I’m happy that it’s spring and I’m enjoying making photographs again. The weak winter light, the gray days, the dull empty landscape – these things do not inspire me. But the sun is shining golden and the trees are just starting to leaf out and the grass is so vividly green, it is astounding. And the children, of course, are as lovely as the weather.
Sweet Brenna (who was up in the tree to rescue the boy in the post below)
Our calf was born last Wednesday night. I stressed and worried over that thing all night, because I couldn’t see if things were going well between mama and baby. My instincts told me my worry was justified and the daylight proved me right. This was Daisy’s first calf, so maybe she should be excused, but we had to take that calf from her just as soon as we could get Daisy milked. The calf, whose name is Buttercup, is pure delight, though, the new princess of our little farm. And, of course, she’s a girl. Our friend Ed asked the other day, “How is it that you get so many heifers?” (All our calves have been heifers.) “Well,” Davey said, “it’s all Jen’s good management.” It’s nice to get husbandly praise, isn’t it?
Our two mama cows, on the bank along the pond.
Tommy is head over heals in love with his Daddy. For the first few weeks of Davey’s retirement, Tommy called him “my Daddy”. “I’m going outside to help my daddy,” he’d say, or, “My daddy is coming for dinner.” Always with the my, and a little extra emphasis. He’s become such a permanent fixture on Davey’s daily rounds that his daddy built him his own special “buddy seat” for the tractor. They spend hours out in the fields together. And then that boy falls fast asleep just as soon as he sits still for two minutes.
Tommy in his Buddy Seat, right by his daddy's side.
I got to work a loader yesterday! Our friend Ed (the same Ed) has a small dump truck and he hauled some crushed limestone home for us a week or so ago. We had the ability to spread it over the fields, but no convenient way to get it from the pile to the spreader, save a shovel. But our good neighbors have a small bucket loader they graciously loaned us, so while Davey did the tractor work, I got to scoop and load the limestone into the bed of the spreader. It was fun. I can see why Jonny would like to be a construction worker when he grows up.
My handsome farmer-husband, peeking out from under his sunshade.
I have two boxes of fabric, gorgeous fabric, coming on the UPS truck today. I can’t wait till it gets here, and tonight, I will put on a movie and cut out some dresses for my girls. What is it about the springtime that makes a person want to create, to see things grow from nothing into a worthwhile something, by the work of her own two hands?
My Rosie-girl, digging in what used to be an awkwardly placed flower bed. Davey moved the strawberries we had planted there, and thinks he'll be able to plant grass there instead. Ha!
Sunshiny days, rosy-cheeked children running wild, things to make and grow, life to nurture…these are the things that are making me happy these days. How about you?
