busy bees ~

I'm busy as a bee right now ~ and promise to get back to blogging as soon as possible.  In the meantime ... I'm taking a break for a few days.  Thank you to all who follow and read my little snippets of what's going on in my world ~ Up North With Mel.  LOVE TO ALL!!! Miss Me!

Before I go ... just thought I'd share another cute little pic from TajMELhal ~

That's just how I feel today, correction - these last couple weeks ... a little behind on things :) and I need to take a little time off to catch up.

Until next time ...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

brandy ~

It's been 2 months since she passed from this earthly home 

and has found her way to doggy heaven

... and I just couldn't fight the tears back to make this post until now.

 

She was a good dog.  

She was my constant companion for almost 14 years.

Many hours had been spent together in conversation ...

Me doing the talking ~ and she listening and dwelling on my every word 

as if she knew what I was rambling on about.

She gave me comfort.

Our family was blessed to have such a loyal and loving pet.

It's really hard for me to take my walks without her.

She loved blazing the trail and checking things out before me ...

Napping in the sunshine ~

~ and running in new fallen snow ...

  She was a good dog.

Until next time ...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

good things~

So do you know what this is?  It's kind of scary looking if you ask me.  It has a clamp, a big screw thingy with a pointy end, a cutting blade and springs on it and a crank handle that turns the shaft with the big screw thingy-mi-jig.

It's one of my favorite little kitchen gadgets ~ an apple peeler, corer, slicer - all in one.  It's a pretty handy kitchen gadget to own when you have a big bag of apples waiting on you.

Now isn't that just the slickest thing you ever did see?  Yeppers, as Martha would say, "It's a good thing."

Another good thing ~ as far as I'm concerned is this gorgeous weather that we're having.  It's 60 degrees out this afternoon, the sky is clear, the air smells like fall.  I LOVE IT!

Let's take a walk around the place ...

I only had eight apples on this tree, this year ~ last year it was so loaded we had to put support boards under it's branches so they wouldn't break ~ they're a later apple that always sweetens up after being exposed to a good frost.  As long as they are holding fast ~ I don't plan on picking them until they are good and ready.  I wish I could remember what the name of this apple tree is ... they are the best BEST pie and jam apple I've ever come across.  I also hope the deer don't get them before me.

Look what's in my crab apple tree ~ a nice little hornet's nest ... which I discovered the last time I mowed the lawn.  It's right at head level.

I'm fascinated by hornets nest ~ the layers and layer of paper like sheets that make them up ... and it always amazes me how fast the hornets can construct a nest.  Notice on the upper right hand side of the nest ... the hornets built it right around an apple. They can  have those apples, they're so tart and sour tasting the deer don't even like them.

The beautiful colors of fall are all around us ...

 ~ * ~

the scent of woodsy moss and mushrooms is in the air 

little mushrooms tucked under the leaves ...

upon closer inspection ...

... yup, call me weird; but this is the kind of thing that fascinates me and I could walk around and discover all day long ...

You may just see a fern frond ~ but I see how the frost has already hit it and it's dying off for the season ~ evident by the discoloration in the leaves ...

Blue skies and a spruce tree ~ I also see the top of another smaller spruce tree hung up in the top of a maple tree.

The circle of life ~ the maple seed which will get it's nourishment from the fallen leaves and decaying wood ... young balsam tree seedlings growing on the rotten moss covered log ~

Yes, these are all good things.

I just LOVE IT WHEN GOD PAINTS for us!

Thanks for spending some time enjoying the woods and my back yard with me.  Have a fantastic day!

Until next time ...

So it goes in my neck of the woods. 

~mel