Up, things that have been

More pictures of things going on around here!

Bernie and Rosie in the remains of the very weedy garden from last year.  Bernie is quite surprised that his picture is being taken.

Norman looking off of the back porch

Green tulips last week--they finally are blooming now and were all nice and yellow just in time for Mother's Day!

Dakota had a run-in with a raccoon last Wednesday morning in the wee hours.  So far it looks like she is seeing out of her eye--no infection has happened--but she will remain a conehead for a little while.  We are hoping that the eye will heal over eventually, but the scratch was deep and we may have to bring her to someone who specializes in doing surgery on the eye.  Poor Dakota--just trying to make sure the raccoons don't come onto our place and kill our kitties (which they have in the past).

Mother's Day and my mom's 64th birthday were on the same day this year.  We had everyone over for dinner and my brother's family (his wife, really) brought the cupcake cake!

The apricot trees just started to bloom this weekend!

The violets finally opened up yesterday!!!!!

This morning Dan found two little kittens in the wall of the barn--fallen down from the haymow.  We hadn't seen these little ones yet--they are definitely one of the more wild(e) kitties kittens--probably Bobby's daughter's kittens (not that you know who Bobby is, but she has a daughter that looks almost exactly like her except that Bobby is has no tail and Bobby's daughter has a tail and also Bobby loves us very much, but Bobby's daughter doesn't so much care for us (except that she knows we feed her).  Anyway, they seem to be really sweet kittens--not scared of us at all, surprisingly--the little peachy and white one started purring as I held it even, but Dan has said the gray and white one will not be allowed in the house--all of our gray and white kitties have "issues" and constantly chat at us and are just plain weird--like the Bernie--did you see his expression in that first picture?  Do you want to know who started chatting at us at 6:00 am this morning after we got him (or her--I didn't check that carefully and my 6 am eyes have been known to be wrong in the past) out of the wall--the little Bernie look-a-like.  Oh, you little kitties!

Molly's little kittens are also growing up and starting to move around--what little sweet things!

Last, but not least--the cows were enjoying today's sun.  Here's hoping the rain will let up for a few days to help dry out their yard.  I was using a long lens on this photo--there was a great oozing expanse of mud and muck between us as I shot this photo!  Rain, rain go away, I've smelled enough cow muck for today (and next week and next month and so on)

Mud

There are reasons for 4 wheel drive around here--winter and spring (or springs in the road following wet winters!)

Looks a little mucky

Looks a lot mucky!

Hope mud baths are good for the Tahoe!

The area where I live is filled with springs--they are on the sides and tops of hills all over the place.  I think it will be a while until we can make hay properly this summer without rutting up our fields! 

Somehow that doesn't seem so bad to me--not being able to get things done because you are too lazy or even too busy--you can do something about that most of the time--not being able to do stuff because there is too much mud and water--well, can't help that, so might as well relax, do a little something else, and wait!

Guess we might not have too many pretty wild flowers growing this May Day!  Maybe people will need to make up mud pies to leave on their neighbor's doorsteps.

More Cows!

Wilde Rose Knitting, a set on Flickr.

I know, lots of cow photos lately, but that's where the excitement has been at our place for the most part! Just wait till you see the new one at the end--what a cutie!

Molly and Babies

Molly and Babies, a photo by wilderose on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Molly had her babies on Monday 4/18/2011. Four little ones--two girls and two boys. She had them on a tarp up in our haymow--I added a little hay underneath her and the kittens to keep it a little cosier!

A couple more gratuitous cattle photos

Ummm . . . we've got a problem . . .

We (well, I use the term 'we' rather loosely because it really was Dan) made a divider down the center of the feed bunk to keep the cows from laying down in the comfy hay, but . . . apparently . . . ummmm . . . it is a quite comfy calf bed now.

Now, remind me again--who says cattle don't have personality?

Hey, Mickey your so fine, your so fine you blow my mind--Hey Mickey, hey, hey, Hey Mickey

(or should I say, hay Mickey?--oh, I am so hilarious . . . or not)

Sorry, that song has been going through my head this week and I think that is the only part of that song I know . . .

Well, bye, bye!

Spring is in the air

Yesterday morning I woke up and I thought to myself, "It looks like spring."  Most of the snow is gone and the tulips are starting to poke through the soggy earth and the grass and a few other perennials are starting to green up.  Our home (well, not the home per se (is that how you would spell that? I don't know) so much as the cow yard) stinks to high heaven.

But most importantly . . .

We welcomed a new creature into our midst on Sunday!

Meet Mickey

Born in the wee hours of Sunday morning--here he is just hours old and a little shy

Mickey and his mother Gert in our cow yard that smells to high heaven!

He's got a little snowy white face and is quite clean compared to the rest of the springtime sludginess that abounds at this time of year.

Welcome to the world, Mickey!  You may not be our little calf, but you stay with us, and you let us scratch your ears, and we really think you're sweet!

Mickey had his first visitors on Sunday afternoon.  They included his owner, Tim and Tim's dad as well as my brother and his family (including my very excited 6 year old nephew--who will be sharing that he got to meet a baby cow over spring break at kindergarten this week).

Sunday was a busy day at our place and I needed that day yesterday to just decompress from all of it, I think.  We also were able to find a family for one of the precious little puppies that Dan found a few weeks ago.  I really wished we could have kept him, but it would have put a strain on our finances to have another dog as much as he was so sweet.  I had Dan convinced that if we weren't able to find a family for him in two weeks, we would keep him forever and ever, but just a day after Dan and I put up flyers for him, we got a call from a family (who had recently put their 11 year old lab down) that  were looking for a puppy.  They also live in the country with some acreage and were really missing having a dog to call their very own.  It was very bittersweet to have to let him go.  My parents will be taking the other puppy as soon as they have a dog kennel ready at their place (they live right next to us--separated by just a hay field, so at least we will see him all the time).

Anyway, what a weekend--and spring is here--soon there will be another calf and little kittens in the barn.  And not too long after that we will have our own little longhorn calves (we hope, we hope)!

Puppy-ness

Tough Day

Checotah, Dan, Me and Reno after riding at one of the state parks.

We lost our Reno this morning.  I met him the day Dan and I had our first date.  He graciously let this girl who hadn't been on a horse in many years ride him that night and he never did me wrong.  We had an understanding--I wouldn't work him too hard and would let him even grab a bit of grass here and there as we rode and he wouldn't trip and fall as I rode him. 

Reno wandering (on a mission it seems--probably to find some good food)

Reno in the Gloaming--sparkling snow and a sparkling Reno!

A drawing I did based on Reno--I know he doesn't really look like that (especially in the face), but Reno always had great angles when he moved--fun for capturing in a drawing.

Another drawing based on Reno--what a superstar--he could have modeled on a catwalk (well, except he startled pretty easily with flashing bulbs and also didn't like lots of loud noise--he also didn't like to hear the sound of his own hooves on pavement--such a country horse)

Sweet Reno, I'll miss you so . . .

Sweet Reno, I'm really going to miss you and the way we could hear you coming (even in the dark)--he had this certain way he blew air through his nose.  I'll miss you practically falling asleep as we trimmed your hooves--such heavy hooves--you really liked to be rooted to the ground--you would never have made a good jumping horse.  I'll miss your stumbling feet.  I'll miss your excitement at the sight of grain (or any food really, especially treats).  I'll miss your sad, old eyes. 

Alrighty, I have to stop here--I'll start crying to hard.

Found

Two female (umm . . . scratch that--6:30 in the morning eyes apparently are blind--they're boys, but they're such cuties that they should be wrapped in bows and snuggled!) puppies this morning around 6:30 near our home. 

Here's the one of the cuties sniffing for more food--don't worry he was well fed this morning, but he is a growing puppy after all . . .

They're movers and shakers (as you can tell by this blurry picture! silly little guy)

Dan found these little guys on his way to work this morning.  He brought them home and I gave them food and water and put down an old blanket for them to lay on for the time being.  We've called the local sheriff's office just in case someone reports them missing, but for now they are staying in our shop.

Long time no write

Hope you've all been having a good new year (you know, now that its March and all).  Here are some pic's to update you on stuff going on since my last post in November (yeah, I'm bad--like I say to Dan a lot when I don't get something done that I meant to do--"It's because I'm a terrible person.")

Ummm . . . big thing, I guess--we went to Mexico with my brother and sister-in-law back in the beginning of December)

Us in Tepic

Dan and our family's old exchange student, Michele in Tepic

With my brother and his wife on his birthday!

The street in front of our hotel

Me in the water on Stone Island

Restaurants on Stone Island

Olas Altas Bay--from our hotel room balcony

Fun was had by all (and we left on the day of a snow storm and arrived back . . . ummm . . . two days later than expected due to the snowstorm that took down the Metrodome roof)

But--we do like the snow--we love the snow!


Sooo . . . snowy wintery scenes around the farm . . .

Tinkerbell and Rowdy eating in the snow

Rowdy eating in the feed bunk

Dan added this divider so that the cows could no longer stand in the feed bunk to eat--while it makes an adorable picture, it causes quite a mess (as cows don't care where they do their business) and we weren't quite sure if the bunk's 2 x 12 boards were really able to handle pregnant cows day after day!

Sleeping out in the snow--Dan and his cousin slept out one Friday evening in early Feb.  Meanwhile, I stayed in the house and watched a movie and some old episodes of Bewitched with my sister-in-law.  Woohoo--sorry, Dan, I know that couples should do things together, but sleeping out on the frozen ground is not on my agenda--love camping--I've even camped out in well below freezing temps, but that was in a Teepee.

Wheat in the field where Dan and his cousin slept--would this be considered winter wheat?

Me last week in front of a mongo drift that formed in front of one of our old buildings.

A last look at the cows on a snowy, foggy day!

 Well, hope that catches you all up!