Monday, June 18, 2012
Crop Dusting
I was cleaning house yesterday with the doors opened and I heard a loud sound outside. The dogs ran out on to the porch with me to see what was going on and a plane flew right over the house. He was cropdusting in a field nearby. I loved it! Here are some pictures I snapped when he flew by.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Meet Daisy
If you were to drive by our place, you'd see a horse that you might think was neglected, even abused but looks can be deceiving. Her name is Daisy and she was my first horse. Let me share her story with you.
When I was working at a law firm, a woman there told me about a horse she was trying to get rid of. She had gotten this horse online for her young daughter but when the horse arrived, it was lame. The guy that brought the horse to her had left her in the horse trailer for 3 solid days. He didn't let her out to go to the bathroom, stretch her legs or anything so when she arrived, she could barely walk. Her young daughter wanted a horse that she could gallop and jump with so this was not the horse she dreamed of. Her mother just wanted to recoup her money and buy another horse. My heart went out to this horse that had come so far and nobody wanted. After telling Fred her story, we decided to buy her. Whether she was ever able to be ridden or not, she deserved a place in the sun where she could live out her life being loved and cared for.
We were still living in the city at the time but my brother-in-law and his wife had a farm out here and we asked them if she could live on their farm until we found a place. At the time Fred and I were going out to their farm and riding horses once or twice a week. I did not grow up riding horses like my husband did, so I needed a horse that was easy to ride, slow and steady and really didn't care if we galloped or not. Once we got her strong enough to ride, she was perfect for me. She is a sweet, gentle horse that anyone could ride. We tracked down some history on her and found out that when she was younger, she was a trail horse that would go anywhere. She was ridden by a man that did long, long rides and even hunted off of her so she had already had an amazing life. Now, in her senior years, she and I would enjoy a slower pace. I was able to ride her for a few years and enjoyed every minute of it.
Daisy, however, is what you might call a "hard keep". Her teeth don't line up anymore and she has a hard time keeping weight on. She actually eats twice as much as any of the other horses, along with supplements and extra treats, but she looks like she's starving to death. We have the vet and farrier out regularly and she gets all the care she needs. We actually would be worried about Animal Control seeing her and thinking she was abused, but our other horses and donkeys are obviously well cared for and fed. I don't ride her anymore because I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt her. We occassionally put a child on her and walk them around but she is spoiled and that's the way she will be until the end.
Meet Daisy ~
When I was working at a law firm, a woman there told me about a horse she was trying to get rid of. She had gotten this horse online for her young daughter but when the horse arrived, it was lame. The guy that brought the horse to her had left her in the horse trailer for 3 solid days. He didn't let her out to go to the bathroom, stretch her legs or anything so when she arrived, she could barely walk. Her young daughter wanted a horse that she could gallop and jump with so this was not the horse she dreamed of. Her mother just wanted to recoup her money and buy another horse. My heart went out to this horse that had come so far and nobody wanted. After telling Fred her story, we decided to buy her. Whether she was ever able to be ridden or not, she deserved a place in the sun where she could live out her life being loved and cared for.
We were still living in the city at the time but my brother-in-law and his wife had a farm out here and we asked them if she could live on their farm until we found a place. At the time Fred and I were going out to their farm and riding horses once or twice a week. I did not grow up riding horses like my husband did, so I needed a horse that was easy to ride, slow and steady and really didn't care if we galloped or not. Once we got her strong enough to ride, she was perfect for me. She is a sweet, gentle horse that anyone could ride. We tracked down some history on her and found out that when she was younger, she was a trail horse that would go anywhere. She was ridden by a man that did long, long rides and even hunted off of her so she had already had an amazing life. Now, in her senior years, she and I would enjoy a slower pace. I was able to ride her for a few years and enjoyed every minute of it.
Daisy, however, is what you might call a "hard keep". Her teeth don't line up anymore and she has a hard time keeping weight on. She actually eats twice as much as any of the other horses, along with supplements and extra treats, but she looks like she's starving to death. We have the vet and farrier out regularly and she gets all the care she needs. We actually would be worried about Animal Control seeing her and thinking she was abused, but our other horses and donkeys are obviously well cared for and fed. I don't ride her anymore because I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt her. We occassionally put a child on her and walk them around but she is spoiled and that's the way she will be until the end.
Meet Daisy ~
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
My Biggest Fear
I know people are afraid of different things. Some people are afraid of spiders. I knew a woman one time that was afraid of frogs, another woman lizards. I thought that was pretty funny because I don't have a problem catching and releasing either one of those things. I don't like snakes or mice, but after being startled by them, I get over it. But there is one thing that just completely unglues me and I saw one this weekend.
I was cleaning out the shed where Fred has his tools, horse feed, chicken feed, saddles, etc. I wanted to reorganize it for him while he was away so I worked on it for two days. There were dirt dobbers flying in and out but no snakes or mice. Since there is an opening for a window but no glass, I realize anything can get in there so I was careful to keep my eye out. I shifted something on a shelf, and there it was. Now, people in the South like to refer to them as palmetto bugs, it just sounds nicer, but frankly it's still a roach. The big, flying kind. That, my friends, is my biggest fear. I can rationalize pretty much anything else, but all common sense goes straight out the window when I see one. I screamed and almost fell over backwards trying to get away from it. Yes, I know how crazy this sounds to most people but I can't help it. Anyway, when I screamed Diesel came charging through the door to save me. I know he probably thought I had been bit by a snake, rabid raccoon or something, but he saw the roach come out from behind the shelves and jumped on it. That's another thing about roaches. They never just die, they squirm and try to run off again, but luckily Diesel stayed on him and finally killed him. I swept the mangled roach out the door, and kissed Diesel on the head. He was my hero for the day. After that, every time I made any sound at all he came in to check on me. He probably thinks I'm nuts, but I don't care as long as he's there when I need him.
I know living in the South with woods all around me, I'm going to see them and no matter how many times I do come across one, I'm still going to have a melt down. At least I know if Diesel is around, he'll take care of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go spray my flowerbeds for bugs!
I was cleaning out the shed where Fred has his tools, horse feed, chicken feed, saddles, etc. I wanted to reorganize it for him while he was away so I worked on it for two days. There were dirt dobbers flying in and out but no snakes or mice. Since there is an opening for a window but no glass, I realize anything can get in there so I was careful to keep my eye out. I shifted something on a shelf, and there it was. Now, people in the South like to refer to them as palmetto bugs, it just sounds nicer, but frankly it's still a roach. The big, flying kind. That, my friends, is my biggest fear. I can rationalize pretty much anything else, but all common sense goes straight out the window when I see one. I screamed and almost fell over backwards trying to get away from it. Yes, I know how crazy this sounds to most people but I can't help it. Anyway, when I screamed Diesel came charging through the door to save me. I know he probably thought I had been bit by a snake, rabid raccoon or something, but he saw the roach come out from behind the shelves and jumped on it. That's another thing about roaches. They never just die, they squirm and try to run off again, but luckily Diesel stayed on him and finally killed him. I swept the mangled roach out the door, and kissed Diesel on the head. He was my hero for the day. After that, every time I made any sound at all he came in to check on me. He probably thinks I'm nuts, but I don't care as long as he's there when I need him.
I know living in the South with woods all around me, I'm going to see them and no matter how many times I do come across one, I'm still going to have a melt down. At least I know if Diesel is around, he'll take care of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go spray my flowerbeds for bugs!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Abandoned Four Wheeler
Why do these things always happen when Fred is out of town?
I have a list of things I want to accomplish while Fred is away and I worked on one project all day yesterday. I was feeling pretty good about my progress in the late afternoon and since the dogs had patiently hung out while I worked all day, I decided to run the four wheeler around the property and let them get some exercise before dark. Diesel jumped on board (so much for his exercise) and away we went. The water left standing from the past week of rain was pretty deep but I knew the four wheeler would make it. We ran through the water with no problem, down the path past the old homestead and deer stands, and got almost to the end when the four wheeler died. I sat there for a minute trying to get it to crank but was also thinking if I waited any longer it would be dark. I felt stupid for being out there so unprepared. I had on shorts and a tank top, no bug spray or cell phone. Luckily I did have on my boots. Thank God for those boots! I weighed my options - through the thick woods or back down the path through the knee deep water. I abandoned the four wheeler and started walking back through the water. I picked up a long stick and poked in front of me through the water so I didn't step into a hole and fall in, and made it safely back to civilization. Okay, it's not that far but being a little afraid of the dark and my hero being out of town, it seemed like a big deal to me at the time.
A few misquito bites and some wet socks later, I was home. Of course, when I got back to the house, Lilly was out. A limb had fallen on the electric fence so she had an escape route. She saw the dogs and started charging each of them, trying to get them to play. She looked like a donkey on crack, jumping, kicking and running around everywhere. I got a feed bucket and she followed me back into the pen. While I was feeding everyone, Blaze, my horse, went to kick at the donkeys and accidentally kicked me - in the butt. Nothing broken, but a big bruise I'm sure.
Another day, another adventure.
I have a list of things I want to accomplish while Fred is away and I worked on one project all day yesterday. I was feeling pretty good about my progress in the late afternoon and since the dogs had patiently hung out while I worked all day, I decided to run the four wheeler around the property and let them get some exercise before dark. Diesel jumped on board (so much for his exercise) and away we went. The water left standing from the past week of rain was pretty deep but I knew the four wheeler would make it. We ran through the water with no problem, down the path past the old homestead and deer stands, and got almost to the end when the four wheeler died. I sat there for a minute trying to get it to crank but was also thinking if I waited any longer it would be dark. I felt stupid for being out there so unprepared. I had on shorts and a tank top, no bug spray or cell phone. Luckily I did have on my boots. Thank God for those boots! I weighed my options - through the thick woods or back down the path through the knee deep water. I abandoned the four wheeler and started walking back through the water. I picked up a long stick and poked in front of me through the water so I didn't step into a hole and fall in, and made it safely back to civilization. Okay, it's not that far but being a little afraid of the dark and my hero being out of town, it seemed like a big deal to me at the time.
A few misquito bites and some wet socks later, I was home. Of course, when I got back to the house, Lilly was out. A limb had fallen on the electric fence so she had an escape route. She saw the dogs and started charging each of them, trying to get them to play. She looked like a donkey on crack, jumping, kicking and running around everywhere. I got a feed bucket and she followed me back into the pen. While I was feeding everyone, Blaze, my horse, went to kick at the donkeys and accidentally kicked me - in the butt. Nothing broken, but a big bruise I'm sure.
Another day, another adventure.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Corn and Tomatoes
I went out to the garden when I got back from my trip to see how things were growing.
The grass is taking over most of the garden and I really need to get out there and spend some quality time pulling it up, but the tomatoes are going crazy. I counted 46 tomatoes on my two plants!
The grass is taking over most of the garden and I really need to get out there and spend some quality time pulling it up, but the tomatoes are going crazy. I counted 46 tomatoes on my two plants!
The corn has tassles on it, but it's only about 1 1/2' tall so I can bet that we won't be eating corn out of my garden this year. When the flowers are taller than your corn stalks, something is seriously
wrong. I've never seen corn stalks that short before. When corn is plentiful around here and you can buy it 6 for $1, I'll buy a bunch and put them in the freezer. No guilt, just another lesson learned.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Treasures
I wanted to share my treasures with you from Alabama and a couple of things from a junk/antique store in Georgia. Here is a picture of the items I collected and brought back home.
The quilts are from my grandmother's house. The top one is the quilt her family made for her when she was getting married. I am honored to have them.
The minnow bucket and old sign were found in a junky store in a small town in Georgia. It was one of those stores that things are stacked and hanging everywhere. You could walk through ten times and see something you missed each time. Love those kind of stores!
The cow mailbox is something Fred made for my grandmother a long time ago, but she was afraid it would be damaged if she put it out near the road, so it has sat on the floor of her living room all those years. Maybe I'll put it in front of the cottage or the cookhouse.
The old plow, two-man saw, tractor implements and old tool are from my parents' barn. I brought them back for Fred. Speaking of Fred, he's in Louisiana for a couple of days but will stop by my mom's house in Alabama on the way back and pick up my other treasures. They were too big for me to get in the car. I'll show you when they arrive!
The quilts are from my grandmother's house. The top one is the quilt her family made for her when she was getting married. I am honored to have them.
The minnow bucket and old sign were found in a junky store in a small town in Georgia. It was one of those stores that things are stacked and hanging everywhere. You could walk through ten times and see something you missed each time. Love those kind of stores!
The cow mailbox is something Fred made for my grandmother a long time ago, but she was afraid it would be damaged if she put it out near the road, so it has sat on the floor of her living room all those years. Maybe I'll put it in front of the cottage or the cookhouse.
The old plow, two-man saw, tractor implements and old tool are from my parents' barn. I brought them back for Fred. Speaking of Fred, he's in Louisiana for a couple of days but will stop by my mom's house in Alabama on the way back and pick up my other treasures. They were too big for me to get in the car. I'll show you when they arrive!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Grandma's Moving Day
I just got back from Monroeville, Alabama where I visited my mom and a bunch of relatives. I love Alabama and always enjoy the trip. I went specifically because they were preparing to move my 95 year old grandmother in with my Aunt Donna and her husband, Mike, who live about an hour or so away, and wanted to help with packing up Grandma's house. I knew it would be emotional and a little sad for my mom and I wanted to be there for her more than anything else. Turns out, it went pretty smooth. Grandma is quite the trooper, just keeps a smile on her face and doesn't complain. Donna and Mike made every effort to make the transition a positive experience for her. My uncles came and moved her furniture to her new home and since it was Donna's birthday, we had a surprise birthday party for her. Let me tell you, when that whole family gets together, four brothers and three sisters, they are one crazy bunch.
Grandma heading to her new home.
After eating and getting Grandma settled in for a nap, we were sitting on the front porch talking and the Hatfield and McCoy mini series came up. We were joking about looking like the Hatfields or McCoys so Donna got some props, hats and guns, and we posed as the Hatfields (actually we looked more like the Beverly Hillbillies). The only problem we had was getting everyone to stop laughing long enough to take a picture. One of my uncles escaped, I mean left, before pictures were taken.
Yep, that's my family sitting there. . .
Grandma heading to her new home.
After eating and getting Grandma settled in for a nap, we were sitting on the front porch talking and the Hatfield and McCoy mini series came up. We were joking about looking like the Hatfields or McCoys so Donna got some props, hats and guns, and we posed as the Hatfields (actually we looked more like the Beverly Hillbillies). The only problem we had was getting everyone to stop laughing long enough to take a picture. One of my uncles escaped, I mean left, before pictures were taken.
Yep, that's my family sitting there. . .
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