UPS AND DOWNS

Hey dearest blogging friends,

Here we are once again in desperate need of a little sunshine...

Rain, rain, and more rain! Lately around here it's like looking at old black and white pictures. Yesterday, four doves sat waiting for their morning cup of birdseed.

Today, skies are even more gray with wind and blowing rain. Glad I noticed my old Crocs were full of rain water before slipping my feet into them. Nothing worse than cold wet socks. 

On a brighter note...last Friday the 22nd. was Poppy's birthday. I was in Walmart and happened upon a big box of unusual masks. Couldn't resist this one...

Why, I've always said, Poppy and Eli kinda favor each other, see what I mean...

It's the profile! :)  Hopefully, Poppy won't mind my posting his picture in the Eli mask. He had just come home from work and was looking a little tired. 

and on a sad note...

my precious little Heidi goat is not doing well. Heidi came to live with us in April of 2018. We have an appointment with the vet tomorrow at 2:00. Will let you know what we find out.

Oh, Poppy and I got our Covid vaccine last Thursday. We sure did! Around 8:30 am we turned off Hwy 401 South onto the Franklin County Airport Road and immediately found ourselves behind a good mile of cars; folks in line, waiting their turn...bumper to bumper we inched along...

at 10:30 am we pulled our car up between to two waiting nurses, each wielding a syringe fitted with a needle; one on Poppy's side, one on my side :(  It was over in an instant and we were then instructed to pull the car into the block of cars to wait our 15 minute safety period...to see if there would be any adverse reaction to the shot. 

precisely at the 15 minute mark we were directed back onto the airport road; but in the opposite direction from whence we had come and given directions to get back to Hwy 401 going North.  However!!! Hwy 401 was backed up for miles and miles; traffic heading north from Raleigh, mixed with traffic from the airport.  We were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for 3 hours! A traffic jam that made the local evening news. A total of 5 hours we sat in the car!

Here it is Wednesday morning...another wet, foggy morning. I was deep into my story about the vaccine last night when Poppy announced that he was ready for bed...that, "we have to get up at 4:00 tomorrow morning". So, I shut everything down. :) 

Thank you for visiting...if you're still here. 

I'll leave you with Weetie in her little hiding place...

where she eats her treats.

Love,

Henny

Mossy Green

Here's the moss covered tree ...

that grows along the path at the back of the chicken lot...just down hill from our little moss covered pet cemetery...

we walk this way most every morning. Green moss covers lots of areas around here due to the acid soil and wet weather. What a wet winter this has been.

 Sorry Eli, just stopped to take a picture.

See how wet everything is? We need a week or two of nothing but bright sunshine.

Here's the sun shining through the trees. No wonder Poppy and Eli stopped to sit.

Friends, would you believe that acres and acres of trees are still being cut, out this way. It is unbelievable! All day long, five days a week we can hear the buzz of saw blades on those big machines, taking down trees, and logging trucks going up and down the road. 

It's looking like our little patch of woods may be all that's left when the loggers finish.

And did you know that in order to get the pines and hardwoods, the loggers cut down everything in their path...like the eastern red cedars...

and the beautiful holly trees...

and leave them on the ground to rot. Around here, the woods here are full of cedars and hollies. It's sickening!

The sun came out this afternoon and the temperature climbed to 74 degrees. No complaints here! 

We sat on the front porch while Eli and Smokey enjoyed the sun. Actually, Eli was sleeping before Smokey pounced on his head.

and silly Dumperoo...

said he's afraid to come all the way out.

well, maybe this far, if no one is watching.
and little Weetie...

This is her favorite spot in the sun.

Gosh, I get started and don't know when to stop. Guess this just about covers it.

Hope to be back soon.

Love,
Henny

A bunch of stuff

You know, I really did do a pitiful job of posting about the Vintage Market Days in Raleigh. Simply pitiful. Why, the only sweet part of the whole post was Andee and Santa. So next time, if I can't do a better job, I won't post at all. Whew! Glad that's off my chest! 

So, I will bombard you today with a bunch of stuff...like a slew of Santas...

Don't know why I ever stopped making these little Santa dolls. They sell really well at craft fairs. Shelby asked me about them, So I buckled down and made ten of them. Five little couples, to take to the "Santa Christmas Bazaar" this coming Saturday.

and let me show you a really beautiful, really special gift that came in the mail to me from Texas...

from a very special blogging friend, Barbara. Barbara doesn't have a blog, as far as I know, but we met through my blog, and now we visit by email.

She said her Mother and her Grandmother both did the handwork on this little apron. I love the lace. It goes all around and it so dainty and beautiful.
Barbara said she is doing some cleaning out and thought I would appreciate this old apron...and she was exactly right. I love it! Thank you Barbara! 

now, down the chicken path...

it's easy to see who rules. Do you think he could have found a higher perch to speak from?

Hard to tell if this is father or son. The one baby chick raised here this summer turned out to be a rooster, the spitting image of his dad. So far, they seem to be buddies. So far, no fighting.

So, while we are down this way...

the sun actually came out yesterday morning. Now, these scrubby oak trees are nowhere near as pretty as, oh my gosh, some of the trees I've seen on other blogs.  But seeing the sun  shining through, warmed my heart so beautifully!! I mean, we haven't seen the sun in over a week. 

 I love the shadows too.

Winter came way too soon

and my last picture...

At the edge of dark Poppy comes in from hunting, and what a big welcome he gets. That tail moves so fast it's nothing but a blur, and not to worry, Little Weetie gets a belly rub too. Poppy calls her Fatty Watty. 

Guess that's about it. I'll be in the sewing tonight, folding and packing for the craft bazaar. 

Thank you for your comments on that last sorry post of mine. 

Love,
Henny 

A spring post, and warning to turkeys in the area

Dearest friends,

I have been trying to post a little something for days now and my mind won't be still long enough...

...there are so many spring doings tugging at my heart and pulling me outside. Oh, there are flowers everywhere and butterflies...

...there's a garden to be planted and grass to mow. The tiny hummingbirds are back at my kitchen window looking for the sweet sugar water they have come to depend on every summer...

...so, be warned. The camera has been in my pocket...

I simply love this wild tree which was growing near the dirt path when we bought this little piece of property back in 1989. It has bloomed faithfully every year since.

and another one except this tree has a wild Carolina Jasmine vine growing through the branches. Isn't it pretty!

and another beauty is this wild azalea.

and little Weetie always by my side.

I've got to go feed the animals right now, but will be right back. 

The animals are full and happy. You may want to leave now...the camera was still in my pocket...

and looking up from under the snowball bush again this spring...

see, the grass does need mowing.

and the pink dogwood again...

and again!

and the peonies have buds, and are guarded by Weetie. Talk about the grass!

Well, enough is enough. In other news, it's turkey season and Poppy leaves out early every morning in full camouflage  so the turkeys can't see him...

Hope you all know that I'm pulling for the turkeys.

Eli says, no turkey yet??

but are you sure??

Better get busy. Thank you for looking in and putting up with all the pictures, if you've managed to stay this long. :)

Love,
Henny

Cats, dogs, and a little bit more

Smokey...

looking smoky.

Eli says it is too doggone hot to play outside.

Weetie agrees!

but it is never ever too hot to run out to meet Poppy coming home from work!

It's been a real struggle keeping the garden green and growing lately. We need rain! it's HOT and it's DRY!! The rain keeps missing our place.

Okra likes hot weather! and we are still getting lots of the little Sun Gold tomatoes. Everybody who stops by, leaves with a bag of these sweet little tomatoes.

I haven't done any canning this summer but have been freezing quart size bags of green beans, okra, bell peppers, stewed tomatoes, and peaches.

The regular tomatoes are plentiful and still producing,

but let me tell you about the bell peppers...

as it turns out, the orange bell pepper plants are not orange at all, but are growing green bell peppers. The four green bell pepper plants are growing red bell peppers. Someone had to have mixed up the little plant markers at the store.

and cooling in the kitchen...

old fashioned crustless egg custard, except this time I added a heaping cup of coconut. Sigh...and I really want to lose ten pounds!

Hope to be back soon.

Love,
Henny

Going away for a few days

I'm leaving...on a jet plane!    Not really, but I am leaving at noon today in my 1998 Toyota Corolla. Going north to Virginia to see my daughter Andee. Then Andee and I are going to see my granddaughter Madison at her college.

Poppy will be here alone with just the animals to keep him company. I've pointed out where the groceries are kept, and where he will find a spoon and fork. :)  Hopefully, he won't starve before I can get back on Sunday.

Good gosh!! Be sure to tell him where you keep the cat food!

My biggest worry is having to cross that long Monitor-Merrimack Bridge and tunnel in Virginia...

Bridges and tunnels scare me and this one gives me goosebumps just looking at the picture!

Okay, hope to be back soon. 

Love,
Henny