If you’re in the market to view, or use, cute animal photography, I know a place that has many useful images. The photos on this page all came from the Pixabay site, and I think they are some of the cutest animals in nature you’ll see anywhere. And the best thing is that you (or anyone) can use these photos for any purpose. They are in the public domain and can be used for personal or commercial projects / designs.
The photographer who goes by the name “tpsdave” is one of my favorites and he provided this bear cub picture, and the one of the moose. He also offers an array of other types of images which are just as stunning.
Photo by Memory Catcher
LoggaWiggler is another of my favorite photographers with many useful and super cute images at Pixabay, like the one below of fluffy baby geese.
The site is growing with more images added every day and if you are a photographer, why not add some of your pictures to share with the world?
Photo by LoggaWiggler
And last but not least, a cute squirrel photo submitted to Pixabay by yours truly (dustytoes).
This little cabin photo was taken near the Girl Scout Camp in Antrim. In fact it’s one that sits on their land and I suspect that visitors sleep in during the summer. It’s away from the main camp area, so I’m not sure. I think it would be a little creepy to sleep here, with nothing between me and the bears and moose but a screen wall! (Click to view more photos of Camp Chenoa.)
On my Pinterest board “Cozy Homes” I have pinned some cute little places to live which have grabbed my attention. My idea of a cozy home is a small house with some character to it. I plan to live alone one day (may not ever happen, but I’m dreaming) and I don’t want a lot of house to take care of. It would be wonderful to have a bunch of land, or to live in a place with a view, but the house must be small.
If you don’t do anything on Pinterest, I’ll say that it’s easy to figure out and it’s fun to gather things together that you like. Some of my boards have to do with my work, but many of them hold information in one easy-to-find spot. I have a board (or section) with garden ideas and information and another with recipes that pertain to using fresh garden veggies.
The fact that many women end up alone these days, I would think that builders would keep in mind that not everyone wants some big 3 bedroom / 2 bath home. It’s difficult to find a small, cozy home on nice land. Everyone seems to want a big, showy house.
Fall is a great season for the obvious reason of viewing bright leaf colors, but it’s also a time to cook some great fall food that helps warm the house.
I’ve let the kids turn the heat on upstairs these past two nights, but I am cringing at having to burn oil in September! Downstairs it stays a balmy 60 degrees 😉
I’m a little distressed at my lack of fire wood this season. I had some dead trees cut down on my acre of land which I planned to use in the wood stove. It turns out that much of that wood is too old to be of much use. I had some wood left over from last year, but I don’t have a whole lot. If the power goes out, and we all worry about ice storms, I will burn through my supply pretty fast. No worries, I have coats and hats. I’ve made it through power outages before.
I haven’t had the money to finish siding the back of the house, so already it’s cold inside my wall microwave. My kitchen cabinets could double as a refrigerator in winter and I guess it will be this way for a while to come.
But with autumn nearly here officially, and the temps overnight in the 30’s, I’ve started to enjoy cooking again, as it warms us up. Winter squash is such a fabulous food and it has to bake for a while. I cut mine in half and bake it cut side down for about 45 minutes or more. Then flip it right side up, add some butter and continue baking until soft. Scoop it out and add brown sugar, salt and pepper. It’s yummy and healthy.
The apple picking season is also upon us, or nearly. The peaches come first and then certain types of apples, and I’ll take a trip to Norway Hill Orchard to gather a big bag of macs soon. Then I can further warm my home with pie baking and crisp making.
Once the pumpkins are carved and the guts removed, I will dig through the mush and pull out the seeds to crisp up. I look forward to that too.
I see the oven being used for more than just meals for a while to come. And maybe I won’t need mittens when working in the kitchen.
Enough Lounging Around… Get to The Farmer’s Market
I wish I had a picture of the Peterborough (NH) Farmer’s Market, but I don’t. Instead I decided to show a picture of my cat lounging in the sink with a message to get out and support the local farmers.
It was a beautiful, sunny and coolish, day yesterday which was perfect for strolling the market. My neighbor had called me and mentioned going so we traveled there together. I am somewhat of a regular, but she hadn’t been. She wanted some goat milk soap, and I knew just the person to buy it from! One of my favorite venders is Rebecca of Holland Homestead farm. I first got to know her when I saw her plumeria scented soap and she mentioned that she had sold a bunch of it as wedding favors. Since I run a beach / tropical wedding site, we got to talking about that idea. I purchased some of the plumeria soap with good intentions of writing about it on my Sandpiper Wedding site, which I have still not done (sorry Rebecca!). But I still plan to do it!
Anyway, she sells awesome granola, and the super fresh eggs (the yolks are so yellow), and other lovely things, but most of all she is friendly and fun to talk with. I wanted to treat myself to a piece of her goat milk fudge, but she didn’t have any with her. She sells her things online too so check out the Holland Homestead site.
I came across a vender who knits the most beautiful sweaters. I hadn’t seen her at the market before yesterday, but I don’t go every week. Her business is Buddy Sweaters, and the photos at the website don’t do those garments justice. In person, they are absolutely lovely. The long, coat sweaters were my favorite, and the children’s things were very sweet. As someone who only knits scarves, I truly appreciated all the work that goes into her craft. And the fine yarns she uses would make any of the garments costly, what with all the skeins she must go through, plus the time it takes to create any one item. That must be taken into consideration when looking at the prices. And plus you’ll have a one of a kind, unique, handmade fashion accessory!
Another of my favorite stands sells garlic, onions, and delicious greens, among other things. Yesterday he didn’t have any greens, but I bought a container of his homemade hummus. I picked up some chard instead at another vender’s area.
I came across a jewelry maker, who looked familiar. I knew I had seen her at another time and as I was saying that to her, she said, “Yes, I see you are wearing my earrings” and sure enough, I was. Find her online at Good Gaud Designs.
Then we met Sue Henley at her calligraphy table, where she had hand-written quotes on cards and stationery. We got to talking about her wedding calligraphy and I had to mention her here in case any locals (to Keene and the Peterborough area) are interested. You can contact her through the NH made site: at Calligraphy Write From the Heart.
I also bought a loaf of cinnamon bread, and regularly I purchase coffee beans from Parker House Coffee, which is located in Greenfield. Everything is delicious and fresh, and I always enjoy my myself, even if I go alone.
The Peterborough farmer’s market is open year round and sets up on the lawn outside the Community Center on Elm Street (right off Rt.202 after the lights in Peterborough, but before the Shaws / CVS). In October they move indoors. If the weather is especially bad in summer, they will cancel. I went by one Wednesday when it was raining and no one was there. Apparently they can’t use the inside facility in case of bad weather. But according to Rebecca, that doesn’t happen often.
I fully believe in supporting the local farmers and growers, and any of the Farmer’s Markets give all of us the perfect opportunity to do so.
New England's Narrow Road 