Raige Creations

I got to sleep in a little today, a nice Sunday, perfect for staying in bed a little long, just because. I got up a little after 7am, but I was feeling very guilty about not getting up earlier to go for a run/walk, or Wog (walk/jog) as I now like to call it. I was a little groggy, but got on my running gear, decided that coffee after the run would be better than before the run, got my Tom Tom Runner searching for a satellite, and turned the ipod on and headed out.  Photo By Charlesjsharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography, CC BY-SA 4.0,   The ' Go! ' beep went off on the Tom Tom  , so I started walking. Got on the road and I heard this banging on metal. Strange, but then I saw the culprit. A woodpecker , probably the one I saw in the Almond tree yesterday, was searching for food in the gutters. Cool. I decided to start to run, and after a little trouble getting going with all the thoughts going on in my head - the questioning o...

Fall Reflection taken at Biltmore Estate photo courtesy of Raige Creations Take the time to reflect.  Because when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing.

Leaf Filled Path photo courtesy of Raige Creations Just as the leaves were falling, and changing color, we were hit with freezing temperatures! There was a chance of SNOW last night. (luckily that didn't happen here)  The sun is so very misleading.  It was 32 degrees this morning! I almost didn't go out for a run, almost.  But I did. And I rocked it.  It felt good, and somehow my pace was better than it has been in, well, ever maybe. That I am not sure of, but definitely recently.  I just may be ready for the Jingle Bell Run . 43 days left and there is still time to donate, click here ! But seriously, so many leaves with the chill doesn't make ya feel like raking. If only we could do this. photo courtesy of Diply (formerly Different Solutions) Does anyone else dislike raking?  (I do, especially when I realized it now really hurts to jump in a pile of leaves.)

My Fuzzy Socks photo courtesy of Raige Creations Something about putting on my fuzzy socks comforts me.  When the fall comes, they are the first thing I put on in the dark hours of the morning.  With my fuzzy socks on, I don't feel the chill. With my fuzzy socks on, I can tackle the day. They are warm, comfy, cozy.  They signify the change of season, the colder weather. They remind me how wonderful cuddling under hubby's quilt is. They make me feel the comfort of togetherness that comes when it gets dark earlier, it gets colder, and the holidays mean family time together.  They make me feel like staying in them all day, cooking, baking, just being at home. I can't wear them with any shoes, they are too fluffy.  When I have them on, I am not going anywhere. They make me feel like staying in them all day, writing witty things, writing compelling stories, creating anything really.  So, here I am, typing nonsense about my wonderful fuzzy ...

A while back it was one of my goals, along with writing , to take more pictures with a real camera, not my phone. But I find myself not wanting to carry the heavier camera around, and worry about having the card in there. (yes, digital...I can hardly remember the last time we actually used film!)  It was 1973 when Paul Simon sang the pleas: 'Mama don't take my  Kodachrome away' . But alas, his pleas went unheard. Today is a world of digital photos, camera phones, and online storage of our life in pictures. So I carry my phone with me nearly everywhere, and snap pictures when the mood strikes. It is difficult to take them when I am running, which happens to be one of the few times I actually have time to take pictures. But today, it was a more difficult run day, so I walked more. And I took some pictures.  Half-way to full on Fall photo courtesy of Raige Creations Sadly, I was shocked to see these trees. Isn't it early to have the trees changing? Fall Pa...

As I mentioned the other day, something about the fall air is invigorating . I get to experience breathtaking views and beautiful color every day. I am as amazed by it now as I was when I first saw it, when hubby brought me here  to show me our potential new home that October 5 years ago. Perfect motivation for getting out there and enjoying! So get out there. Enjoy. And if you are in the Asheville area, stop by Blue Rage of Asheville for the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting and Fine Art Exhibition Colors In Time .

Yesterday was a true autumn day. Through and through.  First thing in the morning there was this beautiful crisp view from the front sidewalk of the high school. Soon after I went for my run/walk and the breeze was string and cool, with the smell of leaves in the air. I brought the dog and Madonna with me, and something about the entire experience was invigorating! Each wind gust, the birds riding the air, the leaves in their reds and yellows. It all gave me energy I hadn't felt in a long time.  I ran almost the entire time, and it felt good. Surprisingly good. The energy stayed with me and I accomplished so much yesterday morning it surprised me.  Up until that point I felt this sadness when I let it sink in that it was fall. I was missing the warm air, the hot sun, the summer!  Yes the leaves are breathtakingly beautiful, but I wasn't ready for the seasons to change. All I could see was winter not far off and I am just not ready for that.  ...

Dang it has been chilly lately. I had to dig out my jacket!! And I am wearing a SWEATER! That's why this is a perfect Collection for this week. I guess I will have to dig out my winter Stick Shift Cozy . Red HOT from CKDIN   Curated By: ChristieCottage ArtFire.com Vintage Fashion OR maybe I will make myself a purple one - yeah, that's what I am going to do. That will make driving in cold weather MUCH better Everything is better with a little purple.

The Leaves are falling all around..... I know I will be rambling on all week about that, because well,   leaves have fallen and continue to fall . The mountains are really beautiful, with the reds, yellows, oranges, and tiny touches of green filling the landscape.  Mother nature is a wonderful painter . Though this picture doesn't do it justice, the drive to the trail we hiked yesterday  has some spectacular views of the 'canvas'. As we drove the gravel road out of  Pisgah National Forest  after our great hike , single leaf by single leaf , they fell. They floated down, leisurely it seemed, and landed right on the windshield . We must have hit about 10 of them right smack in the middle of the windshield.  We could only drive about 15 miles an hour because the gravel road was quite bumpy in areas.  We got to enjoy each leaf as it landed, and witnessed all the others, one by one, floating down the mountainsides.   And today, we will be ...

"The idea is simple: every day, for a month, you write a blog post. Any blog post. You can blog about anything you want: your hubs, your kids, that weird lady who smells the bananas in Hell-Mart...really, the possibilities are endless. The only catch is that, for the entire month of October, you write an entry every single day."   From Heather, at NaBloWriMo . This about sums it up. Starting tomorrow , we will post a blog every day , and do so for the whole month of October. We are a group of bloggers who want to challenge ourselves. But as this sounds daunting, we are supporting each other.    I have been saying for months how I want to blog more consistently, grow my readership , begin offering advertising , and make the ' dream of being a writer ' (one I have had for several years now) less like a dream and more like reality.  This sounds like a great way to get myself in the habit of writing, meet some wonderful bloggers, and have a little fun ! ...

I noticed on my walk this morning, that the trees on the mountains are already starting to change color!  Not many, just a few. But as you look at the hills, you see a small pop of yellow here and there. Also, it has become a little too cool for just a tee shirt. I had to dig out a long sleeve to wear this morning. And during the days, it is that in-between kind of temperature where a tee is not quite enough, and a sweatshirt is just a little too much. (okay, I am convinced that hot flashes may be involved in these internal temperature swings, but hubby does not concur) Llamajamas sweater These are sure signs that sweet Summer is leaving us, and Fall is pushing his way right in. And I am starting to think I am the only one mourning this change of season this year. I am reading and hearing how wonderful fall is, how great it is that it here now, super that we get to turn on the wood burning stove, and wear our warm wool-y sweaters.  Well, I for one am going to miss the hec...

 Me and the kids zippin the day away! Take the best of canopy tours and zip line tours, add a little repelling and hiking, a couple sky bridges, and lots of information about tress and wildlife in the area, and you have Navitat Canopy Adventures .  And an adventure it is!  photo courtesy of Navitat With my in-laws visiting us this week, we were looking for something fun we could do, and I remembered reading about this new comapny just 13 miles from our house that runs zipline tours high up in the trees of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Navitat opened last April, and has been showing visitors a great time since! Browning getting me ready to zip None of us had ever been zippin', and were a little nervous (ok I was the one a little nervous) about flying through the trees on contraptions we knew nothing about.  But we shouldn't have worried a bit. Our guides, Brett and Browning ('like the gun' she said) were so helpful, knowledgable, patient, and fun, an...

Back in April, we found this nest of cute little bunnies. There were so many of them, and they were so small.  We never thought they would make it, with all the cats in the neighborhood, raccons wandering around, our dog scaring the lot, etc.   Time went by, and during the summer we noticed this one kept showing up on the patio even while we were outside. We could move closer to her, and she didn't run off. So we went about our business, she went about hers. She liked to hang out on the patio, thus, dubbed Patio Rabbit. She has grown nicely, loves the clover, and still let us get rather close.  She loves to eat the clover on the other side of the patio. Very pretty bunny. Then come fall, we moved and didn't think much more of Patio Rabbit.  Until one day in September, My mother-in-law called and said Patio had built a nest right in the flower bed, right next to the patio. She would stay there, by her nest next to the patio while they...