Night Noises

So last night was all cozy and homey....

I was tucked in a big chair with my laptop, in PJ's watching TV and browsing Craigslist checking out our ad for hay, when all of the sudden there was a weird BOOM sound....

it was similar to a sonic boom but not quite as loud. The dogs outside went N.U.T.S. The one dog inside did too!

Hub and I each grabbed a flashlight and headed for separate doors to investigate

I took the front door and Hub went out the side door. "I think its the horses" I called out over my shoulder.

But one quick look with the flashlight and no it wasn't the horses....they all looked at me - all heads accounted for.

I went back inside and waited...when Hub came in he said we just had a sinkhole open up under our house!

What?????

I have heard of this happening but we haven't ever had it happen here!

I was too afraid to go out and look at night because I am afraid of stuff like that .

I noticed that when I walked across our kitchen floor there was one spot where there was an "echo" sound resonating underfoot that I hadn't ever noticed before. Weird how a huge hole under our crawl space served to "trap" sound...

So this morning we called and had concrete poured into the gaping yawning hole under the back of our house.


That concrete truck is one big sucker!

Imagine this backing straight at you while you stand in the kitchen...


I shot this through my dusty windows, sorry bout that folks but it isnt window cleaning time till November when it is cooler AND I will be having lots of company - I like clean windows to count for stuff like company.

This isnt a sight you see everyday...





The driver climbs up to check on something
(hows that for a technically descriptive sentence?)






They put the end of that long shoot under the house. This was one noisy operation between the barrel of the truck spinning and the truck running and of course - the dogs barking




Now I have yards and yards of nice solid concrete under the kitchen helping the earth do its job.

After weeks of frantic activity, working as hard as we can to get the peanuts harvested followed by the rest of this seasons hay,
I have finally gotten some time off!

Two days so far!

Yesterday was fun, so I took pictures as I went.

My early morning ritual is to get the eggs when I let the chickies out to roam for the day...

I know youre not supposed to wash the fresh eggs - but I rinse them anyhow; so shoot me!


I was trying to capture the idea of early morning eggs and the window view of a day just begun and stretching out ahead, full of possibility.




I got so intrigued with the eggs floating in the water I kept changing settings and playing around with it





1 2 3 4 all in one glass!




ok, enough with the eggs...time to get dressed for a rare day "off farm".

I am meeting a good friend for lunch.

I love the coffee at this place, really good (as is the food)




I had the Caeser salad w/ blackened chicken and my friend had the chicken apple salad on croissant w/ homemade potato chips, NICE!








we both came to our senses and passed on dessert.

Check please!




Next it was off to the library to return an overdue book.

It just pays to get right with God, the IRS and your local library, thats what I always say...


I got a couple of audio books because now that it is getting cooler I need to start walking. Tromping thru the hayfields with a good book is going to inspire me.





I also got a book on native plants and herbs as my newest idea is to either kill or cure myself with wild plants, rather than die of anything called "swine" flu - stay tuned for more on how that does/doesnt work out.





Right after I got home and got changed into comfy clothes it started to rain.

I lit a huge pumpkin pie spice candle and settled down in front of a window, opened so I could listen to the rain splash down.

No one was around - no one came by.

I just read and sipped hot tea and read some more.

I dont know if it is because my day was made up of good food, good company and good books OR because this happens so rarely...

or both,

but I L.O.V.E.D. yesterday!

boo hoo (or rather)... Blue Who!

Blue is old. He has come to us to live in retirement. Poor Blue has a lot of work to do however...

He has to follow the truck to work in the morning because he is nothing if not loyal.

When the grand kids are here he works overtime "protecting" them from anything that might come along.

Never mind that he is old and arthritic and can only move in slow mode...in his mind he is Bond!

James Bond!

007!

I found him today asleep on the front steps...

I thought it might be nice to catch a pic of his magnificent self.

So I approached the sleeping beast...



"Blue! Can you hear me? Wake up!"...

Oh good.... I have eyeball!




Wouldnt it be nice to get him to pose for me?

Why yes it would!

"Up Blue!" Snapping fingers and using my most encouraging voice..

ok. I got nothin...


Run in the house and grab a chicken bone...

"Here ya go Blue!" I wave it to the left...



Not your best side,

I wave it to the right...



I toss Blue the chicken bone which he devours in one effortless snap and then looks at me expectantly. It is as though he is thinking

"ok woman, you woke me up and you dance around with your camera and you fed me a bone...now what?"

Now what indeed...

Oh dear! Hes going back into sleep mode again!



big yawn...



And we're done....



Sleep well sweet Prince.

A Good Day....

You know it's a good day when......


You are one of only two selected from your whole school to display your artwork in the Amazon exhibit at the museum.....



you can be this close to a snake and still be smiling......




or this close even....




and last but certainly not least...

as you leave the art exhibit.....

this lands on your finger...





One more close up of artwork we are talking about....

Its entitled: "All Tangled Up"

(love that creative title!)



Congratulations Princess!

Just a Small Town Girl

I love the fall.

I love living in a small town.

When those two loves converge I am beside myself.

For just a brief moment I transcend my reality.

I feel as though I live in the Smokies or even further up in the mountains that I love.

Places where fall means color and cooler weather.

I am transported far far away from beaches and sand fleas and mosquitoes and the threat of lightning or thunderstorms or hurricanes.

Never mind sipping fruity drinks on the sandy shores of South Beach.

I am taken to a place where apples are being harvested,

and pumpkins!

For some reason (probably because I don't live there on a daily basis) this excites me beyond reason.

So this weekend in 80 degree weather we celebrated our euphemistically named "Fall Festival".

Never mind that we are so near the equator that we still harvest summer crops OR that it isn't even sweater weather yet.

It is October and in some desperate desire to fit in we claim it!

And we celebrate it.

Delicious sweet potato and pumpkin pies....



muffins, cupcakes and cookies all made from farm fresh ingredients.

Did I mention the sweet potato pie? Oh yes I did. Simply the best thing you can put in your mouth. So rich and sweet and practically groaning with cream and cinnamon and fresh butter..

these women are taking no prisoners.

For obvious reasons I had to pay homage to this adorable tractor



Cute booth with a variation of "Bobbing For Apples", this one is called "Swinging Donuts" it really drew a crowd. Not as easy as it looks!







Lines of colorful booths stretch in every direction




Of course, you the reader have to add in your own imaginary smells of the unbelievably sweet Cotton candy hanging mid air and mingling with the popcorn and pizza.... and most of all the sausage with onions and peppers that permeated everything.

Is there any better smell than "Fair Food"?

If there is, I dont know about it.