Angels Among Us

My grandchildren sleeping.  Just found out today that Bella and Oliver are going to have a new cousin in February.  My son and daughter-in-law are having their first child, a daughter.  We are all excited.

Late Night Reverie

I saw this movie, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, many moons ago and this song came back to me tonight.  Whether you are religious or not, this song is beautiful.  An old Baptist hymn I believe.  The movie is poetic and moving.  One to see.
The late, great Texan, Horton Foote, award winning playwright and legendary screenwriter, wrote this movie. TENDER MERCIES and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD were two of his most famous works.  He even suggested Robert Duvall play Boo Radley in the movie.  They would work together many more times as Horton thought Duvall a great actor.  Geraldine Page won Best Actress at the Academy Awards for Trip To Bountiful.  Isn't it funny how some things never leave you?

Not to give too much away about the film, I titled the picture on my header, I'm Runnin' Away - never associated it with the film till this post.

The Garden Eaters

Just outside the window, two does are searching for acorns. 

They are used to me and bring their babies around too.  I can barely scare them away.  This summer, they have feasted on my tomatoes, apple tree leaves, and happily eaten whatever they wanted in my garden.  The bucks have even figured out that the turkeys have a feed bowl in their pen and devour it before the turkeys can.  They are really getting to be a nuisance.

Unfortunately, hunting season starts soon, then I feel sorry for them.  I don't let anyone hunt on my farm and feed corn to the deer so they hopefully will stay on my acreage, but alas, from all the shooting around us, I know many will not make it.  I have even put up no hunting signs and one in particular, Hunters Will Be Shot.

In The Evening

 My evenings are the same.  I go up to the barn and feed the animals, collect eggs when I can find them, then tend to the other critters.  I have three farm ponds and there, waiting for me, day in and day out, are the fish and turtles.  Somehow, through my footfall or the sound of the ATV, they are always waiting for me.  The swarms of fish nearest the edge of the pond are the babies/small fry and they graduate in size the farther out they go.  The fish wiggle and wriggle, excited for the bread and pellets coming their way. 

Farther back still, the turtles, heads poking out of the water, start coming across the pond.  Most are skittish and wait for me to toss food their way.  But, a few have become braver.  Case in point, the snappers.  I have two Snapping Turtles in this pond.  Their cousins, the Alligator Snapping Turtles, can grow to over 250 lbs.

Let me just tell you, they are huge, ugly beasts and until recently, only feasted on the live baby fish.  They now have decided to eat the leftover food I leave for the other pond turtles.

This lug went straight for the raspberries and returned several times.

Then she spied a smaller Red Eared Slider coming to the feast.

Thai noodles?  Alright.

With berry stained lips, it went for the chicken tender and decided to head back out into the pond with her score,  just as the other snapper showed up.

So go the days at my farm.

Turtle soup anyone?

In The Garden

Found another old fountain of a wee one riding on a dolphin.  I just love these types of things though they seem to be getting heavier and heavier.  This one just makes me smile.

As the summer wanes, I long to be outside again; it has been too hot, until tomorrow.  So, I will try and get my housework done today so I can enjoy my gardens.

And forget not that the earth

delights to feel your bare feet

and the winds long to play 

with your hair.

Khalil Gibran

Forgettable

Just finished this book.  I really wanted to like it.  I read a Kirkus Review of it to see if I was missing something.  I can review it in one word.  Forgettable.  I wish I had my $25.00 back. Only thing good about it is the packaging.  Colorless is what the book is.  Just quoting Voltaire doesn't make one a philosopher.  I doubt I'll read anything else by Murakami.  Wish I could have gotten something from it because I rarely read fiction and am wading into it again.  I just finished The Goldfinch and found it just okay (would like my money back on that one too).  Couldn't finish The Paris Wife.  So, I hope my next book, The Alchemist, will be a good read.