Give Earth a Chance®
This is not a political statement.
Simply, it’s an opportunity for ShannonsFarms.com to share – thanks to CBS Sunday Morning – an opinion piece we believe was very clever. An “Opinion” shared by the United Nations, in case you missed it, Shannon’s Farms believes the message may be well worth seeing for the first time.
Thanks again to CBS Sunday Morning’s broadcast of 7 November, 2021: Opinion by the United Nations.
All this hibernating, er, quarantining, at home has not felt like too much change for us although it does give Ernie and me more time to get out and enjoy the beauty of Shannon’s Farms! Here are some much delayed pictures of recent goings-on at the farm. We’ve been working on enhancing the pond, repairing fences, and playing with the dirt (i.e., compost!). We’ve also been enjoying our bluebird families, rabbit families, painted bunting couple, and mourning doves, cardinals and other songbirds! Enjoy and stay safe! – Becky
We love foggy mornings here at Shannon’s Farms. Everything seems to move slower on foggy mornings. The songbirds either wake up later or wait to chirp until later. The mechanized sounds of our world around us is muted. Life just seems to move slower on foggy mornings. We are so blessed this early February morning to welcome a beautiful day to Shannon’s Farms!
In celebration of the 2.72 inches of rain we got here at Shannon’s Farms wildlife area, we are posting some particularly good pictures of one of the areas awash with the Texas native sunflowers. We are grateful for the perkiness and beauty brought on by the rain. Also, a picture of daylilies in a diamond-shaped raised area that accents our back yard.
Shannon’s Farms is a proud supporter of the City of Heath’s Heart of Heath Fun & Fit in the Park 5K and Family Fun Run! We have been supporting the city’s efforts to increase and improve their parks, trails, and open spaces for many years and are happy to join many other great local companies in our support of their efforts. Happy Easter!
A sunny day, a return to Texas after one of several visits to Kansas, alas, post-passing of my wonderful mother, Fern Janell (Herrington) (Burkett) Morgan, and the organized last ending of a final “estate sale.” Stopping by one seemingly final time at the house on Fairchild Street, Assaria, Kansas, I left the “home” place of over 40 years by going south on Fairchild, turning right onto Fourth Street to reach National Highway 81 (U.S. 81) some ½ mile to the west.
It caught my eye: a 4-sale sign on an 8N tractor – one of the 1000’s made (1948-1953) by Ford Motor Company. I jotted down the phone number for information and headed on to Texas. So, began a, long story short, meaningful connection.
A series of disruptive events seemed to deny the possibility of receiving some kind of positive closure for that old 8N, but again long story short, I made a seemingly “meant to be” deal with the man and a few weeks later, the 8N was mine.
Reflecting back now, it seems so important and fitting that 8N is sitting on my 10 acres here in Texas. First disruptions, closed deal, then not so fast, it can’t happen. Then on again, off again and then on again with the tractor on my 2-axle trailer headed to Texas.
The sentimentality then set in:
A good sum of money, cash, going to a good man; money for his wife, children, grandchildren, or whomever else may need for in his ongoing life, the main point perhaps being 100’s of dollars (thousands??) spent locally in an economy that serves the nearest first – something for which I felt very good about.
And finally, and really for me, most importantly, a sort of last payback in hard currency that represented a close connection to an area where most recently my closet family (mom, dad, brothers & sisters) have lived for over 40 years. A place I could call home if only for a few days and find enjoyment with the thoughts and feelings of shared love, care and concern from and with a close family who was always there in central Kansas, a beacon of hope in this troubled yet wonderful world. And thanks again, especially mama and papa, for all you did to make a loving family.
PS – The 1950 Ford 8N may someday join the yard-art in the background of the picture, but for now, it’s still a good worker!
All the best – Ern
A few pictures from Shannon’s Farms:
A small raised garden area started for our personal needs, and a shallow-till area where Spring flower seed have been broadcast.
From 2016 – a collard plant that was left (others were pulled, processed and in our freezer as foodstuff) for “going to seed” – look closely and see the happy honey bee!
2016 – the year we reseeded Texas native wildflowers. We do this every few years to keep them strongly present. Here is our first early “full grown” bluebonnet!
Right on time: flowers, dozens of a trumpet vine variety, planted here at Shannon’s Farms 16 years ago, growing to maturity soon to be food for the migrating early Spring hummingbirds. Also look closely and see the big black & yellow bumble bee!
Dozens of wild plums in our strongly wooded 2-3 acres are blooming extra-well this year; hopefully, soon making fruit for the creatures!
Blooming blackberry white blooms soon to be fruit shared with hungry mockingbirds here at Shannon’s Farms.
Blooming bluebonnets spilling over from Shannon’s Farms onto the roadside on Terry Lane.
Quick pre-Spring check:
Pre-Spring pictures — a freshly planted Granny Smith apple tree, heavily mulched fig trees with lots of new young growth (hopefully no extreme hard killer freeze in our future) with a few “puppy dog feet” (bluebonnets) in the foreground, and our newly created wildflower bed adding to the continued enrichment of our wildlife management area, an ongoing process here at Shannon’s Farms.
Pecan tree update: 60+ trees are now growing at Shannon’s Farms and less than ten of those are volunteers leaving a good balance of more than 50 pecan trees of varying age and size that we have been successful planting here at Shannon’s Farms. (The squirrels can hardly wait! 🙂 )
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