Josie the Pug as Dolly Parton....

How's this for a cute costume?!?
This is my daughter and son-in-law's pug, Josephina, in her costume.
I thought it might make you smile, I know I did when I saw this!

Oh, Deer!!

Last night, Mark shot an eight-point buck....now you know what we'll be doing this weekend.... We'll be adding that to the freezer, along with Luke's deer we put in there a couple weeks back! We're so happy for Mark and Luke, and hoping that Dad gets one this season to make it 3 for 3!

Mark LOVES his Matthew's brand bow he bought last year, and this is his second eight-point with that Matthews!

Q & A......What Would You Like To Know??

Hi there!
Is there anything that you have wished that you could ask me? I will answer anything within reason....ASK AWAY! Please post your questions in the comments section.

In addition to that, if there is anything that you would like to see on my blog or a feature that you miss that I don't do often enough; let me know that, too.

A Foggy Fall Morning Walk...

It was a little chilly this mornin'....so me an' the mittens, we took a chilly walk. It had rained last night and there was fog and dampness which helps the leaves smell extra good.

I took pictures on my walk this morning and here's what I got, I don't slow down much and I detest flash so some of them are darker than I like, and not the best quality but some of them turned out okay. I tried to capture the small-town-ishness of the little 'burg near where I live for you.

They have what is called a "river walk" and it's a bike and walking path down near the river that I like to use, because I don't have to worry about cracks in the sidewalks and crossing streets and stopping and going, you can just walk at a rapid pace and get your workout in.

Today, though, for you, I deviated from the normal route and walked on through town and extended my walk to a full hour. It felt good!

Our little walking trail is where everyone you meet says "hello" or "good morning!" as you meet them. I go up there around eight, so it's not quite bright outside yet. In fact, I'm hardly awake at that time, but I do speak to everyone I pass by. Some walk in groups, I walk alone. Don't worry, I am well armed: I have good elbows and I know how to use them, heh heh!

Can I tell you a secret? I love catching up to those in front of me and being able to go around them on the trail, I guess it's the NASCAR part of me. If I can walk from way behind and get up to and go around them I say to myself "you passed another one!" and I keep this game up until the end of the walk: it just makes the time go by faster.

And I go over the river and through the woods...there are three or so bridges on the path, and I walk to the pleasant noise of the river splashing around rocks, fallen logs, or a curve in the bank; that pleasant gurgling sound is accented by the call of crows as they echo each other.

The trail also passes through a county park, which is just gorgeous this time of year. There's a carpet of leaves all through the groves of trees and it's hard to stay on the trail; I want to just plow through them! Squirrels are busy running from tree to tree, hiding their acorns, to be retrieved in the winter time when they're hungry.

There's always a brilliant crimson leaf that stands out and catches the eye...

And the oaks...they're some of the most beautiful leaves of all!

Now we'll mosey through part of the town to see some of the old homes, and all the fall decorations that are out, and some of the beautiful trees.

This is one of my very favorite cottages, and the front porch roof and the curved door is just the best.

This stately home has always been gorgeous, and in their front yard are little dancing ghosts, gathered round a tree.

These homes are done in hues that perfectly match all the fall color around them....

And this one reminds me somehow of Daisy Cottage every time I see it. Must be the yellow and how perfectly adorable it is.

Pretty porches are everywhere!

I guess we're almost back to where I parked the car!
Thanks for going with me on my walk today! I am heading home to get a roast in the oven, it just seems like that kind of a day. Peanut butter cookies sound good, too!
XOXO
Joni

Fall on the Old Homestead

Just as the tender days of perfectly colored leaves came, the dark, dreary, windy rainy days arrived to steal away most of the leaves and blow them down to the ground. Those damp leaves however, when they dry form a crunchy carpet to walk on, something so pleasant smelling and full of memories from younger days of kicking up leaves on walks in the woods.

Globes of various sizes from summer's garden whose shapes and brilliant, happy orange color thrill us when placed around the yard.

Crops are busily being harvested (when the weather permits) by the farmers that live around us, and fields are plowed under to wait for the blanket of snow to cover and nurture the hard-working earth during its coming season of much-needed rest.

We have learned to just let the leaves fall--until they're all gone--from the huge silver maple in the yard, because there's no sense in raking up "some" only to be faced with another big pile the next day after a big wind blows through. I enjoy the look of them as they cover the soft, green grass of fall. And when it's time to gather them up, the reality of months without the friendly protection of the soft leaves makes me feel melancholy, I miss their rustling sound the very most. But I know that the remaining bones of the old tree is already been busy forming buds for the promise of next spring.

The old red child's tractor on the front porch holds a tiny, tiny orange gourd and my ivy plant....careful watching of the thermometer tells me when to bring it in at night, I like to allow it to live outdoors as long as possible. If we have enough pumpkins of our own, I like to let them trail down the front steps, displaying a cheerful welcome to anyone who drives in. I'm not one to rush out and pull up the annuals and perennials, I let them take their time and die a natural death, and am rather pleased by the look of the bright yellow leaves of the huge hostas that surround the porch, they cheerfully do their part to add to the fall symphony of color.

This is my very favorite corner on the porch, a colorful burst of fall color!

This is another favorite little corner...but unfortunately the spiders like it, too....there are webs hanging all over the front of the house. It's useless to broom them down this time of year. But I just realize that's the way with fall, just about every living thing is preparing for winter, to be tucked away for months of a long, cold season.

As a side note regarding fall here in Michigan: I live near several large apple orchards. It's a delight to stop in whenever I need a fresh bag of apples and choose from the ample inventory. I visited for a minute with the apple farmer and asked if it had been a good year for apples. With our cold, rainy summer, I wasn't sure if the harvest was plentiful, but she assured me it was.

So plentiful in fact, that a lot of Michigan's apples will be left on the trees or on the ground. The reason? The harvest was so great (and because of that, the prices are low) that the orchards all ran out of their huge wooden crates they store the apples in. It didn't pay the orchards to order new crates and keep hired help on to pick when the prices are so low.

It makes me sad to think about all those apples laying around the state, but, the deer and other wildlife will be well-fed this winter, if they are able to find the apples under the snow. There's always a positive from a negative but I hate to see the farmers lose out. I'm so glad the apple farmers keep the orchards going for us to be able to crunch into these wonderful apples!

Sisters.....

Me 'n my sister...well, we can get into some trouble.

Actually, me and all my sisters can.

Have you got a sister? Sisters?

I have four.

They're all pretty much crazy like me.

Once we get the giggles....it's over.

We've been known, in our younger days, to be kicked out of restaurants.

(Just for laughing! Geesh!)

Well, when there are more than two or three sisters in one place, there's bound to be laughter. And it's going to be LOUD.

(Sorry, mom, if you never knew that. It happened. A couple times.)


Hope you're havin' a GREAT DAY!

You know...

Feelin' "perky" and all that.

Really! I do!

(I never would have made a very good "prim and proper" girl back then!)

Friends....

May 12, 2007

Friends....there for each other on their most important day so far in their lives. Amber stood for Jamie at her wedding a couple years ago, and now...

October 24, 2009

Amber got married Saturday with Jamie by her side....my daughter's friend is just gorgeous as a bride, is she not?

The fall colors were beautiful, the day cool and overcast, but nice.


The ceremony was outdoors, on a beautiful mountaintop in an outdoor setting under a gazebo at sunset! I wish I could have been there! Amber and Jamie did all the flowers themselves, and I am so proud that my girl is such a good and helpful friend.
(Jamie looks so pretty, too if I do say so myself!)

(That's my girl....such a character!)

Scenic Sundays: Windows

Girls....got lotsa catchin' up to do in the coming week! I had a busy week last week, an unusual one. My sister and I made a trip to an IKEA...my first time there! I have to share my thoughts on that, and we also visited a Holocaust museum, too and I have lots more to tell. Have a great Sunday and we'll catch up next week!

A 1st Peek at the World....Puppy Style!

The little redbone pups are going on three weeks old.
They belong to my daughter and son-in-law, she sends me photo updates from Alabama. They are the pups of Dixie and Bryant, their pair of redbone coonhounds. Here's a picture of Dixie and Bryant before all this started; two beautiful and smart hounds.

Above, in the top photo, is Lil' Ann, one of the three girls (there were six boys!) already named, already spoken for. She's going to be a Michigan pup, coming with her brother Dan....

My oldest son has requested a pair and this little girl was hand-picked by Jamie to be his. She opened her eyes yesterday, and here's her first bleary peek at the world. Hello, sweetie! Hope you grow up to be as pretty as your mama and as smart as your daddy!

Oh, Lil' Ann, I sure wish I could be there and smell your puppy breath, and pet your velvety ears and squish all that extra skin you're going to grow into, watch those little triangle-shaped ears grow into enormous, silky, squishy, floppy ears!





Want more puppy pictures?



Okay,



Well, you asked for them....




So here they are!






Let's have a look at all nine of you sweet little babes now into your third week of life!

Oh, mama....what a job you've got keeping nine hungry puppies happy for twenty four hours a day, seven days a week! Whew! What a pile of puppies!

Wrinkly little noses that will soon be long and smooth, ready to sniff out the nearest racoon or rabbit, or any ol' thing!

By the looks of things, mama has fattened them all up nicely...into roly poly little pups!

Some are blonde, some are tan, and some are red as can be! What a nice bunch of redbones! Can you stand one more...?

Goodnight, sleep tight, little ones!