Equisetum hyemale (Horsetail family)
Welcome to August.
I've been thinking recently about my childhood.
The eldest of five children,
we grew up on "the farm."
My dad fed and raised
cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens.
He owned a few work horses
when
I was very young.
I roamed pastures,
played in the chicken house,
sneaked and chawmped raw rhubarb
from the back of the garden,
crawling on my belly,
(never called it that except for now)
so my mother wouldn't spot me
from her kitchen window.
What about
Other occupations?
Investigating the woods
and the neighboring cemetery,
climbing trees and farm buildings,
swinging on branches of the weeping willows,
chasing and catching mice during corn-picking times,
picking wildflowers,
and making pop-bead necklaces out of "snakeweed*"
(before pop-beads had been invented!).
Was life idyllic?
Perhaps.
Was it more or less than it should have been?
Never.
Equisetum hyemale (Horsetail family)
*snakeweed: Common Scouring Rush, Equisetum hyemale If you click on the name at left, you will find very interesting information about this plant!
** I borrowed the two photographs from www.missouriplants.com
Happy August!
I'm going to retreat from blogging for a couple of weeks.
A change in routine is necessary for the moment.
May you experience fine weather, great gardening conditions and no pesky insects of any kind,
and nothing "Shady!" ;-)
I've been thinking recently about my childhood.
The eldest of five children,
we grew up on "the farm."
My dad fed and raised
cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens.
He owned a few work horses
when
I was very young.
I roamed pastures,
played in the chicken house,
sneaked and chawmped raw rhubarb
from the back of the garden,
crawling on my belly,
(never called it that except for now)
so my mother wouldn't spot me
from her kitchen window.
What about
Other occupations?
Investigating the woods
and the neighboring cemetery,
climbing trees and farm buildings,
swinging on branches of the weeping willows,
chasing and catching mice during corn-picking times,
picking wildflowers,
and making pop-bead necklaces out of "snakeweed*"
(before pop-beads had been invented!).
Was life idyllic?
Perhaps.
Was it more or less than it should have been?
Never.
Equisetum hyemale (Horsetail family)
*snakeweed: Common Scouring Rush, Equisetum hyemale If you click on the name at left, you will find very interesting information about this plant!
** I borrowed the two photographs from www.missouriplants.com
Happy August!
I'm going to retreat from blogging for a couple of weeks.
A change in routine is necessary for the moment.
May you experience fine weather, great gardening conditions and no pesky insects of any kind,
and nothing "Shady!" ;-)
12 comments:
Hey Shady,
I just changed my template and guess what?! We've got the same one, except mine is green.
As a farm girl myself I can really relate to your musing today.
Enjoy your summer break and thanks for contributing to the poetry circle.
Lovely post Shady, it sounds like you had a lot of fun growing up! Enjoy your retreat. :)
Carolyn, I'm always thankful for your Muse Day. I seem to need a little time, here and there, for that reflective pause.
Thanks, Rebecca. My childhood was as it should be. ;-) I'm looking forward to this little break!
This post inspired fond memories of running wild through field and forest as a child. :)
Have a wonderful retreat!
That stuff is growing all over my property this year. I am not sure which is worse, the thistles of the the mullein.
Have great relaxing time.
Loved your August Muse Day post, Shady. Growing up, I too snuck raw peppers and gnawed on raw rhubarb from the garden behind my house! Loved romping through pastures playing Dale Evans, praying not to step on the cow pies! I also played hide and seek under briny pickle vats! Enjoy the break. Away so much, mine are sporadic too! Back home to the real life tomorrow ... Happy August :)
What a wonderful description of your childhood. If only all children had those opportunities to explore outdoors.
I hope you enjoy your break and hurry back soon :-)
Great pictures! I hope you have a restful break. Also thank you for the link a few posts back. I've been so busy that my commenting on other blogs has suffered but I still wanted to say thanks!
Except for making pop bead necklaces out of snakeweed, I think we had a similar childhood, Shady. Empty chickenhouses and corncribs were my playhouses:) Great poem! We'll miss you, but enjoy your time off from blogging. I wish you perfect conditions in your garden for the rest of the summer, too.
Lovely post, Shady! I'm sorry I've been absent without Leaf lately, but life just gallops away on me. I understand the need to take a break from blogging. I think we get midsummer meltdown with blogging as well as with gardens!
Shady Loved your post took me back to my childhood days... Enjoy the break , will be looking forward to your return.
Enjoy your break. I think this time of year, we all need one.
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