Bits and Pieces

~ wild turkey hen ~

 Sometimes, the camera is at hand and God, graciously, allows a moment to be captured. He's given several such moments lately. Above is a turkey hen who was walking and flying from roadside to roadside which made me wonder if she had chicks somewhere. A while back, one fine day, I had to stop, no camera at hand unfortunately, to allow a mother turkey hen and her eight off spring to cross the road. It was a pleasant sight and one I've remembered fondly for years.

~ flying hen ~

 It's not the greatest photo in the world but do you know how difficult it is to capture a turkey in flight? They are fast and not only are able to fly far, they can fly high. She flew to a tree then drifted to the ground and calmly walked into the woods; above, she's the blur mid-center right.

~ Mr and Mrs Deer ~

Coming home from quilting I caught a glimpse of this wild doe and buck.

~ white tailed buck ~

His antlers are in full velvet and will stay that way until rutting season. White tail deer are native to the United States and are also known as Virginia deer; read an interesting story about a white tail buck here.

~ heading home ~

Abbie went with me to quilting, had some snacks and then, on the way home, a snooze. She's gray and grizzled but with a heart still as big as all outdoors. Abbie has been my constant companion for more than thirteen years and was an adult when we found her. Over the years one of her nicknames has been "my heartbeat". And, it's true, we live in tandem.

Jules, over at MoonCat Farm, has gifted me with an award and I'm still shaking my head. You know when you hear something about someone and think, "what a nice thing to say about so and so"? Well, Jules gave me A Blog With Substance award and said, "Sandra, at Thistle Cove Farm, you center us and bring us home." Now, I ask you...is that not one of the nicest things you've ever heard? It's certainly one of the nicest compliments ever given me and, Jules, thank you from the heart! I'm still shaking my head and thinking, "Wow. She likes my blog." Remember Sally Field when accepting her Oscar for Places in the Heart? "...I can't deny the fact that, right now, you really like me!" That's how I feel and have felt since Jules contacted me to tell me of the award.

Jules asked me to sum up my blogging motivation, philosophy and experience in five words. Hmmm, I do hate pop quizes -smile- but, perhaps, calming, connectedness, encourager, blessed and grace sum it up, quite nicely I hope.

She also asked me to pass along this award to five bloggers of substance. Mildred, Misha, Kathy, LindaSue and Paula. All these women are women after God's own heart and that warms my heart. Mildred is a new blog-friend with beautiful photography and a gentle tone while Misha is my next state neighbor who has become a friend. She's the kind of person you'd want for a next door neighbor if you could pick your neighbors. Kathy lives on the other side of the country and is an encourager; the world needs more women like Kathy. LindaSue is in Texas and raises goats and, probably cain in her younger days. I don't really know that but I figure she's such an interesting woman now, surely she has some notches in her belt from earlier days. grin. Paula is also a next state neighbor and I'd love to share a cuppa with her. Paula and Kathy are shepherds so we share that in common in addition to our faith. There are many, many more women I'd love to bestow this award upon but time calls me to a halt.

~ Tim Ivy, Two-Rivers Multi-Media Solutions ~

Before I go, may I interest you in viewing a short video? If you recall, a couple of weeks ago, Tim Ivy  came and shot video and stills here at Thistle Cove Farm. Today, he sent me an e-mail telling me the video was on his website and asked me to take a look. Tim, you've done an incredible job and thank you from my heart.Why, I ask, am I so blessed? Don't get me wrong, I am also extremely grateful but to have Tim capture so beautifully this farm and what I do brings me to tears. The older I get...thank You, God...the more I realize each breath and blessing is from Him and He brings people like Tim into my life for a reason. Thank You, God. Thank You.

Blessings ~ awards ~ videos ~ Jules ~ Mildred ~ Misha ~ Kathy ~ LindaSue ~ Paula ~ Tim ~ and always, God ~

Dei Gratia,
Sandra

Awards!

While it's true the blog sphere does have pitfalls and nasty stuff, it's also true it serves to bring positives and good into people's lives. It's sure done that to my life and there is much to be thankful for yesterday, today and tomorrow. Some kind folks have given me some delightful awards and they are all greatly appreciated.

A Joyful Chaos has an award free blog and "your comments are reward enough". I do understand and also love to read your comments, here, on my blog. Some days, your comments lighten my heart and I keep putting one foot in front of the other, so thank you from my heart. A Joyful Chaos says on her blog she's "former Amish" and I enjoy reading her take on life and find we're not that dissimilar. I started reading her blog because I loved the name; I keep reading her blog because it's interesting and full of Life. She passed along the Friendship Award; thank you, Joyful Chaos and, for some reason, I cannot download the award so, please, visit "Chaos" to see.

Woolgatherings' Jen has several nice blogs and the one I like most is Learning the Art of Slow. She has excellent information on all her blogs but, guess why...haha, the Slow blog speaks best to me. She passed along the Kreative Bloggers Award and I'm in excellent company, again! I'm supposed to tell you seven things you may not know about me. Also, if you're a writer, she has a list of some pretty amazing and informational writer's sites you should check out.
*Dave and I met when I bought the house next door to his house in Richmond, VA.
*I used to sell space...container space on ocean going vessels between USA, Europe and Far East.
*I'm the oldest child with two siblings.
*I've known I wanted to be a farmer since I was six years old.
*At Thistle Cove Farm, I tend to more than fifty animals, twice daily.
*I'm a wretched housekeeper, the clutter is absolutely awesome at our clean house.
*I'm an excellent cook and baker. At least, no one has ever complained -grin-.

Other bloggers who deserve this award more than I:

ByLightofMoon
Cherie
Jen

Remember Cherie? She's the beautiful woman I met in Raleigh earlier this month. She's passed along the One Lovely Blog Award. I'm to pass along the One Lovely Blog Award to:*Jen
*OfHisPasture
*Spot On Cedar Pond
*Mid-Life Job Hunter
*I Heart Polaroid

Now, if you're still with me and you're a blogger to whom I've given an award...listen up! Should you choose to NOT accept an award...that's okay. Life is too short to live stressed out. Awards take an enormous amount of time to respond with thanks, to update my blog, to download then upload the buttons, to send to other folks...and, as much as I truly appreciate the kindness given to me in the form of an award, there are times when I simply cannot keep up. With life, much less the i-net! -smile- Then, there's the problem of slow connection, both with the computer and in my brain.

In closing...finally! you're thinking...thank you for reading my blog. THANK YOU for your comments and the gift of your time. This is a hurry up, busy, frantic ole world and any time you choose to spend with me is a gift from your heart...I am grateful.

Until next time,

Blessings ~ bloggers ~ blogland ~ awards ~ YOU ~ gifts of time ~ deep breathing ~ the i-net not dropping my post ~

Honest Scrap Award

My cup overflows! Leslie, In the Shadow of Juniper Hill, has gifted me with the Honest Scrap Award. Leslie is a homesteader in California and is as far west as one can go in this great continental USA and I'm as far east as she is west...there's a symmetry there that pleases, and amuses, me.

I'm supposed to tell readers 10 things they may not know about me. That's easy, I think...and then I have to tag 10 people with this award, let them know they have received it and then let Leslie know I'm in compliance -smile-. This is a cool award, at least I think it's a cool award, and a great way to find out "stuff" about other bloggers especially others whom I find interesting. I've done a bit of research but can't find the beginnings of the Honest Scrap Award but it's all over the world and I find that pretty cool as well.

Here are my 10 things and I had such fun doing them that I added a few photos. Photos aren't required but, gosh!, the amount of enjoyment they brought me made all the time spent searching them out quite worthwhile!

~ When I was fourteen years old, I staged a back yard carnival and raised a bit more than one hundred dollars for the Crippled Children's Hospital in Richmond, VA. Neighborhood children and their parents paid to play in a wading pool, play games and win prizes, buy cookies and lemonade but all the money went to the hospital where my cousin's infant boy had just received surgery free of charge. Yeah Shriners, you ROCK!

The first time I ever needed a passport was in 2004, when, in my fifth decade, I traveled to Russia to teach Rural Tourism Development, Increasing Farm and Small Business Income and Developing Tourism Trails. Dave, bless him, traveled with me which was a good thing as the rest of my group was detained for a week. Dave and I were stumbling around the Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport and were finally claimed by a "No Neck ABC Guy" -get my meaning??? Col. Klink, as I eventually nickknamed him, was former KGB - who said, "Get in the van." Oh yeah, sure thing Col. Klink, no problem. That story is for another post but all's well that ends well and God blessed us time after time after time on that trip. Hmmm...remembering now how later we pulled over to the side of the road and some young man jumped into the van to exchange US dollars into rubles. He and Dave looked like the Flying Nimble Finger Guys; I wanted to take a picture but it was, slightly, frowned upon. Huh? Oh yeah. I get it now! -grin-

Dave and I have camped in the Sahara Desert with the Bedouins and Tuareg nomads only about 9 miles from the Algerian border...that was exciting and frighting all at the same time. I climbed to the top of a sand dune to peer into Algeria and frightened myself with thoughts of "what if..."This was our Christmas card a couple of years ago. We rode camels in the Sahara Desert with the legendary Turaug nomads also known as The Blue Men. This was during the same trip as above and, since I love this photo, just had to toss it in the mix -smile-.

I am an honorary Berber and have actually passed for a Berber woman of the High Atlas Mountains in MoroccoI love to fish, especially for salmon in Alaska

I am an eighth...or is it ninth???...generation American shepherd, my Daddy's Mothers' family, the Hamrick's, arrived from Ireland in 1654 and made their way to these beloved Appalachian Mountains

I raise rare, hypoallergenic American Curly horses...ridden by the 'winning side' at the Battle of the Little Big Horn -smile- as well as rare, primitive Shetland sheep along with Romney, Merino and cross bred sheep


Dave and I have flown by commercial plane from Fairbanks to Point Barrow, flown by bush plane to Prudhoe Bay and then driven the Haul Road south through the Arctic Circle back to Fairbanks, Alaska

I've spun yarn on a borrowed drop spindle, in the Carpethian Mountains of Romania and have a nice collection of Romanian textile artifacts. In order to cross the border we had to "pay" -wink, wink- as in tuck some money into our passport, the border guards.

I've had an interview with the Georgian President's Assistant in Tiblsi, Georgia and discussed ways to develop markets for Georgian shepherds wool clip. Yes, there's a photo somewhere but couldn't place my hands on it and got tired of looking.


10 bloggers tagged with the Honest Scrap Award

~ Curly Willow Ranch ~
~ Mountain Home Quilts ~
~ Home Haven Ministry ~
~ KC Willis at Lipstick Ranch ~
~ TinkerBelle Knits ~
~ Joni ~ Old Centennial Farmhouse
~ Kelle ~ Never Done Farm
~ Affectionknit
~ Misha - From My Front Porch
~ Kathy ~ Spot on Cedar Pond ~

Blessings ~ Leslie ~ the ten bloggers noted above ~ Shriners ~ friendly people all over the world ~ travel ~

Awards!

When I sent you all a hasty note last night stating you'd received this award...I totally forgot the post wasn't going to be on-line until today. My apologies for making you hurry up and wait; it was totally unintentional but then, you always knew I was a low-tech geek! -smile-


You remember in 1985 when Sally Field won the Academy Award for Places in the Heart? A lot of people think she said, "You like me, you really like me!" But she didn't. What she did say was, "I haven't had an orthodox career, and I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!" She won in 1980 for Norma Rae, thus her reference to "the first time...".

So, to have someone give me an award, makes me feel honored in ways I can't even describe. To have someone say, "gosh, I enjoy your blog" makes me feel like I've been given a precious gift. A gift of time, a gift of words and I greatly appreciate the honor. And, if I feel this way and am, really, no one very special, there are others who, might, feel the very same way. The first award I was given, I passed it on to everyone and that was okay but...ummm...not really quite right. What's right is to pass it on to folks who make me feel like I've been given the gift of their time when I visit their blog. Like I've had a chat with someone special, with someone who is interesting and, yes, even exciting in their own way.

Don't you just love day lilies? They are So Cheerful!A few days ago, Cyndi at By The Light of the Moon, gave me the gift of One Lovely Blog Award but I have neglected putting it on my blog because...I just don't know how to get the button on my blog! sigh. Once again, being a low tech geek has stopped me cold. So, if you want to see what it looks like...look here and you'll see it's nice, very nice and I'm grateful. The deal is to pass it along to fifteen other blogs, in the hopes folks will visit all around and find someone else they enjoy reading and sharing a few moments of time. That's a good thing except I find so many of us are "like-minded" women bloggers and some are already spoken for -smile-.

The view from my hammock ~ If you find your name on this list and you don't accept awards, please, at least accept my apology. It's not my intent to attempt to give you something against your will; it's my aging eyes didn't pick up your "no award button" on your site -smile-.

Leslie ~ Greenberry House ~ fiber artist and rabbit rancher
Leslie ~ In The Shadow of Juniper Hill ~ interesting CA homesteader into just about everything
Pam ~ Pam Warden Art ~ fabulous artist and woman of deep faith who lives her faith
Carol ~ The Writer's Porch ~ wonderful wordsmith with a garden to die for and the kitchen table ain't so bad either
KC ~ Lipstick Ranch - ya just gotta LOVE that name! but I'm giving you the blog address
Kathy ~ Spot on Cedar Pond ~ fiber artist and I always, but always, look for her posts
Ann ~ A Holy Experience ~ although she doesn't have awards on her blog, her blog has enriched my spiritual life and I am truly grateful
Lisa ~ Laughing Orca Ranch ~ not sure she accepts awards but I always enjoy seeing what she's up to and how she's recovering from her horse related injury, lovely photos
Jeanne ~ My New Traveling Shoes - interesting woman struggling with health problems with big faith
Heather ~ A Jeweled Elegance ~ so fresh, crisp and entertaining and that's just the blog, her jewelry is incredible
Sunbeam's Mother ~ A Joyful Chaos - started reading because of the great title, keep reading because she's interesting, comforting and fun
Toni ~ Raising Eden ~ keeps up with the shenanigans inside the Beltway and she's a great knitter. It's because of Raising Eden I know how I'm being done in by "our" government
Penny ~ The Black Sheep Cottage ~ soothing blog although she has huge health problems right now...still an enjoyable visit
Jamie ~ ART-E-OLOGISTS ~ who has poison ivy...on her FACE! OUCH! you get the sympathy vote, Miss J! -smile- feel better SOON
Firelight~ The Keeping Room ~ visually stimulating yet soothing blog, great visit
Jules ~ MoonCat Farm ~ have you ever seen such a great logo... no, you have not and I love the wallpaper
Deanna ~ Home Haven Ministry ~ a gracious visit

There! In no particular order...a great group of bloggers, all women as it happens with something worth saying and saying it well. Some have staggeringly beautiful photos to toss some envy into the mix -smile- and all worth visiting when you've an opportunity.

Cyndi, thank you SO much for this award and for allowing me to pay it forward; it's been great fun.

Blessings ~ every single blog on my Cozy Reads sidebar as all have something worthwhile to say and, generally, beautiful photos to support the words ~ awards ~ and tomorrow, more to come ~