Friday, March 27, 2009

Another Sunday Trailride

Sunday was a beautiful day here in Tennesse. I had not had much time or good weather on a weekend to get out and trailride. My firiend Lauren, and I, decided to go back to TWRA land that runs along the Duck River in Columbia, Tn. We visited this place last fall but did not know where to go and there is no trail map, so just made our way around. This time we met these nice folks who ride there all the time. We were able to ride with them and they showed us the main trails and some off-the-main trails. We rode a good 6 hours and made some really nice aquaintances with our riding friends. We rode into the Duck River several times to let the horses drink and take a break. One of the river stops had the stone foundation for an old bridge and the remains of an old dam from a mill house which can be slightly seen from some of the pictures. Near the end of our journey we passed this wonderful old plantation home. The home was a historical site and now owned by TWRA as part of land they purchased thirty years ago to build a flood control lake. The dam was never built, so all of this land is where we now ride trails. It was a nice break to get out away from it all for the day. Now, I am going to sell "Fire", the roan horse I am riding, because I have 4 other trail horses at home. He is well trained and a wonderful trail mount for an experienced rider. I have his mother as my regular trail horse and will keep her since she is my favorite.

Lauren on Gumby, her 3 yr old she raised from her stallion and mare.


Tommy and his wife, new trail riding friends.



Paula and her daughter, also new trail friends.




Lauren in the Duck River with old bridge stone behind her.





Me on Fire in the Duck.






Lauren and Gumby looking upstream toward the old dam.







Fire and Gumby, ready to go again after a break.








Friday, March 20, 2009

Spring is Sprung and A Giveaway

Thank goodness Spring is arriving here in TN. It has been a long cold winter. Everyone is in good spirits just getting to see some sunshine. I have let my desk pile up this week just to get outside and do some early gardening and landscape cleanup. It does the soul good to work in the soil, clean out flower beds, and see nature come back to life. I planted some peas, spinach and strawberry plants and started seeds in flats in the greenhouse. Our first foal was born 2 weeks ago and the second one came last weekend. I could stay outside ALL DAY if it were feasible.
Now for the TRIPLE GIVEAWAY. Isabel from Maison Douce http://isabellang.blogspot.com/ is celebrating her 100th post with three wonderful giveaway choices. If you are not a follower of her blog, you will be delighted when you go there. (I don't know how to do a link to her blog yet, but will figure it out and post it tonight). She is such an interesting lady, extremely talented, and a gifted writer. Even though I haven't met her in person, I can tell she is a wonderful girl to know. Go visit her blog,which is on my side bar, and tell her Carrell sent you! Have a blessed day! Carrell
First Spring Daffodils
First White Tulip Magnolia


First flowers from my greenhouse .




First Foal, TN Walking Horse colt newborn.





Wednesday, March 11, 2009

I HAVE A NEW BLOG!!!


I have a new blog!!! I have lots of neat things I find, and have wanted to do this for some time now. I listed these new braided oval place mats, some great antique baby shoes, and some other items for sale. Be sure to check back time to time (or follow) my new blog to see what I have listed!


Country Charisma Antiques




Saturday, March 7, 2009

Another Log Cabin ! ! !

OK blogger friends, we need to find a new home for this log cabin.
This winter we had to tear down an old house on our property, knowing inside there was this incredible 1800's log cabin. We have already built an old log cabin on our farm, so we really don't want or need another. This cabin is available, cheap, so if any of you out there needs a cabin/guest house/studio/spare bedroom/man cave just let us know and we will give you a bargain price. We want it to be restored and do not want it to stand without a roof for very long to prevent rot. It has only been three weeks since week exposed it to the elements. The cabin has good log floor joists, beaded ceiling beams that would make joists for a loft room, all the rafters for the roof, and 6" flooring for the first floor, plus... a cut limestone chimney and foundation rock.


The vertical boards on the logs were nailers for drywall and siding. They will be removed when the cabin is dissassembled.














The Perfect Snow and Silly Fillies

Here in southern Tennessee it is rare to see much more than an inch of snow, so when 5 to 6" fell last weekend, it constituted a photo walk around the farm. The good thing about a southern snow is it usually only lasts a day, maybe two. In our area, the roads were melted off early, but the snow stayed the better part of the day. It was a great day to settle in and do some reading and enjoy looking out, but not until I took a walk around the farm. I walked past the pastures taking some pictures of the horses when this particularly curious filly caught my attention. Of the four in the field, she was the only one paying attention to me. She kept coming a few feet closer just like she couldn't stand it, and had to find out what I was doing. Now this filly is used to me, it was just the camera she was checking out. I had taken about 15 pictures of her coming closer and closer, then she would take off running, get the others running, then come back for another study. She was real cute, but I just included a few of the dozens it took.



Closer.



Closer.


Take a litte run.

Bring the whole gang.








The fillies are on the other side of this fence from our back patio, and as you can see, we had a good little heaping of the white stuff. I love this yellow vintage table I found at a sale.


Then I walked down to the workshop and noticed how the wind that night had blown the snow up on the siding of the building. We even had some drifting! Rascal, my grandson's Jack Russell, was with me and was up to his belly in it. That was a first for his short legs.


Anna and Irish, two of our mares.


A walk around the yard.


The front yard pine tree.


When we first move here we had three giant maple trees in the front yard, but due to drought and age, we are now down to one. I hope we can hold on to it!



The creek is on the back of the farm. This is where the grandkids wanted to be over the Christmas holidays. This spot has kids written all over it.