Friday, May 04, 2018

Snapshots from Selle/Colburn Country







Another busy and fun day in the Selle/Colburn Corridor

Yup, my travels yesterday took me to the flower farm, around my lawn for about four hours and over to my sisters' farm for an evening gathering. 

As usual, the day was packed full with pretty sights, some fun folks and the joy of a busy spring day. 

Before proceeding on with yesterday's highlights, I must issue a public thank you to my sister Laurie. 

Knock on wood, but I do believe she provided me the secret to avoiding "The Itch," which has tormented me for up to two months in the spring and early summer for the last six years. 

In that time, I've gone from Dr. Internet, researching every weird disease possible; to going to a doctor (the week after my Medicare kicked in) to kicking the dogs out of the house, to spraying the house with Fabreze allergen, to popping Benadryl at night and Allegra in the day . . . . the story goes on and on.

As the uncomfortable itch around mostly my neck area carried on, I eventually began to see a connection with lawn mowing, my favorite springtime sport in all the world.

My sister Laurie also enjoys keeping her lawn tidy. One time she mentioned to me that she takes a shower whenever she's finished with her mowing duties because she feels so gritty. 

Like Laurie, I tend to clearn up too after lawn mowing duties, not necessarily considering my clothing as a factor. As the mowing cycles passed on, I eventually realized that it was not just me but every item I wear which catches the dander. 


As mentioned in a recent blog, I now resort to a very  complete regimen after mowing with thorough cleansing of everything I've worn while mowing, and, of course, the entire body AND hair. 

Thank you, Laurie, for giving me the basis for this gradual discovery and for the fact that I have now mowed the lawn three times and have yet to feel the need to scratch.  

Hoping it continues as we move through the worst of the pollen season, but for now it's nice to have finally found a very cheap cure for a very irritating 24-7 springtime problem.

I can once again enjoy my favorite lawn sport. 

Yesterday I decided to do a little cheating on the color show in my yard, since the fruit trees have yet to leaf out and since I'm hosting a Derby Hat party here tomorrow.  

So, I picked up several ponies of petunias to spread along the west side of the garden.  While selecting flowers, I met a nice lady wearing sunglasses.  

As I walked past, she smiled and said, "Hi."  When folks wear sunglasses, they can be long-time friends or perfect strangers.  I never know the difference until I start talking and guessing. 

In this case, my new friend Ann was a stranger, but only for that millisecond after she greeted me. We were soon visiting as if we'd known each other forever, 'cept for the actual conversation. 

Ann was buying flowers with her daughter Marie and her mom Marilyn, who's up here visiting from California. 

I soon learned that Ann likes to give cooking lessons in her home along Jacobson Road where she has lived for the past couple of years. 

One more fun thing about the Selle Valley, I thought.  So many interesting people with phenomenal talents live out here.  

Before we left the Flower Farm, Ann gave me a flyer for her cooking classes, and I have included it among the photos.  

So, if you're looking for a fun activity over the next week while driving out through the beautiful Selle Valley, you might consider one of the classes. Times, costs and menu are included on the flyer.

I may have to take a class myself. Welcome, Ann, and good luck with your classes at Birch Creek Farms.

After the big mowing session and an early dinner, I headed over to Barbara and Laurie's Tibbs Arabians AND Brooke Love's farm. 

My sisters were hosting a 4-H horse judging seminar for the Gold n' Grouse youngsters.  They'll be putting their knowledge gained to use tomorrow at the county horse judging contest. 

While Barbara and Laurie shared their expertise at picking out the best horses, Miss Brooke was picking out nice sticks and bringing them to the indoor arena in hopes of getting some fetching action.

Turns out at these events, younger siblings not quite tuned in to learning about how to judge a horse provided Brooke just the team she needed.

While kids learned and practiced inside the arena, Brooke kept the younger crowd entertained and busy out by my sisters' large manure pile. 

Twas great fun for everyone, and I'm sure the other kids and their parents went home with some wonderful new tips on how to pick out the pretty horses. 

Brooke probably went home to Todd and Joe, thinking she was pretty hot stuff, having that stick action all to herself while her buddies lounged around in the Young Love living room. 

A great, satisfying day, for sure.  These are the prime times for all of us who love living out here. 

Happy Friday, and do check out the cooking flyer.  

























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