Where Was It Made?

Every Holiday season

Sall and I go round and round

about what to buy

our family for Christmas gifts...

we don't have a very long list

(thank goodness),

but it takes us 

a long time to finish

up our shopping!!

Usually we are still

looking on Christmas Eve day

for that last gift or two or three!!

 "NO" this is not us...

 I usually have to come up

with the ideas

then run it passed him

then find it 

then run it passed him

then he asks

"where was it made?"

I find the tag that says

made in Pakistan

He says "take it back"

and it starts all over....

Ughhhhhhhhh!

You see, Mr. Sall
(and me too) are big
believers in shopping local,
and/or keeping it hand-made!!

So,

This year,

I've got a new system!

we are probably spending

the holiday in Iowa

(gotta meet our newest grandbaby!)

Iowans make everything themselves don't they??

First, we are stopping at the 

Amana Colonies...

 

where there are tons of 

unique antiques and 

everything is homemade!

and then I'm going to my new

favorite place on an

 Iowa country road

called 

Two Sisters....

(I might be shopping for myself there!)

the last time I was there it was Fall time...

I can't wait to see how they get 

decked out for Christmas!!

                                         

 I can already smell the 

cinnamon candles...

and 

minty lotions...

                                     

 what unique piece

of re-purposed junk

am I going to find this time??

               

I know for sure I will 

leave inspired...

 and will not impress

my husband with

ideas of unfinished projects 

in my head...

One thing is for sure,

the tags will say 
American Made

only antique, unique, rusty,
or used

in my shopping bags...

so when he asks

"Where was it Made?"

"Chill out, Hubby",I'll say...

"We're in Iowa!"

I'll give back his Visa...

and with it a receipt 

then simply tell him...

"No Refunds today!"

Blessings to you and yours
this Holiday Season!
Hugs,

Lisa 

f.y.i.:  if the image doesn't have a "Sall's Country Life" watermark on it

I found it on the world wide web!

I'm Full

I'm full...

full of 

stuffing

and 

corn casserole...

 How can anyone resist 

food this good...

Prepared by the 

best chef's in the WORLD....

 I'm even too full for cookies...

 

But, who can say 'no'

to these two

goober shoes?

 

Lucky for me,

we live on the prairie

and we can take

long walks to work

off some of that corn

and stuffing, 

potatoes and gravy

cookies and pumpkin pie...

Anyone up for 

another lap

around the farm?

The Turkey Count Down

Yes, the turkey is thawing,

and I have some thoughts...

Tis the season

to be thankful...

as the great feast and house full of company

draws near,

I try to be mindful of what really matters...

family and friends.

(they come for the love and the laughter...

not to see my clean house!)

I hope you are having fun

preparing for a joyful get-together

with your peeps...

Life's too short to stress about

dust bunnies,

cranberry sauce,

 and gravy with lumps!

Just sayin'

Hugs,

Lisa

BiRRRRRds

My field photography gig

is just about done...

the cold temperatures

are wearing on me

and 

the groups of hunters

are getting smaller...

It's time to head 

south along with the 

smart ones!!

 

 The hunters are outfitted for it...

Under Armour, Wool, at least 3 layers

of good warm clothing

and

don't forget 

a couple of hand warmers

in each pocket!!

This time of year 

even the Pheasants

are smart enough to 

hide under some heavy brush

and hang tight....

 

They'll only fly if one of 

the hunter's crazy dogs

rousts them out!!

This weekend gave me 

a chance to tag along with

Sall's huntin' buddies...

A couple of their wives walked

along for a very chilly hunt...

They managed to get a few birds,

and we finally managed

to get the annual photo

on "the car"....

It was a beautiful day for hunting

(if you were dressed for it)

and there was plenty of wildlife

to enjoy...

I was not properly dressed

for the cold weather

and was seriously ready

for some cinnamon schnapps 

The black berry bourbon

was sufficient...

now just direct me to 

a warm sofa by the fire!

Happy Hunting friend,

Lisa

A Wintery Hunt

They made the rounds...

Sall and his brother and brother's grand-son...

as Determined hunters,

they even made it around TWICE...

I trailed along once

and nearly froze my cheeks!

That's what fearless hunters and soldiers do...

fight to the finish...

no matter what the conditions.

In this case it was bearing a ZERO degree

wind chill just to see a rooster!

and then missing the shot

because their fingers were too

cold to pull the trigger!

Slightly disappointing, 

but we didn't send them

home empty handed...

Enjoy the pickles, Guys!

and hope you enjoyed 

your Veteran's Day Hunt!

A Hunting We Will Go

 Greetings from the field, friend!

Pheasant field, that is...

I said my hunting days 

were not over yet,

and 

that was an understatement!

I've been out a few times

now with an area 

Hunting Lodge

taking pictures 

of their hunter clients...

The hunters can focus on the hunt

and I focus on them

and whatever else

I see that makes 

a South Dakota Pheasant Hunt

UNIQUE!

 

I try to keep my eyes open

and my head low

(if you know what I mean)

 

It's always wise to stand next

to the seasoned hunters...

some of these clients 

have been coming out

annually for 6 to 10 years.

 

They all come for 

a good hunt...

and

time off with friends...

They start early

and have a 5 star lunch

delivered to the field...

Tai Pheasant Wrap

and Corn Chowder

was prepared by the chef this day

Chef Richard makes 

some awesome desserts...

 After their lunch

they pose for a few

snapshots with buddies...

Then it's back to the hunt...

After about 6 hours

of walking,

chasing,

shooting,

retrieving...

they get to head back 

to a fancy lodge

where there's 

a massage therapist waiting

along with cocktails,

a 6 course meal,

big screen tvs and huge 

leather sofas...

I come home, throw a frozen pizza in the oven

and start downloading 5 to 6 HUNDRED photo files!

The editing process goes all night sometimes!

The next day they get a slideshow DVD to take

home to show the family...

It's a great feeling to see them

appreciate the photos and tell

me they can't wait to show

it to their kids!

I hope my pictures

have a little part in keeping

the tradition of Pheasant Hunting

going for many more generations!

Thanks for stopping in,

I'll share some more hunting photos

again soon!

Lisa

 

Happy Hunting

Nice hunting days

have been limited this year...

just as getting 

your limit 

has been limited

this year!

October has turned 

cool and damp on us,

but it hasn't 

dampened 

our spirits!

Although the pheasant

numbers are way down this year...

it is not impossible

to see groups of them

early in the morning...

Here's a tip...

fill up on your 

favorite brew

around 8:00 a.m.

then head out

just after sun up...

If the sun stays

out, 

 

 

 

 

the birds will come out too...

 

and if it's 

just another

cold and cloudy day,

you may as well

stay home and look through

old hunting photos...

 Remember when...

Recall the stories

from Uncles and Grandfathers...

 

 And plan for

a better day to 

hunt,

maybe in November?

'Cause better days are ahead

and this girl's hunting days

aren't over by a long shot!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lisa 

P.S.  The lady in photo #1 is taken from a vintage South Dakota postcard

(Lynn, you've asked about her before, I knew I'd get around to answering your question some day!)

The rest of my photo subjects are relatives of Sall's.... a niece, 2 nephews, his brother, his Uncle Clarence and his wife Faye and their hunting buddies from circa 1947.

Hunting runs deep through the Sall veins.