Long Time Funeral Director Remembered

I was out of town celebrating my wedding anniversary with Karen when I got the news. The passing of Don Edgington. My earliest memories of Don were playing knothole baseball on a team in Mowrystown where he was the coach and Craig and I were players. He told me to go to right field and I did not know where right field was. Pretty good indication my future would not be in baseball.

Don encouraged me in my real estate career on numerous occasions and his words were always the same. He would say "Jeff, the word around town is that you work hard and are a hustler. Keep your nose clean and you will do just fine. He always stressed to me to keep my nose clean.

Don ... I'm doing the best I can. You will be missed.

Over the Back Fence

I subscribe to a southern Ohio magazine title Over the Back Fence. It has some neat articles and always provides information on upcoming events in southern ohio. In the moast recent edition, I was reminded of the great county we live in through a feature article about Highland County. This article listed must-see places such as The Colony Theater, Highland House Museum, Rocky Fork Lake, Highlands Nature Sanctuary, Travelers Rest, and our very own courthouse. The writer captured the essence of our county: rich history, great outdoors, and recreation! We have a fantastic place to call home!

Visit Over the Back Fence to check it out!

Nashville

My wife Karen's mom & dad Bill & Hazel Gustin just celebrated their 50th wedding anniverary in late October! This past weekend the four of us took off to see The Grand Ole Opry and stay at The Opryland Hotel. I'm not able to get out of the office very often so for me it was a breath of fresh air! The Hotel is a must see...simply incredible! The Rockettes were performing and we got tickets to the show. The girls liked it! The Grand Ole Opry was held at the Ryman downtown Nashville! A blend of old country music and modern artist were featured. A good time was had by all! We toured Studio B on Music Row were over 30,000 songs have been recorded including half of Elvis Presley's recorded songs. That was a great field trip!

Southern Ohio Travel Guide

With gas prices on the rise and family budgets tightening, many families may look for vacation spots a little closer to home and less costly. Brown Publishing who owns our local newspaper, just put out a magazine called TRIP - Southern Ohio Travel Guide. I thought it was well done, informative, giving many options for the family to have a good time in an affordable, close to home manner! If you haven't saw one, check it out! They are around town, available at the Times Gazette newspaper office, or see me!

Seven Caves is now Cave Canyon Nature Preserve

We live in a wonderful area! A great article about our 7 Caves now known as Cave Canyon Nature Preserve was featured in our local newspaper. Breath-taking beauty, awesome scenery, cliffs and canyons, 23 caves, and rare plant life can be found minutes East of Hillsboro! Take the family and check it out! To read more and contact information, click here.

Busy Summer Season Upon Us

With the arrival of summer, comes the fun outdoor activities that all of us enjoy: fishing, sailing, camping, swimming, boating, and picnicking. All of these activities can be enjoyed right here in Highland County....at Rocky Fork Lake State Park. The park offers a myriad of warm weather pastimes.

There are so many things to do at the lake... Many improvements have been made to the campgrounds. Cornhole is now available. Many hiking trails provide for numerous bird-watching opportunities. The park offers much much more for campers as well as the public! All are invited to enjoy the park!

What others say about: Community, Dickey Group, Rocky Fork Lake, Vacation


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Paint Creek State Park - Something for Everyone

Located in Highland County, Paint Creek State Park has made some improvements to its facilities to offer more summer fun for visitors! There are a few new surprises, too!

As in the past, swimming at the 1000 foot beach, and camping are offered with cleaner restrooms and changing houses available. New pontoon boats and deep-bottom boats are also available for those wishing to fish. Hunting is also permitted at the park - license required. Campsites have been updated and provide options for pets! Four long walking trails, over 25 miles of bridle trails, and mountain bike trails invite everyone to enjoy the scenic park lands. A nature center shares a wealth of information with visitors. New to the park this year is a miniature golf course and coming soon - a playground!

On a related topic, those visiting the park are reminded to be safe and cautious with any outdoor activities. One activity that several have been injured from is cliff diving. In an effort to maintain safety at the park, Paint Creek has officially banned cliff diving. This risky behavior is not encouraged or allowed at the park. Fines and unspecified prison time could result. Kite tubing (inflatable devices designed to become airborne when pulled behind high-speed boats) has also been banned at the park. Officials encourage park visitors to engage in fun and safe activities for the summer season!

The Dickey Group encourages everyone to visit and enjoy the local parks! These natural resources provide many fun opportunites for adults and children of all ages!

To read more about Paint Creek, click here or visit this website.

What others say about: Community, Dickey Group, Vacation, Youth


What Jeff says about:

Vacation

Lake Tahoe in the Fall! Karen and I spent a week vacationing in Lake Tahoe during mid-October.

Karen and I flew into Reno, rented an SUV and headed for the Sierra Nevada Mountains!

Lake Tahoe is located on the California/Nevada line at approximately 6200 ft. elevation surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Average depth of the lake is 100 feet of the purest water on planet Earth! The lake is 12 miles wide and 22 miles long. Waterfront real estate is owned by prominent business people and movie stars and can be purchased in the 7-8 digit range. We stayed in the Mariott at South Shore across from Tahoe Tom's Gas Station where Tom Cruise made a movie. Outstanding dining with spectacular views of the lake made for enjoyable evenings. The Edgewood and The Chart House were our favorites!

We visited Virginia City where we walked the streets of the old desert western town. Karen and I took a train ride through the countryside and toured the largest silver mine ever discovered in Nevada, the Comstock Load.

We visited Yosemite Valley and National Forest for two days. Karen took 8 rolls of pictures of trees and rocks! The Sequoia trees were amazing! The Tioga Highway winding through the 750,000 acres was breathtaking! Glacier Point is a must see! El Capitan and Half-Dome were my favorite rocks. The waterfalls were incredible!

A visit to the Apple Hill area allowed us to enjoy the Fall Harvest Festival. Apple cider, apple fritters, apple pies, apple wine....everything apples!

The most memorable event of the trip......being stuck on a gondola for 35 minutes! No cell phone service, no communication with anyone.....I decided to take a nap!

We highly recommend this amazing trip to anyone with an adventurous spirit!

Tags: Vacation, Lake Tahoe, Trip, Adventure