A Country Drive With Good Fences

It's been quite some time since I have taken 

you for a drive on the country roads 

near my home in western Washington State, 

so come along with me and we will enjoy

some scenic views for my link up with 

Good Fences. 

This handsome little farm lies at the base 

of the small mountain where I live. 

It dates from the turn of the century

when this area was newly settled by 

farmers, loggers and coal miners
in the late 1800's. 

Another vintage farm. 

You can see that the grass stays green here,
year round, where it is mowed. 

This area was once a dairy farming area, 

but the Food Security Act of 1985
with its Whole Herd Buy-Out Program
put an end to that.

Now there are very few dairy farms left
in Western Washington and only one in this area
(that I know of).

A long line of fencing still stands.

This curious mailbox-like contraption
stands by the roadside.

Here it is again, with a view of the neighboring farm.
There are no houses here or on the opposite side of the road.

A true mystery!

Late winter has its own beauty.

Bare limbs and tawny grasses frame a melancholy scene.

 The country highway stretches out before me.

Can you see the hawk in the tree?

I think this is a Rough-Legged Hawk,
which is the same size as the Red-Tailed, but
the dark coloring gives it away.

The Rough-Legged is a common winter resident here,
nesting in Canada's Northwest Territories and Alaska.

He is perched in a Black Cottonwood, one of the largest
and fastest growing trees in the U.S.

As we reach the edge of our Cascade mountain plateau,
we can see all the way across Puget Sound (not seen),
to the peaks of the Olympic Mountains, deceptively close.

A beautiful sight on a clear winter day.

When we reach the valley floor, these are common signs.

Mt. Rainier is a volcano, but the real danger lies
in what are called Lahars.

It is estimated that those in the path of a Lahar
will have less than an hour to evacuate.
There are sirens that warn of danger.

Every place on earth has its dangers.....
Some have tornadoes, some have hurricanes,
blizzards or sandstorms,
not to mention man-made ones......
but we have earthquakes and volcanoes.

Life is always a gamble.......
and a blessing.

In the meantime we try to just enjoy the beauty.

And the peace.

And the remaining unspoiled spaces.

It's a lovely place to park your boots.

And raise a family.

And finally, to enjoy our sunset years.

Now it's time to head for home,
kick off those boots, and enjoy a nice
home-cooked meal :)

Thank you for coming along, dear friends.

xoxo

The everyday kindness of the back roads
more than makes up for the acts of greed
in the headlines.

- Charles Kuralt -  journalist.

Today I am linking with:

The Run*A*Round Ranch Report - Good Fences

Lantern Cloches

Hello, sweet friends, I hope that you 

all had a lovely weekend. 

I am recovering from an unpleasant 

head cold (is there any other kind?)

that left me curled up on the sofa

with a warm quilt and box of tissues

most of last week. 

But I am feeling much better now

and ready to make up for lost time

with a fun little idea for those 

glass lanterns retired from the holidays. 

With a bit of moss hot glued 

to little pots of primroses, pansies or bulbs, 

you can turn empty lanterns into

charming cloches to protect  

those early spring flowers from frost. 

I placed plastic plant trays under

the pots to protect the floor of the lanterns

and then tucked in more moss to conceal them. 

They look very sweet on my deck railing, 

but I was too worried about them falling

off, so I found a better place........

My tiny front porch. 

That way they are protected from the rain. 

We have had the rainiest winter on record

here in western Washington State! 

Almost 23 inches from December to now, 

although we have had extremely mild temperatures, 

so I can't complain. 

My little potbelly, coal burning stove 

is a handy place to set my purse while 

unlocking the door, when it is not hosting flowers :)
We live near a former coal mining town,
now lost to history.

There was once a hotel, saloon, and other
businesses, along with several coal miner's cabins
at the base of our mountain, close to the river.

 I couldn't resist 

placing some sweet 'minnow' daffodils
there to cheer our comings and goings.

This little stove would have been used
as a heating and cooking device in a
small cabin or bedroom.
There is a removable 'burner' on top.

Nice to heat a bit of hot water in the
morning for tea and a wash.

We take so many conveniences like
hot water and heat for granted these days.

The latching crate serves as both a handy
place to rest packages and a storage
for kindling when Ramblin' Man is
far away and I run out.

I have many skills, but chopping wood is
not one of them, although, I would be willing
if necessity dictates.

A nice sturdy latch keeps high winds
from lifting the lid.

These little lantern cloches create
a sweet welcoming committee.

I hope I have inspired you to create some of your own!

xoxo

A garden is the interface between the house and the rest of civilization.

Geoffrey Charlesworth

'A Gardener Obsessed' (1994)

Today I am linking with:

Rooted in Thyme - Simple and Sweet Fridays

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth - The Art of Home-Making Mondays

The Enchanting Rose - Roses of Inspiration

My Salvaged Treasures - Talk of the Town

Flowers, Painted Urn, Crochet and Valentines

Hello, Dear Friends, I hope that you had 

a lovely Valentine's Day!  

I had a busy weekend, 

which included pet-sitting, 

grandson-sitting, and visiting

with loved ones. 

I received sweet flowers and a velvet box of chocolates 

from Ramblin' Man on Valentine's Day. 

We stayed in and watched Downton Abbey <3

after I cooked a favorite meal. 

We are such homebodies! 

Ramblin' Man works long hours and 

frequently travels, so home is his 'vacation'. 

My daughter, Jennie gifted me with this beautiful 

Azalea topiary. 

I thought it needed a very special pot.......

I had this terra-cotta urn that needed updating. 

I gave it a base-coat of cream paint. 

I then gave it a wash of watered down brown

craft paint. I used 'Burnt Umber'. 

Do this one small section at a time, 

then immediately wipe with a dry, soft cloth to remove

most of the dark paint. It will settle into the cracks

and crevices, giving it an aged look. 

I used the same technique on the metal urn that

hosts the cherub, last year. 

Jennie also gave me this sweet box of chocolates, 

which I hid in my Hand-crafted Heart Box:) 

Ramblin' Man is a candy thief. 

I do share - he just doesn't know where they are hidden :) 

My little secret. Shhhhhhh! 

Two of my sweet Valentines, 

Weenie Baby and Peanut (in front). 

Weenie Baby wasn't feeling very well, 

and is on medication, but she enjoyed her little romps

in between rain showers. 

It's been very gray here. 

Here we are at the bird feeder - bird seed spilled on the ground. 

Just look at those gray clouds! 

This little guy waits his turn at the hummingbird feeder. 

We had a lovely day Saturday visiting with my son, Gabe,

 his sweet wife, Erica and our precious little grandson, Ethan. 

This beautiful orchid was my first Valentine from Ethan. 

So beautiful. Orchids are amazing flowers. 

Here's the sweet little family last fall. 

Here's the little guy now, reading Grandpa's 

newspaper. He just loves to 'read'! 

Of course we think he is a genius. 

*smile*

He just turned 9 mos. old - where does the time go? 

He's crawling and clapping and enjoying 

swimming with his Mom at 'Mom and Me' group. 

No teeth yet, though. 

Our first Valentine's card as Grandparents. 

We watched our little sweet-pea while 

the new parents went out to dinner. 

While the little one slept, I crocheted 

a new basket with 'kitchen cotton'. 

(I haven't woven in the loose ends yet)

You can find the instructions to the basic 

basket on my previous post

 A Tisket, A Tasket - Little Crochet Baskets.

One note: I have eliminated the slip stitch joining

in each row, as it creates a noticeable join. 

Instead, I just mark the beginning of each row

with a stitch marker or you can use a piece of yarn, 

moving it as you complete each row. 

Once you achieve the basic circumference on the bottom, 

you can use any stitch to create the sides, simply

going around and around with no increases. 

I used single crochet here. 

I added this sweet shell edge by crocheting 

a final row of single crochet in cream, 

then a row of 'shells'. 

To make the shells:

*sc, skip next sc, 5 dc in next sc, skip next sc*

repeat from * around. 

I folded the edge down to achieve this charming effect. 

I'm having fun creating these little baskets

and now I am never without something to give

as a sweet gift. 

Another sweet Valentine; 

my little Kai. 

He is an excellent watch dog, 

always on alert. 

The two pals, Whitey Bear and Kai, in motion. 

Whitey Bear 'talks' to me. 

He's my sweet boy. 

Ramblin' man is doing his thing this week;

rambling, and the two little house-guests have gone home,

 so I will have some time 

to myself after my busy weekend. 

I have some sweet garden crafts to show you next time. 

I hope you are staying warm and dry, 

wherever you are my dear friends. 

xoxo

A little Consideration, a little Thought

for Others, makes all the difference. 

- Eeyore to Pooh in Winnie-The-Pooh, 

A.A. Milne, writer

xoxo

Today I am joining: 

The Enchanting Rose - Roses of Inspiration

Julie's Lifestyle - Cooking and Crafting with J & J

My Salvaged Treasures - Talk Of The Town

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth - The Art of Home-Making Mondays