Miracles will never cease

BEFORE

AFTER

My mom always used to say that miracles will never cease. She was right. I have a new window in my living room. Not that there was anything wrong with the other one. Besides: The side windows were casement. I hate them. All of them were cloudy because they were defective. There were holes on some from guns? Go figure! AND Libby finally broke the big middle one in a fit of wild "run and chase" in the house where she ended up on the couch(in front of the window) with too much speed left to stop. She didn't get hurt, but she broked the window which was cracked anyway.

Thank you, Libby! We were going to replace that window eventually, but now is even better for me. It took all afternoon on Saturday, but that is not too bad. During that time we had a hail storm with a tarp over the opening and a good thunderstorm to go with it. I don't think the window would right in an old log home, but I sure do love the light. It even lights up the dining room. My drapes look wonderful on it, and it just needs trim to be finished.

Now we just need to get in the kitchen windows and the two that we have for the upstairs. I will wait a bit on that. I think the kitchen windows are a problem because we need to replace some logs before the one over the sink can be put in. It will be a much bigger project that the one was on Saturday.

I have suggested to Libby that she wait on any other repairs for now.

I Led Four Lives

In the 50's (most of you probably don't remember) there was a TV show called "I Led Three Lives". It was loosely based on episodes from a book written by a man who had infiltrated the Communist party and his description of his activities. Enough.

I was out working this moring, with the hay tedder. Even though I was listening to WPR on my sound cushioning headset, I had time to wax philosophical. That was mostly because the program was just about further program ideas. I got to thinking about my life, so far. It sure hasn't been what I thought it would because.......I Led Four Lives.

Life 1. I grew up in the country, had a normal childhood, had two parents, and one brother. We just lived in the country. We did not grow anything but grass and a few perrenials. My dad was a factory foreman and mother went back to teaching when I was in eighth grade. Simmons Co. moved out of Kenosha when I was a highschool senior, and Dad was unemployed. I went to college at a small extension of the University of Wisconsin.

Life 2. After two years at the extension, I got married and later gave birth to my oldest son. A year and a half after the marriage, my husband was killed in a car accident, and David and I moved back to the country.

Life 3. Using life insurance money I went back to college and got my teaching degree.
I met and married my second husband. This union led to a life in the city of Kenosha, another son, two teaching salaries, many athletic events as the "coach's wife", and some travel, both in the U.S. and Europe. An exchange student ended the 21 year marriage, and I was on my own again.

Life 4. Although it was tough getting here, this life is the best so far. I met and married a man who had been a farmer but was now a heavy equipment mechanic for the county highway department. We bought a small farm and moved to the country. After my mom died at age 86 in 2002, we bought the farm here in Monroe County and moved to "God's Country". If you have been reading my blog, you know the rest.

Now........if you have read all of this, I'm surprised, because I am quite sure it doesn't mean anything much to anyone but me. BUT.......it sure causes me to ponder. Remember you never know what life will bring to you around the next corner. I didn't, and I still don't.

Who knows what will enter this brain of mine when the hay needs to be raked and this is only the first crop!

Back to the old days........sort of

Jake cut our first hay last evening. I decided that today was a good day for the sheep to have new hay for breakfast. Of course, that meant going out and getting it and bringing it back up to the barn area. I got my sheep feeding cart, another small wagon, my pitchfork, and my trusty companions. We headed out to the field with them riding in the back of the cart. Libby wasn't too sure about the whole thing, but she did quite well for her first ride. It is another ideal day here with cool, windy, sunny weather. I can handle it. A good day to "do it" the old fashioned way.


When I had pitched both wagons full, we went back to the homestead. Libby needs to learn that wheels are not to bark at and attack. She had to ride sitting up on the seat with me. Scooter was willing to either run loose or alongside on the leash like I have taught him.


The ewes and lambs were just as happy as the boys were to have freshly mown hay. It will probably keep them busy until nap time. The two dogs didn't wait until nap time, they have just collapsed in the living room, and I can now do some quilting.

Stuck!

Help!!! I am stuck in the house with two dogs that want to go for their morning walk and nothing but rain outside. I can't go upstairs to work on my quilt because my friends get in trouble. They are playing together now, so maybe I can sneak away.

Here is proof that the dog, that doesn't want to go out in the rain, likes water. She can usually be seen, at least once on each trip outside, with two or more feet in her pool having a gulp of water. She does not lick from the pool; she gulps. Is this an outside way of drinking? Must be a Florida thing. Also visible is my mega rain "barrel" that catches rain off the roof for my flowers. I haven't used it except for a couple times so far this season. Obviously, it is overflowing these days. And, the dog pool is almost full. I suppose Libby is happy with that.

This is the tiny ram shed. Two sheep can be seen (with good eyes). They are mostly just staying inside away from the rain. The lowest on the totem pole can be seen outside.

This is the rig that Jake fixed to catch the rain coming in by the chimney. He has sealed the chimney numerous times, but the roof is leaking from somewhere else. The chimney has no use and is set for demolition. The rig is ugly, but much better than soaking wet towels all the time.

Stuck!

A Raging Stream

This is the nearly nonexistent stream that flows through the ravine at the back of our property. Nearly non-existent until the rain we have had in the last few days. Yesterday evening we went down there on the four-wheeler to see how much water was flowing in the "creek". We thought there would be water, but not as much as we saw and could see had been there on Saturday. (Dr. Peter, remember the quiet peaceful place last summer? Not yesterday.) We climbed down to take the first picture because we couldn't ride the 4-wheeler that far. I was in Crocs and socks, and we had to walk through flowing water. Got wet feet. When we climbled back up to the top, it started raining for real. It was a wet ride up to the farm buildings. Today, no rain. That is OK by me.

And the rains came down

"Oh, no, don't let the rains come down." As the old song said, I think we have quite enough for now, thank you. It is up to 4.75 inches in 24 hours. The creeks are all over their banks, and there was tornado-like damage where we go to church. Too close for comfort, even though it is twenty minutes away. I could go for some dry now, but there is rain in the forcast for the whole week. l

Yesterday, we posed for this picture after we had gone for our walk. Libby wants everyone to know that she made it 3/4 of the way around without anyone holding onto her leash. She made two mad dashes, but she did come back. Other than that, she was very well behaved and very caring. She always kept track of where Puff, one of her kitties, was on the trail.

And.......this is Princess Pansy. We bought this castle some time ago thinking the cats would like it. Like he ad said, "They prefer cheap junk to play with", but yesterday Pansy climbed into the castle to have her picture taken. Thank you, Pansy

Why?

The view of the animals grazing on the hillside is one of the reasons that we bought this place and moved from where we had lived since our births. We loved the idea of hills having been brought up in Wisconsin right next to "flatlander's country". There wasn't much in the line of hills in Kenosha County. So we traded Lake Michigan on the east for the Mississippi River on the west and moved. Many days I wonder why we did make that move, but then I have to remember the hills, the ravine, the peaceful dead end road, and the quiet. The most noise is the airplanes from Fort McCoy and the occasional day when the explosions from McCoy shake the house. Most of the other noise here is nature or farm animals.


The twins are growing and are used to me now. The run up to me when I go to visit them in their pasture. Their mom even lets them come to me without carrying on over their being away from her. Of course, it isn't long before she joins them to see if I have any cookies for her.

Pansy tends to like to sleep in Libby's crate. Well, actually it doesn't have to be Libby's crate. She just likes to sleep in a soft place in a crate.

Summer was on Sunday. Now it is spring/fall in London. Depressing!!!