Jerimiah is a bullfrog......is a good friend of mine!

What can I say?... I am in love!! Over the past months, ever since Sweetie put in the satellite pond, a large bullfrog has come to live within it's water. I am always delighted to see it and am in awe at how large it is. I always kneel down to get a better look and to tell it how pretty I think it is. It always plunges into the deep part of the pond.

However, a couple of days ago, I noticed that when I knelt down to say hello, it did not jump away. The other day, while Sweetie and my son were out at the pond with me, I knelt down, put my hand in the water up to the frog and he let me pick him up! My son ran to get the camera. The frog sat in my hands and never jumped away. Now when I go out to the pond, I search him out and again, he lets me pick him up. Just for the record..... I have not kissed him to see if he is a prince{: The weirdest thing, he won't let anyone else come near him. He jumps as quick as he can from anyone else. No one would have believed me on this if they had not been there to witness it the other day. I named him Jerimiah and I am thrilled to have such a wonder as him in the pond. I wonder what will happen to him when the weather turns cold. Do bullfrogs go underground in the winter? Do any of you know? I would love to hear.

Farewell, Noah

Where are you Noah? It has been a week since you have been gone and I am heartsick. I still wake up to let you out in the early morning hours, yet you are not begging at the door,...... I still check the door at night hoping you will come dashing in, hungry for your favorite treat.
Sophie and I take our walks, hoping you will pop up out of the brush to scare us as you often have. I have searched every corner of our acres and have even crossed into the barbed wired ranch land calling your name. Nothing but quietness. The coyotes, I am afraid, know what has happened to you.

You made me happy in the very short year that you shared in our lives. You loved being a cat. Exploring, jumping, climbing, and claiming to be king over our property. I finally put away your bowl and the little jingle balls that you loved to play with. If there is a heaven for kitty cats, I know that you are running in a meadow and chasing butterflies. Life is so short and one year was not enough for me to enjoy you. I will miss you for a very long time.

The first day of Fall....Our country life anniversary!

Summer is gone and the wonderful fall days are ahead of us. Fall is a favorite time for me and a special memory in my heart. We moved out here to this wonderful life on the first day of fall, six years ago. It has been a magical time for me. Every day I am thankful to wake up to hear my roosters crowing and to be able to look across the fields and see nothing but fields, trees and sky! We lived in a small town and in a neighborhood that was gang ridden and drug infested. The evenings were filled with sirens blowing and neighbors screaming and fighting. My evenings here are filled with beautiful sunsets and coyotes singing. The street in town growled at me every time I would be out working in the flower beds. Here there is no street and no road, just nature and peace. I walk the grounds every day, talking to the Lord and thanking Him for all that He has done and changed in my life. There is so much I know that I take for granted, but being able to live a country life is something I will forever be grateful for. I hope you all have a lovely fall weekend!

Lessons Learned and Hidden Treasure in a Yucky, Mucky, Pond

For all of you experienced pond growers out there, you can tell me, I should have researched keeping fish in ponds better. We placed 12 tiny, 2 inch goldfish into the (dish satellite) pond that sweetie and my son made. We were told that these little fish would not live for more than two weeks. We placed them into the pond water in late June and we did not put a filter into the pond. Over the weeks, the fish grew and grew, and the pond water got more and more cloudy. Soon, we could not see the fish at all.... we knew they were there when they would come up to eat at feeding time. I knew I should get busy and bail out water and clean out the pond. I kept putting it off. The other day, I noticed a beautiful large orange fish....dead ... in the pond.

I rolled up my sleeves and began to work. I will spare you pictures of the foul smelling muck and water and show you the surprise I found waiting to be rescued! Aren't they pretty......and big?
Unfortunately, we lost 5 of these beautiful fish and have five left. They were so happy to have clean water to swim in.

They are almost as big as my hand!

Now we have a new visitor to our pond. A bull frog has taken up residence once more here. It is quite a large one. Click on the picture for a better look.

So, I have learned a lesson. Hopefully we will get a filter later on. For those of you who have ponds, do you use filters? If not, how does your pond water stay clean? I could use any helpful advice you have!

The view from my window

Outside from my window, I can see and hear the rain steadily dropping into my flower beds. Much needed rain. It has been cloudy and rainy this whole week, and I am grateful for every drop.
Every thing has perked up and is getting a little relief from the hot Texas sun and dirt. All of pets are inside...in their favorite spaces, curled up ....asleep. The chickens have taken shelter in their hen house ...their nests full of hay. Only the ducks enjoy playing out in this weather. Their faces full of mud as they dig deep into the muck.

The moss, usually a dull gray, on the mesquite trees, has even come to life and is showing it textured coat of green. This mesquite tree looks almost like the head of a dragon with it's cold gray eye staring out! Along with the rain, will be much work needing to be done when the weather clears. The rain seems to be a vitamin drink for the weeds and they seem to double in size in just a matter of days. So for today, I will stay inside as well, my needle in hand, stitching on projects begging for my attention. It is always so good to hear from all of you. What kind of weather do you like best? Rain, snow, or hot sunny days? I would love to hear.

A new year for me

Although New Year's is celebrated in January, I celebrate my new year on my birthday, which is tomorrow. I think about what I would like to accomplish and how I would like to make the year doing something new or worthwhile.

Sophie and I take our usual walks, but I decided this morning that I will walk every morning of this year, even if it is 20 degrees!(we will soon see, how I will change my mind on that{:) but also I will make sure to take my camera to capture what nature brings to us on these walks.
The pumpkins are off to a slow start this year, however, at least I am getting some! The weather was so bad in spring. I have also decided that I will plant something new this year and I will start an outside project and get it done by this time next year. I am now pondering on what that project will be.... there is so much potential here on the grounds. I have a section of ground that has an arbor that my sweetie made. I am thinking about scattering blue bonnet seed over this whole section. This portion of grounds can be seen from our large dining room window. What a lovely sight it would be to see it all in blue and white blossoms.

The new item I planted this year was different types of gourds, which I have just loved the outcome! There are so many different and unusual types that have come up for me! Sweetie suggested I plant these gourds around the arbor he made. The leaves would make a great shade for the arbor. I think I will try that this coming year.

I really should have waited to pull these a few weeks later, but just had to have a few to decorate my table with. I also plan to catch up on reading my garden books and learning how to make the soil better here. How about you? Do you have any projects you have been wanting to try? I would love to hear.

I am "Pretty Bird"

My name is Cookie. Kathleen gave me this name when she first met me because I liked to bite cookies and taste milk out of a glass. I have spent 25 years with Kathleen and have watched her roles change from a daycare teacher, to a wife, to a mother, and to the country loving weirdo that she is now. If I could say more than " pretty bird" I could have a book on living the life with her and her family. My life with Kathleen began when I flew away from whoever had me and landed in the yard of the principal of the school that Kathleen taught at. Kathleen was more than glad to take me off of the Principal's hands. I soon met Kathleen's husband, sweetie. Also, I met Kathleen's feline friends who tried to taste me for dinner. I soon let them know with a quick bite and a hissing sound that that idea would not work. Needless to say, I ruled the roost. I was constantly perched on someone's shoulder. Over the years, Kathleen's family grew and there were soon 3 small children who poked their fingers at me and talked to me all of the time. They were somewhat entertaining. I loved to fly from door top to door top, watching and surveying from my high post. One day, as I was flying to the kitchen door top, one of the children came in through the door, I missed my landing and went straight outside. Was I scared! I landed upside down in a tree and found myself surrounded by 7 hungry cats. How happy I was to feel Kathleen's hands clasp around me and to carry me back inside! Kathleen whistles the same song to me over and over, I sing my own version back, which seems to make her happy anyway. I now have slowed down in my flying. I have to be careful because sometimes, I hit the door instead of landing on it. I spend my days playing with my bells and bright colored toys and sometimes I whistle to the birds I hear outside. The children that once were so small don't stop by to visit much anymore,they are tall and now not much interested in me, except maybe a whistle to me now and then. If the weather is pretty, I sit out on the front porch and enjoy the day. When the days are extremely cold, I sit by the fireplace pufffed up, sleepy and enjoy treats being fed to me. My feathers are a little worn, but I still look beautiful, ... Kathleen tells me so, as well as the bird on the other side of the glass I look into. I don't know much about the life outside of my cage bars, except for feeling scared and lost when I get away from them. Even though it seems like a cage, it is my corner of the world, where all is safe and even if only in Kathleen's eyes, I am still "Pretty Bird".