Good Fences - Verging Seasons Amongst Good Fences

GOOD FENCES

We've been fortunate in my neck of the woods,
 and the weather has been better than ideal.
That has changed, presently it's 18 degrees here.

Brrrrrrrr!

But just last week-

"Now is the time of the illuminated woods, 

every leaf glows like a tiny lamp; 

one walks through their lighted halls 

with a curious enjoyment."

- John Burroughs

Autumn has offered some of the loveliest days of the year-
many of us have been living 24/7 outdoors, well nearly all of us.

You can lay out the patio, alter their levels, for better views and place light posts for evening chats, if you please.  But you'll never be able to control the weather, and in a word, patio gardens across town are open to vast seating once again.  

Yes, that four letter word has taken control and modified most of the neighborhoods around here.

Welcome for now, another winter-wonderland moment, where even Lake Marion appears to be snowy.  It's still open water so far.
That will change.

"The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive.  The great opportunity is where you are."
- John Burroughs

Attitude is everything.


So, in honor of winter being the featured season presently, I decided it was time to select my special Elf for this year.

ELVES On a Rope
Live from the 2014 ELVES Convention.

Who will be the winner?

(No elves were hurt for this production!)

Will the real Elf please jump down?

Could it be one of you this year?

By the way, that's genuine snow, on the lad in green.  It seems Alexander, (on the right) thought it was quite necessary to play in the snow.

I spy an intruder do you?

"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" 
-Dr, Seuss


I'm thinking this will be our 2014 Elf of the year.
What do you think?

His pointed Elfish ears are just so adorable, and he sings.

Elf wisdom of the day-

Did you know, Elves apparently do not sleep but rather rest their minds with beautiful thoughts in reverie or looking at fair things?

Food From the Earth

If it comes from the earth, then Carmi wants to see it.

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

Our earth offers 
a bounty of healthy
goods
but beauty
always
arrives
in dramatic 
human design
of all earthly
goods.

Much like these flowing dramatic, yet simply bold, gathering of subtly,

earthy thick or thin delicate delights.

All made of mouth watering delicious foods from the earth.

What earthy foods from the earth do you to show off?

The Mag - She's All that and More

TODAY'S AMERICAN GIRL

"A real girl isn't perfect and a perfect girl isn't real."

-Harry Styles

But she has fun!

The Mag

"It is easy to see that, even in the freedom of early youth

an American Girl never quite loses control of herself,

she enjoys all permitted pleasures without losing her head about any of them,

and her reason never lets the reins go, though it may be off."

 - Alexis de Tocqueville

If I Were to Call it Like I See Today

for Many American Girls

(especially since I am one)

This Would Be It!

Without a doubt

an American Girl

Votes.

Causes carry more clout

than the party

for the American Girl.

The American Girl's view on religion- 

Is Freedom of choice- 

often following old roots 

worn well, through the ages.

"I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

and kindness for all.

The American Girl was born in the age of Tree People.

So yes, of course she plants trees- 

at home or in honor of others. 

Laughter is America's most important export."

 - Walt Disney

The American Girl believes

 in carrying out yesterday's traditions, 

modernly and wholeheartedly.

The American Girl believes.

"Oh no! Runaway paper turkey.  "You can't catch me!" - Gobble..gobble...gobble.

(She does cook the real deal for Thanksgiving Day dinner!) Ha! Ha!

The American Girl doesn't just play house anymore
she lives that old roll
promising life with her won't ever be a bore.

Today's American Girl
doesn't just bend the rules
she rewrites her own rules.
She sets trends.

Not to forget the American Girl
hears nature's music
dances in the rain
never loses her way 
never hides
but runs
through a forest wilderness
singing mostly-
and snapping photos
everywhere she goes.

Lastly for this American Girl- from snow-country

-just as soon as the first fresh new snow falls, she-

-shapes for herself a winter-buddy of course!

Now that's a good start

 to even begin to describe 

all that an American Girl is. 

Just never ever forget, 

we are proud to be an American Girl, 

every single day.

Sepia Saturday - It's All About the Cows

Okay, hopefully you'll understand the stretch of my post with our theme this week.  Actually the three men hoping to catch fish, blends well with my post.  

But, only in a wishful sort of way.

I miss cows.

There, I've said it.  So, if you're not a cow fan, you may venture away.  But understand you'd be sorry.  I have great, no exceptional photos from back in the day are here.  Library of Congress and Blogger permitting, as they sometimes interrupt posts.

Sepia Saturday - where we travel the fabric of yesterday to our present day, seems like the appropriate place to bring this cow story.

Yep, I just heard of another dairy farmer packing in his buckets and selling off his cows.


Minnesota casually known as  "Land of 10,000 lakes" is a bit of an understatement, but you already know that.  If you're a Minnesotan! 

A good idea of who we are-
If you only watch one youtube video today, make it this one!  Be prepared to roll on the floor, laughing!


 Our official motto is "L'Etoile du Nord" French- Star of the North.   Minnesota's first settlers, were Dakota and Ojibwe/Anishinaabe and a majority of European settlers arrived from Scandinavia and Germany, to make Minnesota their new home.

All across the globe settlers have established permanent residences from faraway places.  Seas were filled with fish, and treetops everywhere held birds not in flight.  Farms and livestock weren't in short supply.  But, where are the cows today?  

I live in a small rural community of 1500 residents and this area was first settled in 1854, and Minnesota became a state in 1858.  Our township is fortunate to still have the highest percentage of high-quality farmland in all of Dakota County.

Right near our house we've lost too many dairy cows and other livestock.

Are the hunters taking over what once was a thriving land?

Saving Minnesota's Grasslands: Conservation, Cattle and Community, read more here.

As dairy farming was back in 1939.

Welcome to the Brandtjen Family Dairy Farm, in Dakota County, Lakeville, Minnesota

Photo taken September 1939

Brandtjen's Guernsey cow.

Grassing as a Public Good in Western Minnesota read more here.

Photo taken September 1939

Photo taken September 1939

Dairy farmer, in Dakota County, Minnesota, on his Brandtjen family farm.  Just one silo and barn pictured here.

Photo taken September 1939

What it looks like this last summer of 2014.

A 3:29 video featuring the Brandtjen Dairy Farm how it was and how it is today here.

Wise Words of Worthy Advice

"We need to keep cowmen on the ground." - J.B. Bright, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge.

Photo taken September 1939 of hired hand for the Brandtjen Dairy Farm.

"This is (hearty) Minnesota- If you don't graze it or burn it, it will become Forest." - Bruce Freske 

September 1939 at the Brandtjen Dairy Farm.

This link will take you to another post about what the Brandtjen Dairy Farm is today.  

The spirit of a family dream lives on, without the cows.

I'm not by any means describing a Minnesota or other land primarily for the use of farming.

Even though it once was a striving force in Minnesota.

Photo taken September 1939

Minneapolis Skyline

1939 September

Minneapolis Skyline today

Commerce is necessary, as are our throngs of hunters thinning the overly populated deer and other wildlife animals in specific areas.

Farmington, Minnesota back in September 1939.

Just don't let farming and especially, the cows, be wiped out.

Six Word Saturday - 8 November 2014

SIX WORD SATURDAY

I HAD TO FIGHT LIKE HELL

AND FIGHTING LIKE HELL PUSHED ME

TO WHAT I AM RIGHT NOW!

Alive, and living in lovely Minnesota!

Spoken by my new little backyard friends.

   

Yep, just last evening, Mister and Mistress Weather folk were eager to announce that Autumn is officially over, on the ground, that is.  Or so they predict!  They are but a dark and stormy bunch of knights in my opinion.  

Trouble is, they're still filling the air waves with such nonsense.  Note to self- do not watch, listen or respond to lame weather reports.  Run!  Take your tractors out and munch up those freshly fallen leaves waiting to be eaten.  Don't forget to water your last surviving tomato plants inside your greenhouses.

Yep, it's looking like a wintry mix could (but not necessarily) be brewing.  Just know that less snow falls in downtown Minneapolis.   Always.

If worse comes to worse, we've all collected stuff from nature to journal about, right?!

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND.  I SURE WILL!

Good Fences # 33 - Where oh Where is that Fence

Oh my goodness.  Has anyone seen where I put my fence?

GOOD FENCES

"There is no fence nor hedge around time that is gone.  You can go back and have what you like of it if you can remember." - Philip Dunne

 

There are folks that travel the world wide

 to capture fence notes, to simply share their wisdom and things of real substance learned around an old fence

 and their endless posts or gates.

Aren't we all in favor of saving the old fence post?

See "Fence Post Wisdom" here,  or "Lessons at the Fence Post" here.

Have you ever tried climbing a shadow fence?

Friendly fences, are built without gates.

"The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourself in, but you cannot forever fence it out." - J. R.R.R. Tolkien

There it is!

When installing fences, always keep nature in mind.

Bro Squashes Budding Romance Before it Blooms.

In light of this last election finally being put to rest, (well the voting anyway) how about sharing a charming, appealing story, and put all the smears and frightful mud slinging tactics aside, and discuss reality instead.  Like-


Young crushes.

It happens, even when you least expect it.

What they feel, is you're the (very green) apple of my eye, but they rarely announce those feelings.

Remember young love?

Way back to your elementary school days when girls and boys began to notice that they liked somebody more than anyone else?

Yeah, I was that girl.  But, it was Kindergarten.  Now it happens as early as preschool, if not earlier!

I know you can picture it.


You're watching your crush, and finally you both get the courage to sit down next to each other,  hoping to chat or something.  Remember you're still young enough to totally believe miracles happen.

What you didn't plan on, was somebody else competing for your crush at the same time.  That somebody not only sat down on the other side of your crush, but he completely absorbed all of his attention.

Let the games begin.

What's a girl to do?  So, you turn your head and look the other way, and your heart sinks just a wee bit.

But alas, you know there's always tomorrow!

All that is Metallica- Does shine

Carmi has conveyed metallica as our theme word.   Actually, Metallica always brings this to mind.  But Carmi shared a shimmering capture, and so will I.



THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

So, while enjoying my morning coffee I ponder about- all that is metallica around me.

Oh yes, I know I'll share this most unusual and cleverly designed Weisman Art Museum.

and this photo below, also taken from inside.

 Of course I realized I already shared this most unusual place here.

The Mag - 2- November 2014

"The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn." - Gloria Steinem



THE MAG

Image credit:  Dick Blick Art

Magpie Tales

Who brings a flower to a gun fight?

Anyone willing to dissolve darkness

with light

resolve hatred with kindness

 unconditionally,

with love.

Imagine what musings transpired, when these three scholarly women had their afternoon tea interrupted by thoughts on war.

Abigail, Agatha and Anne's

Thoughts on War

back in the day

"People who fight with fire usually end up with ashes." - Abigail Van Buren

"One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one." - Agatha Christie

"Make no judgments where you have no compassion."  Anne McCaffrey

Thoughts on War from voices of Today

"Take all the rules away.  How can we live if we don't change?" - Beyonce

"Prescribe Peace, not war."  Katy Perry

"Whatever we are waiting for, peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance, it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart." -  Sarah Ban Breathnach

Boo-tiful Six Word Saturday - 1 November 2014

THE ART OF TRICK OR TREATING

IS STILL ALIVE

WHERE I LIVE

SIX WORD SATURDAY

Bee-ware, Happy-Fairy-Witch may arrive at your door!

I'm delighted that our schools are keeping the spirit of playfulness connected to Halloween with grinning, happy witches, and glowing bumble bees!  Even if we call them Harvest Parties, what fun the children have creating colored paper Jack-o-lanterns and hanging dancing pumpkins on skillfully (kid) designed fence posts.

What pleases me the most, is how so many families in neighborhoods everywhere, are joining forces to celebrate all that's spectacular and not just spooktacular about Halloween.  The very delightful essence of sharing an old tradition with new generations, is an inspiration to every youngster, of all ages.



Yes, parents are building bonfires in the middle of cul-de-sacs or hooking snowmobile trailers loaded with hay bales to four-wheelers or tractors to pull around the neighborhood to carry Witches and Goblins, or the latest and oldest of super hero or favorite Disney character.  I stopped counting how many Mickey and Minnie mouses I saw last night!

Look closely, this group had six friendly dogs to lick your face and say, hang around for a bit!

These days it's more about sharing in the festivities with your little goblin than just knocking on the door for candy!  Some folks handed out other kinds of treats.  Many opened up their garages, offering chairs and tasty treats to eat or drink with blazing bonfires right in their own driveways!

Long live this tradition I say with the powerful magic of happiness and precious moments of sharing laughs and giggles, with perhaps an occasional BOO!

Meet your neighbors, some are not so chatty-

A few might be a tad bit SpOoKy! 

But everything looks a bit spooky in the dark.  Just search for the happy signs- like so many glowing, heart-shapes, or kitty-cats carved in pumpkins!

"But I love Halloween, and I love that feeling: the cold air, the spooky dangers lurking around the corner!"  Evan Peters

"If human beings had genuine courage, they'd wear their costumes everyday of the year not just on Halloween." - Douglas Coupland

You know it was a successful Trick or Treating when after you're all finished for this year,

 you look at your watch and say really, it's that late!