AN IMPORTANT WARNING....Just Because It Doesn't rattle........

As much as most of you do not like being scared by another snake photo......I am sorry...this is extremely important for all of you to know. My husband,( Sweetie), Sophie and I were out walking in our front yard when I spotted a snake coiled up no more than 2 feet away from my husband and dog. Neither one of them saw it.....

being raised in the country I learned at an early age to always keep your eyes on the ground. This is a Mojave rattlesnake. A new breed of rattlesnake that has migrated into our part of the woods and is the more deadly than a common rattlesnake. It has a more golden color to it and it has more of a circle pattern instead of a diamond pattern on it's back. You can click on the photos to get a better look. My husband had a good grip on this creature, but I was still scared as I got terribly close for this photo.
My warning to you............. rattlesnakes are supposed to let off a loud buzzing sound, giving you the chance to know that one is near........this one never made a sound....it just lay in wait, coiled. As my husband got the gripper around it's neck and pulled it out of it's coil, we realized it had somehow lost it's rattlers. It either got run over by traffic or a tractor perhaps and lost them , I suppose. If I had not seen this snake, my husband would have walked right beside it and most likely been bitten. It's tail was shaking furiously as if it were rattling. So for all of you......please be careful when you are outside.....and always, always, keep your eyes on the ground around you.

On a more carefree note.....the school bus picked up my son for the last time this season. School is out today and he will be free for awhile. His last day to be a Sophomore.....the next two years will be very busy for him and for us as well. I hope to take in a few movies with him, maybe a trip or two to the lake, and there's a summer job he hopes to get. Maybe instead of 6:00 A.M. I will get out of bed a tad later..... How about you? Do you have children getting out of school? What are your summer plans? Do you travel a lot during this time? I would love to hear.

I Have Never Known An Ugly Baby

The cool morning soon burned off into a hot, sultry, west Texas day that so many of us, in this part of country, are familiar with.

Off in the distance, storm clouds gathered and thunder boomed, making the heat even more intense.

Soon the breeze picked up..... a cool welcoming breeze, then the wind blew the dirt from the field.......until the welcoming melody of raindrops could be heard splattering in the flower beds surrounding our home.


After a storm passes, it is one of the best times for Sophie and I to take a walk. The fields and prairie had a beautiful rainbow arched over them.



Along the way home, I stop by the large mud puddle in front of our home and catch a glimpse of something unusual. I reach down to pick it up.........





and it was this.......can you tell what it is???

Isn't this the cutest baby you have ever seen? Now I have to tell you......I love babies! Every kind of baby ........ is a precious baby to me. I have never known an ugly baby!

I am in awe at the detail on this tiny creature.

If you click on the pictures, you can see the detail in it's shell and little feet.

This is how tiny it really is.....the quarter is almost larger. I kept it long enough to show my sweetie when he got home from work, and then I let it go back to the mud puddle. You can bet I will be back out there tomorrow to see if I can see it again!



Sophie's wet prints on the back patio. Now, I know in my recent posts I asked you about what you might see after a rain.....so I 'll ask.....do you think all babies are cute? What is the strangest kind of baby you've seen? Have you really ever seen an ugly baby......honestly??? I would love to hear.

Outside My Door

Outside my door,

the new day is beckoning me to once again, come out and see what it has in store......

the early morning is already filled with the sounds

of the busy birds, chattering and making their nests.

Everything is fresh and damp from the rain that fell in the night.

Outside,in the shed, the new chicks are waiting for me to graduate them to the hay filled hen house...........but ......not yet.

The barnyard gang is already out and busily quaking their hello.

The cotton field lies silent, the early morning haze still hanging over it.

The woods still have a morning haze hanging in the low growth....

as the sun shines it's rays through the trees.......this is one of the quietest spots in the woods.....

peaceful.

Salem has been out way before sunrise, chasing this and that....now slowing down to take a rest.

Sophie, is ready for a long morning walk.... everything has a wonderful new morning smell.

On our walk, we spot a beautiful butterfly.......

and startle a coachwhip snake so bad that he rushes up a tree.

This time of year....all of the thorny plants I have previously told you about, are dressed in their prettiest......this bush is covered in thorns and hard berries of saphire blue.

The small cactus is putting on its small prickly pears....

and my favorite cactus by the barbed wire fence is covered in buds....

of the prettiest colors.....

and those thorns as well.

The cactus blossom looks just like a rose when it is opened up and some interesting creatures are taking advantage of the moisture trapped inside of it's petals.

We've made it back home.....and the greenhouse is full of work for me today. So I think I will not go inside for awhile when so much is waiting for me....

outside my door.

Now.......what is waiting for you....outside your door? I would love to hear!

Tools Of The Past

I love vintage outside tools, don't you?

I am drawn to them whenever I see them at flea markets. This set belonged to my "Sweetie's" grandparents.
I love the thick
wood and metal handles.....
and their unique shape. I love the old square rimmed shovel .......


Do any of you remember one of these.....or mowing the grass with one? When we lived in town, we had a small yard and I wanted to be the one who took care of it. However, I could never get the lawn mower to start. I wore my arm out pulling on that string thing. While visiting one of my favorite antique places, I saw this old mower leaning against the front porch. I bought it for $10 and mowed my lawn for years with it. Everyone laughed, but I was really skinny back then! It is one of my favorite pieces.

When we moved out here, this old wheel barrel was lying out by the well house, left behind by previous owners......it was missing a wheel and not being used. I carried it down and placed it in front of my greenhouse where now it is full of morning glory. I can just picture the blooms and vines hanging off of this this summer, can't you?

I also love old inside "tools" as well. This is an old Sunbeam mixer that I bought at a flea market years ago. It still works, although I have retired it and use my Kitchenade mixer. I still love the way the body looks on this old piece.........

and the unique options printed on the rotating end.

It has a juicer.....

that worked wonderfully the last time I used it.....many years ago. It also has white milk glass mixing bowls.

Another favorite it this old toaster, which belonged to my grandmother. Isn't the design on the outside pretty?

The inside is still in good condition.

Another thing I used because I am a"weird vintage gal" is this cake and pie carry along. I spotted it at flea market and toted it to all our family get-togethers. I just love this pink color!

The pie goes on top, and the cake goes into the bottom container. Now I have tupperware to do this job for me.

These old sifters are wonderful as well and I still use them now and then. They hold a good amount of flour.....

I love the cheery knobs on them!

Do you remember how good milk tasted coming from a glass bottle? I still feel that way about beverages in glass or plastic. Glass just seems to make it taste better.

I love the look of this old scrub board..........however, I am so THANKFUL that I have my washing machine!

Even though the instructions on this make it sound like such a wonderful thing to use, sometimes it's good to modernize. Now....tell me.....what vintage tool (inside or out) do you remember most? Did you have to work with it or did you watch Mom or Dad work away with it? Do you have a vintage tool tucked away somewhere? I would love to see and hear!