Thursday, January 5, 2017

A New Year of Gratitude


Hello, my Dear Friends, I want to thank you
for your kind words on the loss of our little Ling Ling. 

Your kindness is like a warm hug
and sweet solace for a bruised heart. 

I am so grateful for your sweet friendship. 


xoxo

We've had a lovely snowfall
to bring in the New Year 
and bring peace to our hearts. 


The dogs couldn't wait to go out and play! 


Of course they love snow - they are American Eskimo dogs! 

You can see the many footprints they have already made
from running and jumping, and eating the snow!

I am always thankful that these loyal protectors
and companions are always by my side. 


The mountains are completely hidden in the falling snow.


The lilac tree makes beautiful lace etchings
outside the living room window. 


Let's put on our warm woollies and take a walk 
in this winter wonderland, shall we? 


We'll leave sweet Maggie snuggled on the bed.
She's been missing her best friend
so we have been treating her
with extra gentleness and kindness.




The first thing we must do is check the hummingbird
feeders. When it is very cold, I have a heated 
feeder that I plug in for them, although they prefer
their usual feeding stations, so I must defrost them all. 
They are very territorial!


Little flocks of Dark-Eyed Junco's are searching 
for seed, so we must fill the feeders while we are out.


There are still plenty of maple seeds clinging to the trees 
for the squirrels. 


There's a quiet hush in the forest as we walk 
among the ghostly trees. 


This ancient cedar stump has ax marks from 
the turn of the last century, and is finally falling apart. 

You can imagine how old this tree must have been 
when it was cut down - perhaps 500 years old or older.
It makes me sad.....


We frequently see deer and elk here - mostly at night. 


Ramblin' Man's tool shed is nestled between holly and cedar.
Can you see Kai in the snow?
(He is on the right - you can see his ears poking up)


The shed was painted red years ago, 
and I would like to change it back
and put a country fence around it :) 

I found this charming plate last year and it reminded
me of our little shed. 

I found 11 more of these vintage
'Welcome Home' dessert plates
 just before Christmas, at 'Replacements.com'. 


I was so excited to find them and now I have 
enough to set the table for the holidays, 
stacked on my white dinner plates. 

A little gift to me :)


The holly by the shed looks so beautiful in the snow. 


I keep the bird feeder up here
where the birds can hide from predators
 among the dense holly branches.
They will eat all the berries by spring.


We like to sit here on warm summer days in the shade of the cedar tree.

Summer seems so far away today!


All snuggled in......
Maggie is on the bed behind
the lower window.
The upper windows are in the loft,
which we have been working on,
but which has been put on hold
due to life's many responsibilities....
This will be our future bedroom
and the lower level will be our library:)
Most of my many books are in storage right now.
Hopefully this summer it will be done.
Something to look forward to.


Whitey Bear loves burying his face in the snow!


Surveying his tundra......
This is the site of Ramblin' Man's new tool-shed,
which he hopes to have built this year.
His old shed will then be mine.
I can't wait! I really need my own she-shed!
He is retiring in just 3 more years.
No more Rambling for the Ramblin' Man after that,
so he needs a place to putter and I need a garden shed.


'Nana's Tree' looks so pretty in the snow.
We haven't planted it yet, but we have decided
on the perfect spot.


Ramblin' Man's company vehicle
 that we nicknamed 'the land yacht' :)
(Ford Flex)
for which we are very grateful.

You can see the hard working
 wood-stove chimney
on the house.

We are very grateful for our wood-stove this time of year.
Even though we have electric heat,
the wood-stove brings us a coziness and warmth
during these bitterly cold days and nights.


Late afternoon sunshine glows on bare tree-tops......


and on snowy mountain tops.


Time to go inside and get cozy!
Thank you for coming along on this winter walk with me,

Dear Friends!



Today I am linking with:

Saturday's Critters

It's a Small Town Life - Thankful Thursday

Please - Won't you join in? 

44 comments:

  1. Well, (in my mind) I put my lovely pink winter coat on and came for a winter walk with you ... and I thoroughly enjoyed it thank you. The kettle is now on for a warming cuppa!

    A she-shed ! That will be fun and so handy ...

    Take care, and my thoughts and good wishes to you and yours

    All the best Jan

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  2. Thank you for taking us on your wonderful winter walk, the photos are beautiful. I feel for Maggie, they feel the loss too. Hopefully life will be fairly normal for her soon. Take care, Kelly.

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  3. hola amiga querida!!! que lindas montañas nevadas.. espero que tengas un buen dia
    cariños

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  4. Hi Karen, thanks for the visit to my blog. After a thaw, snow is returning and I,m thankful.

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  5. I am so sorry for your loss of Ling Ling...losing our paw family is very difficult. Our Little One doesn't have much longer to go so I know you pain. They are with us such a short amount of time. How gorgeous your home and grounds look in the winter wonderland. All our snow is gone and I long for it to come back.

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  6. Hello, I am so sorry about the loss of your kitty. Our pets are like family members, it hurts to loose one. Your snowy photos are lovely and the wood stove sounds warm and cozy. I love your sweet dogs, so pretty. I wish you all the best in 2017, Happy New Year! Have a happy weekend!

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  7. Oh Karen, your snow makes my heart sing! It is so beautiful, especially covering the red holly berries. And the hummingbird still feeds on the feeder at this cold time of year? The new tool shed will be a nice project for your husband to work on this year. Then, you will have your own shed all to yourself! That's such a cute picture of your white doggies in the white snow.

    Thank you for taking me along with you on your walk in the snow. I sincerely loved it, Karen.

    ~Sheri

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  8. What a glorious snow! We are due to get a little here at my son's in Alabama. But, back home we are due for several inches. I'll miss that but will enjoy my stay here. My son and I are having a good time visiting, cooking, just hanging out.

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  9. Your property looks so pretty in the snow. We have just a sprinkling of snow right now, but I'm sure we will have more before it's over:)How nice that you will have a shed of your own! I'm sure you will put it to good use and you'll make it pretty too.
    have a great weekend and stay warm!

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  10. I went back to read your last post~~~I had no idea you had lost Ling Ling and the reprint of the article you wrote brought tears to my eyes. She consoled and shared love with many people in her life. How old was she?

    I'm always so gobsmacked when I see the wonders of nature just outside your door! And I learn something with each post. You are blessed!

    You are making tons of changes in your home and with the new shed. You have a year ahead of hard work and dreams coming true. I am so looking forward to following along. I had the cheering on of my blog friends during the time that we re-built our lakehouse and for that I'm grateful. You will find that your word, gratitude, will ring true over and over this year!

    Jane x

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jane, Thank you for your sweet and kind visit. Ling-Ling was 16 years old....a good long life, but it is never long enough.....I hope you are keeping warm, too. Winter is beautiful, but I am always grateful when it ends! Hugs x Karen

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  11. What a nice post you have. Love all the images. Loved the Hummers too. So sorry about Ling-Ling.
    MB

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  12. Oh what a chilly walk with you! I'm cold just living here in frozen land with no snow. This weekend may be another storm coming through and may have to change plans of going to the movie after our grandson's birthday get together. Sigh! Sorry for the loss of you pet...oh dear me! My sympathy to you! Mt Hood looked lovely with a nice big coat of snow on it this a.m. on my way to work. I am looking forward to temperatures into the mid 40 degree range again. SOON!! Take care and hugs to you!

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  13. It does look wonderful but oh so cold! Keep warm and cosy. x

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  14. I am always speechless at the beauty of your little corner of the world. Your wintry wonderland is quite magical. It must be heavenly to stroll through that glorious landscape, though a little chilly. A wood fire is always so cosy. Have the most wonderful weekend, Karen, perhaps snuggle up in front of your fire.

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  15. I had to really bundle up in my imagination to go on this lovely walk with you, as I'm not used to this wintry weather of yours. It is absolutely beautiful and peaceful. I'm afraid I would NOT be able to handle living anywhere that has snow.

    You have some great projects for this year and I do hope you will show photos before, during and after.

    Happy January and have a wonderful 2017 ~ FlowerLady

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  16. You certainly took us on a beautiful stroll and I really did enjoy sharing the beauty of the wondrous Wintery weather that you are having. A real delight to see.

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  17. Happy New Year Karen.
    So sorry for the loss of your beautiful Ling Ling. Our pets are with us for too short a time.
    Your snow images are wonderful. Stay warm and enjoy your weekend :)

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  18. We have had 3 snowy/icy storms pass through and dump on us. Keeps me at home. Another is predicted this weekend so I am going to hit the store today!
    Loss of a beloved "pet" (family member to me) is difficult to those who love and cherish them.

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  19. I'm very sorry too that you've lost one of your dear pets. It's always hard and you always miss them. You've shared some amazing snow scenes! When I lived in the mountains of NC and we had snow, I loved going out and finding the tracks in the snow. I would probably go crazy taking photos if I lived there now. I love the beauty of nature! Take care this weekend! Hugs, Diane

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  20. Hello dearest Karen! I'm catching up today so I just read about Ling Ling! My most sincere sympathies dear Friend. I know the pain of the loss of a pet...and they truly are like family. The story about her with your Mom made me well up. I'm sure they are meeting her at that Rainbow Bridge for a cuddle and catch up. ;)

    I love posts like these. Out in your beautiful woods! I love strolling with your fur babies and taking in all of lovely nature around. I love the plans you have for the summer! Such fun new projects!! I can't wait to see the results. And yay for just 3 more years to your Mr's freedom and such fun days together!!

    Blessings. xoxo

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  21. It is always so lovely there, Karen...and the snow is no exception. Beautiful photos!
    The plate really did remind me of your shed...how wonderful you found more of them!

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  22. Just gorgeous!! Truly a winter wonderland. We are waiting for a nice snowstorm here. I just love how it settles so pretty on everything.

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  23. Simply beautiful! The walk and your homestead! I am wondering how you have hummingbirds in winter! Fantastic! Thanks for the post Karen!

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  24. We got same kind of experience on New Year..

    Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

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  25. The dogs are enjoying snow falling. What fun!

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  26. I often think my pet Toby is the only dog who loves to play in the snow.. who cry to go out and play. He knows when fresh snow is falling. He always craws under the snow with his face and pops-out from a different place all covered with snow..Pretty fun to watch. Hoping you are having a happy New Year and it's been moving smoothly.. I too m filled with Gratitude...love number 17 photo!

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  27. You continue to dazzle us with such beautiful photography! My oh my. I'm so impressed. I must admit tho, that that one of the bare trees, looking up with the sunlight hitting the tree tops blew me away.

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    Replies
    1. ps....I am bawling! Ling Ling was a beautiful cat, and a loving family member. We lost Winston a couple months ago, and I still miss him terribly. A Siamese cat [I had one for 25 years] is such a wonderful breed...and ever so loyal.

      May Ling Ling always be remembered with a happy heart and smiles return with the good times had together.

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  28. Sorry about your loss. ...and yet this post shows so much beauty and hope

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  29. I am surprised to see hummingbirds in January. Here in Kentucky, they depart near the end of September. The red barn scene on your plates is very New England--no other part of the country does red barns so well! Barns in KY are mostly unpainted and weathered, or if the owner is a good steward they are painted black.
    I'm sure that Maggie feels the loss of her companion--animals have way more sensitivity than they can articulate.

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  30. I so enjoyed the little walk around with you... I had never heard of a heated hummingbird feeder, that is great since they hang around your area all winter long. Beautiful snowy pictures. So neat that your dogs love to go out with you, our Peanut always wanted to get back in the house as soon as she could. That's great you will have your own shed soon.

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  31. Happy New Year, sweet and lovely friend! I truly hope this year is filled with lots of love, sweet joy, and many blessings. I look forward to following your delightful blog in 2017.

    Your post was a blessing to my heart and your photos, as always, took my breath away. Thank you for sharing such loveliness with us.

    I'm so thankful for you, dear Karen. Love and hugs!

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  32. I am so sorry for the loss of your dear pet - a difficult loss to recover from. Your puppies are just adorable, may they fill the void your loss has created. Your snow is so pretty and you photographed it beautifully!!

    Snow brings me joy and happiness, I hope it does the same for you!! Have a wonderful Sunday!!

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  33. New white snow is so pretty - but makes a lot of work. Wishing you a happy Sunday and a new week!

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  34. Such beautiful snowy photos. I bet your dogs love it. So would I. It must be hard for you at the moment with the loss of ling ling. at least you have lots of furry friends to hug. Thinking of you. B xxx

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  35. Hi Karen! Your snowfall is really gorgeous, and I imagine your pooches love it, too. We have a Golden Retriever that dances and prances in snow.
    So sorry to hear of your loss. I well know the feeling.
    Blessings to you.
    Toni

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  36. Dear Karen. I'm catching up on your news and realise that it has been a difficult time recently. I'm so sorry for your losses. Your home always looks so lovely whatever season. I think your room conversion will be a wonderful new space when it's finished. You collect such pretty vintage china - your latest find will be a welcome addition to your dessert plate set for the Winter season. I've enjoyed walking with you in the snow from the comfort of my chair. Thank you. May this new year be full of blessed moments.

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  37. I am partial to the junco. Such a pretty little bird. Looks like he was dipped in white chocolate. And your sweet America Eskimo dogs. So cute. Definitely camouflaged in the snow. Friends of ours had a litter of American Eskimo pups and I wish I'd got the pic of all six of them standing on their hind legs to peer over a short wall. They're just the cutest!

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  38. What a truly lovely post. All your pics are amazing, and I feel as though we just had a real visit! Thank you for that!

    Hope your new year is filled with joy, laughter, good health and some fun.

    Hugs!

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  39. Dearest Karen,
    This post is so much about life. All the seasons from spring to winter; like birth to death...
    Poor Maggie, she certainly will miss her best friend and so will Whitey and Kai as they all got along so well.
    Great photography and a warm story about your NEST.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    PS I'm healthy again...

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  40. The snow make wonderful pictures! And it's so funny to see the dogs having fun in the snow!

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  41. Lots of snow, lots of wonderful things to see in there! It must be Winter Wonderland, for sure! Many thanks for sharing these amazing pictures and the wisdom in quote, too! Happy New Year!

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  42. Darling Karen
    I'm reading now that your beloved Ling Ling has become an Angel, I'm so sad for this loss of yours ... may my warmest and biggest hug reach you across the many miles, for thanks to the web we're much more close than we think !

    MUCH LOVE TO YOU

    XO Dany

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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