Summer Flowers

Our summer flower garden is in full bloom. Here are some of our favorites, including the crepe myrtle above.

Mr. Bee at work on the purple cone flowers

Black Eyed Susans 

Mr. Bee is quite busy in the garden today

Purple cone flowers

 Perennial garden along the split rail fence

Crepe myrtle

Flowers feed the soul. Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

This will be linked to Garden Tuesday at Sidewalk Shoes.

How does your garden grow?

Wild Dogwoods

Beautiful wild dogwood trees dot the landscape alongside old barns in the springtime here in the mountains of western North Carolina.

Have a great week everyone.

Monday Musings ~ a Scary Crow

This scary crow is welcoming leaf lookers and wishing them and you a Happy Halloween in downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia. 

Have a great week everyone.

Monday Musings – Autumn in Carolina

Have a great week everyone.

Monday Musings - Wordless Monday

Have a great week everyone.

Monday Musings – a visit to north Georgia wine country

Last month our friends Larry and Bev from Big Dude’s Eclectic Ramblings, along with Bev’s sister Pat, invited us and my BIL & SIL Stuart & Sandy to join them for a tour of north Georgia wine country. They were staying in their RV at Vogel State Park where we met them and headed out on the winding roads for the heart of Georgia wine country.

The wineries are located in the foothills of the Southern Appalachian’s Blue Ridge Mountains. You can see by the pictures why they call these the Blue Ridge Mountains. They look just this blue almost every day.

According to the Georgia Wine Growers Association, the mountains combine the perfect terrain, soil, and elevation necessary to produce wines very much like that of Italy’s Piedmont region, which produces some of the most prestigious wines in the world.

We agree. Their wines are excellent. You’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into little Italy. It’s hard to believe these wineries are only a couple of hours north of Atlanta.

The wineries & vineyards are perfect for weddings and family get-togethers. And they are a whole lot closer than Italy if you live in the states. They also make a nice day trip if you’re in the Atlanta area and want to get away from the city and breathe some fresh mountain air while you sip wine and tour the vineyards.

Here’s a link to the Georgia Wine Growers Association website to see more about the eleven different wineries in the area, including Crane Creek Vineyards. I did a post about Crane Creek Vineyards (link here) a couple of years ago.

I’ll keep the words short and let you enjoy the lush vineyards and the scenery.

Our first stop was Blackstock Vineyards. We brought home several bottles of their Viognier, which we thought was excellent.

Decisions, decisions…

We took a break and ate lunch at the Back Porch Oyster Bar in nearby Dahlonega. I’m still bragging about how good the Hatteras style clam chowder was. For more pictures and about our lunch, please jump over to Larry’s blog.

After lunch we headed to Frogtown Winery where their rosé was very reminiscent of the French rosés of Provence.

Cheers from north Georgia wine country!

Our group, L to R – Pat, Bev, moi, Stuart, Sandy, Meakin, & Larry.

Have a great week everyone. 

All pictures may be enlarged by clicking. 

Monday Musings – Alpacas at our Farmer’s Market

Quite often our local farmer's market has things other than just food. These two adorable alpacas were there this past weekend from Two Crow's Alpaca Farm. They live on this beautiful farm in the mountains of western North Carolina. Don’t you love their pretty old farmhouse?

Photo from Two Crow's website

According to Two Crow’s Alpaca Farm’s website, alpaca fleece is much lighter and warmer than sheep’s wool. Alpacas are sheared once a year and their fleece is turned into luxurious garments, such as the hats and socks shown on this cute teddy bear below at their booth at the market.

You can see that alpacas are small compared to most livestock breeds. Here one is standing next to the farmer.

If you would like to know more about the alpacas and Two Crow’s farm, click here. If you’re curious about they how got started raising alpacas, click here.

We can't leave without at least one food shot.

Have a great week everyone.

Monday Musings – On the Farm

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Old MacDonald had a farm, 

E-I-E-I-O.

And on his farm he had some chicks, 

E-I-E-I-O.

With a chick, chick here,

And a chick, chick there,

Here a chick, there a chick,

Everywhere a chick, chick,

Old MacDonald had a farm, 

E-I-E-I-O.

The farmer was George Vanderbilt III, a member of one of America’s oldest & wealthiest families. In 1895 George Vanderbilt built a French Renaissance style chateau, The Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, North Carolina and it is referred to as “America’s largest home.” The photos are from Antler Farms, part of the Biltmore Estate.

Link to the Biltmore Estates here. 

Link to Antler Farms and the Inn at the Biltmore here.

Monday Musings & Miscellanea

Photo taken at our local farmer's market

Happy Labor Day

Monday Musings & Miscellanea