Friday Randoms

Whew!  The work week is drawing to a close.  Only eleven days of school left.  

Firefighters rescuing police officers?  You can read about it here.  

Check out these photos from National Geographic's Travel Photography Contest. 

 Fantastic 

I think we could all use a smile for today and this will surely give you one.  

Sending you off into the weekend with some Marvin Gaye. 

 Put your dance shoes on.....

Linking up today with Nancy and Tanya!  

Thankful Thursday

Green fence gate to the left of the barn!

Thankful this Thursday for some much needed rain.  Not only does the ground need the rain, but it slows the schedule down just a bit as well.  Not a bad thing in my book.  

"There cannot be a crisis next week.  My schedule is already full."  

Henry Kissinger

Starry Sky

Just a photo of a fuzzy moon and a few stars in the sky.  

"Doubt thou the stars are fire, 

Doubt that the sun doth move. 

Doubt truth to be a liar, 

But never doubt I love."  

William Shakespeare  

Linking up with The Barn Collective. 

A Ball Player's Prom

Smalltownland recently held its high school prom.  In this small town it's a big deal.  Prom goers get ready early in the day for pictures, dinners, and they walk into prom while a good portion of the town comes to watch.   

A team mate of my daughter asked me if I could take a few photos of her, and her boyfriend.  She is a softball player and he is a baseball player.  They already had formal pictures scheduled and she had some very last minute ideas from.....you guessed it, Pinterest.  I told her I was game, but I didn't usually take photos of people.  Cows don't count as people, right? 

Lucky for me, they were easy subjects.  

And, beautiful ones at that.  

"I think the prom is very serious also.  It's an American ritual, it's a rite of passage, and it's very much a part of this country."  

Mary Ellen Mark 

Friday Randoms

Spring flowers are a welcome sight.  

I will admit that I am a big fan of Pinterest.  If you are too, then here are a few celebrity boards you might be interested in.......

Snoop Dogg and the Muppets together?  A clever combination.  

How could anyone not like Prince George?  He has an adorable smile, resembles Louie Anderson, and wears Mary Janes.  

Leaving you this Friday with  Prince's Superbowl halftime show, with some commentary.   The music industry has lost some great talent in 2016, thus far.  

Linking up with Tanya and Nancy today.  

Pay them a visit!  

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for  rain.  That's right, just rain.  Not only do we need it, but it helps slow down our schedule for a day.

Maybe, just maybe, we will have supper at home tonight.



"I do not stick to rules when cooking.  I rely on my imagination."  

Ashkay Kumar

Risky Business

Amateur photography can be a risky business.  Take, for example, the above photo.  While driving the back roads to a softball game, I spied this lovely barn.  What did I do, but veer off the highway and trudge through the field to get a good shot.  

Then my daughter's team bus passed by.....

The driver gave me a, "toot, toot", and the girl of the house quickly texted me to ask just what was I doing.  I thought after all this time she would know.  The bus driver advised the assistant coach that I was going to get turkey mites (tick larvae)  if I didn't stay out of those fields.  

I came away with a good shot and not one turkey mite.  

Linking up today with Tom.....

and

Crazy, Fast, Wild

I came across this piece of graffiti yesterday while in a neighboring town.  I think it sums up life right now... bright, a bit incoherent, and crazy.  

It's all good.  Busy times at the end of the school year make for crazy times and schedules.  I hope all of you, out in blogland, are having easier times.  

"I don't think we realize just how fast we go until you stop for a minute and realize how loud and how hectic your life is, and how easily distracted you can get."  

Meg Ryan 

Friday Randoms

Funny how you run across something odd, only to see something similar a few days later.  Last Friday I posted a photo of a lone chimney awaiting demolition and came across another lone chimney while out on a drive.  I have crossed this little bridge before to look at the old house that used to stand there.  

If you are looking for a cleaning service, have I got the one for you....

A spoonful of peanut butter is my go to snack before I turn in for the night.  Here are a few recipes to use it to its fullest advantage.  

Since it has been a while, here is some Jimmy Fallon.  

Going back a few years with some Fleetwood Mac.  

Have a great weekend!  

Linking up with Tanya and Nancy today.  

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for those small acts of kindness.  When someone sends you a text to check on you, an unexpected compliment, or a funny e-mail to cheer you on through your day.  It is those moments that propel me when I feel at a standstill.


"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late."  

Ralph Waldo Emerson

On the Side of the Road

Spotted on the side of the road, just yesterday.  Things are getting greener and it is a welcome sight.  Warmer weather is on the horizon at the end of the week!  

Can I get an Amen!  

"If a man fills his barn with grain, he gets mice.  If he leaves it empty he gets actors."  

Sir Walter Scott 

Linking up with The Barn Collective today.  

and 

Softball is King

I might have mentioned that we are drowning in our current softball schedule.  Since Jack told me to just keep the softball photos coming, I am giving him a little shout-out today.  

The girl pitching.  

Sending it.....

and, being congratulated for striking out the batter.  

The happy face after a big hit.  

Good sportsmanship after a win.  

Just for today I will gift you with a selfie.  Yep, that's me at the ballpark this past weekend.  Brutally cold weather, with high winds, is cause for a winter coat and a grumpy face.  

Many teams ended up dropping out of the tournament due to the weather, forcing its cancellation.

As for me, I came home, snuggled up with a quilt and Michael Pollan's new documentary series.

Friday Randoms

A well known house in Smalltownland is no more.  Only this chimney stands as a reminder, for now.  

Some of your favorite museums are sharing their secrets right here.  

As a dog owner/lover I confess I enjoy their quirky behavior.  I enjoy some good facial expressions even more.  

I don't think I ever considered the beauty of mushrooms until I saw these photos.   

I will send you off into the weekend with a small tribute to Merle Haggard.   

Linking up with Tanya and Nancy today......

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for so many small things.  Waking up without an alarm, time with family, weed-free flower beds, softball girls, and I would like to say nice weather, but you can't have everything. 

Linking up with Theresa today using a photo of Smalltownland's old, community cemetery fence.  A tiny spot in Smalltownland that I came upon by accident.  Seeing a glimpse from the road, I was able to investigate this week.  After all these years living here, one might think I had seen it all....apparently not.  

"The coolest things in life are things that you have not done before.  That's the key to life:  new things always."  

Afrojack  

This Week at the Farmette

We are on spring break this week.  A bit late, as when we return to school we actually only have twenty-six working days left.  

Our week is being filled with odds and ends, but mostly time.  

Time for reading, sleeping, and catching up on all things necessary.  

A softball tournament, in a neighboring city, is on the horizon at the end of the week.  

Cold, rainy weather is being forecast.  

For now though, all is well.  

Bright skies, spring temps, and flowers in bloom.  

"In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours."  

Mark Twain  

Potato Towers

This weekend it was finally time to plant some potatoes.  Okay, I know I am a little past due on this, but it is the first time I have had the free time to plant some potatoes.  

And, let's do it the unusual way.  

My little buddy went to the barn with me to gather some straw.  She checks the area for mice.....thank goodness.

For this project I gathered one bale of straw, some potting soil, potatoes, and two wire cages.  I collected these cages a few hears ago while we were renovating an old building in Smalltownland.  After using them for various purposes, they will now be the house for my potato towers.  

Some people use laundry baskets and cages made of chicken wire.  Many things will work for this purpose.  

First, make a nest of straw in the bottom of your cage.  Build up a little straw on the sides.  

Place some soil in the bottom and then your potatoes.  You can tell how behind I am with activity....my potatoes have sprouted.  

Cover the potatoes with some more soil, then another layer of straw, building a bit of it up the sides.  Red potatoes went on the bottom layer and two more layers made this cage, with Yukon Golds finishing the construction.  

Straw on the top and a good dose of water was the finishing touch.  

Does this growing method work?  I have read about success and failures, so it remains to be seen.  My little buddy stuck with me the whole time.  At the time of this blog post, she is covered in manure and awaiting a bath.  

"Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while peeling potatoes.  Zen spirituality is just peeling the potatoes."  

Alan Watts 

Friday Randoms

Secret Agent Farmer Man was away for a few days this week doing some business in Washington D.C.  He captured this shot of the Cherry Blossoms in their full glory.  

If 100 people lived on our planet, this is what it would look like.  

All I can say about this, is that I hope my own son sends me one.  The hilarity that would ensue!  

What happens when you are a sanitation worker for 33 years?  You collect a lot of stuff.  

Leaving you with a Chris Stapleton Tiny Desk concert.

Linking up with Tanya  

and
Nancy