If this is still Florida. It's way too cold.

It rained all night. And I believe the high today will be lower than the low this morning. Just went out to pick up the morning newspaper and it is cold and damp out.  All grey. No sun. I have friend who are vacationing in Daytona Beach in March and I sure hope this weather takes a change for the better. Because they are coming from Maine and do not want to vacation in cold weather at the beach.
I got my hair cut.  It was time.  It was so long and unmanageable.  Now it is about the length that it is in my profile from a year ago. Hard to believe that it has been almost a year since our big round trip camping trip all across the country.  If gasoline were not so high I would want to do it all over again. It was an awesome experience.  I definitely want to see Glacier Park in the Fall.
We have a new listing from our realtor. It is four acres, a house sold as is, a spring for the well, and another building that used to be a pottery shop.  The house needs a lot of work. But the land is beautiful.  And the price is fantastic.  A bit over 50.000 and up next to a mountain.  We need for winter to be over so we can go back up to North Carolina and buy a place.
I was just listening to Crystal Bowersox's new cd. She was a contestant on American Idol last year and in my opinion she was the winner even though she came in second place.  Tiny is experiencing skin allergies. So far the Vet keeps giving him an allergy medicine. But once it is used up he goes right back to scratching his skin raw. While we were on the trip he never scratched. We have changed his food to lamb and brown rice, organic.  The Vet thinking it might be a food allergy. Still scratching. I am lost for what to do.  I think it could be something in his environment but it seems like it started after our dog Girl died and all our cats died.  I think we are getting another dog soon.  This is all the news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NR8tH9tDGQ

Tiny needs a Friend.

We are searching for another dachshund to be a pal and friend to our doxie Tiny.  He seems lost since our big dog Girl passed away.  And the pet psychic Sonja told me that Tiny wanted us to get another dog.  I wish Tiny could talk.  But I can tell he is sad.
We have been looking on the rescue Dachshund websites.  But it seems there are not a lot near here. The closest one we found was in Ocala.  And I think their dog was almost a year old and not really all dachshund.  I am thinking we will just buy a dachshund.  The rescue ones cost almost as much as getting a new puppy. But then they have done all the medical.  Spaying, shots, heartworm. So, they have to pass that cost along because they are volunteers.

We are also still hoping for a farm in North Carolina or Tenn. And there are a lot more homeless Dachshunds up there so maybe we will just wait until we move.  Because most of these rescue places do not allow you to move very far from where you adopt.

I just found out that Tim Tams are now being produced by Pepperidge  Farm cookies.  They are so good. A chocolate filled and iced cookie.  Very much like a little candy bar.  Tiny has been climbing into the folded towels again.  I must find a closed bed that he likes which gives him the feeling of an igloo.  The weather has been topsy turvy.  That is Florida for you.  I hate it.  If it's cold,  I want it to stay cold, if its hot, stay hot.  But we have had below freezing for two weeks, then up to 80 degree's and warm, then back down to 23 degrees for a week.  I am very tired of it.  I am ready for a move to a new climate. After 25 years of Florida winters I want something different.  And just maybe I'll be able to grow vegetables in the summer without them burning up.

I cooked Christmas dinner for seven family members and I survived.  I usually get very nervous if I volunteer to be a host for a holiday meal. I have never been good at timing things or getting multiple dishes on the table at the same time.  My husband was a great help.  He suggested getting casseroles ready and putting in the refrigerator until time to cook. This helped me not panic.  Our meal turned out very nice.  I wish everyone a Happy New Year and a healthy one.   So far so good.  One day at a time. That is all we have anyway.

I want to be Farming.

We tried to buy this farm in North Mountains.  But someone made an offer before we could.  The piece of property is over 8 acres and has an old farm on it.  It is the most beautiful land between the mountains on Shoal Creek.  The deal has not closed. I am hoping and praying there was a hang up and it did not go through. Our realtor is checking for us as to why it has not been closed yet. Maybe they wanted to subdivide and it was not allowed on this land. 

http://www.trulia.com/property/1082833847-605-Shoal-Creek-Rd-N-A-Murphy-NC-28906  

We had a nice Thanksgiving.  And I am doing the cooking for Christmas. I have never cooked for eight or more people so I am very nervous.  But I did not want my daughter in law to keep cooking the dinners as she works long hours.  Our weather was bitter cold for a week and a half.  Bird baths froze, my tropical gingers and orchid tree's froze.  I do not know if they will come back this time.  I want to live where it is constant cold in the winter.  I hate this constant weather extremes.  Very cold then almost hot.  Florida is crazy. I am ready to move.  I hope everyone has a nice Christmas.  I will be busy cooking and shopping and mailing.

My nephew Jonathan and his Mom Pamela

I forgot to add this picture and one of the deer in her back forty.  She has 15 acres behind her home.

Judy Garland said it Best. There's No Place Like Home Toto.

We got home from North Carolina/Tennessee a few days ago.  It is nice to be in my own bed. But I want a house up in the mountains.  Already I am hating this humidity.  I breathe so much better up on the mountains.  The air is much drier than Florida.  And now after seeing Mindy I want another dachshund for Tiny to play with.  We stayed over a week in Hendersonville.  Hendersonville N.C. is just too touristy for me.  Too much traffic.  Although I do love all the history there and that Carl Sandburg has a goat farm there.  I covet his goat farm.  LoL. How I want goats and chickens.  Karen our realtor was so nice. She has sent us more listings.  We will be going back and taking a car next time and staying longer.  I want that house in the mountains like an ache in my heart.

So, we visited my cousin and I got to see my nephew Jonathan whom I had not seen in years. He lives up in Greensboro N.C. where he graduated from college.  My cousin Pam flew down to Miami, Fl for a college reunion so Ralph and I took care of her dogs  and cats until he son got there.  It started snowing the day before we left which I loved. But Murphy or near there is where I want to find a place.  I loved Murphy.  A few pic's  I'll write more later.   Maybe a new poem.

Houses I like

Photographs from last week.

These were taken coming across highway 64 from Chattanooga Tenn to Ducktown, Tenn. I loved Ducktown Tenn.  We looked at this campground in Ducktown.  Leading down the road to the campground was this falling down mountain house, with this mountain man, with long shaggy beard, falling down suspenders, whittling a stick.  I am not kidding.  I wanted to be his neighbor immediately. Then we get to this tiny campground, and there are only about ten campsites.  No office to speak of where you would go pay, no one even in the campground.  It was along the creek, very pretty. But very deserted. I wanted to stay, soooo I could walk down the road and talk to the mountain man. But the boss said it looked creepy.  No adventure, just no adventure in his soul.  So, we ended up camping in a very sane, campground,  on the River in Murphy N.C. full of Hog motorcycle people from CANADA. And the first thing the Canadian motorcycle camper said to me was,  "Not another camper from Florida."  What are all you Florida people not happy in your state.  Ha Ha. I could say the same about her.  Now I could ride a three wheel bike but not two wheel. I just don't have the big money for a three wheeler.  This entire group of motorcycle people wheel out of here each morning on their bikes and go about 100 miles up into the mountains in any direction and then ride back.  They said they do this until they have seen the area and then they move on to another campground. Cool.  Ok, these photographs are on highway 64 going through Tenn by Ducktown.  (photographs in Cherokee National Forest along 64 and of the Ocoee River and TVA Tennessee Valley Authority.  This is Indian Country.