There is a small old building that houses a store called Benton's about 25 miles south of us, worth the ride.   It has been there for years sells all kinds of Country Ham, Bacon, Regular Ham, Smoked Ham in all sizes.  You walk in and you get filled with this wonderful ham and smoke fragrance.  You tell the man what you want in weight of one and he will tell you how much it will cost you.  Then he goes into the back to pick out that ham, cuts it up anyway you want it, wraps it and it is yours for a price of course.  I took a couple of pictures of the inside of it.
Benton's is pretty well known throughout the country as they do a lot of shipping also.  There was a long line of people ordering like crazy, as were we, for Christmas gifts.

Merry Christmas - A Simple One

This is a photo of an old barn in the woods in Tennessee that I drove by and noticed the wreath on the side.  I guess it doesn't matter how old or forgotten a place can be, someone wanted to dress up this

old barn for the holidays. 

Deer Me!

It is that time of year again and the deer are grazing in my backyard.  This is a photo DH took of

a young Buck this morning and notice in one of the photos on top of a birdhouse is a bird just watching this deer.  Surprised to see it all alone as last year there were about 20 of them grazing there.  If you click on the photo you can see the bird better and the antlers beginning to grow on this buck.

A Very Large Mail Box

I just had to post this.  This is a mail box, somewhere in there.  It is in  front of a farm I pass by everyday and it amazes me.  There is a stone jutting out on the right that looks like an animal.  I have to control myself not to slip over there some night and paint it black with glowing eyes on it.  Do you see that?
The machine is an old road grader with piles of rocks around it.  This gentlemen farmer must have been in road construction at one time as I have seen several of his heavy equipment up for sale on his farm. The mail box is just under that blue sign with an address on it.

It is in a precarious location too, as it it on a curve.  I just can imagine on a dark night without lights around it some person driving under the influence misses the curve.  Just want to share that with you.

It is My Favorite time of Year -

I probably won't be home for Halloween, doesn't matter much as I don't get many (4)
trick or treat kids each year, but I had to decorate for that and for the season gloriously
delicious Fall. 
With the holiday, the cooler weather, the color in the trees I see from my porch looking
up into the mountains, the soups I will make to keep that tummy full and warm along
with hot chocolate and a beautiful fire glowing in the living room, what more can I
ask for.

I just wanted to share a couple of photos of my decorations.
Do you see that little black and white face in the doorway?

Yup! It's Fall in Tennessee

The towns in East Tennesse, and I am sure others are the same, Fall is such a celebration.  I think this year since our Summer was so hot it is a blessing to cool down.  It has just begun and some days the weather can't make up its mind.  Mornings are 40 and after noons 60's then it goes to 80 degrees.  I am thankful for that of course because I just know Winter will be very, very cold.  I saw a wooley worm!

DH and I, along with Katie, the dog drove into the artistic village of Townsend, Tn. which is really only a short drive from home, to get our middle of the week slaw-chili dog at the town gas station.  While sitting by the road at a rest area there munching away, yum!,  I noticed this decoration smiling at us from across the street.  I just had to share it with fellow bloggers.  If you click on picture you
can see more detail.

Summer 2011

Summer is not my favorite season, too hot. But then again I would like to share with you what summer after spring has brought to me.

This is my first year of growing Zinnias from seed and they do so well and stand up so majestically through the hot weather. Another scene is my lower back deck where I planted, some by see other by plants. I hope you enjoy seeing them in all their glory. Monarch butterflies sure love them.

Yellow Mustard

Riding around a new area here in Tennessee I spotted what I thought was so neat. Now I have seen this wild mustard weed growing all over the place in little spots here and there but not so much in one plot of land. To see these milk cows all laying down on a bed of them was a sight to see. This was taken from my car so as not to disturb them. You can see further back where more of this was growing.

Wow! Does snow ever go away. I have noticed it in a lot on blogs from up north. Well, here in Tennessee, although it has been very windy and parts of the state have had tornadoes, I managed to start working in my garden.

I was trimming a little here and there and noticed up in our Cherry Tree a bird, I think a wren, was really yelling at me as I walked around this bush. It is Spring alright! Here is one photo of a nest with 6 tiny speckled eggs in it. So I assumed it was a wrens nest and I was being told to get out of there by Momma or Dad. Again I don't know which is which. I have about 10 active bird houses around front and back yards. I truly believe they are the same birds each year as they get accustomed to me being around them.

The bluebirds from last year are back in my watering can (looks like a ladybug) as I can see them flying in an out of it on my deck. But every time I try to get a picture the family member manages to fly out of it scaring me half to death.

Old School House - Sevierville, Tennessee

Sevierville is Dolly Parten's home growing up. For many years as I have driven past this old school house in Tennessee I wondered if Dolly could have gone there or maybe even her past relatives. I decided this day to photograph it as it is a wonderful element to see if you have any nostalgia about the "days gone by".

This old school building still standing with a large tree growing out of its foundation as if it were holding up the wooden building. In the turret is a small bell that looks as if it were still clanging for children to come and learn as the wind gently blows it back and forth, even now. It stands alone in a field surrounded now by a farmer's cows grazing around it.

I wonder how long before it completely falls apart. I'll keep my eye on it, less we forget.

Two Sure Elements of Spring!

Rather than bore you will a bunch of separte entries on my blog, this time I thought I would put together two photos I just took outside my home that surely represents Spring.

This week in Knoxville,Tennessee is The Dogwood Festival. You go down dedicated streets in the residential areas that are marked with dogwood flowers printed on the street. You follow them intertwining with other streets pass wonderful flowering yards, trees and just plain beauty. The residences go all out this time of year for this event and even if you are not on this trail you can be overwhelmed by all the dogwood, red bud and getting ready to burst trees throughout the city and county. I took this photo of my neighbors dogwood tree through other trees that are just waiting for their turn to blossom out.

I also noticed as I was having my morning coffee on the front porch that the bluebirds are back again as last year using the same birdhouse I put up every year. I hope you like this photo of the Dad (I think) watching out as the Mother (I think) is inside their home. Dad was watching a house wren nearby that was just chripping like he wanted that house. But there are quite a few in each tree on my property. Needless to say my dear husband does not like it when they light on his vehicle.

Little White Flags

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Standing on our deck we watched as 16 deer graced our backyard. First they were interested in our apple trees and some young grass that was almost ready to sprout. Taking quite a few pictures of them completely amazed at their tameness when something called them away in the distance and they sprinted out. They now come by almost every early evening and have had as many as 21 at one time.

First Snow of December 2009

It is December 5, 2009 waking up to a blanket, literally of snow. How I do love this season of the year. It makes everything you see look so clean and pretty. Hard to believe that these little snowflakes coming down from the sky can paint such a picture. It didn't last long, only about morning as the sun shining down melted it slowly at first and then before you know it the green and brown of the winter grass started to poke through. Gone now, still cold outside with just a sprinkling of snow on the ground to remind us that winter is on its way.