Just farming around.

With July making haste in my direction, I have got to take advantage of these do-nothing weekends!  (Sidebar:  Have I told you about July?  9-16th - vacation to Oak Island, 18th - closing on house, 23rd - movers come, 25-30th - in Boston for work/visiting Jen. I'm already exhausted)  We headed up to the farm for some fun in the sun and relaxation this weekend.  Friday night kicked off with a bonfire with Mom and Mike, The Graves Clan, and Michael and I.  We shared ghost stories, urban legends, and got to hear a pack of coyotes in the distance to enhance the ambiance.  Saturday was filled with catching some rays, reading a good book (see previous post) and exploring the back of the property.  Twenty seven acres is a lot to have at your disposal, so we took the four wheelers back to the river.  We waded, rode around in the woods, found fossils, and climbed to the top of the train trestle that goes across the river.  Mom is terrified of heights so of course we had to egg her on by hanging off and acting irresponsibly.  We had a blast, got cut up a little bit, and had a great time.  One of the carvings in the limestone part of the trestle is something Mike and Michael had mentioned several times.  It says "C Rush" who we've come to discover was the rail station manager back when the railroad was active.  It's quite an impressive carving compared to the rest and we were able to get a great photo of it, even though it's pretty high up. 

Riding back to the river

Me on top of the trestle





Old railroad captain's engraving on limestone trestle

Michael below wading in the river

View from under trestle

Very scenic place to be

In house news the appraisal came back great and we shouldn't have any more bumps in the road pertaining to that.  I'm sure we'll have another bump or two, but still planning on being in the new house by the end of July!  We have so many projects that we're already talking about!  I can't wait to post pictures and blog about them in the months to come.  We are definitely going to expand the size of the koi pond in the back yard, and maybe even add a large waterfall element feature.  Using the rock that Michael dug out of Blue River a few weeks ago as a focal point.  After all, an entire afternoon spent digging a rock out of a river bank should go towards something...sigh.  I'm glad they did it...but geez Louise.  A lot of work for one rock.  After consulting the almighty Google for answers, ultimately it was decided that the mystery rock was most likely a part of the old bridge that was across the river, prior to the railroad.  Making it extremely old.  Either way, it looks neat and I'm happy to showcase it in the backyard. 

Postcard view of backyard

Rigby laying on the legendary rock in question

Master griller with assistant

"Why yoo leev us ebery weekend?  We iz displeased wif yur absince"

Dr. Jack M. Oliver

The world lost a great man on Sunday June 5th.  My uncle Jack passed away after complications from cancer treatment a few years back.  I have very fond memories of going to my Aunt Martha Lou and Uncle Jack's in Knoxville, Tennessee as a kid.  My favorite thing was that they had a pool table.  I couldn't even reach it at the time, but I do remember he would take the time to let me knock some of the balls around.  We would take a day trip to the Smokies, and it was always something I looked forward to.  I always wanted to be a veterinarian as a kid and was excited in 6th grade when I got to write a report about what I wanted to be when I grew up.  He was kind enough to take the call from that excited 11 year old, and go through with the interview. Those are just a few memories I have as a child of my uncle Jack. 

My cousin Kevin wrote some beautiful words about him as well:

 "Sorry to report we lost our Dad on Sunday to heart failure at the age of 72. Jack Oliver was an intelligent and gracious man, well loved by colleagues and family alike. He left the family farm to earn four degrees at Purdue in the 1960s, helped start a new Vet School at Tennessee in 1976, and was honored this spring for 35 years on the faculty. Dad was a college sports fan who loved his Vols and Lady Vols, and anyone winning in his native Indiana. He enjoyed spending time in the Smokies with friends and family, and managed to get us to just about every national park in the system, instilling a great love of the open road and outdoors. He was preceded in death by his parents Helen and Levi of Ellettsville, Indiana, one brother, and our Mom, Marty. He is survived by two sisters, one brother, his second wife Suanne, two sons, a daughter-in-law, two grandsons, four step children, and seven step grandchildren. This is Dad's last photo, taken just three weeks ago at First United Methodist in Maryville. You will be missed!"

As an educator, father, uncle and person he had a positive impact on many peoples lives.  You can read comments from his students, friends, family and colleagues here on this online guestbook. 

A great history of accomplishments:

OLIVER, DR. JACK M. D.V.M. - age 73 of Maryville, passed away Sunday, June 5, 2011, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville. Dr. Oliver (B.S. 1960, M.S., D.V.M., Ph.D.) Was in the fourth graduating class at Purdue's Vet. School. He held Assistant Professorships at Colleges of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue (1969/70), Texas A&M (1970/71) and Ohio State (1972 to 1975). He has been an Associate professor (1975 to 1982) and Professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for 35 years (Pharmacology and Endocrinology). He currently served as the Director of Clinical Endocrinology Service at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. The Service specializes in adrenal disorders, and Dr. Oliver and co-workers did the initial studies that led to the concept of an adrenal syndrome that is now recognized as "Atypical Cushing's Syndrome", where the sex steroids are increased and cortisol levels are normal. Dr. Oliver and his co-workers also developed the usage of adrenal steroid profiles in the diagnosis of adrenal disease (cortisol, sex steroids and aldosterone).

Aunt Martha Lou and Uncle Jack - 1981

Family Trip to the Great Smokey Mountains - around 1986