The bees have a good reason for hanging around the house............

with no moisture in sight........or in the near future.............they clamour around the pet's water dishes for a much needed drink....................
Also the rose garden I have created around our back patio is now in full bloom. Yellows......... in shades of butter and lemonade,

Frilly pink roses with star shaped petals,

and the old cabbage roses........the ones I find so lovely and inspiring for my needlework, are attracting every bee of every shape and size. .....................

A word of thank you............for your prayers, concerns, and sweet comments , for my area..........as well as for the state of Texas.

It is a trying and scary time..............as it is for others in the country who are going through their own concerns with mother nature.

But from my heart...........I want you to know.........your thoughts are touching and they mean a lot!

Wishing You, A Joyous And Blessed Easter!

As the distant fires and worries from Mother Nature rage on

it is a tranquil time here on the grounds of the farm..............for which, I am thankful.

Flowers are beginning to bud............. as well as the roses.....................

pumpkins out in the greenhouse are getting stronger and taller and will soon be transplanted to their awaiting garden space. A pomegranate tree and a lilac bush have come to live here on the grounds as well...........and I look forward to seeing them bloom .............

Even the mesquite trees which , during the most part of the year,are gnarly and thorny, are showing off their best during this time of spring. Their honey scented blossoms have attracted small bees , whose buzz can be heard when walking underneath the cluster of leaves and thorns.

Among the dust, the hot dry winds, the scratchy rough plants of the prairie, and the endless struggles of taming a wild and unyielding land, I find peace, happiness and hope in what there is that surrounds me. It's bliss................when looked for and appreciated.

How about you?

Although I am sure you are going through your own conflicts with mother nature..........

what speaks out to you and takes you away if just for one moment??

I would love to hear!

Fires are spreading across Texas

fed by high winds and drought dried grasslands. Thousands of acres of land has been destroyed and many have lost their homes.

Prayer circles are formed in every church and center available with everyone gathering to pray for rain and for the safety of loved ones near and far. Everyone is sitting anxiously by the phone..........waiting for a call to say that "all is well".

Please pray for us here in Texas.........for rain and for the safety from these treacherous fires.

Relax.................

The weekend is here!!!

Have a good one!

It's Monday???......................

Are you sure?????

The sand has been blowing across the vacant cotton fields

this past week. The dry, hot, west Texas heat makes the wind feel like a blow dryer as the sand stings and covers everything that walks into it's path.

It's times like these, when I am thankful for the the woods that surround the house .They serve as a wonderful barrier from the dirt of the cotton fields that run along the back of our property.

This past winter, the woods stood silent and bare...............the trees curled and curved

in their frozen slumber. The arrival of spring has awakened them...............and they actually look as if they are reaching up and stretching out their curled limbs . The silence has been replaced with the constant chatter and singing of the many different birds that are coming to visit the grounds. Some are here to stay for the summer................some will leave in just a matter of days as they travel on to their final destinations. The ground that surrounds the farm, as you can see, is still yellow and dry.............no rain has graced the prairies..........yet. I still have hope...........and faith, as I look out across the clear blue sky, that maybe a cloud will form and bring this parched piece of heaven some relief.............soon. How about you? Are you awakened by the melody of a visiting songbird? Is the wind howling at your door? I would love to hear!

The dream of creating fruit orchards

is starting to take form.

I planted two apple trees...........well........twigs, last week. They are starting to leaf out. It will be a small orchard..........for now,

I am starting out slow and taking baby steps...........but one day........it will be complete. I plan to have peach and pear trees as well. I love apples most of all and can't wait to be able to pick my own someday!

If you love apple pie.............well, any kind of pie..........visit my cooking blog.......... My Country Kitchen.

I have just made these wonderful small hand pies...........so flaky and tasty! They are so easy to just pick up and eat with your hand..........almost like fried pies,..........but baked and so easy to make! You can hop over by clicking on to this link........

http://countrykitchenkat.blogspot.com

We also had a visitor to the farm. My son spotted her sitting on the edge of our property. When I approached her, she was so sad and alone. She soon cheered up and followed me home. I had plans to keep her.........if no one answered my ad...........no one did..........

I already had a name for her............Bell.

However, she stayed one night...........got rested up and was gone the next day. I really am relieved............I really do not want another dog. Sophie is just fine and enough!

In between my embroidery work............I like to take on something different. I dug out my crochet hooks and decided to work away the weekend on this. It is not quite done, but I am enjoying the process. You can visit my embroidery blog, Yesteryear Embroideries, by clicking onto this link.

http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com

So how about you??

Do you have fruit trees growing? What is your favorite kind of pie?

Do you have four legged creatures visit you from time to time?

I would love to hear!