Near the end of October

 Where did October go?  My heavens we will be celebrating Thanksgiving before we know it. 

A drive through town of Ashland today with a few nicely decorated homes and then to the local farm to get the girls a pumpkin and a hayride. 

The last weekend was cutting it short, but we enjoyed the hayride, girls found good pumpkins.

My son and the grand girls.

Slim pickings on the pumpkins in the fields.  A lot of pumpkins were taken away.

corn maze

Genevieve drew the face on her pumpkin, and it turned out so cute after carving it. 

She had to have eye lashes.

Our drive through the town of Ashland with the auto train going through at the time.

People really do put up some nice decorations in the town.  I am sure people traveling through on the train and ones that drive through love seeing them.

I have just these two that I took from my video.  This is the reason for them not being really clear.  I took the picture from my you tube video. 

I love this yellow house and pink door. 

Around my yard before it's over with

He glows in the 

boxwood

coming in driveway

The purple mums keep on blooming beautiful.

My ghost in backyard at nighttime. I look out my downstairs window and see this.

witch legs

bats in the evening

We enjoyed dinner in Port Royal Va. this past Saturday and this was our view of the Rappahannock River from where we sat.

I zoomed in on this one

Anne of Green Gables said it best

My beautiful roses from children on my birthday last week

Sweet gifts from a friend.  Great read 

From husband.  I liked this picture in Cracker Barrel.  I am going to use it probably as a background for a winter scene I have in mind.  

My granddaughter's birthday was two days before mine and she also shares her birthday with my youngest sister, her great aunt.  

She had the best ice cream cake, banana ice cream layer with fudge cake layer. 

It was lit, Genevieve jumped up as the sparklers kind of scared her some. 

 The banana ice cream was not just flavored, it was real banana ice cream.  The ice cream cones were filled with whipped topping.

My husband brought me a bar cake, and it was so delicious. UKrops bakery made it and reminds me of the Thalhimer's 6-layer bar cake.   Miss those days of Thalhimer's and Miller and Rhodes downtown Richmond Va.   I still have my Santa picture taken there.   

Wish I had taken a before eaten picture.   

We are enjoying a fire in the evenings now since it is chillier. 

🎃🎃

Yay, it's Friday

 Happy Friday yall.  Welcoming the rain this morning.

 

Won't stop me from seeing some fall foliage this weekend hopefully in the mountain area of Virginia.  

 Few days ago and they are still blooming prettier than in the summer is my rose bush. Always prettier in the spring and Autumn time of the year.  Has a great scent also.

We take our large clippings and cut limbs from the yard to the landfill.  There I decided to pick some Yarrow.  I am guessing that is what it is called, not sure.  Weeds as Mom calls them.  I brought them home and put in a vase.

see those yellow flowers in the field there?

when they lose their color, I will probably spray them a color and use for a filler in an arrangement.

Some pictures of outside and some inside of decorations.  There are just a few this year.  I am looking forward to Thanksgiving.  

I decorated some areas with gourds I grew years back

The lantern has filler with some orange and clove oil I scented them with.  They smell so good with the heat from the candle 

Yesterday I made more Brunswick stew.   I am going to make chili I believe this weekend.  We like one dish dinners, especially this time of year. 

Evening pictures of Porch pumpkins

"There is magic in the night when Pumpkins glow by moonlight" 

Author is Unknown

bats on storm door

lights off downstairs with a lit ceramic pumpkin.

This pumpkin is glowing by a candle. 

Skeleton candle that changes color

With the rest of my apples picked from Paughs orchard in Quicksburg Va

I made an apple pie.  I purchased the store-bought crusts for this one.   I like cooking in my stone ware pie plate.   The crust is crispier, and I like the way it bakes a whole lot better and more evenly. 

Brown sugar, cinnamon and butter on top tossed and then into the Pie plate for oven

The only juice was the juice produced by the apples while baking. 

I sprinkled confectioners' sugar on top.  

It's all gone and didn't take a whole day to get rid of it even. 

Well now as I am finishing my blog post.

The sun came out.

Happy Friday

Been a while.  So much to do this time of year.  Yard work, housework, fixing this and that.   

Not just what I stated above but I have started to Christmas shop.  Gotta, get it done as early as I can or at least have ideas of what I want to get.   This year is flying by.  

I didn't put out as much this year to decorate.  I love autumn and Thanksgiving so not too much in the way of spooky things at the moment, although I do have few ghosts hanging from the trees.  I will put a few more out when it gets closer to Halloween.  

Around my lamp post is stacking pumpkins from a discount store. I didn't purchase but a few pumpkins this year.   I need mums but not at some of the price's stores are asking.  In the picture are mums that came back from last year's purchase.  I picked up a few this year from Walmart.  I like it that I can go into the garden dept. and not have to go through the whole store.

I cut from my tall grasses, and they are not Pampas grass, but another type I have. It looks O.K..  Corn stalks are $6.95 a piece I was told over the phone at our local garden center.  Not paying that.

I cut the plumes off the tall grass and will use those to make a wreath like the one I did last year

This is the wreath from last year

Front porch

I have a few more lanterns to sit out that I light in the evening.  I like the flame light bulbs I ordered. 

Little corner of bath downstairs.  It's a small bathroom that needed a little Autumn

The cone tree I made from a thick card stock and then glued those little pumpkins on there.  I put a few drops of orange and cinnamon essential oil on the tree.  Makes a nice lasting scent. 

The extra tissue holder I made from a gift box or cylinder and covered with some wallpaper I had.  Put a knob on top and comes in handy for an extra roll. 

Little corner in lounge downstairs, and I do mean we lounge in this room by the fireplace, feels so good.  It is gas and keeps the room nice and warm and cozy. 

The pears I have been working on are finally finished.  

Didn't turn out too bad but took a while

Agecroft Hall in Richmond a fine manor house a class was held for children. Talking about the harvest season and what children did that time of year.   What Besom broom is and activities, chores really. What children did many ages ago around harvest time to help. One was keeping crows from the fields by running and making loud noises.   In the class children made an origami crow, besom broom and the neatest was a paper towel roll, wrapped in bubble wrap 3/4 down and taped.  Painted each little bubble dabbing on different colors of paint.  After that was done, a brown piece of rectangle paper was wrapped around with sides halfway folded down to resemble a corn in the cob. 

Genevieve and Adalyn painting their corn cobs. 

I wished I had taken a better  picture of the crow.  

Besom broom made from stick and some raffia.  They put a little spider ring on the ribbon too.  

A scavenger hunt for the children in lower part of house. 

Was a nice Saturday morning outing. 

The instructor said that there will be a class on making wreaths, swags, etc. in coming month.  I look forward to that.   Greenery used will be from the home Agecroft.

I need to start catching up on blog posts from others now.  

Next time - 🧹