Yesterday after the plum picking adventure and before the jam making fiasco, I took my camera and we strolled around the ranch. It’s funny what you see when you have your camera with you. For example, does anyone else think that Italian Cypress are the ugliest trees on the planet? These trees flank our driveway and create the grande entrance to the ranch.
I think most people passing by would think one of two things:
#1.) These people have obviously never watched a single episode of Curb Appeal on HGTV.
#2.) Gnomes must live here.
But alas, I have been outvoted by Michael and the neighbor Nikki, so stay they must. They can make me leave them in the ground, but they can never make me like them. Just to mess with the neighbors, I think I’ll put little planter beds around them with painted gnome statues. Payback for the barking dogs.
My next lucky find were Michael’s hanging baskets of petunias on the porch. They were very pretty in the early morning light.
The moon was still very bright and beautiful yesterday mid-morning too.
Then I spotted Jack, who spotted me too, but wouldn’t acknowledge me because I had the camera. He is afraid of cameras.
Then I spotted Diana who was having a little girl time smelling the flowers.
Diana spotted me too, but ignored me because I didn’t appear to have any treats. Sometimes I put my hand in my pocket just to mess with her and then walk away when she gets up. I’m not proud of it. It’s kind of like the cruel trick drivers used to play on hitchhikers.
I also spotted a little bird on the wire fence.
He is probably responsible for this new bird’s nest on the porch.
This guy was eating plums until I scared him and he jumped the fence to the neighbor’s house.
Then one moved into the yard sending a signal to Michael that he needs to mow again.
Then I spotted my ducks, Donald and Daisy and wondered why the people at the feed store didn’t tell me they were gonna’ look like this. Did they really need the $15.98 that bad?
Then I spotted my juvenile chickens roosting outside in the morning sun. Most of them would be leaving us in the morning, going to their new home with Farmer Fred who gives our extras a good home. Suddenly the gangly ducks, the messy bird’s nest, and the ugly Italian Cypress trees didn’t matter.
This is home for me and Michael and a lot of lucky animals.
p.s. I am still getting the gnomes.