Hopalong Hollow....

Hopalong Hollow, where the Blueberries grow sweet, and the moss feels soft beneath your feet.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Real Farmers

 When I was a little girl, I wanted to live in an old house, on a farm......
And be a farmer.

 And have a horse.
I spent hours drawing horses, but I loved ALL animals
 But mom was Allergic....
to fur.. 
and wouldn't allow birdies kept in a cage.
That left pet choices in the reptilian and amphibian department. We used to capture little blue lizards down by the railroad tracks ( those tracks were out in the country, where REAL farmers lived) We would purchase little painted turtles from the "pet department" at Woolworths. They  had a $4 special which included a little turtle,  a box of turtle food, AND a clear plastic bowl featuring a green plastic palm tree, WOW! 
I used to catch baby grasshoppers and put them in a mason jar. They came in all sizes and colors and didn't eat much... I  named each and every one of those hoppers, (pathetic, isn't it?)
  When I grew up and moved away from home, the first thing I got was a CAT. I was so excited to have a real pet, I gave him 5 names. 
That was a long time ago....I've had many cats since then.
And I do live in an old house

And I live on a farm with lots of critters,

 
Big ones, and little ones
Birdies, not in a cage.

 I'm still quite fond of reptiles and amphibians,


  
HMMM....not so much grasshoppers....
But still, I am not a REAL farmer.
Real farmers wake up with the cows,


and milk em.
Sometimes they actually EAT their chickens!
I could never do that...
just their eggs.


 And all my other critters are pure pets, all 24 of them.
I never did get that horse, but I have my heart set on a pretty cute little donkey.

13 comments:

  1. I am absolutely enchanted! Your artwork is charming, whimsical, and well...just lovely. Once upon a time, I too lived in an old farmhouse and we raised cattle along with a few other critters including two children. I'll be back for more. I'm grinning ear to ear.

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  2. It is great to have animals around us, we have hens, 2 cats and lovely native birds sing in the trees, like the Tui, and the Fantail. Cheers Marie

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  3. Theresa, Delighted to have you visit us, do you miss your cows? I dearly love cows.

    Marie, I have never met a Tui,I think I should like to.

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  4. Hi Jeri! When we built our home, my Nana found me a huge cross-stitch that read "I will build myself a farm." Our critters began showing up soon afterward! There's just something about the soft crooning of hens and the noisy "blah" of a goat that touches the soul.

    P.S. If you run across a homeless alpaca, send it my way!
    :-D

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  5. I'm glad our farm wishes came true. Hope you find the donkey. Your art work is lovely.

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  6. Kim and Callie, I guess we're all farm gals!

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  7. Your little goat is the cutest thing ;-)
    I remember those turtle kits at Woolworths too. LOL! We use to love catching minnows, crawdaddys, fireflies and June bugs. I use to catch grasshoppers too but hated they would spit old brown juice on your hand. LOL!

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  8. H.H, I never saw a firefly until I moved to Tennessee.Now I find one of the most wonderful joys of summer is witnessing their light show.

    I should take a survey of how many remember the turtle "houses"!

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  9. Hi Jeri as a child I lived on a plot surrounded by my uncles farms, some of the cows had names and my granny taught me the names of all the fields and the reason why they were called those names. The entrance to your home is just as enchanting as seeing into your study where you create these wonderful masterpieces of art. Its a real pleasure Jeri to come over here.

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  10. Rosie, I think I would have like your granny, So happy that you visit here!

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  11. Hello, again,

    I do miss the cows and the ornery bull, too. Not a day goes by that I don't think of that old farm, the pasture that surrounded it and the woods in the "back 40." There is no place like a farm to raise children. I'm glad my children had that experience.

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  12. Wonderful illustrations and photos of your sweet creatures!! Lovely blog ... I look forward to exploring it more. How great to have a second childhood... where you can have all the 'pure pets' you like! ;>) Carol

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  13. Carol, Welcome to the Hollow and Three cheers to a 2nd childhood!

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