Gooseberries

There was a time when I was a child my Dad worked with my Uncle Duane, Dad’s brother, putting up hay for the Winter, and feeding cattle.  My uncle and his sons, Dad, and myself would put up a lot of hay each Summer.  Part of the treat of working at my Uncle’s farm was getting to eat dinner, our midday meal.  Let me explain where I grew up we had breakfast, dinner, and supper; there was no lunch.  Sometimes for dinner one dessert my Aunt Ollie prepared and served was Gooseberry cobbler.  Most of the time these were served at family get togethers.

Aunt Ollie’s gooseberry cobbler was the best I have ever eaten.  If you have never eaten a gooseberry cobbler or pie you have missed a treat.  If you have eaten a Rhubarb pie; that comes pretty close, but it is not gooseberry.  Uncle Duane and Aunt Ollie have gone home to be with the Lord.  We no longer have family get togethers with their children, nor do we do the hay thing.  I miss them, and I miss the Gooseberry cobbler.

I mention this because I am going to experiment with raising some gooseberries.  I thought about a few months ago, but never got around to do it.  This morning I needed to go to town [Cassville], and take care of some business, and pick up some meds at the pharmacy; but I had to stop on the way out our road to trim a tree limb out of the road.  When I started rolling the limb, and its brush over the hill I noticed a clump of Gooseberry bushes.  I decided then and there that when I came back by I would stop, and pull a couple of them, plant them at our house in the fence row, and see what happens.

I did just that.  They are planted, and hopefully will begin producing berries in a year or two.

If they do I will need to make me some fresh Gooseberry pie, or cobbler.

-tim

Eagles at War???

This past Wednesday morning as I was driving home, and along the bluff road to our house there were several bald eagles perching in trees.  I drove a little ways, and suddenly one flew up from just beside me.  It seemed that it was standing on the steep bank, and my driving by it caused it to take flight through the trees.

What I found fascinating was that eagle made a half circle around in front of me, landed in a tree branch just over our road, and attacked another eagle sitting in that tree.  As I drove under the tree they both took flight, one after the other; but when the last one left it flew high, then, made a dive bomb attack on the other one.

A few minutes later I stepped on on the front porch or our house, and though I could not see the eagles I heard the screeching speech of an eagle.  It was a continued piercing screeching sound, clearly that of an eagle.  They were on the other side of the hill that rises slowly to the South of our home.

They are majestic birds.  Wonderful to watch.  I had never seen them behave that way before.  That is why I have the question marks on the end of the title.  It may have just been a domestic dispute.  It may have been a dominance dispute as well.  It is interesting here on the banks of Flat Creek.

-tim

One Bad Thing…

…About having an inside thermometer for the outside is that you notice how hot it is outside.  I guess in the Winter you notice how cold it is; but to some “Cold” sounds pretty good right now.  I looked a moment ago, and the temp here at our house on Flat Creek, South of Jenkins, MO is 108 degrees.

I told Madge [my wife] just a while ago that I think this has got to be the hottest spot in the State of Missouri.  I do not know of anyone around who is ever as hot as we get.  Hey though.  I really do not mind the heat, as long as I can get cool.

I water the trees and flowers early of the morning just before, or as the sun is rising over the hill in the East.  It is warm at that time, and I usually come in the house rolling with sweat.  It tickles me blue to be able to do those things.  For a few mornings I have taken my new truck, gone to the gravel, shoveled what I would approximate to be about 1000 pounds of gravel into my truck and hauled it to the house; or as I did yesterday; up the road and filled some holes in the road; hopefully for a better ride down the road.  I did that before the heat got too much for me to bear.

It is great to be able to go outdoors, enjoy the weather.  One bad thing about this  time of year is for those fellows and gals who must work out in it.  My heart and prayers go out to you.  I say to you drink plenty of water and juices; without alcohol or caffeine; or it could dehydrate you.

One bad thing is that Winter is on the way.  On second thought; would that be so bad; at least right now?

-tim

 

Our Driveway

For some who know where my wife and I live you know the drive to our house from the main road is a beautiful drive, and even that, this time of year you just might see an eagle, or two or more.  As you drive along the drive on the bluff overlooking Flat Creek the eagles often roost of the evening in the tops of the sycamore trees which reach out over the flowing water of the Creek.

When you get down to our home in the valley, our driveway is not so good when it is raining or shortly after a rain.  That is because it used to be pasture land, and we have worn a path through the grass, and it is without any gravel.  I have checked on having some limestone gravel hauled in and it is not cheap.  Now the thing about the limestone is that it would look nicer than the old brown creek gravel which we have plenty of.

We need gravel on our driveway, so today, I am going to go, the old fashioned way, borrow a pickup, and get my shovel and do some gravel hauling myself.  I will probably wear myself out again this Saturday, but that is good for me I suppose.

Get that gravel down, and then, we will have much better traction rolling out the drive to the road.  Last winter I could cut through the yard by the old house and get on the road.  This year we have an electric fence around the yard so it would take a little more effort to cut through.

I think sometimes it would be nice to have a tractor with a front loader and a small dump truck.  With those two items I could keep the potholes filled on the road to the driveway too.  But, that is going to have to wait.

Right now a pickup truck, a shovel and manpower is all I can do.  So that is what is going to happen today – God willing, of course.

When I got up this morning at 4 a.m. it was 18 degrees outside.  That is considerably colder than it has been all week long.  The ground will be frozen, but that will not stop the work.

Flat Creek is up and rolling right along in full view out our back patio door.

-Tim

I Lost a Kid

To some of you “Kid” is my word for child, not a goat.  I was always called “kid” when I was, and I am still called “kid” by some distant family members who are a few years older.

While driving my school bus yesterday afternoon; I had just departed from the high school picking up my kids there,  and I had a kindergarten boy who, along with a kindergarten girl was standing, turning around in the seat, and I told them both to turn around and stay in their seat.  Well,  I did that a couple of times at least.  When I leave the high school my bus is loaded and there is no room for any more.

I have eight stops in town before I ever leave town to go on the 45 – 50 mile trip out of town.  In town I drop off over half my load.  There are three of those eight stops where 30 to 40 (combined) get off.  This little fella, some how managed to get past me at one of these stops without me seeing him.  When I get to his stop; he is not present.  At the stop, the mother, which I find out is his foster mother, comes to the bus to walk the boy back to the house; but he is not there.  She asks me if she can come of the bus and look.  I tell her she can.  She does, walking to the rear of the bus; but he is not there.

I radio the principal of K- 2 and inform her; and they proceed to seek the child.  I need to leave from this stop, because I have traffic on the street backed up in both directions.  By the time I have all my other kids unloaded I radio in to find out about the boy, and I am told they have found him.

Evidently some kind person; and I am thankful it was a kind individual; has found him walking the side of the road, picked him up and taken him home.  Thank you!  Who ever you may be.

I will learn to watch this little boy much better at these other stops.

-Tim