He Comes By It Naturally

Yes, I think Handsome comes by it naturally. It is in his blood; his genetic makeup! The "it" I am referring to is his instinct for gardening and caring for creatures. He cannot have a dog or a cat or a bird due to potential allergies or diseases. But he can have, and does have, fish! And a hermit crab! And a sea snail!
Even though the saltwater fish have all died, the snail and hermit crab keep him excited. He watches closely for their food levels, salinity levels, and water temperatures and levels. He now also has a gold fish in a regular aquarium which he monitors daily.

He also loves to garden! He has a tomato plant that we bought when he came to help me plant my garden. He monitors the water intake, its exposure to sunlight and wind, and its progress. He wants to get a bean plant too, really soon!

I say he comes by this naturally because of his heritage. I love to garden as well. And I love animals of all kinds...almost, anyway! But my father grew up on a farm. My grandfather was a farmer in Kansas and Oklahoma for a long time. My mother had a garden. My grandmother had a garden. My grandmother had an orchard as well. She cannned and froze fruit and vegetables regularly as I watched at her side before I could even read.

My father raised animals. I remember at various times having chickens, geese, cows, (both beef and dairy), hogs, sheep, and ducks. Some we ate. Some we loved. And we always had horses...I had my own "pony" from age five to about age 15. Her name was Patsy. She was ornery and tried several times to wipe me off by running under a tree. But she was my horse!

So, I say Handsome has gardening, farming, animal care in his blood! Our family roots have traced back to the days of Native Americans who lived off the land.

I am glad to have Handsome share this interest with me. It gives us something to talk about and share besides classroom topics. And, Handsome WILL eat what we grow! He also enjoys cooking...especially if he grew it himself!