A Variety Show

My dear readers, having just realized that most of my posts of late feature a bird as the lead photo, let's change that up today, shall we?

Absolutely a common occurrence in my Florida posts, sunrises or sunsets every other post, but here my sight lines are a bit limited. Not that I am complaining, mind you, because Lord knows I am loving diminished sight lines as you well know. Of course with signs of spring happening before my very eyes, what is now limited will be many-fold (is that even a term???), before I know it. Let us enjoy those clear views as long as we are able!

The super cute and friendly Tufted Tit Mouse.puffed up in the cold, for those unfamiliar with bird types. Then again, if you are reading this I suspect you have learned a thing or two more about birds than ever before.

I swear I am getting, well I don't know what to call my lapses, but darn if I have not done it again! I made some poppy seed muffins and in a stroke of luck I tasted the batter, something I never, ever do, immediately discovering that I had neglected to add the sugar!!! Not before it was evenly distributed amongst the muffin cups, unfortunately. Nevertheless, with the price of groceries, including those poppy seeds, I had to find a solution. Removing the batter was pretty much out of the question so instead I put a tablespoon or so atop each cup of batter and stirred a bit. Not my very best by a long shot, but edible nonetheless.

Redeeming myself a few days later I made some Heath bar chunks cookies for the first time, using the recipe on the back of the bag, and oh my gosh, are they delicious!!! 

Really I have been cooking up a storm, especially while Bruce has been volunteering at church. No surprise there that he spent all of Thursday and a good part of Friday helping to paint the kitchen for the new Montessori pre-school that is opening next week. 

So while he was there, I was making Thai Noodle Salad for lunch, a very tasty recipe that I brought from home. 

Using that awesome little chopper for the cabbage, carrots and radishes, it turned out good AND I even followed the instructions to the letter!

While we are on the subject of food prices, a week or so ago someone told me about a place we have seen since we've been here, Grocery Outlet. They told me it was good and you know me, I love both a bargain and a treasure hunt. Since Bruce was not keen on visiting the store, once I dropped him off at the church, and yes I did drive the car myself, I went in and after going through all of the aisles, I returned home with this haul for $21.

I was so impressed that when some cute young ladies asked for donations for their elementary school Bruce agreed to go and not only did we buy a bunch of stuff for the donation but we found the most amazing Peaches and Cream ice cream made since 1913 in Pennsylvania. Honestly Green's is some of the best ice cream I have ever had and get this, only $2.50!!! I'm really not much of an ice cream person, but there is just something about this flavor/brand that is amazing. If I had more room in the freezer I would most certainly buy a second one in the size that they pass off as half gallon these days. 

As I say, I have been cooking up a storm lately, well actually, is that anything new? Probably not. But still, with that in mind, on a cloudy Saturday morning we went for a little drive and came across Brasstown Beef, finding it open this time. That is still something that trips us up from time to time. Diminished winter hours.

Raised right on the property, we bought some items and let's just say they lived up to their billing. While I cannot confirm it myself, or really don't want to take the time to do so, their beef is sold in places like Burn's Steakhouse in Tampa. We enjoyed some super tasty meals, that's for sure.

That area is called Brasstown and it is really pretty, probably even more so in a month or so.

Following church on Sunday we took a drive in the country on the other side of Murphy and discovered that it too, is lovely. It seems like we have stayed so busy to date that we have only scratched the surface of this area's beauty.

Last week, must have been Wednesday afternoon as we were heading to the gym/river walk, we saw a huge plume of smoke right outside town. Seriously huge ,so we found a spot where we could watch it up close. My goodness, it was really something.

Do you see the orange glow? Several things to note here, one of which is a lot of what you are seeing is dried kudzu, which as it turns out, birds seem to love to hide in. The crackle of the fire was crazy, as was the popping and the bird calls that we clearly heard above the roar of the fire. We heard the wail of fire truck sirens within minutes and soon thereafter the sound of whooshing water began. The tower of smoke changed color to white.

Standing in the parking lot of the Catholic church, we knew it was a significant fire, but it was soon confirmed when a young man came speeding up and raced out of his truck, but not before he told us that the burning house belonged in his family for four generations! Back in Orlando, all this would be on the local news ad nauseam, however, the only local news, probably aside from facebook, is the Cherokee Scout that comes out once a week on Wednesday. Or, so we thought! A recent acquaintance told us it could be picked up at the box outside the Scout office on Tuesday afternoon which we have now found to be true. Front page news it was and while I have not yet read the whole article I do know it was a three story wood frame home. More as I learn about more.

Speaking of the river walk, I noticed that the door was open at what Lori recently told me was called the rock gym. Probably another name is official, but presumably that is what folks call it. We have driven by it multiple times a week since we have been here and I really thought it was not in use. Wrong! Apparently it is more than 100 years old and very unusual looking to my more modern eyes. I popped in and found a girl's basketball team practicing under the guidance of a man who told me he'd been coaching for decades.

The walls look quite similar on the outside. All in all, a cozy place with a regional exterior.

In our younger years, we spent hours and hours watching our sons play sports and particularly baseball. I mentioned that the park is coming to life with people and activity. I feel quite nostalgic being so close to it all, watching the practice fields fill with both softball and baseball players and their volunteer coaches. Some work is being done on both the dugouts and the fields.

The lengthening days, and really, pretty mild weather for this time of year, make for a place where the locals are gathering. The river is a bit of an allure for folks like me. (pickleball courts behind the fence on the left)

Oh my goodness,  just down the street, impulsively I made an appointment and  finally had my hair done and the less said about it the better.

Try as I might, the young woman could not be coaxed into conversation. Three hours of being uncomfortable for this gregarious lady was, while torture is a bit strong, it is not entirely out of the realm of what I was feeling!

Let's go back to our little slice of heaven. One afternoon I looked out the glass doors and by golly, this is what I saw in front of our dear landlords home.

With a bird feeder you hope to get birds so seeing them is not nearly as magical as it is seeing seven deer out of the clear blue. So far, those experiences are not getting old!

Take a look at this Brown Thrasher enjoying the suet cake, and while you are at it, notice the narcissus too.

Isn't that yellow eye cool? They do not come to feeders, instead they hop around on the ground eating what they find. 

Finishing my breakfast and standing beside the window I told Bruce that it is hard to adequately describe the action of the birds. Laura guessed there were a hundred and perhaps there are. So many, many little birds. And some bigger ones too, including loads of people's favorite.

Gosh hasn't it been fun being in the thick of the action? 

Always lots more to say, but the day is calling, however, in another exciting development, after weeks of waiting we had a daffodil bud.

You know what? Now we have three daffodils on that same plant. Tune in next time as it is happening my dear readers.....flower time!!

your friend,

Gail

It's Fall Y'all

My facebook feed has been filled with funny memes, a word I really don't fully understand btw. Anyway, they show images of Florida looking about the same whatever the season, along with funny things that essentially say what I have always said: Florida has a greater and lesser summer and that is all she wrote. Either it is broiling hot, or only slightly hot. Sure, there are a handful of coldish days thrown in here and there, but for the most part, it is all pretty much a variation on a theme. 

Here, it is definitely showing signs of Autumn matching the dates on the calendar. We are loving the cooler weather, waking up to temperatures in the low to middle 50's. It is not just the temperature that is changing either. The Valley River which flows behind the pickleball courts is the river I mostly walk along because for a good long while, the walk along the Hiwassee, which join together btw, took you through some wetlands which had far more bugs than I cared to encounter. Now though, with the cooler weather, I suspect I will be heading in that direction more often. Generally while Bruce is doing his elder bodybuilder thing in the gym, I walk and take photographs. 

So let's do the river in both directions starting with what it looks like now. No wait, let us first give our deep gratitude for those who made this walk possible, immortalized here.

Here is the thing, we have been on so many wonderful field trips that I've not written one word about yet. So why am I writing about the everyday? Maybe because one of the things that I so love about not living in Florida, which is how I felt in Vancouver, is the changing of the seasons as they unfold. The wonder of it all to this Florida gal leaves me in awe. So, please bear with me as I attempt to wax eloquent about the what some consider merely routine.

Before I go further though, two things happened yesterday, both of which are going to have a decent ending. One is that I took a tumble on the courts yesterday, reaching for a ball I had no business attempting to get, and secondly Bruce had a dental emergency in the form of part of a molar breaking off. The good news is I was only a little sore from the fall, and thanks be to God, we know people who know local dentists. He is there now being evaluated. So, there is that. Plus, today we went mini-golfing with a group who participate in the Senior games. I hope to get back to that topic another day, but I will say the leader asked Bruce to shepard a new fellow who wants to participate who is 90. I will have you know that he had a hole-in-one and Bruce had two! I did not belong to that club!

So back to the river walk which I have been doing pretty much since we arrived and even before we did. Back in May, when we checked out the cottage, falling in love instantly I might add, the river looked like this.

I remember freaking out with all of the yellow wildflowers, never imaging that wildflowers would come in all colors and sizes and I would still be seeing them in late September. 

Finger-like,

super tiny:

wild and free:

and growing adjacent to the roadway.

It is a feast for the eyes, or at least to this blogger anyway. I suspect many walk by these kind of things never giving it a thought as they are busy with other things, like jobs and children. Me, I've got nothing on the agenda, so but of course I am going to notice. Actually, I cannot help but notice things. My sister Nancy is the same way. 

This is a special place along the Hiwassee River known as the Leech place. It has to do with a Cherokee legend about a great leech that I won't attempt to explain except to say that I now see what they called in the brochure, a land bridge and here it is now that the river water level is so low.

It is where you see the rapids on the left hand side. I am standing not too far from the part of the walk pictured below.

I love the rock face! When I first looked at the map I was totally confused, but after three months I think I pretty much have it down pat. Except things change making it so interesting. During the summer, when I guess they let lots of water out of the dam, the area on the left is underwater.

The trees are standing in water on the whole left side of the photograph. You might note the yellowish color on the multiple trees and I am guessing, although I don't know for sure, but soon those will show more evidence of the changing season. 

On this particular day last week I came across some leaves which made our daughter-in-laws very happy when I sent them photos. 

I can hardly wait until there is a whole lot more of this going on!

What I find equally puzzling and thrilling is that what once looked like this:

now looks like this:

There are several places where the rapids are vigorous and melodious, or whatever you call the glorious sound of water traveling quickly over rocks galore.

Just a few months ago, the water looked brown and there was lots of it for swimming ducks. 

As you walk along the Hiwassee River, you come across the old railroad bridge which I found pictured in Autumn in the brochure that is widely distributed with maps showing the routes. You can bet I will be returning every few days to see this scene change for myself.

The track remains unused as the railroad left Murphy in the 1980's.

What is it about railroad tracks that create such a nostalgic feeling? 

A few more things I've come across, none more meaningful than this.

I could not have said it any better about my dear readers.

Because I can...

A super cool plant called a Strawberry Bush.

Aren't those buds, or whatever you call them, just the coolest? Apparently it is known by other names such as bursting-heart, hearts-a-busting, or the more flowery version, hearts-bustin'-with-love. Count me super intrigued by the intricacy. Those leaves have gotten even redder since I took this photo, so should it prove even more interesting, I can assure you I will document it for all to see.

Mushrooms, I cannot get enough of them. It is so fun to discover them in trees,

and on the ground. Super neat one with kind of a bulb root?

I am not entirely sure because my mushroom identifying skills are lacking, but I think this may be a highly poisonous mushroom called Many Warts. There will be no test, so rest easy!

I most definitely have no clue what this one is.

That's the thing about me, I am easily entertained. As I believe I mentioned in an earlier post, we have decided to rent Charlotte's Cottage for the year beginning November 1. I know, crazy, aren't we? We actually haven't worked out any details about when we will be staying here, but the one thing we know for sure, it is a good way to experiment. A great advantage we have over some folks who move to a new place is that we already knew a couple of people before we came and now we know more. For example, the tooth situation. Who do you use if you don't know folks to advise you? You can turn to Google, but that is just not the same as someone you know and trust giving you a recommendation. Turns out both Karen and Laura recommended the same dentist. I have heard from Bruce and yes, he does need a crown. :(

Another thing people worry about is will we be bored or lonely? I feel pretty confidant neither will be a problem as I just mentioned how easily I am entertained. Only time will tell, so for now I will leave it at that.

Okay, so the river looked like this  from the bridge yesterday morning and I will show a photograph a week from now to see any more changes.

Walking on the other side of the river there are various terrains including grass where I saw the local high school cross country team running.

Revisiting this rocky path in a few weeks before we leave, I hope to see some red fallen leaves in the mix. .

Speaking of color, these are the trees on the ridge beside the carport as of September 26, one day after our Mother would have been 98 had she lived!

The goldenrod have come out again on the hill behind the house, another puzzling occurrence. 

And yes that is the tiniest little blue butterfly that you see instead of a full on photo of the goldenrod, only hinted at in the photo above.

A visit to the folk school gardens on a sunny day was a treat where we saw the stacked corn stalks all ready for fall.

The last Third Thursday was held last, yup, Thursday evening, with banjo and fiddle playing.

We have thoroughly enjoyed that event and will be sad it is over for the season. 

Speaking of seasons, when oh when, do does have fawns? We are so surprised to come across them. Well surprised and happy is more like it!

They are so cute with those pink ears! The other evening we were coming home and I spotted deer in a big yard just beside the road we turn on to come to the cottage. By golly, it was a deer-fest although as we drove closer they were a little leery of me and my camera.

They adults are turning so grey and we have decided it must be to blend into the trees better during winter. As we watched these run off several more came out from the other side of the street to join them. 

Mr. Peck on our hike last week.

So the leaves are changing, apples and pumpkins are showing up in stores and markets, and there are fall festivals in every nearby small town. 

It's Fall y'all!!

your friend,

Gail

p.s. For those with time on their hands, here is a link to my post from September 26 while we were living in Vancouver. It could not be ANY more different!