While Out Walking Today

I happened upon a baby deer.

Sidetracked by Summer

I begin the trail in from our back yard. This is our fish pond in back.

I tend to become missing in action from the world of blogging at times, particularly in times when the great outdoors calls. In most instances it is just my backyard calling. On nice days I even move my yoga mat outside to the grass. But today it is raining.

I have been taking pictures intermittently while out on the trail. Soon we hope to do a time lapse version. After a good rain, which may be the case now, would be the best times as the creeks and waterfalls should be active. Currently they are rather bland. However there are pros and cons in both cases. Dry creeks make rock hunting much more favorable.

Below are some trail pics and sights along the way.

This and That

It’s May and time for another resolution. In March it was about yoga. In April it was about walking. Thus far I’m on track with both of those resolutions, and there were a few times I really had to make myself keep them up. So, what for May. I have a seriously bad dairy habit. I over indulge with the chai lattes. So, I’m doing my best to give up dairy for the next ten days. I’ve managed almost two days now. So, technically, I’ve been vegan for these two days.

I’ve been away from blogging for a few days. It’s just too nice outside. I’ve started to walk the trails again and mow the lawn, etc. My husband is really more of the gardener than I am. I love flowers but we have a real problem with our dogs trampling over them and making them into a bed. We’ve tried a few things, mostly fishing line, which really didn’t work. During meditation an idea popped into my head about how to solve the problem. We laid out fencing over the flowered areas just high enough that it would create a problem for them to run through it. It would be uncomfortable for them to lie in. The flowers could grow through it and fairly soon into the growing season wouldn’t even be visible, or at least too visible.

With the nicer weather we don’t miss an opportunity to eat out on the deck. Tonight’s dinner was salad (romaine, cabbage, artichokes, sprouts, olives, tempeh, sunflower seeds, walnut oil, pepper and sea salt) and sweet potato fries. I’m especially proud of the sprouts that I’ve been making. They’ve been going on as many dishes as it seems appropriate. We have sweet potato plants ready to go into the ground. We finally got the green house covered in plastic. Eventually, we want it to be glass.

A Step into Nature and What is Natural

Saturday was clean up day for our county. So, we took advantage by doing some clean up around here. A friend brought over a trailer, and my husband and he worked together on both our place and his. There were people at the unloading spot to take advantage of other people’s discarded stuff. I’m not sure ours would be of use to anyone, but hopefully so.

Tulips at the Aboretum

I fixed a pretty healthy late lunch for us, a salad and lentil soup. I throw everything into soups and salads. They are vegan and mostly organic, so overall healthy. Since lunch was late we weren’t so hungry for another meal but wanted something else. Did you ever notice how husbands and wives after being together for a while have the same thoughts? Sadly, we were both thinking MacDonald’s fries. It’s been years since we’ve eaten anything at MacDonald’s. My husband had his Ipad handy, so I said look up the ingredients for their fries. The list cried out total GMO to us.* We came back to our senses. I thought I have potatoes, organic ones. So, I got off my lazy butt and went into the kitchen. The fries I made turned out great. I sprinkled olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground mixed peppercorns, chili powder, and nutritional yeast on them and baked.

My Own Baked Fries

On Sunday we went beyond the natural wonders in our own back woods and explored The Arboretum in Lexington, Kentucky. http://www.ca.uky.edu/arboretum/index.php We have done two weekend Lexington trips in a row now. I think we’ve pretty much used up our tax return on Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. On both trips I’m happy to say we took the opportunity to explore walking paths in Lexington. On the first trip we took the 2.5 mile hike at Shillito Park. It was a nice walking trail, but I much preferred the beauty of the arboretum trail. The Arboretum trail with it’s sights along the way made the walk seem like it went by so fast.

Visiting other trails are often an inspiration for us for ways we can improve our own trail and property. We have piles of saved up old lumber, barn wood, etc, that hopefully we will have a use for.

Me, Walking the Trail

A Sculpture Along the Trail

Walkway, and Possibility for Our Own Trail

Carving, Another Possibility

*McDonalds FRIES are cooked in genetically engineered oil. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil (85% gmo), corn oil (85% gmo), soybean oil (90% gmo), hydrogenated soybean oil. From: Millions Against Monsanto by OrganicConsumers.org

The North Trail and Rocks

View at the beginning of the hike

The North Trail, that is my name for one section of the trail. It’s our newest section of trail, redone, with the tractor. Trail work is a never ending job, so to make it easier, last year we rerouted one section of the trail where we could get the tractor through for easier maintenance. Otherwise it is get out there with a weed eater at least a couple of times of year and a rake – it is slow going and hand blistering even with gloves.

I will admit that this is my first time out on the trail this year. When the weather got cold I hibernated inside, well not totally. We traveled twice since the new year to see our grandson, and worked on two grandiose house projects which totally

Some big rocks

took every spare moment of time.

My muscles were sore afterward. But, I decided that with the beginning of April that I would put in at least three miles of walking each day. I found the trail to be in good shape after the winter rest. There were only two trees down that had fallen across the trail, one of which will be nice firewood. The weather was perfect for walking yesterday, and the sky was incredibly blue. My picture taking skills are not the greatest. My husband always reminds me that there is an editing feature. The pictures taken here were done with an iphone, one of the older models. I have resisted updating due to the cost.

Another outcropping of big rocks

Although I prefer lush greenness during a hike, this time of year is perfect for rock hunting. I am rock crazy. Luckily the supply never seems to end on our farm. We have rocked a good portion of the house. We use them for ponds. We built a rock wall out front. We still have two small buildings to rock. And after that, possibly the barn. We even rocked a floor for one section of the barn. My uncle once asked if there were any rock left on Trough Camp.

While walking I was planning for our next rock gathering adventure which I hope we can fit in this weekend. That involves hooking up the wagon to the tractor and loading it with as many as we can carry back. And then there is garden preparation and planting also planned for this weekend.

Not far into the trail I grew tired of taking pictures. That is my husband’s forte.

The following pictures will give you some idea of what we use the rocks for.

: Around the front pond

: Around the back yard pond

: We decided to do a rock wall in front.

: Rocks are not just for the outside

: Rock work

: For flower gardens

: They are for steps and sidewalks

: Close up

The Wild Calls Lazily

The weather, this week has been very strange. Yesterday I was able to lay in the hammock. In the last few days we have had below freezing temperatures, but yesterday was almost a summer day. I was able to lay in the hammock for awhile, after stacking firewood. This morning we woke up to 70 degrees. High winds, scary winds, came. Then rain. Then an eerie calm.

I wrote this several years ago during January when we were having blizzard conditions.

I asked my husband what season I am.

He looked intently for a while and said summer.

I knew he would say summer.

The Wild Calls Lazily

As Leo I came into the world, feet first, ready to run

Not roaring, but gently purring into the sun

When freckles are in full bloom

When grass smells it’s sweetest,

And forest’s foliage is at its thickest,

Its narrow path beckoning me into its den

Where creatures take comfort devoid of men

And in the openness ripe vermillion tomatoes hang on the vine

Ochre squash peaks through an umbrella as green as pine

Water trickles into a pond neighbored by parsley, peppermint and thyme

The buzz of a bee and swift hummingbird sprints

Amid a spectrum of hues and scents

Into my porch swing refuge race

All my senses they embrace

While the dogs and cat sleep lazily on

Outward I gaze watching the grass grow

Contemplating the mow

I wake from my dream to see from my window the snow.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Only 12 degrees according to the weather report, which means it is probably about 5 degrees colder here since we are in a higher elevation area. We don’t have a thermometer outside anymore but it always registered about 5 degrees colder here.

These pictures are from a hike on the farm on January 18, 2009. Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow.

Barns

I think this is one of the best pictures that my husband has ever taken. We had been hiking on the property, and nearing the end of the hike we were coming upon the back side of the barn. It was taken in October a couple of years ago.