Getting My Farm Girl Fix

 

On our way home from Saturday Supper we

took a drive up to Dixie.

 

 

Several times a year, I feel my "roots"

calling and I just have to head out to
the country and  "see how the

crops are coming along" as my dad used to say.

 



 

The cotton is coming along nicely.

The days and nights are heating up,

perfect weather as far as cotton and okra are concerned.

The fluffy evening clouds in the distance ...... I love.

 

 

 

The corn has had a very good year so far.

After several years of drought conditions,

this is a beautiful sight to see.

 

 

We checked out the sunflowers

along the sunflower trail on our way home.

 

This time of the day, they have their

sweet faces turned to the east.

 

 

 Even the backside of this lovely

flower is so pretty. The leaves

look like green flower petals.  

 

 

 

Such a happy face!

 

 

Thankfully, this year this irrigation

system hasn't been need so far.

God has blessed us with wonderful

showers of liquid blessings arriving

at just the right time.

 

 

 

A trip to the country wouldn't be complete without

a friendly cow tucked in somewhere.

She was a bit curious and shy, so no smile :)

Wonder what happened to her other horn......

 

 

 

Lots of red winged blackbirds

visit the sunflowers each year. This

fellow was fussing at me for interrupting

his supper with my picture taking.

 

No matter what country roads we wander down,

they speak like a kindred spirit to me.

 

~I will always be a country girl at heart~

 

 

Hope you enjoyed checking out the crops with me!

 

Until next time,

Carolyn

 

 

 

 

Welcome Summer ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Tis wealth enough of joy for me

In summer time to simply be."

                                Paul L. Dunbar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know summer has truly arrived, the

sweet double daylilies are in bloom.

 

Joy!

 

 

Until next time,

             Carolyn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



            ~ THIS AND THAT ~

 

         We spent Memorial Day visiting Mother and

Bill in Mississippi.

 They are amazing at what they accomplish at their age!

Here, they are finishing a handrail so when they

   go up the steps, (they built earlier this spring)

      they won't be as likely to trip or fall :)

  

 

         A few pictures of her beautiful lawn and flowers.

This was one of those tiny rose plants you see in the

          grocery store given to her by one of her children

        for a birthday or Mother's Day.

 I think it likes living in her yard.

  



                      This bed sits alongside the patio outside the sunroom.
                          Pretty verbena and coreopsis colors are
                          complimented by the variegated liriope.

 

 



               Here is a view of the back lawn and patio. To the right of

           the picture is where they are working on the handrails.

            Such a peaceful place to sit with morning coffee or

in the evening, watching the sun set.

 

 

       This weekend, we took a little

      road trip to the Tomato Festival

in Jacksonville, TX.

 

         Antique tractors were a favorite of ours.

       I remember my Daddy riding the red

        Farmall home in the evening.

   We would listen for the put...put...put...

  as he came up the lane from the fields.

 

 

                               The John Deere is one of David's favorites.

 

We spent sometime at the festival and came home

        with a half bushel of these tomatoes.

 The tomatoes in our little garden are still green,

we couldn't resist these fresh, red ripe beauties.

Pretty cool truck too...............

 



        The drive through the rolling hills of East Texas

         was worth the trip. The sky was blue with fluffy

   white clouds, the countryside green and

pretty much postcard perfect.

 



 

                    We're taking advantage of the lovely weather

                  to visit some fun places and enjoy nature before

                        the unbearably hot days of summer arrive.

 

 

Until next time,

                   Carolyn

 

 

Mama's French Blue Hydrangeas

 

 

 





~ On the way to Saturday Supper ~

 

 

Perfect weather + right amount of rain =

 abundant wildflowers.

 

 

 

 

Patchwork rusty tin building.

Wearing its age so well.

 

 

More pretty wildflowers along a

country railroad track.

 

I love living in the South!

 

(Photos taken out the car window

on the way to supper)

 

 

 

 



~ The Wild Side of Cypress Swamp ~

For at least the past ten years, a pair of hawks have

nested here on the Cypress Knee Swamp.

 

Every spring I wait for them, hoping that once more

they will choose one of our trees to raise another family.

 

Once again, nature did not disappoint me.

 

 

 

When I stopped for the mail this afternoon,

I got a glimpse of movement in the tree

by the mailbox.

 

 

 

I grabbed my little Canon and

snapped a few pictures.

 

They are shy and any sudden movement

sends them flying.



I

 

 

I was a distance away, so the images are not

very sharp, but I was thrilled to capture these.

 

 

 

According to Wikipedia, hawks mate for life. I don't

know if this is the same pair, or if one or more

of the offspring has chosen to return to mate here.

 

We try to be as hospitable as possible. We like

having them as neighbors......one of their

favorite things to eat is a snake.

 

They can help themselves to all the snakes

they can catch!

 

~

 

No matter what is going on in the world around us,

I find comfort in the order and the magic of nature.

 

It never ceases to delight me!

 

Hope you are finding delight in nature in your neck of the woods.

C

 

 

 

Trails and Trellis Garden Tour

 

 

It is that time of year again!

 

 

 

It was a beautiful Saturday morning to visit some of the most

beautiful gardens in our area. Even this carport is pretty.

Here are a few of my favorites from this year.

 

Creative garden art draws our eye

to this beautiful bed of annuals. 

Gaston the alligator looks at home among the blue ageratum.

 

 

Awww. Now I want ducks in my yard. Of course,

that means a pond or water feature of some kind.

Wonder what David will think about that?

 

 

I always get good ideas, like this colorful planter.

 

 

Love, love the color of these chairs.

They look so cool and inviting on the lawn.

 

 

Just lovely, peaceful lawn love.

These glider chairs remind

me of chairs in our yard when I was a child.

 

 

This pretty entry way caught my eye. The chartreuse

potato vine with the deep pink geraniums really

stand out and the lanterns add a sweet touch.

(love the house color as well)

 

 

This outdoor dining table arrangement was stunning.

The vase is handmade wood and the flowers

paired with fruit was another favorite.

~

I always come home with lots of ideas

and at least one thing I want to incorporate into

my country yard here on Cypress Knee Swamp.

 

 

Though not a plant or flower,

 I have wanted to make one of these flags

 and now I am inspired......this is the year!

Hopefully before July 4th..............

Will let you know if it comes to pass.

Hope you are enjoying God's beauty this spring.

Carolyn

 

 

Food for the Body and the Spirit

 

Another first for us as we embrace

the mid-life to senior-adult years.

 

David had to have cataract surgery

and that includes some form of

inactivity as in no bending or lifting

for a week.

 

 

"Still" is not in his vocabulary so

needless to say, he suffered from

cabin fever by the end of the week.

 

We decided to drive across the state

line to enjoy a catfish dinner so he

could get out of the house.

 

 

It is a beautiful spot about 30 minutes

from our home.

 

While enjoying the scenery......

what did I spy on the far bank??

 

 

Looks like Big Foot has a

hankerin' for a fish dinner as well!

Guess I can tell the folks on that

reality show they can quit looking...

I found him.

 

 

A totem anchored the parking area,

carved by a local chainsaw artist that

turned a dead tree into a work of art.

 

Tadpole

 



 

my favorite, a pelican.

 



 

a Caddo Indian profile, isn't

this amazing?

 

 

 

cute frog on a lily pad

and last but not least.....

 

 

a gator...

all familiar sights in these parts,

 done by a man and a chain

saw, on a ladder I suppose?

 

I was impressed.

 

As usual, we traveled the back roads

and David always finds a new

path to explore, (especially since

he was in no hurry to get back to

the house after being cooped up all week).

 

 

This tree caught my eye. You know I have a

love affair with them (trees) and love them

bare or dressed in greenery.

This one, I think is beautiful in form with

all its tiny branches.

 

Not much excitement around the

Cypress Swamp these days

as you can tell.

 

 

 

The clouds are forming and

the forecast for tomorrow

is rain. I'm so thankful

for a beautiful day and a drive

through the country with my

hubbie and new sights to see.

 

We returned refreshed

in body and in spirit.

 

Happy Weekend.....

C