Happy Weekend

This little bird began building her nest on our front porch last week.

It's on the narrowest of ledges, only 1 1/2 - 2 inches, max.

This is how it started.  Then it got higher and higher.

 She perseveres in all types of weather.

 A skittish little thing.  I try not to harass her too often.  

I'll be following her progress.

I woke up this morning to find our dog still had his St.Patrick's Day necklace on.  He slept in it.

He's celebrating all weekend by sleeping and eating.  Mostly sleeping.  

Buns is thrilled Smarty-Girl is home.  That just means more attention.

And sleeping.

Hope you had another relaxing Sunday 

this St. Patty's Day weekend,

Bernadine

Farmer Jane reporting

The onions are coming up.  I'm so relieved.

The lettuce is also coming up.  Pay no attention to the crooked row.  I had no well-oiled technique, fined tuned over seasons of farming.   I just "free styled" the rows with a hoe.  

I have a gnawing feeling I planted this too late.  We'll just have to wait and see.  

The carrots: zero.  There's a deeply gnawing feeling I planted too deep and too late.  
Then again, I have no idea what a little carrot sprout looks like.  There are little green things growing but not in my semi crooked rows.  
Are they weeds or edibles?  I don't know.   But my gut tells me, the carrots are a bust.

Love, Bernadine

henceforth known as

Farmer Jane

(when referring to the vegetables)

Spring Flowers, Therapy and the Frog

1.) Go outside every day and marvel at creation.

2.) Be amazed, humbled, grateful you're able.  Not everyone can.

3.) Bring beauty into your life and the lives of those you love. 

4.)  Don't worry about getting fancy.   

5.)  Find your peaceful place.

6.)  Share with others.

Enjoy the simple things.

Love from Whippoorwill Road,

Bernadine

Hanging Out on a Sunday

Another son is home visiting and once again, it's time to welcome him home, family style.

This is serious brother bonding time.  

It goes some thing like this: "Hey, how's it goin', man?"  

"Good, dude. How's it goin' for you?"

"It's goin' alright.  Whatcha' been up to?"  

"Nothin' much.  Whatch' you been up to?"

"Nothin' much.  Lookin' for a new job..." 

And it goes like this the whole time the Lacrosse ball goes back and forth.  Back and forth.

Then later, we are bombarded by what I call, 'THE SWARM'.

Great. (*sigh*)  We have a visitor.

Just what we need: another dog.  My son's dog is very excited.

My son's dog runs, plays, growls and wrestles the visitor.  

Our dog is bored (yawn).

He is having no part of the action.

"Does anybody see what's going on here?"

The visitor seems to be thinking, "I'd like to be included."

My son's dog seems to be thinking, "Really?  Do we have to do this, NOW?"

Eldest-Son wants to show the world that his dog is not the vicious, food grubbing mongrel that I make him out to be.
Smarty-Girl doesn't want to show the world that she's still in her PJ's at 3 in the afternoon.
New-Man wants to show the world that'll he'll always rise to the position of 'Protector'.  'Hero'.  'Guardian of the Under Dressed'.

Don't try this at home.

Ta-Dah!  

Lips still intact!  Even after several demonstrations.

Will the house remain intact, is the better question.
Eldest-Son and New-Man continue the male bonding by a vigorous game of wrestling.
Please note the scene here:  
Two men on the floor, creating havoc.
Buns slightly behind them.
Smarty-Girl on the computer, cautioning Buns to stay clear of the mayhem.
He-Man un-phased by any of the hoopla going on around him.
Watch him....

Are you watching He-Man?

Impressive, isn't it?  No matter the chaos, not one muscle moves.  Not one twitch, one shudder.  This is pure calm in the midst of a storm.

Finally, one of them is down for the count.  Buns tries to revive him.
Where was Next-Son, Clay during all this?
Just yards away in the guest room, sleeping!  Soundly!  

Family dinner.  Now a rare occurrence except for holidays.  Such a treasure.  
Here's some of the topics of conversation at this dinner table:  Battlestar Galactica, Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit', The Walking Dead, Modern Family, Avatar... 
Then it evolved into politics, oil, alternative fuel...

Until Next-Son,Clay gets up to find Eldest-Son, Chase's watch chewed up by Buns.  
Which prompts him to discuss his fantasy to coat his watch with hot sauce in order to teach Buns a lesson.  
Which prompts Smarty-Girl to passionately discuss the cruelty of animal testing.  Especially on rabbits since they have no tear ducts and their eyes can't water.  She continues to describe they can't vomit either and they can have digestive problems.  
Which prompts her to cry just thinking about the cruelty of it all.  
Which prompts her two brothers to break into hefty laughter.   

Which prompts Clay to say I've become a heartless blogger.  

My daughter's crying and I'm snapping pictures.  

Which prompts me to laugh....  

These 'kids' are so fun to hang with

on Whippoorwill Road.

Love,

Bernadine

Mamma-cita's Birthday

It's my mom's birthday.  Today we celebrate.

My mom, dad, sister, niece and nephew arrive at 8:30 am.

                              

Next, my brother in law, another sister and another niece arrive.

   

 We greet each other with big smiles, hugs and excitement.
Then, we're off for a special day in the Georgia wine country.       

First stop: shopping in the charming town of Dahlonega.  Home of the first gold mine site in America.

It was a perfect day for walking.  Clear skies, crisp weather, warm sun.

All sorts of things to catch the eye...

...and the imagination.

This is 'Marble Mecca' for my dad.  He loves marbles.  
Not because they take him back to childhood.  Rather, he grows fruit trees and feeds wild birds and grows a garden.  The squirrels wreck havoc.  They are his Archenemy.
He makes homemade slingshots and marbles are his ammo.  Get my drift?
He has five buckets worth of marbles scattered throughout his yard.

The shops in Dahlonega had all sorts of interesting things.

This may have been the most interesting, entertaining and creepy thing, all rolled into one.  An 'animatron' telling your fortune, describing your character and ending with your personal lucky numbers.
The little ones were glued.  So were the big ones. 

An uncle sharing a special moment with his little niece.

Then, a lovely family homestyle lunch to carry us over until...

...the great wine tasting begins.

Some were full-bodied, a robust bouquet of plum and blackberry, finishing with soft tannins tickling the pallet... 
Only kidding.  We're novices and don't know the first thing about describing wines other than, "We like this one," and "Ewww... that one's awful."

"To Healthy Living, Good Health and Life with Loved Ones.  Cheers."

Mamma-cita unwraps her birthday gift in the vineyard.

The cousins share a moment on some kind of high tech gadget.

While this little girl finds pleasure in the simple things.

It was a lovely day.  The sun is beginning to set.  

And it's time to make the journey home.

Happy Birthday, Mamma-cita.

May there be many more beautiful sunrises and sunsets in your life.

Love from Whippoorwill Road,
Bernadine