Happy Halloween

Love Fall

Enjoy 

Happy Mother's Day!

Have a lovely day!

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❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

~:>

Smiles

Spring In The Mountains

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Spring Afternoon Today

Passed by these lovely blossoming trees 

on the way home. 

We had stopped for pizza 

(and a root beer float for me) 

and then  remembered 

to backtrack through town 

so I could get a photo of these beautiful trees. 

See how wide the street is? 

Back in the gold rush days this town 

made sure the main street 

was this wide because they believed that 

the town would grow into 

an important city. 

But the gold played out... 

people still search and pan for gold 

but there has not been enough 

found to turn this town into a big city. 

I love the wide street 

and 

I love the little town. 

Just my size! 

~:> 

Snow Today!

Morning, April 1, 2014
Nature played a snowy joke.

Really! 

It's not an April Fools...it really snowed. 

And then the power went off. 

Which was a neat thing because I got to make stew 

on the wood stove. 

The stew was really good even if the house had a bit of a scorched smell. 

I filled the dutch oven too full of liquid 

and then built the fire up too high. 

Oops! 

I have great admiration for the women 

who had to cook using wood, coal, etc. 

They were very skilled 

in knowing how to build and judge the fire temperature. 

There are lots of ways people used to test 

the oven temperatures before thermometers.

Well, at least I came up with a few when I Googled.

I like least the idea of putting my hand in the oven 

and counting how long I could stand to leave my hand inside. 

I liked best the idea of sprinkling some flour in the oven 

and counting how long it took to brown. 

Tricky business!

I think I'll stick to my gas cooktop

and/or the top of my wood stove when needed

or for fun.

~:>

Smiles

Reading And Rain

No snow but the rain is very welcome. 

Yep, that is really rain coming down out there.

Just spent a lazy day finishing reading 

A Phryne Fisher Mystery 

Death By Water 

Very enjoyable book! 

I love watching the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries. 

An Australian TV series. 

This is the first Phryne Fisher book 

that I have read and I must say that the TV series 

has accomplished one of those rare feats 

where the TV series is as good as or better than the book. 

Kerry Greenwood is the author of the books. 

This is a link to Kerry Greenwood's page. 

I'm very glad I found this author's books

~:>

Smiles

Light! And A Fan!

Comments Lost!

I apologize for lost comments.

Both my computer and the iPad went wonky.

They froze and after I unplugged one and it booted

back up only one comment was published.

The iMac came back online but the others are

still questionable as to whether they will work.

I'll tackle the other computer tomorrow.

Maybe the comments will be there?

Internet connection problem?

This new fan will be much appreciated this summer 

and for now the light 

is wonderful when sewing. 

Lovely bright light!

Next on my list of things to do is to get curtains. 

Curtains for the window and the closet/bed alcove. 

That is a closet there where I put a twin bed. 

Photos will follow after I put up the curtains. 

It's raining!

Rain! So welcome. 

In fact there is supposed to be rain off and on for five day or so. 

Snow? 

Well, there would be snow if we lived a bit higher up 

but who knows what may happen. 

I would love to post a photo tomorrow of snowy trees. 

~:>

Smiles

Wow! Today Was Almost A Summer Day!

But not quite

because it is cold in the morning, afternoon and night.

There really is snow back there, honest.

Today I tried again to get a photo of the snowy mountain tops but

clouds had showed up by the time I arrived.

I'll try to get a photo tomorrow in the morning hopefully

before the clouds show up?

Click on the photo to see an enlarged view.

Lately I've been posting photos from my iPad and not thumbprints from my

old but loved camera.

I checked in at the antique shop today and the lady said

that she was going to be getting

access to around 400 tea cups, amazing!

Hope the lady who collected all the tea cups and saucers

also had some teapots in the collection.

I really, really want a tea set.

You know... cups, suger/creamer, teapot, tray, all the stuff

you need to serve a proper tea.

Wonder what she will find?

~:>

Smiles

Cutting Down Small Trees

Yep. I spent part of the day

cutting down small trees and stacking brush and branches.

One pile of brush.

I stacked it next to the gate.

Because I thought it would be easy to load in a pickup

but there are lots of piles of stuff all around the acreage.

Morgan is looking pretty good.

She is getting old and has been through a bad spell

but she is on antibiotics and aside from being a bit dirty

she is doing pretty good.

She doesn't get to run around in the woods anymore.

We put a halt to that after she swallowed a rock

and we had quite a time getting that taken care of.

Tom said he has someone who is going to come

and haul stuff away. Yay!

~:>

Smiles

Happy First Day Of Spring

The sun has been out and it has been cool but sunny and that has made all the difference to my energy level. Since there has been sunshine I have been outside working in the forest thinning brush and small trees, raking leaves and piling up branches and debris that had fallen during the winter. This winter I have been a hermit. No sun means not much activity on my part.

Raking leaves is one of my favorite Springtime duties. Not really something I have to do but something I enjoy. I love being outside working amongst the trees. Better than exercise in a gym. I'll post some photos tomorrow of some of the piles of brush I have stacked up.

Last week during my regular Friday stop at the local antique shop I found this little Hen On Nest. Now she is filled with coarse kosher salt. I like being able to add a pinch of salt as I'm cooking. I think I use less salt since I can actually see how much I'm adding instead of just shaking salt over everything.

Filling the Hen On Nest with candy would also make me happy but wouldn't do anything good for my quest for a slimmer waist. Maybe I could put jelly beans in the chicken at holidays?

I just like looking at the Hen On Nest. She makes me smile.

~:>

Smiles

Snow In The Foothills

Woke up to a snowy day.

Lovely to look at but I'm very glad

that Kristine was able to get home before the storm.

I still need to get iPhoto updated

before I can get to my photos on the computer.

Posting from the iPad does work

but I then open the post up in Blogger on the computer

and do some editing and then post again as an update.

Mr. Pumpkin has turned into 

Mr. Snowman.

Morgan doesn't want to go out for a walk in the snow.

Me either.

It's cold.

Smiles

~:>

Pen The Kids!

This folding wire pen was supposed to keep Morgan downstairs but served a better purpose as play equipment for the three younger children. I have other photos but I need to update iPhoto. I got a new computer and the old iPhoto won't work with the new operating system. I miss my daughter and family who have gone back home. But I was very happy they were here for Thanksgiving! Miss you all!    Smiles!

Blogging from my iPad with Blogger

Not A Good Surprise

Well, these persimmons and pomegranates 

are a great surprise!

We found each other at the

Farmer's Market this morning.

So good!

But this leak we found in the closet was not good.

Monday we will remove the sheetrock

and find out where the water is coming from.

At least now I know where the musty smell was coming from.

I covered the chairs and what I could with plastic

to help ward off dust and dirt shed by the removal of the 

loft rug and furniture being moved around.

It is nice and warm in the kitchen.

I would like to keep all the dirt and cold air away.

~:>

Smiles

Dead Tree In The Woods

While walking with Morgan in the woods this morning

I was admiring the various open areas

that I had cleared of brush and small trees.

I still have a lot of clearing to do.

Because the small trees had been cut back

I could get a good look at a very tall old dead tree.

The top 6+ feet is laying hidden in a bunch of young trees.

I tried to get a photo of the scraggy top

but it was too dark.

Here is the middle of the tree.

And the bottom.

This tree is so tall it would be too scary to cut down

without professional help.

The tree was standing here when I moved here

(except the top has fallen off)

and will probably stand until it falls over. 

I really don't want to be in the forest

when this tree hits the ground.

~:>

Smiles

The New Flooring Is In The House!

Well, the flooring is in boxes but it is here!

Two egg veggie omelet for breakfast.

Since the arrival of the new floor cheered me up so much

I got busy and made myself a good breakfast

instead of cold cereal.

The chickens aren't laying eggs

but these store bought eggs are pretty good.

Pale but good.

23 boxes of flooring!

The floor installers may start laying floor on Monday

but since there is some painting to do

and removal of the loft railing

the actual putting the new flooring down

may not happen for a day or two.

I need to pick up a couple of light fixtures also.

I love it when stuff starts to happen

I have been years waiting for this floor.

Exciting!

The golden leaves turned to red?

I wish I could say the leaves turned red

but the red is reflection from the setting sun.

Still it all makes for a pretty picture.

~:>

Smiles