Teaser,

My friend Andrew from Big Swifty, says his link on the Summer Challenge didn't work so here it is again. http://www.andrewbudd.blogspot.com/
Protege from Life Through Reflections posted her response to the challenge to you can see it at
www.lifeworkandpleasure.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-favourite-summer-pictures.html
Both posts are very worthy of a look. Pop on over, I think you will enjoy them.

My next post will be on "The blog that (hopefully) saved a barn". In the meantime, I leave you with this close up of a lovely flower we found blooming in the woods just the other day.

Cheers!
Kat

Sweet Dreams

So, if it is cold outside, and there isn't any sunshine to curl up in, what is a girl to do?

Curl up in Mom's sleeping bag of course.

Hope your wake up is as warm and cuddly as this.

Sweet Dreams!

Kat, and Spontaneous

Response to Summer Photo Challenge

Last time we met, I offered a challenge. I asked for you to share your favorite spring and or summer photos. So far I have five great responses and they are; (drum roll here) Cat at Corner of Cats Mind was the first to respond to my summer challenge. She posted five Summer Critter photos. Love it! You might also like the post after this one, she has some of the prettiest snow scenes on there.
Marilyn at Our Victorian Cottage thinks a lot like me. She was daydreaming of summer on her post too. Amazing flower shots, I want to wander through her garden.
Alistair from Crivens jings and help ma blog joined in with a hauntingly beautiful photo of Loch Leven.
Brian (one of my favorite cats) from Brians Home offered a picture of three kitties looking out the window at summer. You can’t go wrong with cats.
Andrew from Big Swifty contributed with two atmospheric photos from Essex. He was kind enough to include some historical perspective. Good stuff! His following post goes from a sky scape photo to the purchase of a new iron and made me giggle.

Stop by these wonderful blogs and daydream about things to come.

Today's weather is more typical for winter in our neck of the woods, chilly, rainy, and cloudy. There is mud and muck everywhere (not enough to stop us from going for our walk later). So I thought I would continue the theme. These are, what I consider to be my best shots from last summer. This first photo is an old cabin in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Just look at all that green.
All of today's photos were taken in either National or State parks last summer. This one is also in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Looking at it makes me feel warm and peaceful.
You have seen this one before. This is of the Grand Teton National Park. The sky changed constantly that day.
This vista is one of many in Great Smokey Mountain National Park.
This is one of my all time favorite photos. While we were in Yellowstone last Summer, we got up early enough one morning to catch this. I love the reflections and the ducks in a row. Mom used to tell me I needed to "get my ducks in a row" before starting a project, well Mom, here they are.

No, I am not cheating, that is not snow. This picture was taken last August at Mammoth in Yellowstone. The white is from mineral deposits associated with some of the many hot springs.

Another Yellowstone favorite. This is one of the many places on the side of the road where we pulled over, just because it was beautiful.

I love the light on this one. It was taken in a field full of Buffalo at Yellowstone.

Fishing is not allowed at "Fishing Bridge" in Yellowstone anymore. The native Cutthroat trout are endangered. Photography is allowed and the fishing bridge is a fine spot for it. Look at those little guys.

I saved the best for last. Doesn't this photo just say "summer". This was taken in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

Whew, I feel much warmer now. How about you? Anyone else want to participate? If you do, just post your pictures on your blog then leave me a comment.
Cheers,

Kat

Summer Photo Challenge

It is chilly here and will be again tomorrow. I am enjoying the fact that it is snuggle season and I am enjoying the fireplaces. I am also thinking flowers and green things.

This is one of my favorite photos from last summer.

So here is the challenge, post your favorite spring or summer photo to your blog, that's all. Easy stuff. Come on, show me. There arn't any prizes, I just want to see your favorites.

Kat

Happily Ever After

When I was a little kid and I read Cinderella, or Snow White or any of the other fairy tales, I always wanted to know what happened next. What is "Happily Ever After"?

Now I know, I am living it with my Sweet Hubby.

Most people don't have portraits that were taken on the day they met. We do. We met at a wedding. Can you think of anything more romantic? He performed the ceremony, that is him in the funny leisure suit to the left of the bride, and I was one of the maids of honor, that is me on the far left with flowers in my hand. No, I didn't catch the bouquet. He asked a mutual friend what my name was. "Oh that's Margaret's little sister". Not helpful, he didn't know Margaret either, that is her next to the last adult on the right. He asked me to sign as witness so he could learn my name. Later that year he performed the ceremony when Margaret married Dell. So the family joke has always been that my husband married my sister and my friend before he married me. December of 1983, we were married.
I knew I was lucky even then, see the smile?

This photo was taken at the airport when I left for RAF Upper Heyford in England. Since I was the enlisted member, I had to go first and "establish a domicile" then he could join me. His Mom, a truly wonderful lady, came along to see me off.

I knew before we got married that he was just right for me. He is a poet, a romantic, he has an excellent sense of humor, writes great letters and he is a good Daddy too. Isn't this the cutest picture?

That is him, the crazed one in the middle with the big grin. We are on the Djemaa el Fna, in Marrakesh, Morocco. He traveled alot before we met. When we got together, he took me with him. He is an excellent tour guide, even if he has never been there before. We make a pretty good team, he can get us there and I can always find our way back. We rode the night train from Tangier, the "Marrakesh Express". Back at home in the Cotswolds, there was several feet of snow on the ground. We didn't miss it. If you ever get to go, try the coconut macaroons, and if you go in January, the fresh oranges.

This is from the same trip, our hotel in Tangier, we are wearing the Djellabas we bargained for in the "Casbah".

A few years later, this is us on the first level of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
We look so young!

Next to the Seine. He traveled all over before we met then came home and picked me. I don't know why I am so lucky, but I am glad.
Medieval Banquet at Warwick Castle. We were the only paying guests in costume so they put us on the head table and made us part of the show (Thanks Carol for loaning us the costumes).

My Knight in Shining Armor. Well helmet and breastplate at least.
What he goes through for me.

Look close, that is us on the Gondola in Venice. One of the other tourists from our group recognized us and took this picture.

Last summer, at Yellowstone. Still traveling through life together.

This is my Sweet Hubby. He must like me if he is willing to traipse through all this with me. Happy Valentine's Day my Love!

Kat

Snow at Kat's Corner, Bonus Post

We actually got SNOW.
It started yesterday afternoon.

See the little bits of yellow? Remember my Daffs from the morning?

As the afternoon turned into evening, the snow kept falling.

We went out walking in it.

Summer Kitchen?

View from the barn.

I know you have all seen snowy pictures before, but we just don't get snow like this here.

The dogwood.

The creek.
We are quite lucky, it is pretty and I got great photos and none of us has to drive in it today or tomorow. Hopefully by Monday, it will be gone.

Stay warm and cozy,

Kat

A Nice Surprise

My Sweet Hubby told me to look outside this morning. He suggested I might want to take my camera. He was right! What a nice surprise.
We are forecast for snow today (yes, you heard me right, snow). Thank goodness the Daffs are hardy and usually don't mind the cold.
Wish us luck, we are "battening down the hatches" to prepare for the worst.
Hope you enjoy my surprise too.
Kat

A little bit of winter

Usually I try to save the best for last, I think this is one of my best ever photos, I couldn't wait to show it off. It is not framed as my daughter insisted it was too good to crop. She is an artist and I value her opinion on such things so here it is in all it's glory.

You have met the tree we call our Guardian, this one is our Ent. Can't you just see how he is bending over to tell something to one of the smaller trees? He lives towards the back of the property, out near the barn.
We had an ice storm last week. Lucky for me, I was off that day and none of us needed to go anywhere. It was cold and clear. The lighting was brilliant. My Sweet Hubby and I went out to the barn to bring up more wood for the fireplace. It was literally freezing out there. I had my camera in my pocket and I just could not resist. So I snapped away while my Sweet Hubby laughed at the crazy lady (took my gloves off so I could hold the camera better) and then started to point even more interesting things out for me to take pictures of. This bird, and several of his buddies were singing away like it was spring time.
The ice, with the early morning sunlight glittering on it, almost looks pink. As if the trees are wearing overly elaborate tiaras.

This is our well house. My Sweet Hubby built it. See the patterns in the frost on the roof? Can't you just hear the grass crunching as you walk up to it? You know I don't like the cold. But I just could not resist the pictures.

Even the pines got into the act.

Close up of one of the smaller pines. While we were out looking for photo ops, we discovered a spot quite near the house where two or three large somethings had been resting. Probably deer. I of course, took a picture of the spot, but you can't really tell what you are looking at. All the same, I like the idea of sharing our space with wildlife.

Mother nature must have been in a good mood, even an old piece of bark turned into something special. Ice storms here can be very bad news. One year, right after we bought the house, we lost power for three days. No heat, and the flu for the chimneys was frozen shut. Miserable! We were very lucky this time.

It was a good thing I went outside when I did as the ice did not stick around. The cold did. It was a perfect day to stay indoors. Once I got myself thawed out, I did not venture back outside for the rest of the day.

A few mornings later, we woke up to this. It is the view from one of my kitchen windows. More the usual winter start. The mist didn't really lift till almost noon. So what do we do when it is cold and miserable outside? We make ourselves comfy inside.

We have extra toasting forks, care for a marshmallow?

Spontaneous knows just what to do when it is cold, stretch out in front of the fireplace and make cute faces at me. Have you ever seen such a comfort loving animal?
Hope you are as cozy as she looks. Spring will be here before we know it, I am going to enjoy my "Snuggle Season" for as long as it lasts. Got to go put some more wood on the fire.

Kat

Train Spotting

My friend Linda from Linda from "Are we there yet" http://mouseski.blogspot.com/ likes trains too. Last time I posted photos of the tracks, she asked for the train so here you go.

Do turn on the sound for this one, it is half the fun.

I know, Christmas is over for this year, but it is still my favorite train. This one is on display every year at the Charleston Hotel in downtown Charleston SC. Well worth the trip. It is surrounded by a huge double southern staircase so you can see it from all angles. You can kill the sound for this one.

Bye for now!

Kat