"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Well, my goodness, this year just can't seem to get on a good start......

the sickness and death from the COVID virus,  the hardships that many people are facing, 
the unrest, the injustice, the hostility, in our country......and now in other areas
of the world, is about the only "news" on the television these days.
 Like most of you, no doubt, 
my mind has been overwhelmed with it all and I just want to 
run and stick my head in the sand and hope it has all passed when I surface.
However, I have faith that we are a strong people who have a deep love and respect for
our country and each other.....and that somehow......through all of this,
we will come out of this, and see calm and happier days ahead.  
That is my hope at least. 
I try to avoid posting things on this blog , such as this, and I try to keep it 
cheery and light........but , 
I feel, we are all in one way or another, touched or affected by the past few weeks events, and 
I just don't want to seem that I am ignoring what is happening around us. 
So with this being said, wherever you are, what ever you are going through,
my prayers and good thoughts go out to you.
and now................
one can never know what lies ahead on a back road in Texas. 
And I can tell you that I was just as surprised as you probably are 
right now,  to see a herd of Gemsbok antelope and zebra calmly grazing underneath
mesquite trees in a field outside of a neighboring town. 

I have asked friends about these unusual ......and displaced
animals.  It seems that ranchers raise these animals on their ranches 
here........not all ranchers......but a few.  I still do not know if 
there is a reason.......but it is a pleasant sight to see.
As much as I have complained about prickly pear cactus taking 
over the acreage and am constantly trying to remove it.........
I actually love cactus and have a very nice "cactus garden"
growing in containers. ( I know........the house needs a coat of paint....sigh)


This is not the prickly pear, but a cactus that is called "Devil's Claw"
or as ranchers call it "cattle killer"
It is cactus that ranchers will kill and remove because it has hard thorns that
can cripple a horse or cow when stepped on.
I love them for their round shape and have found that when 
grown in containers, they get very large and beautiful.

I also have some growing in a small "ground cactus garden"
but they seem to grow better in containers. 


another round cactus I dig up on the acreage and transplant to containers
is this round cactus that is very pretty when it blooms.
I also purchase any unusual round cactus when I come across
it in nurseries. 

Although it is not round, this cactus blooms so beautifully
that I have to have it in my collection. 
I have found myself enjoying just to walk around the grounds, enjoying what
is blooming and growing at this time.  It gets me away from the dreadful news
and gets my mind to focus on other things.
So dear friends, I hope this finds you all well, 
safe in your homes,  and that your area is at peace. 
  Look after yourselves and keep close to each other.




15 comments:

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

I love that bug, and I feel the same way lots of the time. I was just talking with my husband and saying I don't even feel like blogging and I so admire people who can keep doing it. Your post is just right. Thank you for not taking about what is wrong. I am so thankful for all the things that are so right, and still I believe we are blessed to live here.
Your cacti are so beautiful. I've never seen one blooming like that!

Jan said...

Thank you for this post and pictures! Praying things will be better soon.

lil red hen said...

The cactus plants are so strange to me, but I love the last one with the pretty little red flowers. I agree about walking around looking at the flowers; I spend a great deal of my days going from one flower bed to another, looking for a new bloom. I get lonely without much human contact; there are days when this all begins to wear on me. God bless you, Kathleen.

Connie said...

How interesting to see zebra and antelope there. Your cactus are beautiful! Wishing you a quiet and peaceful week during these troubled times. Take care.

Granny Marigold said...

One might think you lived in Africa seeing the zebras and beautiful antelope!!

Your blooming Cactus are lovely. I would pot up as many as I could but in the fields I can see where they would be a problem.

Kate said...

I feel the same way you do...I don't always discuss politics or anything unless it affects me in some way. I guess I do it in general.. For example my city had a peaceful demonstration for equality.

Or the state has opened up or how the pandemic affected me in the way of not working or not going to the gym...Does that make sense?

happyone said...

Zebras - wow, how cool to see them.
Your cactus are so pretty.

Prims By The Water said...

Love the flowering cacti! My BIL lives in Texas near Oklahoma and he made a kangaroo house for someone who has one in Texas. I would have taken a second look seeing those animals. What a sight. Janice

Henny Penny said...

My first thought was that you had been to Africa. Such unusual animals to see grazing. It's beautiful. I love your cactus garden in pots. Makes me want to try one. I feel the same way about all that's going on in the world today. Go to bed with it on my mind and wake up with it on my mind. I too hope and pray that things will get better soon.

peggy said...

I appreciate your post and like you said, just because we don't write about it, doesn't mean we aren't deeply concerned about all that is happening in our world. sometimes it feels like we have been picked up and shaken. so your cactus are beautiful and you have lots of room for them. I tried them here in the city but they say no thanks, I need the prairie. Have a sweet Monday.

Laurie said...

I totally empathize with your feelings about all that is happening. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in another world. I too try to stay focused on the things that bring me joy and keep my mind off all the negativity right now.
I thought at first you went to Africa, or were on a safari! How fun!!
I love cacti, though not one to touch it sure does give off the most beautiful flowers and shapes. God bless.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

The first photo was so appropriate, Kathleen. I believe that many bloggers are not hiding their heads in the sand like that insect, but with all the uncertainty, unrest, and confusion in the country and the world, it's somewhat comforting to go online and read about what other bloggers are seeing and/or doing in their homes and towns. Those zebras and antelopes sure had me puzzled until i read the explanation. What a sight to have come across in TX, but then you do get some mighty hot temps l= as well. The cactus garden with the stones was lovely as were the red blooms.

The Wykeham Observer said...

The cactus in the last photo is really beautiful, as they all are. Not to worry about the paint, I find your house looks like a very cozy, peaceful refuge in the desert surroundings! Phil/MN

Vivian said...

Hey Friend, needed this visit today, stunning! love you

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

How amazing to see those animals there. I thought you had been on a wildlife safari trip! WOW! That is amazing. We were driving around when we first moved to Florida and saw a camel. heehee! We've never seen it again. Cactus sure can be pretty when they bloom. We have the ones with the big yellow blooms here. Take care!