Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Wednesday Gratitude #6 at Heart and Home

                          
“Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.” -G.B. Stern

Hi everyone! Thanks for joining Heart and Home for Wednesday Gratitude! Please feel free to link up with Mcklinky below, and then leave me a comment! Also, remember to link back to Heart and Home in your Gratitude post. That way your readers can find this post, and go to the other links, too.  I appreciate it !





When we moved into this county almost 23 years ago, it added a pretty long commute to my husband's day. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make for us, and one I don't take for granted. I'm very grateful that he is willing to drive all those extra miles each day so that we can live out here in the redwoods near the ocean.

One of the things I love about our home is that we are surrounded by nature. These guys live not too far from here:


They live on property just a short walk down the road from us.


I just love the alpacas. I can't resisit them!


How cute is this one?






I love their goofy, funny faces and their curious nature.
 But, they are a little smelly!


We visited the horses down the road, too. They were just as interested in us as we were in them.



I think they were looking for a hand out. But I hadn't brought any carrots or sugar cubes.


The creek is full and flowing this time of year. It meanders all along our road, and through our property.



The cliffs are seeping water from all the rain.


The moss looks like velvet clinging to the cliff.


On our way back, we had a good look at our downed tree from behind the house. We're still getting estimates on having it cut and the debris removed from our property. One tree guy said he would cut us a nice big piece for a rustic bench and table. I think it would be nice to have reminder of her in the back yard. Denise Marie suggested I save some wood, and use it inside the house somewhere. I thought that was such a great idea!  I'd like to have a mantel made for the family room. That way, the tree would live on in our home! 

Living in the woods, we are aware of the ebb and flow of nature and the passing of each season. We are surrounded by trees, and water, and right now the wildflowers are beginning to bloom. I love hearing the call of the owls and the hawks, and watching the quail look for food in the early morning. I even appreciate the deer, although they do drive me crazy because they love to eat my garden! But still, it's  a true blessing to be living among all the wonders of nature in this neck of the woods. 

 I'm so grateful that my husband prefers living out here, too, rather than wanting us to live in the valley closer to his office. I thank him often for making that rather nasty drive through the mountains to get home to us each night, and for making all this possible for us, here on the redwood coast.




What about you? What do you love most about where you live?  Leave me a comment, and tell me all about it! I hope you'll stop by again soon. I'll be by to see everyone who links up a post ASAP.

Until next time,
XO
Heidi

I'm also linked to Outdoor Wednesday, at A Southern Daydreamer. Thank you Susan.

(thanks a million times again RW! xxxooo)



17 comments:

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Heidi, great photos of your surroundings. I love our three acres we are on. When we bought this property almost fifteen years ago it was like being out in the country. A few years ago several shopping centers opened up down the street including a Walmart. Needless to say we have quite a bit of traffic now. At this time of year I love listening to the frogs croaking. We have a giant blue heron visiting our pond and we occasionally have deer in our back yard.

vignette design said...

You definitely live in paradise Heidi! Love the Llamas and Alpacas. So cute!
I like living in San Mateo because the weather is usually mild. It is close to San Francisco. But my heart is up north in our wine country property. I am so thankful we have it as it has enriched our lives and that of our friends and family too. (I should do a Wednesday Gratitude post on it actually!)

ellen b said...

Oh what beauty to be grateful for. Love your photos. God's creation is amazing. Happy Outdoor Wednesday to you...

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Thank you for sharing your beautiful surroundings. I have an Alpacas scarf my daughter gave me several years ago,but if I wear it for very long, it makes me itch. :(
Hope you are having a great week.

Light and Voices said...

Adorable Llamas and Alpacas!
Joyce M

My name is Riet said...

Hi Heidi. You live in a beautiful place in a beautiful country. You are one lucky lady. have a great day

Apron Senorita said...

Good Wednesday Morning Heidi,
That was a very nice tour through the country side of life. It can seem like a long drive after work but I'm sure it is worth the drive. We just moved to a new city a couple of months ago and I am loving our new surroundings. I live in the Texas Hill Country. I'm in the middle of two big cities; Austin, TX & San Antonio, TX. I have beautiful views of hillsides and wanding deer. I like the alpaca pictures because they remind me of the goat & sheet farms on my way to work. Isn't God wonderful? He gave us so much to be thankful for.

God Bless you Heidi. I sincerely enjoy our visits.

Yoli :)

Holly said...

Oh my you are blessed with such beauty!

I to live in the country on a farm with a flowing creek that runs through.

Love to walk along it and talk with the Lord!

Such a blessing,

Gypsy Heart said...

I LOVE your home and the area you live in! It's a true blessing that your husband is willing to make the drive daily ~ and I feel sure it helps him to cast off the stress of a work day on the drive home.

Thanks so much for sharing!

xoxo
Pat

Mary said...

Hi Heidi, What a beautiful place you live in! I would love to take a walk down the road and visit the alpacas and the horses. I grew up with horses, and miss that life... :)

Catherine said...

You live in such a beautiful place. And I love your furry friends! We live up the road from some horse stables and an alpaca farm too. The alpacas have the sweetest faces and I've found the horses to be so loving and snuggly. xoTrina

Ms. Bake-it said...

What great shots of your furry neighbors! My parents have friends in Maine who raise alpacas and they really are adorable. They also add the manure to their compost pile and use it in their gardens. You definitely live in a very lovely place. Thank you for the tour of your "neighborhood."

~ Tracy

Jess said...

Love your home! Thanks for the nice comment. I am hosting a Favorite Things Friday party starting March 19th so come join in if you are interested!

PS: I usually put links to McLinky parties all together, so next time look at my link called "Posted Here" to see all the links :)

Maria@ChicaBellaCrafts said...

Hi Heidi,
Thank you for showing us pictures of your beautiful surroundings. The alpacas looks so cute and funny. They each look like they have their own personality.
I live in the City, City of Los Angeles to be exact. The older buildings are beautiful but you have to look up to really appreciate them. Most of the older buildings have been turned into street stores on the first floor and you don't really notice their beautiful architectural details. I plan on taking pictures of them soon and posting in my blog. I love to see the city lights at night, it's exciting and mysterious. It's also nice that I live so close to Disneyland where I spend a lot of time at with my husband and two boys. Entertainment here is abundant, opera, theatre, concertos, etc... Not to mention art galleries and museums. You can run into celebrities at any time of day.
You can visit any place in the world through restaurants here in Los Angeles. Whatever your are craving for (Spanish, Mexican, Italian, Greek...) you'll sure find it here.
Although you will find some crazy people in the streets, most people are friendly and proud of living in such a beautiful City.

♥ Kathy said...

I love the cliffs! Happy Outdoor Wednesday!

eileeninmd said...

Wonderful post and I enjoyed all your photos! The Alpacas are so cute, I would love to have them live next door to me.

Denise Marie said...

I tagged in terribly late today. I didn't think ahead enough on Mon and I've had a crazy week. Girl, I would never leave that spot near the creek!!!! It is simply gorgeous.

Love and Gratitude!!