Our Last Days at Cedar Pond ?

The sale of Cedar Pond is pending. We had two offers to buy Cedar Pond right after the open house, the first day it was shown.

I see I haven't blogged since April 10th, but we've been busy packing, sorting, cleaning, moving things to our future home and depositing other items at the local dump and Goodwill.

I am still tending my gardens and sometimes have to distract myself so I don't cry. That is really the reason I haven't blogged lately. Every time I begin to post pictures or write on my blog , so many emotions flood my heart and mind that I opt for a snack to munch while watching t.v. or reading a book, or catching up with friends and family on Facebook. Quick distractions.

Of course, having kept chickens for many years now I have learned not to count my chickens until they hatch and I know Cedar Pond is not truly sold until all the paperwork is signed and official. But it does appear another family with young children will be loving life here at Cedar Pond soon.

We had a big work party in April when most of our family came together to help prepare Cedar Pond for sale and also help load a lot of heavy stuff into a rental truck. We drove 6 hours , over the mountains and far away, to our future home. We unloaded the truck , storing our belongings in the barn there. We still have at least 2 more truck loads of stuff to move  ( how did we accumulate so much STUFF ? ) not including my sheep, my geese, and my chickens.

I hope you don't get the wrong idea about my feelings though. I am prone to nostalgia and "what-if's", but not sorry to be moving . We built Cedar Pond from raw land almost 30 years ago. We raised our children here and enjoyed life here . I knew this was the right decision for many reasons, but I also knew I was ready to move for sure when the last few trips to our future home I did not want to return to Cedar Pond because I was home . My home over the mountains and far away !

Last Of Autumn Splendor ~ Thursday in the Garden

Another update on the gardens , pond, and woods around Cedar Pond. Hawk, our Vizsla prefers napping in the sunshine on the porch. He's getting old and craves warmth to ease his old bones.

Mushroom growing out of the trunk of a dying alder at our pond's edge.

The day after I took this picture we had a 3 day down pouring of rain ( almost 3 inches ) that washed the bright leaves right out of this Japanese maple tree. This tree is showing the last days of autumn splendor. Soon we might see the bare branches adorned with the icy crystals of late fall and winter.

A baby fennel plant has sprung up at the edge of one of the paths in my herb garden.

Rose hips on our Rugosa bushes in the herb garden are so bright and cheerful.

Mallow plants that escaped my weeding are blooming in the front garden under an ornamental grass. I have two kinds of Mallow growing here and they are hardy survivors , seeding themselves far and wide around Cedar Pond. The honeybees love them.

Our burning bush ( don't recall its real name ) has scant leaves but is full of berries the birds are plucking quickly.

One of my granddaughters snapped this photo of me as I was burning almost 5 months worth of storm debris down by our pond. After the big rains we can safely burn , and I had a very big burn pile going for 2 days.

My huge burn pile is now a cozy fire near our special spot at pond's side. The wood neatly stacked behind the fire is ready for future outdoor fires by the pond. ( All that wood is from trees the storms brought down around and into the pond.)

Sometimes our fall and winters bestow upon us a rare sunny day. On many such days we wrap ourselves in warm clothing ,build a fire in the fire pit by the pond and sip hot coffee or cocoa as we take in the beauty of the season. ~ " Instead of the call of the meadowlark, we hear the sharp call of the busy nuthatch as he probes tree trunks for juicy beetle-steak hidden in the cracks of bark. The November wind scurries fitfully and the cold rain falls in a leaden sheet across the brown fields."  ~ 'The New England Butt'ry Shelf Almanac' by Mary Mason Campbell

Our Pacific Northwest autumn splendor is giving way to November's late fall palette, preparing us for winter damp and dark, a beauty all its own.

I am thankful for my faithful dogs, my entertaining cats , our pond, and ever-changing weather .

Sunday Sunshine Therapy

 There were a few moments of sunshine between down-pourings of rain . I took a walk along our little road  with my pack of 4 dogs . We watched my geese and ducks swimming in sunshine reflections.

 Me, my puppy ( she might be large but is still in her youth ) and our 3 old dogs who have all been with us for more than a decade, took our time. I allowed the dogs to examine every log , stick,stone and puddle. The Labs just had to take a splash and a swim in the pond. Therapy ~ that is what you should call a walk in sunshine with dogs you love & enjoy.

The very old Labrador Retriever ,Willow ( dog with collar ), is always limping and in some pain , but she is one of the happiest dogs I spend time with. She gets along with all the dogs and cats and is easy company. She was born in my kitchen many years ago, 4th and last generation of Labs born here at Cedar Pond . She has been such an easy dog to train and have around I have taken her for granted. As I watch her in her old age I am appreciating more and more what a treasure she is.

Just a simple walk with my dogs, some Sunday sunshine therapy.

Moments Of Tranquility & Reflection

 I have no words of wisdom or funny stories for this post. I'm simply sharing a few moments of my time spent pond-side here at Cedar Pond. This is where I go for tranquil moments , sip my coffee, sometimes read, and always receive inspiration from the surroundings. ( The geese are Ella & Fella and they swim with our flock of ducks.)

Tranquil : "Calm, undisturbed , not agitated." Webster's Collegiate Dictionary ~Yes, a perfect word for my time spent pond-side. Thank-you for visiting me here at Cedar Pond today , I hope you too have a  special spot for tranquility and reflection, even in the midst of seeming chaos. If you do, will you tell me about it ?

Small Havens

An intricate and almost magical world unto itself , this little spot by Cedar Pond. Mosses , Lilies of the Valley , ferns ... so many whorls and cavities in the tree roots creating what seem like tiny homes for very little creatures . And yes ! They are indeed small havens of rest , comfort, and safety for the frogs, insects, salamanders, mice, and garter snakes. There are probably many more creeping and crawling creatures I am glad not to encounter as I walk through our woods near the pond, but not near as glad as the creatures that see me pass by.

Whimsy's First Winter & We're In The Deep Freeze

 Cedar Pond is frozen. We had about an inch of snow last week, and for the last few days our nightly temperatures have been below 20 degrees. Right now it is 11 degrees here. The pond just starts to thaw in the late afternoon , then the temps drop and it re-freezes. The weather forecasters predict these temps until the middle of next week.

 Our fountains are frozen. Our animal water troughs are frozen. I was looking forward to spending the cold winter days indoors, spinning and weaving my wool, reading my Christmas magazines, baking cookies,blogging....( you get the picture ) but instead, I am carrying many, many buckets of hot water to my poultry and livestock . My husband & I have also been carrying many loads of firewood indoors to keep our home warm & toasty. Just past midnight my husband was outside checking the pipes and putting heat lamps on some of them, then he added more wood to the woodstove & stoked it up.

 Whimsy, my German Shepherd puppy turned 5 months old a few days ago and this is her first freeze.

 She checked out our first dusting of snow...

 ...and the ice on the pond.

 

Whimsy also checked out the red bows on our Christmas decorations and thought they were great chew toys. But she is a very smart dog and after 3 attempts to dismantle the decorations for her amusement, we convinced her this was not acceptable behavior for a good dog like her.Now she leaves the bows alone. Good dog Whimsy .

 

Whimsy & Hawk

Home ~ To Cedar Pond

My drive home from almost anywhere is scenic. This is Mount Rainier viewed barely 5 miles from home. It I so easy to take this view for granted because I see the mountains every day if there is no cloud cover or there are no trees obstructing the view.

The main highway a scant 1/2 mile from our road. Just look at those snow covered hills.

I'll be making a left turn just past the telephone pole with the orange-red ribbon around it.

The left turn onto the private gravel road leading to our home .

The neighbor's horse is always curious about passers-by.

Home ! The gate posts to Cedar Pond , made and constructed for us by our grown children, welcome us home. Home. I love that word and all it implies. Home.

 

Don't forget to leave a comment to be included in the drawing for a flock of 3 Wee Little Sheep !

Alice In Wonderland Teacup ~ Tea-Time Tuesday

 When my husband drew up the plans for our home here on Cedar Pond we knew we wanted most of the windows in our home to look out on Cedar Pond. Now we have a view of this pond through our front room window in all seasons, and we love it. Today the view showed me a stormy day.

 A perfect day to stay inside and sew.

 I am sewing a patchwork quilt of fabric one of my granddaughters chose for her bed. I gave her a 4 X 4 inch cardboard square to trace and cut out squares from fabric she chose  for me to sew her quilt. My granddaughter  traced and cut out hundreds of little squares for her quilt and today was a perfect day to sew  the squares together because there was no other work demanding immediate attention after I fed my animals. I could not garden in the down pouring of rain. I made myself a cup of peppermint tea and drank it from this teacup, a gift from my sister Karen, as I sewed many squares of fabric together to make a patchwork quilt for a granddaughter.

 The teacup is from Disneyland , but I think you could have guessed that as soon as you saw the photo. The quilt is barely begun in this picture. The puzzle for me is how to bring the differing fabric squares together to make an over all pleasing design for my granddaughter. I need some more tea and time to think about this.

 I have many friends & family who love Disneyland and all things Disney. I have never been to Disneyland, but I hear tell they love it and visit it as often as possible. My Alice In Wonderland teacup is from one of my sisters who also loves the magical land and especially sharing it with her granddaughter. I am honored she chose to give me a teacup that is a token of her good times in Disneyland.

Peppermint tea in a sweet teacup on a very stormy day spent sewing a quilt for a beloved granddaughter. A very good day for me.

When I look out my windows and see Cedar Pond I remember the many good times here with family & friends I love. I know I am blessed. Sip a cup of tea in your favorite spot at home and remember you are truly blessed !

 

Tea-Time Tuesday is hosted by these ladies , pop in and spend some time with them !

 ~Rose Chintz Cottage *

~ Martha's Favorites *

~ Artful Affirmations *

~ Bernideen's Tea-Time Blog *

~ A Delightsome Life *

 





 

Mind Your Mouth, Be Kind

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear....let bitterness & wrath & clamor & slander be put away from you along with malice.

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other as God in Christ has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:29,31, 32

Pictures taken around our pond, by me.