I have two special needs girls that I am friends with. One of them, Kimmy, lives next door and visits almost every day to read a book or two with me. One day the book was talking about cows and I asked if she had seen the cows behind our houses. She had never seen them and thought the idea was ridiculous. Since then, I have been trying to show them to her. However, that has been harder than expected because but the cattle are rotated from field to field frequently.
Well today, I thought I had hit the jackpot. While doing a Second Look, I found many of the new calves and their mothers right up against the fence in the back. Close enough that you could reach out and touch them if you wanted. I hurried next door looking for Kimmy so we could get a look at the cows that she thought didn't exist. One thing after another seemed to delay us to the point that when we got there, they were all gone. She still thinks I'm a little crazy, but I'm sure soon enough it will work out. However in the meantime, I did get some pictures.
On bird nest front, the wars are on. The wrens are building a nest on top of the sparrows nest. I'm not sure what happened to the sparrow's eggs but there are no new wren eggs yet. Apparently, the wren's nest in the other box, may be there just to prevent other birds from using the box. Survival of the fittest. The bluebird didn't lay any more eggs this week so the final total is four. I have seen the mother going in and out of the box often. Since the weather has been really hot (80's and 90's), she may not need to spend as much time sitting on them to keep them warm.
New things are blooming continuing the beautiful display of spring colors. The rhododendron is the most noted of these this week with new buds blooming every day. Not as showy, but just as beautiful are the lily of the valley that started blooming a few days ago.
Here are a few things I saw this week
during a Second Look.
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| Rhododendron |
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| Elusive Calf |
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| Star of Bethlehem |
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| Notice the twigs that the wrens are using to build a nest on top of the sparrow's. |
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| Lily of the Valley |
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| So many colors of green this time of year. |
Your friendships with special needs girls sounds wonderful. I'm sure it adds a lot to all of your lives.
ReplyDeleteWe have a book/music CD by Sandra Boynton (children's author) and one of the songs is Remarkable Cows. It's a favorite around here--we've played it on road trips since our kids were tiny. Your cow comments put me in mind of that song. Whenever somebody in our household mentions something about cows, invariably someone asks, "are they remarkable cows?" and I will break into song. Silly family fun.
These two girls come from two very different families. One family has given their daughter every possible kind of help and experience so she can be the best she can be. The other (my neighbor) loves their daughter, but basically neglects her and expects nothing from her. The whole family has a lot of problems (enough to fill a couple of Dr. Phill shows) so putting effort into making things better for their daughter doesn't make it very far up their list. I wish I could do more for Callie, but for now I can be a person for her to talk to and read with. The whole situation makes me both angry and sad. But, yes, I do get a lot out of spending time with both of them.
DeleteSo sad for Callie. That sounds similar to one of the little boys in my daughter's class who I read with. Such a sweet little guy, but I think the only positive adult interactions he has are at school. Sometimes I wish I could bring him home, but that's not realistic. I don't have much time with him, but I do enjoy it when he seeks me out to give me a hug or to tell me about a book he is reading.
DeleteI've started to write several comments about the whole situation next door, but there's so much to say, that I could never totally explain it.
DeleteI'm glad the little boy in your daughter's room has you and other's to give him some positive attention.
So, for the time being, you get to be the crazy lady next door who sees cows that don't exist! Oh well, eventually you'll both see them together.
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me to go check to see if our Lily of the Valley are blooming yet. It might be too early, here.
Unfortunately, Callie doesn't spend much time outdoors which is why she hasn't seen the cows yet. That's one reason, I'm trying to get her out to look for them. But for now, she still thinks the whole idea is ridiculous.
DeleteWhile I always look forward to summer and consistent warm weather it's spring that is the most beautiful because it brings me out of the winter doldrums all those bright colors blooming after winter, nothing could be better.
ReplyDeleteThat nest is amazing I didn't know birds would build a nest on top of another nest.
This might be a long summer of cat and mouse with your neighboring cows hope you don't mind being the crazy neighbor. :-)
Last year, some sparrows built a nest on top of the bluebird nest. I watched an actual fight between the two pairs and eventually the sparrows ran off the bluebirds and used that box.
DeleteI don't mind at all being the crazy neighbor. I've always been happy to march to the beat of a different drummer.
That's funny about the ghost cows. Can't they cooperate, I think, at least so the girl won't think you are nuts! The flowers are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI like calling them ghost cows. I think that will be their name from now on.
DeleteYou're such an awesome person taking the time to be friends with Special Needs children. I'm sure Callie will be so excited when she does see them. We see cows as we drive along the highway and these don't seem to ever move in the fields. I'm sure they do!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how the rotation all works, but they seem to spend more time out there in the winter than in the summer. I'm gonna have to ask about it sometime.
DeleteI love that the cows are elusive! It will make it all the better when you finally see them together. Meanwhile you can be "that" neighbor who sees things that aren't there. You have no idea how much this time will mean to them as they grow into adulthood.
ReplyDeleteThough I was given every opportunity by my parents and lacked for nothing, I had a neighbor I visited several times a week. Ercelle was not quite a generation older than my parents and had kids a little younger than Mom and Dad, so she was younger than a grandmother but had the wisdom one gets from raising children to adulthood. She always had time to talk to all the kids in the neighborhood, plus she would toss you a duster or a broom and expect you to pitch in and help as you talked. I have nothing but fond memories of her and obviously so did the rest of the neighborhood kids. At her funeral I saw every one of the kids from the block (We were all in our 40's and 50's by then) What a testament to her character!
What a nice story about Ercelle. Mrs. Sheppard was my neighbor that I visited whenever I wanted and she would always talk to me. And she always seemed to be frying potatoes in bacon grease. Her house smelled like heaven.
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