About this Blog: Bread making recipes, knit and crochet projects, wood working, gardening, digital imaging, travel, cruise ships, Labrador Retrievers, and more....

About the Header Image: Idlebrook Wendy Darling Evensen "Wendy" one of our four Labrador Retrievers.

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Monday, February 29, 2016

Bread of the Day: Blueberry Yogurt Bread

Good morning,

The house smells wonderful today.  :) 

What do you like to bake when it's cold outside?

:),
Lois




Sunday, February 28, 2016

Patient Wendy

Good morning,

I love the way Wendy sits by my computer chair with her face between her paws.  She keeps me company while I work on my computer and on items for our shop.  She is being so sweet and so patient. 

What a sweet, pretty girl.

All the best,
Lois

Friday, February 26, 2016

Home and Baking Bread

Good morning,

We're home.  :)  First, we greeted the family including those with four legs. 

The house is now filled with the aroma of freshly baked Oats and Onion bread.  Yes, it's wonderful. 

It's time to decompress and relax.

All the best,
Lois

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Winter in the Smoky Mountains

Good morning,

The Smoky Mountains are beautiful at any time of the year.
In the winter I enjoy the lacy look of the brown trees interspersed with the evergreens.
It was sunny and dry when we made this trip.
We are traveling through North Carolina.

 Ah, yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  ;)
 The roads weren't too busy this day.


 This is the location of a huge rock slide a few years ago.  We were detoured around the site for about two years.
 Tennessee!  When we get here, we know we will soon be home.  Only Tennessee and Kentucky to go, then into Ohio.
 And, there she is, Cincinnati, the Queen City, at the bottom of the hill on the other side of the Ohio River.

Travel is wonderful, but there is no place like home!

Happy travels,
Lois

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Kentucky Horse Park

Good morning,

We are still on our journey home to Ohio from Florida.

When we pass the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington, Kentucky,
and the surrounding farms, we know we are getting close to home.

:),
Lois

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

House Going Down the Road

Good morning,

Yes, it's another house going down the road.
It's interesting that it must be less expensive to build, then move the house than it is to take the materials to the site and build the house there....

We were soon to go into very bad weather on this trip.  When we got to the bad weather, we hoped these folks didn't have any problems with their cargo.

Lois

Monday, February 22, 2016

Coal in the Hills of Kentucky

Good morning,

We find it very interesting to see the layers of rock along the side of highways.
In this area of Kentucky on I-75 there is a great deal of coal visible.  I remember studying the geology of the area when I was in school, yet still find it so very fascinating.

We see so many familiar sights and also always something different as we make our regular journeys between Ohio and Florida.

All the best,
Lois

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Rock Slide

Good morning,

Exactly twenty weeks ago we passed this rock slide where the highway department is working to make the area safe for traffic.
It doesn't appear much has been accomplished, yet I am sure a great deal of work has been done.
We were in North Carolina, just south of the Tennessee border.
And, here we are in Tennessee now!
These cell towers are a welcome sight.  I remember our regular trips through these mountains when we would go for miles without a connection. 

Yes, we survived without a connection for so many years, but it is not only convenient but a safety issue to be able to connect to the outside world while on the road.

Home soon!

Lois

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Salt Truck - Sign of Weather to Come

Good morning,

We're still on our journey North from Florida to Ohio.

The sun was still out as we began to see salt trucks preparing the road for what was to come.  We hoped we were ahead of the bad weather.

So far, so good!

Lois

Friday, February 19, 2016

Road Reflections

Good morning,

We spent the first night of our trip between Florida and Ohio in Savannah, Georgia.
We got up very early to make the last leg of our trip.  At this time of the year, the light behind us provides very pretty reflections in my side mirror.
I took these images of the beautiful sky and mountains while My Honey was driving.

Home Soon!

Lois

Thursday, February 18, 2016

All Packed Up! Heading Home

Good morning,

There's no place like home and that's exactly where we are going after ten weeks at sea.
We enjoy driving to and from the port.  We use this time to "decompress" from our time at sea and adjust to being back in the USA.
This is always a welcome sight!
Delta flew, but we drove.  :) 
 It was cold, but sunny on the first day of our trip North from Florida to Ohio.
 This group appeared prepared for their ride, but we felt quite comfortable in our temperature controlled Ford Edge.  ;)
 Close in the next lane....

 Be safe, guys!
 We call this company the "toy company."  Construction equipment is "parked" on their front lawn.  It always reminds us of Tonka Toys all lined up. 

We will soon be home!

All the best,
Lois

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Breakfast - Freedom of the Seas

Good morning,

I don't get this at home because I don't take the time to make such fancy food for breakfast. 

Above is just the starter for breakfast.   The fresh fruit is accompanied by granola and yogurt. 
And, then the steak and eggs.

*sigh*  So good!

Lois

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

On the Promenade - Freedom of the Seas

Good morning,

Early one morning while the Promenade wasn't very crowded I took just a few more pictures.

Above is the General Store where you can buy whatever you might have forgotten when you packed for the cruise.  It carries all types of toiletries and over the counter medications.
Sure, that's my car parked in front of Vintages, the wine bar.  ;)
 Actually, I spend more time at the coffee bar, Cafe Promenade, on the right.  ;)

It is easy to forget you are on a cruise ship when you are on the Royal Promenade aboard Freedom of the Seas.  It feels much more like a small town street with outdoor restaurants.

Enjoy!

Lois