Fall: mountain farmlet style

November 4, 2013November 5, 201343 Comments

Tired of working every time we go up to the mountain we decided to go up on Saturday and just enjoy the afternoon.

Bob packed the chainsaw, and I made fun of him for taking it along…

“We had that storm you know, and there are always a few downed trees on the trail!” he said.

: Almost there

: The neighbor’s place

: Our side of the mountain

: Needs some work, but look at the color!

: Into the woods

: Miss Kitty: “Follow me! I know the way.”

: Who’s laughing now?

: Too old to walk anymore, but he still wanted to GO!

: while Bob cuts the tree out of the way!

: All clear!

: This is Nevile our other mountain kitty!

: Some fearny bits, just because I like them.

: Miss Kitty strikes a pose.

: Rock Creek. Can you spot Nevile?

: I love reflections!

: Day is ending, and it is almost time to go home.

You will have noticed the barbed wire in front of Miss Kitty? As it turns out there was more of that barbed wire hidden in the leaves all along the edge of the creek. How do I know this?

Let’s just say I’m glad my Carharts are made tough! They saved me some serious damage! Only a little scratch, and yes, I have had my tetanus shot in recent history!

We stayed until it was dark to look at the stars and then headed out to have dinner. It was a lovely visit!

A visitor on the Farmlet!

April 19, 2013April 23, 201317 Comments

It isn’t often that we get visitors here on the Farmlet, and when we do it is a very big event! Recently, I enjoyed the company of Lori, of Day by Day the Farm Girl Way! We have been following each others blogs for some time, which led to corresponding via emails, and now most recently a week-long visit!

I found Lori to be a down to earth, true blue friend. Why, she was willing to jump in and help with anything and everything here on the Farmlet from washing dishes to pulling weeds!!! I tried to stop her, really, but she would not be dissuaded!

While she was here we continued our shopping for Farmlets. She has a very cool head when it comes to the purchase of a property. Her outside observations, and expertise in hobby farming were very enlightening and much appreciated! You see, I often get myopic about a place and its potential. So much so, that I fail to really see beyond its fence lines, or structural flaws. (By the way, this little flaw of mine can drive Bob nuts! 😉 )

We all agreed that this one was really nice,

but too expensive. 😦

This one she did not see, but it is a good example of my myopia.

Check out the neighbors living just over the fence…

The day I took Bob by to see this place he didn’t even slow down! There was a big flatbed truck parked halfway into the lane with another rickety shed on the back, and up by the fence between the properties were about ten scary looking types drinking and playin’ cards on a giant, wood, cable reel… It was about 9:30 in the morning as I recall. They own 5 acres of this junk!

😯

~*~

PLEASE NOTE: Most of the following photographs in this post were taken by Lori unless otherwise stated. (Thank you Lori!) I am afraid I was far too busy ~~conversing~~ talking her ears off to really notice and take pictures of anything. Sad to say, but true!

~*~

We also took in some of the sights in Huntsville.

We walked for hours looking at antebellum mansions which were survivors of the Civil War,

and other homes built later, but equally as grand.

Stepped back in time at Harrison Brothers Hardware,

enjoyed the view one late afternoon at Monte Sano Park,

and visited the pre-Civil War, Maple Hill Cemetery. (A must see if you ever find yourself in Huntsville.)

However, the best part of visiting, for me at least, was sitting in the kitchen. Here, talking over coffee or a meal, we shared our histories, our lives, and our dreams for our futures.

~*~

Do you ever read someone’s blog and wonder if that is really what they are like in person? Well, Lori is exactly as she portrays herself on her blog pages. Energetic, engaging, and honest, she says what is on her mind and in her heart, and I find that refreshing.

Please click the photo to be taken to Lori’s post, and the source of her photograph.

I look forward to our continued friendship and perhaps a few more visits along the way!

~*~

A Sabbath trek…

May 13, 2012May 16, 201230 Comments

On Saturday we went back to the trail head. No, not me and the dogs, but me and Bob this time! I had already decided that there was too much poison ivy, and too many ticks to risk taking the dogs on the unpaved trail!

And so, having donned hats, boots, and a day pack, we grabbed our hiking poles and took the unpaved path. I am so glad I thought it a good idea to wear long pants! The trail was a bit to closely grown with poison ivy, and I found a tick in our clothing too!

We hiked about a third of it before we got too tired and turned back.

I have a few things to share that we found along the trail.

I planted one of these in my yard last year. She didn’t make it. I think I might like to try again. I hope Bennett’s has them again this year!

We passed another such outcropping of stone and heard water. We looked carefully but no river or falls were evident. We then realized the water we could hear was from an underground river! The sound was coming right out of a large fracture in the rocks!

It is amazing how thick the vegetation on this mountain is considering that the whole mountain is solid limestone rock, but over time, rain, snow, and ice work on the stone. They seep deep into its fissures, eroding and freezing to expand, and break it apart.

Leaves fall and collect in the cracks and begin their process of decomposition.

Seeds fall into the humus… and miraculously they grow!

and they will further the destruction of the stones.

This mighty tree fell in a storm. I looked at her limbs and imagined a giant hand, fingers outstretched to the sky. On closer inspection I realized that she was not dead. She had refused to give up! Notice the smaller branches? The leaves have reoriented themselves to take better advantage of the sun. I also noticed that the forestry service has tagged her for removal as she is laying directly across the trail.

I stumbled into this stone and noticed the odd breaks in it. In places it seemed to have been incised by a knife’s edge. It also seemed to have an outer coating, almost like a shell…

I picked it up and that is when I saw that inside this potato sized stone was a surprise! On a nicked edge there were revealed crystal structures like jewels inside.

See?

I wondered what else might be found if it were cut open. Was it a geode perhaps? I decided I didn’t need to know and carefully placed the stone back where I had found it. 😉

On our way back we took a wrong turn! The path is supposed to be just one long loop around the mountain, but apparently because of all the fallen trees from last year’s storms, there have been a few alternate paths made. We realized that the area was small enough that we really needn’t worry, and we did have snacks, water and a cell phone.

However, later when I downloaded all my photos I found this one and thought about how very careful you must be when taking any unfamiliar trail…

Because after all, we wouldn’t have wanted to end up like this poor little fellow. He climbed up the cedar, out onto a limb, was totally lost, and then expired!

~*~

OK, because some of you said you were inspired to get back into a routine of healthy living I am going to share some BEFORE and AFTER pictures with you. This is a very hard thing for me to do, pride you know, but here is Buddy, and me in California when ~~I was~~ we were fit…

And here I am now, after no exercise and a lay-up from a back injury…

This is the fallen tree I mentioned above. Climbing over it I wanted to just stay there, but forced myself to get up and continue on. So I am not the same woman who left California. However, I refuse to go down without a fight!

~*~

This was my third hike this week and the most strenuous! I was tired and obviously out of shape, but my trekking poles really helped me both up and down the mountainside. I woke up this morning to a bit of stiffness, but no pain, so I guess I haven’t overdone it this week. Nine miles. NICE! 🙂

~*~

Hint to all with bad knees and backs: Get some trekking poles and use them! They really help to take the strain off your knees and back, and give a little workout to your arms too!

Photo Friday: on the trail again

May 11, 2012December 12, 201233 Comments

When I lived in California I used to go hiking, often. I also rode my bicycle to work at least three days per week, and every weekend as well. I went to Pilates classes twice a week and was in the best shape I had ever been in my life.

Then we moved.

Now before I say another word you must know that I adore where we live and have no intentions of ever going back to suburbia.

That said, I do miss the ease of being able to hop on my bicycle to go anywhere I liked, and my hiking friends who kept me on the trail as often as I was able to go. Since moving I have been plagued with back issues and this finds me in not very good shape at all! I have gained two inches around my waist, and lack the vigor I once had.

I am 59, and I believe too young to be this bad off. So this week I have started a new path to regain my health. I ordered two books which are:

Hiking Alabama, 3rd: A Guide to Alabama’s Greatest Hiking Adventures (State Hiking Series) by Joe Cuhai
Rail-Trails Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, from Wilderness Press

You may find these helpful books, or others for your locality, available through Amazon. (I received no compensation for these endorsements!)

Now I am not going to jump into cycling marathons, or try to hike an 800 foot elevation change, but I have to start somewhere and so Wednesday I started here…

This is a paved, level, two-mile round trip. I saw a total of two people here during my visit.

Now some might find that lonely, but there were other encounters along the way…

A hawk

Silent sippers at a trail side Butterfly bar

One graced me by landing on my shoulder. She was lovely!

A shy little turtle. Don’t you find the pattern on his shell lovely?

A lazing caterpillar who warmed itself in the sun

And while I was busy with eyes looking through the lens of my camera, the clouds moved in and threatened rain!

I stopped. “Just one more shot.” I told my companions. “You see, I have been working on getting water droplets to clear up and pop in my photos.” (I think I am very close with this one!) I think they were unimpressed…