A Week Ago Tuesday

Lord willing and the creek don't rise, last Tuesday was a life-changing day for your favorite couple. Well, maybe not your favorite, but if you are reading this, you at least put us in your top ten don't you? While our son David urged me to keep quiet, you absolutely know that is not in my nature, so I am going to tell you a little story that began with this photograph.

During the early months of our stay in Murphy, Thursday was pretty much always our field trip day, however, that practice has changed, in part because we have toured around a bunch and in part because we are more involved with the everyday life of the community. As I sat down to write this I was sure I had the sequence of events in my mind and some of them I do, however, the exact reason I was out driving the car by myself is now clouded in my memory. Obviously that is unimportant, but you know how it is, you want to remember stuff!! Nevertheless, I do know that I was out driving to see all the flowers I could see. The above caught my eye on Campbell Street, a charming street of older homes in downtown Murphy that we drive by nearly every day. I just loved the way the flowers cascaded down the wall and the fact that they were purple was a bonus, another sight I could share with our purple-loving friend Mary at home.

Fast forward to Sunday and while standing in front of the church, I spotted a "For Sale" sign in the front yard, telling Bruce, oh my goodness, that neat house is for sale. Now when we came up here in May to view Charlotte's Cottage I will be honest with you, I never imagined that we would want to move here, but by golly, that is exactly what happened! Except we were spoiled because the cottage is so close to town and we have based our experiences on that fact. The church, the pickleball courts, the gym and grocery store are all so close, not to mention the wine shop! Bruce had talked to a realtor months ago, but after viewing countless houses online, all of them either too far away (in our view), ugly, too small and the list goes on. We were content to stay in the cottage until they had to kick us out, which John assured us that they had no intention of doing.

Until I saw the house on Campbell Street.

While I saw the sign in person, it was not listed online, so I put it out of my mind for two days until I sat down to write my last blog post and decided to check if it were listed. Hell yes it was, one hour earlier! Once I was able to see what the inside looked like, after Bruce saw the photos, he agreed to call the realtor and within the hour we were touring what we hope to be our last home. That sounds weird, but let's face the facts, we are most definitely not getting any younger. We will still have the condo should we need a winter break, but more likely be lonesome for our family!

Walking in the front door from the charming porch,  it was love at first sight. The floors are amazing, the rooms the size to be expected in a 100 year old home, and there is the beginnings of a shop in the basement, so what is not to like? In Orlando we have always admired houses in this style, but the price tag always kept us at bay. Murphy is way more affordable, that's for sure. 

According to Bill, the 86 year old owner, the purple Thrift used to continue the length of the wall. I bet that was super pretty. He told me that although his wife wanted him to replant he decided not to bother and really who can blame him at his age? Having said that, he seems to be doing remarkably well and is selling because his wife of 63 years died in December and his kids don't want him using the stairs while living alone and really, in their opinion it is just too much of a house for him. The realtor told us it was called Thrift, but when Laura saw it she insisted it was Phlox. Hmmm....apparently there is some real controversy on the subject answered here. 

The house just spoke to us, and so we took the plunge, putting in a contract two hours later. Some drama ensued the next morning, but all is well that ends well. The sale was never in question though. Our realtor Donna set up the home inspection for Saturday and we met Robert at the house. He did an incredibly thorough inspection for $500 dollars, in case you are wondering, telling us that he has been doing inspections for 10 years and he could not believe the shape the house is in. Neither could we!! Bill Sr. was a Navy guy and immediately I thought to myself, no wonder the house is ship-shape.

Looks like we will be walking lots of places in the future including church which is barely visible as a large brick structure, pictured on the right through the trees. I took this from the driveway.

And now we wait. 

Bill Sr. is moving into an apartment that is still under construction, so it won't be until at least early May until we can move in. In the meantime, let us together enjoy nature, the likes of which are just fantastic at this time of year. The weather is still chilly, in fact there is a light rain falling as I type. Bruce, along with another man from church,  is repairing a door frame for a woman in need. 

I have so many pretty picture to share, so let's get to it, beginning with this one of some boxwood and daffodils. Aren't they so lovely? Playing a little with light and shadows on this one.

Holy cow these deer in the orchard out front. That is some smoke from the controlled burn in the background.

They've begun lightening up for the summer. That is one thing we will very much miss in our new home. No deer! Boo hoo, but we do know where to find them should we need a fix! Did I tell you that we saw a coyote crossing the street on our way to the cottage one late afternoon? It's been so fun seeing all of the wildlife right outside our door. As to my birdies, I will never have the same opportunity for bird watching as I have enjoyed here just outside the window. 

The bluebirds have most definitely begun their nest building and shoo off all the other birds who want to steal their home.

The flowering fruit trees....

have been so much fun to photograph, not to mention appreciate their beauty. 

This tree has slowly filled with blossoms and what a sight to behold. 

Just this morning I watched the male Cardinal feeding the female so I'm imaging there will be more baby birds than just the bluebirds. That is one thing about still being here awhile, hopefully we will witness the babies. Here's Mrs. Cardinal in a tree that I photographed last week. Wait until you see what it looks like now when next I write. Gorgeous is what it looks like!

We did just open our third 50 pound bag of seed yesterday afternoon. Taking a peek outside just now and it's a frenzy out there folks. The Goldfinch are rapidly changing which will also be featured in my next post. 

Look at this! Talk about changing fast, one day they were all white and the next this.

Since I took the above they are all clothed in a lovely shade of spring green. 

With Easter being celebrated this Sunday, I am so reminded of the resurrection and how grateful I am to live in such a beautiful world. I took this at Mark and Mary Beth's house and it was the first butterfly I have seen since last Autumn.

More beauty to follow, 

daffodils are mostly fading, but not before I took this one.

There are Robins galore at the park.

and loads of blooming trees as well.

Mostly I have been walking in the afternoon when the park is crowded, but on the morning I took the above, it was very cold and empty which suited me just fine. 

One of the really neat things about the Valley River Picklers is how they are so generous. Oh, by the way, Mr. Peck was not only a success with the county commissioners, but at the suggestion of the park manager, went to the city for the remaining funds and both parties said YES! Amazing, right? You would think we were residents? Oh wait, very soon we will be turning in a beautiful life in a frantic city to life in a very quiet small town. Anyway, with donations from the group, a pavillion with bathroom and storage room was built and the man who spearheaded the construction aspect needs knee surgery. While he has insurance, being out of work for many weeks without income is no fun. The group rallied and had a tournament with a donation as an entry fee. Over $5,000 was raised which should be a big help.

The group has welcomed us with open arms making our transition to a new residence all the sweeter. 

Look!! 

That is a male Goldfinch and a Pine Sisken on the right. The transformation of the Goldfinch is absolutely remarkable. Will we be able to transform ourselves to small town mountain people? What do you think?

your friend,

Gail 

The Last Day of Winter

On this last day of winter, it was 27 degrees this morning and tomorrow morning promises to be similar. That said, 27 degrees feels nothing like it does in Florida and that's a good thing. Fortunately, the good news is that it does not take very long to warm up when the sun is shining. When it is not, well you can imagine it would be chilly and it is.

As I type this, there is a fire, what we have since learned is a controlled burn nearby, casting a haze over the sun, consequently turning the sky orange.

And to think only an hour ago the sky was this gorgeous shade of Carolina blue.

Yesterday was super windy, so let's throw that in the mix too. A mixed bag as they say.

I will miss the bare trees of winter but by golly, each day brings more buds or flowers which seem to appear overnight.

Haha...it took two photos in before birds came into the picture. (pun intended maybe?) 

Honestly, I have been taking pictures as if it were going out of style. There are just so many things to see and I just cannot stop myself because in some cases, things are changing so quickly I have to appreciate each phase of the onset of spring.

Example of such change, remember my last post these were all white? If not, a refresher of that image can be found here. 

Part of that mixed bag of weather were some pretty heavy days of rain. I know that I wrote in my last post that the rain does not last for long but apparently that was a mistake on my part. When I was finally able to go back to the river, the level had risen SO much!

What had been crystal clear water looked like this.

Seeing this image of the rushing water taken from the bridge at the park, Candance, a pickleball friend and one of the Murphy natives, told me a story about how her Mom would drop her off at the community pool beside that gym when she was a child and at the hourly breaks, many of the young folks jumped off that bridge. Knowing how many huge rocks are down there they were apparently very lucky indeed. 

Look what I came across on that walk!! It shocked me when this groundhog popped up from his hiding place.

On that day I took a different route, into the street that abuts the park and I am glad that I did. I am especially fond of this blooming quince. The color is perfection.

My first tulip sighting,

along with all of this goodness! Sorry, formatting went a little haywire.

And look who dressed like it was Spring?

I asked Bruce to take my photo because of my funny bucket hat with mushrooms, but the sun was so bright you can't really see them. A local shop had dozens of different patterns to choose from. This shot was taken adjacent to the nesting box which is getting some awesome action lately! 

Woo hoo....this was the first time that we had seen them heading in with anything, so hopefully it will work. That said, other birds are still nosing around!

We have been out and about including an event at church called Common Ground where this Mother/Daughter duo made a baked potato bar for the group to enjoy.

Two of the ladies also shared their singing talents.

Leaving that night the sky was bluebird blue.

Another night, Bruce is engaged in a lively conversation with Tawny at Fairy Cross. Her husband is the photo bomb.

The folks on the other side of the table moved to Murphy from St. Cloud, Florida. I can't remember what he does, but she is a former middle school principal.

We have met countless educators here and even more countless Floridians.

Mary Beth and Mark invited us to their beautiful riverside home in the nearby community of Marble. They too are from Florida near Sarasota, one of many people we have met that have come from that side of the state. Apparently it is all about I-75. Anyway, not only was their home gorgeous, but look at their beautiful Bengal cat whose name I have forgotten.

This cat was so soft and I was delighted he came and sat with me. Although the day had been warm, sundown brought a chill to the air, so Mark lit the fire pit on the deck overlooking the river.

The meal was delicious as was the homemade three-layer cake Mark made with raspberry filling and white chocolate frosting. Amazing!!

Gosh it was so fun getting to know them. They moved up full time in November and are having fun when they are not working to improve their four acre property with 600 feet of riverfront. Plus they like birds and have a multitude of feeders!

Our Orlando Mary would be loving this that I see all over the place! 

Time to head out, but before I go, enjoy this beauty.

Happy Spring!!

your friend,

Gail

So This is Springtime

We are home this morning because it is storming outdoors, or at least what passes for a storm here in the mountains. Rather than the furious rain and done type we are accustomed to in Orlando, here it drizzles, rains hard for a minute and goes back to drizzling for hours at a time. Unlike some storms since we have been here, this one has been accompanied by booming thunder and lightening which seems to echo off the mountains. I'm digging it, however, I sure hope it does not disrupt the copious amount of blossoms that are sprouting, seemingly overnight. Sometime in the past, Bradford Pear trees, back when they were considered a perfect tree for community planting, were planted along Hiwassee Street to honor maybe veterans? I'm not entirely sure on the details, but nonetheless, they are a striking feature as you head into town. Along a curved road that borders the river of the same name, for months on end they were merely sticks in the air. And then, one day they were not.

While they look marvelous in their summer green, they look exceptional in the spring white! This is only about a third of said trees but they are not the only ones in town that are blooming like mad. 

As you can imagine, I am going crazy. Pictured above is a huge white Magnolia tree, unfortunately planted alongside a park storage area, as are the four pink Magnolias jammed up beside the white one. Talk about full of blooms! 

And to think this beauty came from this.

A few weeks ago while rambling in the park, I came across the buds and thought it would be fun to see what happened next. What happened next proved to be glorious, didn't it? 

Over the years, and I suspect you've seen the same, someone will show a photo of the same tree in all seasons which I have always thought was neat. Having witnessed it in person I now think it is marvelous. The colors, after months of grey or brown are just unreal.  An example is this pictured Forsythia plant, one of dozens I have seen blooming all over town. 

About the same color as our yellow Tabebuia trees back home, soon we will have one too. In fact it is about that same size but only now starting to bud out. We bought some hanging baskets to enjoy and I said to Bruce that the entry was just made for them.

Next time I show you this same scene the yellow blooms will be overwhelming and I mean that in a very good way.

Most certainly I hope you have enjoyed your front row seat in bird watching because I can't promise anything in the coming months, what with the leaves returning. In the meantime, let us enjoy the view while we can. This little Carolina Wren was trying to keep warm the other morning when it was very cold and windy. Isn't it cute how they puff up?

Does it surprise you that I've added another feeding station? It shouldn't. Goldfinch are supposed to love Nyger seed which is what is in that sock thing, but to tell you the truth it is the Siskens that seem to like it the most here on Warren Drive.

In other bird news, we are watching the male Goldfinch molt and become the sunny lemon yellow people are most familiar with.

As a reminder, here is one of last Summer's flock.

So how awesome is this? Watching the trees change, the birds, and soon the deer will sport their beautiful caramel color again.

John is curing his beautiful hand made furniture in the sun.  I believe it is next month that there will be a county-wide art tour where folks will have a map to visit artists studios, one of which will be John's below our living space. That should be neat.

Well, it is time to talk about our wonderful Bluebirds. You knew that was coming and were looking forward to it no doubt. Or were you? If nothing else, surely you can appreciate the blooming tree.

Is this a kiss, or the passing of a tasty bug?

The indigo blue of the male is a sight to behold.

Pinch me friends, I've gone to heaven! 

Before long they will have a good place to hide when the leaves come all the way out, something I am and am not looking forward to.  

I finally felt confidant enough in the kitchen here to host guests. I am darn slow though, spending far too much time doing everything.

Unlike at home where serving platters are readily available, here I am learning to make do. Tammy and John, naturally loved the cottage as anyone in their right mind would, all thanks to Charlotte, John and Laura.

A lovely time was had by all, or so it seemed.

So it is not like we don't have beautiful color in Florida, it is just that the change is not nearly as dramatic because so many trees stay green year round. For some unknown reason, this photo was on my desktop featuring the beautiful pink Tabebuia trees that are so prevalent in Central Florida. Perhaps because I took so many of this sort of photograph? Or was it AI? Now that is a scary thought.Nonetheless, the pink reflection in the lake is pretty cool that's for sure. Here are some pink trees I came across here taken during the rain.

Lucky for us, when John and Laura built their beautiful home, they planted an orchard with 12 fruit trees and called their home, The Orchard House. Seeing as they are right out front, we are getting a front row seat to the wonder of a group of trees beginning to bloom with lovely pink flowers.

Rest assured, this is just the beginning of me posting this glorious happening. Oh my! 

Let's head downtown and a nice shot of our church with the bare trees behind it. How long that will last is a mystery to me, but you will be the first to know when the evidence unfolds.

Following the service last Sunday we had lunch with some new friends, a couple from Sanford with a home here, Randy on the left, and David on the right. Both were former teachers in Seminole County.

The number of former teachers we have met here is a lot. Seemingly, every other person is either from Florida or a former teacher! 

Continuing down the street, is a charming church and the elementary school on the left. While the school is not easy to see, the giant blooming trees sure are. The post office is on the right. All very, very compact.

Just around the bend on the left are the pickleball courts and the river. All this is but two miles or so from the cottage. 

Extra, extra, read all about it!!! 

Mr. Peck, AKA, the love of my life, is going before the County Commission on Monday night!!!

Say what?

The long time players at the courts have done amazing things with both their time and talent, including building a covered pavillion featuring a storage room and a bathroom, almost all done with donations. Since we have been here we have played a very, very small role on the donation front. Anyway, take a look at the courts.

You might note that they are separated by tennis nets and makeshift "gates". Precarious to be sure. Long story is that Harry asked Bruce to negotiate with the park manager for permanent fences and gates. Knowing Bruce you can imagine what a thorough job he did, eventually sending drawings, proposals and photographs to the commission for a request of matching funds to have the fences built. One thing of note is that he received return phone calls from the town within hours and this appearance was set up within a week. You gotta love small town life.

Are you still with me? It's still raining, so I am still writing. 😀

Last Saturday was also a rainy day, but eventually we left the cottage and visited what I am calling the flea market although that might not be the real name. Anyway, it was kind of icky, in part because of the damp cold, but interesting nonetheless. Presumably it is much livelier in the summer.

Across the street it is a little more refined with some very interesting items for sale.

We did leave empty handed aside from some new salt and pepper shakers and a cast iron skillet from the grungy place. We did not come home with these.

From there we did some driving in the country and those white trees are so wonderful!

Coming across this shop was a highlight, absolutely charming both inside and out.

What has been so surprising here is how the grass, despite freezing overnight for more days than I can count, remains mostly green.

The number of days we spent watching our boys playing sports were also more days than I can count. It brings me joy to watch the new generation doing just that.

Here is a tree I am anxious to see once these buds turn into leaves. Amazing right? 

Finally this sky.

During our Sunday walk Diane claimed it is called Carolina blue and who, pray tell, am I to argue with that?

I've not even touched on the wildflowers which are also going wild with the warmer days. Oh by golly, this is so much fun.

your friend,

Gail