Frogs have lily pads…

 ...toads have toadstools…

...and Jebediah has his tree stump. lol

I’m on a quest to repurpose my tree stump.

Jebbo would love for it to remain his high tower lookout, to spy some of the little critters on the other side of the fence.

However, I was thinking something more like this…

But before I make up my mind, I thought I’d  come to the masses and see what great ideas you guys come up with!

So peeps, what do you think we should repurpose stumpy into?

My yard smelled like Christmas today.

 Quote: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

Explanation: If something happens without anybody or anything ever noticing that it happened, it's as if it didn't happen at all. Another way of putting it is, in order for an event to have meaning, someone should witness it.

Well this tree had a witness as it’s majestic life ended.

And I have to say the loudest sound I heard was my heart pounding in my chest.

It’s was pretty nerve racking to watch someone climb so high, and limb by limb take her down.

So here is the before and after…

  It's weird …I have lived with this tree for over 20 years. It’s going to take some getting used to…I’m sure I’ll enjoy it in the spring when the leaves are back on the trees.

Although I’m sure there must be something very exhilarating about hanging in the clouds every day for a living. I’m also sure glad I don’t have to do it!  

However it was great to photograph! 

 Mind you, this young man is over 50 feet in the air in these shots.

Yes this girl likes her feet firmly on the ground…and thank you Lord for a zoom lens!

Anyone need a Christmas tree?

Finally made the decision to have a 70 foot pine tree removed from my property.

After Sandy blew through last year and took down some large pines that were way too close for comfort to the house.  I realized it was only inevitable with all the storms we are having this one would do the same someday. So I figured better it come down on my terms….because if it comes down on its own, it definitely is going to hit one of the buildings or the house itself.

It’s in the dog yard, which has always been another concern when we have ice storms or heavy snow, that a limb could fall on one of the dogs. 

 So TIMBERRRRR it is …sometime in the next few weeks.

Sorry Mr. Woodpecker, but you were taking too long.  

 And Mr. Squirrel you need to find another pack of dogs to taunt…you I won’t miss!

Although Barnabas the mighty hunter sure will.

Heading south

 Note: Love the hand in the pocket.

 The girls enjoying some snow geese heading south for the winter.

Oh yeah snow is right around the corner…yippy!

The note from Heaven

The God of all comfort.

That is one of the attributes the bible uses to describe God.

And since the time of Richard departure to heaven I have found this to be truer than ever.

I want to share one of those moments of comfort with you.

A few months ago during a hard day of grieving which is often accompanied by many regrets.

I cried out to the Lord and asked Him to please tell Richard 
"I’m sorry I wasn’t always attentive to him".

After someone passes away you wish you had spent every second of life with then. And I know this is a normal process of grieving.

But I still felt like I wanted Richard to know that. 

Now my belief is that after a loved one has gone home we can communicate our hearts to them through Jesus.

And for me this is easy to do because Jesus was always our greatest connection this side of Heaven…. and now even more so.

However when I share my heart in this way with the Lord I really don’t expect an answer back….and definitely not in a very tangible way. But the God of all comfort….is amazing!

That night I went to bed and in the middle of the night there was a terrible thunder storm.

It was so bad my dog Glory went nuts and tried to jump a gate which caused pictures and a large mail holder that was on the wall to come crashing down.  It was quite startling and she’s lucky I didn’t shoot her…I thought someone was breaking in! lol

But as I was cleaning up the mess and the ton of papers that now covered the floor from the mail holder I was shocked to see an envelope with my name on it and in my husband’s handwriting.  You see I’m very sentimental and anytime my husband gave me a card I saved them in a special place. So for this to be shoved in with a bunch of junk surprised me.  Maybe he never did give it to me or maybe I just don’t remember it…..but when I read it I almost fainted.

 Yes, He truly is

THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT! 

I want you to dream.

This is what the Lord keeps saying to my heart…

”Anna I want you to dream again”.

Every time I turn around He is saying this to me in different ways…

Like this little thing I found in a magazine… 

I clipped it out and now I have it between the glass of a table in my house.

But this song by a man who suddenly lost his wife in a routine surgery sealed it for me. It was sent to me by a daughter in the Lord who had no idea what God has been speaking to my heart. 

Sorry I can only share it in a link. 

Because I don’t even believe it has been released yet.

TELL YOUR HEART TO BEAT AGAIN

So I’m sharing all of this because maybe someone else needs to hear theses word also.

Maybe someone out there needs to begin dreaming again.

So yes Lord…I will dream again and I will let my heart beat again….but you need to help me because I don’t even know how or what to dream. But I say yes. 

Teen years

I love being told off by a 3 pound pipsqueak …

…then getting snubbed on top of it! 

Teen years… even with dogs are a challenge. lol

I will never leaf you alone

When your world seems upside down…

 Sometimes a good old romp…

 in a pile of leaves…

is just what you need... 

 to make it feel right again.

Obamascare

I think we would be in better hands if life went to the dogs.

Pupcasso

If I were an artist

 Jazzy would be my masterpiece.

 If I were De Vinci...

He would be my Mona Lisa.

As you can see my little man Jasper is doing very well. Have I become the love of his life?  Well, I still can't tell....he's such a moody fella.  

I however love him more and more each day. And he's often the subject in my lens.

When you don't have thumbs

I went to a great photography seminar last night at a camera shop and picked myself up some new glass :D  

(a.k.a. Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G SIC SW prime lens)

That info is for all my geeky camera friends.

So straight out of the box this morning Jebediah gave it the snouts up…this is what you do when you don’t have thumbs.