our original Harley Boxer, was the alpha bitch.  She was a mischievious little cuss.  The guinea population thinned, and Sassy Girl gained weight.    The henhouse was mildly dilapidated, so I eventually tore it down and used it for a bonfire.  Then there was then time it come up a real bad cloud and we were without power for 5 days.  Now, when you live in the boonies..............and our home is IN THE BOONIES.............and your only water source is a well, and the power goes out, you do without water, which means you relieve yourself outside.  And since Sassy Girl killed and ate the guineas, the Girls got chiggers.  Chiggers ain't no fun.  Being that I'm equipped to relive liquid waste in a more efficient manner than the Girls, I was able to avoid the chiggers...........................and as far as the other.......................I held it til I got to work, so I guess you could say that back then, for 5 days I was full of chit.

  This is a good one:  Renea always had the most beautiful vegetable gardens.  She planted just about every vegetable/fruit you can imagine.  I say "fruit" because Renea planted more tomatoes than anything.  During one particular season, we had a problem with the deer getting into her tomatoes.........and the damn things didn't even have the common decency to eat the whole green tomato.  They'd take a bite out of every one of them.  I vividly remember Renea coming back up to the house with tears rolling down her cheeks proclaiming "Those Gawd Damn M**ther F**king deer.  So, the next year, she planted her tomatoes, strung up baling wire with foil pie plates dangling from baling wire, spread hair around the garden from when she gave me a hair cut, and the funniest thing of all............she'd go out there and squat and duckwalk and pee around the perimeter of the garden.  You can do that when you live in the boonies.  She even made me go out there and pee around the garden.  Couple all that with a keen eye, and turning the CVO Boxers loose when the deer were spotted in the field and...........Deer problem solved. Yep Ken, we be redneck/country/bonafide.      

The memories are many, and they are so cherished................and we all have them in our own unique ways.

Folks, I Love Life!

Have a great rest of the weekend.

[porthole]

 

[HogBreath]

I've got to say this.....

Henry.......Dang bro..You ever et squirrell dumplins? We had rabbit when Howie was here last.

[Coolbreeze]

I'm sorry for your loss Henry.    Your home really is where you and Renea hang your hats, but the loss of the roof really smarts when it's a been a good one.  Hang in there and the two of you will break in another over the years... 

[FNGw/08SERK]

I've got to say this.....

Henry.......Dang bro..You ever et squirrell dumplins? We had rabbit when Howie was here last.

I'm with Ken on this one!!!  That is a great post Henry...some real funny ch!t 

[HogBreath]

I just talked to Henry via phone. He was naked picking ticks off his body.  No pics please!

[REGGAB]

I've got to say this.....

Henry.......Dang bro..You ever et squirrell dumplins? We had rabbit when Howie was here last.

I grew up on squirrel and venison, and rabbit, and catfish, and homegrown veggies, cornbread, biscuits and gravy..............and of course..........GRITS!  But nothing to this day beats the goodness of Renea's tomato gravy and biscuits.  Just ask Howie.............the Evil One.

I'm having so much fun sharing these memories that it overtakes the sadness of the realization that soon the deed to our beloved home will belong to the buyer.  An alternate deer story................Sassy Girl hated anything in her yard, and that girl had the most obnoxious alert bark.  During the Spring, we liked to sit in the living room (right side of the house as you view the first picture) and have our morning coffee.  There is a bay window just to the right of the one in the picture.  We'd look out that window in the morning and the does with their fawns would prance across the front yard and nestle down under the silver maple trees and nap.  Sassy Girl would see that and start her chit, so either Renea or I would grab her snoot to keep her from barking and scaring off the deer..............which I'm sure confused the hell out of her since we always said "Get it, Get it, Get it" when it came to the garden.

And then there were the mice.  Mice are a fact of life when you live in the country.  You can't do much but try to control 'em.  We did our best, but that Sassy Girl was also a great mouser.  We'd hear a ruckus in the night, I'd grab the H&K from the nightstand and slither out to the kitchen, and there'd be the Sassy Girl gnawing on a mouse.  Good Boxer.....................just don't kiss me right now.   

I had the honor of serving our Great Nation in the Republic of Korea while we lived in that wonderful house.  Funny thing about living near crossroads is there are those butthole people who, for whatever reason don't want whatever pets they have, tend to drop them off at crossroads.........which means they came to our house.  We had all sorts of animals we rescued and re homed there................to include a few Boxers.  Anyway, I came home on mid tour leave after 6 months, and there was a momma cat living in the crawlspace who just had a litter.  Momma was feral, therefore the kittens were feral.  Now..........I've been in Korea for 6 months.............knowing I gotta go back in a few days for another 6 months.............and dammitt I want to sit in my rocky chair and sip iced tea, listen to the whippoorwills and crickets and enjoy the fresh air.....................not some cat pee stench in my flower beds.  So.......I waited until Renea went to Hilltop Grocery, poured a saucer of milk..........and got rid of those cats.  Method will not be divulged.  Even today I'd pay dearly.

We had a sweet gum stump in the circle of the driveway.  I soaked it with diesel for a week, and lit it.  It smoldered for months....................MONTHS..........but it finally dissipated. 

Oh.............while I was up there today, I had to hike back to the pond, and to the places I used to put my deer stands, and just generally look around like us big kids do in the woods.  Took a shower just a bit ago.  TICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ACK!      And then Cheri called................and Renea was picking the ticks off me..........................OK TMI!   

Memories.  I'm enjoying sharing them with you guys.  Thanks.

[REGGAB]

I just talked to Henry via phone. He was naked picking ticks off his body.  No pics please!

Dammitt Ken...........Renea was picking ticks off my body!    

[REGGAB]

I think as one chapter closes something unexpected usually opens. Thanks for sharing Henry and I know good things will be coming youze guyzes way. Keep your chin up buddy.

Howie

This "waiting to close" part is rough.  I think it will subside once the transaction is complete..................................and then we get to look forward to capital gains taxes   

Seriously, this is a good move.  Part of a bigger plan.  It'll be nice.

[REGGAB]

Nice to share such a personal story........it is very hard to leave a home so beloved

but the memories will stay even though the house is gone......what made it a home was your family

and you are very fortunate to have those memories

Thanks Buddy!  It is difficult, but it will pass soon enough.  I am richly blessed with a wonderful family, we have a beautiful home in Alabama, and I have Thumper.     AWESOME!