Meet Butch

Whenever a new calf is born on Cloud 9 Farm, the renter at the time, gets to name it. Sooooo, presenting Butch, named by two sisters from Florida, looking for a macho name for this new stud. Actually this new baby face stud will have a couple weeks reprieve before becoming a steer! I bent down to gather some baling twine with camera in the other hand and Butch ventured away from his mother to investigate. The whole time she was growling like a mad dog warning him of possible danger, but still Butch independently checked me out, looking back at her every other step. He finally did heed her call but not until I got some really good photos of that milk face!

Blueberry Nectar Flow

The sweet perfume of blueberry blossoms pulls the honey bees and bumble bees into the lure of sweet reward...poliinating for a cross pollinated crops for me and sweet nectar to take back to the hive for the colony. I keep 5 colonies of honeybees for this sole purpose that happens every April here at Cloud 9 Farm. It's a little later than normal with the much needed rains and the long lasting blackberry winter but welcome as the true sign of spring.

Look at that Rock!

On her hand ...on her ring finger! It happened this week at Heavenly Hideaway cabin! Such a romantic get-away!

Path of the Sun from Cloud 9 Property

On the first day of spring, (March 20 this year) the sun rises right over the tippy top of Little Pisgah mountain from Cloud 9 Properties. Click the link to see other views. But this is just a week and 2 days later and look how much it's moved to the northeast. I'll take another photo on the longest day of the year (June 21) to compare. Being in touch with nature is what I like about living here!

Green and Yellow

Colors and feelings...doesn't bright grass green and daffodil yellow just make you feel fresh, alive, and healthy? Of course, coming to the mountains SHOULD make you feel like that all year long. So come! Here's a photo of a side of Cloud 9 Relaxation Home, 4 bedrooms for a great family reunion spot.

Tasty Tadpoles

"Or should I say, poolishicious polliwogs, Quack, Quack!" Yeah, that's Mr. and Mrs. Woodduck thanking me for brunch at Peterson Pond. Here's the story: While doing some swamp drainage in the cow pasture, we noticed some gelatinous globs of what must be tree frog eggs. Knowing that they would soon be covered with a culvert, a rescue plan immediately took shape. Grab the vacation rental kids for a farm adventure! So kids from 3 to 10 who were staying that day had a ball scooping the eggs and catching individual tadpoles with buckets (and mud, of course) while parents took photos. We took them to Peterson pond's warm edge and dumped them ceremoniously into their new home, proud to have done the amphibian kingdom a favor. After they left and I continued working nearby, I was heralded by two ducks quacking in the sky, and plummeting skillfully with cupped wings in an almost vertical drop to the pond. You can guess what their first order of business was. Just hope they were tasty.

Book now for Bele Chere Weekend

I could rent Cloud 9 Relaxation Home and Heavenly Heavenly Hideaway cabin 10 times for this last weekend in July because of the popularity of Bele Cher, Asheville's (and the Southeast's)biggest and free street party, so get your reservation plans done now! We are 15 minutes from down town Asheville, a total of 4 turns and you're there having fun.

PS It always rains at least once during Bele Cher. Bring an umbrella!