Sleeping in a barn

On January 8, 2025February 5, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn Vacation4 Comments

Brett and I spent 2 nights in a renovated barn (on the 2nd floor) near Vero Beach. We got there late in the afternoon and looked around a little before heading to the beach for dinner.

It was a little weird driving down a long dirt road after dark to get back to the farm.

The next morning I was awake early and could hear the horses down below. I got up and ran to the kitchen window and saw the above. The sun hadn’t come up yet. I quickly changed and ran out to see what was going on.

The horses were being let out of the barn. We were able to walk around the farm so I ran back upstairs and had a quick breakfast with Brett and we went out for a walk down to the main road.

We were also able to feed the animals and I had brought a bag of apples with us from our hurricane stash so the goats got a treat for breakfast.

Most of the cows were far out in the pasture but one Mom with 2 little ones came close to the fence for a drink of water.

The sun coming up through a spiderweb.

We walked out on the main dirt road and passed by a farm with a No Trespassing sign that said “Don’t even think about it”. Who would want to walk around on that cow poop filled pasture?

It was a beautiful farm. I don’t think they actually grow anything but they do board horses. They also had chickens and a few pigs.

The next morning I was up a little later. Some of the horses were already out of the barn.

A few were still in the other barn and I gave them all of the apples we had left since we were heading home soon.

We had a great time and even though we were sleeping in a barn it had all of the comforts of home.

Riding through the cow pastures.

On December 30, 2023December 27, 2023 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

The weather was too nice to be indoors in early October so I grabbed my camera and backpack and threw my bike in the car and headed north to ride along the cow pastures. I didn’t see a lot of cows on this morning. Most of them were on the other side of the pastures and behinds trees.

Eastern bluebirds are common along this bike trail. I caught one with a nice juicy worm.

A sandhill crane couple were heading into the pond for a drink. Or maybe to look for bugs along the grass.

The purple tievine was blooming.

Some tiny critters along the trail.

There is a big barn at the beginning of the bike trail with horses far out in a pasture. It backs up to another barn with horses. As I was heading back to my car I noticed two horses across the pasture that seemed to be having a conversation over the fence. I couldn’t tell if they were showing off to each other or flirting. The one on the other side of the fence was really showing off the teeth.

Two sandhill cranes were right up against the fence near the parking area. I stopped and took the above with my phone.

“Farm livin is the life for me”

On June 23, 2022March 22, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

Every year I can’t wait to visit Sweetfield Farms in mid-May (although I missed 2020 for obvious reasons). Besides the sunflower fields, the farm has a lot of animals and activities going on during their festival.

They have rows of zinnias in all of the colors. You can pick them for $1 and I brought home a handful of them.

The one thing I noticed was there was a lot less butterflies here than last year. Maybe it was timing. Or lack of rain or too many pesticides? I was 2 weeks earlier than I went last year.

I’m not sure what these are but they were growing in the vegetable garden.

I know these yellow flowers are zucchinis. You could pick these as well and I took home a big one to saute in my spaghetti sauce.

I was watching the horses at the farm next door run around.

It’s always fun to feed the goats.

Just a boy and his turkey! He brought out some of the turkeys for people to pet. They were friendly although they don’t look like it.

But the main reason to come here is the sunflowers. I took a ton of pictures so more on those later.

Also linking to Your Moment Blog Hop.

Surrounded by snow covered mountains

On March 15, 2022March 6, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn Vacation2 Comments

Across from Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City is Heritage Park. We stopped by for a quick walk around the park but did not go into the historic village (there was a fee to get in and we didn’t have enough time since we would have to leave for the airport soon).

It was beautiful here and you can go horseback riding in the summer. It’s amazing it’s only 15 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City.

I found a frozen pond and thought that was cool. Wasn’t sure how far down it was frozen so I wasn’t risking walking across although it was tempting.

The monument tells the story of how the Mormons settled in the area. The view from it was amazing, surrounded by snow covered mountains. Back home we have been in the 80’s since the beginning of March so the cold is only a distant memory.

“Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the antelope play.”

On November 10, 2018October 22, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Vacation1 Comment

Zooming in on the bison at Antelope Island.

We briefly saw pronghorn sheep from far away.

Views along the drive. You can barely see some bison in that last picture. They were far out in the dried lake.

A few shots from the working farm on the island.

Antelope Island is a state park that sits on the Great Salt Lake.

Antelope Island

On November 5, 2018November 6, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Vacation2 Comments

The weather called for rain during our trip to Utah but we got lucky. We only saw rain on one day. The morning we went to Antelope Island, just after getting off the plane, was a perfect day even though it was a little warm and the bugs were more annoying than ones in Florida. The ride on the causeway out to the island was amazing. We pulled over several times.

Far across the lake I could see hundreds of avocets. Avocets are fairly rare in my area and I’ve only seen one. I was bummed they were so far away but the water levels were extremely low due to a long drought in Salt Lake City.

Across the island a coyote was running for the trees. He stopped for a brief second as if to say “Take a picture quick lady cause I’m outta here.”

The roads were lined with yellow flowers.

Stopping along the way to take pictures of the bison.

The horses were on a historic farm on the island. Even they were getting annoyed with the bugs.

We loved Antelope Island. Since it’s so close to Salt Lake City, we stopped by twice. The bugs were vicious and the birding was slow but the landscape was amazing.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

Horse Pens 40 Park

On June 28, 2018June 8, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Vacation4 Comments

Horse Pens 40 Park sits at the top of Chandler Mountain in northern Alabama, the 3rd highest elevation in the state in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I hadn’t been since i was a toddler so I didn’t have any memory of being there. On the way home from hiking around Noccalula Falls, my sister and I decided to stop in for a quick walk. The park has cabins and trails and is known for holding music festivals during the summer. The park was originally settled in 1880 and the name comes from the deed containing the amount of land the horses were kept on, horse pens 40 for 40 acres.

Looking down the mountain.

SkyWatch Friday

Visiting friends in the rain

On January 29, 2018January 30, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

I hadn’t been to Horsepower for Kids horse farm/sanctuary in a while so I stopped by on the way home after a walk at Chesnut Park. It had started raining so I walked around with my umbrella since the weather had cooled off.

Said “Hi” to the chickens and pigs. The one above came over to give me a snort.

The mandarin duck family seems to be growing there.

The kids out for a ride did not seem to mind the rain.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

In the middle of nowhere

On August 22, 2015August 22, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals6 Comments

Surrounded by cows and horses in central Florida.

Mailbox on a county road.

Cowbird in cow field.

I think these are eastern kingbirds.

I don’t normally hang out on the side of the road watching cows. I was taking pictures of the swallow-tail kites flying over the cow fields in central Florida and started snapping pictures of things you don’t normally see in the city of Tampa.

Saturday's Critters

Last day on the farm for a while

On April 4, 2015April 4, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

Horses playing and taking mud baths.

Strutting around.

A green heron hanging around the pond.

“Don’t land on me” said the turtle to the great blue heron.

Floating around the pond.

Love is in the air.

Showing off for the ladies.

I think this one needs some sunscreen.

This pond has its own “cotton ball” head duck.

This is probably my last trip to the “funny” farm this year, or least until very late fall. It’s already too hot here. It was a perfect morning in early March. All of the animals were very active. In the summer they’ll be sleeping all day and the farm will be filled with “summer camp” kids. Although, it’s tempting to go back in the summer to see if there were any spring baby animals.

Weekly Top Shot #172