Yesterday was a really busy day. We tackled a project we do once a year, and one we don't especially like to do. That is taking apart the 2 motors and blowers on the wood stove, cleaning and oiling them. It's a tedious job, and somebody has to do it. I have a cold, the first one I've had in over 2 years, I feel misrable, and I really didn't feel like working, but now it's done. We depend on these motors with their blowers to push the heat up from the cellar where we have the stove, and make sure we service them every year. This includes taking most of the wiring apart ( that's Gary's job ) , taking all the screws out, removing the motors from the blower housing, and air cleaning it all, and then oiling all the little places that need it. THEN it all has to be put back. It's about a 3-4 hour job for the 2 of us. In the meantime our daughter-in-law came over and cleaned out the stack for us. Now we're all ready for the snow that is on it's way for this week-end.
On my creek walk Thursday I came across some pretty neat lichen. And some ordinary looking moss.

These dried little things were cute.

Even some windswept grasses down by the water.

I discovered a very large rose bush that I hadn't seen before. This squiggly gaget was interesting, and get a load of those thorns!

Here are the rose hips from this bush, and there were lots of them. They are over an inch long. I will be looking for the flowers on this one next year.

Here is the kind of fungus I like to paint on. The underside of course, and it's the size of 1/2 a dinner plate.

Another smaller fungus, with those wild cucumbers in the background.

More moss.

These are kind of neat.

But I really like this one. Looks like a miniature forest.

I checked on my Lilacs and they have their buds for next spring.

I also spotted some ever bearing red Raspberries, that the ants were dining on. Must be the birds didn't get them all.

And last but not least some colored leaves on the Forsythia bush. For some reason they are hanging onto their leaves yet.

Have a wonderful week-end.