A ROLLING STROLL

The cat picture is out of sequence and not the theme at all, but I thought I would start with her for the Aww Factor. This is KiKi enjoying the moment.
Today I hope you will ride home from church with us as we take a back road home. Here is the Maple tree that greets us at church. It sits between the church and the Veterinarian Clinic next door. Sure does sparkle.


Actually the colors this fall are more muted than most years, but splashes of brilliance shine out here and there.
You may want to double click the rest of the pictures to actually see more color and if you can make out the tractor above, I think it is a baler. At least I think that is what those circles on it are.

We are headed up the first rise as we go up the mountain.

Here is a resting spot in Dry Valley that has a most pleasant view of the mountain foot hills.

I'm sure the cattle have appreciated the tree left in this pasture where they could find some shade in the heat of the summer. The edges of the woods and the stream you can't see were also taken advantaged of when the sun was fully overhead.

The farmer has cleared the field, I think this year soy beans were grown here. Perhaps winter wheat is next and then corn will grow here.

Oh look, we're home and greeted by the Oak still hanging on to the green leaves for as long as possible. We are surrounded by Oaks which are usually the last to change colors.

Our neighbors like their Maple colors and I get to see them as well.

Flutemaker will double mow and render the leaves into mulch. We are not big on raking and burning, although I love the smell when some of the neighbors burn their leaves.

The leaves that gather in front of the garage will be blown into the woods. They blow back out sometimes and it becomes a dance of Falling leaves and man with blower. The leaves in front of buildings remind me of winter in Michigan and the huge drifts of snow that would pile up in front of the barn for the kids to use as forts and tunnels.

I wonder who else strolled today. Why don't you head on over to Aisling's invitation to stroll, I think I will. See you there.

STROLLING TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER

Come with me down this lovely drive to join a group from our church who enjoy the fun and spiritual uplift of drumming. We had every intention of bringing on the night by the light of a campfire with our foot tapping, hand clapping and enthusiastic drumming. We had an assortment of percussion instruments and were ready for fun.

Alas and a few drats we were confronted by rain and a deep chill. We said a fond farewell to the wonderful scenery and the night air and went inside.

The enthusiasm was not diminished and we thrummed, drummed, clattered and rhythmically raised a joyful noise. The vibration of drums reaches into our souls and asks us to remember that everything in the universe has a rhythm or vibration.

Stomping, clapping and shaking rattles or seed pods must have the earliest beginning with ancient people who reacted and responded to the vibrations of those things. Trial and error has brought us to modern percussion instruments. But I think we still react to the energy of drumming with the same focus and enjoyment. When you hear the drums summon you, don't you want to get up, stomp, whirl and dance for joy. I sure do.

Just for fun, why don't you dance on over to Aislings blog to see what other walkers and dancers are doing today.

p.s. Sorry this is a late entry to the Sunday Stroll, I tried every which way to Sunday to get an audio of our drumming. For some reason the video is silent, it is just not effective. Had you seen and heard, it would have inspired you I'm sure. I can say that with authority since you'll never know.

DIDN'T IT RAIN, CHILDREN

The lyrics to the old song by Roberta Martin keep running through my mind and I can't help but sing:

Didn't it rain, children

Talk about rain, oh my Lord

Didn't it fall, didn't it fall

Didn't it fall my Lord

Can't you just hear Mahailia Jackson singing in the background.

I look for blue up above and all I see is grey, not even a gathering of clouds, just grey skies.

Every morning for a week now I have gotten up to see and hear a downpour. Here you can see the run off is tapering down some but it continues to rain a misty spritzy steady dampness in the air.

The French drain in the front of the house is filled to overflowing. It's job is to take the water away from the front of the house which is lower than the road out front and send it to the end of the house and around in the drain to the back where is can continue on down to the creek. But every morning it has been overwhelmed because the ground just can't absorb it fast enough.
I'm singing all the rain songs I can think of, because I don't have the authority to turn the sprinkler off.

It looks like one of the effects of the rain is to bring down the leaves. I guess I can add Autumn Leaves to my repertoire of rain songs.

We learned a new song in choir at church that seems to be timely. It is based on Isaiah 55:10-11.

Let the Word of the Lord fall like the rain,

let it nourish our hearts while our spirits remain

in the warmth and the glow of God's glory and power,

let it fall like the rain in our worship this hour.

Words and music; Stan Pethel

SUNDAY STROLL - LEAFING

For the beauty of the earth,

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

over and around us lies:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

this our hymn of grateful praise.
Folliott S. Pierpoint

Look up, look up and see the handiwork of the original artist.


Almost gone, already.
Don't forget to look down and around.

What variety, what delight in looking and enjoying the sights and sounds and smells of autumn.
Thanks for walking with me for a little while.

To keep the wanderlust of your soul happy head on over to

The Quiet Country House for more strolling.

MADE ANY BOWLS LATELY

I had a good time last night at the Ceramic studio of good friend Marilee Hall. I would love for you to click on her name and visit her studio. It is a joy and a delight to visit her while she is working. Last night was an adventure for several of us because we were going to learn to make a bowl out of a slab of clay. We were a crew of volunteer ceramic artists and want-to-be's that are making bowls for the annual Habitat for Humanity fund raiser. There are clay artists and their students all around Cookeville, Tn. also making bowls to fill the need of this very popular event called Cooking on the Square. The donated bowls are sold for $15 each, then the owner carries the vessel to each of the volunteer cooks serving gumbos and other Cajun foods where they receive a helping of that vendors offering. The bowl can be refilled at as many tents as one cares to visit. Bread, drinks and Banana Pudding are also donated and served to the hungry crowd. You take your bowl home and add it to your collection from previous years. I have several soup bowls that serve many uses around the house. Habitat for Humanity does very well and we all have a wonderful time on the last Friday of October.

These were my try at bowl making. A little raw, a little primitive, a lot of prompting from Marilee, but a good feeling of having done something useful and worthwhile.

These are some other bowls waiting to go into the kiln and be glazed, not sure what order. I think fire, glaze and fire again, I should have asked.

The hearts on the lower shelf have been glazed so just imagine the clay above as shinny.

SUNDAY STROLL - BEE ROCK

On beautiful sunny, breezy fall days the need to be out in nature takes hold and off we go. Come with us as we hike up to Bee Rock just outside of town. We park in view of the Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast at Bee Rock. This Inn has a wonderful view of the Calfkiller River Valley and we are headed up the adjacent trail for our own view of that valley.

Have you got your hiking gear with you. Mine starts with my hiking stick and then includes binoculars and a camera. A water bottle would have been nice, but we forgot.
We will be following the folks you see up ahead. It is such a pretty day there are several nature lovers to be found here today.

The rock strata is obvious here and forms a stairway up the hill.
We were struck by the width of this old tree and couldn't help wonder if it is one of the rare breed of virgin timber that was never cut down when the wily white guy moved in.
Finally we begin to near the edge and the crest of the hill we have been climbing. We have a peek of the valley across the way.

Step out of Bee Rock and discover the major outcropping of rock here at the top of the mountain. The Cumberland Plateau is a flat top mountain 100 miles long and forty miles wide (give or take a little here and there) but includes valleys and deep pockets all along the way.

Here we are doing what all tourists do. We take pictures of us taking pictures. Flutemaker has his back to the vista of the Calfkiller River Valley. It was named after a local American Indian chief, the river that flows into the city of Sparta has been gathering from little brooks and streams that start up here on the mountain and run down to join together.

I've turned around and now you can see a bit of the rock face and the folks over there getting ready to repel down the wall of stone.

This area has long been used by rock climbers and emergency rescue worker for practice for more serious work elsewhere.

To see a quick video of the repelling head on over to Flutemakers alterego Socratease at his blog.

I can explain here why this area is called Bee Rock. In the good old day this rock face was home to a great number of bee hives. Apparently bees used the crevasses to house their hives and the native warriors would brave the steep walls and stinging homeowners to steal the honey. It was highly prized back home by the cooks and all lovers of sweet tasting treats.

I was enthralled by the tenacious trees and their fierce hold on the rocky top we were wandering around on.

I wanted to leave you with an enduring sign that others have been here before us. Since S.P. and G.C. were not the only inscribers up here and the fact the 74 could have been1974, 1874 or possibly 1774 I think saying "I was here" must be primordial and part of our ancient genetic material. Humans have been leaving their mark as long as they have been making marks.

So off you go to your next adventure. You can find other strollers at Aislings place.