ONE MONTH can go by fast RIGHT?

Last day before heading back to work after the holiday break ....and a gorgeous fall day here so had to go out and enjoy it!  We went to Sandhills Wildlife Refuge...about 15 miles from us..

We took a hike around the dogs enjoyed that...and we spotted a few cool things; the grasses are awesome this time of year.

there is photo blind wayyyy back behind the lake, toward the upper left in this photo...

trouble is the birds wanted to be far from the blind...

Best I could tell there was Canada geese, ring necks, and coots, and at least one Pied-Billed Grebe

back to the other side of the refuge

a couple of birds came to check us out...

and a curious Robin

TOMORROW big changes here! WE have to replace 2 floors in our house! They said a MONTH omg not looking forward to the invasion.  BUT It has to be done.

We both enjoy our privacy so to not have it is gonna be nasty and we dont really know what kind of shape the house will be in during this renovation!

SO even though I think it is good to live in the here and now, this time IM ready to zoom this clock forward to Dec 24th!

PEACE

THANK YOU!

                                          

I am thankful to each of you that stop by to say hello and share your life via blogging with me!

...and I am thankful for the bees, without them we would have nothing to be thankful for on the Thanksgiving Table!

We are traveling over the River and Thru the Woods to the IHOP in Irmo, SC for a pancake brunch with my SON... since he will be eating a traditional meal at his GF's family table later.

I recall my most favorite Thanksgiving EVER was many moons ago my son was about 12 years old, we decided to go to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving! IT was deserted since all the tourists normally leave right after Labor Day, the hotel rooms were half price, and there was no line waiting to play put-put golf!

We ate our meal at an all you can eat buffet there was no cooking and no dishes to wash. WE enjoyed the time we shared together as a family. IT was special!
Hope y'all do something that turns out to be a special moment for you.

Fall is a good time...

TO Plan for the Future!

I'm a big believer in growing my own herbs and so outside my back door I have rosemary, parsley, sage, and I always plant lots of basil in pots.   I save the seeds each yr from the basil and use it to start a new batch in the spring... and bring at least ONE pot indoors before frost, to eat fresh basil until it finally gives up and begins to die back...which can sometimes be well into December!  I think its a good idea to buy an extra packett of seeds when I buy, just in case THE unexpected happens, who knows?  SO while the shelves of retailers is crammed to overflow with cheap Christmas decor, I can pull out the seeds I tucked away and get an early start on my gardening for next yr.  I normally buy extra arugula, spinach, and parsley seeds so I can get a jump on the growing season...you're supposed to start indoors 6 weeks before your last frost, well for me that means I need my seeds to be in the dirt and on the window ledge by March 1.
I dry the herbs and grind them up to use through the winter...

So I save the shaker bottles when I run out of Ms-Dash and other spices...and I fill it up with my own dried herbs, I put a letter on top such as an S for sage, P for parsley, etc!

sage

Rosemary 

I dry the herbs in old baking pan, just let it sit around in a dry location and once the herb is dry enough I use the Magic Bullet to grind it up....

FLICKR ATE MY PHOTOS

Then in the storage containers it goes....

It makes me feel good to know that I CAN grow some of what I eat and I can preserve and save some for the future..its not exactly gonna save me if 12.21.2012 is the last day of civilized life as we know it but I can at least sprinkle a little flavor on my cardboard if it comes to that!

Another way to plan our future is to get out and vote on Tuesday, I voted early with my Mom, people over 65 can vote early and so can their care givers...so my vote has already been cast and counted!! I believe our governing system needs to be completely revamped but UNTIL that happens we have to go with what we have. 

 

PEACE