Last Days of Summer and a Hunting Trip...

Even though Summer has come to an end,

well not officially yet since Summer stretches to the 22nd...

But you get my point, right?!

We did another trip to the beautiful mountains.

My guys went hunting!

I came along for the first few days

and I must say I had fun.

I didn't actually hike through the woods with them,

I stayed at camp during the morning hunts

and then a few hours before the sunset we all went

to glass the hillsides in the SUV.

Such beautiful country up in them mountains.

I apologize for the ones that follow me on Instagram

as you have all ready seen most of these photos.

These beautiful flowers were right 

outside my camper door.

In the woods, not an RV park or camp ground.

Pure bliss and in awe of God's Creation!

See this bird here, I'm not sure what kind it is

but let me tell you,

he dive bombed me every 

time I had food in my hand. 

LITERALLY!

I may or may not have screamed

 and ran a few times.

(Smiles)

So, finally my boys thought they'd just feed the birds

so they wouldn't go after me.

How very thoughtful!

This road was right near our camp,

I just love the thought

of how many have traveled down this road.

Beautiful pine trees and speckles of color

all the way down the bumpy road.

These little red berries are considered BEAR food

up here. Yes BEAR!!  You heard me right!

Once I found out that there were BEARS,

I stayed very close to camp with my gun on my hip!!

My guys went and got wood for the camp fires

and my middle son comes back and says

"Guess what I saw?"

A BEAR CUB!!!

Not even 5 miles from my camp!

I tried to tell myself maybe he's like Yogi Bear.

He won't bother me, if I don't bother him.

Yep, it worked for awhile until I heard

 their were hunters hunting bear

(including my oldest son)

All I can say is,

I walked around each tree around camp

and prayed for safety and proctection

for all of us!!

God never let's me down!!

I just love old trees!!

This pine tree was seeping sap.

Ooey and Gooey...

If only this tree could talk,

imagine the stories it could share.

My boys enjoying several rides 

on the four wheelers!

Up and down and back again they went....

So much fun!

I'm heading back to the mountains this weekend

to help haul stuff home...

So far only a few shots, for those elk are quick!

I personally think Archery 

season is a hard hunt...

Thank goodness we only have 3 more trips

 planned for this hunting season!!

So in the meantime...

I hope you all have a wonderful September!!

Thanks so much for stopping by....

HUGS,

Mushroom Hunting Adventures...

Have you ever been mushroom hunting?

If you haven't, you should!!

It is a fun adventure to go on.

We just happened upon a group of people in the mountains

while camping a few years ago that were

 digging up mushrooms.

My hubby stopped and chatted with a couple about 

all the ends and outs of hunting mushrooms.

I guess it's quite the sport!!

They told us which ones were safe to 

eat and what to look for.

So...off we went...

These mushrooms above with the reddish brown tops

are a safe and yummy one to eat.

Kinda like a button mushroom.

These ones are pretty, but not edible!

Here's my youngest, using a knife

 to pop one out of the ground.

Mushrooms live in a cool, damp and dark climate.

After all they are a fungus!

We ended up finding a huge

 pillowcase full of mushrooms!

Once we got home, we sliced and dehydrated some of them

and the others we sauteed and enjoyed!!

My little monkey was so proud

of the mushroom he found!

And some of the mushrooms were quite large!

What a fun day in the woods!

Do you live close to any mountains?

If you've never mushroom hunted 

before I recommend you go and purchase

 a mushroom identifying book.

The one we purchased showed 

which ones are safe to eat

and what they look like.

 I know we compared each

 mushroom before we plucked it out of the ground.

I mean...sheesh....

wouldn't want to make anyone sick!

Happy Hunting Friends...

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Have Some Fun...

Well Hello!!

How are you all doing today?

It's Summer....Have Some Fun!

In a blink of an eye, Summer will be gone 

and we will be moving on to Fall.

Can you hula hoop?

If not, try at least once!

You'll laugh...I can promise you that!

What fun things have you tried in this season?

I have tried stream fishing.

I was surprised at how fun it was.

You move quick... no patience needed for it.

Within the first 3 minutes, I caught 3 fish!

Go for a walk, explore!!

Take a day trip somewhere you've never been.

Bake something new...

Go for a drive with your family!

I went 4-wheeling with my boys

I had so much fun!!

Getting stuck in the mud is what it's all about!!

Laugh and do some winching...

Lot's of winching, lots of mud!!

Be outdoors!!

Be present!! Be in the now!!

GO HAVE SOME FUN!!

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Flowers...

What a lovely day to stop and smell the flowers!

With Fall quickly approaching

I thought I would share a few of my flowers with you.

We had an amazing crop of flowers

and then the grasshoppers came and ate them all.

It was rather a sad day!

Thankfully, I was able to get some pictures before 

the destruction happened.

These Roses mean a lot to me, for my dad gave me two 

rose bushes many years as a Mother's Day gift.

I cherish these, for my dad is now gone.

My mom in law gave these flowers to me 

in a pretty pot for this Mother's Day.

So far the grasshoppers have left these alone.

But we did discover they don't like Home Defense bug spray

the grasshoppers, not the flowers!

So, once we started spraying the flowers, the grasshoppers

stopped chomping on them.

Our flowers did come back with some new blooms

for awhile and that was a nice site to see.

So, until Fall is in full swing,

 I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Do you feel a touch of Fall in your area?

Be Blessed,

Cooking Up Some Love...

Hello Dear Friends!

Thank you for stopping by for a quick visit.

This Summer has been flying by, hasn't it?

I can't believe tomorrow is all ready July 1st!!

Seriously?!  Summer...feel free to slow down a bit, please!

It's been so hot here, so I haven't really 

felt like cooking a lot of hot meals. 

I did manage to bake some cupcakes this morning, 

but I baked before it got hot out!

I made homemade Stromboli awhile back

 and thought I would inspire you

or well even myself  to make it (again in my case) soon.

I didn't take a before shot,

 for I tend to get in the baking mode

and don't think to grab my camera until all the mess is gone!

Any who...here's what I did:

2 batches of pizza dough made or

 you can use frozen bread dough thawed

1 jar of your favorite kind of spaghetti sauce

your choice of meat, cooked

(I used Italian sausage and ground hamburger)

2 cups cheese, shredded

any kind of sauteed veggies you like

(I used mushrooms, bell peppers, onion and garlic)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

On a flour dusted counter, roll out your dough into a large rectangle.

Spread your sauce, meat, veggies and cheese into the edge of your dough.

Roll the dough like a jelly roll.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

If you'd like, brush some melted butter and an 

Italian herb over the top of the hot bread.

Serve with additional sauce for dipping.

I hope you all have a great week!

Oh... and have a Safe and Fun Independence Day!

Hugs,

A Few Photos For You...

Good Day to You!

I wanted to share a few random photos

 that my 9 year old son took.

He is learning how to use a camera

and I think he is doing a great job at 

focusing on each shot he's captured.

I hope you enjoy!!

He loves his chickens...

(He actually goes in and pets them)

This was before the prairie turned green...

He loves birds!

Daisy giving Joe a kiss...

Daisy and Hank playing...

Be Still...

Look! I think I can fly...

This says it all...

Thank you Jesus!

Seriously?!  More pictures...(LOL)

Hankie says "CHEESE!"

Joe and his logs... (Smiles)

Steam rising from the soil...

I have a ton more photos from him, so be expecting a few 

more throughout the course of the summer!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by...

Enjoy your day!

Easy Pasta Salad...

Summer is here and you know what that means...

 it's extremely HOT outside!

And you need something light 

and cold to fill your tummies.

This pasta salad has been made

 more times than I can count.

This is my Auntie's specialty and the recipe

 was given to me when I got married.

I hope you all are doing well and 

are enjoying your summer.

Lots to do, place to see and fun things 

are on the agenda here!

How about you?

Do you have anything fun planned?

Pasta Salad

1 box Tri-Colored Spiral noodles, cooked

1/2 bottle Italian Dressing-more if needed

1 bag, frozen Broccoli/Cauliflower pieces,cooked and cooled

1/2 bag pepperoni

shredded cheese

Mix the cooked noodles, broccoli/cauliflower,

 pepperoni and the Italian dressing into a large bowl.

Serve with a handful of cheese on top.

(I don't mix the cheese in, for it tends to get soggy)

Store in the fridge.

ENJOY!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by....