The Song of the Laying Girls

Most mornings, if you stroll outside on our farm, you'll hear a clamor, din, and racket coming from the chicken run. This morning I recorded it for you to enjoy:

I do get a kick out of my hens. And now I don't have a rooster to fend off with a stick, life is much more calm for all of us girls in the chicken yard. Here's photos of the snake I mentioned. He is dead.

I've learned not to scream, jump, and grab a shovel when I see a snake. Now I just jump and grab the shovel. Still, I feel sorry for the two snakes now that have been caught and died in our bird netting. I think this second one was probably after the water that I put out for my hens. It's outrageously dry here lately; every critter is thirsty. I've never seen a venomous snake on our farm, and I think I've seen about ten snakes over the years -- all black snakes or some sort of brown rat snake. One red-bellied water snake. They know now to stay in all the parts of the farm where Ned cannot go.

Still Here. Still Watercoloring.

I don't think "watercoloring" is a word, but that's what I'm doing this morning. Adam has weeded the garden and is now washing the outside of the house. It's so very hot here (97 degrees on Friday, around 90+ since then) and no rain for 2 weeks. And ... the tomato plants went in their beds last week! Yikes! Adam likes the heat; I like the A/C.
So here's a short video of what I've been painting this morning:

I'm sorry I'm very remiss in visiting blogs and leaving comments to you, my dear friends. I  haven't forgotten you. I'm just kind of in a slump, or to put it in more accurate terms, a little depressed. It's probably the heat, or whatever, nothing to worry about. But depression causes you to cut things out of your life; they take too much energy. For us who are already introverted, interaction takes energy at the best of times. So please know I love you, and I'll perk back up later :)  No worries. I hope all is well with you, especially if you're a teacher and desperately hoping for school to be over! May you have a very restful summer.

the yellow iris

This is the video from Grant Fuller of the sunflowers. So fun!
Below is the iris video by Angela Fehr.

Hittin' the Road

I'm on the road again.
Leaving home is not easy, but when love of family calls, we love to answer!

I traveled from the coast of North Carolina to the edge of the Mississippi River for my little girl's baby shower.

 Anna loves elephants, so many of the gifts had little elephants on them.

It's a flying trip, four days of driving in a five-day journey. I had my younger daughter and my daughter-in-law for company most of the way. Tomorrow I make my way home alone.
I enjoyed worshiping with Anna and Gramm, and a covered dish meal afterward. Check out the gorgeous wooden table their church uses to serve the food!

We also stayed at an Air B&B owned by Gramm's family that is super cool, the Blues Hound Flat.

 I'm so proud of how hard all my kids work. Gramm keeps so busy with all his responsibilities, and he's added this spectacular place to the list.

Today I'm resting at Philip and Kara's house before the long drive tomorrow. We tootled up to the mountain to see the renovation work they've done to the college's old building, Carter Hall.

 At last I think they're putting a new roof on the leaky chapel.

Time with my children comes too seldom, passes too fast, and is more precious as the years pass. Now a sweet grandbaby is added, soon to be born, and how that will complicate things! I can't wait.

Various Pretty Things

 The yellow iris

 When some flowers are spent, others begin.

Nature crafted a lovely archway along the back fence of the farm.

 The herb beds are looking better. Now everything is blooming. Thyme:

 The gorgeous thing blooming is the cilantro.

 Above, the new herb bed is in the foreground, and the old bed is in the distance.
See all that cilantro?

cilantro and dill -- so pretty together

 And I've discovered something about my cilantro going to seed (which I love for it to do). When the tiny round seeds dry and turn brown, they are called coriander. But I wondered about them when they are still bright green on the stalks. Do they taste like cilantro? So I stripped a handful off and  munched them ...
... and they were perfectly, lightly crunchy, and tasted wonderfully of cilantro! Delicious! I want them in an avocado dip.

 Mother's Day flowers from Julia:

 This darling little boy outfit comes from WalMart. The elephant ear flaps :)

 I'm still painting cards. Julia liked this one.

 Last but not least, we handed over the little Suzuki to Julia, and after saving for a year we bought this used Chevrolet from a friend. Isn't she beautiful?

After the storm year,

The tiger lilies will not bloom.

Rest from your sorrows.

Third and Last Williamsburg

The annual passes to Colonial Williamsburg that Adam bought us for Christmas 2017 are due to expire at the end of this month, so we squeezed in one more day-trip! It's tiring to drive 4 hours up and 4 hours back the same day, but it's worth it. Beau went along.

 Gardens

Fox glove, or digitalis

 

 I told the gardeners they could come to my house next.

 Our lunch spot:

 Some of the buildings we visited: 

Colonial Governor's Palace

Inside the palace:

Ball room

an organ

the supper room

The housekeeper's workroom, I believe.
Look at that shelving!

I broke the rules by taking a picture on the staircase!

That's my kind of cupboard.

Across the market square

 Inside the courtroom -- I sat as one of 12 justices of the peace, deciding cases against 1) a man accused of skipping church, 2) a man accused of gambling and being idle, 3) a man not doing his job by keeping up a public road.

 I enjoyed chatting with this marvelous weaver.

 At the George Wythe house:

 This actor brilliantly portrayed General LaFayette for us in the Wythe house.

 We had fun. I'm sure we'll return to the area and to Williamsburg. These trips have been a lovely gift from my hubby to me, and a delightful time together.