Apple A Day

 

Oches Farm

 

October 5, 2013

 

 

 

 

Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

~Johnny Appleseed Grace~ 

 

So I've been away for a bit!

Well I've been here just not blogging.

Why you ask?

Many reasons but now I have tons to share.

 

Above in the picture is my niece Vickie,

And my best friends son Van.

Yes I was apple picking with double V's.

What a fun time we had.

 

I love spending time with them.

Its always interesting when you take

A 6 year old and 17 year old apple picking.

First of all they eat a lot of apples.

Second of all when apple picking on the side of a mountain,

Their voices travel.......far!

 

But we did have a great time.

We searched for the best apples,

A certain someone was up in the trees,

And being held up high to reach the right apple.

Oh and causing it to rain because the leaves were so wet.

 

By the time we left there our feet were wet,

We had more apples then planned for,

And V & V are now "best friends".

As for me I was pulling the wagon and laughing the entire time.

9-11-01

 

 

World Trade Center, New York, NY

 

 

 

"Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?"

~Where Were You By Alan Jackson~

 

On September 11, 2001 I was in New York State.

To be exact when I heard about the first plane,

I was standing in front of Ferdon Hall at Camp Glen Spey.

My father and I had woken early to head up and meet with the ranger.

 

I remember telling my father how amazing it was out that day.

The sky was so blue and not a cloud to be found.

We had just arrived at camp when the first report came through

The ranger told us as we walked over to talk.

 

At first my father thought it was a joke.

Country boy trying to pull a fast one on us.

Then his wife said over the radio

"Another plane hit the second tower"

 

I can honestly say my heart stopped.

I at this time had already been working in aviation.

I knew the flight paths around New York City.

I knew that I had friends flying around covering the first crash.

 

Then as we prepared to get to work when the unthinkable happened.

The first tower collapsed.

 

Our long day of helping fix things around the camp,

Turned into a long quiet ride home.

And as we came over the hill on Route 3 in Clifton,

The first signs that life had changed appeared.

 

Thick black smoke could be seen in the distance to the south.

And as we approached Rutherford the highway grew to a stop.

Fire trucks raced past us filled with volunteer's wanting to go help.

People crying in their cars as the reality hit.

 

When we arrived home a creepy silenced filled the air.

You never realize how much air traffic is over head until it's gone.

It was gone for a few days and I welcomed it when it returned.

 

And during all this our country pulled together.

We didn't let it destroy us,

We morn for those who were lost,

And celebrated those who survived.

 

Today we remember that day,

But we don't let that day control us.

We are stronger then the attacks!

 

Missing Pictures

 

 

Well Maybe!

 

Okay so there isn't just one picture on today's blog.

Why you may ask me?

Because my mind can't pick just one to type about.

And it's been to long since I've blogged!

 

Well maybe I'll show you what I've been up to.

 

Picking Wild Blueberries

 

 

Playing in the river

 

 

Running my buisness

 

 

Partying with the family

 

And that was all with in 8 days!

 

I am loving this summer, I'm loving my life,

and I love those who make it so special!

A Lost Mother

 

 

Montague, NJ

 

July 2013

 

 

 

"I'm an outdoors girl - I like to go fishing,

riding four-wheelers, hunting."

~Miranda Lambert~

 

Everyday we get a visitor,

She arrives alone,

Eats alone,

Leaves alone.

 

You can see the weight loss because of over population.

She will either fatten up or pass away.

Its is an upsetting sight to see everyday.

Especially since this spring she had a little one.

Then one morning she arrived alone.

 

The only conclusion I can come up with,

Her little one didn't make it across the street.

You see the amount of deer strikes by cars is amazing.

And this mom must have watched it happen.

 

I'm hoping this fall she meets up with others,

And starts to have something to live for again.

 

And yes my husband hunts,

We eat what he kills,

And I'm proud that he helps control the population.

This mother lost her baby not by a gun,

But by the most common weapon used against them,

Her baby was hit by a car.

MY LC

 

Pittsburgh PA

 

July 16, 2007

 

 

"It take courage to grow up and become who you really are."

~E. E. Cummings~

 

There are few people who come into your life that truly change you.

21 years ago one of my dearest friends welcomed such a person into this world.

His son has changed me unlike he knows just by being himself.

 

As I watched him grow up in pictures and rare visits,

This young man took on an important part in my life.

He is and always will be very special to me.

 

I remember our first conversation between just him and I.

It was New Years and I was laying on the sofa late at night.

He hadn't said much to me that night but finally he did.

No one else was awake and we got to know each other.

Over the next few days I slowly gained his trust,

And our friendship began to grow.

 

In 2007 he turned 16 and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

The seven hour drive was worth every mile,

Not only did I get to be there for his first tattoo,

We got to go to the zoo and go on the Just Ducky Tour,

And I took him out for a special birthday dinner.

 

Today he is turning 21 and I can't believe how much time flew by.

I'm so proud of the young man he has become,

And I know he is going to go far in his life no matter what he does.

 

I know life hasn't always been easy,

But know that I love you and will always be here for you.

Happy Birthday My Little Craig!

 

Country State Of Mind

 

MetLife Stadium

 

2011

 

 

 Well its funny how it's the little things in life

that mean the most
Not where you live or what you drive or

the price tag on your clothes
There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind

this I've come to know 

~Chicken Fry - Zac Brown Band~

 

Every once in a while someone has to remind me I'm in Jersey.

See I have a country state of mind and I love that.

To make things even worse go to a country concert at MetLife Stadium.

Located in the Meadowlands of New Jersey

Miles outside of New York City.

 

I got that chance a few years ago when I headed over with a two of my friends,

And my niece Daisy Mae aka Vickie.

What a great show it was even though it rained.

The concert was amazing and everyone had such a blast.

 

Its moments like those that I know I'm a country girl at heart.

See I grew up a mile from that stadium,

When it was Giant Stadium I saw amazing concerts

Such as Rolling Stones and Oz Feast there.

 

I still would go see those shows there,

But deep down inside country music has always been my favorite.

I was that girl that would blast Alabama and sing along

Meanwhile wearing my Ozzy tee shirt.

 

I'm proud to be a country fan!

I'm proud to be a rock fan!

Most of all I'm proud that my niece has a diverse taste in music also.

 

Long Road

 

Sandyston, New Jersey

 

May 2013

 

 

 

"Never give up and good luck will find you"

~Falcor- Never Ending Story~

 

I took this picture one day when I was going to meet up with Jeff.

I always loved the first leaf's of spring,

They have this lime green color and the tree bark is getting dark.

 

You have this amazing feeling driving through these woods,

The land is rough and wild and seems so untouched.

But 40 years ago houses could be found in these woods,

Towns existed and people had lives here.

 

Then our government decided to build a dam,

And flood all this amazing land.

But true American stubbornness won out.

And even though many families sold out and moved,

Some held on and got to keep their land.

 

Now it is a combination of private, state and federal protected land.

Land for us to hike on, fish on, and hunt on.

And as you wander through the woods,

You come across someone's home.