Build Me a Dream

I hope your New Year has come in with a kind of calm, peaceful hopefulness that exudes optimism for the year to come.  There are always things in life that seek to destroy these moments that most of us desire….my prayer for you all is that these peaceful thoughts and feelings might envelope your year more often than not.

In general, I found 2016 to be a year full of violence, meanness, and very unkind intentions.   I wish we could go back and rewrite those stories.  I would have written in the presence of, Superman, swooping in and stopping the violence before it could occur.  I would have brought to present times, King Solomon, in all of his God-given wisdom to regulate the meanness that arose in our country’s political environment…..and I would have made it a requirement that each of us revisit our Kindergarten  years wherein we learned how to be kind and properly treat one another.   I think this might have made for a kinder year.

Within all of this, there were some wonderful moments on the homestead.  There is much I have not spoken about, and there would be so many words, I might have to create a book rather than a blog post.  Since much of my “writing time” was taken up preparing for and writing about my Penni ‘s breeding and impending litter arrival, much of the other events of the year were not told.  I will try to catch up in photos…and a few words…….

May brought the first signs of grapes….

…..while June brought the hazards or those darn foxtails.

June also brought a little growth to the garden….

….and new life to the homestead!!

With July came the building of a new path across the creek.  It will be nice to now get the tractor across to beat down the tall brush, and revitalize the hiking trails.  I’m so happy about that!!

The garden really tends to take off in July…..

….and the grapes gained in size.

August brought a mature garden, and the first fruits of harvest….

…..we had a bumper crop of cantaloupes this year.  They were so delicious.

The dryness of early September is not one of my favorite times.  But as the colors start to change…

….the grapes begin to ripen….

….and the first signs of fall, a green hue to the ground, is a promise of the rains to come.

October was lost to caring for a Mama-dog Penni, and her sole surviving puppy.  What a great event to get lost in!!

By November, the early rains brought a greener, environment…..and a different kind of beauty.

The last month of the year brought our first snow.  Unlike the rain, our little herd didn’t seem to mind the snow accumulating on their thick, heavy coats…..

….and the little wild birds found food scattered on the patio.

I am thankful for the distractions that our little homestead provided through the ugly times that arose during this particular year through the increased violence, and nasty politics.  To sweeten things up….I made a little video of our Great Dane puppy’s first 3 months of incredible growth….if you’d like a dose of sweetness to start your year…this little ditty may bring it.

Thank you for visiting the homestead today!!  May you find joy and many, many wonderful moments in this new year of 2017.

Your friend from Oregon,

Tami