Warning: Moose Ahead! (+ Valentine Sweets, too)

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you all have someone you can hug today – lover, friend, child, parent, grandparent … or even your favorite barista! I’ll be spending today with my dear hubby, and the plan is for us to whip up a delicious Valentine dinner together as we traditionally do – he has offered to make his signature dish, Sesame Pork, and I will be assisting on this delectable dish!

Saturday morning I had a wonderful treat … I awoke to see a big beautiful moose bedded down in my side yard, eyes closed, resting. Of course, I took pictures, and I watched as she eventually awakened and still stayed bedded down, chomping snow occasionally and looking at the window where I was watching. She was beautiful. She stayed there for several hours, then eventually got up and meandered around the back property chomping on bushes and such. The moose look healthier in recent years than they did for a number of years. Her coat was lush and healthy, and her muzzle was so soft and fuzzy that I just wanted to go rub her nose like I would that of a horse!

For my digiscrapping fans, I have a new mini-pack of Love Accents that are perfect for accenting photos, creating cards, and for use as clipping masks in all your layouts. I’ve put them on sale for just ONE DOLLAR for today only, so be sure to grab them!

Love Accents {the elements}

Happy scrappin’ ya all! :D

`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· Cari `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·

 

Catchup

No, I don’t mean that sweet, tangy red sauce we all like to dip our fries in—also known as catsup, or ketchup (lol!)—I mean “catching up” on … well … life, I guess! I’ve neglected my poor blog for far too long, other than quick updates about my latest designs, and I am really hoping to remedy that.

Our summer has been very busy, especially with our oldest son getting married and me making the cake for it. Plus my husband’s medical issues that started a year ago are continuing, and we are still trying to get not only a diagnosis but also some sort of disability assistance to help us pay the bills since he hasn’t worked in all that time. I spend a lot of time doing paperwork, making phone calls, sending faxes, and being a little frustrated and overwhelmed, too, at times.

Yet, I truly enjoy the blessings God has put in my life … starting with the blessing of caring for my husband. That service is an honor and a blessing I am thankful for in spite of the situation that we are in. I also am so blessed to start every morning with a stroll through the dewy grass (yes, barefoot! :D) of our front yard, a sit on my porch to drink in the view, and a little time spent with my devotions and prayer journal. The early morning air is so sweet and fragrant, the view is breathtaking, and the nuggets of gold I find in those daily devotions are awe-inspiring. Additionally, I’ve acquired a new talent … I can now estimate the air temperature fairly accurately based upon how quickly my feet reach the point of “painful cold” when strolling barefoot through that dewy grass! lol!

I scrapped a page today that shows a peek of what I get to experience every day here on our little Moose Trail Acres …

Such peace and joy! :)

,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the wildlife around here, as always, and have a couple pics to share.

 

Seriously, I get *no* respect … even the deer stick out their tongues at me! lol! That doe comes daily to eat wild berries and drink from our pond’s little cascading pools. She has two little twin fawns that are always somewhere close about, and they all would just love to get past our motion-activated sprinklers and eat from my salsa garden! :D My very young moose friend here was strolling down our road just ahead of my Jeep one morning as I headed out. Notice how he turns his head to look at me as if to say, “Nothing to see here, move along!” :D

Well there’s a quick dose of “catchup” from me … how are you all doing? :D

Blessings to ya all! :D

`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· Cari `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·

What A Moosey Morning!

Well I just never get enough of the mooses - and with February here we get to see them on a daily basis! So this morning, at 5am, we hear HUGE footsteps crunching through the snow past our bedroom. Our son Justin, who was sleeping on the floor in our fitness room, awakens to see a huge moose nose sniffing the screen on his window!! lol

Meanwhile, I get up to make sure our moose friend isn't going to do more damage to our poor apple tree (it has taken a beating from the moose lately). Sure enough, the moose finishes sniffing the window and heads straight for some tasty apple wood. I open the door, turn on the light, take a couple pictures (of course!), and tell him "Not the apple tree please!" He looks at me, and chomps off a couple more branch tips. So for a good while we have this "discussion" - I tell him "NO" and he pauses to look at me, then nibbles some more. Now, I, of course, am standing in my doorway or occasionally stepping out on the porch, but can easily duck into the house if he decides to bully me with his brawn. He is at my apple tree, which is just 20 feet from my porch. NO WAY I'd step off the porch. At one point, he bites off a branch & I tell him that's enough, so he stands there staring at me with a branch sticking out of his mouth, not chewing, just staring at me. Hilarious!

After a bit, I "frightened" him off a few yards and he gnawed on a small birch tree for a bit. Then he bedded down at the edge of the yard, in front of our son's storage shed. It was too dark for pictures, so I used my camera's infrared nightvision shots to grab a couple blurry pics - too fun!

As it got just a bit lighter out, I got this shot of him still bedded down:

After a bit, he got up, chewed on my apple tree again...

Then we had a final standoff before I waved my arms & he decided he'd had enough of me for one morning & headed to the neighbors!

Mooses! Meeses! Oh My!

What a great way to start the morning! Momma moose strolled up outside the window, so took a few pics of her. Baby moose joined her, so took a few pics of him & her. Then back behind them Poppa moose comes stepping out of the trees. Fantastic!

And now I'm off to church! :D

Views From Moose Trail Acres (MTA)

You will often hear me refer to our home and small acreage as Moose Trail Acres. Years ago I dubbed our wonderful property this in honor of the many, many moose who stop by during the year. I never grow tired of seeing them lumber into the yard, oftentimes with a youngster in tow. We had an awesome bull moose pass through last month ...

After a record-setting winter last year, we are currently enjoying a bit of a respite - it's already December and while it is cooollld, we don't currently have any snow on the ground. As a native Northwesterner, I know better than to think it can't make up for lost time if it likes, but I am enjoying this special "treat" for now!

We had fog all day Monday, December 1st ... (love this shot!)

On Tuesday, December 2nd, we had a good bit of sunshine ...

On Wednesday, December 3rd, it was clear & sunny, but the day started out at a frosty 17 degrees Fahrenheit! brrrrrr!

While there was still frost on the ground, the wild turkeys made their daily visit to our yard, and while they usually kick around under our birdfeeders to find leftover seeds, I decided to try feeding them myself once ... WHAT FUN! I threw a few handfuls of squirrel food (mostly sunflower seeds & dried corn) to them, and they responded like tame chickens - albeit wary ones! :)

I hope you all are squeezing every last drop of enjoyment from whatever beauty God brings into your life each day. I came across this wonderful quote this week and included it in my Christmas letter ... I will end this blog entry with it:

EACH DAY IS A GIFT. UNTIE THE RIBBON.

Moose Crossing At Moose Trail Acres

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