What a Time of Year!

     My cameras are working overtime at this time of year. Every day brings forth new joys and gifts of unexpected bird sightings, a wonderful downtown festival, volunteering and gardening. Last night we joined folks at Mountain Vale for an American Idol watch party that did not end the way we had hoped for as Braden was not one of the top three. That said, it was probably for the best because ABC insisted on the town having a parade and concert should he be in the top three which sounded pretty neat until you checked the weather forecast. 95% chance of rain would have been pretty miserable should it actually happen! Early last week heavy rain was predicted for Saturday and the day turned out to be picture perfect, so there you go.   

     I just came in from a garden survey and much to my surprise, the celery was completely gone. While it didn't seem to be growing as much as I would have liked it to, I never expected it to vanish. Perhaps this fellow is responsible?

.         Of course there is more than enough clover, the little white flowers, to eat but maybe the celery looked tastier? If you like me had always heard the word clover but never really knew what it looked like, now you do! Having just looked it up there is a crimson version as well. 

     The intensity of color that is our Japanese maple tree right now is really something.  Some of the inside leaves are beginning to put on their summer green color but seemingly, there is a long way to go before it is all green again.

     This will be our third Spring here in Murphy and I still cannot get over how dramatic the changes are during the seasons. What once was so barren looking is now so lush it is hard to imagine, even though I am seeing it with my own two eyes. The brilliant yellow flowers are beginning to diminish somewha,t but continue to amaze in whatever stage they are. The scene below has changed so dramatically I hardly recognize it.

          Should you walk the other way it is lush with green foliage.

     The above is where the river runs through the park where the American Idol concert was to be held should he have made the top five. I was thinking last week that people love visiting in the fall when all this begins to change from intense green to a multi-colored landscape and while that is super great, this is darn good as well. Plus the birds right now are abundant, and as I mentioned in the first paragraph present themselves as little gifts to me when I spot one like this Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

     Isn't it so cute??? I also came across some Brown Thrashers that I am pretty confident are a parent and baby.

          While we are still in the park here is a mama bluebird with a goodie for her brood.

           A tree swallow guarding her box.

     Look at this little Carolina Chickadee! So cute. 

     Perhaps you are wondering why, if I have already photographed a species of bird many times, why I continue to do so and my answer is because each one is unique even though I may not recognize any difference; not to mention who doesn't love a gift which I consider each bird sighting? There were several years when my gifts consisted of seeing owl and their owlets, as well as eagles and their eaglets, and believe you me, my long-time readers probably grew weary of my obsession, but they seemed to have stuck with me. This past week Cliff Swallows, a new bird to me, are having a hey-day under the pedestrian bridge beside the playground and pickleball courts. It is quite the spectacle seeing dozens of birds flying around like little missiles, seemingly never stopping in their quest to catch flying insects for their young who they are raising in nests made of mud. It is hard for me to stay away even though I've already taken countless pictures in my quest to get a good one!

     Picture this: a dozen or so fly every which way, round and round, finally one drops down to the riverbank to gather mud and others swoop down joining in their quest to build their nests. Should you be interested, here's a link with more details. For me their behavior is nothing short of amazing, however, lots of folks walk over the bridge and never even seem to notice them zipping around overhead. While studying them from my perch on the bridge, first off I am so grateful to have a zoom lens, and secondly with said zoom lens I see things that are sometimes hard to notice.

     My phone tells me this is a Solitary Sandpiper and most of the time, the phone is correct. But not every time, so don't quote me on this one. 

     This is the entry closest to our home. Everything basically was brown a month ago.

     We are so fortunate to have this free resource in our town and I am so grateful for the folks who continue to maintain it. I was walking along the other day and the word that came to mind to describe the experience is "wild". Yes, there is a boardwalk or paths, but aside from that, it's nothing like we were accustomed to and that's a good thing! Before too much longer, they will open the dam and the level of the river will rise, meaning no longer will there be little rapids or the sight of big rocks on the river bed. I like it better low, but for those folks who love kayaking, the high level is ideal. I love seeing all the wild plants at this time of year including maidenhair ferns.

     Raindrops on a cedar tree branch that was bare sticks but a month ago. The fresh green is so lush. 

          One day as I was standing on the bridge I noticed pink blossoms floating in the water. Here's why....

     Let's turn our attention to the home front where exciting outdoor things are happening. It was so funny one day last week, well at least to me, but anyway, I opened the front door and saw a bird on the feeder that was a first time visitor, a female Rose Breasted Grosbeak, a bird we once had at the cottage feeders but I've never seen since. Naturally I was freaking out and called out to Bruce to bring me my camera PLEASE! Looking everywhere he brought me two cameras, neither of which have good zoom capabilities so I had to bite the bullet and instead of a nice close up, see if you see said bird in the photo below. 

    Yup, I figured as much. No can do. Once our lady friend flew away I went in search of the bigger camera and I'd left it downstairs on the garden potting bench! Yeesh! When you see a bird, one must act with expediency. She has not returned. :(

     A closer look at the beautiful double petunia. Having the right camera lens makes a big difference.

     One afternoon Bruce tied up the abundance of peonie blooms and buds that were weighing the plant down; so far none have opened yet but any day now. There are fifty, yes you read that correctly, fifty! (actually I started this post yesterday and my garden tour just now showed several opening up)

      Very close to this amazing plant, I kept hearing a bird call from the giant plants, over and over like a youngster. Sure enough, here's a young Song Sparrow. Cheep, cheep, cheep and the beat goes on.

     Gosh, just so much to show you...I hope you are interested!

     One day we drove to Young Harris, a small nearby town, for Bruce's regular medical check up. Remember I told you how green the mountains were? Well, here's the evidence.

     We spent some time last week preparing for my role in providing refreshments for the dedication service at the grand re-opening of the Harshaw Chapel. Built in 1869 as the first church for the early Methodists in this region it was in dis-repair but after the new roof went on and other improvements because Pastor Wil is leaving soon, the weekend had three separate events to commemorate the occasion. A highlight was when Demi and her brother Hoyt sand, "I Wander as I Wander", a beloved  song composed here in Murphy. 

     It was so precious. 

     

     Lori and I at the refreshment table graced with our neighbor Sandy's gorgeous peonies. And yes, I saw this dress in my closet and said, "this will do."

     Friends, I have a feeling you've had enough so I will leave you with a few items perhaps I can cover in my next post.

      

* Someone is arriving soon from Asheville to determine once and for all the viability of the fireplace working again.

*The Spring Fling was a great success this year. Perfect weather and good crowds.

*We finally bought a painting to replace the one over the fireplace that came with the house!

*Bruce is in his shop making a frame.

*I am entering two photographs in the Silver Arts again. Due on Thrusday this week, we shall see.

*Jonathan flew to Japan for the month for work and he arrived safe and sound.

*Mr. Christian, aka our grandson is now wearing little shoes that are so cute.

I do so hope you've enjoyed this week in our little slice of heaven here. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

your friend,

Gail

     

     

No More Whining!

 Whining is unbecoming, don't you think? So why was my last post so full of it? 

Good question.

Once the mountains came into view, all of that negativity washed away and while I will be recounting a little more about the trip, being factual rather than emotional is my goal. 

Milking the photos of Christian and Fallon that I took for all they worth.

Most definitely a highlight of our trip! Our hope is to return in a few months when he has had all of his shots and the winter weather is gone. Yeah for Spring! At least as far as the nasty viruses are concerned. Have you read that there is a "quad-demic" going around?  (read all about it with the link)

While our bird feeders here provide loads of entertainment value, I was so hoping to see some big birds in Florida on this trip. Only an hour following our arrival, Bruce had a super good find and called out to me as I was unloading the car. Grab your camera!

This guy was pounding away at a tree near the mailboxes. Woo hoo! 

Driving home from the dentist I thought, why not go and check on the peacock neighborhood? It never fails to delight me.

I saw probably about twenty five on the couple of streets and it was not raining; truly a bonus. 

Have you guessed that I am in a bird segment? Oh how I wish there was more to share, however, on the free day we had to go to the Wetlands, it was pouring rain. To say that I was highly disappointed is an understatement! This is the time of the year the egrets, spoonbills, blue herons and cormorants are building nests. Not to mention the wood storks. All of the big boys! Of course I am using that term loosely because without girls there would be no need for nests would there?

As some already know our condo is on a small lake that usually is great for bird watching. Don't be fooled by the blue sky in this photo because there was very little of that on our trip. This is an Anhinga for those who could care less about birds.

There was a cute palm warbler in a tree.

A little blue heron checking his reflection amongst the aquatic plants.

A red winged blackbird was amongst the downed reeds and looks as if she is gathering material for a nest of her own. By the way, the first time I saw this bird I could not believe that it was a red winged blackbird because I saw no red. Turns out it is a female and as is so often the case, the male and female look very little alike.

One of my very favorite birds is the loud limpkin.

I just love the brown and white pattern! 

It was nice to see the lake again,

and the only thing that would have made it better was a sunrise. Not happening with the gloomy weather much to my disappointment. I am mostly a very simple woman who finds joy in the simplest of things. 

Speaking of lakes, there are two in our complex and it was not until the day before we returned to North Carolina that I went to the bigger lake to see what I could see, in spite of the cold and wet weather. Not a whole lot except for this great blue heron that was all tucked in, warding off the cold.

One last nature photo that might make you smile.

These days I drive very little but when I am home I do put the MINI on the road, and in this instance, I left at eight in the morning to drive all the way across town to have an oil change. 

Would you look at that! It is raining. Finally I arrived and I took a seat in the waiting room adjacent to Interstate 4.

My oil change came with some surprises as they checked the car and got back to me that there were some serious repairs that will be needed sooner, rather than later. Oh joy! I did enjoy my quiet time there reading a marvelous book called Tara Road by Maeve Binchy. My advisor said I could wait for a little bit, especially because the car is just sitting in the carport. Maybe after we get over the HVAC system replacement.

Bruce arranged for the new system and we were very fortunate that the contractor had a unit in stock and workers that could install it. Bruce emptied the closet for easy access.

The system is in the top of the closet and the fellows needed all the room that we could provide.

On the first day it was raining so they installed a new version of the inside equipment pictured above, followed by the outside equipment on Thursday when it was still raining but not quite so hard. The fellows were top notch which was a real blessing. Janet came by for a visit that afternoon, followed by Anne and then Mary invited us for a delicious roast chicken dinner at her place down the street.

We had lots of meals out with friends including Joe and Cynthia who met us a Chuy's for dinner. Fortunately the restaurant was not very busy, so our server did not mind us sitting there for nearly two hours. A lovely couple who we do miss.

A marvelous night out at F&D Kitchen with David and Michelle was our Monday night date. 

The food was delicious, the company even better with great service as well.

Both Bruce and I spent time going through our place and packing things to bring to our home here, including more sewing supplies, some art work, tools and kitchen equipment. Although we have had good luck with thrift stores, shopping in our own home was very satisfying.

Now that our cars are serviced, our teeth were cleaned, our condo cleaned and organized, our eyes examined, and our family and friends all visited, it was time to head north and wouldn't you know it, the sun came out for the first time in nearly a week.

It was an uneventful drive to Valdosta, only a little over 200 miles from home, but as was discussed in my last post, the site of a Drury Inn! Because we were there fairly early, we popped into a TJ Maxx across the street. Who do you imagine these tables are designed for?

The store was jam packed with merchandise that is for sure. Because the mall was right there we went into the JC Penny's store as well as the mall where I saw this that I thought was fun. 

Surprisingly the mall looked mostly full of stores and it won't surprise you in the least that Bruce had a chat with the manager of JCP who told him that it was nearly 80% occupied. Good for them! Maybe it was because we had just seen darling Christian but as we were walking into the store I was reminded of how I used to buy clothes for our little ones at the JC Penny downtown on Orange Avenue, just down the street from the Beachem Theater, all places from our childhood in Orlando. Long gone, replaced by plenty of bars that seemingly are the cause of some troubles in town.

Piles of snow were in front of most places and in the case of the hotel, on the furniture as well.

It still amazes me that the panhandle of Florida received so much snow! We saw the remnants as we drove out of Florida. Which reminds me, as we were driving south in Georgia, we began seeing loads of downed trees which Bruce thought was hurricane damage. Sure enough, looking it up, it was damage from Hurricane Helene on the destructive path toward North Carolina. 

Day two was mostly smooth sailing even through the mountains which also had remnants of the winter storms. Holy cow it looked cool! 

We arrived home with enough daylight to empty the car and put most everything in place. 

Whew!! The good news is that we now are better equipped for our next visit with our place all tidy and  a driving plan in place. I'm pretty confident that masks will not be required for next time.

Until we meet again little man!

your friend,

Gail

Where Has the Time Gone?

Apparently my idea of having you suggest a title went over like a dead balloon because the suggestions were few and far between. Our sister-in-law Judy came up with a good one, and who is surprised at that, aside from those who do not know that she taught high school English classes for four decades. She made mention of a Hallmark movie and if you have been reading this space for very long it is a safe bet you were thinking along those same lines! 

This upcoming Saturday afternoon I've been given another job to help Laura and that is to be "Santa's helper" while folks have their photo made with "him" in the sleigh that is in front of the tree. You've yet to see said sleight but for sure, you will soon! Wanting to look the part, I picked up a decorated shirt at one of the thrift stores we frequent, however, I think the weather is taking a turn towards colder weather so perhaps I will be wearing a coat. We shall see in more ways than one!

It has been wet and rainy a bunch of days, keeping us from playing pickleball in Murphy on the outdoor courts. Instead, we have been driving to Andrews, about twenty minutes away. No complaints here because it is such a gorgeous drive and looks different every time we go there.

Lots of low-lying clouds on our way. That grass!! It is so insanely green it hardly seems real, but real it is. After so many freezing nights, we do not understand how it stays so green, unlike in Orlando where at the first hint of freezing temperature, the grass turns brown. 

Oh my word, the mysteries of life!

The leaves on the Japanese maple, those that are hanging on for dear life, have turned a color I am calling russet.

Interestingly enough, when it rains they become supple as pictured above, yet at the first hint of dryness, they shrivel up into a tight ball.

While we are in the general area of the front of the house, it makes me very happy to walk up to the steps and see the tree through the window. BTW, the man of the house made the wreath.

Across the street from us, Zach and Michelle are having fun with their beautiful home this Christmas season, putting up a tree on the first and second floor.

If you are a bit of an eagle-eye, you might notice the rhododendron with big buds on them that happened during the warmer days of Autumn. We have some in the back yard, not as big, that also are confused.

One thing that I am so very pleased about is that for the first time that I can remember, I managed to do all of the Christmas cards at once! And put packages together that Bruce took the post office which is, you guessed it, two blocks away!

The chair was so comfortable, the Christmas music playing in the background along with the view outside the window, helped make it such a pleasant time. Now I am well aware that these days fewer and fewer folks send out Christmas cards, but I am not amongst that bunch. My motivation in continuing the tradition is joy and remembrance. Each card that I write brings back such fond memories, it is very much worth it to me. And I expect nothing in return, although it is nice to check the mailbox and find seasons greetings in there. Mailbox money is nice too, however I only receive any four times a year, rather than once a month in the past.  That said I am so pleased with some of the new things they are offering. Whether or not any clients will like them  is yet to be determined. 😁

Haha, came across this at Walmart.

It is everywhere folks and a good many of you heard of it here first!! We played inside again this morning and I am starting to get accustomed to the experience. The folks are very nice as well.

Shall I show social things or river walk things first? Oh wait, I cannot hear you. Perhaps I will flip a coin?

We went to a lovely handbell concert at Church of the Messiah. Perhaps you recall we attended there for our first three months here in Murphy, changing not because the church wasn't wonderful, but because it was just so small. It was lovely to be inside again and the ringers we know who are part of the group did a beautiful job in the acoustic friendly church.

Talk about a Hallmark movie set! It is one of the prettiest buildings in town.

Walking the two blocks to our home on a very cold night, when I looked up it was just so lovely.

And yes that is the courthouse, a requirement of every county seat.

Saturday afternoon David and DAnna put on a beautiful spread during their holiday open house. Friends it was all too pretty to eat. 

This snow globe!! I was dying!

All of our thrifting so far has not turned up a snow globe, but I bet eventually it will. Of course I could buy one, but that's not nearly as much fun as finding one.  Growing up in Atlanta, DAnna learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. I love that she puts out some of the classic Southern dishes including this beauty.

It looks picture perfect! A first for me, it was not my favorite, but I very much loved the chipped beef cheese ball.

While on the subject of cheese balls, and who isn't on the subject of cheese balls this time of year? But I digress...John and Laura came for dinner last night and I went full-on old school, serving meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn and cucumbers and onions in vinegar. Olives and a cheese ball were the appetizers. A chocolate cake and peppermint ice cream rounded out the meal. Yup, very much a retro dinner, and why not, as you well know, I am very much a retro kind of gal.  For more than three decades (!) I have had a cheese ball recipe given to me by our dear friend Mary, one of the most accomplished cooks that I know. Even though I could remember how delicious it was, and really what I am about to type seems either remarkable or silly, you choose. Anyway, I finally made it yesterday morning, served it last night, and it was just as delicious as my memory told me it was. What the heck had I been waiting for?

The children's choir had a sweet performance during the worship service Sunday morning.

Standing ready with their pint-sized bells, they rang them like mad!  Following that the ukulele band took center stage. The expressions are pretty priceless aren't they? 

I am thinking perhaps the middle boy may go on to star in a rock and roll band?

While the cold weather has not bothered us much, it has changed some of our habits, whether it is pickleball in the morning, or me taking afternoon walks which have not happened nearly as often as is typical. When I do get the chance, I am soaking everything in. Even they grey sky can't stop me!

The birds, whose identity is unclear, gather in groups and boy do I like it! The sound is fantastic! 

It is tempting to think all of the trees are the same, however,  as you can easily see in the above examples, their infrastructure are quite varied. 

Check out this bark! Very cool, isn't it?

Tammy, who is in Florida, got in touch with me yesterday, asking me about the winter birds and were we still feeding them, and are there a bunch, and other bird lovers talk. Yes the birds are going through seed like nobodies business. And somehow they find their own, like this beauty pictured below.

The Mallards are looking very elegant indeed in their ultra rich colors.

There is very little color in the park these days except in a few places. These bushes are called Burning bushes.

Berries are abundant on the holly bushes.

Here is something that I do not recall ever taking the time to study before, but it is noteworthy and deserves a mention in this space as we learn all that we can about our adopted home.

We have discussed at length the departure of manufacturing from these parts and Emerson Electric was one such manufacturer. If you have some time, read this engaging article that includes both Emerson and Jimmy Carter.  Good stuff ,and it turns out they were not only generous with our town, but a project close to the former President's heart.

Fallon, Christian and Bill continue getting to know one another with some good day,s and some better days. It is such the adjustment! When I saw this happening in the park the other afternoon I had to wonder if this young mother was super cautious when her child was a newborn? 

I could be wrong, but as I recall, I never changed any of our boy's diapers in a wide open park before. But maybe I did. I have often been wrong. 

Did I tell you that we donated to the swim team? 

And no I am not tooting our own horn,  only mentioning it because such a small donation made such a big difference to the team. They had their first big meet on Saturday morning, and while we did not attend ,I am going to keep up with the team's season. 

In a small town it is easy to make a big difference.

Have you ever done this before?

Sounding like a broken record, the candles refused to go in at the outset, so I shaved them down in order to fit them into the candle sticks that we bought at you know where! Oh yea, the Christmas glasses too. Asking if I had space for them, I explained to Bruce that all of the super tall kitchen cabinets are empty, so for sure I have room. 

Look who is as cute as a button!

About a month from now we will see this sweet face in person. In the meantime, we are relying on technology to stay abreast. What a Christmas blessing! Only a week away!

your friend,

Gail 

p,s, for some reason my last post went very much under the radar. Should you care, click here.