Our family is heading off tomorrow to visit my family in Arkansas. It is a nice way to get away without spending a lot of money (free room and board!) I have a friend who is coming over to take care of the animals and house sit while we are away so I have been trying to get things set up to be as easy as possible. My husband made this hay feeder for me yesterday and I think it turned out pretty good. This is a small area where the two ram lambs are for the time being. It will be nice this winter for feeding hay. 
As I was mowing and trying to get everything done before leaving, I realized there were little reminders of my family all around me. These flowers came from my grandma's yard. I don't even know what they are but they remind me of her every time they bloom. She is 93 and I can't wait to see her. I don't get to see her often enough and every time I do, I am afraid it will be the last time. She is a flower nut just like me. I think I will take some pictures of my flowers to show her. I know it really bothers her that she can't get out and work in the yard. She use to have the biggest garden I had ever seen and she canned enough food to last all year long. 
This plow belonged to my grandpa. He loved to grow watermelons. He is gone now but I keep this rusty thing because it makes me remember him when I look at it. I remember how he loved basketball and put up an old makeshift goal for me and my brothers when we came to visit. It is so hard to get away for a week. I know when I come home the yard will be too tall and the pens will all be a mess and I will have laundry up to my eyeballs. It's worth it. This will be the last trip we take as a family before my daughter goes to college. There is a part of me that knows things will never be quite the same. But, everything changes...we just have to adapt and find happiness in the little things...like my grandma's flowers and an old rusty plow...treasures to me. Back in a week.
