Hello, HELLO, tap-tap-tap, anybody out there?

Hi Folks!  Well, I’m still around – I think.  I hope I have all of my computer/blog problems worked out.  I wish I could say that about me – I’m sitting here in front of the puter with a cup of hot ginger tea, a bottle of Robotussin, a roll of toilet paper(it’s easier to carry around than a box of tissue), a giant economy size can of Lysol spray, the heating pad on the floor under my feet and a quilt around my shoulders.  Do you feel sorry for yet?  Oh, and by the way, it’s snowing outside.  I’ve fought with the blog site for 2 weeks now and was just about to give up and start working on a new one at another site, but I think I have things worked out now.  We’ll see when I begin to post pictures.  OK, the pity party is over.

A couple weeks ago I took a walk around the yard and snapped some pictures of a few of the last lingering flowers that were still hanging on.  This is my 4th of July rose with a few rain drops on it.

I wish I could keep it all winter long – look at all those rosehips.  I may have to use them for winter decorations around the house.

A few lonely mums remain in the barrel on the kitchen porch.  Actually, this was their second blooming of the fall.

A lonely pear, it has a small blemish, but that’s ok, none of us are perfect.  The squirrel, yellow jackets and the chickens have enjoyed them this year.  We had a very good crop and probably won’t have another for a couple of years.  They tasted best straight from the tree.

It’s still not cold enough to stop the moles from working in the yard.  We found piles of dirt here and there as we strolled around.  We also discovered a few other “piles” – you know, dogs, chickens, deer, racoon, possum, and whatever else decides to romp through the yard.  I think we have a big “ANIMAL TOILET” sign somewhere on our property, I just haven’ found it yet.  When I do, I’m going to point it in another direction.

A few other discoveries while on our outing was Miss Priss and her entourage of followers.  They still come to visit us even though Mr. & Mrs. Carpenter are home.  We don’t mind.  They have made a nest in our barn in the bales of straw and leave us an egg or two ever so often.  I had to call Mrs. Carpenter a few weeks ago to let her know that they weren’t laying less, just laying them in my barn – you know, finders keepers……..,mmmmmmm fresh eggs – I’ll be back in a bit, going to the barn and open the door so they can get in. 

Our next stop was to see the hydrangea – oak leaf – is my favorite because of the beautiful color they give you in the fall months.  They still have the dried creamy bloom from summer and then the red, russets and greens of fall. 

 By the time we made our rounds it was time to go inside for a cup of hot tea.  Tully’s toes were getting cold and my fingers were more than cold.  Inside we settled into our favorite chair to cuddle and get warm.  The Christmas Cactus was just beginning to bloom.  This poor little potted plant was a cheapy from the ‘after Christmas sales’ last year.  I hate to tell you this, but it’s in the same little cramped pot that I bought it in.  It got neglected a lot during the past year but it’s very forgiving.  I bought a pretty new pot to plant it in, but instead I just sat the cheapo plastic pot inside.  Here’s what it looked like the last week of November and again just a day ago.  This is the only houseplant that I’ve ever been able to keep a whole year.  I’m either improving or I’ve found the miracle plant.  I’d say it was the latter!

I’m heading for the barn to see if the hens left me any eggs for lunch.

Later, the egg gatherer

Sharon

A Look Back at Our Colorful Fall

Hi, All! I’ve been away far too long. Ive been working on a project for the local historical society but now I’m back home most of the time and ready to do some writing and picture takin’.

D and I took a drive a few weeks ago and saw some beautiful fall colors. Actually, we drove around Rocky Fork Lake which is in our front door. The sun was shining, the sky was a brilliant blue and the colors were absolutely gorgeous. We gathered acorns, those that were left after the local squirrels had taken their share for their winter stash, watched ducks and geese float lazily by on the lake and looked over the dam as the water plummeted to the bottom near the old McCoppin Mill. We also found some black walnuts to gather and hull. Later we will crack them and make my Grandma Brown’s tasty black walnut cookies. MMmmmmmmm! I can hardly wait. Another surprise that we wondered upon was a nice stand of bittersweet. Lucky for me that D had his pocket knife with him and we gathered the orange berries to use for fall decorations.

Fall is my favorite time of year. The hot, humid summer days are past, it’s time to put the garden and flower beds to rest for the winter and the colors of the autumn leaves are so invigorating.

The colorful leaves have now fallen to the ground and just this past weekend D mulched the last of them, making them ready to turn into wonderful black compost for next year’s garden and flower beds. The cattails lining the edge of Douglas Pond cast a rusty-red glow on the water and contrast wonderfully with the reflection of the tall white sycamores at the edge of the woods.

The next drive that we take will probably be to see the snow falling on the edges of the frozen lake, but until then I’ll share these pictures of our day with you. Enjoy!

 

 

Until next time…

I’m heading to the chicken coop

Sharon – the egg gatherer

 

9-11

 

Nine years ago we didn’t think of September 11 as being any different than any other day of the month.  Eight years ago it was totally set apart from any other day of the year or our entire lifetime.  Today the sky is blue and the sun is shining just as it was in 2001.  The same news show is on my tv, but my heart is totally changed.  I have always believed that we live in the best country in the world.  I am so sorry that there are people in this world that feel that they need to strike us down because of that.  My heart goes out to those that lost their lives on that fateful morning and to their families.  My heart also goes out to the families that have lost their loved ones to the war on terrorism in the years since and unfortunately to those in the future.  

It is 8:46 am and the bells just toled and there was a moment of silence, my eyes are filled with tears and my heart is heavy, but I still believe with all my heart that it will take a whole lot more than what they did to us on that day to tear us down.  I believe now and I will continue to believe for as long as my heart beats that we are and will continue to be the ” ‘UNITED’ States of America”.     GOD BLESS AMERICA!

SUNDAY STILLS – RULE OF THIRDS

OK, I’m not an educated photographer  – I usually point and click.  If I like it I keep it and if not, it’s gone. 

Here’s my efforts for this “challenge”.

 

 

There were more, but my computer has taken on a mind of it’s own, so I’m off the get the hammer.

SUNDAY STILLS-SOUNDS

Listen!

This was taken on our way home after the races.  The momma is saying to her babies (the other one was camera shy), “Listen, that is the sound of a truck motor and the voices of humans.  When you hear either, RUN!”

This was a fun challenge.  It came at the perfect time for me, since we did have the “Thunder in the Hills”  boat races just a couple miles from our home.  This is an annual race that is held at Rocky Fork Lake and is a great weekend for the folks around here and those for miles around.  The weather is just wonderful, low 80s and high 70s for the two days.  WOW, can’t get much better than that.  Thanks Ed for this weeks challenge.  Check out the other photos of “sound” at Sunday Stills.

Good Morning Sun and Fog

We’ve been stuck in a fog (morning fog) here lately or maybe it’s just me that is stuck in the fog.  Oh well, which ever, I made it outside while it was still on today and snapped a couple of photos.  Mind you, I had only had one cup of coffee when these were taken and there was another warm cup full calling to me, besides that I was still in my morning dress, so I snapped very quickly and ran for the house.  Enjoy!

I have a real problem shooting photos from my front yard – there are utility lines everywhere.  Then again, if we didn’t have the utility lines, we wouldn’t have all these conveniences that we think we can’t live without!  I guess I’ll continue to take photos of the lines. 

Have a great day.  I going to the chicken coop.

Sharon – TheEggGather

Early Morning Jewels

Yesterday morning I awoke to a very dense fog.  Yes, I know, my mind is usually in a fog, but this was real, dense, cut-it-with-a-knife fog.  Then as the sun began to shine through I could see the jewels that it was leaving behind.  So, with coffee in one hand and the camera in the other Tully and I went out to snap some photos. 

Mind you, I am like Little Miss Muffett when it comes to spiders, but I must say they can make the most beautiful and complicated masterpieces, especially when ladden with drops of water.  We have a couple of Blue Spruce trees next to our driveway and the smaller of the two was covered with these jewels. 

My Fourth of July rose at the end of the driveway was bejeweled with moisture from the fog also.

As we made our way through the wet grass we found a few other sparkling treasures.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

 

This is my partner in crime or whatever else that I may be doing throughout the day.  This is Tully (Irish-meaning “Ruler of the People”).  He has a few drops of water accumulated on him and I’m sure that he contributed his share of “droplets” while we were enjoying the ‘jewels of the morning’. 

Have a great day – I’m going to the chicken coop.

Sharon – TheEggGather

SUNDAY STILLS – OPEN ROAD

 

 

A country roadside during an auction.

A random shot of the rose bush at the end of out driveway, just happened to catch the motorcycle passing by.

This is also in front of our home during a winter storm.

Haven’t had a lot of extra time this week to go out and shoot new pics, so I decided to use some from the past.

Sunday Stills – Clouds

I’ve been away far too long.  It’s been hard to get to my computer, but finally, it’s moved to another room and I’m looking forward to posting once again.

As I began looking at all the posts from this weeks challenge, I just had to post some of my clouds too.  Here’s my contributions.

 

These were shot while driving across Indiana to my brother’s home. 

This was taken during my nephew’s wedding reception in Illinois this summer.

A view from my kitchen door.A southern Ohio spring storm brewing.

The bridge from Aberdeen, Ohio to Maysville, Ky. 

Actually, we are going to go to Maysville and beyond today.  Also will be running around the hills of Adams County, Ohio.  I’ll snap some more photos today and post later in the week.  Thanks Ed for your challenge.  I’m happy to be back.  See you all later.

The Chicken Sitter

Sunday Stills – Textures

I’ve been away for a few weeks, but I’m ready to go again with this weeks challenge.  Hope you all enjoy!

I hope everyone had fun with this challenge.  I did.  Thanks Ed for all your work on this site.   To see more Sunday Stills go to www.sundaystills.wordpress.com.

I’m Still Around

Hi All – it’s been a long while since I’ve been on the blog.  As I posted earlier, one of our sons has returned home to live with us.   I’ve not been able to get to the computer since it is still in his bedroom.  I’m really slow about getting it moved to another room, so, I’ll do what I can and plan on things getting moved to a different location soon.  I’ve missed doing the ‘Sunday Stills’, but hope to get back to it this week, since I was one of the folks that suggested the theme. 

Just wanted you all to know that I have missed you and hopefully I’ll get back into the swing of things ASAP! 

Until next time,

Sharon

I’m still chicken sittin’.

Sunday Stills-Silos or Water Towers

As usual, I like taking photos of things that need a lot of love and a couple of the silos around here need “lots” of love.  These are all taken within just a 6 mile radius of our home.  The first is of a silo at  ’Wilkin’s Corner’.  There is now a Mennonite family that is living in the small house behind the silo.  You can see their buggy sitting beside it – sorry for the stop sign.  We were holding up traffic, talking to a Mennonite man and trying to keep Tully in the truck, so I had to take what I could get.  The second is of a silo on the little township road close to our home about a mile away.  The third is of a working dairy farm nearby and the last is of a farm that has been in the Smith family for as long as I can remember and then some – believe me, that’s a loooooong time, ’cause my kids say I’m older than dirt!  Hope everyone had a good time finding their silos and water towers.  Be sure and checking other photos out on Sunday Stills.  Thanks Ed for this weeks challenge.

Times, they are a changin’

Yes, I know it’s been a long time since my last post, but I’ve been busy.  Our household is in the process of a change.  Our older son will coming back to the country after years of living in Chicago.  Jobs in his field are very, very scarce and he decided it was time to come back the the country for awhile and work in our small town.  It’s hard to believe that after loosing close to 9,000 jobs in our surrounding community that he has a job lined up here in his hometown.  It certainly isn’t what he is use to doin or making, but will pay his bills while living here at home until times get better and who knows what it might lead too.  It will be a big change for all of us, but I’m happy that he will be here and he said yesterday when I talked with him that he wanted to help me plant some flowers and work on the yard.  I know, it’s late in the season, but we’ve been doing some other work and when your old it takes more time.  It’s not too late for perennials and some annuals, if they don’t bloom, we will have had fun working on them together.  Another blessing about the it is, at the end of July our other son will be passing through for a couple of weeks and we are going to have a big cookout with all our friends and family to send him on his way to California.  It will be the first time in a longtime that they both will be here at the same time.  I’m looking forward to that.  Friday night will be an exciting time around here, when he gets in with his ‘cat’.  THE CAT, is getting old and set in his ways, doesn’t make-up well with people or other animals and we have a 9 month-old Jack Russell that can’t stand the site of a cat.  We are looking for a cat sitter close to home so they can visit one another often, so I don’t know how that will all play out until we find one.  Any suggestions, anyone???  Well, I’ve got a room to get ready and closet to clear out, so for now I’m off again.  Hopefully I’ll be back for Sunday Stills this weekend.  See you later.

Sharon, the Momma hen!

OOPS! A Late Sunday Still – powerlines and landscapes

We were away over the weekend and I wasn’t going to post at all – until I searched through the photos I took as we were driving to Indiana and Illinois over the weekend.  Here are my late ‘powerlines and landscapes’ while going 70MPH on the interstate!  D was driving.  I didn’t want you to think I was driving and snapping my camera at the sametime.

 

This last photo is taken from my kitchen porch.

Sunday Stils-the color Yellow

Decided to use a  photo from last years flower garden and a new iris from this spring.

Check out all the other colors or yellow on Sunday Stills.

Here’s What is Blooming Now

 

This is my surprise iris.  It probably came from my sis-in-law’s in Indiana, but I don’t really remember.   Finally, after about 7 days of nothing but bud, it opened today.  I love it!

 

 

 

 

 

This my 4th of July climbing rose.  It  is covered with bloom, as are the others.  I’ve never had this many buds on any of my rose bushes before.

 

 

 

 

Another clump of irises.  These have to be the most beautiful of all the purple ones I have.  They have multiplied quickly and have enormous blooms.

 

 

 

 

In a few days my Fairy Rose will be in bloom and I’ll have some photos of it . 

Until then, I’m going to the chicken coop – Sharon

Tales of Tully

I’ve decided to start a series of writings about our newest family member, Tully.  It all started in the fall of 2008 when I decided that I really needed a Jack Russell in my life again.  A good friend of my brother’s in Indiana raises Jacks and Beagles, so I gave him a call and made arrangements to go pick up our new bundle of joy.  I told the Big Teddybear, that’s how my niece described him,  that I wanted a short legged puppy and he said he had just the one for me. 

 Now, I might explain, we have had two other JRs in the past.  Reggie, our first and the one that totally spoiled us, was the taller version and was a great hunter.  Actually, he was such a great hunter that I learned very quickly to look before I stepped out the kitchen door.  I’ve found ground hogs, rats, mice, moles, shrews and the like waiting for me when leaving the house, and maybe a few of the neighbor’s cats.  Sorry!    Oh, and then there was the occasional horse turd or two.  He was a wonderful dog.  He loved providing for his family.  He had lots of energy, but was such an easily trained dog to be a JR.  Like I said, he spoiled us.   My Dad gave me a female for Christmas one year and she also was on the leggy side, was a loner and turned out to be my hubby’s dog.  She would do anything for him.  Unfortunately, we lost Reggie when he was 14 and George (I know, she was a girl) at 10.  It had been a long time since we had been without a JR.  These little guys grow on you and once you’ve had one around it’s hard to do without them. 

OK, back to the bundle of joy.  Big Teddybear emailed photos of a few of the ones he thought I’d be interested in and of course, when I saw the pictures I wanted them all.  There was that little guy with the short legs and those big eyes, another little black and white one and then, there was this little fellow with the long shaggy hair around his mouth and a few straggly hairs hanging off the edges of his ears.  He had tan and black markings and really different from any we had had before.  He had these eyes that just looked right through you and there was that hair sticking up from the corners of each eye.  He reminded me of a teenage boy that had just begun to grow a beard, sort of spotty, a few stray hairs here and there minus the pimples.  No, I wanted that little short legged, tan and white guy, the one the Big Teddybear had told me about on the phone!  Well, we arrived at the home of Big Teddybear and Mommabear and there was a gazillion puppies running around in the front yard of their home.  There was Mommabear right in the middle of all of them.  I knew that those puppies had been given lots of TLC.  Well, I watched and played, played and watched and the more I played and watched, the more I liked the one with the shaggy hair.  We’d never had a broken coat JR before, never had one with tan and black markings.   OK, it’s getting late and I have to make up my mind.  I take both the little guy and the one going into early puberty out by themselves.  Who has the most outgoing personality, the guts, the attitude.  The winner is -  the teenager!  Dear Lord, I’d raised two boys, gone through male puberty twice, actually three time, I started going with my hubby when I was 14 and he was 15 – hadn’t I been through this enough in my lifetime??  No, I wanted guts, fortitude, that go-for-it attitude, that football player mentality, that give it to me or I’ll take it from you state-of-mind, that OOOH-RAH tenacity, that Marine Corps fortitude – I wanted the teenager – and I got him.  Like I said earlier, we had leave so Big Teddybear could have some supper and Mommabear could go sit back in the recliner and let those cute little cuddly puppies give her puppy kisses – she needed puppy kisses, she’d been cooped up in a classroom full of punks all day and needed some downtime.  Slurp, slurp! 

The week before going to Indiana to pick up our new bundle of joywas spent researching Irish dog names of the internet.  I wanted Irish, something different and something with a meaning to it.  I wanted something really different, oh, did I say that before?  The name that I kept coming back to was Tully.  Yeah, I know, you’re saying the same thing that everyone else says, What?  Telly?  No, T-U-L-L-Y, Tully.  Meaning, “RULER OF THE PEOPLE”!  What was I thinking?  I was caught up in the moment.  I have no other excuse!  

Finally, the decision was made and it was a good one, but there are times when I scratch my head and contemplate what it would be like to get up in the middle of the night and not step on the kong with slobbery peanut butter oozing out the end of it, or trip over a giraffe named Gerry that is still a little on the wet side from a slobbery game of fetch or step on the rubber moose that we nicknamed Sarah (you know, Sarah Palin, moose hunting, etc).  I can see that you are rolling your eyes, so it’s time to relieve you of this misery for now.  Here are a few photos of  Tully, Ruler of the People, the pup with attitude, our peeing pooping, munching on the chair leg,  bundle of joy.

Does this look like attitude to you? 

 

 

 

 

 

My first hole!  Practise makes perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

Look at me, world!  I’m big, I’m tough, I have attitude and guts……….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh, I gotta pee!

 

 

 

 

to be continued…….”Tales of Tully”

Sharon

Sunday Stills – Eyes

 

 

 

Couldn’t resist the pic of the baby robin.  We found him sitting on the fence early this morning, so I just had to put him in here.  I had taken the picture of my husband’s eye earlier, not knowing that it would come into play for this challenge.  The last photo is of Belle, our beagle, she has beautiful eyes, full of love.

This was a fun challenge. Thanks Ed.

Check out other photos of eyes at Sunday Stills.

A Few Blooms Here and There

Today is a beautiful day.  Blue skies, lots of sunshine, green grass, more green grass and …..well, more green grass.  I should be on the mower, but instead I’m wondering around my yard snapping pictures of the few blooms I have at the present time.  I guess if D can take the day to go fishing, I can just mosey around the yard doing nothing.  Tomorrow, it’s suppose to rain, so that means no fishing, no mowing and then by the time it dries we’ll have to use the bush hog.  Oh, well, it’s either feast or famine. 

 Sunday afternoon I was at my Mom’s and snapped a few photos of her flowers too, so I thought I’d add them this group. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m feeling really guilty, I’d better go get the mower going before he gets home, or at least have it running when he comes in the driveway.  By then, it will be time for supper and I can sit and listen to the ‘fish tales’ of the day.  I’m sure there will be lots to listen too.  Five men on a boat, all day long – there will be lots of ‘fish tales’ or lots of gossip.  Probably both.  

Enjoy the pictures, I enjoyed taking them.

Until later – Sharon

Sunday Stills-Black and White

Douglas Pond, my view from the kitchen window.

 

My Adams County rose beginning to leaf this spring.

Tully, after a fun time digging a new hole in the mud.

All of the photos were in color and I ‘worked’ on making them into black and white. My first attempt.