An Assortment

 Good morning dear readers; it's been a while since last we met. 

With so much to cover, it is hard to know where to start, but because he has now become such a fan favorite, let us begin with darling Christian who is now six months old and as cute a a button.

Not only is he as cute as can be, but Fallon describes him as "her angel" and from what we observed, she will get no argument from us, as he was just charming with a disposition that would be the envy of any new mother. 

As you can well imagine, I had a lot of fun not only holding him, but taking photographs like a crazed woman. It is hard to pick a favorite so here goes, I will let you decide. On our January trip back to Murphy, we stopped by the Engage store in Oxford, Florida, just outside the Villages, which by the way goes on forever. Bruce wanted a new pickleball paddle and at the factory store they are heavily discounted so there was that. What to our wondering eyes should appear, but a paddle for little one. Fortunately, I remembered to take it with us when we packed.

Obviously it is a bit of a joke, but Bill really appreciated it because he is a serious pickleball player who is sadly injured at the moment. Injuring his bicep, and only rest will do, keeping him off the courts and he is very sad about that. 

Fallon and her little angel.

The playpen, (pictured in the first photo) is new, as is this cute little play chair, or that's the name I am giving it.

We rushed over when he was awake and it was so good taking turns holding him and watching him doing his new trick of rolling over. We could not be any happier for them and are so pleased at how well they have adjusted to their new life. 

Unfortunately, David and Michelle were not well for most of our visit, meaning we could not see them until we had seen Christian so that no germs would be transmitted. As much as we loved seeing Christian, we still wanted to see our own cute boys, although they would cringe at that, they were once our boys!  Eventually David came over without Michelle who got the bug a few days later than him.

The older they get the more I think they look like my Dad. Speaking of which, holy cow am I ever looking more like my mother these days! Fallon sent some photos that she took and I was like, who is that woman?

Speaking of our Florida home, I brought my peonies with me, hoping they would survive for a few more days.

Because they were so highly anticipated in my Murphy world, I hated to leave them behind. I put a vase full in the basement before we left, hoping the cool would preserve them and it somewhat worked! 

The main theme of the trip, aside from seeing family, is how hot it was. Oh my goodness, we are unaccustomed to 95 degree weather these days. As I type, it is 63 degrees outside. When we played pickleball with our old group at Dover Shores, we were dying even at 7:00 in the morning. The only saving grace was that the humidity was lower than is typical. Normally I need natural light in my indoor spaces, but even I was willing to shut all of the blinds and curtains to keep the heat out. 

A nice surprise was  finding a blooming orchid that I had attached to the baby Schefellera.

We arrived on Friday a little after lunch time which was a good thing because we had to deal with my dead car battery. We had learned from Keith that it would not start so it was no surprise. Thankfully, we have AAA and they came, first trying jumping the battery to no avail, and then replacing it. Now if you are like us, your idea of a good battery is in the $100 range. NOT!! A nearby garage was willing to replace it for over $500 so we went with the AAA guy who was already there and installed it for $325. Astonishing what things cost. 

But  with the MINI back in business that meant that I could drive the baby car for a few days. One of the mornings I went to my old stomping grounds, Lake Davis to see what I could see.

It's baby time in the bird world and I saw a bunch, including this Geese family,

along with all manner of waterfowl, including some cygnets.

The beginning of another hot day behind our condo.

As we were heading out our friend Sarah June gave us a little figure of Jesus to take with us and so we placed it on the dashboard. Yup, insanely hot.

Somewhat ironic is that when we went to Florida in January, it was unseasonably cold and our next visit it was unseasonably hot. Obviously, we are not picking the right time to visit! Looking at the ten day projection I knew that high temperatures  were forecast but after being chilly for so long, it was merely a concept to me. Reality hit big time!!

Unfortunately, two sets of friends were on separate Alaskan cruises so between that and David and Michelle being sick we didn't get as many visits in that would have been to our liking. It was good to see the old pickleball gang though, both at Dover Shores, and our community group. Plus, Mary had us over for a yummy dinner on Saturday night which was marvelous. Because the cupboards are nearly bare, it was weird being in your own place with no food to speak of.  Thus we had Publix subs one day, we checked out a new food truck spot down the street, 

which was cute, but in the end, the prospect of eating outside held no appeal. Instead we ended up at Tijuana Flats, where the food and decor have drastically changed. Well, drastic is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but let's say it as not nearly as good or colorful as we remembered.  (I am including this to update Matt and Tom who have enjoyed many meals here)

A place that turned out to be fantastic was Primrose Lanes, the updated bowling alley we knew as Colonial Lanes since our childhood. Although we did not bowl, the next time we got to Orlando we hope to do so. The decor was so fun,

and the food was extra yummy! 

For those new to this blog, here is our community in Orlando as we were driving in.

Birds galore live amongst the humans and it pleased me to no end that I was able to see many of them.

I do love my little birds here in Murphy, but the big birds are pretty great as well. If you missed my last post with the bluebirds, here's a link. As well, in that same post there is a photo of the hydrangeas and here's what they look like now!

If I had to guess there must be 50 or so in various stages of blooming.

For the first time ever we drove through Atlanta on our way home and even though we began the trek through it at about 2:30 in the afternoon, it was brutal with traffic extending as far as the eye could see. Thank God for the lane dedicated to more than one passenger! 

In another first, we took the interstate the entire way so in order to not die of boredom on the road, I played dj using music from both of our phones. That part was good.

Bruce had a birthday while we were there, although it turned out to be very low key with a meal not to remember. We did finally get to celebrate on Tuesday night with only David, as Michelle was still under the weather. That meal at F&D Italian Kitchen was wonderful! Discovering that we had quite a number of bottles of expensive wine in the condo, all gifts from David, we took one with us, paid the corkage fee of $20 and shared a bottle of 2016 Silver Oak. I'm not sure if we have ever had a bottle that old before; it was a pleasant surprise.

Leaving early on Thursday morning, our mission was to get back to Murphy in time for Bruce to meet Grayson for the end of the year pool party for Big Brothers. Instead of breaking it into two days, we were making good time, so Bruce just kept driving. All was well when we finally arrived around 5:00 in the afternoon.

Turns out that there was enough rain in our absence to keep the flowers in good shape. 

Friday we found time to get caught up before the party, getting a few groceries at Ingles when the sky looked like this:

Clouds would have been so helpful in Florida! Although the folks here might not be thrilled with the forecast of rain for days on end, I am not complaining one bit. 

Grayson was very much enjoying himself at the pool. You may recall that it is a part of the gym where Mr. Bruce continues his senior body building ways.

We saw our friend Dottie who was giving a swimming lesson, something she has done for decades. She is but one of many active 80+ year olds that we know.

It is hard to believe that it has been two years since we first discovered Murphy, or at least to me it is. Time goes by so quickly doesn't it? Aside from our family and friends, there is not much we miss about living in Orlando. Except perhaps the absence of rainbows. That said, one appeared on Sunday night. I noticed the sun coming through the door after a day of off and on again rain, so I said to Bruce, 
"I wonder if there is a rainbow" and by golly, there was.

Wonder of wonders, a rainbow in Murphy. Probably it happens more than I know but it was a first for me.

And isn't that the way it is; you think you have seen it all before and then a Roseate Spoonbill flies onto a dock across the lake! We lived there for nearly six years and never once that bird until the morning we were to return to Murphy. Indeed, life is a wonder, isn't it? 

your friend,

Gail

An Earthquake, and Peonies Too

Alright, I will admit I am obsessed with the peonies that are growing on the side of our home. 

You may find it hard to imagine, that is if you are the flower loving sort, that the blooms, once opened,  are seven inches wide and tall with more than a hundred petals!! Yes, jam packed with goodness. So, keeping that in mind, peonies are going to be featured a bunch in this post! 

The above photo has been on my camera for nearly a week and just before I downloaded it to my computer, while in the kitchen cleaning up, I was thinking that one thing we do find fantastic about NC is how few bugs are in your homes. Well, looks like you know who brought one in!  The runner is new;  I made it in an attempt at a Spring decoration. 

So should you have noticed the title, you are undoubtedly more interested in an earthquake than you are a peony. Am I right about that? 

Of all things, Saturday morning, about nine, I was once again in the kitchen, having just finished filling the dishwasher, when, while standing in front of the stove, there was an incredibly loud sound that I am finding difficult to describe. Because there are no planes overhead here, it is very quiet around these parts, so a huge loud sound is not something that would go unnoticed. Following the bang, the house began shaking and I do mean shaking. At first I thought it was Bruce upstairs, stomping around. Silly, right? Meanwhile, he was on the porch, so his experience was different than mine. At any rate, once the shaking stopped we met in the middle, both exclaiming how very weird it had been. Of course, never having been in an earthquake before, we needed validation. I called a neighbor, yes, it was an earthquake. What is so crazy is that I texted Matt and within seconds he got back with me telling me that Tom confirmed it was an earthquake in Tennessee measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale. For those unfamiliar with our location we are about 25 miles to TN and about the same to GA. After more investigation, it was deemed to be a 4.1 earthquake, about 70 miles due north of us. Tom explained the scale because in some way he has to know about it for work. In any case, this one went nearly 16 miles underground, thus people felt it as far away as Atlanta! It was the talk of the town that's for sure!! 

Two days later, I found the only "damage" was to one of Mrs. Vespasian's statues that had toppled over.

We keep them around because they remind us of how lucky we were to find this house that she so lovingly cared for. Note tomato plant...more to come on that front.

Last Wednesday even though it was raining here, Bruce was slated to play the men's doubles pickleball matches in Hayesville, so when it was time to leave, we had not heard about a cancelation. By the time we arrived, the email came through that indeed it was canceled. "Honey, do you mind if I roam around with my camera in this lovely setting?" 

By now you know his answer as he has been through it countless times before! 

I cannot tell you how excited I was to see the identification of these birds I photographed in the field, Boblinks, a songbird that I have never seen before!

From this article, I learned that they are one of the most impressive migratory birds, traveling...are you ready? 12,500 miles to and from South America each season!! Migration is so cool, don't you think?

As well, Meadowlarks sightings have been few for this bird loving lady and I spotted one as well.

Thank goodness for zoom lenses! 

While we are talking birds, two sets of parents of interest found in the park where I walk alongside the river.

Even better news is that we have some in our backyard! I believe I mentioned how I lured them to the box with mealworms and now we put some on the fire ring as well.

May I present the Tree Swallows parents.

So exciting when they show up each year. 

Let's go here while we are talking families...I got to meet Grayson, Bruce's little brother, at a school band concert! As well, we met his mother and grandmother. He was just as sweet and well mannered as Bruce described him. As an aside, none of our children were in the band so this was our very first band concert.

He is the young man standing up with the flowers behind his head. This is his first year and he's really enjoying band. It was good to see a good number of middle school band members because they are sorely needed. You may recall from the football game I reported that the entire band has about ten members and I may be being a wee bit generous.

A place we came across in Hayesville was the Master Gardners plot and it was a wonderful surprise.

It was lovely and very well maintained with some blooms happening with many more to come.

The sign says they hope it is inspiring and it worked on this couple!! 

Bruce filled our beds with much needed mulch, edging them and trimming up the bushes that have already bloomed like they forsythia which was growing wildly. He also trimmed the dead branches from the Rose of Sharon trees along with fertilizing everything. While we were out there, he called me to come take a look at the base of one of those trees.

Hundreds of what at the time looked like pearl couscous, in the next day or two they looked like this:

Super cute, right? Don't get attached because, lo and behold, during yesterday's yard survey, they had disappeared!! This whole area of the yard is heavily shaded at this time of year with ancient plants, or so it seems to me. Last year when Tammy first visited the house she called it our fairy garden. Maybe so, right?

She also gave me bulbs galore that had belonged to her grandmother and I planted them with no knowledge about what I was doing. Although there is foliage, so far only one of the lilies has bloomed, but it was a beauty, so I am not complaining.

So that side is super shady but fortunately we do have sun on the other side of the house. By golly, lookee here.

Back to the peonies. Always back to the peonies, at least for now anyway. After doing some research I learned that I was not meant to wait for the peonies to open, instead cut them when they are at the marshmallow stage. They were so heavy with bloom and buds Bruce had to tie them up big time! So I did cut some,

Please note the funny tic-tac-do piece! Isn't it clever? So within a few days there were many more blooming or in the marshmallow stage so l have had to keep cutting them.

With further research I learned that if I wrap them up in paper, they can be refrigerated for quite some time and when ready for more gorgeous fragrance and beauty, give them a trim and put them in water. I will let you know how that goes! 

The house behind us is now empty, waiting on a buyer, so when I noticed the roses blooming profusely, permission was granted and I am now in flower heaven between my own roses, Shannon's roses, and the peonies, what more could a gal wan't? Actually vases are at a premium in this household so I must stop!

As well, I plucked these from a tree on the river walk and were they ever filled with fragrance. 

The front porch has some dahlias and violas and while they have no fragrance, we are loving how prolific flowers are here in NC.

Looking down from the other side of the porch it looks like it is going to be a good year for hydranges!

Ya'all recognize this woman?

Somehow I came across this and have had it on my desktop now for a few weeks. Time to dump it off here for folks who will not recognize that woman! I hardly do. Many, many years ago!!! Classmates from Valencia Community College visiting me. While we are looking backward, I came across this POST from 2014 that might interest folks who are just getting to know us. 

I need to leave room for pictures of Christian on my desktop...they are multiplying because they are so darling I can't toss them out! Won't be long before we see this little cutie in person. He is becoming mobile, rolling over, and in general, doing all the things he should. He's 5.5 months old now. Bill and Fallon have been so good at sharing videos.

Mother's day came and went with calls from my darling sons. Not just mine of course, but on this day I am calling them mine. Listening to Fallon talk about being a first time mother has been such a joy. 

While we were in Hayesville we returned to an antique shop we first visited when we were driving up to Murphy for the first time. Actually, the shop is in GA, but as you are now familiar with how close places are, that makes sense, right? Anyway, every single time when we visit a shop like that I wonder how in the world did someone, firstly come up with some of the things and secondly think they would sell? 

It makes you wonder doesn't it? 

When we moved here I imagined maybe a tornado could be in our future but an earthquake? No way!

Shows you what I know!! 

as always, your friend,

Gail

p.s. I may be wrong but I think the plants and flowers like the cold winter.

A Little Bit Wild

A manicured life, that's what I would call all of our living before we came to the mountains.  There are very many areas in Florida that are not manicured, however, they are becoming fewer and fewer with the ensuing years. My family moved to Orlando in 1957 when I was four years old. Bruce's folks came a few years later when Bruce was six. So aside from a year in Canada, and one in California, Orlando was our stomping grounds. Having always lived in neighborhoods, most trees and plants were just that, planted.

And so, with this move, seeing wild things growing here, there, and everywhere, has been a real treat for us. While on the river walk yesterday, the wilder part, 

it struck me that along with all the other new things we are doing, we are also being exposed to much more wildness than ever before. I mean seeing ferns growing wild,

along with a super abundance of wild roses that while they are very fragrant, folks tell me they are invasive.

A constant source of change, between the clouds, trees, sky or water levels, the Valley river from the bridge near the playground. The annual wildflower show along the banks, is in full force, so I have learned to get out there when I can because it only last for a few weeks.

Florida is good and green, but buildings are replacing big swaths of nature there, whereas here, buildings are what are mostly few and far between. At this time of year it is green, green, and more green! I took the one below at the folk school gardens last week when I visited with Bill and Lisa while Bruce was with his little brother. 

Honestly, it was so pretty! There are innumerable shades of green in the scene below.

More from the folk school.

Earlier that same day we went to the local museum in order for Bill to see the "moon-eyed people", something he had seen on a television show. This article explains the mystery. 

We took an alternate route home and stumbled across a campground which is owned by a couple from our church. Ursala was kind enough to show us her pretty rooster, along with

the hens who came out from under the coop.

I still don't quite understand how a Jersey-girl ended up in Murphy, owning a campground, but they seem to be having a ball with plenty of plans for expansion. To the left of the coop are rabbits,

of which I think there were six. On Sunday, she told me that the day after our visit, one of them had eight babies! And now there are fourteen! 

We stopped by the river walk in order for me to show them what I am always raving about.  Bill is a kindred spirit in that he takes nearly as many photographs as I do!

While we were standing there a photo-op occurred roght below us that we were not expecting!!!

Speaking of their visit, on Wednesday we traveled to see the Fontana Dam, the tallest dam east of the Rockies. Since Bill and Bruce worked together in the early days of their construction careers, where concrete is involved, they are all in. Lisa was kind enough to be our chauffeur allowing us to sight see along the way. Lots of green to be sure. 

Look who's taking photographs, with a wall of green behind him!

And to think that only a month ago that wall of green was merely tree trunks! One last beautiful view.

Our next stop was for lunch at the Tapoco Lodge, reached by taking a very, very winding road along the river to get there. 102 curves or so the sign claimed. We drove by a MINI convention of sorts. Meet Bonnie, one of the only original MINIs there. 

We were quite near to the "Tail of the Dragon" a road with over 300 curves in an 11 mile stretch and these MINIs were gathered for a road rally on that. Super fun for this MINI lover.

The dam that Harrison Ford jumped off of in the film The Fugitive.

Sitting alongside the river for lunch is pretty darn special.

The food was fantastic and the grounds filled with blooming flowers, including the wild orange azaleas that are called "flame azaleas", mountain laurel and rhododendron.

We were the second stop on Bill and Lisa's road trip as they left Thursday morning to continue visiting friends along the way.

Soul Table happened the next day and the following evening we went to another art show featuring Anna Claire's terrific art work celebrating her Chinese heritage. John and Laura are so proud and rightly so.

Here's something else of note, a serious one that turned out okay! Big storms came through on Friday night, cancelling the scheduled "Spring Fling" slated for Saturday. Well, during a lull in the rain, David took the trash out. Within moments, a huge lightening bolt hit the ground about ten feet away from him; the force caused him to fall flat on his back on the wet ground. He was so stunned that it took moments before he came to, realizing he was being pelted by rain and he sought shelter in the house. The good news is that he survived to tell the tale of how that strike also knocked out their well for three days until professional help could come to their place. Can you even imagine how scary that was??? He claims he is just fine.

Last story, because time is running out. We are attending a band concert tonight where Grayson (little brother) will be playing an instrument. Bonus points because I will be meeting his grandmother who is his legal guardian.

So, last Mother's Day Matthew had three English roses sent from the North American breeder, David Austin Roses. located in Texas. Talking with him on FaceTime yesterday, we discussed how one of the roses had died last year and I mentioned that the third one was now pink when it was meant to be white.

Perhaps you saw it's neighbor in my last post? Maybe you missed it as it looks like many did. Anyway, he suggested I call for a replacement for the one that died as they are meant to have a five year warranty. Well, sure enough, the woman who answered the phone could not have been one bit nicer, and not just one, but two are slated to be coming my way in the next few weeks!! They are replacing the one you see above which actually opened today and is not only gorgeous, but smells heavenly! It has been so long since I've smelled a beautiful rose. Lots more buds so I will be in business for a while!

Isn't it so sweet and delicate unlike, and I promise this is the last photo, the peonies pictured below that I cut from Sandy's yard. Oh my word these blooms are huge, leaving me in flower heaven around here while I am awaiting my peonies to open.

Living on the "little bit wild side" is suiting us just fine.

your friend,

Gail