Thinking on a morning at Forever Weekend Farm

It was a drizzly morning, but that did not stop Dingo and me from sticking to our new routine. We started the coffee, filled the bird feeders and settled on the couch in the new screen room to watch the show. The squirrels arrive to the feeders first. It doesn't matter how I arrange the feeders, squirrels are limber enough to reach them all from some point on the driftwood hanger. I always want to grab the camera as the scoundrels look so cute scrunched up in the bowls of seed and swinging from the cedar feeders, but I realize everybody probably has seen them doing this and wish they would hang out somewhere else. I have watch-crows who swoop in next and harass the squirrels till they leave. They are really blackbirds, not crows, and they arrive as a large mob, scatter the seed to the doves on the ground, and eat their fill. All this while squawking insults at the squirrels looming in the palms above. Five minutes of this thrashing chaos and then they all leave at the same time. The male cardinal peers from the safety of the cherry hedge and waits his turn. When the coast is clear he signals to his wife and they both float down to the table of seed bowls to see if the crows left any sunflowers seeds. She sits back as he picks through the pile and then feeds her a seed with a quick beak kiss. How sweet is that! The cardinals share the feeders with the little green finches, and doves. Occassionally a bluejay dives in and everyone scatters for a few seconds and then they all resume their positions. The woodpeckers come next, but they are more interested in the suet basket. The male woodpecker always flys to the porch roof and gives us a jolt  as he drums a warning loudly on the tin with his beak.  We call him Tarzan.
Time for Dingo's biscuit and my special cup of coffee -honey, half and half and a large wispy curl of whipped cream from the aerosol can! We now move to inspect the front garden with our treats. After I check the tomatoes for caterpillars, admire my flowers and pick off the dead buds, we take our walk. Well, it turns into a light jog, but you could walk next to me-I'm not trying to do anything real speedy-just get my heart rate up a bit. Dingo trots strong and square a few feet in front scouring the area for trouble. She is very protective and  proudly carries out her role as guardian of me.

We added the jog to the routine when Jerren came to visit for three weeks. She liked the bird watching and garden patrol and loved my coffee, but decided I needed to do a little more moving. She also added a bit of Insanity to my new workout. Yes, I did a modified version of Shaun T's, the cardio guru, workout, but it definitely was Insanity. I don't know what hurt more--my stomach from laughing in squat position, or my thighs from going deeper. Jerren pushed me to take my little morning pilate and yoga stretches to the next level. I was joyously exhausted! The whole time Jerren was here I slept so deeply and felt so much better. I promised to keep up the routine after she left for their nursing assignment in Fort Walton Beach.

So Jerren has been gone for 4 days and Dingo and I are keeping our promise. Even though dark clouds surround the farm, I sit to put on my trotting shoes. This sends Dingo into puppy mode and she begins to do leaping pirouettes in front of me. Seventy years old in dog years and this walk energizes her with delight.

I do a lot of quiet thinking while trotting down the dirt road behind my four legged bodyguard. I talk to myself and begin to appreciate my healthy limbs and forgive the flab on my waistline. I take note of the pileated woodpeckers on the telephone poles, the red shoulder hawk watching me from the tall pine, the blind mama possum walking aimlessly down the ditch line, and the layers of warm air sweet with the smells of an approaching summer.  Egrets searching for breakfast watch us from across the canal and startled turtles slip off their sunning rocks into the murky water. How wonderful to watch the world awaken. A great way to start a day full of so many possibilities. The dirt road ends and we do a u-turn and head back. The dark clouds are following us at a pretty good clip now. The wind picks up and so does my trot. Dingo turns back to look at me, surprised that I am now running home--she did not know I could move that fast and she loves it!!! The clouds open up just as we reach the palm hammock. The rain is cold and feels wonderful!
Dingo and I feel good as we stand on the porch and watch the plants drink up from God's sprinkler!
We both breathe in the smells of rain and are happy!!!
We will continue to hold down the Fort until our Jerren and Pat return.
More on Jerren and Pat's visit later. I want to attach some pictures!

Me warming up before my morning trot



Sunflower with bee




Front yard flowers




Different varieties of sunflowers




Zinnias



Dingo and Gladiolas

Koi swimming under a spider and her web

Sunflowers with the jasmine hedge

Knock out roses

Tomatoes, herbs, and flowers
All started from seed