Monday, December 31, 2012

Wood cutting day

My husband spent most of the day cutting this wood from trees that had been cut down about two years ago. My dad sold some of the lumber on his property, and we have been slowly removing the left behind wood. This was one afternoon's work- that new chainsaw is starting to pay back. We have already used this much wood since it got cooler in November. Since we have electric heat otherwise, this reduces our electric bill substantially. Many new trees are growing in to replace those cut. I am amazed at how quickly they grow when there is so much sunlight reaching the forest floor!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Flowing water

After the wind died down a bit today, my daughter and I went for a walk through the trails. I always gravitate toward the creek. Sounds are calming to me, especially moving water. I can be here, canoeing a river, or sitting on a beach, and tension drops into the ground where I am seated or standing. Since we've had a couple days of rain this past week, the water is again flowing nicely over the rocks and around the current obstacles. There was still a bit of frozen ice in the creek where it was shallow and slowly, intermittently, flowed over rock.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

New Year Resolutions

One of my resolutions is to move more, so I signed up for the 100 miles in 100 days club here in Roanoke, VA. Hopefully I will do more, which if Dan and I continue to bike the greenway once it warms up a bit, it will be no problem. But, I am resolved to walk the trails here at home on days I do not ride.
Another is to reduce my waste. I struggle with so much plastic and wish more of it could be recycled, so I want to reduce the amount I purchase. I have found a site that has many ideas of ways to reduce our impact on Earth, so I am sharing it for any of you who may also be so inclined. Make good decisions for your health: physical, mental, and ecological!
Earth 911

Friday, December 28, 2012

Bo's gifts

This is Bo with one of his new Christmas toys. He has literally wiggled his way into our hearts, with a nubby tail that never stops, flappy, velvet ears, and a funny habit of stamping his front feet when a walk is inevitable. We adopted Bo on September 4 from a gentleman who found him loose in the neighborhood. The gentleman did not want to, but was considering the pound. So Bo's past is sketchy, but he has no microchip, so we kept him. Bo has had some training. He sits and stays, and does very well on a leash. He will eat ANYTHING! I have found nothing he will not eat. And food seems to be foremost in his little pea brain.A quirk I'm getting used to.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Feeder visitor

This little creature visits daily, scrounging under the bird feeders and sometimes knocking them down to empty and finish. He/she also likes the sugar water in the hummingbird feeders! At first he came at night, so I started bring the feeders in before dark, but now he is coming earlier in the day to beat the clock! Such smart animals! We keep our distance; this photo was taken with a telephoto lens. Any suggestions? My cats just watch. Hopefully they are not trying to learn any new ideas to help them catch the birds. 

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Early Summer Morning

My favorite time of the day is always in the morning, any time of the year. Summer mornings, though, are the best. It is cool, the birds are active and noisy, my horse greets me, and occasionally, I get fantastic views like this one. Now that the droning of the locusts has passed, my walks are relaxing and the solitude de-stresses me. And, now that school is out for a few weeks, I can enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the deck. Perfect.