Blogging Serendipity and Lots of Pictures

First, 

our friend Deweena at Across the Way has asked for prayers for her friend Tammy... 

so please join me in sending prayers Tammy's way for her present needs. 

It only takes a second to bow our heads and ask the Lord to hold someone in His hands. 

Now... blogging serendipity has struck again. 

Yesterday in my email I received the nicest note from a lady named Joyce, who lives in Iola, Kansas.  

I wrote yesterday about going to Ottawa for the Little River Band concert.  Ottawa, and Garnett, where my oldest grandsons live, are two small towns south of Lawrence, Kansas.  Ottawa is the seat of Franklin County, and Garnett, in Anderson County. 

Joyce lives about 30 miles even farther south in a lovely small town where Keith and I have visited. 

Joyce wrote to tell me that she has been reading our blog, and has not figured out how to comment on it.  She wrote to say that she has a copy of The Ponies Next Door, about which I wrote ten days or so ago, and is sending it to me!  

My gosh, friends.  

At my high school reunion a week ago, a good friend asked me about the blog, and I said "Debbie, I have made so many friends blogging".  She thought it very strange that I considered that people whom I have never met in person were amongst my friends.  

I can't tell you how much blogging has enriched my life, and given me ideas, and shared my woes and happiness, as I have shared yours.  I can vicariously ride a beautiful horse with Michelle, wander among ponds and forest with Donna, learn from J and S, garden with so many of you... and laugh and cry at the antics of Stella and Maggie and Gus and Tweedles.  These were things I could never do before blogging, and yes, now we all know each other. 

Sandy commented when I reviewed Raising Goats Naturally here  that she did not have goats yet, but she and her husband wanted to get them.  Well, Sandy, the book is coming to you! 

I'll email you privately today and get your address, and get it off in the mail to you. 

Consider it my Random Act of Kindness, as Joyce is doing for me. 

Now, some shots from around here today: 

Keith's serving of spaghetti and meatballs was huge from Bella Cucina in Ottawa on Saturday evening.  We did not have time to eat before the concert, so brought our food home, and we ate during the Chief's game yesterday (YAYYY!).  Neither of us can eat the amount served now in restaurants, so my fettucine went to the hens last night, and Keith's spaghetti, meatballs and all, to the henspa hens this morning. 

They made VERY short work of it. 

The Protector of Us All was being a very naughty girl right here.  She had been hunting in the pasture.  I had put Boots down at the foot of the hill... knowing a predator would find him during the night. (and he was gone this morning) 

I saw her down there, head to the ground, but then, pretty soon, she came up and found where the bird had gotten him.  

We have two areas of high grass left... this spot here is right by the henyard.... it was to be a separate little shed for the turkeys, but was never finished.  You can see Lil smelled something that she had to investigate.  I had called her to come out, and she laid down and ignored me, which she is doing pointedly in the first picture.  Lilly Ann has a VERY strong will, and since she was a puppy, has tried to have her own way.  It's to her great credit that she minds me, and I was reminding her of that when I took that first picture. She jumped up wagging her tail in just a second, and ran ahead of me, out the gate and into the yard so I could let the ducks free. 

It's still striking to me that there are so few birds left in the old henhouse. 

If you biggify this picture, you will see three large pumpkins, still green. 

But the reason I took it is to make some comments about gardening, this morning. 

It was 43 degrees out when I took this picture this AM.  Do you see the blossoms still unfolding?  Even though many of the leaves have shriveled? 

This is the ONLY green pepper I planted this year, we just don't use enough of them.  I picked two lovely peppers off this plant this morning... on October 21.  Do you see the blossom? 

I left one tomato plant growing as an experiment... and there are blossoms on it. 

My point is this... to me, the growing season always ended in September.  By then, I was tired of coddling plants along, and would just forget to plant fall lettuce, etc.. 

The farm tour at the beginning of this month showed me that you can still be picking produce into the fall... far into the fall.  

We are going to use the hoop house again next year, and I am going to experiment with growing tomatoes later... and spread out the harvest a little more so that we are not inundated at one time. 

I don't expect to pick any more off this plant, but with a little care, I bet I could have. 

I know I'll get a few pumpkins... squeaking under the wire. 

I got green peppers, and I'll get some more onions and some potatoes, still, this season. 

Lots of gardening to think about for next year, and that's the great thing about gardening... there's always next year to right the things you missed this year. 

Gratuitous Windy cuteness.  Again, if you missed the review of  Deborah Niemann's book, it's here. 

Keith and I were just saying this morning how stinking cute these little girls and Kelly are, and how much we missed by not getting goats earlier. 

In our front fence row. 

I should be cleaning this fence row out... there are tons of saplings that need cutting.  But gosh. 

Another detail... the milkweed... the red vines... not poison ivy, thank heavens.  

Blogging serendipity... seeing all your pictures on your blogs, and traveling to "other lands" via this computer.... bliss!