Summer beauty...

I decided to bring a sample of what's blooming outside to the inside for the weekend.  It's kind of lopsided but it's colorful and pleasing.

Charlie and Corrie decided to cooperate for a picture.  Speedbump and Violet were being shy and Scrappy was just shamefully dirty, but...

Here's Daisy, she's all healed up and working on growing her hair back from having that cyst removed.  We're so glad that's over and she is good as new.  It's amazing how she still plays even though she's 12 yrs. old.  I am so thankful for her.

We pray that you take the time to enjoy all of the beauty God has put around us in His creation this summer.  As always, blessings from the holler...

Babies on parade...

Yesterday was a lovely day in the holler.  It was rainy and the mists hovered between the hills like smoke. Evidently this all made for a perfect day for the animal moms to bring their babies out.  Before JP went to work, I looked out the front window and there were three turkey moms with their chicks feeding in the front yard.  I had never seen this before.  They usually sneak the babes up through the tallest grass they can find and hide them under a spruce tree while they eat.  We haven't been able to get out and mow because it has been raining every day so the grass in the front gets taller and taller, maybe that's why.  So, I got the camera and snapped a picture or 30!  You can hardly see the baby turkeys but here's the best ones.

Later in the afternoon, Charlie gave me his "big boy bark" and I looked out and this baby deer and his mom were in the same spot where the turkeys were.  What a delight watching this young one kicking up his heels like he was in a rodeo!  The momma deer was more guarded and scooted away to the creek when I peeked out the front door with the camera, but you can tell the little one still has his spots. awwww!

So, all that action just made my day.  What a treat to get to see these little darlings.  I hope you enjoy them too.  Blessings from the holler...

We have been pretty busy...

We just finished a project that JP has been wanting to do for quite some time.  We made Sauerkraut!  JP got a special pickling crock, a book called "The Joy of Pickling," and we went to it.  We started it back on May 5th, putting it in a closet that we kept cool.  Actually, we ended up keeping the house at around 70 degrees so I was glad for the project to end to celebrate summer temperatures.  But the end product was worth it.

He chopped the cabbage, packed it in the crock (which has this water seal so you don't have to smell the krauty smells), and on May 29th we got our first taste of the best sauerkraut I have ever had.  It's crunchy and so delicious.  This week I plan to cook it in a proper pork and kraut dish but it was great on a hot dog.

It is all stored in jars and in the refrigerator.  I don't think it will last very long.  We gave one jar away and we've eaten one. Hmmm.....

Another project completed is this baby blanket.  I made it for a friend who is going to be a grandma.  That square in the middle is an antique.  It's hand stitched onto flour sack material. awwwww.

Well, that's all the pictures I have.  Blessings to you all from the holler...