ON RED PINE MOUNTAIN

On a mountain in the state of Vermont rests the farm lands of the blog "Red Pine Mountain". Containing far more acreage than most of us could ever imagine and making my almost 3 acre parcel of land look minuscule in comparison, this bucolic paradise is surrounded by lush forests and dotted with pristine meadows. Red Pine Mountain is home and sanctuary to blogger Sara and her loving mate in life, whom she affectionately calls "Mountain Man". It is also home to Sara’s treasure, a collection of gentle, adorable animals. Sara is an unrequited dreamer and a lover of animals large and small, her menagerie includes horses, dogs and a barnyard of assorted fowl. Each of her gentle creatures displays a unique personality, in much the same way that we humans do, they will both surprise you and make you smile if not laugh.

In this mountain home Sara’s the dreamer but it’s Mountain Man who is her rock, the solidity that allows her to keep her head in the clouds and her feet firmly on the ground, it’s truly a match made in heaven. Together they attempt to salvage an old farm, restore it to its’ past glory and to preserve a way of life that is quickly disappearing.

If you visit Red Pine Mountain, you may witness the miniature horses as they graze in their pasture, leisurely nibbling on the sweet succulent grasses.  Perhaps you’ll spy the antics of Sara’s clever turkeys, guinea hens and assorted chickens, or discover the farm’s latest acquisition such as their new fluffy yellow goslings.

Red Pine Mountain is a blog I love to visit because, for a moment in time, I’m transported to a tranquil oasis, a beautifully verdant retreat where the sky is too blue to believe and the air fresh and fragrant with the perfume of trees, fresh hay and green meadows.

You’re graciously invited to visit as their gate is always open wide and they welcome all who enter there.

If you care to visit there and have not noticed all my highlighted links in my post that would take you to this blog ... or if you would prefer to check it out on your own terms the URL is :  http://redpinemountain.com/ 

I'm confident that you'll enjoy the trip.



KATHI AND THE EGG - or - The Egg and I

photo above ... A pretty shade of pale teal and all natural.

From fashionista to farm girl, who would've guessed ?  Kathi, my older daughter, was always the city girl, she liked the bright lights, the hectic pace, the places to go, things to do and above all she liked the shopping. As she grew from a teen, who turned my hair prematurely gray, to an adult I envisioned her moving off to the lights of a big city such as LA or Miami but to my surprise she settled in Bradenton, Florida.  Now after residing here for several years she has transformed into a true country lass.


Back in July of 2010 she brought home 13 little baby chicks  (more on that here) .  Naturally that meant a special cage to keep them safe and of course a heat lamp to keep them warm, their little chick fuzz isn't that great at protecting them against a draft or a chill. 

photo above...baby pictures of the "girls" when they were just chicks.

Next, as they out grew their nesting cage, came a true hen house or chicken coupe.  Now, after 6 months, Kathi is starting to get a daily supply of fresh eggs from her "girls".   A chicken expert told her that the first eggs would be small and just about any color, he was correct as the first batch of eggs were hardly bigger than the top digit of one's thumb and have come in lovely shades of blue, green and brown.  The eggs are getting bigger and for now are still fairly colorful.  With these eggs one would hardly need any Easter egg dye. 

Stay tuned as in the near future I hope to blog about their horses (they now have 2,  Scooby and Havoc) and a new enterprise... to start up a local chapter of the 4 H Club, complete with cattle and 20 coconut palms, but that's another story.

UPDATE - - - Good News For The Holidays

As many of you may know, the company that my daughter Kathi worked for had been sold to another corporation and that corporation, in an attempt to balance the books, went through and down-sized its new acquisition. Like most buyouts the new company was not a local one nor did it have any knowledge of the people they would be letting go, theirs was strictly a numbers game and the higher salaried employees were at the top of the list of those to be dismissed. Kathi had work for NDC for a number of years and had become an intrigal part of the company. John McKay, her old boss at NDC, had been an ex Florida State Senator and was a founder of NDC. In the years that Kathi worked for NDC she impressed those she worked with and for.  Her boss and her peers thought well of her, respected her for her intelligence, work ethics, and her ability to learn quickly and adapt.



Soon after Kathi lost her job, John McKay called her to pass on information that he had put in a good word for her with District 58's new Representative, Jim Boyd. Jim Boyd's office had a position open and was looking for someone qualified to fill it, John McKay recommended Kathi for the position.


Boyd's office got in touch with Kathi almost immediately and scheduled an interview, it was as though this was meant to be. The interview was most successful, they were highly impressed with Kathi and her résumé and Kathi left the interview with a very positive feeling. Shortly after the interview they contacted her again to tell her that she had the job. Though the pay is less the job sounds interesting, she will have to go to Tallahassee for special training and she is delighted with her new job title "District Executive Secretary". Her daddy smiled when he heard and he commented; "Well as they always say; 'If you can't give them the money; give them a title.' "

 Kathi is really excited about her new job and is looking forward to her up coming training session in Tallahassee. This is certainly a new direction in her career and it's nice to know that their Christmas won't be darkened by her being unemployed, or worries about paying bills or thoughts about having to sell her daughter's new horse, Scooby (this would have broken Lexie's heart).

Photo below...Lexie and Scooby BFF.

I also wish to thank all of you for your comments of concern and best wishes for our daughter, your caring thoughts were all appreciated and cherished. Thank you.
I've always been a believer that things happen for a reason, that our Creator knows which direction He wishes us to take and all we have to do is look for His signs and follow them. Of course sometimes His signs are very subtle, sometimes we don't see them and sometimes we choose not to see them, much to our detriment.