A wandering herd

Every few days a herd of horses comes to visit.  They live down the road from us and seem to just wander around.  Last year there were seven, this year there are nine.

Some days they wander the country road and wind up here.

Where the green pastures grow.

Protected

Today, I am thinking about everyone in the path of Hurricane Sandy.  

When the wind and rain begin there is nothing to do, but sit it out and wait for relief.

Jackie sent this picture from her back patio in Philadelphia.  Stay safe!

First Fire

One of the best things about our house is the big fireplace.

And one of the best days of the year is our first fire of the season.

Cozy, warm, crackling happiness.

The way we roll around here

Once upon a time, about a hundred years ago, my father-in-law said,

"While I was cutting grass in front of our yard today I found a little bag.  I guess it is yours so I put it on top of that post beside the road."

It wasn't mine.  It's not my style.  I don't leave bags in their yard.

Every day for the next fifty years or so I noticed the bag on the post and said to myself,

"I wonder whose bag that is.  Someone should move it.  And look in it."

But then I stopped noticing the bag.  It became part of the landscape.  A decoration of sorts that seemed at home on the post in the field.  Oh, occasionally I would see it again and say to myself,

"I wonder whose bag that is.  Someone should move it.  And look in it."

Then, one day last week the time was right.  I took a picture of the bag and my conscience would not let me walk away with only a picture.  And, besides, what if there was money in the bag?  And no identification? And the money could be mine!

So, the bag came down.

With the tips of my fingers I carefully opened it, ready to jump away if a snake should come slithering out of the inside pocket.

Here is the inventory of the contents:  Nail polish remover, a Constant Comment tea bag, half of a big silver hair clip, an empty bottle of Estee Lauder Youth Dew lotion, some Mary Kay moisturizer with the end cut off of the container, a hair scrunchie, and a man's sleeveless tshirt.

No snake, no money.

And I think it must have belonged to my mother-in-law. Because it seemed like her type of things and it was in her yard.

Just call me Sherlock Holmes.

A new lens

I got a new lens for my camera and had to get out yesterday and play a little bit:)

The chickens were puttering around in the yard when they suddenly ran back into their house.  When I looked up, I saw this hawk flying around.  This is the rascal as he left the premises. 

This tree stand sits at the edge of the woods right beside our driveway.  I get some silly satisfaction when I jog pass the hunters sitting there in the winter.  I just wave and tell Bambi to run the other way.

The tree stand is just to the right of where I'm standing to take this picture.  I was playing around in Photoshop to make the picture look old.

I never get tired of the moss in the trees.

Chicken photography is so difficult.  These girls just won't stand still.

The walnut crop is just wonderful this year.  That is if your idea of wonderful is having hundreds of rotting black baseball size ankle twisters in your yard!

We have traveled a lot this year and in the past month I have been away more than I've been home.  In the words of Johnny Cash, "I've been everywhere, man"!  I have pictures to share from San Francisco and Yreka, New Orleans and Cozumel, Lanai and Oahu.

It sure feels good to be home, though.  It felt good to get out in my own backyard, taking in all of its beauty and imperfections.  

And, speaking of imperfections, I think I will get started on those walnuts...

Ahhhh......home.

Grandcamp!

What happens when Ben and Abbie and David and Sarah all have a chance to be out of town at the same time?

You have Grandcamp!

For two days we...

wore crazy hats,

ate popsicles,

acted like a chicken,

ran with the chickens,

 

and laughed with the chickens.

We took good naps,

made silly faces,

 

played "Walnut Toss",

smiled for Minnie (through the trampoline net),

and we went to school.

:::   :::   :::   :::   :::

Nobody can do for children what grandparents can do.  Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.

                                                                                             Alex Haley

And grandchildren sprinkle stardust on us, too.

What a blessing.

Plans

Today was not what I had planned.

I thought I would clean house, run one errand for Daryl, do laundry, cook dinner, plan meals for the next week, pay bills and the like.  This plan was made several days ago.  It was in writing.  It was purposeful.  I shared my plan for the week with Daryl, he shared his plan for his week with me.  Everything I planned to do was in support of our common goals.

Ready, set, go!

But, the errand that should have taken 45 minutes from leave home to return home took 5 1/2 hours instead. I called Cathy to share my frustration as I drove in literal circles around our three county area and she spoke loving, calming words to me.

She helped me understand that while my job title might be 'homemaker', today my job was not at home.  No one will go hungry or undressed, the bathrooms can wait until another day be cleaned.

Plans are just that.  Plans.  Not unmovable stone mountains.

I knew that, really, but needed the reminder.

Thanks, sis.

Thanks, God!