Cross-Country Skiing

Our local ski area is just between the boarder of Idaho and Montana. With downhill skiing on one side and cross-country skiing on the other side. This is what my family and I like to do best in the winter time. It had just snowed really good the night before we went and then it got incredibly cold. Which is what I wasn't prepared for. We had a blast anyway. We got to the cabin, which by the way is open to the public and had ourselves a nice picnic while we warmed up again. Played a game called Pass The Pig. That was so much fun! We loaded up on some more hot cocoa and then embarked again out into the cold. It was all worth it! Happy Holidays Everyone!

The Great Apple Harvest!

Here is a harvest straight from the heart of the Bitterroot Valleys' ancient orchards. My family and I have the unique privilege every fall to harvest these very tart wonderful apples from my friends' property. They are wonderful for pies, applesauce and my all time favorite is this delightful applesauce coffee cake that I got years ago out of an October issue of a Martha Stewart Magazine.

Here are my wonderful photos of our harvest and farm tour!

These ladies were ready for the runway! They were not shy in the least!

We came to harvest a bit late in the season. Like say after the 2nd or 3rd frost, when it should have been after the 1st. Oh well....they were still great apples. Only problem is that we need to use an apple picker to reach the things because what was left were all about 8-10' high. Thank goodness my husband is so tall!

This apple picker was a handy little device!

Polish Rooster

I love little apples with stems!

My husband after a good choice pick of 2 or 3 good looking apples.

Ah.........applesauce!

The harvest plus something that my friend called apple mint. Which I have dried and will try in my teas latter on this winter.

After harvesting these apples and spending the latter part of an additional 4-5 hours in the kitchen making 2 gallons of applesauce, 4 apple pies and a beautiful applesauce coffee cake it was time to put up my feet and have a nice hot cup of tea! 

Thank you honey for making this harvest possible!

Abby

Announcing a new giveaway drawing!

This was an inspiration to that came to me recently. The idea of "It's better to give that to receive", has always stuck with me since my late grandmother told this to me. So I wanted to give away at the end of this month a set of four cards! This set will include all cards you see here with kraft envelopes and a cello sleeve for each individual card in the set.

The Gift 

The Awakening

Nuthatch

Reminiscent of Fall

How this giveaway works!

All you need to do is leave a comment at the end of this post or any post that I made in the month of September and or October. That is it! I will contact you if you won and make further arrangements with you for shipping your prize to you! 

Good Luck everyone!

Abby

Reminiscent of Summer Part 3

Jamestown

The first official American settlement

This dragonfly came to greet me near were archaeologists are still digging for treasures! 

John Smith

An example of a structure that would have been build during that time. 

A beautiful view!

This was an old well that was filled up with garbage and covered. Who knows what kind of treasures may lye beneath its' surface.

The old church, still standing after being burnt down once and then rebuilt.

Inside are a whole bunch of these memorial plaques. 

I love the old timber framed arches and woodwork.

This is apart of the original church that didn't burn down.

I love this one of the fence and the British flag.

A snapping turtle to say good bye to me on my way out near the bridge.

Hope you enjoyed viewing a small part of my summer. 

Abby

Celtic Inspirations

I felt inspired to create my own original version of what I call "Celtic Cross". I sketched it out last night and then this morning went over all the details with my extra fine point permanent marker. I decided after many years of searching the internet and printing off free coloring pages for my youngest son that loves to color and draw that I would try to offer my own free printable version. I will need your thoughts and feedback in order to offer more for the future.

Since this is my first one and this is an experiment it will not be as easy as clicking and printing. You'll need to   click on the image, save and then print. Unless there is a way that anyone would like to share with me and then I can change it for everyone. 

Thank you for the support and enjoy!

Abby

Reminiscent of Summer part 2

After coming home of three weeks over on the east coast and exploring more than half a dozen museums, state parks and civil war battle fields, what a joy to come home and discover this new music video "Some Nights" by the band called FUN! 

Enjoy listening and watching this video as you explore my vast array of photos that I took while in Gettysburg, Sharpsburg, Manassas, Fredricksburg, and Williamsburg.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg Memorial

Little Round Top and The Devils Den.

Mass Grave site near were Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg speech.

Early morning sunrise on the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial site.

Gettysburg Field near the railroad tracks. Just one of the many reasons brother fought against brother.

Sharpsburg, Maryland

Antietam National Battlefield

Bloody Lane

Irish Brigade Memorial near Bloody Lane

The Peach Orchard and corn fields of Antietam.

Burnside Bridge, Antietam Creek

Here is where many lay dead after the battle of Burnside Bridge.

The Battle of Manassas or Battle of Bull Run (depending on which side you fought from)

If you were from the South the battles generally where named after the closest town. If you were from the North it was generally named after the nearest river, creek or stream. 

Just a peculiar tidbit, this is the battlefield near where my husband grew up. The date of the first battle is on July 21st, 1861 the same day that my husband and I were married just 11 years ago! Our 10 year anniversary was their 150th anniversary of The Battle of Bull Run. Strange or maybe not!

The Stone House, where many of the wounded were cared for.

You can still see were a mortar shell landed.

A view from the inside.

Bridge on Bull Run.

Fredericksburg, VA

The Sunken Road

The house that still stands with bullet holes and all!

Worn a bit from tourists sticking there fingers in it. 

This is an original wall that is still standing!

Richard Rowland Kirkland, "The Angel of Marye's Heights"!

I found this little guy next to the rock wall. If you can just imagine how tiny he was compared to the clover that he is next to!

Although these next set of photos are in Williamsburg and really need to be in my colonial parkway section of my blog, I felt the need to add it because of the music video at the top. I swear that the horses and fence in this video are the same one's in these photos that I took from Colonial Williamsburg, VA. So pay close attention in the video then have a look at the photos and tell me if I'm right!

Enjoy, Abby

Well what did you think they in the video or not?