Bouffant Blonde

  Fear rises up in my chest and I scream for my youngest to “Get back!” She has already done so. Bless her heart! She is terrified of just about anything.   I look and don’t see anything. Typically her jumping back indicates a snake. I am terrified of snakes. We are in the front yard and I don’t have my gun. Even if I could see something, I couldn’t shoot it.   I yell for the older three dogs to come and we all head toward the back door. My youngest “spots” something and jumps again. I scream and two of the older dogs come running. I shine a light and see nothing out of the ordinary. My oldest dog, my hunter, finally arrives and inside we all go.   A tear rolls down my cheek. I once again am reminded that my vision is dimming. I have tried to ignore the signs. I love to pretend everything is okay or, at least, will be okay. But this will never be okay.   I shake off the pity party, take a deep breath, and get to work. There’s always so much to do...

There’s never a dull day on the farm. The dogs and I were talking to our neighbor when a young calf decided to come over and play. That would have been fine if Mama Cow had been on board with the playdate. She was not. I gathered the dogs and we started toward the house. The calf decided that would be a great time to chase the dogs. Yes. You read that right. The calf was chasing the dogs. When the dogs scattered, the calf focused on Abby. At 93 lbs. and jet black, Abby does look a little like one of the black calves. I’m not sure the calf realized the difference. Unfortunately, Mama Cow grew increasingly agitated. The calf chased the dog and she chased the calf. Pretty soon a few more mama cows got involved. Try as she might, Abby couldn’t seem to outrun or outwit the calf. When Sammy, the Australian Shepherd, tried to help, a few of the cows turned on him. With the cows beginning to stampede, I decided to cut through another field and head toward the closest gate. Abby d...

It has been really hot around here. No rain to speak of. Mama, Granddaddy and Gran spend a lot of time watering plants and sweating. Little Guy and Sunshine spend as much time as they can in the house under the air conditioner vents. Mama went out to water her strawberry plants. She has a little patch by the pasture gate. She babies them something fierce. Little Guy thinks she's still holding a grudge from when Granddaddy killed some of them a few weeks ago. He sprayed them with weed poison. About half of Mama's strawberry plants died. Granddaddy didn't do that to his strawberry plants. Well, Buddy the bull was standing out at the gate waiting for a snack. Mama couldn't water the strawberries with him looking at her with those pitiful brown eyes. So she got him some feed and poured it over the fence and into his snack bowl. Then Blackie the cow showed up. So Mama went back and got her some feed for her snack bowl. Little Guy could see the sweat starting to gather...

Little Guy is pleased to announce the birth of a new baby calf. Her mama is Big Deer, a very large cow with very big horns. She doesn't like Little Guy at all. Little Guy makes sure to go the long way around her most of the time. Gran had thought Big Deer might be about to have a baby. Granddaddy said no. Mama thought a baby was coming soon too. Granddaddy said no. Big Deer doesn't listen to Granddaddy at all. She had a baby calf anyway. Mama found the new calf. It was lying next to Big Deer. She asked Granddaddy about it. He thought Mama was crazy. He thinks that alot. He figured Mama just thought she saw a baby calf and it was really an older calf. Nope. It was a baby. So while Granddaddy was still trying to figure it all out, Mama went and got Big Deer some sweet feed. New mamas -- even the ones who have been new mamas lots of times -- get sweet feed after they have a baby. The little girl doesn't have a name yet. Mama usually does that sort of thing. She just ha...

Little Guy was having the best dream. He and Sunshine were chasing squirrels and he was just about to get one. Then he heard Gran's voice. "Little Guy," she called. "Time to wake up. You need to go to bed." Little Guy kicked her away with his foot and tried to recapture his dream. "Little Guy get up," Gran insisted. Little Guy growled. "I can't believe you growled at me," she said. Little Guy opened one eye and growled again. He heard a door open and Mama's footsteps on the stairs. That wasn't a good sign. Mama knelt down beside him. Little Guy turned over so she could scratch his stomach. "It's time to go to bed, Little Guy," Mama said softly. "Don't want to," he responded. "But you have to," she said. "Come on. Let's go." Little Guy got up and followed Sunshine outside. They both went potty. Then they went back inside and climbed into bed. Mama kissed her babies goo...

Little Guy decided he wanted a driver's license. He thought it would be fun to drive Grandaddy's truck to town or to get cow feed. He could even learn to drive the tractor! Wow! Little Guy knew the cows would sure be impressed if he could drive the tractor. He needed somebody to teach him how to drive. He could ask Grandaddy but he's not real patient. Besides he's been pretty busy with the garden. Little Guy really wanted Christopher to teach him. Christopher is lots of fun. He even taught Little Guy how to fish. He knew Christopher could teach him how to drive. Except Christopher wasn't around. That left Mama. Little Guy went to see his Mama. He smiled sweetly. Mama wasn't fooled. She shook her head no. He pleaded. Her answer remained the same. "You are too small for a driver's license, Little Guy," she told him. "Besides, I would worry myself sick if you were out there by yourself. I won't have it! No. No. No." Little Guy wa...

The cows have been eating really well lately. Grandaddy and Little Guy have picked a lot of peas. Mama and Sunshine have shelled a lot of peas. That means the cows get to eat all those pea hulls. Cows like to eat pea hulls. Grandaddy went out and fed the cows some pea hulls. He also had some corn husks. Cows like those too. Then Miz Pecoluar came to get some more peas to shell. She's really nice. She brought back her pea hulls from yesterday. She knows how much the cows like them. Gran took the pea hulls out to the cows. When Mama finished shelling peas today, she gathered all the hulls and headed out to the barn to give them to the cows. She had two large buckets of pea hulls. She grabbed a stick, the two buckets and then headed toward the troughs. The cows headed her way. One light colored cow got really excited and came up to Mama. She wanted to eat from the bucket. Then a dark red cow with long horns got involved. She didn't want the other cow to have any pea hulls. S...

Grandaddy sat down at supper and announced that the corn was ready. He'd been pulling a couple of ears each day, just to check. Gran was excited. She told him to get out the next morning and gather all the corn that was ready. So he did. The next morning Grandaddy hurried out to the rows of corn with a bucket and started gathering the ears of corn that were ready. Little Guy tried to help. He was too short to see the ears of corn! So Sunshine had to check the corn and pick the ears that were ready. Then she handed the ear down to Little Guy so he could put it in the bucket. Little Guy, Sunshine and Grandaddy soon filled a five-gallon bucket with corn. All three headed to the house and presented it to Gran. She was happy. So they went back and got another bucket. She smiled again. They sat down to rest while Gran started preparing the corn. Each ear of corn has to have its ends cut off and all the husks taken off. Then Gran uses a brush to clean the hair from the ear of corn. ...

Little Guy got up extra early. Grandaddy was headed to the garden and he wanted to go too. Sunshine yawned and stretched but she finally decided to tag along. They were going to pick peas. Grandaddy said the black-eyed peas were ready to come off the vine. It was best to start early because it has been really hot. Little Guy and Sunshine have barely been able to play outside. They stay inside most days. Grandaddy sat a bucket down and showed Little Guy and Sunshine how to tell which peas were ready. They all started working. The bucket filled up really fast. They trooped to the house and poured the peas on a paper and spread them out. Grandaddy explained that he didn't want them to go through a heat before they got shelled. They all got water and then headed back outside. They did it again and again and again. Mama finally got up. She started shelling. Sunshine got permission to stay inside and shell. Little Guy was determined to help Grandaddy but Grandaddy just would...

Little Guy walked up to the shop and sniffed. The doors were closed but something just wasn't right. He thought maybe that was smoke coming from under the door. He went running to the house. Everyone was inside eating supper. Gran called him but he wouldn't go inside. Mama came out and Little Guy went into the kitchen. He didn't like it though. He slicked his ears back and paced. Finally, Gran went out to feed the geese. Little Guy went running to the shop. It didn't smell good at all but Gran wouldn't listen. He heard Mama come out side. He went running up to her. She was heading to the shop! Little Guy stood beside her as she opened the door. Smoke poured out and the smell was so bad Little Guy had to cover his nose! Mama stepped inside, looked around, then turned around and ran toward the house. Little Guy was amazed. He didn't know Mama could run that fast. He took off after her. Mama rushed inside the house. Grandaddy was laying back in his recli...

The clouds started building in the later afternoon sky. Mama was busy in the shop. She painted and painted. Sunshine watched for squirrels in the front yard. Little Guy watched the clouds. Mama finally got done. She closed up the shop. Little Guy was relieved. He thought he heard thunder and he really wanted to go in the house. Mama said they had to go put feed in the calf feeder. Little Guy didn't think it was necessary. Mama said it was, so off they went. Then they had to feed the geese. Again. The geese have a lot of wild duck friends that come to visit. Those friends sure do like to eat! Thunder rolled over them. Little Guy headed to the back door and waited. Sunshine stood beside him. Mama opened the door and they rushed in. It isn't safe to be outside when you hear thunder. That's what Rich Thomas says all the time. He's the weatherman on TV. Little Guy likes to watch TV. Mama fixed them all supper. It was good. Little Guy and Sunshine like ham. When Mam...

Little Guy and Sunshine hurried after Grandaddy. He likes to check out the cows first thing in the morning, counting them and making sure the calves have feed. Little Guy and Sunshine like to check out everything else. Sunshine immediately realized something was amiss in the garden. She sniffed and stuck her tail up. Little Guy quietly crept to her side. Then they were off! A rabbit was eating Grandaddy's garden and it just wouldn't do. They chased the rabbit from the garden, across the pasture, past the grain bin and into a small grassy area. The rabbit rushed into an old PVC pipe and there it stayed. Sunshine determinably lifted the pipe up and dropped it. She did it again and again but the rabbit managed to hold on and remained inside the pipe. Little Guy shoved his nose into one end of the pipe. He was too big. Only his nose would fit. They guarded the pipe, one at each end, for hours. Sunshine and Little Guy heard Mama calling and calling. They pretended they didn...

Little Guy stood up tall as he walked with Gran and Grandaddy to the garden. They were going to check things out. Grandaddy likes to keep watch and make sure the fruits and vegetables are growing like they should. Gran likes to make sure Grandaddy is doing his job. Little Guy just likes to explore. Unfortunately, Little Guy gets bored easily. So while Gran and Grandaddy were walking around the garden, he was looking for something else to do. That's when he spied the blueberries. They looked so enticing as they hung from the small bushes. Grandaddy had put a single strand of wire around them. He didn't want anyone to eat his blueberries. He licked his lips. Those blueberries sure looked good. Surely, Grandaddy wouldn't mind if Little Guy ate just a few. Grandaddy probably wouldn't even notice. Little Guy glanced over at Gran and Grandaddy. They weren't paying him any attention. He looked back at the blueberries. He could just slide right under that wire, grab ...

Little Guy jumped up and down. He was so excited! Christopher was coming and they were going fishing. Little Guy doesn't really go fishing. He doesn't like to fish. But he really, really likes to follow Christopher around and watch him fish. That's a lot of fun. As soon as he arrived, Christopher grabbed a bunch of fishing gear Grandaddy keeps in the garage. He headed for the pond, with Little Guy and Sunshine right behind him. They all hopped onto the pier to see how the fish were biting from there. When Sunshine was a baby, she saw the fish and jumped into pond to try and catch one. Little Guy would never do that. He doesn't even like to swim. They didn't stay on the pier very long. Christopher said the fish weren't biting. So they headed around the pond and toward the dam. Little Guy stepped too close to the water and his feet got dirty. Eww! Mud squished between his toes. Christopher cast into the water and a fish struck the line. He waited. Pretty...

Little Guy sat in the backseat and pouted all the way to the grocery store. He didn't like to go to the grocery store with Gran. It took forever and it wasn't any fun at all. But Mama said they had to go and so they went. When they got to the store, Mama helped Little Guy into the driver's seat of a shopping car. At least he could "help" drive them around the store. That made Little Guy feel a little better. Plus, being up high meant he was less likely to get stepped on. Little Guy doesn't like to get stepped on. First, they headed down the soda and chips aisle. Gran really likes Diet Cokes. Mama does too. Little Guy doesn't get to drink soda. It's not good for him. Mama grabbed some chips too. They're okay but Little Guy likes cookies better. He hoped Mama would put some of those in the the shopping car when they got to that aisle. Next, they headed to the produce section. That area took a while. Gran likes to buy fruit and vegetables. An...

Little Guy and Sunshine were enjoying a lazy morning. The cool breeze floated over them while they dreamed of rawhide bones and hunting. Suddenly, Sunshine lifted her head and looked over toward the pecan tree in the front yard. Little Guy sat up and looked too. Oh, no! A squirrel had invaded the yard. They were not going to allow it. They simply weren't. Little Guy and Sunshine raced across the yard. Sunshine always wins. Her legs are longer than Little Guy's legs. It didn't matter. They were too late. The squirrel was already in the tree, gazing down at them. Sunshine immediately tried to climb the tree. She's almost tall enough to reach the bottom limb. But almost doesn't quite make it. Little Guy raced around the tree again and again. The squirrel was hiding. Sunshine and Little Guy started barking furiously. Mama came outside to see what the commotion was all about. They explained the situation. Mama looked and looked but didn't see the squirrel. ...

Gran had to go to the dermatologist today. It was just a check-up after she had the cancer taken off. Still, Mama, Little Guy and Sunshine went along. Gran doesn't get to go to the doctor by herself. Little Guy doesn't ever want to go to the doctor. They passed a really sweet lady on the sidewalk going to the door. She smiled and said hello. Little Guy gave her a big grin. They hadn't reached the door yet when they heard something. The woman had fallen when she stepped off the curb. She was laying in a fetal position on the asphalt. Mama went running. Little Guy, Sunshine and Gran were right behind her. Mama knelt beside the woman and spoke to her. The woman seemed dazed. Mama sent Gran for help. Mama and a man who ran out of the office, helped the woman sit up. They started checking for injuries. The woman's head was bleeding. Her wrist was bleeding. Her knee was scraped. The ankle of her other leg started swelling. It was obvious she wouldn't be walking aw...

Little Guy and Sunshine rode with Mama down to the Senior Center. Mr. John was teaching a CPR class and they were invited to go. Mama goes every year but this was the first time Little Guy and Sunshine got to go. Mama said it was important. Little Guy and Sunshine knew quite a few people who were there. They got lots of neck hugs. One lady hugged Little Guy really tight. It almost hurt. Sunshine laughed. Little Guy didn't think it was funny. Mr. John is with the Battens Volunteer Fire Department. He is really smart. He has to be. He and his wife have five teenagers at home. Mr. John said it is really important to know what to do if someone collapses and isn't breathing. They could die unless someone helps them. Little Guy doesn't want anyone to die, especially his Mama. He was going to pay close attention to everything Mr. John said. Mr. John showed everyone how to find the proper place on someone's chest to start hand compressions. He even showed them how to...

It was Sunday so Mama, Little Guy and Sunshine got up early and went to church. It's important to go to church. There were a lot of people there. The big choir joined the praise band, then the hand bell ladies came out. It was awesome! Sunday school follows contemporary church. Mama goes to the adult class. Sunshine goes to the youth class. Little Guy goes to the children's class. One day he wants to go to Sunshine's class just to see. Little Guy doesn't think they have as much fun in their class as he has in his class. After class Mama collected her babies and they headed home for lunch. Gran and Grandaddy were already there. They go to senior church and Sunday school. When Mama opened the car door, they all heard a loud noise. Mama looked around. Sunshine started sniffing. Little Guy checked out Grandaddy's van. Oh, no! It was coming from a tire on Mama's car. Mama rushed inside and quickly changed clothes. She grabbed the shop keys and started running...

Little Guy and Sunshine were really excited. Mama and Gran were heading to town and they got to go. In the van! They never, ever get to ride in the van. They rode and rode and finally Mama pulled to a stop at a gate. A woman in a uniform checked Mama and Gran's ID's. Little Guy and Sunshine didn't have any ID's but the lady said that it was okay. Soon Mama pulled into a parking place. She opened the sliding doors and Little Guy and Sunshine hopped out. They looked around. They heard other dogs talking. Little Guy tried to get back in the van. Mama had already closed the door. He was not happy. Gran went inside and signed their names to the register. Mama stayed outside with Little Guy and Sunshine. They waited and waited. Finally, Gran suggested they go inside and sit. Sunshine was grateful to go inside the air conditioned building. Little Guy really wanted to stay outside. Sunshine sat beside Gran. Little Guy sat beside Mama. Little Guy decided he wanted to s...