FIRST POST of 2023!!!!

       Once again, almost by mistake, I was able to connect to my blog!  It is always a happiness to work on a new post. I hope everyone has had some peace and some joy over the holidays.  I also hope my friends in California are safe and somewhere dry during the current and unusual and dynamic and frightening and very wet weather there!!

     Here now are some of the photos and links I have wanted to share over the last 12 weeks.... Please note: the four grandchildren made it into these photos.....

always good food from the Cuisine J.W. !

Two photos of the versatile pond:

checking out bulldozer noises yesterday on the property next to mine (find my house !) 

looking across my field from my house at the newly shaved steep hillside  -- I learned that there will only be one house, at the top. When it is not winter, I won't be able to see it. 

 neighbors are treasures:

S and J's super cute Pygmy goat -- living for now in the house -- very lively and fun.

 

 

I made a DENVER trip in early November:

during a museum visit nearby E's office

an artsy view of two of my photos hanging at the bottom of the stairs  -- which are my exercise guarantee when I visit my Denver family.

    Gettting ready to bike to school:

This last-photo-for-tonight is by Rebecca.  It shows the "first waterfall" and Nik and Hannah who came the week after Christmas.  Lucky us!

I just wanted to show signs of life in the winter here!  I am going to do more "normal" photos in upcoming efforts.  I seem to get distracted from doing one of these posts on a totally predictable schedule, so I will just say I plan to return here soon.  Many thanks for your interest in my work.

 

from the "unrecognized photos" album

   Hello all you loyal viewers!  I figure you will understand about having disjointed days sometimes, like I am having today. All is well, but I dare not try to do what I had planned.  HOWEVER, I found an "album" of mine which bears the title "unrecognized photos."  I'm not sure exactly what I meant by that, since most of the images have been around for awhile, but now tonight I'm going to put them in this post. They make me happy, and their being totally random sort of seems to be the theme of the day.  HERE GOES!  ENJOY! 

briefly flowering moss

what we call "the big waterfalls" close to us

really called "Quaker Ladies" (or bluets)

in Massachusetts -- I love the light (and the daughter!!)

redbuds "branches" in April

catching the light on Mauk Ridge -- I almost missed coming upon it.

folllowing the annual memorial walk for Gary

It's amazing that this old barn of ours is still standing!

always look to our shared sky

I love finding treasures in the woods.

Before her school years, my granddaughter would sometimes stay at my house and bring her friends.

the wonderful swing, now retired because everyone is too heavy for the high sycamore branches that held it

the shelf where a great many of the books are by George Ella

I like to think I have gotten the "hang of things" here in Northeastern Kentucky, even though these precisely hung clothes are not my doing!

water falling, running, or frozen

         I have the idea of going wild about spring this year --- and starting with waterfalls.  This year there's a lot of work to be done to even get to the falls I have shown before, due to the damage caused by the recent ice storm. Getting to see those wild flower treasures we look forward to finding every April may be really hard to manage as well. The clean up priority has to be the nearby fire trail in order to assure access to it if need be. That's why I want to honor the creeks and the falls and the flowers that may be hidden to us this April while nature works to mend itself. I will show flowers in the next weeks.

        First I am going to try to load a vimeo of a creek on a normal day, several years ago. This can take awhile -- even overnight --  but it should work out in the end. I hope you will be able to listen to the water.

         

The creek continues, flowing toward the falls.

 Here's the top ledge of the second waterfall:

summer falls

winter artfulness

the big waterfalls, frozen and fallen

That day we heard the ice crash down just before we got there. Sometimes the top and the bottom touch in the middle!

summer view

        I can't resist leaving the forest's treasured spaces in order to share a long ago happy winter water moment at the pond.  It shows how you can't believe everything concerning water that you see.....

    There are so many more waterfall moods and photos, but these ones give a taste of the joy.

snow photos, guest photographer Rebecca Wright

post #476
       We had snow two days ago, briefly but definitely, and Rebecca and family didn't waste any time getting out in their woods, while the snow lasted. I really enjoy these photos; I trust some of you will like them as well. No rants today, just sharing the fun part of snow.

Ahh, snow angels

imagine the sled on this hill, passing the barn on its left side

happy snow explorer

the first waterfall, dressed for the occasion

the trees for this week's post, bare but striking even so

 

I happen to love this photo, bravo to the photographer.

I'll try to find out the story for this moment. I can see they are on a small bridge and looking down on the beginning part of the creek,  I doubt she is thinking of jumping into the water!  Stay tuned. I wasn't able to be there, so I really appreciate getting to share their outing and the magic of that morning.

   THE STORY: T. is throwing out snow into the creek to see if it melts before the water where it landed goes under the bridge....

June flowers and falls

post #436
         The news is that I've taken up walking again, because my foot is better! I even took my camera out for a kind of spin in the last few days. I am very rusty with it!  Even so I want to share here some of my restart moments. They include a drive to southeast Kentucky, with time at friend's farm there and at the amazing nearby Cumberland Falls. 

This ATV took us through the woods -- since I still am being careful in my walking.

We were stopped so that the others could walk to this waterfall, but I couldn't join them yet.  photo by Beth Ducot 

         The next two photos show the blooming mountain magnolia -- It was amazing to learn about this beautiful and elusive bush. Or is it a tree? I made these photos without a tripod or much time. But you get the idea. 

a lovely daisy in a field of grasses and flowers, designed to nurture butterflies and birds

flowers in the garden surrounding the house belonging to the Farm House Inn:

looking out through the upstairs screen, framed by the chimney

          Later we went to Cumberland Falls State Park. These are the falls that boast a moonbow every month when the moon is full.  Of course the weather has to provide a clear sky at the same time -- always a fascinating place despite my not being able this time to do the walking to the bottom of the falls.
            

photo by Beth Ducot, from below the falls

 A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

A FOOT NOTE, so to speak.... For a week or so in May I was able to enjoy my purple toes inside, and the purple wisteria just outside the closest window.  I had fun imagining some kind of cosmic connection.  My purple pain is now over (YEA,) as is the wisteria (BOO.)

        

Next week: the cohosh story