Walks

Welcome back! It's been awhile between my posts.

It's just the sweet distractions of the end-of-summer happenings that kept me away!

Granddaughter Amanda came home, after 7 weeks

in Northern Ireland...doing volunteer work there!

This is her at the cliffs of Giant's Causeway.

~

She's standing here in the ruins of a mansion...

~

(all photos enlarge)

...here...she's daring enough to jump off a cliff!

~

This is a path she walked on her last weekend there....
~






.....and a walk on the beach...leaving footprints in the sand.
~
On one such walk...with the children she helped....
they searched and collected...with their many hands...
~





these 3 heart-shapes and a moon-like stone....
gifts for me...my heart...did melt!





On the day Amanda left...7 weeks before...
this had been the scene...
with little sister Alivia saying goodbye...

...and this was a scene at a welcome home party
....oldest brother Nathan's warm hug.

Nathan had just arrived with his girlfriend, Ashley.

The decorations were for celebrating his graduation,

along with all the others...going back to school too!

Of course we had cake!

School started for the younger kids on the 24th.

Youngest granddaughter Alivia is in the second grade now!

In the month of August...the Tooth Fairy was very busy!

Alivia lost 4 teeth...she gathered enough money to buy

an American Girl Doll.

Alivia has really enjoyed our 'unofficial mailbox'...

receiving not just from me...but even friends across the sea...

...and I was surprised with a tea set...Alivia left for me!

Blogging friend Penny...who lives in South Australia....

also surprised me.....with these lovely handmade items.

She included a beaded charm and a cloth heart for Alivia too.

This summer has even found Alivia on a soccer team!

You may hear more about that someday!

~

But for now...

it's on to middle granddaughter Katie.....

or Kathryn Ann!

She's a senior this year....

and was practicing for senior photos!

A few times.....

her mischievious personality popped into view!

Captured Katie and her boyfriend Zach...

taking a walk just like her cousin...

Amanda and fiance Bronson(Billy) used to do.

Notice the changing leaves.

Some things don't change...

I captured what the men here mostly do...

...usually...it's something with wheels!

Herhusband is on the lawnmower...

youngest son Steve is on his son Andrew's dirt bike...

and oldest son Rick is working on...

his sister Annette's son Grant's truck!

Time was also spent...

moving one 'very heavy' TV to the basement

and rewiring upstairs for another.

Mostly...

we're just planning ahead for winter...

and trying to make the basement more

grownup friendly...after 20 years of being...

mostly grandchild friendly.

Their ages now are 23,21,18,17,17,16,14,12, 6!

~
Time spent picking vegetables from the garden has past!

Most meals contained something...that grew there!

From main meal salads...

to soups and side dishes...

and baked or grilled concoctions too!

Healthy desserts were part of summer.....

...somewhat healthy...were a few...it did contain fruit...

peaches and berries!

Some.....

I shouldn't even mention...

like this...

Triple Chocolate Fudge Torte...

topped with almonds...tiny marshmallows...

chunks of brownie pieces...

and drizzled

with rich caramel sauce!

I still have some in the freezer...(Jenny)!

I did eat a pear...while taking a walk...

from an old tree that was on the property

when we moved here.

It stands on a hillside behind Alivia's house.

My walks were taken when weather permitted.

Seems it was either very hot and humid or stormy!

This flock of Robins gathered

to wade in rain puddles in the drive.

The stormy weather didn't keep the deer from

slowly wondering through...

...but it did cause Andrew to quicken his step!

Personally...

when it rains or is just too hot to be outside...

I have been enjoying Mail Art...

...both the receiving and creating of it!

Clearing skies and a fall in temperatures....

have made sitting on the porch more a pleasure.

Along with the cooler air...

the acorns are starting to fall.

bringing to mind a bittersweet memory for me...

of my very last walk with my mother...

on this particular path in the woods...

when the wind...

brought hundreds of acorns...

pelting down on both our heads!

♥ ~Wanda~

After...Still...Later

This 'something' is laying on a glass topped table...

with garden photos underneath. Can you tell what it is?

We'll get back to that later.

~

Meanwhile...

The Naked Ladies are blooming along the fence in the field.

~

Their sunny middle reminds me of sunrises...

Colorful sunrises have been scarce here lately.

~

But...

the bright sun does still shine...

making the air very hot, humid and heavy.

~

The air is heavy also with the sounds of Locust!

They are hardly ever still!

~

Numerous butterflies hover over the Blackberry Lilies.

The seed pods later look just like blackberries.

The real blackberries have all been picked by me...

or eaten by the deer.

~

The zucchini vines are still producing.

There are 8 in the fridge waiting for me now.

The Hibiscus from Herhusband's mom...
still blooms after all these years.







I naturalized some Black-eyed Susans in the field.
They along with wild Ironweed are multiplying fast.







Intermingled among them are a few other wild flowers.







The bees are very busy, visiting the tassels of the corn...
in Herhusband's garden...at the end of the field.







This is not a Bee!







But...a Fuzzy Moth.

One evening I found him lying on the ground...
wasn't sure if he were just resting or slightly injured...
I only know...he wouldn't or couldn't fly away!







Another day...
I found a wing from a Luna Moth on the moss.






I found these small baby raccoons climbing
the Tulip tree by the field a few days ago.








My son Steve finds things on the property too!
Here's the glass heart I spoke of in my last post.
The shape is created by little raised dots.






While metal detecting in the woods...
Steve found this intricate old hinge.
I wonder...to what...had it been attached!







Early one morning...
wanting to visit one of the creeks...
I went to the one over behind Herhusband's garden.

There's a deer path that slants back and forth...

down the hill to the creek below...

The creek bed is covered with rocks...

which get moved around after heavy rains.

I can usually find something...

if only a crayfish!

Heavy rain makes mud slide from the banks...

only to be washed away later...with the next...

heavy rain...

...often leaving new fossils and rocks to be found...

like this heart-shaped one with a hole in it.

A few more heart shapes were found...

one was a little too realistic.

Note the large 'horn corral' fossil too.

This is the start of the path I take home...

it's just below the garden...over the top of the hill.

I make my way up slowly to the top...

with camera, cellphone, fossils and rocks!

At the top...I pass my favorite Beech tree.

Most of the initials belong to the grandkids!

I make my way home...after I paused to look!

~
With the hot and humid days...

I look for things to do inside.

There's always meals to be cooked...

...biscuits to be baked...

...cucumbers to be sliced and put on almost every plate.

A few desserts were made as well....

zucchini bread with 'some' of that zucchini...

cinnamon rolls for Herhusband

and iced coffee drinks for us to share!

I've also been busy with Mail Art...

which was introduced to me by blogging friend, Delwyn.

This is one I sent to granddaughter Amanda...

who is volunteering in Northern Ireland.

Her younger sister Alivia so misses her.
Amanda will be home later in the month.

Herhusband placed an unofficial mailbox

on the path between our houses.....

that's where I leave a few letters for Alivia.

Yesterday...

a letter from Delwyn came for her too.

On my way to place them in the box...

I saw the two fawns...who saw me too!

They stood very still!

After secretly calling Alivia's mom....

I hid behind the clump of trees where the deer had been.

I waited for Alivia to check for mail.

After putting the flag down...she ran off...

excited and yelling to her mom.

Alivia had a special day!

This evening...I was shown what was inside.

What a Surprise!

Stickers and cards.....and a long letter

for her to read!

I've received a few letters myself...from Alivia!

Even a gift once...which was a big surprise for me!

I still like surprises!

Solar Powered


Alivia knows I love flowers...especially wild ones...

like these Rose Gentians in the field.

They keep popping up all over...

along with the Black-eyed Susans....

....and other odd things I find....

~

like this...

shedded snake skin...I found in the field!

Look closely...I see a heart shape!...Did you?

After reading this...

I hope you Still come by...

for posts that I do Later!

♥....Wanda