Warming by the Fire

Hey friends,

This has been one long, dark, gloomy, messy, day. We've had it all today, snow, sleet, freezing rain, and high winds. It ain't fitten fer man nor beast.

Around lunch time, tired of walking from window to window, feeling cold amd miserable, I marched out to the back porch, gathered an armload of wood and started a fire in the fireplace...

Oh my gosh, the popping and crackling of the fire immediately lifted my spirits and warmed my heart. Kept me busy at first bringing in firewood but once there were lots of hot coals the big logs burned long and steady...

and of course, put everybody in the house to sleep...

Poppy brought in his share of firewood too before giving in to the warmth of the fire...

Ellie stole my end of the couch but that's okay. I could watch the fire better from the other end...

Eli snuggled down in his chair.

Now I'm not much for watching movies but seeing as how the lure of the fire kept me bound in the living room, I found myself interested in an old black and white Western from the early 1950s; Westward The Women. I watched the entire movie, getting up only to throw another log on the fire. It was good!

Gunsmoke with Matt Dillon is my favorite Western, followed by The Riffleman, and I love Death Valley Days; stories told by the Old Ranger. Remember 20 Mule Team Borax? I like Wagon Train too. Guess you can tell we pay for the Western Channels. I don't sit and watch them all but can't help but hear them as the TV stays on when Poppy is home.

Well, I didn't finish this post yesterday and here it is near the close of another day. Sure appreciate your stopping by. 

Love,

Henny

Fall Dreaming

Dear friends,

Thank you for the nice comments on my last post. I appreciate your visits so much!

Gosh, I felt like Tasha Tudor bringing in this big bundle of twigs...

 except I wasn't wearing an old frock and an apron. Remember the picture of Tasha carrying the bundle of twigs? One of my favorite photos of her...

If only my old frocks and aprons looked as pretty as Tasha Tudors did.

These are just a few of the sticks and twigs that fell during that windy day, last Friday. In fact, these were in the driveway and front yard...I've only just begun cleaning up the rest of the yard.

Got my coffee fixed this morning, and noticed there were still coals in the fireplace from last night's fire. A handfull of the newly gathered twigs and a piece or two of split firewood...

and we soon had another warm fire...Our coffee by the fire didn't last long. Eli can tell time you know, and when Poppy is home, that means we can walk all the way to the highway.

As we started out, the smell of the fire caused me to look back at the smoke coming from the chimney. Aw, I thought, that's it, my little old log cabin in the woods...or as close as I'll ever get. 

Actually a little log cabin in the foodhills of the mountains, a rugged old fence or two, an old barn, and few animals has always been my dream...funny I've always dreamed of having a tiny home tucked away somewhere deep in the woods.

So we walked...

and I, deep in my thoughts, lagged behind. Fall of the year affects me this way. I want a barn with a hay loft and a donkey. I really do. Maybe tomorrow I'll put on an old frock and wear an apron.

and appreciate my teeny tiny goat barn and the little red chicken house...

and try out the brand new rake I bought today at Tractor Supply...

now I wonder what these two are planning...

Didn't mean to go on and on. Hope you'll come back real soon.

Love,

Henny

Poppy and Patty

Dear friends,

I've been waiting for it to get cold enough to light a fire in the fireplace...

and Sunday was that day. The warmth from  the fire was just what we needed. Like my Daddy used to say, "just enough to knock the chill out of the air".

Not sure if it was the smoke coming from the chimney or the smell of a wood fire that brought Poppy down from his tree. It's deer season, again!

Because of my "deleted" post some of you didn't meet "Patty" the hen. You know, cousin Patty paid for two of our new hens. She is always doing kind things like that so I figured the special hen in the bunch should be named after her...

and here's the little flock of red hens who stay close by Patty. 

The new hens tell me they want to fit in and get along with the old hens, but the old hens are ill and hateful. They peck really hard too.

A peek into the dirty old hen house. Remember, this little house is 30 years old and chickens are really messy...

I fixed up this end of the house just for the new hens since the old hens gather and roost at the opposite end. Hopefully both groups will work things out among themselves, soon!

Caught Miss Ducky looking at me through the weeds at the edge of the pond...

She is a sweetie pie and alone now and has the whole pond to herself. I want more ducks but Poppy says no! No more muscovy! He says once the muscovy ducks are gone, maybe mallards or wood ducks will nest around the pond and we will see baby wild ducks. 

Speaking of Poppy!

Caught him coming down the tree. Must have been the fire in the fireplace. :) Last week it was black powder, this week started regular gun season. Now until January 1st. I dread it!

Kind of strange to see him sitting in a tree just outside the front door. From this tree he can look out over the cut-over. What a shame the entire hundred acres of woods where Poppy hunted is now gone. 

Poppy does have another spot to hunt, down in the woods near the creek on our neighbor's property. That's a good thing!! 

So glad you stopped by! Hope to see you again soon.

Love,

Henny

The crackling and popping of the fire made all of us sleepy...