Going For A Ride

Yes, I wanna go!

Who's driving?

What's the problem?

Just start the darn motor, won't you?

Lizzy Got Wet!!!!

Remember Lizzy, the dog who avoided water like it was battery acid?  

Well she took a sit down!  

After a short cool off she rolled

and rolled

 and rolled

until she was dry enough

to take off again.

Gonna make a farm dog of her yet.

Woodpecker!!!!

I keep trying

 The bird did not want to cooperate

 but I kept trying.

Finally it posed for me!

I THINK it's Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Who's Watching You?

photo credit: Gerrit Photography

Magpie Tales

Sunday's Whirligig

He had the luxury of watching unseen through the windows.  It made him feel a little dirty but not enough to stop him.  Leaning over his brick balcony railing he begin to sing love poems of 

shining horses dancing.  She never heard a word nor knew of his devotion.  

Later as she was passing his apartments, he spoke.  She returned a shy smile.

She never reached the end of the block. She never reached home. She was never seen again.

The alignment gremlins are working against me.  Sorry.  I can not fix it.  I will try later. Thanks for visiting.

Japanese Death Poem

Jisei
Hanging by threads
I could have enjoyed more color
As a mother I loved you both
more than life
I let go
stepped back
and wondered
how I could have loved you
better

dverse~Poets Pub presents a prompt to write a Japanese Death Poem or Jisei...the last words before you die.  I have combined that prompt with the collage prompt from MindLoveMisery's Menagerie.

I am also adding a link to Poets United: Poetry Pantry.  Thank you all for encouraging me to write.

The Great Turtle Adventue

Joining Eileen's Viewing Nature Saturday's Critters

Far, far from water we discovered this baby

Lil asked, What is this thing?

Hubby's size twelve gives you an idea how big it was.

Well, it's not a poison snake, Bonnie said.

Today instead of fried turtle 

(we're from the South and it ain't cooked unless it's fried)

we decided to help this big fellow out.

A Gator ride later he reaches fresh water and is set free.

Bonnie is still not sure what to think.

Ki-Anne sticks her head under the water trying to track the turtle

Bonnie tries too

The turtle swims away.

Black Walnut Trees

Across the valley by the garden spring are several Black Walnut trees, in fact, there are many spread over the farm.  Picking up walnuts to sell was one of our childhood chances to make some money. Each year some one will have a walnut huller operating and will pay by the pound for Black Walnuts after they are hulled.

This is a Black Walnut by our house showing many walnuts still on the trees.  I left the corner of the roof so you can imagine how big the trees are.  This is one of the smaller trees.

These have fallen and are ready to pick up.

The way they look when they fall

and the color they turn

One without the hull but still in the shell.

First you remove the hull

then break it open with a rock or hammer

...they are a tough nut to crack...

and you get the wonderful "meat" or "goodies" to eat.

This is about half of a walnut's worth.  They can be used as any other nuts in cooking, baking, or just like this.  The hulls in water when changing from green to brown will make a wonderful "tea" to dye cloth with not to drink.  We also discovered a good strong tea will kill thistles.

Black Walnut wood is highly prized for furniture making and for gun stocks.  The living room here At The Farm is Black Walnut tongue and groove routed lumber varying in widths with almost an inch thickness. The shelves on each side of fire place and through out the house are made from Black Walnut.  All walnut in the farm house was harvested here, seasoned, milled, planed and routed for use in building this house.  It will never be painted nor removed.

Thanks to Lynne at Irish Garden House for suggesting this post.

The Birds

I almost captured

House Finch or Summer Tanager?

I need more practice!

A Turtle Tail

For Wednesday Wit and Wisdom at Senior Adventures.  Post a pic, tell a tale.  Join the fun.

I thought I was saving him

I don't think turtles have reverse

So I removed him from dark waters

I thought land couldn't be worse

He overcame his shyness

By golly, he turned around

And headed back to the place

Where I thought he might drown

He didn't want rescued

It was very plain to see

He made a giant effort

To get where he wanted to be.

There must have been some appeal

To this stagnant little hole

He climbed right in

And the spider said, Hello

Sinking he was happy

To be back where he was

I guess dark and stagnant

Is just what he loves.

Stealing Lines

I've always enjoyed shooting things
Preferably things that didn't die
If I shot something I didn't eat
I would be skinned alive

First I used a sling shot
Then I tried a bow
Wasn't nothing I couldn't hit
Draw back and let it go

Then I discovered guns
Man, was that a rush
Point and shoot
Kicking up some dust

I had this great idea
one of those that never is
Instead of shooting chickens
I could shoot some eggs

Mamma boiled out of the house
like a lioness with belladonna in her eyes
One thing I learned very quickly
Before I began to run

Never
ever ever
try
shooting eggs with guns

I thought I was free and clear
I hadn't killed a thing
But filling me with fear
Mamma shamed me

A egg is a baby chick
even if you ate it
the heart makes the simplest things
so damn complicated

The italicized lines are stolen, with permission, for Tuesday's prompt

at dVerse~Poets Pub

and for The Tuesday Platform 

at Imaginary Garden With Real Toads