Author: Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We have a 12-pound dog, Nox, who we love dearly. She has been with us since 2009. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. We bought a ranch house on a hill in the middle of five acres. We are working on creating our homestead. I love cooking and enjoy sharing recipes. I am also an artist and I’ll share my current projects. Reading is my favorite hobby.

Northern Lights in North Alabama

November 11, 2025 Tonight, I got to see the northern lights! My sister messaged me asking if I could see the northern lights. So, I went out to see if I could see them. There was a red glow to the northwest! The northern lights were visible! I ran in to get Bruce. Bruce got […]

Leaving on a Jet Plane and Arriving in a U-Haul Truck

Trip to get the last of the furniture from storage and closing out the storage unit.

Good News and Harvesting Some of the Basil

November 10, 2025 On November 6 (Thursday), Bruce and I waited for news of his dad’s latest procedure. There was good news, there was no more debridement needed on the wound. After we got the news, we ran errands. It was surprising how much of the day that used. The weather forecast for the past […]

Ladybugs Swarming the House

Ladybugs are swarming the house in early November to find shelter from the cold weather.

Sweeping the RV Roof

November 6, 2025 On November 3 (Monday) Bruce decided he really needed to sweep the RV roof and make sure the gutters were clear. We drove to the RV. We checked inside to make sure all was good with the furnace and heat pump. Since it was, Bruce climbed up on the roof with the […]

Checking on the RV

November 5, 2025 On Sunday (November 2), Bruce drove the truck to the RV. As we got close to the Singing River Bridge, it started to sprinkle. The conditions were perfect for a rainbow! At first, only the left side of the rainbow was visible. Then, like magic, the entire rainbow filled in. As we […]

Walks Around Blackberry Homestead

November 5, 2025 Friday (October 31), was a beautiful clear day. The song “Sweet Home Alabama” said it well: “Sweet home Alabama, where the skies are so blue.” The leaves are changing to their fall colors. On Saturday (November 1), I got up at sunrise since Nox needed to go out. The clouds were back […]

Painting the Dining Room

November 2, 2025 With rain predicted for most of the week starting October 26, I decided to paint the dining room. Bruce wants to pick up our hutch from storage soon. The hutch is big and heavy and requires more muscle than both Bruce and I have to move it. I wanted the walls painted […]

Back to Blackberry Homestead Days

November 2, 2025 On October 24 (Friday), I stopped to look at the red pineapple. I noticed some damage to one of purple basil plants. There was a minor windstorm the night before. The Japanese mustard, radishes, and garlic looked good. I need to mulch the garlic. Some sweet potato vines are still growing under […]

Yay! Bruce Is Home!

November 2, 2025 Yesterday (November 1, Saturday), Bruce made it safely home around 7:30 in the evening. On the way from Augusta, GA, to Muscle Shoals, AL, he stopped in Woodstock, GA, to visit a college friend. Bruce spent four hours hanging out and catching up with his friend. They went out to lunch at […]