Exploring

Cleaned up the mantle and got a few paintings up just to make it feel like I'm getting somewhere with all this mess.

Also got my faux bois planter up from the farmhouse, planted and decorated.

A lot was accomplished this week.  We found our goat farm only 12 minutes from our house, a former software tech turned goat farmer.  The milk was so fresh it was warm!

They were so well-behaved!

Seigfried "Ziggy" as everyone calls him, actually shows and breeds goats, doesn't sell the milk, but he has 20 gallons a day he doesn't use, so I will be over there quite a bit filling up my freezer and getting milk for my friends.  Once Jacqui gets Kashi's Kitchen going, she will be doing farmer's markets and plans on selling doggy milk and cookies, so we hope to make a profit on the milk, which at the pet stores is selling for $14 a quart!

Last week I decided to venture out and instead of making the usual right at the end of our road, I made a left to go to the town of Saluda where Wildflour Bakery is.  I had been there years ago, they are known for their sticky buns, so I thought I would drive up and get a box for Bob.  One mile around the corner from my house this was the view.  I was shocked!  I was at the top of a mountain I didn't know was there.

Not bad scenery for a drive to the bakery.  Passed quite a few cyclists.  Couldn't believe they would want to bike up that mountain.

This is where the cyclists ended up, I guess for breakfast, at Wildflour. They also have a cafe and serve pizza on Friday nights.  Easy to get to until winter weather comes.

Bob and I went back up to Saluda on Sunday for lunch and just to check out some of the art galleries.  There was a home with thousands of daylilies, looked like a daylily farm.

A cute garden shop next to Wildflour

Modern-day snow birds

Lots of moss

Lots of rock

Lots of flowers.  These are gooseneck loostrife.

Bob found Green River Brewery and decided to sample a few flavors of hard cider.

We took another route down the mountain to visit Pearson's Falls a waterfall and botanical preserve from the 1930s.

This is the entrance to the falls, but it was starting to get dark and we want to hike the trail and take in the gardens, so we plan on doing this next weekend and will post photos of what we find.  The Fourth will be spent at the lake, Debra and her dogs are joining us for a bbq, and we'll watch the boat parade.  Just going to chill next weekend!