Murphy, NC

(Sorry, there should be a photo here of the happy couple, but I can't post any photos!) Can it really be 25 years have already gone by? We still feel like newlyweds - most days. Well, we might not look the same, but we still feel the same as we did way back then in 1987. This June we will also be grandparents for the first time to a little girl - how exciting! What a blessing to be happily married, best friends and a being able to working together as The Mountain Living Team in the Murphy, NC mountains.

Slightly more than 14 months ago we jumped with both feet into a puddle of RAIN - ACTIVERAIN that is. We watched, we read, we commented, we got involved. Even though we didn’t really know what we were doing we knew one thing for sure. Whatever “IT” was we NEEDED to do it. I can remember the feeling of overwhelming joy and excitement when we had our first featured post. I was on top of the world!

I remember the first time the phone rang and the caller on the other end said “I saw your article about blah, blah, blah”. I remember the first time a fellow ActiveRain agent called and asked if we could take a referral. I remember the first time I personally met a fellow ActiveRain agent and how we felt like we’d been friends forever.

When I hit “submit” with this post, we will surpass 200,000 points. WOW how time has flown. I can remember when I saw someone with 200,000 points and thought they must have been around forever. Now I know that it’s really just a starting point and that we have a LOT more to learn.

Thank you to each of you who has commented on a post. Thank you to each of you who has subscribed to our blog. Thank you to Niki and Kerrie and the rest of the ActiveRain staff who endure our crazy questions and requests.

It’s been a fun journey - but now we’ve got our sights on the MILLION point milestone!!!!

But hey, who’s counting .......

Cyndi

Just for the men in our lives, this is one special day
for them... Worship of Tools Day

Worship of Tools Day is always celebrated on March 11th. There are few things that the male population worships more than his tools. To some, a tool is a natural extension of their arm. So, Worship of Tools Day is a logical day of celebration. And, it's definitely a guy thing.

Please note however, there are more than a few ladies who love to work with their hands, and find today to be an important holiday. Need a birthday or Christmas gift idea for one of the "boys" in the family? You're never lacking for tool ideas when you visit the local hardware store.

Celebrate today by working with tools, and buying a tool or two. Receiving a tool as a gift today, makes this truly a special day. And your special Song of the Day to celebrate would most appropriately be... If I Had a Hammer

Our days are getting longer... Don't forget to set your clocks FORWARD
this weekend as we Spring Forward and enjoy more daylight!

Before you go to bed on Saturday evening set your clock ahead one hour so you'll show up on time starting Sunday, March 11, 2012!

This is also a good time to change the batteries
in your carbon monoxide and fire detectors.

Every Spring we move our clocks one hour ahead and "lose" an hour during the night and each Fall we move our clocks back one hour and "gain" an extra hour. But Daylight Saving Time (and not Daylight Savings Time with an "s") wasn't just created to confuse our schedules.

Daylight Saving Time was instituted in the United States during World War I in order to save energy for war production by taking advantage of the later hours of daylight between April and October. During World War II the federal government again required the states to observe the time change. Between the wars and after World War II states and communities chose whether or not to observe Daylight Saving Time. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the length of Daylight Saving Time. Arizona (except some Indian Reservations), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American have chosen not to observe Daylight Saving Time. This choice does make sense for the areas closer to the equator because the days are more consistent in length throughout the year.

The Black Snake in the North Carolina Mountains...

It was the first camping experience for Jed.

As soon as he had pitched his tent, he went for a hike in the woods. In about fifteen minutes he rushed back into camp, bleeding and dishevelled.

"What happened?" asked a fellow camper.

"I was chased by a black snake!" cried the frightened Jed.

The camper laughed and retorted, "A black snake isn't deadly."

"Listen," groaned Jed, "If he can make you jump off a fifty-foot cliff, he is!"

There are many great places and things to do in the mountains of NC, GA and TN. If you’re visiting or think of moving to the mountains we’d love to share more information and properties with you.

Lee & Carol Barbour ~ The Mountain living Team www.MurphyMountainLiving.com