Fall color came into its peak at our place this past week, and was gone just as quickly. Early one morning, as the sun came up over the mountain to the east, the oranges and golds were glowing in the light.
The colors were beautiful down the driveway and around the street.
Gracie, our resident squirrel, came up for a treat. Of course, she looks so cute that she got her peanut butter sandwich.
Across the valley, more red can be seen in the pear and maple trees.
Then, one morning, snow! OK, it is just a dusting, but we almost never see snow in November. I began having dreams of a snowy holiday season. You can see that most of the leaves had been blown down just days after the other photos were taken .
It melted quickly in the warming sunlight. But it was pretty while it lasted.
A newly filled feeder attracted lots of birds. Here a pair of titmouses take advantage of a free meal.
A pair of chickadees were next.
Then, another visitor tried to get a share. I opened the window shade yesterday to see this guy was back.
I made some noise by banging on the glass door, but he didn’t go far. I had to step out to the veranda to encourage him to move along. He left fairly quickly after that.
In the kitchen, I had some avocados ripening, so guacamole was on the menu for football games last Sunday. I mash two avocados, then add about a quarter cup of sour cream and a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice along with a generous amount of chopped tomatoes and green onions. A little seasoning with garlic salt and lemon pepper gives it more flavor.
I got one of my favorite things last week, a jar of huckleberry jam! A friend was coming back from Yellowstone and I begged her to bring me one as we cannot get it anywhere on the east coast. I reimbursed her for the cost as it is a bit pricey, but soooo worth it. She brought it to me, and it was biscuits for breakfast the very next day! If you’ve never had it, it tastes like a cross between a blueberry and a strawberry. Yum!! It’s fun to use my turkey plates all month, too.
I am getting in a holiday mood with Thanksgiving now just a few days away. I have our turkey and the required jellied cranberry sauce. The table setting is in progress and I’ll bring this year’s tablescape to you soon. Autumn is indeed the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
In the sewing room, I am working on a charity quilt. It involves using a panel, and I’ll show you that whole project next week.
Today, I plan to bake some banana bread and blueberry muffins for My Sweet Babboo while the football games are on. Then, I get to sew for a couple of days. A guild meeting on Thursday will offer an opportunity to donate some stash to bring my Stashbuster numbers back in line. I hope you have some fun plans for this week!
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There are still some items for sale from Fall Fortnight, just click on Sample Sale to see them. I can ship this week so you’ll have them for Thanksgiving.
Fat Quarter Shop’s November specials include 20% off the Basic of the Month Shades by Riley Blake, 30% Off the Notions of the Month Guetermann Threads, 30% off featured Patterns of the Month and book of the month from Primitive Gatherings. Then, check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week. Sign up for the Jolly Box Limited Edition Mystery Quilting Box for 2025! Give it to yourself as a fun surprise.
Sulky is having a Going, Going, Gone Sale! These deals end tomorrow, or when they sell out. Puff ornaments, hand embroidery kits, cross stitch, wall art, and more.
Electric Quilt is offering a 25% discount now with code BlackFriday, including the software, books, block encyclopedia and add-ons for fabric and more blocks.
Milk Street has their Everyday Pan 30% off (no code needed) today only!
From My Carolina Home 
We had almost 3″ of snow this past Monday, followed by our first hard freeze and many, many leaves dropping. Weather people said it was our earliest snow since 2012 when Hurricane Sandy hit the NE. Love seeing your bird visitors (not so much the bear, yikes!). Your kitchen will be smelling heavenly with the baked goods. Have a great day.
amazing you had a dusting of snow already! your bear does not seem to be afraid of you! I’m hearing more and more bear reports it seems they are everywhere aren’t they!
Thankfully, he did move on when I yelled at him. Because of the zoom lens on my camera, he appears to be closer than he actually was. We’ve always had them here, it is the mountains after all, and they were here first.
Oh yes they were there first – I keep hearing of some in our area and never seen any – last week I was working in the garden and heard a noise it startled me as it was close and I looked up and saw this big black object near the garden fence – quickly I could see it was another filthy stray dog – I had the gate open to the garden so quickly shut it but I could soon see it was a gentle dog but needing attention but I ignore them as otherwise they will keep coming back. It sure did remind me of a bear at first though.
Carole, you had beautiful autumn color! I love seeing the birds. We have bears in our county, but so far none on any of our trail cameras. Wishing you a wonderful week!
You are braver than I am. I don’t think I would dare to open the door with a bear in the yard. Such great pictures of your local wildlife. Love seeing them. The smell of baked goods drifting through the house is heavenly. Plan on baking some pumpkin chocolate chip bars to take to my daughter’s house for dinner this evening.
Thank you.
My cousin who lives in Asheville is moving back to Tampa. She said she prefers snakes and alligators over bears. Personally, I’d take the bears!
I just love that you make little peanut butter sandwiches for Gracie. Does she know her name? She’s awfully cute! Your world looks so lovely in the dusted snow and the colorful trees. And the guac looks fabulous!
Carole, I would like to order Winter Amaryllis $55, Pumpkin Spice Wall Hanging $30, Wine Hexagon Topper $25, Pumpkin Print in black $20 – $130 plus shipping Cindy Juarez
Beautiful fall color there, Carole! And the bear – wow! That always amazes me to see him right in your yard. Your guacamole sounds yummy. I made your stuffed peppers last night – they were a good way to use up some leftover tomato sauce and rice. Have a wonderful Sunday!
OMG, Telling the bear to leave! I’d be hiding in a closet. I’m sewing furiously, hope to use up all the flannel in house for baby comfort quilts.
It’s always a pleasure to see photos of your scenery and wildlife. Thank you!
Carol in Iowa
Carole,
You take the loveliest pictures and I enjoy seeing them, especially the ones with all the wildlife around you. The bears should soon be hibernating and are trying to pack on the fat prior.
I just finished a couple of Christmas stockings. So I’m hoping to re-group and de-clutter before I start in again with projects.
Blessings,
Beverly
So glad Yogi scooted when you stepped out. Not sure I would’ve chanced it! Lol! Your guacamole sounds delicious and I loved all the birdie pics.
I like to see the wildlife that visits your garden especially the bears. If you happened to be in the garden would he be likely to turn up at the same time or is he wary of humans? I guess they are hungry and are getting ready to hibernate. Your Autumn colours haven’t been as bright this year I didn’t think and then to get a dusting of snow ⛄️so early.
Now Huckleberry jam sounds lovely and I would love to taste it but that’s not going to happen!! Unless we win Lotto! 😂
As we start to warm up into Summer the Tomatoes are flowering and starting to fruit up along with the peppers. The Tulips have flowered and faded and I have some Lilies showing off but they don’t stay for long. Other bulbs are still pushing up and I am waiting to see them. The Potato tops are looking majestic and the hope is that they have given me some lovely Potatoes. My Dad used to say ‘all tops, no bottoms’. Let’s hope for a big surprise.
Mary :))
We got about one-half inch of snow but it was so cold (low one night was 20) it took 2 days for it to melt. Yesterday our high was 65; that’s fall in the mountains. LOL. The cold caused the last of our leaves to fall. I haven’t seen my bear lately; just a possum that drives my dog nuts. Hope everyone has a great week.
I thoroughly enjoyed your scenery! Oh my that bear is fat! He must be about ready to hibernate! I am trying to get a top quilted, and having troubles with my machines. I have ordered some spring needles…have you ever heard of them? Supposedly they eliminate the need for a FMQ foot. Mine always snap at the needle bar and become useless. I’m hoping this will be a solution.
Great pictures of the birds! And the bear. Oh my!
Your colors looked so pretty, but snow?? That makes a long winter. That’s a big ole bear!
I’d love a white Christmas, though! The bear was a young one, not really that big, maybe 250 pounds. There’s a mama bear that came by in the spring with cubs. She is well over 400 pounds and stands at least a foot taller!
Our fall color lasted quite some time and as the sun set earlier, the colors are glorious in the evening. I would not like knowing a bear was prowling…right now we are working on whether we feed the deer and the birds or in the the new location the birds and raccoons. I think I vote for the deer. Oh, and very glad the you had plenty for Safelight, been dealing with some family issues, so I have been off line quite a bit; my aunt now has a good place to live and keep her safe.
it’s been a while since you posted your recipe for pumpkin-orange bread. This subscriber in Southeast Michigan baked two loaves yesterday for a fundraising auction. Of course, we had to taste-test! It is delicious; so moist, even though the outside looked a wee bit dry. It was so good we demolished half a loaf. We must show some restraint! Thank you. The kitchen smelled delightful as the loaves were baking.
We gave our bird feeders to family when we moved to the woods because of the bears. I like watching them but I don’t love all the destruction they’ve done to our trees we bought and planted and our garden hoses.