From Autumn to Winter

Seems since my last blog somehow my view of the world has jumped from Autumn colors to Winter white.  I seem to be busy now no matter what season it is, making blogging and visiting hard to get to sometimes.  I am slowly letting go of the pressure that it can create and learning when the time is right  I will blog and visit enjoying the time spent at it.   Most important when I do find the time to visit those  in the blogging world, they always keep me motivated and full of inspiration.  Without you I might sit with my fingers on the key board and just stare out the window.  A window to my world with no words… Very easy to do where my computer sits.

 

But with my photos already layout in my blog I look at them and the words start to flow.  I never know what I am going to write, it is the photos that create the words.
Our annual Autumn bike ride this fall we did on a quiet country road that runs along the local river.  It was  a beautiful Autumn day.  After about 13klm we stopped for lunch along the river. Of course the trip back was pure torture as the trip there ever so slightly  down hill.  I wasn’t prepared for uphill for 13klm going back.  I was almost in tears by the time I caught up with hubby at the end of the ride.  Ok I was in tears and pissed as at him as he  had the water and I was dying of thirst.  I would pedal like crazy to catch him just to have him disappear over another hill.  Our rule is never leave me behind biking or hiking or any other activities.  He said his knee hurt so bad he was afraid to stop pedaling that he would never get it going again.  Ok I had to forgive him this time.  The day was perfect in many other ways.

 

On our bike ride we passed by  a 3 acre piece of property for sale on this quiet country paved road just 10 minutes from town.   I sat on the bike and looked up at the property that was slightly wooded, with a gentle uphill slope and faced south with a very old rundown cabin or house on it.  Then looked to the south across the road at the view it has and fell in love instantly.  Wide open views of fields, mountains and a slight view of the river.  Also important in this area is it gets sun all year.  I had been looking for smaller acreage near town for about 5 years now but everything was way beyond our budget.

Hubby also felt drawn to the place.  So after a couple days of thought we put in a  low cash offer and it was excepted.  The property had been on the market for 2 years and the price has been reduced often over that time. It was an estate sale and had been abandoned for almost 8 years.  Most places on the internet I looked up still listed it at higher asking prices.   We later found out many of our friends had been interested in the property as well, but found the price too high when it had first listed, but hadn’t kept up on it as the price kept reducing.   Also no insurance or bank would cover this place with the old building on it so cash was needed to buy it. That bike ride that day and interest in the property was a God send for us.  This is where we hope to move to in 3 or 4 years to be closer to town and less work to keep up the property.  The old house will be torn down and we will replace with something new.  Lots of work ahead on this property.  Sale is not complete yet, should close by middle of December.   I am sooo excited about the changes in life this place can bring to our lives.  It will mean starting all over, but the changes will be positive for our future in being closer to town as older age approaches, ok I am not so old but my hubby will be 76 and could be 80 when we move there.   Don’t ask about what we will do about our present property and home, that is so far away in the future right now that we have no idea.

 

A week of beautiful weather had come during October and I thought about camping again, which would have entailed a lot of extra work to prepare to leave as well as falling behind again when we returned, so instead we took it a bit easier at home and relaxed on our deck to enjoy the late Autumn warm weather and beautiful colors in our yard.

 

 

Fast forward only about 2 weeks we had our first snows in early November.
Just a week ago we had almost 9 inches and then had nothing but sunny skies for almost a week.  Finally a whole week for me without having work outside and only went out for my afternoon walks which generally I tramp around the property for almost an hour.

 

Soon snow had added it’s white fluff to everything.  Even Sheaba…

 

For a desert dog she loves the snow.  In the morning she goes out with hubby and waits patiently for him to feed the chickens, then they are off for the morning walk or for her a run and hunt.  Late in the day I take her again where she often picks up a rabbit to chase and finds herself so tired and hot she even plops in the water in freezing weather.  Her social progress is still very slow, but she does love her walks.  Some days I wonder if she had bad dreams that night as her day will start very fearful and afraid.  Other days she wakes in the morning coming to greet us wagging her tail and not anxious to go outside yet, but happy to hang with us in the house for awhile.  We have never had to spoil a dog like we have with her, just to get her to respond with us.

 

So I am enjoying the new world my camera has to capture,  I love all the sun flares I can get with it.  Still canning about once a week now.  Making jams from the berries I froze during the summer.  But this week enjoying a little slower pace.

 

I was busy as well making more of my homemade Christmas cards.  I had planned on attending some Christmas events to sell them there.  However all my time spent on investigating the new property and trips into  near by towns and cities for appointments of different sorts put me way behind making more cards, so didn’t have enough done to present at a sales and was beginning to stress over getting more made when I decided to let it go for this year.  I was a bit let down, but as I am learning.  When the time is right it will happen.  I did sell many of the cards I had made to a friend who has admired my photos.   I will continue with production to be ready early for next year.  I also will be doing many other cards for other occasions that can be sold all year at other event sales along with other products I will be creating with my photos.

I have also been working on an online store at zazzle. com where many different products from my photos can be order through the store, but at present I don’t have enough products for sharing it.  Baby steps with everything and it all takes so much time.  I did say last year that I would be taking baby steps to get my little business adventure going.  LOL Also I have created a facebook page to help promote and keep people updated on my little business.  So for anyone interested or just want to have a look visit my page on facebook and hit the like button to stay updated on what’s new and different there that I share.

Click here for Creations by Here I Am Carrie's Page on Facebook

 

So feeling snug as a bug here enjoying a little less stressful time for the moment.  I am so glad I let go of some of my plans.  I don’t take stress well, I knot up and get so tight I can’t breath, so feels good to breath deeply again and allow my creative juices to flow freely as winter surrounds me.

So learn to let go and breath deep again
and have a
Good Morning… Good Afternoon…  Good Night…
Whatever it is to you

Photos & Words
by
Here I Am Carrie

September Camping, Harvest and Sunflowers

 After a summer of work finally got away for a short camping trip with friends in early September.  Of course I picked days I knew the weather would be beautiful and hot.  So for 5 glorious days we enjoyed our waterfront campsite and hubby enjoyed his fishing.

I did say waterfront campsite even with our own dock.
Our outdoor living area was set up near it.  The views were forever changing.

Also I enjoyed the chance to use my new camera.

I love using the panorama on my camera,
it always provide a better view sometimes on the scene.
This is at the end of the dock looking at our motorhome and camp area.

Trying out more of the settings on my camera
as well as a little floating with my i-pod. 

This was Sheba's first camping trip.  She was so good and never had to be on a leash.  We had other friends camping with us as well and she seems always more comfortable when there is more of our friends around.  However when they all left after a few days, she would hide under our motorhome and often growl at other dogs or people passing by.  She also loved the water, not to swim in, but loves laying in it.

There wasn’t to much waterfowl in the lake at this time of the year,
but lots of birds eating from the cattails.

Often sitting in the chair my eyes would roam around to things I could snap a photo of.  Was nice to sit and relax for short periods.

I tried to get up early a few morning to catch the fog coming off the lake.
But there wasn’t much there this time as I had seen in the past.

Well upon returning home from camping went right back to work as it was time to start harvesting our fruit.  Our trees were loaded this year.

There is plenty more in another room.  One more apple tree to pick as well.

Along with the fruit there were onions and potatoes to get out of the garden.

Now the canning and making of jams begins. 

September is the month my sunflowers smile.

I start many varieties from seeds in the greenhouse in the spring.

I love seeing their smiling faces all around the yard and garden.

The first hard frost has finally hit and most my sunflowers are now gone.

Was hoping to get out camping one more time, but we are having the worst weather with so much rain.  Just can’t seem to get a 5 day window of just sunshine.  Really don’t have the time to get away again, maybe I am just dreaming.  I am tired again these days without the sun and heat to keep my batteries charged.  More and more I find I am falling behind in things I used to stay on top of.  I think often of the days when we had no TV or internet  or even local radio and how I managed everything.  But also in those days we would go long periods without seeing or talking to anyone unless we went into town.  I had very little social life as there was no way to communicate with friends or family.  We had no phone then and still don’t, but the world has opened up to us filling our time with TV, internet, e-mails and Skype.  Oh I almost forgot it just dawned on me were so much of my time goes.  My hobby photography…..

Quit complaining….

So as the colors of fall begin to change
I hope for a renewed energy that it always brings.

May you find renewed energy in your everyday life
and have a
Good Morning…   Good Afternoon…  Good Night…
What ever it is to you..

Photos & Words
by
Here I Am Carrie

 

 

 

A Month With My New Camera

Well I finally got my new camera I have wanted for almost a year now. The Panasonic Lumix FZ200.  I am not one to relate all the specs and details if you want all the info and review go to this link.
Camera Lab review on the FZ200

I picked this camera because I was looking for something with more zoom and good video capabilities.  I didn’t want a DSLR camera that required more lenses to buy and lug around.   I wanted something I could grab and walk out the door on hike, vacations and social get together,  but have a camera that I could expand my photography capabilities with.  I think I have found just that my new Panasonic Lumix FZ200.

Some of the things I love about this camera.  All photos taken handheld.
I do applogize for all the collages again as they don’t do the photos justice and seem to come out blurred sometimes, but I can never decide just what to share to really tell the story.  That’s what happens when you only find time to blog once a month.

Zoom
On a recent trip to the Oregon Coast I was able to really give the camera a work out and try the zoom.  In this collage the photo on the left and the upper right photo were taken from the same spot.  The surfers  were brought right into focus at such a distance even in action.  The bottom left photo of the light house I could barely make out with my eyes, yet in focusing a bird was even caught in the distance.

When driving home we came through a terrible lightening storm as we were driving I spotted smoke come from the hills in the far distance.(upper right photo).  I was able to zoom into the fire that had just started and even catch the flames.  The camera had trouble focusing on this as the hills and smoke were all so much the same color. It was when a bird flew by that suddenly the camera could focus on the scene.  I also love how even a simple flower in the distance I can zoom in on.

But it is mostly the simple things like people or animals or a sunset that I love to zoom in on.  Especially people, finally can take photos without them being aware.

The moon I have always wanted to capture these were also taken handheld.

Effects or fun stuff
I love all fun stuff I can do with the camera without using the computer.  I remember when I once tried to stitch photos together for panoramas.  Now just a quick pan of the scene and instantly a perfect panorama.  Quiet the learning trying to remember how I got somewhere to change settings.  It is slowing coming on a few things I have used over and over again.  I have soooo much to learn on this camera.

Social and More
While at the Oregon Coast I attended a Nieces wedding where I loved how I could zoom in on details and catch those special moments without being right in some ones face.

The details outside that my new camera can now focus on from a distance.

I used to sit behind my window with a tripod with my old camera to catch the hummingbirds as they came to the feeder 4 feet away, now I can be outside up to 20ft away without a tripod to get these photos.

 

Flowers have always been a favourite for me to take photos of and my old camera always did a pretty good job on the macros.  But now I am able to focus better at distance and get those blurred backgrounds  if I choose or not.

Sheaba my new dog is very photogenic now that I can keep my distance when taking photos of her.  She is now putting weight on, but is still very fearful of being out around our yard.  When we are out on our walks, she is completely relaxed and carefree running through the forests.

My iPod and Instagram

So that was all life with my new big camera, but I have also been having fun with my iPod camera as I have joined instagram.  I just love the apps for doing fun stuff with your photos.  As many of you who have known me from years past in the blogging world know  I love creating stuff with my photos, so at instagram I can produce quick creations and post them.  Not out to get followers or do much following just love having fun with photos.  It also spurs my creativity in visiting quickly what others are posting with hash tags and what they are doing with their iPhones or iPods as well.  Here is my link if you want to have a look there.  Here I Am Carrie at Instagram

Well one Sunday hubby and I decided to go exploring a bit up the hill, what was suppose to be just a short hike around 1 hour turned into 5 hours and  a climb to the top out of our valley.  Most the way up we had no trail or just followed animals trails.  Sometimes crawling through areas so thick with saplings and fallen trees.  But finally made to the top to our favourite rock bluff lookout that we can see high above us from our yard.  We could see for almost  50 miles away in one  directions. Our return trip down we took the old mining road that made it much easier a route we normally take to go up.

Tis the season for invading cows coming down from the high country.  We had one bull visited us a few times in our yard and he was a sweet visitor, but then one day he returned with the whole herd.  Now major destruction could happen so I had to chase them all out the gate and close it.  I hate when we have to keep our gates closed as coming and going with vehicles is a pain to open them all.

So life this past month has not been all play.  There was a period I was picking berries everyday.  We had a bumper crop this year.  But mostly the Saskatoon's which we rarely get.  So I picked and picked them so now have a wonderful supply for the year.  Our sour cherries I left almost full on the tree as I had spent so much time picking the others the cherries began to rot on the tree. I did get 4 big bags for canning.  Hated to leave so much  on the tree, but just was getting so tired of picking.

 

Gardening

My garden is growing this year like never before.  We have had such mild nights all summer and still haven’t even had a slight frost yet.  Never in 20 years here have we gone this long without a frost in late August or early September.  None expected for even another week or so in the forecast.  What I love most is stuff is ready for harvest so much earlier.  Garlic has all been harvested and next years crop planted.  All but a few onions all harvest as well as a few rows of Yukon gold potatoes.  Still lots more potatoes to keep me digging for a while.  I am even getting zucchinis in the past few days.  Something I have always lost to early frost before getting any.  Have some other squash I hope makes it for another couple of weeks if the weather holds.  Grew cucumbers in a container near the house and got some for the 1st time.  I am enjoying a very slight slowdown in work as we have had some rains so I am not having to water our yard and flowers everyday.  But soon some serious harvesting in the garden as well a fruit will be starting again.

Enjoying our next deck extension with new patio furniture.  You know how is goes you start making improvements then something else has to be improve on.  Now because of the new patio furniture I want a roof over the deck extension. But for now finally the bugs have died down and warm evening have allowed us to sit out and enjoy it. No the old part of the deck is not finished yet.  But all our roof repairs are done.

Well time to wrap it up for another month.  You will be seeing my new profile picture of me at all my sites surrounded with flowers and my new camera in front of me.  It’s been almost 5 years with the old profile photo.  Out with the old and in with the new.

So wishing everyone something new to come
into your life to add a feeling of excitement again
and have a
Good Morning…   Good Afternoon…  Good Night…
What ever it is to you

Photos & Words
by
Here I Am Carrie

Where has the Summer Gone

Time seems to have just slipped by without blogging here for a couple of months.  I have myself spread a little to thin lately and having troubles keeping up everywhere. So lets just try and catch up on the last couple of months. 

Sheaba has had lots of visitors this past 2 months.  Each time she seems to come out of her scared shell and begins to act like normal dog.  But then when her animal friends leave, she reverts back to being so scared of many things.  I know this summer has been hard for her with flying tarps, construction around the house and an old screen tent I covered our back porch with.  She is so much worse when the winds come up.  But when another dog is here she seems so much more confident about her surroundings.  Her biggest joy is her two walks a day.  The rest of the time she prefers to spend in the house under our dinning room table where it is quiet and secure from the winds and flapping tarps.

Her best friend is now Cole who comes to stay for a few nights every now and then.  She loves to be chased and play with him.

 

We had an unexpected visitor for almost a month.  My neighbours little donkey I came across while on my walk in the forest and she followed me home.  We loved her so much and she went for walk with us everyday and was spoiled getting brushed and fly wipe put on to keep the bugs away.  Her name is Annie.  I know her owner wanted her back so after a month I finally walked her the 3 miles back to her ranch.  We love Annie, but the extra work was taking away from other projects for me.  Like blogging…

 

During the time Annie the donkey was staying with us her owner and dear friend of mine for over 30 years had been diagnosed with cancer.  She was in the hospital for 2  weeks so during that time I had her smallest dog Jack,  who was soon getting spoiled with walks as well everyday.  Yes the donkey Annie, the small dog Jack and Sheaba our dog would go for 2 walks a day all together.  Also during this time I was going to my friends house and feeding the rest of her dogs, turtle and watering all her plants. 

My friend has since come home, but for how long I don’t know, so if I disappear for awhile again it’s because I am concentrating my energy and time helping her.
Please pray for her……

 

I did manage in middle of June  to get  away during all the animal care, hubby stayed home to care for them while I went to my nieces wedding in Redmond Oregon.  I so can’t wait till I get my new camera to take really good photos.  But I do think I caught some pretty good moments.

 

Our whole family out on the dance floor at the wedding.  I was up on the balcony spying on them.  My sister did get one of me in the upper left hand corner during a Bob Seger Song.  I can’t help myself playing air guitar and singing.  I spent a whole week there and it was so special to bond with my great nieces and nephews as will as seeing all the rest of the family.

 

While down there I really wanted to get at least one good long hike in.  So I went to near by Smith Rock State Park and did an almost 4 mile hike in 2 hours.  I was alone and took the Misery Ridge hike up over the rocks the cropped out of the landscape.  It was almost straight up for a mile the trail making switchbacks the whole way up along with some stairs.  I was so happy to know I could still do such a climb in elevation.  The view from the top was awesome.  Then I went back down the other side switching back and forth to get to the bottom.

Smith Rock State park is very popular for rock climbing and I was able to see many climbers ascending rock faces.  But mostly the scenery on the trail that followed around the rocks and river was so beautiful.  The whole area of Redmond Oregon is filled with so many things to do and see. 

This summer has been designated as a work summer.  So many repairs and maintenance had to be addressed.  So hubby has been working 8 hours a day, 6 days a week for almost 2 months on our deck project and fixing leaks in roofs.  The deck project is taking so long as he is cutting all the lumber on our sawmill, which for every few boards cut, it breaks down and needs a few hours of repair.  We could have bought the lumber, but he is so stubborn and wanted to use the logs we had cut last summer for lumber.  The deck isn’t finished yet only a new extension addition we added to the old deck.  All the old decking still needs replacing, but as the weather has been clear and hot it was a perfect time to get on with the roofing project.  Another week  and it should be done.  Then to our deck on our greenhouse which needs replacing as that is leaking into the bedroom below.  Then it will be back to finishing our deck at the house.  Poor hubby, he made a comment the other day saying “how much can body take”  I knew he was getting tired of all the work.  I have helped when and where I can, but most he has to do.  I have another nieces wedding end of August in Oregon again, I am hoping to get hubby away for a little holiday together.

 

I have been keeping busy with my flowers and garden.  As hubby was busy I had to weed the whole garden and am doing all the lawn mowing.  I did not get my automatic watering timers up this year, so watering takes a lot of my time.  But with the heat and sun we have had for a month now everything is in full of color.

 

Between all the work around here I have manage to make baby steps in my creating my hand made creating cards from my photos.  I am hoping to have a good variety ready for a Christmas sale here in November.  Also trying to slowly get some sort of sales set up on the internet.  So much to do there and very little time for it.  More a winter project. 

To speed things up just last week my satellite internet was upgraded to a new system that is way faster and even cheaper.  To add to that I had purchased a new laptop ( Acer/M Intel core i5 ultra book) last winter and also now for the first time in 5 years have a wireless router.  The speed of getting stuff done on my new computer is a hundred times fast then my old one.  Hubby now has his own computer and I have my own.  He mostly only reads his newspaper on it.   I also got  an iPod which I love.   I think I finally have all the apps and everything  I need to sync on my computer and iPod.  So while laying on the couch in the greenhouse watching TV I can still get a few things done with my iPod and still get my internet connection in there.   I was so tired before to even sit at a computer in the evening, but laying down with a little handheld I can handle.  So just need to get another blog out at my other 2 blogs God's Garden of Nature and Quotography by Here I Am Carrie and then I can finally get out and catch up visiting all my blogging friends which I hope will go much faster then it has in the last 5 years.  But always trying to catch a moment here and there to read here enjoying our new deck extension.

 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer or winter
and have a
Good Morning… Good Afternoon…   Good Night…
Whatever it is to you.

Photo & Words
by
Here I Am Carrie