New Blog with Elece

Come Friends and Followers and join Elece at her new blog address Elecehollis.com !
Prairie Places is included there and  Elece will still be writing stories, prose and poetry about home farm life, and family in Oklahoma. Join her there. Hope to see you.
Thanks for following.
Elece

Evening Comes Sweetly

Evening Falls Sweetly

By Elece Hollis

• The sun is sinking and the clouds are bottom rimmed with gold.

• Two geese fly honking overhead to settle on the farm pond for the evening.

• A mockingbird runs through his whole repertoire.

• Bees buzz in the clover.

• The air smells of wild onion, cut grass, and wild garlic.

• Dandelions give up their gray hairs like tiny seed parachutes on the wind.

• Woodpecker rat-a-tat-tats on a tree in the apple orchard.

• Peonies are tight pink buds …waiting…waiting.

• Spring breeze rustles the tree's newborn leaves and makes the swoosh and sweep of a waterfall.

• Across the road Locust blossoms sway like strands of orchids in the trees.

• The wind chimes jingle and tinkle as if to complete the percussion of the symphony.

• An owl calls from one of the great old oaks down beside the creek.

• The creek's water trickles and sings as settling into its bed.

• Hydrangea smells sweet in the falling light.
  
  
  

• Swallows swoop and sweep like black satin ribbons.

• Evening comes sweetly on the prairie.

Peace on the Prairie

Peace on the Prairie

By Elece Hollis

     The sun shone today, the first of June, just like normal. The day did not dawn dimly with clouds or rainfall as it has now for the last few weeks of mornings. Sun shone in on my quilt and I was happy to see it!

     I lay in bed last night with my window open and I listened to the night sounds, the country sounds, the prairie sounds. No traffic—only quietness and peace: a dog barked and crickets chirped—no gun shots rang out, no fighting neighbors, blaring music, no traffic, no sirens blasting. Still I could not sleep.

     I climbed out of bed and knelt on the floor by the window and raised the blind. Moonlight spread across the front lawn like frosting spread on a wedding cake—glossy and pearly white. Closer spots of light like puddles of spilled milk marked the sidewalk where light peered through the leaves and branches of the big oak. The grass under the tree was covered with splotches too, as if someone had spilled white paint in off-centered circles.

     The air was cool and out of the north. The night was still, but permeated with mystery—an owl hooted—tree frogs sang a song— rising and falling and rising again.These are the night voices—a thousand voices strong blending in country peace and sweet harmony. These are the sounds of the prairie far from the city rudeness and light pollution, crime and fear. The moon glows, neon white. The stars glitter. Nature sings "tonight—tonight—tonight."I creep back to my bed.

     Morning comes softly in the summer. A horse whinnies out in the pasture and a mockingbird perches on the limb of the oak tree to spill out her repertoire for us. Sunlight peeks in under the blinds asking: "Why aren't you awake? Are you still dreaming? Get up! Get up! The garden is waiting and morning glories have opened their blue trumpets to welcome you from the gate."

     So I go. It is one of the most wonderful times of day. The grass is dew-drenched and sparkles in the sunshine like it has been strewn with cracked diamonds. A spider web stretches itself from the windowsill to the rosebush by the back door. Dewdrops glisten on every strand, studding it with light like the rhinestones on Liberace's jacket.

     The rosebush itself is about to explode-erupt into an applause for summer. Sprigs of new growth stand topped with swelling buds about to unfurl like flaming red flamenco dancers' skirts. Red frills—red ruffles celebrating the coming of summer to the prairie—summer come at long last.

"God spreads a feast of light and color before our eyes each day, if we would only stand still a minute to see it."

C.E. Hollis

Route 66 Museum, Arcadia OK

 Here's Petro, who stands ready to serve near an old gasoline pump.

 Did you know about the Unstable Fisherman's Organization?

 Ron and I discovered this overgrown place while driving home from OK City east toward Bristow. We stopped and though it seemed closed and abandoned, we were greeted by a grease coated mechanic. He showed us around his private museum of old historic route 66 Museum. What a weird experience!

 Now we know what happened to Route 66, besides the turnpike.

 Floyd's Gas UP

 A Flowerpot and car part man waves down passersby!

 Coca cola tree sign

 VW bus all painted up fine.

Nice lunch served here Barbecue!

Images of Home: Swallowtail

Images of Home: Swallowtail: All among the flowers  She fluttered, she flew and she lit, Again her wings opened and closed like doors On hinges Windows that ...

Round Barn Arcadia Oklahoma

 The Round Barn was built in 1898 and is quite the sight to see along Route 66.

 This is the upper level where loose hay was stored. Now it is a venue for weddings and dances. I loved it and danced and whirled around. It was one of the most wonderful rooms I have been inside in many days.

 The round barn in 1940 looked bad and yet there was no money for restoration. This is a photo I took of an old photo.

 The ceiling of the upper level. The roof is freestanding and looks like the inside of a round basket. The roof is 49 feet tall.

 Inside the lower level horses were housed and feed and supplies were stored.

 Watch this video about the barn from a news cast: 
(to open the link highlight the web address  and click on "go to")

http://newsok.com/historic-round-barn-in-arcadia-ok-to-celebrate-20-years-of-renewal-saturday/article/3665283

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 Here is a link to a video that shows the barn and some details about its restoration.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcvuG1l11rg 

Farmstead of 1850's in Arkansas

 This Farmstead museum is planted in Little Rock Arkansas and is quite a surprising sight 

nestled among skyscrapers. 

It reminded me of a children's book we used to read wherein a small family house 

has a whole city grow up around it. 

Soon it is surrounded by towering buildings and many people.

 Cotton growing in the door yard.

 An open porch connects the two parts of the house, probably for shade and protection as well as to prevent fire from taking the whole house or heating the whole house in summer heat.

 Split rail fences with blackberry vines, strawberry plants and herb plantings, 

surround the property.

 Shuttered windows would make for some awfully dark interiors in the winter.

 Love these post fences.

 This homestead museum is located right in the city with busy streets 

and large buildings, hotels and stores all around.

 An outhouse behind the cabin and firewood pile.

 Note the skyscraper behind the cabin. 

I love how the logs fit together and notice that the logs were squared—not rounded 

and cut like Lincoln Logs

 This sign tells where the buildings originated. 

Wouldn't you love to know the stories of the families who lived in them?

The barn's logs were too open spaced. Lots of cold wind would have blown in, 

but in summer things would be cooler.