Around the House

For the past months I have taken a lot of people photographs, not really my specialty, but I do the best I can. There was the more than a thousand at the pickleball tournament, two weddings, a memorial service and then there was VBS, accounting for countless more thousands. 

With that in mind, let us have a look at what is happening in our yard and sweet home on Campbell Street,  shall we?

You betcha!

As I was carrying something to our office from the kitchen I glanced to my left and what to my wondering eyes should I see but this site through the window in the door to the back porch and yard!!

Picture me flipping out, calling out to Bruce, "come quick!!!", and both of us racing down the stairs to the basement in order to see this magical sight through the sliding glass doors. Neither of us can remember seeing a deer laying down, and especially not in our backyard!! I'm thinking they were enjoying the shade from the penetrating sun, using the gigantic magnolia tree as their umbrella. 

For what we think was ten minutes, they rested; I had gone out the front door and around through the fairy garden in order to see them a little bit closer without frightening them away.

As soon as one got up, they all got up and trotted through our neighbor's yards to parts unknown.

What an unexpected blessing!! As well, one day I was standing  right near the zinnias when a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly landed on one of the bloom,s so close to me it was crazy. I've done a fair amount of watching butterflies in my time and never before has one come so close to me. It was magical. 

Here's some exciting news: Bruce's watch has been repaired and looks better than it has for years!! I am including this because in the future we will wonder about it and won't have to wonder too long because I have a handy search engine on my blog that has helped us countless times. We say to one another, when did this happen? I never remember, but my blog does!! 

I'm feeling good and this recent saga will be a thing of the past soon. Hallelujah!

I did want to show you this drawing that the cardiologist made for me to demonstrate how A-Fib works. Perhaps I mentioned that he was kind? 

Before we move to the home pictures,  let's take a look at a fun activity from last week. Our friend Curt, who has been struggling with his health for far too long is feeling some improved and having a bunch of fellows play a pickleball tournament in his driveway was just the medicine he needed to keep him on the upswing.

Their view is SO impressive; I especially like it when there are clouds in the mountains.

Nancy is a wonderful hostess and makes things look effortless. She asked if I would come along to keep her company, but in reality she can hold her own with all the men, having been raised with five brothers on a dairy farm in Minnesota.

For the record, her quilting puts mine to shame!

Here's a  picture of our sweet town all decked out for America 250!

I just realized I have not taken any photos of the astonishing hanging baskets around downtown. I'm correcting that this week! The are so big it boggles the mind.

Supporting the local farmer's market is something we like to do on Saturday mornings, knowing how important it is to show support, not just showing up but spending money!  More customers, means more vendors, means more customers, we know the formula, having lived that life for ten years. Dana taught us that.  This week we came home with some nice items, including colored eggs, (love) even though they taste no different, pickled carrots, some onion rolls and a cinnamon bun for the man of the house.

The little bowl of tomatoes came from my plants. Can you believe it?? I have no idea why they are so small but they are pretty darn tasty, especially considering how bad the plants look right now!

One vendor, a woman, sells a variety of live worms. 

The quarter, placed by her, is to give a size perspective. We did not buy any.

Oh good grief, this will give you a laugh. A carrot that has been in the ground for four+ months!!!

The tops are pretty so we have just let them be, however curiosity got the best of me last week, thus the photo of a poor excuse for a carrot!

Last Friday night was the monthly art walk with glass artists featured at one of the galleries. The artist below teaches classes and I'm thinking of taking one of them for fused glass class. The tea light holder in the foreground is what she is making.

We ran into our good friend, Jayne who corrected me when I told the person I was introducing her to that she was 92. Not so fast Gail!! Only 91.

She makes all manner of things, including the jewelry behind her. We know multiple, mostly women, over 90 and it just amazes me how lively they are. Always keeping busy is their secret. 

Sadly, in the last month or so, two friends near our age, have died. Jeanette and Susan were their names and I met them both at work, spending years working side by side. May they rest in peace. 

Last Thursday we hosted a "listening session" at our home and it went well.

We had no idea what it was when we said yes to hosting; now we know that when a new pastor comes to town, he wants to listen to the congregation in order to get to know them in an intimate setting and allow them to learn more about, in this case, Evan. Intimate is the operative word in our small living room, although there were several more people there not pictured. Little Porter was a delight. Notably, a rainstorm began and oh my word, as 9 PM rolled around, the lightening was fierce. Whether I have written about it before or not, please forgive me for being repetitive, but goodness gracious, thunder booms in the mountains unlike in Florida where there is no echo involved. Twice last night we were awoken because of thunder.

I may have mentioned that I am keeping a garden diary about when I plant things, how they are doing, what is in bloom, that sort of thing. In my mind I go over each area and document what I see. Thus, I know that I started planting in the middle of March which was great for some things, like the lettuce, broccoli, and cabbage, but not so great for others that should have been planted later. Hopefully it will help me improve my skills, and I use that word loosely!

Let's look around. After a spell when they had aphids these beauties are coming back strong. I love the fact that they are double petunias.

This single petunia was purchased and planted at the same time, but got very straggly so after a big trim it is perking right back up.

Zinnias for the WIN! Planted from seed, I cannot believe how tall they are getting. Plus, look at this!!!

Watching the birds from the parlor window is great entertainment, especially when I can keep "Lucifer" at bay. Yup, I named the horrible cat Lucifer. Talking on the phone with D'Anna this morning, I saw him bypass my attempts at making it hard to get to the feeders. Today he was just standing below the open feeder waiting to leap high in the air to grab one of our birdies. "Wait a minute", I exclaimed to her as I ran outside to shoo him away. I wish I could say he was afraid of me, yet, I know that is not true. He just runs off when I appear. :(

Okay these geraniums!!! Are they not excellent? Never before in August have I had this bounty of blooms.

In the backyard, the coleus are showing their intricate patterns,

Did I show you the latest crop of mushrooms in the remaining hay bale? 

I never get bored here because there is always something new to notice. Who did this?

As you need not be reminded, it's handy having a woodworker in your family. After cleaning out two bird boxes, both of which had remaining nests (!) even though I only knew of the Titmouse that took up temporary residence in the box above, but anyway, he took the face plate off, made a new one and it looks perfect again. Open for tenants!

I'm stopping after this one, I promise.

Finally the green beans are growing and how how thrilled I am to have dahlias! 

This evening we are going to walk a labyrinth, another new experience. You, dear readers, will be one of the first to hear all about it!!

your friend,

Gail 

Friends and Foraging

 Holy cow, I just looked back at my last post and saw how long it was! Thanks for those who stuck with it and here's the link for those who never got there in the first place. Do you imagine I can be more succinct with this post? Fat chance!

A party we were invited to last week was held outdoors at Harry and Julie's home and when I think back, it was like a movie set, or what you might imagine a party in the mountains would be like. Lights strung from tree to tree with flowers from their gardens gracing the tables as centerpieces. 

People found places to sit under the shade of the ancient trees.

In the meadow below was a very large garden in full summer swing with the corn standing tall, the tomato vines on their trellises, as well as a variety of other home grown goodness. 

Perhaps you will remember when Bruce and John worked on a ramp for Nancy, Julie's mom, when the days were very cold and snow was on the ground. A reminder of that time is in this post, as are loads of snow pictures. Julie's father, Eddie was the guest of honor celebrating a late 80's birthday with one of his favorite dishes, hot dogs, West Virginia style. He's pictured below in a neat white t-shirt.

Jamie, Julie's twin sister is helping Nancy. It was a joyous occasion made even more special in the beautiful setting. Someone pointed out a deer in the pasture below so I, of course, had to go investigate. I was quite a ways away to begin with and here's what I saw.

Slowly moving forward, I kept taking more photos until my zoom revealed what I could not see with my own eyes, something I will address momentarily. Anyway, a nursing fawn is a first for me.Wow, what a sight!! Speaking of night lights, have I told you that we are seeing fireflies? Not a lot, no nothing like what we saw in Brevard, but enough to keep me happy.

As to my eyesight comment. My new glasses from WalMart were a failure ,so last Wednesday we made the trip to the nearest Costco in an Atlanta suburb. To say that we were frustrated with the policy of no- guarantee on the glasses unless you buy a warranty, something we have never done before, or needed for that matter. The anti-glare coating on the inside was a mottled mess, rendering them almost useless. Thus I am wearing my old glasses for now. The moral of the story is don't buy glasses at WM! I will say it was ironic when I mentioned this to the woman who was assisting me at Costco that she said that is where she used to work. Apparently this no-guarantee business is relatively new. 

Back to more pleasant subjects!

Like my solitary purple hydrangea. Yup, on a big bush there is but one of these beauties compared to the 50 or more blooms on the blue one.

They are nearly spent, although there are still tons of blooms on the plant, they just are not in their prime. What is in prime season are hostas,

and beautiful Rose of Sharon as seen through my kitchen window.

There are two trees and one bush in our yard, all filled with beautiful blooms that are great hummingbird attracters. That said, hummingbird sightings have been few and far between for this enthusiast. See if you can spot one below. 

I was sitting on the front porch in the early morning when I saw them way across the yard flitting from bloom to bloom so rapidly that it is hard to get a shot. At the same time, I kept seeing some Mourning Doves going into the Japanese Maple tree. Hmmmm....must be a nest in there.

Bill and Roxanne surprised us with a quick visit, meeting us at the courts, followed by a short time at our home before we went out to lunch. They were on their way to Fontana Village for a BMW road rally.

Well, Roxanne got a phone call and took it on the front porch, roaming to and fro while talking to their son. When she joined us she said that there were two cute birds that kept hopping around, which sounded fun, but it happens from time to time. However, the same day that I saw the dove action, I saw some small birds heading in and out of a large hanging fern. How large you wonder?

While it may not look like it, that beauty is 36" across and I know this how? When I took it down from the hanger I thought how giant it was, so I measured it. This photo is by no means good, but it does show you what a Song Sparrow looks like. Now both you and Roxanne know!

The conundrum is how to water the fern now

Bruce built this contraption to get my cucumbers off of the ground.

They are tiny now, but won't be long, or so says Gail who knows nothing about growing cucumbers!

Foraging, let's get to foraging for mushrooms! Indeed, when Robin called with the invitation to go mushroom foraging with a man she knows I was intrigued. When she said we were to leave at 7AM Saturday morning I hesitated briefly, but ultimately thought, why not? 

Robin is also a transplant, but unlike us, she and Mike moved here four years ago from a city just outside of New Orleans. In other words, she is now a pro behind the wheel and she showed it, even when it was nearly too foggy to see. Actually we were in the clouds!

Seated in the back seat behind Richard, our mushroom guru, I took photos as we moved because I had never before been in this part of the state but miles from the Tennessee border. 

On closer inspection not only do they have eggs but they also cut hair. The countryside was beautiful with farms here and there,

a cemetery,

and old tiny churches.

In other words, we were not in tourist North Carolina, but deep in the mountains where few outside folks venture. Joe Brown Highway winds it's way to Tennessee. For the curious there is a map included in this link. 

All the while Richard told us tales of his 20+ years in Murphy, having moved to the mountains from the coast of North Carolina. Eventually, as we were driving along Shuler Creek, he had Robin pull off to the side of the road and said, let's look in here.

Chanterelles were the prize and there were a bounty of them way into the forest. Robin is standing beside a patch on the ground.

Their bright pumpkin orange color is hard to miss in a sea of green. 

As is common I walked with mild trepidation but these wonderful ladies that I am meeting are so good and hang onto me when I am leery! Not that it was very steep this time, but it was wet because rain has become our everyday companion. It proved to be an excellent day for foraging and this basket was but one of our collection.

Speaking of rain, that same night David was hosting a birthday party for Randy that was to begin at their newly broken ground house site. Afraid of rain, we met at their A-frame. Randy is the one standing head and shoulders over the rest of us!

Probably twenty or so minutes after taking this photo, the crowd moved indoors due to imminent rain which delivered in spades. A bonus gift was the loss of power! Winding roads and waning light sent us home via Linda who graciously drove us. I have been such the passenger lately! What a gift.

Days from now our dear son Matthew will be celebrating another birthday far from his birthplace. He was born in Orlando on July 5.1976, a bicentennial baby with a certificate to prove it. If all goes according to plan, we will see him at Christmas in Florida. Something about living with seasons just ignites the urge to celebrate them with wreaths. Now that my friends, is not a sentence you have ever read in Camera Crazy before and probably never have, period. Yet, it is true. I pulled out the old fabric scrap idea for a 4th of July wreath adorned with one of the Christmas bows Dottie made. 

Decades have passed since last I did this sort of thing, but it was still a tiny memory fueled by Youtube so now, once again, I know how to stick fabric into a straw wreath from the thrift store!

I did my best, but once again, I may have carried on for too long. Please do forgive me, will you?

your friend,

Gail