T MINUS TWELVE

In just twelve days we pull out of our drive saying goodbye to our home, mowing, weeding, painting fences, fighting coons, picking cherries, apples, pears, blackberries, persimmons, paw paw and gooseberries.  I will miss all the free fruit.  But there will be farmer's markets year round!  How exciting is that?!?!


The house is looking a bit like a ghost house.  The only thing in the family room is my spinning wheel. The painting on the left has gone to reside at my niece's home.  It was painted by a great uncle and is very precious to me.  


I  must have inherited his artistic talents as there are no other artists in our family until me and then our oldest daughter happened on the art scene.  Karen's artistic talents were evident at the age of five! How wonderful is that?


Now.....to another topic....I almost titled today's blog The Dog of The Corn.  (aka The Children of the Corn.)  Did you see that frightful movie?  We did, with our girls.


When the camera went down the rows of corn, the leaves slapped the camera "in it's face?"  I had that very experience when Oliver awakened me to go out and "do his duty" around six forty five a.m.    


When Oliver goes out, he puts his nose to the ground and follows a scent.  I pick some gooseberries (mistake) and not keeping a good eye on him.  


Out of the corner of my eye I see him disappear at the edge of the cornfield.  I call "Oliver!"  No Oliver.  I pick gooseberries and call "Oliver!"  No Oliver!  This continues for about ten minutes until Olivia comes, but Oliver is not with her.  


I tell Olivia, go get Oliver and she stands at the edge  of the cornfield, looks up at me and says, "I'm not going in there!  They will get me!"  


I take Olivia back to the house, put her inside and alert John that Oliver is missing in the cornfield.  


OH NO!  THE COYOTES WILL GET HIM!


I had found that the Coyotes were sleeping in our back pasture last summer and fall..........until I mowed and found their spot.... A Coyote walked in front of me as I mowed.  I felt that my fears were justified....


I ventured into the cornfield.  Some of the corn was short since it was shaded by our trees.  Some of the corn was over my four feet eleven inches head.  As I walked through the tall corn, the leaves kept hitting me in the face and brought that nasty move to my mind.


I called and called Oliver.  FINALLY, I hear barking.  But it is waaayyy out in the field. (oh, joy)  I call, Oliver barks, I call, Oliver yaps.  


Half way through the field, I finally spot the little wandering dog.  The mighty defender of the homestead has "cornered" a baby Robin at the foot of a corn stalk.  


The poor little Robin has yet learned to fly. Momma is screaming from a distance.  Oliver is saying "look Mom,  see what I found for you?"  Geesh!  I scoop up the silly dog, call out to John that I had found the goof ball and begin to plow my way through the corn back to the house.  


On the way back to the house, I explain to Oliver that baby birds do NOT want to "play" with him.  Do you think he listened?  Heck no!  The next time out, Oliver heads for the cornfield for more adventures. 


 I QUICKLY PUT A HALT TO THAT NONSENSE!


The momma Robins do not know that Oliver has been to school and will obey my commands (if he chooses).  They dive at him, they attack him, I rescue him.  


BUT,,,,, HE SEEMS TO HAVE LEARNED HIS LESSON.  


He now stays with me when it is time to go  do "his duty."  kind of


So, life consists of physical therapy, packing, cleaning, getting wool ready to send to either the spinning mill or to the rug weaver,  arranging motorhome, planning trips around Indiana.  


Since John is in physical therapy, we need to be within driving distance.  He is making such good progress that we want him to continue his therapy as long as possible.  


Again, we want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers, words of encouragement, positive thoughts, etc.  Without each and everyone of you, we would not be looking forward to the rest of our lives together.  You all made Father's Day a very special day for John and I.


God bless each and every one of you.  May He meet your needs....every one of them.  May He give you rest, peace, healing and joy.


N & J