Thanksgiving hike.....

Well, it's almost time for our Thanksgiving hike in the National forest by our land. This hike is really fun for Chuck and I because Shell gets to come with us. We usually take her on one of the trails that we have been on and enjoyed. This year, we're exploring a new trail. ( oh yeah, we have to stay in a certain part of the forest this time of year because of hunting season. I hope Bambi is smart enough to stay in the same sections.) One where you have to mark your way because there really isn't a trail any more and you cross over the streams several times. A good chance of getting lost if you don't mark the trail. (we've done it before...got lost that is) The kids gave Chuck a GPS last year for Christmas but sometimes it doesn't work in the forest or ....ummmm....somone forgets to check the batteries in it and it dies. There is always the " good ole compass".

Shell always seems to manage to fall in the streams or almost fall into the waterfalls during our Thanksgiving hikes. Yep, since it's usually in the 30's or 40's, that means the water is pretty darn cold which means Shell's clothes are wet and cold. She always just laughs about it and has a good time any ways. As the pictures show...she fell into the stream, crossing over on some slippery rocks but she was lucky and made it across the waterfall in the next picture. Who knows what this next hike will bring. A lot of fun , I know for sure. I always make left over turkey sandwiches, piled with cranberry sauce and dressing on them, for our picnic lunch. They sure taste good after hiking for four or five miles. Hope everyone who reads my blog, has a great Thanksgiving. I'm hoping one of these Thanksgivings, we will be living on the land and won't have to turn around and come back to Florida after a couple of days of enjoyment.

Happy Turkey Day ya'll!!!!!

The gourd lady....

Charlotte ( BNOE) emailed me pictures of their " camp out in the back yard" adventure with friends from Nashville,last week. When your yard consists of acres...it's really like camping out in the woods. They took the kids on a " nature walk" over to our land where the garden used to be. It has grown up so much you could hardly see the kids...lol. The only thing still growing besides the weeds were the gourds that we planted last spring. Charlotte said they were every where.... . Even hanging from a bush. They picked as many as they could carry back to the TT and the report was that there are still lots left for us to pick when we go up for Thanksgiving. Charlotte has named me " the gourd lady" cause I'm going to have so many gourd seeds to share. She proceeded to tell me the story of the " Lupine Lady". ....a lady went all over the county planting Lupine seeds and the whole country was covered with lupine flowers. Charlotte said there are about 100 seeds in one gourd so I'm going to have thousands of seeds. What fun I'm going to have planting, painting and making birdhouses out of our gourds. I certainly will be busy if we ever get to move to the land.

BIG Chicken.....

Naaaaa.....this BIG chicken isn't on our land. ..but I sure wish she was. It's along 231 a little before ya get to Montgomery. (there used to be a huge cat fish just like the chicken but guess some lucky person had enough money to buy it for their land) How fun would it be to have this BIG chicken standing outside our chicken coop or even in the front yard of the TT...ha. Having real chickens is part of our Alabama dream. Not a lot of them, just three or four. Enough to have fresh eggs every day. Yes, I will name my chickens. Priscilla, Mary Lucy, Rebeca Jane and perhaps Daisy Duke. :-) A little nanny goat is in this dream also, Olivia Jane. Of course there are two cats in this picture....Annabelle Lee and Marmalade Lee. They both get to make the all day trip from Florida with us. I should say "with me" cause they will be in the explorer with me ( crying their heads off) which will be following Chuck in the biggest U Haul truck we can rent, with a trailer on the back, pulling a 1970 Camaro. Eeeewwwwww I am not looking forward to that day. I just keep telling myself it's just one bad day in my life and at the end of it....we will FINALLY be living on the land. ...making " our dreams come true".

Seasons

" Four Seasons". ..... one of the reasons why I want to move out of Florida. All my life I have dreamed of living where in the Fall, the trees turn beautiful colors, in Winter you have the excitement of snow, in Spring you have daffodils, tulips, iris, all the beautiful flowers that won't grow in Florida. Of course there is summer where you can plant a garden and grow all your veggies and it's cool enough to sleep with the windows open at night or sit on the porches every evening. In Florida you have "hot" and "cool". No real seasons. You know it's suppose to be a different season, by looking at the calendar.

We were lucky to have found a great "insurance lady" when it came time to insure the land and the things on it. Her name is Andrea and in the past 1 1/2 years she has become more than " just our insurance lady". She has become a dear friend. She is another example we have come across on how people have treated us like family in Alabama. For two falls now, Andrea has taken time to take pictures of this beautiful tree in one of the towns by our land and send them to me to enjoy.....knowing we have nothing like this here in Florida. Last Spring when we were at the land, planting the little garden, Andrea and her family were going out of town so we weren't going to get to visit with them but on the way to the airport, they drove over to the land and left a " goodie bag, wishing us a fun week on the land" on the post to the gate. What a fun surprise to get as we drove through the gate, going into town that day. I just want to be surrounded by all these great people all the time, not just for a week at a time every few months. SOMEONE PLEASE COME BUY THIS HOUSE IN FLORIDA. (I've lied about everything that I've ever said bad about Florida. You will LOVE it here!!!!) (crossing my fingers behind my back) Oh yeah, I don't know what that black spot is on the tree pictures. Must be an " Alabamian thing " with Andrea's camera....ha.