On the 1st day of September...

a cold front came through tricking us into thinking Fall had arrived.

I rushed out and gathered all the pink and white Spring dishes from the old cupboard, fixed a dishpan full of warm soapy water, pulled out the Old English furniture polish and went to work.

What a dirty dusty mess covered the old cupboard! Henny Penny Lane is dirt, you know. It has been hot and dry and the cloud of dust kicked up behind going and coming cars, drifts and settles on the everything on the teeny tiny porch. 

I pulled out a few "almost Fall" looking things...

We had three wonderfully cooler days and nights, even turned the air conditioner off and slept with the windows open. Been a few months since we could enjoy cool night air and hear the frogs down at the pond. Sleep was good.

Rarely do I pick flowers for a vase except for Goldenrods in the Fall and Goldenrods are not in full bloom yet. There are masses of these plants with tiny little flowers growing along the path...so I gathered a few. 

Sorry for posting three pictures of the cupboard. Would delete one, but that would throw all different font sizes into my post and that drives me crazy! :(   Same with the picture below, It is not worth posting. 

Anyhow, still spending time in the sewing room...

working mostly on bags and bonnets. Can't believe I haven't been to the farmer's market since I started making bags. That's just like me! :(  Guess I need to get up from here and go take a picture to show you. Be right back...

Well, here are a few... Have 3 more bags in the sewing room and 2 more cut out ready to sew...

It's kinda fun using this low hanging limb on the old snowball bush for picture taking. Maybe I should try bonnets and aprons here too. Log homes are dark. I've just discovered how much better the natural light makes things look. 

Don't tell anyone there's a big sweet kitty cat that hangs out in my sewing room...

No way could I ever advertise, "made in a pet free home"...

Good thing Smokey doesn't bother things...like the pin cushion. Sweet Dumperoo, (we miss you so much), would have, with his teeth,  pulled every pin and needle from that pin cushion.

Guess I've gone on long enough. Hate to wear out my welcome.  Forgot to mention above that the hot weather came back with a vengeance. Temps in the high 90s and Wednesday was 102 out here in the country.

Here's a neat sunset picture I took looking up the road toward the garden...

and I thank you very much for stopping by, dear friends.

Love, Henny

Can you believe!! Someone must have heard me talking and for meaness threw some large font words into my post! :)

 

Burrrrr!!

What a shame we had temperatures in the 70s and 80s in the month of February, tempting spring to arrive early...

Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed those warm beautiful days...

even the butterflies were out and about and birds busy building nests.

So, we all got too relaxed and what happened? Winter came back! Freezing temps last night and a freeze warning again tonight. Covering everything is simply too overwhelming. We might as well say goodbye to the tiny figs and pears once again.

Anyhow, Sunday morning we had sleet and snow flurries...

Looks pretty dreary, doesn't it? I mean, if it's going to be winter and snow, couldn't we at least have enough to play in?Before all this dreariness arrived Sunday morning, I was simply amazed at the sunrise...

Look closer. I actually thought the woods were on fire...

I should have opened the back door instead of taking the picture through the screen wire.

Once upon a time I did a blog post on this big dog house that sits in our front yard.  My brother Randall, who passed away in 2004 built this dog house and gave it to us many many years ago...

The last time the house was used was when our little red hen named "Jewel" hid a nest of eggs inside and sat quietly, and patiently hatched eight baby chicks. What a surprise that was! We thought a fox had caught her.

Anyhow, Sunday morning while I was at the grocery store, Poppy sold the doghouse to a nice young man who wanted it for a small hen house. Seems his young daughters had a few chicks they were raising. So coming home from the grocery store I stopped for a red light and there turning right in front of me was a big truck and trailer and loaded there on the trailer was the doghouse. Like it was meant to be...so I could say goodbye to Randall's doghouse. Kind of hurt my heart. But at least the house will be put to good use. 

and since the snow didn't amount to anything here, Eli and Ellie played in the leaves down near the pond...

Guess that's about it for now. I'm far behind once again visiting and reading but friends, I'll be there soon. Thank you for your visit.

Love, Henny

Falling oops! Leaves and other silly things

Earlier, I started a post looking out the back screen door...

 saying there were no fall colors here yet, then thought, well let me take another look...

so carrying the camera, I walked around the outside of the house and down to the pond...

and actually found some pretty fall colors, and there on an old log, sat a big frog...

then going back up the leaf strewn path to the house...

past the rusty old yard chairs that need a coat of paint...

and around to the front of the house where the little willow oak leaves are starting to fall...

and friends, this is just the beginning of the falling leaves. Another few weeks and we will be ankle deep in leaves; not a speck of green will show through.

I love the little willow oak leaves that fall in the front yard and enjoy raking them. It's the willow oak leaves I use to cover the teeny tiny garden before cold freezing weather sets in.

While wantering around, I made another picture of Poppy's new carport. I'll tell you why...

In passing, something about it reminded me of a covered bridge...so this will be "the covered bridge" on Henny Penny Lane. :) How's that for make believe? 

Made me remember "The Bridges of Madison County", the book and the movie.  Oh my gosh! But I really wanted Francesca to run away with Robert Kincaid. I mean, how could she not have gone with him! But then, I love Clint Eastwood!

Okay back to the yard, and the dullness of my life. The most excitement I've had lately is breaking my wrist, and the new knobs and pulls on the kitchen cabinets.

Oh, and would you look...

While down at the pond taking pictures, a plane flew over, heading to RDU from up north. I just pointed the camera up and had no idea I would see the plane in the picture. Had to zoom in, but there it is. Takes very little to make me happy. :)

Let me end this here. I'm going in all directions! Sure appreciate you all!

Love,

Henny

  

Down Henny Penny Lane...

early this morning, I asked Poppy to hold onto Ellie while I made a picture of the sky. It was so pretty! and even better with these three walking up ahead...

Poppy walks Eli, while Ellie skips along with me. Ellie and I laugh at the two slow pokes as we take three or four steps to their one. 

The unsettled looking clouds are probably from Hurricane Ida as she moves north. We are in a slight risk for high winds or an isolated tornado later today. What we need most right now is rain.

I'm feeling mighty proud this morning! Well, actually  it's nothing to be proud of, but you know how I have always said, "I am not a pickle maker or a jelly maker", but would you look at this...

two jars of fig preserves,  made by me, that actually turned out right.

After thirty two years of living here, we finally have two fruit trees that give us fruit; a fig tree and a pear tree.  Lots of figs this summer...

but not many pears. There are three or four pears on the tree I'm keeping an eye on. Oh, and talking about preserves and canning...

last week when I posted pictures of the peppers, I forgot to mention the three jars of pickled green beans on the shelf...thanks to "Granny Marigold". She posted about canning pickled green beans. Well, I got all excited and found a recipe online and made these three jars. "Granny Marigold" offered to send me her recipe, which I would love to have. Thank you!

Might as well show you one more jar of delicious looking...

HONEY! This is a quart of "Blue Bird" honey, made by bees just a quarter mile on down Henny Penny Lane. Our soon to be new neighbor stopped by yesterday and gave us this early Christmas present. Steve is a bee keeper. We are so excited about Steve and his wife building their new home and moving out here. 

Well, back to our walk...

Actually, this is a different picture from the first one, Poppy and the dogs were a little farther down the road and the sun was brighter. Just had to take two. The sky was so pretty.

and about this pot sitting in the yard... 

it's a big old pot that sits near the kitchen sink to hold food scraps, used paper towels, napkins, etc. for the compost bin. After emptying it this morning I sat it here in the hot sun. The sun dries it completely. It almost looks bleached. Don't you love the sun for making things smell clean and fresh?

Funny, I had other things in mind to talk about when I sat down  to do this post, but will just go with this for now. Promise to get away from the garden and food stuff next time. :) Working on more clothespin dolls and bonnets, and have another special doll or two but will save all this for next time. 

Sure appreciate your visiting.

Love,

Henny

 

Been in the garden

Henny Penny Lane...

and the sun shining through the trees, early Monday morning...

I carried my coffee out to the front porch and sat in the rocking chair. Hearing the rooster crow, and the birds singing sure beats listening to the morning news on TV.

Here it is Thursday already and I've just come in from the garden...

Is it as hot there as it is here??? Good grief! I thought I would roast! and there must have been 200 or more little sun gold tomatoes to pick, and there were just about that many Japanese Beetles on the bean vines. Most of those got thumped into a pitcher of soapy water. It's been like this since early June.

The green beans are looking pretty bug eaten and bad right now. The many eggplants are big and heavy and pulling the plants over. I've cooked two, given some away, and still plan to make eggplant parmesan one day soon. 

Please, would anyone know why the Gomphrena in the garden looks like this...

so many leaves and so few blooms? The Gomphrena we grew several years ago reminded me of red clover. It was tall with a larger flower head...easy to pick and tie and hang up to dry. I'm disappointed in these. We ordered the seeds on line and paid over 5.00 for the little pack which was supposed to be mixed colors.

but so far, this is what we have.

The house seems empty and too quiet today. Poppy had to go in to work and won't be home until 6:00, and Eli is at the groomer's getting a much needed bath and brushing. Nobody here but the cats, Weetie, and me.

Speaking of cats...

Wonder what was going on here between Poppy and the cats last night.  There 's no telling since it's like a zoo around here most of the time! Poppy keeps telling them he is going to turn them into a bunch of outside cats, if they don't behave. :)

Better get busy and do something with all those little piles of stuff I brought in from the garden. Hope to be back soon. Oh, and I have an idea. I am really going to try and reply to comments from those of you without a blog. It is easy to correspond with those of you who have a blog, and whose blog I follow, but replying to comments is the only way to respond to my friends without a blog. Good grief...here I go again. :)

Love,
Henny 

A little Saturday Evening Post

Taking a minute here at the edge of dark, to post a little something. 

That new apron is finished!! Whew! Hopefully the next one will be easier. I have no idea why it was so much trouble and work for me. I mean, how simple this looks...

The ruffle around the apron does not have enough fullness or gathers...like the apron in the picture on the pattern. 

Here's the back. This apron doesn't tie at the neck, but slips over your head.

anyhow, it will go in the little shop. I'm anxious to start another one.

The sky was pretty late yesterday, as I was out closing the chickens up for the night. 

and would you believe there was a frost warning for last night! Well, there was! Again!

Not much of a post here. Thank you for stopping by. Hopefully, I will return.

Love,
Henny

Raking leaves. That's what I've been doing these last few days before Christmas!

Just could not pass up the opportunity...two warm sunny days with highs in the 60's. Poppy walked past me all bundled up in his coat with the hood up, gloves, face mask, the works, going hunting.  "You're in a tee shirt?", he asked, "and you're sweating?"! Well, yeah. Raking leaves warms you up real quick.


Ahh, look out my window this morning...

But, you know the saying, "red sky in the morning, sailor take warning". We are supposed to get a little rain tomorrow, but today should be another good leaf raking day.

I added another apron to the little shop...

a real Henny Penny chicken apron.

and speaking of chickens, I've got to leave this computer and get my feed bucket. The hens are probably walking the floor, waiting for me. 

anyhow, here comes the sun...

...later in the day...

Friends, you're not going to believe this, well, maybe you will, knowing me... 

I did get up from this computer about 7:30 this morning and with my feed bucket on my arm, fed and watered all the animals. Oh my way back to the house, I picked up the rake, and was still raking leaves when Poppy pulled in the driveway at 11:00. Oh the yard looks wonderful. I've really made a dent in the leaves this time. 

After eating a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat bread...my favorite, with a glass of cold milk, I went straight back to my leaf raking. Now I'm done for the day. It was 3:00 when I leaned the rake against a tree and staggered inside.

Eli wanted you to know that he had to see the vet last week. Poor baby...

Don't know who needed a shave worse, Poppy or Eli.

Turns out, it was just rough spots on his elbows that were red and itching and bothering him. A little medicated cream has helped. 

Better get busy. Poppy is hunting again. He promised that we will drive to town tonight. I want to drive down Main street and see all the big beautiful older homes and their decorations. Maybe there will be some pictures for tomorrow's post.

See you soon.

Love,
Henny