Scent of Heaven

The weather was rainy and chilly this weekend. After a couple of seventy degree days last week it seems we are back to normal temperatures. There were a couple of bright spots in an otherwise dreary weekend; one being the beautiful rainbow that graced our sky on Saturday afternoon, the other being the heavenly scent that I immediately drink in every time I open my front door. My winter daphne is in full bloom!



I know that scripture has many descriptions of the beauty of heaven, but I have been unable to find any scripture on the scent of heaven. I wonder if there is anyone else out there like me that thinks about things such as this. I am quite sure that much of the beauty on earth serves as a little glimpse of what is to come. If that is true, then the wonderful scents that we enjoy have to give some insight into the scent of heaven. What do you think?



I do wish I could make my pictures into scratch-and-sniff ones. Or maybe I could bottle the essence and send it to all of my friends. In any case, the only flaw that I can find with my winter daphne is that some of the leaves are yellowing. I am assuming that all of the rain has caused this. I hope the roots are not staying too wet. I would hate to loose this plant.



I only wish it were warm enough outside to open up the windows and let the beautiful fragrance drift throughout my house!

After the Rain

"My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky." William Wordsworth




Last night we had our first thunderstorm of the spring season. John and I sat in the sunroom to watch the flashes of lightning in the sky. There is nothing more amazing than watching God display his power.



After a sunny morning the sky gave way to some of the most beautiful clouds that I have ever seen. Finally, when it seemed that the clouds could hold no more, the rains came.



I was not feeling well and was lying down for a while when John came into the room. He said that he had something that he wanted me to see. He took me onto our front porch to show me a beautiful rainbow. He knew that I wouldn't want to miss it. After eighteen years of marriage, he knows me well.



And God said,"This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:12-16 NIV

Happy Friday!

The temperatures have been in the sixties this week. It is so wonderful to have these mild days after so many unusually cold days this winter. Since the last couple of days have been wet and have kept me inside, I thought I might take some time today to post pictures of the plants that have bloomed over the last couple of weeks in my little world.



The crocuses were the first to appear a couple of weeks ago. They are still very pretty.



Finally, the hellebores decided to make an appearance.





Last, but not least, the daffodils showed their sunny little heads.



I can't wait to see what next week brings! This is my favorite time of the year when everything comes back to life. I'm thinking my winter daphne will be in full bloom soon. It has opened up some and the scent is starting to float through the air. I'll post a picture as soon as it is completely in bloom. Have a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Friday!

Help, I'm Being Invaded!

Okay, so those of you who visit my blog know that I am not a master gardener. I just love pretty plants, shrubs, and flowers. I am a trial and error gardener who plants what I love. However, I do try to do a little research on proper placement before I place a plant in the ground. I am learning as I go along.

One thing that I have come across lately has me baffled. I have been noticing little holes in one of my flower beds.



At first I thought oh no, we have snake holes! I have seen several snakes in my landscaping over the years. But this spring I noticed that some of my flower bulbs had been dug up and eaten. That is something a snake wouldn't do.



Then, a few days ago while washing dishes, I looked out of my kitchen window to see Mo flipping and flopping around in the yard. She was having the time of her life! She had something that she would throw up in the air. It would complete several somersaults before falling to the ground. She would then pick it up again and start all over throwing it into the air and jumping around waiting for it to fall again.



I stood there laughing and the crazy little dog's antics until curiosity got the better of me. I opened the patio door and questioned the insane doggie. "Mo, whatcha got there?" She sat there guarding her prize.



A mouse? I don't think so. A rat? No, feet are too close to the body and the tail is too short. A mole? Too little, I think. I went back inside and looked it up on the internet. A vole! I think I have voles!



I didn't know those lived in this area. I need advice from all of the master gardeners out there. Is this a vole, or is it something else? Most importantly, what in the world do I need to do to get rid of them? Help!

Old Barns

After my trip to Connemara, Carl Sandburg's mountain home, I was not only inspired by the great American writer, but by his wife as well. As he spent much of his time writing in seclusion, she was managing the farm activities. She had a large herd of prizewinning dairy goats that she cared for on a daily basis. After touring the residence and barn area I was impressed with her meticulous organizational skills (an area in which I could certainly take some instruction).

I fell in love with the barn on the Sandburg's property. Isn't it beautiful?



It made me think of our barn. It was on the property when we purchased it ten years ago. Although we have made improvements in other areas, we are just now starting to work on the barn. We are adding new stalls for the horses, and hope to make the goats a new home with a grazing area adjacent to the barn.



Yesterday with the temperatures in the mid seventies, I decided to go to the barn and do some clean up. I'll leave the building to John, since that is what he does for a living! Carson was finished with her schooling for the day so she went down with me to groom the horses while I worked. I cleaned for a couple of hours imagining how beautiful our barn will one day be. I imagined the beautiful flowers that could grace the front, an area for the bunny that Carson has been wanting, the goats grazing in their new fence, and the horses eating in their new stalls. Doesn't imagining the outcome help when there is work to be done?



As I watched Carson doing what she loves, I couldn't help but thank God for my beautiful life in the country. Don't get me wrong. I love the city and all of the wonderful cultural activities that it has to offer, but my heart is deeply rooted in the country.



It seems as though life is some how slower and sweeter when lived in the country.

Carson made me stop working for a while to brush her horse, Cloudy. She wanted me to experience the feeling of peace that washes over one's soul when brushing a horse. She is so right about that, it is almost as if all of your cares fade away with each easy stroke.



As I handed the brush back to her, I snapped back into reality. There is work to be done if my dreams are ever going to come true!!

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

Stepping out of our car was like stepping back in time. Our trip to the mountain home of Carl Sandburg was one of the most peaceful and inspirational visits we have had in some time. The first view of the home from the bottom of the hill took my breath away. It sits grandly on the top of a hill overlooking a pond and the beautiful North Carolina mountains.



The path leading to the home site is lined with English ivy and tall trees. At the top of the hill we took the path leading to the barn where Lilian Sandburg kept her prize winning dairy goats. She was the reason that Carl decided to relocate in North Carolina in 1945. The goats kept there today are no longer milked, but are for the enjoyment of visitors.



The barn was situated away from the main house to allow Carl to write without the distraction and noise of the farm activities.



The house is quite large and stately. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Sandburg sold the property to the National Park Service and donated the contents for preservation. The home is set up exactly the way the Sandburgs left it. I was amazed at how simply they lived, even though they were financially well off.



The view from the front porch is stunning. No wonder Sandburg was able to pen some of the most beautiful words in American literature. Surrounded by the peaceful sounds of nature, I might even be inspired to write such words (in my dreams).



The solitude found in the mountain farm named Connemara may have inspired one of Sandburg's famous quotes-

"It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness; to sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself,'Who am I, and where have I been, and where am I going?'" -Carl Sandburg

A Perfect Day!

Every once in a while, I travel with John to one of his job sites. He builds all over North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia so he has to travel quite often. I enjoy the special days that I break from normal routine and accompany him on a trip. Today was one of those special days. We traveled to Swananoa, North Carolina where a site was being surveyed for a building. After spending some time on the site taking care of business, we were able to spend the rest of the day exploring. The mountains of our state are absolutely beautiful. Although there was not much color in the landscape yet, there were still beautiful sights to see.


Doesn't the water in a mountain river always look clearer than anywhere else?



I took some pictures of Chimney Rock as we traveled through the picturesque town. One of my girls' favorite vacations was spent on that mountain. If you have seen "The Last of the Mohicans," you will understand how beautiful the scenery is on the trails near the water falls.



The weather was gorgeous today. The temperature was around 65 degrees F. so we ate our lunch outside on a deck overlooking Lake Lure. Beautiful!




I couldn't help but notice that the rhododendrons were starting to bud.





After lunch, John and I went to the town of Flat Rock to the home of the great American writer, Carl Sandburg. After spending much of his life in many different places, he and his wife, daughters, and two grandchildren settled on the farm in the beautiful mountains of our state.



After a relentless winter, it was wonderful to have such a beautiful day to explore the western part of our beautiful state! A day spent with John is always a perfect day!

I'll share more pictures and information on Carl Sandburg's home tomorrow!