View from a Fire Tower

Blessed

As I walked across campus this morning to take a final, I couldn't help but notice the frost.  This was the latest in the morning that it had stayed, so far.   You can see where the sun was beginning to melt the edges a bit.  The whole campus was shimmering, and the reflections on the pond (which is affectionately nicknamed Walden) were lovely.  I am so blessed to be here, studying in the shadow of the hills, close to home.

P.S.  I'm done with finals!

So long, November, it's been lovely.

Fall Sky

An Autumn Weekend

Just us, at a state park.  Every last one of us has been extremely busy lately, and this quiet getaway was a welcome relief.  It has only rained once here since the early August, so the leaved weren't very colorful, but the air was cool and crisp, there were plenty of acorns to throw at each other, the sky was clear and blue, and it was just a little breezy.   

We read.

We went to the Nature Center.

We went inside a watery cave.

One of us caught a frog.

And we visited a lake for an hour before the sun went down.

Curious Kitten

     An orange-striped kitten was roaming around the neighborhood a few weeks ago. A little neighbor girl rescued him from a creek and brought him home - but he's too curious to stay there! He was fascinated with Dixie, my hoe, and anything else that moves! He has a wimpy side too - we had to rescue him from our trees twice.

Starting to Turn

The leaves on our front tree are starting to turn from green to yellow to brown!  It's been decided cooler here, too, and I can officially say that it's Autumn!

Happy Fall!  Go wear a sweater and drink something warm.

Evening Roses

I love them.  They just bloom and bloom all summer and late into the fall.

Which is it?

Summer or Fall?

Cool, breezy mornings and sweltering afternoons.
The chickadees have returned, but the hummingbirds are still here.
School has started (and going nicely), but we're not wearing sweaters yet.

I guess this is a good chance to enjoy the last bits of summer, but I do wish it would rain - it's been so dry here lately.

Are you seeing any hints of Fall?

Summer.

The smell of fresh cut grass.
The rasping sound of cicadas and crickets.
Joyful squeals followed by splashes.
Cirrus clouds and soaring birds.
Warm, ripe tomatoes.
Chlorine and sunscreen.
Humidity-hushed air.

Sky, Water and Sun

Independence Day weekend was filled with many things.

Patriotism and many dogs, young and old.

Golden sunlight soaking everything.

Viking themed fireworks displays. The Ride of the Valkyries.

Docks and brackish water.

Seafood.  On an island.

Bird watching.

Old wood.

White boats.

The heavens declaring the glory of God.

P.S. Tomorrow the winner of the giveaway will be announced!  Enter before 9:30 A.M. centeral time tomorrow if you haven't yet!

Crawling...

Do You Like Robins?

Me too.

Bocce Balls in the Rain

There is something wrong with this photo, and I just don't know what it is.  Anyone have an idea?  We brought the balls out for a party Beth hosted for a Christian group at her college, and David decided to keep playing with them for a while.  He and our Neighbor had some wild games.  Well, as wild as bocce ball can get (which isn't very).  Lest you think that he and his friends always play dignified games like golf and bocce ball, let me disillusion you right now.  The wrestle, play football in the mud, and shoot at innocent squirrels (no wounded yet, though!).  Sometimes they shoot at each other (that gets, um, unpleasant).


Today was my last day of highschool.  And home school.  But then, once a home schooler, always a home schooler.  So I'll survive, and I'm sure college will be fun!

In The Garden

 Lettuce is growing.

Tomatoes are planted.  There are extras - anybody want some?

Strawberries are ripening. 

The British Open

I went to the British Open today.  It was very much like any other tournament.  For instance, there were golf balls.  Imagine that!

Silver cups as awards.

Golf clubs galore.

Wild swings!

Throwing of hats on the ground (though this was staged).

A homemade golf caddy - you might not see this at any other golf tournament...
 

Fancy leather ones with wheels.

Two very determined golfers.  They are fun.  And willing to sign autographs!

Back to the Goal

Remember this? Well, six weeks with some sort of sickness (seven, if you count last week), derailed that. The good news is...

I'm back at it! Monday I did repetitions of running for three minutes, then walking for one, and today I ran for four minutes, then walked for thirty seconds. Multiply that by the four repetitions I did, and I ran almost two miles! I've abandoned the old schedule for now, because I really could run a lot farther than they were recommending. I'm pretty sure that the four minutes of running and thirty seconds of walking is where I need to stay for a while, though. It left my face as red as a tomato (ok, ok, a very pale tomato), but I was still alive and could walk in a straight line. I'm hoping I'll make it to the 5K (or 3.something miles) in about four weeks!

By the way, does anyone know how to change blogger so that it doesn't delete the double spacing you add at the beginning of a sentence?

An Old Farm

Mama used to tell us about how she used to go with her mom to explore abandoned farms. Today, Mama, Chrissy and I got to do just that! We'd stopped at this farm before, back when it was in slightly better shape, to take photographs for an art class, but only really noticed the blue shed and hydrangeas in front of it. Not so today.

Joy! At first we were thrilled by the real wishing well. Ha! We didn't know what we were in for.

Inside the light blue shed (which used to be a fruit stand, by the looks of it), there were weathered grocer's permits, bushel baskets, and shelves. A staircase painted blue, yellow, green and red led up to a forgotten loft. There was a white chanel bedspread in excellent condition, an old, avacado train case, a disheveled Santa Suit, and many old theater-type props (including a cardboard wishing well). So fun! We found an old iron in the barn - I was amazed by how heavy it was.


Some one had way too much fun papering this house. If you think these ladies are crazy, you should have seen the kitchen! How many horrifically busy, clashing prints can you plaster on one wall without being arrested? Several, apparently.


This caught my eye. I love its Scandinavian look. It's so neat to think about who used to live in this old house, what they encountered, and where they may be now. Hmm.

The Maker of Heaven and Earth

"All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all...."
- Cecil F. Alexander
(photo credit to Beth)

Mr. Crayfish