“And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”
Luke 1:35 ESV
An Appalachian foothills sunrise last week. The hardwoods are beginning to thin with the bare look of winter not many days away. This has a pleasant, even warm look, but it was low 20’s on this particular morning! December is starting out quite cool for us, but many folks not too far away are experiencing snow. We continue our prayers for those in western NC, and other places devastated by Helene, who are now dealing with cold and snowy weather.
I placed this evening pic of a waxing crescent moon with Venus below (sitting just above the trees) in this spot for a specific reason. The ridge shadowed below Venus and the bare trees is behind our house about 1/4 mile. The sunrise in the previous photo was taken from that ridge top, facing east of course! We have trails, but it is a nice hike to get up there. Not a bad way to warm up a bit on a cold day!
While many of our trees, like maples for example, are mostly bare now, the old big oaks are stubbornly hanging on to their leaves. This red oak in our front yard, along with other red oaks and the big water oak will finally decide to give it up and I will suddenly have a lot of leaf raking or blowing. A better problem than the piles of snow that many of our northern and western friends are dealing with; so no complaints!
You might remember how I used a few seed pods (cones if you prefer) from our tulip tree/yellow poplar as additions for fall decoration, realizing they had an autumnal look. This particular tree lies in the shadows of the big red oak from the previous photo, and as you can see, not a single leaf is hanging on. What is present are hundreds of those pods, now open to release seeds. You’d think this would be enough seeds to reproduce thousands of these trees!
Pam and I were out one cold evening last week enjoying some of the local Christmas festivities. She disappeared in the crowd and I searched for her for quite some time. I finally decided she would show up eventually, so I went about making photos of Santa and others who were there.
Our 3 grand elves were found heading in to check out the sights, food, and fun at “Christmas On The Coosa”. The Coosa River runs near our home and through our city, and the Native American name is found often referring to businesses, places, and events in the region!
One main attraction at “Christmas On The Coosa” is an ice skating rink, something not found in many places in Alabama, and here only for the Christmas season. EM decided to try out the ice ahead of the tree lighting (tree in the background) which was to take place later in the evening. Local food vendors, a gift shop, show bands, choirs, and a professional skater who performed a routine were all part of a very festive and enjoyable time that was well attended. With a night that ended up around 18 degrees, the ice fared well, which is probably not normally that easy to maintain where we live. With 65 and rain predicted for Monday, I wonder how they take care of the ice? The venue will be open each evening through January 4.
I was walking through the yard humming different Christmas songs and when I looked up, this sight brought one to mind…”please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree”…. We aren’t likely to have snow but we do have plenty of mistletoe. And as I strolled a little further, another sighting prompted a completely different song lyric to pop in my head…”it’s time for mistletoe and holly”…
…and you can see why this might happen. A story here; Probably 35 or more years ago, I found a small twig of a holly tree growing wild in the woods south of here. It was a few inches tall but without a shovel it was still a task to get it pulled up and save a little root. I threw it in my truck, forgot about it for a couple of days, and then only stuck it in a small pot and threw dirt around the root. It was a week or ten days before I remembered and decided to plant it in our lower side yard. Today it is our only holly. The tree has never produced very many red berries, only a few each season. I pruned it last spring, cleaned out around it, and removed many lower limbs. This was the only time I’ve done anything to the tree in all these years…and look at all those berries. I had not noticed until last week!
The ginkgo is now without it’s golden leaves. We can no longer enjoy them on the tree, but as long as they remain this pretty on the ground, they escape the rake, mower, and blower! Why not enjoy as long as possible.
The Sunshine Cottage is a nice place for a lot of things, watching wildlife being one pastime. I hope my planting along the fence continues to keep the deer happy so they remain away from the yard and garden. So far this is working. These 11 were joined by others. I have counted as many as 15 at one time.
These two have been comical to watch. They get their heads low and face off. Then nothing happens. I think one is scared and the other is glad of it. My grandmother used to call silly, foolish acting teenage boys “young bucks”. Watching these boys for a couple of days validates grandmother’s terminology!
We live outside the city limits, but the new, first term Mayor of our hometown is really doing a good job and seems to have vision and knows how to get things done. We were passing through town yesterday and noticed a number of small, but nice new seasonal additions along the streets.
One downtown neighborhood street had a number of homes which Pam thought were elegantly decorated for Christmas. The nutcrackers on this porch however, caused us to stop, backtrack, and get a photo. We found that our life-size nutcrackers were in further decline when we placed them on the cottage porch recently. This should be their final year, but they have served us well!
Today’s look back is to this week last December. The Williamsburg fan, after years as a Christmas tradition, suffered the first visits ever by critters which found the fruit to their liking. I had reluctantly chosen to retire the fan, not willing to continue the work and expense, only to be frustrated by possums, or “opossums” to speak properly of them.
However, I couldn’t stand it. As the week went on, something had to be done. On a whim while in town, I bought the fruit needed, stopped and picked up a can of clear polyurethane spray and headed home. The fruit selection was really pitiful, no quality, but I had little time so I went with it. I gathered magnolia leaves when I got home, sprayed everything and put it together as soon as it dried. I wasn’t sure what reception I and the fan might receive when Pam returned home. This is why I was in such a rush…you see, I hung the fan on the front of the Sunshine Cottage over the porch, out of the reach of possums. The fan, although not my best one, has a new home for now. PJ will show you more of it later when she does a Cottage post. She allowed it to remain! It is more exposed to the elements in this location so this is a test run I suppose.
In a few days the sun will be as far in the southwestern sky as it will seem to travel and the journey to the north will begin once again. This beautiful December sunset, as seen from behind my shop, is only available a couple of months of the year when the leaves are gone and Mr. Sun is near the winter solstice!
We wish you a merry and delightful December!
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 ESV
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace,Life and Linda
Your weather seems exactly as ours! The cold snap greeted my relocated sister and today/tomorrow warming with rain. Even the ginkgo trees here decorated the ground below this week with that beautiful gold.
Your fan looks great, Butch, and your pack of deer impressive! Maybe those two bucks were auditioning to see which one may lead Santa?!
Have a wonderful week, Richardsons!
Beautiful sunrise and sunsets. and your opening scripture so appropriate, as today is the feast of the Immaculatr conception in the Catholic church.
Thank you Rita. A little warming this week won’t hurt our feelings. I guess we from the south are softies when it comes to cold weather. The deer will start competing for the ladies attention in a couple weeks around here so the young bucks probably will come out better with Santa. Have a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
Lovely post, Butch. I loved the photos of Pam and the grands, and I think I saw you in a photo also! And the photo of the apple fan brings back such memories of when we had ours that you made for us on display. We still have it, but have no where to display it in our current home. But I am holding onto it (although it is somewhat shabby now!) and hope to be able to display it again in the future. Merry Christmas to all of you, and hope to see you in the new year.
Thank you Patti. I had forgotten all about making you the form for the Williamsburg fan. Amazing you still have that. We so hope you can display it again someday. Merry Christmas to you, Mike, and to all. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
Yea the Williamsburg fan is back❣️Butch the one and only time I made one, it was facing east and the weather didn’t harm it at all. It just would not be Christmas at Everyday Living without it. I see you are getting some Colorado temperatures. When you have to cover up head to toe it feels more like Christmas. I’m thankful on your behalf that the deer are staying along the fence line because I can’t imagine 11 deer in your beautiful garden. We have an ice rink sometimes on 29th street here. Don’t know why it’s not always there this time of year. I’m looking forward to days with more light soon. Venus was looking very pretty with the small moon. Thank you for all the beauty you provide.
Thank you Alice. Yes, the fan returned but not without issues. We have had a few head to toe covering kinda days but that somehow does make things feel more seasonal. Maybe we aren’t quite getting Colorado weather, our world would shut down for a month. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
I loved every bit of this post! You’ve certainly been rocking the holiday cheer with the family and that looks like such fun. And oh, loving the deer! I’ve always loved your nutcrackers and it’s good to see the fan again!
Thank you Jeanie. We are trying to get out and about and have some holiday fun. Grandkids can get us going and doing when nothing else will. I still have issues to resolve with the fan. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
So glad the fan is back and it looks perfectly beautiful to me! Christmas on the Coosa sounds like so much fun, but brrr, a cold night for sure! Love Santa and the Grinch and all those deer, wow, I do hope they don’t wander into your garden. The moon is beautiful right now. I am glad our temps are warming up a little, I have been huddled in a blanket all weekend! I hope you both have a jolly week ahead!
Thank you Jenna. We can identify with huddling to stay warm. I told someone already I guess we were softies here in the south when it comes to cold. Our city is small but doing some nice new things like Christmas on the Coosa. I’m still struggling with the fan but it did make an appearance. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
I’ve always admired your Williamsburg fan at Christmas and happy to see that you decided to make another one. Hopefully the critters will not notice its new location.
Thank you Karen. I think we have a new place for the fan that critters aren’t able to easily get to, but I still couldn’t locate what I needed to protect and preserve it as well as in the past. Still a work in progress. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Sunday, Butch and Pam! The photos of the sunrise and sunset are breathtaking. I think December holds some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The Williamsburg fan is beautiful. I can’t wait to see Pam’s post with it adorning Sunshine Cottage. Your town’s Christmas celebration looks like so much fun. I wish you both a most blessed week ahead and joyous Christmas season!
Thank you Shannon. We live in a small town really but they do a very nice job with things and a lot added this year. Still having issues with the fan but I did get one made. We had a gorgeous sunrise this morning but I missed it by a few minutes. It changes so quickly. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
The sunrise and sunset shots are magical with all the colors. The Williamsburg fan is beautiful and hopefully has found a home where the possums won’t roam! Your town looks idyllic with all the pretty decorations. The grands look like they’re ready for all the festivities. What did you plant to keep the deer at bay? We may the have to the same. Enjoy your Sunday. Clara❤️
Thanks so much Clara. I haven’t settled on what to use to preserve the fan but maybe managed to find a location that will work. The deer are supposed to be enjoying winter rye, wheat, oats and clover, but it has been so dry there’s not that much to munch on. Have a blessed week.
Butch and Pam
Beautiful photos Butch and BTW we are home in Florida now after three months in the Midwest. We did come through your neck of the woods although we were a bit west as we stopped off in Red Bay for motorhome needs, before heading down through Birmingham and Montgomery. I have to say I was cold the last few weeks and we are so glad to be in the sunshine state again. We both came home with the “crud” as we call it…where your nose drips and you just don’t feel quite up to par. But this too shall pass. The deer pics are so cool and the story of the holly tree is special. It is amazing how a tree can grow in spite of us. LOL Down here one can pick up a small branch of a dried up plumaria, stick it in the ground or pot and it will grow. Go figure. Thanks again for your wonderful Sunday musings. Hello to Pam and the beautiful grands.
Thank you Kari. We are glad you safely are back home but sorry about the crud. We know all about that stuff. It seems the plants I study and pamper and work with are the ones that die, and what I toss and forget about are resilient and take off. Maybe it only makes sense for me to not mess with things too much. Have a pleasant week!
Butch and Pam
Christmas on the Coosa and your decorated hometown look like something out of the Hallmark Channel.
What an ideal environment to nurture children during their growing years. Gadsden is quite special.
The sunrises and sunsets are so beautiful. It was almost thrilling to see your repeating the famous
Williamsburg Apple Fan…Sunshine Cottage will now be Christmas-complete. The nutcrackers will
be proud and impressed. The holly tree saga has a lesson to cite…relax, hold fast and never give up hope.
We were 16 degrees last night, so we cannot wait for next week’s warming spell. Stay snuggled and
enjoy these enchanting Christmastide moments. Blessings Pam, Butch and other kindred spirits.
Thanks so much Mary. I saw a drone photo today of a city where they called it a Hallmark Christmas. I forget where, but it was much larger than our city; our local community has done a wonderful job for a smaller area and they keep adding nice family type things. The fan has briefly found a new spot but I still have some obstacles to overcome in the future. Hopefully we will be blessed to be around to take on those little everyday living challenges again in another season. We are snuggled. Have a warm and peaceful week!
Butch and Pam
A grand week of Christmas time celebrating – love the ice skating! Sorry the critters had a bit of lunch on your creative work of art!
Thank you Mary. We are feeding all the critters at a distance (and at an expense) hoping they will accept our offerings and stay away. So far this seems to be working. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
Happy Sunday Butch and Pam! Lovely photos that really “feel” like winter. These cold temperatures have really been something the past few days. I hope Pam had her Christmas list handy since she ran into Santa! Your town seems so charming, all decked out for Christmas. Today I returned to church for the first time since weeks before my surgery. A group of dear friends celebrated afterwards with brunch at IHOP!
Thanks so much Roxanne. We are so glad to hear you were able to be out and about. Probably no one as glad over that as you. I think Santa took Pam’s list, tore it in half, and just mumbled “inflation “. Our locals are doing a really nice job with celebrating Christmas. Thankfully a lot of it includes the true reason for the season. Have a wonderful week and don’t overdo it!
Butch and Pam
Hello Friends! So you made the Williamsburg fan! I love it, Butch. It is beautiful. I look forward to Pam’s post tomorrow to see everything in place. I bet she was so surprised!
I love the picture of Pam with Santa, Grinch, and Cindy Lou. How fun was that Christmas Festival.
Your sunset and sunrise pictures are gorgeous. We had a pretty sunset not too long ago here in AZ. My son also sent a photo of one from Cleveland, Ohio, for me to see. How nice was that!
The Christmas Spirit is definitely in the air, and I enjoy seeing it in your blog post. We are feeling it here in our home as well.
Merry Sunday, my friends!
Thank you Nancy. I must admit to you, I asked who the girl with Santa was supposed to be, and someone said “surely you know Cindy Lou”. I didn’t, but I do now. I guess I need to get out more to different places, and read some different material. The fan is a work in progress. A sunset in Ohio maybe had snow? We wish you a very good week in AZ!
Butch and Pam
Just love how you all can tell a good story…what joy and smiles you bring! Loved all the wisdom of grandmothers, the bucks, the beautiful and getting taller grands, stunning photos, and your exceptional traditional talents…Happy 2nd Sunday of Advent, and may your week be filled with peace and even more memorable times.
Thank you Sue. The longer we are around, the more we realize and cherish the wisdom and the stories from those who’ve gone before us. Such a blessing. We are spending time each day with a couple of good Advent devotionals and enjoying them very much. Have a pleasant and peaceful week!
Butch and Pam
Beautiful photos. Happy Advent!
Thank you Maristella. We are enjoying some daily study in a couple of Advent devotionals. We hope your week is a wonderful one!!
Butch and Pam
Oh my…heart. This post is perfection. Today I lit my advent candle for Peace. Through your eyes, words, and souls, I FEEL the peace of God. Through the beauty of the sunsets, foliage (let’s talk about that Holly! WOW), the deer, and the young bucks! To the cutest little elves (who are growing like Holly) and …the FAN! Oh, Butch! What a surprise! The sun will rise and set over the Richardson Plantation (I’m sorry, homestead doesn’t do), winter solstice set in, possums MIGHT return, the ice will eventually melt, and snow might fall,…the kids will continue growing and so much will change, …yet, God’s glory and love never change! Through every season and circumstance you both continue being lights in this world and sharing his GOODNESS all around! God bless you all! I pray for you every day! Many blessings and hugs. Love, Karla and Finn
Thank you so much Karla. The elves are growing at a rate faster than we might wish,but we are glad that process is not in our control. Yes, the fan made an appearance on a whim one day. I still have some issues to resolve before next time, should God grant us such a blessing. We continue to feed possums and others at a distance. Hopefully all will remain satisfied. The only critters that are provided for right outside the door are the birds. We continue to pray for you as certainly thank you for your prayers. Have a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
I love the pictures and guided tour. The Williamsburg fan is beautiful. Have you tried cloves as a deterrent? I use minced garlic from the dollar store, or cloves, and this summer dried cucumbers of all things, as ‘critters’ don’t like them. Doesn’t hurt them, but they relocate.
Have an awesome week and stay warm.
Thank you Myrna. I was thinking on deterrents like cloves etc but I decided to try a new location for the fan where the critters couldn’t reach very easy. I don’t think I would hang around dried cucumbers either. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
You are certainly helping to feed the wildlife, those holly berries will be a favorite with the birds. Love the deer photos, and it is amusing to watch the young ones play at adult behaviors. I hope the wildlife leaves your fan alone this time!
Thank you Carole. The birds do flock to the holly berries all winter. Those young deer will soon be put on the run by the bigger boys around here. It’s really interesting to watch the competition then. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
It was wonderful to see that you made the fan! I think it is beautiful! I can’t believe how tall EM is! It’s unbelievable how fast they grow up. God bless you all!
Thank you Cheryl. EM is very tall. She’s catching up with us too fast. I still have some things I need to do differently on the fan in the future. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
Beautiful pictures Butch and I always love the sky shots. I could see Venus – the Northern Hemisphere is supposed to be able to see Jupiter this week but there is too much light at night here in the city. It looks like everyone had fun at Christmas on the Coosa; it was strange to see everyone all bundled up but your temps were actually colder than ours were the week. Brrr. The Williamsburg fan looks fantastic and I hope those deer behave themselves. Have a wonderful week both of you!
Thank you Kim. I think we can see Jupiter currently but we are experiencing clouds and rain now. It has warmed. That’s the way here in the winter, back and forth with the wardrobe. We hope you have a blessed Christmas season and a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam