Today's Lens (06/19/14)

I must say, I've been a bit lazy these last couple of days (with the exception of yesterday which you can read about in my blog post, Just Kidding) and haven't made the trip up to the third floor to sit down at the computer and upload/share any photos. Well, now it's time to get caught up. We'll begin with a view from the bottom, and work our way up, so to speak.

A view from the bottom of the valley up at Brookvalley Farm's Bank Buster on the hill. (06/17/14)

A man, his tractor, and his dog. What more is there? (06/13/14)

From the top looking down, I caught a glimpse of this sweet little family. (06/13/14)

It had just rained, and the vegetation was exceptionally tasty - or so I assume. (06/13/14)

 I'm not good at identifying moths, but this one is in the Geometridae family. I can't seem to get much closer than that. A Mocha and Wave (Sterrhinae) perhaps? (06/16/14)

Flight training! No, I'm not joking. The two resident Canada goose families have joined forces for what we like to call "flight training." They waddle down the road, and then race back as quickly as they can to get the goslings moving their wings and lifting off the ground a bit. It's quite comical really, and we look forward to it every year. What we don't look forward to is all the mess, and the large amount of grass they consume from the pastures. (06/16/14)

And, once the training is done, it's time for a leisurely swim in Powell Pond. This is the smaller of the two families; only three goslings in this one. (06/16/14)

More lazing in the sun the next day. (06/17/14)

And, yes, there are fish in there! Very small ones, and very many, but fish nonetheless. It may be time to get my nephew out fishing more frequently! (06/17/14)

What would a photo blog post be without a shot of our cutest little members? This is Mia. Isn't she just adorable? (06/16/14)

And, of course the matronly Belle. When Mia first arrived, Belle wasn't too sure about her, but they became fast friends, and Belle really watches out for Mia; it's so precious. (06/16/14)

If you saw my Today's Lens post from 06/05/14, you saw what I will swear was this same blue bird - mocking me again, just like he did then. The little smart aleck! (06/17/14)

Another moth - and I didn't even try to identify this one. If someone knows, please post in the comments, so I can update the image. Thanks! (06/17/14)

Nature's flower arrangement. This is a little meadow down near my grandmother's house. It looks so pretty when all of the grasses are gently blowing in the breeze and the flowers are in bloom. (06/17/14)

A handsome Mallard family swam peacefully in the creek. (06/17/14)

That is, until Harlee jumped in. She even managed to stick her tongue out for the camera - smarty pants! (06/17/14)

I know I've identified this guy in the past, but time is short right now. I'll have to get back to you all on this one. (06/17/14)

My mother's peonies are in full bloom; they were always one of her favorites. I picked a few and took them over to Nana to enjoy on her coffee table. I do it every year. (06/17/14)

(06/17/14)

An iris plant has managed to find itself at the edge of the pasture. I'm not sure how it got there, but it's nice to see the burst of purple and yellow amid all of the surrounding green. (06/17/14)

A silhouette of a tiny, fascinating creature. (06/16/14)

A little more color to the same tiny, fascinating creature. (06/17/14)

(06/17/14)

Harlee takes a break as I watch for the humming birds. She was smarter than I was; she sat in the shade, and I sat in the sun. What's that they say about man being the more intelligent animal? (06/17/14)

Foxglove. (06/18/14)

Tiger Swallowtail on Crown Vetch. (06/18/14)

(06/18/14)

The calm before the storm, and a view of our little piece of paradise from the porch looking up the valley. (06/17/14)

I think the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band said it best: "Crickets are singin' and lightning bugs are floatin' on the breeze. Baby get ready." After the storms on Monday night, the lightning bugs came out in full force! (06/16/14)

And the fog rolled in. I was hoping to catch some lightning shots, but I was too late. The sky still offered some pretty neat viewing though! (06/16/14)

(06/16/14)

I hope you enjoyed our journey up and down the valley. If you would like to comment on individual photos, use this link:  Today's Lens (06/19/14) Photo Library.  

Join me again next time for more to "Today's Lens."

Thanks for viewing!

Laura

Today's Lens (06/19/14) - Just Kidding

Wow! Time flies when your having fun - and kids. No, not me, silly. Yesterday afternoon at approximately 2:27:10 PM ( I was too excited to note the exact time) our Boer goat, Ann, had a kid; a doeling to be exact. Of course, the artist side of me wouldn't allow the camera to go idle while this was taking place (it did note the exact time). Here are some progressive shots of the birth.

It's almost time. Ann was very uncomfortable at this point; up and down, up and down, standing, pacing. She has shown the first signs that kidding is near. Now we wait. I wished there was something I could do to help her out, but she's done this before and knew what was best (1:25:44 PM).

I see feet and a nose (2:24:49 PM)!

Baby on the way! (2:26:08 PM)

Wriggling its way out, and looks healthy (2:27:08 PM).

Bleeting and starting to look for Mama (2:28:47 PM)

Let the clean-up begin (2:33:01 PM) 

I stuck around for a while after the hard part was done to make sure the doeling nursed, and that Ann was in good shape, but then I had to leave for a doctor's appointment (nothing serious, just follow-up with the endocrinologist for my thyroid issues - that's a whole other blog, or maybe it should be). I left Mama and baby in the very capable hands of my brother and 4-year-old nephew who were the first ones to meet the new kid on the block!

Ah, finally home from the doctor's and Mama and baby are doing great! Still a little wobbly, but cute as a button and taking her first steps in this crazy little thing called life (5:09:51 PM).

"This being born stuff is tiring business! It's time for a nap" (5:18:33 PM).

Today's Lens (06/05/14)

Today's Lens takes us on a walk from our farm house to my mother's, well technically my sister's now, but I think it will take the rest of my lifetime to get adjusted to calling it anything other than Mom's (sorry April). From there, we'll journey into the garden, and the goats pen for some fun! Enjoy the journey with me.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This little one as been a very busy bee--look at that pollen! This bee is only about 1/4" long. I'm not too good with identifying species, so if anyone can, please let me know. --Image date: 06/04/14

 From a distance...  --Image date: 06/04/14

Wow, were the dandelion seeds flying around yesterday! It almost looked like it was snowing, and kind of reminded me of the opening line of Luke Bryan's "Drunk on You" - "Cottonwood blowin' like snow in July..." --Image date: 06/04/14

One lone male Mallard duck floated in the creek as we crossed over the bridge on our way to the mailbox. --Image date: 06/04/14

 Ah, my mother's bleeding hearts. She tried and tried to thin them out, but they hearty plants. The pink and white plants have now mixed together, and I was able to get one shot showcasing them both.  --Image date: 06/04/14

I'm sure Mom is smiling down knowing that her Clematis is still thriving.  --Image date: 06/04/14

The PJM blossoms have come and gone, and now it's time for the Rhododendrons.  --Image date: 06/04/14

I'm not sure what these are, but my sister may remember. They're a quite tall plant that my mother put in her side yard. I'll have to do some checking.  --Image date: 06/04/14

 Have you ever looked up at the world from inside a Red Maple tree? Well, now you have...  --Image date: 06/04/14

 The Tiger Swallowtail's (this is the male) were particularly cooperative yesterday, and were thoroughly enjoying the Lilac blossoms.  --Image date: 06/04/14

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 --Image date: 06/04/14

 This one's for you Mom. The Lilacs enjoyed a full bloom this year with no late frosts to kill them.  --Image date: 06/04/14

Of course, it was hot, so Harlee took a dip in the creek to cool off. She also scared the Mallard, but I'm sure he'll be back, and Harlee really needed the cool down.  --Image date: 06/04/14

 --Image date: 06/04/14

These next few shots are of what I've taken to calling the "Swallowtail Drinking Party-Tiger Style." Several gathered in one small area to drink from the ground. The party starts out with one butterfly getting ready for guests.  --Image date: 06/04/14

The first guest has arrived. Surely the party will pick up soon.  --Image date: 06/04/14

And then there were three...  --Image date: 06/04/14

 And four...  --Image date: 06/04/14

 The fifth one is a real party crasher, and flew in unannounced!  --Image date: 06/04/14

Of course, there's always one in the bunch that has to have a little too much and trip over his own wings.  --Image date: 06/04/14

 The simplicity of a buttercup.  --Image date: 06/04/14

And a gently moving meadow. If I didn't think I'd get eaten alive by bugs, this seems like such a nice place to just sit and daydream.  --Image date: 06/04/14

A wild strawberry peeks out from beneath its green canopy. Some little critter is going to be happy to see you!  --Image date: 06/04/14

I would usually take the time to look up what kind of flower this is prior to posting, but my computer just notified me that it will be restarting in 14.39 seconds in order to update Windows, so I'll have to get back to that. These are growing wild all over the farm; they are quite small, but very pretty. --Image date: 06/04/14

Last year's golden rod still holding on. As an allergy sufferer, I'm not to anxious to see the newly blossomed yellow of this year's crop anytime soon.  --Image date: 06/04/14

 

This little bluebird was singing his heart out to another one in the patch of woods across the pasture. I was planting at the time, and actually asked him out loud, "What are you talking about little friend? And why does she not answer you?" And then I thought, he's probably just making fun me, "Look at that crazy human with the picture box in her hands thinking she's sneaking up on me. Like I'm going to let her get close enough. Ha. Silly human girl."  --Image date: 06/04/14

 The plants are all in...bring on the rain!  --Image date: 06/04/14

 The goats! Mia was in a particularly playful mood. It was hard to capture it, but I tried anyway.  --Image date: 06/04/14

 "I am king of the tire."  --Image date: 06/04/14

 "Come on Belle, let's play!"  --Image date: 06/04/14

 "Please Belle. Please, please, please. Come on."  --Image date: 06/04/14

And one final shot of my view on my way up to my office. I love when the grass gets long enough to turn the horses out in the upper pasture. So peaceful and pretty.  --Image date: 06/05/14

I hope you enjoyed our little journey. Join me again next time for more of "Today's Lens." 

Thanks for viewing!

Laura

Early Spring

He is babbling through teeth of stone,
drooling in veins that spread
across dormant, bone-wet ground.
Relief lies dammed
with last year’s deciduous puke.
Ignorant pools burst 
into careless tendrils slithering
toward a creek that will carry
the Old Man away.

For now.

A soggy, water-laden sponge swallows
Every footstep and threatens
To steal your shoe. You pull away
But not without layers of phlegm.
She is cantankerous,
ridding Herself of his purity –
a mass of ashes and smut and filth.
Unmannered and ruthless,
the old Dame’s way.

For now.

Breathe Full Circle

My mother isn't here.
She’s with my father.
But, they’re gone.

Not on a trip or a vacation;
not in the conventional sense of such,
but gone.

Someplace that I am unsure of.
Someplace that I am assured is good.
A place of no pain or suffering,
filled with warmth and love for all beings and all things;
and, I, 
I can only hope that this is true.

There is no science to concretely prove the theory.
No proof. No evidence found at a graveside or
message carved on a tombstone to let me know
that the world they left behind was merely existence,
and that the unknown is what holds the secret to life and living.

But, there is also nothing to prove otherwise.

All I know for sure is that their bodies
have been returned to the earth from whence they came.

Full circle.

And their souls...

Their souls have been spread among us – the living –
to be shared, treasured, and passed down
through the generations of our own families,
and to the families of families of friends and relatives
whose lives they touched in some way
large or small.

Memories.

Ah, those are my celebration and my heartbreak.
They can carry me through, or tear me down –
rip me apart limb by limb, drain the liquid from my soul,
and leave me parched, empty,
and longing for the embrace that left me.

Memories can lift me from that place of darkness,
that echoing chamber in my mind where I,
for reasons unknown and often unbelievable,
have chosen to allow the infliction of pain to capture me.

Where instead of celebrating
the hugs, laughs, encouragements, lessons, and love,
I grovel at the feet of pity and despair
only to lift my head
and find nothing but a photograph…
a favorite record...
a cherished heirloom…
a pocketknife, sweater, handkerchief.

A threadbare t-shirt.
An unfinished afghan.

Breathe.
First, life-giving breaths of birth.

Breathe.
Invigorating, life-sustaining breaths of living.

Breathe.
Shallow, painful breaths of death.

Breathe.
Eternal, circular breaths of remembrance.

Drama vs. Truth

I could go on and on about this topic, but I'm strapped for time right now. As many know, there has been a longstanding battle over shutting down the carriage business in New York City (Philadelphia  has also been targeted, but not on such grand a platform). It boils down to politics and animal rights extremists vs. the carriage drivers and horse owners. The other day, friends posted this to our Facebook page:

This whole issue reeks of ignorance. The saddest part is that the bandwagon is full of ill-informed mouth pieces with louder microphones than the ones in the know.

The ASPCA itself has set regulations for the carriage horses, and even has staff that keep watch on how long each horse is on shift to make sure that they’re not being overworked, that they are not working in extreme conditions (heat/cold), and that they are kept humanely. Horses are meant to work. They are healthier, and I like to think happier though I've never actually seen a horse smile (well, maybe I have but people will think I’m crazy), when they are working and fit. In fact, it is much healthier for a horse to be working rather than a living lawn ornament whether it be as a carriage horse, work horse (plowing, hauling, farming), riding horse, or any other physically active type of horse. Inactive, barn-kept horses are more unhealthy, and quite honestly, not happy horses.

So, instead of choosing to clearly inform their viewers (some of the NYC stables are on prime real estate  that friends of politicians want to develop in addition to other hidden agendas), this local news station decided to fill a time slot by jumping aboard the abuse-to-animals train that has long plagued New York City carriage drivers, their horses, and the livelihoods of both. Choosing to spread the wealth of ignorance rather than researching and reporting the underlying reasons for the proposed ban because it might mean standing up to political agendas driven by the thickness of their wallets and elected position of probable corrupt power, because--why? It's easier? It's what the public wants? It's what sells? Oh wait, they did interview very reliable horse owners from Happy Trails--great people who are experienced and skilled in the craft of horsemanship with reputable facilities, horses, and services--but what about the whole story? I fully appreciate the reporter having sought out horsemen for their views and valid opinions--that in itself is quite commendable--but it's not enough.

What ever happened to investigative reporting and telling the whole story rather than pure sensationalism and a twisted idea of what the public wants to hear? I, personally, am tired of the drama for the sake of drama. Not only in relation to this topic, but several:  it's going to snow (close the schools and streets for an inch), it's going to be cold (bring in your pets, it's going below 30), a brick fell from a building (reporter tosses an already-fallen brick while standing in supposed harm's way). This isn't a prime time drama. It's not supposed to be entertaining for the sake of ratings. It's supposed to be the news. The good, the bad, and the ugly of it. And all of it. I’m tired of having to do my own research to get to the real story because I can only trust a minuscule amount of the information that I get from the news. What sells is important? No, truth is what's important! And reporting the truth, all angles of it, should be a moral, ethical, and unequivocal requirement for any newscaster, reporter, writer, or analyst. 

For the record:

According to an editorial written by actor Liam Neeson in support of the carriage workers "the city’s horse-drawn carriages have made an estimated 6 million trips in traffic in the past 30 years, most ending up in Central Park. Four horses have been killed in collisions with motor vehicles, with no human fatalities." That's much better than the multitude of automobile accidents in the city. Or, the amount of courier accidents while weaving in and out of traffic on their bicycles. He also noted that "the horse carriage trade is a “humane industry that is well regulated by New York City’s Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene and Consumer Affairs.” This past weekend, picketers paced outside his NYC home protesting his support.