Saturday Critters - Ducks

Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings.

Ring-necked ducks.

Wood Duck.

Linking to Saturday Critters

Weekend Roundup - P

This week's assignment is Starts with P, Favorite, and Plenty.

Starts with P: The Hartsville Nuclear PLANT PROJECT was cancelled by The Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1980s. It never opened. In 2016 the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center was constructed as a private, medium-security PRISON on the site.

Favorite: I believe PIE with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is my all-time favorite dessert. This one is PEACH. The smaller version made use of the leftover crust. 

Plenty: This is Texas friend Ray's outside kitchen where he cooks up all kind of barbecue and fixins'. He has PLENTY of License PLATES to decorate the wall. No one turns down an invitation to his PARTIES.

Linking to Weekend Roundup

Skywatch Friday

 After the harvest.

Over the Illinois River

Same cloud somewhat dissipated over Peoria, IL.

Linking to Skywatch

Winter is for Puzzling

When the leaves begin to fall, I know cold weather won't be far behind. To me winter calls for cozy indoor activities and nothing beats a good jigsaw puzzle. With a hot cup of coffee or cocoa, depending on the time of day, it's easy to lose track of time while piecing together those scattered fragments—pure therapy for gray skies. 

The Devil's Tower puzzle, a thoughtful gift, brings memories of our wedding in Sundance, Wyoming. The moths, with its odd-shaped pieces, presented a challenge, and the farm scenes reminded me of home. 

There's been a chill in the air, which means it's time to begin searching the shops for this year's fun.

Linking to Thankful Thursday and Little Things Thursday

Tuesday Treasures - Ring

Picture this, a gaudy little plastic ring, the kind that promises eternal sparkle for a single quarter from a dusty bubble gum machine. In 2012, grandson #3—back when he was all chubby cheeks and gap-toothed grins—plunked down his hard-earned coin and emerged victorious. "For you, Grandma!" he declared, thrusting it toward me like it was the Hope Diamond. I was supposed to be the wise one, but there I was, slipping it onto my pinky finger, feeling like the richest woman alive.  

Thirteen years later, that same ring still rattles around in my jewelry box, nestled among the "real" gems—a little less sparkly but triumphant. It's a reminder that the treasures worth keeping aren't measured in carats, but in the pure, unfiltered love of a kid who thinks you deserve the world. 

Linking to Tuesday Treasures

Monday Musings and Memories

Knowing the nice days are numbered as the air carries the crisp bite of fall, we drove through the backroads again this weekend. Armed with my trusty camera, Gus in the backseat, and a thermos of coffee, we took off for parts unknown to us. After making sure no cars followed,  we barely moved through the quiet spots where time slows and nature puts on a show. Below are a few pics from our ramble—captured moments that remind me why autumn is my favorite season for photography. 

Crab Apple Tree

First up, this crabapple tree reminded me of days long ago when they made a wonderful addition to a mud pie meal. Look at those ruby-red fruits hanging like ornaments against the fading green leaves! I caught it in the late afternoon light, when the sun dips low and turns everything into a warm ember. There's something almost magical about crabapples in fall. They once held the promise of mom's jelly. Now I think of them solely as a feast for the wildlife. Don't try eating them off the tree, they're way too tart.

Willow Trees

Along a pond's edge, I couldn't resist this row of willow trees. Their slender branches sway gracefully, dancing with the breeze, often dipping toward the water. Willows always make me think of lazy summer days spent fishing in our pond with my brother. These trees are water lovers, thriving where land meets water. They're a haven for dragonflies and frogs, and on windy days like today, their whispers sound like secrets shared between old friends.

Milkweed

Finally, as rain clouds move in, we saw the star of the show, a milkweed pod, burst open and ready to send its fluffy seeds to parts unknown. I spotted it tucked among the tall grasses, the cottony strands glowing like dandelion wishes. Remember squeezing your eyes shut, making a wish, then blowing a mighty breath to send the dandelion seeds off on their quest to make it come true?  Not an easy feat with milkweed pods. Monarch butterflies owe their epic migrations to these plants—each seed holds the potential for new growth, a lifeline for the next generation of pollinators.

Linking to Nature Notes

Saturday Critters - Llamas

Yesterday we were on a quest to find birds or a critter. We planned to get lost down new roads. We do this often, but usually end up finding our way home without help from Siri, and that's what happened. 

Along the way we saw a deer. She ran into the middle of the road, saw us, put on the brakes, and made a u-turn. Sometimes they will stop and turn around to stare, so I had my camera ready. This one kept going, so no picture. 

On another road, we saw a red-shouldered hawk sitting on the wire. While we watched, he swooped down and grabbed a praying mantis and took it up to his perch. I'm amazed he could see such a tiny thing from so high up. His eyesight is much better than mine. :)

A little farther along, we saw a herd of llamas. 

From a distance, I thought this one had two heads. :)

We did see some autumn color. The leaves are starting to change colors. This wooded area had a carpet of leaves already.

Linking to Saturday Critters

Weekend Roundup - O

This week's assignment: Starts with O, Favorite, and One.

Starts with O: Bard OWL starts with O. I went on a quest to find one of these last week. As usual, I didn't have any luck. This guy lives in Oklahoma, which is where I took this pic two years ago. 

Favorite: More from the archives. This is OLE Red, Blake Shelton's restaurant/bar/entertainment venue in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. We went for all special occasions while living near Stonewall. It is named after one of the songs on his debut album. 

When it first opened, they sent out a call for pictures of dogs. So, of course, we sent in ONE of our Gus. 

One: And last, but not least. ONE. There is ONE OATMEAL cookie left ... or was ... until I ate it. :)

             

Linking to Weekend Roundup

Skywatch

Supermoon/Harvest Moon over Alabama

Over the Pond

Over the Trees

Linking to Skywatch

 

Thankful for Little Things - Fall Color and Farmers

Went for a backroad ramble yesterday. It won't be long until the weather is too cold to drive with the windows down, so we took full advantage of the beautiful day. Unfortunately, we didn't find any birds, with the exception of a swallow flying overhead, or critters, although I did see what might have been a raccoon on the far side of a field, but he ducked into the bushes before I could raise my camera. 

We did find lots of weeds and some color.

This is Floating Primrose-Willow according to the "Seek" app on my phone. 

I tried to identify this with the same app and it kept saying Flowering Dogwood, but I think it might be Sumac. 

This tree peeked up over the hill to add color to a harvested soybean field.

We saw several farmers in the field. Harvest is in full swing.

Linking to Thankful Thursday and Little Things Thursday 

Wild Bird Wednesday - Palm Warbler

 Found this little guy while out on a walk. I didn't have my glasses on and he didn't stop for long, but I did get this really poor shot of a new lifer. Of course, I didn't know his identity until I uploaded the pics and checked with Merlin. 

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday - Sycamore

Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Treasures - Pie

Pie has been around a long time. How long? A whole lot longer than I imagined. According to Wiki, as a food dish, they originated in ancient Egypt around 9500 BCE. Modern pastries, with their flaky, buttery layers and tasty fillings can be traced through France during the 17th and 18th centuries, spreading worldwide via colonialism and cafes in the 1800s. 

I give Mom credit for my love of pie. As fourth in the line of fourteen children, she learned to make the perfect crust. She often used a 9X13 pan instead of a small round one. Most think this makes it a cobbler, but cobblers only have a top crust. Hers had both. Apple and blackberry with a scoop of vanilla ice cream are my favorites. Although, you won't find me turning down a slice no matter the flavor. I dare say this is my favorite dessert.

My daughter and I have tried to duplicate her crust. We watched and listened to her explain how it's done. Use the large bowl of flour kept in the pantry, add water, shortening, and work it with your hands until it "feels right." Somehow, I've never actually decided what that means, but Betty Crocker has provided the recipe I use. Not as good as Mom's, but it works.

The family's love of pie during the holidays is why the pie contest started. We even have a homemade trophy as seen in the picture below. These pies are from a few years ago. Now that the grands are old enough, we all participate. We're all currently trying to choose the winning recipe for this year's competition.

Do you have a favorite pie?

Linking to Tuesday Treasures

Sunday Best & a Barn

It's been a busy weekend, starting with brunch in the city on Saturday. We tried a new place called Le Cafe, which is part of Le Bakery. I could have tasted one of each, but after our meal, I didn't have enough room.

I decided on Bacon Quiche. I didn't know it came with a roll and potatoes, but they were tasty. Other than the amazing flavors, the best thing about it ... no crowds, even at brunch time on Saturday. Yay! Most people chose pastries from the bakery and left. I believe a return visit is in our future.

Sunday, another trip into the city. This time to look at carpet. Then off to the grocery store so I can make salsa chicken. 

American Coot

I found this barn in the Franklin, Tennessee area. 

Linking to The Barn Collective and Sunday Best

Weekend Roundup - N

Today's Assignment: Starts with N, Favorite, and Neat.

Starts with N: NEST starts with N. We have been searching for an eagle's nest here in Illinois, but haven't found one yet. This is a throwback from Oklahoma. We watched Ozzie and Harriet raise their families for several years.

Favorite: NOSE-to-NOSE.

Neat: I think Tom is trying to trip us up this go-round. Does he mean NEAT as in cool (yes, I'm old) or NEAT as in organized? I couldn't decide, so going with both. 

Neat - Cool: This is the bathroom faucet at a friend's barndaminium in Tennessee. It changes colors with the water temperature. Green is cold. Red is hot. Blue is warm. Yes, cool.

Neat - Organized: While painting the guest bedroom, I moved everything into the dining room. 

When the paint dried, I moved it all back, leaving a nice, NEAT, dining room.

Linking to Weekend Roundup