A little New Years reflection via Calvin and Hobbes

From left to right it's reads like this:

Calvin: It's a new year...a new beginning! New possibilities!
Calvin: This snowman represents the spirit of the new year.
Calvin: Looking ahead he strides forward with confidence and determination!
Calvin: He challenges! He imagines! He invents! He calls forth the best qualities of human drive and ingenuity.
Hobbes: Very inspiring.
Calvin: Thank you.
Hobbes: And over here is the REAL world?
Calvin: Right. This is why we're always glad when the old year is over.

Happy New year everyone!!
May your 2016 be full of imagination!

When our hearing goes to sh*t.

It's happening. Has been for some time now. Like these reindeer, I can't hear for sh*t.  And yep...this makes for some good belly laughing around our house. The repetitious ..."what?" and the occasional...confusion such as "did you say, 'I have a big gash on my blouse?'  No, I said, "will you please take the trash out of the house."

Yesterday I chuckled even more when ordering through a drive-thru speaker and the cashier clearly wasn't hearing what I was requesting and I turned to Chris sitting next to me and seriously asked, "Am I mumbling?" She confirmed for me, "no" and then after a bunch of clarification the cashier got our order right. So maybe it's not just me with this hearing thing?

Anyway...here's to a happy healthy and good hearing Christmas holiday season!

When nature whispers to our souls.

You ever feel the urge to do something and until you do whatever that is...the whispers won't go away? (I think this is really some sort of inner wisdom talking to us...telling us what we need in a particular time in our lives).

This is what walking in the woods and absorbing the abundance of nature does for me.  I get this urge to get outside and "play" and until I do...it just won't let up.

So here's the results of my recent romp-through-the-woods-experience. (I brought the dogs along too, since they too needed a good romp in the woods.)

I ended up on a trail that runs along the north side of the Maumee River between Grand Rapids and Waterville, OH and is flanked by the remaining portion of the Miami-Erie Canal. The Maumee river bluff trail is part of the Providence Metropark system and stretches for 9 miles...although I walked about 2 miles of it this time around.

There's some pretty cool history wrapped up in this area because of the Miami and Erie Canal. Home to a one-mile stretch of canal with a functioning reproduction of a mule-drawn canal boat, the Isaac Ludwig Mill (a working water-powered saw and gristmill) and lock number 44.  If you visit this area from May to October you'll see the park staff dressed in period attire welcoming visitors to a time gone by.

You can read up on this history and what all this entails here at the Toledo Metroparks website.

Watch a youtube video about the Canal experience at Providence Metropark.

While none of the canal boat activities were actively going on (since it's December) it is still so peaceful to walk along flowing water and to listen to the wind blow through the trees and watch the squirrels flit about gathering last minute nuts for their winter stash.  There are very few songbirds left in the area right now because most have migrated south for the winter...although I have seen bluejays and the red-bellied woodpecker and of course sparrows.

I've found in the past few years it's hard for me to walk in the woods now and not reach out and touch the trees that line the trail I'm walking along.  I can't explain it. Just something about touching trees and saying hi. As if you're sharing in their life's wisdom somehow. I don't know what it is...but a comforting exchange occurs.  While I seriously doubt I do much for the trees...they do a LOT for me.

There were some HUGE trees stretching high into the sky in this area (I think they are black walnut trees but I'm not really a tree identity guru...so I'm not sure).  The one in this picture probably would take 4-5 people standing hand to hand to reach around it's trunk.  A magnificent tree!

I often wonder if these trees could talk (like treebeard in Lord of the Rings-The Two Towers) what would they tell us?  Oh the stories they could tell, I'm sure!!  Maybe this is actually why I feel the need to touch them...in an effort to glean some of their years and years of wisdom.

What's your latest adventures?  Life is full of them if we seek them out.

More to come....
Rachel

Another art evening that's a wrap!

Well, last night's Holiday Evening of Expression sponsored by the Black Swamp Art Council (BSAC) and hosted by "The Blue" restaurant in Archbold, Ohio....is a wrap.

Folks came, shopped, admired and wandered the aisles of the 14 featured artists scattered throughout "The Blue's" cleared out dining room space. And an abbreviated menu was also offered as well as a full bar with a portion of those proceeds benefiting BSAC sponsored programs.

So here we are in all our glory last night. In the above photo, that's me on the left...Isabella in the middle and Chris on the right. Here we are on the right chillin in a different order...waiting for our order of the sexiest flatbread we've ever eaten!!

For four and a half hours...there was much-a-do-about-art in downtown Archbold!  Was fun to hobnob amongst area artists!

We even picked up a new FABULOUS painting for our own collection...and found some gifts for others too! I mean...as an artists...and Chris now being an appreciator of orginal art...we love to collect originals together!


Special thanks to the Black Swamp Arts Council for making this night happen...and for the opportunity to participate.

I met some pretty cool folks.

Onward and upward for the arts!!

Until next time...

Rachel

#58 Put Art in Your Life!

I was reading through some blog posts from back in my Dickson Gallery days and came across this gem. Definitely worth re-posting here!  Put art in your life!  Thank you Tom Peters!

"I'm a HUGE Tom Peter's fan. In fact, when it comes to business progressive thought...this is the guy I turn to for information. He's a business-info guru! And at the same time, he's not touting rhetoric that we've all heard over and over and over. He understands staying "ahead of the pack" in how one runs they're business, department and even themselves.
So...every now and then, I go to his website to see what the latest greatest mind-blowing thoughts are...low and behold I found a .pdf titled "Tom Peter's 100 Ways to Succeed/Make Money" -item #51-75. So I clicked there and low and behold I smiled when I read #58!!!! Here's a guy who studies all facets of business everyday. Talks to hundreds of fortune 500 CEO's and Execs...travels all over the world speaking to thousands upon thousands weekly...and yet...READ what he rights as NUMBER FIFTY EIGHT!!
Click here to download the .pdf and see for yourself. (scroll down to see #58) I love it when I find business people whom I respect...and they validate my own ideas. LOVE THAT!!!
So I'll go ahead and say it here...if you don't have art in your place of work, where you live, and where you play...you're missing the boat. We ALL need inspiration around us to keep us pushing towards that person we're working to become!! Let it be ART!
happy inspiration! ...oh and check out www.tompeters.com and be prepared to be inspired!"

Want to read the original posting of this from January 2008?
click here

Onward and upward for the arts!!
Rachel

It's showtime!

Got plans Monday night? It's showtime!

Come on out to "The Blue" in Archbold, Ohio Monday, December 7 from 4:00p-8:30p for a perusal of some super cool local artwork thanks to the Black Swamp Arts Guild. Time to add art to your Christmas list!

Basically a Holiday Arts open house...come on by and wander through the space looking at original art by area artists.

I'll be there! If nothing else...come on by and say "hey" to me!  Here's my artwork for sale and on display shown above.

The Blue restaurant is located on Main Street smack in the middle of downtown Archbold. Never been to Archbold? ...no worries. It's not really a big town...so super easy to find your way around.

The Blue restaurant is a brick building on main street just north of the railroad tracks.

See you there!

Christmas tree time!

Well, just so happened...today was the day Chris and I ventured out to our favorite local Christmas tree farm in Swanton, OH (on County Rd 1-2) and picked out our 2015 tree. Let the holiday festivities begin!!

This year...a blue spruce made the final vote. Might be our new favorite! (is shown in the photo right over Chris' left shoulder)

Jinx (one of our two cats) showed a special interest once we brought it into the house. One never knows the outcome of our animals interests? Guess time will tell.

We also found the coolest medium sized potted Christmas tree which we are adding to our holiday family tradition. Kill a tree...plant a tree. Sounds like good mojo to me!

Onward to the decorating!

Donate chickens and bees AND ART?

Well this is just the coolest thing! You may or may not have heard of Heifer International. This organization doesn't just give a handout to the hungry in other countries. Nope...they do one better. They give something tangible...something that will give back!  (What a concept!) Rather than giving milk, they give a cow. Rather than just handing out food, they give chickens and bees and goats and pigs and rabbits and on and on this goes.  This isn't just about feeding the hungry ...it's about helping families help themselves.

Heifer.org states, "The goal of every Heifer project is to help families achieve self-reliance. We do this by providing them the tools they need to sustain themselves, and it's thanks to the generosity of donors like you."

I LOVE this concept!!!! 

Sign me up! So I just donated two flocks of chickens, some bees and also towards a special art project geared toward empowering women.  SO COOL!!


If this is something that strikes a chord with you too, check it out.

For as little as $20 you too can send chickens or many other such cool animals.

Wonder if this is something we will ever see here in America?
I hope so.

The one's that got away....

Was on my way home this afternoon and look who was crossing the road in front of my truck? These guys are at least four of some area wild turkeys who were the one's who got away! Missed the Thanksgiving table again this year!

Such beautiful birds...so thin and agile and can FLY too!

I've seen this same group of wild turkeys crossing a neighboring cornfield one morning recently. So fun to watch their interactions with one-another and their skittishness and mis-trust of the goings on around them (probably why they are all still alive).  Glad to know they're still in the area...maybe they will move in when they catch on that we have two of their kind in our barn.

Red rover, red rover...send wild turkeys right over!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Tom, our turkey probably has no idea how blessed he really is right now...nor does Sugar Pea, our female turkey.  Both are beautiful birds. Sugar Pea came to us from the wild two springs ago...Tom we purchased from a neighboring farmer shortly before.  We dig em both and nope...not gonna be in our oven this Thanksgiving. (Not even sure if Tom would fit in our oven...he's that big!)  So here's to turkeys that make it through Thanksgiving!

Why do we have turkeys to begin with?  Because...their shear size seems to intimidate the local chicken predators...so...that said...they are our private terrorists...to terrorize the terrorizers!  

And on an even happier note....PUMPKIN PIE!!! Tis the season my friends. I figured out some years ago...the best way to insure that you get to eat pumpkin pie for the holiday is to bake one yourself.  So here's this years addition of pumpkin pie season!!  YEAH!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Art, the Holidays, and The Blue in Archbold, OH

I recently stumbled upon an upcoming local (Northwest Ohio) holiday art event...and was invited to participate! 

ART in Archbold!
a one day show and sale of area (Archbold, Ohio) artists work,
Monday, December 7th
4:00-8:30pm
at the Blue restaurant located in downtown Archbold, Ohio.

The simple scoop is:
This is basically a holiday art party open to the public, hosted by a locally owned restaurant/bar (The Blue, Archbold, OH) that truly appreciates art! So much so that they've partnered with the Black Swamp Arts Council and regularly feature local artists work on their dining room walls...all of which is for sale.
But on Monday, December 7th, from 4:00p to 7:30p you can come and enjoy meeting many of these artists who will also have MORE of their artwork on display and for sale just in time for the holidays!

Sounds pretty cool huh?  If you live in this area....add it to your calendar! If not...look for similar holiday art events in your area...support local artists!

pffft. Winter.

I have this very shemagh and about four others...and I'll tell you why in a minute...

Well, here it comes....ready or not. Winter! Ahhhhhhh! Saw that areas near Chicago and heading this way towards Toledo have a Winter weather advisory tonight and tomorrow...what??! But...I suppose...it IS November...and these things are supposed to happen.

One of my new favorite quotes is by Sir Rannulph Fiennes, "There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing."

YES! Exactly!

Applies to wet, hot, cold and anything in between. Since having moved up to Northwest Ohio after having lived in Tennessee for 19 years...and having now survived 3 HELL-AY-tious winters up here...my wardrobe has been BEEFED UP!  Complete with underarmor shirt (which I pretty much live in December thru February), shemagh (live in this too! have one in like 5 colors now. shown in photo above), knit hat, and gloves (of course).

So naturally...I have a little "winter stage fright" and in the spirit of staying warm while experiencing....what I call.....stupid cold (-20 wind chill) ....I respond to mail-order catalogs that can add additional help in the area of keeping warm.
Yesterday I ordered a couple things that I think will accessorize my need for warmth quite nicely....and keeping the snow out of my boots, etc. (Since I work outside a lot)

1. Wool leg warmers (which I ordered mostly for the fact that they will keep the snow out of my boots while at work...but I'm sure they'll double as an excuse not to have to wear bibs...cause let's face it...bibs are warm in "stupid cold"....BUT...they are also bulky and sometimes TOO warm.
2. Wrist warmers. Now this is more of a cool fashion thing for me. I think they just look cool. And...double as wrist warmers...how can you go wrong. Right?

3. Gaiters.  Yet another proven way to keep snow out of your boots.  I had this happen a number of times last year while trudging through deep snow with "rubber over-boots" covering my leather work boots. The short version of these over-boots don't actually go up above and cover the top of your boot...so...yep....snow gets down in between the rubber over-boot and your boot. Gonna try these gaiters and see if this does the trick.
4. I ordered a jeep-cap too. One can never have enough knit hat options! Especially when you sport short hair.
All should be delivered in the next few days. Stay tuned because I will post whether these things are crap or if they actually help.

Sportsmans Guide!

This is where I ordered these things from. Go check it out! They are running a "free shipping" deal right now (Nov 20, 2015) Hurry because I think it's only a one day deal.

Happy prepping for Winter!

What on EARTH is happening to the chickens?

 

Walter, our rooster announcing his presence.

I realize it's been months since I've posted anything here about adventures in the chicken yard. Certainly NOT due to the fact that there has been little going on out there.  Where to begin?

Basically I've been sucked into "Operation vigilant watch" by no desire of my own.  We started this Spring with the purchase of 57 chicks.  Last I counted we have a remaining total of about 25 birds now.  Why, you may ask? What has happened to them all?

The Local KFC drive-thru
Therein is the great mystery...hence, "Operation vigilant watch."
Wildlife. It's the local wildlife that have stumbled upon our local "KFC drive-thru." Why take out a challenging-to-capture wild-rabbit when you have dozens of local chickens to pick from. (guessing this is where the term "sitting-duck" came from?)

 

Bath hour. Yep, chickens take dust baths.

Determined to Prevail
I feel like I'm on continual security detail now...constantly looking out towards the barn and throughout our backyard for predators.  I have had some victories and some not-so-victorious moments on overwatch.
There have been times (like the day we lost 4 birds in one pop) where it did cross my mind to throw in the towel on this struggle. (It's not really cool to walk out into the barn and find the remains of your birds from the attack the night before...especially when this was happening WEEKLY). But I'm determined to prevail! Our surviving birds have also learned from these experiences. Their behaviors have changed quite a bit. They choose to perch higher up in the barn at night, they are more vigilant and aware when scavenging around in the yard for bugs and such, and they seem to be tuned into the sounds of the local wildlife (the songbirds, especially the bluejays and crows tend to sing warnings when trouble is nearby).

 

"Hokey Toe" is chicken to immediate left of white hen. She is our oldest bird.
Has survived all the attacks. We should rename her "Lucky"

Five Lessons Learned thus far
1. Fried-chicken from Wal-mart makes BRILLIANT live-trap bait. Makes sense right? If you're killing chickens, you probably like to eat chicken.

2. Nature will tell you when danger lurks nearby if you know what you're hearing and seeing. Songbirds make a certain chatter and some just scream at the top of their lungs when something threatening is nearby. Or if you see like 5 birds just take off for no reason...that's also a good sign something's up.

3. Just because you hang netting over one part of your chicken yard...doesn't mean your chickens will notice this and stay under there.

4. Using the dead-bodies of the chickens you have lost as bait for whatever it is killing your birds may be self-defeating because it's a big fat invitation for them to come back and keep on killing.

5. Chickens while may appear very dumb at times...seem to also have accumulative learning skills. I figure if you're hearing your neighboring chicken being offed by something...you probably take notice and your survival tactics advance a notch or two. Their behavior definitely adapts to actual experiences.

 

Our last surviving white hen. She doesn't seem to mind,
but we're going to be getting some more white hens next Spring.

Stay tuned for more chicken updates. There's always some adventure going on out there!!

...in spite of the impending winter season, here's something to get excited about!

4 Bridges Art Festival, April 15-17, 2016
Chattanooga, TN


4 BRIDGES ARTS FESTIVAL 2015 from Capture Chattanooga on Vimeo.

This here my friends has become one of THE most TALKED about art festivals in the southeast! If you're an art collector or simply an appreciator of great art...mark this on your calendar and GO!

Here's a fabulous description of this great art weekend as quoted from
4 Bridges Art Festival website:

"AVA’s 4 Bridges Arts Festival™ kicks off Spring in Chattanooga and draws thousands of people every year to the First Tennessee Pavilion located in the downtown Southside District [Chattanooga, TN].  Guests enjoy a full weekend of exceptional art and craft, live music and local foods.  Artists from across the country apply for the juried show because they know the vibrant atmosphere draws a great mix of buyers and patrons, families and friends.  Please join us for the 16th annual 4 Bridges Arts Festival April 16 & 17, 2016 with a Preview Party on April 15.  Come experience Chattanooga’s most vibrant, significant cultural event!"

If all goes well...I will be there this year (Chris too)! After having missed the past two years...definitely making this year a priority!!  And....of course, the 4 Bridges Art Festival is a BRILLIANT excuse to visit my favorite city on the planet!

SUPER excited!!!!

a picture is worth a thousand words...

I came across this ole photo today and it was hard for me to keep a straight face.  Here I was at 3 years old.

"What a jovial time I must have been having in this moment," I thought.

At grandma's house. I remember always having such fun at grandma's house! This one of of those times...obviously.  Hard to believe I was that young once.

My how time flies. But here's to the photographic evidence that laughter is a GRAND thing!  So I'd thought I'd pass along some smile your way today. Yep, sure is hard to look at this photo and not crack a smile.

Thanks grandma for those grand weekends of fried donuts, pringles potato chips and grandpas old black-n-white movie hour with big bowls of ice cream.  Not to mention that FABULOUS lawn chair that rocked. (I wish they still sold those somewhere.) Sitting outside and while listening to the bluejays cry hearing grandma all but curse them. (not sure why she wasn't a fan of the bluejay.) Or could just be that someone cracked a joke just before taking this picture?

Ode to a coat.

You ever have one of those articles of clothing that you just didn't want to part with? Well, that applies to my brown pea coat. Gosh, I think I've had this thing for over 10 years. Maybe even 15. The tattered edging and totally blow out lining reflects that now. (Can't begin to put anything in the pockets...will basically fall through onto the floor. But come on! I can't seem to find a suitable replacement. So...if you see a brown pea coat for sale anywhere....please email me. rachel (at) racheldickson.com.

Brown pea coats like THIS one are hard to come by.

...and furthermore....a salute to the women!

We all know that women have served in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. Whether as reservists, national guardsmen or full time...women who served or are serving now have earned as much credit as anyone else as a Veteran.

Happy Veterans day to Women Veterans!!

I've recently read a book titled "Ashley's War," which is the story of a unit of women hand-picked from across the army, and the remarkable hero at its heart: 1st Lt. Ashley White. Their experiences encompass fighting in the Middle East as ground troops right along side male Green Berets and Special Forces.  This story is most certainly worth the read as it sheds new light on the possibilities for women who truly understand what it means to be a combat soldier.  (And who, by the way, also agree that lower standards for women is a crock-of-shit.  I concur!)

There are so many different stories of women who serve in the US Forces...but today, let's not forget THEM! No matter what war, no matter what service...I salute the women today!!

Hooah!!

Snicker's satisfies...ain't lyin!

While making a stop at a nearby gas station a few days ago, the Snicker Bar labels caught my attention on the candy shelf in front of the check out counter.

What is THIS, I thought? What's with the goofy labels? And THEN...I saw something that was clearly not right. In the box of candy bars was one with something like 3 bites out of it. Wrapper and all bitten through. I picked this bar up and set it on the counter for the cashier to see and said, "uh, apparently someone wanted to test this out." 

The cashier, complete with astonished look on her face touted, "This is the THIRD Snicker's Bar in TWO days!"

I was intrigued. So I looked closer at the box these bars were displayed in. Woop. There it is...simple explanation. Little mouse poops scattered about. Mystery solved. Ironically enough...I couldn't help but notice that the ONLY candy on this ENTIRE shelf touched by said mice were the Snicker's bars. Hmmm, this seems telling. I wonder what fake, synthetic crap must be in all that OTHER candy?

Needless to say...not but a day or so later...we discovered some pretty serious mouse action going on in our kitchen...judging by the mouse buds found in the cabinets and so forth.
(Useless pets! You'd think that with TWO cats and TWO (basically rat terrier) dogs that THIS would NEVER be a problem in our house.  Nope.  So after some verbal scoffing and scolding of our pets (basically informed them they were failing at their jobs and they better start doing their part) out came the mouse trap. (hah! and I scoff at myself for even thinking just one trap would do the trick...but I digress)

  

Taking a lesson from the Snicker's Bar incident it is pretty obvious to me that the best thing to bait a mouse trap with is crunchy peanut butter. (The proof is in the Snicker's bar, right?)

Goodness! Not 10 minutes later...snap! Success. Reset, repeat. Now it was fairly late in the evening at this point so I decided not to bother reseting this trap until morning. (bad choice). I opened the cupboard in the morning where I had set this trap and the dead mouse had been eaten on, brains chewed on! WHAT?! GROSS! We have ZOMBIE frickin MICE??? I've never heard of such. They eat their own now?  ugh. ick. bleh.

The moral of the story here is...I should have set up some mouse traps about 3 weeks sooner.  I now have two traps going simultaneously and the snapping sounds have tapered off. We've cleared the house of about ten mice now. Did I say, EWWW?  Gross.  Yes, this is gross.  But I insist on keeping these traps set until we go for like a WEEK without catching anything. Maybe longer.

Note to self, apparently it's true that as the temperatures change outside the rodents move inside seeking shelter.  Well, next year maybe I'll try just posting a sign on the door, furry rodents not welcome.

Oh, and the fact that I was dumping the mouse bodies in the backyard seemed to attract a male Northern Harrier Hawk...which was perched outside our kitchen window the morning after mouse bodies had been scattered about the yard. Great. Just great. 

Gotta love some country living.  Living and learning here. Every day is an adventure.

The mountains are calling...

My oh my!! It had been over a year and a half since Chris and I have taken any time off.  We had heard of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park near Corbin, KY (having stayed at the KOA in Corbin as a half-way stopping point on trips to Tennessee...we were familiar with the area to some extent) and we had also heard of the "moonbow" but had never visited before.

Upon researching what a "moonbow" even was, we learned that Cumberland Falls is one of two places in the world that you can see a "rainbow" in the mist cast off by the waterfall on nights of a full moon....hence...."moonbow."  Now THIS sounded cool enough to visit! So we planned it and off we went.  We recently spent 5 days enjoying this beautiful place!!

This area of central southern Kentucky was absolutely stunning! Colorful fall trees on the surrounding mountains looked like splashes of paint on an ole masters painting.  Just breathtaking!  Then add in these colors reflecting off the waters of the Cumberland River and the house-sized rock boulders here and there...definitely a memory making experience!

It was overcast on the night of the full moon so we didn't get to see the actual "moonbow", but we did see the daylight equivalent which was amazing in-and-of-itself. (see photos below)

I was somewhat surprised to learn that within 2 hours of where we camped in Corbin are KY State Park after KY State Park to explore...so...this means...more visits in our future!

Click here for a link to the Cumberland Falls Resort Park website to see for yourself what amaze-ness this FAB-U-LOUS park has to offer!

We also did some serious walking along the paved trail beside the falls and along the river.  All breathtaking!
Click here for a trail map of the Cumberland Falls Resort Park.

This park is located only about 35 minutes off of I-75 so is an easy stop-over on your way through Kentucky. (exit 25)

Here's more visual proof of its astounding beauty.  enjoy!

 The rainbow cast from the mist of the falls.

 

The big mist cast by the water of the falls crashing over boulders below.

Below the falls. Such pools!  There is whitewater rafting available that puts in just below this spot.
Yep, on my bucket list!  Gonna do this next time we visit there!

 

Beautiful overlooks of the falls around every corner!

Great selfie-opportunity! Me, Chris and the falls.

Cumberland Falls, KY

 

I just love the ripples of river water!

Me, Chris and Reeses-pieces enjoying the sun and beauty along the Cumberland River. Dodi didn't make the photo (our 2nd toy fox terrier)

The smells of this river and the fall leaves, also amazing!

So yes, if you're looking for a new adventure definitely check out Kentucky and it's many State Parks!!

Mail-able art!

Super fun to create, it's mailable art!

As a way to practice drawing I found this neato outlet. Pen and ink on envelopes!

You too can be the proud owner of an original drawing...just send me your mailing address and POOF.  Your mailed art will arrive shortly.

I need people to send these to or my house is gonna fill with these drawn on envelopes. Besides, I'd rather send them to friends simply because it's fun and we both win. 

Email me your mailing address to
rachel (at) racheldickson dot com.

The art of being yourself!

Definitely a MUST see! Well worth the 26 minutes it takes to watch this inspiring and thought provoking video.



Check it out...to watch just click here.

A brilliant tedtalk eloquently given by Caroline Mchugh, The Art of Being Yourself!

Reminiscent of paddling Harrison Bay

It had been entirely too long! And this summer is going by entirely too fast.  Jam packed with time spent working followed by projecting around our home (primarily related to some upkeep of the chicken barn and fending off wildlife chicken killers, but that's a whole other post waiting to happen) I decided that it was time to get the boat out!

So I grabbed Dodi (our water-loving toy fox terrier) and my boat and off we went to the Delta reservoir.  (the closest thing here to Harrison Bay).  There is a Harrison Lake semi-nearby here but neither really truly compares to the awesomeness of paddling Harrison Bay in Harrison, TN but I digress.

As you can tell from the smile on my face here...joy, pure joy to be outside smelling the fresh northwest Ohio air and listening to the sound of my own paddling pulling through the water.

Dodi is becoming an ole pro at this kayaking thing.  If you're looking to invest in a kayak and have a dog, I highly recommend a pfd (personal floatation device) for your pet. Specifically one with a handle on the back so you can lift your dog up out of the water if need be.

Here's Theodore (aka Dodi) doing what he does best...enjoying life in the moment.  Professional kayaker extraordinaire. Well, sort of.  At one point he did decide to walk out on the nose of the boat which then lead to a slip and fall into the water.  No biggy, I just reached over, grabbed him by his pfd handle and lifted him back into the boat.  Next time I'll be sure to put a towel on the deck of the boat so he can hang out up there more comfortably and not slip and fall in.

So three cheers for summer kayaking!! Hoping there's much much more of this to come.  Sometimes we just gotta put down our projects and our chores and grab the boat and go!

Live life in the moment!

Chicken selfies!

I hope this makes you smile like it did to me.  A few months back I purchased an outdoor camera in the hopes to capture a glimpse of the sneaky wildlife that keeps pegging off our chickens.  Needless to say, the images that have been captured are priceless.
Too bad there's no such thing as chickenbook.
Enjoy!

 

 

 

High fives and congrats to Isabella!!

Super proud of Isabella! She is Chris' 15 year old who recently created this piece of 3d art (The & symbol with her mom's favorite quote on it...."don't worry about a thing") and was awarded the "Outstanding entry in 3 dimensional" category at an area highschool art competition hosted by the Black Swamp Art Association last week.

Bell created this piece for her mom, Chris, for a Christmas gift...and isn't it fun how art created with the spirit of giving can be so awesome!

Rock on Bell!! We are proud of you!