We went to zone meeting this week in Clarksville, Tennessee, about a 1 1/2 hour trip from where we live.  Last time we came by this field, the plants were about the size of small cabbage plants and we didn't know what they were.  The trip before that, they were planting this field with a transplant machine.  This time we finally realized it was a tobacco field.  The plants have grown quite rapidly because the whole field is under drip irrigation and it has been very hot.  Few fields are irrigated but the  worth of the tobacco must justify it.

Our mission transfer day was last week.  Two new sister missionaries were transferred to a nearby town and included in our district.  We took them to zone meeting so they could save miles on their car.  Sister Tauoa is from Southern California.  Sister McCall is from Yreka in Northern California. My cousin Carole and her husband Gene Welling live there.  Sister McCall told me that Gene Welling was the patriarch that give her her patriarchal blessing.

It seems to be a small world we live in.  Two of the elders we have been working were transferred.  We have a brand new elder from Sandy, Utah, Elder Haslam that is our district leader's new companion.  He is 6 foot six and a big boy.  He played basketball for a Junior college in Washington.  It is going to be tough to fit him in our car.  Our new traveling elder is Elder Webb from Providence, Utah.  We have had fun talking about Providence, where we lived when I went to Utah State.  A large number of our missionaries are from the intermountain area and California.

This is the view off the front porch of a couple we have been teaching.  It is their own private little lake and about twice the size of what you can see in the picture.  Coal was strip mined here many years ago and the hole left from the mining filled and became this lake.  It is hard to tell the area was strip mined except for these little ponds and lakes that are quite prevalent. The foliage has all grown back so it looks quite normal.

Mother wanted me to send some pictures of the home we are staying in.  This is the formal dining area.

This is our living room.  There is a piano and a small organ at the back of the room.  My easy chair, an electric recliner is in the foreground with the white blanket on it.

Mom's kitchen is not large but adequate.

I converted this bedroom into my office.  There is still a hospital bed in this room.

Our bedroom, most of the blinds are old and were broken before we moved in so we have tied them up.  We have four window air conditioner units so we have been very comfortable during the heat wave.  As you can see, most of the floors are hardwood.  This was a pretty nice home when it was built but it is quite old.   It is quite nice and really roomy compared to our trailer.  We are really enjoying it and we have 3 extra beds for visitors.

A final note I consider very serious.  This morning I realized that Sister Peterson was actually reading from "Mormon Doctrine".  Surely the second coming can't be far behind!
Elder and Sister Peterson (Living high off the hog in Kentucky)