Home From the Beach.

 

We are home from our October beach trip. I think going to the beach in October is my favorite time to go visit. This was nice as it was stormy and rainy. The tides were high too. I have never been here before it was Cambria. Don't ask me why. It was the nicest place and our hotel was top notch. We walked and walked.
The fun pictures of the town is on Ron's phone so I will have to do another post once I get his pictures.

My cute hubby!

We forgot to bring a bag. We spent three days picking up rocks so he can polish them. So his coat pockets are filled with rocks.

 

I forgot you only see these guys in October. I think this is a nesting place on the Central Coast. As Ron remarked," imagine having to eat all of the time through a straw." 

 

I just loved this rock with all of the shells on it and the way the animals in the shells had left indentations in this very hard rock. I am always amazed at the things you can see around you.

I know this isn't  very good picture of the buzzard trying to catch some sunshine on his wings. I just had my iPhone and I didn't want to disturb him very much. I am always thrilled when I get to see them doing this.
I didn't take a umbrella because I was afraid if I did it wouldn't rain. It rained and I stayed soaking wet.
Ron came down with the cold. We just stayed out in it until finally by Saturday evening I was tired of rain.
Not so much the rain, just being sopping wet.

It was a nice trip, just too short. I do love getting to sleep in my own bed though. There is just something about the ocean, and the smell of the sea weed and the wet air and watching the sea hit the rocks. I loved seeing the gray skies and even watching the rain is different because it comes down in sheets.

I am so glad the cooler weather followed us home. I am finally going to bind my giant Give Ye Thanks rug this week. Do you remember it?

I did finish it, I will show it to you when its all bound. I worked on this so long, I couldn't stand it. Now I really like it.

I hope you have a great week! Thank you so much for stopping by,

~Kim~

“My soul is full of longing
for the secret of the sea,
and the heart of the great ocean
sends a thrilling pulse through me.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Joy in The Morning

 

My fat kitty, loving the early morning sunlight. This is Linx. She is such a silly kitty. I tried to catch her rubbing on Sasha. She really is enjoying this lovely weather of October. (Poor girl is such a chubby kitty, she can no longer climb fences so must walk in and out the doors to the front and the back yards.)

This morning, when I walked outside. I had to go back in and get a sweatshirt. Yay!! I just smiled to myself that the breeze was cold enough again. I watched as the Flickers flew with his bouncing flight from one tree to another tree. I was just so happy to see those red undersides of his wings.

 

The leaves are beginning to change. I feel like its a treasure hunt to find the first of the red leaves. A couple of weekends ago, Ron put out grass seed. (Winter Rye) the other day he said, " You have to come out and see this, its so funny."
So I did, it made me laugh. I had to go get my camera.

 

There is an ant hill under that clump of grass. The ants have gone out in the yard and gathered all of the grass seed and that little mound of seed is going down into the ant hill. We both squatted down and watched them as they feverishly worked getting everything down in the hole. We just watched and laughed. I go out every morning and check how the progress is going and the pile seems to be going down day by day. Isn't nature a treat to watch?

I made applesauce with some of my apples yesterday. Today I hope to make a pie. There is just something about fresh apples that makes me happy, I would rather eat an apple this time of year than just about anything. I did buy some sweet potatoes so I could make a sweet potato pie too. Just a tiny bit of cooler weather and I just want to bake and bake.

One of the really sweet things this morning, was the Meadowlarks are back too. One was so close he sounded like he was in my flowerbed. It made me so happy to know they are back for the winter. The blue jays are not happy about all of these new guys showing up. They spend the afternoon complaining about the state of things around here. So everything is all good. Unless you are a bluejay!

I hope you have a day filled with golden sunshine and gentle breezes.

~Kim~

"All his thinking could not make him understand, but his singing heart could. "
---Waterless Mountain, Laura Adams Armer, 1931

Apple Time

Its time for apples! I collected so many recipes this week of things I want to make with apples. Do you remember in Farmer Boy when his Mom would make Apples and Onions? Here is a link to a recipe if you think you would like to make it.

This time of year I want to cook like that. Donuts, Bubble and Squeak.  Baked Beans. Those wonderful comforting cold weather foods. We have warm weather in the forecast this weekend, but I think Fall weather is just around the corner.  Last night, while sitting out in the twilight, I thought I could smell the ghosts of wood fires and leaves. The smell of October. 

Ben and Megan are going to Tehachapi this weekend to get apples. They are just the best kind of apples to eat or cook with. Thankfully they always bring me a box.

 

William and Makenzie closed on their new house this weekend. Makenzie had me come over and help her set up her kitchen. It is the cutest house. It was designed so every thing is so usable and she is such a incredible decorator I am sure it will be just wonderful by next weekend. Ron is helping them move the heavy things right now, which is why I am on the computer writing a blog. Not fixing dinner because why fix dinner for just ole me, so I write about food instead.

 

I took a walk this evening and I found some red leaves. It means that this is really October. Fall is going to really, really win. Summer will have to go away for a few weeks. *wink* I am not a sewing or hooking at all.
I wish I could get over my slump. I just have this burned out feeling on being creative. I don't know if it happened when we painted the house, or the road work, or the no privacy, but I just can't seem to get a handle on my lack of patience when it comes to those things I love to do. Or I thought I did.

 

Isn't this a pretty sunrise? I think it has all of the colors of fall in it. The sunsets are looking like this too. I have been sitting outside until its too dark to see at night. I am sure I could wax eloquent if I tried. I am still going to the Bible Study on Thursday mornings. I broke down and went shopping and bought some new duds. That helped a bunch. Then I got my hair cut. I am stylin' again. I love my Bible Study so much. I still feel like a dweeb most of the time, but they put up with me. They are all so kind. Its fun because its a small group with women 30 to 70ish. I love all of the viewpoints and all of the personalities and feel so honored to be in this group. So that has been fun. Still out of my comfort zone, but I like it. I had become too house bound.
I know that I will fight anxiety and fear for the rest of my life, but I will not let it win. So its all good.

 

They also like my stories. Which is awesome. I had all of these adventures for a reason it seems.
I meant to write more than once a week. I have been waking up in the night writing blog posts, so I need to get that back in my life too.

I wish you the best kind of weekend and my prayers are for all of the people in the path of Matthew. May he just go out to sea.

Stay safe my friends,
~Kim~

 

A kestrel can and does hover in the dead calm of summer days, when there is not the faintest breath of wind. He will, and does, hover in the still, soft atmosphere of early autumn, when the gossamer falls in showers, coming straight down as if it were raining silk.--- Richard Jefferies

October's Golden Light

 

I just had to write tonight as this has been a perfect October day. Perfect temperatures. Wonderful breezes with the sound of the wind chimes murmuring and singing again when a stronger breeze floats on past. The sky is blue in the way that only October can be. I was sitting on the back porch and the wind is causing the trees to make the sound of the ocean rushing through the branches. The cottonwoods are shimmering in the wonderful sparkling air. I do love October. I am so happy to see summer go.

 

The road is all finished and the out house was picked up, and the last water truck left on Friday afternoon.  All except the traffic light. They haven't turned the stop light on yet, so there continue to be car wrecks. Every day. People run the stop sign.
I have no clue why but it is very dangerous to come down that road. I have taken to driving around the block. It seems quieter in front and I am not afraid of dying every time I go to get the mail or get the trash cans. I think it will be an improvement. I have only looked at houses down dirt roads only three times today.

 

I hope to resume my normal life again. Like blogging and walking and being outside enjoying the beautiful  weather. We have been making Kombucha every five to six days. The SCOBY have been growing like crazy and today I had read it is beneficial for chickens. I cut it up which is a whole lot like cutting raw fish. Except in the case of Kombucha it smells really nice. It is a natural  probiotic. I didn't know if my hens would eat it, but they went crazy for it. I went out a bit later and every single bit was gone. We have read that you can grind the SCOBY's up and use it for plant fertilizer. Maybe next year if I do then I might have tomatoes. Here is a link if you want to read all about it. Cultures for Health. I don't think I am going crunchy but I kind of think it sounds that way on my blog.

I hope you have a wonderful week. Ron's birthday is this week, and our oldest daughter. My goodness, time has flown by. I am though, really, really loving this stage of life. Its worth having grown old with Ron because I think life just gets better and better. Well except in politics. Not going there. Aren't you glad?

Happy October!
~Kim~

Happiness is a thing of now.