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, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Videos, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn, Autumn Color, Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Autumn Poem, Autumnal Equinox, Colorful Foliage, Cooler Weather is Coming, Crazy Weather, Fall Color, Fall Gardening, I Love My Family, If You Donāt Like The Weather, Love, Love and Meaning, Love Thy Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself, Predicting Weather, Seasonal changes, Seasonal Interest, 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 Songs, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Tennessee Weather, Waterfall, Weather Lore, Weather Signs, Woolly Bear Caterpillars
Good Morning! āļø What a storm we had last night! ā ā”ļø š„ Here we are changing seasonsā¦ Bye bye Summer, Hello Fall šš We have literally been on a West TN weather seesawā¦ It was 100 degrees on the last day of summer, So Hot š„µ Then the next day a 51 degree morningā¦ Then back up close to 90 today, but guess what – down into the 40ās tonightš®
Oh well, again the old saying holds true, āIf you donāt like the weather, just you waitāā¦
Now itās on to breakfast and then a little work in the Garden! I Love ā¤ļø Fall!
“In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil.Ā Ā
And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superbĀ color effects as from August to November.”
~ Rose G. Kingsley
Watch this short for the cutest puppy ever šš»
Have a great Sunday!
~ Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Love, music, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: #neverforget, 50th Birthday, 9/11, American Heroās, Birthdays, Birthdays Are Special, Day Off, Friends and Family, God, God Bless, God Bless America, Gods Classroom, Gods Country, Lamb of God, Moonlight Pond Tour, Never Forget, Spirit, 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 Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Thank a Firefighter, The Presence of God, USA
Arenāt internal clocks great š I was up very late last night/this morning (1:30am), visiting, talking and picking up from our annual Moonlight Pond Tour. And even though I had planned to āsleep inā my eyes š popped open like clockwork at 5am and I was wide awakeā¦ My internal clock must be a Timex š
And by all other accounts, it was a great week!
- I got to catch up with friends on the river
- Successful Pond Tour fundraiser
- The weather was great!
- A great friend turned 50!
But the 1st thing I thought about when my eyes opened this morning was what happened on this day in 2001ā¦ 9/11
A Heavy blow was struck against all Americans that day.
ā¢ 2,977 Americans were Murdered!
ā¢ 343 Firefighters died saving others! Many that survived are dying from cancer now at an alarming rate! Thank a Firefighter todayā¦
But – We survived! We united! We rebuilt! šŗšø
All these other good things that happened for me this week, and every week before, and every day after today has been possible because of the sacrifices of past generations of Americans! We stand up! We fight for the freedom of others! We rebuild when things get torn down! God Bless America šŗšø
āBeyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul ā¦ā
~ William Earnest Henley
PS: Happy Birthday Sea Bass!
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, Hummingbirds, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Waterfalls | Tags: Art, Doors, Guitar, Love, music, Rain, Rainy Day Song, Rainy Days, Rainy Morning, Relaxing, Riders on the Storm, Scout, Stormy Weather, 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 Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Sunrises, The Smell Of Rain
Man I love a rainy Sunday Morning ā¤ļø Iāve been out on the porch since about 6am just listening šš» First to the thunder, then the lightning š© then the storm hit ā I fell back asleep in my papasan chair š“ I woke back up with a song in my headā¦ Riders on the Storm by the Doors. So I go inside to get my guitar and when I come back, I had to find another seatā¦ My audience was waitingā¦
We have had a busy week at work! Hosted a birthday party š Went to an Art Show š¼ Drove to several out of town locations for design meetings, watered, mowed, mechanicād, and still didnāt get it all doneā¦ and I wouldnāt have it any other way! A busy schedule is a good thing! A blessing šš»
But today, Iām gonna watch it rain for a whileā¦
āI hear leaves drinking rain;
I hear rich leaves on top
Giving the poor beneath
Drop after drop;
āTis a sweet noise to hear
These green leaves drinking near.
And when the Sun comes out,
After this Rain shall stop,
A wondrous Light will fill
Each dark, round drop;
I hope the Sun shines bright;
āTwill be a lovely sight.ā
~ W.H. Davies
Have a lovely Sunday!
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, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Love, music, Sunday Reflections, Waterfalls | Tags: Coffee, Coffee Mug, Cooling Down, Day Off, Early Morning, Enjoy The Morning, Good Morning, Love, Morning Coffee, Morning Zen, Quiet Morning, Quiet Time, Rain, Rainy Day Song, Rainy Days, Rainy Morning, Rest, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, 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
Light rain falling this morning. Cool air. Last day of Julyā¦ Lazy Sunday! We have been so busy and it has been so Hot and Dryā¦ This rainy, cool day off feels like a blessing šš»
“A break in the heat
away from the front
no thunder, no lightning,
just rain, warm rain
falling near dusk
falling on eager ground
steaming blacktop
hungry plants
thirsty
turning toward the clouds
cooling, soothing rain
splashing in sudden puddles
catching in open screens
that certain smell
of summer rain.”
–Ā Raymond A. Foss
Have a great āLazy Sundayāā¦
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: 29th. Anniversary, Best Friend, Best Wife Award, Breakfast, Family time, Free Breakfast!, Friends and Family, Good Times, Happy Anniversary, Love, Love and Meaning, Marriage, Partner, 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, Time, Time flies, Time in a bottle, Time Off, Wonder Woman
Sitting on the porch swing with my girl this Sunday morning š Itās 29 years todayā¦ 29 years in the blink of an eye š Time is a funny thingā¦ When we sit together time stands still. When we are apart or waiting on one another to get back, it sometimes drags onā¦ Time is an illusionā¦
Im fixing breakfast for Jo this morning. She wants fresh tomatoes, biscuits, milk gravy and eggsā¦ Another reason we get along so well š Great minds think alike!
After breakfast, who knows what will happen!
Yāall have a great day!
āLove grows more tremendously full, swift, poignant, as the years multiply.ā
~ Zane Grey
Mark C.
Carter's Water Garden 