March 31, 2009

Sunny Days In the Country

Last Sunday was the most beautiful day at the farm with warm breezes and temperatures in the high 60s - perfect.  These lucky cows live in such a beautiful and peaceful place where you can see down into the valley as far as the eye can see, with blue skies, and song of the Meadowlark that fills the air with song.   I had been hoping that the Meadowlarks would make their way to our farm.  I had seen them a couple of miles away and I was really hoping that someday I would be out in the garden and hear their song and last Sunday it happened.  I couldn't have been happier.
These little country kids - my niece Tasha and her older brother, Caleb - remind me of my childhood on the farm.  My sister and I used to pretend to drive Dad's John Deere tractor when we were their age.  It's a timeless tradition of kids on the farm.

When my sister was older, it became the family joke to tease her about getting Dad's tractor wedged between two trees.  It was stuck and she had to walk back to the house and wait for Dad to get it loose.  My Dad still admits he has no idea how she ever managed to do it in the first place and my sister agrees - she has no idea either.
These Cowbirds were perched in the trees by the garden while I was checking on my little seedlings and urging them to - grow.  If you look closely you can see them in the center of the photo in silhouette.  I have been feeding them in the city for years, but had never heard their song until this weekend.  
Sunny narcissis are one of my favorites.  I am anxious each Spring to see them in bloom.  It means warm weather is on the way and it will soon be time for the - real gardening - to begin.
The Charlais bull in this photo is massive, you just can't believe how big this bull is - weighing in at over a ton.  Thank goodness he has room to roam with his private herd to oversee.  I look at the spindly fences in comparison to his size and know that if he wanted to cross over - he could with ease.  The cow next to him looking into the camera seemed to be the lead cow and she herded the rest of the cows with the bull bringing up the rear.
The Grape hyacinth were in bloom around the greenhouse.  My poppies were up - I must admit I was worried about them.  Ryan I accidentally mowed over them last year with the mower and then the weedeater.  But, I will have poppies again this year - now to protect them from the mower and weedeater...
Here are my little radishes that will need to be thinned on our next visit to the farm.  I really don't love radishes, but they are just too much fun to grow not to plant them every year.
Another happy cow grazing in the pasture on a beautiful Spring day.
Hyacinth in the remarkable shade of blue I just love, don't you?
This is a weed, but I love it - fuzzy leaves that feel so soft to the touch.  I have been pulling leaves off this weed since I was a little girl to rub it on my cheek.  This year I will make a wreath with the leaves wrapping them around a straw form and using fishing line to secure the leaves to the form.  The dried leaves hold their color for a long time, so it should last about a year.
Fruit trees just beginning to bloom, with luck and no hard freeze we will have lots of fruit to harvest this Fall.
Bradford pear blossoms so pretty against the blue sky and so yummy in the Fall when used to make Pear and Cranberry Crisp with vanilla ice cream....yum.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

the narcissus are one of my favorites too!!!