Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Carter Country, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Charity Pond Tour, Fall Pond Tour, Full Harvest Moon, Full Moon, Fund raiser, God, God Bless, God Bless America, Harvest Moon, humane society, Jackson Animal Care Center, Jackson Tennessee, Koi, Koi Ponds, Magical, Moonlight Pond Tour, Moonlight Tour, Moonlighting effects, Night Sky, Nightscaping, Nighttime Pond, Nighttime World, Pets, Pond Lighting, Pond Tour, Pond Tour Tickets, Pondless Waterfall, Saturday Night, Streams, 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, Tiki, Underwater Lighting, Water Garden Tour, Waterfall at Night, Waterfalls
The morning after is real… 🤫 I was the only one up in the whole house most of the morning… I don’t know what it is, but i cant “sleep in”. I’m just drawn up and then outside in the morning 🌞 But truth be told, I am pretty worn out too… Last night we hosted our annual Moonlight Pond Tour for the 17th time. And it was such a beautiful night!
We didn’t get through talking with folks, closing up and blowing out all the Tiki Torches and candles till around 12:30 last night, which is pretty late for an old Pond Guy and Gal 😊 But then when we got inside the house, were wide awake… so we had coffee and cake… ☕️🍰 Whew, great day and what a great night! but then… The Morning After 😒 I may need a nap 🥱
Thank You! to everyone who came out to support the cause! And a BIG ’Thank You’ to the homeowners who hosted the tour! ❤️ Its an honor and a privilege to be surrounded by such Awesome and caring people 🙏🏻
Enjoy your day!
“Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning …”
~ William Wordsworth
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, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Be Prepared, Details, Early Morning, Enjoy The Morning, Fall Morning, Family time, Good Morning, Moonlight Pond Tour, Morning Coffee, Morning Zen, Pictures, Quiet Morning, 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, The Devils in the Details
What a beautiful morning 🌞 Sunday morning is the start of the new week, and quite the week is ahead… This week leads us to Saturday evening and our annual Moonlight Pond Tour 🌝 There is always so much to do! Ive been sipping coffee thinking about it and scribbling down a rough list as things come to me… Last minute kind of stuff, you know how it works, a ”few little details”… This = a week of Hard Work!
Last evenings perfect sunset was followed by a rising, waxing moon 🌙 So beautiful! This months Full Moon is the Harvest Moon 🌝 which means, the Moonlight Pond Tour is coming!
If you have ever made big plans with great intentions of success, you know what it means to have a ”few details” to take care of… “All we lack is finishing up”… ie; Gotta get to work!
Y’all have a great Sunday! See ya’ Saturday evening 😊
“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.”
~ Peter Drucker
Mark Carter
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Lake and Pond, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Beautiful Sunset, Boat, Closed for the Holiday, Coffee, Colorful Sky, Day Off, Family, Family Dinner, Family Fun, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Food, God, God Bless, God Bless America, Gods Country, Happy Labor Day, I Love My Family, Jet Ski, Labor Day, Labor Day Weekend, Morning Coffee, Old Sayings, Pontoon Boat, River, River Life, Rivers, 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 Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Sunrises, Sunsets, Tennessee River, Waverunner, Weekend Off
Late nights slow down an early morning 😊 but this morning was perfect! A slow easy rain 🌧 was falling until around 8:30 and now it’s clear and cool. Perfect for the last big dust up of Summer ⛅️ Every year we talk about doing something different for Labor Day Weekend , but we always end up at the river 🚤
“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”
~ Ralph Marston
Have a Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections | Tags: batten down the hatches, Cousins, Family, Family Fun, Family History, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Flood, Flood Relief, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane, Hurricane Ida, Hurricanes, I ❤️ my Family, Ida, Mobile, Mobile Alabama, Pray, Prayers, Prayers for the family, Prayers for those affected, Rain, Sunday, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Poem, Sunday Reflections, Sunday with Family, Sundays
As I was sitting this morning writing My blog, my phone chirped… Text message. It was my cousin Kim. She lives along the gulf coast not too far from where the approaching Hurricane Ida is coming ashore. Outer bands of rain are already creating localized flash flooding and the winds are strong. She said they are going to ride it out, told me she loved me and asked for prayers 🙏🏻
Hurricanes bring heavy wind and floods so they are always a threat. But my cousin Kim and her brothers and sisters grew up down there and they have rode out many a storm.
So today I’m gonna say a special prayer for Kim and all the folks down on the Gulf Coast. Ida is coming and she’s bringing a mess with her 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Your welcome to join me in saying a prayer for all the good folks down there as well 🙏🏻
“I have both the violent turbulence of the storm and the quiet promises of God in the storm. And what I must work to remember is that something is not necessarily stronger simply because it’s louder.”
~ Craig D. Lounsbrough
Have a great Sunday afternoon ☀️
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Love, music, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets | Tags: Biscuits, Biscuits and Gravy, Early Morning, Enjoy The Morning, Family, Family Fun, Family History, Family Pictures, Family time, Family Traditions, Fog, Fog in August = Snow in Winter, Foggy Morning, Fogs in August, Good Morning, Hummingbird Feeding, Hummingbird Nectar, Hummingbirds, Morning Coffee, Morning Zen, Porch, Porchscape, Quiet Morning, Rainy Morning, Saturday Morning, 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, Sunsets, This Old Porch
Misty, foggy, overcast weather can be very relaxing, especially on a Sunday Morning… This morning has been fairly simple.
1st. I changed out my hummingbird feeders.
Then I fertilized the hanging baskets on my porch
then I decided to fix biscuits and gravy for breakfast 🍳
Y’all enjoy your day!
“One old wives’ tale says that every foggy day during August equates to a day of snowfall during the following winter. Some also use this tale in more general terms, meaning that if there is a lot of fog throughout the month of August, there will be a lot of snow throughout the upcoming winter.”
~ Farmers Almanac
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunsets | Tags: Beautiful Sunset, Boat, Day Off, Fun, Love, Pontoon Boat, Private Areas, River, River Life, 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
All I can say is ‘what a week’! Whew! But, we got it all done ✅ We said goodbye to 3 great employees who are going back to school ❤️ Their futures look bright! And Then my wife and I hit the river 🌊 I’m still trying to recover this morning… 😊 Here’s a little picture journal of a little slice of KY Lake, aka: The Tennessee River… aka: The Redneck Riviera…
If it could only be like this always – always summer, always alone, the fruit always ripe…”
~ Evelyn Waugh
A new week lies ahead… I hope you have a great one!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Lake and Pond, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Alarm, Beep, Boat, Fun, Good food, Happy Anniversary, I Love My Family, Leak, Love, Pontoon Boat, River, River Life, Rivers, Roof Leak, Rude Awakening, Smoke Alarm, 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, Sunrises, Sunsets, Tennessee River
Beep, Beep, 🚨 Beep, Beep 🚨 🔥ALARM!!! Fire 🔥 ALARM!!! That was my wake up call this morning! Everyone in the house had the same rude awakening! 😓 Every alarm in the house was going off simultaneously 🚨 The dogs were freaking out 🐕 🐩 🐶 WOW! I immediately checked for smoke upstairs & Down, put the dogs out and checked outside – Pouring Rain 🌧 NO Smoke 💨 Then I tried to turn off all the alarms 🚨 No joy!
So I finally figured out that one of my smoke alarms was dripping water 💧 😳 That was the problem.
So we started chasing it down and found it, directly above the smoke alarm 🚨 I mean exactly above it!
Other than this early morning wake up call 😳 The week has been great! I celebrated my 28th Anniversary with my wife and took a few days off. Long story short… I’m a Blessed and Happy Feller’! Here’s a few pics from my week –
“It is a glorious privilege to live, to know, to act, to listen, to behold, to love. To look up at the blue summer sky; to see the sun sink slowly beyond the line of the horizon; to watch the worlds come twinkling into view, first one by one, and the myriads that no man can count, and lo! the universe is white with them; and you and I are here.”
~ Marco Morrow
Have a blessed day!
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Lake and Pond, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: 28th. Anniversary, Beautiful Sunset, Best Friend, Best Mom, Best Wife Award, Blessed, Blessings, Buck Moon, Count Your Blessings, Dancing In The Moonlight, Full Moon, God Bless, God Bless America, I ❤️ Summer, Love, Love and Meaning, Marriage, Moondance, mosquitoes, Summer Nights, Summer Time, Summertime, 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, Sunrises, Sunsets
I’ve been up since early… Drinking coffee and thinking 🤔 Reflecting. Yesterday was a fun, long, laidback day. My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary in grand fashion… At the river 😊 Floating, fishing, photography – Fun. The only thing I can complain about is we ran out of hours in the day, and the mosquitoes were out in force last night🦟
We want to thank everyone who called, messaged and texted to wish us a Happy Anniversary! ❤️ It was a fun, laid back, perfect day.
“Mosquito is out,
it’s the end of the day;
she’s humming and hunting
her evening away.
Who knows why such hunger
arrives on such wings
at sundown? I guess
it’s the nature of things.”
~ N. M. Boedecker
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Hummingbirds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: Bees, Birds, Bluebirds, Bumble Bee, Early Morning, Enjoy The Morning, Feeding Birds, Good Morning, Honey Bee, Hummingbirds, Love, Morning Coffee, Morning Zen, Quiet Morning, Quiet Time, reflection, 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, Sunrises
No sunrise to view this morning… A grey sky just became slightly brighter over time. But the birds woke up in turn, and the bees 🐝 came out and went to work as usual. This is my favorite part of the day! When I have the whole world to myself it seems… No phones, no demands, just the birds and the bees and some plants to attend too. Sunday morning and I’m in the right place…
Outside, there was that predawn kind of clarity, where the momentum of living has not quite captured the day. The air was not filled with conversation or thought bubbles or laughter or sidelong glances. Everyone was sleeping, all of their ideas and hopes and hidden agendas entangled in the dream world, leaving this world clear and crisp and cold as a bottle of milk in the fridge.
~ Reif Larsen
More coffee ☕️
Have a blessed day 🙏🏻
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Love, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Waterfalls | Tags: J.R.R. Tolkien, On the road again, Road Song, Road song playlist, Road Trip, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Poem, Sunday Reflections, Sunday with Family, Sundays, Tennessee, The Open Road, The Road Not Taken, Waterfalls
I always try to write my Sunday Blog first thing Sunday morning and publish it immediately. But, there’s always the exception… I just found service to send this little teaser today. We (Jo and I) are out exploring the backroads today. It started in a rainstorm and has continued into a beautiful, humid sunny day 🌞 So, I will post some good pictures later when I have the time to review for a minute. Enjoy this beautiful Summer Sunday!
“Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.”
~ J.R.R. Tolkien
Mark C.
