A Beautiful Fall Day

Driving up the mountain.....

The kudzu is still hanging on 

There is a saying that says....".I'm glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."  Nothing could be truer but you have to live far enough north for it to be true and we do!  We set out one morning last week to the quilt shop where I get my quilts, quilted and the drive couldn't have been any prettier in the country and up the mountain.  Even though I feel like I have lived here all my life now, I still get excited for each season to a peer  and bring it's glory. Fall can not be out done!
   " October gave a party;  the leaves by the hundreds came- the chestnuts, oaks and maples, and leaves of every name.  ...( George Cooper)  I'm sure glad I was invited also!

The Signs of Fall

Pumpkins on the studio porch

A basket full of fall flowers

Wood at the end of the drive way

Ready to be split

Re-wrapping the green house

Bulbs to be planted....

so there will be a pretty Spring

The signs of Fall are defiantly here at Brambly Pines.  We thought we might have until the end of October to have to deal with the colder weather but mother nature surprised us and we had to hustle and start winterizing things around here.  We went and got a truck load of wood.  Chuck spent one afternoon, stacking it at the end of our drive way.  Another day, Chuck took the plastic off of the green house and then re-wrapped it all.  That meant, bringing all the plants from the yard...and deck to be housed for the winter, down to the green house.   Everything is tucked in where they will be warm for the next five months.  Some of the plants that were on the two porches, are now in the house.  Some like to be warmer than what the green house will be all winter.  In the next week, I have to spend a day deciding where I want to plant the bags of bulbs that I bought and get them in the ground.  I really don't like the chore of planting them but as I plant, I keep telling myself how pretty they will be come Spring.  I will be so glad that I took the time to plant every one of them.  Yes....winter will be here before we know.  ...but we will be ready to sit back and " wish for snow".

Apple Butter Time

September means it's Apple Time!  Time to go to one of the orchards and get apples.  We have one not too far from our house.  For the past couple of years we have been going there for our apples.  I like to make apple butter every Fall.  It takes all day in the crock pot but it makes the house smell so good....like " Fall".  This year I made two batches so that means two days of wonderful smells.  I also made a fresh apple pie.   There is nothing else like it.  Forget canned pie filling!  September is just the beginning of my favorite time of year.

George ..Up Close and Personal

George's first selfie 

I so could be the " crazy cat lady" of Lawrence County but my common sense stops me.  The most cats we have had are three and that wasn't on purpose.  My mind didn't win over my heart when Marmalade showed up in our yard in Florida and needed a lot of tender loving and care.  The same thing happened the summer  George showed up on the land when we were building the house. It must be something about " yellow tabbies that takes over my heart.  Here's to hoping another one doesn't show up at one of our doors.  My mind would have another fight with my heart.

Studio 22 gets a new door.

Studio 22 new screen door!

With the weather being so pretty, I was leaving the french door open to the studio while I worked in there.  Well, the bugs and bees also decided to come in to work with me.  I had asked Chuck last Spring if there was a way to put a screen door on the studio and he said it was possible.  So, this week we headed to Lowe's to buy the same pretty screen door that Melanie has on her back porch.  Already white....no need to paint it.  After Chuck cut it down a slight bit and the screwing on the hinges, I had an instant pretty screen door.  Next, maybe a pretty light blue ceiling?

The Coming of Fall.

Fall at Studio 22

The Great White Pumpkin!

Back Porch Fall

I've had fun decorating here and there for Fall.  I tell myself every Fall that I'm not going to buy a " real pumpkin" because come Winter, I never know what to do with them.  It's a lot of work to cut them up and cook them down to use for pies, etc.  To be honest with ya, I never feel like doing that.  Well, every year, there is this perfect or different pumpkin that I just HAVE to have.  This year's pumpkin was a white heirloom type.  It just might get cut up and cooked down to use in a pie or something.  I'm just curious to know what the insides of a white pumpkin looks and tastes like.  I'll let ya know if it really happens or if a Santa hat gets put on the Great White Pumpkin.

Fall Gardenias

Gardenia bush at the corner of the house

Kitchen bouquet

I know, I have shared this before about me taking a cutting from Gene/George's gardenia bush, about six years ago.  Well, it rooted and has grown to be a huge bush over the years.  It's my favorite thing growing in the yard.  My most favorite smell comes from a gardenia.  No one can match it.  Well, I don't know what type this gardenia is but it blooms twice a year.  In the Spring and in the Fall. I have been picking a hand full of gardenia's almost every day.  One vase full on the kitchen table and I keep one on my bedside table so I go to sleep smelling my favorite smell and waking up to it also.  A good way to begin and end the day.