Posted By FarmerJ on October 16, 2010

A discovery was made the other day here at the Prairie Farmstead ~ a discovery of the Gnome Compound at 1084½.

I should probably provide you with a little background information, lest you think we all have fallen off our rocks…er…out of our rockers…er…yeah.  You see, over the years, my buddy has given me little garden gnomes to sit and watch over things in the flower beds and garden areas.  While I don’t put too much thought into gnomes, as long as they don’t look too creepy, my adorable Darling Husbie doesn’t ‘do’ gnomes.  “They move around at night.”

Last summer, Husbie gathered up a couple of gnomes that were near the house and took them to watch over the back forty.  If they were going to move around at night, at least they wouldn’t be near the house.  He nestled them into the woods and left them to do whatever it is they do.  Every time we’d go on our walk to the back forty, we’d check on the gnomes ~ and they would be moved.  Husbie would situate them once again, and we’d leave them to do their thing.  It became a regular occurrence.  At least until winter came and we stopped taking our walks to the back forty.

It was a long winter, and my attention span is shortening in my old age, so I’d forgotten about the gnomes by the time spring came and we began taking our walks again.  Darling Husbie says he never forgot about them and reports that he would check on them periodically while back there hooking implements onto his tractor and whatnot.

Yes, I’d forgotten about the gnomes until my buddy came to visit me this summer.  We went to the garden center of our local home improvement store on the lookout for cute little trinkets for the flower beds.  That’s where we met Norman.  Seeing him immediately reminded me of the two Husbie had relocated, and I shared the story with my buddy.  The next thing I know is Norman is strapped in the backseat and headed to the Farmstead.

It wasn’t long before Norman was asking Mr. Toitle directions to the back forty.  I couldn’t quite hear their conversation, but picked up on something about remaining slow and steady…

Mr. Toitle must have given Norman directions going the long way, because we spotted him in the big cottonwood stump, which was in the opposite direction of where he needed to go.  His destination is near those trees way in the background.

It was quite the trek for ol’ Normon, especially with legs as short as his.  We caught him taking a break and grabbing a bite to eat along the way.

Mr. Toitle had told Norman that once he reached a culvert, he would soon be near his friends.  He said Norman would know it was the right culvert because it was marked by a Danger sign.  Oooooh!  It looks kind of spooky back there, but Norman is a brave gnome.

It was apparent Mr. Toitle is a wise toitle turtle and knew exactly where to send Norman.

[Now, in reality, I knew the general vicinity Darling Husbie had stashed those two gnomes, but wasn't sure of the exact location.  I knew they were near a tree in the center of the woods on the back side of the slough.  So, there I was, thrashing around in the woods, swatting mosquitoes and praying I wouldn't get entangled in any poison ivy, looking for some silly gnomes.  I'd finally found them and we relocated them to a location nearest the implement which would be the first Husbie would most likely use next.  Except...it wasn't.

Anyway, on with the story...]

Norman located his friends, who were happy to have his company and his assistance ~ there’s a lot of acreage to watch over back there…especially when you’re the size of a corn cob.

Hence, was the establishment of the Gnome Compound at 1084½.

Now, really, all this was merely some cheap comic relief for a couple of girls who’d spent far too much time shuckin’ and de-cobbing sweet corn and needed to get outside for a little bit.  But, the funniest part was yet to come.

I don’t know who I got the biggest kick out of, actually.  Whether it was my buddy calling almost every day asking, “Did he find them yet?”  Or, whether it was my Darling Husbie’s reaction when the compound was finally discovered.  I just know that it was difficult to maintain composure and keep my giggling quiet enough to not give anything away every time Husbie and I would take our walk or drive by.  I know I smiled from ear to ear every time I saw those silly things sitting there, waiting to greet Husbie.

It took a couple of months, but the discovery was finally made ~ not any way near how us girls thought, either…which only adds to the silliness.  Peanut, the Beagle mutt, actually helped make the discovery.  We were on a leisurely morning stroll, and Peanut got scent of a rabbit or some other critter right in the vicinity of the Compound.  She started thrashing around back in the thick of the trees, and Husbie says, “The gnomes are back there.”  I know I let out a vocal giggle that time ~ I mean, come on, how could I refrain any longer?!  And, in the same moment I spoke the words, “Well, they may have moved around again,” Husbie spotted ‘something’ in the trees near his Carry-All.  Norman and his friends shouted, “I say good day!”

I was giggling like a little school girl, and Husbie was shaking his head and chuckling over how silly his wife and her buddy had been so many days ago already.  And, the next time she called to ask if he’d found them yet, I could finally say, “Yes!”

I think I foresee an ongoing adventure here ~ but, until then, I say good day!  ♥

Categories: Prairie Playtime
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