Cow or Clown?

 Did you just say I looked like a clown?

Well........how rude!

Thanks for visiting my rude part of the country!
Jana

Look What Washed Up

 This is the same beach that Loch Ness Monster was in (if you missed it, it was my last blog).  Anyway, we were sitting on the beach relaxing and getting hot.  We looked up and look what washed ashore.  He had every flag he could possibly fit on his little boat and then some.  He sold fresh fruit of all kinds right off his little boat and had a long line of people ready to buy.

What most people were waiting for was his coconut rum punch.  He made them in a fresh coconut shell that he cut open and then added all sorts of fresh fruit to, finishing it off with some local rum.  Randy was hot and thirsty and thought that it sounded great.....FRESH coconut rum, made in a coconut while you wait, all for the low price of just $5.00......It did sound good...

IT WAS NASTY....

but it made a great laugh for both of us when we threw it in the trash.

Thanks for the visit to our coconut rum punch world,

Jana

My What Big Ears You Have!!

 Every year we have a couple of jack rabbits that show up in our driveway.  We have had up to 4 of them living there and whenever you go in or out of our drive you get to see them.  They are however a little skittish and have great hearing with those big ears.

 See the ears perk up after just one click of my camera.

They look like all ears and whiskers.  I look forward to seeing them come back every year.  

My whole family knows when you drive in or out of my drive 

 "ya look out for my bunnies". 

Thanks for visiting my long eared part of the country,

Jana

Loch Ness Monster?

 Randy LOVES snorkeling.  When we took our first cruise I was afraid he would hate it....turns out I was wrong (that hurts to even type that word)

I just love the shoes....it is always said that the shoes complete the outfit,

I couldn't agree more.

 Just wait, the look is almost complete.

 The goggles and snorkel complete our ensemble, don't ya think?

 Love this look....just sayin'

 Now he is ready for some fun.  He will be gone for several hours "exploring" 

and I enjoyed a good book.

 Randy has said he could snorkel 24/7, and I believe he could.   He started out here and went out far enough it was hard to see him anymore.

After all that a long nap was in order......
Snorkeling is such hard work.

Thanks for enjoying our underwater world,

Jana

Harvest

I went to the wheat field at the end of the day so I could get all the different shades of gold. 

I Love wheat fields, one of my favorite things.

Tracks....and a perfectly manicured golden lawn.

They had about half of the field cut when I got there.  I think this is a beautiful field, you don't see  a single weed in it,  I can't do that in my little flower beds.

This is a Rednecks lawn mower, it's a beautiful thing.

It was the last round for the day.  You don't want to cut if the moisture is up...it needs to be dry.
 I think they might be quitting tonight because they are tuckered out , not the moisture.

He had a full bin earlier than expected....the yield has been good on this field this year.  

  A lot of work has gone into this moment and it's a great relief to have it cut and out of the field.  It makes a farmer nervous when a storm is coming and the wheat is still in the field needing to be cut.   A hail storm can wipe out a field in a matter of minutes.   

Thanks for visiting harvest in my part of the country,

Jana

It's Getting Close

 Randy was checking his rye about a week ago.  I guess it's like checking a cake in the oven 

and you can just tell when it's getting close.

 The wheat is close too.  There is a little green and the heads aren't bent over yet. 

 Anyway that is what I was told.

I'm not sure why, but even as a young girl I loved a wheat field.  It is so graceful when it sways in the wind, and I think the color has such beautiful shades of gold.

Thanks for visiting my golden part of the country,

Jana

Sugar Cane Mill

On our tour of Barbados our tour guide stopped at a Sugar Cane Mill.  Our small group enjoyed this in part because most of our group was from farming communities.

 This semi was unloading a truck full of the "good stuff".   I'm trying to figure out how this can not be good for me....isn't this "natural" and "vegetables at their finest"?

A closer look at the sugar cane.....

doesn't exactly look like the bowl of white sugar that I'm use to seeing.

I'm not sure what they call this, but in a nut shell it's the trash from the sugar cane...just so ya know.

I had never tasted raw sugar cane and it was sweet, but not as much as I expected.  Also it was fine to suck on it, but somewhat "splintery", or at least that's how I would describe it.

Here was our tour guide for the day.  He was great.  He was the first tour guides we had ever had that LOWERED the price of our tour because he said that was the fair thing to do. 

We liked him so well we paid the original amount plus a tip.  

He was one of the best tour guides we have had.

Thanks for visiting this "sweet" part of the country,

Jana

St. James in Barbados Part II

 This is a view when you stand at the front of the church and look back.  Above is the organ for the church.  I love the arches and the candles at the top of the church....simply beautiful.

 This is the rig side of the church, and for ventilation they just tilt in the window coverings.  I would love to hear the organ playing, a light breeze coming off the ocean and hearing a sermon here.  

 Here is the left side.  I just love the stone and woodwork.

Some carvings on the inside of the building.  I just loved this beautiful church,

 it is truly a work of art.

Thanks for the visit to Barbados part of the country,

Jana

St. James in Barbados Part I

 As the sign says, this is the oldest church in Barbados.   This was our second time to tour this church, and we enjoyed this visit just as much as we did our first visit.  

I have several photos of the church and so I will do it in two separate posts.  The outside of the church is nice, but it does not do justice to how pretty the inside is.  

 It is not extremely elegant, but I do appreciate the woodwork, the history behind this church and just the over all beauty of it.

Just a little bit closer look at the stained glass in the front of the church.   The people of Barbados are very proud of this church and I can definitely respect that, it is a work of art. 

I will show more inside shots on my next post.

Thanks for visiting this part of Barbados,

Jana

Firemen's Fund Raiser

 One of the many things I love about a small town is the people.  Nothing against large towns, I have lived there and they have some great things to offer, but speaking for myself only I didn't get to know as many people on an personal level as I do in a small town, and part of the reason for that is functions like this.  It is our towns fire departments annual fund raiser.  (that's a mouth full).  They just move out the fire trucks, and set up table and chairs for everyone to sit.

 Complete with a dalmatian for the kids.  One girl was worried about the dog not eating...so cute.

 Sure the main purpose is to get money for the fire department.  Just a note, it is a volunteer fire department, and that alone says a lot about the people who give of their time. (Lots of time)  We had a wild fire out by our house a couple of years ago, less than a mile from our house and let me just say,  grateful for the VOLUNTEER fire department is putting it mildly.  

 It is also a great social event.  You get to go and visit with your neighbors, friends and even family.  

 This is my Grandma in the middle of the photo.  I was having a little trouble getting a smile out of her.......so naturally she is friends with everyone sitting around her and.......

 were more than willing to help me out and get her to laugh for the camera....Thanks.

Just love my Grandma!

 This is my mother-in-law holding one of my pies up for the auction, both her and my father-in-law have given years of volunteering for their hometown.

My son and his wife.  They have bought a house in our small town about a year ago, so now it is also their town.  They are here in support as well.  We all had one great meal, all prepared by the volunteers, that alone is no small task.  Thanks to all of the volunteers.

I love a small town, can ya tell?

Thanks for visiting the firemen's part of the country,

Jana

Coconut Meringue Pie

I made 5 of these the other day.  Three to sell at our Fireman's fund raiser and 2 for Mother's Day

 Here's my proof, and don't worry mine are low in calories too. 

 If you believe that I've got property for sale.  

EACH pie has:

5 eggs (homegrown, that is why it is so yellow in the middle)

1 ENTIRE can Cream of Coconut

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Coconut 

+ some butter and misc other goodies

and then the crust and meringue.

Now if that isn't low calorie what is?

I had some left over and brought it home.....talk about a mistake.

When I was dating my husband he bought me one and before the weekend was over I ate the entire pie all by myself, now you understand why this was a mistake to bring it home.

I have posted the recipe for the crust on my blog and it is a simple one, but still my favorite crust ever...Flakey, easy and can make ahead.....honest.

Thanks for visiting my "flakey" part of the country,

Jana

A Rose and so much more...

 My family all knows that Mothers Day can be a bit hard for me....

 This year my daughter convinced my husband to buy me a small "pocket" camera.  He agreed and she started researching them.  She studied them for a long time, all the features and what she thought I would like.  They ended up buying me a Canon PowerShot.....

 Can you tell what I've been playing with?  

This is on macro..... It doesn't have a lot of features, but it has taken some great photos already, and I love the fact that it is small enough to fit in my pocket or purse.  It's about the size of a credit card, just a little thicker, but it is itty bitty.

I love the pictures of the rose for 3 reasons.

1.  The rose is from my son and his wife.....so sweet

2.  My husband bought me the camera to take it with.  We sometime call my husband" Mr. Checkbook"

3. My daughter was in on "researching" which camera for him to buy

(she also made everyone dinner, I got to choose the menu)

P.S. She also got me 2 necklaces, one has small shells on it, that is because my Mom loved shells, 

How sweet is that!!

All in all it was a Great Mothers Day!!

No greater gift for a Mom than having her kids around!!

Hope you all had a Great Mothers Day as well!!

Thanks for visiting my part of the country

Jana