By now you know, the Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year!

Lately, we have had some exquisitely beautiful photo opportunities, and I tell you,
I can barely stop taking pictures.

Hence, ''Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder."  With that, I need not say more.

All photos were captured in the last three weeks.

 I present to you, a bit of nature's finest.  Thank you so much for stopping by.

 

My two buddies and I, recently visited a local apple orchard store.  It is was a
clear, sunny day and they were happy to go on this fun adventure. 

There were colorful and "fresh from the farm" products, filling the stands on every isle.

The store is right along side of it's own huge, apple orchard.  Big, lush, ripe apples filled
every bin.

Inside the orchard store, the shelves were also filled with big, perfectly formed apples of many
different varieties.  It was difficult to make a decision as to which ones we should buy.

We brought them home, scrubbed them, peeled them, (they are like me, and prefer their
apples peeled), and cut them up for a snack.

Then I did the same with the rest of the apples, because I looked forward to making the "raw
apple cake recipe"  that I found on the blog, "Stonegable".  It is an exceptionally beautiful
blog, and Yvonne shares so many great recipes.  If you want to make a delicious apple,
walnut cake, you can find the recipe here;
http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Her "Roasted Cheddar Cauliflower" soup, is one I want to try, too.

The recipe calls for three cups of cut up apples, and that is the reason that it tastes so good!

Chocked full of apples and walnuts.  I chose to make the batter into small
loaves, and large sized muffins.

Quite a while ago, I purchased a pack of bright colored, apple tea towels and dish
cloths.  I took two of the dish cloths, folded it in thirds and wrapped the two little
apple loaves, tying the packages with green, coordinating ribbon.

Two tiny gifts, that originated from the our visit to the local

apple orchard.

The weekend is ahead.  I hope you enjoy time with family and

friends, on this Columbus Day holiday!

If you have the opportunity, indulge in a big, sweet tasting apple, and

think of me:)

 

 

 

Lately, I've walked out my back door, and for a few moments in time, I feel
like I have "gardener status".  Really, my "Knock Out" roses are taking over my
small garden.  I ask myself the question, "how is it, that now, near the middle of
October,  my roses more in abundance than they were all summer?"

Pink and red blooms are everywhere.  Tiny pink and red buds peek through
all the blooms, leading me to believe that they wish their growing season would
continue on indefinitely:)

I did a bit of research on "Knock Out" roses, and thought you might be interested
in what I learned from;
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/knockout-roses-42423.html

"Little compares to the beautiful and delicate petals of a vibrant-colored rose.  If
you love roses but hesitate to grow this work-intensive flower, the "Knock Out"
rose is your answer.  "Knock Out" roses are easy to grow, require little care and
adapt to any landscape.  They are disease resistant, heat tolerant and grow
in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9."

"William Radler is the creator of "Knock Out" roses.  His fascination for roses
started as a child.  He purchases his first rose at age nine for 49 cents and the rose
flourished.  He began looking for more roses, and always looked for a bargain.
He soon learned that roses required a lot of care and wanted to discover a rose
that could  withstand the cold and did not require pesticides.  After 15 years of
trial and error, be bred the most disease resistant rose, the "Knock Out".

A few facts I learned from this article;
~The "Knock Out" rose requires six or more hours of sunshine a day.
~It performs best if fed after each blooming cycle with a fertilizer specifically
for roses.
~It is self-cleaning, the faded flowers do not require removal.
~The "Knock Out" roses can be pruned down to six inches in late fall, and will
spring back the next growing season.
~Removing one-third of the old branches every two or three years helps to stimulate
new growth.

This fact is from the 95 year old lady, who lives in the farm nearby to me, and whose
"Knock Out" rose bushes are heartier and more beautiful than any I have ever seen.  She
said she places manure on them every fall.  Lots of manure.  Then she was kind
enough to offer me some buckets of their manure for me to take home and place on
my bushes:)  I declined her gracious offer, knowing that the aroma in my car would
most likely remain for a long time.  Today, even without the fertilizer of manure, my
roses are still beautiful!

As is the only real rose bush that I have planted.  Today, it has five gorgeous blooms on it.
I must admit though, this bush does require a lot more of my time and attention, and
does not produce as many blooms throughout the summer as my "Knock Out" rose
bushes do.  Although, it's blooms are my favorite!

A few straggly looking daisies do remain in the garden today, along with...

 

...one lone blooming pansy that decided to appear again,

after disappearing all summer.

 

 

A new day is ahead.

A gift to each one of us.

Wishing you the best as you walk through the day.

Wanting to remember with you today, that

"Kindness does give birth to kindness", and focusing on the beauty

in our world, is more encouraging than focusing on the ugly

in our world.

 

Thanks for stopping here!

 

 

 

On this particular Saturday morning, four of us, and Buster, took a walk through the
woods, wanting to take in the beauty of the Fall season, and to capture it all with
our trusty cameras.  Me, my Sony, and her, her Fisher Price.  The other two
walked along with us, or should I say, waited patiently for us.

She found bright colored berries, and colorful flowers that she immediately knew she
wanted to photograph.  Of course, as a grandmother, I was thrilled with her obvious
interest in one of my favorite hobbies. 

We took pictures of the  many colorful berries...

...and flowers, even if some of them had seen their better days, earlier in the Fall:)

She stopped every few minutes, finding hidden jewels that she just had to capture, and
she took it all so seriously...

...finding just the exact spot to photograph.  A little, amateur photographer, who also
loves to do her own hairstyles, headband and all:)

 

And, after she was done capturing, she wanted me to take my turn.  I must admit, there
were so many photo ops, on the clear, brisk Fall October morning.

But, in the end, I shared with her, that taking pictures of those we love, is the very best! 
Capturing moments is by far, the most treasured part of photography for me, because
one never knows the memories that these pictures may trigger, when they are viewed
years from now.  In fact, right now, as I look at this picture we took on Saturday, it
already triggers precious memories for me. 

This post reminds me of something I read recently by Lance Wubbels, in his book,
"If Only I Knew". 

"IF ONLY I KNEW
that I was caught in a trap
of living for tomorrow
and a future that existed
only in my imagination.
I would have slowed my pace,
drawn boundaries around my work,
and taken time for the people I love."

Photography and someone to share my enthusiasm for it, blessed my heart, this past
weekend.  Thank you for stopping by and allowing me the privilege of sharing my
joy with you today.

One more thing...if you enjoy seeing others photography, and you find yourself sitting
by the computer with some free minutes, here are some sites where the photography
inspires me;

http://www.tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com/

http://www.thelittlecorner.tumblr.com/

http://www.pinterest.com/pioentjev/cozy-things/
 

There are times, when someone you care about, is feeling under the weather, and not
able to carry out the every day duties of daily life.  You hurt for your friend, and you want
to let her know, in some small way, that you are thinking about her.  If you know for a fact,
that she really likes mushroom soup, this may be just the thing.  But, if she prefers another
flavor of soup, this small gift idea, would work for that too.  By now, you probably have
figured out that I thoroughly enjoy putting small gifts together for others, and this is
another example of just that.

IF...you like mushroom soup, I will tell you that my husband and I really liked this soup!
In fact, he said, "it was the best mushroom bisque he had tasted!  I purchased Amy's soups
in the organic section of my local grocery store.

I purchased a package of fresh mushrooms and sautéed them lightly in a pan, with butter,
until they were slightly soft and light brown in color.
I emptied two cans of the mushroom bisque into another pan, added a touch of salt
and pepper and 1 heaping tablespoon of light sour cream.  I stirred the sautéed
mushrooms into the soup, and simmered it on med. low for 10 minutes. 

This bowl was for my husband as his dinner, along with a grilled cheese sandwich.  To
add a bit of color, I sprinkled some chives on top of the soup.

The remaining soup was cooled, poured into a clean, empty mayonnaise
jar, and refrigerated until ready to give as a gift.  This is such an easy process that
I hesitate to share it with you all.
I purchased the pretty, sturdy mug at the dollar store, and the soft, fuzzy pair of
slippers at a local K Mart Store.

I placed some colorful filler into the mug, placed the jar of soup into the mug.
Set the mug on a large sheet of clear cellophane and pulled it up over the mug
and the soup.  I cut a long piece of red ribbon and tied the ribbon tightly
over the cellophane.  I placed the slippers on the ribbon, and then tied the
ribbon a second time, to hold the slippers in place.

Then, as I always do, I made a fun, colorful tag and tied it onto the ribbon.
I should have labeled the soup, "semi-homemade" instead of homemade,
because of the few steps that went into it's contents.  I finished the gift by
making a bow with the same ribbon and tying it onto the front of the mug.

A mug, some hot soup, and a pair of comfy slippers, will be dropped off at my
friend's door.  An easy way to let someone know you are thinking about them,
and praying for them to get better soon.

With clear white index cards, a vintage apron sticker, and a stamp, I whipped up this
little card.  The card is always an important part of the gift, but how you make it
is unimportant.

  

I am sure we all come in contact each week, with those who are

going through difficult times in their lives, whether it is with a

physical illness, or many other painful situations.  As the weather gets

colder, and the winter approaches, a hot mug of soup and a warm

pair of slippers, just might brighten anyone's day.

 

Thank you to "Amy" and company, for creating such a

delicious mushroom bisque.

 

Thanks to each of you for dropping by for yet another one of my

 endless,simple gift idea posts.

 

 

During our time in Colorado, after our cycle trip, we were privileged to visit a
beautiful, secluded, western guest ranch.  This ranch holds a special place in
our family's hearts, because the manager and the fly fishing instructor, are people
that we love.  Immediately, after driving the road from Steamboat, and entering
the long gravel road to the ranch, one knows that they have discovered "a
diamond in a haystack".  My husband and I, along with my brother and
sister-in-law, spent three wonderful hours visiting this ranch.

The large, spacious lodge, offered a gracious, warm, western welcome to all guests who
entered it's front door.

The well maintained grounds, provided a breath of invigorating fresh mountain air. 

My brother-in-law is the manager of this ranch, and I can't tell you how good it was to
see him again!  He kindly gave us a two hour tour of the ranch and it's impressive
operations. 

Adding to the joy of our visit, we got to see our nephew also.  He is the "fly fishing
instructor" at the ranch.  His expertise and his endearing personality make him
a valuable commodity in the ranch's daily happenings.

 

We stood by watching, as he gave the guests fly fishing instructions, before they
headed out to some of the many local pristine lakes and creeks, to try
out their newly learned skills.  As I stood observing, I realized that there truly
is an art to the sport. 

Our brother-in-law took us into the corral and shared interesting facts about their
horses and the ranch operations.  "Time" is a generous gift, especially when his duties
and responsibilities are many.

Horse back riding instructions were skillfully being shared.

How to handle a horse, talk to a horse, and become friends

with one's horse.  I remembered when I was here as a guest a few

years ago, I was given the same instructions.

 

My brother-in-law has a special way with horses, and I couldn't help but admire his genuine
care for guests and horses, on this ranch, and the way both seem to gravitate towards him.

As my youngest granddaughter asked recently, "Is he a real live cowboy?",   Yes, little
one, he is "a real live cowboy", along with many other roles he carries out in the
operation of a very special oasis, in the breathtaking beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
I felt honored to be on a picture with these two brothers.

 

As we drove away, the serenity of the ranch's surroundings, made me want to

stay and escape life in the fast lane.  The guests who visit here,

certainly have that privilege. 

 

For today, my day is filled with lots to do, and no more time to spend

dreaming of the ranch:)

 

By the way, I do wish I could find a way to make my banner picture

smaller.  I have spent time trying and it always appears so

large.  I will have to check with my computer experts sometime:)

 

Thanks for stopping by!