Fall in the Swamp!

As sure as the setting sun or the moon that rises above the treeline, the seasons change and with that change comes magnificence.  Here in the south, it is not often that we get a true feeling of change  when the calendar turns to Autumn.  Often, we go from hot summer afternoons to chilled morning frosts.....as happened last week.  One day it was 89 degrees with high humidity and two days later, we were bumbling around trying to get the plants protected from a night time low of 31 degrees. Even though we southerners are used to that, it's still always a thrill to feel the rush of cold dry breezes flood our faces with the tiniest bits of redness.  We actually go looking for a light weight jacket!!

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
― Lauren DeStefano, Wither

Maybe it just hits us in the face so quickly that we don't really SEE the change in the landscape or it may be just in a passing glance that we stop to realize the beauty of it all......But Oh My!!!...there is so much glory in the simple realization of nature changing its clothes as the months of each year live out their lives.  I'm so glad that I take the time to appreciate it, the calmness soothes my soul...
On my drive home today --

Add a simple soup to the day...

and even this southern girl feels like Fall is in the air!!!

SLOW COOKER SAUSAGE, SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (1 lb) package smoked andouille sausage, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 (15 oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

4 cups chicken broth

salt & pepper

3 cups baby spinach

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add sausage and cook about 3-4 min

Place sausage, garlic, onion, carrots, celery beans oregano and bay leaves into 6 qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken broth and 1 cup water.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and cook on low heat 7hrs or high heat for 3-4 hrs.

Stir in spinach until wilted.

Serve immediately

A Glorious FALL Day!!

For those of you who live north of the Mason Dixon Line, you may not understand this......but those of us in the south??????  76 degree days with sunshine and NO humidity???  And add fall veggies straight from the garden in my yard to that mix,  and well.......can't get any better!!!
This morning:

Under the bluest and clearest sky...(no filter!)

I picked curly lettuce...

last of the fresh tomatoes....

cabbage...

peppers...

eggplants...

For lunch:  grab a handful of that sweet tender lettuce and cucumbers and cherry tomatoes that mah boyfriend had picked yesterday...

Perfection!

Then spending this afternoon finishing up my book right here....

on my pumpkin filled front porch!

Love the worn patina on my old watering cans!

WHAT a glorious autumn day!!!!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun....

or....

Waiting for All Hallows' Eve...

...at the pumpkin patch!!  Every year, we try to get as many cousins together as we can to take pictures and pick out pumpkins for their daddies to carve with them!!  We were missing the two from out of town this yr.....and miss them we did!....and even tho we had baby Lane with us, he really did not want to have his pic made and wasn't feeling well either.

Lane said...."Ya'll go ahead, I'll catch up with ya somewhere away from all those pumpkins!"

The costumes are being decided on and tried on and played in.......oh, don't you remember the innocence of Halloween at this young age??  Delightful!!!

Luck Times 3 last week!

Last week, I was lucky enough to see ALL of my grandchildren...not at the same time, but I got each family for super visits!
My oldest and his crew came to the deer camp to spend some time last weekend.  Just "so happened" that Cap'n and I were headed there too...heeheehee....after we got the call that they were coming!!
These two patiently waited for their Capn's famous breakfast....all the grandkids love sitting at this bar watching him do his magic!

                                                         their dad waits patiently too!

Brother/Sister Love!

 

Mid week, ms. Lilli and KatieJane came to spend the night with me...where they proceeded to roll around in the dirt by the driveway for hours...

make their own pizza for dinner.....

pick fresh veggies from the garden...

and feast on s'mores in the afternoon!

 

Then yesterday, I got to spend the night with my babyboy's sons and oh what fun they had!

We are building a new rec room and they had just finished the pad for it before we arrived.  Do you know what fresh dirt does for little boys????  Exactly what it does for those city girls!!

(do you see mischief in the oldest boy's eyes??!!!)

It was opening weekend of deer season so all the big boys took off at the crack of dawn to do their thing while little boys anxiously waited for them back at the camp.  Soon as they saw those 4 wheelers coming up the hill, off they went.  Case's dad got squirrels and he was some excited...

As I've mentioned before, no hunting is done unless it can be consumed by family.  It is a hobby for the guys but they are very adept at teaching their children that nothing is taken for granted when it come to wildlife.  Hobby = food for everyone's freezer!

Even tho Case realized some of this work might get a bit stinky at times....he kept helping his dad like a trouper.  Holding his nose!!  We laughed and laughed!!

And of course, to the shagrin of his sons, Cap'n got the first deer of the season....in fact, he got TWO!!!

MY freezer is going to be very happy to see it filled with ground venison, sausage and back strap for the coming year!!

When I see the orange caps come out, I know hunting season has begun!

 

 So, as another season is upon us, it warms my heart to see all of my guys and all of my grandchildren enjoying the beauty and time together at a place that their dad and their granddad has provided for all of us to gather...

LUCKY YAYA!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking the Time To Stop and Appreciate....

Finding myself slowing down lately to just STOP and enjoy my days, instead of rushing thru them quickly, without thinking.  In our world today,  I think we probably need to do this a little more often.
It sure does help to restore faith in humanity and our surroundings.....

wild morning glories growing on haystacks on the side of the road on way home from deer camp

even more special was that my boyfriend pointed out the beauty to me to make sure I saw them!

the cotton field called my name to come take a closer look at the cotton bolls!

my lil buddy that comes to see me most days in the yard...he's under the feeder that goes off twice a day for them.  sometimes, we may have 6-7 eating together...we love to watch them!

SUCH beauty!!

Even spent a lil time in the kitchen today...using up the over ripe bananas in fridge!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!