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".

A Country Gentleman

My name is Max. I was a city born boy who loved to roam the neighborhood and was welcomed into many of the neighbor's homes.I was the warrior of the whole place, no other cat dared to cross my path. But my real home was with Kathleen. I was born in Kathleen's home 12 years ago. I was carried about by small children and even dressed in baby clothes! Then my family decided to leave my beloved neighborhood and move so far away out in a jungle of trees, thorns, dirt and weird creatures. I could not believe my eyes when I was placed on the grounds to explore. What was Kathleen thinking? There were no other voices, no other tidbits of food to try, no garbage bins to explore. Just miles and miles of trees and pasture land. I decided I would not stay! I meowed my protests, but everyone just smiled and patted my head. So I took off on my own to find my old neighborhood. As much as Kathleen loved me, I knew she would come to her senses and move back with me. For four days and nights I walked and walked, but could still not find any sign of loud cars, loud voices or garbage. Tired and thirsty, I gave in and found my way back to this new home that Kathleen picked out for me. It's been 6 years now. I spend my days exploring in the thick woods and tall grass,..... but more often these days, I spend my time lying on the coolness of the front porch. My warrior days are done. I leave the fighting to the new cats that have come to live here. I have retired my city ways and have slowed down to become a country gentleman instead. Life has been good and I am content. Once in while, while I sleep, my tail thumps and my mouth quivers, as I once again visit the houses..... the neighborhood, where once again, I am the warrior.

Dish Size Sunflowers

This year, I planted several varieties of sunflower. I just love them all. They are such a hearty and cheery flower. One variety is the sunflower simply titled "Gigantic".
Gigantic it is. If I cut the head of this off, it would cover my dinner plate! It measures 7 inches across. It's petals are beautiful. A lot are going to seed now and already the little birds are lining up with their eye on each dying head. I have clipped a few heads to save seed for next year's plantings and will leave the rest for the ever hungry feathered friends that find their way back and forth to our grounds. What are your favorite flowers? I would love to hear!

Bottle Update

Hi everyone, just wanted to say that I found out how old the bottle I posted about in the last post it. It is a 1936!! I am so thrilled! Thanks for all of your comments!

Pieces of the Past

Next to our property is an area of land that is currently not being farmed. It used to have trees all over it until last year, then the farmer knocked them down. Since then it has been plowed and vacant. Even when it had trees, I discovered that there used to be a farmstead on this land. Pieces of glass and old cans were buried in the dirt.My sweetie once found an old tea kettle still in fairly good shape. Now that the land is being plowed up, the dirt gives up it's treasures, especially after it rains.

As soon as the rain is over and the ground is not so soggy, Sophie and I head out over to the pasture with a small garden spade and a pail.Sophie sniffs and searches for the latest rabbit nest or coyote visit, I scan the land in search of broken china. Such pretty treasures I have found! Nothing in value, at least to the average treasure hunter. But for me, I love the pretty pieces of broken glass and china that lies waiting for me.As I wash them all off and stick them in a jar I wonder who the woman was that owned this china,and how she must have been heartsick to have broken it.
I have found pieces with roses and gold leaf on them. Little handles that must have come from a tea cup. Jade colored dish ware, milk glass and beautiful thick pink glass that looks as if it might have been a bowl.

I found this RC cola bottle yesterday in perfect condition. Does anyone remember RC cola? I remember looking underneath the lid and pulling away the cork to see if there was 5, 10, or 25 cents marked on the lid.

I don't remember a star above the RC logo. I will have to go and research to see how old this bottle actually is. Do any of you remember RC cola? How much money did you win when you pulled the cork away? What are your treasures that you hold dear?

A White Dove

Last week I noticed a white bird sitting on my hen house. As I walked over to it, I was surprised to see that it was a white dove and also not scared of me. It allowed me to walk up to it, but stayed an arms reach away. It acted weak. I placed a shallow pan of water and some feed on top of a holding pen by the hen house and it jumped right down and immediately started eating.

It is a little larger than the usual doves we have here as you can see. It is absolutely beautiful. I have the pen door open and fresh hay in the nest box, and I will be placing fresh food and water out for it regularly. Not sure if someone lost it or if it is just passing through. But I feel lucky to be able to see it each day!