Flowering Vines

The flowers will soon be gone. Winter will be upon us. But, let us enjoy the flowers at Nature Notes and Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. 

That Garden is always blooming, every 15th of the month, that is. 

I am featuring vines in this post. 

                                                    First of all, a trumpet vine.

                                            Morning Glories growing beside the road.

                                                             And, a Mandevilla. 

It's Fall.

For Our World Tuesday

My world right now is in the harvesting season, getting ready for winter so we all will be fed, stay warm, live the good life. I have taken a few pictures of my world that I hope you will enjoy.

Nothing says Fall better than the ears of multicolored corn, all tied together, ready for decorating our houses with.

Harvest includes picking the best of the best for the county fair. I saw this gentleman heading out with a prize pumpkin. I wonder what it weighs? And, how did he load that thing?

Some cotton fields lie in wait for the picking, others are already being harvested. This field is bordered by beautiful morning glories. They grow wild and can take over an area quickly. I guess that is why we don't grow them in our flower gardens. 

This piece of machinery is huge! And, it does a fantastic job of picking the bolls of cotton off the plant. Sure beats hand-picking. When I was a child I helped my family pick cotton. I wasn't much help in their scheme of 'getting it done' but I thought I was doing a good deed. And, it was fun since I didn't pick long and I played as I picked. 

Goldenrod signals Fall. I have always loved goldenrod. It gets a bad rap. But, it's the ragweed which sends out pollen in the Fall, not the goldenrod. Least that's what I have been told.

What is happening in your neck of the woods this Fall? 

Red Bird In My Yard

Red is a color which always catches a person's eye! Don't you agree? Linking with Ruby Tuesday and Wild Bird Wednesday

We see a lot of red in the yard, especially the brightly colored cardinal.

Hummingbirds are attracted to red. This feeder is really brilliant.

These red flowers (yes, I know what they are, just can't spell it) against the white planter are just lovely.

I love this picture of a red-bellied woodpecker. Looks like it has a bad hair day.

No article about red would be complete with the bright red chest of a robin.

Reading, Painting and Walter

Son Michael is back to work now after his vacation and I am filling my days best I can.
I am doing things I enjoy, like reading...
I am almost finished with "Incident At Big Sky", the true story about a young girl training for the biathelon in the Olympics. She is running the mountain trails in Montana when she is captured and held captive by a father and his son. She gets shot but survives. This happened in 1984. You may remember it... if you are old enough, that is! 

I am wandering about my son's house, finding things that intrigue me.

This is a piece of scrimshaw that was a gift to my husband several years ago. I don't know if it is true scrimshaw but it looks cool nevertheless. I would like to think that it is.

And, if you have ever seen Jeff Dunham, the ventriloquist, you know Walter.

I just love Walter.

This one talks if you push his button. Ha ha. 

I walk outside and enjoy my son's flowers. He knows how to grow things. This is a Rose of Sharon blossom.

Besides reading, I am writing another book, doing entries in my journal, trying to blog often, keeping up with my facebook friends, I have two instagram accounts. You really ought to check those out. One is accidently_aging and the other is willielatanebarton. I have fun doing those. And, I am still doing watercolors. 

This is yesterdays attempt at a swallowtail butterfly

Well, that's all for now, folks. The weekend is coming up. I am sure we will get into something or other while he's off work.

And, that means more things to enter in Tom's Willy Nilly Friday 

A Bit of Beauty

I am enjoying my visit with my son in Alabama. Starting on week two today and guess what... no fights yet. hehe. We get along great and it's a more relaxed and peaceful existence for me. Who knows... hmmmm.

He's quite the grower. Best green thumb ever! I kill everything but he took after his Dad. And, he has two acres here to plant all he wants to plant. 

I took this picture of this flower. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. So, I thought I'd join Ruby Tuesday, Nature Notes and Pictorial Tuesday today so that others could enjoy it as well. 

There is a little yellow butterfly enjoying the nectar from the blossom. 

Hummers are still frequenting the hummingbird feeder in his backyard, as well. 

A close up of the hummingbird.

Have a great week. Take pictures, share them with us also the little day to day goings on in your life. I love reading about them.

Obedient Plant

I have been wanting to join in Garden Blogger Bloom Day and thought I'd remember this month. Hope it's not too late.... I  am one day late.

This is a plant my granddaughter found blooming next to their pond. I knew I remembered it from my childhood, couldn't think of the name of it for the life of me. We looked it up. It's the obedient plant. It's very old-fashioned. My aunt used to have them in her garden.

My Alabama Visit

1. Having a great visit with my son in Alabama! It's hot, dry and safe. So thankful that Florence decided to slow down and get degraded to a 2 hurricane. My folks back in Virginia are safe, maybe a bit wet but safe. Here's a picture of the sky while I stood in my son's back yard. Pretty, blue, slight breeze in the trees.

2. His deck and patio are such a nice place to sit and watch the many varieties of birds that flit through the trees and come to dine at the feeders. Such a peaceful place. You will see lots of pictures of birds while I am here....

3. Michael has some young scupernong vines in his back yard. Some small ones ripe but they aren't too sweet. So, he bought a container of these huge, sweet, juicy ones from a small market just up the road. Brings back memories of when I was small.

4. These white ginger lilies are edged one side of the deck. You just can't imagine how wonderful it is to sit on the bench out there and absorb the aroma!

5. I think this is a bougvenvillia (yes, I know I mispelled it) sorry. Don't have my Echo here so I can ask Alexa how to spell. he he.

Anyway, there are two of these in white pots flanking the steps off the deck. 

I am linking with Tom's Willy Nilly Friday today. You all be sure to visit often. I'll be telling you all about my stay in Alabama.

Little Things To Be Thankful For

I am in Alabama visiting with my son. We drove down four days ago and have been enjoying time together. Sometimes it's just the Little Things that make you truly Thankful on Thursday.

Beautiful barns along the roadside....

Watching birds feeding from the deck....

Sweet smelling ginger lily in the yard...

Juicy scoupernongs to sample...

I'm truly blessed.

Snakes....

       

If there is one thing I hate... it's snakes!! And, another thing I hate is when my husband scares me. 

                                                                This story is about both.

Back many years ago, when we lived on the farm in Alabama, Elbert was cleaning up an old pile of cut wood at the edge of the yard. I was in the house. 

I heard him yell, 'come here'. So, I go out the door, across the yard and stop near where he is working.                                                      'Look what I found', he says, pointing at my feet. 

                                I look down. I am standing in a bunch of snakes... grant you, they were DEAD. 

                                                                      That did NOT matter. 

                                                               I screamed and then I got MAD. 

How could he have let me walk into a pile of dead copperheads. There was a bunch of them, Mama, Papa and all the babies. They surrounded me. I was so mad. It's a dang near wonder I hadn't had a heart attack. He thought it was funny. Now, he could be the sweetest thing... but there was a side... well, we won't go there, hehe.

                                                                  

                                                                   🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Now, on to other things. Linking with Blue Monday

                                     Me standing next to one of my daughter's limelight hydrangeas.

And, the beautiful blue sky.

A Wedding at Old First Church

Recently I saw a post over at The Frog and Penquinn, featuring Old First Church in Bennington, Vermont. Since that place held memories for me, I commented to Beatrice that I'd share something about the church on my next Memory Monday posts. So, here it is.....

It was July, 1989. Elbert and I had driven up from Alabama, stopping long enough in New York to pick up our daughter and her dress to head to her fiance's ski house on Stratton Mt. north of Bennington. There was going to be a wedding.

The big day arrived, hotter than usual for July. We noticed as guests arrived at the church that there was no air-conditioning. The church was built in 1805 and I guess they wanted to retain the old-fashioned charm.

 Limousines had been arranged for the wedding party... out of Albany, NY, some distance away. And, the driver of the one picking up the bride got lost! There we all are inside a rather warm church wondering where the bride is! 

Finally she arrived, absolutely beautiful, radiant. Of course, I'd say that! She's my daughter...but she was. Don't you agree?

The pastor was pretty impressed having a model from New York hold her wedding in his church. All her New York friends were there as well as from Africa, Australia and Sweden. The groom's Wall Street buddies were there as well. The Rev. was really enjoying all this. The ceremony began and he started to embellish on their chosen rites. After all, he had an audience... perhaps not so willing at this point. He droned on and on. Sweat began to trickle down our back and make our faces shiny.

Finally he pronounced them husband and wife and they headed down the aisle toward the entrance. We all were happy to get some fresh, cooler air.

The reception was held under a huge tent in the back yard at Hildene, Robert Todd Lincoln's home.

                  I am sure the staff there remembered that one for years to come.                                    
                                     New Yorkers do know how to party! 

The food was amazing and plentiful, the flowers so artfully arranged, the band played current music and the sunset over the mountains unbelievable. It was a day none of us will ever forget. 

Food, Flowers and Fun

Why is it that I forget to make pictures of things I do lately and then I don't have them  to share with all of you? DUH, double DUH.... 

1. No picture... but I did call bingo last night for our residents game night. It sure is different being on that side of the cards!! I got some compliments on my calling so I guess I didn't mess up too badly.

2. Yesterday I received my first order of organic salad ingredients from a hydroponic farm here in Suffolk. I can't wait to make me a salad out of it....

The goat cheese was not grown in water.. hehe. The farm hooks up with a dairy here for that ingredient and those handsome, large avocados are shipped from an organic farm in California. Two kinds of greens (arugula and meslum) and the cucumbers are the Italian variety, just the right side for someone cooking for one.

3. I have a new outfit. I do have a closet full of tops and bottoms but nothing ever seems to match. So it was time to get a matching outfit. I can't wait to wear it somewhere!!

4. Recently, my sister who is 93 and lives in Alabama, had some special visitors... her grandson and his wife and children. Because they have lived so far apart she had never seen his family. It was such a treat for her. I borrowed this photo off facebook that Sis' granddaughter-in-law posted. 

5. We have beautiful flowers in the courtyard here at the apartments. And, I am doubly happy that a landscaping company keeps them looking great and changes them out when needed. A real plus for apartment living. 

Have a great weekend. And, be sure to check out Willy Nilly Friday Five for more interesting and fun posts.