Thank goodness!!!  It came in four parts.  Each one is fairly heavy, but manageable.  And it is prelit with 850 LED lights.  I am so excited!!!  Did I tell you that it is 9 feet tall?  

 

HAHAHA!!!

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER Y'ALL!!!

 

All my life I have loved fresh cut Christmas trees.  And up until 2020 we had a fresh cut tree every year.  Well, that year we got a cat from the shelter, so we decided not to put up a tree.  We weren't sure how Gizmo would do with a tree in the house, knowing that he loves to climb trees outside.  So we just decorated with our usual snowmen, poinsettias, and Father Christmas decorations.  

 

I guess we got out of the habit of putting up a Christmas tree, because it has taken me this long to get around to it.  Anyway, we have lots and lots of beautiful ornaments, so this year we looked at a few trees, and we didn't really see anything we loved.  So we started to look at artificial trees and some of them are really pretty.  We looked in quite a few different places, and decided on this one from Home Depot.  

 

Uh-Oh!!!  It weighs 66.67 pounds.  Hope we didn't make a mistake. 

 

 

I WILL LET YOU KNOW...

 

Wow!!!  Talk about fall into winter.  

 

We were walking in the park, and this Sycamore grabbed my attention.  I just love those wintery trunks.  I love how they poke up into the wintery sky.

 

I hope you have sycamore trees near you so you can be awed by their starkness.  

 

 

HAPPY END OF NOVEMBER!!!

 

 

Another beautiful fall picture.  This one was taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2016.  

 

I am using it today to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, filled with joy, love, and all your favorite people. 

 

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

Remember all those chestnuts we collected back in October?  Pocketfuls, or is that pockets full?  Anyway, we collected a bunch.  We know from experience that you need to freeze them, because somehow when the flowers are being pollinated, insect eggs are laid inside the flowers.  Then when the seeds (the chestnuts) are formed, the eggs are inside them.  If you don't freeze them the larvae hatch inside the chestnut and then drill a hole in the shell to come out.

 

You don't even want to know how I know this.  But I do, and I'm telling you to freeze them when you collect them, to save yourself a lot of extra work.

 

OK, after all THAT:  Years ago Linda gave me a cool tool that exes the top of the chestnuts, cutting into the shell so they don't explode in the microwave.  So I cooked a few and they are delicious.  Now we are going to add them and to our Thanksgiving stuffing:  chestnut stuffing.  

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

This is the "resting rock" almost at the top of the community.  It is a huge, beautiful hunk of granite that probably weighs a thousand pounds.  Since our latest rainstorm, it has greened up.  The moss lives on it all the time, but it gets really green after a little rain.  And can you see all that pink in the stone?  

 

Anyway, this rock sits there waiting for us to come along and rest on it.  We love it.

 

 

HAPPY HIKING!!!

 

On our walk yesterday, I couldn't help noticing that most of the leaves have fallen, and aren't they beautiful!!!  But it is starting to look a bit wintry.  The good news is:  even though it looks wintry, the temperatures for the next week are still up in the 60's.  

 

So, we get to enjoy the look of fall into 'winter without the cold temps yet.  

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

I just love seeing this string of dogwoods in the fall.  Lee planted 12 of these pink dogwoods about 20 years ago, and every year they are fabulous.  They are beautiful when they bloom in May, and gorgeous now in November. 

 

I am so glad he planted them;  glad that we all get to enjoy them.  

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

 

 

On my walk, I also saw the Bittersweet showing its beautiful red and yellow berries.  

 

Don't you just love the colors of Fall?  Me too!!!

 

 

HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL!!!

 

This was our road earlier this week.  I went for a walk and this sight really tickled me.

 

I know that some people like to blow the leaves off their lawns and the road;  and we like to rake them and put them in wire bins to add to our compost pile.  But I really love seeing the roads and yards covered with leaves, especially when they are still showing a little fall color.

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!