Wednesday, March 14, 2012

February, March -- Ever Forward

February 16th we laid my step-father to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.  It was a rainy, dreary day, but despite the inclement weather, a small group of friends joined the family at the grave site.  The ceremony was moving, though quite short.  The seas of white markers of thousands of veterans who passed before made a dramatic backdrop for the photos. I can only imagine how dramatic it would have been on a brilliant, sunny day.

 




After the funeral, we took the opportunity to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Photo ops for this were somewhat dampened by the fact that, as per usual, those with the biggest, most vibrant umbrellas elected to stand in the front, blocking the view for everyone else.  No big deal, we saw, we tried to capture the photos, and we made a quick retreat back to the limo waiting to take us back to the funeral home.





On the way back, we were subjected to a, "random search."  I kid you not....Washington, D.C.'s finest felt compelled to stop a funeral limousine to search us.... why exactly, I have no idea.  I felt sorry for Mom who, already tired of sitting in the cramped seat in the limo, had to endure the police opening her door, letting the rain in, and then closing the door on her...when it became obvious to them this really WAS a family in a funeral limousine.  Frankly, I was happy to get out of the Nation's Capitol.  I'm not certain it is a place I'd like to visit any more.

Back in the small blip on the map that we call home, we were happy to find our critters had survived their first overnight EVER without one of us being here to close them in for the night.  Joe had built a completely enclosed run for the chickens to be used when we want to actually leave the farm for more than a few hours.  Everyone seemed happy and healthy and particularly thrilled with the notion of the self feeder...
Lovely Eggs, Courtesy of the Hens

We are inching ever closer to the completion of the old farmhouse, but it looks as if it will still be a couple of months before we can start actually living in it.


Meanwhile, we keep busy with the other projects around here.  Yesterday afternoon found us replacing the rotten boards on the 16 foot trailer with new lumber...quite a workout, for those of you who have never tried this one!





Another of our recent projects, well, actually, an on-going project, is the widening, deepening and eventual landscaping of one of the two ponds we dug to catch the water being diverted from other areas of the property.  With the surprisingly warm days of late, Joe was able to do a fair amount of digging, and once the ground dries a little from this morning's rain, he will use the excavated dirt (clay) to help further build up some of the roads he's creating on the property.

 


During the colder months, it is hard to work on outside projects, so we naturally turned to the MANY projects that still awaited us inside.  Of course, even the inside projects often require SOME outside work (cutting boards, etc.) so we don't move as quickly as I'd like on these projects, but, with a little patience, they do eventually get completed.  We finally managed to get the LARGE carpet art, that Joe had created years ago, mounted on the wall of the garage (our makeshift living area).  I have been wanting to get it mounted for more than a year, and finally, it is there.  I love it!  The scene is of Yosemite.
Yosemite in Carpet on 8' X 4' Plywood

And here it is  - March, and the daffodils are in full bloom.  The plum trees opened their blossoms today and the peach trees are sure to be blossoming within the week.  Not far behind them are the nectarines and cherries.  We are, all of a sudden, having to rush to get ready for putting plants in the ground.
Tadpoles in Pond

Daffodils in Woods

Of course, the month would not have been complete without a trip to see my lovely little granddaughter, after she, my daughter and my son-in-law returned from their visit to the in-laws in France.  She is growing cuter by the minute!

Eloise in Hat

Eloise Meets Her French Cousins

Eloise Takes a Nap in Her Tutu




2 comments:

Nekkid Chicken said...

such a beautiful life you have
Mal

Judy's Corner said...

Thanks, Mal, I really have to agree!