Sunday, September 16, 2007

Raking Leaves...





Today, I raked and raked, and raked..... and raked and raked...........................................










and raked.....until the rake broke. So then I sat.......done raking for the day....







DUKE


Duke is getting big, I guess that is because he eats ants, especially the ones that get on the Hummingbird feeder.....I guess they're sweet!




















Don't mess with me mom, I'm busy....
peace..............


Saturday, September 15, 2007

Late Summer thoughts

It's the middle of September already, where has the year gone? It seems like we just arrived in the the shadows of the Smokey Mts., and now we are looking at 9 months in this lovely place. The air is crisp and clean. All is vivid and hues of color are all around us. As for Jeff and I, well, we have had to "shift" our thinking a bit, hold our tongues at times. Take a deep breath, because we want to "go fast" like the pace in Iowa. That pace does not work in Kentucky. Today Jeff and i went to the Spoonbread Festival in Berea, KY, about 40 miles northeast of us. Beautiful weather, in the 60's, clean fresh air, trees are starting to turn (because of the draught) so we had a wonderful drive. Berea is the mecca for crafting, there is even a school here to keep the "Appalachian Heritage" alive. Cool. Well, we ate Spoonbread, it was very very yummy. You look it up on-line then make some, it will make you smile. We saw young and old, cloggers, tons of motorcycles, (I don't know what motorcycles has to do with Appalachian Heritage), but they were there. Gourde painters, that was cool, weavers, bowl makers, clay and wood. Of course you could get a samplin of Spoonbread. Corndogs and funnel cakes were there too, but we stuck to the Spoonbread with delight. In October there will be an Art's and Crafts Weekend put on by the school, which allows the judged vendors to show their wares. I am looking forward to this and I plan on attending. In the city of Berea is the Boone Tavern. Close to Berea is Boonesboro, KY, where Daniel Boone had a fort. We have not traveled there yet, but will in the future. The people here are the settlers of this nation. The majority of the eastern Ky people are of Irish, and Scottish decent. Electric blue eyes usually look back at me, and I'm impressed. These are hard to the bone working people. They don't have much, but are willing to share what they have. If you smile their face lights up, and their blue eyes speak to me of their life. A conversation ensues and I am enlightened by their stories and friendliness. I am learning to go s l o w. It's nice not always being in a hurry. We took Duke with us, and of course Jeff was the COA with children and adults alike. Wanting to know what kind of dog he was, how old and so on. Fun....Duke enjoyed himself and he too likes Spoonbread. There was a band playing, not the hard rock or wild music or even Bix music, but bluegrass and folk, it was a nice change. I still have not mastered the mandolin yet, but I'm a workin' on it. Easy, I guess that's the word that comes to mind for today. Yes, there were traffic jams, Jeff hates traffic, and yes you could buy knitted toilet paper covers. "There must be a need for those things, because invariably you find them at every craft show." But all in all it was an easy day. When we got home, Duke was happy to see Snickers and they played in the yard, I got my new magazine and sat on the porch in the cool sunlit air, and I smiled...........peace.