Roses And Another Blizzard

Hi Everyone.  We have been flat out getting snow removed from roof on the house and the RV and the very old truck, my Dodge broken, sits under a very heavy load.  I was looking to have it towed by a local junk yard for cash but the place burnt down.  So I will wait.

I have that male wild turkey here and as I watched him get spooked by the wind he tried to fly over the barn but his judgment was off really off and he came down hard onto the snow packed roof of my barn/art studio.  It was not until I ran out to see if he was OK that I saw how much snow was still on the roof of the barn.  Here I had taken thousands of pounds of snow off the house but had thought the barn was Ok with it’s much steeper pitch.  I was wrong. There was over 3 feet deep snow on both sides of my barn.  Buildings were collapsing all over New England and if we did nothing I could loose everything.  Our roof rake was not long enough to do much here so I searched the local shops and found a $50 model 12 miles up the road so off we went.

I found a Blue Jay in the drive way when I came off the roof and set up an old Parakeet cage for it to get it warm and give it food and water
He watched me paint all day but sadly he either was so hurt inside or just to old to fight and I lost him.  Even though I was so sad having not gotten to see him fly off with the others, just outside the door, I am glad he had a peaceful day with us.

He was so pretty

This winter is hard, see it came all at once, usually we get a system pass through drop some snow and leave us to clean up but this one all we do is remove, snow day in and day out even the wildlife are finding it hard to get by or get around in 3 to 4 foot deep snow.

I cleaned off the home with this newest tool and then him and I headed to the barn with JT coming along with her stick but she saw little action as we had so much snow to drop to the ground and then to move it all before it sat and became ice.

The snow is very high up on most of our windows

Seriously we have had more than our share of snow and now a foot of more and then another storm on this weekend’s heals.  If you live on the other side of the Atlantic please let me know what happens to these fronts as they head out across our ocean and head for England, etc.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day

We will go see my mom in the hospital her knee surgery went great but during rehab her ACL let go, praying she will heal up and get her other knee done so she can be whole again.

I am so tired I have to sign off for now here is the art I was working on while caring for the wild bird.

Yes more trees and paying homage to nature and the love of my wild birds red or blue,  grey or black,  I adore them all

Trying to GET negitive painting

 

 

Still work to be done more leaves and of course some veins :)
My head hurts trying to do this but I swear I will keep trying!

 

 

Mid July

So what is new in your world?  My life is quiet but never boring :)

Wildlife visit in droves even with hundreds of acres of land surrounding me they still want to be up close and personal with me lol what’s up with that!  I was outside just now talking on the phone with Mom she is doing awesome by the way she may drive tomorrow when I get down there, and I had 6 huge male wild turkey making pretty sounds talking to me asking for seed :)  even with the dog and cat there they knew they were safe I like the young being brought here and calling my place home but I sent them off to search for ants and beetles ticks too like wild turkeys are supposed to do. Yesterday before heavy rains began to fall they were along the edge of the property here pulling fresh raspberries one after another I am just worried those Black Bear are on the other side of the vegetation, ten foot wide or more in some parts, eating their way inward towards me :)  I must buy a can of compressed air made to scare bears away as these ones have become so bold and I do not want us to get hurt or one to die needlessly.

I must get a few new lens for the Nikon so I can capture better detail.  This is a mix of 4 different cameras hope you enjoy a poke around the place :)

Enjoy the rest of July

 

Bet he never saw his pretty face before :)

 

They say deer eat these mine are all still healthy

 

The perfect pair in my lower yard browsing on fresh greens

 

Trying to get them to look like tissue paper then learning to take a pretty picture :

 

OH if only I had all this wisdom then :)

Off to read more of your wonderful blogs I really do hope you are al truly OK I miss being here 2 and 3 times a day

XO

 

Tangled Up In Blues

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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Everyday Is Saturday For Us

Truly everyday is indeed Saturday for the two of us, well the pets too!  I know I am funny but it is true, being retired and me disabled we have nowhere to go.  We get up when we want and hit the bed when our eyes will not longer stay open.

I was thinking about this as I continued to plug away here in the yard,  trying the best I could on my own to ready this place for summer as he decided he would do the maintenance  on  our truck.  It is a huge undertaking when it is a Honda.  Back 30,000 miles ago he was supposed to change the timing belt well he started yesterday at 10 AM and stopped at 7 pm and back out there this morning by 9 or 9:30.  He will do the water pump at the same time.  I suggested we trade it in as it looks beautiful and runs great as I knew it would be very involved,  sad thing is we are stuck here no matter what happens to JT or Mom or even us,  as I sold my van a year and a half ago and my pickup sits with a leaking,  ruined transmission still.  So I will keep my fingers crossed he does a great job on her and we can go see my Mom over the REAL weekend.  She is to coming home tomorrow!  I am so happy.

I went to bed really tired and hurting last night but got a great nights sleep and got so much done, so it was a good tired.  This morning I had my yummy healthy breakfast and prepared for a full day in the yard but first the house.  Dishes and floors!  Then time to get outside with JT and my shovel and rake and her toys.  I decided I would regain my front driveway after many years of plowing and leaves piled up.  So long in fact it was now rich soil,  I love free dirt!  See where the new dirt is there were deep ruts all along the drive.

It had begun to get so small of an entrance so I worked further up out of this shot and dug all of that out and took 5 loads in the wheel barrel around back  to another spot I am trying to build up and add plants that will set out roots to hold it all up.  I am now thinking I should have got a pallet of cement blocks but I am so frugal I used boards from my old chicken coop and fence posts to hold it all in place till I can afford to have a few loads of clean fill added under the green growth of bushes and  trees to take back more of my land that all the flooding year after year has swiped from this beautiful piece of land.  I will add a pretty tree that sends out deep roots and add here too but I will prune so it stays away from the house.

This was at one time all level with the backyard  not the lower yard though,  just never so dramatic, so I will do this in stages, yes pace myself,  add a little soil and a tree then add bulbs for spring as this is on the south side of the house nice and warm.  I may get some blocks designed for this for the section you can see from the front driveway just to give it a finished look and not wooden pallet  and boards :) maybe I will add a bird bath here as the center piece once soil has had a chance to pack down and I can make it good and level.

All the while I worked and JT played this is what we got to watch in the river

Maybe you can’t see it but there was a Great Blue Heron working the river,  thankful for the dam being pulled so it could fish once again.  I love that they love my place and feel safe to raise young with the rest of the critters that do.

I worked for so many years 80 to 100 hours each week out on the roads dealing with all drivers do,  to have a place like this,  so for me it is worth the hard work to keep it and as much as it’s beauty as possible.

Some flowers in bloom here today

Yes I am blessed but thankful for the rains that began to fall so I could put my feet up and write to you.  I will hit another 50 blogs hope one is yours :)

 

 

Been Busy

So far behind I saw I have 300 of your blogs I have yet to see.  Getting this place squared away is becoming a full time job and all I want to do is create.  Don’t feel bad :) I work around here potting up flowers and cutting the lawn and am now thing of building a set of stairs leading down to the lower yard so I can weed whack easier.  We had a small straight tree fall one day and it has laid where we left it after cutting off all the limbs it is time for me to re-purpose.  I will make some cuts into the hill and add a piece of tree then cut a little further down and do another level till I am at the bottom and have used the whole tree!  Yes eventually it will rot and become one with the soil but it’s OK by then I will not want to mow this place anymore.  My man misses mowing so I have him do things around here I can’t.  Like he is taking the pieces from our gazebo and re-purposing them into a structure I can use as a greenhouse.  I will ask him to dig a root cellar too!  He has taken apart a generator for one piece to use on our windmill so we can do away with that bank of HUGE batteries and go direct from wind to plug I like the idea of living green and using things till they are trash and even then I recycle them into their proper container at the town dump.

Update on Mom she finds out today if she can come home which means I will go stay with her for 5 days a week at her home.  I will cook and clean for her. I will take her through her rehab moves and get her to appointments and do shopping for her.  My brother needs rest and less worry he is not well and if I can do this for the two of them it is the least I can do.  Since Dad died we have not been a close family pain and hurt and loss can do that or in some families it can make your stronger.  I will do all I can and not kick myself for things I can’t.  I have come a long way in a year and for that I am so grateful.

Just got word from son that the piece he sent to NYC Art Museum for a auction to help the gallery sold for more than $6,000.00 my wish is that he now sees himself as a true artist and not a troubled soul.  Good news from all sections of my life and yet more reasons to be filled with joy.

The birds greet me each morning with beautiful songs and the bears have not bothered us for awhile but I bring in seed for the night but then mice came in for seed and cat worked overtime :) all is finally right and hole repaired!  Way I see it if a mouse can come in so can a SNAKE and that will not happen on MY WATCH!

I have been taking photos and adding them into my online stores with early morning coffee while the home is full of sleeping sounds from the three of them and in the evenings while watching my music shows The Voice and American Idol I paint.  I am trying to do a body of work as my teacher asked me to do.  I have chosen trees for now but have no idea of the best way to preserve them and keep them clean and ready to share when I am ready.  If you are an artist how do you do this?  I am too prolific to fame each piece and really just want them ready so when asked to show portfolio they look as nice as when I signed them.  Not sure what to do.  Most of mine are made to float not for mats.  So much easier to take a photo and sell them as prints or as a shower curtain or some bedding or maybe a card.  50 to 100 pieces of Watercolor Art is ALOT how do you do it?

I will leave you with one I just did and a photo or two of my flowers and my wish for you all here in the US is for a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend it will be my BLOGS anniversary when I first met some of you dear friends another reason for gratitude.  For those in other countries you know I wish you well and what ever the weather in your part of the world I hope you are enjoying it and getting out as well.  Life is too short to let it fly by.

I am working on catching up with as many of you as I can.  Have a great week!

Our State of NH flower has opened as well

May 16 Already

Hi everyone! Can you believe it is already mid May I want to stop the clock now days are going to fast! I have had so many things going on as you know so I wanted to let you know things truly are a little better. Mom was removed from hospital and they found a bed in a rehabilitation place for her to get help with horrid pain and get her on her feet to recovery. Pain is a life changer if you have dealt with it you know what I mean some days you just don’t think life is worth living and we are grateful she now does. I have not really been close to my brother since Dad died he went his way in sadness and me in mine but on Mother’s Day we had a great one! He even snuck in our Mom’s cat which I swear was the turn around in her sadness that and we laughed together for 4 hours it really is the best medicine isn’t it.
I did not ask if I could make them famous with adding their photos here so I won’t but they are just what my heart needed. I am so blessed and grateful for all the prayers said.

The yard is coming back slowly but surly after one nasty winter. I have mowed one section the part down alongside the river twice already. The bears are causing a ruckus up and down the roads in the area I call home. The birds are full of the sweetest sounds. You can not help but feel joy when sounds of nature fill you head from sun up till sun down.

Why do I paint the house lol for them to move in I guess.  I am happy they love my place just wish they were not so messy :)

Yes I am still taking photos but I have been painting up a storm as well, no surprise for you all I am sure :).
I received a message from a friend that she wanted to commission me for a piece of Artwork. I laughed and said “I am no artist” I am just chilling :) She insisted she wanted me to do a painting with just two trees with a lively background so I whipped out 2 watercolors for her to choose from. They are for her granddaughter’s 2 nd birthday she is creating an art collection for her. With each passing birthday she will acquire a work of art depicting the age she will be in the subject matter. This will not be an easy thing in my eyes to pull off after 5 :) so this year being 2 she wanted two trees from me. I did them on 11×15 in the vertical way on 140lb paper. I will let you see.

before the background

Now for the finished products I think lol she better come quick!
It was stressful to make something for someone personal but I am sure in time I can relax more and just do my thing.

I thank you for the follows and hope you have a wonderful weekend!  It will rain here damn I wish I could send it west to put out all the fires but since I can’t I will clean the house, paint and see Mom.

INCOMING

INCOMING!

INCOMING!

Happy Mother’s Day

I know I am a day early but it has been crazy in my world as of late.

My Mom suffered for 8 moths with a horrid back pain and finally on the same day I had my shoulder surgery she got a much-needed injection.  Mine was a success as was hers!

Problem is when we, who are independent and having spent so much time in pain,  finally feel relief , WATCH OUT!!!!   Yes she could not believe she could stand up and walk without a cane or walker and I was in so much less pain I had a yard to ready for the impending spring weather.  So she did something she shouldn’t have,  like yanking a plastic wheel barrel and doing some raking and I helped build a concrete wall with my sweetie taking turns to mix cement now that may have not been so bright but it was a good workout!  I also went around with the help of JT and picked up all branches that had fallen this winter and piled them up yes a HUGE PILE!  I then gathered all the clippings from garden club plants now filling my food garden area and readied them for a fire as well.  Yes I have been working hard not only in the yard but at PT as well I finally get to see the surgeon on Monday morning.

Back to my Mom she tweaked her back and then rested but after I left she showered and went to get into bed with her aching back and swollen knee(HUGE KNEE-torn meniscus they now say) and  as she attempted to slide into bed with protecting her bum knee she ripped her whole muscle off her Tibia and the hip socket area she says she wants to die.  The pain is that bad all as she lies in a rehab hospital in Boston I spend most of my days in tears and praying for her to recover though she insists she wants to join my Dad.  I fail when it comes to giving her the will to live.  I told her growing old is not for sissies.  Pain no matter what age sucks we all know that and I feel helpless.

So I have spent the recent days looking up into the heavens for answers as well as capturing its beauty.

Sorry I pop in only once a week for the most part but I do use 2 readers and go through a list you are all on and if you show up on that days section I LIKE you :)

I will travel to see Mom for a little while on Mother’s Day you what will you do to celebrate the day?

 

I also sit with my large container of water a few brushes and paint and try to relax from all this worry.

as I watch cement and paint dry my wish will always be for PEACE be it worldwide or of mind.

 

Take care of yourselves if you are young and be extra careful if you have had lots of birthdays like me

 

:)

Great Easter Weekend

Hoping you all had a wonderful Easter.  We went to Mom’s for a nice meal and a great visit.

On Friday having gone nowhere besides physical therapy of late we packed up the car for a nice long leisurely ride up into the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  I knew with all the flooding he should find some easy Gold and me a photo or two :) you know me better than that and JT would have a stick,  found on the journey to play with.

We took Route 16 North and our first pit stop was beside a lake I captured often in amazing fall colors but Friday this is how it looked on the 18th of April

Yes ice covers many of our lakes still.

We then travelled up through Glen where my intent had been to capture many of our Covered Bridges but with snow covered ground I decided I would wait on those.
The post of NH Covered Bridges I hope to do in Fall.

We stopped in Bretton Woods a well-known spot for skiing and fun.

We found a spot to pull over where he could metal detect and JT and I could take a slow stroll and take in the beauty of the mountains and waterway teeming with water fowl where I saw my first group of gorgeous loons they are far away in photos as I did not have a lens to capture them I should have shot a video of just their beautiful song.

We travelled further north to take in more sights before we turned south to head for home as the sun would set in our mirrors.

Mount Washington sits in the distant landscape.

Romantic views of the forest from the rails where this iron trestle over a gold laden stream runs below.  He found 50 gold flakes in 20 minutes. Water was frigid  and roaring from spring thaw taking place slow but surly. The sign state CAUTION You Have Entered BEAR COUNTRY lol really BEAR ARE EVERYWHERE!  I was hoping to see some Moose and Dear and other wildlife but the only thing I saw was an Eagle in the distance doing it’s thing.

JT taking a rare break from play with her mommy.

We laid down many miles on these beautiful mountain roads

We got home and rested up for the next days trip which would take up towards VT.

We stopped at a man-made lake to exercise JT before stopping at a friend of ours who is a painter.

Is this not just the perfect kind of day.

A stiff breeze but sunny and 60 perfect to keep the bugs away.

Thanks for coming along!   I will have some photos for My Portfolio blog I am sure.

Have a wonderful week.

 

Covering It’s Pretty Face

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Blue In Nature Is Really Purple

Macro Spring Pansy

Pale Yellow Pansy

Spring Blooms

Sunrise and Wild Turkey

No morning and actual Wild Turkey greeted me as I woke late this morning.

A few ducks joined in as well and a random Hawk and a bunch of my small birds who love the full feeders I hang out for them.
I even saw a male Finch and he was wearing his bright Yellow outfit. I can now relax. Surgery is set for the 17th of April.  Everything is just about perfect except we are set to get slammed again this time some snow but 40 to 70 mph winds depending on which station you listen too.  So I will fill the feeders and keep the shovels by the door tonight and come morning be prepared to feed a flock of  25 to 35 wild turkeys along with all my doves, juncos, black birds, blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers, nuthatches, robins, titmouse and the ducks.  When it is nasty they all stop by to see me for something to eat now all I have to worry about is keeping the hawk from picking them off.  I have trained JT to bark and let me know when she sees one and then I just step outside and off it goes.  I have hundreds of acres beside and behind me it can shop at.

So here is a couple of shots of the place today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open Dawes policy

nutsfortreasure:

Spring!

Originally posted on Tootlepedal's Blog:

Today’s guest picture shows spring in Regent’s Park, London this morning.  It was sent to me by my sister Mary who was enjoying a game of tennis on the one of the public courts in the Park.

By contrast here, Mrs Tootlepedal reported snow on the lawn when she got up.  By the time that I had unearthed myself, the snow had all but disappeared.   It was that kind of day.  One minute there was sunshine and the next there was a hailstorm.  Out of the back window, we could see snow on Whita.

Out of the front window there was not a flake to be seen.  There were birds to be seen of course.

Goldfinches seem to have a special liking for the very topmost point of a plum tree twig.

Once the temperature had hit 5°,  Mrs Tootlepedal joined me for a pedal.  Our route was flexible and…

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Spring Flowers

Originally posted on Living and Lovin:

Boston Flower Show Blooms

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weekly-photo-challenge-reflections/A Day For Reflections

Beaver Lake
Derry, NH
USA

Orchid Love

Last one!

It Snowed!

No I did not take photos yet after shoveling for seven hours in 24 hour period I was too tired to snap a photo really that tired and I fell again.  I told him to return my boot cleats he had bought me as I usually am very steady sadly yesterday I was not!  I am OK bad bruise that will heal in time I have enough going on never mind see another doctor.

So today I will share some more shots from our day before the storm at the coast.  We went for a long walk to see the seals and snowy owls maybe an eagle or two.  Mostly seals and gulls as it was cold and windy and I knew I would need my strength for the storm clearing so we were only outside for two hours in it but JT had a great time with me as I did her then we watched her daddy look for treasure.  Oh I did change my photo on all my sites to the same photo except for my Friends of Living and Loving Facebook page so no longer will you see a shot of him bent over digging treasure but he is.
So here are a few shots of JT and maybe a landscape or two sorry if photos are too large and take forever to load I will work on that next time I upload. I need the largest format to sell and do not want 3, 4, or 5 of the same photos in my computer all in different sizes I am computer illiterate
so I do things the easiest way I can to find the photo I want to share with you and just click on insert photo.

Seeing him digging down on the beach thinking she would take me there silly girl she is fearless.

She had never paid attention to the seawall but on this cold day feeling no pain she jumped up on her own and wanted to walk it.  Seems as she gets older I may have to watch her more.

A pretty place to sit  and watch  a sunset and a group of very loud seals

back to the truck to wait for the sunset and go home and await the storm good thing they brought dinner for the gulls

Can not wait till I get back to the sea

Winters we have the place to ourselves brrrrrrrr

Nice Catch

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

HONEY I’M HOME

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Very Cold

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

Safe with me

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Curious

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

Female was very bold and talkative.

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Flew In for a snack of song birds

I don’t think so

Rolling Surf

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

Hampton Beach
Hampton New Hampshire

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On The Rocks

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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JANUARY THAW MAKES ME HAPPY!

On the second weekend in New England, the January Thaw really kicked in.  Be still my heart.  I could not believe how cold it has been, really since Thanksgiving into the New Year.  We have been spoiled it seems.  Many recent winters we have had a little cold them warmth then cold again, see I really like that, I think.  This winter we had a vortex and it brought me back to my youth and really big snowstorms and cold weather.  We still have January to get through then February and March will follow. bringing with it who knows what.  We did not get the worst of the horrid stretch of weather, the poor folks in our countries mid section got hammered, so I can not complain just our backs and coastline took a beating so far, oh wait the heating bills have been crazy made even worse by a fixed income.  It is why I am trying to sell some photography here and there just for extra cash to make life easier.  My sweetheart will be making some things for me using his welding expertise for the upcoming craft fairs and yard sales and when we have some finished I will show you.

So what do we here in New England do when we get our January Thaw?  We get outside!  We spend time out in the warmth of a winter’s day, with sunshine on our faces. We so not ski but he used and we do not skate but we could, as the yard has so much ice all over where  we cleared of snow.  See we have had over 1 1/2 feet of snow then 4 inches or more of rain then freezing and thawing going on and finally he resorted to getting us some cheap cleats for the bottom of our boots.  Mine are still in the package his are worn in.

I take JT through the snow as I can not afford another injury like a broken arm or hip or for her to get hurt as vets and doctors charge too much. Wait can I get Obama care for her?  So steady as we go is our plan.  Chopping ice each mid day only for it to re-freeze over night.  You have to be tough to live above the Mason Dixon Line, where the north and south meet.  Yes the south suffers terribly too, with drought and heat and wicked storms that blow homes away and ruin lives.  What an amazing place this Earth of ours is, really we are all at its mercy aren’t we.  We either roll with the punches or give up.  So far what ever has been thrown in my direction I have been able to recover from, some sadly never will and I find that so unfair.  Ok enough depressing weather stuff, want to see our world yesterday?
After chopping  with the one  arm I have left of any use, I grabbed the camera and that cute JT and went off into the woods behind our barn to see what was going on, hoping to run into a deer or two.

We found his tracks right away, just steps away from the rear of the barn.

Some pretty interesting trees like this pretty Paper Birch peeling out in the winter landscape.

This tree just a little older and stronger with the start of some curling  bark. I adore trees but you already know that :)

This one has some company along its trunk

You can see JT was all about this decaying tree who knows what had stopped here before us.

Well beaten down deer trails could be found along with bear, coyote and fox  prints as well all leading to the stream and away from it.  Everyone needs fresh water.

It was pretty bright and sunny and we were really enjoying the walk in the woods today I will hit the beach as it will be almost 50 degrees!

Big and small deer living here on my property make me know I am doing something right.

JT is loving all the smells nature has left behind in the woods and I am so thankful she never goes off on her own, she is definitely a Momma’s Girl.

More tracks of forest dwellers.

Scat left by one such animal. A deer has been here.

It really was such a pretty walk in the woods with my girl even the trees looked joyful and no longer weighed down with snow and ice.

It was time to head back out to reality.  Time for some more chopping before supper was put on to cook.

This is out in front of the barn, no wonder he is hunting for chains to fit his 1954 Dodge with dual wheels a lot of good all that beautiful welding of my plow being added to his truck did ,if it can’t move.   We SHOVEL and CHOP!

Yes it is rather treacherous to say the least!  I must be grateful there is ICE and NOT MORE SNOW well not yet.  :)  Give it a minute we are in New England!
Have a great week and I hope everyone who was suffering in the awful cold is also getting a respite if even for a day or so and for those dealing with summer heat and drought I wish you cooling rains.  Gentle not flooding as we will soon know that world all too well.

Have a great week!

Peace

I am counting the days……….

I am counting the days till I see the sea, once again.

I am tired of this frozen and icy landscape,  though beauty can also be found here.

You see we have had but  just over thirty inches of the fluffy, white powder type snow.

Nothing to complain about as some received four feet in just over a day. The problem is

we had rain, lots and lots of rain, on top of that pretty powder covered landscape.  Now it is frozen

with temperatures still not as bad as some but when you are poor like many are -20 or -60 is COLD.

We are safe as he bought us some cleats to walk around this place on but you know there is one

really dry, perfect place, THE ROOF!

Not a drop of snow to be had up there!

:)

We have had our rest and it is a good thing as from what I hear come Saturday it will feel like

SPRING!  We will see the sun and she will do her thing.  She will melt the ice that covers this place

and before nightfall freeze up all over again.  We won’t really care as we will be over by the sea.

I will have that pretty little JT with me and her favorite toy.  We will look for treasure on the beach

and in the lens.  I fear we shall not have the place to ourselves,  as we do on a nasty day but to hear

joy coming from everyone there,  it will be all I need to get me through another month, wait will this

be our January Thaw?  OK I won’t get greedy,  I will just enjoy the day and you know when I come

home I will have many photos to look back on and pick ones to share with you.  So I hope you are up

for a beach day like us.  Usually our weather comes from the west so if we are going to be warm my

wish is that you all will be as well.  If you do see the sun go out and bask in it even if you think you

will look crazy as maybe we are by now,  have you heard of Cabin Fever?

Looking forward to pretty photos from you all as you get out side once again without fear of frostbite

if only for a day or two.  I know it is winter but seriously I heard something about global warming,

my body says they are NUTS!  I won’t even talk about that VORTEX!  Really?  This is winter as I

knew it, as a child.

OK here is some random photos from the yard maybe the next ones will show the snow GONE!

JT in front yard before the freezing rains arrived

 

My neighbors are truly buried and to make things worse the deer who are so hungry are looking for anything to nibble on. Tracks all over the beautiful old stones as they leave this area and head down to us and the river.

Have a great night and a beautiful weekend.  Hope you get a little warmer.

 

 

Happy New Year To You All

I am going to try this challenge :  Zero to Hero 30-Day Blog Challenge  so for some of  you who already are  following I will bore you. since many of you have been with me since the start but for this challenge I have to introduce myself and blog to potential new followers.

My Blog  is called Living and Loving and my name when I set this up was NUTSFORTREASURE but now most of my followers know me as Eunice, from New Hampshire.  We are a very friendly bunch I only wish there was a way to meet up with everyone in one spot and have a beautiful visit and party.  It would surly be talked about for many years to come, I am sure of it.

When I started this journey within these pages,  now known as posts,  it was a long Memorial day weekend and I was needing to learn to Live and Love again,  hence the name.  See it was me getting ready to LIVE AGAIN and I am on my way thanks to so many others I have here to follow. They are so supportive even if they have only time to leave a Like. :)

I am supposed to tell you what my blog is about and all I can say is life.  Laughter, tears,  joy and sadness can all be found here interspersed with lots of photos  and re-blogs of others beautiful blogs and some pretty tasty recipes to try. I see me as a person who likes to share pretty things as the world has enough ugly stuff going on.

I share crafts I do as well as life with my beautiful Border Collie JT,  just the sweetest female dog who came into our lives at just the perfect time.

I will be changing some things on my blog  as this challenge  is supposed to do that.  So bear with me as I work it out.
My intention is to stay in touch with all who I adore here but I  love meeting new people too,  the hard part is keeping up with everyone so I will get a new computer by the end of April so I can continue to keep in touch.

Welcome to all new followers and thanks to those who have watched me grow, I am sure you know by now how much I love you all

HUGS

Eunice aka NUTSFORTREASURE

WE WILL WAIT

Originally posted on 20 Lines A Day:

We will wait up here in the tree

for the small birds to get their fill.

We will then head to the feeders

that will be chock full

They make such a mess and so many seeds they spill

In our beautiful red outfits they can never say  that we are dull.

All photos were taken through nasty and cold winter windows
I wasn’t going outside to hang in the snow till it was time to shovel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CHRISTMAS FLEW BY

So Fast Indeed……. sorry lousy FAST photo, pretty color though :)

It was windy and cold so we stayed home.  JT was tired of staying in so I slid my boots on and wrapped a warm scarf across my head and face lol I must be getting old :) and when I grabbed the camera she ran off to get her Frisbee.  She is too smart but I must have told you that before.  Most of us are now old friends. I still didn’t have my coat on and she was running back and forth from the door to me in the kitchen.  Going on 8 but some days more like a two year old.

I took her out to the area that was clear of snow and where the least ice was on the bare ground. Last thing either us needs is an emergency room on Christmas morning.

As you can see by the shadows it was a sunny day but very cold, too cold to go to walk the beach in Maine as we had planned.  Besides between VT and Maine over 100,000 were having Christmas with no power. Most people up here in the northeast are smart about having two sources of fuel to heat their places with.  We have propane that almost ran out before he showed up Christmas Eve at almost 6 PM and back up is nut coal, I love coal heat. We use propane for cooking too and now we have an electric water heater I have never had one of them before but with gas stove I can light the burner with a match and boil water in a pinch.

I needed to rest my shoulder after I threw her toy over and over so I asked her if she wanted to go see if we could find some beaver.  She led the way!

So down to the rivers edge we went all the while making sure we did not slide in!

See the tracks?  He pulled a section of the dam to save our land  we knew they would come but we are never quick enough to catch him in the act!

Maybe if we follow these tracks we can catch him being a busy beaver seems by the vegetation here where the tracks lead to that he has chewed off most of my beautiful Forsythias.  They are tough and will grow back but I did not want them PRUNED!

Want to see how he gets here when he forgets his ice skates at his Beaver Hut?

Swim out from under the ice climb across the land down to grab more of my beautiful bushes then back to his damn DAM!

I know your laughing right lol I am telling you I feel like Elmer Fudd and the rascally rabbit :)
They slip in from the water at my lower yards edge too

And head right for my seriously “WEEPING WILLOW TREE ”  where JT is on it’s scent! she is such a good girl but she is a herder not a hunting dog.

We hope you had a Wonderful Christmas.
We had our Christmas Ham with Baked Potato, Acorn Squash and Carrots to end the wonderful day spent together at home. No babies, no presents from a store but a warm home and hot meal what more could we ask for.  We have all we will ever need except for Peace On Earth so tonight after dessert, a simple brownie, when we close our eyes that is what we will hope the world can get as it’s gift from all of us.

With Love from me too you and a wish that you and your families travel safely so we can all await the New Year TOGETHER

Trees In Winter

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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Back Up Onto The Roof

I hope this is not how my whole winter will go.  Snow removal seems to run days together.  Tonight we are getting rain maybe lots and lots of rain and then some will have major icy event.  Trees will be lost as well as homes and cars they fall onto.  Our state has called in help from the states south of us as they prepare for the worst one of which could be no power come Christmas morning.  So many states face this year after year and we do every 5 to 8 years  and it is so sad to see very few real old trees in the landscapes.

OK time for some photos so you can see where I spend time each day. 

Upon climbing up and across the roof I am met with this.  Heat Loss?  I would say by the looks of this, the job paid for to insulate the whole house, may not have been done as well as it could have been. The propane I heat with is selling for over $4.00 a gal. last I want it to do is exit the home .

Wow I am getting quicker at this or there was less snow this time.  I did the whole roof in 2 hours first time and this time 1 1/2 hours.

See the flat roof and the small pitch roof any snow on them and warm weather or rain like tonight would act like a sponge and cause the roof to collapse.  The insurance company would not pay to repair if I di not do my part.  I wish I had won some of that jackpot to raise the roof and cover it with metal.  OH well I will keep the shovel close by .

This is the way down!

Since I blog I take the camera up with me in a bag all wrapped up soon I will need a structure up there to shoot from all year long.  I love the views from there just wish I was not on ice.

A Eagle flew over me but I had a shovel and not the camera in my hand so I missed that one but here are some of the views from the roof as I cleared it off.

See 10:00 AM not a drop of water on my land by 2:00 PM they had opened the dam AGAIN and washed away more of my land.
Never ending battle I think.  Maybe I will sell this place in a few years and buy a one bedroom condo by the ocean where it is warm.

Are you all done shopping and making your desserts for Christmas?  We will see my Mom on Monday and then on Christmas walk in the woods out back or a pretty winter beach.

 

COLD WEATHER HEADED THIS WAY TOO

Brrrrrrr

We went for a ride up into Maine yesterday.

The day started rainy and socked in with think fog here in New England yesterday,  while so many suffered in horrible cold and snowy conditions.  We will take what we can left of this year, before we too must huddle together and keep ourselves warm.

A few years ago I took a class with Mom on fusing glass with a wonderful teacher who has since passed away.  She had told us about a woman in Maine who taught wire wrapping,  so we could make our pieces we did,  look even nicer and go from glass into jewelry pieces. Well that winter we went out to Arizona  to hunt for Gold and I met a woman there who took the time to show me a simple wrap that as I got more proficient I could add my own flair to.  Well yesterday the woman in Maine, who I follow through Facebook, had an Open House for her jewelry pieces.  So that was my plan for the day,  a nice quiet ride up into Maine to meet her in person and see if I could find something pretty for a gift as well as to support another starving artist.

The ride was quiet but boyfriend and pup decided to join me as I always find the neatest things when I take the time to venture out from the house.  With winter on our heels I knew days upon days of me being inside would soon arrive. So I packed the dog’s fresh water, my camera bag and off we went.

I made it to her place with no trouble and told them I would be awhile and  for them to go find some fun without me.

So nice to meet Mig.  Her pieces are beautiful.  Such pretty stones and Sea Glass all wrapped in Silver.  We talked and talked and then it was time for me to find the sea.  It was just two miles east maybe less.  The two had gone in search of a place to play but saw the no parking signs everywhere and decided to wait for me.  Well right away I found a beach access road and plenty on empty parking spots, lol it is winter so all rules and regulations go by the way side here.  Dogs could run free!  JT was so excited I have to tell you.  We go walking at the beach but of late we stroll beside the sea on pathways and not on the sandy beaches, see if I take her to the waters edge she wants to do one thing and one thing only CATCH A FRISBEE.  I have a bad shoulder so with loosing weight we take the harder surfaces and walk and walk,  all the while me kicking her stick.  She is OK with anything I am able to do,  she is such a good girl.  She will be eight on Mother’s Day and I want her as healthy as can be so I can have her beside me for as long as I can.  Just check this happy photo out

See what I mean. Happy dog!

Now look what happens when she has to wait for me to stop taking pretty photos of the beach and sea.

You would think I had put her in the down command but actually she really has the need for just one COME.  She is too smart to do anything DUMB.  Yes I am blessed and very proud of my pup.  She is such a good girl.  A elderly couple was out for a walk on the beach and asked if they could give here a dog bone.  I never allow it but they were nice and JT sat pretty and stole their hearts in an instant,  she even took the cookie and ATE IT, she never does.  She must have worked up an appetite from all that running on the beach.  She was one happy dog, I swear I caught a smile or two yesterday.  She does love the beach but hurts too bad in her joints if we play for hours so the half hour worked out perfect.

We took the long way home, back roads all the way back to NH.  I have really seen that section of highway enough in a rig.

As we made our way along the coastline the towns had decked the streets with holiday lights and wreaths, it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas, well all except for the snow that was gladly missing. 

I had timed the day near perfect.  Soon it would be dark enough to see some lights and I headed for the most famous Maine Lighthouse to see them.  It was just a tad too light so I let JT out where she made new friends while I waited with not one but two cameras to catch some action beside the Atlantic.  I took too many photos, wait could that happen ?  Let me show you a couple to end this post.  I even added some to my online gallery for Holiday Cards!  Who doesn’t love the sea and these gorgeous lighthouses that keep the sailors safe.

Day By Day

Wanted to pop in and say Hello, to all those who still follow me.  I am trying to keep up as I slow down.

We are bracing for the winter onslaught to hit and till it does we are trying to prepare the best we can.  Order more propane so the truck won’t get stuck, while he is delivering it. Pulling beaver dams so we do not lose all I worked so hard for, THE HOUSE.  JT and Rhythm are good.  My sweetheart is still getting the old 54/55 Dodge buttoned up to help with snow removal, yesterday we ran 35 miles away to pick up a new heater fan, now to locate defroster hose, in the size needed, so we can keep windows in this old beast clear so he doesn’t destroy the yard.  I hate what the plow does to the land but I hate shoveling in pain even more, so we will do what we have to with light shovels on the roof, maybe find a used electric snow thrower for the roof,  as my Mom suggests.  We have a very old snow blower but I may scrap my Dodge truck with bad tranny to purchase a  new one, just in case we do not get enough snow for the plow now isn’t that a pleasant thought!  I am always thinking.

I do not see the surgeon till the 11th but some good news, I have started to unfreeze the frozen part of the shoulder, not a lot but I see a difference.  The horrible pain of tendon is there but if I use arm slowly it never rears its ugly head.  I hate that pain.  So depending on my options I will see if I can take one more shot to get through the worst of winter and maybe in March if it has not healed I will let him in to repair it,  as our weather will start to look up by then.  See always thinking.

I want to hit the gym every other day.  With only one car, his truck it is hard.  I only have to travel 3 miles each way so it is not bad maybe by spring I could ride a pedal bike that would be awesome.

I have also had a brilliant idea for a business and will apply to the Small Business Association for a loan.  I could get out of this way of life if all goes well so please cross your fingers for me maybe your toes too. Thanks!

Holidays are not the same in this life I live now so just a few pretty things placed around the home to remind me it even on its way.

No children, no close family fun times, I will just be celebrating the birth of Christ this year and buying a small gift for a local child who will need a gift to open on Christmas Day.  I look at what I used to be able to do for so many and now the new reality is charity begins at home.  Save all year for heat and food and an occasional trip to the sea or woods to keep my sanity and not miss my old life so badly which it why I need you to keep the fingers and toes crossed because if all the good thoughts go out maybe just maybe I will have a new path doing good for others in need and getting paid and it is something I can do with my injuries.

Let me leave you with a pretty photo or two to lighten the heaviness of this post I am happy just a realist and life is what it is and there are really millions so much worse off.  Which is why I always show you PRETTY THINGS there is enough ugly out there isn’t there.

Have a great week everyone!

ICY

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

BRRRRRR

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Swollen River

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

Swollen River

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Too Cold To Fish

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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Beaver Lake Derry, New Hampshire

nutsfortreasure:

Doing a few more landscapes

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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Riding Around

Well we took Mom for a ride and lunch to celebrate her upcoming 78th birthday which she will not be home for so we grabbed her while we could and went on in search for some pretty color far away.

We saw a farm with a pretty Maple Tree not quite at full color

 

As you can see a lot of green some orange and very little Red yet.  Who knew this would be our fate today.

 

Just a little along a lake we found in western Massachusetts.

 

OMG I found RED, lol

A spot for us to reflect upon life and birthdays and the desire for peace for ALL

 

No this is not upside down just the reflections of the pretty trees that lined the lake shore.

We had company too not sure you can pick him out as he hunted the edges and trying to get away from me.

So in the end we had a nice lunch at a very old diner in Gardner and saw a few pretty leaves and a Great Blue Heron as we wished her a very Happy Birthday!

Hope you have a wonderful long weekend to all of the followers here in the states at we celebrate Columbus Day.  It is our biggest influx of tourist’s in search of color I just hope they will not be disappointed in what we have to offer for it is all about getting out and appreciating Columbus and the trip he took to this new land.

 

 

The Ocean Is Just Past Those Trees

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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Our Rocky Coastline

nutsfortreasure:

I miss the beach I must go this week

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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My Bees Are Very Happy

nutsfortreasure:

BE HAPPY

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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The First To Arrive, Better Late Than Never

Originally posted on My Portfolio:

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While Reading Your Blogs

 

While reading your blogs I realized how much I missed mine. Each day I want to write and share but usually nothing comes. Since April it has been very hard. Seems before it was easy to express myself and now being cleared of all the CLUTTER within me leaves me wondering if I really have much to say.
I am so happy poor but very, very happy. I am at peace and seems I had posts so full of sadness and despair oh yes Joy as well if you looked deeper within it was there but really I was just not whole.

I still see things others will never get and it is OK maybe they are not meant to.

Ok on with today’s RARE BLOG really from me NOT A RE-BLOG he he READY?

So I have not seen much of my Mom since my return from retreat and she has not ben well so I made it a point when I got my check this month to take the $30 in gas right out and go spend sometime with her after I was done with Shoulder PT appointment. Ron and JT came with me as even she is feeling more like herself never will something from China be consumed in my home by ANY OF US!

So I get to Mom’s and she is doubled over unable to stand up straight I tell her to use the cane more to hold herself up though her hands are bad and I understand why she doesn’t. She has had RA for 40 years or better been crippled then better now her spine is worsening as she has lost so much of her height. She now has 2 cracked or broken vertebrae she will never tell me as too many years I was broken so she tries to toughen it out. She actually said she was ready to go. What the hell does that mean? Ready to go she is healthy as an ox except for the pain and she refuses anything but Tylenol and we all know the dangers of that drug.

So I had gone down with the full intent to scrub floors, clean refrigerator, scrub the stove things you ought to stand to do and need to do for more than a minute. I went around the property of this home I grew up in and admired all the flowers she grew. She had some beauties. I went out to the front yard and saw a section of the garden beds I had done so much work on my whole adult life now looking so pitiful. I asked what she wanted to do about it as she insists she loves her home and doesn’t want to sell and move in with one of us or her own apartment with little she would have to do but care for herself. She says “I can’t do it anymore”. I have known this for a long time hell I can not do what I used to and I am 20 years younger. So I get her garden cart, shovel, rake and a bucket with soil and proceed to dig every last Iris and Lily mixed in with weeds and grass out of the front bed. I took each one and trimmed back the green growth and cleaned the roots and set them aside. I worked for 2 hours on them alone I did that sitting on the same front stairs as I had when I was a little girl all the while watching Mom insisting on sitting outside with me and JT she sat in a plastic lawn chair. Same kind I did my retreat in not that comfortable.

After I had them done I moved on to trim a bush them I really trimmed it pretty much till it was just above the soil as there was so much dead branches soon she would lose them anyway. As I worked on my feet she tried to play a little with JT. It was warm so the dog did not mind resting a lot.

I got to this beautiful bush and knew if it was up to me to add a fresh coat of paint to the front of this house I could not have shrubbery against it so again I began a hard prune taking out many dead branches. Well This is usually covered in bees and yes it was a beauty but so out of control. I came across something that saddened me. Seems our world is so full of filth and debris and so many slobs our little birds have learned to cope the best they can. See?

So much plastic trash was a part of this poor Mother Bird’s nest

 

I swear it looked as if it were a home in the projects it made me very sad.

 

 

Now wait till you see what her front yard looks like now.

 

We had not seen that last window for years she will have to pull the blinds down now till she decides if she wants to let it grow back  or if we can make this place pretty with something easy to care for.  I am not getting any younger either and with injuries even worse.  Ron is in no better health he has lost so much weight and muscle and he is diabetic to boot.

 

All was not worrisome at Mom’s some  of the day was delightful which is how I will end this post UPBEAT! :)

Mom painted this rock years ago and we thought the bees thought her artwork was real but then a guy I went to school with thought maybe they were just wanting to grab hold so they could get a drink.  I told her to place a shallow dish with rock in it so birds could have their baths again :)

 

Remember she loves flowers like me so here are a few I took after I did all the work so they are not that good but still pretty

 

 

Thanks for coming to Mom’s with me.

 

She would love all of you.  Each one is so very special to me XO

Weekly Photo Challenge: Focus

Weekly Photo Challenge: Focus

Weekly Photo Challenge: Focus

Weekly Photo Challenge:Focus

So Busy Doing Nothing At All

Do you have times in your life where you seem to be very busy but are really doing nothing at all.

How did my life get so simple?

I used to blog everyday.

I made Jewelry every week.

I walked the beaches all winter long and early summer mornings and captured the Sunrises along the Atlantic.

I went away in March and came back profoundly changed and at peace. So much so I don’t do much of anything really.

Yes I wake after 4 or 5 hours of sleep and have two cups of coffee, fresh ground. I eat a simple good for me breakfast as I answer emails play a game of words on Facebook all the while tossing a toy to JT. Then I wash up the few dishes sweep the floors and make the bed. I shower and get dressed and grab my camera JT grabs her Frisbee and off we go to walk the property. Playing catch and snapping photos. Not much plant wise happening here. so much rain, nutrient’s washed away and plants are stalled. I have yet to have the Monarchs show up good thing end of July and Butterfly Bush has yet to open as a way to welcome them here.

My food garden is sad. I have had two cucumbers, one tomato lots of basil and some lettuce. Tonight I snipped Dill for our Tuna fish sandwiches.
Corn is only just over my knee and I am short.

All those pretty shots you saw the last year have either rotted or refused to bloom so I have been busy with Dragonflies. They have been so willing too. I have them all on My Portfolio blog and re-blogged to 20 Lines or Living and Lovin. I am sure I will lose the bloggers I have on my list of followers but truly what should I write about. I have changed so much I hardly even know me.

I joined a Gym can you imagine. I am also in PT for left shoulder. I am still going to Weight Watchers though I do want to quit as I think I can save the $40 a week and do it on my own but then I think I need to get out of the house as winter will soon be arriving and all that damn shoveling once again so I need to be healthy.

With Meditation I have learned to relax but sadly I LIKE that A LOT!!!

So I will try to add some color and interest to this unexciting post the best I can.

 

 

This is one of the Garden Club Lilies in Bloom with a pretty insect .  That’s right when it is not raining I spend an hour with a water can watering all the clubs plants.

 

After I pick fresh berries with the pup and her toy and my camera I make a plate with Greek Yogurt and delish berries.
Yes my kitchen had red counters hard to bounce the flash properly when hungry and tired and no tripod set up.

 

 

He kept telling me to come get photos of the last clutch for the year, her third.  He then found a baby dead on the stairs below this nest.  Lousy photo as I did not want another to be lost and the next day the nest day was empty.

As he worked in the back yard all spring and summer he got to watch them grow then fly away and she sat on more.  This is right over the entrance into the beautiful barn I have  in the back yard.  As someone would approach the Mom would bolt to the trees beside the barn and then he would make sure he always closed the door so she did not fly in and die inside while her little ones went without and would die as well.  He is learning to live as one with nature here for which I am very happy.

 

 

Black-eyed Susan just before opening.

 

 

Yes above is Dill I have begun to mess with my shots out of boredom :)

 

More later.  Tomorrow rain maybe I will play with my Polymer since the floors are clean, dishes done and I will not be WEEDING

Have a great night everyone

I need some SUNSHINE waiting on Sat.