This is one of several sculptures on display at Meeks Park.  I thought they might be fun to share.

 

These sculptures are kinetic in nature, and made mostly of recycled materials.  This one is titled Carbon Water Drops and it was made by Al Garnto.  It stands about 8 feet tall, and when the wind blows the red scoops at the top spin.  

 

Come back tomorrow and I will show you another one.  

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

This is a gorgeous time of year for the Sycamore trees.  Their upper bark is stark white against the winter sky.

 

Look around, and you’ll probably notice lots of them.  

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

This is also a great time of year to see Mistletoe growing in the trees.  Look way up, it’s usually pretty high up in the trees.  

 

I have read that birds eat the sticky berries, and when they go to clean their beaks, they rub them on the high up branches of trees, planting the seeds:  starting the next generation of mistletoe.  

 

I always love seeing Mistletoe, but I don’t bring it in the house, because those berries may be toxic to Gizmo.

 

We just air kiss when we see it in the trees.  

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

Here’s another good choice for winter tree identification:  River Birch.

 

You can see that it has fabulous exfoliating bark.  I’ve read that they don’t have to be planted near water;  you can actually grow them here in the mountains.  I’ve seen a couple in our neighborhood.  

 

These are in Meeks Park.  There are quite a few of them.

 

I hope you see some in your travels.

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

 

 

Well, it happened!!  We went to Woodstock, GA last week, and I saw my first robot.  It was moving around all by itself, and it appears to be doing some kind of inventory, ALL BY ITSELF.

 

I was a little surprised, but not really.  It IS the year 2023.  Guess we better get used to it.

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

We love this picture.  I know I’ve shown it to you before, but I can’t help myself.  

 

I think Momma was 94 in this picture, making cheese biscuits at Betsy’s house.  She always made them for Christmas. One year, I suggested using the food processor to grate the cheese, but she liked doing it the way she always did it.    

 

Today would be Momma’s 100th birthday.

 

If you’d like to make Momma’s cheese biscuits, just go to the recipe section of this website.  It’s there under cheese, along with this picture.  ;)

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!!!

 

 

 

This is a great time of year for Tree Identification.  

 

You can’t always go by the leaves;  bark, silhouettes, and other characteristics help to identify trees in winter.

 

This is an American Beech.  Look at the bark, and you can see that it looks a little like camouflage fabric.  The other cool identifier is that in our cold hardiness zone, they don’t drop their leaves, even though they are deciduous trees.  They hold on to their leaves until the new leaf buds push them off in the spring.  

 

So when you’re out for a walk or drive, notice the trees in the woods with brown leaves and camo bark:  American Beech.

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

The same day that I posted an article about my favorite Holly tree, we were chatting with a neighbor.  He is on the well committee, and told us that he learned from an old timer here that the best place to dig a well is close to a holly tree.

 

Not sure WHY, but apparently it works, because that is one of the criteria that Cherokee Well Drilling uses when looking for well sites.  I thought it was kinda interesting, and thought you would too.  

 

Now you know where to start digging your well.  ;)

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

A very dear friend of ours had a birthday last week.  She turned 100!!!

 

She was a childhood friend of Momma’s;  they met in the second grade, and were friends for almost ninety years.  She played the piano for years, and she volunteered at the shelter in Norfolk until she was 94 years old.  She loved cats, and usually had one or more.  She doesn’t live by herself anymore, so pets aren’t really an option for her.  

 

So one of her very thoughtful friends got her this Perfect Pet cat for her birthday.  It came with its own bed, collar, and kitty brush.   It doesn’t need feeding or a litter box, but it does purr (as long as the batteries hold out.) 

 

How sweet is that?  When I find out, I’ll let you know its name.

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUE!!!

 

 

 

Not all the trees have dropped their leaves.  Here is a gorgeous Holly tree with lots of green leaves and berries.  It’s my favorite holly tree;  and I get to see it every time we walk the loop.  

 

This time of year it is extra pretty, and it makes me smile every time.

 

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!