Monday's Country Back Roads in the Forest

 

On my way home today.....

 

 

"How beautifully leaves grow old.

How full of light and color are their last days".

John Burroughs

(1837-1921

American naturalist and nature essayist

 

Meggie Mac

 

Brown Betty for Thursday Show and Tell

 

So what is all the excitement about today. My new teapot arrived!

 

No...it is not an antique, but the Brown Betty does have a long history. Click Here to read some history on tea in the United Kingdom.

 

 

The Brown Betty is an iconic type teapot made from British red clay. According to my Internet research, there was a time almost every English household owned a Brown Betty.

 

Click HERE to link with Cauldon Ceramics, the British manufacturer of my tea pot.

 

 

I don't pretend  to know much about "Proper English Tea".  I do enjoy my morning and afternoon cup of green tea.

 

 

Even though I have some lovely tea cups....

 

 

I prefer my tea in a mug.

Meggie Mac

Holding Back the Icy Temperatures

 

Less than a week ago, this was the scene in the back garden. A transplanted iris, from my home on the Prairie, was about to bloom for the first time... at the Cottage.

 

 

The cold blast the upper part of the US has recently experienced, has now managed to lower our temperatures to freezing.

 

 

I decided to try to extend the green, long enough for the iris to bloom.

 

 

 I quickly covered everything, using wood stakes and clay pots to elevate a heavy  see-through tarp.

 

 

So why go to all the trouble to protect the iris from our first icy weather?

 

 

Early this morning, I rolled back the protective wrap to view a single iris bud.

 

 

It was so worth it....

Meggie Mac

 

Remembering.....Veteran's Day 2014

For all those who have served our country!

Two years ago I wrote a post about another Veteran's Day Celebration in Praha, Texas.

Click HERE to read it again.

The Dance of Autumn in Texas

 

November has arrived bringing some cooler weather. But in my part of Texas, Autumn still does the occasional dance with the lingering warm days of summer.

 

Once the calendar indicates Autumn has arrived, Texas usually has a few days where the temperatures take a dip.

 

Today it truly feels like Autumn is here.

 

 I have adorned all the outside doorways with the happy color of  pumpkins.

 

The sign, barely visible, says, "Every Garden Tells a Story".

My dear readers,

do you agree with this saying?

When looking at my garden, you know which colors I favor. My style is casual, with flowers spilling over the walkways.

 

 

The older cottage, I recently purchased, had no walkways, flowers or shrubs. Even with more stones to be set, the winding pathway to the front entrance is beginning to take shape.

 

 

My very own stone wall, waiting for shrubs to be planted.

 

 

As I had hoped, the flowers of the back garden are now draping over the retaining wall. You can read the story of the retaining wall ...HERE.

 

 

It pleases me to know the few flowers, I managed to plant in this "first year garden",

are thriving.....

 

 

And the rushing water, off the hill, has now been tamed....

Meggie Mac

Enjoying the Cool Autumn Air

 

Mushrooms at the Cottage....

 

I have a new post at Meggie's Country Cottage...click HERE to read more.

 

Enjoy your week end, dear readers.

Meggie

'"Tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes"...William Wordsworth

 

My dear readers.....

 

Even though I have recently moved to the Cottage, I have managed to plant a few flowers.

If you would like to read a little up-date on Meggie's Country Cottage,

please click HERE

 

Meggie

Texas Methodist Church for InSPIREd Sunday

 

A beautiful Texas church, sitting high on the landscape.

 

 

It is rare when I cannot find out the history of a church structure.

 

 

As far as I could see, even their website had nothing on it's history.

 

 

The architecture is grand in appearance.

 

 

 

The Texas Historical Marker provides some information about Methodists in this area

 

 

 

The landscaping was immaculately kept....

 

 

Large trees providing shade from the hot Texas sun.

 

Meggie Mac

 

Linking today with

 

 

Click HERE to view churches from around the world.

 

Small Texas Jewish Synagogue for InSPIREd Sunday

 

In 1990s, B'nai Abraham Synagogue, was believed to the oldest Orthodox Jewish synagogue to have been in continuous use in Texas.

 

The present building was built in 1893, after a fire destroyed the first structure in 1882.

 

 

The white clapboard and pointed arched windows resembles so many of the country churches in this area of Texas.

Inside, the Aron Kodesh can be seen on the eastern wall. In the center is the Bimah, where the Torah was read.

 

 

The cornerstone is written in Hebrew.

Meggie Mac

 

 

Linking today with InSPIRED Sunday.

Click HERE to view other churches from around the world.

 

Proud Heritage For a Texas Ranch

 

 

About once a week I pass this ranch, smiling each time I see their sign. It is located near a community, that was originally settled by skilled farmers of Polish and German descent.

 

Do you remember the Ponderosa Ranch from the popular 1960's television series, Bonanza ?

Meggie Mac

 

 

 

Linking today with TexWisGirl, for Good Fences. Click HERE to view fences from around the world.

 

The Free Church of Scotland....Uig, Isle of Skye, Scotland

 

This was one of those unexpected stops our driver made, while my daughter and I were exploring the Trotternish Peninsula, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

 

The small white country church is nestled in the steep slopes beyond the bay.

You might think the bluish and light pink space is part of the sky, but, actually it is part of a distance mountain.

 

 

It was a chance for us stretch our legs and grab a quick cup of tea.

When I took this photo, I was standing on the opposite side of Uig Bay, at the Orasay Tea Room.

 

 

At the time, I had no idea what a treasure trove the tiny community of 300 had to offer. Our next trip will include a couple of nights stay here.

There is a must-see Fairy Glen...waterfalls, cliff tops and even a resident sea otter. The surrounding woodland is one of the few ancient woodlands, remaining on Skye.

Click HERE if you are interested in learning more about this wonderful treasure. After opening the page, click on History.

 

 

Do you recognize these bins? They are for re-cycling. One of the many things I noticed about Scotland...they don't talk about Going Green, they actually LIVE it!

 

 

Here is the spot where I took my photographs. Uig is where, on our next trip, we will take the ferry to the Outer Hebrides.

Meggie Mac

 

Linking today with:

 

 

Click HERE to view other churches from around the world.

 

On the Road to Perth, Scotland, for a Friday Fence

 

Isn't this a beauty of a fence? In fact, the entire setting is so idyllic.

 

The photo is from my 2013 trip to Scotland.

After resting the first day, on our arrival in Glasgow, my daughter and I took a bus to Perth.

Keep watching, and I will soon write a post about that first day of travel.

 

Meggie Mac

 

 

Linking today with TexWisGirl at  The Run A Round Ranch.

Click HERE to view other fences from around the world.

Summer Flowers at the Cottage

 

I still haven't decided how to combine the two blogs. Soon, I will be living full-time at the cottage.

 

To read my latest post at Meggie's Country Cottage, please click HERE.

Meggie

 

I'm linking with Tilly's Nest and her "Down Home Blog Hop"