Apple Blossoms Line a Country Lane

Apple Blossoms
My daughter & I just returned home from spending a week with my mom & dad in MD. It was the first time that I had ever driven such a distance by myself, so I was a bit nervous. I figured, at 38 years old, I should at least give it a try 🙂 To my surprise (and with much prayer) I did a fine job! With my little princess at my side we were off.

To help keep me awake, and to side step trying to find a suitable radio station every little while, we decided to pick up some audio books from our local library. Although I see audio books available, I had never thought of picking up any for my own enjoyment, but now I’m so glad we did! We had a marvelous time & finished 2 novels as well! I would encourage you to go to your local library & pick up some audio books for yourself. It’s free – and you can order the kinds of books that are appropriate for you & your family. I think I’m hooked!

We had a great time with my parents. Even though we are only 5-6 hours away, the seasons unfold about a month ahead of us. We left little piles of snow, and were greeted with apple & pear blossoms, smiling forsythias, and dancing daffodils!

I had to share a few pictures of a country lane lined with apple trees that we spied along a winding country road. The white blossoms made them look like they were covered with beautiful dreamy cotton balls! The sight reminded me of a scene from Anne of Green Gables, when Anne & Matthew were first arriving at Green Gables and the horse drawn wagon enters into an old apple orchard dripping with white blossoms… <./Pearl stops dreaming> 😉

While in MD, my mom took us to the most fabulous fabric shop! When we walked in, I could see that I might need to linger there for quite a while 🙂 I headed straight over to the wonderful home decorating section filled to the brim with waverly fabrics and every kind of toile imaginable! And the prices… 50% – 70% off! Needless to say… I picked up a “few” lovely pieces of fabric for future projects 😉

I’ll be sure to share some pictures & ideas with you tomorrow!

When my husband & I came home yesterday, it was so nice outside that we decided to go down by the river and drink in the goodness of God. We spent an hour or so just taking in the sights & sounds of our little heaven on earth. The water is higher than normal due to the Spring meltdown, so the sound of the water rushing over the rocks was wonderful! We spied a pair of ducks swimming towards us, so we tried to be as quiet as possible as to not scare them away. Here in the forest we seem to see so many different types of birds that we were not used to seeing at our other home down in the heart of the village. I guess even being a short distance away – as well as being tucked back in the forest helps bring out the best of area wildlife 😉

Well… the sun is shining – the birds are singing – and the peepers were out last night for the first time! It must be Spring!

The Forest is in Bloom!

Autumn leaves turning red

Even though the arrival of fall means that the cold winter months are soon to follow, every year I still find myself looking forward to the time of year when everything around us seems to transform into something altogether new. Like a butterfly coming out of it’s cocoon, it seems like an instant when we wake up one morning, only to find that the trees surrounding the cottage have burst forth into what seems like colorful blooms!

Thankfully, our region is surrounded by sugar maple trees, which never fail to give us a beautiful display of fall color each year.

Here a few trees are changing color along the edge of our drive.
fall color

Our area (Northeastern US) is famous for the spectacular autumn colors painted on the trees of its mountains and countryside. Here we enjoy a color pallet of reds, golds, oranges, and bronzes of the mixed deciduous woodlands.

Did you know that the US Forest Service actually planted the 100 plus scenic byways specifically with the autumn color show in mind? There are 31 states that are planted with over 3,000 miles of scenic drive!

You never really know when the color display will begin, but in our area, we’ve come to expect a few leaves to start showing their true colors around the end of August.

Something you may have never heard about!

The USDA Forestry Service actually has a free hotline phone number that you can call to see how the fall color is in any area of the country! This might come in very handy for those who are planning to take a long drive in the country to see the fall foliage.

Fall Color Hotline: 1-800-354-4595

I called today & found out that our area is supposedly at 15% peek color.

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Doing some Fall jobs around the house? Here’s a handy tip
When you have to stop painting & you’re not done with the job – put the roller in a pringles can & put it in the freezer. When you’re ready to start painting again – it will be ready for you!

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“The contented person is never poor; the discontented person is never rich”