Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Frozen In Time!

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. ~Henry Van Dyke

Wow, the last week has been crazy! I thought Spring was here. I have been outside working in my flower beds, enjoying my flowers, until this last week!!
Then winter came sneeking back. It waited until the dark of night and then, quiet as a snowflake falling, dumped the snow, sleet and ice on us.
But at least where I live we didn't get the foot or more like some places.
And when I went outside the next morning it was kind of fun! The sleet and ice was a thin sheet frozen on top of the snow and every step I took it would crunch, crunch, crunch.......
I have never gotten over feeling like a kid when I get out in the snow!!
And then I went to check on my flowers. Oh my!!! I couldn't believe how neat they all were. They had been Frozen In Time!! It is just amazing what nature can do with a little rain and then a freezing night!! The drops of rain were frozen right where they fell!!
Here are some of the pictures I took......


Friday, March 13, 2009

Visiting the Farm

I had a nice day yesterday visiting a friend of mine. She and her family live on a farm. I was raised on a farm and really miss it.
I can't say that I miss some of the chores I had to do as a child, like cleaning out the rabbit pens, or washing out the cows watering tank. Yuck!!
But I do miss the animals and the country life, and my afternoons in the pasture.

I lived on the farm during my young years, until I got married and left home. I don't remember the pressure of getting the wheat planted on time, or the worry of the rain and hail storms coming right at wheat harvest time.
What I remember is the relaxed, peaceful times when I would take a walk in our pasture. There was always so many adventures there.
Much different then walking on a sidewalk around my neighborhood now days.

A lizard runs across the path. Where is he going so fast!
A horny toad sits on a rock watching me. I catch him and hold him for a while looking at his funny horny skin. Then I put him back down and he scurries away.
A cockle burr gets caught in my pant leg, or a sandburr in my sock. Ouch, I reach down and pull it out.
Look, there is a bare space on the ground filled with small rocks. I found a small piece of petrified wood!
A small amount of water is in the dry wash in the pasture. I pull off my shoes and socks and play in the water and mud. Oh, I better be careful, I see a couple of crawdads! Look at them run backwards when I get close. How funny!
In a bigger puddle I see tadpoles, some have two legs growing all ready!

Then I get to the area where a big patch of sunflowers are growing. They are taller then I am. I start bending some of them over and make a path into them and then a whole area.
I have a new play house!! I sit down and watch the bugs and butterflies go by.
Finally I decide it is time to walk back up to the house. The adventure continues as I go back up the path.
A big yellow grasshopper jumps and lands right on my shirt! I grab him in my fingers and black tobacco comes out his mouth. I laugh and toss him in the air and he flies off.

What a wonderful afternoon I have had. An adventure as great as any safari!!
And it was right at home.

All of these memories come back to me as I am walking around my friends yard on the farm.
She has different animals then what we had. But I still love to be on a farm again.

Here are some pictures I took yesterday:

Farm Goats


Galloway Beef Calves

Her Pet Chickens

Puppy to Grow up to Protect the Goats