Apples In Autumn

It was such a lovely weekend morning, so it called me out to the still road, to seek out the burst of autumn's fleeting colors.  I found myself at the church - I wanted to say hello to the new Priest.  The grounds were bare, and all the flowers were gone, except for one wilted red rose.

Someone put pretty fall flowers on Saint Francis' stone home.

One of the most stunning trees in my town stands at an area you would least expect; yes, the cemetery.  You don't have to drive in the cemetery to see it, you can see it from the street.

I did a little shopping, and had a long talk with my friend, P.  She's the same age as I am, and she's really a robust lady living in the mountains.

I bought some Krispy Krunchy chicken to take home.  Now, if you have one of these eateries in your town, you must try it.  It's the best chicken ever.

This is my neighbor's house.  It's one of my favorites in the neighborhood - it's small and charming, with a big corner lot.

You know, I always wanted to live in the mountains later on in life; ever since I saw how my mother-in-law lived with such a peaceful setting around her home.  I'd like to tell you why I love the deer so much, and why I often photograph them.  I've lived in the suburbs my whole life.  My childhood home was in the suburbs, and then when I had my own children, we bought several houses that were also located in the suburbs.  When my kids were grown, they made their homes in the suburbs.  I only drove to the country and mountains when we took drives occasionally.  So now, when I see a deer in my neighbor's yard or even on my lawn, I get so surprised and thrilled!

Then, there were two.

Then, there were three. ; )

I bought a bag of Gala apples for $6, what a great deal.  Now, I have to do something creative with them.

I opened up my devotional journal that my dear friend gave me, and one of my favorite verses appeared.

Do you like Jess' birthday drink?

Warmth and spice came from the oven, baking a batch of gingerbread cookies.

Yep, I've already watched a Christmas movie - one of my favs, "Christmas on the Range."  It's a great show, leaving you in suspense as to why there was such a feud going on between the two ranch families years ago.  I like all the actors in it, and we can always tell it's going to be a good movie for us if we like the characters.

Nel and I have always thought it would be so neat to live on a ranch, with horses, cattle, and wide open spaces.

We're in for some cooler weather this week, and it's supposed to stay.  The heat/air guy came to check up on the heaters to make sure they have refrigerant in them.  It gets beyond cold here in the winter months.  They are good to go.  A happy October week to you.

Mount Lassen

 My son and his uncle planned a camping trip, and last week they took their hiking shoes and warm clothes and drove up to Lassen Volcanic National Park.  There is a nice campground there at the park while they explored for a few days.  I told them to send me any interesting pics that they take, and to listen for Bigfoot in the wild.  They left from my house, and I kept asking them if they brought this and that, and they were surely prepared.  But first, I made them a cup of coffee and dessert before they headed out.  Don't these cake cookies look yummy?

They really are!

The elevation of Lassen Peak is 10,457 feet.  The American Black Bears live in and around Lassen National Park, an estimated 30 to 50.  No grizzly bears in the park.  They had such a nice and peaceful time; sat around the firepit, made homemade jambalaya, tri-tip tacos, bacon and eggs for breakfast, went on hikes, and just relaxed.  Except for the first one, here are a few pictures my son took while they were there.  On one of the mountains on the very top, it looked like the shape of a bear.

This is Summit Lake.  It's in the park about 10 miles from their campsite.

  Here is the devastation area where the fires occurred back in 2006 or 2007.

Mount Lassen.  Do you see the eye up there?

This cliff was near Mount Lassen.

Manzanita Lake is also located in the park.

I thought this was neat.  This is a mud pot where the volcanic mud boils up from the earth.  The whole area that surrounds it is a sulphur mud pit that's called "Sulphur Works."

They invited me to come along, but I thought I would stay home, go shopping, indulge in some good food, and you know, pamper myself. *a juicy, delicious, and messy barbecue burger.

I went to A's Home Shop and got to visit with my friend for a time.  She has a room that is adorned with Christmas all year 'round, and I bought this pretty candle because I could put it out anytime or any season.

I also bought a chocolate huckleberry bar.  This chocolate is a treat for me, as they are $7 for just one.

I had pizza one night, and watched the movie, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.  It's a delightful film, especially for the fashion lovers.

I spent some time deleting old photos and making new files.  That takes time, and it's always nice when I clean and clear out.

*Mia Charro Art

The autumn trees in my town are starting to wake up, sharing secrets with their golden and amber neighbors.

And Happy Birthday Jess, my October girl.

I hope you can take in some of the smells, tastes, sounds, and colors of October this week.  It goes so very fast.

A Visit To The Lake And Other Things

 My county is widely considered one of the most stunning and scenic areas of northern California.  It offers us mountain peaks, serene lakes, and lush forests.  I make it a point to visit nature in my town, but I wanted to see the lake at the start of fall, which is on the outskirts of my town.  My son came with me, and I'm glad, as there are mountain lions and other animals lurking in the wild.  We first got a breakfast burrito and a coffee and then drove over to the lake.  It was as pretty as I remember it last time, and here's a few pics.

Not sure what these red berries were, but they looked like a Christmas card.  *thank you, Shug, for identifying it as the Pyracantha bush.    

The other side of the lake.

The fall leaves were changing color, and were much more vibrant at the lake than anywhere in town.

This is the dock area facing the sun.

The waterfalls are very close to the lake, so I wanted to go there next, but the parking lot was full when we arrived.  So, do you think I would leave without seeing the falls?  Nope, I know the side roads and shortcuts in every town I've lived in, and managed to see these majestic falls once again.  I'll have to return this autumn because the area I drove through I could only see the falls through the trees.  Very pretty though.

School Picture Day!  When Nel showed me this picture of Mia it reminded me so much of the dress I wore on picture day in third grade.

I know, what was my eight-year-old self thinking back then?  I wanted a pixie cut really bad, and my mom agreed to chop all my hair off.  She was good that way; she always let me express myself with clothes and hairstyles.  When I was a child, I had blondish-brown hair.  This was my favorite dress, and I think my mom got it at JC Penney for that first week of school.

You know, I've tried many coffee brands over the years, and I always come back to Starbuck's.  The House Blend, French Roast, and Pike Place Roast are my favorites.

Some fun facts about Starbucks:

*It is the largest coffeehouse chain in the world, and operates in more than 80 countries  worldwide.

*When the first store opened in Seattle in 1971, it sold whole-bean coffee and equipment.  They did not sell their first latte until 1983.

*The Twin-Tailed Mermaid: the famous logo features a siren from Greek mythology.

*The first Starbuck's holiday cup debuted in 1997.  And it was purple, not red.

*The famous Pumpkin Spice Latte was invented in 2003.

Nel and Jess and I always get excited when the new holiday cups come out.

It was a fun week.  I met brother-in-law at the Chinese Restaurant.  I don't know if I was hungry or what, but it was exceptional this time - spicy soup, kung pow chicken, rice, egg roll, crab with cream cheese wonton, chow mein, and coke.  Then, I headed over to the new boutique in town.  They have a nice clothing line and good quality, but most of the sweaters were cropped, and I don't care for cropped tops.  How 'bout you?

  Some pretties in town.  Isn't it funny how daisies remind me of my mom when I don't remember her particularly liking them?

After that third-grade pixie cut, I've had long hair ever since.

~Welcome October~