MOON CHASING

Up before dawn to witness the lunar eclipse.  It's been 150 years since there was a blue blood supermoon and an eclipse, and the next won't be for another 19 years.

Off to a good start!

Positioned just right for the eclipse coming high above the mountain and an open view in our pasture.

Fifteen minutes later . .  where did it go?? So we jump in the car, need to get to higher ground, hit the grade to the mountaintop in Saluda 10 minutes away.

Pull off the first and only exit, pull into a parking lot and can't believe it, there's a mowed path going up toward where the moon is!

NOOOOO!!!!  How can there be one billboard on the whole grade,and the moon is setting behind it?  Look closely, you can see the eclipse starting to happen.  I wanted to cry!

If only I had had my camera out and ready on the drive up, at one point the moon was so close, so big, and the eclipse was halfway.  At least on the way back there was a beautiful sunrise.  

Better planning next time for a lunar eclipse, which should have gotten the same respect as the lunar eclipse we witnessed last year.  Oh well, live and learn!

Back in Business!

Estate sales are cranking up!  Bob went to this one on Friday, and I stayed home with the overnight chow we had.  Bob came home and said there was nothing I would want.

I went back on Saturday for the half-price sale and look what I found!!  I can't imagine what I missed out on the day before.

Another sale next week, so working hard to get these items on Ebay and Etsy.  Have already sold my cream cable knitted afghans!

Finally got to have a visit with Linda at her shop and yet another belated holiday/birthday gift!  I love my crow decoy and the twig candlesticks.  The wrapping is so pretty, too!  Linda and I both have a fondness for crows!

This one is atop a building in Asheville.

Mindy's chickens came through for me this week!

With 65-70 degree weather, I HAVE to be outside.  Time to get the birdhouses ready for spring.

 Most of them need a good cleaning and repairs.

The bat box is going in the fireplace.  Did I mention I hate squirrels?  My dogs will chase chipmunks, but not squirrels.  What's up with that?

Princess and Roman love when I work in the yard, especially the pasture.  

The sun was too much for Lord Roman, so he found a nice cool grassy spot to take a nap in.

I decided to lay next to Roman and take a rest.  All I could see was the ivy in the tops of trees.  Need to get rid of that!

Princess didn't quite understand why I was laying down below.

Do you see what I see????

Spring is almost here!

THE FROZEN SOUTH

DEER

BIRD

BOB

DOG

CAR . . . some of the wildlife around here

Because of the cold, guess who's back!  My pileated has been at the suet on the tree and eating out of the platform feeder, but this sensitive guy can see me coming from a mile away and I didn't have my zoom lens, so you have to look very closely at the tree trunk to see him.

Don't have much hope for the camellias this Valentine's Day, they are fried.

It was so cold some days, even the chows didn't want to go out.  I have realized I no longer like winter, 65 degrees and sunny is all I want!

Some belated birthday gifts.  Thank you mom for this fantastic pressure cooker, but I will have to tell you about my first experience doing the dog food.

I love my lanterns.  They have come in handy with the blackouts, but I especially like them for walking the dogs at night with all this ice.

Debra sent me this pretty chow watercolor.

Chantal had the flower company send another bouquet because they left the first box at the gate and they were frozen. These were beautiful and bloomed nicely.

And eggs!!!  I have had to resort to store bought eggs for weeks because of the cold, the chickens were not laying.  I thought they were having marital problems!

What a week in rescue.  I had a transport from Houston to Knoxville to NC set up for Wednesday when the storm hit.  I have been stressed and scrambling for days, but today we got them on the road home after staying with me for a few days. This is Duke Monte, a very sweet dog.

Today we picked up Duchess Fergie going to the same home as Duke Monte.  

This has been the most stressful transport I've done and since I have not been feeling well for two weeks with the cold or flu, the stress just made it flare up.  Tonight, a glass of wine, a fire and watching Restored by the Fords, my new favorite HGTV show.  

When it's all said and done, how can you not help save a face like this!  Bob is funny, said rescue is like the Mafia, once you are in, it's hard to get out.  So true!!

Sweet Chantal

Found a box of flowers at the gate this morning.  They were frozen, but are coming around nicely. 

Thank you Chantal, you are a great friend!

Holiday Leftovers

Christmas Eve party at Mindy's.  Kelly was there and we got to meet everyone's teenagers and some new people.  Met the owners of Animobile, a new local couple that have just moved here from Atlanta and have a mobile veterinary service.  Didn't feel comfortable taking camera in and taking photos.  A wonderful Mexican meal, which is customary for Mindy being from Arizona.

Mindy's hostess gift.  We kind of had a laugh about this plum wine, her mother used to drink it all the time when she was growing up.  This stuff was hard to find in NC!

Kelly got her chocolate roll.

Bob's main gift was an estate sale find.  I cleaned it up, waxed the drawers so they would slide easy and filled the drawers with smaller gifts.

Still having a problem with one drawer, so using my woodworking tool to solve the problem.

Great piece that I snagged before so many others.  Lots of people wanted this!

My birthday gift from Bob.  Yes, it was my 60th birthday, and we're not going to talk about it ha-ha!!  

All of my favorite animals, owl, husky (wolf) deer and bear all in one place!

This made-to-order bird feeder was my Christmas gift. It is squirrel proof and will flip a squirrel off of it, so I guess they know because not one squirrel has tried to eat from it.  I thought I would get a funny video, even though I don't want to torture them, but tired of wasting so much bird seed.

Another great sunrise.  This time the hills in front are pink instead of the hills in back.

And in rescue this week:  This is Grace.  I have set up a transport from Memphis to Atlanta for this Saturday to my friend Alisha.

Grace is ready to go!  Glad we did not get any part of that snowstorm or we would have had to cancel.

This is Judi, a tiny senior also at Memphis.  I have set up a separate transport for her from Memphis to my friend Dione in SC, who will then turn around and take her to Drums, PA to my friend Marcia.  Sweating this one out, could have some bad weather coming in TN and NC on Sunday. Paws crossed!

This is Kono, who almost two years ago I did the same for him, from Memphis to Dione to Long Island to Ginny who has now become a good friend.  Sadly, we lost Kono on my birthday and we are all very sad.  I promised Ginny when she is ready for another senior, I will personally deliver him/her.  I have been wanting to visit her wildlife refuge and rehab center.  She was featured on People Magazine in the '80s for her wildlife work and her center, the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Center.  She is a great lady.

We will never forget you Kono!