The Igloo Cooler Galvanized

You see rust.  I see memories...and a bug.  Back to the memory.  Dad worked road construction when I came along although he wore many hats in his life time.  We traveled with the job.  

Sometimes we were able to visit Dad where he was working.   When he saw us he would stop the bulldozer and climb down to greet us with much enthusiasm, to share his day and the wonders he had seen.  On his bulldozer he always kept his galvanized Igloo cooler.  

The cooler was a big thing in my small eyes.  I don't know if it was a three or five gallon.  I know when Dad took off the lid and held it under the small spigot to catch a fresh cold drink it was the sweetest water I had ever tasted in my short life time.

Mom and Dad were big on all of us acquiring an education in daily life as well as in schools. Being the youngest of three girls I learned when my older sisters did.  When I heard galvanized I did not connect it to his cooler but rather to the definition of the action...to be galvanized.  I think that cooler encouraged that in me too.  

 Guess we had two big coolers.  Me and Dad.

Funny the things we remember.  

Thanks, Mom and Dad for encouraging us to learn and to always be curious. 

This N That

Tulip flavored venison,

reflections in clean water,

and smiling fire wood...

just a few things we enjoy At The Farm.

Thanks to every one who drops in to visit. 

You make my day.

After The Fencing...

 I was grateful for the natural sauna, the exercise, and the opening of my sinuses...all free. Didn't have to have a membership in anything.  Good hard work has lots of benefits.

Felt like taking a short walk, so the dogs and I strolled along the creek.

The water was crystal clear and spring cold.

The boys are enjoying the shallow spring branch.

Heading for deeper water,

no longer clear from all the swimming.

Look closely for the water skater

and his shadow.

Every one cooled off.

And we mustn't forget stick-loving Lil

enjoys the water too.

The Dragonflies Have Landed

along with every bug known to man

and some that are not known.

It is a really great year for biting bugs too.

The deer and horse flies are attacking...

humans.

Where did Spring go?

The Things I Did

after work Saturday should have sweated the rest of the sick outta me.  I made piles.  Oh, the pleasure I had watching those piles grow.  Do you have a place around your house, where you just lay something til later and later never comes?   This is a collection of some of those piles: a broken flower pot, sun worn ice cream buckets used to hold small bits, an old box I was going to use and a chair broken during the ice storm that I was going to fix...

The yard crew (Hubby and Beverly) was mowing yesterday.  East of the house, near the old tractor tire water garden, a copperhead snake was spotted but escaped.  This guy is poison and we do not really like having one this close to the house.  Heck, we don't like having them at all!

Today after work, I tackled the jungle.  My goal to clear the way for easy snake spotting, open it up for easier mowing and pick up some damaged things I had not disposed of yet.  I wish I had taken before pictures but you can measure the piles and imagine the befores because I only have afters.

The elderberries had taken over around the water garden.  Something is eating the limbs so off they came.  A super thinning of plant life took place or a butchering, depends on how you look at it.

This USED to be a great sweeping, beautiful Texas or Blackberry Rose.  I believe I shared some pictures of its blooms.  Well, there ain't no blooms now!  In the heart of this bush is where the copperhead chose to rest when he was spotted yesterday.

Now I have two, no, three big piles full of plantain, violets, blackberry rose and elderberries topped with sticks, dead pecans and limbs and debris from the old tractor tire.  It is over ninty degrees and the humidity is 76%.  I am not sweating like a horse, I am lathered.

You can see around the tire!!!!  The refilling water is clear!  No snakes in site but I did find a marvelously, huge bull frog in my hostas and welcomed him.  Hope I did not scare him off.

Hostas visible, lillies visible, rocks visible...just a  mere few hours later.  This was my resting spot on the log, I would sit and drink a tall cool drink as I pondered my next move.

I have seen the elephant and he is bare!  He was covered with Virginia Creeper.  It is not perfect by any means but much closer.  The plow share is visible and all/most snake hidey holes are gone.

This is on the east side of the lodge and welcomes the morning sun.  Now I can greet the morning sun in relative safety...in this hard won spot.  Man, I am pooped!

 You can read about The Old Tractor Tire by typing the words into my search at the upper left hand side of page.

Over Due This N That

The last persimmon of the season

The geese flying south

Reflections

The leaves are gone but the sweet gum balls hang on.

Pumpkin Guts And Washouts

I just like the sound of that, pumpkin guts.  Did you know you can roast these seeds for a tasty snack?

This is one of the reasons the cows kept getting out one whole section of fence left with the flood.  This week that shall be remedied.  Short of cash but not so short on cattle, my hubby has worked out a deal, fencing for cows.  One bred cow gets our fence completed, no back breaking work for hubby, no missed days from work to fix the fence, I think it was a heck of trade.  Hubby has many post planted to expand the pasture but neither of us has the time nor the health to do it.

One victim on the farm this week, the butterfly was almot finished but Orange helped him go into the light.

Water always calms me, there is just a peace about it that seems to cure my maladies.

On the darker side, I have a green flying buzzing around that is as big as a helicopter.  Could this be a indication I need to clean house?  Has she laid eggs in my sink?  Or is this a precursor to Amittyville Horror?

Walking In The Heat

can be rather dangerous these days. I took my time and enjoyed the scenery and tried not to see all the work waiting to be done.

These are effects from our ice storm last winter but it good to know life is growing out of the destruction. We are getting the few acres around the house cleared. Ten acres down and one hundred plus to go.

We have a few, uh, many brush piles.

These limbs, called hangers, are the most dangerous. If they decide to fall while you are under them, they can even kill you. We do not have the equipment needed to remove these. We will have to wait on Mother Nature and watch out when the wind is blowing.

I am almost to the creek and then I will cool my feet and rest before the last part of my journey home.