Last of November~

 Here we are - the last day of November.  We've had a couple nice mild days to end the month, even if they included fog & cloud cover.  All that is due to change tonight - over to rain - then wet snow & lots of wind.

My new metal flower~

 I baked a batch of Grandma's sugar cookies & addressed Christmas cards.  With the last of the cookies out of the oven, it was time to take Nika on a walk.  She was so excited & tried to drag me up the street.  No complaints from her though, when we entered the timber.

Last of the color~

Even though invasive, the honeysuckle remind me of the Salmonberry bushes of WA.  They form a short under-story of shrubbery that the birds really enjoy.  Of course it's the birds that spread them far & wide.
We cut up to the salvage yard that is at the far end of our timber.  I knocked on the door & met the owner.  His wife & granddaughter pulled in.  I wish I'd gotten a photo of this cute little girl, in a hot pink coat running for Nika, as Nika took evasive action behind me!  :-) 

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Finishing off our loop~

It was late afternoon, but the color of the day hadn't changed much, except for a few sun-break's earlier.  It's been warm enough, in the high 30's.  The snow & ice from the last storm continued to melt.  The ground was spongy in the timber.

Marsh~

It's fun to walk across this area.  One side still frozen & flat with ice, the other wet & mushy.  Next week we're supposed to drop into the teens again at night - with daytime highs only in the 20's.  I've learned a lot about layering!  My favorite winter riding pants are getting more use than I thought they would!  Of course, I know it's cold if Butch actually puts on a coat!

Quick Trip - Greenfield~

I've tried to make it a point to visit Greenfield at least twice a year.  Once over Memorial Day weekend & again Thanksgiving weekend. It's one of only a couple times a year, Butch can get away for a few consecutive days.

Coming into town from the west on Hwy92

This year, we didn't get to do an overnight & I'd looked forward to it.  But - the storm held off & it was another beautiful day.  Not as warm as on Thanksgiving, but still very nice!

First Street Antiques~

It was a shop local weekend, we were shopping local in my old hometown :-)  Mom & I had stopped here years ago.  It was where I found the first swan planter that started my collection.  This building is jam packed with unique items.

Adair County Court House~

Once we'd parked on the square, the first thing Butch noticed was the construction.  The ADA ramp had been installed at the east entrance, sometime last year.  We first saw it during our visit last May.  It did nothing to improve the looks of the historic building.  Now, Butch guessed correctly - this addition on the west side - will be for an elevator.  If that's the case, the ramp will probably go - but the character of the building is changed forever.  The Glenwood court house, built in 1959,  built an addition several years before we arrived.  Personally, I don't care for the look, but making changes to historic structures is a difficult challenge, I'm sure.

Shop fronts~

Greenfield does so much to keep the town neat, tidy & interesting.  Even with the ongoing struggle to survive that so many of these small mid-west town's face.

Warren Cultural Center

The view of the Opera House has changed somewhat, with a cell tower in the background.  The day was rapidly turning gray as the clouds moved in & temperatures dropped.  Ed & Eva's was our final stop.  I love the store, full of hand-crafted items from local artists.  I was actually almost out the door, before I caught sight of a must-have item.  Metal art, perfect near the Cabin. 

We had time to eat before continuing on to the cemetery.  We visited my family's graves.  The flowers that I'd put out in May still looked great!  It's so hard to find anything that will hold up to the harsh weather.  I'm still trying to find something that will look good through the winter months.  We went on to Creston & took Hwy 34 home.  We ran into some rain, but the snow didn't start until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Thanksgiving - Washington to Iowa~

It was 2015 & our last Thanksgiving on the Homestead.  We still had no idea that we'd be making changes - anytime soon - or that it would be our last there...  We all know though - how quickly things can change.  When the holiday's roll around - I have those times when I miss so much - being closer to the kids & grandkids.   I even miss the soggy wet days occasionally. 

The Cottage~

Now, I won't miss the Cottage as much, since we have the Cabin!  Most of our friends think we're a little strange now.  Why would we want to be out there - when we have a nice warm house?  I have no explanation - except to say it's what we've always done.  I'm happy we made the decision to place it closer to the house on cold nights!

11-15-15 From the Cottage porch - south

  The view above, from the Cottage porch, was after 25-years of clearing, cleaning & planting.  The Cabin view will be different too, we're adding a sliding door.

From the Cabin - south

I worked to clean up the west edge of the timber last year, taking out dead limbs, trash, grape & Greenbriar vines.  My plan is to improve this view too.

Main trail Inland Isle Ave.

I'm working on trails again.  We were so lucky to find a place in town, tucked away in a corner where I can still work in the woods. There we had woods - here a treed lot is usually - timber.

Main trail 11-21-18

 It took a while to figure out where I wanted the trail to start, but it was a logical place.  It works fine, just behind where we put the Cabin.  As the photo shows, there's plenty of trash to be hauled away.

Merlin's Grove

The green glass gazing ball has found a new home.  Surrounded by marigolds in the summer, rather than Western Red Cedars.  I do miss the ferns though!  Finding a ground cover that works in the Timber will be a challenge, let alone getting it started.

The following  three photos were taken 2015 - Thanksgiving in WA~

Three Fingers Peak

 The view from behind the barn of Three Fingers was always changeable.  Friends used to say we should have built a house up here rather than the barn.  I always wanted to climb at least part way up this peak.

Farah in her pasture~

Farah...  I hope Renee gives her extra carrots!  I'm so pleased she's comfortable & well cared for.  February can't come fast enough!

Cassidy, Ben & Mason!

The best part of our Thanksgiving Day, any day for that matter, was when the girls' & their families drove in the gate!  Ben was up from Oregon visiting his dad, stepmother & sister Madi.  He came for dinner & to spend time with his cousins Cassidy & Mason.  These first three were so close in age with Ben born in 2000, Mason 2001 & Cassidy 2003.

11-18-18 - Skyla & Josie on their new trail!

 I was thrilled when Jentry sent photos of our two youngest Granddaughters working on a trail through their own woods!  Skyla was born in 2011 & Josie 2012!   All the kids are growing so fast! Faster, since it's now longer between visits.
Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends & fellowship!

The Marsh~

I'm going to call the area between our backyard & Tinkle Branch creek - a marsh.  Marsh seems to fit it's characteristics the closest.  A marsh acts as the transition between aquatic & terrestrial ecosystems.  You could have fooled me the first year we were here.  The area was pretty dry, just a few small pools of water when it rained.

3-19-17 Looking east~

I don't have photos from 2016.  I didn't start doing any work in this area until January of 2017.   The biggest job was cutting back all the Honeysuckle, wild grape & Greenbriar.  In the photo above, you can see that it was dry.

4-20-2017

 By April of 2017, I could see an improvement, even if it was totally overgrown!  Pieces of rotten wood had been tossed everywhere.  I had all that to stack up against the hillside.  Everything had to be weed whacked.  That was how I found the glass, cans, empty oil jugs etc.

10-9-2017

 By fall of last year, I'd hacked most of the way through the center section.

11-14-2018 Looking east

 Now, it's wide open all the way across!  I could get the mower in this year.  That made a big difference & the ground has self-leveled.  Off to the far right, you can see what's left of a huge log from one of the big trees that used to live here.  There's a rise to the right where the Cottonwood & a couple Maple trees grow, before the drop down to the creek.

11-14-2018 Looking west~

As I walked the length, I could feel the ice crunching under my boots.  It's given me a feeling of satisfaction to actually be able to walk through this area now.

From the Swing, SE

 Jean came over the other day & was the first of my friends to take what's still more of a hike than a walk :-)

Workin' in the Timber~

It's been two-weeks since the Cabin arrived.  Butch got the walls insulated this last weekend & the ceiling will be next. Items that had spent years on the Cottage, are sprucing up the Cabin.  I'm leaning away from a western theme & more toward rustic.  We found a weathered cedar paneling with a nice reveal.  The edges overlap, giving the look of individual planks.  The chairs came & fit perfect on the small porch.  Eventually Butch will add a step & side railings.  We're going to change out the pickets for the same wire we used on the house porch.

Late afternoon~

I had the curtains from the Cottage & only had to order a couple more panels to do all the windows.  With only one nursery in town that carries any kind of yard art, I was lucky to get end of the year prices for the concrete pillar & indigo blue gazing ball.  We've found galvanized sheeting Butch plans to use for skirting.

Final three Serviceberry planted

You can just see the orange string marking the north property line.  We sat the bushes in five feet & the Cabin in ten.  Now, my job of moving out all the rotten wood, dumped over the edge of the hillside has taken some priority.

The property line along the edge of the Timber~

It took me half a day just to clear out the NW corner enough we could put in a corner post marker. I'm tossing it up from below, then we'll back the truck up & fill it I'm sure.  Probably at least one more trip to the landfill.

My brush pile~

This pile is the one I made last year working to clar the trail.  A hollow spot, made a natural place to toss it all out of my way.  I've learned letting it dry for a few months, makes it easier to cut it into smaller pieces & load.

Trail & horse trailer~

The horse trailer has become multi-purpose.  It works for bike storage.  We couldn't build a garage without combining all three lots into one.  The City doesn't allow a garage on a property, without a house.  Of course we didn't realize that when we bought the lots.  The idea was to sell one - if we wanted to eventually.  A garage has not been in the cards, but having space around us works! 

Start of the Trail~

Deciding where the trail would go was relatively easy.  Between the trees, cutting across the slope, down the hillside & over to the creek.  From there we can turn east toward our backyard, or west out along the creek for quite a way.  The west end will take a lot of work too.  A couple big, old trees are down & there's plenty of greenbriar.

Looking SW, down the hillside from behind the Cabin~

the first post, marks our corner.  We'll put in a couple sign posts & I hope to paint them this winter.  I've done so much work, but there's a lot to go, clearing to the far west corner.

Looking East up at the back of the Cabin`

We've finally had a couple days of decent weather.  Sunshine & temperatures in the 40's during the day.  The nights are unseasonably cold though, low 20's.  It takes things a while to warm up in the mornings.  I go from fleece, to cotton, to fleece & finally a jacket by late afternoon!

November - Gray Card Day~

I love being back to central standard time.  If - please - we could stop resetting our clocks twice a year wouldn't it be nice?  Today - early November -  was a very gray day.  It was the color we were taught of as a middle gray, perfect for a consistent exposure.

Looking toward Iowa from the Nebraska side of the Missouri~

 With a misty rain most of the night, the temperature was mid-40's.  We had an errand to the north of Plattsmouth, NE & decided to stop at Mom's Cafe for a late breakfast.  I ordered the french toast made from a cinnamon roll, topped with banana & caramel syrup!  My meal for the entire day & probably half of tomorrow.

From the Plattsmouth Trestle Bridge - South

  We hadn't been able to go this route, one of our favorites for a while.  Last year, we'd taken it with the truck several times, until one day the gentleman at the toll booth told us the truck was too heavy for the bridge.  Today, the weight signs were posted & we were well under the 20,000 thousand pound limit.   It's the same bridge where my Grandfather rolled his truck load of cattle, on the curve at the bottom.  The bent ignition key is among his mementos. 

Color on the hills~

I asked Butch to stop more than once to get a few photos.  Plattsmouth is such a unique town, so picturesque.  The wreath below was such a perfect blend of seasonal colors, especially against the rich color of the brick.

Guns or Jewelry - you choose :-)

Yesterday, we stopped at Sherbondy's Nursery in Council Bluffs. I've wanted to plant more color & we were looking for shrubs that could grow into a hedge. Almost devoid of stock, it's the end of the season & with freezing temperatures just around the corner, it's no wonder. What was left, was 25% off. We've both been admiring the Burning Bushes & have a small one planted at the east end of the house. I had two in Washington, but they're considered invasive. The few there, didn't have many branches.

New blue pot~

The pot was a real find - just the right shade of blue! Just arrived, they are heavy & I'm told will survive the cold. There's a monarch butterfly on the front & a caterpillar on the back. Inscribed with "Monarch Sanctuary 1939". Made in Vietnam.

In place~

Our Garden Club had a presentation last month on the Monarch Biosphere in Mexico.  Fascinating reading, several states are working to preserve the Monarch butterfly by planting Milkweed along the migratory paths.  We picked up rock for a base & to raise the height of the pot.  Eventually, we'll gravel all the way around & have a path from the parking area.  We're having fun with this little building.

Serviceberry in the ground~

We spotted a bit of bright color & found several Rainbow Pillar Serviceberry. The fall color alone had us sold. When we asked about them, they sounded perfect for the north side of the Cabin. Three more will finish off the row.  They are native, produce flowers in the summer & edible berries.  I'm going to enjoy the great color for as long as the leaves last! The day stayed the same hue of gray right through until what seemed like a very early dusk!

What Am I Doin'?

There are those days when I miss - just the smell of a horse.  I found out last Friday, that a cow does Not have the pleasant aroma of a horse.  I spent the day at the farm.  It was gray, overcast, gloomy & fit my mood.  I finally felt strong enough to face going there & not seeing my mare.  I started by cleaning out the last of the loose hay, then going through all Butch's boxes of tools etc, he'd moved from storage.  The mice had found several, even eating through Styrofoam to chew on the cord of a welder.  I opened the boxes, tipped them over & ran!

It took me until almost dark to get everything sorted.  I made up a stack of barn stuff another horse person might want.  I loaded the Bronco with the boxes of Christmas decorations that thankfully were sealed - my original excuse for the trip.

11-3-2015 At Victoria~

 Once home, I decided to take a photo trip back to the same day - the last year we were on the Homestead.  (Third Time is the Charm) I find myself doing this now & then.  A day later, I was riding & we topped 1,000-miles for the year.

10-20-2018 Farah & Renee~

Just a couple days before, Renee sent me this first photo of her & Farah.  It's great to see the two of them getting along so well.  I trust that Renee is what Farah needs at this stage in her life.  Learning to carry herself properly, fresh ideas & conditioning for new disciplines.  All will be good for her longevity.

I started blogging back in 2011, because I enjoy writing & having just turned 60, liked the idea of keeping some type of journal.  I wrote about mundane happenings on the Homestead, but it wasn't long until my rides dominated the blog.

I mentioned to Butch the other night - that I feel somewhat at a loss.  My main reason to write a story at all, is now far away...  Horses have been my life.  I'm not about re-living the past, but there have been some good horses & good horse stories worth writing about.  Time will tell, what comes next~