Out Of My Gourd

Ignore the projects.  My blue jean project, my painting project, and my sewing project should be ignored. We are looking at a dipper gourd and a bird house gourd.

Today I am removing seeds to plant and in the process making something our ancestors used.

I thought I had a saw blade for my handy Dremel but had to use what I professionally call a "bur thingy".  I drilled holes around and kept working til I opened the gourd.

You can pick the seeds out or scrape them out 

along with the white insides.  

You don't want that floating in a dipper of fresh spring water.

With the seeds removed I sanded the edges smooth, removed the pith and drilled a hole in the handle. 

With a cord through the drilled hole it is ready to hang by the spring for a handy way to "dip" and drink fresh spring water.

Secrets

The ground held secrets
Shivering  in rows
Packed
With deep roots
Counting time
Mending
Planning to heal
Gathering strength
For the time
They burst forth
With a growl
Knowing secrets
Are never hidden
From Heaven

Written for Poets United  Imagirary Gardens With Real Toads and The Sunday Whirl

We Never Know...

when our time's up!

A Walk With Dogs

Notice the pack lining up behind the flowers

We explored the creek

Found a rabbit den/nest

Yep, that's my finger.

Discovered a tree with strange scratches

Searched for varmints

and enjoyed the tiny wild flowers.

Wordless Water

The Child We Didn't Adopt

Heather came, a pre-teen which the Social Services had ingrained all the rights and rules of a foster child. We welcomed her as if she were not damaged and slowly began the process of repair.

Heather could handle school or home, not both.

She was loving, volatile, hidden and protected by her wall that began construction at the age of three.  Oh, but we tried   Periodically Heather went to Group Camps that improved nothing and only taught her more ways to manipulate.

Despite all the ups and downs she brought with her suitcase we loved her.  We wanted her as our third daughter.

Heather loved animals.  She showed miniature horses. When she returned from "camp" Heather also had a horse to ride.

Heather loved all the people here.  Dad with Alzheimer's seemed to connect with her most.  He would give Heather great advice at dinner each night while she smiled that sweet deceptive smile.

She chose the colors of her room.  We built shelves together.  We poured over catalogs to order pink beaded curtains, lime green bed clothes and an orange rug.  Her room.  Her choice.

Heather took it from our hands when she escalated her violence. Throwing the rocker at me was just one of many incidents.

It was tough.  Heather made a bigger wall because she loved us too in her own way.  Yet it frightened her to care for someone.  All her life the people she loved hurt her, abandoned her and in the end that is what we did.

We loved her.  We still do but we could not help her.

The frame is dusty but her picture remains.  Still in the spare room.   Heather, I'm sorry we failed you.

That is my regret.

For Two Shoes Tuesday

Dreaming

I buried Andrew Wyeth
In a yellow field
I held my grandsons
Told them how I feel
I rode my horses
Once again into spring
I woke to discover
It was only a dream
Now I wonder
Why did I bury
Wyeth in his art?

Andrew Wyeth  Open House
Imaginary Garden With Real Toads Open Link Monday
Poets United

Stop

and enjoy the arrival of spring.

 

Snow Crocuses 

Spring clean up has been going on a while and the green has not arrived in full force yet.  The brush piles are growing and gardens are plowed.  Onions, radishes and early crops are in the ground waiting for the perfect day to rise to the top.  

We are late this year because the snow enjoyed it's visit far too long to please me. We are blessed. Although we had unusual amounts and long lived snow and ice we had nothing compared to many places. This winter has been rough on all.

I have been randomly planting sunflower seeds from last year.  I know they clean the soil so I am planting them in places I have already forgotten.  I will be pleasantly surprised when those smiling sunflower faces greet me later in the season.

The spring calves are doing well.  The cattle can find winter grass again.  The last few bales wait in the barn to be enjoyed before the grass comes in full.

I think the birds are singing louder this year.  They, too, were tired of ice.

Training

I know y'all are amazed when there are pictures like this.  Dogs don't chase cats, cats don't eat chickens.  It is just a matter of training and enforcement.  We begin the training but the animals also help it along.

Although Bonnie knows the cats are off limits it is soooooo tempting to try to get them to play.  Some will play with her but not this one.

This barn cat lays down the law

and calls for reinforcements.

And Bonnie learns the hard way...

you can sleep with cats

eat with cats

but you can't wrestle with cats

safely.

Things I've Seen...

Maybe it's spring.

The Cardinals...

breathe deeply and dream of spring.

For Two Shoes Tuesday

I Got Nothing...

Tess at Magpie Tales presents a creative challenge each week.  I truly tried.  I believe my creativeness is on spring break.

Feast in the House of Simon, 1610, El Greco 

Sometimes art sings to me

And fills me full of words

Although the painting's lovely

My eye went to the robes

Instead of guests for dinner

I see material for curtains

Strips for a quilt

Yards for any project

But then I'm filled with guilt.

I do admire the painting

But I can't forget the quilt.

A Saturday Afternoon

We are invited by Brian at d'Verse Poets to challenge ourselves by using senses other than sight.

I HEAR
Strains of Stevie Ray Vaughn
Andrew learning
From one of the best

The strings sing and cry
Music enters my feet
The same moment
My ears welcome the rhythm.

Self taught fingers
Slide and imitate
Fender frets
Heavy strings

Music ends
Tractor motor
Reminds me I am
At The Farm

Random 5 Friday with A Rural Journal...

 A Rural Journal, has many Random 5's.  

Join the fun and read a few.

1.  The snow has finally left and the cattle are enjoying warmer air. We are enjoying new babies and warmer weather.  Today a chill is in the air with a little rain mixed with sun.  We are dry despite the snow.

2.  I neglect visiting all my bloggers every day between working at our shop, playing at farming, crocheting and being hopelessly lazy.

  

3.  I am slowly working on my book.  Some think I may have enough talent to be published.  Many days I don't agree.

4.  I love canines.  None of you knew that, did you???

5.  The Siberian Iris is blooming.

The Halter

For the writing challenge at Imaginary Garden With Real Toads.  Not sure I did it right but had fun trying. Visit to read many and write your own.


THE HALTER

Cleaning bug bit me
Digging in closets
Finding things forgotten
Or didn't know were missing

Detecting a favorite smell
My horses long gone
Emptiness filling me
Holding the red halter

Holding it
Remembering dreams
Coming true and ending
Tears falling on the halter

Tucking it into the closet
I wasn't ready to give
Away all my memories
You can't turn back time

The Pack

playing with sticks and each other

 Gathering around Hubby for some love.  Maggie is his Border Collie with Bonnie and Ki-Anne.

Ki-Anne and Bonnie...I believe Bonnie is gonna to outweigh her soon.

Everyone loved the sunshine.

Lil patiently waits for the stick to be thrown.

Fake Spring?

Monday was a short sleeved day. I gathered  some seeds. I had to plant whether it was the wrong sign or not. I planted pink cone flowers from seed I saved last year.  I planted sunflowers.

The tulips are out but I've seen them in snow before.

I certainly hope spring is here

but we still have snow.

What I've Been Doing...

to keep from going stir crazy.  I cleaned all the appliances, cabinets and have a casserole baking.

I try to crochet when I sit because Granny always said, Idle hands are the devil's workshop.

I've begun to work up the old blue jeans into quilts.  Waste not want not.

The snow clings to mountains and shadowed places.  We have a hint of spring but is it real?  I'm so grateful to see brown!

Random Five Friday...

with Nancy at A Rural Journal gives up a chance to post random thoughts about anything.

 1.  The cattle don't care what I wear when I'm bringing feed.  Not a word was said about my pink boots, my red leg warmers or my triple layers of bulky clothes.  They were simply glad to see me.  

We could take a lesson from them.

2.  The deer are more cautious.  Between snow melts they search for food but they seem to be faring well.

3.  Life goes on around us despite the fickle weather.  We help with what we can.  A new calf greets her first sunrise.

4.  Grateful to see a Turkey Vulture instead of the aggressive New World Vultures that sometimes attack animals rather than cleaning up the dead.

5.  We are weary of winter and eagerly awake spring.