If These Walls Could Talk

You will find me waiting at the end of some dirt road, overgrown with weeds from the absence of footsteps. You can find me along with countless others on the internet....labeled as abandoned......eerie...creepy....scary..........but......

if these walls could talk, you would hear another version, ........these walls........

these walls have been painted on, wall papered, grease splattered and colored on. They have held photos of young married couples, old married couples, babies,....families of those who made this house a home.....These walls have kept away the storm's wind and rain, snow and cold.....and have kept a warmth surrounding this family..........

These floors have been walked on, stomped on, spilt on, crawled on, and scrubbed on. These doors have been slammed in moments of hurriedness, play and sometimes anger. These windows have let the sunshine and cool breeze in while keeping the danger of outside......out.

These porches have been a place where plans have been thought out, where the best of childhood games have been played and where everyone seemed to like to gather the most. A welcoming retreat from the blazing heat of the day. The place where the end of the day is sorted out and given rest.



I was once a happy place, hidden away from the fast pace of this maddening world.....a place of quiet........ calm.....peace.......security.

I was once someones castle, protecting all of those who lived inside of these walls. Each room heard different conversations......the radio telling of the news.......recipes for the strawberry jam.....the next best move at the baseball game.... prayers for each and everyone who lived within......and the secrets told to a dear diary about the boy down the road.......

I was once someones dream....... the new bride....the babies...the new barn....the hay field....... the harvest.....

I have known the laughter, sadness, worry, and hopes that make up a family.

I was once what everyone thought home should be..........

I was once a dream, a well thought out plan.......that for some reason....did not come true.....

Abandoned........yes......eerie, creepy, scary?.......no..............I would say more..........

protector, refuge, .....a touchstone......

..........home........ waiting at the end of a dirt road.

......whenever I see and old vacant house......I want to pull over and go inside and look at every room.....something always calls to me in these old beauties.....

My question to you......how do you feel when you see an old vacant house? I always love hearing your thoughts.

My Plate Is Full

I so enjoyed reading all of your comments on how your "cup runneth over" on my last post! I always enjoy hearing from all of you.....and now....my plate is full. Seems like this time of year my plate is always more full than usual.....there is so much to get done.

Six days ago a storm blew in bringing with it a few sprinkles of rain, a whole cotton field of dirt and leaving behind these baby birds.....blown out of their nest. We could not reach the nest that was a mile high in the tree.....so every two hours....I have been feeding and caring for these little ones.....my plate is full.......the little one lying down died a couple of days ago, probably injured from the fall....
If you find that you have baby birds to take care of.....Gerbers baby meat in the little jar is what will feed them well. I use an empty plastic syringe that I got from the vet for medication for my animals. Just draw in the baby meat and squirt it down the little birds throat. They eat quite a bit and they need to be fed every two hours, even through the night for the first few days.
I thought at first that these were Mockingbirds....since that is what has been diving down at our cats as they walk underneath the tree.......

but as you can see,they are getting a yellow chest and dark black wings. I sat these two out on a limb today and stepped away to see if any bird might come near. One of the "Baltimore Oriole" type birds did fly up to them, but never returned. They have learned to fly a short distance....but I could not let them stay out in the heat and wind any longer. They have slowed their eating down to every 4 to 5 hours and probably by next week they will be able to be free. They grow so quickly....


speaking of growing quickly..From the hen house...the chicks have grown and will soon be free to roam the pen grounds. I have had to stop being nice to bull snakes and instead of taking them off somewhere else.....I have had to whack them. I have killed 4 snakes in my baby chicks hutch within the past 6 days.......my plate is full!

but from the grounds that surround us, there are the good and gentle snakes....the ones I pick up...

and bring to my youngest son.....who's only trait he got from me is the love of wild things..

Also walking the grounds was this box turtle...

who stopped long enough to pose for a picture and then he was on his way.....

from the pond....the cheap little 25 cent fish that were once and inch long have grown to be quite big....

the wasp have taken refuge to the surface of the pond.....getting some relief from the 106 temperatures....

from the garden, everything is growing......I will soon have fried green tomatoes!

the squash and onions are also doing well......if I can just stay ahead of the weeds! I have worked out in the garden every day from 6 AM to 10 AM and am just now finishing with all of the weed battle......my plate is full!

The flower beds are also starting to come to life, showing their cheery colors.

from my needle.......I have been working on a miniature quilt....and combining my embroidery with it.....if you would like to learn how just click here to visit my embroidery blog....

http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com/
my plate is full!

from the kitchen, the smell of southern fried chicken is telling me that supper is almost ready and another day is done...... click here for a wonderful Southern fried chicken recipe from my cooking blog...http://countrykitchenkat.blogspot.com/

Abbey is hoping my plate is full because she loves fried chicken too! I always share and she knows it! Now how about you? How do you find your plate being full.......is it full from traveling on vacation this time of year.......taking charge of the kids on their summer break from school......yard work.? I would love to hear!

My Cup Runneth Over

My life is simple........I don't own a new car.....I don't have a winning lottery check coming to me (since I don't play the lottery)..... I don't have an important career.....I don't wear expensive clothing.....I don't have a tractor to plow my farm.......to most it might look as if......

my cup looks pretty empty........
however.....my cup runneth over with things that money cannot buy.....

my cup runneth over with good coffee, a forbidden treat now and then........and then again....with a friend.......in hours of conversation..........

my cup runneth over with time......to think...to pray....to walk...to dive into things that wait for me......

my cup runneth over with creativity....imagination......plans......

my cup runneth over with laughter...joy.....love....and memories....

my cup runneth over with beauty of all that surrounds me and fills my world and simple life.

As I take a big drink from my overflowing cup......I know I am truly blessed.....

my cup runneth over with gratitude

How about you??? What do your cups run over with??? I always love to hear your thoughts!

Another west Texas critter and .....introducing....Baby Naomi

Storm clouds gathered and rolled across the hot dry prairie, dropping rain,

bringing relief to the parched, packed ground. Once again, the moisture brings out some of Texas's rugged creatures......

sorry, this is not baby Naomi.....she's coming up.....this is Tex...one of the many horned toads that inhabit our landscape. If any of you were once a child living in Texas....more than likely this little dinosaur was one of your play things. Ask any Texas kid about chasing horned toads and putting them in their pocket or some little container...and they can tell you what it's all about .It's amazing that there are any left living from all of the trauma that Texas kids give these creatures! {: For you older Texans, I am sure you are smiling at the memory of the toad you once caught. They are not toads....really....they are just armored little lizards and great ant eaters. And completely harmless.

They have a wonderful design while blending in with the west Texas landscape......

they have horns and spikes all over their body

They actually look like little dragons from medieval times...don't you think? Ok........now.....the moment you have all been waiting for........ say goodbye to Tex and hello to.........

Baby Naomi!

Baby Naomi is one of the 8 little chicks that I brought home Mother's day weekend. All the little chicks are developing personalities......especially Naomi. She follows me around .......everywhere I go. If her little legs could keep up...she would be taking morning walks with Sophie and I. She loves to follow me so much.....

that I brought her in to introduce her to my family......they loved her too....as you can see....Sweetie took her right under his wing........on top of.....maybe.....

Look at her.....do you think she knows how to melt someones heart???

Sweetie is showing her ROOSTER PICTURES!....... on the Internet!.....NO!!.... she is already spoken for...Gabriel, Gideon's brother, needs girlfriends because Gideon stole all of his!! And the barnyard does not need another rooster!!!!

Now......have any of you had a weird creature that you chased around and caught when you were little? I would love to hear!

One Never Sleeps Late In The Barnyard

Remember I said that since school is now out, I could probably sleep a little later? Well...all of you who have barn yard critters know sleeping late is not in the manual of owning barnyard critters..... also, my internal clock is set to automatically awaken at 5:45, with the help of Salem cat, who wants to go out. By then the roosters hear me (somehow)....they start to crow....

by 6:30 I am out to take care of the barnyard gang. Gideon looks as if to say "what took you so long??"
This week, I also introduced the new chicks to their hutch out in the hen house. They love it!


But I get the disapproving glare from Rose, the ruler of the nest boxes, who knows that something sinister has been about in the hen house and those babies .......well, if they were hers she wouldn't...........criticism, even from a sassy old hen!

Meanwhile, Charlie is daring Moses to show off his flying skills to Annabelle. Even if I am out in the pens......and he takes Charlie's dare.....and flies over the safety of the barnyard pen. I chase this silly Moses around and around until I finally catch him....



and give his wings a much needed trim.......





oohhh, can you tell he is not at all happy with me?
You were meant to float on the water "Moses" ....not fly away!




In the middle of all of this, Gideon takes a quiet retreat out of the hen house and away from all of the squawking.......

everyone wants the nest box on the far left......even though the other nest boxes are made the same and have just as much hay.....

a squabble, turns into a feather pulling, beak pecking , fight. That all calms down and I get busy out in the garden until I hear the babies cry out. I run to the hen house to find.....

another bullsnake.....inside of the baby chick's hutch, wrapped around a little yellow chick. I had been out pruning the trees and all I had in my hands were

these pruning shears. I grabbed the snake's body just enough to hang on to it, but not to cut it into. I dragged it out of the hutch still wrapped around the baby chick whose head was now dangling. I made it to our patio, gave the snake a good thump on the hard cement ground, and he uncurled and the baby chick went rolling across the patio. The snake got put in a bag and taken down the road a few miles to a new place to live.....and the baby chick....

was just shaken up and is now doing fine.

Here is Rose....telling me she told me so, sitting in the far left nesting box.