My friend the goat

As you can see, I made a new friend when we recently visited the apple orchard. This goat was extremely friendly. He kept wanting to give me a kiss . . . or eat my camera. I can't tell. Anyway, he was an eager little guy.

Going to market

Welcome Fall!! I missed you!

Eagle Falls

Eagle Falls

Cumberland Falls State Park

I know I've quoted this little "song" before, but I always think of it when I post a picture of a waterfall. Since reading that book, waterfalls always "sing" this song to me, when I sit near them.

"From the heights we leap and flow

To the valleys down below,

Sweetest urge and sweetest will,

To go lower, lower still."

—the water's song

from Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

Cumberland Falls

I finally made it to the woods! This summer has been so hot and buggy, that it's made it nearly impossible to want to be outside. So, I haven't wanted to venture out on the trail, even though I've desperately wanted to!

Well, a couple of weekends ago, I got my chance. The weather was perfect—highs in the mid-70's, 0% humidity, and breezy. Now, that's my kind of weather! So, we made it a goal to get out in the woods, and traveled about an hour and a half to Cumberland Falls State Park. We packed our lunches in the daypack, grabbed our trekking poles, and hit the Eagle Falls Trail. Since we had our daughter with us (21-months, today), we didn't want to take on more than we could handle, so we thought the 1.5 mile trail would be perfect. It would give us the chance to see both Cumberland and Eagle Falls, and allow us to be in the woods.

The trail was gorgeous, mostly shaded, and all-around wonderful! But, don't let that meager 1.5 miles fool you. This isn't just a piece-of-cake hike. Parts of this trail are described as "very rugged." But, it's so worth it! It offers an up-close look at Eagle Falls, and some of the best views of Cumberland Falls (see above). It's truly a beautiful trail. And, it satisfied my craving to be "in the woods." We were exhausted by the time we were done, but so happy, too. Now, I'm just hankering for the next trip . . .

The last bit of summer

I'm finding it difficult to believe that the summer is coming to an end. It blows my mind to think that we're already half-way through September. My daughter is getting closer and closer to her 2nd birthday. We just bought a house. We're in the midst of a kitchen remodel. Vacation is coming!! There's a lot going on!

I love the Fall, so I'm honestly not that sad to see summer go. Maybe that will change when we have a child in school, but for now, I really enjoy Fall. It's one of my favorite seasons . . . well, as long as it's not too hot. That makes me grumpy. But, I do love Fall. We've already been to the apple orchard once, and I'm sure we'll visit a few more times before Winter. Can you say, "cider doughnuts?!"

Another review coming soon!

I'm being given another opportunity to review another camera-related item from CSN Stores, and I'm really excited. CSN STores is literally like an online mall. They carry just about anything you can imagine, and I've been pretty impressed with their products, so far. They offer everything from furniture, to everything you need for home improvement, housewares, things for pets, cheap bedroom furniture, luggage, and so much more! They have some great stuff, and I've been really pleased with the camera bag that I was able to purchase from them a while ago.

So, stay tuned to see what great camera accessory ends up being reviewed! I'll post all the ins and outs, and pros and cons. Coming soon!

Week 37: Vroom, Vroom Photo Challenge! (I Heart Faces)

We went to the apple orchard yesterday afternoon. It just wouldn't be Fall without going to the apple orchard . . . a few times. :o) I just have to have fresh apples in the Fall. I'm a bit of an apple snob. There, I said it. I'm an apple snob! I really only have apples during this one season of the year. After the taste of fresh-picked apples enters your mouth, there's just no turning back. Store-bought apples have completely lost their appeal for me. So, in the Fall, it's off to the orchard.

This was the first time we've gone apple picking since my daughter was a baby—her first trip as a toddler, who can actually say, "Apple!" My how time has flown! She's such a busy little bee, too. She liked the wagon ride for a little bit, but after that, it was only running and walking for her until we left.

Moth Movers

During our recent move, as you might expect, we had a lot of boxes laying around. As I was unpacking some outside, I noticed this beautiful (albeit beat-up) moth that was hanging around. It must have been something about the cardboard that attracted it, but it posed so perfectly for me that I had to snap some shots. While it may have been difficult to find some of our belongings in the boxes, I kept my camera within eye-shot at all times, so I always knew where it was! :o)

The end

Liriope spicata

(commonly called "monkey grass")

This is one of the last pictures I snapped around our apartment, before we moved. These grasses were planted in a little courtyard plot, right near our front door. They were just green for quite some time, and then they bloomed. I love the simple purple blooms. These poor plants suffered much abuse from cigarette hurling neighbors and dogs that left their "mark" on them. But, I always thought they were pretty, just the same. 

Now, we're homeowners! And we're loving it! While our house is old and has its quirks, it's all ours, and we were so ready! No more loud neighbors, or dog poo to deal with. Ahhhh. We couldn't be happier about it. Now, I just have to get the rest of our stuff unpacked and catch up on my photos. :o)