Country Lovin'

 

Twas a St. Patrick's Day like no other. 

The "luck o' the Irish" brought forth sunshine and warmth but not quite enough to dry up ALL the mud. 

In fact, I reached a point yesterday of getting downright tired of having to walk through slimy mud to get into my car or to put things inside any of its four doors.

So, I finally drove the Subaru to another parking spot, pulled the tractor from the shop, loaded up some gravel, made a few ruts in the ground west of the barn and dumped that gravel where the vehicles are parked next to the house. 

The area where we park does not get much direct sunlight, but it has been warm enough to melt the snow into a layer of mud along with a few puddles. 

What a difference some gravel makes! 

Anyway, with all the good stuff of the day, mud did irritate at times but still did not stop the fun. 

A morning trip with my friend Tricia to Homewood Farm Stand over on the Shingle Mill connection road involved some good visiting with owner and baker Jennifer and a trip home with loaves of fresh-baked Irish soda bread and delectable brownies topped with Irish whiskey infused frosting. 

No way to explain the delight of each bite of bread (smothered with melted margarine) and brownie with that oh so subtle hint of whiskey in the topping.

BTW:  Jennifer says the bread (three varieties---raisins and caraway seeds, only caraway seeds and plain) comes from a recipe by Betty Collins (Kevin and Betty) in the St. Joseph's Catholic Church cookbook. 

Jennifer, you are putting out some great stuff at your stand!  YUM!

The afternoon session of fun involved a menagerie, all happy inhabitants of the Dickens-Bode farm here in the neighborhood.

It's spring time, and the babes have hit the ground, ultra cuties at that.  

And, with their arrival, come all the protectors and friends on the farm to swarm around and to get a little love as visitors admire the babies. 

The "kids," Little Rosè and Cabernét, seem to have figured out the lay of the land in their six days on Earth, and they often cover a lot of the land quickly, much to the anxiety of their mom Buttercup. 

The active little ones do keep her busy, but she does have help in the babysitting department from four dogs, unknown numbers of chickens and even an occasional visit from a trio of ducks. 

And when the bottle-fed piglets come out from the house, they enjoy equal treatment from the self-proclaimed and adoring guardians.  

It's a good life, even in the mud, at the farm, and it's for sure that every critter among the menagerie knows it's loved by both its animal and peep friends. 

A very entertaining visit, indeed and a definite reminder of why some of us love life in the country so much, even when we fight the mud. 

Happy Thursday.