Building Beds, Birds, and A New Piece of Furniture

 Dear Camera Crazy readers, we have got a lot to cover so let's get right to it but not before I thank you for your devotion to this space on the World Wide Web that is nearing it's 20th anniversary!! Perhaps I don't know when to quit ,or better yet, I still have lots to say?

Bluebirds....

Is there anyone who does not like bluebirds, one has to wonder? My guess is they are nearly as beloved as Northern Cardinals, wouldn't you think? Bruce and I were taking a Sunday afternoon walk in the glorious weather and I spotted this little one on a branch down below. With the aid of a zoom lens I was able to bring him quite close and I'm thinking he is young? So delicate looking and cooperative I might add.

The truth is, finding birds of late has been somewhat difficult, but if this is any indication of what comes next. I am in for some birding fun. Blue Jays, while prevalent are hard to photograph which is why I was delighted to spot this one out in the open.

I cannot resist birds on a feeder, however, it does feel pretty darn good to find them unexpectedly which is how I felt when I photographed this adorable bird while walking on the riverwalk.

It was a foggy walk, with little light ,so getting any shot was a win, but getting my first shot ever, actually first glimpse ever of a Scarlet Tanager, was so exciting. Before you go what the heck, this bird is not scarlet in anyone's imagination and that is because it is a female. Commonly, females look nothing like their male counterparts, as is the case with a host of other birds. One day I will get the male, or so I hope! 

I was in front of Sandy's house and I heard the familiar call of a hawk. Turning around to begin my search, it landed in a tree across the street. See if you can spot the friend in the tree. Actually, that bird was probably trying to shoo the hawk away as is also a common characteristic of birds.

This would be a red-tailed hawk unlike the red-shouldered hawks that I am more familiar with.

Wasn't that fun to get back to birds? Perhaps you do not share my enthusiasm which is why I had success as a photographer because I specialize in nothing. In part, because I can, but mostly because I like most everything. I'm pretty sure when I began taking photographs, flowers were a favorite because they usually  don't move, as well as being beautiful and varied. Lots of women for sure love flowers, so over the years, I have sold hundreds of shots of flowers. These days, of course, I take a different approach in that I never think twice about anything. Before I would wonder, is this something someone would buy? Now, it's what the heck....let's go!

This is exciting because it is the largest rose I've had on this new bush, very fragrant ,and likely the last of the season. 

So let us check in on our showstopper of a tree. Not much to see yet, but just you wait.

While we are still visiting Campbell Street, unexpectedly, Monday morning it was very cold so I said no to pickleball and yes to some work around the house. One task was gathering things to take to the thrift store; we still had a few things from the Vespasians that, while lovely, were not needed, so when Bruce returned from pickleball, we loaded up the goods and took them to Reach, a thrift store for battered and abused women. We have had some luck there with our needs, but on that day we left empty-handed. Along that same highway there are about four thrift stores so we pick and choose. Bruce decided to stop at the one for the homeless shelter although the two of us agreed our treasures from there have been few and far between. And that is what we were finding on that day until we ran into some friends and while talking I spotted something I thought would be a good fit for us. Not priced yet, the clerk came over and said we could have it for $30. SOLD! Fortunately Samantha and Robert were still there and helped get it into the Subaru. It was a little messy so after devising a way to get it from the car to the house, we cleaned it up a bit with soap and water on the front porch and cleaned the glass doors as well. Inside I was moving what we already had in that space.

We bought that at the downtown antique store and while it has been serviceable it has not been ideal because all of those glasses are exposed to dust! Another spot was just right for storage.

It fit perfectly and even a little better because it is narrower. What a find!

So what is this about building beds you are beginning to wonder. Will she ever get there? 

Well, yes she will! Hayesville here we come.

That view never gets old! 

Heading to the Hinton Center, this one was pretty sweet too.

 

You might note the sky is not Carolina Blue and nor was it ever during our three hours doing something we had never done before. 

The SHP on the trailer stands for sleep in heavenly peace. How great is that? 

As we arrived Bruce was asking the team leader what were the jobs that needed doing?

And that is how I ended up using a POWER TOOL for the first time in my life, albeit not a scary one! Sanding, they needed lots of people to use an electric palm sander and sand the lumber before it became a bed. It was so well organized and in the end there were plenty of volunteers of all ages.

This fellow was using the big mitre saw and I think he was showing me he had all of his fingers, but don't quote me on that.

Cobby and Diane were there.

Perhaps you are noticing folks in jackets and we wished that we were amongst them. Alas, we thought the sun was going to come out and warm us up, but this was a day when 45 felt like 45! I was wearing shorts, a short-sleeved shirt, and light jacket. You can imagine that I wished things were different. 

Something else you can probably imagine is that Bruce's talents were wasted on sanding and eventually he was moved to the big saw.

Freely admitting that I was not as enthusiastic about going as one would hope, this turned out to be one of the most rewarding volunteer projects that I can remember.

Speaking of volunteering, Grayson has moved, taking Bruce's role as a Big Brother with him. It's a long story but suffice it to say, we are sad.

On a more positive note, the drive home was so lovely. We spend so much time in town it is easy to forget how beautiful it is living here.

We stopped by the TVA recreation spot on Lake Chatuge and it was so pretty. Imagine in two weeks what this will look like!

The lake has been lowered for winter already, but it is still a wonderful place to visit.

Wouldn't you just hate to do a jigsaw puzzle of the above image ? 

Because it was so chilly we did not stay long at the roadside flowers but I thought you might enjoy seeing the setting and not just a flower with a grasshopper perched on top as was the case in my last post. 

Green beans are still producing and this batch is one that I blanched and froze for later use.

Those geraniums just keep on coming as well.

I imagine, though, for not too much longer. We were meant to have the first frost of the season and Bruce covered my garden, especially the herbs. But as is so often the case, it did not materialize in town but it was close. Good grief I nearly left out the hydrangeas that are so beautiful!! Why they waited so long to bloom is a mystery to me. I was beginning to be sad thinking they would never come, having been prolific in June typically but bloom they have and I dare to say with aplomb! 

And if you were hoping for some leaf photographs, hang on, it should not be much longer!!

your friend,

Gail 

Surprise, Surprise!!!!

My friends, we have carrots.

Not very many but the fact that we actually have some usable carrots is something to be celebrated. Before you go thinking I am crazy,  many people have told me that they are hard to grow. No one told me that if you just let them alone, eventually they will produce and by golly they have.

It was another rainy weekend, this time from the effects of the hurricane with the absurd name. It may be a fine name, but when one has to explain how to pronounce it, I'm thinking that is just plain silly. 

But I digress...

In the end, at our home, the effects were minimal, nearly non-existent in fact, with less rain than the previous weekend. That said, David and D'Anna had leaves and branches everywhere with one tree that came down on their entry gate which knocked out some of the electronics of said gate. After spending a week in Hilton Head they were refreshed, but darn if they wanted to come home and have to work so hard!

But back to the carrots; I'd decided to pick them, come what may, because they were getting so big after nearly eight months in the ground. With the wet soil, it took only a little tugging and look what came up!! I was expecting more like the one I showed you in my last post. Click on the link should you want a refresher. At any rate, I used one of them in a quick soup I made last nigh and it was good!! Now I can't wait to plant again! With the carrot tops out of the way, there is now more room for the growing broccoli that I am hoping will be a success. As we have demonstrated, only time will tell!! That Italian parsley is something else.

Book ends of rainy weekends with gorgeous sunny days in between has been the scene here in Murphy. Many days begin with fog which I love.

Why the sky was full of color on Friday night is a mystery because darn if it didn't rain the next morning.

There was a killer sunset at the football game on Thursday night. 

Some observations from the bleachers:

1. Grayson was put in for one play:

That would be him wearing #10.

2. He has been disappointed not getting to play, so I am happy that I was able to get him on the field.

3. The cheerleaders provide constant entertainment especially when they got their chance to shine during halftime.

Note their opponents cheerleaders watching from below the bleachers. Whether that is tradition, being respectful, or trying to learn the Murphy tricks I am not clear. For sure it would not take long to learn the cheers, most of which include spelling. Pray tell what does that mean you wonder? 

Come on Murphy!

Let's get a 

T-O-U-C-H-D-O-W-N!

Perhaps you can think of others? They certainly have and it's great fun to observe. This time we sat at the top of the home side and Bruce wished he'd brought a jacket. On the other side of the spectrum, I was delighted with the cooler weather.

Here is another of those sweet girls.

Lots of my pickleball friends are quilters and many have great stashes of fabric. Mentioning to Lori that I was working on a scrappy quilt, I asked if she had any scraps she might want to contribute. By golly, she came through BIG time, bringing me three small tubs of not just scraps but 2" strips of a huge variety of fabric, none of which I have. This was more than I could have hoped for so with the rainy weekend, I did some cutting, sewing and sorting.

Using that pictured bed tray (previously purchased at a thrift store with no plan in mind), I put them together in pairs after trying to mix them up on the floor!

So the tray is first followed by sewing the pairs together, followed by sewing pairs together which is what you see in the above photo. I sew them together in a long chain.

Then I press them and put those pairs with another set of pairs and there is one block. Then the blocks go together side by side and there is one row with 104 pieces. Now you know why I wanted more fabric! I have yet to decide how big it will be, but suffice it to say there will probably be well over a thousand pieces. I know it may sound tedious to some but creating things makes me happy. 

One evening we popped into Fairy Cross and were treated to Rick's father playing the accordion. I know what you are thinking-- who likes accordion music? Turns out we do when he is on the other side of the keyboard. Playing since he was four years old, he has practiced daily for 84 years!!! 

We were shocked to learn that he is 88. Maybe it is because there are a disproportionate amount of senior citizens here that we know so many people who are thriving in their 80's and 90's? Must be the mountain air!

I have no idea how we had an open morning but we did so we drove to Hayesville to do a little thrifting and antiquing. On our very first time going to Murphy we stopped at this neat place on our way.

Our home is now outfitted to our liking, but I was on the hunt for some tiny salt and pepper shakers because I have moved some atop the door frames in the kitchen. 

Jam packed in places, but mostly everything is displayed neatly.

We love going to these sorts of shops that have such a huge assortments of bygone things. Just look at that big camera that was once thought to be the latest and greatest. It's something to think about isn't it? So many trendy things will be obsolete with other latest and greatest items taking their place. 

Sort of like us I guess. 

Seventy six trombones is how Nancy described Larry's age.

While we immediately got the reference, our sweet young server was befuddled. Apparently she is not a fan of old movies! 

On our drive home from Hayesville, Bruce stopped so I could take photos of the huge roadside stand of orange zinnias!! A delivery truck pulled up behind him alongside the road, coming into the field to take photos as well.

Apparently he likes to stop every day on his delivery route to take photographs, although to tell you the truth, it was not the ideal time of day to do so because the sun was so bright! He called out that a Monarch was in his vicinity on the other side of the huge stand. I was busy taking photos of this American bird grasshopper. Who knew?

Also I spotted a bird amongst the flowers, however I could never get a clear look, but I did get a few butterfly photos that in a month or so we will be greatly missing.

Indeed, the Monarch.

Yesterday afternoon I went for a walk, hoping to see some color. While there was a little,

mostly the trees looked dry despite the weekend rain. Now I am far from an expert on these things but one friend is convinced the summer drought did us no favors in more ways than one. 

Gosh, there's that time will tell again! For probably two months Bruce has been working hard, in conjunction with Larry, on the plan to finish the new church parking lot. While it is usable, much of the original plan has not been completed. As such, there was a meeting on Sunday after service and a vote taken on whether or not the congregation wanted to go forward. After plenty of questions and discussions, the vote was for completion. And now it will be Bruce's responsibility to make it happen. And you thought he'd retired!! 

Baby Christian is no longer such a baby and will turn two next month, the day after Thanksgiving. We can't wait to see our entire Orlando family and as it turns out our Austin branch will be joining us at our condo. If we were there right now we would most certainly go to the budget meeting on Saturday where the proposed monthly dues increase will be discussed. Apparently the natives are not happy and who can blame them after just getting through the $16, 000 roofing assessment. Yikes!! That means us too! That surprise fits right in with today's title because we had no idea until one of our neighbors informed us. 

Meanwhile I am thanking God that we are not there for the bickering and backstabbing. Instead, I will continue to be grateful for my beautiful geraniums,

just one of a great number of things we love about our home in North Carolina. 

From my desk inside that home, I wish you a good day and many, many more to come!

your friend,

Gail

Our Little Town

Walking out on the front porch in my bare feet a short time ago, the concrete was cool from the lowering overnight temperatures.  Fog cannot hide the signs of the season, such as Sandy's 75 foot tall red maple changing to it's namesake color. The painters have finally returned to the house across the street after a few weeks away. I'm dying to see the colors that have been chosen. Soon I will know.

It's meant to be a sunny day, matching the previous days of this week. What a shame that rain hampered the attendance to the weekend festival.

While it was not raining when we arrived, an hour or so later it began. Actually, probably about the time we saw the bagpipers walk by, a group that can be heard long before being seen!

Most things become trendy again and I think the same holds true for macrame as we saw more than one booth with some creative use of the craft.

For Bruce no festival is complete without lemonade. I am ambivalent about the drink. 

So many folks in our region rely heavily on the income they make at the festival so having two days of rain, albeit mostly gentle, is so challenging. Normally at the time Bruce was getting his lemonade, there would be a line twenty deep.

This path above clogs with people heading to the food trucks and the festival barn where Appalachian music and dancing is celebrated, keeping the old traditions alive.

Our friend Marji said her sales were down by a huge percentage. I do remember those days and do not miss them for a minute!! 

That same night we went to the Big Brothers fundraising gala where the theme was Dirty Dancing. We did our best to look a little festive using what we already own. I rolled Bruce's jeans up, along with his plaid short sleeved shirt sleeves and he slicked his hair a bit. I wore a swirly skirt, sweater with pearl-type buttons and white Keds. Our friend Ann was kind enough to buy the $100 ticket and I'm glad she did because we had fun.

Well how about that....Mr. Peck is behind her perusing the silent auction offerings. John donated a five piece set of Adirondack furniture for the audible auction. He and Laura just returned from a biking trip in France. They do love their exercise! The wineries along the way don't hurt.

At the event these folks were getting a little exercise of a different persuasion.

Following church on Sunday, Bruce and I went to Valley River Brewing for lunch. I'm not a beer drinker but I do love their food. We mostly always like to sit at the bar and chit-chat a little with whomever is working. A family run pizza and more restaurant, on this day the daughter was behind the bar and we got to talking about watching sports. She claimed she was not much of a fan.

We had been talking about football, however, when asked if she liked watching any sport, she answered that women's lacrosse was her favorite. I did not see that coming!! 

Taking a walk through town on Monday afternoon, most all of the dogwood trees are beginning to show their fall finery.

Here's another view of town from the other side of the street.

On another day I walked through town on my way to the riverwalk, rather than go down the street closest to our home. Along the way I saw some things that you might find interesting.

I remember going in the visitor center when we first arrived. I could never have predicted that we would make Murphy our home. NEVER! On this day I met about three couples visiting Murphy for the first time that I was able to help by either answering questions, or giving directions. How about that? 

Would you just look at the pollen on this sunflower plant I came across! I had no idea they dropped so much pollen until I displayed them in our home. 

Walking through the streets adjacent to the train tracks, I had fun watching these mockingbirds strutting about which is maybe not a good way to put it but I can think of no other!

Morning glories graced a fence post,

I noticed a Downy woodpecker having his way with carport rafters.

It was so crazy that when I backed up a bit, look who was watching me from the roof.

Do you see the giant spiderweb in the bright sunshine.

A closer look.

The golden color of the large one was unique to me.

Back on Campbell Street, the geraniums continue with an abundance of blooms. The hydrangea plants are finally blooming!

I was beginning to think that it was just a bad year for these beautiful flowers as my neighbor's normally prolific bloomers have been mostly bare. They are so pretty as cut flowers and last a good long while indoors. I don't think the picture below does justice to this bloom's size which is actually about eight inches wide!

In the garden the dahlias are still showing off.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined me being someone who has dahlias that bloom like mad. I remember once paying a pretty penny for a few dahlia plants in Orlando and they wilted in the heat. Talk about a joy! 

Every day I am picking green beans, the okra is still producing, as are the shishito peppers. Here's something funny....take a look at a six month old carrot.

Isn't that a hoot? The tops are so lush one would think a lot was going on underground but one would be wrong!  Alas....there still are some in the ground that I will just leave until a freeze comes along. 

A few tomatoes are hanging on, while the herbs are going gang busters. It's sure been fun to have a garden. I was telling Bruce, as I put some okra in the fridge, that I really cannot believe that I grew this food. Not bad for a city girl!

On an afternoon when we were sitting on the porch talking on the phone with David, Bruce saw one hummingbird, but none since. Seemingly they are on their way. Don't get me going on the miracle of migration. The zinnia plants are so darn tall now that they are blocking my view of the bird feeders from inside. 

Raising the feeders has been the ticket...no more trouble with Lucifer who I will have to rename as he has changed his ways with a little help from Bruce.

Leaves are falling in our back yard but it is so crowded with trees, here's the only view to show the changing color.

Since I took the photo, more leaves have fallen and we can now see a bit of the sky.

While I was picking up two buckets of the chestnuts, aka spike balls, I was thinking about how amazing seasons are and how well organized and planned everything is. I had never once thought about how when the leaves fall, more sunlight can reach us allowing for a bit of winter warmth. Of course if one lives where it is gray and gloomy all winter, this does not apply, and I am sure that there are benefits to those places, but being a Florida girl, I do like a bit of sunshine whatever the season. 

Then again, I like life in all it's many forms. And the mountains...oh my what a treat.

Talk about purple mountain's majesty!! 

your friend,

Gail