Dry days stretched into a week or more until a storm blewin rain, blew out electricity and cooled the day on Thursday in our hometownperched on the end of June.

It's been almost two years since the Plain Talk did astory on how blueberries helped a woman suffering with Alzheimer's disease. Ona stifling hot Thursday afternoon, I drove into Sevier County not far from theboyhood home of Kenneth Presnell. It is his wife, Ruby, who is now 73, that wefeatured because of her remarkable improvement by drinking a blueberryconcoction every day. He brought her to the office in Sept. 2004 and I got tomeet her and got reacquainted with the Presnells at their most interestinghome. Ruby is still able to walk, eat and, yes, occasionally says a few words.She has suffered with Alzheimer's since being diagnosed in 1991. Kenneth tellsme that most folks die within 10 years. Many of you are familiar with JerryCody, whose wife, Julia, died on June 20 after many years struggle with it. ButRuby was not always so healthy. When she was first diagnosed she progressed toa hospital bed and oxygen. Doctors told Kenneth to expect her death soon. Then,in 2004, he heard on Paul Harvey radio that blueberries were said to be aneffective treatment. He bought a bunch and started feeding them to her everyday. Soon, she was out of bed and mobile again. Today, she takes no medicationsand has not been sick. It is a credit to Kenneth's personal attention and careof his wife and the special blueberry drink, which I will detail here.

The blueberry drink also seems to keep Kenneth spry, buthis activity level is probably typical of the Presnell family. At 75, hegardens, does landscaping and has created a paradise among trees andrhododendrons off Forest Trail Drive. After the Plain Talk story ran,"Many people called. A man from Key Largo saw the story and calledtoo." At first, cousin Dexter Rolen grew blueberries and provided them toKenneth. He now has about 20 bushes that would have been doing better exceptfor the locust plague and dry weather. "The locusts ruined us." Hehad to replant many after the freeze of 2007. The varieties he grows are RabbitEye, Bluejay, and Early Girl. One of these that does well he bought from Fishnursery off Cosby Highway. These plants produce about five gallons ofblueberries during a good season. You can't eat all these even with as much ashe and Ruby consume. "You can freeze them but don't wash them until afterthey are frozen and you want to use them," he said.

I sat in their house, which he and Bob Shaver built about12 years ago, about the time Kenneth retired from years of mechanic work. Withus were his daughter, Kathy Keys, and her son, Randall, 6. The other Presnellchildren are Karen Parks, of Sevierville; and Kenneth Darrell Presnell, anactive water well driller. I was interested to learn his parents were MajorPresnell, who married the former Rosie Sutton and had seven children. Thechildren, Ken, Haskell, Jack, Reva Ownby, Reba Webb, Delmer, and Helen Hicks grewup in Jones Cove. Only Delmer is deceased. Mom instilled a strong work ethic."We didn't worry about gas prices. We didn't have any gas." As he gotolder, Kenneth picked up wrenches and soon went to work for Polly Parrott'sStudebaker dealership in the 1950s. He was school bus garage supervisor duringthe 1960s then joined Charlie Kickliter at the Ford dealership. During hislater mechanic years he kept many county and city vehicles going at his homeshop in Indian Hills next to Ralph Valentine. When Ruby became ill, Kennethretired, located four acres in Sevier and has been there ever since. Ruby isthe daughter of Effie and Kermit Frazier Sr. Ruby met and married Kenneth July10, 1954. You may know some of the family including Rusty, Lawrence, Vaughn, AnnetteCaldwell, and the late Gladys Cook. Ruby raised her children, loved quilting,cooking, canning, gardening, and country music. She met Dolly Parton when bothwere young and even stayed at the Parton homeplace. Kenneth said that Ruby puta permanent in Dolly's hair; about the time she was singing on the Cas Walkershow. The walls of the Presnell home are covered with photos and posters ofcountry music stars. They have collected glassware, minature tractors, bottles,and other interesting items. I must say it is more than I would ever want todust but their home is immaculate. Kenneth and I walked around outside to thegardens. The rows of half-runner beans were six foot and higher. I liked hiscovered well with limestone square top with a perfect circle carved into thecenter, modern outhouse, rustic cabin, water wheel feature, and water fountainpool among stacked stone and lots of sculpture. It is an inviting and peacefulplace, perfect for Ruby's care. She still loves blueberries and drinks two 12 ounceglasses of this secret, well formerly secret, recipe: one can of Ensure, one totwo cups of fresh or frozen blueberries, three cranberry pills, two squares ofdark Hershey's chocolate, strawberry Instant Breakfast packet, seven largefresh or frozen strawberries, three to four tablespoons of Acai berry juice,and thinned with Tropicana Pure pomegranate/blueberry juice all in a blender. Ihope to return to Henry Town Road past the country churches, gardens and neverending trees to revisit the Presnells come reunion time. I hope you come too.

In plain talk, the best diets and exercise pale besidethe power of dedicated and compassionate caregivers.