Rainy Day Thoughts…

We have this sign on our back porch to greet visitors to Flat Creek:

We actually have a decorating theme on the back porch (most everything else is a big hodgepodge here right now). I call our BP theme the vintage lodge outdoorsy theme. If you can’t see the “activities list” on the sign (not the best picture), here it is:
*Bear Wrestling
*Skinny Dipping
*Coyote Calling!
*Frog Catching

S’mores nightly? At least weekly during the summer months – around our cowboy fire pit in the back yard. Do we bear wrestle? No, haven’t seen a bear in these parts as of yet, but we’ve heard rumors of course. Do we skinny dip? Not with the snapping turtles who reside in our ponds. Do we coyote call? Yes, Mr. W has been known to do that on occasion. Frog catching? Yes, on occasion (today would be the perfect day for that activity). It’s rainy again today, and in the upper 50’s. Summer will soon be here – we hope!

In the meantime, we’re still awaiting our barn builder to show up. This weather doesn’t help matters. I’m growing weary of waiting to post pictures of the building in progress, so I’ll preview it here while I wait (and wait and wait…). I promise to update this the very second those first new barn posts are in the ground. I hope it’s SOON. My patience is about worn thin.

The plan is a 30x50 metal building with an 8 foot porch across the front. It will be just a few steps from our back door. I know we’ll love the porch this summer – if we get it built by then (<sigh>.. can you tell just how impatient I’m getting?). There will be an 800 or 900 square foot living area within (“cottage”) – we’re still working on details on that part since we’ll be finishing the interior ourselves. The remainder of the building will be garage/workshop. Here’s a photo of what the new building should look similar to. Our building will be white with green roof and it will have a cupola in the center with a donkey weathervane (of course!). And along the far end there will be two garage doors.

Photo courtesy of National Barn

As time goes by (we hope in a couple of years), we plan to take down this old house with its poor old foundation & roof (in fact I’m listening to a drip from a leak in or around the chimney right now), & other problems too numerous to mention. At that time, we’ll move into the cottage portion while hopefully building a new home (possibly another pole barn style) in the place where the old house stands now.

Anyhoo… that be the plan, folks! Have a great remainder of the weekend.

Today’s Bloomers

I took these this morning. What a gorgeous 70 degree day. We’ve been waiting for this.

Red Bud – just popping…
Ornamental Plum – I’m really not sure what this is called. We bought it as a seedling at a yard sale just a couple of years ago. It’s an eyecatcher!

“Monroe County Influences” ♫

Ok… the big day has finally arrived. The CDs are here! Our fiddler, John, recorded this back in 2004 (yes, we can really be a family of procrastinators at times). It turned out great, and it was well worth the wait. So, if you’re a Missouri fiddling fan… or just want to expand your musical horizons, check out "Monroe County Influences, Volume I."


Check out the preview clips on the side bar ----->>
and also check out John's website here...
Broken Bow Fiddle Co

Among the Amish

Painting: “Standing Watch” by Marsha Elliott

We traveled to our nearby Amish Community and whiled away this rainy day. This is one thing about Mr. W still being unemployed that is a good thing – more day trips! “Amish Day” is always a fun trip, and we come back with some great ‘bent and dent’ buys as well. Additionally, I always feel I leave there with a better, more relaxed perspective on life. Here is a description of a few of the highlights today. (I always wish it were permissible to photograph the Amish, but I do respect their beliefs.)

At the first ‘bent and dent’ store, an 8 year old boy was our cashier. When he had difficulties ringing up my 20 or so Power Bars at 5¢ each, he called for assistance from his 10 year old brother. Assisting this duo was their 5 year old brother who was rather nervously boxing up the items. The painting above reminds me of this adorable trio of brothers.

We observed a young brother and sister pair picking up hickory nuts. Also saw two young ladies bringing in two very large baskets of eggs from the chicken house… giggling all the way. Many kids were out fishing today on the pond, in spite of the light rain showers. In fact, it did seem that most residents of the community were ‘goofing off’… and it just appeared to me that today was an official holiday for them….perhaps Easter Monday?

At our favorite country store, we visited with our favorite little lady who is always chatty and good-humored. She was particularly beaming today, even happier than usual. There were many visitors arriving and departing by buggy. She informed us that they were all coming to see their new grandbaby who was upstairs from the store. Their 61st grandchild. She also told us it was very hard for her to come downstairs and attend to customers because of that little ‘magnet’ upstairs who kept beckoning to her. I don’t know how a grandmother would even keep 61 grandkids straight.. I mean really!! But it was quite obvious that each of her grandbabies were very special to her.

Mr. W is friends with many in the Amish Community. Since he and his ‘Pappy” build buggies and carriages, they’ve had many dealings with the Amish during the years. Many of the old friends we went to visit today were out and about, so we missed visits with them this time. Nonetheless.. it was a fun and interesting day, and yes, I did return home with that better perspective on life. (Note to Self: hold that thought!)

Have a Blessed and Happy Easter!

Photo Collage: Around Flat Creek Farm

Doe Doe Doe … Lookin’ Out My Back Door ♫

Ok, so I changed the words just a tad. The pictures are a little blurry… but the closer I got, the more she moved into the brush. This is what we saw lookin’ out our back door this evening.

Ain’t she purty?


Itchy!

Spring Updates ~ moving right along…

Here is a tomato plant update – side-by-side comparison from almost a week ago… and today. They’re doing well, but growing a little too fast. Today I introduced the little sprouts to the great outdoors for awhile. I hope they ‘fatten up’ a bit as they are getting too tall and skinny staying inside all the time.

C’mon li’l mater plants, sturdy up!

I took a short walk around the yard just a few minutes ago and here is what I noticed:

Lilacs are going to burst soon. If you really take a good sniff of these buds, they’re even starting to smell like Lilacs… Mmmm.

Here is our Bradford Pear right now. I don’t know if I love that tree more in the Spring, or in the Fall. Would be a tough choice.

Happy Spring, Y’all!