Our weather has been perfect for walking, nearly every day!!!  

 

This is the view as we start down Crabapple Lane toward the sign.  See the street sign on that little corner?   We turn that corner, and continue down to the creek.  Then we go up Clifford's Hill to our first rest stop.  Continuing on, we eventually get to the top of Five Forks.  And that is why I took this picture.  

 

It is always amazing to me to look out toward the top of our mountain, and see how far away it looks.  The top of the mountain is the half way point, and it's downhill from there.  Even though we have been walking this loop for 18 years, it still amazes me.  

 

We are amazing.  ;)

 

HAPPY ALMOST DECEMBER!!!

 

I am starting to think about Christmas, and when we walked by Patty's Nandina, I couldn't help it:  I saw Christmas.  

 

Those red berries are so pretty against the green leaves.  Looks like Christmas to me.  Time to get started!!!

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

 

Hoping you all are having a Happy Thanksgiving.  I know, we are.  

 

Every day at our house is thanksgiving.  We have SO much to be thankful for:  family, friends, neighbors, health, happiness;  the list goes on and on.  

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

Have you seen the "Squirrel Man" at Meeks Park?  We have been seeing him for years!!!

 

He arrives at noon, and hangs out near the covered bridge every day feeding the squirrels.  He gives them peanuts.  When the Mallards show up, he feeds them cracked corn.  He's there spring, summer, fall, and winter.  He said the coldest he remembers being out was 9 degrees.  

 

He loves to talk to people, and is quite a delightful storyteller.  I'm not sure I want to feed the squirrels, but it's nice that he does.  

 

Look at this picture.  There is a titmouse on his hat!!!  And a squirrel eating out of his hand.  

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I guess winter has come to the mountains.  

 

Here's my beautiful frosty sage.  It doesn't love the frost, but it will survive.  And start growing again next spring.  See all those tiny leaves along the stems?  New branches will leaf out above each leaf when it's ready to begin the new year.  

 

You can't see it in this picture, but there is another Praying Mantis egg case attached to one of the branches.  Yay!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This is Gizmo the day we brought him home from the Shelter, November 18, 2020.   They said he was two years old, but he was so little!!!  He weighed 6 lbs, 2 oz.  They also said that he was "at large."  For how long:  we don't know.  The first month, we took him to Dr. Van Horn for a baseline exam, and he was up to 8 lbs.

 

Well, fast forward two years, November 18, 2022.  We have had so much fun with him, and we are sure that he loves his home here with us.  He has the whole house, and all of outdoors.  He gets fed well, and gets lots of exercise.  And lots of love.

 

Oh yeah, and we weighed him the other day:  13 lbs!!!   He's one healthy, happy kitty.  

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, GIZMO!!!

 

This is one of our fall/winter cabbages.  I planted seeds in May, transplanted them into the garden in June, and harvested one of them yesterday.  

 

I've never bought Savoy cabbage in the grocery store, but I have always admired how pretty they are.  So this year I bought seeds and planted them.

 

After the frost on Monday, I harvested this one, and made cabbage rolls using ground turkey, onions, carrots, celery, and rice.  We used the big, outside leaves for the rolls, and cooked them in homemade chicken stock.  WOW!!!  Were they good!!!

 

I'M A HAPPY GARDENER!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Great news!!!  It warmed up some, we got some rain, and the arugula is back on track.  YAY!!!

 

It sure looked sad on Monday, but yesterday it perked up, and this morning it looks beautiful again.....

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I'm not sure about this, but it looks like the basil exploded from the inside with the frost on Monday.

 

No other plants in the garden looked like this, but all that white is ice.  And if you look closely, it looks like the ice is coming from inside the stems.  

 

Interesting.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

It was 28 degrees this morning, and we got our first frost.  

 

So I went out to the garden, because I knew there would be some pretty pictures.  

 

Sure enough, the kale is gorgeous, and the cabbages are too.  The Swiss chard looks a little sad, the basil is dead, and the arugula is struggling, but it was worth the trip, because I love you that much.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!