Signs of the Season

This year, I'm anticipating the arrival of fall more anxiously than in

years past.

Perhaps the many months spent laboring in the 

sweltering heat—restoring the gardens and clearing the barns—has

 intensified my desire for cooler temperatures.

As a matter of fact, I've been so engrossed in these tasks

that I've almost let the first signs—ones that signal fall is on its way—slip

right past me.

The purple, white, pink, and blue wildflowers that graced our fields, just

a short while ago, have given way to a more autumnal array.

Their bright cheery faces are but one of the many

things that make fall my favorite season.

I'm actually quite nostalgic about this particular time of year.  Some of

 my most cherished childhood memories revolve around

autumns past.

And...

we celebrate my Yankee sweetheart's birthday each fall...

in addition to our anniversary.

But it's also the colors of the season that make it so appealing to me.  The warmth

 of the saturated hues wrap around you like a well-worn,

 cozy quilt on a crisp, cool evening.

And...

around The Brambleberry Cottage, fall also means

it's apple picking time.   ; )

Those juicy, wholesome orbs find their way into pies,

cobblers, and a wide assortment of taste-tempting treats...

and, hopefully, this year, even fresh apple cider.

I'm so looking forward to gathering the benches, chairs, and tables

from the barn, and...

rounding up the extra quilts and pillows for our fall festivities.

It's a time when our family and friends assemble to enjoy

blazing bonfires beneath star-studded skies.

Happily, the signs of the season are upon us...

a season for celebrating a few of life's

 simple country pleasures.

Joining

It's Fall Ya'll: Outdoor Spaces Party with Thrifty Decor Chick

Mary's Share the Love Wednesday,

Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursdays, Susan's Tablescape Thursday,

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday,

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday, Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday,

Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink

A Bit of Barn Envy

I thought I would show you some of the incredible barns
I've discovered while visiting New England. 

If you're a barn chick—like me—you'll love what I've found! 

Just take a look for yourself.

The rustic, time-weathered wood, simple lines, and contrasting red

doors of this beauty—in historic Deerfield, MA—made this barn

one of my absolute all-time favorites.

After weeks of observing the numerous barns dotting the landscape

 throughout New England, I've discovered red 

to be the most popular color.

Though only portions of this oldie were visible above the corn stalks,

I really liked what I could see.

The morning I happened upon this snow-white beauty,

it was rather foggy.  But the fog-covered mountains simply served to produce a 

wonderful, ethereal backdrop for it.

I was astounded at how incredibly large many of the barns were that I found!

What on earth was all that space used for?

I'm unsure whether this fire station—again, in historic Deerfield, MA—was

newly constructed to look old or whether it was truly an old barn

that had been repurposed.

Either way, I liked the colors and the cupolas on the roof.

Though smaller than the majority of the barns I found around New England,

these two tiny tots were quite charming

in their quaint, bucolic settings.

The stacked-stone foundation on this one—located in New Hampshire—

was one of the features I liked best about it!

And this picturesque view—of an old tobacco barn, in a valley

behind the 1771 Town Hall of Whately, MA—was the highlight of one of the days spent

touring around New England, scouting out noteworthy old barns.

The cupola on this massive madame reminded me of one you would

see on a church.  No doubt, it could hold a rather large congregation.   ; )

It was totally worth the climb—up a steep hill, in flimsy sandals—

to get a peek at this old gal, hidden behind the lush greenery.

There's actually a quaint little eatery attached to this barn.

The Yankee and I had breakfast there one morning—accompanied by my in-laws.

This weathered warrior—looking even more rustic amid all 

that floral glory—was located behind a creamery

where we stopped for ice cream.

I have never seen a barn with this

particular design before.  Have you?

Here you see two of my favorite things playing nicely together...

an old barn and antiques.

We were very excited to find this rustic cutie on an old country road

where the Yankee grew up.  He actually played in this structure as a child.

This country charmer belonged to a school dedicated to training "new" farmers.

But, of all the barns I've been able to photograph so far during this trip,

 this last one is my very, very favorite.

I truly love my quaint little farm back in NC, with its wonderful

old barns and outbuildings, but I must admit...

I'm dealing with a bit of barn envy

after spending several weeks in New England.   ; )

Linking all this vintage barn charm to Maryt's Ruby Tuesday,

 and Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday.

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

Woodland Path to the Frog Pond

I've wanted to start a blog for some time now.

But...

it was just one more thing on my to-do list that kept being
forced to the bottom of the list.

You know how that goes!

The Frog Pond

The fires that rage the hottest are the ones we attend to,

whilst the little smoldering embers lie there

virtually exstinguished until...

Snow-covered Driveway to the Cottage

Then it finally dawned on me.  Blogging will never be a raging fire in my life,

because it is not something I have to do.  It's something I simply want to do! 

And, unfortunately, the have-tos in my life seem to
always win out over the want-tos.

Beloved Well-House

But, this is a new year, and with a new year comes new opportunities—

or, as some would say, resolutions.

So, with the onset of this new year, I have resolved to do some of the

things I've been really wanting to do—such as blogging!

The Pump House

I had originally set a goal of starting my blog on 01/01/2010.

(Wow!  That date looks so futuristic to me!)

For weeks, I contemplated what to write about...
what to share with all of you...what photos to show you, etc.

I just couldn't seem to lock in on where to start.

The Log Barn

Then this frigid weather descended upon us! 

And I thought,  "That's it!  This place is quite beautiful when it snows, and I

already have some great photos from last year

that I can share."

I knew if I waited for my brain to finally register some other

start-up topic, I might just never get this

blog up and running!

The Reconstructed Barn—in Progress
So...
I've filled these first two posts with
snowy images of the outside of my home.

And I bid you welcome to The Brambleberry Cottage—
all decked out in her winter finery.

It's truly some of her grandest attire, don't you think?!   ; )

The Chicken Coop