A too real nightmare

When I was a child in Mississippi, we lived in a big farmhouse near several small brooks that ran between larger creeks in the area. It was rumored that a black panther had been spotted along the brooks making his way to another larger creek. Of course kids like to tell horrible stories about cat attacks and I was gifted with a vivid imagination.

One night when the air was still, hot and humid, I had my face literally in the window. My bed was pushed up to the window and I was sleeping at the foot so I could get any air that was available. My sleep was shattered by the loudest scream I had ever heard and it sounded like it was right under my window. I was scared so much I couldn't move. My room was apart from my parents bedroom so that I would have to go out onto a screened porch and enter the dining room before I could get to them. Somehow I managed to do it with my hair still standing on end. I was told that it was indeed a panther I had heard, but he couldn't get into the house.

Early this morning, in a deep dreamland, I was again in Mississippi, near the three brooks that crossed the road some quarter mile from the house. I was driving our red buick and suddenly I saw a white puma. I had recently read in the paper about one roaming around somewhere, so I recognize it. Of course that was the Maine paper and I was in Mississipi.

Anyway, I stopped the car and angled a little sideways so I could get a good look at the creature. He came up to the car and started lunging at the window. I didn't know how soon he would be able to break the window, so I grabbed my nikon camera and flashed a quick picture. He stopped lunging and I got the car in gear and drove to the house where Tom and "others" were there. You know how dreams are. You don't always see everything and everyone. Anyway as I was showing everyone the picture I woke up. It was 5:15 a.m. and any thoughts of returning to sleep vanished. We got home around midnight from playing cards, so I didn't get much sleep. I almost felt like looking at my camera to see if a puma picture was hiding inside.

I got dressed, heated up left over coffee and went out to get the paper, looking over my shoulder all the way in case a white puma was lurking in the firs along the driveway.

Well, I didn't see any and came home to watch the sunrise on the deck while I read the paper and finished my coffee. Alas, the sunrise was hidden behind clouds so I was content to read, sip and listen to a forest full of birds flitting from tree to tree. The drama of my nightmare still fresh on my mind.

Warm Easter

I just heard the weather forcast for today and it looks like we may see 80 degrees. It will be perfect for the annual Easter Egg hunt on the grounds of the East Sumner Congregational church. I hope to get some cute photos for the paper.

Good news on the fish survival this winter. I have now counted all five in the bog pond and the two big ones in the deeper pond were swimming around and ready to eat yesterday. We'll have to move some of the ones out of the bog pond into the larger pond because the bog is too small for five nice fat goldfish.

My orchids have survived very well through the winter as well. They certainly brighten up a cold winter day, but now I see life beginning in the garden. My daylily seedlings are coming up nicely in the sunroom, so I hope to have a small bed to transplant later on this spring.

Good news today as well. I just heard that the parks are opening earlier this year. We will be pulling the camper out soon for some fun camping trips.

Fish survived winter, and a baby lamb

Tom and I stopped at the fish pond to see if any fish had survived the winter. The ice had melted from the bog pond. Much to our amazement, there were three fish, three times bigger than last year, swimming around in the water. The larger pond still has a covering of ice, so we don't know the plight of the two fan tails. We knew that they survived in Tennessee under ice, but this was frozen solid, or so we thought. I am delighted.

Tom and I went out to see a new baby finnsheep baby who was born this week at three and a half pounds. I'm doing a story for the paper on the sheep and the farm. The baby's name is Venus.

Daylily seed mystery

It is a big mystery to me how I can spend so much time preparing soil, getting everything just right and then plant my day lily seeds only to find the ones I accidentally dropped in a bowl of rocks sprouting long before the others.

I bought new potting soil and soaked it two days before I planted the seeds carefully in the little sections. I no longer label my seeds because I just don't have the time or energy. I can pretty well spot who the parents are when they bloom and my days of selling are over.

The day I was sorting the seeds to plant, some seeds fell into the rocks. I didn't have the patience to dig them out so I just thought they would be lost, but I had plenty others. You can imagine my amazement when I saw seedlings which were already 6 inches high in the rock pot. The pampered ones have just begun to sprout. This does not exactly go along with the parable of the sower, does it?

Maybe I have discovered something, but the problem may arise when I try to get the seedlings out of the rocks to transplant. I'll let you know.

Chile family doing well

In spite of too many after shocks keeping them awake, the family in Chile seems to be doing well. Charles and Luz Maria moved back into their home last Friday after a structual engineer gave them the approval.Most of the things they lost were in the China cabinet which fell across the dining room table. Lots of other things were damaged as well, but those things can be replaced.
Luz ended up getting five stitches in her foot from rushing out of the house with the baby.
This photo was taken when they were here for Christmas.

Our two weeks in Texas was not exactly a winter vacation as we were there for the 12.5 inches of snow. We've had no new snow for nearly 2 months, except a small amount, which has all melted. We still have snow from the winter, but the new stuff just melts.

I've planted my daylily seeds and have great hopes of seeing them bloom in two years. I should have new ones blooming this year from last year's seedlings. You will be hearing more about that.

Pictures to liven up winter

It's been a while since I have gotten to my blog what with watching earthquake news and taking physical therapy for the back. However pictures that arrived this morning in my e-mail box prompted me to brag a little bit.
Aden is the one drooling and Autumn is holding baby brother Gabrielle. These are Heather's children which makes them our greats, and great they are.
News from Chile is that Charles and family are back in their home, but the aftershocks continue. We have a shaky world.
Winter was long and cold, but we are emerging.

Jewel Orchid

My Jewel Orchid has really put on a show with 7 spikes. The tiny white flowers are so perfect that it boggles the mind. Our creator did a wonderful job designing everything, but orchids are so fantastic. The tiny ones especially bring awe to me every time I gaze at them and their intricate design.

The Jewel Orchid is the only orchid which can be entered in a show without bloom because of the unique foliage. It reminds me of the coleus plant with the lovely foliage.

Another wonderful creation is grandchildren and we had a chance over Christmas to see our latest. We call him our Chilean grandchild because he lives in Chile with his parents, our son Charles and wife Luz Maria. We had a wonderful time with the family during the holidays. Grandson Peter, little Charlie's big brother came as well as Luz's son Ignacio. Ignacio, who never gets a chance to play in snow managed to create a very nice igloo in the back yard.

It was so much fun to have family around. Beth pops in often and Molly was home from college for the holidays.

I enjoy my orchids in the winter because they bring beauty into a house surrounded by mounds of snow. I enjoy visits from daughter Beth and son Charles as they bring sunshine into an otherwise cold world.

I can't seem to get my other pictures to load, so I just may have to write another blog about the baby.