May 18th already!

  Goodness, time sure flies by as you get older and slower! Lol I can not get caught up on my "stuff". It will get done however long it takes me. As I tell my friends- it will be there tomorrow. Finally got my maters out, taters are up and growing a little here and there. Today we'll get the strawberries in the dirt. The guys and I have almost got the ghost town cleaned out and I'm going to put the berries there. I'll be putting the other 'maters in the blue barrels instead of the berries.
  No time...gonna be a diamond day.

Yesterday...Mar 7 ..OMGosh

  was I exhausted last night! Slept 4 hrs the night before, got up before 5a.m. and sis and I had a day long road trip. Me arse was dragging for sure! It was a fun day though. We always do well. MomPat was having a good day too. Even though she was in pain with teeth problems she was in a good frame of mind. Able to keep up fairly well with a regular conversation and able to eat in a restaurant with no trouble. That's not always possible so I'd call it a very good day. I could kick Devon's butt for making the appt in Spfd though. It's quite an imposition to expect Sis to make so many trips when she could get the same caliber of care right there in Monett for possibly less money. Not to mention the wear and tear on a woman who gets more confused as the day goes on. Now she's locked into getting this work done and it will stretch out for weeks and weeks! To be a "genius" he sure is an idiot!!!! They irritate me for taking advantage of her.
  Anyway, had a fun day not matter how stupid he is.
  T got hay as planned yesterday but couldn't take the bike to Harley's as I had the come along and chain with me in the van. Maybe next week. The weather was great too. Chilly in the morning and warmed up to 62*. Gonna happen again today.
  They may be able to finish up the roof today! Just in time. Rain predicted for Sunday and Monday. It will be nice to no longer have a leaking roof and be able to replace the floors slowly but surely. The old place has been here since 1975 and past due for repairs. After all it's a mobile home and I'm surprised it's lasted this long.
  Time to prune the fruit trees and almost time to spray them. I can do the pruning ( I think) and will have T do the spraying. Not that I can't do that too but he needs to help. I will be moving a few things around in the yard this year to see if some stuff likes it better elsewhere. Grapes to get out of Betty's reach, blackberries don't like it where they are and the poor cane doesn't like it where it is either. Just ordered a sweet cherry tree, a nectarine tree, some strawberries and a few more flowers (as if I needed that).
  Gotta take a break to do my mile and half , I'll finish this up later.
  Well, it's much later (6pm) My day sure was long. The roofers didn't show until noon but Brenda and kids were here by then. She came to clean the stove out in the shop. Putting it in the trailer. I think they are coming back on Sunday to pick it up.
  The roof is on! They will be completely done tomorrow! No more drips!!!! I'm used up and still need to fix dinner. Tonight will be spaghetti. All I have the energy for. See ya'll later.

Saturday 4:47 a.m.

  Mornin' world! T just left for a day of OT. George just flopped in my lap to help. They are such a hoot. They are growing so fast.
  The radar is showing a lot of rain/mix out there and the temp is hovering between 31*/32*. I haven't bothered to look out or step out there. I didn't see anything while T was backing out of the garage. Gonna be 45* later today. Yay!
  I don't have a lot in mind for my chore list today but I need to get the regular stuff done. You know, a small load of laundry out of the way, dishes to be done. We'll have left over pizza for dinner and I have some tuna for lunch. Just need to figure out breakfast- oats- done...

 I think I'll get some blackberries from last season out of the freezer and have a cobbler for dinner too. 

  I got my first seed catalog just before Christmas. I sure would like to grow something this year. Just a few things to add to our groceries. Maybe I'll feel better this year and be able to do more. I've resigned myself to the fact that T, no matter where his hearts at, he's not gonna help with a garden. Every year he says he will and every year he doesn't have time. Oh well, if I want it bad enough it will happen. 

 I already have a crop of prickly pear. Sells for $2 a lb at the cheap store. Wonder how many lbs I could harvest out front? lol Last year I got a couple of plums, a couple of tomatoes, some blackberries and that's about it. Isn't that pathetic? The drought heat was a problem. Even my houseplants that were outside hated it. Nothing could produce anything. This is actually the second year in a row we've experienced drought. Dang I hope and pray for a good year. 

  Guess I'd better get around. Got miles to walk haha. Later, 

have a diamond day. I'm going to. 

Throw Away Thursday (again)

  Time sure flies. Whether you're havin' fun or not haha! It's gonna be another very hot day. It topped out at 107.1* yesterday. I'm getting pretty tired of these temps. 

 

I got to spend two days in a row going to parks and watching the little ones play. Brenda did all the work while I watched. We took "fast food" the first day and Brenda packed lunch the next day. Two different parks: one in Cassville and the next day in Monett. What fun. Oh, and we also went to a fast food place that had a play area for drinks. OMGosh! That thing is sure high. The kids had a ball though. They did so well. They had to be so tired and hot. I was melting.


  Tim gave me a surprise for an early anniversary gift. It will be our 30th! How cool is that? Anyway, here's my gift:

 

1989 

Can't drive it far as the ac isn't working yet. And no, I'm not going to drive it with the top down in this heat wave! Driving around in a blast furnace is not fun! Tried that in the 90's and didn't like it at all.

It's a beautiful car and overall in great shape. Needs TLC on the interior but we've got all the time in the world. 

  On the home front, still doctoring two of my babies and don't seem to be getting anywhere. Cotton is the same on the other hand is not getting worse. Poor guy. And Hank is still miserable. Jeannie is having trouble and no way to help her right now. We're going to see if we can find a farrier to come trim her. It may be hard to find one just for a couple of front feet. No one else needs much of anything done. Maybe some filing. Her's are really long since she had trouble through the winter with an abscess. 

  Been watering the orchard and my tomatoes with the sprinkler. Hand watering the houseplants sometimes twice a day. It would be easier if I just brought them back in the house! I may do that in the next couple of weeks instead of waiting til fall. 

It's been a diamond day!  

Good morning!

  It's late morning and have done outside stuff. Tim has gone after a bale of hay. We'll see how much the price has gone up due to the drought. I bet it doubles. I pray it doesn't but bet it does. ....

  With a little luck I'm not repeating the pictures. I should go check but what the heck?! Not sure you can tell the one in the middle is two colors. White and sage of some sort. I like the primary colors.

  More than doubled on the hay but that's the way it goes when fighting mother nature and the greed of the big corporations. If he didn't get charged a bazillion dollars for growing it , he wouldn't have to double his price to break even. I'm just glad it's available this close to home. We'll be able to buy almost half of what we'll need for the whole winter (and now). Will have to start saving for the rest. The best laid plans as they say. lol

  Here's a few Cherokee purples and a yellow. The yellow are pretty tasty too. Less acid, you know.
The chains are what we use for hanging feed buckets.

 

  Here's our baby pool. Just the right size for the two of us. Could be the two of us and the two little ones. I've already enjoyed it a few times just all by my lonesome. lol  

 

 These are Ottertail tobacco plants. I spread hundreds of  seeds and got hundreds of little plants with no place to put them. How smart was that? I've seen tobacco on tv that appeared to be 4-5' tall. Obviously these will never reach maturity as they are in pots. Now I need to figure out how to cure what little leaves I get at the end of the season. I remember reading it takes 2 years before it's ready to roll. Any guesses?



  Was a stone very early this a.m. but turned into a diamond and will continue to be!

 

Working weekend

  T is working this weekend. Two more days and we're on vacation again! This year we were able to plan a weeks vacation almost every month. Works for us since we like be home (that's the whole idea of having a home, isn't it?). We've already seen a good portion of these wonderful United States while we were trucking.
  I will be glad when Tim has the time to put the new motor on the AC. After the temp reaches about 80* in here, I shut down.  lol
  Whew! Got the back yard mowed with the  push mower. Sure looks nice but I'm just wringing wet. lol

There's a light colored spot in the center.  

There it is! That thing is a mile away from my front yard. Pretty cool huh? 

  Dang it all! It is 89*outside and now 88* in the living room. Yuck....

It's still a diamond day!
 

Sunny Sunday

It's still dark outside with a full moon, actually was a supermoon. Was closer to earth than normal. Was really nice. There was/is supposed to be a meteor shower peaking the last few hours but it was so bright you couldn't see them.

 Here's my amaryllis blooming this year. About 3 weeks ahead of it's normal time. I noticed the tiny little bloom on the stamen?. It's very tiny and pink. Interesting.

 There were 3 blooms this year instead of 2! May have another bloom coming on.  Linda had this plant one Christmas (you know the ones they force to bloom for the holidays etc) and afterward she didn't want to mess with it and passed it on to me. I'm sure glad she did. I just let nature take it's course, put it with the other house plants and this is the result - year 2.

This is a photo of Pop's grandparents. Mary Fuller Tanner born about 1820. Here's her husband, Thomas Tanner, born in 1812 and died in 1864.

Quite a stern looking couple. I still haven't figured out why photographers told people not to smile. It's amazing to me that I can find photos like this online that people don't mind sharing. I love it! The internet is so wonderful! Talk about a way-back picture!
  We didn't go to bed til midnight last night! How silly was that? Think I'll go back to bed now and try again. Hope T can stay awake at work today.
  I plan on it being a diamond day. Wish me luck.

Another great day ahead!

.....I'm just sure of it! Not gonna let it be anything else.

The girls seem to be enjoying the winter with the heat lamp. They've been giving 8-10 eggs a day for the most part. Some days it's only 6. That's okay because I can only use so many eggs and no one comes by to give them to. haha

Hannah has found a new way to keep her butt warm. I guess the concrete lid to the well soaks up the heat. haha  She's there quite often on these cold days.

Here is Hank and Hannah's parents. That's why they are both colors when you see them in the sunshine. Nice looking couple aren't they?

Such cuties!

Still are!

    The days are almost 30 minutes longer now and I know it's still a long way off but I  sure am excited at the prospect of spring! Fruit, flowers and veggies! Gonna try again on a few tomatoes. Seems the only thing I can try besides flowers and shrubs. My lavendar has held up all winter long! Yahoo! I put it right next to the ramp so it was iffy that it would make it through. Between dogs and chickens it's fairly difficult to keep anything alive.

  Now that I have a plant room in the house I'm thinking I won't be taking many outside this year. A few will have to go out.

It's kinda crowded in there. May have to re-think that whole idea. haha Or I could get rid of some plants. Naaaahhhh. Can't do that.
  Aunt Jo called last week. I would love to go visit her. She said the next heart attack would be it. They have repaired all they can repair. I know it can happen anytime but .......she's my last remaining rock. I don't see her near often enough but I know she's there. I'm so glad that Kate and Annette are there for her.
  Some days are diamonds.

Sunny Sunday?

  Maybe part of the day will be. Should have some scattered showers during the day and mid 60's. Yesterday was gloomy most of the day but still nice.
  Worked on the "tree" most of the day while doing laundry etc. Finally got around to washing the shower curtains! Gosh I almost hate that but am grateful that I'm able. Brought a few more plants in but am quickly running out of room until we tear the bed down. I was weak at WM the other day and bought another fern ($4.94) and an umbrella plant ($4.12)! Look at these! Aren't they wonderful? Think how clean our air will be in the house all winter. LMAO! As if it would help the dirt, dust and 4 dogs!

Here's the cashew chicken without the cashews. Dang it, I thought for sure I had some cashews in my baking supplies but it was almond slivers. T didn't mind though. Said it was real good. I used a new recipe so you never know. Need to double the sauce next time.

Isn't he handsome? Least he thinks so. He tries every now and then to "acquire" one of the big hens he's so proud of himself.

  Today's wayback picture. My little towhead with Three Sisters Mnts behind him about 1976. Forgive the picture. I believe it's been wet.
   It was good news that Aunt Ruth only had a broken leg. I know that sounds strange but it was first believed to have been her hip. A leg is much easier for recooperation. Sounds as though she will be going to some sort of "home" when she's released from the hospital. With what seems to be dementia, she's definitely in need of more care than she's been getting. I read this book about a study of nuns and dementia. Very interesting. The nuns were a good control group as they all pretty much live the same lives at adulthood. Seems after many years of the study they have the idea that the dementia is determined (besides genes) by whether or not you were read to as a child and read a lot as a child. That's what I got out of it anyway. I might just have to read it again, see if I get the same impression. In other words there doesn't seem to be anything a person can do about it now to ward it off.
  Are you getting stocked up for winter time? This time of year is always the time that my mind starts in on "getting stocked up". For us, the animals, for everyone. I think for me it's the fact I hate to get out in the winter and go to town. I get out every day to take care of the animals and I don't mind - I just don't want to go to town. lol Some days are stone.
 

Wonderful Wednesday

  I know it's early but I'm just sure it will be a great day.
Here's a little of yesterday:

New babies - day 3 and they're still alive. Momma is doing better than any of them did before. She's had them on the ground at night- no losses, out of the hen house and back in again-no losses. The hens before always deserted them if the didn't keep up. Keeping fingers crossed these guys will make it.

This is Number 2 . Another barn cat. This one goes hunting with Momma Cat out in the big world of the woods. Makes it back too. The kitten "3" didn't make it back one time. Actually I think it was the first time they went out to the woods. "3" didn't make it back. He's either still out there and chooses not to come back.... or he was someone's dinner. Number 2 goes out and back at least once, sometimes twice, a week.

Poor tomato plant. See how it has no leaves? That's what the dang hornworms have done to it. I hate those little beasties. People actually say not to kill them cause they make such nice moths and only eat leaves. Well, dang, that stresses the plants and they can't produce maters!

Can you see it? The little red spot points at it.

This one is in between the yellow lines. They sure are hard for old ladies to spot. I squish them and leave them for the chickens to find. If I throw them toward the chickens alive they are almost afraid of them. How funny.
  I picked off 6 bigs one and 3-4 little bitty ones yesterday and 2 this morning. I've never tried it but they say the stripes glow at night under a flashlight so they are easier to pick off. I'm not that dedicated.

This is a picture I borrowed from the net that's much better.

  Guess that's one of my problems. haha I'm just never dedicated or passionate about anything in my life. Jack of all trades and master of none so of thing. Always wanted to be good at it all!

Last day of vacation

  I hope Tim can sleep in today. He's been getting up fairly early (for him) for most of the vacation. The first day he slept in til about 8 and then slept another 8hrs during the day. He was plumb used up.

  Yesterday he took two trees out of the yard that needed to be gone. One was rotten and of no use and the other was just too close to the foundation and waterline. I'll miss that one as it was helping shade my back porch. Oh, well, I'll figure something out to take care of that. I have a canvas drop cloth I can use as a curtain. Maybe I'll hang it today.

 Tim tried getting the old girl going this week and she just didn't want to start. Makes no sense. One day she'll run just great and the next she won't hit a lick. Dangit!
 She's sitting out front now and patiently waiting for something to happen to her. lol



I finally dug up my hops plant and now I need to figure out where it might like to live now.. the orchard was not a good place for it.
  Got the feeding and watering done. Gotta go for now.

Another Monday

   Had a really nice Sunday. Slept in until 5:30. Went to Israel and Brenda's to watch the race and have lunch. Nothing fancy but really good. Beans, corn bread, fried taters and if that wasn't enough you could have a hot dog. lol Was fun watching the kids play. Aiden and Israel had gone fishing that morning. Aiden caught a little perch. Wish I could have seen that. He's such a cute little guy. Not that Dahlia isn't either. She's a card and so much like her momma and her gramma. Temper, temper. Their's, not mine.

Isn't this a pretty flower? Didn't expect it to ever bloom again. Sorry if I have already posted it. It's hard to keep track sometimes. NO, it's not my age! This brain carries around a lot of important information....

I've got to go check and read a couple of my last posts. See ya later today.

 

Beautiful day

  Another beautiful day in the Ozarks. Just talked to T. He's at a meeting at work. Will be home around noon or thereabouts. Just had some big gusts of wind. Outside the rain glob on the radar. Will be dropping some rain here in a little bit. I walked around the yard this morning to check on the flowers etc.  Fed the chickens and the barn cat (Callie). Whitey wasn't around. She's with her kittens. We know she started with 3 , don't know if they all made it. I'm sure torn on that one. Hate to see anything die but certainly don't want any more cats.


Here's just some of the beauty that I am blessed to look at each day: some of my iris

baby roses

pink peonie

poppy

prickly pear 2010

tulip tree 2006 or 7

I'll add more later but these give you an idea.

I took some pics this morning but haven't uploaded them to the computer yet so I put up some from previous years. The tulip tree has finished long ago and is just pretty and green now. The prickly pear has a few more weeks before it blooms but there are a lot of buds right now. After they flower and the buds ripen you are supposed to be able to eat them but have never tried it.

I've put a couple of tomatoes in the ground with several more still on the porch. The 2 in the ground are a Cherokee Purple (my all time favorite) and a Red Beefsteak. Some of the babies that I haven't put out yet are Black Brandywine, Sweet 100, Black Cherry cherry tomato and Heinz . Also some Mammoth Red Cabbage, pineapple sage, rosemary, New Mexico peppers, red and yellow onion, some mixed gourds, mosquito geranium and assorted houseplants that have been transplanted. 

Just looking out the front window and see that my old trail friend Molly is actually in the pasture to the east! She doesn't bother to walk that far these days. She pretty much hangs out on the west side of the house now. Doesn't even mind if she's the only one over there. For 20 some years now she's been the herd boss (after Cotton)and has now given that job to her daughter Jo Two Sox. 

That's Molly in 2009. Just a few months after having Elvira. She's 25 this year! I can hardly believe that!

What an education she has helped me with all these years. Our first baby when Jo Two Sox came along in '93, compliments of a neighbor's wayward, slightly insane stallion. Trail riding and horsecamping. Illness and accidents. 

Happy Trails!