Goat In Tree

Mud Valley Memories

 Goat In Tree

"Doctor. doctor, I feel like a goat."

"How long have you felt like that?"

"Since I was a kid."


What do you call a goat's beard?

A Goatee!

Two Goats

Mud Valley Memories

Two Goats

I like goats almost as much as I like horses. We used to see these friendly goats when we walked along the dairy lane. We called it the dairy lane because it went back to a dairy farm. You can see the dairy farm here and the dairy lane here.

One Goat

Mud Valley Memories

One Goat

This is a very mild-looking goat.

Why is it hard to carry on a conversation with a goat?

Because it's always butting in!

Snowy Field

Mud Valley Memories

Snowy Field

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

—Langston Hughes

Stream In The Grass

Mud Valley Memories

Stream In The Grass

We have had a lot more rain than snow this winter. It's interesting to see where the rain goes in the grass.

Water Closer

O, the wind howls over the hills tonight
And wide is the lonely sky
These are our hills when the snows drift deep
When roaring freshets flow
When under the summer moon they sleep
And when the red leaves blow
And where'er we go and whatever we do
Memories will remain.

These are our hills when the snows drift deep
When roaring freshets flow
When under the summer moon they sleep
And when the red leaves blow
And where'er we go and whatever we do
Memories will remain
Of the winds that blew on the trails we knew
In snow and sun and rain.

—From Mt. Moosilauke (1924) - Winter Poem by  H.P. Haile

Fish Pond With Farm

Mud Valley Memories

Fish Pond With Farm

I took a lot of pictures of these fish ponds. I guess you could call me Monet.

Cloudy Day

Mud Valley Memories

Cloudy Day

I was intrigued by this shot. The fuzzy clouds reflected so nicely in the pond below, even though it was a very dark day.

Tree In Backyard

Mud Valley Memories

Tree In Backyard

This was one of my favorite trees in our backyard. You can see the calf barn beside it where our neighbors raised calves for the fair. Once the tree got hit by lightning and that was exciting.

Autumn Sky

Mud Valley Memories

Autumn Sky

This is the same spot without the marigolds. I like the clouds in the sky and the shadow of the hill behind us on the ground. I caught the sun shining directly on the farmhouse.

Marigolds

Mud Valley Memories

Marigolds

One morning in late fall I crossed the road from our farmhouse to take a picture of these marigolds. The frost had just melted on them. I liked how they looked in the crisp morning air.

Happy New Year

Mud Valley Memories

Happy New Year

Now we pause to welcome in the new year. Our neighbors down the road from our farmhouse always celebrated the Christmas holidays by lighting hundreds of candles in plastic milk jugs. I had a lot of fun playing around with timed exposures of the lights. This is one of the calmer shots I took.

Christmas Peace

Mud Valley Memories

Christmas Peace

Blessings of Christmas peace to all my readers and to the whole world.

Trees With Sunset

Mud Valley Memories

Trees With Sunset

This is a very peaceful shot of a sunset over Mud Valley. I can almost hear the twittering of the birds as they settle down for the night. The cool night air would be drifting in over the valley. We might smell leaves burning or freshly-mown grass. I like how the sun lights up the trees.

Chicken Truck

Mud Valley Memories

Chicken Truck

Can you guess what this truck is carrying? You probably wouldn't expect that it's packed with hundreds of live chickens. Holmes County is famous for raising cage-free chickens. One of our neighbors had a huge poultry barn. The chicks would be brought in and kept under heat lamps for several weeks. We got to see them once and even hold the chicks. There were only 35,000 of them in each chicken house. The chickens run free in the house and have access to fresh air. After they are grown, they are packed in a truck and sent to the processor. Although we have moved away from Holmes County, we still buy these delicious chickens which are processed and sold by Gerber's Poultry.

Cattle Crossing

Mud Valley Memories

Cattle Crossing

I really like this panoramic shot of the hills of Holmes County. I was there at just the right moment to see the cows crossing. Once we saw some calves loose, up on a hill where they weren't supposed to be. We drove down the long lane in this picture to tell the farmers their calves were loose. One of the farmers took off on a horse. We drove the other farmer back out to the road. The horse got there first. Pretty fast horse.

Corn Row

Mud Valley Memories

Corn Row

Have you ever wanted to run into the middle of a corn field? Maybe that's what I was thinking when I took this picture. This pathway looks like an invitation to somewhere, anyway. The light was just right to bring out the yellows and golds in the corn. Corn mazes are very popular at this time of year. I heard about some people who got lost in a corn maze and had to call 9-1-1.

Autumn Morning

Mud Valley Memories

Autumn Morning

Imagine walking down this country road on a crisp fall morning. You can smell the musty leaves as they crunch under your feet, and hear the clackety-clack of horse hooves from passing buggies. Horses and cows graze in nearby pastures and dry cornstalks rustle in the fields. You enjoy the warm sunshine after feeling the chilly autumn air against your skin. This is truly the way to experience fall!

Horse Through Fence

Mud Valley Memories

Horse Through Fence

This curious-looking horse lived just down the road from the last picture. It used to like to come over to the fence when we walked by. In this picture, it looks like it wants a treat, or maybe it's just curious about the camera.

Autumn Pastorale

Mud Valley Memories

Autumn Pastorale

Fall is such a beautiful season in northeastern Ohio. The rolling hills and many trees accent the reds, yellows, and oranges. In Holmes County there are many open fields because of pastures needed for horses and cows to graze. This beautiful black horse stepped into the perfect frame for this picture.

The Tiger Returns

Mud Valley Memories

The Tiger Returns

This is the same tiger cat I posted a picture of earlier. It was the biggest of all the cats and always acted like it was in charge. Most of the cats would sleep during the day, and at night they liked to play on the roof of our storage shed. Some of them would walk along the peak of the roof, making interesting silhouettes in front of the security light. This is the cat I liked best.