Santa's Favorite and update

Little Beaver got to be "Santa's Favorite" since he turned two years old a few weeks ago.    He was really the only one that would put up with the Santa hat.    The others don't know- that their time will come.

As of this weekend there is a good chance that we will have lambs next year.    Pia from Nancy and Darla from Becky are each in with their own big guy.     Pia is in with Baileys from Karen, and Darla is in with Fluffer.....son of a ewe, Mellow,  from Tami Mulder.   I do plan to add at least one ewe to each pen,  Cleo from Becky and Wheat from Juliann.     There could be two more, but I do not know if I should breed that many.   The vet came the other day and cut horns on Pops who had teacup horns.   One was infringing on his eyesight, the other had broken off before, but she shortened it also.    After all my worrying, it was a fairly easy procedure.    Thank heavens!   That same week, Linus, whose horns were not massive, but well formed, broke one about half off.    Some blood, but no problems.   The two boys I am breeding are both polled, not perfect, but close.

Our next big day is next Monday.    I think we have most everything done to make the event as easy as possible.    Todd moved back to Florida at the end of November, so our built in dog-sitter isn't here anymore.    We do have plans to make sure the doggies are well cared for by Grandma Helen and Aunt Cindy.    Happily, Aunt Cindy will be able to take care of the cow and calf and breeding pens in the barn.  She is an experienced animal person.

Occupy the Chair or How the dogs would do it.

          The High Ridge version of "Occupy Wall Street".      or        How the dogs would do it.

 This is Lady; she chose the couch with an empty Pepsi bottle.

And Little Beaver chose the antique chair on the John Deere blanket.

Zippy and Scooter decided to share the recliner which tells you that Jake was not in the room or maybe at the computer.   This sharing the recliner is a new thing for them.    I never know when they will come up with some new behavior to add to their act.

I am not sure what they are protesting.   They forgot their signs.

Why I Love Living Here

Why I love living here and why cell phones rock:    Jake called me from the field where he was cutting hay.    He said that the eagle was sitting in a tree out in the pasture near where he was cutting.    I got in the cart with my camera and went out there.    I could see the eagle, but when I went through the fence and approached, he flew out of the tree.    We watched him circle, hoping he would land in the big dead elm behind our house.    We watched him land, and I took off for the house hoping to catch him on camera.    As I neared the house another eagle circled the buildings and landed in the tree.    Not one, but two bald eagles sitting in the tree behind our house.    Excellent!!!    That is why I love living here!!!!

The pictures would be lots better if a professional took them, but considering how my camera is operating or not operating these days, I am happy with what I got.    The lighting isn't great, but I can tell that they are bald eagles, and they are sitting on a tree that used to shade my rams.

Counting Sheep

Just wanted to share the new bed and my three monkeys.    Today I picked  up our new wool mattress.
Tonight I find out if I sleep better or just count sheep.    Since my sciatic nerve would love some relief (and so would I), I hope it is the later.    The kids had no trouble getting up on top of that gigantic bed, but I fear for them if they don't use the steps getting down.   

Maybe you can see that the bed is in the dining room.......................     It will be there until the bedroom is finished.    Now, I am going to retire to the new bed and watch some TV.

Making Changes

This is a mixed up jumble of stuff.    Since early May I have had on my "wrecking hat".    I moved our bedroom and back room into the other rooms of the house.   We sleep in the dining room.   Then, I gutted those two rooms.    They were a big bedroom that you entered from the dining room and beyond that a small room with a closet.    The closet was added later.    From the bedroom you could go outside to the dog yard.   BUT........someone in their great wisdon decided to "enclose" that, and I use that term loosely.   It leaked and was just a "rat trap".   The two rooms are gutted except for the studding between the bedroom and the back room and the built in "wardrobe" which I may tackle when I don't feel like I have been run over by a Mac truck.

Yesterday I sheared two sheep.   YAHOO!!!!!    When my shearer gave me insufficieint notice that he was coming the day after tomorrow, two sheep could not be "rounded up".   I finally got them caught and put into the barn with my new sheep before all the hot weather came.   Since the barn is below ground level on one side, it is cooler than baking out in the ewe pasture.   The shearing job stinks, but it is done.    Although it hurts today, all the girls are outside today.    I am inside licking my wounds.  The tumble I took when we were just about to the sheep shed, really left me with some aches and pains, but they will go away.     

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 This is wooly girl number one, Ami.   She just looks bumpy from the front, but funnier from the side.  Her daughter Lucy is guarding the pumpkin plant.    The result of feeding pumpkins in the fall.

 This is ex-wooly number two.   You really can't see how bad her tummy looks, but there is no comparison to how she looked when I got her into the barn before all this heat happened.

 This picture is for Becky.   These are the two ewes that I bought from her.    They seem to be fitting in quite well.    They don't cuddle up with anyone, but there is not much chasing anymore.  They are still happy to see me, particularly Darla.    I love how dark her wool is compared with the others.

 This is my lastest project.    The porch/ enclosed room in the background is now gone.    I got tired of it.    I am real good at demo.    Behind the window on the left is just the shell of that whole addition.   It was a bedroom and small attached room.   ( who knows what was supposed to be.)    It will become the master bedroom and master bath................whenever.

Removing that "room/enclosed porch" brought tons more light into the house.   It also made just one door to open to let the dogs out their yard.    I have done all that I can do.    Now it just needs a little time from the "master carpenter".   I have my rocker out there, and I have put in my wish for a nice chunk of weather so that I can sit and relax in my back yard with my doggies.

(This picture was the first one on this blog entry, but I touched the wrong button and lost it.)     This is the new sheep from Juliann.   She is real unfriendly, but somewhat better since she had the two wooly girls in with her in the barn.    Today is actually her first day outside.    I kept her inside hoping she would warm up to me, but that sure didn't happen.

Just thinking,   I now have sheep from Nancy K, Tammy Mulder, Stephen, Karen Valley, Juliann Budde, and Becky Utecht.  There are 20 sheep now.    That should be a pretty good foundation.    I will use the ram from Karen and a ram out of Tammy's ewe next fall on the ewes from Juliann and Becky.    Hopefully next spring I will have some lambs again.

Yesterday was Mothers' Day!!!

 

My son gave me a gift card for Mothers' Day.   Jake and I used it for something we needed since we were at out lowest point about then.    Yesterday I went to the Growers' Produce Auction and bought my Mothers' Day present.    I feel I did quite well for myself and had a good time to boot! 

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Most of them are annuals.   I bought perennials last year.  I guess the ferns are the only perennials in the bunch.   Lots of moss roses, love them.   Geraniums, gerbera daisys, ranunculus, and coleus.  You can't buy just the number you want and serious attention is required.   Since the weather has been so BAD, I didn't have a flower planted anywhere.    I was afraid that the auction would be done with their flowers.  WRONG!    Lots of flowers and, bonus, few people yesterday........ equals good prices.    

In the first picture, I forgot the two hanging baskets I bought.    I even forgot them at the auction and had to drive back to get them.    It was worth the horrible cost of gas since I only paid four dollars for the two of them.    You just have to sit quietly and pay attention and small lots are available.  These two don't exactly match, but they are showy.

This is the whole thing including six tomato plants and three "trees".    They came up at the end and two of them were pussy willows and one was a weeping willow.    I have wanted pussy willows here forever, and I can junk the weeping willow or plant it and let someone else worry about the mess when it gets big.

Now the work begins.    I can only work for a short time outside today because of the temperatures and dew points, but I will get it done in short bursts with some help from multiple Cardigan Welsh Corgis

High Ridge Sweet Woodruff

This is High Ridge Sweet Woodruff.    He is a registered three year old ram who got a haircut the day before this picture.   He is available now.    Please make inquires through comments on this blog.  

Take a look at his picture.    Can you tell who has an "attitude"?    But it is a good attitude.    Guess I will get them in from outside and see just how dirty Lady got.    Zippy, Mr. Attitude, is also a neat nik which is wonderful.    Beaver is just Beaver.

We like treats!!!

This is a good example of the dynamic duo plus one.    Zippy can sit up perfectly for any length of time.  Mandy is the polite little lady.    Beaver is the loud mouth.    At least we know how to get their attention.  Jake took this, and he sure knew how to get their eyes on the target.

There isn't much new here.   No highlights except the ice storm last Tuesday.    We still have evergreens that are bent down to the ground since the temperature has been much too cold ever since the bad weather.  We even were without power for six hours.     That is the longest in the nine years that we have lived here.

Jake's shoulder is doing fine  --- only needs strengthening.    Spring can't come soon enough.  The only good thing about this freezing weather is that the dogs aren't muddy anymore.

PJ's Kids

Miss Mandy and Zippy, daughter and son of PJ, respectively.     Now what Daddy wouldn't be proud of these two handsome Cardigan Welsh Corgis?

What Snow Storm?

Who said El Paso dogs don't like the snow and cold?    Obviously not this dog.   A few minutes ago she was happily LAYING on the side of the "snow mountain".   She shows no sign of noticing that she lives in another climate from where she was born.    No need to buy a jacket for a dog with all that beautiful fur.

They are also learning to run and chase Cardi style in the backyard.

Just in case you didn't know that Cardi's could fly.     Must be the influence of the "flying" dogs at Solstice Kennel.    Nothing makes me smile more that seeing flying Cardis anywhere, but they are double cute outside where they can go "all out".   Do I see a smile on her face?



Grandma Jinnie,      (My new northern grandma said I could write to you cause I miss you so much.)

This is me sitting in the dining room at my new northern digs.    It is really strange up here, but I am trying to fit in the best I can.    I miss you and great grandma and all the dogs at home.   

This is me and my new, sort of, friend.   We are kind of tired tonight because we were outside in that snow stuff running and chasing.   I will write to you some more later, but I am just gunna sleep now.

I still love you  and great grandma in Texas,

                Mandy