Mental Farmer

And welcoming others. Hug their necks and tell them they need the first 5 rules: 1. Bless his (or her) heart. This simple phrase excuses all comments made about friends, family and acquaintances. It ABSOLVES you. 2. “The devil’s beating his wife.” This is how a southerner responds, gazing heavenward, if it’s raining and the […]

My big dog teeth came in, they are white and strong and I can bite harder it is impressive.  I like that.  I like to try out my big dog teeth.  Last night Mom and Dad both had to take something out of my mouth it took two I am strong and handsome. Tonight before […]

Since moving to western North Carolina I have run into John and Melissa at social events in Weaverville and Marshall.  In fact, I ran into them at the soiree I wrote about a while back and they invited me to visit them at Highgate Farm.  This was back in October; but I assure you the […]

My hen Snapdragon is at least part Sumatra.  This makes her a bit wary, not as social as our other hens.  She hangs back from the flock, keeps her distance, doesn’t like being petted or fussed over like the others.  Sumatra hens tend to lay fewer eggs, one every 3 days or so.  In Snapdragon’s case, […]

I find it hard to believe that John and I both slept through the destruction taking place outside our open bedroom window last night, but we did.  Not-So-Gentle Ben, the pear-thief bear, returned.  I really don’t know if it was the same bear…  I read yesterday that there are 6,000 black bears in the mountains […]

We had a visitor this week.  I was making supper and John was watching TV.  Our cat Amos was lounging on his perch in the picture window.  Suddenly Amos sprang to his feet, hyper-alert.  John looked out the window and saw a black bear!  The bear was good-sized; he sauntered by the front porch, sniffed […]

On Thursday morning, I noticed Snapdragon and Clara Barton in the front yard.  Their ring leader Sweet Pea was nowhere to be found.  Then I heard a ruckus in the side yard and panicked – it was Sweet Pea in distress!  My first thought was “Damn it, I am going to be late for work.” […]

I have poison ivy in 6 places.  Ear, neck, cheek, chest, wrist, bicep.  ITCH.  Not sure where I picked it up, but I hope it was not in the perennial garden last Sunday, because I spent the day out there today battling briers and vines.  If that is where the current rash came from, I […]

We bought this place in the mountains 7 or 8 years ago, although we just moved here at the end of 2011.  (Or I did… poor John spent another year driving back and forth to our previous state, tending to affairs, selling a house, etc.) Way back then, the previous owner’s manicured perennial garden flaunted […]