centipedes and more

Centipedes

 

 

Centipedes are one of those creepy crawly things that I just don't enjoy. You know how snakes gives one the shivers and shakes? Centipedes give me the same feelings. I use our basement bathroom and this morning when I wanted to take a shower there was a huge centipede in my bathtub! I got the shivers and shakes. My husband was upstairs using his shower and I knew I couldn't ask him for help so I did the next best thing I knew to do. I turned on the water and I drowned the Mr. Creepy Centipede and then I let him flush down the shower drain.

 

I knew the thing was dead, but I was afraid that it would end up being alive so I actually put the plug in the drain to be sure it couldn't come back. All the while I was showering I kept "feeling" something on my feet. Creepy!

 

I felt a little bit "mean girl" as I stood there watching it drown. I hate to kill things, even spiders, but I will kill a spider and clean up the mess with a tissue, but I draw the line at centipedes and snakes. I either run away or I have to kill in such a way that I never have to, in any way, come in contact with it, even with a tissue paper between me and "it".

Does anybody relate?

 

 

Sunday

 

Church was so good today. I love our Sunday School class. We had missed quite a few classes early in the year because of either being sick or other obstacles but we were able to attend the last two Sunday's and it sure feels like "home" to be able to attend again.

After church service was over I visited with a lady who recently retired from her job and she looks so happy. She told me that folks tell her that she comes across as so much happier now that she has retired. I'm so glad for her. I wonder, is it like that for everyone who retires? Does their life become happier and more relaxed once they give up the job and settle into a more relaxed routine? I have a feeling it is different for different folks. She just made retirement look so do-able.


Hazelnut Flavored Decaf Coffee

I love you!

We just purchased 96 K-cups online - I only had three cups so far today because I can't get enough of the flavor. Does anyone have this kind of problem? I have to drink decaf though. Sad face.


Sunday Drive

I had to take my great aunt to her church services this morning. I'm always amazed at how "with it" she still is at 97, almost 98 years old. She remembers where she and I have been, what was said, who lives there, on and on. This afternoon when I picked her up we went the long way home and I stopped and took some pictures along the way. She wanted to see them and I would show her and she would giggle and say how pretty this one or that one was. She would stretch her neck to see what I was seeing on my side of the car. She was with me all the way and I know our next excursion out she will do the "remember when" with me about this trip. I love her muchly.

Following are pictures from our Sunday drive. I hope you enjoy.

 

Even the horses and buggies have to abide by the traffic laws. This was perfect, slowing down, because I was turning in the same lane they were.

 

If you look closely, there are two ladies walking in the farm lane, I suspect on their way home from church services my great aunt attended.

 

A horse and buggy coming from where my great aunt's church was held today.

 

This horse did not notice me, he was watching the horse and buggy going up the road. I whistled at him and he barely batted an eyelash.

 

This is where my great aunt's church was held today. There was a big garage to my right but I didn't dare take more pictures other than this one. I liked the hitching post, it has a tie-rope there with a snap, so a visitor does not have to actually get their big one out from under the buggy seat. It was cozy around there, and so beautiful. This home is placed high on a hill, black top all the way in to the house and barn, they have a little bridge in their driveway. So pretty.

 

After I picked up Beina, we started on our little excursion and found some sheep up on a hill.

 

We found this dandy little shanty. So cute! Beina wanted to see what the picture looked like so I let her see and she giggle and said, "my you can take really good pictures!"

 

I loved this valley, the winding road, all the houses and farms dotting the countryside.

 

I can't explain, except to say, the big tree just spoke to me.

 

Horse and buggy trotting down a pretty good hill.

 

Horse grazing, cattle lazing.

 

Some cool little barns.

 

Sheep taking a break. I love sheep, my husband and I used to raise lambs. I miss that season so much. I miss the sheep and lambs too.

 

More sheep, these were grazing. I like the woods in the background.

 

The same horse from a few pictures back.

 

For me, this looked almost "Biblical" to me. The sheep, the rocks, the brown grass. I can't explain.

 

Same with this one, it is the same view, just at a distance.

 

Ah, not an "Amish farm", but for me, this one always seems kind of "Dukes of Hazzard" for me. I used to work with one of the son's who grew up on this farm. He was a character for sure, for sure, and Dukes of Hazzard, yep, good description!

 

I like the bridge and I like the tree beside it.

 

In our neck of the wood "Bull Country Compost" is the in thing to use on your gardens and flower beds. I found a sign on the side of this barn, which is literally sitting right beside the road, and a cross road at that. The sign is there to prove it.

 

This is on top of "The Funk Hill".

 

I paused and shot a picture of this hill because of the memories I have of it.

 

First memory, when I was a little girl at home, we would have to travel up and down this hill to get to various people's homes in our church district. Back then this was a dirt road with barely any gravel and I remember it being muddy and the buggy wheels would dig in and leave marks the whole way to and from. The hill itself is long and steep and I hated it with a passion. I was always afraid of horses and so buggy rides were never fun for me, and especially on this hill. (I'm still afraid of horses, but I do like to photograph them.)

 

Second memory, when I was a little girl I though "Funk" meant something else. I thought my parents were always cussing when they mentioned that hill. Years later I found out that "Funk" was the last name of a family who had lived on that hill way back in the dark ages or sometime. ha ha!

 

Third memory, my old neighbor grew up there on The Funk Hill and he would tell us stories of playing in those woods and hills and he said that one day he came upon a Blue Racer snake. I never seen a Blue Racer snake, I never heard of anyone seeing one before or since, but to hear him say it, it was a snake that can go fast, real fast and you have to be quick to get away from it. So, I was always on the lookout for Blue Racer snakes when we were going up and down that awful hill.

 

 

After I dropped off Beina, I took another way home and found these trees had gotten caught up on the electrical lines. I didn't stick around too long, didn't feel the safest there.

 

I did pause to get a look at the other side of the bridge

 

This horse noticed me taking pictures. He walked my way for awhile, but he was far away from me, I got in my car and left before he made it to me. It was blitz cold out there today!

 

I remember attending church services here. Nice Amish family lives here. Several generations.

 

I know you can't see the horse plainly, but somehow I like some of these shots, where you see an object in the background and in the foreground you have other things going on. I am probably crazy, but it is my eye that loves these shots. I might be in a league of my own, but I can't help but love it.

 

Love this one too.

 

Can I tell you what I was thinking when I took this? Hmm, well, I like the blue and white sky, then I like the three trees way up on the hill. Reminded me of the three crosses on Calvary for some reason....then in contrast, the other side of the picture you have all the trees and almost no color. It is the contrast that I love in this picture and all the other little things going on.

 

In this maze of trees there was a little shanty. I really liked this area, it just spoke to me.

 

It seems the road leads right into the clouds with the bare trees waving a good-bye.

 

Sometime midst the beauty of Amish Country you come across some junky sights. This is an old couch and chair. The movie, Grumpy Old Men came to mind, in one of the last scenes when the old man dies while he is fishing, isn't he on some kind of sofa or recliner? I haven't watched that movie in ages, but I remember something not fitting in with the fishing scene and thinking it was a recliner.

 

 

I also found these old wheels. I'm sure they have been here for years because they almost fade into the landscape.

 

This horse's owners must have been visiting friends and so they unhitched him from the buggy and tied him to the hitching post. This place looks like it is a business and home all in one and pretty messy for Amish folks, but I do believe they are Amish.

 

See, it is messy, I just got a small shot, the house is off to the right and the business off to the left.

 

Someone has their own little greenhouse.

 

I came upon this house and they have everything decorated for Easter already. They truly are an anomaly deep in Amish Country.

 

My favorite thing in this picture is that flag waving in the front of the house and do you notice the big tree peeking from behind the house? I feel like it was waving a hearty "Hello" to me. Do you see that? Or maybe I shouldn't tell you all my thoughts! ha ha

 

Even the decorative moose by the little pond are decorated for Easter! How fun!

 

Bunny Rabbit was flailing around in the wind. I love the shadow on the stone beside it. Somehow, for me, the gaudy bunny rabbit does not fit in this scene, but it is there, so I captured its picture.

 

Here I see a flourishing tree planted right there by the water. I can think of a Psalm or two that would be fitting right here, this tree looks like it has its act together, branches are all nice and clean, ready for Spring and leaves to grow.

 

Contrasting with the tree in the prior picture. This tree is not so clean and together, it has a messy set of branches hanging toward the ground. These two trees reminded me of folks we might know, some are together, have their lives in order, others not so much. 

 

A corn crib, standing dutifully in a field near a farm.

 

Someone left their tractor out in the field. The animals grazing around it don't seem to mind it's presence. I kind of like it being there.

 

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