Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for cows.  Yes, I said cows.  With a heavy schedule of softball games, these lovely ladies are about the only thing I have had time to take pictures of lately.  

Unless you count the softball ladies.  I have a plethora of softball pictures.  

"I don't like looking back.  I'm always constantly looking forward.  I'm not the one to sort of sit and cry over spilt milk.  I'm too busy looking for the next cow."  

Gordon Ramsay  

King of the Mountain

Our neighbor, at the end of the road, has a selection of calves.  

They are quite handsome.  

Not only are they handsome, but quite fun to watch.  They have been chasing each other, trying out some hay, and keeping us generally entertained.  

Playing on this mound of dirt seems to be a favorite game.  

It was all good until this Mama Cow came over to let me know she did not appreciate my presence.  She gave me a few strange grunts and I was on my way.  

Happy Easter

Wishing all of you a very blessed Easter Sunday.  

Friday Randoms

A busy week of softball here in Smalltownland.  The girl of the house did a fine job pitching two games, (both wins), and hit an out of the fence home run.  Go girl!   

Growing up with a wide variety of cultures, I have always found the topic of religion interesting.  I am currently auditing this course, offered through Harvard University.  It is open to everyone and garnering a lot of interest.  

Looking for a little work to supplement your income?  Well, here is the job for you!  

I will be making this as soon as possible.  

Sending you off into the weekend with Blackfoot.  

Enjoy 

Linking up with Tanya  

Thankful Thursday

~spur of the moment phone photo~ 

Thankful this Thursday for fun surprises.  You cannot imagine my shock as I turned the corner on my country road to find longhorns grazing right next to my favorite, crumbling chimney.  

Never in a million years would I have thought to find them there.    

"I think there's a part in each one of us that wants the impossible to happen, and that's what surprises are." 

Gina Carano  

The Color of Spring

Spring has sprung around these parts, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the thermometer.  Chilly days and nights has us stoking the wood stove, once again. 

While many things are blooming, most of them seem to be yellow in color.  Yellow strikes me as the color of spring.  Not too pale and yet, not too bright. Thought barely visible in this photograph, this old house has a line of Daffodils lining the walkway to the front door.  The Daffs are starting to fade, but I do believe the Forsythia has taken over the springtime display.

"I just want to be warm, yellow light that pours over everyone I love."  

Conor Oberst

Reflecting

Just this morning I came across this reflection.  A gloomy sky and spring grass help to set the mood, on this first day of spring.  

This week has been a whirlwind of crazy schedules and work.  I appreciate all of you who have taken the time to comment, even though I haven't been able to reciprocate.   

This video showed up on my Youtube feed this week and helped to put things into perspective for me.  Gaelynn Lea won the NPR Tinydesk concert contest and what a talent she is.   As crazy as life can be, persevering and using your gifts is what it is all about.   

"Success is no accident.  It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."  

Pele   

Linking up with The Barn Collective  

Friday Randoms

Another sign of Spring here in Smalltownland.  These Grape Hyacinths were so small that I was down on the ground to get this photo.  

Does an English cottage filled with books intrigue you?  Well, it did me and I wasn't disappointed.  

Do you enjoy The Big Bang Theory?  I do and now we can all know who Leonard's father is....

These gas station signs will give you a good laugh.  

Leaving you with a tribute to the late, great George Martin.  

Worth your time!  

Linking up with Tanya today........

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for the enjoyment of a daughter.  As we enter a very busy softball season, I see her as the motivated, determined, and hard working young woman that she is.  

Fortunate, I am.....

"One of the greatest gifts I've ever gotten is my daughter."  

Ace Frehley 

Just an Old Barn

“Inside a barn is a whole universe, with its own time zone and climate and ecosystem, a shadowy world of swirling dust illuminated in tiger stripes by light shining through the cracks between the boards. Old leather tack, lengths of chain, rope, and baling twine dangled from nails and rafters and draped over stall railings. Generations of pocketknives lay lost in the layers of detritus on the floor.”

Carolyn Jourdan 

Heart in the Right Place  

Linking up with Tom and The Barn Collective.  

Daffodils Forever

Here in Smalltownland the Daffodils, or March Lilies as they are known around here, bloom on a famous hillside.  

Famous because there seem to be thousands of them.  Naturalized over many, many years, the flowers spill down the hillside from an historic house.  The house, built between 1810-1825, sits on a bluff that overlooks the city.  

The house is known to have retained its interior woodwork, original brick, and transoms.  If you own the property it goes without saying that most of the town will visit the field in front of your house, in the springtime.  

I took a couple of teenage girls with me to visit this field.  

I think they enjoyed the visit as much as I did.  

Some people come to pick a bouquet and some to take photos.  I enjoyed the scent of the flowers almost as much as anything.  

It is daffodil time, so the robins all cry, For the sun's a big daffodil up in the sky, And when down the midnight the owl call "to-whoo"! Why, then the round moon is a daffodil too; Now sheer to the bough-tops the sap starts to climb, So, merry my masters, it's daffodil time.

Clinton Scollard  

Friday Randoms

Just putting a pop of color out there. A slightly off center pop of color, but color!   Can't wait until spring is in full bloom. 

I confess that I have eaten some Skyline Chili, but not the others on this list.  I would totally try the deep fried butter.  For real.  

The girl of the house has been looking for walk up songs for her current softball season.  Here are a few samplings from MLB.  

This video of a mama dog being reunited with her pups will warm your heart.  

Sending you off into the weekend with some Delbert McClinton.  

Love him.....

Linking up with Tanya today!

Thankful Thursday

Thankful today for those stolen moments at home.  Last Friday when I was assisting the family water witch, I was also running around with my camera.  This hillside adjoins the farmette and our neighbor is currently grazing his cattle in this pasture.  

They make for nice silhouettes ...... no?  

"There's nothing like sitting back and talking to your cows."  

Russell Crowe

Black or Blue

Depending on the light, this old barn can appear to be a very faded black or a strange blue.  

The first couple of times that I saw it, I thought it was covered in old, black paint.  Black paint being a common choice in Kentucky.  But, sometimes when I look at it, it seems to be blue.  Certainly it does in this photo.  

Or, at least I think so.  

Linking up today with The Barn Collective

and 

The Water Witch

For many years now I have been snuggling up at night with a Water Witch, or a Dowser, if you will.  

Secret Agent Farmer Man is able to use any sort of rods, metal or wood, to find water on a property.  Here he is using a set of coat hangers he clipped.  Yes, seriously.  He claims that anyone can do it and that he doesn't really have special powers.  I think he does, as when I try to dowse I can get the rods to wiggle, but that is about it.  Basically he walks across the ground and the rods cross when he walks over water.  

He pulled forth this special talent because we had a water line break....somewhere on the farmette.  

After much digging, (thank goodness for large equipment), the leak was found.  You can see he had some expert advice from his canine friend.  

Some preferred to watch from a distance.  

When the girl of the house came home from school, she received a dowsing lesson.  

Apparently, she has inherited the power.  

Dowsing has historically been used to find water and minerals in the earth.  Considered a pseudoscience, many people don't believe in it.  You can read more about it here.  

It has been proven quite effective here at the farmette.  

Friday Randoms

Just an old Chevrolet for your Friday viewing pleasure.  Rusting in a pasture......

I totally need to do this.  I know my dogs wouldn't mind.  

If you liked last week's photo of the vintage soldier, then this gallery will surely be to your liking as well.  Enjoy.  

This week my Smalltownland school has been celebrating the birthday of Dr. Suess.  Here are a few things he taught us about life.  

Just a little more Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton for your weekend.  

Linking up with Tanya today.....  

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for:

sunshine
hot coffee
books
a warm home
family
and
pickled okra.....yum


"It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy."  

Anonymous

The Quest of Spring

We are enjoying some glorious weather.  The kind that makes you forget it could turn around and snow next week.  That's how the weather rolls here in Kentucky.  

I gathered my friends to search for a special sign of spring.  A sign I have heard others say they have spotted, but not me.  It was hard to keep everyone focused on the task at hand.  So much to see....and smell.  

My progress was halted when I spotted a few buds, here and there.  

My other friend got off course when he spotted a body of water.  He always takes a dip, no matter the temperature or time of year.  

Finally I spied some March Lilies.  Perhaps you call them Daffodils, but around these parts they go by their colloquial moniker.  

Much to my chagrin, they haven't bloomed just yet.  Looks like another farm walk is in my future.  

"I recall looking out the window at the Redbuds, Dogwoods, Daffodils, Irises, and Pom-Pom bushes, knowing exactly what heaven must look like:  a spring day in Kentucky."  

Ashley Judd