Snug and Cozy

We are expecting 2-4 inches of snow tonight
(our first real snowfall.) According to Ray's Weather,
our source of local 'mountain weather,' the temperature
is supposed to drop about 20 degrees in 2 hours this evening.
It has been r-r-raining for two days straight
with temperatures at times, in the low 50's.
But, a fire in the hearth helps keeps the home cozy.
I have been 'wanting to' photograph the inside
of a rather big firebox that is in the dining room
of this house off of the kitchen. Two winters ago
we had a 'once every 30 year ice storm' and this fire box
prevented us from almost freezing ourselves up
(there was a power outage that lasted for for several days.)
We cooked on the big, flat deeply black top of this box
(seafood chowder; red!) That was the year we had
an icy path to the wood pile itself that was
almost unnavigable!!
Not to worry, though (I seldom do!)
These are nice warm shots of the fire
and they might even have the capacity
to warm you right up where you are!!

Christmas Trees...

O Tannenbaum; our 'typical' tree...

Christmas Tree (farm) in the winter!

Some of our Christmas trees of the past...

The trees in snow; how they are so lovely!

Not to worry...(for anyone who might) North Carolina
'exports' Christmas trees and therefore they replenish
them year round just for this purpose...

North Carolina living Christmas tree 'decked out...'

Smithsonian Christmas Tree, Washington, D.C.

I am 'thinking' trees. We will be getting our tree
(which will produce a photo or maybe two) by or
near December 15th, which is our typical custom.
North Carolina is right now wildly shipping out
Christmas trees...You see them on truck after truck,
both big loads and smaller loads. On almost every corner,
there is a tree lot... Another (somewhat) unusual
event is that, if you watch the cars coming out of our
(wee) town, about every third car has a tree on its roof.
Sometimes, one can see a string of maybe...
4 or 5 cars in a row with netted trees strapped to the
car roof (and often they have more than one tree
on the roof.) I think it is a custom for families from
other parts of North Carolina, to come up into
the High Country and procure a tree.
What a wonderful thing!

Tangerine Sunrise

I could barely capture
the tangerine orange glow
of the sun rising over the mountains
this morning just before 7:00.
It was lush.

A Glimpse...

of things to come!
This morning it was 27 degrees out
at 4000 feet in the Appalachians.
With car doors frozen shut it takes some extra effort
to get things moving. And yes, the snowplow came
on through yesterday afternoon and dumped big big
chunky salt on this here ol' humpback mountain road.
When winter arrives, my 'love affair'
with the snow plow begins...
:-)
(shot taken yesterday.)

First Snow

First snow
wet and slick 
the ground's too hot
for you to stick.
But pretty you are- 
now the winter wood's aglow 
with delicate shades of purple and gray 
colors I have come to know.
Moonlight dances
off of ground and tree
casting hint of
deepest purple
for all of us to see.

On Seeing

On Seeing


If I
must
away
my thoughts
wander back
to the trees-
how they're
stacked
in the
hollow.
Like a promise
like a dream
the mountains are
what they seem
lifeblood to all peoples
a natural wonder
lined with steeples
that play with the wind.
They are a friend to me
with a great natural power to disarm
even those who (might) think themselves big among us.
Just wrap your arms around the trunk of an Appalachian tree
and you'll see-
the room the forest
the globe
the planets
the stars;
how they
stretch out
so clearly.

Majestic Trio...

of fall shots taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway
(Thanksgiving weekend.) Even with most (if not all)
of the tree leaves missing, it is evident from these
photos why they call it...the Blue Ridge.
Here are two questions asked and answered
about the Parkway, itself. [Maybe today's politicians
(in the U.S.) could use a refresher course on its history.
Do you think that they would take it to heart?]
:-)
(Smirk, smirk, smirking.)

Who built the Parkway?

The Parkway was an idea born out of the Great Depression and part of its purpose was to put as many people as possible to work. Private contractors, the state and federal highway departments, Italian and Spanish immigrant stonemasons and thousands of Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees did the work.

When was the Parkway built and how long did it take to get the job done?

Groundbreaking took place in September 1935 and the work was contracted and completed in "sections." By World War II, about one-half of the road was completed and by the 1960s, all but one section was opened to the public. In 1987, the last section was completed around Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.

(Above excerpt is from this web site :

http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway/)

lg

Lusciously

delicious!
Here was our almost 22 pound butterball turkey
we made for Thanksgiving day! It was a toasted and a
crispy-delicious golden brown...Did I say delicious??!

As our 'sides' we had raisin/cranberry and
pecan stuffing, roasted hubbard squash casserole
(the blue one in our previous photo; goodbye!)
roasted poblano and garlic mashed potatoes (a real
'killer' recipe here,) corn casserole, classic green
bean casserole (for our son; his favorite meal,)
home-made turkey gravy, a cranberry chutney,
pumpkin bars and pumpkin pie (which I haven't
yet even had...) What a truly amazing array
of American Thanksgiving food classics!

Our 'left-overs' have been first class for days.
It leaves me wishing we would eat like
this, well, at least one time per month!

What a great day, as we had part of our immediate
family from California visiting us for the entire week.

A 'shout out' to Jake and Jasper!!!

And !congratulations! on your new marriage
(kids!) We have snow coming on Tuesday of
this week, but the Thanksgiving week
here in the Carolina's was unusually warm,
with a high of almost 60. (Do) tell us how
your holiday week was celebrated!
I hope that it was very groovy.
lg

Drum Roll...Ta Da...The Pumpkin and Squash Answers!

in time for Thanksgiving!
Perhaps you are making some of them!
(in order, from top smallish white pumpkin clockwise;
the last one is the large pumpkin in the center.)

1. Baby Boo (Casper) Pumpkin

2. Jarrahdale Pumpkin

3. Pink Banana Squash

4. Asian Kuri Squash

5. Speckled Pup Pumpkin

6. Speckled Hound Pumpkin

7. Blue Hubbard Squash

8. (Another) Asian Kuri squash

9. (The Big One) Red Warty Thing Pumpkin

(and dig this: ‘Cucurbita maxima’ is its official

botanical official name; I would

say so as it is absolutely huge

(so heavy that I cannot lift it!

What a glorious specimen, indeed. :-))

Enjoy any and all Thanksgiving

preparations for those, here,

in the good ol' U.S. of A.

...Tell us how you are getting ready if you would like!

lg

:-)

"A wink, wink and a nod, nod."

(P.S; I would like to thank my husband for

helping me arrange, carry, and (even) clean

these luscious specimens for this photo.

Also- he made sure that I had all the names right!)

Voila!

Pretty Things...aren't they?
I am enamored by them. :-)

Great Texture and Color!

Fun Shapes

Try and Guess the Names of these Here...
(Click to enlarge shot if need be.)

Can you guess (or give names to) the pumpkins or squashes
we have carefully collected this fall?
Start with #1 (there are nine total...) the small white pumpkin
just to the left at the top and then
work clock-wise, ending with the large one
with partial sun on it in the center!
They all have names and all are edible goodies.
Good luck!

Foggy Fingers

Fog Line

Misty Wood

The 'Thick' of It


Foggy grasp
and fog filled sigh
have gripped the mountain trees so high.
It won't turn loose nor let go;
it lingers
meanders
wanders
and holds
my back with the slick trees.
Dewey thick drip-drops tickle and tease
their way down the bark
my camera
and neck
on this here fog-filled mountain.

Morning Beauty

In the Clouds

A Heavenly Glow

Streaky

(And) I Said "Wow!"

What an eye full this morning...An early morning
walk with the dog revealed that our mountain
was surrounded by layers, streaks and rings
of mist below. It made for a wonderful sunrise
and gave the surroundings an unusual orange luster.
We are expecting much colder weather later this week.
Enjoy. It was so peaceful and quiet on the mountain, here~
and I do hope that this exudes some of that atmosphere for you.

( Just click to enlarge and enjoy a more bird's eye view.)

:-)

Feeling Beechy

A Long View off of Beech Mountain...Blue Skies.

Does Anybody Really Know...What Time it is?

My Reflections

Juvenile


We took a drive up onto Beech Mountain (N.C.) this
weekend. The elevation there is 5506 feet above sea level.
It was a clear fall day sporting blue skies and temps
in the high 40's, but the sun felt warm and quite strong.
I captured these shots. Top: The view from a tiny park
on top of Beech Mountain on a newly built wooden deck.
There are bear living in caves below where this shot
was taken. Next: Actually, someone put a beautiful and
very large, beautifully made clock in a neighborhood
on top of this mountain. How odd it seems there
(at 5500 feet) but it made for a nice photo and some
wondering...Next Down: Muted fall colors are reflected in a
pond on the mountain. Bottom: We met a juvenile deer that
allowed us very close to photograph it while it stayed
delicately eating what looked like lily pads on the
side of the hill. What a wonderfully formed creature!
Loved it. It almost seemed friendly. Great trip here and
good weather for it! And a good day was had...by all.

Odds and Ends

Morning Dew on 'Last' Rose...

Rugged Orange Pumpkins out front!
(Still lookin' good...)

Tobacco being dried (in nearby Tennessee)

'Had to' get the snowy white photos replaced, ya all!
:-) It has been a really nice fall here; the weather
has been mild with temps in the low 50's for
a daytime high and down near 32 at night.
Young deer are showing up for the corn
and the apples nightly, now.
Currently, we are feasting upon all
types of pumpkin and squash dishes!
We have company that is soon to descend at
Thanksgiving (grown children returning
home to visit and back from college),
so preparation will soon be underway.

It's Coming

Today we had our first morning of frost completely
covering the ground on yes, November 1st, 2011.
These photos randomly chosen,
are from the last several winters...
but frost is in the air! Thought that it might
help me if I stare at these for a bit.
O.K. There.
(I think that I feel...
an icicle forming on the
end of my nose.)
:-)
lg!