Mornings in the Springtime

 Redbud  Tree

Field Violets

One of my favorite times to be out at the barn is early in the morning just at daybreak on a Spring day. The horses greedily eat their grain, getting every last drop and then leisurely stroll to their hay. As I listen to them munching, I look out across the pasture. The sun is peeking through the pines, casting white-golden rays through the rising mist.

The pond is covered with a fine yellow-green layer of blooms shed by the trees. Later, when a breeze clears a place, I will look for tadpoles. I hear a "rat-a-tat" above me, and spy a little downy woodpecker in the pecan tree. He never seems to mind that I'm so close to him. The bluejays are hanging out in their favorite oak tree by the gate. The big crows are clumsily stalking about in the paddock, not one bit afraid of the cats, who are playing nearby. A lone bluebird is sitting on the pipe fence--hopefully it is checking out the new bluebird house. The woods come alive with the sounds of the birds noisily staking out their territory. I could stand out here forever, just watching and listening to the morning come alive, but there are chores to be done. Before tackling the paddock, though, I take Rufus in the golf cart and we go down to the creek. I'm eager to see if the redbuds lining the creek are blooming. Last year I marked a few so I could transplant them to the side yard this year, but it is too wet to do the digging. I find the redbuds are in full bloom, so I climb through the fence and carefully make my way through the trees along the edge of the bank-I see the perfect one for my photograph. All the while I'm keeping a watchful eye out for snakes! I cut a few branches to bring into the house. .. Back to the paddock to muck; however, I'm sidetracked again. I find a treasure--there are field violets in the top pasture this year. I didn't expect to find any this year, since their usual habitat below the creek was under water.Naturally I had to postpone mucking long enough to take photographs. Could this be why I never get finished with my chores? :=) After a long, cold, wet winter, Spring is welcome! I thank God allowing me to experience this day.