A hard scrabble....

Everything about this picture says it is a hard scrabble life for anyone wanting to farm this property. I was going to post it over on my Time Stand Still blog, but decided to use it here. It is a picture I took in Tennessee....it is not uncommon to see land with the rocks exposed in the area I am from. If I run across land like this up here, it takes me back to so many places I have known...to what seems like another world, another time.

I first thought this was some kind of outbuilding, but then I seen the curtain at the window and I wondered had it been someone's house many years ago...and that thought was followed by the remembrance of plastic curtains. Does anyone else remember them? I don't know if we had any, but I know some neighbors did.

Can you imagine trying to grow anything here...down home, at least in two areas that I was very familiar with...cattle ran the fields. And I could always count on finding the prickly pear cactus growing there. And some of the best wild blackberries grew in those fields...and one of them had some big flat rocks that had ruts wore in them and mom always said they were from wagon wheels of early settlers/pioneers....

Our school yard had some of these same old limestone rocks...not quite as many as above but they were there. Out behind the school, which was the play ground for the first and second grades, I remember there was this one huge limestone rock, or it seemed huge to me then...I think the one I am referring to was almost flush with the ground. At one end of it it had, it had I don't know what you would call them. Almost as if someone had spun two tires side by side there until it wore it down. Only it was completely natural. I know we played and played on that rock, and I think we pretended that was where our babies slept...what I don't recall is if one of us pretended to be the baby or what. I do not remember having dolls there.

Then to the one end, where the rest of the grades could play at some time or other, was more rocks, one of these was not huge by any means, the part that was above ground was maybe 4 or 5 foot long.... most of it was probably under the ground so really no telling how big it actually was. It was flush with the ground on one side and then stuck out of the ground at least a foot or so on the other edge.

Well, I think from 3rd or 4th grade on, we would take our jump rope to that rock. Two of us would get in front of the side of that ledge of rock and hold the ends of the jump rope. All the other kids, including the boys, would get in line back from the side of that rock that was flush with the ground. The two holding the rope would hold the rope up and everyone would run and jump from the ledge over the rope....and as everyone had a turn, the rope would be raised higher. I think some of us would eventually be jumping it when it was higher than our waist....we would get back and run as hard as we could and just leap as high as we could from that rock to try to go up and over.

And I think sometimes we would use an old dry stick weed....just anything to have fun. We didn't have supervision at recess...when we got mad about something we argued a little and got over it and went on with what we were doing. I don't remember there ever being anyone that thought about a lawsuit over someone getting hurt...and don't remember anyone being seriously hurt.

I do remember one time, one of the boys in the class ahead of us had a red hot jawbreaker and got choked on it....this was before I ever remember hearing of the Heimlich maneuver. The teacher tried turning him upside down and shaking him, I think....and I don't know what all and nothing helped. One of them stuck him in their car and headed out I assume to the doctor's office because it was closer than the hospital.

They had to cross a railroad on the way--as they crossed over it the rough ride either made the jawbreaker come out or pass on down. I don't remember which it did...gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'how to save a life.'

Our wild and crazy visitor....

Someone had a birthday party last weekend, but since I was sick, we did not get to go. So this weekend her and her mommy came down to see us...

I have play dough for her, and on the way or else before they left, she asked her mom if I still had the play dough....and believe it or not, she had not been here two minutes till she asked about it.

Well, Sarah got a late start because of reasons beyond her control....so it was dark when they came. On the way, Lorelei ask her if we would still be up...Sarah told her yes. Then she asked if we would be in our pajamas. Don't you like how their mind works?

I cannot think which day/evening it was, but Sarah told her to come on...she was taking her to the potty or to change clothes...something. Lorelei was sitting in the floor playing with something and was just ignoring her. So, Sarah, and me too, for that matter--we count to three and if she doesn't do what we ask, we swat her bottom.

So, Sarah started to count, 'One.' and Lorelei promptly says, ' Two.............three.' By then Sarah is leaving the room expecting her to follow, and she says, "lorelei, do you want me to spank your bottom?' Lorelei, being Lorelei, turns and looks at her and says, 'NO, Not yet,' but she did get up and go with her mom.

She is such a mischievous child...I have several puzzles that she works when she is here...she can work them just fine, but every now and then she will get a piece and try to put it in the wrong place, or should I say pretend to try to put it in the wrong place...she will hold it there and look at me and say 'Here????' I know she is wanting an excited reaction from me.....

On the way to Walmart

Since my girls are coming today, we had to make a little fun to Walmart for a few things...well, we would have needed to go whether they were coming or not. I asked the Roger if he minded running through the strip pits on the way...even though it was snowing I was really hoping to see an eagle but no such luck. Not even a hawk was out today.

However, the the one pond we always stop at, I saw these swans. From a distance back I thought whoopee! Whooping Cranes...I mean I could tell they were standing and not sitting in the water. I just did not realize how shallow it was there...when we got close I could plainly see it was swans. Still a joy to see....
Then at the HUGE strip it, we have been seeing the above pair of water birds but they always take flight before I have a chance to snap a photo...however today I did get this one and one other fired off before they were out of the picture. I think it is a Goldeneye, but not sure...there are two types of those so whoever wants...chime in and tell me which one, or if it is something totally different because I just am not familiar with them.
This was taken after I left the strip pit area, I think it is the white fronted geese. They were flying around there...and if you enlarge it you will see that one is white....is it a snow goose? I have not had time to look any of these up on the web, and the girls will be here shortly so don't really have time now. Everyone be sure to check the comments because someone will probably identify these and I may not get a chance to edit this tonight...

It is snowing as I speak, but still not supposed to get any amount. Still it was pretty before darkness fell.

No sewing for me today....did manage to visit a few blogs. Part of the time now pictures don't want to load on this computer. I have been trying to narrow down my choice for a new laptop...and having a hard time in the matter. There is one I really want, but would have to wait for it to be on sale...plus it is not Energy Star rated so now I am not even sure I want it.

I have been using my little netbook just to browse with, but all my photos are on this one. So, I use it to blog with and a little bit of other stuff just when I want to pop on and check email. But for evenings sitting watching TV, I use the other.