This weekend

We had a glorious weekend! Clover and Lindsey were both up, so six of us kids were together, 9 cousins, lots of plans, discussions, and loads of sunshine! 

We started off with a piano recital Friday night. Lillian and Orianna have Trudy, the neighboring farmer's daughter as a piano teacher.

Lily played "The Bugle Boys."

Trudy presenting Lily with her certificate

Orianna played "Pop goes the Weasel"

Trudy and all her students. 

Last year, Jim, Trudy's dad decided to learn piano and she included him in her recital that year. He didn't want to, but Reed, the guy in the back, told him that he would play in the next recital if Jim would do the first one. So Trudy has been teaching him. I love these piano recitals. They are pretty informal, happy, and small town-ish.

Aunt Ashley brought the girls beautiful flowers!

The next morning, I took a morning walk, and will now bore you with lots of pictures of it!

Curious cows

They all started following me and then started running. Silly things

Spring morning puddle

Sky and fields

Quaking Aspens in the spring

Creek

Old Barn door

Barn window

Jim's 

(Yes, those are ingenious silo roofs.)  

Horsie

Owen's truck

Owen amongst his cows. And yes, he is wearing a shirt. Just happens to be a flesh colored one. 

The farm

Tori suggested a little picnic for the kids at lunchtime. They were enthusiastic. We set off through the pasture to find suitable rocks to perch on.

The first time it is really sunny after the grass gets green is always surprising. How blue the sky, how green the grass, how fluffy the clouds!

We had to walk past the creek on the way home, which proved to be a temptation to great to resist. 

Barefoot Elsie. Yes, I am a neglectful mother.

Livie cooling her heels. Ha! Literally.

Livie took the camera and did some from below shots.

Me

Heading to join the others in the creek

Barefeet and water

Spring leaves. I love them.

Lincoln toes

Tori helping kids across the rock bridge

In the shadow of the silos. 

Algae

Elsie kicking

Sparkling water

Rooster

That evening, Owen needed help moving cows. And of course, everyone went to take pictures and watch the cows. I think the actual helpers in this operation were outnumbered 2:1 by observers. The cows, who have been getting out for weeks, suddenly grew shy and blushing about crossing the downed fence line. After cajoling and pushing and tempting with new grass, one cow finally decided to cross. Mainly because there happened to be a truck passing at that moment. So the truck had to stop. And then the cow stopped to stare at the truck and see if she could further delay it. She could. 

Finally, one (stupid) cow was in the right pasture. 

'

And since she didn't come to a terrible end, the other cows decided it was safe to cross too.