Hurray!

I have reached the wonderful milestone of sixty followers!

I celebrate. I crave followers like I do chocolate. The chance to visit with people all over the world is amazingly wonderful to me.

I love to see how other people live and am surprised and honored when they are interested in my simple life.

Thank you for making my day, my week, my month and my year a success.

I can guarantee it is never boring around here!

Upon Waking, Early Morning Poem

"I've always admired farm girls"
He said softly in his up North voice
As he watched me weed sling
the grass around the mail box.

Leaning against his finned, shiny Cadillac
With arms crossed
You could see the danger, the hunger
In his dark, depth less eyes.

He, verbally, admired my strength
And youthful beauty
Then offered me a ride
With promises to see his world.

He drove away quickly
When I approached with my weed hook.
He must have noticed
The lack of innocence in my farm girl eyes.

The Perfect Photo..

In my eyes. There are photos that come out just the way you plan and then there are photos that are quite by accident, not what you planned but wonderful anyway, beyond reason.

Marcy discovered this colorful spider and took several photos of it. She was gonna to delete this one. This photo has swept me away. Do not know if it is the composition, the lighting or the subject or the combination of all.

Thanks, Marcy for providing me with this awesome picture!

Wonder Why...

(Sorry the video is dark but the volume is good.)

I have five hundred plus posts? I can't keep my mouth shut. I always have something to rattle on and on about.

You know Gypsy, the foster dog, who I have been patiently training to make someone a good dog, well, hubby is training her on the side.

I have been training her NOT to bark while he is training her to howl when he says Momma. Great! Now when he says where's Momma, Gypsy gives a howl.

Gypsy sits on command, stays out of things labeled Mine, totally house broken, points at the chickens and wants to play with the cats, is social with all the dogs, brings anything back you throw, has begun herding the cattle and is a little braver around the horses.

I'll pay the adoption fee, if someone would love to have her. Come on, guys, just because she is big, black and looks like a hound and weighs over fifty pounds is no reason to turn down this sweety. She would make a great lap dog.

Wordless Abundance

A Sunday Drive With Some Side Walks

The road I drove to take Hubby to the tractor and fence line
An old tree stand for deer hunting

Working on a hill

Gypsy cooling after the run

Seymour in mid shake

Considering the next step

Wild flowers

Enjoying the top pond after a long run

A hidden treasure, lichen and a flower

The highest point on the farm

It was a good ride and a good walk. Now I have to get to work. Walnuts and pecans and chestnuts to pick up. More okra is in the freezer. Never a lack of something to do.

Marcy's Bouquet

The Golden Rod has flourished this year. I do not remember it being this beautiful for a long time, I guess it was all that wonderful rain. Marcy has a bed of various flowers along the front of her house. The Golden Rod was blocking access to the steps, safe access anyway since we do have the occasional snake.

Beverly clipped them back and placed this awesome bouquet in an antique washtub next to the house. Gorgeous!

Still Undefeated!!!!!

There were clouds hanging over the team as they went to play the team they had never beaten.

The clouds lightened but the dark one stayed over the opposition.

It was a heck of a game!
The crowd spent more time on their feet than on their seats.

Tied eight to eight but still undefeated!

I Knew I Was Tired When...

I was dropping the quick food leftovers in the trash, the open container of ketchup fell into my purse upside down.

I set my purse on the wet football bleacher and did not think that it would act as a wick for the rain on the bench.

I got lost coming back from the bathroom after what seems like a mile from where I began.

I wore clogs to a football field when it had rained all week and they had cute little designs cut out all over them...style, sieve.

Wanted to sleep at work but have not mastered the art of sleeping in my chair.

I celebrated the fact that there was no game last night.

Hubby cooked supper.

I spilled a glass of tea in my chair, lost part of my sloppy joe in the floor...and then ate it!

Maybe I can rest soon.

Izard County Skies

I am still so tired, I am not putting them in the right order. This one is last today.

This is the beautiful site that greeted me this morning as I drove to work.

Every spot on the road had a different view. Can you feel the curve?

Beautiful skies with promise of an equally beautiful day
And we shall end with the first!

I am going to bed!

Past My Bedtime...

Just had to do this post! First night game this year. We played Cedar Ridge. We won!!!!!!!!

Final Score 30-us, 0-them.

It was awesome! Andrew got the first touchdown and they were playing full field. It was at least a fifty yard run. You could see him kick into gear and leave the guy behind. His second touch down was not so easy. He was weaving and dodging and running! This old lady almost fell off the bleachers. The whole team was awesome...D and O.

~

I hope I can sleep after all this excitement. The rain seems to be doing the team good. I am still fussing about those white uniforms. Buy stock in laundry detergent and bleach, with all this rain I am sure it must be going up.

~

Playing football with the two Border Collies is paying off. They rarely let Andrew through without taking the football so it is great training.

~

I shall go and try to relax enough to sleep and will catch up on all your posts tomorrow night.

Goooooooooooo, Mighty Mites!

The Farm Rocks!

I did no work today after work. Instead I decided to play. I wondered why most of our dogs are black and white.

My foster dog, Gypsy, is forcing me to walk every day! I do not quite trust her alone with the cats and chickens. Although we have had no problems, I do not leave her unattended and take her the other direction on walks.

Today I decided to cross the creek and climb what I call Rock Mountain and the guys call Terrapin Ridge. Rocks and trees, plenty of both to see.

Can you see a face?

One side of the mountain...I was coming down

The dogs all enjoyed the walk since it was new for Gypsy, she really ran a lot. Now she is worn out, sleeping at my feet.

The Border Collies and the Border Hound

We climbed Rock mountain and came down the other side to the Rock Gully, my favorite spot.

The dogs found a hidden pocket of water to cool off in the Rock Gully. There were a few spots left over from the last rain. There is no live water here but I believe years ago there may have been. It carries the rain now to the creek below.
I ran out of energy. My legs and arms scratched from briers, my batteries ran out and I was running out of daylight.

Football practice was over with and my hubby came looking, he said for the dogs but I know he was worried about me!

As We Head Into Fall...

Let's not forget the spring.

The days are shorter but thank goodness we have had plenty of rain and we are going into fall with lots of green grass and hay in storage. Our stock will be fed and for that we are grateful.

~

The garden has been good although my sisters have battled with armadillos, rabbits, deer and bugs, we still have had and are having a good harvest. All sorts of food have been dried, frozen and canned. We will be fed and for that we are grateful.

~

From the terrible ice storm last year and the tornado the year before, we have processed many fence posts, fire wood and chairs. We shall be warm, new fences built and chairs to enjoy and for that we are grateful.

~

Now, I am not grateful for ticks from the spot backs down to the seed ticks, I deplore each and every size, shape and color. Mosquitoes are right there on my list with the ticks. I am sure they have some ultimate, truly unique purpose in our wonderful world but I see no purpose. I also dislike the tiny bugs that are only out a short time during the year, but they bite like heck and you can't see them.

~

Chiggers don't like me so I shall not badmouth them today.

This N That

Princess enjoying the green grass in September!
A wonderful dog and an old hag

Andrew working on that birthday present! Why did I get an amp??

The harvest is still good.

Things just keep on growing. We are truly blessed.

Don't Know What's Wrong...

I have been working all weekend on loading pictures on cds. I had so many pictures, my computer would not defrag...now that's a lot of pictures. I am happy to say I have finished 2008 and have January and February '09 done. Just a few thousand to go!

I had been feeling tired and run down and just plumb lazy. Doc had put me on some Cholesterol medicine. I was hurting all over, my muscles, my joints, then I looked it up...side effects! So, unbeknowst to my doctor, I have stopped taking them. I am beginning to see the old me come alive again!

Now this is Monday and I've had a lively weekend. Work is heck on Monday(Can you tell me why people come a hour early to get their mail on Monday when they know there is two days of mail??) Anyway I was covered up with reports and suspenses and people mailing things, of course, that is my job so I did it and I did it well. At lunch, I wrote out my bills which is a job I always dread.

Then, here's the part where I don't know what's happening, I went to town from work, bought cleaning supplies and groceries, unloaded them, washed my car, washed the front porch, did laundry and dishes and took a shower because I am dripping wet from working so hard. What has gotten into me?

Lord, please let it continue!

I Am Not Cured!

On the way to the foot ball game Saturday we had to stop at Wal Mart. A humane society was there having an adoption event.

I had to look! I loved all four dogs there and found it very hard to walk away. You know I have too many dogs as it is and I am fostering Gypsy for adoption. I looked into some yellow eyes of a spotted dog and my heart skipped a beat!!! Then I looked into the next carrier and my lands, it did again. Thank goodness the two puppies were sleeping or I would have had a runaway.

I do not understand the blatant irresponsibility shown by folks that have no more respect for an animal than to drop them off or breed them non selectively.

If I had the funds I would fill this whole farm with dogs that have never known love or the kiss of a child.

I even think my husband is getting use to me being dog crazy. He said he liked the first one the best and I say ohhhhh...and pulled my breaking heart away, kicking and screaming inside...but I did walk away.

I was proud of me and yet so ashamed.

Sunday At The Farm

Harvesting Possum Grapes from the Chestnut tree.
A carrot worm

Orange in a stand off with Gypsy.

The view of the homestead returning from a walk

Gypsy with her cat training, she is doing very well but is still fascinated with their movement.

We missed a thistle!