POEM - WALT WHITMAN

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid

and self-contain'd,

I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat or whine about their condition,

They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,

They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.

Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of

owning things,

Not one kneels to another, not to his kind that lived thousands

of years ago,

Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

AT HOME IN NC

You never know what the weather's going to do in the mountains, but this weekend, it's been glorious. As I write this, Mom's on her way to spend the day with Grandma and Aunt Audrey over at Pigeon Roost, and I've had a little time here at her house to knit and play the piano a bit. My fingers are so uncoordinated it's pitiful, but I can still get through most of the old songs I used to play for Daddy.

Spring's not in its fullest awakening here yet...Last week there was a light snow, so it's just about time for the trillium to pop through and the bloodroot to open up into bloom. I am struck by the purity of the air and the cleanliness of the Earth. Mountain folks take care of the land, that's for sure.

Last evening, Samuel and I went with Mom to the Distinguished Alumni Banquet at Appalachian, and when Mom was introduced, people stood and clapped. She had a great time, and I love the fact that she's so beloved by all. A lot of old timers stopped to remind her how she swabbed their throats, took care of them during the flu epidemic and delivered their babies. (!) I was so proud of her and so, so happy she had a good evening.

This afternoon I'll head over to see Grandma and clean up the cementary a bit. I hope to find the patch of red trillium in the rhododendron thicket down below the spring and the bloodroot that used to bloom among the galax on the path to the barn. There is great security for me in knowing my secret places in the woods around Grandma's house still know the secrets I shared with the squirrels, birds, and plants there years ago.

It's been a great trip home.....When I'm here I can see myself returning to the mountains in time...It really is here where every cell in my body finds peace and senses deep, deep love.

Off to take a walk.....

PINKS AND WHITE

I took these today at Charlotte's house when I went to feed her kitties. I love the

delicate blossoms. The begonias remind me of Grandma Shook.

ISN'T SHE LOVELY? ISN'T SHE BEAUTIFUL?

PROM - APRIL 18, 2009

Posted by a very proud mom.....

EASTER MORNING THOUGHTS

The beauty of the trees,

the softness of the air,

the fragrance of the grass,

speak to me.

The summit of the mountain,

the thunder of the sky,

the rhythm of the sea,

speak to me.

The faintness of the stars,

the freshness of the morning,

the dewdrop on the flower,

speak to me.

The strengh of fire,

the taste of salmon,

the trail of the sun,

and the life that never goes away..

they speak to me.

And my heart soars.

~Chief Dan George~

SPRING PHOTOS - THIS WEEK'S PICS

I had my camera out the other day, and here's a sample of what I recorded through the lens.
Happy Easter.....

MOLLY POSSUM

I love this 'ole dog (as well as her corgi sister, Annie Banannie)... even when she looks straight at me and runs when I call her in ...even when she rolls in juicy spring cow poop and smells to high heavens....even when she brings dried cow patties home and plops them down right in front of the door...even when she gets "skunked" and has to have a trip to the Tomato Juice Spa....even when she tracks mud into the house right after Eliza or I mop....even when she barks or howls incessantly when I'm trying to sleep...even when she's covered with fleas and ticks....even when she carries a dead mole around in her mouth for days...even when she trees a possum up the telephone pole and won't budge for days...and on and on and on....There's really no canine on earth like Molly P.

This is the girl's official spring portrait...kinda like school photos for kids. She's going into her 12th year in human age, and she's in great shape; however, as one can discern from the look on her face, her patience runs thin when it comes time for the yearly photo. As soon as she heard the camera shutter click, she was gone....off to round up the cows coming in from the back fields with sweet, chubby Annie, her partner in crime, several paces behind...

DAFFODILS

"Daffodils"
I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;Beside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thoughtWhat wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;And then my heart with pleasure fills,And dances with the daffodils.
By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

MOUNTAINEER SPIRIT IN IRAQ

Richard Randall, my "life-long as close as a brother" friend shared this photo on Facebook. All of us who have long-standing connections with Appalachian know that the Mountaineer spirit would come in handy on that side of the world!