Sum Sum Summer Time 2014

Ok where did I leave off on my last blog about Spring.  Here it is the end of summer and I am camping right now so have some time to blog.   This is our first time to camp this summer and it is a few days away from the end of August, but we are here at our favourite place Davis Lake Recreations site here in BC Canada only an hour or so from our home.  So let’s just start from where I am right now Davis Lake.

Well the first couple days for me was just relaxing and reading.  Then weather cooled and I spent many hours inside the motorhome with a spectacular views of the lake working on photos and this blog.

My hubby of course was out fishing the whole time.  Finally when the weather cooled he was getting bigger trout, the biggest caught was 19 inches.

Mornings and evenings always bring a change to the lake scene.

One night we had some close friends come for dinner and enjoy a beautiful evening as the sun set behind the hills. 

 Trips

End of June I went to Oregon to a nephews wedding and while down there did a little sight seeing at Silver Falls State Park and Oregon Gardens Resort as well as stop in and see an old friend.

Wedding
I really do enjoy capturing special moments at weddings with my family.  However I would hate to do it professionally.  Way too much pressure.

Silver Falls State Park
It rained off and on my visit t here but the falls were spectacular. 

Oregon Gardens Resort
My sister and I spent one night at this resort that included acres and acres of these beautiful gardens that we first took a narrated tour on a small trolley, then later walked most the gardens.

 Visiting Old Friend
I always love to stop in a visit an old friend while going through Washington and we went and visited her horse for the afternoon.

Trip to Shuswap Lake
My hubby and I were invited by some friends to stay a couple nights at a resort they were staying at.  What a treat that was.  Luxury to us.  The drive down first was very scenic.

What a treat to relax here the weather just broke from a rain storm the evening we arrive and gave us nothing but sun the next couple of days.

I rose early the first morning to go down to the water.  I felt all alone on the lake.  It was so quiet with the sun just coming up.

The evening lights from the resort were just beautiful.

This summer was not all trips of course much time was spent at our ranch working and enjoying it. 

Gardening

The garden got off to a good start early summer.

But as we were gone often the baby marmots kept eating all my lettuce and greens.  Somehow flowers are now taking over the vegetable garden.  But something that I am getting for the first time this year is squash in the garden. 

I won’t have much to harvest in the garden this year just lots of potatoes, onions, turnips, kale, carrots and lots of garlic. but had plenty of berries to harvest.  It was a very berry couple of weeks.

 Flowers

The beginning of the summer found our deck very bare looking when I first set all my pots of flowers out I started in the greenhouse.  But it didn’t take long for the heat of summer to bring color to our deck again.

I wasn’t going to do flowers this summer, but somehow did and was surrounded by them all over our property. Right now I will begin collecting my annual seed to carry on the flowers for the next year.  I have been saving flower seeds for 20 years. 

Just a glimpse of the many perennials I have in my flower beds.

Wildflowers
This June and July we had so many wildflowers and many new varieties.

 Wildlife

I was blessed one morning to sit and watch a fly catcher bring food to her babies as they had just left the nest.

Well the marmots are still here, but we had some new visitor this year.  We have bunnies in around the house, not good as they have munched a few things now.  But I was able to see some otters that came down the creek and got some really great photos and videos of them.

 

Our Part Time Home

Well I guess for those of you who follow me know I spoke of a new property
we purchased last winter and was going to start work there is summer.  Well our tenant in our rental house in town moved out and we decided not to rent it right now as we had owned it for over 20 years and wanted to spend a little time there.  So many weekend from July through August we would go there and work a bit, and I was also able to go to a few Saturday flea markets in town and set up for selling my greeting  cards.  But mostly just enjoy being close to town yet right on the river and wonderful walks on the dikes and trail systems right from our back yard.  Now we may want to down size there.  Still will spend some time at the new property in October.  But here is a glimpse of the walks we take from our little house on the river in out town.

Going north east up the river we follow the trail to where our two rivers in town meet.

When we go South east up the river we follow it for awhile then cut over to the Kettle Valley Trail.  There is so much wildlife right here in our town.

Once back on the Kettle Valley trail we go through the old train tunnel and come out at the other river and the old train bridge.   The walk takes just over an hour.  Where the trail passes by town it is all lit with lights at night.

We are seriously thinking of downsizing to town as we really do love it there.   

My Folks New Business
Ok my folks are in their 80’s and have started a new internet business selling outdoor recreations and sports gear along with  emergency stuff.  I think my stepbrother got them all set up and started.   They only ship in the United States so check them out if you are interested in camping gear and more.  Great sales on right now.  Also check out their about page to see the cute photo of them.  My stepmom does the blogs for the sales site.  They just keep plugging away  in life.
http://yavapai-outdoorsupplies.com/

 

 Creations by Here I Am Carrie
Well I finally got out this summer to sell some of my greeting cards at our local outdoor venues. 
My first time out was at our local Saturday flea market and I didn’t sell anything, but was learning a great deal watching the other vendors.

The next week I was back again and this time put a little music on behind my display and made some sales.  I always look so tiny compared to the other vendors as I only have a patio umbrella.  I usually had to pack up by 1pm as it got to hot.

We had a music fest in town my 3rd weekend and I set up on the closed street along with other vendors for 2 full days and did really well with my sales. I had a great display and was really getting the hang of talking to people.
 

So I am back at the ranch didn’t even get this blog finished up while camping.  Already put in 3 hours in the garden this morning.  We are heading camping again in 10 days so I am going to have a very busy week.  The temps. have cooled down finally after a very hot summer, but that also means soon we will be getting frost here at the ranch.  There no longer seems to be an end to the work ahead with too many properties and trying to squeeze in extra activities.  Feeling very overwhelmed again trying to do it all.  I swear next summer no annual flowers and only potatoes, onions in the garden. 

So I hope that as your season ends you were able to accomplish all that you set out to do 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

Let’s Journey into the New Year

As the New Year comes upon us, my time here in the snowy winter wonderland draws to a close as we will be heading south to the Salton Sea in Southern California  for the rest of the winter.  But before going I wanted to share a little look back into our life here this past month before we journey into the New Year. 

 

Early in December I had this helicopter intrude upon my privacy.
Could have been taking some sort of scans or photos.
He was making grid work sweeps.

 

We’ve had not so much snow so far this year.  Only about 1 foot, compared to 2 1/2 feet last year at this time.  But the new snow plow and way less snow was such a relief on both my hubby’s body as well as mine.  Way more time also to do other things during the day instead of constantly clearing snow.

 

And what do we do with our extra time.  Nothing like cutting firewood
and burning all the branches during the season where fires are
welcome to help keep warm while working or taking a lunch break.

 

Another fun day with a  tree that didn’t fall the right direction or even fall for that matter.   In the middles of the lower right photo shows the tree still upright yet cut right through as it got caught on a bunch of other trees.  So in the upper left photo, I am in the big old 4X4 truck with a cable running around trees to pull the log to the left of where it is.  The top right photo I have manage to pull the log all the way down to a level area.  The back of the truck was originally where the butt of the log is now, so I pulled it about 25 feet.  In the lower left photo you can see why it got hung up to start with.  The dead tree was just full of branches.  Now that the old truck isn’t being used for plowing it makes a great winter woods truck, with the chains on all 4 tires.

 

Christmas day was just hubby and I along with Cole
who we were dog sitting for the Christmas holiday.  2 whole weeks without going into town or having company or a parties during this holiday.  So that made it very relaxing as well.  Yeah!  I made it without any back, neck, shoulder or arm pain.  No complaints right now.  My body is doing good.

 

Since Cole was here I was going for walks every late afternoon after 3pm.  Somehow during this time all the photos I took come out blue.  I have had this happen many times before when we have snow on the ground and it begins to get dark.  I always love the the effect it has.

 

With Cole by my side I was tromping on all my old trails.  Here we are taking the very narrow trail that runs along the creek on a steep hillside.  On the left photo you can see my boot in the lower right corner showing how it drops right off to the creek below.  The trail is only about 2 feet wide.

 

After crossing the foot bridge we leave the creek and head
into the forest and break new trails through the snow.

 

Cole is part of our family when here.  He was first brought to us to dog sit when he was only 6 months old and we had just said our goodbyes to our old dog Buster only 1 week before.  Cole was a godsend during my time of grief for my Buster and has continue to bring joy every time he visits for over 4 years now.  Some of you may remember Buster and my blog the day he passed was also a Blue Day on November 8 2008 .  Somehow we just haven’t been ready for a new dog yet.  When it’s right it will just happen.

 

So Cole and I have been having a ball exploring the forest around me.  I even tried to do an angel in the snow.  Problem is I couldn’t get up without messing my angel up too much.  Then just when I did get up Cole wanted to stomp all over my angel.   Ah…. to be a kid again.  

 

I never did get my new batteries for my camera that I ordered last time I was in town.  So often when I have tried to use the zoom the lens wouldn’t go back in.  So many of the photos for this blog were taken with my very first digital camera also an Olympus, much older model Camedia with 3.2 megapixel.  I am waiting till we get down south to start looking for a new camera.  There just aren’t any stores around where I live to check them out.  This little bird was taken from inside my window.

 

We will have lots of work the next couple of weeks to close the house up for the winter.  Packing and a million details to take care of like cutting back all my still wonderful blooming geraniums and a few other hardy flowering plants in the greenhouse.  I will take these plants along with the palm tree and oleander and wrap them up with a light cover to help insulate a little more.  Usually when we really get extreme cold the sun is out to heat the greenhouse for those really cold nights.  3 years now we have manage to keep all the plants over the winter with no heat.  As you can see my tomato plant in the upper right photo looks just pathetic.  It has had aphids for a couple months now.  Any good gardener would have thrown them out of the greenhouse, but I just couldn’t as they were still loaded with tomatoes.  Still harvesting to date.  To protect the rest of the plants I have had to spray them like crazy to keep them from getting infected.  Always good to do anyway as when they come from outside they tend to bring all those pests with them.

 

Well time is drawing near where we will make this last drive on our country dirt road that takes us into town.  I love the drive in the winter as all the potholes are filled with snow and the scene is completely different.  The bridges on the road are only single lane and the creek run along this very windy narrow road with often steep drop offs.  But I have been driving it for over 20 years now with 13 Kilometers before connecting with the highway which then goes to town.

 

 

The closer to town I approach the less snow there is.  By the time I hit the highway the road can be bare.  Often town has no snow, while we will have it the entire winter as we are considerably higher in elevation.  This particular day I was given a beautiful show of the sun trying to break through the clouds.

 

It’s only another 8 klms on the highway to town.  I often go the whole way without seeing another car.  Just rolling hillsides of ranch land.

 

Well the holidays are over as is my winter hibernation coming to and end soon.  I won’t have internet for the next 3 months.   I will try and get a couple blogs out through the library.  We have no TV or internet while down south.  I will have time for reading  some books and spend lots of time being social with friends and community events as well as our never ending landscaping projects.

So may you also  journey in the New Year with
health, happiness and most of all love
and have a
Good Morning …Good Afternoon…Good Night….
What ever it is to you.

Photo & Words
by
Here I Am Carrie