Some regular visits from the locals and a favorite recipe...

I find life here in the holler a constant blessing.  I know God put us here because He knows where we need to be and He chose to bless us with what delights us.  For instance, the deer that come by our yard each day to graze.  You would think that after seeing them every day for so long it would become common place.  It never gets old.  I am just like the dogs, who bark at them, I get excited everytime I see them.

Today, I slipped out the back door and walked into the front yard to take these pictures.  We have many pictures just like these, but hey, it's the thrill of being out there with them.  My hands still get a little shakey as I try to get the best and closest picture without the deer running off.  So, I'm sorry these pictures aren't better.  I did have my long range zoom lens in but it was almost dark and I was in a hurry and freezing!

What fascinated me anew yesterday was how God made them perfectly camoflaged for their environment.  

Earlier this year we had Redneck Tacos.  A local bar-b-q restaurant named this dish and we started making them at home because I love them.  It's easy.  It's a cornbread pancake (johnny cake or hoe cake) on the bottom, pulled pork w/ our homemade sauce next, followed by cole slaw.  Oh, it's so good.  It's so good, I forgot to take a picture until I was half way through eating mine!

Well, that's all.  Blessings from the holler...

Happy New Year adventure...

Hello to all!  We are expecting some rainy/snowy weather so I decided to let a few of the dogs out to play or lay in the sun.  As you can see Scrappy decided to have her first adventure of 2014!  Therefore, she has had her first bath.  I wouldn't mind if it snowed some and I know that Speedbump is anxious for the white stuff.  At any rate, I have my towels washed and we're ready for whatever.

God's richests blessings to you all and Happy New Year from all of us in the holler...

Christmas in the holler...

I have missed yall.  I haven't posted in a long time because my Dad had a stroke.  He's doing much better now.  God is our Faithful Healer.  I wanted to show you that even though we've been busy with hospitals and doctors and rehab places we did decorate to celebrate the Advent of our Lord Jesus.

Scrappy decided to get in on this picture and say hello. 

This is one of my favorite manger scenes.  I collect them and they're everywhere but I have this one separate and simple.  I like it that way.

Here's the other side of the room.  I didn't put up the large tree this year, just a small one but it's just right.

On my kitchen window sill I have some of my little favorites.  Here are some egg manger scenes.

These are just my favorite pretties.  The center piece has been in our family for years.  It holds tiny candles, like birthday size.  I just love it.

So, I'm off to visit your blogs. At least in the next few days hopefully I'll catch up on what's been happening in your life.  As always we are blessed far more than we deserve and send you Christmas blessings from the holler...

Fall in the holler...

Last week, before we had a really windy storm I got out and took a few pictures of our fall colors.  The morning that the rains came I ran out and gathered what I thought to be "the perfect" specimens that I could find.  I had fun standing under our big Sycamore tree while the rain misted.  Then, with my treasures, I put my head down and made my way up the hill to the house (hairdo trashed for the day, haha, but who cares)

The day before the storm.

My beautiful leaves spread out over the backside of two placemats.

  Isn't amazing how they differ in in size and color?  Our Creator didn't leave a boring place for us to live but beauty for us to enjoy and friends to share it with.  

You know, after all that, those trees didn't lose all their leaves.  Some trees did, sure. But the ones that are left are all the more beautiful for hanging on; at least, I think so!  Blessings to you all from the holler...

We had a visitor drop in...

Yesterday evening as dusk was setting in JP and I both noticed a pair of large wings settle on our bird feeder.  This is unusual because our standard visitors are chickadees, finches and the like.  Maybe something as large as a woodpecker comes to visit the suet cake sometime.  This was bigger, much bigger, it was a hawk!

 We both went into the kitchen to get a better look at him (we're going to call it a him) and he turned his head and looked right at JP. So, JP turned the kitchen light off to gain us more time before he flew away.  I went for the camera and was only able to get a few pictures.  Oddly, the one from inside the house is the clearest.  My hands were shaking because I was hurrying while I was outside.  I even tried to calm my breathing but to no avail.  This is the best I could do.

Here he is just under our bird feeder.  His feathers are all ruffled out.  Until he moved I thought he had one of our usual visitors in his talons for his supper but he was just sitting there.

This picture is taken from our back porch and he is sitting by our fence.  I tried to zoom in but it just all happened so fast.  Isn't he beautiful though?

Oh, here I finally got the zoom to clear up some and my hands to stop shaking.  Then...

He flew off... and this is all I could capture.  Woosh.....my heart was beating out of my chest.

God certainly made some majestic creatures and we are so blessed to live here in the holler where we see some of them.  We got a special "up close" blessing yesterday and wanted to share.  Have a great week and watch for God's blessings around you too.  Blessings from the holler...