Home Sweet Home

 Went home for a weekend and decided to go for a run around the countryside.  Being away from home I tend to forget what it was like living there.  I miss my family but on my run I realized how much I missed the area I grew up in.  Running past the fields of corn I felt like running in a maze.  The corn was so high on both sides you could only see the road in front of you.

 Getting a little shower during my run.

     Our little piece of Heaven.

 Running down memory lane. It made me remember the times my siblings and I ran all over this countryside.  Dad would send us on a run.  I remember bringing up the rear aka being the slowest one in the pack, dogs chasing us, getting hit by sprinklers, passed by farm machinery, and attacked by mosquitoes.

  Occasionally we would spot large owls in the top window of the neighbors barn.  As a kid owls always seemed mysterious and a little spooky!  Seeing them always felt special....like spotting a creature of the wild.

 These Trumpet Vines have been in our family for many generations.  My mom used to sit under these bushes and catch humming birds.  I stood there for a few minutes and the humming birds started buzzing from one place to another. It was fun to see how these little birds move from flower to flower in their own little world.

 Mom and Dad's house.  It has been on the farm for over a hundred years.  Such great memories!  The house my grandpa grew up in.

 Loved playing in the barn as a kid.  The barn was home to many adventures.  One of my favorite games was pretending it was a Cowboy Saloon.  We found old bottles and set them up and pretended they were our saloon drinks.  We could always find fun treasures in the old barns.

   Love the old barn wood.

There it sits. The barn used to be a work barn.  I remember my Grandpa would take the horse in there to brush, clean, and saddle them up.  I used to sit on the fence and giggle while my grandpa saddled the stubborn horse and swear at them under his breath.

   I loved the old wagon we used to play with.

 We used to run circles around in the old grain silo and sing to the top of our lungs.

This is an old tree that my parents pulled out on the property.  It used to have an old wooden swing we would sing on.  There was just something about the roots that were interesting.

Remnants of an old corral. and horse shoot.  I remember watching cowboys on the farm trying to break in a horse and if the horse would not cooperate.....I learned there were two options.  1st the rodeo for bronc riding and the 2nd was the glue factory.

   Mom's garden.

The rest of mom's garden in the remnants of the old corral.

 Just another view of the farm.

No neighbors in sight just farm land a plenty of space to run around and explore!

When we were kids Grandpa turned this piece of yard into a little two hole golf course.  It had two greens and even a sand trap.  As the years have gone by the golf course was turned back into a yard.  I remember all the summer days and evenings playing in the back yard.  Hitting golf balls and playing games.  Mother may I.....obstacle courses.  Warm summer nights staying out late and being called into the house for bed with dirty feet and grass stains.

Dad's new addition.  He inherited some old playground equipment and is determined to make the backyard a play land for the grand kids.  I have even heard talk of a zip line.  My vote is for a tree house.

The property is surround by trees and I loved the texture of this one with the green moss growing on it.

Just a little piece of the yard.  My Grandma is in her late 80's and she still works hard to keep the property beautiful.

  The side walk to our house and Grandmas house we walked or ran a thousand times back and forth.

Grandma and Grandpa's house and part of their property.  Trees and bushes everywhere that make it feel like a little secluded oasis.

The old wagon that held all the golf clubs and balls used to play on the little course.

Grandpas bird feeder.  He likes to eat his breakfast and watch the birds eat from their little house.

Grandpa also made this squirrel feeder.  We did not have squirrels on the property and one day grandpa decided we needed them.  He trapped them from in town and brought them to the property where he built them a wonderful little habitat.

The old oak trees drops hundreds of acorns and as kids we used to turn them into little people.  I especially remember my little sister Lara turning these acorns into the cutest little acorn people.  She had a talent for turning random objects into little works of art.

  So many giant trees to climb.  Next time we go I am climbing trees with mykidos.