When Exploring

it was warm enough for these to be moving.

I THINK it may be a Hobo Spider, Alex.

UPDATE;  ALEX LOOKED IT UP! 

Thanks!

It's a Dark Fishing Spider not even close to a Hobo nor water.

I'm not very good at identifying spiders.  If anyone knows, please let know.  Hobo spiders are not supposed to be native here.

I know it looked BIG when we were looking eye to eyes.

I wonder if spiders have a book where they can identify humans.

Valentine Sunshine And Fudge...

Best ever Valentine's Day.   Thought I would rub in the fact we have sunshine share our wonderful morning.  It is 67 degrees as I write this.  The temps will begin to drop this afternoon as the storm gets closer.

Today we were able to explore forgetting all those neck deep in snow while sending wonderful spring thoughts to those in the heart of this horrible storm.

Sunshine, rocks, trees and dogs were all part of our adventure as the soup and casserole cooked itself at home.

Visiting places I haven't seen in a long time on the back side of the farm.  

Guess what I found?

Amazing beautiful rocks

steep hills I refused to ride up

I walked while Hubby drove.

Blue skies promised us spring was close.

The exploring ended as we returned to the valley with a feather, a bone and a bucket of beautiful rocks.  I had not burned lunch which we enjoyed.  Marcy brought us homemade fudge for our valentine.

The wind is picking up as the front is heading our way.  Off to top off the water gardens and enjoy the beautiful weather before we get iced in.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Stay safe and happy.

Boy Adventures Or Running With The Pack

Boys, dogs and water

 are an interesting combination

on an extremely warm Autumn day.

No problem finding adventures

Heart warming to see cousins helping each other

I'm holding my breath but no one falls in the water.

It was difficult to keep up but

I returned with the same number 

of children I left with today

The More I Walk...

the more I seem to need the connection with nature.  I grow calm, centered and relaxed as I explore crooks and creeks along the way.

First and most important of all is lose those shoes.  Get a direct fix from the soles of your feet from the power we know is within the Creation called Earth.

Shoes abandoned I hit the water.

The afternoon light was amazing and the water was cool.

 Ki-Anne

Lizzy, Junior

and Bonnie had a great time.

Me, too.

The creek is very low but the rains will come again.

My Many Hats...

There are many hats we wear in a life time, some all the time, some only a few times but the importance of that hat is not lessened.  I had a postal hat but I've laid that aside as I have many hats in my past. My current hats include but limited to those below.

At The Shop hat

Sweating boat-loads hat

My Wife hat

My construction/repair hat

My explorer hat

My cattle feeding hat

My cattle working hat

My rock hunting hat

and a hat I don't wear anymore.

We wear our hats with pride or in hiding due to our choices but we all have hats.  Wear them well.  Be proud of the hat you wear...change 'em around just for fun.  Maybe wear someone else's hat for awhile and look at the world differently but love the hat you wear.

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.

Six Sentence Story for Two Shoes

She told no one she was walking the same path she had traveled with her father while he talked of cave safety and the history of it.  Today she walked alone returning to the massive flat mouthed cave that used to shelter Native Americans.

Reaching the entrance she remembered to look at the ceiling to see if there were fresh rock falls and used her light sparingly even though she had another.  During her previous visit she had spotted the entrance of another room but her father pointed out some fallen rock and said it was not safe to go further.

Reaching the opening in the back she crawled deeper as her flashlight illuminated drawings on the wall possibly not seen for hundreds or thousands of years.  Admiring the art and traveling farther than she had gone before the cave rumbled dropping rocks behind her and she knew she was never going home.

For Two Shoes in Texas Six Sentence Stories...Home.  Thanks for the challenge.

Trekking

The rains came and came.  The sky filled with light shows to rival the Fourth of July Celebrations.  We oohed and ahhhed with great enjoyment through the evening Saturday night.  Reports of tornadoes flew on radio waves but I centered on the roar of the storm and loved the simple beauty and the power of it.

The modern in me wanted internet and phone but the storms left and took that access with them.  I really didn't mind because I planned on viewing Rock Hollow in the beauty of the rain.

With reports of rain and sleet from Hubby and after a few false starts I headed out. 

I wanted to see the swollen water of Rock Hollow.  To see the full volume I should have explored in the dark.  By the time I reached the stream bed the water had begun to recede.  It was as beautiful as I had imagined.

The sheer majesty of this place seems to make it magical.

I climbed up the hollow, watching my feet carefully.  The waters had washed away  much fall debris.  The wet beauty of the rocks with lichen and mosses was indescribable. Normally a dry hollow it was filled with run-off from the night's rain.  I did not see the fullness that was but could see the path of the flood along the bank.

I like to think once there may have been live water here tumbling swiftly as it does this Sunday.

The dogs explored, jumped the stream and sometimes waded.  I think my enjoyment was contagious. They were smiling with me.

I discovered at the top the path is changing as it has many times I imagine.  The Majesty of Rock Hollow always renews me.  It reminds me that our Earth is ever renewing and ever changing as we should be.

Something told me to follow it to the creek.

So I followed the Rock Hollow run off until there were no more boulders.  The water ran clear and swift and cold on its path to the sea.  I stood at the point where Rock Hollow joined the main creek and wondered how I could survive the beauty of the Grand Canyon if I was this excited over a few rocks here At The Farm.

Are We Dry??

Sunday I checked out the creek with part of the farm dog team.  Don't know how I got away without the hot peppers but it made for a little calmer exploration.

The elderberries bloom along the creek's edge.

You can tell the creek is low. It is fed by three wet weather springs and two full time springs. I have not seen the creek this low in a very long time.

Tried to capture the water skater

but only his shadow is clear.

Normally I travel up the creek so it remains clear.

This day we traveled down and stirred the silt.

The Borders were having a ball.

Lil tries to catch the water skaters

but never gets one.

There was rain all around us Monday.

We were blessed with one tenth.