sherreefotos

 Gee whiz. So much has happened, I think I’ll just start New today. Stormy weather bringing in springtime. I’m happy winter is behind us. ♥️🥰🎉🌹

  We had rain for the past few days, but just cloudy today. Some snow predicted for tomorrow. It’s winter so I don’t mind the snow ~ but I don’t like ice~ whew I’ve almost wiped out driving on icy roads... No thank you! Even in winter, we get a stunning sunset every now and then. Sunsets like this have special meaning for me... my husband David would stop whatever he was doing and watch the entire sunset. When I asked him why sunsets were so very special he answered that he had worked in a factory, on the night shift for 20+ years and he only could see a sunset on the weekend. He was 58 at that time. We spent many evenings in lovely silence watching day become night. David passed away the following year. Ever since he’s been gone, I make a special effort to enjoy every sunset possible. I have hundreds of sunset photos... each one is unique, and a gift from our Creator. Start watching and enjoying sunset, it will calm your soul.  Thank you David Fite. You were an artist and a d...

  2021 Already!! Where did 2020 go? whew, it's probably good that it's a new year... 2020 was mostly pandemic, quarantines, etc. etc. I lost my brother Don on June 20, 2020, to MSA (Multiple System Atrophy) similar to Parkinson's disease, only it destroys the patient quicker.... Don was 71. Then on November 1, 2020, my brother-in-law Reece passed from heart failure.  Two weeks later I drove to Hot Springs, Arkansas to be with my sister and help her through the trauma of being a widow. (I have been widowed 2 times). I took Lollie with me, a former puppy mill momma, and rescued by Doris, Jan Roth's mom, but Doris passed in September, at 95 years young. So I adopted Lollie, a 10 yr.old Shih-Tzu. She's very quiet and timid. Forward to today, January 16, 2021.... Lollie is learning:  she barks to go out, or if really hungry. Still jumps at loud noises, but getting better about it. Had a 1" snow yesterday.... today it's gone. Yay that's the kind of snowfall I...

January 2015..... We had our third set of "official" guests from Air B&B.  Two families, 4 adults, 4 kids.  Tom is using www.airbnb.com to register and find guests for the bed and breakfast at his lovely log home in Imperial, Missouri.  It is close to St. Louis area attractions, yet a quiet and peaceful 7 acres in the country.  20 minutes from most city "hot spots" of activity. http://www.heavenlyoaks.com Our guests all have had good things to say about Heavenly Oaks, Imperial, Missouri.  They love it and say they will return!  With "Air BnB  cooking breakfast is not usually provided by the hosts (Tom and I), however, Tom leaves some danish, fresh fruit, or some snacks for the guests. Maybe even home made jam if you're lucky!                   FAST FORWARD>>>>>>> well, today is March 5, 2020..... and we no longer have the B&B active.... in February 2017 Tom was injured ...

 The Kimmswick Day Lily Sale was Saturday, and it was a great success! Weather was beautiful and cool. A lot of people attending and buying lilies. All proceeds to the Kimmswick visitor center. God Bless Carroll Wrather, age 81, for having a wonderful green thumb, and a great heart for helping the town in which he lives. I took lots of photos. My niece Sandy went along and got some very nice photos also! She has "the eye" for a good photo. Have a great day and remember...       " Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God; believe also in Me."                                          John 14:1

stormy day It was raining when I awoke.  Then quit. Then stormed. Then rained. Then quit.  This went on all day, until sunshine at 3:00 ..... crazy weather day.  At least the storms didn't bring tornadoes. This is a sunset from my trip to Sanibel Island, Florida.  Just thought I'd share it!'' No news today.       Tom is a little stronger each day after back surgery 3 weeks ago.  He is anxious to be able to drive again. Have a Wonderful day, and thank God for your blessings.  ~~ Sherree ~~

Spring is here....  well, at least the rain that Spring brings is here.  The grass (and weeds) are getting green and soon will need to be trimmed. Tom has had back surgery and is still recuperating. It could be a fairly lengthy process, as there is a Lot of inflammation around the nerves near the spinal chord.  When he fell at work, he really did a number on his back.  Cabin fever has set in. I am catching up on removing excess emails from my accounts.... and doing some sketching in between keeping track of Tom's meds. I take a few photos here and there for the Leader newspaper, and do some "fly by" photos on the run for my creative side.... As you can see, not everywhere is green yet... this is my 5 acres on Danby Road just south of Festus.  I have an ad to sell it, but no takers so far.  It is a rolling hillside that would be easy on which to build one or two homes.  If it does not sell, I may just do the build and sell the homes! Have...

I simply cannot believe I haven't written in my blog in HOW LONG????  so much has happened I will not even try to catch up... I'm just going to start with today. Sometime in the future I'll plug in things that happened while I was away!      the Best thing right now?   I have two great-nieces that are expecting little bundles of Joy!  Celeste  and Jeremy are expecting a girl in January...   Jessica and Frank just announced they are expecting a boy in May!  Our small family is growing again! Yay!      There is nothing quite like a newborn human baby.  So innocent, yet so smart - each in their own way.  I can hardly wait to get to know these new little peeps in our life! Here is the sunrise from yesterday.... symbolizing a "new" day, and a new start..... ~~~ love, Sherree ~~~

well, Heavenly Oaks has been keeping us sooooo busy, that I'm shocked I haven't written in my blog since February!  Gee, so much has happened, I'm not even gonna try to tell all. Mostly good stuff, some family illnesses - all are well, or on their way to better now. Or at least they're learning to live with their situation. Miss Sparkplug is doing good. She went with Tom and I to Hot Springs, Arkansas to  visit Gerri and Reece, my sister and her hubby. Was a great relaxing time, and a few boat rides, fishing ( didn't catch any) and a swim off the pontoon boat. Now to try and catch up with mail, bills, etc. from being gone almost a week. Such is the life of busy folks. Have a wonderful day. Enjoy each moment, and be thankful. Verse of the Day:  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1

Bald eagle resting over the Joachim Creek, Herculaneum, Missouri. I was headed over the bridge to tackle some of my many tasks at hand. A spot of white in the gray day caught my eye. Halfway over the bridge, and I realized what that white spot may have been. So I backed my car across the roadway and parked on the edge. Yep, there is was. Majestic even in the morning fog and mist. A single bald eagle just waiting for me to take a portrait.   Oh no! All I had was a small Nikon, and my iPhone.  I took a few shots, but with the mist and the distance, I couldn't get a good photo. So I asked this creature to 'please stay put.... I'll go get my big camera and be  right back'.   Much to my surprise 20 minutes later when I returned, there it was in the same spot. I took many, many photos (probably too many) in the misty cool morning.  This beauty sat there as I ran home a few miles away, got my large camera (Nikon D5100) and ...

It's been a very busy January. Just when I think I may have a "minute" to breathe... along comes something else. But I am so blessed and just trying to keep up with life. Take a few seconds to close your eyes, breathe deep, and say "thank you" to our Lord. Have a Blessed day. Proverbs 3:5    Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Some of you are aware that I have a very caring, special man in my life: Tom.  He surprises me with flowers at unexpected times. Oh, guess that is the definition of a "surprise" huh?  It always amazes me  how he puts such love into the day. I have been through a lot of anguish and pain in the course of my 6+ decades (who hasn't - right?).... and I am so thankful for the gift of this man's love.  We have opened a bed-and-breakfast in his beautiful log home, ( www.heavenlyoaksbedandbreakfast.com ) and have been blessed with interesting guests from all walks of life.  Most of our guests are through Air B&B, or Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO), thus not requiring us to cook them a "breakfast".  We do, however, supply them with snacks, juice, and danish or some other sweets for their first day. Plus always have fresh flowers to greet them. Folks readily comment on how friendly and accommodating we are.  We believe in treating people as we want t...

Just where did this year go?  Last week was Thanksgiving, and now it's only a few weeks until Christmas.  I think the older I get, the faster.... oh, wait... that was a saying my mom always said... Oh My Gosh... I have indeed become my Mother!  Not a bad thing, just something else to ponder. Well, here's a sunrise from yesterday, December 1st... it was beautiful, and yesterday marked 4 years since my husband, David Fite, passed away from leukemia.  He is missed.  David was so kind and thoughtful. and an inventor too!  He was always coming up with innovative ideas.  We were together such a short time, but one thing he did:  he taught me to Really use my head and think.  He said there is 'always a solution'... and you know what?  He is right. Get to work on what ever solution you need to be happy in this life, because we never know how many days we have here on Earth.  Make each day count.  God bless you in this journey and r...

check out my Fiance's FB about our new B&B:   Heavenly Oaks Bed and Breakfast. First photo is the walkway to the pond.  Second photo is our friend Christine Culp (CiCi) planting herbs in the garden. Thank you CiCi!!!!!! :) Come on out.... help in the garden!

    It's official -- Heavenly Oaks Bed and Breakfast, Imperial Mo is taking reservations through AirBnb.com. You can see photos and comments on the AirBnB site.  Give me a shout if you trek there and peruse the photos.... Yep, I took them.    Tom is a wonderful host for your vacation or staycation. Heavenly Oaks is private, yet only minutes from St. Louis, historic Kimmswick, South County Antique Mall, St. Louis Cardinals' Busch Stadium, Grant's Farm and Six Flags Over Mid-America ... just to mention a few local attractions.     Mastodon State Historic site is 5 minutes away. There are hiking trails, a museum, and a creek in which to swim (BTW: creek is Cold spring water - very invigorating!).     I have been working on the gardens: flowers, veggies and herbs.  I love the outdoors. Come visit us, stay a couple days, or stay a week. You will be refreshed and will Not want to leave!     Now.... I will just lay back in this ha...

It's fascinating to watch hummingbirds flitting around so fast. We have 3 feeders for these tiny birds, and they fight over one or the other.  Sometimes they sit and rest on top of the hanger holding the feeder... their bright feathers gleaming in the light.  Amazement is what I feel when I watch them. If you have never stopped to observe their antics, please make time to do so. Here at Heavenly Oaks Bed and Breakfast ( Imperial, Mo.) we have many types of birds and wildlife on 7 wooded acres.  If you want to see what I mean, travel over and visit:              www.heavenlyoaks.com

Happy July 4th. Independence Day for USA.  God bless our forefathers and the ones who now defend our freedom. I am thankful every day for this. Yes, there is snow on this bell. But I feel the bell symbolizes "ringing" in our Freedom. I do not take our freedom for granted. God bless America. Let freedom ring!               ~~~~ Happy 4th of July!!! ~~~~

My Dad.  A kind, sort of quiet guy.... until you got him to talking, then came the stories. I miss hearing his stories.  Tales of "when I was a kid".... "the show cost a nickel, but we were poor, so my brother and cousins and I snuck into the theatre." you know, those kind of stories.  Then there was WWII.  Wow.... the older I get the more I appreciate what he must have gone through.  He was a 'pre-flight engineer' in the US Army.  He had the last say of whether a plane could take off, or not.  One of his worst memories was of a flight out of St. Louis on a cold, icy night.  A young "officer" decided my dad didn't know #@!$% about flying, so he disobeyed the grounded order, and loaded about 50 soldiers, and himself and .... well .... the outcome was a fatal disaster.  My father would describe the scene with tears in his eyes, and pain in his heart.  All those young lives gone in an instant, just because a "know-it-all" pilot had to ha...

Well,  I was hoping to go shoot some photos today of flowers, and pretty landscapes.... ummm... Mother Nature decided we need more rain.  So I look in the back yard for flowers... I found a few droopy ones, and rose bushes that need some sunshine to get their blooms open.  Here is a new rose bush (see the tiny bud in the center?)... covered with raindrops. Pretty in its own way, but not the photo for which I was searching. Maybe there is a lesson here:  you can search all you want, day after day, but things are as they are.  Some days we get sunshine and good feelings, some days not so much. We must learn to make the best of what is given, and be thankful in all things. Have a blessed day, and enjoy the "raindrops" in your life too!

I just have to post a photo of this Awesome hot tub, deck and view.... this is part of the lovely "Heavenly Oaks Bed and Breakfast".   Soon we will have an "open house" preview. Text me, message me, email or somehow contact me if you would like to be invited..... I am sure there will be a raffle or drawing for a night's stay in this relaxing B&B. Heavenly Oaks is a jewel in the county:  relaxing, yet close to both nature and city life entertainment destinations. Thomas Anderson (my fiance') is the host, and I suppose I am the "hostess"... hmmmm  that title sounds a little pretentious for me, but "y'all come in now"!!!  Lol.