Quiet and Lonely Down on the Farm

Our daughter, son-in-law, and the four grandchildren left yesterday morning for the drive back home to Massachusetts. The silence is deafening and I'm lonely. It's especially bad since my dear wife, sweet Diane, left shortly after the others to attend a three-day Council of Catholic Women conference in Orlando. So...I am alone and it's far too quiet around here.

We enjoyed the visit with all the little ones, as did they. We didn't do anything really special this time, just daily visits to the neighborhood pool and occasional rides in the golf cart. It's these simple pleasures that seem to give them the most joy. Oh, yes, we spent an afternoon at Uncle Donald's Farm, a local farm where the kids can interact with the animals, milk a goat, feed the cattle, and in general have a great time. As a city boy who never had the benefit of living on a farm, I always enjoy taking the little ones there. It also makes me thankful that my ancestors gave up on the farming business when they left Ireland and came to America.

Here are some photos...

Looking apprehensive...Is Papa really going to sell us?

Carlos milking a nanny goat

Eddie and Pedro feeding a little kid

Granddaughter Camilla, daughter Erin, and goat

Petting a bunny

A pot-bellied pig looking...well, rather piggish

It was indeed a fine day and even I managed to slip into a photo, taken by my son-in-law...

Waiting for the hayride to begin

Being is truly good. God bless all creatures, great and small...