Emus

This guy does not look very happy. Looks like he had rather twist a plug out of you than not.

The Brantley farm in Daphne has not only citrus fruit, but a petting zoo and kid's birthday party location. (No need to point out that petting an emu might not be a good idea.)  In addition to emus I also saw pot bellied pigs, one of those horses with big hairy feet (if this was a Clydesdale it sure was small) , a donkey and I don't know what all as far as odd animals. The farm is in the middle of what is now a very densely populated area-surrounded by all sorts of homes. It seems like the area just exploded in population around what used to be farmland. I wonder how long they will be able to hold out against what must be extremely high land prices.  It is a relief to find this farm almost hidden from the world of shopping centers, subdivisions, and tourists.

Satsuma Grove

I visited a satsuma farm in Daphne, Alabama  during December and it was a real treat for both the eyes and the mouth. I don't think I had ever been in a citrus grove before and I found it perfectly delightful. The trees were hanging full of satsumas, sweet kumquats, and Meyer lemons. I managed to run my car into a hole while turning around and had to get some tractor help to get back on the road again. It was a great and fun time and I am going to show some more pictures of the farm in coming days.

$600 Wreath

This lovely sea shell wreath was made by a friend of mine. I think it is positively gorgeous, but she had rather not see it again and be reminded of what happened  as a result of her decision to make it. While working on the wreath, she burned her arm with hot glue and put some cream on it to help heal the burn. She was allergic to the med she put on it and as a result she spent $600 going to the dermatologist to try to get it healed up. This is an example of a Rube Goldberg happening where one thing leads to another. 

New Kids for the New Year

These babies were born right around Christmas and belong to my nephew. One mother has three babies and the other two have one each. Kids are so cute I just want to pick them up and hug them, but of course they do not really care for that.
The brown goat in the top picture is the sire of these babies. He is sure not a looker! In fact he is hard down ugly in my opinion. Those horns are uggggly.

Broken Tree on US 431

Recently this old tree beside US 431 broke and fell. I was interested in it because of the way it looks and that it appears to be hollow all inside, even going up into the branches just like the oak in my yard that fell back in June.

Remember the Fawn from Early November?

The fawn has grown a bit since early November, but it is still quite small, and not very strong looking but it has lost its spots. It was grazing right at the back steps this morning. I am so tempted to put some corn out for it. I believe it has had to make its way in the world without a mother. In the above picture it has walked off a ways and thinks it is hid behind the bush. This has been its strategy in dealing with me from the beginning.

This picture is a little clearer . Not all this is bad photography; it was foggy this morning.

Santa's Reindeer Stopped in my Yard

These log deer are getting on up in years as far as log deer. They are not in the best of shape, but they still look fine from a distance, and a red bow covers many deficiencies.  I have to prop their legs apart to get them to stand and arrange their antlers, but they still are cute to me. I keep them under shelter during the year so they will not rot as bad. They blend into the natural setting enough so that sometimes I almost think they are real myself, except for the bow. I certainly prefer them to those huge white cut outs that people have in their yards. If you click on the photo you can probably get a closer look.