The road to the pasture is lined with century-old cottonwood trees. Their green leaves waved a greeting in the evening breeze. The leaves shined a vibrant green after a short-lived spring shower had washed off the dust of the day.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a patch of purple. Randy saw it at the same time.
"Are those irises?" we asked each other.
They seemed a bit out of place. If there had been a farmstead there once upon a time, it was so long ago that the tell-tale signs were gone - no falling down barn, no cement foundation, no windmill tower dotting the landscape.
Yet there they were: Purple blossoms fragrant with scent, nestled under a cottonwood tree that sang a greeting with each whisper of the leaves in the breeze. They seemed a bit incongruous - so full of life among dying cedar trees and fallen, wind-blown branches.
On our trip back home from the pasture, we stopped. They reminded me of the purple irises that bloomed each spring in my Grandma Neelly's backyard. They looked like home.
Was it home to someone long forgotten? Did this patch of purple mark a farmstead mailbox long ago? Did someone plant the bulbs, knowing that springtime would bring majestic purple blooms and smiles?
This is not our normal path to the pasture. But this unfamiliar road was a straight trip down memory lane. And the blossoms yet to be unfurled spoke a promise of more blessings to come - maybe for someone else who chose a road less traveled and was blessed by memories colored purple.
What a neat find, Kim. Glad you took a road less traveled that brought happy memories to mind. And PURPLE iris to boot! I like the big cottonwood in the second picture, makes you wonder it someone planted these iris by the tree for a reason.
ReplyDeleteWe are getting some sunshine! The neighbor is here planting grass/alfalfa and should be done this afternoon. Moving one group of cows to summer grass in the morn and the Rancher is going to town for fertilizer. If all goes good he wants to start seeding corn tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks, Robyn! It sounds like spring has finally sprung in your part of the world. We are planning to gather, sort and move the final group of pairs today. We have been stalling because of poor grass in that pasture. We normally do this May 1. I can already hear the wind howling, so it may be a dirty job this morning. Hope your week goes well!
DeleteKim,
DeleteThings went good today. It's been crazy as we moved pairs to summer grass, shuffled pairs at home, J went to town for fertilizer and started planting corn this afternoon. Tomorrow we are branding another group of calves. It'll be a small branding and corn planting in the afternoon.
Mom and Dad have no cattle out to grass. Mom sent me a text saying "no rain, no grass, not good." I talked to Dad yesterday afternoon. He said they have froze 4-5 times in the last week. Frost on the windows, the corn has been froze and the alfalfa might be hurt. Cooler than normal days and wind.
Prayers for rain!
Yes, prayers continue for rain here, too. When the cows and calves left the pens today to go into the pasture, there was so much dust coming up. It definitely shows there is not much moisture in the ground. It's greened up a bit, but it's no where close to ideal. We will have to watch it closely.
Delete