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

Mostly Birdhouses

Didn't mean to stay away so long. Have had several things going on...

Back pain, for one. Went in last Tuesday for another injection. Thank goodness for medication to take away pain so I can move about, and keep working...I am so looking forward to planting a little garden this spring. 

Do you see Smokey...

That's him sitting on a stump, looking out across the cut-over. Would love to know what he is thinking. Probably like myself, wishing we had the trees back. 

Yesterday was sunny and 58 degrees...a beautiful day!

Such strange weather we've had this winter. It's either been warm and raining, or freezing cold, windy, and sunny. This has been the WINDIEST winter ever!

Anyhow, a good day to clean out and repair all the many birdhouses scattered about...

the squirrels have been chewing on this one.

This one is my favorite. Looks like a rustic little house I might want to live in. Looks like there might be a wood stove inside.

or maybe this one Poppy built many years ago...

This one has five apartments!

and looking through the trees, way up to the teeny tiny garden is another big one...

and the little red Adirondack chair house...

we moved from the front porch. Maybe a little Wren will find it here.

Little wrens build in the most unusual places. I remember being with Aunt Berlie one summer day. We were going out to hang clothes on the line but discovered a Wren had built her nest inside the clothespin bag that was hanging on the back porch.

Aunt Berlie had one of those old green wringer type washing machines. It sat on the back porch too along with a tub or two. She would let me catch the clothes as they came through the wringer.

Anyhow...

The little house on the cedar tree was occupied last year by a family of flying squirrels. We never saw them during the day but at night, with a flashlight, could find them on the suet cakes.

This one needed a new bottom. Didn't cover all the birdhouses. Seems like there are a dozen scattered about.

Oh, let me tell you...when we first went outside it was still a little chilly. I was working on a panel in the greenhouse that the high winds had blown loose when Poppy walked up. "Have you been inside the greenhouse", I asked, motioning to him to come inside...

The little milk house heater was on. It was cozy and warm inside, and smelled good from the candle on the shelf. Poppy's response...his exact words..."damn Mel, when did you do all this? We could sleep out here". 

I offered him a cup of tea. He laughed. "Will you ever grow up", he asked. 

 "Nope! Have no plans to any time soon".

So, since there is no roof over what I've been calling my "playhouse"...

this will now be the "potting area" and the teeny tiny greenhouse, the "playhouse". 

Didn't mean to go on and on, and gosh! so many pictures. I'll understand if you checked out a while back. 

Seriously, thank you for visiting. :)

Love,
Henny

It did snow!!!

Friends, thank you for the comments on yesterday's post...I did reply to those who don't have blogs.

Now I know you folks who have lived with snow since sometime last fall, have no desire to look at snow pictures but...

these are some pretty serious snow pictures. :) 

especially for this area of North Carolina... and how about this Carolina blue sky!

usually a winter storm here means ice on the trees and power lines...

what we had here were beautiful soft white snow blossoms covering the trees...

Then very early this morning, before any of the neighbors were even up, Poppy, Eli, Weetie, Smokey, and I ventured out...

My gosh! No wonder the power went out at the edge of dark last night and was out until 3:43 this morning. I know the exact time it came on because was lying awake listening to the generator run. 

We started on our usual walk up to the highway. Eli was in heaven...

and that  black dot you see lagging behind is Smokey...

 "Come on Smoke". This is where I picked him up and carried in my arms for a ways, warming his little feet.

Snowfall across the new cut over...

and cutest of all...

oh wait, here it is...

Smokey! and I feel terrible that not one picture shows our little Weetie.

"Miss Independent", our little Weetie. In and out every path and trail along the way. We always make sure us still with us though. 

Hope you will forgive me for posting this many snow pictures. Believe me, I want spring!!! Give me warm weather over cold any time!!!

Thank you for putting up with all this,

Love,
Henny

I promise, no more! :)

Birds, Birds, Birds, and a bunny

Have you heard! We may get 1 to 3 inches of snow!

Well, at least watching the snow fall will be prettier than watching the rain fall, and a good change at that!

Poppy works at Food Lion today and he was dreading it. Mention snow around here and folks go crazy. As Poppy walked out the door this morning he said, "I will be home at 2:00, even if the meat case is completely blown out"!

There have been lots of Finches at the bird feeders lately. In fact, so many, there was no room for the Cardinals. 

I pulled out this old feeder that holds Thistle seed...

and boy did they come! Wouldn't it be pretty if these gold finches were gold now.

Took lots of scrubbing to get this old feeder clean, but it was worth it. Now the Finches will probably eat us out of house and home. Thistle seed is expensive!

Hens with wet muddy feet! I had just filled all the nests with fresh clean hay when I heard cackling and shuffling around...

Boy! This nest is not for you! Maybe he was checking it out for the hens, but he went from nest to nest clucking and carrying on.

and the bun buns...

still have these two white bunnies. Haven't been able to find them a good home. Actually I want to move them in with my other bunnies...give them a little condo of their own, if only we would get another dry sunny day. (but don't tell Poppy) and friend, this is it! I can not take in another rabbit!! Period!

Better get busy. With Poppy away, this is vacuuming day! :(  Can't wait to show you our changes in the living room...our hunting lodge!!

Love,
Henny

Happy Valentine's Day

Good Grief! I've almost missed Valentine's Day! 

Here it is 9:05 and bed time.

Poppy brought me roses yesterday. It was a surprise...

 Dumper thought the roses were for him...

I didn't get Poppy anything. I feel terrible. 

So, mostly I wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day but also to tell you there were no storms yesterday...just rain...lots of rain. Thankful for that. Thankful for the sunshine today too!

Love, 
Henny

we got a cute card from Cousin Pat...It said "Hogs and Kisses" 

Thank you Patty

It's Raining Again

Poppy is working today. I am home alone. 

It's raining, as usual. That's okay but around lunch time friends, the weather people say we could have severe storms. Severe Storms!

Duck number two enjoying the rain

Storms scare me! Those of you who have followed my blog for a while know that. Oh, I've posted a few stories about running from storms. I kept a mental list of places to hide.

. Hospital waiting room
. Library
. Goodwill Store
. Dollar General Store 

The hardest part was timing it right...How to get in the car and get into town and in my safe place before any lightning or thunder arrived. We're about seven miles outside of town.

Felt safest in the hospital waiting room. One time, in Goodwill, I must have looked at every blouse on every rack, while waiting for a storm to pass.

Soggy front yard

The scariest, but funniest, time was when I dashed into the Dollar General store during a storm. Even I laughed, later. My timing was off and I arrived at the store just as the storm hit! I jumped out of my car, and ran for the door through the rain, thunder and lighting. Just as I reached the door, a gush of wind blew both front doors open, and friends, all I could see were colored plastic kiddie pools, beach balls, flip flops, and hula hoops going air born and filling the parking lot. But you know what? Somehow, I made it through all the plastic flying around, the clerks and the customers and found my way to the back of the store. Bet those folks thought I was in a mighty big hurry to shop.

Guineas are terrible at finding a safe place in a storm

Soggy back yard

Ducky Lucky swimming in the muddy water

Daffodils blooming too early

and now they're saying the temperature will drop to 24 degrees early Saturday morning. 

The little pear tree, I was so in hopes would grow a pear this year, is about to bloom. Guess that settles that for another year. 

It is getting close to lunch time now, but I'm staying put! Thank you for listening. Eli and Weetie, and the cats, might need me, so I won't run and hide this time. :) 

Oh, I was looking for pictures earlier and came across one you've just got to see...

This was along about the time little Smokey began trusting us enough to stay. You know, someone had thrown him out and he followed the guineas home. He was alone and hungry for days before finding us.  Eli took little Smokey under his wing. I sure love that little fellow, well, big fellow now.

Thank you so much, well, maybe you're still here. 

Thank you to a new follower too. Hope I haven't scared you away. 

Love,
Henny