Life-Changing!

 How in the world I neglected to mention some life-changing news in my last post is beyond me. What was I thinking? It is high time to rectify that shortcoming.

Ever since Bruce bought me my first Panasonic digital camera some 17 years ago, I have been a big fan of that brand of camera. I used them almost exclusively for years but for some reason that I don't recall, I bought an Olympus and that had been my camera of choice for the last say, nine years or so. The two brands are quite similar and even have lenses that fit both brands, so there was that. Perhaps you recall that I bought a new longer lens for my birdies and a new camera body to support said lens. It was a used Panasonic from Colonial Photo and Hobby, say a year or so ago? Except all of this time I have hated it because of a feature that I have become accustomed to using was not working as I wanted. Well, I won't bore you with the whole story, but suffice it to say, while searching YouTube for an answer, one poster mentioned resetting the camera. Well duh? Why didn't I think of that? 

That solved my problem instantly and now I am in fine shape, well, make that fantastic shape. The camera is living up, and even exceeding, my expectations now. The photos are gorgeous! 

Or at least I think so! Notice anything in this shot aside from our resident Northern Cardinal? That was obviously a super sunny day. This one was not so much. Also another tree as there are plenty to choose from here.

Buds my friends. Buds.

While having grown accustomed to my close up photos of the goldfinch on the feeders, every now and again I can get them in the trees.

Although we just took a fantastic field trip that I look forward to telling you about, I had been going through some months of photos in order to make an album to send to my publisher. Not that they are selling much these days, but it never hurts to send in new images. We will probably never have the good fortune that we once had when Hobby Lobby bought $100K worth of images and then continued reordering them, but mailbox money still trickles in, albeit at a much, much slower rate. I wrote about that wonderful day in this post from 2014 which if you have the time you might enjoy the story. I know it brought me to tears again!

My point was that I came across lots of things I had yet to post, so here goes some photos from places we've been and things I have seen that have brought me joy. Some days on my walk through the park I see almost nothing, and then there are days all sorts of things are captured with my cameras.

A close up of the old railroad bridge, the closure of which changed Murphy a lot. 

Because up to this point I have had very little exposure to forest mushrooms, it seems to me, from my limited exposure, that finding this big bunch in the winter is pretty unusual. Then again, it might not be unusual at all!

Something that really stood out to me while looking through photographs from December and January, is how much fog, from either the river, 

or the ground there was. I'm not seeing it as much for the last few weeks but there is at the very least six weeks of winter to go.

Beats me where I took this one below, but let's just put it in the blog and get it off of my desktop which, btw, after writing about it I took the plunge and got rid of all those languishing photos on the desktop.

What a hoot, I know exactly where I took this one!! And so do you. When they are small, I have no clue! 

One day while walking the sky turned an amazing color and had one of those "sundogs" present.

Here's something I found not far from the back door amongst the wet leaves during the rainy weather. 

One thing that has been really nice is the color of those leaves when wet. Not only do they look great on the ground, but on the trees where, according to John, they remain until pushed off by the new leaves. When they are dry, they shrivel and are more brown, but when wet, oh my that rust color is the best!

Still no sign of the bluebirds, but other birds are having no problem checking it out. Who will be the victor pray tell? Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, or perhaps even the White Breasted Nuthatch?

Say it ain't so! We want bluebirds! Remember these two?

I never finished up with our Asheville story and probably I won't go back in time aside from these images that I took in the car museum at the Grove Park Inn. I wish it did not have all the ceiling lights reflecting on it, but the facts are interesting, what you can read of them. One very telling sentence is the declaration that one can rarely sleep without a blanket AND there are no mosquitos, music to a Floridian's ears!

Finest Resort hotel in the World! Our next visit we must go check it out inside. I will say that they had some fantastic grass for December!

For those who love Asheville it might interest you to learn when they began their huge growth spurt. No charts on how things went following the stock market crash!

On our way home we stopped in Sylva for lunch which was delightful. More and more towns we visit have murals touting their assets.

During a quick stop in an antique store, I could not resist the lighting!

Aren't they just amazing glasses? Now you understand why I had to write a post to include random findings! Like the one below that we came across as we made our way back to the car after a fabulous lunch at Lulus. Fortunately Laura gave us the idea when I got in touch. It did not disappoint.

Western Carolina University is nearby and my research tells me that some of you may be familiar with one of their most famous alumni. If you guessed David Sedaris, you guessed right! Oh how we love his books! I have also had the pleasure of reading novels written by Ron Rash who teaches there and has just been named to the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. Previous winners include Thomas Wolfe and Lee Smith, who if you have never read a fantastic Southern novel written by a woman, I suggest you rectify that situation sooner rather than later!

Finally, as this post was meant to be short, I came across this, first in the park and more recently in my photo library.

Does that really even mean anything? Who else would you be???

your friend,

Gail

Elk, Cookies, Birds and More

 Have you ever wondered what a female elk looks like up close? Wonder no more my dear readers.

Feel free to return the stare.

I took this through the trees, thus the shadow, but I am happy to have gotten the moist snout and the bright eye. And, where pray tell did I take this. Read on!

Ever since I became aware that elks were present in Cherokee, NC, I have been dying to go and see them. Like for five months or so. Woo hoo, we went last week and it was not only beautiful weather, but a glorious day, that is until I smashed my thumb. I have every confidence that you will be happy to know that while it still hurts, I am managing. We are back to playing and practicing pickleball which is making both of us very happy indeed. 

So let's go to Cherokee, shall we? The day began frosty as we made our way through Andrews, the part of the drive that you already know I love so much.

The mountains on both sides, the fog, the fields framing the road, trees, crossing the river several times, what pray tell is not to like?

Then you get to the foggy parts,

not to mention windy! Bruce is doing such a great job driving us on all of these unfamiliar roads, but one thing that still bothers him is the notion that he might be going slower than the locals. That said, his confidence is increasing which each road trip.

Coming into Bryson City it was still foggy and overcast.

Although we spent no time there, one thing really caught my eye, necessitating a turn-around-the block and stop situation.

Not only was the mural super sweet and fun, but when I looked in the shop window I was dying over a displayed dress that was so cute, but so unavailable because they were closed. Not just because it was a little bit early, but because they have winter hours and are only open a few days a week, something we have discovered is not uncommon around these parts. Maybe another day we will return when I can go into the shop and perhaps come out with the Madison Look!

The Great Smoky Mountain Railway begins in Bryson City, helping the local economy immensely.  Perhaps folks that come to ride it stay here?

This is our first time being in a touristy area so things looked quite different as we approached the entrance to the GSM National Park. Lots of old-school motels along the way with super great signage.

The sign reads vacancy and indeed there were no people, but holy cow was there a lot of junk in front of it!

The Pink Motel! Love it!!

I was getting more and more excited as we got closer, as was Bruce, however, we were disappointed as we made our way through Cherokee because it is SO touristy!! For my Orlando readers think International Drive with mountains surrounding it! 

Before leaving the cottage I called the visitor center to see if elk were present on that day to which the employee replied that "yes they were but how far away are you?" When I told her Murphy she said, well then, I can't guarantee that they will be here when you arrive to which I replied, "I guess we will just take our chances." Although it is about 60 miles away it is most certainly not an hour away due to mountain driving! Lo and behold, look what we came across as we were approaching the center. Yeah, we were not pickled! Oh wait, this isn't pickleball! That term means that your opponents score 11 while your score is 0.

This was our first view of the herd, albeit from afar.

The visitor center is to the left of the image, as is the old farmstead, a group of buildings culled from throughout the park that were moved to make this exhibit.

Here is the man of the house as we are walking back from the river walk. 

Well look here..it is the Pecks having fun in the crisp weather!

Selfies are not usually our thing, but it was too pretty of a day to not document our visit. We went on the river walk because the elk were gathered at the tree line on the other side of the walk which, while a little challenging through said trees, gave us a little closer look.

We learned from a lovely older couple that what you are seeing is the bull of the herd who has forty gals in his harem!! When we first arrived we had seen him from the back and wondered about there being any more males.

There was one more with a broken antler who mixed in with the ladies.  Bruce kept reminding me of the signs which said to say at least 50 feet away which was not all that easy to do on that walk! Oh my the river was pretty!

The farm exhibit was great as well. I took this photo to demonstrate how every part is built on the stacking principle. Pretty neat, huh?

I was very interested as well in these purple martin houses made out of gourds as they would have been done back in the day.

As we were leaving, one more appeared along the roadway, something that apparently occurs with frequency. Well heck, we saw one on our way in as you might recall.

It was an awesome visit to the gateway of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The drive home was fairly straightforward, but unfortunately we missed our turn so went on a crazy winding road to hook up with our original route. There was this lovely view which will be impossible in a few months time because of the kudzu. We are really puzzled as to why they don't do more to rip it all out in the winter, but what do we know? Someone has a reason, or perhaps it is lack of employees, but in any case between the trees and the kudzu we would have seen not much. Instead, a glorious view on a glorious February day.

And then I shut my thumb in the car door in Franklin marring what up till then was a perfect field trip. We were vacillating about getting lunch and then wondered if we had some crackers or the like in the back seat of the car. That was the mission that went awry. What saved me, aside from it not bleeding what with me being on blood thinners and all, was, when I could speak again, I said I needed ice quickly. Turns out within two or so blocks there was a McDonalds where we did get something to eat and ice for my thumb. It still hurts like a son of a gun, but I suspect it will for a while. I am managing. 

I've been meaning to show you this beautiful cake that was part of the church luncheon a week or so ago. So pretty and it was delicious too. 

Let's talk about baking and I mean in my own kitchen. Here's a question for you--have you ever wondered what would happen if you used the wrong leavening agent while baking cookies? Probably not. I shall spare you the experiment because I've discovered the answer purely by accident. Or, maybe I should say stupidity? At any rate, I had not baked cookies since Christmas, so when Bruce was asked whether or not he would like come chocolate chip cookies, well you can guess what his response was can't you? Never in all of my years of baking cookies have I ever used baking powder when the recipe calls for baking soda but now I have and here's what the cookies look like with that ingredient swap.

Generally I only bake one batch at a time so when the first batch came out looking like the above I wanted to blame it on the oven. So I adjusted the temperature which was high so I was sure that was the problem. Nope. Next I moved the oven rack and again I had cookies with a ring around them and very soft centers. Not to mention pretty tiny, but still I had no clue. Finally, after they were all nearly baked, I looked in my fabulous Joy of Cooking cookbook and upon reading their recipe, it hit me right away! I still wasn't willing to take the blame and went so far as to have Bruce get the empty chip bag out of the garbage, all the while hoping they had printed it wrong. Fat chance! 

So not only did I have the thumb accident, baked the cookies wrong and, here's a funny one. On our field trip I discovered that I had put my leggings on inside out!! I fixed it at the park bathroom and in my defense they are black on both sides, but still. What next? I wish I were not so clumsy or stupid but one needs to call a spade a spade when one sees one!

Oh wait, here's another crazy thing. I ordered a new muffin pan and did not check the proper delivery option so it went to Orlando along with a new jigsaw puzzle from Amazon. Not wanting to bother with returning it from afar, nor bothering friends, I ordered another one and let me tell you it is a winner and worth every penny. Get this...no greasing the cups required! 

The pop right out and a little water in the hot pan softens any remnants. Perfection!

The puzzle I ordered to replace the one that is in Orlando was a beauty and although I got off to a great start, I had to bring in the calvary. Unlike me, Bruce sorts the pieces in a tidy fashion.

Together we finished it and isn't it just so pretty? Gallison is the manufacturer. 

I know there are those amongst you that can complete a puzzle of 1,000 pieces, without even looking at the picture I might add, however, this couple is sticking with 500 which is challenging enough for us!

While many folks have thought we should have returned to Florida for part of the winter, as has been repeated a number of times, I am enjoying the winter and Bruce is growing to like it as well. (note big smile in our selfie!) We considered coming home for a few weeks, but why quit in the middle of an experiment? What if it snows and we miss it? Although it has been unseasonably warm here, cold weather is still very much a possibility. And then there is this:

The garden you have now become familiar with because of the feeders and hot tub has multiple groups of sprouts and I can hardly wait to see what happens next. I am beginning to appreciate how much having seasons changes ones life and seemingly, in many ways, for the better. It gives a person something to look forward to and I don't mean the end of greater summer and beginning of lesser summer like it has always been for me in Florida. The days are lengthening and it now feels sort of weird for it to be light after 6pm. Are you feeling the same? 

And in the last of today's exciting news, look what happened last week.

You would think I was some sort of scientist or something what with the amount of time I spend watching the birds come and go. In spite of all of that time I have not seen my couple again since I took the above late last week. My gut tells me they will return when they are good and ready, but I am hoping it will be sooner rather than later. I caught them eying out the property that day so I know they are interested.

Here's a little something though....who knows what prompted me to do so but I have been keeping a list of birds that have come to the feeders or the ground below, which btw, we had a new guest this week in the form of a Hermit Thrush, but anyway, I went through my photo albums and discovered that I have photographed a lot of different species in my days. To the tune of 135! I agree that with 10,000 species in the world it is a mere drop in the bucket but I am excited nonetheless.

Well folks, that's all the news that is fit for print from Charlotte's Cottage. Never fear, there will be more.

your friend,

Gail

Ending January on a High/Low Note

We made it! January is nearly no more and we did just fine, if I do say so myself. Beginning the year with  Covid was not my idea of a great start to the year, but aside from being out of shape, we both have experienced no long lasting effects. Bruce is back to his senior body building ways and I am walking whenever the weather cooperates.

Because there is a lot of grey in the landscape seeing the bountiful Nandini berries is always a day brightener. Someone left these to decorate one of the park's picnic tables, or at least that is my version of the story. What were they thinking do you suppose?

The brilliant red is such a contrast to most everything around it, aside from the holly berries to be found in the three trees by the dozens.

I have been taking photographs like they are going out of style, so paring them down to a blog post is quite the task. Bruce told me he thought my last post was really good, however, from what I can tell, most people didn't come across it so here it is again. Why that is relevant is because in that post I mentioned we were soon to be heading out for dinner with some new friends and when it was time to go, this is what the drive was like.

Not ideal for older folks. Bruce is becoming somewhat more comfortable driving in the mountains, but when it is pouring and almost dark, well that makes for a bit of a tense drive. Nonetheless, we made it and had a marvelous time at their eclectic house and I mean that in a good way. The back yard sold them and no wonder when you have a waterfall right behind your deck!

They both follow a Keto diet and we were treated to some delicious food that was good for everyone. Another couple from church were there, Alice and Ron, who live near us. One thing that I have continued  thinking about are the delicious deviled eggs made from their own chickens. Twelve chickens to be exact.

While I was dying to see them, rain, dark and cold for that matter, kept me inside. We are so grateful to the folks who have made us feel so welcome during our time here in Murphy.

As you might note, all of the news so far has been good and that is because I am saving a little something, and really it is a minor set-back, for later in the post. 

Onward with good stuff! Winter is good! The light, at least when the sun makes an appearance, is fantastic!

Don't get too used to exciting bird shots, or at the very least interesting, because soon enough, with leaves on the trees, they will not be nearly so easy to spot.

No, we have not had any bluebirds near the house but they are fairly easy to find at the park adjacent to the river. Honestly I cannot get enough of those pretty birds.

Just this morning I saw a Tufted Titmouse enter Bruce's bird house several times!!! Checking out the real estate? Only time will tell.

Our feeders are emptied nearly as quickly as Bruce can fill them, providing, especially this obsessed woman, a lot of entertainment. Last week we had a new guest, a House Finch came to check things out.

I read somewhere that when one arrives, soon others will follow, and while that may be true it is hard to imagine, what with the volume of birds we have how they will find places at the table. It is so hard to depict in a photograph, but lets just say that there is a feeding frenzy going on throughout the day! And while this is not the article I first read, it does describe the bird "fight club" going on at one's home feeders. Here's hoping I can find the other article because I want to share it with Bruce, but anyway, after reading it, I watched ever more closely to see who would push the other one aside. Very entertaining indeed.Also entertaining was looking out and seeing some local bucks having a go at one another. It began like this and please forgive the quality because I was on the porch shooting through the screen, but let's check it out and you decide. 

Really I can see they aren't much, but in a few years I will only care that I caught the action! One afternoon as we were driving home and talking to Bill on the phone, we saw a big bunch of deer, and then another group, followed by a turkey crossing the road. Bill was loving it.

Rain has been plentiful and the creeks are rising. This is one that runs a long distance along one side of the property. I headed into the woods to get a good look.

I always take a walking stick because the fallen leaves, when wet, can be very slippery indeed! 

One low note I am slipping in here is that one reason I am out of shape is because day after day the courts have looked like this.

So it has not been the cold that, as I'd imagined say back in say September, but rain that has kept us from playing as often as is our norm . This morning Bruce went, in spite of last night's rain, and it must have been dried off because he has not returned. We did practice Monday afternoon once the sun came out and that is when I discovered that it was going to take some time for me to be back in playing shape! 

Aside from all of the above, another high note is that we have gone on two field trips in a row! The first was a scenic drive to nearby Young Harris, GA. That's one thing about our location, two other states are so very close! The drive is alongside a rushing river on winding roads, alongside fields,

AND with a view of the snow-capped mountains!

 Our destination was the easily found Cupid Falls that are situated adjacent to the road just down the way from the college.

Young Harris College is a very small liberal arts college founded decades ago by the Methodist church. Basically, you follow the street we are facing, rounding the corner and down a little ways and you come across a beautiful park with the rushing falls.

Seriously who doesn't love waterfalls? Especially when there is no strenuous hike involved. Sign me up!

More snow on the mountains from last week when it was quite cold. This week is starting off not nearly as frigid. In fact, most days it will be in the 50's which is nearly a twenty degree swing. Either way, I am good. Bruce is learning to layer. :)

A little ways down from where the falls are, we came across something unexpected. 

Isn't that the fun of exploring? You just never know what you will come across.

Here's looking at you kid!

Here's looking at you kid, part two.

Nearing the finish line folks, but not before showing off another exciting find. As we were driving back through the campus I saw a tree and asked Bruce to turn around. He is so great about that, in part because he is such a great husband, and in part because he is so used to it. As everyone knows lighting is key to great photographs and although I would like to have great lighting all of the time, it really is rarely the case. Either the light is too bright or there is not nearly enough as was the case with this scene.

Thank goodness for the exposure compensation feature on my camera. It allows me to add more or less to the exposure. No doubt you can guess which way I went to get this shot of a tree full of Cedar Waxwings.

To say that I was excited is putting it mildly.

Well dear readers, I have saved the low note for last. It won't surprise you in the least to learn that I have hurt myself once again. It happened yesterday afternoon during what was another exciting field trip and honestly I was so lucky because it could have been so much worse.

You might say to yourself, not again Gail, and I would respond, yes again! There is a reason injuries are called accidents because oftentimes they are inexplicable. How in the name of heavens I could have shut the car door on my thumb is just that, inexplicable. How I had the wherewithal to then open said door is also a mystery, but somehow I did. It hurt so darn bad. The back side is not great either. One reason I did not accompany Bruce to the courts today is not only the possibility of the a wet court, but the even worse possibility that I might get hit on my thumb. Getting hit on one of your digits is really painful any day of the week but when one is injured and cold, even this goofy lady is not signing up for that! 

I am so glad that I was able to type and write this love letter to life. So while January had some low notes, the highs most definitely outweighed them. What, pray tell, will February bring?

your friend,

Gail