Leave me spots on my apples/And give me the birds and the bees ~ Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi” ☙
Image #38 – Leave me spots on my apples
Image #36 – July 1, Carolina Sunset
A grainy iPhone photo of a beautiful sunset. Not the first that has occurred in Carolina since I arrived but the first I’ve noticed. Progress! ☙
Image #33 – Tango in Pasture
Tango checks out the new neighbors in a nearby pasture. ☙
Image #31- Fireflies
I wish I could claim credit for this incredible picture of fireflies in a North Carolina forest. The true photographer is Spencer Black and this photo was featured today on the http://www.Earthshots.org website. I borrowed it for two reasons: 1) to demonstrate the magic and wonder of fireflies, and 2) to publicize Earthshots.org. They feature a picture every day of this beautiful blue orb that we call home.
Fireflies dart about my new home every night. Sometimes the three of us — me, Tango Dog and Rainbow Cat — will stand on the porch together and watch the flickerings here, there, over there, right here…they seem everywhere. We collectively gape at the wonder of it all. Thank you Spencer Black for capturing the wonder.☙
Image #31
Normally we think of mushrooms in soft, mossy forests. But fecundity rules — especially in the summer and these mushrooms are making a bold stand in a seemingly unforgiving landscape. Good luck to them! ☙
Image #30 – Rainbow Meets the Front Yard
That’s my cat, Rainbow, getting acquainted with the front yard at our new home in Franklin, NC. I took picture with the iPhone…just so you know my photographic skills have not completely abandoned me. 🙂
Yesterday my post was about the process of moving at the advanced (!) age of 65. My critters — Rainbow the Cat and Tango the Dog — have also experienced the upheaval of moving and, bless their hearts, they bore up very well. On moving day, June 21, we got a very early start, departing Sarasota at 4 a.m. Rainbow, caged in the back part of the van, cried all the way to the Georgia border. It was finally light enough that I felt comfortable in pulling over in a rest stop and, after walking the dog, I took Rainbow out of her cage and sat in the doorway of the van with her in my lap. Then I climbed into the back seat, closed all the doors and took a nap while Rainbow explored the van on her own. Tango, as always, was totally non-plussed and took a nap with me. Twenty minutes later we were on our way. Rainbow was a bit quieter but the true cat relaxer was the soothing tones of Edward Hermann reading “Unbroken,” a fascinating book by Lauren Hillenbrand.
My point? Pets, like us, have trouble with change. Cats are notorious for hating change. Dogs, ever eager to please, put up with a lot just to get that scratch behind the ears. But you can see the stress in Rainbow’s eyes in this picture. Today was her biggest excursion to date — she ventured beyond the front yard to the adjoining woods. Of course I worry about what she might find there, what trouble lurks in the cool darkness. But just as I explore my world I think critters have the right to explore theirs. There may be trouble … it comes in life. But Rainbow returned safe and sound, her countenance more relaxed, her posture more at ease. They are both asleep at my feet. Tango, as usual, seems engaged in vivid dreams. Rainbow is stretched out and relaxed.
Life is good. ☙
Image #29
The super moon of 2013 occurred this past weekend. I was able to grab some photos of the event from the front yard of my new home in Franklin, NC. Arriving on June 21, the summer solstice, the “Super Moon” happened the next night and, as you can see, we had nice clear skies.
Pulling up stakes and moving on is always daunting. I can recall a period during my college years when I moved every six months but I was in my twenties then and what I owned fit in a VW beetle. At worse I was faced with two trips in the VW. Today, at 65, things are quite a bit different. The move did give me the opportunity to “lighten the load” but there is still a very sizeable quantity of “stuff” on its way to NC.
I won’t bore you with another essay on “stuff.” Rather I will cut to the chase — moving is scary business. As a species we seem to abhor change which is ironic because life is nothing but change. This move came about in fits and starts and as I sit here in a relatively empty double-wide trailer, on the side of a hill in a town I can barely find the center of, I will readily admit to wondering what in the world am I doing here? The answer is simple. I am living my life and a part of me has always wanted to live in these hills and enjoy their wonders. Life presented me with a chance to do that and I have seized the moment. It pleases me that things seemed to conspire so that my arrival was on the solstice and that the universe presented such a wonderful show on my second night in my new home. Where will the next solstice find me? ☙
Fawn Hill – A New Adventure Begins
It has been quite a year but on Friday, December 14th there was a definite high note. On that day my sister and I acquired an acre of land in Franklin, North Carolina. The land has a large (3 bedroom, 2 bath) modular home, a shed, a satellite dish, three apple trees, and a backyard with a zealous population of poison ivy.
It sits on Fawn Hill. The elevation is about 2,000 feet. A nice change from sea level. At the top of the Hill lives my friend Boni and her partner Gail plus Gail’s cousin Suzy and Boni’s 90+ mother, Lola. Boni and Gail acted as our agents at the auction. Doris and Bob also live on Fawn Hill. We haven’t met them yet. They showed up at the auction to make sure no riffraff bought the place. I hope we pass muster.
I’ve dreamed of owning some land for a long while. The four properties that I’ve owned have all been condominiums. Where there are condos there are Boards of Directors. It is wonderful to think of owning a home and land that has just two restrictions: 1) keep the right of way open to the neighbors, and 2) don’t build a mobile home park. No problem.
Closing will be around the end of the year. There are ten days for an “upset bid” to be made. We’re hopeful that won’t happen but we’re pretty sure the riffraff won’t upset the process. ☙
Alice's WanderLand 