Christmas Is Upon Us!!!

We are busy decking the halls in sunny Georgia.

Check out our Christmas blog
http://www.shinybrightchristmas.blogspot.com/

Goodbye November

End of November already!!  We arrived in Georgia on the 23rd and on the 25th drove almost 5 hrs. to Sister's new house for Thanksgiving. Dinner was wonderful and we had a great afternoon riding around, seeing the sights.  We were riding around when Russ said, "There's a gator!"  We jumped out of the car and sure enough, there was a gator in the river, I do not know how he saw it from the car.  Here is a pic of Russ, Bob and Yevonne looking over the fence.

and a pic of the gator

Very cool, we saw lots of interesting things.  Before heading back to Sister's we did a quick stop to see a girl I went to school with... and her hubby who I had last seen about 40 years ago...oh my!!!!  Also, November 25 is the 50th birthday of my nephew (and would have been the 50th birthday of JFK Jr.)-- AGAIN...oh my!!!
Back at the house we took some pics-

Here is Russ &, Yevonne (and Charlie) - Russ got a very good pic of Yevonne and me, if I get a copy I will post it, (Bob did not get a  good picture of us!)

Bob & I headed back to Georgia on Friday.  This is the first time we have been here to see the cotton still in the fields.

And it looks like we got here just in time, since most of it is already baled.

Sooooo home on the 26th....less than a month before Christmas.  I have been putting up trees for the last 4 days!!!  I wonder if I will get them all  up before Christmas?????



Wolf River Farm???

The first time we looked at this house, there was an old apple tree in the front yard.  It had one, fairly good-sized apple on it.  So Bob picked the apple, took a big bite and said it tasted VERY good.  When we closed on the house he asked the sellers what kind of apple it was and they said it was a Wolf River apple - a very old variety that is not common anymore.
Sooo, we bought the house and Bob had one of the guys make a sign for the front yard --- our old farmhouse was named and Bob set out to give the old apple tree a little TLC to revive it.

Well Bob fertilized and sprayed and watered that old apple tree and soon it was LOADED with blossoms, then little apples.  I remember standing in the back of the pickup and picking some of them because it was so loaded Bob thought the branches would snap if we let all those apples get big..........THEN Bob sprayed it with something....he thought he was spraying  to keep disease and worms away.............. well, the leaves turned brown and the apples fell off and very soon that old apple tree was "deader than a doornail" - - Bob's wife said "good job, honey" and  after a year or so we started looking for some Wolf River apple trees.
In 2006 we found a catalog that carried Wolf River apple trees - - our 2 little trees arrived in the spring and we planted them near the garden.  I wondered how long it would be before we had apples - I had visions of making delicious caramel apples with those BIG apples.

A couple of years later Bob bought a Skid Steer and while moving dirt around one day he ran over one of the apple trees.  We talked about getting more, since we now only had one, but never got around to it. 
We took good care of our one little Wolf River tree, even hanging little wind chimes from it's branches because the dear found it irresistible.

Today--
 Bob was moving wood chips into the flower beds.....with the skid steer.  This afternoon he came in very upset with himself.   After a little prodding, he told me.....  he backed over the other tree.  I had to laugh, then I went outside to take a picture.



I found what was left of the tree...propped it up against Bob's "toy" that makes him forget to look behind him and took a picture of the last Wolf River apple tree.

I agree with my husband, he is definitely NOT  Johnny Appleseed  and Wolf River Farm will be minus Wolf River Apples!!

Happy Halloween

A few weeks ago we went up to Charlevoix and Petosky area to see the color and Bob saw a house that he found interesting.  Today we took another little ride north and stopped in for a closer look.

Yep, that's Bob looking in the window - if only my hubby had money to equal his ideas!!   This house is a couple blocks off the lake.

We walked down to the water, but didn't stick around long, it was COLD!!
Before heading home we drove up into the Old Mission Peninsula. It was VERY pretty, can't believe I had never been there before.

Quite a few barns had quilt block designs  - this one was perfect for cherry country!!

The views were beautiful - the farms, orchards, and vineyards with the bay as a backdrop.

We visited the lighthouse.  The perfect spot for a chorus of "Stuck in the Middle With You" :)

Then home to receive our trick-or-treaters ---both of them!
Happy Halloween!!

20 Years

In memory of my dad

Mearl S .Teachout

born June 1, 1915 - died Oct. 14, 1990

My dad loved growing flowers - taking movies - riding his bicycle - spending time with his grandsons -

But I think his greatest enjoyment came from dancing - preferably POLKA dancing!

These images were taken from a video shot in April 1987 

at my parent's 50th wedding anniversary celebration -

That night was the last time I danced with my dad.

Sadly that dance was not recorded in a photo,

but it is recorded in my memory and  in my heart

The lyrics from Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross

says it perfectly

If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with him

I'd play a song that would never end

'Cause I would LOVE LOVE LOVE

to dance with my father again

Quilt Blocks

Today I entertained myself by going on a Quilt Trail Color Tour -

I stopped in Evart for a map and I was on my way

roaming the countryside

in search of quilts and color!!

The quilt block designs can be found on many different buildings -

but most - and my FAVORITE -

are displayed on barns!!



So there are a few of the "quilt blocks" I saw today -

Too bad our barn is falling down,

I have an idea for a block of my own!

ARTPRIZE 2010

Today we went to Grand Rapids, where over 1,700 hundred artists

 have their artwork displayed all over the downtown area.

It was warm and sunny - the perfect day to stroll along the river walks.

We went to the Public Museum, the Art Museum

 and the Gerald R. Ford museum - were we visited President Ford's final resting place.

So many pieces of art, we only saw a small fraction of them.  Many were so big and heavy we could only
imagine the challenge of getting them set up in their venues.
It was all very cool and here are just a few of the pieces.
(More are posted on FB)

This lovely lady is made out of toothpicks ~

                                This guy was made of nails that had been welded together.        



And this penny is made of ...pennies of course!!

Now this one somehow spoke to me.......

jars and jars and more jars of stuff...

lots of little toys, I guess just things that somehow inspired the artist.

So why did it "speak to me" ?????

Yes, I also save things in jars -

like my grandma's tatting, shells, rocks, sand, dirt......

YES, I also am an artiste :]

Mini Pumpkins

Today we "harvested our crop" of mini pumpkins ~

For the second year in a row, we have an abundance of the little guys without planting a seed

One pumpkin patch is in the side yard...

This is our mulch pile...

covered with vines

the reason we end up with pumpkins in the most surprising places.

And so.. here is our crop!!

Doubt I would have ended up with this many if I had tried :)

Also today, I made the first apple pies of the season!

One regular size, 2 mini pies and an experimental tart -

DELICIOUS if I do say so myself ;-)