Local Labor Strike!

The machines came to a halt,

the laborers stopped in their tracks,

The soft meows of "NO MORE YARD WORK"

could be heard through out the valley.

In My Sisters' Garden

Peppers and egg plant,

sunflower,

watermelon,

pumpkin,

chives,

okra,

and marigolds.

The end of season is near,

for the garden

and for the butterfly.

Monday....and Another Halter Leaves

 Monday is never my favorite day of the week, unless it's a holiday, then Tuesday is my least favorite day. I knew today was going well when I stretched in the hall, fell backwards and hit my head on the heat register...man, that hurt. It was still hurting when I decided I needed to potty, reached to wipe and my entire side of my body went into muscle spasms. Maybe I tried to do too much this weekend. I knew it was gonna be a great day! 

The sky told me it would get better,

and except for the lady

 who HAD to have something during lunch,

 it wasn't too bad.

A few people had wanted to see my hillbilly halter rack, took a picture this evening.  Now, not only is my blue halter missing but my red one and its lead.  Where it was supposed to be, hung a crooked whopper-jawed bridle!  Oh, and my dining room smells like leather, one of my favorite smells!

Since the farrier came today, I tracked down Hubby and inquired about my red halter...he knew how the loss of the blue one drove me crazy.  He quickly located the red and returned it...lucky for him!

I also assisted the grand mechanic which consisted of standing, listening to him fuss, and being directed to find parts.  Okay, on a Monday, that didn't last long either.

So I am on strike tonight not because of anything other than I want to be on strike.  It will be an eat what you can find night.  The Closer is on and one of the few shows I watch.  I do love a sassy Southern lady who is in charge of a whole county.

The remainder of tonight will be spent

reading a book from my sister,

hiding quietly in my room.

Thank God, tomorrow is Tuesday.

A Celebration Of Sun Flowers

We salute you!

From The Screened Porch...

I watched the family play.

All grandsons and daughters enjoyed the beautiful day.

Football was the game of choice, for people and dogs.

The boys got hot and came in for a break.

Popsicles and ice water are always good.

The daughters and oldest grandson ran an errand,

while the youngest played at games

Nana only allows them to play.

 Yes, this is my bed they are jumping on!  My couch Jake and Zander are flipping over.  I have special games we know can only be played at Nana's.  Chase and Hide and Seek were also on the plate.

They played and played.

Papa worked on lawnmower repair.

I made a huge dish of fresh garden stir fry.

They are home now and the place is quiet,

except for someone still working on lawnmowers.

Sweating, Marking, Boxing, and Drinking...

 I don't know why I think I can get every thing done in one day.  Never have been able to but always keep trying.  I spent my morning doing like a little boy dog, as Momma used to say, doing a little here, a little there...

I check the computer before any one else hits the floor.  That's my quiet time, but the cool morning called to me.  I answered.  I walked through the kitchen saw watermelon hulls for the horses.  Carried one batch out, carried a few rocks back and added them to the garden I had cleared by the house.

When I returned to the kitchen for the second load of treats, I thought, I need to gather all the halters, ropes and bridles and sort them for each animal.  I dumped my gear bag in the middle of the dining room (remember, that's where my saddles are) and decided to make a hanger for all the head gear in the dining room.  That's right!  Where we eat!  Hey, this is a working farm, not a fancy magazine place, where nothing is ever out of place.  Now, they are all in place, I made a hanger using old door knobs and a two by four.  How's that for fancy?  Charme wears purple, Arrow; black, Knot; red and Magic; blue(he's a Patriotic horse...red, white, and blue)  All halters, leads, bridles are all in place...wait a minute...where the hell is my blue halter?? 

So I head back to the old barn, with more watermelon, and I have company.  No one will let me take a good picture, they all want treats so most pictures would have looked like fish eye photos.

Magic dances after Ki, and I holler, No, to Ki and Magic thinks I am talking to him!  Gosh, it sure gets confusing around when we all know the same language.

I asked Knot to smile pretty, not look like a mule but he mule-hammed for the camera anyway.  Their minds were on that watermelon.  I asked every one, where is the blue halter and every one denied ever seeing a blue halter.

Horses spoiled and loved, I headed back to the house...yes, I am sweating now and marking my territory well.

Bev calls and says, I'm going to the shop so that is where my boxing comes in...been boxing stuff all week I want to sell.  Load the car with said boxes and head to the shop...with two drinks but it was not nearly enough.  It is cooler but not working in the shop where we only had fans going.

My nephew bought some big-ass shelves at an auction and did not stay home long enough to put them together so, you guessed it, it's up to me and Bev. (Nephew is in Alaska working...hope it's black fly season!)  These are supposed to be tall shelves, we can't budge them!  Two elephants couldn't lift them with three trunks!

So we improvise, we stack the big rolly bases together and place shelves on them and make a wonderfully solid display table.  We move a couch or two,a couple of tables and move some boxes.  We are drinking heavy, breaking often and sweating a lot.

Hubby and Andrew show up...Thank goodness!  The four of us with a dolly, moved three of those darn sections and it took all we four had, to do it.  We are gonna stack those boogers and if someone else wants to put them together, they are welcome to do so.  Hey, cover 'em with a quilt and it will make a great table.

The two men also unload my car, which I had not gotten around to doing, left and came back with drinks for me and Bev.  Hubby and Andrew are looking pretty darn good, what I can see through my sweating eyeballs.

We continue to discuss ideas and arrangements...til we both just sweated out.  Left for the day.

I came home to the smell of tacos, I'm so hot, I really don't care to eat, took a shower, drinking liquids like I haven't had a drink all day and never did find that dang blue halter!!!

Reaping The Rewards...

from hard, hard work.

Battling through the heat, drought, bugs and garden eaters, the garden has paid my sisters with great rewards.

Grow on, sweet garden.

Thank you, good sisters, for working so hard.

Now, what's for supper?

NOTICE:  LEAVE A COMMENT

ON YESTERDAY'S POST

TO WIN  A MYSTERY GIFT

FROM AT THE FARM!

September '08 The Beginning

I began to blog...like a house on fire.  I eagerly waited for the first comment. Equally excited, I've waited for each comment since.

I celebrated each follower. I measured my worth by the following...Almost three years later, I am still here, savoring each comment.

Thank you for following, supporting me, giving me good advice and just dropping in to say hi. I have loved every minute.

Sunrise or sunset?

You decide.

UPDATE:  JUST REACHED THREE HUNDRED FOLLOWERS, PLUS!

 I must have a giveaway!!!  I am so thrilled and so proud.  I see some blogs that soar in numbers over night...I am a long distance runner but I seem to have finally reached a milestone.  I don't have much pizazz nor am I a literary guru.  All I can guarantee is I am here, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always here.

For those who have been brave enough to follow me, please leave a comment on this post. This will also be a great chance to ask questions and tell me what you would enjoy seeing.  One week from today, September 2nd, (Deadline 6PM 9/2/11) I will pick a name.  I will announce the winner September third...and compile a surprise package from At The Farm.

Thank you, without y'all I wouldn't be here!

Thursday's Things In A Row...

Pat has caused my addiction,

by creating this weekly theme.

Hop on the Rows wagon

and join the team!

Speaking of teams,

you'll need some shoes,

rows and rows, like age fourteens do.

When the weather's hot

 or when it's cold

DP's my drink,

 I can't let go.

Rows of admissions,

rows of pills,

camera's not wide enough

for the row of bills.

A row of tractor tracks,

always At The Farm,

need the equipment

but sometimes, they do harm.

A row of faded ribbons

from past horse shows,

Will I ever show again,

Who knows?

Oh, my friend, Pat,

to thee I tip my hat.

Your creation is my downfall,

you're stuck with me, rows and all.

Signs...

A picture of an old picture of a sign taken on Tybee Island, Georgia over eleven years ago.  The best vacation of my life!

Pat, you sure are a lot of work.  Drop by to see signs.

My Morning...

Rain...beautiful rain.

Ki's Herding Adventure

The cows hear the tractor and think, food!

Hubby was going to remove a tree from the fence.

I called Ki to when the herd began to gather.

Hubby asked her to work.

 Ki took that to mean put in them a circle,

 so she began to work, circling,

No cow too big,

no bovine fast enough to catch her.

She worked and she was too fast for the cows.

Oops, one's trying to get away.

Ki kept the pulling the circle tighter and tighter.

Not bad for an untrained mutt!

Good girl!