Tear Drops on Ferns

Tear Drops on Ferns Intro the boy Joshua The boys story began in 1958, in the Texas High Plains, an area rich in oil,cotton and cattle. It was there the boy garnered a love and respect for nature and wildlife. He was raised with a strong work ethic, and was taught the value of hard work, honesty and integrity. He learned to appreciate the beauty of the land and the wildlife that inhabited it. He learned to farm,tend horses and cattle, to hunt, fish, and trap, and to respect the creatures he encountered. He was also taught to appreciate the importance of conservation and the need to protect the environment. He was taught to respect the land and to leave it better than he found it. His love for life and the outdoors only grew. from HC Holberts book Tear Drops on Ferns Joshua and younger brother Thomas often ventured out through the canyons and mesas of the rugged terrain and exploring the vastness of the high plains. He would often pause to observe the wildlife and take in the beauty of the landscape. Joshua also enjoyed fishing and hunting with his father. He learned how to identify various species of birds and mammals. He and his younger brother often went on long hikes, searching for fossils and other artifacts in the unbroken land of the ranch and farm. Joshua also enjoyed helping his grandfather with the ranch work, such as herding cattle, repairing fences and tending to the horses. He also learned how to ride horses, rope cattle, and some of the farm work such as irrigation,sowing seed, operating the tractor and other farm operations. Joshua spent much of his time exploring the unbroken land on his grandparents farm and ranch and across the border in New Mexico. Blue Quail,rabbits, roadrunners, coyotes, prairie chickens and hawks were plentiful,and Joshua marveled at them all. He was captivated by nature and life. HC Holbert Tear Drops on Ferns The sun was warm and the sky was a brilliant blue, a perfect day for exploring. The sweet smell of the wildflowers and the fresh growth of alphalpha grass filled the air. The boy wandered through the fields, taking in the sights and sounds of the countryside. He marveled at the beauty of the landscape, feeling a deep connection with the natural world. As he walked, he spied a few pronghorn antelope grazing in the distance and felt a sense of awe and wonder. He was filled with a sense of peace and contentment, a feeling that he would never forget. HC Holbert Tear Drops on Ferns Tear Drops on Ferns The Grandparents Joshua's grandparents from both sides of his family were farmers and ranchers. His dad's father they called Pa, was born in 1893 and farmed cotton in northeast Texas where he was to meet his future bride we call Ma and they later moved to the Texas panhandle where they continued to farm cotton. His dad came from a large family of thirteen brothers and sisters.On Joshua's mother's side of the family they to were farmers and also raised cattle and quarter Horses in the Texas panhandle and had two beautiful girls that worked the land with their mother and father,and tended livestock. The oldest daughter , Joshua's mother was also a great cook and homemaker. All of his grandparents were hard working people who taught their children the value of a good work ethic and the importance of family. Tear Drops on Ferns The war years Joshua and his brother Thomas were left to help their grandparents with the ranch while their father was away. When their father returned home from the war, Joshua and Thomas were filled with joy and excitement. They were so happy to have their father back home safe. As the war continued, Joshua and Thomas were often filled with worry and fear that their father might not come home. The war had a lasting effect on Joshua and his family. It changed their lives and left a deep scar. It was a difficult time, but they were able to find strength and resilience in each other. Joshua and his family were able to come out of the war stronger and closer than ever before. Tear Drops on Ferns The war years The war years were hard on Joshua and his family, but his mother's strength and courage kept them going. She worked hard to make ends meet and provide for her family while his father was away. She also kept Joshua and his younger brother informed of their father's progress and kept their spirits high. Joshua admired his mother's strength and courage during this difficult time. He was proud of her and the way she handled the situation. The war years had a lasting impact on Joshua and his family. His father returned home safely, but Joshua and his family never fully recovered from the emotional and financial strain of the war. Joshua and his younger brother grew up with a deep appreciation for their mother's courage and strength, and for their father's service to their country. The war years were a difficult time, but Joshua's family was able to come out of it with a new appreciation for each other and for their country. HC Holbert Tear Drops on Ferns Tear Drops on Ferns After the war When Joshua's father returned home from the war,he moved the family from the Texas panhandle to Jacksonville Arkansas. Their father was a decorated war veteran and began a recruiting career in the Army. Joshua and younger brother Thomas continued their exploration of nature in the woods of Arkansas. Their father took them fishing often and the bond with their dad grew even stronger. Their dad also taught them to play football and basketball. Both boys joined a youth football team and began to excel. In the second year of playing youth football,their father took over the coaching job of the team. The previous year the team only won a couple of games, and their dad realized it was due to a lack of proper coaching so he became the coach. Their dad managed to turn a losing team to an undefeated team,and they won the city championship. Joshua excelled in sports, especially football, and was a standout player on the team. HC Holbert Tear Drops on Ferns Tear Drops on Ferns Discovery Joshua and his younger brother continued to excel in sports but Joshua's true interests were in the arts. Joshua's love for nature and life began to express itself in art,music and writing. Both of Joshua's parent's were very supportive of his passion and gave him the love and room to grow and develop them. HC Holbert Tear Drops on Ferns Tear Drops on Ferns The Woman When Joshua was twenty years old,he was working in the oil field as a roughneck on a triple derrick oil rig in the Permian basin. His aunt who also lived in the area and was going to nursing school in Snyder Texas, and wanted to introduce Joshua to a young woman she was going to school with and was from the same town as his aunt. She was nineteen years old and very beautiful. She had mid length brunette hair,a bright smile,and warm brown eyes . The young woman's name was Dawn and was a fitting name for her. HC Holbert Tear Drops on Ferns Tear Drops on Ferns The Woman The two hit it off right away and started dating. They would go out to dinner,movies and bowling and long drives in the country.They would spend hours talking and getting to know each other. Joshua was smitten and soon they were in love. The couple married a year later and Joshua was determined to provide for his new bride. Joshua and his wife eventually had two beautiful children and Joshua continued to work hard to provide for his family. He was determined to give them the best life possible and worked long hours to make it happen. Joshua was a loving husband and father and he and his wife shared a strong bond that only grew stronger as the years went by. They were truly a match made in heaven and Joshua was grateful for the love and happiness they shared. HC Holbert Tear Drops on Ferns Blue Jeans and Aspens The image of beautiful women in blue jeans and Colorado aspens in autumn is a stunning one. The vivid colors of the aspen trees against the deep blue of the jeans create a stunning contrast. The aspen trees, in their golden and orange hues, are a reminder of the beauty of the changing of the seasons. The women, in their jeans, are a reminder of the beauty of the human form and the strength and resilience of the female spirit. Together, the image is a reminder of the beauty of the natural world and the strength and beauty of the human spirit. HC Holbert