I don't know why I can't get this picture to post correctly, but just lean your head to see the cutest princess ever! :-) Halloween was so much fun this year! Lizzie grasped the concept better this year than she did last year. She loved running up and saying "trick or treat" to get some candy. She even got a big bag of goldfish pretzels! I liked that house lol.

Patrick - Our resident werewolf. :-) Don't you just want to pet him?


3 pretty princesses! They were all so beautiful!

Jayden - Karate Kid. Couldn't get him to smile, but it didn't matter. He's always cute!

Princess of the Pumpkins

Halloween was a lot of fun. I was a little disappointed at first because we went 3 blocks before seeing any people. But it panned out nicely. I think Lizzie's bucket weighs more than her now. All the kids - and adults - had an awesome evening. Pumpkin bread, apple cider, and lots of yummy snacks to fill our bellies. Thank you to my great friends for hosting yet another great Halloween Party!

Corn Maze

Well for starters, we have a new addition to our family. Yoda! A lady brought him to Keeper, and we couldn't find a home for him, so I offered to foster him til he was old enough to go to a good home. Well, it didn't take long for us to fall in love, so Yoda will stay with us! He's a healthy little guy who LOVES to eat. Second to that is his love for Lizzie. He'll follow her around the house like a little duckling. And she just loves him, too. She's still learning how to hold him properly, but they have a great time together.

"It's this way, guys!" We spent a couple hours in this maze, and found 9 out of 12 checkpoints before we had to call it quits. It was a LOT of fun!

My girls on the hay ride. There were some really muddy spots I didn't think we'd get through. I learned those tractors can go through just about anything!

Josie's slingshotting apples at the target. Everytime she let it go, Lizzie would cackle. LOL She thought that was the funniest thing. The girls did great at shooting those apples!

Healing Springs

October is the month to begin cleansing the spirit in Cherokee Traditions. So we went to Healing Springs to sing our songs, offer thanks to the river and to Creator, and performed a going-to-water ceremony. Our elders blessed us with the river water, and it helped give us clarity and direction. :-) The day started out overcast, but after our ceremony, it was absolutely beautiful!

Fingerpainting

This was such messy fun! She usually paints with her food, so I thought she'd be ready for fingerpainting. Didn't take her long to discover what she could do with the paints. And it was so much fun to watch her. Her bath water ended up an interesting brown by the time we were done. Now Daddy has his first artwork to take to work!

Raylrode Daze Festivul

Well, we are still busy as always! And our days ahead are filling up quickly. Tina just finished her volleyball season, and Josie's is about to start. Raylrode Daze was a little less crowded than in the past, but we still had a lot of fun, and lots of unhealthy, delicious fair food! We had a big cookout, and got to share it with some friends and family. Tina marched in the parade with her bass drum, and Josie tossed out candy from the hose bed of the Branchville fire truck. The girls had a great time, and Lizzie loved seeing her sisters in the parade. She spied a clown for the first time in her life, and her expression was priceless. Her brow was all furrowed as she tried to figure him out. He didn't scare her, but she wasn't so sure about the bright colors and makeup lol. We saw the can-can girls dancing, and took a train ride. Ate elephant ears, philly cheesesteaks, polish sausages, and corn dogs.












Josie was the volleyball manager for Tina's team, so she got to referee one of the corners. She takes good care of the team members.







Tina has done so well this year! She's not afraid to dive in and get that ball. We are so very proud of her! Way to go girl!








This is Lizzie's new regalia. I took one of my old shirts and re-sewed it for her. Not bad for my first try. It's a tad snug, but it looks so cute on her, especially with the matching boots!

In Loving Memory

This is a sad, sad day for us at Keeper of the Wild. We lost one of our permanent residents at the Center yesterday morning. Not sure of the cause. Goldy had to remain at the center because she would be hunted for her fur. She was a marsh raccoon and had a beautiful blonde-ish coat. Poor Janet is hurting deeply, as she had taken care of Goldy since she was a baby. This dreamcatcher is in memory of our friend. Though she was a grumpy girl, she was one of the reasons I loved coming to work at Keeper. My heart and prayers go out to you, Janet. May Creator heal your pain quickly.

Thyroid Results, etc.

Hey, just wanted to let you all know, my thyroid is fine. But I'm going to start doing blood work for cholesterol and all that. (Finally!) I tried to do that last year, but I guess I wasn't clear in what I wanted to do, so my physical was bare minimum.





Tina looks GREAT with her new braces! Her smile is bigger, and I think I saw a bit more confidence there. And she is getting so good at volleyball! She has no fear in diving for the ball, or smacking it down over the net. And Lizzie is her personal cheerleader. Doesn't matter if Tina's sitting a session out, she's still cheering for her big sister!





Well, this weekend is Little Horse Creek's powwow in Aiken, SC. Can't wait to see old friends and make new ones. I haven't been to a powwow since June, I think. I miss dancing the Circle with my girls. It'll be a nice retreat. :-)

Alright, time to feed critters! Take care and love to you all!