I have been terribly remiss in updating my Matters and Musings page these past few months, and I do apologize for that.  Sometimes I sort of wait for inspiration to strike, and obviously, looking at the last few posts, I have become smitten by the seasonal moods of the Midwest.  As a native Californian, real seasons are a mystery and a wonder to me.  I am so fascinated by the almost abrupt shifts from one climate to another, and the visual changes that accompny them.  Spring is nothing short of breathtaking as you probably noticed from my previous posts, but right now I am in awe of winter and the beauty and sometimes starkness of the land around us.  So the following are a few photos that I have taken after our most recent snow...

A couple of weeks ago, I heard voices outside, and when I looked to see what was going on, I found 3 of my grandkids out there sledding.  I watched them for awhile, snapped some photos, and shaking my head, had to say "who gets to have this life?"  I'm so glad I do....

I've come to realize that those who have lived here all of their lives are not quite so enamored of the snow and often brutal winter temperatures as I am.  Perhaps in time I will become as impatient with winter as the natives, but I sincerely hope not.

Perhaps one of the best burgers I've ever had....  Unbelievable.  Thanks, Tom!  How the heck did we actually eat those??!

There are several large shrubs just full of these beautiful little berries hanging like Christmas decorations.  So pretty.

I loved the contrast of the armor-like body of this dragonfly and his/her gorgeously delicate, transluscent wings.

We must have 6 or 7 mulberry trees dotted about the property.  These tiny little berries mostly end up on the ground as snacks for the deer, birds and squirrels, but when The Husband gets hungry for a cobbler, he gets out and picks a couple quarts of the little guys.  Here's what I do with them.

This is the first year that our hollyhocks have bloomed and they're just gorgeous.  We have several varieties and each one is incredibly pretty...

Most mornings this young buck wanders through and snacks on the mulberries.  We had a bit of a stare-down.  He won.

I was out working in the garden a couple of weeks ago and looked down at this iris and there sat this very cute, very contented little frog.  I couldn't believe how perfect he was and ran to get the camera. After I got this shot, I turned around, and you guessed it...

This little guy was happily sunning himself nearby.  Evidently, iris are the perfect spot for a froggy mid-morning nap.

And there was this cute little butterfly who was enjoying the chive flowers. We've had an influx of moths/butterflies since the big storms in March and April blew them all up here from the south.  

Life is good.

These first photos are of a couple of very busy bumble bees who were working a lot harder than I was on Saturday.

I followed the little guy over to the iris garden where he just went on in and made himself at home...

And then he just backed out and took off...

...for this spot...

And if you're interested in seeing more photos of the Circle B Gardens, I've added a new photo gallery on the photo page. 

Annabelle the sheep and Buddy the dog are very best friends and do this all the time.  This video is courtesy of Chickens in the Road blog.  Do you not love how confused that second sheep is there at the end?

Not only have we left behind some serious (and beautiful) snow and freezing temperatures, but I had to leave behind my chicken girls as well.  My daughter lives within walking distance of our home and is taking care of my feathered friends while we're here in California.  I received this email from her today and wanted to share it with you in case any of you also have chickens who might benefit from this....

After we went sledding, I checked on the chickens.  They give me 4-5 eggs per day.  We did yoga:

Tree Pose (vrksasana) benefits: Tones and strengthens the legs.  Gives one the sense of balance and poise.

                     People version:

             Chicken version:

Then we worked on Eagle pose (garudasana).   It develops the ankles and removes stiffness from shoulders.

        People version:

               Chicken Version:

Thank you so much, Lisa, for taking the time to help my chickens through this long winter while we hang out here in the California warmth.  I'm not sure they're going to want me to come home if you continue to take such good care of them.  I have to say that Rosie there is much better at the Eagle pose than I am, but maybe it just looks easier because she doesn't have arms.

Chicken yoga is going to catch on.  Just wait, I think you're on to something.

Anyone who knows me is well aware of my self-proclaimed idiocy when it comes to spacial/directional-type things.  I'm utterly horrible at orienting myself to the big info maps at the mall that say "you are here"; I’m fairly certain that I'm not. 

And therein lies the problem.  And the solution, I think.  I’m a really busy person.  But I’m not sure why.  I rarely feel like I have enough time in the day to get it all done, and yet, why?  The story I tell myself is that if I don’t get this done really fast, the next thing won’t get done on time and then all the things will back up and then I’ll never get done.

That last sentence made me feel really stupid.  Mostly because of how true it is and how insanely stupid it is at the same time.  I’m laying it all out here now…. I think that on most days it’s all about getting done.  All that stuff.  Done.  And then I miss the moments and the days and then it’s like “where did THAT year go?  But I got stuff done, right?

So, like I said, I’m turning 60 this year, and it’s rather a big one for me.  I’ve never been 60 before.  I’ve never been older than 59, so I don’t know what to expect.  But I think if I have a choice, I’d like to enjoy it.  To do that, I’m pretty sure I can’t be flying through every day getting stuff done like my life depended on it.  It may require a more thoughtful approach to each day.  Stop.  Sit once in a while.  Listen.  Observe.  I never do that.

My husband and I bought some books at this quaint little hole-in-the wall bookstore a while back and on the bookmark they slipped into the bag it said “Be Here Now.  Be Somewhere Else Later.  Is That So Complicated?”

Maybe not.