Button up your overcoat...

I found my winter felted wool hat, a pair of gloves and my crazy socks.... Batten down the hatches, The wind and snow is coming again and not just a dusting. Another 3-5 inches expected tonight. Doesn't the sky look cold and bleak?  We are warm and toasty bracing for the next  Winter Blast. If you go to the kitchen you can see what this "hen's been cookin"... It's going to be good with dinner tonight.  My kitchen smells so homey and warm too. Bundle up if you are getting this Arctic Blast and keep those fires burning..& have a hot cup of something..You can make  mine a brandy!

Why, I Can't eat in peace..

I warmed up some leftover waffles this morning for my breakfast. Getting ready to fill my tummy I am interrupted...Can I eat them in peace? Ohhh No... As I look down at my feet, I see Buster sitting very politely waiting for a dropped bite.. or perhaps a quick hand off...( Hmm.   that is not happening.). Then I glance outside to see how hard the snow is falling. ( it has stopped) and There at my window is a Hummingbird.. What is He doing here? He should be far south  by now, or may get caught in the coming Snow storm. I have no sugar water made for a hummer, so we poured a bit of watered down  maple syrup... He immediately started sucking up his fill... and finally as

I look out the front window off the porch I see these sweet birds looking for a few crumbs.. Now I can't leave them without so.. I gave them some too... Now if everyone doesn't mind can I finish my breakfast even though now they are cold... I better hurry before some other critter wants something... Now I am getting cranky..Maybe I can sneak a snack later...

Over the river & through the woods...

This morning Clay & Buster & I took a short  drive to possibly catch some pictures of  trees still with their colorful foliage but it appears where we drove along the marsh area called Eagle Ridge we were too late.Most of the migrating birds were even gone.... I had to stop and capture it while Buster wandered sniffing all the smells of the woods. This picture does remind me of a childhood drive my family took to my grandma & grandpas home for Thanksgiving. .We would sing "over the river and through the woods..as we drove along".. The weather was still nice enough to walk a bit without a coat.. Do you have these moments when something sparks a memory of your childhood?

Charming Chicks Gathering

Here are my My home greeters. They will be welcoming my guests tomorrow as they enter my home. I came across the Mary Janes Farmgirls Connection on line when I moved to Oregon. I started my own chapter, because there was none here in my town. Saturday I am hosting a "Klamath Falls Charming Chicks" Meeting and Luncheon. We are a chapter of the MaryJanes Farm Girls. You can learn more about her organization by clicking on the side bar picture of her.
Our chapter started with 2 members almost 3 years ago. We have been growing and now have 14 members and rumor has it there may be 3 more coming to our November Luncheon meeting. One of our chapter projects will be adopting two needy families for Thanksgiving and we will adopt a family for Christmas in our community. We hope to do more in our community as we grow. .
Being a farm girl is a "condition of the heart". We all love country things and try our best to live a sustainable life. Reducing, reusing and recycling is one of our goals. Some of us enjoy sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, cooking, raising chickens & other animals, gardening, thrift store shopping and simply enjoy our families and friends. We can earn badges to wear for learning many new things if we want. (think of it as Girls scouts for grown ups.") It really is a fun to have a sense of belonging. We are one happy family offering support and a helping hand to each other. Many have no family living close and we fill that "sister role." Everyone should have a sister to share events and sad times with, don't you agree?
This month there are four of our members who are celebrating their birthdays and we will help them do that. We meet once a month for a meeting and sometimes just to connect and share what's of interest to us. We are just one of many chapters across the USA and even in Europe. Please go to MaryJanes website if you are interested in reading more about what "farmgirls" are doing. There is so much in learning  from each other.We each have our own style, making us all unique and Special Sisters.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall....

Okay, its been cold outside so I have been busy inside..  While I was in Washington  last month,  My friend Leila gave me two window frames to decorate.. Her husband removed the glass for me and showed me how to cut mirror tiles to fit.. I painted them first a aqua color and then went to work on the mirror project. I have never attempted glass cutting but now feel confident. I only messed up on 4 tiles and cut  one finger.. I'm adding aqua to my decor for the family room and think it really "cooled" the room. We get lots of warm sun in there by afternoon, so its a nice feeling now, open and light.

  I have had the two wall sconces, Thinking perhaps aqua candles would look nice in the pots.

I moved some things around in the dining room and now there's no room for any more!...( the room is bigger than it looks here..)

I guess I will be making another trip to Joanns & Michaels for candles & aqua print fabric to make pillows & draperies next, or perhaps a trip to Ross.. It's always fun to browse  there...I have another room to decorate....before Christmas.

Here it comes

I was sure it was coming see.. Taken this morning out the front window
It has rained since it first snowed melted what was here and then it snowed a bit more.. right now the sky is really dark with more snow clouds. Probably wont start snowing again for a few hours but it is really cold outside and windy.. I am glad its warm inside and the "girls" have been inside their coop all day..I gave them some warm noodles & rice..and that should warm them a bit..It would me..and it is getting close to dinner time. I have left over beef stew to heat up..so I better get on with that...

Snow is coming.....

It's official, Old man winter is coming...and bringing with him an early snow..

 A few of the  local deer were down in the yard this morning feeding on what little green grass  is still available to them. There was a thin sheet of ice on our patio and a small frozen pool of rain water in the yard. It rained hard yesterday. The chicken's water  pans outside their coop were frozen and a real chill in the air as the morning clouds moved over the hillside.  It was nice and toasty inside, while we drank our morning coffee...but The weather forcast reads : 
"Tomorrow night: Rain and snow in the evening turning to all snow late. Low 31F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 70%. Some snow accumulation possible." ( not sure what that means) but I did purchase a couple new pair of gloves... and I might just need them.
This can only mean November has arrived and December is on it's way.  Actually I am kind of excited about the changing season as well as the recent time change. It gets dark sooner and my days are full.
 Living here at Blue Sky Farm is a happy place to be.
I love the holidays and I am inspired to get on with the decorating and cooking. I want to make bread, candy and other goodies. This feeling of being "Home" is Welcomed after a busy summer and fall.. I hope to get back  to the kitchen this week, blogging and crafting. My crock pot will be filled with soups. I will  start on some  projects I have in mind. It could be a long winter and I need to keep busy. I even have a couple books I have yet to open. So  Welcome Winter! Just give me a couple more days to get ready..now .I must find my coat & boots just in case...."accumulation" means more than a couple inches.

My 5 Happy "Girls"

I haven't posted pictures for awhile of the ":girls" so here they are on this wet, cold Sunday morning , they are busy eating the goodies from the early morning rain.  A Breakfast  menu of worms and a hand full of corn scratch. Their coop is nice and warm, full of fresh straw and feed, but here they are outside doing what they do best. I think they are happy. They didn't notice the clocks were changed back an hour but maybe they did. They have not wandered far from the yard, . Today they only left me one egg..which one contributed to our supply I do not know...but it is appreciated. ( this afternoon someone may drop another).  The production has slowed a bit.. 3 pretty eggs yesterday, a sure sign of the weather changing here at Blue Sky Farm. We have added a warming light and heater for their inside water container...a few extra greens and leftover spaghetti noodles (that's another of their favorite treats) so they will continue to be happy don't you think?

Cleaning the pond

Saturday Morning and a pretty nice day to clean up the pond of the over grown cat tails. This pond is so pretty. The deer come from the hillside to drink and many migrating birds stop as well as our returning mallard ducks. It somehow became over grown with cat tails this summer and we ( Clay ) decided to clean some away.  ( hiding in the tall over growth) I captured a few photos of work in progress.while standing  in the middle of the dry pond bed surrounded by these cattails. He was working so hard  tugging and pulling. These roots go deep.. I was glad to see him take a break. He won't take them all out, some will remain. I am  hopeful we will see the pond full again come Spring when the snow melts, or we will  fill it ourselves. The deer will be happy I am sure. Today was a good day to prepare for winter.. She is coming, sooner than we think.

"Drum Roll Please.".. ..

 

 Ta Da! It's completed. It took exactly a hammer & a screwdriver, but I cheated and used an electric screwdriver..(Much faster) .The room is now 

nice and organized and I am happy. It took me over 4 hours to sort my "Treasures".. and another 3 hours to decide where to put everything. Plenty of space to create and spend "me" time..  What do you think?

With these two simple hand tools

(According to the instructions..on the boxes) it's all I need  to Create Big changes in my craft room.. No I am not destroying the walls, floor or windows... Wait until you see what my finished room will look like. However,  If you don't see me for a few days... I am buried under these piles of unsorted treasures.... notice I didn't say junk...I wont be out until it is finished...hopefully the project wont overwhelm me...Please check in on me..and Wish me luck!

It's about changes......

I am home at last.. at least until Thanksgiving.. I have so much to do..Change is in the air...The days will be long and I will be busy. It started this morning as I met with a few of my "farm girl chicks." to meet & greet a potential member of our chapter.It was great to have coffee with them. What a treat....Then
I came home to help my husband winterize the fruit trees with mounds of bark & leaves and to add wire to keep the "chickens" out of the straw & bark mounds. (boy!  they love to undo our work, by scratching for yummy chicken bugs and other goodies) I also planted my crocus bulbs for next Spring.
I got home Monday  from my latest trip to Washington, and unpacked a ton of new things to decorate our nest with. While away I visited my  dear friend Leila in North Bend . I was able to Spend the night and enjoyed some great  "girl time"...She was making  changes in her home decor and unloaded many items from her storage and house to my car. We have had the same taste for country decor and she has inspired me to change some things too..... She has discarded some great items...and I couldn't pass up the offers.  My car trunk & back seat were  really loaded with New Decorating Stuff..to hang on my walls, set on my tables and craft items for creating  my new look.. My poor husband will be shocked to see just how much "Stuff" I brought home....I will share them with you  as I complete the projects...but first  I have to paint the walls in the dining room and finish the painting of the trim in the guest bath & hang some draperies in the Family room.... I have a deadline for  some of these improvements by  November 13th when  I am hosting the November Charming Chick meeting and birthday party...I am really excited to get started... Do you have a good friend like me who really inspires you?

Home Sweet Home

I Love my Home. It feels so good to come back to when  my traveling takes me to interesting places. ( even if it's for only a few days) Yes, I am headed back to Washington  next Monday. To help out my mom, She is home from the hospital and although doing quite well,  I need to be there to make sure she has everything in order.It's part of being  the oldest daughter.. She has just returned to her home sweet home herself from a few days in the hospital. She has a few blood clots in her lungs and although feeling better,  I feel I must do a check up on her . You know how it is... don't you? Winter is coming and there are a few details that I would feel better  knowing she is well on her way to recovery. I will only be away a week.... and  My daughter Nancy will return to her Home Sweet Home for a few days as well and I will get to see her too...before she leaves again for Italy ( Business related through her job.)Once I return to my little nest, I am going to get started with some sewing, crocheting and settle into the fall with some cooking too.. I have been away from My Sweet Home much too long.. Do you feel this way too? Summer was very busy for me this year and it will be nice to stay home for a few weeks, Thanksgiving will be upon us shortly too and we have travel plans to share it with some of Clay's family... So I must get busy .. and start those projects I have been putting off... and I know It will be great to be settled into my home once again.

Oh! The beautiful flowers!

  

For me, Flowers used to be for special occasions, or so  I thought, but since I started adding bits of "pretties" to my budget I purchase them regularly now.. I love them in my home..and treat my home to fresh flowers weekly. I love flowers! They make me smile..... I finally purchased my first orchids today. My mom gave me a gift card for my birthday  and I knew just what I wanted. I have often purchased the lilies and others and saw the Orchids as a luxury item. Why ? I do not know, but probably because they are so much more expensive and I usually do not have luck with purchasing more expensive plants & flowers, Today I decided I deserve these... pretties and hope I can keep them alive. I know very little about the orchid but have been reading more & more about them.  Do you treat yourself to flower luxury?

 

A summer full of travel

 I have been traveling a lot this summer. I know my scheduled trips are coming to an end.  My journal is full of pictures of my family and friends and I have really enjoyed the summer. Trips to the mountains, lakes,and ocean. There is one more trip coming up, (next week) My husband is taking me to Mendocino California for my Birthday. It was planned yesterday morning. I have yet to completely unpack from the last trip but I am not complaining.... I love to travel. We will be leaving Monday and return by end of the week... My dear friend and farm girl sister ( April) is House/Buster sitting for us.. We are so thankful she was available at a last minute call... Thanks you so much April!

We are staying  at "The Inn  at School house Creek"  just outside Mendocino, and are looking forward to taking lots of pictures ( Now we have Photography class 101completed) but I also will enjoy sitting here at the cottage looking out at the ocean. This will be a birthday to remember I am sure. The only other trip planned is Thanksgiving in Woodburn, Oregon  with family.  I think I will have time to unpack before that trip. I am very fortunate to be able to travel and to enjoy this time of my life with my husband and family. Yes, Life is very good!