Notes On A Summer Day

Dude, Chipper and DeeDee waiting for a treat

      We are experiencing a heat wave--temps in the upper nineties, no rain for nearly 3 weeks!  Jack and I spend our days watering the garden and flower beds and trying to find 'cool' chores.  The middle of the day is definitely a good time to settle down with a good book or garden magazine.  Or, in Jack's case a nap!

      I make a habit of stepping out the bedroom door onto the porch just before bedtime and savoring the soothing nighttime breeze that is almost always present even after the worst of daytime heat.  I lay on the lounge chair allowing the wind to blow across my face taking away the cares of the day.  If that doesn't do the trick, the "wild night orchestra" will.  The "wild night orchestra" as a guest described the night sounds, is a symphony of crickets chirping, frogs croaking, whippoorwils singing, with an occassional coyote blending in. 

     Speaking of stress!  Many Newtons County residents, including ourselves, are upset (no, angry) that our Carroll Electic Cooperative --supposedly owned by all who pay electric bills to them, are contracting with outside companies to spray chemicals on power line right-of-ways to kill vegetation.  We have many certified organic farms in the county as well as regualr customers that use ground water (this is always been the case, historically) and they want to protect it.  There are are farms and ranches with livestock, as well as other businesses who are also concerned, and rightly so.  Carroll Electric and the board members elected to represent the interests of the coop members has been especially dictatorial and heavy-handed (and rude) to those who speak against this problem at board meetings and such.  (By the way, those who object are some of the most unassuming, peaceful, and 'just plain nice' folks you will ever meet, and they are working to preserve what makes Newton County and the Buffalo River Country so special.)  The company now require a unbelieveable amount of paper work and documents in order to put in a 'no spray' request.  Then, there is still  no guarantee that the request will be granted!  I find it hard to believe this can happen in Newton County where most people are independent and very conscious of the environment. For more on this go to http://www.grassrootsozark.net/.

     Good news!  Our cabin association, Upper Buffalo River Merchants Association is sponsoring a 5k run, The Running of the Elk 5k to benefit Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock.  It will be held September 11, 2010 in Boxley Valley.  We are hoping folks will turn out for a fun time and a good cause. 

     My Ozark garden is coming along regardless of the weather.  All it requires now is water!  We are getting squash and beans.  Tomatoes are beginning to ripen.  I am at war with the moles right now, but I have brought in help in the form of Molly, the Jack Russell, who hates moles and usually clears them out quickly!  Her backup is Daisy, who digs the holes!   If only they could do as well with those pesky squash bugs which Jack 'squshes' by the hundreds everyday!

Must go to get my "Request To Avoid Herbidical Vegetation Management" to the post office.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think on these things.  Phillipians 4:4-8

    

Notes From A Librarian

                                                                                      Bluebirds at the "pool"

    

     Summer is supposed to be a 'laid-back, lazy' time of year with trips to the 'pool'--or river in our case--or just a peaceful afternoon on the porch is nice.  I imagine that image of summer doesn't happen for most of us--unlike to birds in the photo.  However, this summer I plan to set aside time to settle down and 'get lost' in a few good books.  The librarian in me compels me to recommend a few of my favorites---

     The first one, which turns into several on the same subject, goes on my 'all-time most memorable' list.  THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson and David Relin will change the way you look at the people and conflicting religions of Afganistan and Pakistan.  I quote the blurb on the cover, "The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his remarkable humanitarian campaign in the Taliban's backyard."            Mortenson, a lost and weary mountain climber, drifted into a remote village in the Karakoram Mts. of Pakistan, and his life and the lives of thousands of children, especially girls, was changed forever.  When he promised to build a school in return for the kindness the village had shown him, his quest became not to conquer a mountain, but to conquer illiteracy and make possible an opportunity for children to learn by building one school at a time in the most remote and dangerous regions of the world.  His portrayal of the people who are so willing to do whatever it takes, at whatever it cost, to bring education to their villages could be a great novel on its own.  However, it is a true story, and an ongoing one at that.
     You will also want to read the sequel, STONES INTO SCHOOLS, that picks up where the first book left him--confronted by a group of horsemen, much like those in Marco Polo's day, who asked that he build a school in their village--in what is called the 'rooftop of the world'. 
     THREE CUPS OF TEA has a your reader's edition. And, there is a read-aloud version for young children with illustrations by Susan L. Roth entitled
LISTEN TO THE WIND.      "Beach" reads are a great way to 'get away' for a while, but, this one will stay with you for a long time.

Education is the long-term solution to fanaticism.

Col. Christopher Kolenda, U.S. Army, Afganistan

I have made links to Amazon.com in order to make it easier to purchase these books.  All money from sales on my blog, and 7% from Amazon will go to the Central Asia Institute which funds the building of schools and promotes the educations of girls in Pakistan and Afganistan.  By the way, it costs them $1.00 per month for one child's education and $1.50 per day for an average teacher's salary.  What a bargin! 
This will also be true for any books I recommend in the future.
                                                                   After reading these books, I would like to hear your comments.  I hope you are as inspired as I am to do a small part to support education and learning in this part of the world.  I believe the adage--'where much is given, much is required'  though this isn't 'much' as compared to those, including our soldiers, who are on a battlefield much different (or maybe not) from the schoolgrounds of these villages.

Chocolate Chip--a Horse of a Different Color

DeeDee and Chipper

     We proudly announce the birth of Chocolate Chip (Chipper) the colt, born Friday, April 23 11:30 p.m. at Mountain Springs.

     

     Other than the birth of a grandchild, the arrival of a new baby animal at our house is a major cause for celebration.  We have closely watched our mare, DeeDee's behavior for the last two weeks, knowing the birth was near.  Every evening, Jack put her in the stable for the night.  Before bed, he would make a trip down to the barn to check on her.  Friday night about 10:30 he went down and stayed a long time.  In fact, I was in bed and debated whether I wanted to get up and check on things.  Fortunately I did.  As I stepped out on the porch, I could see Jack was down in the lower pasture on the four-wheeler.  Slowly, I watched the light he was carrying move slowly up the trail to the barn, stopping occasionally along the way. Since it was pitch dark, I wasn't sure what was going on. 

     When he go closer, he called to me to bring the towels and lights-- she was in labor!  I quickly dressed and gathered everything I needed (including the camera) and ran down to the stable. Though it was only a minute or two, little Chipper had already arrived!  It was close!  She had managed to get out of the corral and down to the lower pasture before her water broke!  Jack said, as he lead her up the hill to the barn, there was a time or two when she balked and he envisioned the baby  being born right there on the trail! 

     We watched in the stable for two hours as the baby struggled with those four long, awkward legs getting on his knees, then flopping (litterly) back on the soft straw of the stable.  Occassionally, DeeDee would encourage him by gently pulling at an ear or quietly neighing in his ear.  It was a memorable moment when I watched as she slowly, deliberately, breathed her breath into his nostrils to imprint her scent on her baby.  Something all mother animals do to assure her baby will always know who she is.  This is so apparent when you watch a pasture full of black cows with black babies--they can always find each other no matter how many other mothers and babies are in the crowd.

     After a while, he had all four legs working together, then he was hungry.  Again, it took him a few minutes to find just the right place to nurse.  Even with his mother's help, he made a few 'dry' attempts before his first meal.

     How fast animal babies develop!  Now, has no problem eating--other than when his mother 'nips' him for biting in a sensitive place!  And, his legs are working very well!  He runs and bucks around the corral kicking up his heels just for the joy of being alive!  When not sleeping or running, he is checking out everything within his reach--'tasting' everything from the rope tied to the gate to the stable door.  He will nuzzle us when we reach out to him, often 'nibbling' my jacket or whatever he can reach. 

     As with a grandchild, I will probably have a lot to say about our new baby.  Speaking of the grandchild, he is excited with the baby pictures we sent, and is insisting that his parents get him up here right away! We are encouraging this by sending more baby horse pictures!

Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pastures,

Delight yourself in the Lord , and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:1-4

Bird News on the Mountain

Our first meeting with the Blue family 2004

Yesterday, I realized that I was spending a lot of my time observing the bird life from our porch.  After working hard to get things in shape around the yard and flower beds, taking a break is a good thing.  But, sitting on the porch in one of our new rockers can become habit forming and leads to procrastination! 

     I bought two new rocking chairs on impulse when shopping in Harrison last week.  The salesman assured me they would fit in the back of the Traverse (and they did, with some manuvering!) I had no idea how badly we 'needed' porch rocking chairs!  In years past, folding chairs worked fine.  No more!  The chairs are a magnet, and with the little table in between they make a perfect place for coffee in early morning, taking a break from yard work in mid-morning, eating lunch at noon, cooling down with a glass of iced tea mid-afternoon, and watching the sun go down at dusk.  Hey, we even make a late night visit to watch the stars and moon before bedtime!

   

Back to the 'bird world' on the mountain:

On morning in February as we were drinking our first cup of coffee in bed, we had a visit from the Blue Family.  I was glad to see Mrs. Blue clinging to the window screen, looking in--first at one window, then the other.  I thought we were in for another year of  'Life with the Blue Family'.  However, this was the only visit.  Soon after, we had the 'great-first-day-of-spring' snowfall (the most wonderful 'snowday ever'!)  We haven't seen them since!  We have other blues who have moved in, but they aren't the 'porch' variety, and have chosen the house at the end of the fence in the backyard. (see May and June 2009 blogs)  I think the little couple who set up housekeeping there are last year's youngsters.  Maybe it was one of the family members who got his/her photo made as he emerged from the box to try his wings.  They left a legacy, no doubt!

I'm not sure what happened to the little couple, (maybe old age and a nursing home in the sky).  But we will always remember the original 'Blue Family'.  They became a part of our family as we watched her move from window to window during the day, maybe curiously wanting to be a part of the human family who lives here. Then, we watched anxiously and counted the days as she sat on her eggs in the box while he sweetly sang to her from a nearby perch, bringing her nourishment (worms and bugs)  as needed.  They were a constant reminder of God's beautiful world.  

The window screens are cleaner this spring, as she had a bad habit of leaving her 'calling card' in the form of 'poop'!  But mornings are not the same without her early morning visit to the bedroom.

The martins are back in full force.  I really enjoy their chatter, especially when they 'scold' me for working in the garden too close to their house-in-the-air.

The hummers are slow arriving.  Don't know why.  The first ones got here around April 1, and we still have only 3 or 4 during the day.  Wonder if they stopped at the neighbors'.  They put up 4 feeders early.

The cute little finches who 'hang' around the finch sacks year 'round, are now a pretty, bright yellow and flit all over the yard picking up weed seeds.  Maybe it is their way of repaying us for feeding them all winter.

The Trumpeter swans at Boxley (3 of the 4) didn't leave for northern climes this spring.  They can be seen around the mill pond most of the time.  Obviously, they, too, 'Want to stay forever' in the Ozarks!

There are a pair of Canadian geese who fly over our house occassionally.  I believe they have set up residence in the pond across the road.  I'm not sure they are welcome guests!

The sparrows--too many!

And, we have discovered that if we get up early and sit in those rockers on the porch, we will hear the 'gobble-gobble' of turkeys echo across the mountains.

Twittering on the mountain is in force!

For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His Glory.

                                       Romans 11:36

Visions Of Daffodils Dance In My Head

Bloodroot along the trail

     The catalogs started arriving in January--full of enticing pictures of flowers and vegetables found only in a gardener's  dreams.  At the time, it was easy to flip thru the pages hastily and lay it on the shelf for later.  That was because there was several inches of snow covering the yard, with promises of more to come.  We had a blanket of snow on our yard and surrounding pastures for the whole month of February.  After a brief respite, we had the record 12-14 inche snowfall come down in one day--the first day of Spring 2010!   One doesn't get too excited about tending the garden under those conditions! 

     Then-- the snow melted, and the daffodils popped up (none the worse for spending a few days under the snow), the grass turned green in the pastures almost over night, the yellow belles (forsythia to me) burst into balls of yellow sunshine, red tulips appeared in the bed by the fence, little spring flowers of blue, yellow, and purple (some call them weeds) jumped up (that's why the call them 'Johnny Jumpups) all over the backyard, wildflowers littered the trails to the waterfall, and the garden centers brought out the blooms in full force! 

     I know better than to succumb to temptation this early in the spring.  The first year we lived on the mountain, I fell under their spell, and planted too early.  Which meant I had to watch the weather report then run out in the yard at dark to cover the tender plants in hopes of saving them from having to spend the night freezing to death (literally!). My friend, Debbie, who has her own greenhouse business will not let me buy her plants until late April or early May.  She tells folks, she doesn't have enough extras to sell them twice!  Home Depot in Harrison should have learned this lesson well.  They brought out the blooms in March, only to have them nipped in the bud by a hard frost!  I hear they had to start all over with everything. 

     However, planting fever has attacked my system!  I am still turning my head as I drive by the garden centers and greenhouses that spring up by the side of the road in Harrison.  But---Jack is mowing the yard for the first time as I write, my neighbor is tempting me with pass-along-plants from her garden, and, I confess, I bought some pansies yesterday! 

     So--- sun is shinning, the hummers are here, I saw a butterfly or two seaching for a bloom, the honeybees are buzzing, the bluebirds are checking out their boxes, the purple martins have arrived in force as confirmed by their familiar chatter that fills the air, and the weatherman is singing songs of sunny weather (like, really, does he have anything to do with providing good weather?).

     Okay, I give up!  It's too late to turn back!  I can't stand it!  I'm going outside and  get my hands dirty!

Happy Gardening to all!

 

His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring,

with plants springing up everywhere.

                                                Isaiah 61:11 NLT

Ahhh! Springtime in the Ozarks!

       Wildflower Falls after the snow

     The snow started at daybreak.  We watched as the first few flakes fell, followed by more and larger flakes--big, fluffy, puffs-- until suddenly the ground was white--much like a soft, white blanket had quietly covered the mountain.  The weather man had predicted this even though the calendar said "first day of Spring".  And, I had already removed my "Let It Snow" sign from the yard.  (I was just about to put up the "Welcome Spring" sign.)   

     What a wonderful gift!  It was Sunday and we couldn't get off the mountain, and we really didn't care!  Our cabin guests couldn't either, and decided to take the extra night we had open.  The snow didn't let up--this was the "perfect snowday".  And, I always enjoy "snow days".  It goes back to my school days as a student and later as a teacher.  My philosophy is that there are no bad snow days!  Some of the local schools may argue that since all regular snow days are used up, each additional day they loose will be made up on Saturday (Oh, No! Saturday school!) or extended the year into summer (Oh, No! Summer school!)  None the less, we can't stop the snow from falling even if we want to, and I don't want to!

      It snowed, and snowed, and snowed--just big, soft flakes--no howling winds, no extreme temperatures.  It was soon apparent that this was a "Big" snow day.  The lights flickered so we set out the candles--didn't need them!  Our neighbor called to say as expected the mama goat went into labor and had twins in the snow. She says they always wait until bad weather!  She moved them in the shed and they are now up and going strong.
     Soon, the yard was ankle deep, then knee deep in snow.  The little yellow daffodils in the flowerbeds bravely held their heads up as long as possible, then disappeared under a blanket of snow.  Note:  Three days later, they are back and looking better than ever!  (Snow has nitrogen that makes everything greener when it melts.)  Daisy was up to her neck in snow and loved it.  She made little "hops" as she ran, checking for critter scents. (Even the critters had more "sense" than to be out, but she didn't know that :-)

     Eventually, we measured 14 inches of snow with drifts up to 24 inches in places.  Probably a record for this day.  A wonderful memory. 

     It began to melt on Monday, slowly at first then so fast it sounded like rain falling.  Water pooled up in the yard in places that never have puddles.  Little streams of water everywhere--in the ditches, through the rocks, in the middle of the roads--and, waterfalls everywhere--large and small!

     We were standing on the porch when Jack said, "Quiet, listen!"  It was the sound of water gushing through the rocks.  It was our Wildflower Falls roaring down the mountain on its way to Kenner Creek, Osage Creek, and beyond.  This happens only when there is a huge rainfall, or, in this case snowfall.  Our Eagle's Rest Cabin guests can hear it even better from their vantage point.)

     I had to see the falls for my self.  We rode down part way on the four-wheelers, then slipped and slidded the rest of the way down the hill.  The above picture is some of what we saw, but, as they always say, "You had to be there!"

Happy Spring!

He makes springs pour water into ravines:

It flows between the mountains...

He waters the mountains from His upper chambers:

the earth is satisfied by the friut of His work.

                                        Psalm 104: 10,11,13

    

A Host of Golden Daffodils

Wild Vic's Cabin

In spite of cold and chills

that usher in the early spring

We have the daffodils.

                                                               Kikurio, Japanese writer

     The above photo was taken on the trail just off Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls Trail.  If you look carefully, you will see where someone long ago planted daffodils around the cabin and through out the yard.  Must have been Wild Vic's wife!  Or some female who wanted a little beauty in such a remote, lonely place.  As I walked around the cabin, it was apparent that she not only planted the flowers, she had designed a  garden with stone-lined paths and even a little spring flowing through. I pictured the industrious woman digging as best she could in the extremely stony ground.  I can appreciate the hard work that she put into bringing a little beauty to the stark surroundings. 

     Just imagine the stories that cabin could tell!  Inside, there was an old wood cookstove and some pots.  (Saddly, on our next visit, someone had taken (stolen!) them.  There was a tree trunk with sawed off branches fastened to the floor in the middle of the very small room.  It made an unusual ladder leading to the even smaller loft!  The old shutters, which  were still hanging on the outside wall, sufficed for windows as there was no sign of glass windows.  I think I will delve into some Newton County history books for more information on Wild Vic.  Anyone with such a name should have an interesting story, as would any woman who lived with him!

     We just returned from a trip to southern Mississippi and the coast.  We drove along the coastal road where we saw so much Hurrican Katrina destruction.  Five years later there are signs of rebuilding and coming back.  However, there are still those deserted, vacant lots where beautiful gardens once thrived.  Usually in those garden remains are little daffodils--yellow blooms standing bravely, bringing color and beauty and hope to anyone who passes--signs of  lives once lived in that place.  If only they could tell the stories of times gone by--of gentle southern families--parties in the gardens, sweet gulf breezes on the porch, and just across the street  that beautiful, and sometimes deadly ocean.  Again, I am imagining the stories those daffodils could tell.

    Just walked outside--cold wind blowing across the yard--and I saw the first sign of spring on our mountain.  It was those little yellow daffodils struggling to hold their heads up searching for a ray of the not-to-be-found sunshine.  They haven't grown there in my yard that long, but as time goes on hopefully there will be stories to tell about life at Mountain Springs Cabins.  Happy stories of the family who loves the mountain and of the guest who come to visit.

    

Daffodils,

That come before the swallow dares, and take

The winds of March with beauty.

    Shakespeare