keepin' up with Vicky and Steve

Chocolate River

2010-10-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

Why do I feel like I'm in Candyland? There really is such a thing, in the northern part of Fundy Bay where it gets very narrow.

We ate lunch here, and no they did not serve chocolate.

Look at that mud! It is several feet deep, and very slick and slippery.
We were originally told to walk down here, and look for some moose, which we never did see.

Doesn't it just look like you could dive right in?

Sittin' on the dock of the bay....

2010-10-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

...watching the tide roll away........Anyone remember that song?

In our case, it was more like watching the tide roll in. If you look closely at the red boat in the first two pictures, you can see the change in water level. This wasn't even the highest tide of the day. That would have occured after dark, and I didn't get pics then.

During low tide, no boat goes in or out from the docks. We could see several boats out in the bay, waiting for the right time to come in. When the tide began to change, you could actually see the water moving, and the level rising.

Fundy Bay National Park

2010-10-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, this travelogue certainly got interupted! This is a continuation of our trip this summer. After several wonderful days in Maine, we prepared to enter Canada. We had been warned by several people that the customs agents were being very strict concerning what could and couldn't be brought into their country, so we dutifully ate up all our produce, dairy products, alcohol, and meat,(pretty much all our food) and entered New Brunswick at St Stephens. To our surprise, the agent did not even look into our car or camper, didn't ask us about any food we were carrying, and simply advised us to have a nice vacation and enjoy our stay in Canada! We arrived at the Fundy Bay National park very late that night, and set up camp in the dark. The trade off for that, was that we didn't have to move again for several days.

The attraction at Fundy Bay is the HUGE varation in the tides. The water level changes at least 30 feet, with the changing of the tides every day. The people here plan their entire lives around the tides.

Finally, a covered bridge!

I had to take this picture for Jacki and Mike!

At high tide, the water would be over Steve's head,and the rocks on the right would be covered.

Steve still has his cup!

Sandwich Historical Museum and Gardens

2010-10-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

One of the first things Emily did upon arriving in Osterville, was to get a library card. When she did that, they gave her some tickets to a museum and gardens in nearby Sandwich. So, we took advantage of them and paid a visit. Although the gardens were past their peak,and we missed the daylilies, hostas, and roses, there was still plenty to see.

The "infamous" bee in the flower pictures. I think this is a zinnia

This windmill was apparently a working windmill at one time. Now it is just for looks.

Dee, this one is for you! An antique fire truck in the auto museum.

This was the only antique car we were allowed to touch.

In addition to the ocean, MA has many freshwater lakes, which surprised me for some reason.

Osterville MA

2010-10-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

The town of Osterville was just as I expected a small town on Cape Cod to be like. By the time David and I arrived there (Steve followed about an hour behind us in the moving van), it was dark. Had it been light, this is what would have greeted us. Note the name on the sign. The church is much larger then it looks. There is a basement (something I am definately not used to), and several building with offices in them. The church is right on Main street, and within walking distance of the condo they are staying in.

Fall colors were just starting to show.

We walked to this beach. There is another one that we went to later, that is much more "beach like". More sand, not so rocky.

We were so impressed with the friendliness of everyone. People opened their hearts to David and Emily, and to us because of them. Many church members came and helped unload the truck,and that job was done, and they were unpacked, within one day. Other people stocked the fridge and cupboards,and still others brought meals over.

1000 miles in two days

2010-10-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

David recently accepted a position as Associate Pastor of Osterville Baptist Church in Osterville, Massachusetts, so he, Emily and Sarah now live in a beautiful small town on Cape Cod, about an hour out of Boston. Steve and I flew to KY, helped them drive up, and settle in. Of course we took the opportunity to spend lots of time with our precious granddaughter, and her mommy and daddy. She is 11 weeks old in these pictures.

2010-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

We had beautiful weather while we were there, and everyone was out enjoying it.

Birch trees were plentiful. The Indians used to make canoes, and many other useful items from the birch bark.

Southwest Harbor. This was on the quieter side of the island,and we enjoyed both the town and the harbor.

Thunder Hole. As the tide is coming in, the waves go up under these rocks, and as they come back, the air is trapped, and there is a booming sound like thunder. This works better when the surf is high. It was very calm when we were there, so the thunder was more of a "poof"!

Baker Island

2010-09-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

We took a ranger led boat tour to Baker Island. This is an uninhabitated, accessible by boat only, island that is owned by the park. The ride out of Bar Harbor was calm and very scenic. Since it was a holiday weekend, everyone had their boat out.

The original inhabitants were squatters, who simply moved in without any kind of deed or title. They had a large family, and as those childern grew, most came back to the island with their families. At one point there were several homes, a church and a school on the island.

Baker Island lighthouse. Although it is completely electronic now, it is still a working lighthouse. I was hoping to climb it, but no such luck.

Table rocks, and the Atlantic ocean. These rocks are very large and flat, and the island inhabitants used to hold dinner parties and dances here. It is very scenic but I can't imagine hauling all that gear out here for a dinner party.

If there is an old car around, Steve will find it! This is the remanins of a pre-1912 Ford.

2010-09-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Cadilac Mountain, the highest point in the park. Since we were there over July 4th, we drive up and watched the fireworks from the summit.

View from the top of Cadilac Mtn, looking down into Bar Harbour.

We went to the "other" half of the island, which is less populated and quieter. That suited us just fine! We hiked the Echo Lake trail. Although not a long trail, it was extremely steep and rocky. At some points there were actually ladders anchored to the rocks. Other places just had steps cut into the granite.

Echo Lake beach. This was the view that awaited us.

The travels of Steve's cup: Steve had a take out cup from a resturant he frequents, and it ended up in the car on the trip with us. We started photographing it everywhere we went, and sending it to the resturant owners. We got a lot of milage out of that cup!

2010-09-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

On our way to Acaida National Park, we stopped at a roadstand and got these lobsters. I spent about $20 for the two of them. Then I realized that I had no clue how to cook them, so on the drive, I was looking up info on Steve's iphone. Thanks goodness for the internet!

We didn't have a huge pot, so I had to cook them one at a time. I'm happy to report they were delicious!

Acadia is known at the crown jewel of Maine. Most of the land was originally owned by the Rockefeller family, and they were insturmental in the formation of the national park, and donated much of the land. There are still small private holdings within the park, and those are slowly being purchased as land and funds are available.

Ship's Harbor. We went to "tide pool school" here.

These lobster boats were everywhere!

Overlooking Sand beach. This is the only beach in the park that is sandy and beach like, as we think of it. The water was cold, about 55 degrees, but people were still playing in it.

Onward to Maine!

2010-08-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

After leaving Virginia, we got on the interstate and headed up to Maine. We spent the night near Albany, NY and arrived in Ogonquit, ME the next day. Their rocky rugged coast is definitely NOT what we are used to! It was low tide, so we climbed way out on the rocks. We ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant and were treated to similar views all during our meal.

Our reservations in Acadia began the next day, so we were off again! By this time, we had moved every night for 5 consecutive nights, so we were ready to stay put for a while.

Mabry Mill

2010-08-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is an original mill that we have visited many times. There were several people there practicing "old" crafts and skills, and I got to try my hand at spinning. It is not as easy as it looks, but I have a hank of extremely lumpy yarn to show for my efforts. It was fun and I would like to try it again someday.

Michie Tavern

2010-08-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Michie Tavern is a compound of shops and eateries adjacent to Monticello. Although the folks at Monticello are VERY quick to tell you that they are not affiliated in any way, I think the two are very complimentary to each other. Michie Tavern is original to the area, during Jefferson's time, but was moved to this site fairly recently. They served a delicious southern style lunch, served buffet style, all you can eat.

The interior of the tavern

Only geeks take pictures of their food, guess I qualify! Note the pewter plates and cups.

After that meal, this was truly "necessary"!

Monticello

2010-08-07T04:22:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 28. Both of us have been interested in visiting Thomas Jefferson's estate for some time, but the trips never worked out. This year, we made it happen. We were not allowed to take photos of the inside of the house, but I took plenty of the grounds and gardens.

This is Mulberry Lane. In Jefferson's time, slave cabins would have lined each side of these trees. This was also the location of the blacksmith shop, brick making shop and other industries the plantation required.

The kitchen, set up as it would have been in that era. They even had sound effects, of women talking, humming songs, etc, just as they probably would have been doing then.

Underneath the house, was a network of storage and workrooms, including the wine cellar. Jefferson ordered wine from Europe, and one invoice showed that he ordered over 400 cases at once. When he entertained, a slave was stationed in the wine cellar, and when Jefferson wanted more wine, he would send the empty bottle down via a dumbwaiter, and the slave would replace it with a full one, selected earlier by Jefferson. The slave was allowed to finished whatever was in the bottle, so this was considered a good job amoung the slaves.

The gardens with a view. Today, heirloom vegetables are still grown, and the employees share the harvest.

An heirloom artichoke, and a bee butt!

Northeast coast trip, part one

2010-08-06T04:04:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 25, 6am, we pulled out of our driveway, with our new camper behind us. It was to be our home for the next 5 weeks. The general plan was to drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, then head to Maine and the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. We had a rather loose itinerary because we knew Sarah would be arriving at some point, and that we would want to get to KY soon after that happened.

We camped that night near Balsam, NC and then realized that we were very close to the house David spent the summer in, several years ago. On Saturday we traveled up the Parkway, stopping often to admire the view. Although somewhat hazy (they are called the Smokey Mountains for a reason!), it was nice and cool, with great views.
On Sunday, we met Steve's sister and her family for breakfast, then continued on our journey.

Back to the real world

2010-07-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

We are home! After being gone for 5 weeks, it was good to get home last night. We picked up the cats from Jacki's, andI think they were happy to see us and be home as well.

We took our pop up camper, and went up the eastern seaboard and into the Atlantic provinces of Canada. On the way back south, we stopped at David and Emily's, and met our newborn grandaughter.

Although I intend to blog about the entire trip, I will start with the best thing first. Meet our first grandchild, daughter of our son David and his wife Emily. Sarah Emily Cook, born 7-16, weighing 8 lb 5 oz.

Like most first time grandparents, we are completely enthralled with our grandaughter, and think she is the most beautiful child on the planet. We are so thankful that David and Emily encouraged us to hold and interact with her as much as we wanted. You can't really tell from the pictures, but she has very long fingers and toes, just like her daddy did. Maybe a future piano player in the making?

I think Steve fell in love all over again! She was between 5-7 days old in the above pictures.

She was 12 days old in these two pictures,and we could see a big difference in how well she focused her eyes, held her head, and just generally interacted with us more. By the time we left KY, she had regained her birth weight and then some. I have a feeling she will grow like a weed!

Everyone I talked to said, there is nothing like being a grandparent, and they were right! It was very hard to say goodbye to this precious little girl (not to mention her parents!),and I have a feeling there are lots of frequent flyer miles in our future.

Happy birthday, Jacki!

2010-04-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Twenty five years ago today (actually, tonight at 9:46), our daughter Jacki was born. She was a beautiful baby, and has matured into a wonderful, caring, woman who gives of herself to others daily. Every mom shoudl be so lucky to have a daughter like you!

2010-04-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

I noticed this green anole on our dock yesterday. I originally went out to try to get a picture of the osprey and hawks that we see often, but they did not cooperate, and then this little guy showed up. I think I surprised him in the first picture, and in the second one, he is in his defensive posture.

Happy Birthday, David!

2010-04-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

Twenty eight years ago today, Steve and I became parents to a long awaited baby boy. He enriched our lives beyond measure, and has grown into a wonderful man. Now he and Emily are awaiting the birth of their baby girl, and the cycle continues.

David, we are blessed to have you for a son! Happy birthday!!!

2010-04-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

Steve and I got up bright and early to watch the shuttle launch, and managed to get some pictures. There are only two launches left, and both of those are scheduled for daylight hours, so I am glad we remembered and got these pictures.

About 5 minutes after the launch, we heard a rumbling, dull roar type of sound. It was the noise from the launch! We have seen many launches before, but never HEARD one!
This is the vapor trail left by the shuttle, and was taken about 7-8 minutes after the launch. Note the reflection in the lake.

He has risen indeed!

2010-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Christ has risen!

He has risen indeed!

I hope Christ shines in your life, just as the sun illuminates these flowers.

After an unusually cold winter, spring is finally here. I took these pictures in late afternoon, and other than cropping, did not enhance them with the computer software.

2010-04-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Jacki and I went to the University of Florida to the "Quilting Natural Florida" exhibit. We had attended the first one in 2006, and knew we wanted to go to this one as well. Here we are in front of the freature quilt of the show. Every square depicts native Florida animals or foliage in some way.

This is a beautiful example of Seminole Indian patchwork. Some of the squares are 1/2" in diameter. The quilting showed various animals, shells, and other things the Indians might have enjoyed.Friendship star quilt made by a 12 year old boy. He saw him mom quilting, and wanted to try it, and this is what he did. Pretty good, I think!

This quilter did a beautiful job depicting light and shadow. I felt like I could keep walking, right into the quilt.

This was my favorite. Nothing says Florida like the smell of orange blosssoms! The butterfly shown is the state butterfly. I didn't even know we had one until recently!

The quilts in this show were art quilts, meant to be hung on the wall and enjoyed, much like a painting. I don't think you would find any of these on a bed!

March sewing

2010-04-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

Emily loved the red top that I made her, so I made a dress from the same pattern.

Purse has pockets, pockets, and more pockets!

I made this top last summer, and finally put the buttonholes and buttons on this month.

This fabric was on sale at Jo-Ann's for 70% off, so I snatched it up. This is the second quilt I made from the fabric, and it is officially gone. I will give this to our cancer support group.

Baby clothes! These are newborn size. I am having lots of fun sewing for a little girl!

February finishes

2010-03-04T05:27:00.001-08:00

I really finished this first one in January,but didn't show it because it was a birthday gift for my aunt. It's a wrap around potholder, which really protects well when removing hot dishes from the oven. Orange and Blue are University of Florida's colors and she is an alumni and fan, so when I found this blue/orange fabric in my stash, it was perfect.

Maternity top for my daughter in law. It's on its way to her now. The top picture shows the close up of the machine embroidery I did on the neckline.

It's a girl! David and Emily had their ultrasound this week, and the baby cooperated, so know I know that I will be grandma to a little girl. These baby clothes are newborn size, with a bit of extra length added.

Full moon

2010-03-04T05:23:00.001-08:00

Sunday night was a beautiful full moon. I had noted this the day before, and thought that I needed to get out and get some pictures, but of course it completely slipped my mind that day. I happened to glance out our window, and saw this. I grabbed the camera, Steve followed with the tripod,and we got this picture. Considering the lack of forethought and effort that went into this, I am pretty pleased.

Let's go Racing!!!!!!!

2010-02-17T04:20:00.000-08:00

I got Steve tickets to attend the Daytona 500, for our wedding anniversary last summer. We both watch the races pretty faithfully and I knew he would enjoy this. He had attended before, as a teenager, but that was a long time ago. We went with another couple from church, and had great seats, just past the finish line and about 10 rows up.

Let's go Racing! This is just before the official start of the race. Mark Martin's car is the obnoxious green color, which makes it very easy to spot. When the cars go by the stands, they are going so fast, it is just a blur,and the wind nearly knocks you over! And, of course, it's real noisy. Until you have been there, it's hard to realize the feeling.

After two long delays, and several cautions, the winner! Jamie McMurray.

Since the race lasted so long, it was dark and COLD when it ended. We had jackets, gloves, etc and I was glad we had all that extra clothing.

Several of my friends had told me, there's nothing like being there, and they were right! It was a great day.

January finished projects

2010-01-31T14:02:00.000-08:00

I managed to finish quite a few things this month. First, my lone cross stitch/bead project. It was supposed to be a pin, but I put a magnet on it so it can go on the fridge instead.

This was a new pattern, and I am quite pleased with it. It fits well, and no it isn't crooked. It has an asymmetrical hem.

This is just a plain long sleeve t-shirt, but I figured out how to make the neckband twisted, which is a popular look in ready to wear these days.

I made this shirt for Steve, and put the embroidery over the pocket.

I couldn't stand it any longer! My first grandchild is due to arrive in July, and I just had to make some baby clothes. These are newborn size, but I added to the length of the legs, since both my son and daughter in law are very tall,and I expect the baby to be long/tall also.

Towels I embroidered for a wedding gift.

I did NOT do all of these in one month. I just finally got them all together, took a picture, and have them ready to go to either Project Linus, or our local cancer care foundation. There is one quilt and the rest are crocheted.

Close up of the quilt above

Shirt I made for my daughter in law. She doesn't really need maternity clothes yet, just things that are a little roomy. It is of a very soft warm velour fabric and should feel nice with the cold weather they are having.

Friday Foto

2010-01-22T14:54:00.001-08:00

Seagulls at Ft Lauderdale Beach

Ft Lauderdale

2010-01-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

The Convention center in Ft Lauderdale is part of Port Everglades, where many cruise ships dock. There are also lots of private yachts, and smaller boats traveling the Intercoastal waterway. The Convention center is at the far right in the picture.

I turned around from taking the above picture, and took this one. At this condo, you not only get a garage for your car, you get one for your boat as well!

TPIE 2010

2010-01-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

This is our company's booth at TPIE, one of the shows we attend every year. This one has been at the convention center in Ft. Lauderdale, for several years.

The containers with the white labels hold samples of the various potting mixes for customers to see and handle. The TV plays a continuous show of the mining and mixing operation

There are tropical plants everywhere, and of course the growers bring only their best for display.

Something new that I noticed this year, is that several booths were promoting edible plants. I guess gardening really is the next big thing! This booth is sponsored by Burpee, the huge seed company, and all those veggies are real. I was sure they were fake, because they looked so perfect.

Ever see a neon red palm tree before? It get the grower lots of attention,but just for the record, it is fake! All the OTHER plants in his booth are real,and beautiful.

Not frozen!

2010-01-09T05:27:00.000-08:00

Considering our weather lately, being "not frozen" is quite an accomplishment. These Christmas cacti have been under a frost blanket for the past few days, and they still looked good when I pulled it off yesterday. Another hard freeze is predicted for Saturday night, so the blanket goes back on soon.

Friday foto--The old and the new

2010-01-08T05:23:00.001-08:00

The old--doily tatted by my great grandmother, and the quilt made by Steve's grandmother in the 1930's.
The new--Citrus marmalade made by me. I have made many types of jams and jellies over the years, but never tried marmalade. It is a LOT of work, but the results are worth it--like eating sunshine!

Sewing day

2010-01-08T05:19:00.000-08:00

My wonderful nieces (is there any other kind?) came over one day during Christmas break to sew. They wanted to make purses, so we looked thru my patterns and fabric and they ended up choosing the same pattern. Rachel had black/cream fabric, and April chose the aqua fabric from my stash. Goes well with her shirt, don't you think? They both worked hard, and finished their bags by the end of the day.

2010-01-01T04:04:00.000-08:00

A chocolate dipped strawberry and a glass of Cabernet. What more do you want?

Christmas at the Cooks

2009-12-28T04:09:00.000-08:00

We ended up with 17 people for Christmas dinner. Here are some of us, just before opening presents. From left, April, Randy, Jacki, Mike, Robert and Nancy

Robert throughly enjoyed the day!

Rachel with the hand knitted shawl made by her sister April.
Jacki and Mike with the afghan I crocheted. Goes well with Mike's Gator shirt, don't you think?

Robert got a new fishing game which all the big kids played with too.

Jacki with the new fleece jacket I sewed for her.

April made Steve a toy train, out of chocolate candy. Anything made of chocolate is good!

Fall, Florida style

2009-11-27T15:07:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving dinner, we almost always go for a walk. Florida fall is different in that we don't get very many changing leaves, but it is a beautiful time of year, nonetheless. These pictures were taken in the woods near my uncles property near Ocala, FL.

My brother and his daughter. I waited and waited for them to be framed "just right' in that grapevine.

Mistletoe in the trees.

A sky this blue is rare in FL, because of our high humidity.

This is an old wagon trail. We saw lots of deer tracks, but no deer.

Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-26T17:04:00.000-08:00

At the top of the list of things to be thankful for is my family!

We celebrated Thanksgiving like we do almost every year, at my aunt and uncle's house. My aunt had the week from, well, you know.....and still managed to host everyone with a smile on her face.

The "adult" table. My mom Lynda, in red, her brother Jerry in blue, Faye, Vicky, Randy and Steve

The "kids" table. We really didn't intend for it to be segrated like this, it just worked out that way. My neice Rachel in blue, neice April in black, Jacki and Mike.

My brother Randy, and my crazy uncle Jerry.

2009-11-21T06:29:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Jacki and Mike came over so I could show Mike how to make pepper jelly. They grew the peppers themselves, and had them cut and seeded before they got there.

It's best to cook this outside, since the mixture is potent! It's basically peppers, vinegar, sugar and pectin. Steve hauled out my dad's old propane cooker, and it worked great to cook the mixture on. Those are pineapple plants in the pots behind them.

Here we are filling the jars. You have to fill them, wipe the lids, seal them and then get them into the canner quickly, to avoid contaminating anything.

The finished product, before we put the lid on. You can see the chunks of red pepper in there. Mike used hotter peppers than I did with my jam, so it will be interesting to compare the two, to see how they taste.

2009-11-21T06:27:00.000-08:00

Sam (on pillow) and Shelby. I think this is the closest they have ever been to each other. They were NOT happy to have me disturbing them with my flash!

2009-11-04T04:47:00.000-08:00

After David and Emily's honeymoon, they traveled here, and we had a party for them, for our friends and family who weren't able to travel to the wedding.

From left: my brother Randy, and his daughter April (green shirt)

My nephew Nick (tall one in the back), and his wife Lacey (plaid shirt)

David and Emily

Steve's mom, Myra

Jacki and Mike

Vicky and Steve

2009-11-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

A couple more wedding pictures. These were taken by Emily's friend Brandy, and she was gracious enough to let me use them.

I've never seen so much birdseed in my life! Their car was full of it!

Snow on the mountain!

2009-10-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

On our way back to Florida, we decided to go through the park, on Newfound Gap Road. When we got about halfway up the mountain, it started snowing! It had been snowing a while, because there was snow piled up on the fencerails, trees, etc. We were quite excited and kept stopping to take pictures. The fall colors were about at their peak, and it was very interesting to see snow, on top of colorful leaves.

You can see how much snow had accumulated. I feel sorry for the backpackers caught out overnight. I am sure they didn't plan for snow in October!

When we got to the bottom of the mountain, on the North Carolina side (near Cherokee) we saw an elk! They are native to the area, but were decimated by the settlers, and have recently been reintroduced. There is supposed to be a herd of over 100 elk, but this guy was all by himself.

Cades Cove

2009-10-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

We met up with our friends Dee and Steve, and decided to tour Cades Cove. If you have never been there, you should go if you have any interest in history at all! It's part of the Great Smokey Mtn National Park, and is a restored/preserved community located in a fairly large cove, surrounded by mountains. In addition to being a beautiful place, many of the original buildings are still standing, and you get a real sense of what life must have been like for the white settlers of the cove. There is an abundance of wildlife also, since they are protected from hunting.

There were turkeys everywhere. Guess they don't realize Thanksgiving is coming!
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This is the Methodist church. It might seat 50 people. There are two separate entrances, once for men, and one for women and children. I always find walking through the graveyards fasinating, but soooo sad. So many children's graves..............

There is a working gristmill, where they still grind corn. These are the original grinding stones, now on display outside of the mill. There is also a sorghum mill, blacksmith shop, a couple of houses, and several other buildings.

Steve and Steve.....looking through the barn

Upon leaving the cove, we took Rich Mountain Road back to Townsend. This is a one way, gravel road and is the trail the settlers took to Maryville on their infrequent trips there. It takes about an hour to go the 12 miles. This is a view of the same church shown earlier.

Hiking!

2009-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

We were able to take two nice hikes while in TN, despite the crummy weather. Tuesday was the only semi-nice day, and we intended to drive to Newfound Gap to see the leaves and scenery. Apparently almost everyone on the East coast had the same idea and traffic was badly backed up. So we drove out to Cosby and hiked to Hen Wallow Falls. It was almost 4 1/2 miles round trip, and the trail was very muddy because of all the rain the area has had recently. There were some interesting rock formations along the way, and we did get some nice views.

The second hike was on Friday, which was supposed to be a nice day but turned out to be crummy all day. We went to Alum Cave Bluffs, which isn't really a cave, but some rock outcroppings. It was misty rain, and damp, which made it seem colder than it really was. I started out bundled up pretty well, and kept shedding layers along the way.

Someone offered to take a picture along the trail for us. It was a very bad hair day!

This was a tunnel we had to go through. There are steps carved out of the stone, and cables bolted into the wall to hold on to. Thank goodness those cables were there, as the steps were very steep and slippery!

The last time we were on this trail was about 30 years ago, with Steve's brother Gerry and his wife. It was winter and the trail was completely iced over. We were too dumb to be afraid, I guess, but I sure wouldn't attempt that now!

In spite of the weather, we had a nice time and it makes us appreciate all the wonderful weather we have had in trips past!

Townsend, TN

2009-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

While in Townsend, we stayed with our friends Sonja and Cleavy, and their dog Coco. They have a beautiful home with an awesome view of the mountains. Unfortunately the weather continued to be lousy while we were there, but we got out and hiked anyway!

Cherohala Skyway

2009-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

After leaving David and Emily's wedding, we traveled through Mississippi to Telico Plains, TN and the start of the Cherohala Skyway. This road runs through the Cherokee and Natahala National forests, hence the name. Unfortunately the weather was not that great, but we saw some pretty views anyway.

They're married!

2009-10-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

Mr and Mrs David Cook
Oct 10, 2009
The wedding was just beautiful. Although there were a couple of snafus, nothing seemed to rattle either of them.

Jacki, Vicky and my mom Lynda

We call pictures like these "scary pictures" because we all look so much alike!

The going away car. David and Emily's friends outdid themselves. The interior was stuffed with balloons, and there were industrial sized cans tied on the back. Someone had the foresight to station themselves up the road about 100 yards, and cut off the cans before anyone or anything was damaged.

August finished projects

2009-09-10T04:50:00.000-07:00

When I posted the July projects, I said that August would be a better month for sewing, and I was right! I actually finished more items, but the camera battery died while I was taking pictures, so I will show them in another post.

The first two pictures are items made entirely from leftovers from previous projects,and will be donated to a local charity that raises funds for breast cancer patients. There are 3 trivet/potholders, and a small table runner.

This table runner is a bit larger than the previous one, and will be a gift. Perfect for fall colors!

This is an apron for Jacki to wear when she is teaching. I embroidered school related designs on the pockets. No pattern for this one. I looked at some pictures and figured it out on my own.

I made myself a shirt out of this fabric early in the summer, and had some left, so I made Jacki a shirt also. It's hard to see, but there is a Vshaped cutout at the neckline.

I actually made Jacki this apron for her birthday back in the spring, but never got a picture of it. She is showing off the cake she made for Grandma Lynda, (my mom) for her birthday.

My mom with the tote bag I made her. The blue square on the front is actually a pocket, and I embroidered it with a fern design to match the print on the lighter fabric.

These are kitchen sized towels, embroidered with various designs. I am thinking of keeping the tan one, and the other two will go into the gift box.

Saving the best for last, David and Emily's wedding quilt is finished! I put it on our bed to take the picture. I made pillow shams to match. I hope they enjoy using it, as much as I enjoyed making it.

Hattiesburg trip

2009-09-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Jacki and I traveled to my future daughter in law's hometown in early August, to attend a wedding shower for Emily and take care of other wedding related items. While we were there, Jacki ordered her bridesmaid dress, I found a dress, and we secured a site for the rehearsal dinner. Plus we got to know her family a bit better, and attended the shower. The bridesmaids held a recipe shower for Emily, and everyone brought their best recipe and the ingredients to make it and the pan, etc that it required. Let's just say they will have a very full pantry!

David wasn't able to come for the shower, but he arrived late Sunday night and we spent all day Monday with him. He brought their wedding invitations with him and we all spent some time folding and sealing them. He designed them himself and did all the artwork.

Jacki, David and Emily with the stromboli they made for supper. This was the recipe I gave Emily at the shower, and is one of David's favorites.

July finished projects

2009-08-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot of finishes this month. Between having company for a week, extra work (I'm definately not complaining about that!) and just life in general, I didn't get a lot of sewing done. This quilt isn't finished, but I wanted to show it anyway. I am making this for David and Emily as a wedding gift. As you can see, Sam the helpful cat got in on the act! In this picture the squares are arranged and ready to be sewn together. I have since completed that job, and the quilt is now being machine quilted by a lady in town.
These are aprons I made for a wedding gift. I machine embroidered the tops with a design that matched the fabric used for the pockets.

That's it for July! August should be better.

More of Sanibel

2009-07-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

David and Cindi. Several people have asked how we are actually related, so here goes: David's grandmother, and my dad are brother and sister. My dad was 19 years younger than my aunt, and she raised him along with her two children, one of whom was David's dad. Both of them are gone now, but I think they would be happy to know that the families are still close. What better legacy can you leave?

Steve and I. Somehow we never got a beach picture taken of us.

My brother Randy and his daughter April. We celebrated his birthday while we were there.

Jason, Ty, Bailey, and Jordan. David and Cindi have 5 kids between them, plus they brought an extra. All of them are wonderful young people and lots of fun to be around.

Get an Island attitude!

2009-07-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

These pics are from our recent trip to Sanibel Island. There were 12 of us, and I am quite sure Sanibel is still recovering! This mural was one of many painted on the walls of the resort we stayed at.

This bird was not one bit afraid of any of us! He was much more interested in his dinner.

The resort was full of beautiful tropical plants. I took tons of pictures. Thank goodness for digitals!

Another wedding!

2009-07-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

My cousin, David, his girlfriend Cindy and their kids are visiting us, and decided to get married while they were here. They tied the knot on our dock, Monday evening. We were thrilled and honored that they included us in their special day. We wish them many years of happiness!

June's finished projects.

2009-07-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

Some months are more productive than others. I managed to finish several things this month. This is another prayer shawl. Our church collects these to give to anyone in need of prayer and comfort. Sometimes it's nice to have something tangible to hold onto in times of trouble.

This is meant to be a cosmetic bag. I used fabric purchased in Alaska, and embellished it

with some fancy stitching.

What could be better in summer, than a big glass of lemonade? This is supposed to be a pin, but I made it into a refridgerator magnet instead.

I monogramed an entire set of bath towels for a friend that is getting married. I think this is going to become my standby wedding gift. Who doesn't need towels?

Remembering Debbie

2009-07-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Debbie was my sister in law, the wife of Steve's brother Gerry. We met when I was still in high school, and she and Gerry were engaged. We went through many of life's challenges at about the same time, and I like to think we encouraged each other through them. The one thing she encouraged me in , far more than I did for her, was in my Christian faith walk. We talked many times about God working in our lives, and she was always pushing me to read my Bible more, study more,and just accept the love He has for us.

We had a lot in common, one thing being our love of sewing and anything related to needlearts. She was always making something, and gave a surprising amount of it away. In one of the last conversations I had with her, she told me that she couldn't sew anymore, because she just couldn't concentrate, but she could still knit. She had put together a "whole stack" of premie sized caps, to be sent to their local neonatal unit. She was in her final days, but still thinking of others. So typical of her........

Debbie lost her 12 year battle with breast cancer recently. She far outlived every doctor's expectation, and I don't know how many times she was told, the chemo isn't working. Then suddenly, her counts would go down, and she would be ok for a while. But while she isn't here with us anymore, and I miss her terribly, I find great comfort in the fact that she is with our Heavenly Father, spending her days praising Him and free from the pain and indignities caused by her disease.

The last thing she ever said to me was, "This isn't goodbye, you know. I'll see you later". So...see you later, Debbie.

Fisished projects for May

2009-06-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

It's almost the middle of June, so maybe I should show you my finished May projects.

These towels are for the daughter of a friend, who is getting married next week. They will be gifts for her attendants. The entire wedding will be outdoors, with a beachy, tropical theme, so these fit right in. Each one takes about 45 minutes for the stitching, plus time to align the letters, center everything, and make sure it is perfect before stitching. These stitches are so tight, they just don't come out without ruining the base fabric.

This is Rachel's graduation present. It is lap/throw size, but Rachel says she has been sleeping with it. It is backed with flannel, so it is very cozy. I machine quilted it and made it very sturdy, so she can take it to college and wherever else she goes, without worrying about ruining it. I would rather my quilts be used, and "loved to death" anyway, instead of stuck on a shelf somewhere and never used.

A better picture

2009-06-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

David and Emily had engagement pictures taken a couple of weeks ago. They also completed their registry, selected all their attendants and attire for them, picked out wedding bands, and I don't know what else. I was tired just listening to David tell me about it. This picture is just so "them." I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures the photographer took.

An interesting note about their wedding bands. When we visited David recently, we took him the original diamond that was in my engagement ring. He is having it set into his wedding band. I love the idea of him doing that.

Another sewing day

2009-06-06T07:55:00.001-07:00

My niece Rachel came over this week, and we had a sewing day. She made this apron, start to finish. This is only about her third project, and she is really doing well. Rachel just graduated from high school, and is heading off to intern on a farm in Virginia this summer, then off to college to major in ag of some kind. So I won't see her again for a while. I'm glad we got to share this time together!

A wedding in the family!

2009-05-14T05:41:00.000-07:00

David called Friday night with some wonderful news. He had just proposed to his girlfriend, Emily, and they are now engaged! We are thrilled for them ,and for us. Both of our children have chosen wonderful partners, and we are grateful for that. They are planning to be married this October.

I don't know what's up with this tiny little picture. I stole it off David's blog. If you want to see more, go here

Fisished projects for April

2009-05-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

I will make either a white or turquiose top to wear with this skirt.

2 crocheted prayer shawls.

Closeup of the apron I embroidered for David for his birthday.

I also made Jacki an apron for her birthday, but I never got a picture of it. Maybe she will post one on her blog.

I bought this navy shirt and embroidered the leaves on it.

Keyhole neckline top

I have a couple of projects that are sooooo close to being finishes. Oh, well, there is always May, right?

Eye Candy Friday

2009-04-24T04:19:00.000-07:00

Apple Valley Cafe, Townsend TN

2009-04-20T03:57:00.000-07:00

Some more pictures of our visit with David. Saturday, we went to Bernheim Forest, south of Louisville. This is an area of very pretty gardens, which I foolishly did not get a picture of, and forested area with hiking trails. David took this picture of us at one of the lookout points, and as you can see, the trees havent leafed out yet.

Saturday evening, all 6 of us prepared an Easter feast together. David smoked 2 huge chicken ( I swear they were baby turkeys), and he and Emily made mashed potatoes and asparagus. Emily's mom, Susan made an artichoke cheese dip for an appetizer, and I made Strawberry cheesecake trifle for dessert. Everything was wonderful, and we had leftover for

David's housemates, and for us to eat on Sunday night. David is wearing the apron I made him for his birthday. It says "Kiss the Cook" and I put Dave above Cook.

David lives in a house with 4 other guys. All except one are either seminary students or recent graduates, and one of them, Joel, actually owns the house and the others pay him rent. They are all wonderful young men, and were very gracious in sharing their home with us. To show my appreciation I made dinner for them on Monday night. We had stromboli, salad and chocolate chip cookies. There were very few leftovers, and I think they appreciated it.

David and his friends play a lot of croquet. We had never played before, and had a good time learning. Steve was very good, and won at least once. It took me longer to figure the game out, but I had a lot of fun!

Back in Florida

2009-04-20T03:53:00.000-07:00

We're back! We went to Louisville KY to visit David and meet his girlfriend Emily and her parents. Emily is a wonderful young woman, and we like her parents also. This picture was taken after Easter services at David's church.

Happy birthday, Jacki

2009-04-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy 24th birthday to my beautiful daughter! You always were our outdoors girl, and I am not a bit surprised you love to garden now. You wear a lot of hats, and you wear them all well. I am very proud to be your mom!

2009-04-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today is David's 27th birthday! Although we will see him at the end of this week, I couldn't resist putting some pictures here. His love of music showed up early and we have always said he was singing before he could talk.

These were taken last year when he was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister. I really believe that the Lord guided him towards his life work, even as a young child.

David, I am blessed to be your mom. Happy birthday!

Who needs water, anyway?

2009-04-06T05:38:00.001-07:00

This is our backyard, dock,and beach. Normally the water is well up into the grassy area, but we have had a drought and the water is well below that. Our neighbor boys, however, don't need water to have a good time. They have gone back and forth over the beach all weekend, pulling each other in the tube and generally being boys. I love seeing them outside, having fun.

They saw me taking pictures and came up close to the dock so I could get a good shot.

William is successful in standing while big brother is doing his best to prevent that!

Even one of our adult neighbors had to try his luck.

March finishes

2009-03-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am taking a cue from my friend Dee and posting all the craft/quilted/sewn items I have finished in March. We won't talk about how long ago some of them were started, but they were all finished this month.

First up is these citrus themed potholders. I started them for a class that never materialized, but they are so cute I finished them anyway.

Next is this "Stack N Whack" quilt. I originally intended it to be a table runner, but the color fit perfectly in our bathroom, so it is a wall hanging instead. The centers of each block are all cut from the same fabric. It's all in how you cut it!

I wanted a new purse for summer, but didn't want to have to change purses all the time. I knew I needed something neutral, so I purchased this black/white batik fabric at the shop where I work. The faux-leather handles are from Jo-Ann's.

I love this black/white knit top! It fit perfectly on the first try, which is almost unheard of. I will definitely be making this pattern again. Jacki wants one just like it. Luckily I think I have enough fabric to do that.
This red bag turned out much larger than I expected! It is made from 5" squares of fabric, all from my stash, and lined with a lightweight vinyl, also from my stash. It is great for groceries, shopping, etc. Just don't let the bagger fill it full of canned goods, or you won't be able to pick it up!

Last but not least, I finished this blue/white top today. It is made from a very lightweight cotton, and went together very easily. I had to make a few fitting adjustments, but that was easy enough. I have a navy linen skirt from Kohl's clearance that I will wear this with.

2009-03-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Our honeysuckle plants are growing quite nicely along our fence. aka, hiding all the neighbors junk!

2009-03-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have been watching the buds on this orchid since Christmas, waiting for it to bloom. It was worth waiting for!

2009-03-24T04:06:00.000-07:00

GROWING THINGS--Steve got some white Pineapple plants from Costa Rica, so we potted them up and have them on the porch. Maybe they will be safe from the racoons. We also have banana peppers, and bell peppers, and lettuce.

Our lake level is wayyyy down, so we decided to make the best of it, and plant some beans along the dock support posts. The soil is still nice and moist, so they should do well. You can see in the picture on the right, just how low the water is. A few years ago, the water covered the dock.

2009-03-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we went biking with some friends. We started at a trail near Oveido, and ended up in Winter springs. It starts out in a small town, and crosses some busy roads, but the majority of the trail is rural. It was a beautiful spring day, and we took advantage of it.

The water level is waaaay down. These oak trees grow any which way they like, including out over the stream. On the right, you can see the air plants that live on the trees.

Blackberry blossoms, and the fountain in Winter Springs. We stopped at Barnie's for a snack.

The town of Oveido is famous, or infamous, for its feral chickens. They roam the town, and tend to hang out near the Popeye's, for some obscure reason. This on was very tame, and nearly ran into my leg, it was so intent on getting a bug.

2009-03-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

We are privileged to live where we can see the space shuttle launches from our yard. Last weekend we watched the Discovery lift go into orbit. There will only be a few more launches before the shuttle program is retired, so I want to get as many pictures as I can before that happens.

2009-02-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

I went out to see my mom today, and since she just remodeled her kitchen, I wanted to take her something for it. She likes tropical birds, so I chose this linen-like towel, and embroidered this snowy egret on it. It goes perfectly with her colors, and is now hanging on her oven.

These are luggage tags that I made for my aunt for her birthday. They are going on a REALLY nice trip soon, so I thought she could use these. The top picture is of the ones I actually made for her. After she got them, she called and asked me to make another set for a friend of hers, so I made the ones in the bottom photo. The backside has a vinyl overlay, that you can slip a business card/contact info into.

2009-01-31T11:52:00.000-08:00

My "haul" from the trade show. I have no idea of the specific names of these orchids, I just know that they are beautiful. The tall, spiky one with the burgandy flowers has a light, almost rose like scent. Most roses have no scent at all, so that was a nice surprise.

It's going to be cold tonight, so into the house they come!

2009-01-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

SOARING!

Jacki took a glider ride today, and I got to go along and watch. Here she is getting strapped in, and ready to go. There are controls in the front for her to operate, although she elected to let the pilot do that job!

Being towed into the sky. You can see that the glider wings are very long and skinny. The gliders weigh almost nothing and are easy to push around on the ground.

Returning to the gliderport.

Jacki gets air and motion sickness very easily, but she said this didn't bother her until they came in for landing. She took pictures from her vantage point, and I image she will have them on her blog soon.

http://jackiwolfe.blogspot.com/

2009-01-23T04:22:00.000-08:00

It's cold out there! This is the scene that greeted Steve as he entered the processing facility for our peat mine/composting business. There is a wastewater treatment plant next door, and this is their sprayfield. (Keeping all the smelly businesses together seems to be the theory) It got down to 24 degrees on Wednesday night, so there was ice everywhere. Very unusual for Florida!

2009-01-22T03:55:00.000-08:00

Plant overload! That's the best way to describe this show. Growers and nurserymen from all over the world bring their best plants to exhibit, and hope a plant buyer shows some interest. Then people like us, who supply the growers, exhibit also and hope the growers have an interest in us. There is so much to see, that walking through the show is almost overwhelming, especially if you are there for the first time.

Bromeliads (left), and the infamous neon palm tree. This tree shows up at just about every show, and is a landmark for the booth owner.

Orchids are very popular, and there was every type imaginable on display. At the end of the show, many of the growers sell their plants, rather than pay to ship them back home. I always end up with several new items.

This is a HUGE carniverious plant.(right) I tried to buy one, but this particular grower wasn't interested in selling unless I bought a case of 24. Um, no thanks!

2009-01-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

We just got back from Ft Lauderdale, FL, where we participated in TPIE, a trade show for our business. We have been exhibiting at this show for many years, and although it's a lot of work, it is fun also. The Convention center is part of Port Everglades, so we watch the cruise ships come in and out, and all the other activity on the intercoastal waterway. This is a picture taken from the bridge over the Intercoastal, looking north.

This is the sculpture in front of the convention center. You can see the very top of a cruise ship in the background.

Below is our booth. We have various types of potting mixes presented, so people can see and touch them. We also have a dvd playing, detailing our operation, and normally Steve, Mike and Ray are in the booth or out on the floor talking to customers.

Hovercraft

2009-01-05T05:28:00.001-08:00

Our nephew, Nick has been working on this Hovercraft for over a year, and he finally got it to the stage of putting it in the water and giving rides. He is very proud of his hard work, as he should be! It is powered with a small airplane engine in the back, and the engine in the front, blows air down, and allows the hovercraft to "hover' just above the water. It is very loud so ear protection is a must!

Here we are, getting ready to take off. Since there is no prop, you can start on dry land, and go from there. That is our beach, and some cypress trees in the background. Normally there would be water up to the trees, but it has been extremely dry and the lake is way down. The ride was a lot of fun, but you do get wet. It was a beautiful warm Florida winter day.

This is our nephew Jesse. He is 7 and afraid of nothing!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

For everyone who is weary of winter already. Christmas cacti, and an orchid of some type. The Cacti is about 3 foot across and I have several this size. I don't do anything special to them. They are just very happy on my porch, and they actually bloomed at Christmas this year, instead of Dec 10 like they usually do!

2008-12-31T06:30:00.000-08:00

We were thrilled to have David home again for Christmas. On Friday he cooked his specialty, hamburgers. But these weren't just any hamburgers. I am not sure exactly what he did, but it involved tomato sauce, seasoning, a special chutney dressing and swiss cheese. They were wonderful! He also made baked potatoes and asparagus.

Sewing day

2008-12-29T12:44:00.000-08:00

We had a girls sewing day today.

Sewing is becoming such a lost art, that I relish any opportunity to pass those skills on. This is my niece, Rachel with the coaster she made for her very first project. She also made the tote bag. For her first day sewing, she did a great job and I am very proud of her!

Jacki came and sewed also. She is mending a tote bag here. The machine she is sewing on is a Singer Featherweight and was her great-grandmothers. When she got done with her sewing , she finished the scarf she was knitting, using Alpaca yarn.

I didn't get a lot of sewing done that day, but these are some projects I finished recently. The snowflakes are machine embroidered,and I made 19 of them. Everyone that was here on Christmas day got one.

2008-12-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas! We had 18 people at our house for Christmas day. It was warm and we ALMOST turned on the ac. Somehow that just seemed wrong!

The picture on the left is my "angel tree". All of the ornaments are angels or Crismons. On the right is my "Florida" tree. This is a small tree that is in our entryway. I cross-stitched the picture above it of Santa on the beach.

2008-12-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Full moon over Lake Louisa. Taken from my backyard, Dec 12, 2008

San Francisco, again

2008-04-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Monday was the last day of the conference, and I decided to go into San Francisco by myself. I am such a country girl, that this was a big step for me. I managed to navigate everything successfully, and once there, wandered around the Ferry building for a while. The ground floor is set up with many markets and shops. Most sell organic food, flowers, and hand made items. No junky tourists shops here! Then I went down to the wharf, and kept hearing seals or some other animal "barking" I went around the corner and there they were, lounging on the dock like they belonged there! They are wild but the city has placed these floating docks around for them, so they don't go in other places, and endanger themselves or someone else.

Later I took a 1 hr cruise around the bay. We sailed under the Golden Gate bridge, turned back and went around Alcatraz, and came back to the harbor.

The next day, our flight left the Oakland airport very early, and we were supposed to stop at Chicago Midway, then on to Orlando by 6pm est. Well, it was snowing HEAVILY in Chicago and we almost didn't get to land there at all. We did finally get on the ground, and then nothing was allowed to take off for several hours. So we sat. Finally we took off around 7pm, and landed in Orlando around 11pm. It definitely could have been worse, and we were very glad to get home. I have to say, Southwest employees were very kind through it all, and kept us regularly updated, and were in upbeat moods most of the time.

On to San Francisco!

2008-04-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Our first view of the Golden Gate bridge.

We stayed in Oakland CA, for the composting conference that Steve was attending, but we were able to go into San Francisco for the afternoon. Driving and parking are such an issue, that we were strongly advised to take the BART across the bay, then use the streetcars to get around. After some initial trouble figuring out the subway maps, we got the hang of it and actually enjoyed the subway. I didn't figure out until after we rode it, that the subway actually goes under the San Francisco Bay. I knew it went underground, but for some reason I didn't think about it going under the water too. Duh!

We took the BART to the Ferry Building, then took a streetcar to Fisherman's Wharf. All of the piers are numbered and the most well known is probably Pier 39, which has many restaurants, shops, etc on it. We wandered around there for a while, then went down to Hyde Park Pier, which is owned by the National Park Service. We were able to tour this beautiful old ship. It was built in Ireland, and hauled people and good from England to California, then took wheat and other crops back. They were in the midst of a famine in Ireland, so the wheat and other crops were badly needed. This was before the Panama canal was built, so that was a long voyage indeed!

Later the ship was used to take goods to Alaska, and brought canned salmon back

The interior of the ship was nicely restored with crew quarters (tiny!), captain's quarters, mess area, and cargo. These are some goods they might have brought from England. There were all kinds of household items, books, clothing, practical items and some luxury items.

2008-02-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

From the Pacific coast, we decided to drive to Yosemite National Park. They had a big snowstorm a few days before we got there, but we had been assured that as long as we had a 4 WD and chains we would be fine. Our rental had the 4 WD, and we stopped and bought some chains, which we ended up never using. The roads had all been plowed, and the snow was several feet deep. There was still a lot of snow on the trees and it was like a fairyland. When we drove to the park, we went for a long ways through some national forest, with only a few very small towns, climbing steadily all the way. Then you descend into an incredibly beautiful valley. I've wondered since then, what the first humans there thought.

Bridal Veil falls. This was a short trail and had been cleared. Steve kept saying, that water had to come from somewhere. There's a whole other mountain range behind this one.

I think this was my favorite picture of the whole trip. We were driving to the ski area to go snowshoeing, and I happended to turn back and said to Steve--You have to pull over and see this--El Capitan in the foreground, with Half Dome in the background.

2008-02-21T04:51:00.000-08:00

This is the view from the top of the Pt Arena lighthouse. The wind up there was something else! This is still a working lighthouse today, although everything is automatic. This little point of land is within view of the San Andreas fault and you can actually see it if you know where to look. It's also the closest mainland point to Hawaii.

The lighthouse in the distance.

2008-02-21T04:48:00.000-08:00

This is a small beach just south of Mendoncino. The sand was dark and very coarse, almost like gravel. There were alot of rock and debris, nothing like the pure white sand we are used to! There are small beaches like this all along the northern CA coastline, and apparently they are the place to be in the summer.

2008-02-21T04:16:00.000-08:00

We stayed in the small town of Mendocino at the Agate Cove Inn. Our room was lovely, and we had a view of the Pacific ocean. If any of you remember the tv show "Murder, She Wrote", most of it was filmed here. The town has a very quaint, New England feel.

This is the view from the dining room. I think we sat there for about an hour, just watching the waves. The area across the road is part of a state park that stretches along the coast for several miles,which prevents a lot of development right on the coast. Earlier in the morning, we walked way out on the rocks you see, and saw some seals.

This had to have been the largest calla lily I have ever seen. It was easily as big as my hand. The owners had quite a variety of plants and flowers that they tended.

2008-02-14T05:34:00.000-08:00

Our first look at the Pacific Ocean in California. Leggett, CA marks the beginning of CA 1, which is part of the Pacific Coast Highway. Leggett is actually inland, because part of the CA coast is so rugged that there are no roads on it. The beginning of this highway is extremely steep and winding, rivaling anything in the Smokies or anywhere else. It's heavily forested, and there are no towns or places to stop. Then you go around a final curve, and there is the ocean!

We stood and watched the waves crashing over these rocks for a long time. There really is no beach to speak of, just cliffs and rocks. It is definately different from the Florida coasts we are used to.

2008-02-14T05:13:00.000-08:00

Monday, Feb 4, 2008

We meandered our way north to Humbolt Redwoods State Park. The Redwood National park is quite a bit further north, almost in Oregon, and we didn't want to travel quite that far. These redwoods were enormous! Most were over 300 ft tall, and it took several pictures to get one all in. The pictures don't really do them justice. It's just impossible to really see how majestic they are until you stand next to one.

This tree had fallen, and you can see how large it is. The bark on these trees is at least 6-8" thick. This area was purchased by a "Save the Trees" type organization in the 1920's from a logging company for $10 million dollars. That was a huge sum of money in those days (not that it's small change now), but I am so glad someone had the foresight to do that.

2008-02-14T04:54:00.000-08:00

On to the olive grove! Ten years ago, I don't think I even knew what olive oil was and now I cook with it all the time. So I was very eager to see what was involved in the production of olive oil. You don't eat olives straight off the tree, like you would an apple or an orange. Our tour guide told us the birds won't even eat them because they are so bitter. The goodness comes out in the processing. Unlike wine, olive oil needs to be as fresh as possible. It takes about 3 hours from tree to bottle. We tasted some oil, with bread, cheese and fruit and it was wonderful. They also has lemon and orange infused oils, which were wonderful.

This is some of the olive sorting equipment, with a really nicely restored truck in the background.

These are narcissus ( I think), and they are on the lane leading up to the original home at the vineyard, which the owners, now retired still live in. The trees in the background are olive trees.

2008-02-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday 2/3/08

After Saturday's rain, I very cautiously peeked out the window Sunday morning, and saw a beautiful blue sky and sunshine! We turned out to have wonderful weather the rest of the trip, until the flight home. More about that later.......

After much research on the web, I chose to tour this winery because a) they are actually a working vineyard as well as a winery and b)they have a small olive grove and process the olives for oil, and we could tour that as well. Round Pond winery is fairly new, although the family has been growing grapes and selling them to other vineyards for many years. Although the grapes are dormant now, the vineyards were still amazing.

Ryan, our tour guide, pouring a barrel tasting for us. This is wine as it comes out of the barrel, before filtering, bottling or anything else. Later we tasted 3 different wines, from different years. Each wine was paired with a small, appetizer-sized portion of cheese, bread or fruit, specifically chosen to enhance that wine. Although the wines did all taste different, I thought they were all pretty good. And they should have been, for the prices they charged per bottle. Let's just say this would be for a very special occasion.

It seemed unusual for us to see palm trees, citrus, and other semi-tropical plants growing alongside of plants that I think of as more northern plants, such as peaches, grapes, nut trees and other items that don't grow in our hot humid climate. The snow covered mountains in the background were different too!

2008-02-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

Steve and I returned home from our combined business/vacation trip to California last night. We had a wonderful time. California is just beautiful. I can see why people are willing to pay $$$ to live there.
We arrived on Sat, 2/2 in Oakland to rain, rain, and oh yeah, rain. I had made a reservation at Gaia Resort near Napa Valley for our first night there, just so we were sure of a place to stay. After an unplanned detour from Oakland across the Bay bridge to San Francisco, we finally got on the correct freeway, going the proper direction and found the hotel without further incident. The hotel is fairly small, and had a lot of enviromentally friendly features. All of the rooms open towards a small lagoon (fancy name for a rentention pond), and these swans were swimming there.

2008-02-01T04:11:00.000-08:00

The Lagoon at the Bonnet House in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. This is a historical home, and the property sits between the Atlantic ocean, and the Intercoastal waterway. It is surrounded by condos and other development, but you would never know it when you are there. The tour guide told us that manatees sometimes swim up into the lagoon when it is very cold. (Cold being a relative term for you northerners!)

The house was built in a hollow rectangle, with every room opening into the courtyard. Most of the room did not connect from the inside, you had to go outside thru the courtyard to get anyplace. The home was owned by a very rich family from Chicago, and this was just their "winter cottage".

These are taken from the top of 17th Street Causeway bridge over the Intercoastal, in Ft Lauderdale, looking north. They have a special pedestrian/bike lane on the bridge, and Jacki and I walked over it, and back again. Very different from the walking I do here!

2008-02-01T03:56:00.000-08:00

My daughter Jacki recently celebrated her 200th post on her food blog. She posts way more than I do! She mentioned a picture of her cooking as a preschooler, and I found it! Both David and Jacki loved to cook as children. They would hear me getting the mixer out, and come running! I have no idea what we are making in this picture. Probably cookies of some kind.

Jacki continued to cook as a teenager. She is making Chocolate mint truffles in this picture,and they were yummy!

2008-01-21T04:11:00.000-08:00

Steve and I, along with Jacki, Mike and one of our salesmen, attended a foliage trade show in Ft Lauderdale last week. While this show is mainly intended for foliage growers to market their products to buyers, many of the allied trades attend also to market our products to the growers. The amount of plants showcased at these events is just overwhelming!This is a display by the Dept of Agriculture in Thailand, filled with every variety of orchid possible. They were giving away miniature orchid corsages to all the ladies.

Many vendors that sell fountains and outdoor sculptures exhibit there also. I thought this one was particularly pretty, although I could have done without the frog! The plants are a type of bromeliad

This is called a "bat plant". It is in the same family as a peace lily. This is a new variety and in high demand. At the end of the show, many vendors sell their plants to individuals, rather than spend the money to haul them home. This grower is one of our customers, and he let me take the plant early, rather than get caught up in the near riot at the end of the show. Everyone wanted a bat plant, and they were the only grower there that had them. I bought two of these, plus two small orchids, a bromeliad/air plant attached to a volcanic rock from Hawaii, and two ceramic orchid pots.

2007-12-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

How to make Christmas dinner less stressful for the cook? Easy, get your son-in-law to cook the turkey in his new Big Green Egg. Then, you get your son to do a magnificent job of carving it.

My son David on the left, and son-in-law Mike on the right.

The finished product. 20 lbs of turkey + 16 people = very few leftovers!

Christmas lights

2007-12-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

Last night was a full moon, and I had grand plans of taking a picture of the house all lit up with the moon in the sky. Well, the moon is there, behind the trees on the left. I spent quite a bit of time playing with the various setting on the camera, and swatting mosquitoes! The The tree won't look like this for long! I figured I'd better take a picture of it while I can.