JBigg: Life in Kentucky

Friends, I need some help identifying this bird. He was in the birch trees by my deck where my feeders are handing but he did not come to any of the feeders. He was just flitting around on the branches. He was very small (maybe 3-4 inches) but a little larger than a hummingbird.

He was terribly hard to photograph plus I didn't have my camera with the zoom at hand.

Thanks for your help. Remember, I live in Kentucky - Judy

Saturday's Critters @ Viewing Nature with Eileen on Saturday

Camera Critters on Saturday

I'd Rather Be Birdin' on Saturday at noon

If you have never been to Asheville, North Carolina, it is worth your while to go and visit the Biltmore Estates. Today, I am sharing the Breakfast Room at Biltmore; it was one of my favorite rooms.

The lighting was not good, so my images aren't the best. You can still see the grandness of this room. The breakfast room was only for breakfast and not for dinner parties.

I read there are three generations of china and crystal stored in Biltmore House, and much of it is more than 100 years old. The china is stored in glass cupboards in the two-story Butler's Pantry.

The guide said they ate breakfast and some luncheons in this room. Can you imagine sitting down to this gorgeous table? What an honor that must have been! BTW the flowers are all fresh and grown on the estate.

I am sure you are noticing the white linens on the table. I'm not sure if the china on the table is the fine china from the Biltmore collections. It may stay in the butler's pantry since it is so fragile and old.

I couldn't get a shot of the entire room on my iPhone so I have borrowed an image from Romantic Asheville.com to share with you.

I did get a pic of the ornate ceiling. There were so many people of the tour, it was difficult to take pics and the lighting made it worse. At least they did allow pictures to be taken.

Now you have visited the gorgeous Breakfast Room at the Biltmore Estate. I'll share more of this trip soon. Thanks for stopping by - Judy.

Great parties I am linking to:

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

OMHG Wonderful Wednesday

All About Home @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home and Common Ground on Monday at 6 pm

Through My Lens on Monday

Pictorial Potpourri Tuesday @ Peabea

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Tuesdays With A Twist @ God's Growing Garden

Tuesday Turn About @ My Wee Abode, Thistle Key Lane, Blue Sky at Home on Tuesday at 6 pm

Wonderful Wednesday @ Ducks in a Row on Tuesday evening

My Corner of the World @ Photographing New Zealand on Wednesday

Karins Kottage Link Party @ Karins Kottage

Share Your Style @ French Ethereal on Wednesday at 6 pm

Thankful Thursday @ It's a Small Town Life

Funtastic Link Party @ Two Chicks and A Mom on Thursday 9pm

Little Things Thursday @ Random-osity

Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner

FLORAL FRIDAY FOTOS on Thursday

Grace at Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday

Fabulous Link Party @ Peacock Ridge Farm, Living Large in a Small House, South House Designs, & Vintage Home Designs on Friday

Friendship Friday Blog Hop @ Create With Joy

Floral Bliss on Friday

A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market on Friday

Farm House Friday @ County Road 407

Friday With Friends @ My Hubbard Home

Saturday Sparks @ Pieced Pastimes on Friday

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Garden Affair @ Jaipur Garden

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Sundays on Silverado @ The House on Silverado

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Fall Fireplace - third times a charm

Sometimes it takes a while to get the look you are after. I've been decorating my fireplace and I have three styles I'm sharing with you today.

For the first style, I used black candleholders and a black lantern. Then added blue jars with a candle and fall berry bushes in each plus. Two quails made by my mom years ago are on the mantel. On the hearth, a Fitz and Floyd vase with a fall arrangement, another lantern placed on a fall wreath were added on the left side. "Bird Girl" and another wreath of fall orange berries were added to the right.

I kept this design for a few days.

I recently showed a pic of a fall tablescape with with this fireplace design in the background. You can see more of this post here.

For the second design, the black candle holders and the two black lanterns were replaced with Pottery Barn antique mercury glass pillar holders and fall candles. A different fall wreath was added to the center of the mantel but it wouldn't stay in place. I even tried to balance it in a decorative box. But I didn't trust it; I could just see it falling in the fireplace and a possible fire (the pilot light is on).

I have tried several times to get wreaths and even clocks to hold on the mantel but two clocks have fallen and broken. You can see the clock on the mantel here. I tried Command Hooks and even layers of Velcro industrial strength with no luck. I could try a masonry bit and drill a hole in the brick but I have been leery of that.

The third design just had a few tweaks. I gave up on the wreath in design two. It just wouldn't stay on the mantel. Instead, fall berries and fall pieces that you saw in design one were added to the open lidded box. Two speckled glass pumpkins were then added to the mantel.

I'm still using the quail seen in design one but now the two are down on the hearth plus an acorn candle.

You may prefer one design over another. What appeals to one viewer may not appeal to another. Tell me what you think. What appeals to you.

Thanks for stopping by for another day of Life in Kentucky - Judy.

Great parties I am linking to:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Mosaic Monday @ Normandy Life on Sunday evening

Show and Share @ Coastal Charm

Celebrate Your Story @ Sweet Sensations

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Scoop @ Stone Gable Blog

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Tweak It Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Sizzle into Summer@ DIY by Design

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style on Tuesday evening

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson on Wed. evenings

Share Your Style Link Party @ 21 Rosemary Lane on Wed. evenings

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme

Favorite Things Thursday @ Katherine's Corner

Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday

Inspiration Thursday @ In The New House

Feathered Nest Friday @ The French Country Cottage

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm

The Bouquet of Talent Party @ Life on Lakeshore Drive - Saturday

DIY Sunday Showcase @ The Interior Frugalista - Saturday

Sundays at Home @ Love of Home on Saturday

Table It Link Party @ Life and Linda

Inspiration Monday @ Our Southern Home

Dishing It and Digging It @ Rustic & Refined on Sundays

More Birds from The Nature Station at LBL

As I promised a few weeks ago, I am sharing other birds from my visit to The Nature Station at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. The birds at the station are protected and cared for because of injury, being orphaned, or losing their natural fear of humans.

The American Bald Eagle. Have you noticed when you see an eagle flying, it rarely flaps its wings but instead soars. It's the only eagle unique to North America.

The American Kestrel is a very small falcon about the size of a mourning dove. Both the male and female have pairs of vertical slashes on the sides of their pale faces.

The Screech Owl is a stocky bird with a large head and almost no neck. Its wings are rounded its tail is short and square and he does make a spooky screeching sound. He is a small owl about the size of a pint jar.

The Great Horned Owl has earlike tufts, with intimidating yellow-eyes, and a deep hooting voice.

The Turkey is a large bird native to the Americas. It is found in all of our states except Alaska. Wild turkeys are very large, plump birds with long legs, wide, rounded tails , and a small head on a long slim neck.

If you missed by earlier posts on birds at The Nature Station you can find them as follows:

The Barred Owl - click here

The Barn Owl - click here

The Red Tailed Hawk - click here

There were a few birdhouses on display at The Nature Center.

As I did, you can read more about each of these birds at All About Birds.

Thanks for stopping by for another day of Life In Kentucky - Judy.

Linking to:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Mosaic Monday @ Normandy Life on Sunday evening

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods on Monday

Our World @ Our World Tuesday Meme

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Scoop @ StoneGable Blog

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Wednesday Around the World @ Photographing New Zealand

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern on Tuesday evening

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Wild Bird Wednesday @ Paying Ready Attention Gallery

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson on Wed. evenings

Share Your Style Link Party @ 21 Rosemary Lane on Wed. evenings

Share Your Style Link Party @ The Essence of Home on Thursday evening

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme

Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme on Wednesday evening

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm on Thursday evening

Photo Friday @ Pierced Wonderings

Saturday's Critters @ Viewing Nature with Eileen on Saturday

Camera Critters on Saturday

I'd Rather Be Birdin' on Saturday at noon

Fall Kitchen "Scape" - beautiful fall colors

Are you dreaming of Fall or has fall arrived in your area? For me, I'm still dreaming, our heat index was 104 plus lots of humidity.

I'm featuring a fall "scape" on my peninsula in my kitchen today as I prepare for fall around the house.

Casual entertaining may be in store this evening with some friends who don't mind eating in the kitchen.

The peninsula is set for two but can easily seat four. I have additional place settings sitting on the hutch ready to add.

Does your eye go to the candle when you look at the image below?

Mine certainly does, candles do add a warm glow to the setting and this little acorn candle has a light fall scent.

Our kitchen is open to the family room. It makes transitioning smooth and easy. You can see the fireplace I white washed a couple of months ago, and you can read about it here.

I made a change on the fireplace to a different centerpiece. I found a great lidded box in my fall pieces and made an arrangement with stems I already had. Nice and it was free.

Back in the kitchen, I'm using umber canisters and a special tea towel made by my friend, JoAnn.

Did you notice the great little speckled glass pumpkin used in the centerpiece? It has survived three moves!

There you have it.

Thanks for stopping by for another day of Life in Kentucky - Judy.

Great parties I am linking to:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Mosaic Monday @ Normandy Life on Sunday evening

Show and Share @ Coastal Charm

Celebrate Your Story @ Sweet Sensations

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Scoop @ Stone Gable Blog

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Tweak It Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Sizzle into Summer@ DIY by Design

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style on Tuesday evening

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson on Wed. evenings

Share Your Style Link Party @ 21 Rosemary Lane on Wed. evenings

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Favorite Things Thursday @ Katherine's Corner

Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday

Inspiration Thursday @ In The New House

Feathered Nest Friday @ The French Country Cottage

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm

The Bouquet of Talent Party @ Life on Lakeshore Drive - Saturday

DIY Sunday Showcase @ The Interior Frugalista - Saturday

Sundays at Home @ Love of Home on Saturday

Table It Link Party @ Life and Linda

Inspiration Monday @ Our Southern Home

Dishing It and Digging It @ Rustic & Refined on Sundays

Pages

Help Me Identify This Bird

Friends, I need some help identifying this bird. He was in the birch trees by my deck where my feeders are handing but he did not come to any of the feeders. He was just flitting around on the branches. He was very small (maybe 3-4 inches) but a little larger than a hummingbird.

Biltmore Breakfast Room

If you have never been to Asheville, North Carolina, it is worth your while to go and visit the Biltmore Estates. Today, I am sharing the Breakfast Room at Biltmore; it was one of my favorite rooms.

The lighting was not good, so my images aren't the best. You can still see the grandness of this room. The breakfast room was only for breakfast and not for dinner parties.

I read there are three generations of china and crystal stored in Biltmore House, and much of it is more than 100 years old. The china is stored in glass cupboards in the two-story Butler's Pantry.

I couldn't get a shot of the entire room on my iPhone so I have borrowed an image from Romantic Asheville.com to share with you.

Great parties I am linking to:

Fall Fireplace - third times a charm

I kept this design for a few days.

I recently showed a pic of a fall tablescape with with this fireplace design in the background. You can see more of this post here.

The third design just had a few tweaks. I gave up on the wreath in design two. It just wouldn't stay on the mantel. Instead, fall berries and fall pieces that you saw in design one were added to the open lidded box. Two speckled glass pumpkins were then added to the mantel.

I'm still using the quail seen in design one but now the two are down on the hearth plus an acorn candle.

You may prefer one design over another. What appeals to one viewer may not appeal to another. Tell me what you think. What appeals to you.

Thanks for stopping by for another day of Life in Kentucky - Judy.

Great parties I am linking to:

More Birds from The Nature Station at LBL

Fall Kitchen "Scape" - beautiful fall colors

Are you dreaming of Fall or has fall arrived in your area? For me, I'm still dreaming, our heat index was 104 plus lots of humidity.

I'm featuring a fall "scape" on my peninsula in my kitchen today as I prepare for fall around the house.

Casual entertaining may be in store this evening with some friends who don't mind eating in the kitchen.

I made a change on the fireplace to a different centerpiece. I found a great lidded box in my fall pieces and made an arrangement with stems I already had. Nice and it was free.

Back in the kitchen, I'm using umber canisters and a special tea towel made by my friend, JoAnn.