My Winter Walk

At The Farm you can't really see the lay of the land unless there is the contrast of snow with the trees.  After viewing the hills around me in the valley I know why it was chosen through the years as a Native American campsite.

Fresh running water and

flat lands with rolling hills on all sides 

made this valley perfect for anyone's home.

I wandered to Rock Hollow.

It was not a safe day to climb.

The snow showed me how hidden

the valley and the people here would be.

It was an Ariat day.

No, still haven't found that new pair of rubber boots.

I'm grateful the foresight of my ancestors

allows me to call this peaceful valley My Home.

Walking...

Lil stands on the tree trunk covered with poison oak.

I use to bathe here as a young child in summer.

This live creek has water year round.

This is a "dry" creek.

It will go dry if we don't receive enough rain.

See the tiny resident?

It's just a frog, Pat.

Treasures from the rain.

Walking...

The bone hung on rusted barbed wire.

I wondered why.

I remembered O'Keeffe

and thought why not.

The lady who knew micro 

before the camera did

 painted bones

and flowers 

closer than we perceived.

Her eye zoomed 

and I wondered

where would she zoom here

.

What beauty would she see in the small?

Ki-Anne watched.

I O'Keeffed her.

And returned home to paint.

Not O'Keeffe

only Crazy on Cardboard...

cheaper than canvas

and biodegradable. 

Ki-Anne Kapers

Kan't Keep Up!

Practicing For Retirement

My self portrait with SOME of the dogs
Arrow looking for fruit.

I started my day, after I got the men out the door.

I took a shower, the longest most enjoyable shower I have had in months, no, make that years. I shaved, I lathered, I shampooed...twice, just like it says on the bottle; lather, rinse, repeat. Do you know how long it has been since I shampooed according to directions? I kept turning the cold water lower and lower until it was a steam shower.

On to my appointment and the grocery store and home again, home again. I bought chocolate creme filled doughnuts and Dr Pepper, the rest was unimportant.

I unhurriedly checked my emails with no back ground noise except for the farm animals.

Then to the cow lot to pick up a few walnuts since I had promised Beverly I would help. No one on the farm but me!

I relished in the aloneness, the solitude of the farm.

I picked up one measly feed sack of walnuts and went exploring. This is no way to get the work done, believe me, but remember, I am practicing retirement.

I toured the earthen dam that broke during our big rains and found an arrowhead and a few chips, sunk up to my boot tops in the mud and had a wonderful relaxing time.

I placed the camera on the fence post and tried to send a wave to all my friends. I shall have to practice on self portraits.

A Walk

Daddy used to say he was closer to God in the woods than in any church. Today I went to Daddy's church.

I will not speak of the devastation but only of the beauty I saw today. Sometimes we just have to look past that and see the truth of things to come.

My favorite place on the entire farm is the Rock Hollow. Hollow is self explanatory but the beauty is unimaginable. Look past the downed trees.  Look for the beauty.

I went alone but not really.
The dogs kept me company and I felt companions I did not see.

The water moved gently through cracks and crevices, the only source was the past rain. Was it ever live water and did it tumble to the creek on its path to the ocean?

I stopped to look over the valley. Although it has changed, it is still beautiful. I tried not to see what we lost but what we have.

The saddle tree survived and I rode as have three generations or more.

I even played with the timer on my camera.

Wish you could have been there. It was heavenly!

I Am Back!!!!!!!!!

Marcy Art

I am sure you have been biting your nails and sitting on pins and needles waiting for me to get over it. That is my Motto, Get Over It! But for some unfortunate reason I could not. I was lower than a snake's belly, I mean underground!

Thanks to all my blogland Buddies, I have survived and am on the way to the top! Funny isn't it, how you can be kissing dirt one minute and flying among the trees the next. It wasn't that easy but from this good side, it seems that way. From the bottom, I could not see the sky.

Thanks everybody for not ignoring my whining. Thanks for all the good kind words. Most of all, thank you for letting me know I was not alone.

First step was taking a shower and painting my fingernails. Funny how showers don't seem so important. In the afternoon, I ventured out into the lovely warm afternoon in a clean pair of pjs and my painted nails.

Guess who would not leave me alone? Princess, that wonderful goat, that belongs to my sister. I think okay, I've had my shower so I no longer smell like a billy goat. I do not know if she was attracted to wonderful Bath & Body Works lotion or if she was just glad to see me. She circled all around me, rubbing her horns on me, bleating and just having a good time. I escaped into the house and she was at the door, at the window, bleating to me! I grabbed the bb gun and thought that might persuade her to go home...NO! Princess wanted me for some reason. By this time I am regretting my shower. My husband saves me with the paint ball gun. Princess is now brown, yellow, orange and white. Looks quite artsy and seems to know it.

The Paint is on the other side.

Marcy with Buddy, TP and of course, Princess

Today was much better. Den had been building fence on the west side and had asked me yesterday to come see. He knew better than asking me to come help. Today Marcy and I headed up the hill, behind the new pond, to see the wondrous work of THE MAN!

As you can see, I am really helping. It was cold on that hill!

The cold did not stop Seymour from running down the creek.

After that freezing trip, I came back and started to work. The Christmas tree and Santas are all tucked away. The kitchen was clean until Den cooked. Sent(bribed) my daughter's mate and Andrew to go pick up my groceries. Did ALL the laundry. Changed my sheets and even had time to watch a movie!!!! Even repainted my nails...how's that for recovery?

Work tomorrow and I am actually not dreading it.

Thanks to all you guys who dug me out when I needed more shovels than I could find!

My camera, God's art.