Goodbye 2015 Hello 2016

As 2015 comes to a close it is a time to reflect and to set goals. I create new lists and start going through seed catalogs planning next's years blooms. We spend New Years Day quietly at home. A nice breakfast then we put all the Christmas stuff away. I am so ready, but the tradition has always been New Years Day for us. I never put it up until after Thanksgiving. I have noticed how many of my blog land friends put it up earlier and then right down after Christmas. When do you do yours?

 My boys are looking for their gifts. My two older cats check out every gift as it goes under the tree and the little one was so curious.

 My girlfriend gave me this cute cup for my morning coffee~

 Christmas Eve was so warm here 70 degrees. The cat was out and the hens were taking dust baths. We were outside taking every bit of warm air in. In the 43 years we have been in this house I never remember sitting outside on Christmas eve. Especially with out a coat on.

 The sweet little one who turned out to be a boy so he is called Fluffy. He stayed by my side all the while I was sick. Lots of loves and purring. He is just a wonderful cat!

 The girls got the seed ring and notice the clear plastic wind break too. They needed it yesterday as the rain whipped and it was raw and cold. They stayed snug as a bug in a rug.....of course no bug would survive my girls!

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

The day before Christmas I felt a cold coming on....I pushed through the baking. I was not enjoying myself at all. Thank goodness my shopping and wrapping was all done. My daughter came down the day before. She wanted to do a bit of baking herself. I usually would enjoy working together, but my nose was filled, my eyes were burning and I was feeling clammy. How could this be? I haven't been really sick for several years...a slight cold last year but it could have been allergies. I started juicing about 4 yrs ago and have been quite healthy. Then I realize the last few weeks have been crazy busy and I have barely been juicing. My resistance was giving me trouble, like pneumonia twice in a year. I have a great Doctor who recommended  instead of medicine I should work to build my resistance up. Needless to say both hubby and I have been quite healthy. Oh why on Christmas? You guessed it, by Christmas I felt totally like crap! My family came anyway and I probably infected them all. My daughter is home sick in bed now.

Who would have guessed that on Christmas eve we sat outside watching the chickens. We did not need a jacket. Christmas day was more of the same. Hubby let the girls out early on Christmas day. The Grandchildren held and played with the girls and I understand they got lots of treats and snuggles.

My granddaughter and Molly! No boots, gloves or jackets. Such a great day!
The girls helped get everything ready and I was not a lot of help.  The day turned out fine, but I couldn't wait to get into bed that night.

Keeping it simple

A peek into the living room. I still need a bit of tweaking to be done. I have been having a hard time with ideas for presents this year and it is bogging me down a bit. I had cut my greens and tried to get the outside done first. I have not put some of my usual items out. I think it is time to simplify and get rid of some things. 

 This is all I did for my back door into the kitchen. Just a few greens, my porch door has a wreath with just a simple red bow.

 The urn is filled with twigs and greens.

 Our newest kitty who stays inside watches out over me as I tidy up.

 Even my window boxes are greens and fruit.

I think this north side of the house needs a good power washing, but getting my hubby to do it is a chore and it is getting cooler here.

I really need to finish up shopping so I can get to my baking. I don't know what I need to get me going. Any suggestions? Are you all done decorating, shopping and baking?

It's beginning to look a lot like....

CHRISTMAS!
Beginning with my Arnett's Santas. I love these Santa's so much. I always pull them out first and start there. I have so many things I have to put away before I can bring out my Christmas decorations. It take most of a day to put all my pumpkins and harvest decorations. That is not to mention all the dishes that were pulled out for Thanksgiving. They need to be stored.....

Now the weather was frightful this morning 22 degrees out. I worry about my poor babies, the girls! They have lots of hay in the hen house. I wanted something more this morning, so I brought out some warm water and a dish of oatmeal with raisins and cranberries. The funny thing is I seem more bothered by the cold then them.  They did gobble the oatmeal right down.

One of my favorite Santa's

I need to go out to get my wreaths and greens today. Now I was wondering, do you decorate a room at a time? If so which one? Do you do outside or inside first. All at once or a little at a time?

I always start with my window lights and my Santas and kind of go from there. Then I cut my greens and get my wreaths.

You know as we get ready for Christmas here I have noticed how much my chickens have changed our lives I get up,dressed and outside to let the girls out and feed them their breakfast.

I have added some new fashion pieces to my wardrobe......fleece lined hoodies, muck shoes, flannel shirts to name a few. Much easier to wash. I try to get home while it is still light out so I can let the girls out for some free range time. They run, spread their wings and look for bugs and greens. They just make me happy. I love to watch them run to me.

So I am going to get some Christmas pictures taken and posted, but do tell where do you start?

Hello November!

I do believe our October was colder than November has been so far. The sunny clear days that are hitting 70 degrees when normal is 50. It has been a delight! Love the extra time to clean up the gardens and the tons of leaves! The Morning Glories are all gone.

 The girls have a nice new roost. It took a couple of days, but the four older hens roost each night and the younger one are on the lower roost they had before. I was so happy to get the dog cage out of there. Hubby sanded everything nice and smooth and his idea for the wings so no draft from the vents would hit the girls. He filled the bin with sand. Boy is that easy to clean.

 The girls are enjoying their pumpkin treat. They gobbled it up right down to the skin.

 Just a peek. The yard glows red this time of year. It is so pretty and the air is perfect. As you can see the pool is all closed up for winter.

 This is a view of the garden I take pictures of all the time...all tucked in for winter too.

Just in case you forgot this is how it looked this summer....

So I have been working away, all Cannas plants removed and stored away, all Dahlias dug, cleaned and stored. Today I got all my Zinnia and Marigold seeds cleaned and put into labeled jars, ready for next Spring. I have been going out each day to cut back and clean up another bed. The yard was looking pretty darn good, but today it has started to rain leaves....all day long too. You can't find our driveway or lawn.

~ahhh Hello November~

October Birthday

 The end of the season and the beginning of a new one. I am sure you are tired of my chicken pictures so I will change it up a bit. My grandson lives in the city and they came down for a small family party this weekend. He loves cupcakes so this is what we did.

It was just a small party, family only, but the kids love their Halloween stuff so we did this and had lots of fun and laughter. my Grandchildren are getting so grown up at 21, 18 and the girls are 16. Time does fly. I am trying to slow down and savor the moments and this was one of them!

Good Golly Miss Molly!

Meet Miss Molly~ She is my daredevil, the first to try things and the first out in the morning. She give nuzzles and makes sweet noises and when I go in the house she runs to the deck and peeks in at me! She leaves me a pretty pink egg each day.

When I put the herbs in the nesting boxes Molly is the first one to poke her head in there and take out her favorites.

 A couple of weeks ago we went to The Vintage Bazaar in Salisbury,MA It was a beautiful fall day, clear skies, sunshine, just perfect. Well I found these sweet fairy houses by Babacool Arts. I met Yvette Monstad who has just moved here. I wish I had taken pictures while there. She works in metal and clay. Oh I loved everything. I bought two pieces. This one is in my front garden. (she said I can leave them out all year round) Love the working door on it.

and this sweet piece. This door works too.

Ahh, the love of my life with as truck I would love to own. You know just for shopping for garden things or antiques...if only, giggles.

Fall is in the air

Summer has flown by..I think it was the chickens that made it go so fast. That and the simply beautiful weather we had. Lots of sunshine. I am so sad to see it go, but I do love fall. It is a favorite of mine in all ways except it means nasty old winter is coming. I hate the cold and the ice, the salt on the roads and snow. I love how pretty it is when it falls, but then you have to move it and with salt and sand it gets dirty. Anyway back to the glorious days of Fall.  The cool dry air, clear days and crisp nights. The smell of wood smoke will linger in the air. Pumpkin bread in the oven and apple cider simmering on the stove...ahh fall!

I notice how my gardens are passing by. The sedums are in full bloom and my grasses are getting their tassels. They look so pretty. I see a scattering of leaves on the lawn in the morning. We will need to close up the pool soon and I will miss the sound of the waterfall in the summer breeze.

Last weekend I got the cornstalks out and some mums planted. I got out some of my Harvest decorations. So come see what I have been up to. The mailbox is the first to get a little attention.

                           My old wheelbarrow got a bit of Fall color and a couple of pumpkins.

 Our project this summer was to add some large stones to the front yard. This one was placed so I could add some seasonal color around it.

 What do you think? It breaks up the large natural part of our front yard and gives me something to plant around.

 The garden I have shown you at different times this summer. The phlox are on the second bloom and notice the sedums. They are lush this year. This is my gardens last hurrah. I am sad to see them go by.

 The galvanized tub is passing by too.

 The cannas are looking good too. I love the red coloring.....

 The grass is showing her beautiful tassels and I love the green of my Annabelles.

 The babies are growing. Lucy and Pumpkin are 19 weeks old. They are the sweetest girls.

 The girls are giving us about 3 eggs a day. They have just started and the days are getting short so I just have to wait and see how that goes. My grandson makes himself eggs each morning. He just loves the fact they are so fresh.

So that is what has been going on at the country nest these days as summer ends and we welcome fall I continue to harvest my herbs for the girls and have been drying them for winter use.
Hope you come back to visit as our trees turn beautiful colors and those crisp days bring out sweaters and warm fires.....Can't you just smell it in the air?