Monday, April 4, 2016

Around Oak Meadows



The fields are so beautiful this year. The wildflowers are spectacular, bluebonnets, paintbrushes, primroses, all just painting the meadows.  We had a mild winter with plenty of rain this year so the wildflowers are exceptional this year. The fields of corn are about 8 inches tall now. But it is the rice fields that I find so lovely. Right now they are just a misty green, but soon they will be the most beautiful emerald green and then before harvest they will be golden. 

We have 3 swallow pairs nesting on the front and back porches. I can hardly wait to see the babies.  Only one hummingbird has shown up so far but we are ready for however many show up.  We are having a spectacular Monarch spring. There are currently 10+ caterpillars chomping away on the milkweed beds, even the new milkweeds that we just set out have had caterpillars eating away.  I saw 3 jade green chrysalis on the under side of the bird bath. And there are several Monarchs flitting around. This is so different from last year when we had virtually none until August. Well, if they will keep coming, I will keep growing milkweed for them. 

I love to read Ronni Bennet's blog Time Goes By. She discusses so many things that appeal to me.  Today she wrote about how her convictions had changed over the years but what caught my attention was this part,

"I'm surprised at how much happier I am than during my youth and middle years. I don't mean giddy or silly or even that I necessarily laugh more. Contentedness is probably a better word. This might be related to the fact that I'm getting better at knowing the difference between what I can change and what I 
can't, and even when I fail at that, I don't get angry as I once did."


Did this ever resonate with me! I am more apt to see things and people more as they are and less as how they "should" be. I do what I can and let it go.  If people have been unkind or acted in foolish ways before, most likely they will remain foolish or unkind.   It has been a pleasant surprise to me how happy and content I am at 68. I spend my days mostly doing pleasant, quiet things. 

Well that's about it from OakMeadows where the cats are all fat and happy and so are the people. 

3 comments:

Hattie said...

I'm enjoying life a lot these days, too. Just worried about my cat's health. We're taking him to the vet on Friday.

Florence said...

Hattie, I do hope the vet is able to help your cat. I have 4 cats and it is just awful when they aren't well.

Rambling Woods said...

This was uplifting...and so happy you are content... I am working my way back there too