Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Females! June 12, 2018
i have a confession to make: the females love me. They just won't leave me alone--especially on these rainy days. Sure, Deep Woods Off helps, but no matter how much I spray on myself, they always seem to find the holes in my defenses. I know--I'm sweet and kind and don't have a sarcastic bone in my body, but I wish they would buzz off. Always whispering sweet nothings in my ears to see how I'll react. I hate, despise, abhor the mosquito. No, I hatedespiseabhor the mosquito. Think what a gift Noah could have bestowed on humanity--he just had to find two of them, right? I know, scratch that idea. I'm sure he had more important things on his mind, but . . . Sigh. And it's raining again. I guess I'll just have to endure all the attention. You know what they say, "All work and no spray makes . . ."
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Morrow County Dictionary: June 9, 2018
Morrow County Dictionary:
Mosey--it's how one gets from one place to the next place--antonyms--"hurry"; "now"; "today would be nice"; eliminates the word "late" from one's dictionary as in "the late Al Iten."
Morning: when the day starts--before the sun comes up
Rested: what one feels at the end of the day when the body is tired and the bones ache because you've been doing manual labor--the soul sighs. "now wasn't that a good day!"
Wave: required hand motion when anyone goes by--always returned with a smile
Honey: the real name of every male over the age of sixteen--sometimes shortened to "Hon," as in "Thanks, Hon."
Serenity: the practice of sitting quietly on the top of the hill and ignoring time as a thing--usually accompanied by a light cool breeze, flashes of bluebird, goldfinch, and robin
Meditation: the act of spending two hours on your riding mower talking to yourself and Him. Sometimes accompanied by a host of velvet flying aircraft.
Oratorio #1: a competition between the feathered friends to see who can greet the morning with the loudest, most joyful song of praise. No sun is required. Usually won by the robin.
Oratorio #2: bass choir that hangs out in the pond and harmonizes all night long--usually accompanied by brief flashes of light everywhere
Rain: useful for slow walks, filling up the pond, reviving the bog; tears of joy for the flowers and trees--growth spurt encourager--except for the old man
Gardening Angels--those responsible for all the surprises at The Acres--laughter and tears encouraged; dancing a must
Symphony: booms and flashes of light that come with a hard rain in the darkness
Beauty: everything around you
Homesteader: aka "the Boss"; "wet dish rag"; "Dumb animal"--queen of The Acres
Neighbor--the people that live next to you that you actually know by name and talk to
Enemy: squirrels (tree rats), chipmunks, groundhogs, skunks, 'possum, raccoon
Books--enlighteners in the dark hours
Summer: a ten week weekend
Morning: when the day starts--before the sun comes up
Rested: what one feels at the end of the day when the body is tired and the bones ache because you've been doing manual labor--the soul sighs. "now wasn't that a good day!"
Wave: required hand motion when anyone goes by--always returned with a smile
Honey: the real name of every male over the age of sixteen--sometimes shortened to "Hon," as in "Thanks, Hon."
Serenity: the practice of sitting quietly on the top of the hill and ignoring time as a thing--usually accompanied by a light cool breeze, flashes of bluebird, goldfinch, and robin
Meditation: the act of spending two hours on your riding mower talking to yourself and Him. Sometimes accompanied by a host of velvet flying aircraft.
Oratorio #1: a competition between the feathered friends to see who can greet the morning with the loudest, most joyful song of praise. No sun is required. Usually won by the robin.
Oratorio #2: bass choir that hangs out in the pond and harmonizes all night long--usually accompanied by brief flashes of light everywhere
Rain: useful for slow walks, filling up the pond, reviving the bog; tears of joy for the flowers and trees--growth spurt encourager--except for the old man
Gardening Angels--those responsible for all the surprises at The Acres--laughter and tears encouraged; dancing a must
Symphony: booms and flashes of light that come with a hard rain in the darkness
Beauty: everything around you
Homesteader: aka "the Boss"; "wet dish rag"; "Dumb animal"--queen of The Acres
Neighbor--the people that live next to you that you actually know by name and talk to
Enemy: squirrels (tree rats), chipmunks, groundhogs, skunks, 'possum, raccoon
Books--enlighteners in the dark hours
Summer: a ten week weekend
Friday, June 8, 2018
The Routine: June 8, 2018
Well, I have finally started to settle into my summer "routine." Rise early, feed the cats, feed my feathered friends, feed the old man. (I cheated today and went to the clown's place.) Psyche has returned which can only mean that she has kittens nearby. I barely saw her for a year, and suddenly, she's a daily drop by. Helps Shadow eat his breakfast. He backs off when she shows up and waits his turn, so we know who the boss is--little sister. She failed motherhood last year. We will see about this time around--maybe.
Each day I do a little something that looks like work. Yesterday, I started a flower bed, trimmed around a little bit in preparation to do some mulching today, moved a few iris, mowed the front of the Acres. Today, I'll do a little more bed building and start the mulching. The iris are all but done--a few are still blooming and my Gardening Angels saved a new one for next week. It just started to bud this week. I will find out next week what color it is. "Tune in" to the Saturday slide show and eventually it will be there. The lilies are just starting to bloom, and it's going to be a banner year for larkspur--they do an impressive job of re-seeding themselves--as active as the love-in-the-midst, of which I have millions. The roses have started to bloom as well--some reds and pinks. I don't know what other surprises my Angels have for me this summer, but I will be content with the "resurrection" of the one iris that hadn't bloomed for five years. It was a beauty I brought up from Mom and Pop's. Thought I would never see it again, but "presto" there it was. Maybe the other one I really love is around somewhere as well . . .the angels are just keeping it until next year. Can't have too much excitement in one summer--the old heart may not be able to handle it.
I take at least one weekly trip to the Pizza Hut buffet. Get a daily newspaper (It's an old people thing kids). Take my many walks and sit-downs on the hill. (Lots of bluebirds around this year!) Spend the darkness reading. I was going to run down to Cincinnati tonight for the Cards and Reds, but it looks and feels like rain. Don't want to sit through a long rain delay in the evening. Get home too late. I think Sunday is an early game; maybe that one. Rain won't matter then. One last Senior Graduation party tomorrow. Then, I think that may be it. What a lovely summer time rut I can get into then. Ah--a hermit's dream.
Each day I do a little something that looks like work. Yesterday, I started a flower bed, trimmed around a little bit in preparation to do some mulching today, moved a few iris, mowed the front of the Acres. Today, I'll do a little more bed building and start the mulching. The iris are all but done--a few are still blooming and my Gardening Angels saved a new one for next week. It just started to bud this week. I will find out next week what color it is. "Tune in" to the Saturday slide show and eventually it will be there. The lilies are just starting to bloom, and it's going to be a banner year for larkspur--they do an impressive job of re-seeding themselves--as active as the love-in-the-midst, of which I have millions. The roses have started to bloom as well--some reds and pinks. I don't know what other surprises my Angels have for me this summer, but I will be content with the "resurrection" of the one iris that hadn't bloomed for five years. It was a beauty I brought up from Mom and Pop's. Thought I would never see it again, but "presto" there it was. Maybe the other one I really love is around somewhere as well . . .the angels are just keeping it until next year. Can't have too much excitement in one summer--the old heart may not be able to handle it.
I take at least one weekly trip to the Pizza Hut buffet. Get a daily newspaper (It's an old people thing kids). Take my many walks and sit-downs on the hill. (Lots of bluebirds around this year!) Spend the darkness reading. I was going to run down to Cincinnati tonight for the Cards and Reds, but it looks and feels like rain. Don't want to sit through a long rain delay in the evening. Get home too late. I think Sunday is an early game; maybe that one. Rain won't matter then. One last Senior Graduation party tomorrow. Then, I think that may be it. What a lovely summer time rut I can get into then. Ah--a hermit's dream.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Backroads of Morrow County Update: June 6, 2018
Backroads of Morrow County Update:
I took The Last Ride on its first ride through the backroads of Morrow County this evening. A rainy day had given way to a brief moment or two of sunshine. Mountains of white clouds formed a ring around the sky with lower wisps of gray clouds gently wafting into the east. Everything is by now, of course, green. The corn and soybeans have united the fields into blankets of green in their attempt to catch up to the wavy acres of wheat. The trees are leafed out--the patches of woods thickening into shadows. The fields still reveal their contours; corn and beans are not high enough to hide the outlines yet. There is not much color other than the green. Some sprinkles of daisy and patches of yellow trefoil. Not much else. Two deer watched me creep past undecided about melting back into the thicket or testing my reflexes by darting across to the other side right in front of me. They took the stay put approach and just watched me slowly slide by. The mourning doves and red-winged blackbirds control the wires and the roadside ditches. The meadowlark is in his favorite field. The calm of the countryside is cathartic for this old man and his love of the melancholy and serene. The highlight of the journey was the magnificent rainbow that filled the sky to celebrate the end of the rains--at least for the moment. It spread from horizon to horizon. Proof once more that this is my Father's world: the God of Beauty, the Covenant Keeping God of Promises, the God of Mercy. I'm sure--Lord willing--that this will not be the last ride for The Last Ride. My fellow Morrowites will have to get used to the black car cruising their back roads instead of a little red wagon. No fears--I'm sure they'll wave. Friendly strangers are accepted on the backroads on beautiful, sun-lit, rainbow sky days in Morrow County.
I took The Last Ride on its first ride through the backroads of Morrow County this evening. A rainy day had given way to a brief moment or two of sunshine. Mountains of white clouds formed a ring around the sky with lower wisps of gray clouds gently wafting into the east. Everything is by now, of course, green. The corn and soybeans have united the fields into blankets of green in their attempt to catch up to the wavy acres of wheat. The trees are leafed out--the patches of woods thickening into shadows. The fields still reveal their contours; corn and beans are not high enough to hide the outlines yet. There is not much color other than the green. Some sprinkles of daisy and patches of yellow trefoil. Not much else. Two deer watched me creep past undecided about melting back into the thicket or testing my reflexes by darting across to the other side right in front of me. They took the stay put approach and just watched me slowly slide by. The mourning doves and red-winged blackbirds control the wires and the roadside ditches. The meadowlark is in his favorite field. The calm of the countryside is cathartic for this old man and his love of the melancholy and serene. The highlight of the journey was the magnificent rainbow that filled the sky to celebrate the end of the rains--at least for the moment. It spread from horizon to horizon. Proof once more that this is my Father's world: the God of Beauty, the Covenant Keeping God of Promises, the God of Mercy. I'm sure--Lord willing--that this will not be the last ride for The Last Ride. My fellow Morrowites will have to get used to the black car cruising their back roads instead of a little red wagon. No fears--I'm sure they'll wave. Friendly strangers are accepted on the backroads on beautiful, sun-lit, rainbow sky days in Morrow County.
Monday, May 21, 2018
This Week at Iten's Acres: Summer Responsilities. May 21, 2018
My responsibilities for the summer:
Hide.
Get up in the morning and fix breakfast.
Feed the Boss....
Walk. Walk again. Walk again. Walk . . .
Sit on the hill and listen to and watch the beauty that will be all around me.
Read--inside on rainy days; outside on sunny days.
Take pictures of the flowers.
Build new beds; re-do old beds.
Mulch.
Feed my feathered friends.
Eat. Slip out to the Pizza Hut buffet once in awhile.
Pretend to weed.
Go to Baker's Acres. And try not to buy everything.
Post something on Facebook once in awhile.
Drink Pepsi.
Oh, and walk.
Hide.
Get up in the morning and fix breakfast.
Feed the Boss....
Walk. Walk again. Walk again. Walk . . .
Sit on the hill and listen to and watch the beauty that will be all around me.
Read--inside on rainy days; outside on sunny days.
Take pictures of the flowers.
Build new beds; re-do old beds.
Mulch.
Feed my feathered friends.
Eat. Slip out to the Pizza Hut buffet once in awhile.
Pretend to weed.
Go to Baker's Acres. And try not to buy everything.
Post something on Facebook once in awhile.
Drink Pepsi.
Oh, and walk.
Going to be a rough summer. Whew.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
This Week at Iten's Acres: An Evening at The Acres May 9, 2018
An evening at The Acres:
Rushed home after school to do the first mowing of 2018. (If you need work on your mower, call Matt Gnade) Started in the back simply because the grass there was really high. Had to mow in the raindrops from time to time, but I love mowing. Got the meadow and wild area back to "park" status. A few daffodils still blooming--a couple haven't bloomed yet. Mostly miniature ones--yellows, whites--a few others. The green-eyed daffodils are always las...t. They should bloom this week. And it's pink, blue, and white bells time.
The flowering trees are in full array. Redbuds everywhere. Crab apples--red, pink. white--everywhere. Flowering almonds, apple and pear trees, a magnolia or two. The old dogwood should be a white cloud by the weekend. Have to keep your eyes up as you walk The Acres this time of year. The allium have started too--make a nice purple presence in the midst of the tulips. Tons of dwarf iris this year. They usually start in mid-March; this year they are just starting. The "real" iris will be along in about 7 to 10 days. As you know, I am anxiously watching them in search of buds. I caught the iris-lovers disease from Mom as a kid and have yet to be cured--or even seek a cure. The late spring will lead to a dash of color for the rest of the spring and summer. Should be marvelous. Never get tired of the beautiful--and He supplies such an array. Sun, shade, part-shade, He has beauty for everyplace. And not just at The Acres.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
This Week at The Acres: The Mystery May 1, 2018
Strange happenings at The Acres: What you say? I have found several items in The Wild Area. The Wild Area, by the way, is at the very back of the property--removed from any humans other than one chubby old bald guy who wanders there daily. What have I found in the proverbial "middle of nowhere"? A baseball. A plastic football--orange. A stuffed animal--turtle. Are my Gardening Angels playing games in The Acres? Are there child Gardening Angels? Mysterious things--you have to admit. Maybe I should set up a remote camera . . .? Nah, the mystery is more fun.
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