Moving to Wordpress

http://carpentercreek.wordpress.com

Such frustration!

I'd finally given up on blogger after struggling and struggling to get things posted. Nothing was showing up on their 'current issues' board, and so many other blogger users appeared to be able to post.

So I up and moved things to wordpress.

Wouldn't you know as soon as I came back to post a couple comments telling y'all about the move, that this ding dang thing was working?

But although I'm struggling through the learning curve over there, I think (since the entire blog has been transfered at this point) that I'll stick with the change. So please come on over and visit me there. It may be a little while before I get things like bloglines/automatic email going as I've not figured that out quite yet. Please bear with me!

Here's the new addy (just in case it escaped you at the top of this post!)
http://carpentercreek.wordpress.com

Oh...and don't forget to vote! I'm thrilled that so many of you remembered even though there wasn't a post today =)
http://www.blogforayear.com/profiles/desperate-horsewife

Driving Day!

Winsday!

Name it and win!

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You may recall my telling you about the family secret, and how Aunt Tillie went to her grave never telling what caused her brother in law to not associate with his late wife's family. Last week while visiting my grandmother I saw that Aunt Tillie's old home is for sale. Unfortunately, it's zoned commercial, which means it will be torn down. I feel a twinge of sadness over this, although I've never been inside the home and certainly Aunt Tillie passed long before I ever came into the picture. Still, it was part of the family farm nearly 100 years ago.

Aunt Tillie's place

Peter's Dairy

I spent many a wonderful time in this old barn as a kid. My Aunt B lives there now. Not in the barn, mind you, but in the house. I brought Darling over there the other day so she could snoop around and shared with her a place that holds so many fond memories for me. We climbed into the hayloft where there were no creepy things to be found (thankfully) and I pointed out where the calves used to be kept, and told her how I'd roped one with baling twine once, then couldn't figure out how to get the rope off a wild calf.

If you like these two photos, better leave a comment. I think it's party time! That's right, I do believe we'll hit 10,000 hits today. And I'm going to send someone two 8x10 photos. Why...I'll even let you choose, because black and white isn't every body's style. Perhaps you'd prefer one the bleeding heart from yesterday? Or the Whatcom Falls shot? Hey, whoever wins can let me know.

I wanted to give a shout out to Bossy, who I noticed has been nominated for a Blogger's Choice Award. Way to go, Bossy! Y'all can trot on over and give Bossy a vote, I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

And while you're on the voting band wagon, don't forget to cast your vote for me at the Blog For a Year site! I'm climbing steadily in the rankings, but falling further behind Melanie. I need your votes if someone's going to come visit!

Now I'm going to go out and celebrate, because I get to drive today!!! Maybe I'll do something wild and crazy...like visit Dodsons =) Y'all take care!

A Really Good Secret

Leaves on a vine maple tree. Did you know they grew little flowers?

So...what to do? Can't drive. Can't lift anything. City Boy and Darling have taken over the chores, although I'm at least able to collect eggs. Good thing, too, because no one else is willing to brave Silver's protective instinct. This makes me feel brave; it gives me a purpose when there's nothing else I'm able to accomplish right now. I am the chief egg collector! Which I was before, and no one cared then, either.

While City Boy, Geek Boy and Darling were out this afternoon, I read my email. Wandered aimlessly about. Took a short nap. Checked the email again. Then I decided to get my camera out and take some pictures. Which I figure will bore you to tears, because what's left to see here? I only recently shot the view from both the front and the back door and you've probably seen more pig and chicken videos than a blog reader should be subjected to. The only thing of remote interest is the Secret Garden.

I started the Secret Garden the first summer we were here. It's a strip of land out near the road in front of the house; it's 25 feet deep and 80 feet long. I soon realized that this was an enormous project, especially when I was also trying to do the front of the house and was on a limited budget. But I gave it my best shot, carving out a path, planting a few shrubs for structure, and welcoming a few starts from friends. Before long, it was at least half full. And then it was winter.

And at the end of winter, Darling was a bit older. She was two. She was toddling. She was toddling and two and teetering through my garden trying to eat things. And when she wasn't trying to eat them, she was dead heading them when they weren't quite dead. This made gardening difficult, and I figured, "Hey, the garden'll still be here in a couple years when Darling outgrows this stage."

But after a couple of years, I got busy with other things, and the garden began to fill up with things that I'd never planted. Ferns and salmon berries began appearing between wild bleeding hearts and foxglove. The herbs were out of control. Alder trees were taking over. The roses decided they loved it up there and before long it was looking like that scene out of Sleeping Beauty where the prince is fighting his way towards the castle. Except...there was no castle here.

I'm sure there's a castle and a sleeping princess in here somewhere!

Hmmm...I wondered where this wheel barrow had disappeared to.

City Boy doesn't like my garden. He'd like to mow it all down.

"What is all that stuff?" he asked one day, clearly in the mood to do some weed whacking.

"It's my garden," I replied. "Don't touch it!"



"It doesn't look like a garden," he said with a snort.


"Shhhh...it's a secret garden," I whispered.


City Boy rolled his eyes. "Well, it's a really good secret!"



Thanks for stopping by today, and don't forget to vote!

http://www.blogforayear.com/profiles/desperate-horsewife