Filed under: water garden, Landscaping & Gardening, Outdoor Lifestyles, Fountains, Sunday Reflections, Nursery, God Bless America, Waterfalls, Love, Family time, music, Food | Tags: Sundays, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Reflections, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Songs, Sunday Poem, Sunday, Sunday Mornings, Sunday with Family, Coffee, Breakfast, Sunday Naps, Morning Coffee, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Quote, Sunday Gardening, Chickens
Good afternoon šš» I always try to post a Sunday Reflections blog, and they have almost always been in the morning. The morning just got away from me š Coffee āļø Chickens š Breakfast š³ Picking up, cutting back, composting, trash duty, etc. Preparations for the coming seasonā¦ Plus Preparations for the coming week š February is only a few days away and I already have Spring Fever š
Thursday is Groundhog Day, the half-way point of Winter! Then itās a downhill roll into Spring ā¤ļø
Have a great afternoon!
Mark C.
“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle … a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. Ā And the anticipation nurtures our dream.”
~ Barbara Winkler
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: 2023, 2023 Events List, Beach, Beach Life, Beach Therapy, Beautiful Sunset, Carters Nursery, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Family Business, Garden Planning, Garden Tour, Happy 2023, Maintenance Workshop, Photography, photos, Planning, plants, Pond Tour, 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 Songs, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Sunrises, Sunsets
A new year and I have been busy planning for it! Business plan, events, pond tours, workshops, jobs, early buys, plant orders and moreā¦ I havenāt missed a sunrise or sunset in 2023 yet! No itās not a resolutionā¦ But I do really enjoy watching both šš Hereās a little collage of some of 2023ās best from the Beach!
Now is when the real work beginsā¦
āSunrise looks spectacular in nature; sunrise looks spectacular in the photos; sunrise looks spectacular in our dreams; sunrise looks spectacular in the paintings, because it really is spectacular!ā
~ Mehmet Murat Ildan
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn, Autumn Color, Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Autumn Poem, Cookout by the Pond, Fall, Family time, Fire Pit, Football, Love, Now, Seasonal Interest, 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, Time, Time flies
What a beautiful morning! The sun is out and itās so warm I was able to sit outside in my shorts and a T-shirt this morning š We are past our 1st frost and freeze now, so I guess you can call this an Indian Summerā¦ And Iāll take it! In 8 days we will celebrate Halloween š Then we enter the Holiday Season š¦ šIt all comes so fast šØ Iām still trying to enjoy the Fall Color before it disappearsā¦ Here are a few pictures of some Fall Color that I have captured on film over time. Enjoy the season at hand, itās the best one, and the only one thatās real right Now ā¤ļø
Colorful foliage, almost no bugs, beautiful weather, football, fire pitsā¦ I Love Fall šššš„
āLooking out my window
In October’s golden light,Ā
I see a beauty unsurpassed,
A truly lovely sight.
Leaves are saying soft good-byes
As they come floating down
To make a nature’s carpet
Of yellow, red, and brown.
Mountain tops, now turned to white,
Forewarn of winter chills,
While trees, like golden rivers,
Wind their way up through the hills.
Throughout our world’s creation
You will ever find it thus,
Kaleidoscopes of color,
In God’s hand, the artist’s brush.ā
~ Alora M. Knight
Have a great Sunday šš»
~ Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises | Tags: Autumn, Autumn Color, Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Autumn Poem, Autumnal Equinox, Fall Gardening, 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, Waterfalls
I had to put on my coat to drink my coffee on the porch this morning while watching the sun come up š Cold morning, but what a beautiful day! We have been enjoying a string of these āperfect daysā…40āish degrees in the morning, then warming into the 70ās, not a cloud in the sky ā¤ļø
We got several things done this week, including our last event for the season, our annual Fall Pond Maintenance Workshopā is in the books… It always seems to sneak up on me, but I think this year has flown faster than any I remember… Boom š„ weāre in October… Boom š„ in a month we fall back and its dark at 5pm… Here comes Thanksgiving š¦ and Christmas š… I guess what Iām saying is, get out there and enjoy this beautiful season! It will be gone before we know it šš
“There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spotsĀ may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect onĀ the feelings, as now in October.”
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
Iāll be in the garden the rest of the day!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Hummingbirds, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pondless Waterfalls, Sunday Reflections, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Celebration, Coffee, Daily Blog, Daily Enjoyment, Daily Ritual, Daily Routine, Day Off, Family, Family time, Family Traditions, Feeding Birds, Feeding Koi, Feeding the Soul, Feeding Time, Fish Feeding, Friday Off, Garden Chores, Happy Labor Day, Holiday, Labor Day, Labor Day Weekend, Life is Good, Living the Life Abundant, Morning Coffee, Nursery Work, Saturday off, 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 Songs, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Time Off, Watering Plants, Weekend Off, Work Life Balance
Labor Day Weekendā¦ Itās definitely nice to enjoy a few days off! There are still things that we have to do of course, but since we live at the Nursery & Gardens we also work for a livingā¦ Itās just another day in our routineā¦
Or is it?
I was reflecting on my labor in life, and In many ways my labor is my lifeā¦ I mean, I literally live at the Nursery/Farm that I work for a livingā¦ There are no days off when there are plants to water (or they die!) and animals to feed & water (or they suffer &/or die)! So I have done what anyone in my situation has to do, I have embraced it wholeheartedly! And I LOVE my Family! My āeverydayā Lifestyle! And I LOVE MY Job! ā¤ļø
āHe who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.ā
~ Saint Francis of Assisi
Happy Labor Day šŗšø to everyone that Laborās out there! I hope you love your job too! šš»
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Videos, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: CAC, Certified Aquascape Contractor, Chicagoland, educational workshop, Extended Family, Family Traditions, Greg Wittstock, Master CAC, Master Certified Aquascape Contractor, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, 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 Songs, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Thereās No Place Like Home
This Summer has just flown by for meā¦ I must be having fun right š Most Sundays are family days. Eat breakfast together, spend time together, etcā¦ Today is both different and the same š Today my wife and I are at a work conference that we attend yearly for training and CEU points for our certification as Pond/Water Garden Specialist. We have been working and training with some of these folks for well over 20 yearsā¦ So many of these folks are like an extended family!
An extended family I haveĀ
I am so gladĀ
To have you allĀ
I feel ten feet tallĀ
And I give you my allĀ
If you needĀ
You will not have to pleadĀ
I will feel gleeĀ
If I can give you what you needĀ
There is no needĀ
For you pleadĀ
My love for you all is a guaranteeĀ
Let me know you are in needĀ
And I will be there in lightning speedĀ
To help you all in your time of needĀ
So remember there is no needĀ
To pleaĀ
I will help you in time of needĀ
~ Keith Wells
~ Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Videos | Tags: #Bugwatchin, Beautiful Sunset, Bug Watching, Bugs, Easily Entertained, Entomology, Fun, Have Fun, laughing, Love, Love and Meaning, Night Sky, Nighttime World, Opacarophile, Spider, Spiders, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, 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 Songs, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Sunset, Sunsets
What a weekā¦ Work, rain, storms, heat, shipping delays, out of stock, yada yadaā¦ The āNew Normalā they call itā¦ But, all in all a good week! Lots to be Thankful for šš»
My reward was the weekend with my lovely wife on the river. Boat riding, swimming, photography, beautiful sunsets and then after darkā¦ Bug Watching! (yes, we are both easily entertained š)
There are so many opportunities to watch bugs at the river! I mean, itās kinda the only show in town š #bugwatchin
We rode around giggling like a couple of kids, eating ice cream, cracking jokes and yes, watching bugsā¦ I got her laughing pretty good š
Then we found this one, and watched for quite some time. She is pretty cool š·
What can I say, Iām a cheap date š
āStood on the ledge of my sleepy blue sorrow
back from the edge, guess I’ll see you tomorrow
can’t lie, not the first time I’m thinking of you
but the night bugs are out, life’s distractions will do
I looked to the west as the day slowly fadyded
turned up the volume of cricket and katydid
rhythm rubs life in the darkness outside
steer clear of the blue light or get yourself fried
With the zapper you took out the skeeters and flies
while spiders and ants faced the raider’s demise
yellow jackets and wasps, you chased from their hives,
but these night bugs are here for the rest of our lives
bittersweet bugs for the rest of our lives
Back in the house now, I roll down the screen
protecting myself from the lurking unseen
from the critters, which drawn by the lure of the light
make feast in their famine on food, flesh and fright
we handle the things that intrude in our spaces
the bugs in the dark and the unwanted faces
we roll down the screens and we listen to voices
those sweet summer sounds, and this night bug rejoices
With the zapper you took out the skeeters and flies
while spiders and ants faced the raider’s demise
yellow jackets and wasps, you chased from their hives,
but these night bugs are here for the rest of our lives
too many months have passed without hearing
the music which blends with the night bugs I’m fearing
I nearly lost hope for those sounds in my life
but these night bugs revive good ol’ summertime strife
bittersweet bugs, for the rest of my life
Stood on the ledge of my sleepy blue sorrow
back from the edge, guess I’ll see you tomorrowā
~ G Clair
Have a great Sunday!
Mark C. ā¤ļø
Filed under: Family time, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, Sunday Reflections, Sunsets, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Full Harvest Moon, Full Moon, Harvest Moon, Landscape Lighting, Lighting, Moonlight Pond, Moonlight Pond Party, Moonlight Pond Tour, Moonlight Tour, Moonlighting effects, Nightscaping, Nighttime Pond, Nighttime World, Poem, Poems, Pond Lighting, Saturday Night, Spot lights, Summer Nights, 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, Sunrises, Sunsets, Underwater Lighting, Waterfall at Night
We finally had some much needed rain! My lawn and gardens certainly appreciated itā¦ Looking at the weeks forecast, there is a chance of rain almost daily, but temps are gonna settle into the 80ās for what appears to be a mostly normal August! Itās a very pleasant morning š Locust in the background, partly sunny and mild. The birds are singing, my oven is preheating, & Iām drinking coffee āļø trying to capture a thought š
Last night I started getting serious with my Moonlight Pond Tour preparationā¦ Checking lights, adjusting things, trying a few new things outā¦ Please let me know what you think so far š
It was HOT last night though! 92 degrees and super humid at 11pm šÆ When we got through Jo and I were both soaked and exhausted š„± Itās a good feeling to me š
Great end to a great week! Itās been hot, but itās about to changeā¦
āSeen from above, the canopy of oak and make and pine is pierced by the pond, which looks back at you like some green eye, knowing and ancient. The air above the pond dives into clefts of coolness, then rises up at the warmth of the margins. Down the path, filigrees of blackflies and mosquitos dance in the heat waves given off by men and women and their domestic fires. Joyous bats dart about.ā
~ Grace Dane Mazur
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Waterfalls | Tags: Cooling Down, Crickets, Dry Weather, Dryflies, Enjoy The Evening, Evening by the Pond, Evening Zen, Frogs, Hot Weather, Lazy Day, Locust, Love, North Wind, Summer Nights, Summertime, Summertime in Tennessee, 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
Last nights blowing cool front that came in from the North felt like such a blessing! It went from high humidity and HOT to breezy and cool in a moment! Wow! It literally felt like a gift from heaven šš» After that we took a walk around the property and admired the Gardens ā¤ļø Then we sat on the swing, drank coffee and listened to the dryflies, frogs & crickets š¶
This morning is so nice as well! Coffee and the promise of a little cooler weatherā¦ I will take it!
Enjoy this day that the lord has made šš»
“The steady buzzzzzzz of the Katydid chorus,Ā
the bass solo of the croaking Frog,
the steady woof-woof-woof a barking Dog –Ā
a summer night’s serenade.”
~ Michael P. Garofalo
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Waterfalls | Tags: Family, Family Fun, Family time, July 4th., June, Love, Summer Nights, Summer Pond Tour, Summer Season, Summer Time, Summertime, Summertime in Tennessee, 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, Time, Time flies, Time in a bottle, Time Off
What a week it was! 1st day of Summer āļø record high heat āļø My iPhone self destructed āļø Pond Tour āļø But, We got it all done! āļø And now this coming weekend is the 4th of July! š„šŗšø Timeā¦ Its flying byā¦ Pay attention or youāll blink and bam, its Labor Day and Summer will be goneā¦
Just a few pics form yesterdays Pond Tour/Fund Raiser. Hopefully we can all enjoy a little Summer this next week, after all its almost Independence Day!
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.”
~ John Lubbock
Enjoy this Summer Day!
Mark C.
Carter's Water Garden 