ANOTHER HOT FALL DAY

Another summer day in late September,sizzzling hot sunshine makes an early appearance.
I am trying to intergrate a pullet into my small flock of hens without any harm coming to her. Last night was the first night I put her in the coup with the bigger hens to roost. When I opened the door and the hens came out this morning,I didn't see her ,I found her still in the coup,but she had no signs of feathers pulled ,etc. So I sat her outside with the others and threw them some corn,she wanted nothing to do with the corn,so I'll just have to make sure she gets something to eat later.
After breakfast I baked cakes ,then iced 6 caramel cakes,whew it's hot today.
I thought about the heat and realized it's actually cooler today, 83,than it has been on many days this summer,so why does it feel so hot?
I think we program ourselves to deal with hot weather all summer but when it becomes fall our bodies want to cool down. Or maybe our bodies are just plain tired of all that heat.
All I know is this body is sure looking forward to some cool temperatures.Remind me in December when cold winds are blowing the snow around I said this !!!!!!!
I have been contemplating making a shelf downstairs in the unheated part of our basement for all my canned goods. Right now I have them in several different places so it's hard to know what I have and what I need to make more of.
Today is the day, after cleaning out one shelf so I can clean off the one I really need and transfer what's on it to the first one I cleaned,(are you still with me????) I start putting jars on the shelf ,then discover the jars aren't labeled,only the boxes their in,so I make labels for all the jars. I don't really trust the shelves to be loaded down with these heavy jars ,so I still leave some of the newly canned vegies in boxes.
The middle of the shelves just seemed a little springy to me. I still have some stuff upstairs in a cabinet also.Green beans are the biggest crop I can,I usually try to put up at least 3 dozen quarts a year,most year is it more than that.

When hubbie came in from work we had a hot dog supper and then he needed a nap before going to work at church.
While he napped I watched my back yard being taken over by Cardinals.The molting is over and their brilliant red color is back,they seemed to look relieved that thier feathers are all smooth and new.At times I counted as many as 10 at the feeders and in the trees waiting their turn at the feeders. This pair decided to eat their meal off the ground.
I put the chickens and dogs up and we headed to finish our work at church.
I came home and iced 6 more caramel cakes ,then hubbie and I loaded everything in the van so we can get an earlier start in the morning.
Daughter came in and started her baking, when she gets all hers in the ovens I'll ice my coconut cakes.
Hubbie is wore out after his week back from vacation and is already in bed at 10:15.
I called today and made an appointment with a knee doctor on October 11th. I just want to know what's wrong with my swollen knee,but it's not bad enough for surgery.

I carried water to all my potted plants tonight, hopefully this will hold them until we get the promised rain on Sunday. As I watered I just thought this time next month most of these will be in the green house because we will already have had a killing frost.
I took some empty pots to my greenhouse today and when I opened the door it jarred my memory that I need to clean it out before I need to put my plants in there. I didn't use it last year and some johnson grass grew up in there and died. I hate cleaning in there because I always find snakes basking in the heat there, usually only Black Snakes ,but you can't take any chances. Snakes love to get in the pots,I have found several like these.Yuck, not looking forward to that job!!!!
As I wait for my turn in the kitchen,I've been reading last years blog for this time of year and unbelievably the temperatures were 40's - 60's ,wow what a difference a year makes!!
Thanking God for my blessings of today.
Good Night and God Bless.

FIRST DAY OF FALL 2010 IS A HOT ONE

First day of the Fall season sure doesn't feel much like Fall as the temperature climbs toward the upper 80's again today.
Back in the routine at market today,doesn't seem like I was even gone. There wasn't many people out today and business was slow. Hopefully Saturday with Old Timey Day will be better.
After market I ran errands and did some shopping.
Hubbie called and said one of my nephews who is 16 had an accident and rolled his truck over on a nearby dirt road.
He was leaving work early to go with my brother to the accident scene. My nephew called his dad and said he wasn't hurt.
The patrolman didn't give him a ticket but he totaled his truck. He was sliding around on the gravel and lost control.
This is the 2nd accident he has been in, the other one someone else was driving .
Glad I'm past that 16 year old driving era!
After unloading the van and resting for a few minutes hubbie and I went to work at church. We are both very tired tonight and had to push ourselves through the evening.

I love all the scenes of fall,another farming friend that has a roadside business always goes all out in fall.Their place is called Grand Dads, this photo is from their web page,www.granddadsapples.com.That is a real John Deere up there.I'll be returning there soon to pick out a pumpkin for carving.As we drove home from church tonight the moon itself looks like a fall decoration tonight, wow !!!!
Looks like we maybe are going to get a fall feeling weekend along with some much needed rain.
Considering some pretty big changes in my schedule going into this fall,pray I make the right decisions.
Exhaustion is winning out early tonight,I'm headed for bed before 11:00.
Praying for God's guidance tonight and in the coming days.
Good Night and God Bless.

RARE SUPER HARVEST MOON

The day started out sunny and hot already. Did morning chores and had a bowl of cereal for breakfast before beginning to ice 12 caramel cakes.
I need to be finished with this before noon so I can make an Avon delivery during lunch break at a local plant.
I had 5 orders from this one place and everyone was there and had money to pay.
Back home, #1 son's nurse was sitting in the yard waiting on him to get here from his doctors appointment.
She changed his dressings and measured the wounds,she will be here Monday for her last visit unless something changes. His doctor ordered an ankle brace for him this morning and he is going to see if they can come up with some kind of brace for his knee that won't touch his wounds because his knee is growing back crooked.
Clouds and thunder rolled in while she was here but not a drop of rain fell.
I caught up on paperwork this afternoon, took me about 2 hours. I need a secretary to keep up with things while I'm gone !!
It's beginning to look a lot like fall around here. I stopped by a friends pumpkin and vegetable farm this morning and she is all decorated up.As we talked ,I noticed that there wasn't near the amount of pumpkins and squash that there usually is around her yard. She said with the dry weather this summer they had almost lost their entire crop and were having to buy some things at very high prices. Many people I watched left without a purchase but I'm sure things are just as high at all the stands this year.
Hubbie and I had some fresh green beans I bought from her tonight along with some fresh collard greens from our own garden, yum yum.
Daughter came in to do her baking while we watched Survivor on TV .
After she finished I iced chocolate and coconut cakes.
Ready to get back to market and see what's new.
Outside tonight if you are lucky enough to have clear skies like we have tonight you'll see something that happens very seldom. A full moon on the autumnal equinox is called a super harvest moon.Even through a bit of haze this is a huge bright light in the dark sky.In this photo,if you click and enlarge it you will be able to see Jupiter to the right of the moon.
The Super Harvest Moon occurs every 20 years and will not occur again until 2029.
I'm finished with everything and headed for bath early tonight at 11:45,wow.
Took a little nap while watching the news this evening,hope that doesn't keep me from sleeping.
Thanking God for the wonderful day and for the beauty of the fall season that starts tonight.
Good Night and God Bless.

DECADE PICS FROM SEPTEMBER 2000

Wow,it seems I never went on vacation last week now,same old routine ,same old dirty laundry,same old dust ,same old floors to clean,da,da, da,da,da, get the picture !!!!
To get this all started we were awakened by the phone ringing before 5am with the Sheriff Dept. calling to say a cow was out down the road. I told her who's cow it was and went back to bed. She better call and get them up!!!!
Hubbie called to say the cow was in #2 son's front yard as he went to work at 5:45 this morning,grrrrrrr!!!!!
I walked down later and it was gone and the neighbors were in their pasture,hopefully they will fix their fence!!!!!
I finally bagged the Avon order that came in right before we left for the beach and stamped my books so it's ready to deliver.
It is another 90 degree day,15 degrees above the normal for this time of year ,I refuse to turn the air conditioning back on so I've rid my body of a lot of toxins today through my sweat.
Got out my fall decorations and put some up this evening.I need to pick up a few more things before I make pictures.

Time for more September decade pictures. Tonight we are looking at what was going on in September 2000.I was working 3 1/2 hours every day in the school lunchroom that year. That's me in the back row under the baloons that everyone is looking at,have no idea what is going on !!Here I am at my booth in the Curb Market on Old Timey Day,it is always the last Saturday in September.Hubbie and daughter always help with the festivities on this day.With more time to sew in those times, these are wallhangings I quilted and sold ,they were very popular at that time.I have always sold a lot of bonnets and aprons like these and still do today.Many evenings were spent in the gym watching daughter play volleyball.
I bought this 1996 Taurus Wagon,which turned out to be one of the best autos I've ever had. Willie the dog in his younger days.This handsome young man is #2 son in his senior year picture. #1 son graduated last May, I had to go through 2 graduations in 2 years. Daughter is in her sophomore year in high school.

I have baked 48 layers for cakes tonight ,just took the last ones out of the oven at 11:40.
All the dogs started barking and I went out to see what was going on and heard the coyotes down on the creek howling and yipping away.
Thanking God for the blessings of today.
Good Night and God bless.

GETTING BACK IN THE ROUTINE

Monday after a week of vacation,uggggg!!!!!!! Especially when I had to be at the doc's office at 9:30 for an internal ultrasound,double yuck !!!!
It was all worth it for the good news I got after doc looked at the images and told me everything looked better than fine and I had almost a zero chance of ovarian or uterian cancer. And the even better news he still found no reason for an examination,yea!!!
After I breezed out of there I headed over to the Biltmore House store to get restocked on my wassail spice blend I put in my green tea. I've talked about this stuff before ,it is the best blend of spices I have ever found to go in hot tea.It can be ordered on-line,but since I was almost to the estate at the doc's I picked up a generous supply this morning. I also got a bottle of hand lotion made from grapes.And yes the bottle is really neat!
The lotion smelled wonderful so I hope it works as well as it sounds like it will,haha. I'll have baby butt soft hands in no time flat!

I made my baking supply stops on my way home. Called some Avon customers and told them I would be making rounds next Monday. The order that went off this morning was so small I'll wait and deliver it with last weeks order. No one seemed to mind waiting.
G-son was here when I got here,hubbie was pulling him around outside in a wagon. He went to school this morning and his dad picked him up and brought him here for the afternoon while he cleans out his trucks. He is trying to sell something so he can make business payments.
Hubbie helped him and g-son and I played inside as it is 89 degrees out there today. Come on fall !!!!!!
How dry is it ????????
On my walk this evening I took a picture of our farm pond.Annie likes getting in it whether there is any water in it or not.Not only dry but grass has already covered the bottom.

Below is the pond in better times!!!
Desperate for rain,I noticed the grass in the pasture was crackling under my feet as I walked.
I came back to the house and watered my potted plants. I need to buy some mums to add some fall color but hate to get anything else to have to carry water to.
Daughter came in and started her baking then got a headache and had to go lay down. She has lots of headaches,I believe she doesn't take care of herself like she should. She has a schedule most days that doesn't allow time to eat and that means headache time.
I took her breads out of the oven and put 3 pound cakes and 3 wine cakes in for me.
It's 11:30 and I'm done for tonight.
So thankful to God tonight for the doctor's news this morning. I give Him all the glory and strive harder everyday to glorify His name.
Good Night and God Bless.

BIRDS OF THE SEASHORE

Normal routine started off with a bang this morning as hubbie and I switched Sunday nursery duty with #1 son and d-in-love. Daughter helped us because we had 7 under 2 year olds and they were having a hard time getting along. All wanting to play with the same toys and drink out of each others cups and so on.
After church hubbie and I ran to the grocery store,then came home to grill some pork chops for lunch. Daughter and #2 son came and ate with us. #1 son called and said he drove home after the concert and got home at 4 am so they were resting today.
We spent the day doing some resting of our own and enjoying just being home again. It's always good to go but it's always so good to be home.
I worked on catching up my blog this afternoon. I write it daily on my laptop while I'm away but wait to get home before I put the photos in and publish them. I haven't figured out how to shrink my photos on my laptop yet.
As I mentioned in an earlier post I would publish bird pics. I love taking photos of birds,I think they are so interesting.
These are some of the pics I took this week.Some I've been able to identify,some I'm still looking to ID, so if you know please chime right in,thanks.Ringed Bill GullGreat Blue HeronGreat White EgretTri-Colored Heron
I think this post is long enough and I think I need to be in bed.
Checked out Bernie's foot in the bath a while ago and it looks like the cut is up between his toes instead of on one of his pads so I'm thankful for that. We'll keep it washed and as clean as possible and hope it heals without problems.
Thanking God for this wonderful day filled with blessings.
Good Night and God Bless.

TRIP HOME HAS BLOODY STORY

Travel day began early this morning at 8 am. With not much to eat left in the house hubbie,daughter,#2 son and I scratched out a snack breakfast to do us until we get on the road. # 1 son's family are downstairs and don't ever eat early anyway.
With what we got done last night it's not such a job this morning and we were loaded and ready at 9 am. We helped #1 son get their stuff loaded and we all left at 10 am so all in all it was a pretty easy morning. Even though we only do this once or twice a year everyone knows the routine.
#1 son's family left for shopping and then to Raleigh to meet her parents at a concert tonight. They'll spend the night and drive home tomorrow.
#2 son and daughter followed us up the road.
We stopped several times to eat and let the dogs walk.
Bernie got thrown off his perch on the console when hubbie had to stop suddenly to avoid running a stop sign and he cut his foot on a chipped water dish I had sitting in the floor board. We had to stop and try to stop the bleeding,I've never saw a dog bleed so much,I thought we were going to have to hunt a vet's office.
It finally stopped bleeding and he settled down for the rest of the ride home,he didn't want to get out anymore.
Thankfully we made it home without anymore drama,but Bernie is really hurt,he is just laying around,really weak acting.Here are Dolly,in front and Bernie before the ride home.
We got home around 4:30, unloaded and got most things put away, then ate a snack supper. Thankfully Bernie got up and drank some water and ate some dog food,I think he will be okay. We still haven't looked at his foot, I surely don't want to open it up again.
I watered plants,brought my beta fish back inside from the shed where sis-in-law fed them,washed all the bloody towels and hung them out before hubbie and I went to church to work tonight.
When we came home we unpacked our clothes and put everything away. Whew!!, it's officially over and it sure feels good to be back home and my bed sure looks inviting. I thought I would get some vacation post published tonight but it looks like that might have to wait.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, oops, I dozed off there for a minute.
Giving God all the glory for safe trip home.
Good Night and God Bless.