Autumn is beginning to show

And so, the seasons change

Julie's phone is having more fun that I am!

A Different Angle on the Chicken Coop

Usually I take pictures of the chicken coop from the door side, which faces west. This is the south side. My brother Boo and his crew painted this side this spring. They figure one side a year, they'll have this building painted by 2010.



The preferred siting for chicken coops is to have the windows face south, here in the US. It's something about maximizing winter sun exposure and minimizing winter. Is it reversed in Oz?

Finally!

Caught Cyrano in Motion!!!!

Good Morning!

Not a lot to report in my world. Monday folks from work are coming out for a Shuffleboard Tournament here at the farm. We're going to explore our inner geezer!

My neighbor across the road

Corn

A thought occurred to me yesterday. Do they raise corn in Oz, Julie?

The old adage here in Michigan is that the corn should be knee-high by the 4th of July. I'll take a picture later. It's way beyond that.

A Gift

My niece Tulip is quite crafty. She made these pots and . . . gave them to me, for plants out here at the farm. I was very touched. (You must know Tulip to catch the immensity of this *grin*)

Lilacs

The lilacs are early this year.

The Farm - 1941

Close Cousin?

Here's the honeysuckle, which looks a lot like the pear blossom, I think. However, the scent of honeysuckle is out of this world! (Unless you're allergic.)

Pear Blossoms

Happy May! This is the grandest appearing month in Michigan . . . as long as we get some sunshine! *grin*

Development???

Susan has a good post about preservation in her town, and the problems that build up as property gets into developers hands. I so hear this discussion. I've followed the provenance of a couple of farms in this county pretty closely. I live in a house that has only family historic value, but it is approaching a hundred-years-old, and is situated on 160 acres that is still used for agricultural purposes. It is the house my Grandma Bea grew up in, and as she was an only, and my Mom is an only, it has stayed intact through the years. However, the bulldozers are working overtime four miles down the road, as the road is widened and given turn lanes. Mom's half-mile stretches of just farm are rare: most frontages have been transformed into homes. I'm just grateful for the time I do have here. The uncertainty of the future makes now sweeter.

Now Grandma Bea's husband, Chris, also grew up on a farm, over in the next township (closer to Lansing). He was the youngest of six. His father bought him eighteen acres when he married Grandma. The farm he grew up on passed to his oldest brother, who helped take care of the parents. Uncle Wills and Aunt Tommee had a dairy farm. Development hit their township a lot earlier. Uncle Wills passed in the early 60's, and in the early 70's Aunt Tommee sold the land to mall developers, with the proviso that part of the acreage would be a township park. There is nothing left of the original farm.

Development. Progress. Or is it?

Simple

Home Sweet Home

The farmhouse is in that reflecting ball, and someone with a goofy orange cap.