"Special". . .

"Special is a word that is used to describe something one-of-a-kind like a hug
or a sunrise
or a person who spreads love
with a smile or kind gesture.
"Special" describes people who act from the heart and keep in mind the hearts of others.
"Special" applies to something that is admired and precious and which can never be replaced.


"Special" is the word that best describes you.
(Teri Fernandez)


Jeff was working & hunting so I took a road trip and had a great weekend with my wonderful & special daughter, Jayme. We talked & shopped till we dropped, we talked & talked some more, we got up early and watched the sunrise over Lake Superior (while talking the whole time) and spent some quality time over meals with Scott (who didn't hardly get a word in) while we talked some more. I'm thankful that she is not only my daughter but my friend.

I think there is something in my eye. . .

Friends care, Friends share
We need friends Everywhere!

Friend, can you check
if something is in my eye?
















Yes, I got it!
I see it falling out. . .













"Thank You"

What are Friends for!

Your smile for the day :-)

The Magic of Autumn

I revel when Autumn's palette
Appears upon the scene,
With hues of golden splendor
That are strewn with red and green!









The sunrise casts its shadows,
So picturesque and still,
Across the hills and valleys
To share Fall's morning chill!





While the quiet, peaceful countryside
Lay slumbering through it all,
O'er night, the Master Painter
Changed Summer into Fall!

No season is more tranquil,
More soothing to our souls,
Than the long-awaited Autumn
With the magic it unfolds!
(Mary Chevalier)



It is a beautiful, sunny fall day and I looked out the window to see Ruger and Gabi napping in the sunshine. They dragged their bed outside but I guess the grass was more comfortable after all :-) As long as I was outside with the camera, I discovered ice on a frozen pond plant that had a beauty of its own. The "fall trees" are from our Oct. trip to Itasca and the sunrise was taken Oct. 12th (the morning of our first snowfall).

Happy Birthday Grandpa Steve. . .

I like to walk with Grandpa,
His steps are short like mine.
He doesn't say "Now Hurry Up,"
He always takes his time.





I like to walk with Grandpa,
His eyes see things like mine do -
Wee pebbles bright, a funny cloud,
Half hidden drops of dew.










Most people have to hurry,
They don't stop and see.
I'm glad that God made Grandpa,
Unrushed, and young like me.
(Thena Smith)

Happy Birthday one day early. . .

from Benjamin, Alexis
and your sister, Marsh

Anticipation. . .

One of the most delightful things about a garden
is the anticipation it provides.
(Author unknown)




Today, I planted 233 bulbs. . .oh the anticipation those will provide as I wait for spring to finally arrive after a long MN winter.
It may be a little late to plant them but it took me this long to clean up the garden and find spots to put them in. Thank goodness for photos I took in April/May so I knew where my "bare spots" were. These individual shots are also from last spring.

I planted tulips, hyancinths and allium and hopefully I will see results next April. In the lyrics of Carly Simon . . .
"Anticipation, Anticipation"

The Woodlands. . .

This quote was on an interpetive sign on a hiking path in Lake Carlos State Park and the first sentence reminded me of the old saying "you can't see the forest for the trees. . ."

I don't know what it is about the woods but I love walking in them, driving through them and most of all camping in them. Maybe it is because I grew up and still live on flat farm land that I appreciate their sights, sounds and smells so much.Though those farms had their "groves" which seemed like the "big woods" to a child. Remember those forts and playhouses in the grove?
With a keen eye you can see so much more than trees. . .

An itch. . .

I have an itchy ear.
And it gets itchyear and itchyear
Itch year.
(Andrew Chaikin)








Lots of birds bathe on the rock and sometimes I am able to capture them in their most unflattering moments. This morning it was a junco having a good scratch and the wet (and scary) looking sparrow was earlier this summer.

Yikes, don't you wish the garden hadn't frozen out because you never know what you will see in "the garden of life". Smiles . . .

Peaceful evening. . .

There are two ways of spreading light:
to be the candle
or the mirror that reflects it.
(Edith Wharton)






It is a beautiful evening and I just witnessed a gorgeous sunset. One thing about this time of year is that we have beautiful sunsets and sunrises. If it is the colder air or dust from harvest I don't know but I am thankful for them either way.

I have been working on cleaning up the garden the last few days and one little visitor that is quite bold and not at all shy about coming to the feeders or water with me very close by is the Nuthatch. I'd say he's a "mirror".

Seasons. . .

I'm glad I live
Where seasons change -
I like my world
To rearrange.
(author unknown)







The juncos came back to my garden about 10 days ago. I should have known we would have an early snow. My dad, a lifelong farmer, was full of little "weather wisdoms". He always called the juncos "little snowbirds" because they arrived when it was going to snow and left in the spring when the snow was done for the year. For that reason they always bring me sweet memories of him.

On Wednesday afternoon the first snow arrived in the form of little ice pellets. It looked like someone had cut up styrofoam over the garden. All of yesterday's snow is history but most of the plants froze out. There is a time for everything and I am ready to start the cleanup before it gets too cold out there.

It covered the flowers. . .

The snow fell gently all the night.
It made a blanket soft and white.
It covered houses, flowers and ground
But did not make a single sound
(author unknown)

What a difference a couple days makes - we woke up to 22 degrees and snow.

If there were such a thing as "bird candy" I would say it is peanuts. Within minutes of filling the feeder the bluejays are there and they keep coming back until they are gone.

"It doesn't taste like cotton candy to me"
Ruger

Come on - SMILE - this won't last. . .

It had to happen sooner or later. . .

Leaves in the autumn came tumbling down,
Scarlet and yellow, russet and brown,
Leaves in the garden were swept in a heap,
Trees were undressing ready for sleep.
(author unknown)

It's October, most of the trees in the grove have lost their leaves and most of the perennials have gone to seed and died back but those annuals just kept blooming and blooming. I'm afraid today was the last day - tomorrow's forecast calls for snow showers with a high of 36 degrees and a low of 25 degrees so the cleanup begins. I started cleaning up the coneflowers today but those birds and blooms kept distracting me so I finally went in to get the camera, sat in a patio chair and enjoyed the sights and sounds around me.

After all. . .
"Even if something is left undone,
Everyone must take time to sit still
and watch the leaves turn."
(Elizabeth Lawrence)

Sigh. . .

"there's to be seen a glorious 20-mile circle of some 50 lakes scattered among fields and pastures, like sequins fallen on an old paisley shawl."
(Sinclair Lewis)


Sigh. . .we had a wonderful weekend camping for the last time this year. The forecast was for a beautiful (albeit windy weekend) and we decided to get one more weekend away before winterizing the camper. This time our destination was Lake Carlos State Park in central MN where we hiked in a beautiful forest (photo 2 - can't you just hear those leaves crunching beneath our feet) and camped within yards of the lake (photo 3 sunset viewed from our campsite).

We spent all day Saturday cycling lake country. Photo 1 is the view from Inspiration Peak near Urbank. The beautiful red leaves of the maples are gone but a few golden birch leaves remain as well as the deep burgundy, reds and browns of the oak forest. Oh those changing leaves...can't they stay a little longer?. . .Sigh

Kind hearts. . .

The heart is a garden;
Kind thoughts are the roots;
Kind words are the blossoms;
Kind deeds are the fruits.
-- John Ruskin

There are many kind hearts in my life and I am always grateful for their kind thoughts, words and deeds which make my "garden of life" full.

Mums. . .does any flower say autumn any louder? Usually by this time of the year, mums are all I have to show for my gardening efforts but the light frost we had a few weeks ago was not a "killing" frost so there is still lots of color sharing the spotlight with my mums. Makes one appreciate the beauty every day as I know the time left is limited.

Peaceful evening. . .

May your sun rise
on a beautiful morning. . .
May it set
On a peaceful evening. . .
And may happiness light
Each minute between.
Happy Birthday Renae!

Today is my sister's birthday and I had every intention of photographing her a beautiful sunset (since that is what my family knows me for) but heavy clouds moved in about 4 pm. So Renae, enjoy these past sunsets and know that I wish you another year filled with happiness, beautiful memories and of course beautiful sunsets.
I wish the same for all my readers. Enjoy the peaceful evening.

lucky leaves. . .

"Autumn is a second Spring when every leaf is a flower."
(Albert Camus)

Every year since our kids were quite young we have "caught" leaves and this year was no exception. It all started back in the early 1980's while on a fall state park trip, the park newsletter had a family fun activity stating that you should catch 12 leaves as they naturally fell from the trees - one for good luck for each month of the coming year. Some years I catch my 12, some only 1 or 2 but this year was a good one. We had pleasant breezes that blew leaves in our faces and reaching out and grabbing a few was a fun and relaxing time. Of course, I am not a huge believer in superstition but Nathan did break his arm in football the year after only catching 9 leaves :-)
Go out and catch a few - you know you want to. . .

131 steps but worth it. . .

This weekend we took a spur of the moment camping trip to Itasca State Park to check out the beautiful show the MN northwoods puts on at this time of year. One of the highlights was hiking up a beautiful wooded trail to Aiton Heights where I even got this entry's poem in a photo for you :-)









At the end of the trail is the 100 ft tall fire tower which allows for wonderful views of the countryside. We climbed 131 steps (no, I didn't count but the young girl ahead of us did) for 360 degree views of beautiful forest all dressed up in it's October finest.









Enjoy! I did the climbing for you :-)