6o Degrees? HAH!

Over the weekend, we had heard that the temperature was going to reach 60 degrees earlier this week, and that the weather might warm up a bit. Negative on both accounts. The heavy (and I do mean HEAVY) rains that we experienced Tuesday brought in another wave of cold weather. (Cold is a four-letter word, you know.) The upside is that frost on the few leaves still adorning bushes in the area is pretty. I think the bush above is a burning bush, so its green leaves turn red when mature.

How frosty is your world?

You Big Turkey

While I was working on something for my writing class yesterday, I glanced out of the office window and noticed dozens of wild turkeys in the pasture behind our house. There were at least 100 back there, and the small photo (right) gives you a better idea of how spread out they were.

We have lived in this house for 12 years, and in that time, I have seen one other wild turkey in the back. There are flocks in our area, and I have seen two or three together in other fields a few miles away. They left about 20 minutes after I first saw them, and then returned a few hours later. I didn't see them arrive or depart either time, nor did I hear them make any noise. And, while I have no idea whether this makes any difference, it was storming both times that they were in the back. When the rain let up, they were gone.

Cheers!

Have you ever noticed how much stuff restaurants and hotels put on tables when you go to a formal dinner? In addition to silverware galore and centerpieces, there are cups and saucers, water glasses, wine glasses bread baskets, butter plates, charger plates, bread plates, and more. Add to all of those your personal beverage glasses, and there's no room for anything else.

By the way, when you sit down, do you know which bread plate (the one on the right or left?) and which coffee cup/drink are yours (the one on the right or left?)? Here's a clue on how to remember: Put your hands on your lap, palms facing each other about 5 inches apart. Touch the tip of your index fingers to its corresponding thumb. Your left hand is forming a "b," and your right hand is forming a "d." Bread plate (b) is on the left, and drink (d) is on the right.

Tiramisu for you?

As I mentioned yesterday, the Regional Emmy Awards were held at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center last night. The featured dessert was tiramisu, accompanied by the huge, chocolate musical note. (Sorry the photo is a little blurry. I was handholding, again!)

My husband said they were both pretty good. Since I eat only sugar-free desserts, I wouldn't know.

So, do you like tiramisu?

Icy Fountain

Last evening, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences held its Regional Emmy Awards at The Schermerhorn Symphony Center. As we walked in, I noticed that water landing on the sculpture in this fountain had frozen over a bit. It's been very cold all week, although they were predicting that it will hit 60 degrees here today. I don't mean to disagree, but I think it is highly unlikely!

Abandoned

This truck adorns a weed-filled field in the middle of a commercial area on the west side of town. Other items of trash are in the field, too. There's a fast food restaurant on one side of the field, and a brew pub on the other. The manager of the hamburger place told me that the owner has put all of that stuff there.

So, what are the eyesores in your area?

Side note: When I was in Las Vegas last week, I got to meet Mo of Another LV Daily Photo. It was very fun to meet someone from CDP, and we really felt like old friends immediately. However, we should have shot a photo of us together, but we forgot. Next time I go out, we'll have to do that!

Follow Me

The little calf I showed you yesterday took her first steps not too long after her birth. She took a few minutes to get her balance, and mom did keep an eye on her. Once the baby was steady enough to walk, mom led her over to the rest of the group.

Note the bird at the top of the photo. Always present when calves drop, the turkey vultures go for the afterbirth. If they get too close to the new calf, the mother - or one of the other cows - will chase them away. It's very interesting to watch the group dynamic and see how the cows relate to each other and how they watch out for each other. The cows have a strong maternal link with their calves and keep an eye on the calves, even as they grow larger. If the herd moves from one field to another, the mothers make sure the babies are moving, too, or they stand and call for them. All life is so amazing!

I took this photo through a window, also. Since the cows were so close to the fence line, I didn't want to stress the mom and baby with my presence.

Welcome to the (Frosty) World

Our house backs up to a pasture, and the "girls" hang out back there quite often. Having lived in this house for 12 years, I have been fortunate to witness hundreds of the cows giving birth. Not too long ago, I happened to be looking out of the window when the calf in the photo above dropped. I ran for the camera and was able to catch "mom" immediately after she stood up and faced her baby for the first time. My understanding is that the mom licks and smells the calf so that she can identify her calf from the others in the field.

Tomorrow I'll show you the first steps.

Note: I did take this photo through a window.

Springhouse door

To get water from the spring below the Mallory Springhouse, people would enter through this door and fill their buckets with water from the spring. Today, the planks are still there, but the door and pathway to it are both overgrown.

As a point of reference, the door is on the east side of the springhouse. Yesterday's photo shows the north and west sides of the building.

Mallory Springhouse

Located in Williamson County, this old springhouse sits above a creek that area residents used for over 200 years. Native Americans used the spring before , in 1788, Thomas Sharp Spencer received the land (and over 300 acres) through which the creek flows for his service in the Revolutionary War. John and Sarah Mallory purchased 100 acres of land from Elizabeth Spencer in 1813 and built the springhouse. For years, the springhouse supplied water to nearby families, a dairy, and the Mallory School. Until 1949, the school's students carried buckets of water from the springhouse to their school daily.

If you were to walk up the hill behind the springhouse, you would be in the large parking lot of Cool Springs Galleria, one of the major malls in the Nashville area. Behind me is Mallory Lane, a major, four-lane road.

Tomorrow, I'll show you the door to the springhouse.