Photography has enabled me to capture a moment in time via the camera lens. I don’t have a sophisticated camera. I use my camera from my phone. I have it wherever I go, and it’s easy to use. If you’re an avid reader of my blog, you may recall, that Photography is a goal for my personal growth this year.
Most of my photos that I share on my blog or in other social media sites are purely everyday places that I have been blessed to see and share with you as my readers. I hope you enjoy the season of Fall through my everyday life “camera lens” in “thehardware life”.
The Fall Leaves
Fall Leaves are dropping everywhere! Here’s a few favorites featuring leaves as the centerpiece of the autumn season.
Vibrant Fall Colors
Vibrant Fall Colors are simply abundant this Autumn. We are so blessed to live in an area with such amazing color everywhere we look.
A Day at the Lake
This year I decided to look for Fall colors in unusual places. The Blue Ridge Mountains are an amazing place to find beautiful views and fall colors. Instead of trekking up the mountain, I wanted to check out some local areas to see how the Fall colors were coming and I wasn’t disappointed! These photos were captured a week or so before peak in our area at W Kerr Scott Lake.
Unusual Finds in the Fall
Sometimes a walk around the neighborhood or just being outside brings us face to face to with the unusual and unexpected. When I find those things, I often take a snapshot of my findings.
Tree trunk covered in leaves Acorns.. finding an abundance of acorns according to old weather folklore, forecasts a colder winter. Animals will need the acorns to survive the long, cold winter🥶. Cotton field “leftovers” Moving bales of cotton, that’s just ONE! Feather 🪶 in the grass… Persimmon Tree… old winter folklore tells us that the shape of the persimmon seed can predict the type of winter that is coming. A fork shaped seed inside the persimmon means a milder winter, a spoon shaped persimmon foretells a snowy winter, and a knife shaped seed means a cold, wind biting winter 🥶!
The Pines
This pine is dropping its needles beneath the tree, Pines drop their needles heavily during the Fall months . Long leaf pine needles Pine cones nestled in the fallen pine needles
Sunrises
As you may already know, I love a good sunrise or a beautiful sunset. I’m often up to see the sunrise. Sun chasers, here you go… my 2023 Fall sunrise captures.
The Fall Moon
There is simply nothing more intriguing than a full moon. As an educator, teaching during a full moon cycle brought unique challenges. Medical professionals and others have also attested to the Full moon impact upon human behavior. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to capture the moon behind all those clouds after Spooktacular.
“The night walked down the sky and brought the moon to the forefront “.
Foggy Morning Breakdown
The fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife!
Seeking Warmth…
First fire in the wood stove the morning of October 16th inside Wilkes County Hardware.
I hope you enjoyed a small sample of my Fall favorites. Look for your everyday moments and capture them through your life lens, whether you use your camera or not. Happy Fall Y’all! 🍂🍂🍂🍂
The sunlight was just in the right spot, to capture all those beautiful fall colors… one I couldn’t resist.
The garden centers in May see a frenzy of activity. The Spring season has brought enough warmth and heat to keep those blooms beautiful. Do you find yourself buying the same annuals or planting the same flower seeds each year??? At the hardware store, our flower seeds are selling quickly as well as potting soil.
WCH Recommends: Using a composting soil builder along with a great potting soil mix creates a fantastic base for growing plants and flowers. WCH Recommends: Zinnias bloomed all summer long with butterflies abounding! Stop by to pick up some seeds now for blooms later this summer.
I began to think about this the other day, my personal connections to flowers and what I plant is deeply rooted… linked to my personal life experiences and memories of those who I love and those who are no longer with us.
Hydrangeas are a favorite flower memory. I have a large snowball hydrangea that I planted several years ago based around my childhood home. These beautiful blooms here are from my granny’s garden.
I have a few favorites that I love to plant each year. The striking colors, the scents, the aesthetics, and durability(long lasting nature) of the plant definitely impacts my purchasing decisions. But, many of the reasons why I pick the same type of flowers each year is due to my associated memories with these flowers.. past celebrations, or memories of strolling through family gardens.
Aunt Mary and Pat always had their window boxes full of red geraniums every year. I always try to have a couple of red geraniums each year.
If you and I did a walk through in my garden areas at my home, it would be a definite literal story of sharing plants.. who gave them to me to transplant, or maybe the why I chose the blooming beauty for my garden and the personal connection to each flower. My question to you today, do you relate and link flowers that you plant to your cherished loved ones too?
My mom always had beautiful roses at home. I love this ketchup/mustard variety in my front garden area. Many of the varieties I have chosen are as a result of our conversations about the care of rose, heartiness of the variety. WCH Recommends: If you have roses, this is a great product to use!
My final thought to share with you today, flowers hold power… not only the outward beauty for your home, hope, resilience to bloom even in difficult circumstances.., and cherished memories of those you love. Let’s get planting!
This topic is seemingly double talk to most of you today… Blogging about Blogging. I think it is worth the time to explore the methods to my blogging journey.
Since I began my blog in the summer of 2018, I have gotten these questions more than once:
1. How do you put together a blog post?
2. What inspired you to write about this topic?
3. Do you have a list of topics that you write about?
My blogging experience is not vast. I blog simply because I enjoy the creative aspects of blogging. I don’t think my blog will ever become a viral sensation. My blog started out as a way to chronicle our new journey into hardware store ownership. After my retirement from the education world of work, it became a way to continue my creative interests.
My first blog post was extremely short and I used the picture that was generated from the blog builder website, meaning my skill set knowledge of the new blogging techniques was limited. I just recently changed that first photo from that first blog post.
Looking back, at the first several blog posts that I created, I don’t think I included any pictures at all . I simply hadn’t thought about including those! If you look back at my first blog posts, they still don’t have photos and I think I’ll leave them that way so I can visualize my own personal growth.
Pictures add a visual for the reader to enjoy and adds connections between content and images
Over the last few years, pictures have become a greater feature in my blog posts and I have grown to love them as part of the story behind the blog and a nice way to break up large pieces of content within the blog to give the reader a visual break.
When it comes to blogging, I’m a novice. I have completed and published approximately 109 blog posts… and I blog when I have time and the inspiration. I don’t have a huge following but I do have a few, sweet, loyal fans.
A well known blogger once said in an interview, that her biggest fans were not her friends or extended family. I’m not really sure why that is the case. Sometimes folks may not fully understand or appreciate the purpose of a blog’s intent, how to navigate the technical side of a blog, or take the time… well the list is there.
But, in my own personal experience of blog creation/writing, I have found that to be somewhat true, with the definite exception of my Mom and sister-in-law. They are both consistent readers of my blog and are always there to support me and give me a boost when I need it the most. Thank you so much for always taking time to read my blog and sending me feedback Mom & Kimberly!!! It is much appreciated! Love you both dearly! 💕
I am also very lucky that I have dear friends who read and comment on my blog regularly. Thanks for your support! Y’all make my efforts worth the work.
But when it come right down to the nitty gritty of writing, and getting a blog post together, my process of writing has definitely evolved over the last few years. When I first started blogging, I would finish my blog post in one sitting.
Work… not usually the place where I can write. Home is my favorite place to think and create.
Typically now, that is rarely the case. I will write for a brief period of time and then return to that same blog piece later on… it could be weeks between writing sessions or a matter of a few hours. Most of my blog posts are written over a period of a few weeks due to the time consuming nature process of writing and editing. Sometimes it takes a few months to finalize a blog post.
Here’s where most of the magic of my blog happens… in my notes section of my phone. The unfinished drafts, the list of topics in my queue.
The writing is only step ONE! Once that is done, I add in the photos. The photos are selected carefully from my vast collection of photographs on my phone matching the content to the images. I do use stock photos occasionally in order to make the images and content of blog interconnect.
My handy blog tool… my phone. I very rarely use my computer anymore to complete a blog post from start to finish,
My most productive time for writing and editing tends to be in the mornings. I’m more of a morning person and my brain shuts off as the day progresses.
My pups tend to pile into my lap as I work on the blog… my helpers 🐶
The longest span of time that has elapsed for writing /editing a blog post was ONE year! I began writing Women in Entrepreneurship and I didn’t actually publish it until a year later.
I almost didn’t finish this one! I’m so glad I left my draft copy going! If you haven’t read about Women in Entrepreneurial roles in Downtown North Wilkesboro, please check it out!
My topics for a blog post are chosen. They maybe seem random but often it is just things I’m thinking about, discussion topics from things happening inside our hardware store, or I may write about items that I think my readers might enjoy. And yes, I now have topics in queue for a future time.
In the queue… pound cake
Ultimately, I write and create because I simply enjoy it. It is a great way to convey a small piece of our lives to a greater community often sharing a bit of insider knowledge with my readership.
I just read today that the shift is starting in the blogging community to a more focused content approach. I very thankful that my blog is still going strong with a mix of personal insights, thoughts, and a lot of our hardware life. Thanks for sharing and supporting me in this blogging space.
Splashing into 2023 with new personal goals y’all .., stay posted!
“Only in darkness can we catch a glimpse of the fullest light“
We lost a dear friend late last week. It has been extremely difficult for me, Richard, and our entire staff to digest this loss. Monty was truly an amazing person. Those of you who also know him, will absolutely agree with me on that. His joyful laugh was infectious and he brought a lively nature into every conversation.
Monty has been a significant part of our team for the last few years. Monty’s work ethic, and life experiences was a model that other staff members noticed and worked to exemplify his success. Monty had the heart of a true entrepreneur. He was willing to take risks, try anything new, and discuss the potential and possibilities of “the what ifs”.
Monty came to Wilkes County Hardware during the Covid years. We couldn’t have been more blessed by his steadfast presence each day. His business experience was invaluable to both of us. Monty was always the first one to acknowledge a customer who needed assistance. He also would step in and help out with any task… pictured here, Monty is helping Richard with measuring rope.
I’ve tried to wrap in my mind the impact he has left upon all of us… mentor, friend, and most definitely “hardware store dad” and dear friend to all of our staff. As a good dad model, Monty always had a kind heart, offering food those who were hungry, and even advice when you needed it. I’m not sure that I can fully grasp, and vocalize everything Monty has done for us. His daily life impact will be long lasting. Monty’s actions demonstrated that he truly cared for all of us and wanted only the BEST for every single staff member at Wilkes County Hardware and everyone he encountered in the surrounding community.
When the Smithey’s building burned last summer, Monty and Diane spent several hours with us as we watched and waited to see if our building would be impacted by the fire. We appreciate your friendship and love.
Grief is hard. I ask that y’all send prayers to Monty’s family, as the journey of grief is beginning. Monty loved his family. We also covet your prayers as we grieve and try to transition to life without him inside our store. Monty will remain a key part of our heart inside Wilkes County Hardware and we will carry his love with us forever.
Thank you Monty for bringing beautiful light into our world. We will miss you dearly 💕.
It’s hard to believe that 2022 is almost in the books! Sharing a few moments with y’all from our hardware life from this year in the form of pictorial memories and a few of my photo favorites.
We welcomed Cookie into our home in January. She was found abandoned at a local car wash, very thin and wet. The top pictures depict her thin size when she was found/first came home. On December 26th, 2022 she weighed in at the vet at 21 pounds…. She is definitely living the good life now. Beautiful blooms in January 2022 January snow 2022 Hardware show in Orlando, back in person! Richard & Steve Foster The freight elevator from a unique perspective, top down view … yes, it still works and we use it frequently Afternoon Sun gleams in from the front windows Spring Feature… thanks for sharing y’all Friday morning friends 😊, a diverse group who gather together as they can on Friday mornings, to discuss business, and have a bit fun too. Graduation 2022! Very proud of our son who has gained not only his high school diploma but his two year degree at WCC. Spring Storm clouds New Bern boats all aglow at night. Richard & I took a few days away to celebrate our anniversary in New Bern. What a beautiful town! Cutie pie Joy enjoying life August morning Fogs… did you keep count??? A photo collection of the fire at Smithey’s across the street. Very thankful for our amazing community of firefighters, police, who kept the fire/area under control. September morning sunrise Wet return for the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival in 2022 A very popular new t-shirt available at WCH this Fall. Thank y’all! Amazing fall colors this year The first annual Spooktacular was a tremendous success! So many people came out for this event this year. We hope to make it bigger and better next year! November brings leaves 🍁 falling everywhere Lighting up the night with Christmas lights… Light Up Downtown North Wilkesboro Our view has dramatically changed with our neighbor gone, capturing this beautiful sunset after the time change in November Mistletoe spotted in the height of a tree. My parents neighborhood has a ton of trees with mistletoe everywhere. December… the festive month with Christmas trees and more!
As the book closes on 2022, I’m personally noting the ebb and flow of the year is often marked with highs and lows. The perspective and reflection of 2022 should be the focus on the blessings in life.
Wishing you and your family a blessed 2023. We await the new chapters in 2023 to see what blessings will mark the highlights of each of the 12 new chapters. Happy New Year to all!
Do you celebrate New Year’s with a traditional meal each year??? Pork chops, black eyed peas, cheese grits, cabbage and cornbread was on our menu for 2022 .
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The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 