Being Teased By Winter or Reminded She's on Her Way

Last week took some fall colour pictures, it was a beautiful day.Sunday morning we were greeted with a wake up call,SNOW, the ground was white with the stuff,kind of pretty but not really as we are not ready for winter. Yes I know that dear mother nature does not wait when she is ready to come she is a coming. Fuzzy's plans were to start getting all the pastures together this week so we could start weaning the calves It has been too warm yet to wean,we have found they do better if it is a little colder.. We started on Sunday moving the two west pastures together for the drive to the Dunn yard on Monday,they seem to move better if they have one day together.It went well after someone quit yelling orders into the wind which someone else could not hear and made a mistake of going the way it was first discussed,but the plan had been changed apparently.God bless all cattlemen who choose to work with their wives and children,as sometimes we could string them up(the cattleman that is).
 Monday we made the big drive with the help of our oldest, all the way I kept thinking this going really smooth, but kept it to myself till we got to our destination just in case. Got home and started pulling down the round pen,a little sad but its okay as I am getting a small barn for the horses,with a pen behind to work them,yeah! Some of our friends keep telling me its going to be a calving barn,but we will just see who wins out.Suppose to be starting on getting it built this weekend,I'll try and get some pictures of the progress;I am getting excited.
 Tuesday found us moving more cattle to the other place,by the time we got done was getting cold as it was damp and dreary but the snow was all but gone. Came home thinking homemade soup and an afternoon of baking, by 5 o'clock the house smelled  amazing, butter tarts and butter pecan cupcakes,gave the Fuzzy a taste and the rest hit the freezer.Just in time to do the chores and make supper.
I have decided to take a break from facebook for awhile, not sure if its a good idea or not but I want to give it a try see how it goes,will I miss everyone or will I make more of a concerted effort to visit with my friends in person. Sometimes think we are getting away from visiting and being part of a community to much,we think we don't have time, I'll  just check up on them on facebook or email them, need some face to face time me thinks. I let you know how it goes, my little experiment.
Take care and God Bless!

the snow was all gone,but its coming down again

Beauty In October

So lucky! October crisp clear morning,the sun is shining, a gentle breeze flutters through the trees.Trees with their many colours,truest form of beauty,nature.

 After chores,just a few things that caught my eye before the camera's batteries died thought I would share.Hope they brighten your day as they did mine.

 Happy Thursday!

Back in the Saddle!

 Hi all , yes I'm back in the saddle again,literally and figuratively also. I have not been blogging for awhile(understatement of the year). So here I am back at it,but best of all I'm working horses again after a long dry spell, and darn it feels so good.
 It has been quite the life around here since we last visited,got the cows all calved out and my mare foaled a sweet little stud colt on the 5th of May,here is his first picture that day. I might get in trouble for this but darn he is almost better than the grandchildren for making me smile. I am getting him weaned off momma now and it all seems to be going well as he gets lots of attention from other sources. Proud to say he leads and backs up,sets his feet quite well.He gives his feet when asked and is the dog's best friend.Rope and Maggie have great fun together,running and playing. Oh and the reason his name is Rope is when he was real young he could turn himself inside out like a rope.
It has been a good summer with rain coming when needed and the coyotes did not get any calves this year, thanks be too God! Good hay crop and grain crops were pretty good considering how late seeding was this year,we had winter far to long,the guys did not get on the land until May,unlike other years where it has been April.But life is good!My 86year old mother came down again this year for the summer and enjoyed the yard,cattle,horses,dog and great grandchildren maybe not that order but something like that. Between checking pastures,haying,custom BBQ,grand kids,gardening,I got to a few horse events around here to help out,loved seeing the kids with their big smiles and big 4legged friends having so much fun.
 August 4th our youngest and her boyfriend announced their engagement, which brought on a celebration. So very happy for them, the wedding is to take place here at the farm next August.yikes!!!( I will be ready and everything will be just fine and its not about my yard or the things that don't get done,its about the love of two wonderful young people and marriage of these two, does not matter if things in the yard are not perfect.) my mantra till the wedding.Ha ha ha!
September 1, a special young woman and her three daughters,another neighbour and me went on an 8 mile ride had lunch and rode back to where we started.This ride was in memory of Erin's dad who had passed away on the first a few years back and to my Dad who passed away the same day 8years ago. Both these men had loved and worked with a lot of horses so our way to salute them.Was a great day as I learnt I do still bounce when I come off a horse at 52(,told ya Fuzzy I would).
 Well I guess I've drawled on to long already,so I be going got a couple of horses that need some work and the washing is finally done so I'm headed out.Take care and God Bless!!!!

Remembering Paul Harvey On The Radio

     The last two days I have been taken back to when my girls were both home and things were at times quite noisy. How you ask, well Dodge trucks are supporting the farmers with a Paul Harvey dedication to the farmer. Quite moving not just the words or the pictures, but the way Paul Harvey always tells a story with his distinctive voice,really makes it hit home.
     For years our local am radio station shared Paul's The rest of the story about 11:45 a.m. weekdays and everyone knew that whether you where in the truck or in the house the radio was turned up and mouths were to be closed until he was done, then you could discuss what he had to say or share whatever else was important to you at the time.The markets came on a little later so once again it was time to be very quiet. For years our girls would shush there friends or anyone who did not know the rule as they knew if it was broken  there would be some not happy parents. It got to be quite funny as time went on and they became pretty much as interested as Mom and Dad and did not even like any disturbance.Sure do miss those days,but life moves on and things change, but once in awhile something will bring them back and they seem even more sweet!
     So if you have a chance listen to Paul Harvey's Farmer, and thank you Dodge Trucks for the memories and the salute to the Farmer! I am proud to be a farmer and I'm proud to be married to one!
       I am going to try and share it with you but I am not sure if I can, here goes.

Dogs,Sewing, and Just Plain Life Out Here In The Middle Of Nowwhere!

   Good Monday Morning!
Hope this finds everyone well and happy.Its a beautiful morning out here on the prairie, no wind to speak of and the temperature is a lovely -18( warmer than it has been).

    Last week I was dog sitting for our neighbours while they where away,had a very interesting time with the little darling(I use the term lightly). Our sweet Maggie wanted so much to be friends right off the bat but the little mister had different ideas,so it made for interesting times. Fuzzy had a discussion with the little turd about manners in another dog's home and then things change,who would have thought.hmmmm maybe I married Dr. Doolittle.ha ha ha! At the end of the visit the pair had become friends or at least learned to get along. Last week we had our first calf, not to really have any until March,but one April day last year the 2 year old bulls decided that their pen was no longer the place they wanted to be,one hour later and apparently one cow bred we got them all back in.Thanks be to God!
    I have been going through my fabric stash and sorting,organising,taking inventory,whatever you want to call it(cleaning up the place so I can find what I want).I came upon some large green gingham check that I had picked up for bunting on the head table for the oldest's wedding almost 11 years ago. (looked really nice for a farm wedding with a touch of John Deere,yellow roses.and sheaves of different forages and grains).Sorry getting off track! Found the fabric and decided to get it used up once again, I had already used some for a valance when we moved into this house,and put the rest back in a tote for the future use,6years later I have replaced my ironing board cover with some of it and also used some to make a sewing machine cover. I have a hard plastic cover for my machine but it is a pain when I have the machine in the table that was re purposed for my machine,someone else's purge,that we put a new bottom in, so mine would fit.So I was in a hurry to do this and found some other fabric that would not look to bad with the gingham,and got to work, did not have a pattern just took a few measurements(maybe should have done a little more of that but O well) and when ever there was a few minutes to steal from the day I sewed, not pretty or perfect but it works.YA!

     Friday, Fuzzy and I went into the Lieutenant Governor's Winter fest and toured some of the pavilions,the Brazilian one had a great show, lots of energy.People are so much fun at these things you visit with people you don't know and may never see again, but for that little bit time you are in that line up or seated at a table you become interested in each other and what each of you think of what you have seen or are about to see,and it is so very special, to bad it cannot be like that all the time maybe just maybe we would not have so much conflict in this world. Great night great food and great people!
    Well I best be going and get some more work done, hope you have a great day!!!!

P.S. Thanks for stopping by!
   
  

Happy Burns Day

   January 25th Robbie Burns Day, the birthday of the poet Robert Burns. Born in 1759, he was of humble origins and wrote of life in a way that all could relate,some would say a brilliant man.
    Thanks to him we have the Burns night with the supper and festivities, which usually starts with Selkirk Grace written by Robert Burns- Some hae meat canna eat
                         And some wad eat that want it.
                          But we hae meat and we can eat.
                         Sae tat the Lord be thankit.
 The menu maybe a soup ( cock-a-leekie soup) or Scotch broth
                                  Haggis
                                  Tatties and neeps
                                   Dessert
                                  some have been known to follow up with a wee dram.
Now in our house cannot get Fuzzy to even consider Haggis so we will be having bridies,tatties and neeps.Not quite sure what we'll have for a pudding yet but I'll figure it out soon.Now to finish this fine meal Fuzzy may have a wee dram but I think I canna do ( hate scotch)!
  Well Robbie Burns is not the only thing to celebrate today but it is finally warming up it is only minus 22 and no wind Thanks Be to God! We started out the week with minus 30 with a wind chill factor of -42, no school buses ran and chores got done quick as possible. Well I have got to go to town for Fuzzy and check on the neighbour's pets so I will sign out. Hope this finds you healthy and happy. Enjoy your weekend and remember SMILE

January 2013! I'm Back

Good morning world! I have been on a real dry spell or funk could not seem to be able to sit down and compose anything since may,I tried a few times but could not do it. I am not one for new year's resolutions,cannot seem to keep them so I am just going to make a list everyday and get as much done on it as possible.
I have been trying to keep up with reading everybodies posts,made a few comments but not many.2013 I will be trying harder to keep up to everybody and get some posts  up myself. I have been reading Clean and Scentsible and have been inspired to get my house back to being organised, she has some great ideas, some I already knew and just needed to be reminded of and some fresh ones. I have been cleaning kitchen cabinets this week and purging, have a box started for a garage sale or charity and the cupboards look really pretty good, hope they stay that way.If you want some inspiration pay her a visit.
 I have also fallen madly in love recently,and spending as much time with my new love as possible. I feel so much better about life when I get home from our time together.We cannot bring her home until the cattle go to pasture as we need another pen and barn or stable for her and her sister who belongs to our granddaughter.Yes,I have got a new horse! Spending the time with THE GRANDDAUGHTER taking her to 4-H,riding lessons,and just spending time with the horses I caught the bug once again,and decided I was going to get back into it and bought Chilli! Oh how I missed it, she makes me feel like a kid again.(Fuzzy tells me to remember that I'm not,so don't do stupid)
I have been knitting and crocheting,found some neat patterns so have been giving them a go.Doing a bit of work with some old barbed wire creating Christmas trees, which if I don't say so myself are pretty cute.One person who was leaving right after Christmas used it for her main Christmas decoration.
 Doing chores,I have been trying to pick out a few heifers to halter break in case someone decides to do some showing this year,and it never hurts if they know what a halter is.Everyone around here is pretty tight with hay because of the drought this past summer so hoping for an early spring.
Speaking of cattle had a good read when I stopped by to visit Julia at Of Petals and Wool.Love her stories of her Grandchildren and the cattle,her crafts,and just life,if you get a chance stop in and have a look it will be worth your time.
And to my neighbour and dear friend Knitwit, of 2 kids 2 dogs 2cars 2 tired, love it keep it coming makes my day you are an inspiration!
Well its time to go and get some work done, hope life is good and keep smiling! Take care and God bless!