Exploring the Ozarks Litchen Falls

So if you've driven to the Glory Hole, you probably know where the tiny town of Fallsville is located. Keep going west another 2.6 miles and turn left on the gravel road. It's Arbaugh Road, but it's not labeled so set your odometer passing Fallsville. Another helpful tip, most GPS will lose signal so set the odometer. Then, go down the gravel road-it's a little rough but nothing the Prius couldn't handle at a slow speed. Hang a left at the fork and keep going. There's a trail head and across the road from the park signs is another well worn path. Go down that path for 3/4 of a mile. You'll see a little creek to your right-it feeds the waterfall.

Hopefully, you'll go on a day that has a lot more water falling:

The non-traditional birthday cake

I'll never be as good as my mom was on making Birthday cakes-I think she passed that gene on to Lauren or Lee, but I try.
This year Lauren gets a Cherry Cheesecake and I've simply got to share the recipe because (1) it was easy and (2) it was good.

One cup of heavy whipping cream-and whip it good real good.
Add 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and one cup of confectioners sugar. Whip some more and add one tsp of vanilla. Then pour into the pre-made pie shell of your choice and refrigerate 3 hours.
Then add the topping of your choice-Lauren got cherries this year.

All things March

So technically, today is the third day of March. The month of Spring. The month of Hopper, Lauren, Connor, and me. There's St. Pat's Day. Daffodils are out and puppies and kittens are coming soon.

It's time to get started on the garden-onions are going in the ground. Red and yellow this year. Garlic bed is doing great. The husband has some huge tomato plants growing in the basement-waiting for the last frost to be over.

I'm excited as usual-I love to see all things blooming. Expect pictures soon.

Cheyenne

A week ago today, Cheyenne crossed the rainbow bridge. I know I should be completely over her passing by now-she wasn't my dog, but I'm not. My baby is still reeling with a huge whole in her heart and I can feel her pain. As much as I'd like to, I can't wave a magic wand and make her loss disappear but I can remind her of the good things Cheyenne accomplished. First of all, I've never been a fan of Pit Bulls. They have a bad reputation for being strong, quick tempered, and violent. I never saw any violence. She showed amazing patience with my dogs and grandson. I was really nervous having her around my grandson, but they adored each other. Every where he went, Cheyenne would follow three feet behind. Close enough to get to him in one jump if he called for her to get a stick(he knew she loved them) or if he needed help finishing a sandwich (he didn't like the crust and she didn't mind disposing of it). She was incredible playing with my much, much smaller dogs. She even understood "be gentle with granny" a phrase I used when I had a headache and couldn't quite take her jumping up into my lap. After telling her to be gentle, she would climb slowly into my lap and sit quietly for as long as I needed her too-sometimes we would even take a nap that way. She never begged for food-oh she would look loving at you with those gorgeous golden eyes, but she wouldn't bark or beg. She taught a lot of people not to buy into the hype that the media gives to her breed. I've never seen any dogs do the tricks that she did. Climb under the chair or over. Stay and leave it. Bark. Use your inside voice(which cracks me up just thinking about that huge dog barking in a whisper). Fetch. Sit. Roll over. Shake. Give me five-up high and now down low. She did it all and took a part of my heart with her.

Photo/blog challenge

My much younger and more organized sister has vowed to blog every single day in March and some friends of mine issued a Lenten photography challenge-forty days of lent with a theme for each day so I figured why not combine the both? We all know I can't do forty days of anything but maybe just maybe I can keep up with sis and combine the two into 31 days of blogging and or photography.
So let me start off with some of my favorite pictures taken recently.
The first one is taken at Haw Creek Falls.

 The second is taken on 123 near Fort Douglas and if it seems a little crooked or off center-give me a break, I was on the back of a Harley.

 The third is of "Big Creek" near the Buffalo River at Carver.

 The fourth is also of Big Creek, but I was admiring the bluffs in the distance. I think it's pretty even though spring colors aren't here yet.

Thanks Mom

Last Thanksgiving, my step dad gave all of us a box of pictures that my mom had left. She had hundreds no thousands of pictures. Pictures of plants, dogs, cats, scenery, and of course pictures of her kids and grand kids. None were labeled and they weren't in any kind of order. Words can't thank him enough-some of the craziest pictures have a special meaning to each one of us. There's pictures taken the first Christmas Mom got a microwave-when we nuked every thing in sight to see what would happen and if it would be edible. There's pictures of all the girls dressed a like in some holiday out fit. There are duplicates that I gave her and lost in the process of my divorce (so glad to get them back). But, in my box there was a roll of undeveloped film.
Plants? Dogs? Snow or sunsets?
It's scary dropping off film when you have no earthly idea what's on the film. She thought nothing of taking bath pictures and pictures of naked kids on a deer skin rug.
I waited until the holidays were over so there was less chance that Walmart would loose the film.
I finally got the pictures back today. They are absolutely beautiful.

The original pictures are much better in reality and the beautiful baby? Casey Epps.

That's right these pictures were taken almost eighteen years ago.

Michigan Research part 2 Dark Sky Park

So I really want to drive through Petoskey, Mi and try and find stones but guess what's not too far from there and never closes?
Dark Sky Park
That's right a park that sits on the edge of the water with very little light and a very good chance to see the Northern Lights.