summer's goodness

One of those blissful childhood memories I have of summer is the warm smell of fresh cut alfalfa. Twice during the summer the green fields out my bedroom window would be cut short and left with these baled blocks of soft feed.  Alfalfa has that sweet farmy-smell that makes me feel *summer* and little-girl again.

My friend, Dana, would be over and we would run out in the fields to heft bales on top of each other and make pretend homes-forts-hideouts (carpet scraps from someone's garage and wood gates from irrigation ditches would make the whole creation even better ~ until the farmers would show up red faced with the mess we made!)  Good times...

I can't think of more fun activity to keep us so invested and entertained ~ bales of green, dirt in our toes, and hot sun on our backs.  Heavenly.

I also could count on surprises from the fields, stray dogs or kittens or uncovered mouse holes...and I found a special friend here today:

A glimpse of brown something in the shade of the trees at the stonehouse. I had just pulled up to the house and he was here to greet me.   One of the babies had grown up?

Isn't he the sweetest thing, nestled back in the mulberries where it is cool and quiet?

So much of summer is yet to come, and it is going to be so good.

What do you remember about summers as a child?  Sights, smells, or just the feeling of warm sun on bare toes? Hmm...

Grace & Peace to you, wherever you are today,
jj