Black Friday

Another yard work day here on Black Friday--sure beats fighting the crowds at the stores!  We got the front yard and east side-yard cleaned up and ready for winter---I forgot to take pictures though.  It took me a little bit to get going since I have been sick this week, but I finally did.  I took down the fern on the front porch, and hubby and I noticed that this evening some purple finches were hanging around looking for it.  I think they have been roosting in it at night.  It's probably some of the finches that hatched in the nest that was in the fern this spring.  I took their home down---*sniff-sniff*.

While we were working in the yard we smoked the turkey that was thawed in the refrigerator.  I cut it in half so it wouldn't take as long to smoke.  It took 10 hours.  It was a very nice day outside--beautiful weather with temps in the 60's.  Here is one half of the turkey.

I got six bags of meat---that will make six meals for us.  I am freezing four of the bags.

A very good day. 

The rain is suppose to start tonight; it will be cooling off, and snow flurries are in the forecast for tomorrow night and Sunday.



Fall Yard Work

                                                             

Saturday I dug up my elephant ears---This is how they looked this summer.  Big and beautiful.

I am posting about this so I will remember how I did it, in case I want to do something differently next time.

First I cut off the tops.........

Then I dug them up and removed most of the dirt.

Here are the tools I used; a spade, claw tool, and, knife.

Next, I lined them up across the yard, and with the slope of the yard going away from me I hosed them real good to get the remaining dirt out.  The first two are done here.

Here they all are cleaned up and ready to dry out in our garage.  I have about 16 good sized ones, and 18 small ones.

My hubby cleaned out the dahlia bed.  We both worked very hard.  He also cleaned out the gutters at our house and our daughters.

We both caught some kind of 24-hour bug Monday, and have been in bed for a day.  He came down with it first, and I came down with it 6 hours after him.  He went back to work  this morning.  I'm still running a low grade fever--I hate being sick.  We had to cancel our Thanksgiving plans so our grandson Cole wouldn't get this because of his treatment he's going through.  Bummer!!

 

Fine Fall Day

We are having a beautiful Fall day here in the Ozarks.  The above pic is a collage of pictures I have taken this Fall--some from our yard.  The pic below is our backyard--the big tree and patio.

The front of the house below, taken last week.

This mornings sunrise--gorgeous!

We don't have many days left of the beautiful foliage because the leaves are coming down like crazy.

The weather has been beautiful.  Today's high expected to reach 70--not bad for mid-November.

The pond has had to be cleaned out twice to remove the leaves, so hubby got some hardware cloth to protect the pond from leaves falling in it.  Looks like it's working.

Leave It There

My sister and brother-in-law are having to deal with some hard things, and my thoughts and prayers are with them.  This particular song came to mind this morning, so I thought I would do a post about it. 

Here are the lyrics:

If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold,
And you have to get along with meager fare,
Just remember, in His Word, how He feeds the little bird;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Refrain

Leave it there, leave it there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

If your body suffers pain and your health you can’t regain,
And your soul is almost sinking in despair,
Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Refrain

When your enemies assail and your heart begins to fail,
Don’t forget that God in Heaven answers prayer;
He will make a way for you and will lead you safely through.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Refrain

When your youthful days are gone and old age is stealing on,
And your body bends beneath the weight of care;
He will never leave you then, He’ll go with you to the end.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Refrain

I also found a video of the Statesmen singing it.  And here is a video of a kid singing it in his van, and one with some famous country singers here.  Here is Gaither Vocal Band:

I know when I'm having a hard time dealing with life's issues, a song helps me keep my eyes on Jesus.  I just try to memorize the words by singing them either in my head or out loud--usually in my head, or I hum the tune and say the words in my mind.

Reunion Place

This is what I was hinting about yesterday in my post.  The bridge named after my husbands family.  Just past the bridge is the "camp ground"  where the reunion takes place every year without fail.  This year was the hundred and twenty-first annual reunion.  As you can guess there are the old folks who know each other and lots of young people that only a few know.  Unless you go every year, you're in the dark as to who belongs to who.

Many years ago I started a painting of the bridge, and never finished it.  The clouds are finished, but the lower part is just an under painting.  It's in oils, and I just haven't had the inspiration to finish it.  MY BAD!--as they say.  I went ahead and hung it anyway.  I mostly finished the bridge, but I need to finish the trees, grass, and road.  I have a picture of the bridge that I took years ago that I was going by, where the floor of the bridge was just boards.  It's paved now, and I can't remember if there were guard rails in that picture or not, but here it is, as is, with my hubby standing on it looking over the edge.

And one with the light off.

You can see the Finley River in this picture.  The water level is a little lower than normal.

Our baby daughter is taking pics on the bridge here.

Here's a view looking north from the other side of the bridge.

My handsome hubby.

Looking into the water from the bridge.

Now, looking down river to the west from the bridge....

and to the east, up river.

Here's the camp ground which is just past the bridge.  There is a well by the pavillion.  They bring in stoves, refridgerators, food, cooking equipment, and a cook. 

Also a portable bathroom or two. It takes place in August, and

it lasts for a week, and many bring their tents, etc., and camp on the grounds. 

The kids play in the river, and float it on inner tubes.  Sometimes they have hayrides, and things like that.  Sometimes they have a little entertainment.  There's a big dinner every night where the local family members contribute dishes for pot luck to add to the meal.  One cousin has a motel in the nearby town where many stay; he is also a state representative. 

On Friday night before the meal everyone lines up on the long north side of the pavilion for a picture, and they use it to send out invitations for the next year on a post card.  It's a pretty big deal.

After the meal on Friday night they have a business meeting which includes read obits of those who have passed on, skits, songs, plus many other business type things where they elect officers for the coming year, collect money, and so on.

My hubby's father is pretty proud of his family's traditions, never misses, and knows alot of the people.