Ending January on a High/Low Note

We made it! January is nearly no more and we did just fine, if I do say so myself. Beginning the year with  Covid was not my idea of a great start to the year, but aside from being out of shape, we both have experienced no long lasting effects. Bruce is back to his senior body building ways and I am walking whenever the weather cooperates.

Because there is a lot of grey in the landscape seeing the bountiful Nandini berries is always a day brightener. Someone left these to decorate one of the park's picnic tables, or at least that is my version of the story. What were they thinking do you suppose?

The brilliant red is such a contrast to most everything around it, aside from the holly berries to be found in the three trees by the dozens.

I have been taking photographs like they are going out of style, so paring them down to a blog post is quite the task. Bruce told me he thought my last post was really good, however, from what I can tell, most people didn't come across it so here it is again. Why that is relevant is because in that post I mentioned we were soon to be heading out for dinner with some new friends and when it was time to go, this is what the drive was like.

Not ideal for older folks. Bruce is becoming somewhat more comfortable driving in the mountains, but when it is pouring and almost dark, well that makes for a bit of a tense drive. Nonetheless, we made it and had a marvelous time at their eclectic house and I mean that in a good way. The back yard sold them and no wonder when you have a waterfall right behind your deck!

They both follow a Keto diet and we were treated to some delicious food that was good for everyone. Another couple from church were there, Alice and Ron, who live near us. One thing that I have continued  thinking about are the delicious deviled eggs made from their own chickens. Twelve chickens to be exact.

While I was dying to see them, rain, dark and cold for that matter, kept me inside. We are so grateful to the folks who have made us feel so welcome during our time here in Murphy.

As you might note, all of the news so far has been good and that is because I am saving a little something, and really it is a minor set-back, for later in the post. 

Onward with good stuff! Winter is good! The light, at least when the sun makes an appearance, is fantastic!

Don't get too used to exciting bird shots, or at the very least interesting, because soon enough, with leaves on the trees, they will not be nearly so easy to spot.

No, we have not had any bluebirds near the house but they are fairly easy to find at the park adjacent to the river. Honestly I cannot get enough of those pretty birds.

Just this morning I saw a Tufted Titmouse enter Bruce's bird house several times!!! Checking out the real estate? Only time will tell.

Our feeders are emptied nearly as quickly as Bruce can fill them, providing, especially this obsessed woman, a lot of entertainment. Last week we had a new guest, a House Finch came to check things out.

I read somewhere that when one arrives, soon others will follow, and while that may be true it is hard to imagine, what with the volume of birds we have how they will find places at the table. It is so hard to depict in a photograph, but lets just say that there is a feeding frenzy going on throughout the day! And while this is not the article I first read, it does describe the bird "fight club" going on at one's home feeders. Here's hoping I can find the other article because I want to share it with Bruce, but anyway, after reading it, I watched ever more closely to see who would push the other one aside. Very entertaining indeed.Also entertaining was looking out and seeing some local bucks having a go at one another. It began like this and please forgive the quality because I was on the porch shooting through the screen, but let's check it out and you decide. 

Really I can see they aren't much, but in a few years I will only care that I caught the action! One afternoon as we were driving home and talking to Bill on the phone, we saw a big bunch of deer, and then another group, followed by a turkey crossing the road. Bill was loving it.

Rain has been plentiful and the creeks are rising. This is one that runs a long distance along one side of the property. I headed into the woods to get a good look.

I always take a walking stick because the fallen leaves, when wet, can be very slippery indeed! 

One low note I am slipping in here is that one reason I am out of shape is because day after day the courts have looked like this.

So it has not been the cold that, as I'd imagined say back in say September, but rain that has kept us from playing as often as is our norm . This morning Bruce went, in spite of last night's rain, and it must have been dried off because he has not returned. We did practice Monday afternoon once the sun came out and that is when I discovered that it was going to take some time for me to be back in playing shape! 

Aside from all of the above, another high note is that we have gone on two field trips in a row! The first was a scenic drive to nearby Young Harris, GA. That's one thing about our location, two other states are so very close! The drive is alongside a rushing river on winding roads, alongside fields,

AND with a view of the snow-capped mountains!

 Our destination was the easily found Cupid Falls that are situated adjacent to the road just down the way from the college.

Young Harris College is a very small liberal arts college founded decades ago by the Methodist church. Basically, you follow the street we are facing, rounding the corner and down a little ways and you come across a beautiful park with the rushing falls.

Seriously who doesn't love waterfalls? Especially when there is no strenuous hike involved. Sign me up!

More snow on the mountains from last week when it was quite cold. This week is starting off not nearly as frigid. In fact, most days it will be in the 50's which is nearly a twenty degree swing. Either way, I am good. Bruce is learning to layer. :)

A little ways down from where the falls are, we came across something unexpected. 

Isn't that the fun of exploring? You just never know what you will come across.

Here's looking at you kid!

Here's looking at you kid, part two.

Nearing the finish line folks, but not before showing off another exciting find. As we were driving back through the campus I saw a tree and asked Bruce to turn around. He is so great about that, in part because he is such a great husband, and in part because he is so used to it. As everyone knows lighting is key to great photographs and although I would like to have great lighting all of the time, it really is rarely the case. Either the light is too bright or there is not nearly enough as was the case with this scene.

Thank goodness for the exposure compensation feature on my camera. It allows me to add more or less to the exposure. No doubt you can guess which way I went to get this shot of a tree full of Cedar Waxwings.

To say that I was excited is putting it mildly.

Well dear readers, I have saved the low note for last. It won't surprise you in the least to learn that I have hurt myself once again. It happened yesterday afternoon during what was another exciting field trip and honestly I was so lucky because it could have been so much worse.

You might say to yourself, not again Gail, and I would respond, yes again! There is a reason injuries are called accidents because oftentimes they are inexplicable. How in the name of heavens I could have shut the car door on my thumb is just that, inexplicable. How I had the wherewithal to then open said door is also a mystery, but somehow I did. It hurt so darn bad. The back side is not great either. One reason I did not accompany Bruce to the courts today is not only the possibility of the a wet court, but the even worse possibility that I might get hit on my thumb. Getting hit on one of your digits is really painful any day of the week but when one is injured and cold, even this goofy lady is not signing up for that! 

I am so glad that I was able to type and write this love letter to life. So while January had some low notes, the highs most definitely outweighed them. What, pray tell, will February bring?

your friend,

Gail

A Frosty Walk

We were meant to go on a field trip today however, the weather is abysmal, so we are staying in until we head to Cobby and Diane's house for dinner this evening. Although it is not cold, only 60 degrees or so, it is rainy, foggy, and dark as I type this just before noon time. Because I generally get so far behind in posting I thought to myself, "let's write a blog post today in an attempt to stay more current."

Onward... 

Here's something super fun to report: if you read my last post, because it was only a few days ago, perhaps you remember that I closed the essay with the idea that maybe our luck was turning as far as visits from Northern Cardinals. Lo and behold, leaving the bedroom where my computer is located, I walked into the living room and headed right to the window as is my wont. Lookee what I saw!

What you might also notice is the sea of sunflower seeds upon which Mrs. Cardinal rests her tiny feet. The area no longer looks like that because Mr. Peck did some raking yesterday afternoon to tidy the area as best as one can when one is feeding thirty or more birds at a time! 

Yesterday afternoon's walk was dreary but I didn't mind because I always see interesting things no matter the weather. But that was yesterday and what I am going to put down for posterity is a walk on a much, much colder day! 

Everything I see is a novelty including the frost on the plants and in this case is it really frost, or big ice crystals?

Frankly I have no idea what to call it, but I know I can't call it Kosher salt even though it looks just like it!

During the summer when the river water is deep it is not that appealing to me because it looks almost dirty. Well, that notion has been dispelled during the winter when they lower the level and it is clear to see, (no pun intended) that the water is indeed, crystal clear.

One of the days last week the temperature remained freezing or below, so maybe it shouldn't have, but when I walked it still surprised me to see the ice in various places on the river. 

Isn't the rock formation cool? I wish I'd paid more attention in my Historical Geology class at Valencia and I would have at least a vague idea of what I am looking at! Oh how I hated that class! Without the help of my classmates, some 30 or more years my junior, I would have never survived it.

I decided that cold day to head over to where I was lucky enough to see the bluebird couple several weeks ago. Let's look at them again from that fateful day because I sure have not seen them again! That's the thing about all of my bird photographs, they are unique even if the same type of bird is pictured. Anyway, remember these cuties?

Missing in action folks, missing in action. Much to my sorrow I might add! 

So because I went a different route the river was different on this stretch where it is still the Valley River as it heads to join up with the Hiwassee River.

Looking at these photos is a balm for this ugly day! There was even a mini ice chunk? That doesn't sound right but what else can I call it?

Plus the water color was so pretty that day, almost an emerald green. Oh the joy of nature!

Like shattered glass! Another day, maybe the next, I walked on the other side of the river and came across this:

I can't tell you how much I like the cold and sunny days! Layer, layer, layer is how we roll around here.

I found this really fascinating. What is this?

Northern friends, do chime in please!

Generally when I sit down to write a post I scan through my recent photos and put together a remembrance of life as we have lived it. I drag the photos to my desktop and then construct the narrative around them. As I type this post there are about thirty on the desktop that for whatever reason have not made it into the blog. One such photo is from when we drove home from Asheville in December and just past Franklin you come across a great scene with rocks on either side of the road. Here is the one I took that day.

There are pictures floating around on Facebook of this scene last week, after the big snow and that ice is amazing! And now I can get at least one more photo off the desktop!

Another thing I am really liking about winter is the dried plant material. 

And to think that this will all be replaced by new tiny flowers in two months or so! For the curious, this is not sepia, it is the actual colors that I found.

It is a wondrous thing that I can take these frosty walks. It is also fun to go somewhere in the car and on Saturday we went to Hayesville and enjoyed lunch at Black Dog Tavern. It won't surprise you to learn that we sat at the bar and the folks to our left were from Florida! Actually that is a little surprising as most Floridians have headed home. During the summer in the parking lots every other car has a Florida license plate but now ours is an anomaly.  Two autumns ago, on our way from Helen to Murphy for the first time we stopped there for lunch and I remembered it being very tasty. Saturday did not disappoint. The best onion rings Bruce can remember having for a long while and enough for two more servings at home!

I had an excellent chili along with something they call Cowboy bites. 

Has anyone else noticed how expensive it is to get onion rings in a restaurant lately? Bruce is a fan so we pay attention and what we noticed here is that they were reasonable for what they served! On our way back to Murphy, Bruce pulled into the driveway off the highway in order for me to finally get a shot of the decorated barn we have only seen before as we zoomed by.

Perhaps we can do the same when the leaves turn impossibly green again. Here's a reminder of green trees that has also been on my desktop for ages. 

Talk about miracles! Oh my gosh! The photos are tiny for my old eyes, so I really had no idea what I was dragging over, but man am I glad this was the one! I remember nearly gasping at the sight of this beauty. Impossibly green indeed!

Why we chose to not go to the Andrews chili contest is a mystery but we did not want to miss a bluegrass band at the newly opened Cherokee Cellars owned by two former Murphy Bulldogs who have prospered. Should you have forgotten, the Bulldogs are the mascot of Murphy High School!

The band drove over from Asheville and were very entertaining indeed.

Unrelated to any of the above, I do have good news to report about David and his blood clot. After months and months now, it seems to have finally resolved so we are all breathing a sigh of relief. 

Other good news is that the check finally arrived on day seven. Good grief what a hassle. Here is something ironic in this whole saga. I sent Nancy a check the day to pay for her costs after she sent our package. You know, regular mail for .68 cents? Guess who got their mail first? Should you have guessed Nancy, you are a smart cookie indeed.

In keeping with the frosty theme, last week this made me very happy. 

Now if only we could get more snow!

Thank goodness for great shows on PBS! We just finished a six part series called Funny Woman and it was so good we were sad when it was over. If you are able, do check it out! 

That's all from rainy Murphy folks! 

your friend,

Gail

January Continues it's Cold Ways

Have I already told you about my Bay's bonanza? If not, let's rectify that situation here and now. 

Many people like Thomas's English Muffins, but our family is not amongst those who do. Instead, we are big fans of Bay's, found in the refrigerator case in most grocery stores. They have great sized holes to catch your toppings in the nooks and crannies and the fact that they are pre-cut only adds to their allure.

Except of late, their standards seemed to have slipped, not unlike so many products post-Covid. Wait, we just had Covid, so it's still here, but I guess that is a topic for another day. Anyway, the halves were uneven, the muffins were flat with no crevices and in general, just not the muffins that we have known and grown to love over the years. So, I called them and they could not have been any nicer, responding immediately to my call with none of this, "we will call you back" business." Imagine my surprise when the mail arrived with not one, not two, but SIX coupons each worth $6.00. Presumably they cost that much in some markets, but where we shop it's worth almost two packages. So that my friends that is my Bay's bonanza story, And the good news is also that the quality has improved of late so a win-win that's for sure!

In other news, there is still some light in the sky after 6PM, so that's something else to celebrate!

Folks, this Florida blogger is going crazy what with all the new things I am seeing almost daily. Some days more than others but I am not complaining, rather I am celebrating the fact that we get to do this!! I hardly know where to start! A fair warning friends, there are plenty of birds up ahead! 

Before we delve into that, recently a friend posted an opinion piece on her fb page and it included the quote attributed to Alfred Einstein, wherein he states, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I suppose you know which camp I fall into. How about you?

This would be a Pine Sisken that loves hanging out with the huge, and I mean huge flock of American Goldfinch that have been eating bird seed as if it were a miracle! 

I asked my darling husband some weeks ago about removing the window screen in order for my photographs to be better. As you well know, he does love pleasing me, but sometimes he chooses a funny time to do so, in this case when it was just beginning to snow!

Which means I am often to be found here watching the endless comings and goings of our winter birds.

Indeed it has snowed, albeit not very much. One morning, I can't even remember when it was but last week sometime, I went out at first light and was roaming around a bit when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a few white specks on my new burgundy jacket given to me by Fallon for my birthday. Running into the house, I was squealing with delight as I told Bruce what was happening. You better believe I had a camera at the ready.

It was mighty cold so it wasn't long before I found my perch and watched the action from inside.

Those colors! This cuteness!

This is our set up and it is Mr. Bruce who keeps those feeders filled; lately nearly every day!

I made a list of our birds and there are eleven regular visitors, including two Mourning Doves that only have come to the party in the last few days. For the most part, the birds share with dust-ups only occasionally. 

As we were leaving the transfer station which is at the top of a hill, I noticed snow on the mountain tops at a distance. Honey.....can we drive to see it better?

It wasn't much to most folks, but this Florida gal wants all the snow sights she can find. Actually, I believe I mentioned how there was a whole bunch of snow all around us, but to date ours has been enough to get me excited, yet in reality is very little. What is fascinating is that our weather apps show snow and there is none and then it snows when there is no warning. Technology is great most of the time, but miracles are still happening all around us.

How cold has it been? One night it was 7 degrees! Maybe when we were in Vancouver, but I really don't remember it getting that cold. One great thing here is that while it may be cold as the dickens, many of those kind of days have a gorgeous blue sky, like so, so blue. It's just wonderful.

The pond at the end of the driveway froze!

It has me wondering about the numerous frogs that live there. Wait, are they cold blooded and can withstand this kind of temperature? Let me check.....well duh! My science teacher friends are laughing right about now, that's for certain!

Another day when we came home from somewhere, John mentioned that he wished we had been here a little earlier when the pond was covered with fresh snow. While not still covered due to the wind, it still looked very cool. (no pun intended!) ***note bundled up Mr. Peck

It turns out that there is a lot about winter that I am liking including the light along the river walk,

as well as the long shadows.

So the above is the road to both our home away from home, and the mailbox. It is found about where I am standing to take the above photograph. The mailbox has been mostly empty and now we know why. Each year, for the last ten, Bruce has received a check from Darden restaurants which was his 401K divided by ten. A choice that has been a real blessing to us. For nine years they have mailed the check and it has all gone swimmingly. This year has been anything but. Despite the fact that Bruce filled out all of the paperwork in early December to change it to direct deposit, that did not happen. Instead, the post office thinks that our forwarding request is no longer needed, so it was mailed to Orlando. Bummer, but we do have available help in the form of my sister Nancy. She did all that we asked, which was go to Office Depot where they have a Fedex outpost and after checking that two day for $32 instead of one day for over $100 was our choice, she made it happen. Not so fast! Here it is five days later and no package has been received because it went through the post office instead of Fedex! Not to mention that the tracking refused to update and now we know why. It sat in Orlando for at least three of those days. Oh how I hate the post office right now!!! The nerve of them to charge such exorbitant rates and get away with it! We now know that it is in South Carolina and with any luck it will arrive tomorrow at the Murphy post office, something that remains to be seen. What an ordeal!

Thank goodness for my wonderful husband, who not only heated the string before he could undo the knot in order for him to fill the feeder,

but he also set up our new heated bird bath!!

I was telling Patti about it and she called it a hot tub, so now we are calling it that too! It took a day or so before we had any takers, and while they are not flocking to it, mostly it is for drinking at this time of year. The Carolina Wren gave it a go though.

I read somewhere that you can attract Bluebirds to your feeders with mealworms, as well as chopped apple. 

So far, no Bluebirds have even come close, but one of my new favorites was persuaded to try it out.

Believe it or not, and I would not blame you for being skeptical, we do get out of the house now, post- Covid and let me tell you it has been great! One day the pickleball ladies had an event that involved learning to make greeting cards. We met at the fellowship hall at our new church.

Crafting was followed up with pots of hot tea and homemade goodies, none cuter than this!

Oh my goodness everything was so tasty! Snow, snow! 

Is it any wonder that we are loving this experiment? At home we have one feeder that I cannot even see and while we do get birds, nothing like here. Already documented in this space is my disappointment about not seeing Northern Cardinals enough but maybe our luck is changing.

One thing, and this really boils down to expectations, is that I was hoping to see more stars. I know, I sound darn greedy don't I? Anyway, over the summer, in spite of living on ten acres with hardly anything around us, it was either rainy or cloudy, or both. And now it is crazy cold to go outside but this morning it was so worth it, seeing the beauty of diamonds in the sky. It was dark as could be at 6AM and actually this morning was far warmer than it was last week so in my robe, coat and slippers, turning my head upwards, in spite of my old neck I might add, it was glorious. Miracles are everywhere if you know where to look!

your friend,

Gail

p.s Thinking about our limited winter experience made me go back in time and look at my January posts from Vancouver. It is hard to believe that it has been six years since our Baxie died which I wrote about here.  Don't read that post from January 22, 2018 unless you feel like crying. :(