Happy New Yr--

--seems everyone agrees 2011 was less than stellar--the economy of the world went down the tubes, we all had to adjust the way we live, well all except that 1%, no problems for them -Geeze-but it wasnt all bad---come to think of it:

here's some of my HighLights:

• I got a great (for me) job just when I was about to go belly up...that was a life saver.

                                                                         

                                                                       Back to weekend hikes now...

•  there was no wedding, :o( but my first grandchild was born on Sept 4th Tyler- the precious bundle:

• My mother celebrated her 87th birthday--yea Mom

• My sister retired from the postal service and bought a bigger home (now there's plenty of room for moi')

                                                        

                                                              Time for new hobbies now

• I became a Find A Grave Photo contributor, and have enjoyed all the local trips, history, and searching thats involved in that, its kinda like Geocaching. 

• I bought the Dixxeland Express in expectation of great spring and summer travel opps-(when the job allows of course)

• Had the time to take 8 great waterfall hikes, and saw more than 8 waterfalls in the process...since some have 2, 3, or 4, sections to them....it was a banner yr for that. 

•  I saw some really incredible birds this yr...nothing new on my life list but you can beat seeing a gorgeous bird in the wilds...

• Everyone in my family is happy and healthy....
  
  

  

  
  

• AND marked another 365 days off my countdown till retirement---and then there will be no holds barred!!  Really looking forward to this yr, lots of great stuff is coming for all of us!!!

PEACE

YIPPIE--a sunny day!

My son and I had a wonderful Christmas together--IT was simple and lovely from my point of view and I think he felt the same he was all smiles!!

Feels like Sunday to me...but of course its Monday and IM OFF..

WOW feels so good to be off for more than a weekend.

I did some yard work early getting ready to "sweep" the front yard that is buried under about 40 ton of fallen leaves...lol SO I got 5 gallons of gas for the mower and guess how much I paid per gallon? $2.98 I filled up my car too...and tomorrow I'll probably take the D-L Express (my van) down and fill her up too!! JIC it shoots back up --ya know how it is...down by the interstate the gas was $3.06 can we say RIP OFF--

So after the yard prep (pickin up the larger sticks, and raking the leaves that had drifted up against the fence) I had to go to Quaker cemetery to take 2 grave photos to complete the 16 I agreed to take.  Somehow I missed 2 of them..DUH--
well I always see other interesting bits of real-life when Im there like this Italian Cypress tree its TALL and arrow straight...

Some of the family plots were decked out for the holiday...

One of the interred received roses for Christmas...sure was pretty garnised with Eastern Red Cedar greenery saturated with beautiful blue cedar berries.

The cemetery has lots of wrought iron, and brickwork too I love this old wall that surrounds some of the older graves..

I like to combine birdwatching with all other activities...its easy to do, not easy to photo the birds you find tho---

I wonder if this northern mockingbird is thinking of eating these fake berries on this fake floral arrangement?  He was guarding a small family plot in the new area...he was not happy with me being around and made a couple of low fly-bys to get me moving!

He looks like part of the arrangement..

HE blends in nicely colorwise don't you think?

after this stop at Quaker I headed out to Lee County to take 3 more photos for another family and stayed the rest of the afternoon, I really liked this tree it was quite lovely as the sun went down...

then I headed home and was greeted by this lovely sight in the darkening sky...

A  sundog

I had a great day....cant wait till tomorrow--but for now I HAVE to get back to eating CHOCOLATE leftovers!!

 

PEACE

ENJOY!

HAVE A WILD N WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS

Wild Christmas 

PEACE

Last days....

of 2011 ha! GOT YA!!!  I cant wait for 12, 21, 2012 about one yr from NOW...just to see if those darn Myans had a clue or NOT..

I dont have much exciting to share but wtheck ---I'll share it anyways.
WELL ITS finally done...the painting that is...and the decorations are up too...no tree just a poinsettia and a table piece......I LOVE LIVING SIMPLE..

Painting done.

AND I found it...
That cemetery I couldnt find a couple weeks ago...Well it was on a small dirt road that looked like an old logging road...I just had a feeling and there is was, sitting back in the woods hidden and very secluded...

Plaque says: Barnes Cemetery established Aug 26, 1868,
Sherman's Army Came Here...They came, they conquered, and they left a LOT Of bodies in their wake! Senseless...

not far from the cemetery  I saw this cool old log structure...maybe as old as the cemetery-- who knows!!

These guys were hanging out near our house when I returned...there's 3 more in the edge of the woods...just out of the frame...one little young one too...

 I clicked quickly so its a little blurry,...SOMETIMES you get a second chance...I got one more shot at this one she was trying to communicate with me, mental telepathy...

'WHY do most rednecks want to kill me'?????? I replied, "Because they have NO heart, brain, or conscious"
Arent they  beautiful---I cant believe some people bozo's would end this precious life... for SPORT? To me (and a lot of others) its just WRONG!!!! (good thing this is MY blog...eh?) Awww she has family who depend on her... look at that peaceful face and I Love those fuzzy ears...AND look how fat she is...and that was the last thing she said before she sprang off into the woods....;o/

Here is our little homestead nestled in the pines...I have a whole list of chores to get done around here while IM off and some time for fun things too...
Just have to finish out this week and IM Free till the end the yr..
I really hope all of you have a great winter celebration and get your new yr off to a great start...I think while Im relaxing Ill read back to Dec 20, 2010 and see what I was up to...great to have this blog to keep track of my little piece of the rock and to spread my message of Peace, to each and for all the creatures of this Earth. 

PEACE

What I did FIND---

This was my last weekend to get out and about for a while CAUSE I've committed to painting the living room--ugh.  The ceiling too-and its tall...10 ft. SO that means up and down the ladder..oh Ill be sore I bet.  Course I have to work till 5 every day too so I wont start until Saturday.

bought paint and gathered everything so there is no reason NOT to get busy..anyways I had to photograph a couple of graves in the neighboring county...one graveyard I never found!! I followed the directions exactly but NADA so Im trying to find out where it is...and having NO Luck. I depend on the Internet to tell me everything that I dont already know **clears throat** and this time dang thing is SPEECHLESS...seems to NOT KNOW the answer to my question...hmmm could it be the Information highway has hit a jam? Possibly.

SO as I ran up and down the county roads looking...saw this rather large flock of wild turkey, 

They decided to "head for the hills" when I stopped...and a good idea cant trust those humans..grrr

SO I decided to look south...for the graveyard.  Didnt see it---and suddenly I thought it has snowed...

but nope... its COTTON and lots of it..can you believe how expensive cotton is these days? The cost has gone up greatly..Did a 360 and zoomed off to the east surely that dang graveyard is close by...
Ran into this guy he found me to be very charming, and I felt the same way about him...

On the search once again I found this really cute Christmas Tree farm...the trees are not grown yet but they sure are well groomed..

BY Now I am getting pretty frustrated I cant find this dang cemetery!! I head into town to see if I can get directions...Bishopsville is the home of Pearl Frayar the sort of famous topairist...and he has the trees in the center of town looking spiffy for sure...BUT NOT One person to ask directions..thats my van on the street.

IT was practically a GHOST town...I guess they are all at WALMART!!!

OH here is something new from my bank which was Wachovia and is now Wells Fargo..they show HOW I spend my money...

I was shocked. and pleased to know what is consuming 21% of my spending will be paid OFF really soon been paying that debt off since 2007 and the end is IN SIGHT. HOPEfully 2012 will be the turning point for me...and I can begin to come out from under debt.  As you can see Im pretty frugal.


**Doing the Happy Dance here*** and My boss asked me what days I want off for the holidays and I said Can I have the whole week between Christmas n New Yrs and she said YES..
YIPPIE, YAHOO and GALEEE...
Now all would be wonderful if I could find that dang cemetery...I NEED to get that grave photo!!!A day out sight seeing beats a day working any day!!!!!

PEACE

XYLITOL/TRUVIA DANGER ALERT - | Dogs, dogs, dogs | eons.com

XYLITOL/TRUVIA DANGER ALERT - Dogs, dogs, dogs eons.com


THIS sweetner can kill a dog within 24 hrs of ingestion...please be aware. This low cal sweetner Truvia is in all kinds of products so DONT share YOUR people food with your pets it could be deadly...this sweetner is in baked goods, sugarless gum, diet soda, and other products BE aware and spread the word.

PEACE


NOTE: SOME people who are being paid to disclaim this have left comments on this post, I have removed these comments because PAID EMPLOYEES are being paid to say the product is safe...which sounds like corporate BS to me, SHOW ME THE SCIENCE!

movie blitzn

That may have been the fastest 4 days in history...I did everything I intended and more...it was amazing that Direct TV chose to give us Starz Movie Channels free preview over the holiday....that was cool so my evenings were spent in Movie Mode....Here is what I saw and my rating outta 5 starz*****:

1. Apollo 13     ***
2. Frozen          **
3. True Grit       *****
4. McClintock   ****1/2
5. Stepfather     ***
6. Deep Core    ***
7. Final Destination 2  ***
8. Apocalypto    *

• I REALLY hope the Mayans were not that brutal...omg Mel Gibson's depiction of the ancient civilization was so inhumane I really cant believe any society was that brutal..of course I have no way of knowing...but the one star I did give was for the performance of Rudy Youngblood--it was all in subtitles and that was annoying although I did appreciate the authentic dialog...

 Another entertainment note....tonight is the end of the Walking Dead series..if  you've been following it...I gotta say the stopping at the farm has sort of broken the momentum for me of the "adventure" aspect of the series...so Ive had time to catch up and had a MEDIA blizt..of sorts.
AND in between times I was working on my Family Tree on Ancestry.com boy that takes up a lot of time....and I get cross eyed after a while staring at this screen..

My little Thanksgiving brunch was great I had veggie sandwiches and skin on roasted potatoes, sweet peppers, and BIG button mushrooms.  We had a couple varieties of pie to dissect and that was yum...son came over in the evening and watched a movie with me and we had more pie..;o))

...my sister and her husband left for the coast  in their new RV its maiden voyage and they were able to find all the issues right away...lol which is usually the only way to go, I was thinking it may have been a good idea for them to rent one for a week before purchasing one..But they decided to jump right into the deep end of the pool...this vehicle will be used in their business as a traveling home away from home. Darn I forgot tophotograph it but very similar to this one off Camping World sales page..this is exciting cause my B.I.L. likes to get rid of old stuff quickly and I have many of his hand me downs...lol WELL I can dream right!!

PEACE

Simple Thanks

Four days off work...Im very thankful for that-at the same time Im very thankful for the job I have!
I hope your time reserved to give thanks is more than just rushing here and there, spending too much money, overeating, and over indulging in this way or that--I hope you have something you really do give thanks for if you have not taken time to think about it...why not do that right now!!!

Ive had this Thanksgiving cactus for a very long time Im thankful its still giving me joy after all these years!! ITs not big or flashy its not even in a pretty pot its in an old black plastic pot but every year I get so much joy from having it in my life.


                                                          

       
So we put pretty paper around the pot...

 A very simple vegan meal here tomorrow...we will eat good food, drink good wine, and enjoy good conversation....
ENJOY YOURS------

PEACE

Ten Things...

10 Things Ive learned so far..

1. Never allow exposed flesh to come in contact with channel lock pliers.
2. Do not rake leaves on a windy day.
3. Dont try to convince meat eaters to become vegetarians on Thanksgiving Day.
4. Dont look up at a flock of blackbirds.
5. A potato will roll when you try to chop it.
6. Turn around before the road gets so narrow you cant go forward.
7. The check engine light is important.
8. Horses kick and bite.
9. Cowboys dont know jack about cows.
10. The biggest a** pot holes are in Texas.

PEACE

Eleven, Eleven, Eleven

11-11-11

Well I forgot it was one of those mathematically magik days....for me it was extraordinary.
First off while working and riding in the delivery van with my boss driving we crossed the Wateree River Bridge and I saw a pair of beautiful mature Bald Eagles landing in an ablaze of orange oak tree along the river's edge..that was wonderful. No photo of course..but to see those awesome black birds with white heads n tails against that Orange WOW...

AND later-- on the way home with the dying glow of the Sun in my rear view mirror and the HUGE orange sherbet MOON just barely above the horizon through the windshield in front of me... well I was in awe, what a cosmic end to the day-such a scene...I felt like I could reach out and touch it..no Photo of that either...but didnt matter I filed it away under Perfecto in my memory banks.

and....Yesterday as I drove to work a beautiful fox squirrel ran in front of me,...he has a terrific black mask, like a raccoon....and a long fluffy grey tail...he hopped along with that undulating motion like a Chinese dragon in a parade....I was in awe of his beauty... Special moment replay....I saw him again today....YEAH...no photo...

I dont like bringing my camera to work with me, because there is a chance it will get stolen outta my car....I have my little Konica with me, its useless up against the Moon, a quick fox Squirrel, and a fleeting pair of Bald Eagles, its great for flowers, landscapes and other non moving objects tho.

but when I was not driving and had my camera with me...I did capture these special moments this week, like this sunset...

And this full Moon...

And these oak trees in full color

and a pretty fall reflect at the lake ....

Tomorrow Im headed to yet another cemetery in a small town about half hours ride from me....and there is always an adventure waiting around every corner....can't wait to see what it is...
oh and it was FRIDAY and PayDay...can life get any better than this??

PEACE