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

Grand Tetons, Utah and Home

I drove most of the way across the Tetons. It was a rainy day and the sky was amazing. We went up over one pass with very steep grades and I realized it has been a long time since I did any real mountain driving. When we were down from the pass and my Sweet Hubby wanted to drive for a while, I almost had to pry my fingers off the steering wheel. I had to look to see if I had dented it, I was holding on to it that hard. I guess I was a little nervous (this from the kid who drove across the three sisters in Wyoming in the snow when I was 16).


The colors were amazing.

When we arrived in Ogden, we checked into the old Hotel Ben Lomond. This is one of the Grand Old Ladies. Hotel Ben Lomond is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was once the finest Hotel in Ogden. The current owners are in the process of refurbishing and restoring it so that someday it may be again.

It is not the Holiday Inn Express, some things still are not perfect but the staff are quick to remedy problems. It is a beautiful old place with a lot of memories and perhaps, a ghost or two.

The first of the Hotel photos is the entrance foyer, then the grand staircase, details from the elevators and my Handsome Hubby in the posh elevator.

The photo of the Ogden Sky line was taken from one of the windows in our room. Just up the rode a ways was our first apartment, I had to take a photo of it too. That is where we lived when we first got married.

We spent a few days running around Ogden and most fun of all, visiting with family. We are both from that area.


Our last day there, we spent together in Salt Lake City. We spent our Honeymoon there and I still think it is romantic. We visited "Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore", The Magdalene Cathedral (photos of the inside

just don't do it justice but I had

to try. The gargoyle looks as if he came right out of Disney's Hunchback, yet he has been looking over the city for a long time). We went to Trolley Square and had Dinner at "The Spaghetti Factory" (another old haunt for us, we ate there many times while we were dating and on our Honeymoon) it is still just as good as always. I recommend the Spaghetti a'la Homer with Mizithra Cheese.

Our trip was wonderful but it is good to be home. On our first walk after we got back we found a handful of wild grapes that were ripe and ready to eat. I didn't get a photo, they disappeared too fast. The cicada

and bee were having a

discussion on the porch. They

posed nicely as if to say "welcome home" then flew about their business. The wine, a lovely reward. Hope you are having a lovely summer. School starts back up for me next week and the weather just maybe starting to cool a little, we shall see.

Kat

Nature is a Trip!

Guess who went to Yellowstone? What a wonderful trip! Wildflowers, animals, cooler weather, mountains, lakes, what more could a girl ask? We rented a car and drove up from Salt Lake City. Very much worth the long drive. The territory in between is quite lovely. The Rockie Mountains personality is very different personality from that of the Blue Ridge.
The first photo is of some of the wild flowers. There are a lot of things in bloom up there. The second photo is one of many great views we stopped to enjoy (all the photos in this posting were taken inside Yellowstone National Park).

Third is a photo I took of the stairs leading down to the Mammoth Hot Springs area. I just loved the way the pattern in the railings looked against natures twisty trees.

This fourth Photo shows part of the Mammoth Hot Springs. No, that isn't snow and it was not cold. It was, intensely atmospheric. Yellowstone was once, (many millions of years ago) a giant volcano. Most of the park fits into the caldera. That is why they have so many geothermal features in one relatively small area.

The fifth photo
shows another one of those great views and the sixth is a Momma Bear. She had two cubs with her. I will attempt to include video here also.

Seventh is a Heron and Eighth shows two different boats with names I just could not resist. Hubby and I took a boat tour of the lake. It was a fun ride and the guides were excellent.

Water view.

Look at the inset for the picture of the bridge, it shows the sign that is clearly posted on both ends of the bridge. The sad thing is, this is "The Fishing Bridge". My hubby has fun memories of not catching anything from it. There are other places in the park where fishing is allowed and we saw plenty of people who were indulging in the sport. It is no longer allowed here because this is a spawning ground for the native Cutthroat Trout and they are disappearing.
The three ducks are swimming on Twin Lakes, I love the reflections in the water. (This photo also allows me to show that at least once in my life, I had all my ducks in a row).

This video is just buffalo, not doing anything brilliant, just being themselves. If possible, turn the sound on while it plays, they do make a funny noise.

Last but never least, this cute little guy is called a "Whistle Pig" because of the little whistling noise they make. I believe they are related to Guinea Pigs. Cute! Not at all shy either. I also took video of Old Faithful spouting off. If you are interested you can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cSbBiMup6I We were there a couple of days before the President and his family. There is a live web cam aimed at Old Faithful and I have managed to catch it going off several times. You can find it at http://www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/yellowstonelive.htm That is all for now, stay tuned for more photos from the rest of the trip. We drove through the Grand Tetons and spent time in Ogden and Salt Lake City. The trip was great, but it is good to be home.

See ya,

Kat

Maxfield Parrish Lighting

We found this seed pod, on a walk of course. It
looks like something from outer space.

The lighting was amazing the other night. The

evening looked like it was waiting to be painted

by Maxfield Parish.

One of our lovely trees.

About half of my current crop of Camellias look

normal, the rest were caught, at their peak, by

the frost. They are perfect, but for the color.

This stately old tree guards the entrance to my

driveway.

My old barn, again. I just love to photograph it.

Can you see the cat? This is natural. I don't know

why this tree was cut. It is next to the road where

we walk.

I will admit to being a bit of a spoiled gourmet. The

kind folks at Earth Fare in Augusta make it even easier.

Their cheese counter looks like something you might

find in Europe and they are happy to let you taste

before you buy. They make it easy to be brave about

trying new things.

More Goodies!

Jennifer, the Specialty Manager, is knowledgeable

about all the cheeses and she is teaching her staff

well. Have I praised them enough? The cheese

really is that good.

We should try something new often. It is good for us.

If not cheese, go try something else new.

Have fun and have a great week.

Kat