Flowers

Yesterday afternoon, after much weeping and gnashing of teeth, we got
all three tractors up and running. I was surprised that all three
started up so well, seeing as how neglect was the main way that they
were prepared for the inactivity of winter.

The resurrection of the dormant tractors coincided with the start of a
fine drizzle, which progressed to heavy rain by sunset. That ended any
plans I had for mowing the lawn. That was all right, because there is
always something else to be done on our property. The children and I
spent time hauling downed tree branches to the site of last year's
bonfire. It was a big job; many trees on the property still need to be
trimmed of dead branches. Dead tree limbs pose a real threat to the the children. In my practice, I have cared for several patients who had been injured by falling tree branches. One woman actually had a limb penetrate her skull.

But enough of my morbid medical stories.

If you look carefully at the picture above, one can see the pile of wood in the distance. Now it is larger, and obscures more of the distant house behind it.

Here is a video from last week, which shows how beautiful Spring is in North Texas, and some of the children working or playing in the back yard:



Springtime in North Texas is heralded by the blossoming of flowers, especially the Bluebonnet, which is the State Flower of Texas. I believe it is illegal to mow areas where the Bluebonnet is in bloom. Another floral rule or tradition of this season is to force little children to get photographed in Bluebonnet fields - regardless of where said fields are. It is not uncommon to see dozens of cars pulled off along the interstate to take advantage of the flowers blooming along the embankments.

Thankfully, we do not have Bluebonnets, but we do have these little flowers all over the property, which are just as beautiful and smell nice. One of the things I like about them is that they follow the sun throughout the day. In the morning, they lean towards the East, and by the end of the day they are facing the West. When I picked these flowers, they were turned toward what would have been the setting sun.


Another great thing about having so many flowers around is that the children can pick them any time to give to their mother. Even husbands can pick them, especially if they have to make amends for thoughtless infractions they may have incurred.

In one way, these floral arrangements are far more beautiful than those purchased at a flower shop, but I suspect women still love to get roses whenever possible.