Still Looking Down

Once again on my morning walk, I turned my eyes to the ground. This time my target was not bugs, but rather WEEDS!! Every day I pass them by and discount them as nothing but ugly wild vegetation, but this morning I looked more closely and found beauty.

Sometimes we just need to take the time to really look. There's just no end to the surprises that await us...

Don't Bug Me!!

I'm proud to say, I have walked six out of the last seven days for a total of about eleven miles. Even though I've been a walker before, I always seem to start out well and then slack off. This time I am determined to stick with it. Not only do I know it is good for my health, but I live in an area where walking is pure pleasure. The hills are sometimes a challenge, but the lack of traffic makes up for that.

Since I am limited somewhat to the five miles surrounding my home, blogging about my walks requires a little creativity. There's only so many photos of horses, cows, and scenery before it starts to become redundant. So, on this morning's sojourn, I spent my time looking downward at the sides of the road. My target was the creepy, crawly, fluttering creatures that hide among the roadside vegetation.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting my new found "friends" and I know you can hardly wait to see what's next... :)

Walkabout

The first early morning in a very long time cool enough to walk; 72°! Left my Tennessee farmhouse just before 7:00, camera in hand, while the mist was still lying over the valley. The corn fields have already been turned to silage and the soy beans are ready for harvest. Our extremely hot summer has taken its toll and given the entire area a tired, sleepy appearance.

About a half mile from the house, I saw my first neighbors, tranquilly (word?) dining on their breakfast of green grass. These particular cows are Black Angus and revered for their tender cuts of beef. I prefer them peacefully grazing in the field...

Proceeding farther down the country road, almost at the one mile point, I came upon more friends. These are some of a large herd of horses owned by a long-time Hickory Valley farmer whose wife works in New York City. Now that's what I call commuting!

Although my spring strolls always provide me with many wonderful wildflower shots, I was hard pressed to find any on this end-of-summer morning. This is the best I could do:

If all goes as planned, I will be doing a lot more walking and will have more stories and photos to share. :)

Simmering Summer Sampler

This summer has been exceptionally hot here in Tennessee. I have not been able to spend as much time outside as I would like, but it's always a pleasure to walk around my yard, camera in hand. These photos were taken earlier this evening.

MY BUTTERFLIES

MY POND

MY NEIGHBORS

Naturally

Today was my cleaning day, made even more interesting by the fact that we are in the throes of remodeling our only bathroom. The plumbers were here over the weekend, a lovely porta potty is out under the big maple tree, and tools and supplies are everywhere. After two hours of attempting to make some progress, I decided I needed a break and sat down to make an Etsy Treasury. I have made MANY since becoming addicted :), but I think this is one of my favorites:

I love linen, and to my way of thinking, it is at its best when left natural. While searching to fill my treasury, I came up with the perfect vintage linen ensemble. See if you agree...

These and more listings may be found at the following Etsy shops:

cookiesandcreme
fisheye
portalsandprisms
mamaleanne22

Pondering My Pond (and Rocks)

In my front yard, just below the old stone wall, is my beautiful goldfish pond/water garden which my son and I built in the spring of 2000. Never an easy job, it was made even harder by the fact that I live on the side of a mountain. Once we dug the initial hole and the plant shelves around the edges, it was necessary to construct a retaining wall along the back and a concrete edge along the front. Luckily, there is a wash beyond our pasture full of wonderful rocks that replenish themselves every time we have a hard rain. My son made many trips filling the back of his truck and piling rocks at the site. Once construction began, I realized how important perfection was to him. Each rock was selected individually for its specific place in the wall, forms were meticulously built to pour the concrete, and scaffolds spanned the hole to provide access for him to work.

Needless to say, work progressed at a rather slow pace, but eventually it was finshed and filled with 1,000 gallons of water and a couple dozen comets. In 2002, he decided to add a cascade into a smaller sub-pond above the original to provide "water music". This smaller pond would then empty into main pond via a waterfall. Once again, perfection took over and time moved slowly, but the finished product was well worth the wait.

As the years went by, the fish multiplied, we landscaped the surrounding area, and Rich continued with his rock getting. He has added stone walls above the smaller pond and stone walls to form tiers for planting behind the pond. For 10 years now, there has always been piles of random rocks, waiting to be worked into the project. Although I often think how nice it would look if all the debris required for a work-in-progress could finally be cleared away, I have come to realize that some projects are just not ever "finished". And I think that's OK...

Visit my "old" website and read all about this project. My Pond

Earth Laughs In Flowers~Thoreau

Just an afternoon stroll through my yard, down by the fish pond...

Pond photos coming soon!!!