Tuesday

This is the view from our living room sofa. It's a warm day today, in the 80's! Tomorrow and the rest of the week will be 10 degrees cooler, and by end of the week our overnight temps will be around 40! AAAAHHH! I'm not ready for that.

I sat outside in that rocker talking to a dear friend in Nebraska. As we were chatting I was buzzed by hummingbirds. Iris and I got to talking about mosquitos and how they manage to sting/bite/annoy in the worst places. I explained to her about the plastic bags filled with water mosquito repellant we find here in the south. I think she may try it next year, hopefully her neighbors will understand that it was a nutty friend that convinced her to try it.

I've borrowed a recipe from a friends blog. http://tamiskitchentabletalk.blogspot.com/2008/09/caramel-apple-spice-cookies.html

I am off to bake these, but without the kisses, as I can't find them around here. I'll let you know how they turn out, and if you try them let me know whatcha think, and I'll pass the comments to Tami.

This is what I worked on over the weekend. I had both days off and I told nobody about it. I computered very little, and spent most of it on the porch with book in hand. If I wasn't reading, we were watching football. All of our teams games were televised and all of them won! I putzed with decor, did minor cleaning and didn't even cook an actual meal. I so needed the downtime, and realized how ugly I had become. It's not a good thing to be in the retail environment and be anti people. I went back to work today, for a very short day. The area we live in is experiencing gas shortages, so there's not too many people traveling. Nestor not only had to wait in line for over an hour to get 10 gallons of gas, it was 2 counties over. Thankfully my tank is full, and my commute is very short.

Tree leaves are changing colors, and we're expecting cool temps later in the week. This transplanted Floridian still has trouble with the cold weather, but thankfully compared to most areas we have mildish winters. Snow lasts a day, we don't spend much time in the 20's and I wanted seasons, so we can't skip winter.

The birds are eating up a storm, getting ready for colder weather. We surprised a small black bear in the driveway this morning, or maybe we surprised each other. No harm done, but the driveway got "watered".

Dishes need to be done before I settle in to watch DWTS. I'll post some fall pics tomorrow.

Wow

I've not seen anything like this before.
Tell me what you think.
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/ftp/multimedia/waffleweddingx/publish_to_web/

I spent a little time this afternoon working on my front porch. The grain bin to the left of the door is new to me. I found it by way of a friend that sells "juntiques". I got it before it was prettied up and aged for the Atlanta market. It's perfect for the small gardening tools, extra birdseed and the assorted stuff that winds up on the porch. I'm working on the other side of the door a bit at a time, I'll post a pic later. I've started changing the indoors from spring/summer to fall as well, cleaning as I go. No, it's not a proper fall clean, but the house feels and smells better.

I spent some time at the library today. I am hooked on Emilie Richards Shennendoah Album series. The common thread is quilts in a small rural Virginia town. They are gentle reading, no profanity, sex is left to the imagination and the characters draw you right in. I've read a number of her other books a well, and I go out of my way to search her writings out. I also spent time in the children's section. No, I don't have any children at home, there's no grands on the horizon, but we do have a grandnephew that we love spoiling with books. He's only 10 months old, but I like to keep current on kids books, so when I find them on sale or markdowns I can add them to his bookshelf.

Supper is waiting to be made, as I sit here enjoying the newest cardinal pair feed. The poor male still has some of his baby feathers, but his bride loves him as he is, she's happily feeding him the best bits of sunflower seeds she can find. I guess maybe I'd best get moving on supper, feeding the best bits to my guy.

Monday, again

It was sooooo slow at work today, so I decided to shut down the store 2 hours early. Bad for my paycheck, but good for my soul.
It's a coolish day, windows are open and the treehouse is abuzz with hummingbirds, butterflies and a host of other winged creatures. I can feel my batteries recharging.
I made a soup in the crockpot yesterday that was a definite keeper. We grocery shop once a month, so we are down to the "what am I gonna do with thats". I tossed together a half bag of Italian meatballs, a bag of frozen soup veggies, a box of chicken stock and a can of diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano. I added salt and pepper, as well. It simmered all day, and about 30 min before we wanted to eat I tossed in a quarter box of pasta and left it to cook. I grated some Parm over the top when I served and WOW! Very filling, and oh so good! We had some garlic bread, but it wasn't necessary.
What is your best throw together meal? I need to get out of my cooking rut.

A Day off

I've had a true day off! I've not gone off the porch, talked to anyone from work and not done any house work. Doing nothing is exhausting. I needed this day.
Let me catch up on the last few days.
Tuesday I went to visit the folks in NC. It was a short visit, but the time spent together was good. We took a ride to a favorite place, Manual Woodworkers and Weavers in Bat Cave, had a nice lunch of BLT's on a rare treat of white squishy bread, traded stuff and just hung out. I took no pictures, as it was misty, drizzly gray and rainy.
Wednesday was back to work, where the day dragged on. I did get some work finished on some presentations I'll make to various bus groups about our facility, so the lack of customers wasn't so bad.
Thursday was errand running before a few hours at work. I'm glad I got finished early, as an exhaustion migraine bloomed and I was out of commission for the rest of the day.
Friday and Saturday were work days and I hate getting out after dark. Thankfully Oktoberfest is only 7 weeks long this year!
The treehouse was busy today with birds. I have no idea what some of them were, but I know we saw them in the spring, so this must be the fall migration route. Nestor and I hung out in our chairs, looking at the changing leaves and just catching up. Peekaboo sunshine, woodpeckers and a light breeze sent me inside for slightly warmer clothes and a pair of socks. I love Fall! Our football teams game wasn't broadcast here today, so we savored more time outside. The perfect day!

Well, it's Monday again. Wherever did the week go??? It's not a Moanday, for a change. I have tomorrow off, and I'll be travelling north to Hendersonville to visit my folks. It's been about 2 months since I last made the trip, so I am looking forward to the visit, but not the trip. It's a 3 hour trip each way, but worth it to see Dad and Mom. I think my youngest brother will be there, as well. Say a prayer that he gets work soon.

It's dark out as I write this. The moon is full, so there is illumination. The deck boards on the treehouse are cream colored, so there is plenty of reflection. It's a time of reflection for me, so the brightness is helping me see things more clearly. Fall coming always does this to me. I am ready for the fall colors, the heartier foods, the time spent outside. An added bonus this fall is that my sister by heart and her husband will be visiting in late October. A 40+ year friendship is something to be nurtured, even if it's by email, skype and IM. We haven't shared a hug in more than 2 years, so I am beside myself hurrying the month along.

Spot is under my chair, head butting my leg. It's almost treat time and I think she wants my attention. I swear that cat can tell time! She hates daylight savings time, I'm certain she thinks we change the time just to annoy her. I'll type more tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have some pics from the trip to share.

We've had a bit of rain, finally. I am sitting at the dining room table watching the afternoon fly-in. The cardinal family is back. Baby is learning to land on the feeder but still hasn't mastered the food getting part. Mama rewards him with a few bits and they fly off to the oak tree to rest and try again. Papa is sitting on the end of the hammock chirping at his family, as if to say "Come on baby, I know you can do it!".

Spot is happily sitting on the chair watching the comings and goings. The chickadees love coming to the window sill to get a closer look. I think they know she isn't going to get them, but Spot sure tries. I think there is a permanent noseprint on the window.

A few leaves further down in the woods have changed to red. Fall is coming and I am ready for it. I've pulled out a bit of fall decor and the wreathes for the doors, but with it still being in the upper 80's it seems too soon. I've noticed the stores are full of fall candles, and the baking aisles seem to be bulked up, ready for holiday treats.

I've got a pot roast in the crockpot, with potatoes and carrots. It's nice to come home to the smell of supper. I think I'm going to settle into the glider and watch the next thunderstorm roll in.

Monday

I have a friend that calls Monday, Moanday, because Monday is the day she hears the most complaining. I'm in a Moanday frame of mind. It's my sort of day off, I only had 1 meeting and spent only an hour in the store, but I had too much stuff to cram into my day. The oil in my car needed to be changed, the tires rotated, a trip to the library - I forgot it was storytelling day with a blue million 3 and 4 year olds, a trip to the IGA, and the drugstore. I was not in the mood for being in the deep south, and my DC showed. Bless my heart.

It's been that kind of weekend. More on Monday.
more animals

Something New

Well, this is new for me. Here I come, being dragged into the 21st century, and deciding to blog. Every morning and evening I watch the goings on off my porches and think about the day to come, or pondering over the events of the day past.

Our rear porch is about 12 feet from the ground, so I am at the perfect treehouse level. I am watching the birds fly in for their last snack before nesting for the night. The hummingbirds are dancing, not so patiently, waiting their turn at the feeders. A slight breeze is blowing and we can occasionally hear the local high school band practice. Life is good.

The view from the front porch is completely different. It's elevated, but not so much. We have a seasonal view of the Horse Range Mountains. The glider and a pair of rockers invite you to sit a spell. Rabbits are jumping all over the yard, it's almost time for the bear family to cut across the yard for their bedding down area at the back of the property. Evening is coming earlier, so the smaller birds are heading for their last bath of the day, then to their nests in the mountain laurel.

I don't yet know what this blog will become, but I think part of it will be partly made up of the goings on from our treehouse.