Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for in my life.  Mostly good health, family, friends and financial stability.  With those things behind me, I'm allowed the freedom to enjoy a spectrum of activities, some simple and some not so much. 

This morning, my husband and I were simply sitting upstairs in the living room in very comfy swivel rockers facing the fireplace, each with a cup of coffee, talking and watching the many birds out at the feeders.  The sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky.  Leaves were still floating down regularly.  There is no more perfect moment in my mind.   That's the kind of stuff that finds me grateful beyond belief. 

Sunrise from the deck

I hope all of you who visit here take a moment to be thankful for the good things in your life.  I'm also grateful that you stop in to visit me.  

Y'all take care.  

Fall in the Mountains

I wish there was some way that I could share  accurately the breathtaking beauty to be found here in the mountains at the moment.  We don't have as many maples as New England so we don't have as much red color, but the oranges and golds certainly make up for it. 

Every one of these was taken without getting off my porches and deck.  When you look out the windows, you are looking into a sea of shades of gold, yellow and orange.   Sadly, though, this peak color also means that leaves are falling.  We're enjoying them every day because soon there will be long months of bare limbs.   

Winter months provide their own beauty with lacy limbs, sometimes outlined in snow, and allowing views in directions not seen while leaves are on the trees. 

I grew up in northwest Florida where so many of the trees did not shed leaves.  The area is covered by pines and though they do shed needles, they are never bare.  Even the oaks there mostly shed part of the leaves in the fall and the most of the leaves in the spring as new growth appeared. 

For many years I dreamed of living somewhere with rolling hills, hardwood trees and four seasons.  I've got those here and I'm a happy camper.  

Strangely, there are very few acorns this year.  Gonna be a lean year for critters that rely on them.  I'll bet that means that the squirrels will be flocking to our feeders even more than usual.  I don't mind supplementing their food supply, but being the primary source gets tiresome, particularly as their feeding keeps the birds from the feeders.   

Y'all take care 

Just Another Day in Paradise

I don't know if it is just me or what, but I'm noticing the days a lot.  Take a couple of days ago when we got 2 or 3 inches of snow overnight. 

Yes, in color

I absolutely loved the way the branches and limbs of the trees looked like dark edged lace with their coat of snow.  Then, by evening all the snow had melted away and it would be hard to believe it had ever been there.  

I think as I've gotten older that I notice light and color in the days more.  I remember as a child dancing around outside as the day waned on the farm in Florida, just enjoying how pretty the sunset and sky were.  Then as we reach adulthood, we get busy with other things and forget to really see what is around us.  Thankfully, I've always been fond of "nature" and so made an effort to get out and about in it.  I spent lots of time in the desert when I lived in Las Vegas.   Goes back to that farm girl raising. Then, after I got married, we traveled full time for over two years in our RV and it was glorious.  Even after buying a house in Florida, we spent months every year on the road throughout the country.  Good times.

Here on our mountainside, I never get tired of the steep slope of the hill behind us with the bare trees at a sharp angle in contrast.   Or, the way the limbs move in the wind.    When the leaves come, there will be a whole other tapestry of colors and shapes to inspect.  

One view from the deck

I highly recommend taking a minute to just look around and really see what is there. 

Y'all take care.

Winter's Here

Winter's here in the mountains.  We're having snow today, lots of tiny snowflakes coming down steadily.  The ground is just about covered now.  We're expecting only a few inches from the whole system.  Due to the cold temperatures, it'll be sticking around for a while.  We aren't expecting temps above freezing for two or three days.

This from a week ago but soon to be again

I'm sitting here this morning watching the birds outside.  They never cease to amaze me.  There's juncos, sparrows, doves, wrens, goldfinches, white breasted nuthatches, chickadees and titmice regularly.  Others stop by as the mood strikes.  Such a peaceful scene. 

I'm trying to get back into my sewing and quilting.  Somehow its been very hard for me to get motivated to do it of late. 

Last year when the mountains got a dose of real winter in late February, I was in Hawaii and missed the whole thing.  Not so this year but that's okay.  We don't usually have anything severe and it'll pass  soon. 

Y'all take care

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

The Farm Girl is gonna be hibernating today.  Even though the sun is shining, its still cold outside.  Now, cold is relevant, of course.   We've had two dustings of snow thus far this winter and there's a forecast for a mix of snow and rain later in the week.  We'll see.  Good thing I like being tucked inside my snug house.   Except.......tomorrow is the beginning of the winter birding session through a local college.  Thankfully, there will be a classroom gathering before we head off to a local spot to see what we can find.  Hey, the sun is supposed to be shining so it'll work.   It's been done before.  

Birding February 2011 near Wheeler Nat Wildlife Refuge.  Yeah, snow.  

Saw my first whooping cranes in the wild that day, so it was totally worth the effort. 

After procrastinating for months, I broke down and bought myself a new toy for my birthday/Christmas present.  Got a new lens for my camera.  Now, to learn how to use it properly.  Otherwise, it'll be an expensive paperweight!!

Hope everybody is doing well.  We're staying warm and trying to keep the birds fed, the little pigs! 

Y'all take care. 

I'm Still Alive

I'm still alive and kicking, I promise.  Just being lazy and the procrastinating like crazy.

Hope everybody has recovered from the holidays.    We spent them with the kids in Iowa and had a good visit.  Weather was good, too, and that's a wonderful thing.

View from the window

I went out a couple of days attempting to find two snowy owls that had been sighted locally.  Absolutely no luck.   Bummer.

Gotta run.  Got company coming in a bit and I still need to vacuum upstairs.

Y'all take care.

One Down, Two to Go

One visitor week down, two more to go.  My dear brother left early this morning after spending the week with us.  He jumped right in (as he is wont to do) and helped Hubby and me get a bunch of chores done.  

His truck was very handy in taking a load of debris down to the transfer station.  For us to take it would have required numerous loads and the dismantling of a large cabinet/bar.  

I actually had a list of things I wanted him to help me with and he obliged.  Got my swing put up at last.  Poor thing has been hauled all over the country.  

Hanging under the deck and outside my sewing studio. 

My Uncle Leonard made porch furniture for many years and this is one of his.  He made it in Alabama, shipped it to me in Las Vegas where it sat in the garage for years.  Then I hauled it to Florida where it got put on the porch of the garden house.  Now, it has moved to Georgia.

Brother and Hubby replaced some rotted boards in the walkway.  

New boards with one coat of stain

Then they tackled the edging for the flower bed on the slope.  It wasn't on the list, but.....

We're expecting our first temps around freezing tonight so I've been busy bringing some of my geraniums inside.  I don't know how they're going to do but we'll see.  There's one plant that will do fine and its special.  Was given to me many years ago by an older dear friend who was moving to Maryland as her health failed.  She has since passed away.  This plant is special to me and is gorgeous, to boot. 

Same plant but taken last year in Florida

It'll live inside now until all danger of frost is gone next spring.  

My salvia is still gorgeous.  The hummingbirds seem to have all gone south.  Haven't seen one since last Monday. 

This salvia is just outside my window and I love to sit here at my desk and watch the hummers enjoy it. 

I'll do my best to be back soon. 

Y'all take care.  

Busy Times Ahead

There's busy times ahead for our household.  

I'm off to a quilting retreat on Wednesday, leaving hubby at home to do his thing.  I'm sure he'll get his housekeeping hat on, too, even though he doesn't have to.  I'll be returning on Sunday and then my brother arrives on Monday.   It's his first time up here so it'll be interesting.  He's been in this area before and likes it.  I sure hope the weather cooperates.  There's been enough rain for a bit. 

Just two days after brother leaves, we have folks from Portland, Oregon arriving.  This will be their first trip to this part of the country and its been way too long since we saw them.  It's gorgeous where they live, of course, but its different here.

And, lastly, a couple of days after they leave, another couple from Florida is scheduled to arrive for a week long stay.  I think I'll be ready for a break by then.  

My perennials are winding down.  It won't be long before we have cold nights.  I'll also be emptying pots from the deck and/or bringing them inside soon, too.  I use clay pots and they can't withstand the thawing and freezing cycle if left outside.  I'll empty what I don't want to bring inside and store them out of the weather until spring.  

A few of my pots

I may not post here frequently, but I want all of you to know that I really do enjoy visiting your blogs and having you visit mine.

There've been a couple of new visitors and I really appreciate them.

Y'all take care. 

And here she is.........at last.

Hey, everybody. 

I've been fussing about my landscaping the last few week.  There are things I want done and the folks I've called are s-l-o-o-o-o-ow in getting back to me.  Finally, the nursery guy came today and started on the new raised bed I want.  

Please forgive the pictures.  It was dusk when I took these. 

I'm also going to have creeping phlox put on this bank near the mailbox. 

This'll serve as my before shot.  The hostas there along the wall are coming up nicely.  They were gorgeous last year and I'm hoping they'll be the same this year. 

I had a hard time holding off so long, but over the weekend I finally broke down and planted my garden.  A whole three tomato plants!!! 

They're in a narrow bed right beside where my husband parks his car but they get full sun there. 

We're seeing more buds and some leaves but we're still waiting for the big burst. 

Winter view 

I noticed tonight that the azaleas have buds and will be bursting out in a few days.  There are a few rogue clumps of creeping phlox around the yard and they're looking good. 

I've been sewing a bit but nothing I can show you at the moment.  I've been slow getting back in the groove.  The month of April is a very busy one for me and I'm in and out of town the whole time.  Poor hubby has to stay home.

I'll be doing fun stuff the next while and I'll try my best to take lots of pictures so I can share them with you. 

Y'all take care. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends

I want to wish all of you a  Happy Thanksgiving.  May your day be filled with good food, good friends, loving family and warm memories.  

Y'all take care.  

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

Oh, what a beautiful morning!   Oh, what a beautiful day!

Can't you just hear that song now?   And the bluebirds singing??

Its another gorgeous day here in the mountains.  There's lots of foggy mornings, but it usually burns off very quickly.  I just came in from replenishing a hummer feeder.  The little buggers eat voraciously.  

I've been hoping to see critters here and a few nights ago I got my wish. 

We had just finished dinner when I happened to look outside and this is what we saw.  I've seen does with twins before, but this is the first time I've seen triplets.

Pileated Woodpecker 

A week or so ago, I was sitting outside with my coffee and taking in the the morning when I heard pecking.  I got up and looked around the end of the house into the trees and saw a pileated woodpecker.  What a treat.  Then, to my amazement there was movement a few feet away from that bird and there was another one!!!!  Obviously a pair, or at least I hope so.   I've heard them frequently and seen them flying but that's the only time I've seen them so close up.  Just thrills me to know that they're in the neighborhood. 

I feel like I'm living in a tree house.  There's trees all around, except for my wonderful views, and up here on the main level I don't see tree trunks much.  It's all branches and leaves of all kinds.  I haven't unearthed my tree book yet so that I can start identifying the ones I don't know.  Hmmmm....wonder what box that thing is in?

Anyway, I'm one happy camper right now.  Hope all of you are the same. 

Y'all take care. 

Utter Chaos

You oughta see my garage!!  Looks like a junk shop, albeit what I'd call a high class junk shop.  Finally getting around to that garage sale I first mentioned back in October.  I'm committed now, so no backing out.  Most everything is priced, unless I find more stuff to add.  

The bad thing is that you have to gather everything up, put it on tables and price it.  Then, on the morning of the sale (in the wee hours, I might add), you have to put empty tables out on the driveway and then move every-little-piece out to those tables, and then move those tables out to the driveway and move more little pieces to them!   Whew.  Makes me tired to just think about it.  Got friends coming the afternoon before and staying over so they'll be here to help with the stepping and fetching the day of the sale.  Thank goodness. 

We've decided we're going to keep the stained glass window.

This is the very first garage sale I've ever had so it ought to be a real learning experience.  Wish me good luck. 

Y'all take care. 

Culling the Extraneous

I'm trying to work myself around to holding a garage sale.  Our closets are filled with extraneous things we don't need and haven't touched in years.   I've made a start on gathering things up but there's a long road ahead.    I mean, after a while things just need to go!

Ladies, what do you do with a purse that you've grown tired of?  It's still in great shape, so mine wind up on the shelf to gather dust.  

And then there's pottery.  This one is a hand made, raku fired little vase.  

And a honking beer mug from Germany.  Must hold 2 quarts.   I wonder if I'll be successful in persuading hubby to part with part or all of the beer stein collection that has been boxed up for the past fifteen years.  

There's the odd frog gardener with his rake.   He's about 18 inches tall.

I've had this stained glass window for many years with all the best intentions of hanging it somewhere.  Hasn't seen the light of day. 

These are only the beginning of a cake stand collection that hasn't seen the light of day.  I'll be sorting through those, though.  Not all of them will be put on the block. 

When somebody in the family has lived all over and accumulated things along the way, its very easy to become overloaded. 

So, back to the mines to see what else needs to join these guys for a journey. 

Y'all take care. 

A Giveaway

I've never been inclined to do a giveaway, but I think the time might be right. 

Anybody want some squirrels?

Pot # 1

Pot # 2 

Pot # 3

And Pot # 4 now looks like 1 & 2. 

Not only did they break these off, THEY ATE THE PLANTS!!  I have never seen squirrels so much as bother my geraniums over the past 14 years and suddenly they decide they're gourmet fare.   I'd had some of these plants for close to ten years.  

I can only count 10 of them at one time some days. 

Y'all take care. 

Sneak Peek

Where does the time go?  Seems like its only a blink and another week or month has gone by. 

Winter is hanging on here.  We are expecting temps well below freezing tonight, so I'll be hauling the plants inside a bit later today. I'm letting them enjoy the sunshine for now.  And it is wonderful to have sunshine at last.  We've had lots of dreary, gray skies this winter. 

I'm finally back to my quilting.  I'm working on a Double Slice Layer Cake pattern making a new coverlet for the bed in our RV.  It won't be finished before our next trip, though. 

It's always interesting to see your own home through the lens of a camera.  At least it is for me.    I wander around the house thinking how I want to change this, or move that and pictures seem to be the best points of reference. 

Y'all take care.