Tri-County Fair

 Well, we made it to fair time and it was not a smooth trip.  Athena did the great 'explode' one day and we thought for sure she was gone and this was going to be the end, however, Jessie stuck to it and continued to work with her and it payed off.  Athena still wasn't sure about new people being around her, especially men-they always made her quite nervous.  Thankfully, we got some 'manly' help with her and 'desensitized' her to these 'scarey manly' figures before fair and it helped.

The week before fair, Jessie decided to do Athena's hair with a yellow rose-it was quite complimentary on a black heifer.

 At he fairgrounds in the barn after and 'explosive' unloading from the trailer.  The ride over had her pretty shook-up and we had to get one of those 'scarey manly' figures to help unload-it was all he could do to hold on-she was not impressed!

 Athena's company for the weekend.

Saturday morning of the fair-bath time early in the morning-brrrrrrr.  By now she was calming down quite well and lead for Jessie perfectly out to the wash-racks.

Ta-da!!!  All bathed and brushed!! Now to keep her clean the rest of the day.  The kids all stayed quite busy with keeping the areas around the cattle clean-they did a great job.

 The first class that she showed in was 'Showmanship'.  She did very well for her first show and Athena did great; she thought once about maybe pulling the 'great escape' but then seemed to relax and stick with Jessie. They really had quite a close bond that I thought was very unique and special.

Standin' her up for the judge-Athena did this very well.

Second class-yearling heifer.  She showed in this class with 3 other competitors; 2 of which were friends that she got Athena from.

Time to line up for the judge

She was even more relaxed this go around then the first and did great!

  All done for the day and without any 'explosive' behavior-it was a very successful weekend.

Sunday afternoon, Athena was very comfortable with her surroundings now.  It was a bitter-sweet moment though as we had decided to have Athena go back to the ranch instead of bringing her home.  The cost of keeping her was more then we were going to be able to do.  However, Jessie came home with a lot of new knowledge to consider for future times if cattle is something that she wants to pursue-the door isn't closed but is definitely not wide open right now.  Athena went home back to the ranch that she came from and can look forward to years there were Jessie can go visit.

Jessie's Calf

     Well, we gave in, not that we were all that reluctant but Jessie is now fully involved with 4-H in the livestock group i.e. cattle.  We picked up her heifer yesterday and another calf that's on loan for moral support. 

  Athena, her heifer, is a bit on the wild side but is now settling down after yesterdays ordeal of being separated from her mommy, put in a trailer and hauled to town and then panicking coming out of the trailer, slipping out of her halter and running all over the place.  After some slow persuasion we were able to convince her to join her partner in a small pen which is where they will stay until she is more trusting and leading better. 
   Jessie has spent almost as much time out with her she has in the house and is making great progress!!  I am hoping in another day or so we will be able to move them to their more permanent location.

Firewood

WOW! I can't believe its been since February that I last posted! I knew it had been a while but I didn't think it had been that long.  No good excuses for the delay in postings.  Plain and simple I haven't made the time but lately it doesn't seem like I even have the time to turn around or hardly breathe. Anyhow, I am trying to work on that-not going to get into it on here though, but maybe taking the time to post will help me make the time-makes total sense!

  Wood cutting this year got an early start and an early finish thanks to the dry winter and spring. We were able to get it all done in April which is a first; the weather and work schedules usually drags it out into June and sometimes July.  However, there has been nothing else good about the dryness we are having(except maybe, there haven't been any mosquito's).  The land and those that use the land to survive have reached a very critical point-it all needs water to survive and there hasn't been hardly a drop.
  

   We went to a new place to cut wood this year. Its a bit further of a drive but well worth it! The scenery is beautiful and the cutting dead wood is so much easier to load and not nearly as dirty.

   Now, the work crew-Jessie. She's a loader

  Marisa-she's a loader too

   Bryan-the one running the saws. He occasionally loads the large stumps that I have decided that I'm to tired to try-I usually save them for last.

   Lunch time. Note: you never dress kids in nice clothes when going into the hills to get firewood-the clothes will not survive!!

 Despite the dry spring, there were a few wildflowers that managed to make their magnificent appearance.

New and Old

     For all of those that follow my posts or have the pleasure of knowing us, you should know by now that there is never a dull moment around here- never really a 'down' time.  It seems that there is something always happening with our 'place' or with someone at our place both the 2 legged kind and the 4; not all of 'things' are bad though although more often then not they do seem to be that way.
   This year, so far hasn't been an exception. Again, if you follow these posts or know us you will also know that 'new and furry' critters are a norm around here-this is usually a good thing as far as I'm concerned-Bryan would say otherwise but this is my blog so I will post what I think.  :)

    This is Amy.  She is our 'new', old dog.  She is 13yrs 'young' and has come to live with us; started out as a 'dog-sitting' deal and well, she's not leaving now.  She has adapted well into the daily and normal routine here like she's been here all along. Her herding instincts are still strong and her ability to express her frustrations when 'herding' our other 3 crazy dogs doesn't go well is strong too!!  She is actually quite vocal about it.  But, despite her age and some arthritis, she is my shadow at chore time- Hank is a bit jealous.

    This is right after getting groomed-she felt so good that she just had to roll around!!

       Okay, for all of you faithful followers you should also know that new critters around here are not the only things that happens.  Whats probably just as common as new critters(and this is a scary thought) are the amount of unplanned events that take place-this is getting very old. I'm not talking the little things like a burned out light bulb, a loose screw, etc.......I'm talking about the things that usually end up re-arranging a good part of the day or all the day and they usually seem to revolve around water or the lack there of-this year could be any different.

    Drain back faucets.  They work great when they work right, however, you don't usually know that they are not draining back right during the summer. No, you find this out when the temperature starts getting close to 0 or below and guess what, the water that didn't drain back has now frozen the entire faucet.  In this case, because the valves were not working right the water never shut completely off-unknown to the last person that used it-so of course it was really frozen!!!

  When you go out to feed in the morning and see this, you know that something in not right!!  Thankfully, we were able to fix it which in order to do that we had to dig, chisel ice and then dig, dig, dig, slowly apply heat with torch to melt ice but not split the faucet, then dig some more until we got to the drain back valve.  When we got to the bottom it was obvious that he reason the valve wasn't draining right was to do a lack of gravel around it-water doesn't drain in clay very well-so this was an easy and inexpensive fix!!!!  I was very happy to say the least!!!!

"Lord, our Lord!"

    
  "Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!"
               Psalm 8:1





 "I raise my eyes toward the mountains.  Where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
                                Psalm 121:1-2

  " He causes grass to grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, producing food from the earth," 

          Psalm 104: 14

   "When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon and stars-all the array of heaven-do not be lead astray to bow down and worship them. The Lord your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven."
                       Deut. 4:19

   "He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set."
       Psalm 104:19

  "Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights. Praise Him, all you angels; praise Him, all His hosts. praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded, and they were created. He set them in position forever and ever; he gave them an order that will never pass away."     Psalm 148:1-6


          

 Psalm 23

 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads

me beside quite waters. He renews my life;

He leads me along the right paths for His name

sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley,

I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod

and Your staff-they comfort me.

                                                                                                                    

                                                                               

                                                                                         

   

  "Consider the ravens: they don't sow or reap; they don't have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren't you worth more then the birds?" 
             Luke 12:24

    

  "Consider how the wildflowers grow: they don't labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these!  If that's how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you-you of little faith?
                             
     " May You be praised, Lord God of our father Isreal, from eternity to eternity,  Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You.  Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor some from You, and You are the ruler of everything. In Your hand are power and might, and it is in Your to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise Your glorious name."   1 Chron. 29:10-13

 





      "  He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounding you have been healed."
               1 Pet.2: 24

 


  " God, You are my God; I eagerly   seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory."
                      Psalm 63:1-2

      


  " May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings, He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. I offer thanks and praise to You, God of my fathers, because You have given me wisdom and power."
                         Dan. 2:20-23

                                                                                                                                                                                     

   

  ".....for every animal of the forest in Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the fields are Mine."
                                Psalm 50:10-11

    " Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. Now everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of  reconciliation: that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us."
                                  2 Cor. 5: 17-19

  " Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden light."
           Matt.11: 28-30

   " Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; play the lyre to our God' who covers the sky with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, and causes the grass to grow on the hills.  He provides the animals with their food, and the young ravens, what they cry for.  He is not impressed by the strength of a horse; he does not value the power of a man. The Lord values those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His faithful love. "
                                Psalm 147:7-11

 

      " He sends His command throughout the whole earth; His word runs swiftly. He spreads snow life wool; He scatters frost like ashes; He throws His hailstones like crumbs. Who can withstand His cold? He sends His word and melts them; He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow,"
                               Psalm 147: 15-18

 "Because of the Lord's faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say; the Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him."
           Lam. 3:23

  

  

 "From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse."    Rom.1:20

  

  

 "This is the message of faith that we proclaim; if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in you heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  Rom.10:9

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. to Him be the glory forever. Amen"

Rom11:36

Snowday!

  Yeah!! We finally got some much needed moisture in the form of snow!!!!   This winter has been one of the most driest that I can remember!!  My lawn is starting to have 'dirt' spots coming through-I'm hoping that the grass roots are still alive and that all my trees pull through( I have watered a couple times so hopefully they will).
    Since a measurable amount of snow doesn't come to this area on a regular basis, we decided to have a snow day-no school and go play!!!  After looking at the forecast it wasn't going to last but a couple days anyways and then we would have measurable mud!!
   We weren't the only ones excited to have the snow..........



   Starbucks was having a blast tearing up the fresh snow!!

   Nina was a bit more cautious in her display of enjoyment-a few slips and 'splats' will teach ya that!

   Amy wasn't that impressed but did come out to see all that was going on.

   These two just wanted more to eat-they ran around earlier and had expended enough energy and were more concerned about re-fueling their 'reserves'.

   Bryan pulled the girls in the sled behind a 4 wheeler-something that I can't always watch-they like it to fast! 

  As for me, after going outside and doing chores and a few other things, I decided it was a good day to get busy on cleaning, oiling and doing repairs on all the saddles.  Thankfully, Bryan loves the smell of leather and so he didn't mind me having them all in taking up the living room for the next week or so while I got them done!

Amazing Colors

    The other evening we had a gorgeous sunset!!   I'm still trying to figure out my new camera and a sunset is just sonething that should be captured in a pic so out the front door I went!



    This picture was taken without using the 'night' setting on my camera and of course zoomed out.

     This one was with the 'night' setting and no zoom.

  Once again, night setting and some zoom-amazing either way!