"I Love ... "

Howdy Friends! 

Kessy Loving our front yard

Watching Kessy stroll among Ravishin’ Robbie’s flowers this morning I’m reminded of all I love ... I love my Robbie, daughter and grandbabies. I love my mare, our dogs, kitties and our wonderful peaceful life. I love birds singing, spring wildflowers, butterflies, moss, streams that babble and summer breezes, and snow. I love stars at night, fireflies, whippoorwills calling, hot dogs smothered in fixin’s, ice cream, and God. I love our country, the many friends I’ve been blessed with. I love a quiet morning, and a stormy night. I love long wondering slow trail rides through brush, bramble and stream. I love the smell just after a summer rain, and brownies baking. And smiles. Oh my there is so much to love, take some time everyday and think about all you love, it'll warm you. ~ Gitty Up, Dutch.
www.itsforthehorses.com 

"Grandma's Christmas Cactus"

Howdy Friends,

 

I spent my youth, which seems so long ago, but sometimes not so long ago, on a dairy farm in PA. When I was about 10 I was, "Farmed Out" that is to say placed on a farm to work for my room and board. There I learned much. It was there that, although I did not realize it at the time, I was first touched by the spirit of the horse. While the farm always had an old tractor much of the work was done with the heavy horses, Dan and Bill. It was huddled in their stall on one of my first nights on the farm that I felt that spirit. I can still remember that feeling of comfort, safety that came over me. The first time in my short life that I felt that way.

Grandma's Christmas Cactus -

Life was suddenly so different. I had spent the previous 3 years locked in a room, with the sole window painted black. Here on the farm there was a vast openness that took some getting used to. Here on the farm there was suddenly no more ugliness, no harsh words and worse. But there was no love there either. I was there to work. I found my work fun though, mostly. I never really enjoyed shoveling out the privy. If you're too young to know what that is, try the google thing. It was here on the farm that I first discovered birds, too. My first was a Killdeer in the cornfield as I hoed thistles from between the stalks.

The farm had no modern conveniences, well we did have electric in the milk house, I suppose the dairy insisted on that. But the house and the rest of the farm had no running water or electric. One of my chores had been to carry and heat water for wash day Monday. Another to keep the wood box full.

One day, a few months after I'd arrived at the farm, a car pulled into the driveway between the house and barn and I watched from the barnyard as a woman walked up to the house. Soon she came out to me. It was my Grandma. I didn't know then, but she was forbidden to come see me. But she did. 

She told me later that she'd parked way off on other days and walked to safe vantage points to watch me work ... Until the day came that she would watch from afar no more. Years later she told me she would sit outside the house where I'd been in that room and stare at the black window for hours.  From that first meeting on the farm Grandma became my only regular visitor. The folks didn't really like it, because when she visited it took me away from my work. But Grandma was very determined.

Robbie and I still have Grandma's Christmas Cactus. It blooms some years at Christmas, other years I guess it doesn't feel like it. Over the years it has sometimes struggled to stay with us, but like Grandma that little cactus is very determined. Grandma loved violets too, it was for her they had such a big role in my novel. 

By my guess Grandma's cactus is well over thirty years old, and this year it's sporting a fine display of red blooms. I paused this morning on my way out for coffee with Kessy and said howdy to Grandma.

That raggedy little plant still brings Grandma's happy visits to me.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

"I thanked Him for the splendor"

Howdy Friends!

Last night's thunderstorms scrubbed summer weary leaves to glossy, sparkling green. They shimmered and glistened, and let go great drops of captured water. In the gray light of morning's break, Kessy and I set out to gait. Soaked leaves smacked my face, painting assorted soggy dots on my hat and shirt. Red muddy puddles decorated the logging trail we've both missed too much these past months. No matter the goo to gait through, Kessy, in high spirits would not be held to a walk, but did agree to her world class flat walk. Day five of her, and our, restart only twenty minutes was the plan, but knowing the lay of the land, and where the most wildflowers grew, we stretched the agenda, a minute or two. Over Little Bear Bridge her bare feet clopped, and among blooms, butterflies and yellow birds we stopped. Pausing to take it all in, I thanked Him for the splendor, the beauty, my horse, my wife, our daughter and my life. 

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"A morning Coffee Clutch Stroll"

Howdy Folks,

 

The past few mornings have been quite humid, hot and still, so the fan in the barn had whirred along, doing its best to move the heavy air. While Kessy's fan is great for that, its steady whir tends to drown out the bird song, and since this morning's air was bit lighter I switched it off. On my way to the barn I'd heard a Mockingbird singing variations of at least half a dozen song-bird-solos and wanted to listen to his entire show. So the fan needed a break.

As I puttered around doing my morning's this-and-thats, tending to the chickens, Saturday and Kessy the Mockingbird's soliloquy floated deftly on the air accompanying me. Others joined in too. For the first morning in a while I heard a Scarlet Tanager, he was some distance in the woods, but his notes filled the tree tops. Mr Wren darted here and there chirping his delightfully busy chatter, and several Phoebes called their names as if to make certain they were recognized as part of the ensemble. A special treat was Mr. Bluebird's solo from somewhere high in the big Oak.

Kessy, Saturday, Miss Kitty, Tigger and me

 Settled in my chair next to Kessy it was delightful to take in all the birdsong, and Kessy's slow, sleepy, hay munching. Other birds joined in as Saturday, Tigger and Miss Kitty reclined with me. The squeaking of Chipping Sparrows, trilling of a Robin and even the call of a passing Crow filled out the bill. Then as if by request, the air rumbled gently with the low vibrations of a distant train. And then the whistle blew.

I tipped my hat to the Creator, gave thanks for the splendor of it all, and decided to stroll about before heading in for my morning ration of boiled oatmeal. Ravishin' Robbie had spent last afternoon and evening touching up her gardens and everything looks lovely. First stop the wild looking patch next to Kessy's bedroom just bursting with color from Brown Eyed Susans, Lilies and Daisies. A brief pause at the back porch steps to say good morning to Mrs. Phoebe who settled on our porch light as the most perfect spot for her second nest of the summer. Any day now tiny peeps will be peering over the nest edge.

Saturday, Miss Kitty and Tigger trailed along single file as I moseyed to our campfire area where Robbie has 2 tranquil shade gardens. I must admit to not knowing all the plant varieties there, but the border of Coleus is brilliantly red and orange.

Off we trekked to the front of the house where Robbie's vegetable garden fence is sporting the greenery and brilliant reds of Cardinal Climber. If you've never planted this delightful climbing plant, do yourself, and your Hummingbirds a favor, and plant some, the flowers are tiny cups of velvet red. The interior of the vegetable garden is looking great too, but I'm a flower kind of guy, and since this year Robbie decided to forgo the Marigold boarders, well it's boring to me.

Robbie's Herb Garden

Her Kitchen herb bed is jam-packed with all sorts of hearty, happy herbs, many of them blooming now too. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this garden and so many were there it looked like a convention! The Clary Sage has a  lovely light blue flower and the Yellow Swallowtails were loving it. I checked the Blue Bird nest there and it looks like they are starting their next nest, too!

Robbie's Flower Jungle

I lead our little troupe to the big flower jungle next. This is a big bed where 7 summers ago we had planted full of Zinnias and Cosmos. It was our first flower bed when we moved here. Each summer plants reseed themselves in it, and it's been expanding annually. The flowers are so thick it never requires weeding! This morning the Larkspur was in charge creating a dense bouquet of sky blue. The Cosmos are just beginning to open, and the Zinnias too, adding just the right touch of red, yellow and orange.

Thanks for joining the Coffee Clutch family on our morning tour. Hope you had fun!

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"Happy Spring!"

Howdy Folks,

Ah yes, today is the first day of Spring! According to the fellow in charge of telling us all about the weather on TV, it arrived here at Appomattox, VA at precisely 7:02 this morning. Equinox they call it. That means literally, equal night; from the Latin, aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, night and day are about equal length.

I love Spring, the rebirth. Ravishin' Robbie says it is her favorite time of year. I don't really have a favorite. I love the changing of the seasons. Each season brings its own blessings and excitement. From the Spring's bursting forth of wildflowers, Robbie diving into her gardens, birds singing in the tree tops, the return of our Hummingbirds, the tall Maple trees boasting red buds. To the Summer's heat, baby Blue Birds and Phoebes in the nests, dozens of Hummingbirds at the feeders, fresh vegetables and flowers from Robbie's gardens. Then Autumn brings us Fall flowers, the Fall Equinox, majestically painted tree foliage, scores of fledgling birds flying about, pumpkins and squash from Robbie's gardens. Of course some of our Spring and Summer birds leave us but the Juncos come and add their unique fun to the coming of Winter. Winter, here in Appomattox we get just a taste of snow, every few weeks during Winter we have just enough snow to paint beautiful scenes all around us, pine boughs dusted in white, our snow covered dirt road with just a single set of car tracks down the middle ... And of course there are those delightful Winter evenings snuggled in our cozy little house with Ravishin' Robbie enjoying her world famous hot cocoa and ginger snap cookies.

So you can see how it might be hard for a fellow like me to have a favorite season when all seasons have so very much to offer. I must admit though, I'm ready to hang the Hummingbird feeders, they should be here in just a few weeks now. The Phoebes have started their first nest in the barn, I've been watching them gather mud and dried grass and carefully tapping the little adobe balls in place on their shelf in the barn rafters for a few days already. The Blue Birds haven't started nests yet, but are singing and Robbie has seen them flying in and out of the nest boxes.

Robbie has already planted peas, lettuce, chard and spinach. But, as has become a custom around here, the chickens have pretty much … unplanted them. Eventually Robbie will prevail and her garden will be beautiful and abundant.

Kessy and I heading out for a First Day Of Spring ride … even though our high today is predicted to be 20 degrees below normal at a windy 40! We rode on Friday and had already seen Trout Lilies blooming under the Mountain Laurel and the Myrtle (periwinkle) in the ancient cemetery was starting to offer its pale blue flowers too. Who knows perhaps today we'll see our first Rufus Sided Towhee or Indigo Bunting.

We send you wishes for a wonderful Spring day!

God Bless & Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry