We celebrated

Because it was our 52nd Wedding Anniversary

 What better way to celebrate than with a  First  Class Ticket to Italy.

A car is waiting for us.  

Tuscany is our destination. 

booking.com

The Relais Sant' Elena, near Bibbona, Italy, will be our home for the first week.    

booking.com

It is situated in the countryside.  The perfect place to relax, take day trips to visit Etruscan sites and have lunch at a famous Restaurant, 

a Fishing Shack with a secret.  

Last time we visited Bibbona we stayed at the "Villa Toscana" in the city center. 

The centro historico of Bibbona deserves another visit.  

It is a fascinating place.  

Scatti di Gusto

There is another Bibbona.
"Bibbona By the Sea".  It is purported to have a delicious secret.  

A humble fishing shack, Restorante La Pineta, with a Michelin Star. 

booking.com

The cooking and baking at our Relais also looks very promising. 

We will spend another week in the Chianti region.  

I can't go to Italy without stopping and painting with 
Maestro Mario of Montelupo. 


Italy in April is a giant flower bouquet.   

Gina 

The Sun was shining, the snow was perfect.

 The Haflingers, "Hit and Run"

were raring to go. 

Oops, his hairdo collapsed but he has no trouble seeing.  "Run" is used to having his mane draped over his eyes. 

Jingle bells never sounded sweeter. 

Almost forgot the horse hair plumes.  

All aboard, Tennessee knows how to talk to his horses, and to his mules.  For years he has made little boys and little girls (and many  adults) happy by taking them for rides winter and summer.  

Tennessee is our local "horse whisperer" and we are so lucky that he lives in our community. 

Thank you M'lisa and Craig for providing your beautifully restored antique sleigh. 

Off we go.  

Haflingers, also known as Avelignese, are a breed of horses developed in Austria and Italy.  They were first introduced in the Middle Ages.  Their ancestors come from the foothills of the Alps of  Austria and Italy, the area known as the Südtirol.  Haflingers  are known for their energetic but smooth and elegant gate. 

All Haflingers can trace their lineage back to "Folie" (born in 1874) through one of seven bloodlines.  

Our friend Craig, who loves carriages and owns many, made it all happen.  

Thank you Craig for giving us such a special day to start out the New Year.  

Gina 

Happy New Year Friends!

I survived

Did you?  

Gina

May I drink a toast to you?

And wish you the Happiest of New Years.

Thank you dear friends for sharing your world with me.  

You are responsible for giving me the Wanderlust.

I thank you for your visits dear friends.

May 2016 bring you all that you wish for. 

May you be happy, healthy and prosperous.  

Gina 

These could save your life

Two pieces of wood and a string.

And a sturdy nail into each end could save a life.

I love our pond... but not in winter.

See those footprints, they are heading straight for the thin ice.


  

Part of our pond never freezes, near the deep Spring where the water temperature is 65 degrees year round. 

After thinking long and hard we decided to lower the pond for the winter months. 

Large machinery and a friend with precise maneuvering skills made quick work of the task. 

He even cleaned out the ditches which carry the water to our fields.  

The water flowed so fast that many fish became stranded.  I gathered them into a bucket of water and carried them back to the Pond. 

An old farm Disk sat in one of the corners, getting in the way when harvesting our fields.  

Because the  equipment could only lift the Disk so far,

Our Friend backed up his big truck until it was level with the disk. He backed the truck into the machine (not the other way around) until it was swallowed up. 

When I asked him if he was going to use it as a "sculpture", on his farm, our Friend surprised me by saying that "he would see if he could make it work again". 
Not much is wasted in this small farm community.  

If you live near frozen waters you must have one of these in the ready.  Wear it around your neck and if you should fall through the ice, these handles can pull you up and on top of the ice.  

Just in case and nearby our pond, a boat for the open water, a rake to reach with and what could be a lifesaver...a simple string with two wooden handles. 

By opening the spillway, we lowered the pond by more than a foot.

Much safer.

Now only a small pool open for the ducks. 

It won't be long, the days are getting longer. There will be Spring.

 And Summer

and Fall, when I love my pond most of all.

Have a great week my dear 
Blogging Friends.

Gina

Partial repost January 2013

The day after

It snowed all day

The only open water is by the spring.

Soon the snow will melt.

But before that, New Year's Eve will be celebrated with friends. 

Champagne is on ice.  

Gina