My World—Oklahoma Meadows

A farm life means that any area large enough to create pasture is usually baled into hay. Mowing it every year means that a lot of wildflowers are never given a chance to grow and re-seed. After all, feeding the animals is more important than letting a few weeds grow.

And in the areas too small for hay, it's usually not comfortable to walk through them. After all, snakes, spiders and other kinds of biting creatures find the areas a perfect habitat.

But because we had no cows to feed, and our tractor needed repaired, mowing the meadows wasn't important. Then, by the time the tractor was running, quail had moved in and were using the meadows to raise their babies. To mow the grass would have meant the nests would likely have been destroyed.

So after the quail had a chance to raise their young, the next year paths were mowed, leaving us meadow-like areas and walking paths

After all, the meadows were fascinating. And to be able to walk near them without too much worry of a snake gave a country peacefulness to them.

The biggest surprise has been how much they vary from year to year, perhaps due to the mowing schedule or perhaps the amount of rain.

One year the thistle grew taller than my head and took over most of the space.

 And the meadows do have to be mowed occasionally or trees will overtake the area.

But being able to walk comfortably among the weeds without too much worry of something inside them biting or stinging me, has made them quite enjoyable.

Nature isn't for everyone. It takes time to watch the seasons change. But I the colors brighten my world. 

(All the photos but the thistle were taken near the same time this year. The thistle hasn't bloomed yet, and the photo is from the last year.)