Mountain view

The hubs decided late last night that we were going to get up today early and make that 4 hour drive to the farm in North Carolina to see our oldest son and family!     So we did..but we only got to see him for the 4 hours we were there.   The grandgirls were in school and then had a job after school baby sitting  a toddler while the baby's mom worked a dinner shift as a waitress.   The daughter in law had something going on and was not home either.  

Tate had finished up a job (he works from home revising house plans for a nationwide home builder) so we were outside walking the farm.   He showed us the apple tree in the backyard that was an old heirloom apple tree (one of several on the property!) and got his little apple picking stick with a basket for catching the apples.  We had a small basket of about 20 little apples.   I ate one..it was so sweet.   So we set the basket down and proceeded to walk up the hill...and I mean UP hill.     We just meandered around looking at the leaves, he showed us the other apple trees along the high side fence line and then we started back down the hill  which is where I stopped to take this photo.  It is just so gorgeous and the weather was perfect!

When we got back down to the house I went to get my apple basket so I could put them in something else to carry back home...THEY WERE GONE!  The basket was empty.   I looked around and here comes DOLLY, the horse!   She was waiting to see if any more apples were going to come her way!     She kept bumping my shoulder as I got the apple picker thingy and was getting another basket full.    Tate said she has been eating any apples that fall to the ground and then all those that she could reach by standing under the tree.    But she knows where they are and will stand there until someone shakes the tree limbs for the apples to fall.  Spoiled rotten horse!

 Dolly is just like a puppy!  After she got used to being at the farm from being boarded, they decided to let her be loose and have the whole area to roam. She does very well.  And apparently does not make a mess in the yard where she eats as I never had to watch where I was stepping!   But when it is time to be shut up for the day in the corral, they ring a cowbell and she comes running from wherever she is.  She goes to the corral on her own because she knows she will get a little sweet oats for supper!   

Then I drove the 4 hour drive home!   I think I will sleep really well tonight!


Thanks also for all the comments and love for my Smith Pond photo yesterday!