Morning Ritual: Labs and Turnips...A Curiosity

Mornings around our little farm are pretty much the same. After I send hubby off to work, and before I start my work day, I take the dogs for their morning walk along the creek. I know you're wondering what labs and turnips have in common, but I'll get to that.

Everything looks kind of drab this time of year, but the creek burbles along, reflecting the blue sky, adding a bit of color. It's very peaceful

Then we walk through the woods. Our pointer, Sarge, whom we refer to as Uncle Sarge (as in that odd uncle everyone has!) is always on the hunt. Constant motion. Constant energy.

The labs run along, searching for sticks, hoping that I'll throw a few.

Then we circle back around to the field, which brings me to the turnip mystery. We've planted cover crop and turnips every year since we've lived here. For some odd reason, this year the labs discovered the turnips. And they consume them voraciously.

Perhaps it started with a game. I pulled a few turnips and threw them just for fun, to see if they would retrieve a turnip. But they didn't retrieve it. They ate it. I can understand consuming the green tops in the winter. I just wonder what it is about the vitamins and minerals in a turnip that a dog's body craves.

I guess I could caption this "Dogs Grazing on Turnips, a Bucolic Setting."

After the turnip grazing, followed by some stick chewing...

the dogs go back to their respective kennels and I start chores for the day. Right now that includes trying to finish pruning the lavender.

Fortunately, it was a lovely morning, the sun was warm, the air chilly. I had to take a wee break and enjoy it, like a fat toad on a log.

Then I come in, have a cup of tea, return emails, read some blogs, and get down to work. Which, for today, is several batches of the ever popular Lavender Lemongrass.

(FYI: Every year I make Russian Tea for the holidays. I tried adding ground lavender, but the orange was too strong so the taste was imperceptible.)

Oh, and isn't my tea towel cute? Courtesy of my sweet sis-in-law from Epoc Ink. See how she can personalize each one for you? Names, dates, addresses. Very cool.

But wait, look at her Christmas design this year...

Love!! And check out the bag she customized for me. A pic of me in the lavender with two of my chocolate labs. The ideas are seemingly endless. Having a reunion? Wouldn't a pic of the family patriarch from 1880 be cool on a t-shirt?

Before I leave you for the day, here is a link to a blog called Dear Lillie. She has alot of cute things in her shop, but her free downloads are such fun. I printed off this little guy for January, added it to a frame with some lavender sprigs and, voila! Cute in an entry hall, or, in my case, on the breakfast bar.

Now off to work! Have a great day. And if anyone knows why the labs are eating turnips I'd be very interested to know!

Cathy