Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Believe, Dogwood, Easter, Easter Sunday, Easter Sunrise, Easter Weekend, God, God Bless, God Bless America, I Love My Family, Jerusalem, Jerusalem Donkey, Jesus, Lamb of God, legend of the dogwood, Love, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself, Peace, Peace on Earth, Pray, Prayer Garden, Prayer in the Garden, Prayers, reflection, The Presence of God
I was thinking of the stories of the bible we learn from childhood and how they meld into real time in our lives… It’s Easter weekend and I wanted to share these two stories that I have always loved that tie into Easter.

‘All purebred donkeys are born with a cross on their back. A legend says it is the gift our Lord gave to the humble donkey that carried Him into Jerusalem. According to the legend, the little donkey so loved his Master that he followed Him to Calvary. Grief-stricken at the sight, he turned away but remained at his station at the foot of the cross. The shadow of the Cross fell upon him and from that day all purebred donkeys wear the Master’s Cross on their backs.’

Jesus rode in on a donkey… Then he walked and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane during the last days of his life. He knew what was about to happen to him and I think he chose a Garden to spend his last days in to give him the Peace, Clarity & Strength that he needed leading up to his arrest and Crucifixion (on Good Friday).


The blooming plants and feeling of Spring in the Garden bring Peace & Calm to the mind & Spirit, and in turn aid in ones thoughts and reflection…
There is going to be a LOT of Reflection for me during this weekend, and I hope to do much of it in my garden. I truly find peace and a clear mind outside within the garden. I hope you do too.
Have a Blessed Easter Weekend,
Peace 🙏🏻
Mark Carter
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunrises | Tags: After the Storm, Be Ready, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, clean up, Cover Plants, Frost Warning, Frosty Morning, I Love My Family, Late Frost, Loss of power, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself, Storm Damage, Stormy Weather, The Calm After The Storm
The rising sun revealed varying amounts of damage. Some lost trees, lots of roof damage, hail damage on cars, limbs and debris all over… Thousands still have no power this morning. BUT, in many ways we dodged a bullet! I haven’t heard of any deaths related to last nights storms! 🙏🏻 And it really brought many people together helping each other out, checking on neighbors, picking up debris, etc…
Here are a few images that local people posted of storm damage and a map of power outages that are still being repaired.




All our local workers are cleaning up and repairing damage as I write this. Things like this really bring things into focus. We must all count our blessings 🙏🏻
Now, heres an old cliche’ for ya’… ”If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute, it will change”! Temps in the 70’s and tornados yesterday – Frost warning Tonight! 🥶

Have a great day! Count your Blessings! Love thy neighbor! And cover your plants 🪴 😊
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Waterfalls | Tags: Biscuits, Country Ham, Cut my Hair, Eggs, Family, Family Fun, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Fun, Get a Haircut, Hair, Haircut, Ham, I Love My Family, red eye gravy, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, There’s No Place Like Home
Well, the first week of Spring has been exciting as advertised! Plants, Ponds, Stones and Boulders have been flying! Today – Grass to trim, bird feeders to fill! Including the Hummingbird Feeders that we have recently put back up for our returning babies ❤️ But not until we eat Breakfast!

Jacob also insists on getting a haircut today, so Jo made quick work of that!


Anyway… It turns out that our son was under that pile of hair too 😮 WOW!

The Barber came to cut my hair,
I told him that it wasn’t fair.
My hair had done him no harm,
Without it I would loose my charm.
The Barber he grinned a silly grin,
Said to cut my hair would be no sin.
That I should face it like a man,
But I’m a coward and away I ran.
Do you like sitting in a Barbers chair,
With him chopping away your lovely hair.
Once my head was full of curls,
Covering my face with twisty twirls.
But then the Barber came my way,
I was a child, I had no say.
Off came my curls one by one,
The Barber seemed to have great fun.
Now I’m old and very grey,
I’m nearly bald, my hairs gone away.
But when I see a Barbers chair,
I feel the loss of my curly hair.
You know I truly rue the day,
When that first Barber came my way.
– Bernard Shaw
Have a great Sunday Evening!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Love, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Dougie Fresh, Family, Family History, Friends and Family, George, George Brinkley, George of the Jungle, I ❤️ my Family, I Love My Family, Koi Whisperer, Memories, Prayers for the family, Rest, Rest In Peace, RIP, Time, Time immemorial, Time in a bottle, Uncle, Uncle Doug, Uncles

and death shall be no more,
neither shall there be mourning, nor crying,
nor pain anymore,
for the former things have passed away.”
– Revelation 21:4
I think about you every day Uncle Doug! You are Loved and missed by many. A year just flashed by without you in it… Been thinking about our old adventures together 😊 Much Love ❤️
Rest in Peace 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Koi, Koi Ponds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Beautiful Sunset, budding trees, Cabin Fever, Crazy Weather, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Get Outside, I ❤️ Spring!, I Love My Family, If You Don’t Like The Weather, Outdoor Living, Spring, Spring Bulbs, Spring Fest., spring fever, Spring Flowering Bulbs, Spring Gardening, Spring is Almost Here!, Spring is Coming, Spring News, Spring Planting, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Sunsets, Tennessee Weather
We are 2 weeks from the time change. We “Spring forward” Sunday March the 13th at 2am! Then only a week after that BOOM 💥 1st day of Spring! Rain and more rain 🌧 Wind 💨 Ice 🧊 Snow ❄️ – But still, Spring is Coming! This lingering winter weather and slow build up and transition is always what causes my Spring Fever 🌼 🤒 🌼

If nothing else, this energy for Spring gets me up and moving! Its Sunday and I’ve already done a full days work! 😊 The week ahead looks promising! I have a LOT of work to catch up on!
Even the Psalmist writes of a yearning in the scriptures – “I yearn for the Lord, more than watchmen do for the morning, yes, more than watchmen do for the morning.” ~ Psalm 130:6
Spring is Coming!
“Is the Spring coming?” he said. “What is it like?”… “It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine”…
~ Frances Hodgson Burnett
Have a great Sunday!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: A New Year, Breakfast, Brunch, Day Off, Early Snow, Eggs, Family, Family Fun, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Food, Ham, Happy New Year!, I Love My Family, New Years Dinner, New Years Quotes, New Years Resolutions, New Years Traditions, Pancakes, Ringing In The New Year, Snow, Snow Day, Snow Falling, Snow Pics, Snowed In, Snowy waterfall, Spring is Coming, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday with Family, Sundays
Well the new year is off and running 🏃♀️ It went from 75 degrees with a south wind yesterday to 23 degrees, high wind and snow today… But, thats life in West TN 😊 We got a LOT done in the house today. All the Holiday deco put away for the year and the house looks ready for Spring. We had a great late morning brunch…

Followed by one of my wife’s favorites for dinner 🍲

Not a bad start to the year if you ask me 💥
“January is here, with eyes that keenly glow,
A frost-mailed warrior
striding a shadowy steed of snow.”
~ Edgar Fawcett
Happy New Year!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: 2021, 2022, A New Year, Crossroads, Family, Family Fun, Family time, Family Traditions, For Auld Lang Syne, Friends and Family, Fun, Good News, Happy 2022, Happy New Year!, Have Fun, I Love My Family, New Years Dinner, New Years Eve, New Years is Coming!, New Years Quotes, New Years Resolutions, New Years Traditions, Not Too Much Fun, Our Future, Party, Patio Party, Ringing In The New Year
Here we are, standing at the crossroads of another year… So many choices to make, so much work to be done. So many blessings to count and so much more to look forward too! A wise lady told me that ’Every day above ground is a Blessing!’ ❤️

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
~ Robert Frost
I hope we all have a wonderful evening closing out 2021! And here’s to a HUGE 2022! 💥🍾
“Should auld acquaintance be Forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be Forgot and days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear,for auld lang syne, We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,for auld lang syne.”
~ Robert Burns
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi Ponds, Love, music, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: A New Year, Christmas is Over, Christmas Season, Christmas Spirit, Christmas with Family, Closed for the Holiday, Family time, Holiday Season, Home For The Holidays, I Love My Family, I Love My Mother, Love, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself, New Years is Coming!, New Years Resolutions, New Years Traditions, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Poem, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Songs, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Weekend Off
The morning after Christmas has now come and gone… Why does it always feel like Christmas is so far away, then you blink and its gone for another year? Hard to grasp… But we had a good family get together and dinner, saw some beautiful lights and decorations, and tried to remember and stay true to the real meaning of Christmas.

Now we have to take all the decorations down, clean everything up and get ready for a new year… Ready or not, here comes 2022!
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
~ Howard Thurman
Have a great last evening of Christmas weekend! 🎄🎅🏻❤️🙏🏻
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Beautiful Day, Beautiful Sunset, Colorful Foliage, Fall Beauty, Fall Color, Fall Gardening, Family time, Family Traditions, I Love My Family, Indian Summer, Kentucky Lake, Lake, Love, Private Areas, River, River Life, Rivers, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday on the River, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Sunrises, Sunsets, Tennessee River
This has been a beautiful Fall day… It started with a cold heavy fog 🌫 needing a long sleeved shirt and coat & ended with a light sunburn in short sleeves 👕 A wonderful Autumn Day 🍁

So Beautiful ❤️




It looks like a beautiful week ahead. I hope you can get out and enjoy this little “Indian Summer” we are about to experience this week. Sunny 😎 with highs in the mid and upper 70’s.
“There’s a crispness in the air that greets the morning sun, a feeling of anticipation, a new day has begun.
Harvest days are ending, winter is drawing near, yet in between is surely the most special time of year.
They call it Indian Summer, and it seems to fit the bill, for it’s as if the Lord took a feathered brush and painted all the hills.
Now as I sit contented, atop of one of these, a book in hand to pass the time, the sound of a gentle breeze,
I can almost imagine an Indian child upon this mountaintop, looking down at the land of her forefathers, lost within her thoughts
For in every persons lifetime some heartache may occur, but on these hills in quiet solitude, God helps us to endure.
So I say that the eyes are a window, beauty is found within the soul, and upon the hills of Autumn, that are strewn with red and gold.”
~ Julie L. O’Connor
Have a good night 🌙
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, music, Waterfalls | Tags: #throwbackthursday, #waterfallthursday, All Hallows Eve, Family, Family Fun, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Fun, Halloween, Halloween is Coming, Halloween party, Happy Halloween, Have Fun, I Love My Family, Jack-o-Lantern, Pumpkin Carving, Pumpkins, Throwback, Throwback Thursday, Waterfall Thursday
October is flying by 💨 Its just a few more days till Halloween… I was looking through some older images of Halloweens past and when I came across this one I knew it had to be todays #Throwbackthursday memory.

I think we may do a repeat of this tonight!
Happy Halloween! And Happy Throwback Thursday!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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