Kat's Corner

Walking on Horah Road in winter; southern seasons. Part 1.

2012-02-19T11:48:00.000-05:00

We went for a walk on Horah Road and of course,

I took along my trusty Fuji.

Come along and see.

I took lots of pictures,

I will share the rest next time.

Cheers,

Kat

Winter walking in the Southern Woods, Feb 2012.

2012-02-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

We went for a walk in the woods.

The temperature was mild,

the day was lovely.

See for yourself.

Cheers,

Kat

Wordless Wednesday.

2012-02-01T06:55:00.000-05:00

Sunday Morning Luxury, we all deserve a treat.

2012-01-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

I have homework to do this morning,

and a lovely breakfast to eat.

I feel quite indulged.

I would like to share one of my favorite indulgences with you.

Alistair, from Scotland, writes the most wonderful blog.

His posts might be anything from a rant about politics to the history of his Father's RAF Squadron.

He makes every subject enjoyable.

He really is an amazing writer.

This morning, his post is a short poem from Star Trek Next Generation,

You can see it Here .

It reminded me of his earlier posts on one of my favorite subjects,

so take a step back in time and read what he has to say about his favorite felines.

Crivens Jings and help Ma Blog cat posts

Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Kat

This one is for the cats.

2012-01-21T19:56:00.000-05:00

Guest Photographer, (My Sweet Husband) Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T07:26:00.000-05:00

More reasons to love living in the south.

2012-01-15T15:04:00.000-05:00

Winter here, is usually pretty mild.

We might get snow in January or February,

but it never lasts.

None so far this year.

What we do have right now is...

Daffodils

My Sweet Husband found these blooming in the yard already.

Since we were expecting frost,

he brought them in for me.

Last year they bloomed in snow.

Purple Pansies,

We planted pansies in the fall.

These always remind me of a song I learned in Sunday School.

The song was about "little purple pansies" being a drop of gladness.

They were my Mom's favorite flower.

Don't they just make you smile.

Yellow Pansy

We have yellow pansies too.

They are quite hardy.

Our temperature got down around 20 degrees F the other night,

the pansies did not seem to mind.

Yellow and White Daffodil

We also rehabilitated an old garden area in the front yard this fall.

I spent hours on my knees clearing the area.

Then I planted bulbs that had been uncovered by work in other areas of the yard.

There are only a few blooming so far,

but as you can see, well worth the effort.

I took this photo at twilight,

I love the way the late evening sun shines through it.

New Garden Area

This is a view of the entire area.

I was not sure how well the bulbs would do as the tree in the center is a young oak.

Some plants will not grow under an oak.

Mary in Camellias

We have three different types of Camellias.

Two are blooming right now.

I love the way this one seems to be blooming just for her.

Large Camellia

Smaller Camellia

This one is smaller and more like a rose.

One way to tell the difference,

Camellias have no perfume.

Another difference is in the plant and leaves.

These bushes are at least eight feet tall.

Frost Bitten Camellia

We have not escaped winter,

Some camellias opened at the wrong time.

This one did not survive the cold.

Frost Bitten Buds

Here are two of the smaller ones that did not make it.

Camellia Buds Waiting to Open

Not to worry,

The bushes are still full of these.

Paper whites

Remember the Paper whites from the last post?

Here is a last view.

As you can see, the flowers are almost gone from this year.

We will plant them out in the new garden area out front with the daffodils.

Then we will have blooms again next year.

Hope your winter has plenty of bright moments so far,

and I hope your homes are as warm and happy

as mine is right now.

Cheers,

Kat

Wordless Wednedsday

2012-01-11T05:34:00.000-05:00

"Running from the cat'

By Random Czar

(Wordless, but turn on your sound)

Christmas Gift.

2012-01-08T13:58:00.001-05:00

Since the intended recipient has finally unwrapped their Christmas presents, I can show you one of the things I made for a friend.

Now what? Changes.

2012-01-06T12:16:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I posted.

The last few months have been quite busy.

Let me start with the beginning.

Paper White Narcissus Bulbs

I usually try to keep anything that is less than positive off this blog.

This is my happy place.

However, I need to explain a little of the bad stuff to get to the good stuff.

Paper White Narcissus 2
Several months ago, I left my job.
Finding a new job turned out to be more difficult than I expected.
In November, I finally succeeded and started in the middle of the month.

Paper White Narcissus 3

The new job requires a long commute,

and lots of changes.

Paper White Narcissus in full bloom
Now the good stuff
My new job is so very much worth it!
I am working with a bunch of great nurses who have made me feel welcome
and once again, I feel like I am doing the kind of job a nurse is supposed to do.
My Sweet Husband has been the very best support through out this whole thing.
Whether you realize it or not, your friendship and support has made it easier to get past the rough patches too.
I am still in school and my new job requires lots of hours,
but hopefully, I should be back to normal with posting from here.

Winter tree
So now for the regularly scheduled
(although a little late) post.

Christmas colored boat
Since our extended family could not make it home for Christmas,
My Sweet Husband decided we needed
a little road trip.

Kitty teapot
(It is probably a good thing this shop was closed,
I really don't need another teapot, but isn't it cute?)
We went to Savannah Georgia for Christmas eve and Christmas day.

Savannah Squirrel
Savannah's squirrels are not camera shy.
This one was having a lovely time.

This is what he was climbing in.
Savannah is roughly a four hour drive from our home,
but the climate is milder.
It is a great place for a short winter break.

Lighted Fountain in Savannah Square

Our hotel was located downtown so we were able to walk around and look at lights.

Jingle Bell Church

Savannah Unitarian Church

The song Jingle Bells, was written by the minister of this church long ago.

We attended the Christmas eve candle light service.

It was lovely, as expected.

We have been there several times before and are always welcome.

Christmas lights on another Savannah Square
We walked around before and after the service.

Christmas Eve in Savannah

More Lights

Hope your holiday was as lovely as mine.
Thanks for sticking with me.
Cheers,
Kat

Time Warp Tuesday

2011-12-13T06:54:00.000-05:00

"And now, for something completely different" as Monty Python used to say.

OK, admit it,

how many of you are big kids?

I took a quick trip back in time the other day,

to watch

Donald Duck's Christmas on YouTube.

I can't remember how to embed the actual video here, but the link should work.

For some reason, this version is subtitled in German.

When you are done watching this one,

(it takes less than 10 minutes and will brighten your day)

Take a peak at this list

About.Com Free Christmas Movies

I have been watching them while I Iron.

They do take me back in time.

Next post will be more the usual.

But I really wanted to share these with you.

Let me know what you think,

Hope it makes you all smile.

Cheers,

Kat, and Spontaneous

Contest winner, and one happy cat.

2011-12-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

Corner of Cat's Mind: What kind of nip do you grow down there in the South? Just a quick note about the contest I held last month. I took pictures of the prizes so I could show you. I wanted to wait till the winner, Catherine, received the package so she would be surprised.

She posted about the prize on her blog and her post is just to cute! So follow the link above and I will let Catherine tell you about it.

Short post

2011-11-28T06:06:00.001-05:00

I have had a lovely busy weekend. We did not go anywhere exciting, just stayed home and concentrated on the important things. Hope you enjoyed your weekend too.
Cheers,
Kat

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T19:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We have been quite busy around here.

We cleared this area,

and added the rock garden.

We planted lots of bulbs around this tree.

Can you believe we still have tadpoles?

If you look close where the arrow is you can see him under the reflected leaves.

The inset is focused a little more on him.

This is the tree that was reflected in the last picture.

I took these just a few days ago,

yet nearly every leaf has fallen from this tree now.

The barn,

The dogwood tree at it's autumn peak.

It has lost nearly every leaf too.

Look at all those leaves!

We get some particularly spectacular sunsets this time of year.

We have much to be thankful for here.

Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!

Cheers,

Kat

Oops, one more look at last summer.

2011-11-19T12:14:00.000-05:00

I was looking through all the pictures on my computer,

(there are probably way too many)

when I realized, I had not posted these.

So, since it is much cooler and a little overcast here today

and since some of you are already into winter,

I decided to post one more look at Summer in the South.

(These pictures were taken several months ago, it is not that green right now.)

Yellow Summer Flowers,

Doesn't looking at this just warm you up?

This one looks exotic.

I love the macro.

Busy Bee.

Oh summer, I miss you already.

Baby Black Bear up a tree.

OK, have you ever been told,

that if you are chased by a bear,

you should climb a tree?

Mama Bear,

This just goes to show,

climbing a tree will not slow down a black bear.

There were actually two cubs up there but I could not get

both in one shot.

Mama and Baby eating acorns,

Apparently they like acorns,

No worries,

I was using the zoom lens,

these guys were way up in the tree tops.

At one point, Mama Bear started to climb down,

the people below moved very fast getting away from the tree.

(Me included)

Later that day.

Why am I wearing this funny hat and why am I grinning so hard?

Navitat Zip Lines,

Now those of you who know me, will remember,

that I am afraid of heights.

I refuse to let that stop me.

When I was in the Air Force, I knew that being afraid of heights could cost my career,

so I went where I had to and did not let anyone know.

(You would not believe how high up the light on the tail of an aircraft can be.)

Sara, one of our guides, hooking up my Sweet Husband's harness.

I asked him to go first.

There he goes, he took right to it.

I'm going where?

and I am doing what?

Zipping is a rush! I had a blast.

This rope bridge was much scarier for some reason.

I was petrified all the way across.

I did not stop to take pictures!

I did it!

I did it several times!

I want to do it again!

Yes, I am nuts!

IT WAS FUN.

Want to join me next summer?

As I post this morning,

I am sitting in front of a lovely warm fire

and listening to Christmas music.

I don't really miss summer,

I am enjoying my autumn too much.

Have a lovely weekend,

Kat

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T06:42:00.001-05:00

I am a very lucky girl!

Getting ready for winter.

2011-11-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy week around here.

We have been working on the garden,

My Sweet husband is almost done with the last mowing of the season

and I have been putting in bulbs for spring.

We even picked up another load of wood to season for later.

Elm

The Barn,

as you can see, I did take time for a few photos.

Early Moon rise

This vine provides a nice decorative touch to the fence post.

Color in the woods,

Just down the road aways,

Mushrooms playing peek-a-boo with each other,

see the one underneath?

Isn't it lovely here?

Hope you are ready for winter,

it is on its way.

Kat

Thankful Thursday, with cats.

2011-11-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

We went to the Cotton States Cat Club Show near Atlanta

not long ago and I promised more pictures.

Their theme was "Purrfect Holidays"

A sign near the adoptable kitties said

"Home for the Holidays"

Since this is Thankful Thursday,

and I have so much to be Thankful for,

I thought I would let the cats illustrate for me.

I am thankful for my lovely family,

and a cozy place to play,

I am thankful to have someone who's touch makes me smile,

I'm thankful that there are so many interesting things in this world,

and for my Sisters,

I'm thankful for fresh water,

my health,

Like this kitty here who knocked over his number at the judges arena,

I am thankful to be more than just a number,

I'm thankful that someone loves me,

even when I am grumpy,

and for my lovely hair,

(mine isn't quite this curly)

I'm thankful for all the tasty things,

and for a good nights sleep,

for you,

and for all of the lovely blogs that I read regularly,

Have a Purrfect day,

Kat

Sneak Peak!

2011-11-05T20:55:00.000-04:00

We just got home from a day trip to Atlanta!

Guess what we did while we were there?

Here is a sneak peak.

We played peek-a-boo

We met Whit.

We saw some sweet little faces.

(You know this little guy is pleading innocent).

We watched belly rolls.

And we met Jon Ti Twilight.

(What is he thinking about?)

Beautiful!

I will post much more soon,

(I have 239 pictures so I have got to weed through them a little)

Cheers,

Kat

p.s. if you were at the cat show and any of theses kitties are yours,

send me an email and I will gladly email you copies of the photos.

akatscorner @aol.com

Thankful thursday, and the winner is......

2011-11-03T09:41:00.000-04:00

First thing,

the contest results.

There were lots of entries

Waiting for the drawing.

My Sweet Husband was busy first thing this morning.

Pizza!

I talked him into pulling the winning name for me while the dough is rising.

and the winner is....

Catherine from Corner of Cat's Mind

She has a beautiful blog so stop by and congratulate her.

As for the rest of you,

Thank you!

It was fun.

I will have Catherine's prize ready to go off next week.

Shall I show whats in the package before it goes?

On another note, a couple of people wondered what the red was on the decorated tree in my last post.

It is leaves, there is some sort of vine growing up there.

Quite pretty.

Now for the Thankful Thursday part.

I have many things to be thankful for this November,

(The lovely Southwestern Style Pizza is one of them)

My Sweet Husband has to be at the top of the list!

My family

(All of you!)

Our cozy home,

Firewood for the fireplace,

Friends near and far,

My cameras ,

(but of course)

and Spontaneous!

I included her as family up above, but she wants a mention of her own.

What are you thankful for?

Stay warm and cozy,

Kat

2011-11-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

Just a short post

today is the last day to enter the contest.

One of the trees out back is decorated for fall,

Mushrooms in the woods nearby

Tiny yellow flowers,

yes, they are still in bloom.

Miniature Daises.

There are three easy ways to enter the contest.

1. Follow me,

2. If you are already a follower, leave me a comment,

(You can comment on any post between now and Wednesday, I will give one entry per comment)

3. If you do not wish to follow or leave a comment,

send an email too

akatscorner@aol.com

tell me what you think.

I will announce the lucky winner Thursday or Friday.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T19:33:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I just could not resist posting a few pictures.

It was a very chilly morning so we had the first fire of the season.

(We have been ready for awhile)

Can't have Halloween without our Witch.

And a spooky black cat,

A glowing jack-o-lantern,

What's this, a ghost in the yard?

Have a spooktacular evening!

Kat

p.s. the contest runs till Wednesday, scroll down to the previous post for the rules.

Cat Napping

2011-10-30T19:20:00.001-04:00

All this talk about contests,

gave Spontaneous an idea.

She is entering a cat napping contest at

Kats Kats News

(There sure seem so be a lot of cat lovers out there named Kat).

I think she has an excellent chance.

Don't forget, my contest goes till next Wednesday.

You can follow me,

leave me a comment,

or send me an email.

Have a great Nap,

Kat

Spontaneous

Day trip part three, produce stands and home. Contest!

2011-10-29T10:12:00.001-04:00

Almost forgot,

we stopped for a picnic lunch before our walk on Heintooga Round Bottom Road

(Don't you just love that name)

We had home made bran muffins with peanut butter.

We headed home after our lovely walk.

We stopped at a produce stand on the way back down the mountain.

Isn't this a great harvest display?

There are several stands and each is a little different.

They have beautiful pumpkins

Some with nice twisty stems.

An assortment of gourds.

Some of these are quite fantastic.

There were several different kinds of apples on offer.

We bought some King Lush,

and some Arkansaw Black apples.

They are organically grown.

They were selling several kinds of grapes too and you could smell them.

Inside the place is an antique / stuff store.

It is choc-a-block with things.

Here we have an old telephone,

a fire truck peddle car,

and gallons of cider.

Anyone need an old mountain still?

Just look at this place,

my Mom would have loved it!

A display of canning jars on window shelves.

One of the kind gentlemen working at the stand saw me taking photos

and suggested I walk around out back.

This is the view.

From a different angle.

This old sign sits out back.

Notice the bird with twirly wings on top?

Just so you know,

I could go for everything on the sign,

except the boiled peanuts.

No thank you!

The last bit of enjoyment for the trip?

German apple pancake made from the King Lush and Arkansas Black apples.

Guess what I am having for breakfast this morning?

Don't forget the contest folks,

It goes till next Wednesday.

I really would like to know who looks at my posts,

and what you think of them.

There are three easy ways to enter the contest.

1. Follow me,

2. If you are already a follower, leave me a comment,

(You can comment on any post between now and Wednesday, I will give one entry per comment)

3. If you do not wish to follow or leave a comment,

send an email too

akatscorner@aol.com

tell me what you think.

Can't wait to hear from you,

Cheers,

Kat

Day trip part 2, awesome autumn, 300th post and a contest.

2011-10-27T11:12:00.002-04:00

Since this is my 300th post,

I figured it should be a special one.

I think this set of photos is one of the best I have ever posted,

I hope you will agree.

Sit back and enjoy the walk,

can't you just hear the crunching leaves?

when we are done, I will tell you all about my contest.

Heintooga Round Bottom Road

This is one of our favorite places to walk at any time of year.

I have posted photos from here before.

It is located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway

and it has to be one of the most beautiful places to look for Autumn.

Here you can see why they call it the Blue Ridge.

I took this one on the way to Heintooga, but it was too pretty not to share.

When we called before scheduling our trip,

the nice lady told us that the leaves were not as good this year

because the recent storms brought many leaves down early.

I do not agree with her.

Everywhere you look,

there is beauty.

My Sweet Husband agrees with me.

Where the trees are bare,

it just provides contrast.

See what I mean?

In this case,

Nature is the poet.

We have driven this road,

but usually we just park either at the top,

or if we have time along the way.

Then we walk,

(not the entire 14 miles!)

Awesome,

When was the last time you really thought about the meaning of the word "Awesome".

It is for something that literally fills you with Awe.

(Did you notice, the leaf in flight)

Yellow.

Gold.

Branches to frame the scenery.

What will we see just around this bend,

and the next one.

It just keeps getting better.

A crown of glory!

Orange.

Hillside color.

A little higher up.

Early evening shadows.

Evening color.

Looking up.

Looking into the distance.

Autumn Red.

With all these photos,

I still need to post one more blog to cover that glorious day.

I promised to tell you about the contest.

I want to see who all is reading my blog.

This is a very simple contest,

all you have to do to enter is follow me.

If, you are already a follower,

just leave a comment on either this post or any subsequent posts between now and next Wednesday.

If you comment on more than one post,

I will give you an extra entry.

There will be a prize package.

I am not going to tell you what is in it yet,

but I think you will like it.

Spontaneous won't tell me what she thinks of this idea,

She is busy.

Cheers,

Kat

Don't forget to enter by next Wednesday.

Autumn day trip.

2011-10-22T12:03:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, living in the country offers surprises.

The other morning

(well actually a week or so ago, but I am getting a little behind)

I walked past the kitchen window

I say something not right out of the corner of my eye.

I stepped back and looked again,

sure enough, something was not right.

The big old oak behind the house lost a limb.

You can see it here in front of the elm.

It is as big as some trees.

Here you can see where it broke off.

The limb is much to big for us to move.

We will have to have our "tree guy" out.

Now we return to our regularly scheduled blog post.

All Aboard!

The Great Smokey Mountain Railway.

Part one of our day trip to the mountains.

Any tour of the South should include a bit of Kudzu.

Fontana Lake as seen from the train.

Our train stopped at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

(Remember our rafting trip last year?)

Duck.

My Traveling Companion.

Going round the bend....

Doesn't this place just inspire stories?

Seen from the window as the train went by.

I will close with that for now.

Hope you enjoyed the ride.

Next Stop,

Harvest goodies and a walk in the mountains.

Cheers,

Kat

A Fair Deal.

2011-10-19T16:11:00.000-04:00

The South Carolina State Fair is going on right now.

Military members and their families get in free.

You can't find a more Fair Deal than that.

(Couldn't resist)

We arrived at lunch time so we decided to hit the food area first.

Oh my goodness,

I see junk food, everywhere.

Some of it looks pretty good,

but I really don't need the extra sugar.

I found a stand selling Greek Gyros.

It was excellent.

I thought they were kidding,

Nope, they really do sell fresh fried butter.

Heart attack anyone?

This little ride is right next to all that junk food.

Looks like a bad combination to me but

the kids on board seemed to enjoy it.

Is that a hat,

or an amusement park?

I think the best part of the fair,

is the entries in different categories.

Handicrafts,

Guess which quilt is my favorite.

I always manage to find a cat.

Fancy cake decorating.

I love this tree house.

There were plenty of imaginative cakes including

an ice barrel with bottles of beer sticking out.

there were some true works of art.

Unfortunately they were behind glass and poorly lit

you will have to use your imagination.

The pie competition looked mighty tasty too.

I do think my Sweet Husband makes much better looking crusts though.

Someone had a brilliant idea.

In the area with all the cake and pie entries

they set up a cookie stall.

Fresh warm chocolate cookies anyone?

Last but not least in that building

Needlework entries

These Cross Stitches were my favorite

I love the detail but it would take me twenty years to finish one like that.

You can't have a State Fair without animals.

This was a very silly bird.

Phyllis Diller Lives!

(If you don't remember Phyllis Diller, look her up you are in for a treat)

This silly character really liked my camera.

They had a petting zoo complete with a Zebu Steer from India.

Isn't that just the sweetest face?

Paintings and produce.

1954 John Deere Tractor

A couple of artists were building a sand sculpture of the SC State House.

It was pretty impressive,

but I can't help but think it is a bit too much like most government these days.

Mostly for show, not much substance.

There was so much to do

and yes

You could win a giant Jamaican banana.

Had to take a picture of this one.

In honor of a certain relative that I grew up with.

You know who you are.

(I love you anyway big brother.)

Cheers,

Kat

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T16:53:00.000-04:00

Congaree National Park, a Saturday escape.

2011-10-11T15:40:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we decided to take a break.

We went to Congaree National Park.

It is located near Columbia, SC.

Click on the link here Congaree National Park for all the details.

Conagree is a relatively young National Park, it was

designated as a National Natural Landmark in the 1970's,

but has only been a National Park since 2003.

There are plenty of things to do at the park,

We decided to go for a walk on the boardwalk.

It is an easy two mile loop.

Moody and atmospheric,

Especially when you are alone.

Cyprus Knees grow up all around the base of cyprus trees.

See the lumps sticking up?

No worries, I don't beleive it is actually haunted,

but this picture looked so moody,

I could not resist.

It is the season!

Photoshop is fun.

The trees grow in such wierd shapes.

Nature keeps things interesting.

Is it a stray root,

or did someone wander from the path.....

Shelf fungus.

There is so much to see

it is easy to forget to look up.

Surrounded by peaceful beauty.

Just a hint of Autumn Color.

and of course,

you must appriciate the small things too.

A snapping turtle in Weston Lake.

Can you see him, just under the water?

There he is,

I took this with the zoom.

Snapping Turtles bite.

A smaller turtle swimming near by.

We spent a nice little while watching these guys.

Looks like a rendezvous.

Do you think it is romantic?

All good things must come to an end.

We will certainly go back.

This was one of the most peaceful walks,

just what I needed.

The bonus,

we stopped for some groceries on the way home

and were greeted with this when we came out.

Just plain lovely.

Cheers,

Kat

Ten things I like about Autumn.

2011-10-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

I grew up in Northern Utah,

in a town built on the side of the Rocky Mountains.

The leaf season starts earlier there.

Here in the South, the change is much more gradual.

Our leaves are not the vibrant green they were a month ago,

but they are not truly changing yet either.

Our peak leaf season starts later and lasts longer.

I can't wait so I have been digging through photos from previous years.

Here are some of my favorites.

Illistrating 10 things I like about Autumn.

1. The colors.

Green is lovely, but some variety is a treat.

2. The start of snuggle season.

The early mornings are finally cool enough to snuggle.

3. The temperatures.

It isn't really cold, or really hot.

As baby bear would say, "just right".

4. Birds.

We get to see all sorts on their way to warmer places.

5. Long walks in the mountains.

Can't you just hear the leaves crunching?

6. The lighting.

The Autumn sun is a little lower in the sky,

it changes how everything looks.

7. The calm.

Thanksgiving and Christmas with all their joyful chaos are just around the corner,

but I have time to enjoy now first.

8. Tasty treats.

Cooler weather inspires both of us to bake more.

If I get my homework done,

I might have to try that new pumpkin bread recipee.

(I'm a lousy cook, but a great baker)

9. This!

Do I really need to explain it?

10. Change.

Life is about change.

We go from one stage to another,

one year to another,

one season to another.

We might change jobs,

or homes.

We might add members to the family,

or send them off on their own.

Life keeps changing.

You step through the door, and you don't know what is coming.

The seasons are at least predictable.

Hope yours is great.

Kat

Autumn Tasks.

2011-10-04T09:59:00.000-04:00

One of the many things I love about living in this old house,

is using the fireplaces.

Just imagine, a nice cuppa, coffee or tea, I like both as long as it is hot,

a good book, a cozy fire in the fireplace, and a fat happy cat

(Spontaneous likes the fireplace too, unless it starts popping).

It won't matter if the wind blows cold outside,

we are cozy, safe and warm.

Getting to that blissful spot, however, requires hard work.

We start by hauling the appropriate size logs up from the seasoning pile.

Then we cut to size. Our fireplaces like about 16 inches long the best.

He cuts, I stabilize the wood.

This is a pile of hard wood from earlier in the year.

Today we are working on soft woods. We burn a little of each.

The soft woods are better to get the fire going,

or when you are almost ready to let it go out, but not quite.

Once the fire is going well, the hard woods will keep it that way longer.

Here is our new pile.

Pretty isn't it?

I feel comfortable just looking at it.

There is a lovely sense of accomplishment sitting on that pallet.

Let the cold winds blow.

For this morning, my Sweet Husband has the coffee ready.

This stretching kitty scoop was a present from him several years ago.

Doesn't it just say "Good Morning"?

Now a big Stretch,

my cuppa coffee,

and homework....

As of today, the break is over,

I am back in school.

Once it gets just a little cooler,

even homework won't seem so bad,

in front of that lovely fire.

Cheers,

Kat

The last pictures from September in the South.

2011-10-01T14:57:00.000-04:00

We went for a long walk in the woods yesterday.

The last day of September.

The lighting is just right,

it seems to suit my wistful mood.

I am so glad to see fall arriving,

the temperatures are just right,

but I will miss the green.

A few leaves have fallen on the water,

but you can still see the reflection of green from above.

Summer is reluctant to leave,

I think she likes it here.

A typical back road.

This is one of our walking roads, quite close to the house.

I wonder who else has used this road,

did it play a part in history?

So peaceful now.

See the red dirt on the hillside?

The bricks used to in building our foundation, fireplaces and chimneys

were made on site from the local clay.

We stopped to take these pretty sunset skies when we were on the way home from the grocery store a few days ago. I love the pink!

If, however, you want to see some truly beautiful sunset shots,

Have a look at Zuzana's blog, Life Through Reflections.

Hers took my breath away.

The local dogwoods are starting to look quite festive.

Ever the proud fashionistas, they are the first to turn in the fall.

They will be one of the first to turn green in the spring.

can you see the little red berries too?

The woods will be full of color soon,

this is our season preview.

Unfortunately, this lovely Oak tree is not changing for fall,

It is dying. There are some green branches, but most are gone.

This one is right by the house,

I hope we don't lose the others too.

Earlier this week, I was walking back from the mail box,

thinking to myself, about the woes of the world,

and this lovely soul flew right past my nose.

It got my attention, then posed for it's picture,

pretty as you please.

It is dressed in seasonal colors too!

One blogging friend looked at the tarantula, toad and lizard pictures I posted recently,

and asked if I lived near a swamp.

Nope, I don't, I do however live in a national forest.

Our nearest neighbors, are the wild things that share the woods with us.

So, when I say some of my neighbors are Turkeys,

I am not being unkind.

I took this one through the window on the back door,

There were six in the flock, I got four in this picture.

I got a little closer for this one, but there are only two turkeys in the shot.

They are quite safe from me,

I do enjoy left over turkey sandwiches,

and the Turkey Curry my Sweet Husband makes for me

is BLISS.

These guys don't need to worry though, we prefer store bought turkey,

not as cute, and much less work.

Hope you are having a lovely peaceful weekend.

Cheers,

Kat

Autumn, memories, cloudy skies, and the Indigo Girls.

2011-09-25T19:10:00.000-04:00

We made an early morning trip to Augusta, GA not long ago.

The clouds were so dramatic, I had to take pictures.

We get amazing sunsets this time of year too,

but those picture are for another post.

Dark and cloudy skies.

I used to say that spring was my favorite season,

I love the feeling of new life after a long cold winter.

I love the flowers and the warmth.

I love how so many people seem to warm up in the spring too, they are friendlier.

I love how fresh and green everything seems to be.

I love being able to get outside without bundling up.

Still dark, but you can see the silver lining.

Fall comes after a long hot summer, and I am more than ready for the change.

Our trees transform themselves gradually, so at this point, there are a few hints of color.

There is still a lot of green, but the change has begun.

A little more blue in this picture.

My Parents place had apple trees (2 kinds), plum trees (3 kinds), grapes (white and red),

a pear tree, and a walnut tree.

There were red current bushes, rhubarb, and black caps (large black berries).

We usually had a vegetable garden as well.

Autumn meant harvesting all of that and preserving it for the winter.

I come from a big happy family and I have so many happy memories

of the work, and the lovely things we made.

My Father was interested in Organic Gardening, I don't think he ever called it that.

It was just the way things should be done (he was born in 1914 and raised on a farm).

He took great pride in how little we wasted. We made jams and jellies, we dried fruit.

Mom made her own soup mix of dried vegetables.

We even made our own fruit leather and my Father made wine.

In the fall, we all came together to get the work done.

The skies are clearing, a little.

When my children were small, I made all their Halloween costumes.

I had to get enthusiastic about the project early in the season, or they would not be done on time

(although, I will admit to putting in the last few stitches right before they headed out the door a few times).

I used to make most of the Christmas presents for our extended family, Christmas decorations too.

I have a box with Halloween and Christmas magazines that I have saved for inspirations.

Each year, when the weather starts to cool, and the grocery stores put out their Halloween displays,

(usually around mid September in this area), my Sweet Husband, brings the box down from the attic.

My parents are gone and the rest of us do not exchange gifts anymore

so I don't have my old excuses for frenzied crafting. I still enjoy the magazines.

Early morning over the lake.

For me "The Holidays" start with Halloween. Why wait clear till Thanksgiving?

An unusual cloud formation, notice the disk at the top?

Autumn here in the south has much to recommend it.

The temperatures are much milder.

We use the air conditioning rarely, and we don't need the heat yet either.

I am looking forward to using the fireplaces. We have a stack of wood from last year ready.

Soon we will go pick up another load. Did I mention that I love the smell of the wood,

and how nice it looks all neatly stacked?

Fluffy clouds and blue skies.

Spring is lovely, but you know that all the work of summer is just around the corner.

These big old places are labor intensive, most of the work gets done when the weather is hot.

When spring comes, I will be excited.

I will anxiously wait the end of winter, and photograph every sign of new growth.

Right now, I am enjoying fall.

So, yes, I am a fan of Halloween, and everything else the season brings.

Early evening, side view from our front porch.

"Southland in the Springtime" by the Indigo Girls, is one of my favorite songs,

but they did not get it quite right. Autumn is the best time of year in the South.

I will post pictures as the season progresses.

Cheers,

Kat

Chilean Rose, corrected post.

2011-09-22T08:59:00.002-04:00

OOPS!
I got two spiders mixed up.
This lovely gentleman belongs to a good friend of mine. His name is Migi. He wants to know why I didn't include him in last post. My friend has two tarantulas, Migi, and Kashmir. This is Migi, he is indeed a Chilean Rose, but they are not dangerous. Kashmir is a different sort of tarantula and he is very dangerous.
Since Migi, is safer, and less afraid of people, it is easy to get great photos of him.
Kashmir, is camera shy.

I would not recommend messing with any spider, unless you KNOW it is ok to do so.
While your at it, try not to harm them either, they are natures pest controllers.

13 Frightening Creatures.

2011-09-20T19:51:00.000-04:00

In keeping with the Halloween "Spirit".

I decided to share some of the Frightening Creatures that live around us.

You might not want to look late at night or when you are alone.....

1. This was one of the residents in the house.

I evicted him carefully. I must admit, we allow a few of the polite ones to stay.

Polite means they stay in out of the way corners and eat other bugs.

Spontaneous helps to ensure they stay out of the way.

She is a mighty hunter.

It also implies that they do not invite all their friends to the party.

This part of the world is full of natural pests and since neither my Sweet Husband or myself like the idea of using poisons in the house (unless absolutely necessary) we take advantage of Mothers Natures Pest Controllers.

2. The Daddy Long Legs.

This guy is about four inches from end or leg to end of leg.

He was hunting bugs on our side porch.

3. This one looks even more frightening.

He was up on the Blue Ridge last summer.

4. I will call this a silver spider.

You may recognize him from yesterday's post.

5. Here is his web.

6. This one is busy keeping the mosquitos away from our porch.

7. Little green snake.

8. Black snake. See how he climbs?

This guy loves to eat mice before they get into the house.

9. Another black snake.

10. I know, this little guy does not look scary at all.

I think he is kind of cute.

He eats lots of bugs.

This one lived in a flower pot on the porch steps for quite a while.

11. This Toad looks a little more frightning.

Actually, I think he looks a little grumpy.

12. This little lizzard changes color depending on where he is hanging out.

They frequently show up as bright green.

My Mom would dance a little dance and run if she saw them.

13. Lizzard. This little monster looks prehistoric.

That is what we call them.

I have no idea what the proper names are for all of these guys.

They may be frightening to some, but I think they are just misunderstood.

What do you think?

Which one is the scariest?

Cutest?

What are you afraid of?

Cheers,

Kat

Spooky stuff.

2011-09-17T10:26:00.000-04:00

It is chilly this morning.

Most of the leaves are still green,

but fall is in the air.

I have been redecorating the blog and playing with Photoshop.

Just dropping by,

Come on in,

Don't you just expect the Wolfman to jump out of this one?

Anyone else getting in the mood for Halloween?

Cheers,

Kat

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T07:03:00.001-04:00

30 years ago today.

2011-09-09T20:59:00.000-04:00

Thirty years ago today,

Chris married Nick

and my life changed.

I met my Sweet Husband at their wedding.

I am a lucky girl.

He still likes me!

(no, that is not what I wore to the wedding, but it is what I looked like back then)

Cheers,

Kat

Getting in shape.

2011-09-08T20:25:00.000-04:00

We think Miss Spontaneous is a fine figure of a cat,

however, the vet thinks she would be more comfortable,

and healthier, if she were,

shall we say,

well, not so much.

She is posing to show you that she is making a little progress.

There is still a whole lot of kitty there.

Especially when you compare her to this photo.

This is what our Sweetie looked like before she came to live with us.

She is a bundle of love at any size.

The Vet put her on a diet, any suggestions for exercises?

Cheers,

Kat

Just a little color.

2011-09-04T07:42:00.001-04:00

We had a colorful early morning visitor.

He joined us while we had tea on the porch.

I offered him some tea, but he prefers flies.

We try to encourage these guys because they are cute,

and they eat bugs.

When we were through with our tea,

I walked down to the mail box.

We are starting to see a little color in our leaves.

A little yellow.

Are your leaves changing?

Cheers,

Kat

What to do with that last little bit of Summer.

2011-09-01T19:06:00.000-04:00

September is finally here!

The beginning of one of the best times of year.

I am glad to see summer go,

but as a gift for my Northern friends, I saved the last bit here.

Enjoy,

Kat

Savoring Summer.

2011-08-31T21:01:00.000-04:00

The leaves are starting to look a little crisper,

and the mornings are just a little cooler.

Autumn is just around the corner.

Before it arrives,

I want to savor summer just a little longer.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

Cheers,

Kat

Summer fun.

2011-08-28T18:17:00.000-04:00

My Sweet Husband had a great idea.

We took my Tacoma up to haul the tubes.

It is a comfy little pickup truck.

Just look at him, can you imagine how peaceful this is?

There were a lot of other people with the same idea,

that is OK, it is a big river.

It is really hard to stay stressed when you are out playing with someone special.

It is good to be a kid!

We did this last summer too, but I did not get any photos.

This year I decided I better, so I can share.

Hope you find a little time to play too.

Cheers,

Kat

Cat Talk Time Challenge from Zoolatry

2011-08-23T11:29:00.000-04:00

I am participating in a challenge today from Zoolatry.

In their own words,

"Cats are very expressive. And in our years of pet blogging, we've found that theirhumans are very expressive, too! So we're putting out a challenge to one and all, just a furry-fun event, for Tuesday August 23 ~ on your blog, just post your favorite, clever, old, new, unusual, humorous cat talk. We were recently introduced to some new cat talk ~ "whisker humps". Of course, there's "tail wags", and "chin scritches"and so many more. And when it comes to the humans, well ... we've heard beans,and bipeds, and food purrsons. And let's not forget the famous MOL. So, that's theCat Talk Time Challenge ~ get wordy, creatively wordy ~ and if you can show a photo that goes with your "talk", that's even better! No prizes, no awards, just a wholelotta fun".

Spontaneous is a very vocal (and extremely intelligent) Kitty.

Here is her entry.

Serenading for Supper.

She is very fond of "F - I - S - H"

If Supper is "F - I - S - H" (I can't say it unless I am about to provide it),

Then this is the usual result.

Purrnapping.

If you want to see more intelligent Kitties and hear what they have to say,

stop by Zoolatry .

It will make you smile.

Cheers,

Kat

Guest photographer.

2011-08-22T12:52:00.000-04:00

We have a guest photographer today.

My Sweet Husband took these photos the other morning.

They are simply beautiful.

Cheers,

Kat

Bele Chere July 29, 2011.

2011-08-19T13:58:00.000-04:00

I am still playing catch up with my posts here.

We went to Asheville, NC for Bele Chere on July 29th.

Bele Chere is a free street festival featuring music, art, crafts, music, dance and lots of great food.

The town of Asheville itself is one of our favorite places to visit, Bele Chere just makes it even more so.

The first picture, above, is inside one of my favorite bookstores, Malaprop's.

Don't you just love the sign up on the shelf?

I think it is a great idea, bet it works too.

Would you leave a small child unattended here?

One of our favorite stops!

The Chocolate Fetish Shop.

The truffles are HEAVENLY, and the shop is full of fun things made from chocolate.

The beach scene above is an example, even the sand is edible.

The chocolate fetish blog

Another favorite stop is Kilwin's.

They make lovely fudge and ice cream.

The waffle bowls are very good and they hold lots of ice cream.

My Sweet Husband went for Triple chocolate and a scoop of cherry,

I had Triple chocolate and a scoop of Key Lime (great combination).

We did eat some healthy things while we were there.

My Sweet Husband found us some very good fresh organic tomatoes to go with our lunch

and dinner was from an Indian Food Vendor in the food court (it smelled so good, I forgot to take a picture).

Daniel C. Williams and Son

Playing their Woodrow Stringed Instruments.

Small, portable, handmade, sounds great and looks easy to play.

The woodrow

Check them out.

A selection of their instruments.

WNCW is our favorite radio station. They play a good variety including everything from Grateful Dead, to Bob Marley with Blue Grass, Jazz, old Rock and Celtic mixed in.

If you are too far away to pick up the station, you can listen to them on line too.

Lots of people,

Crowds everywhere.

They all seemed to be smiling and laughing.

We were too.

One of four outdoor stages set up around town for the festival.

There were Buskers of every type too.

Found me a new hat!

At the end of the day, even the squirrels looked worn out.

This guy found a cool spot to catch his breath.

We had a lovely day.

Cheers,

Kat

Computer problems and Phoenix Arizona.

2011-08-15T05:03:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I posted.

We have been without internet at home for just over a week.

My sweet husband was working on the computer, and it went out.

Just like that.

We found out later that the router and modem were also out.

Whichever one went first took the rest out with it.

As of yesterday evening, wi-fi is back up and we are in touch with the world once again!

Yeah! You really don't realize how much you rely on something,

till it is gone.

>^,,^<
o

and now, for our long awaited, regularly scheduled post.

Phoenix, Arizona

We spent a week in Phoenix last month.

These palms are right in the center of town.
Our hotel was within easy walking distance of Chase Field
so we watched the Arizona Diamond Backs vs Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers won,,, oh well, it was fun.

Cacti in the desert near by.
We also went on several long drives to explore the surrounding area.

It was quite warm, but really not too bad.

No humidity!
Lots of color.

Wildflowers.

This place is called Montezuma's Castle.

It is a pretty amazing old Native American cliff dwelling.

The birds are the only ones who live there now.

Mullin plants on the Mogollon Rim Road.

We spent one beautiful day driving up here.

Another Mogollon Rim view.

What a pretty road!

My Sweet Hubby and I.

Bell Rock Pathway.

Awesome Color!

Our lunchtime oasis.

Pink jeep.

Sunset ans Saguaro.
Typical Arizona shot, I could not resist.
It sure is nice to be back in touch.
Cheers,
Kat

Time travel for Thursday.

2011-07-28T05:09:00.000-04:00

There now,

don't you feel a little cooler?

Have a great day,

and stay cool.

Kat

Summertime!

2011-07-27T08:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is rather warm out.

But summer has it's charms.

This sunrise for instance.

What a pretty way to start the day (I don't see many of these on my days off).

This lovely tree blooming in my front yard.

We get to see wild baby bunnies.

We watch all sorts of birds,

I believe this is one of our hawks,

but we have turkey buzzards in the area too.

This is where we go to get the mail.

There is an old watering tank on our place.

Right now it is home to two sizes of polliwogs!

Summer brings an interesting assortment of wildflowers.

When it is really hot, and I am really spoiled,

my Sweet Husband pulls out the White Mountain Ice Cream Freezer.

Life is good!

Cheers,

Kat

Beijing Day 9, Summer Palace, Panda Zoo and home.

2011-07-25T13:53:00.000-04:00

This is the last post from our trip to China.
We have been home for quite a while.
I took several hundred pictures, I have some serious scrap booking to do!

The Pandas are stars at the Beijing Zoo.
The habitat in the Panda House are quite nice.
These guys are quite charming.

Apples evidently make a tasty breakfast.

You can't adopt the pandas and bring them home,
but the gift shop has plenty of things they will be more than happy to send with you.
I liked this Tea set, but not enough to carry it home.
I did find a pair of earrings that were much lighter.

An excellent way to view the old section of Beijing.
We took a trishaw tour through the Hutongs.
Fun and interesting. We visited one family,
with our official guide and translator of course.....

Our driver.

This picture is from the Summer Palace.
It is of the long corridor, a covered wooden walkway through gardens and beside a lake.
Every surface is painted. The pictures are works of art in their own right.

This is the walkway's destination.
A marble pleasure boat.
No, it does not float (I had to ask).
Nice place for the Empress to take tea.

One of the pavilions at the Summer Palace.
Who is that handsome man in the center?
My traveling companion!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

We had a great trip.

Next up,

Summer at our place.

Cheers,

Kat

and Now, a break from our regularly scheduled post.

2011-07-17T11:28:00.000-04:00

Beijing Day 8 continued, the Great Wall and the Sacred Way.

2011-07-12T18:09:00.000-04:00

The Great Wall of China is so big, you can see it from outer space.

According to Fodor's Beijing's 25 Best, it was built between the 5th century BC and 16th Century AD.

Like Hadrian's wall in Great Britain, it was built for defense.

The guide book warns of crowding, but we did not have to climb very far to get away from the crowds.

Some portions are quite steep.

My wonderful traveling companion posed for me.

The view is amazing.

The area is so lovely, well worth the effort it took to get there.

You can feel the history.

How many thousands of people have walked here in awe.

Lovely!

We also visited "The Sacred Way".

Our guide book calls it the spirit way, but the guide referred to it as the sacred way.

Translations must be difficult.

This group of vendors was set up outside the entrance.

If you look closely you can see one of them has her mouth wide open,

they were trying to out shout each other to get our attention.

Don't they look silly?

Great entertainment.

The Sacred or Spirit way is a long avenue of willow trees and statues.

It leads to Ming tombs.

A lovely walk, with lots to look at.

Four scenes from the sacred way.

Does that guy on the bottom look familiar?

Here kitty, kitty.

Dinner was Beijing duck.

You may be more familiar with it as Peking duck.

Beijing is the modern name for Peking.

It was very good.

We saw a Kung Fu show after dinner.

I was growled at for taking pictures....

It was fun.

More soon.

Cheers,

Kat

Beijing, Day 7 and 8.

2011-07-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

Beijing was our entry point to the country and our last stop on the trip.

It was also one of the busiest parts of the trip.

It is hard to believe we have been home for almost two months.

Beijing China.

Monks at the Beijing Airport.

Our flight from Xian to Beijing was delayed by several hours.

When we arrived, we went straight to Tian'anmen Square.

This is The Monument to the People's Heroes on Tian'anmen Square.

The building behind it is Chairman Mao Zedong's Mausoleum.

We were there late in the evening. They have two of these giant screen TV's on the square.

Our guide said the pictures and video they are showing are "Beautiful China".

It was very surreal.

When I think of Tian'anmen Square, I think of Communist May Day parades and student riots that ended badly. What we saw was a place where local people gather in the evenings, and tourists, mostly Chinese, come to look.

My Sweet Husband and I are standing in front of the Meridian Gate on the square.

It leads into the forbidden city.

See Mao's portrait behind us?

Seen on Tian'anmen Square.

The military presence is everywhere in China.

After exploring the square, we followed our guide through the gate for a walk through some imperial gardens.

We had dinner at a restraunt inside the gardens,

then off to our hotel for a good nights sleep.

We had another very good breakfast buffet before setting out on our way to the great wall.

We drove past this shop front.

Looks like a Christmas store.

It is hard to tell, but I think the animals along the roof are Lunar Calendar figures.

Do you know your year's animal?

I am a rabbit.

This very unusual building was the site of some Olympic events.

Our guide called it the "Birds Nest".

Another of Beijing's unusual buildings.

This is the Dragon Building.

Can you see the head?

The smaller buildings behind it are meant to be the dragon's humps.

This trycycle is certainly not a toy.

We saw several of these being used like small trucks.

A visit to the Beijing Jade Carving Factory.

Awesome stuff!

Jade Ship.

There were two of these in different parts of the store.

They are about 6 feet from bow to stern.

Tons of detail!

I knew I should have brought a bigger suitcase......

Oh, well, it is probably hard to dust.

Next stop is the Great Wall. I will post those photos soon.

Only a few days worth of pictures left to share.

Cheers,

Kat

Wordless Wednesday, practicing caligraphy.

2011-06-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

Glad to see you!

2011-06-27T10:17:00.000-04:00

O.k. I admit the title is a little corny,

but just look at what is blooming in my yard!

Gladiola!

I still have photos from Beijing to show you, we were there for three days. I will start posting them soon. In the meantime, this photo, I had to share.

Cheers,

Kat

Xian China, Day 6

2011-06-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

Always a welcome sight.

We spent two days in Xian. On the second day we went with the group out to the site where the Terra Cotta Warriors were found. Do you know about the Terra Cotta Warriors? I remember when the find was announced back in the 70's and I have wanted to see them ever since.

The warriors were all broken when the archaeologists first found them.

This picture shows the painstaking work the museum is doing to restore them.

No two are exactly alike, and there are thousands of them.

They are life sized.

If you are intrigued or curios, terra-cotta-warriors is an excellent information site with more pictures.

There are a couple of museums on site, this one features smaller funerary figures from other tombs.

Notice the ladies with the long sleeves? I told you I would show you that again.

Next to the ladies, some acrobats.

These figures range in size from a few inches tall to about three feet high.

We also spent some time at the Shaanxi Provenance Museum.

They have an excellent collection of Chinese art through the centuries.

I particularly liked this one, it is propaganda from the revolutionary era.

While we were at the museum, we had a basic calligraphy lesson.

We also had the opportunity to buy some very nice art.

We passed, although it was difficult.

They have some very aggressive sales people.

(Aggressive sales people seem to be everywhere we went).

At the end of a long day, my Sweet Husband, took me out for dinner.

We walked to the restaurant from our hotel.

Since it is a Mediterranean restaurant, they washed our hands with rose water prior to serving us.

My Sweet Husband at the Azur Mediterranean Restaurant.

Very good food and a lovely way to spend an evening.

Early flight the next morning back to Beijing.

Beijing was our last stop on the trip, we were there for three nights.

This photo was at the Xian airport, no, that is not fog.

Air quality was dreadful.

I will post photos from Beijing soon.

Cheers,

Kat

Wordless Wednesday Summer Retreat (turn sound on)

2011-06-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

Xian China, Day 5.

2011-06-19T16:25:00.000-04:00

We started off our day in Xian with a walk through the area around Small Goose Pagoda.

Playing a ball game in the park. Our guide told us the game is very old, the ladies are playing in modern western clothes.

Xian is an old city. People have lived in this area for over 22,000 years.

The mixture of old and new is a constantly reoccurring theme.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda.

We toured part of the old city wall. This is one of the gates. It is actually two gates separated by an inner courtyard. Invaders who managed to get through the outer gate, could be picked off from above before they could get through the inner gate. This picture gives a good idea of how high these walls are.

The golden stage was set up for a ceremony to be held later in the day. Xian was having an agricultural festival while we were there.

Up on the Xian city wall.

Once again, the old and the new side by side. See the high rises?

The mist you see is not just fog, the air quality in Xian is pretty bad.

That is the only drawback, otherwise I thought it was a wonderful city.

Street food, a grocery store and lots of bustle. This is the Old Muslim quarter of Xian.

I could easily have spent an entire day just here.

All this walking has made us hungry. Tonight, dinner and a show.

A Dumpling Dinner. Top left, the pot for dumpling soup. Top right, fish dumplings.

Many of the dumplings look like their filling. Those on the bottom left are duck, if yo look closely you can see they are shaped like ducks, see the head and necks? Bottom left are baked dumplings, these had a nut filling, they were some of my favorites. The duck and fish dumplings were steamed in bamboo steamers.

Tang Dynasty dance program. This is a traditional Chinese dance that is supposed to be similar to what the Tang Emperors would have watched. Our guide for Xian, Florence (she told us her Chinese name was very difficult so we should call her Florence or Flo) told us we would be treated like Emperors and Empresses during our stay. She was right. (Note the dancers sleeves, they could be extended or retracted by several feet as part of the dance. It sounds silly but it was very graceful. Keep it in mind, you will see it again.)

Another group of dancers. The center one has the long sleeves.

By the end of the show, we were a couple of tired kids so back to our hotel.

Florence was not just talking about our dinner and show. We stayed at the Grand Mercure on Renmin Square. This has to be the poshest hotel I have ever stayed in. Luxury everywhere.

Big soft terry cloth robes and warm fuzzy slippers even waited for us in the room.

The two pictures on the left are of the lobby, the two on the right are of our room.

In the morning, our breakfast buffet lived up to the rest of the hotels standards.

It was lovely and there were a lot of choices.

Very nicely done.

I had to take a photo of the sign, everything was labeled in English and Chinese.

I did try the "Boiled pears with snow fungus and crystal sugar",

they were OK, I expected something more exotic. They were a little too sweet.

For some reason, I did not take a picture of them.

Sorry.

They kind of looked like translucent white stringy noodles.

The question is, would you try something with a name like that?

I promise not to take so long to post the next installment.

Stay tuned,

Kat

Day 4, last full day in Shanghai and an early morning on day 5.

2011-06-10T14:03:00.000-04:00

Breakfast each morning was included. Our Shanghai hotel served an excellent buffet.

The coffee was good and there was plenty of variety.

Shown above, tomatoe juice, a very good croisant, fried noodles, steamed pumpkin, fresh tomatoes, chicken sausage and my favorite discovery, canned Lychee fruit.

After breakfast, the brave explorers had the hotel call us a cab.

They wrote our destination in Chinese and Pinyin (you can use our key boards to write out pinyin and most Chinese can read it) on a card with the hotels information. We gave it to the cab driver and we went on the second scariest cab ride in my life (The scariest was Chicago IL back in the 1980's).

The cab driver drove like mad, zipped in and our of places he should not have fit, darted around big busses and remained calm. There were no seatbelts.

The cab driver took us to the Jade Buddha Temple.

Breathtaking.

These are two of a set of four gaurdian statues. One represents each direction and the element associated with it. They are much larger than life size.

According to our guide book, this is the most popular Buddhist temple in Shanghai. It was built to provide a home for two statues of Buddha that were each carved from a single piece of jade. One is reclining, the other sitting in the classic position. Tourists are not allowed to photograph either statue, but they gave us the post card above. This is by far the nicest of the two anyway.

From the Jade Buddha Temple, we walked several blocks to the metro.

We rode the subway for a couple of stops, then navigated our way for several more blocks with the aid of a very good map and some kind people.

We discovered that very few people outside the hospitality trades speak any English.

A map with English and Pinyin is a necessity.

This is the entrance to the Long Hua Temple and Pagoda.

Quite an amazing place, well worth the effort it took to get there.

The big Iron things are incense burners.

Worshipers buy huge bundles of incense, then light the whole bundle at once.

They bow and pray with the lit bundle, then place it in the burner.

The place smells great, but it is a good thing this part is done outdoors.

My favorite Buddha from this temple is a lady.

She is associated with the harvest.

Doesn't she just look serene and kind?

We met this fine Cat on the way.

One of the buildings in the French Concession area.

For our last night in Shanghai, we had dinner and a show with our Friendly Plannet Tour Group.

If you saw my Wordless Wednesday post the other day, these guys will look familiar.

They were part of the Acrobat show. It was great!

This guy was pretty impressive too.

The gentlemen in our party liked his dancing partners more.

After the show, it is back to the hotel. Early flight in the morning.

Cheers from the Shanghai Airport.

(Yes, I can find coffee anywhere.)

Next stop Xian China.

Part one of our Air China Breakfast.

No Lychee fruit but the yogurt drink was great and,

part two includes mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, my chicken sausage, scrambled eggs and fried potato wedges. They brought me more coffee too!

It is hard to believe this was almost a month ago.

We have been back for about three weeks, and I still have not printed out any photos!

I did manage to get my suitcase put away finally.
I still have several blog posts to share about Xian and Beijing.

Cheers,

Kat

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T20:24:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday! (Hit the play button)

2011-06-01T10:25:00.000-04:00

Day three afternoon, more Shanghai Exploration

2011-05-31T07:38:00.000-04:00

This is my Sweet Husband on the bridge to the Huxinting Tea House.

This is where we went for lunch.

The Huxinting Tea House is supposed to be the inspiration for the Blue Willow China pattern.

Go to Blue Willow Story for a quick version of the story.

The Huxingting Tea House is just outside the Yu gardens that we visited on our first day in Shanghai.

It sits in the middle of an artificial lake with statues and koy.

It was part of the original garden, it has been a tea house since 1855.

A proper tea. Huxinting style.
The little eggs are boiled in tea leaves.
I'm not sure what the other things were, but it was all good.

Jasmin Fairy Tea.

A quiet moment.

Huxinting Tea House interior.

Look at all that wood!

Tea House Staff.
Uniforms are quite popular in China.

View from the Tea House window.

The artificial lake.

After we restored our energy at the tea house, we went exploring in the old town.
This is a familiar sign.

My Sweet Husband at the Yu Bazaar.
He is great at barganing.
We bought several gifts for friends and family.

After several hours of walking and shopping, we worked up an appetite.
This is the line for dumplings at Nan Xiang. Very few people speak English in China, even the young ones. While we were waiting in line, my Sweet Husband saw someone walking by eating what looked like Tofu. He asked "is that Tofu"? Apparently that sounded like something quite funny in Chinese.

This is for the take out window. They only serve meat dumplings as take out so we went up stairs to the restraunt. The dumplings were worth waiting for.

All lit up at night.

The old town is well lit.

Lots of neon.

Back on the bund.

Modern Shanghai.

China's Red flag flies from the top of The Peace Hotel on the bund.
What a day!
More from our China trip soon.
Cheers,
Kat

quick note.

2011-05-29T05:43:00.000-04:00

Blogger is acting up this morning.

I have tried to comment on some of my favorite blogs but it won't let me.

Even though I am signed in, it insists I am anonymous and repeatedly sends me back to the sign in screen.

I will try again, and post a real post tomorrow.

I'm heading for work now.

Have a great Sunday.

Kat

Day Three, Shanghai exploration.

2011-05-27T13:44:00.000-04:00

Thursday, May 5th, My Sweet Husband and I went exploring on our own.

There was a lot to explore!

So much that this day will be two posts.

Remember the tall white pointed structure in the view from our hotel?

The "Monument to the Peoples Heroes".

We started our exploration with a walk over the river to see it.

Wish I could read this, no English translation provided here.

There is a large circular wall around the base of the structure,

it is carved in relief with historical figures, I assume they are from The Revolution.

They are intriguing in more than one way.

Remember, I spent 21 years in the U.S. military,

I never expected there would come a time when I would be able to wander freely, and take such photographs, in the heart of China. Maybe there is hope for the world after all.

I also really liked the monument from an artistic standpoint.
It is moving, even without knowing the story behind it.
Can't you just hear the stirring music?

My Sweet Husband on The Bund.

We rode this capsule through the "Bund Sightseeing Tunnel".

It was unique.

Here is the video, lots of flashing lights.

The tunnel goes under the river to the other side.

Next stop, Pearl tower.

This photo was taken from one of the observation decks on the "Pearl Tower".

The tall pointy white structure with the circular base is the monument we visited earlier.

Across the river and to the left is a tall brick structure, that is our hotel.

My Sweet Husband sitting on the glass floor.
I did go out on it, but I could not look straight down!

Cool refreshing drink anyone?

There is an arcade level in the pearl tower.
I have no idea who these two characters are,
sure wish I could read that sign.

Still in the arcade.
I have no idea what this thing does, but it looks fascinating.
The gentleman next to it, is wearing the uniform of the male Pearl Tower Employees.
I did not get a picture of the ladies version.

View from the lower observation deck.
Now that is a traffic circle.
All this and it is barely lunch time.
Next post, I'll show you where we went for lunch.
Our hotel in Singapore had Wi-fi access, but it was very expensive.
We meant to stop in at a McDonalds with my Ipod so I could post to the blog, but we never quite managed it. Later on in the vacation we discovered that you can not reach the blogger page from China.
I tried several different times and finally resorted to asking the lady in the hotel's business center.
She could not access it either. Apparently it is blocked.
hmmmmm.
Meanwhile back in the Carolinas,
It is nice to be back home. I am back at work and back in school. Sigh, it was great while it lasted.
It will probably take most of the month of June for me to post all I want to share from our visit.
Cheers,
Kat

Kat's Corner

Walking on Horah Road in winter; southern seasons. Part 1.

Winter walking in the Southern Woods, Feb 2012.

Wordless Wednesday.

Sunday Morning Luxury, we all deserve a treat.

This one is for the cats.

Guest Photographer, (My Sweet Husband) Wordless Wednesday

More reasons to love living in the south.

Wordless Wednedsday

Christmas Gift.

Now what? Changes.

Time Warp Tuesday

Contest winner, and one happy cat.

Short post

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Oops, one more look at last summer.

Thankful Thursday

Getting ready for winter.

Thankful Thursday, with cats.

Sneak Peak!

Thankful thursday, and the winner is......

Happy Halloween

Cat Napping

Day trip part three, produce stands and home. Contest!

Day trip part 2, awesome autumn, 300th post and a contest.

Autumn day trip.

A Fair Deal.

Wordless Wednesday

Congaree National Park, a Saturday escape.

Ten things I like about Autumn.

Autumn Tasks.

The last pictures from September in the South.

Autumn, memories, cloudy skies, and the Indigo Girls.

Chilean Rose, corrected post.

13 Frightening Creatures.

Spooky stuff.

Wordless Wednesday

30 years ago today.

Getting in shape.

Just a little color.

What to do with that last little bit of Summer.

Savoring Summer﻿.

Summer fun.

Cat Talk Time Challenge from Zoolatry

Guest photographer.

Bele Chere July 29, 2011.

Computer problems and Phoenix Arizona.

Time travel for Thursday.

Summertime!

Beijing Day 9, Summer Palace, Panda Zoo and home.

and Now, a break from our regularly scheduled post.

Beijing Day 8 continued, the Great Wall and the Sacred Way.

Beijing, Day 7 and 8.

Wordless Wednesday, practicing caligraphy.

Glad to see you!

Xian China, Day 6

Wordless Wednesday Summer Retreat (turn sound on)

Xian China, Day 5.

Day 4, last full day in Shanghai and an early morning on day 5.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday! (Hit the play button)

Day three afternoon, more Shanghai Exploration

quick note.

Day Three, Shanghai exploration.

Savoring Summer.