Meet Baby Donkey - "Billy Bob"

This little guy is "Billy Bob" - a sweet baby donkey born just last week. He is full of life, as you can see in his eyes. We were privileged to get to go take photos of him and his Momma, Jodi. They are in Washington County, which is the location of our SIPS Mystery Tour. We had been out taking pictures and scoping out the route a couple weeks ago and I saw the wagon (old manure spreader) in the field with pretty pink petunias planted in it, and that was why we originally stopped by this farm. The owner was in the farm yard and told us that Jodi was going to have a baby soon, and he would call us if we would like to take pictures. Of course we did!!

So yesterday, he called and said they had a boy, Billy Bob, just last week. He said the Mom had been rather protective, but was now doing better, so we could come and take pictures. So I wanted to share them with everyone. He is so cute, and his Mom was very good to let us in the field with them. Much of the time she tried to position herself between us and the baby, but was very tame. It was a lot of fun meeting "Billy Bob".

In this picture you can see the flowers in the "wagon" that first caught our eye. Little did we know that we would have such a great opportunity to capture such sweet faces.

Here is Jodi and Billy Bob--as you can see he is pretty big to only be one week old. She is the proud mom and has every right to be. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Where Have I Been

Where have I been? Travelling down memory lane--watching life fly past, remembering all the years gone by, listening to the rain on the window panes, watching these blackberries put on a show, as they bloom and prepare to provide us with lots of berries. I guess this is what my Mom would have called "blackberry winter", as the temperatures have dropped into the 40's at night.

I think the blooms of the blackberry are so pretty, as they almost glow in the shade of the large trees.

Our baby red-shouldered hawks flapping their wings, trying to get strong enough to fly when they have all their feathers. We will miss these little guys, as we have been watching them for days now.

• Since my last posting, so much has happened and several days have past. Now to decide what to include in this post is the next task at hand. The day after my last posting my Aunt died, and it was an emotional time. We went to her funeral on Friday, and it was the day of the big storm in southern Illinois. While we were not in the tornado area, the town the funeral was in had hail, high winds, and LOTS of rain. There was a vehicle floating and the driver out on top of the car, just one block from the funeral home. When it was time for the funeral to begin, the electricity went off, and we were in the dark for about 10 minutes. I did get to talk with some of my relatives which I had not seen in a long time, and then we went on to my home town and visited the cemetery where my family is buried. I put flowers on my parent's and grandparent's graves and could not believe that they are gone, and time has flown by. So many memories that make up a lifetime.
  

This week my sister-in-law has been very sick and in the hospital in KY, so we have been over see her and spend some time with Leon's family. Just today we got a good report that she is doing better. We have been having rains every day for weeks. For the last 3 days it has been dry, so we have been trying to mow, through the water puddles, and tall grass , before it gets even higher. We have been watching two baby hawks that were hatched in a nest in a tall oak tree in our front yard. They now are getting their feathers, so soon they will fly away. Momma hawk is very busy catching them food, as they are very big eaters, since they have grown.

I have been taking pictures of the birds and flowers. And of course, my cat, Fluffy, who still enjoys posing for a photo session occasionally. He followed me to the flower garden and laid on the arm of the bench and waited to have his picture taken. I think he knows how cute he is!

The iris are beautiful this year. I guess they like all the moisture. These around the old stump are from Leon's Grandma's home place. They have really multiplied and are lovely in our rose garden. Spring in our "rain forest" has brought lots of pretty flowers in between the showers.

Spring's bounty

Goslings everywhere, but yet none to be seen right now.

Each year we watch our geese set on their eggs for about 28 days, and then come off the nest with about 6 little babies. This year was typical, and we saw one pair with 3, one pair with 6, then later one pair with 9. Now we are uncertain if there were three pairs setting, as we only know of where 2 were. And we never saw all the different pairs together. At the present, they have gone on their venture, and disappeared for a couple weeks, which they always do. We are not sure where the parents take them, but they always re-appear and stay until they can fly away in the fall. It still is amazing to watch their pattern, habits and ability to take care of those goslings, with all the predators there are in the wild. God put in them how to parent, and they do it every year.

"Fluffy" was out enjoying the spring flowers, and I just had to take his picture. He gets pretty tired of me always being there and snapping away, but he is such a sweet little cat.

Our sedum is in full bloom, and spreading, so I have moved some of it, but need to dig up a lot move and put it where I could use more reliable perennials. The little purple flowers are some very small iris that are multiplying. I will try to divide them later in the season. I love flowers that come up year after year and bloom, and spread, so I have more "free" plants to place in other beds.

Here is one of God's plantings--a trillium. I love these little three petaled flowers and leaves, and the beautiful color contrast between the deep red and the variegated leaves. I am constantly finding treasures in the woods as I walk among the trees and notice the multitude of shapes and textures in the flowers that He has planted. I find myself not wanting to step on the moss beneath my feet, for it is such a perfectly formed miniature forest.

A final photo on behalf of this beautiful month---a May Apple blossoming. Another woodland plant that is so lovely--the graceful large leaves forming a canopy over the delicate white flowers with sunshine yellow centers. Plus these pretty flowers will soon form the "apples" for which they are named. I always think the leaves look like the perfect little community for the little tree frogs to live under. .. little umbrellas in front of their tiny cafes. Enjoy your journey through these spring days.