putting up hay, gardens growing, a day of being where I am

post #196
      Yesterday was my first day in ten without grandchildren visiting! I decided to distract myself by taking off, cameras in tow, grateful that the morning skies were cloudy and the light wonderful. I love enjoying where I live.
      I turned left at our mailbox, drove along, and soon saw that there was haying going on fields I have often filmed before. Fantastic. I turned off, and stopped near Jean's garden.  Jean has always loved her garden.  She is not able to work it like she used to, so I took some photos for her as well as ones of the work putting up the hay.  I didn't realize at first who it was operating the tractor -- I am just not an equipment geek.  (For example, it takes me years to notice after anyone on the ridge changes cars.)
       Anyway, it turned out Jamie was doing the raking, and he is an ace. That much I do know.  I'm continually fascinated by the patterns made by the hills and the hay.  

      Jamie's wife Susie was waiting with their bigger tractor which they were going to use later to gather the bales  -- before the rain came.  As she and I visited some, I noticed the color of her toenails next to the color of the tractor!  I got her permission to take a photo - I love it.  Thanks, Susie.   

Various stages of cut hay surround the garden.

       Before I got back home, I stopped to photograph another garden I admire every year. I have their permission to take photos of it, but I rarely get both the right light together with the time I'd need to work. So, some years, I never take a single photo!  Yesterday, however, I had both the light and the time.  
       Thank you, Margie and George -- sorry you weren't there so we could have a visit.

Notice the foot prints and the care taken!

The same row from the opposite end of the garden.

Note the creative use of old tobacco sticks...

such a beautiful cabbage

      There is more, but for another time.  I thank you all for visiting here, and I hope you are able to enjoy some fresh vegetables in your future.  I can't wait for those first garden tomatoes!

a week of just being where I am

post #195
       It has been the kind of week where even trying to take time this afternoon to pull together this post benefits from some dumb luck.  It is now 5 pm, and I think I'll make it this time....

        Here are photos from throughout the week: 
      

This year's hay fields seem particularly beautiful.  Some are already cut, but this one is not - yet.

    The milkweed starts again to be showy, and, to me, continues to be fascinating!

      Our son graciously brought his daughter here, from the west, for her summer visit - wonderful to see them both!  Luckily we have fiber optic wi-fi so that even from here he can do what needs to be done.

      Our grandaughter is staying for a whole week, though, on her own!

We've seen a deer along our driveway, and admired the neighbor's well-tended garden,

      and visited with our friend's rabbits:

 

      Then, after a few days, our daughter and her daughter came from the east, also for a week, which makes for a cousin overlap! This is "first time" wonderful.

    We have been swimming in our pond, watching a lot of hummingbird activity on our deck, 

 

AND yesterday all five of us here were on and in the Kentucky River, during a gathering in celebration of a wonderful man who died this spring, at age 100.  He would have loved the day honoring him.

 What a full and fine week. The last photo, below, is of one of the great-grandchildren from yesterday.   And all of us need to remember, as his great-grandfather would say: "be particular."

Route 32, within the Rowan County part, in the rain

post #194
      This is Sunday, June 15 (Father's Day in the USA) so I could say, badly, that we are going "father" along Route 32 in today's photos.  I know, I left out an "r", but it can sound OK spoken aloud and quickly.... Early spring seems so long ago, but in reality I made these photos a brief 2 months ago, on April 11.
       I began by finding a place to park, near a Rowan County cemetery along Route 32.  The following photos are from that parking place or from my return nearby to the "main road." It was peaceful even in the rain. The house and the area around it are well kept up.  

    
Looking down toward the road from the cemetery area:

            Next I went back to driving along Route 32, first looking to the left:

     
          Then two views across from this "rejoining area":

       and then looking to the right, which is where I intended to go:

  
         A lonesome house on Route 32, but it provides my next pull-over spot:

         Farther along was another spot where I could pull over (note the same Stop sign in the following three views):

         Next, from that place, two views looking back to where I had come from (note the same "Curves Ahead" sign):

       Last for today, looking behind where I have been parked -- lovely!

       I have heard that remaking this road is inevitable, but I still dream of all the other uses one hundred million dollars could serve. I also wonder if ripping apart the existing community, with family members living near each other and such, is worth a more impersonal "normal" road that most people would simply drive on without noticing as many of the remarkable aspects of the current passage to Sandy Hook.  Again, I am particularly appalled that all that money will be spent to shorten a 40 minute journey BY SIX MINUTES!!  What about health care for veterans?  What about education for Kentucky students?  What about the environment that will NOT be enhanced by whatever construction that happens and which is noted to be currently unique, even for Appalachia?  I wish I could just accept what some want to call "progress", but for me it has to make more sense than what this particular road project has.  Or rather doesn't have.

      I do enjoy making photos like I have been doing.  Seeing with my camera.  Showing a story.  So here are the links to my earlier posts for Route 32: 
                 post #187
                 post #188
                 post #189
                 post #191