One last snow storm????

This is what we woke up to this morning April 16th, 2011.  Five inches of wet, heavy snow.

I shoveled off the deck and Steve did the back steps, but we're leaving the rest to melt, because the skidsteer would just tear up the yard and driveway.  Too soft.  So melt damn snow, melt!

After shoveling I had to go to little town of Osage, 4.5 miles to mail something and restock up on more milk and bread for Steve while I'm gone.  Got groceries in larger town the other day, but we tend to go through milk and bread pretty fast, and the prices don't vary so much on those items.  The trees are decorated with heavy snow.  Pretty.  Here's more pictures of my ride home. 

Looking west toward "Smokey Hills" and the clouds are still dark.  More show? Hope not. Besides that the weather needs to shape up, so I can fly outta here tomorrow early!!!!

These trees are planted at the corners of the irrigated farm fields.  Usually at dusk or early morning you have to be careful of the deer that come out to cross the road.  But this is also at a 90 degree corner, so us drivers should be going slower and should miss the deer.  It's been a long time since I've hit one with a car. 

Two lonely chairs waiting for the sun to come out!

I did get the snow shoveled off the deck, but left it on the chairs.  We'll see how long it lasts!

Good thing I had not put the shovel away yet. 

Things should look better when I get home on the evening of the 27th.  It's good that I will miss the mud again.  I hate the muddy part of spring.  Maybe things will have started to green up when I get home.

Then I'll be itching to get into the garden to clean that up and get started.  So many of you bloggers are so much further ahead in your flower gardens than we are. 

Hope the rest of your weekend is  great!

I'm Otta Here on Sunday!

Sunday I'm on my way to Louisiana to visit daughter Jessican, SIL Floyd and Renee!   Whoopee!!!!
Floyd will be going back off shore next Wednesday am, the 20th, and Jessica will be goin to a conference for a couple of days to New Orleans.  I will get to babysit Renee and have her all to myself!  How lucky am I?
Just got off the video cam.  Renee calls me Gama!  cute!  Steve is Gampa!  Pretty good.  The other grandma is called mama, but not said like mama, it's maMa.  Stronger emphasis on the second ma.  I still don't have all the nicknames,  and terms figured out for everybody down there.  Here we didn't use nicknames for everything, so it gets confusing.  It's like I'm going to a different country!  Well, not really, but things are done a lot differently in Louisiana.  I guess that is why it is so unique there.
Here are some new pictures Jessica took:

love this one.  um, wonder how I can make it bigger.  Tried, but gets a little fuzzy.  She must have taken it with her phone.

Renee last night after her bath.  Jessica braided her hair and she sat there real good for her.  I can't wait until I get there and can fuss with her hair.  I used to braid Jess's hair real fancy.  When Jessica was going to Kindergarten, she sat on her hair, and then we cut it for 1st grade and she wore it short for a few years.

But it was fun to fix my daughters hair when they were little. 

This one must have been taken with her phone too.

We are getting that wet snow here.  The ground is covered, and I suppose the roads are getting slippery.  Haven't been anywhere to see, and think I'll stay home.  Steve went to an auction today to get a header for his combine.  He had to go about 200 miles, into North Dakota, up by the Canadian border by Cavalier North Dakota.  Guess they were getting dumped on with a lot of snow! 

Come on Spring!  Quit fussin and just get nice out!

Try to have a good weekend everyone!

Spring Vet Check

Waiting at the Vet office for their turn to see Dr. Gretchen!  They don't look too happy do they?

However, they love coming here.   Weighed the dogs; Odda weighs 85 lbs and Hooch 24 lbs.  Had my hands full, so didn't get pictures of that, and then when they got their shots, I was sitting there and visiting, forgetting to take more pictures.  I thought that Odda might weigh a little more, because she feels like it when she leans on you.  She is a leaner!  I have to work with her when she is sitting next to me so she doesn't move so close and start leaning on me.   She just loves to be close enough to touch you!

Patty giving Odda hugs!  Tail just a waggin!  Hooch checking out the treats.

After they got their shots and Frontline Tick boxes and Heartguard boxes, and Hooch some stuff for daily treats that will help his arthritis.   

When we left, I 'd also bought each dog a "Greenie" treat.  I had grocery shopping to do and another stop, so they ate their treats and waited for me.  Well, it wasn't long after we got home and Odda threw up her Greenie.  I think this was the first Greenie I'd gotten for the dogs.  Lesson learned, probably should have waited until we were home to give them this treat.   We haven't done Greenies or raw hides because I've always have worried about too big of chunks being swallowed.  So this morning I'm boiling up three big soup bones.  If I give the bones and all the stuff still on the bones, they get sick  too.  Just too rich for them. 

-cooling off the bones before giving to the dogs-

I could even save the drippings to pour a little over dog food if I really want to spoil them!

Bought a package of 3 soup bones at the grocery store.  They have a freezer end full of big bones for people like me that use them for their dogs!  My brother in law that works there, gets really big bones for his dogs.  Of course, he gets first pick!!!!  This works better cleaning their teeth than raw hide - the only thing I have to do later is pick them up before mowing.  Odda tends to hide her bones - gone forever!!!  She buries them somewhere.  We watch her chew for a day on her bone, and then off she goes to hide it from Hooch!  I only due this every couple of months, so it's not something they get real often.  

I do give them a daily treat of a large dog biscuit.  Odda chows hers down right away, and Hooch sits and looks at his awhile before eating.  

Hooch has been shaking noticeably this spring, and when the doctor checked him out, we found out that he has arthritis in his spine and back hip and knee joints.  She said his joints are hot - so he is hurting.  I feel so bad for him.  But it isn't slowing him down.  He still runs all over and is real active, it's just that when he sits down you notice it and when he's with me up on the couch.  So now we will be giving him Glucosamine soft chews daily.  So he'll get his soft chew in the afternoon as a treat.  This Glucosamine HCI has MSM  and other vitamins etc in it.  Of course when I came home and told Steve, he said he would have shared his Glucosamine pills with Hooch -  (anything to save a buck!)   A chew is a lot easier to have a pet take than a pill!  Maybe when Steve runs out of his pills, he'll be able to eat a chew!!!  hee! hee!

Daughter Leah and Steven's new Mustang (pony) that they got.  Amanda and boyfriend are in back - this picture taken Sunday evening, but they drove over again last night.  Yesterday was Steven's Birthday!  Mid forties! - Wish I was there again!  Such a cute car and what fun they'll have this summer! 

Here the dogs are enjoying their treat!!!!

Yum!

 

So Good!

A nice bright (cool) day here.  We are in line for more snow tomorrow!  Yuk!  Hope it doesn't happen.

Our neighbors to the West (Fargo, ND) and North of us are flooding badly.  They need relief - not more snow!

Have a great day!

Farm tour!

We had little neighbor visitors yesterday to see baby pigs and the new calf.  Of course they also had to play with Hooch and Odda and have treats afterward.

Viv holding a little day old!  Cute! Cute! Cute!

Marne had just given this little piggy a kiss!    They all wanted to hold the littlest pig- so Steve was changing pigs so they could all hold one.  After a little while the babies would wiggle and cry - they'd had enough of being held!  The alleyway where we were all standing is kind of narrow, so I couldn't get a picture of all the

kids holding a baby.

Keeping warm under the heat lamp.  These are a little older, born last week.  The kids didn't hold these - they're too strong for them already.  They're so inquisitive tho ~

So now you see why Steve wanted Red Angus cows and calves ~ have to match his red Duroc piggies!!!!

I checked out Lynda's question.  She didn't know there were Red Angus, and in checking out the Red Angus Association and the history, I learned that the in the 1940's cattlement started selecting and breeding red,  cropped from the best Angus herds in America.  in 1954 the Red Angus Association was established.  The black (B) is a dominant gene;  the red (b) color is a recessive gene, and then you get into homozygous red (bb) and homozygous black (BB) and heterozygous black, red carrier (Bb) charting.  Very interesting,  but the short of it is:  when you  have a black red carrier cow that cow will produce red calves.  If your red cow is bred by a red bull, you will have a red calf, even if any red parent had a black parent.  Red Angus carry no diluter genes so there are no greys that result when crossbreeding with blacks. The chart I have been checking out, is very interesting.  

 Soon the new momma and calf will be put in the pen closer to our house, so we'll be able to watch the little one run and kick up her heels!!!

We don't intend to get into breeding and selling cattle - just want to have a few cows and raise our own beef.  This way we know where our meat is coming from and know that they will be fed and cared for!

We  already have been eating our own beef from last year, and the meat is so o o o   good.  Sure beats getting it from the store!  

New Momma and Baby

 We have a new addition to the farm.  A new momma  Red Angus cow and a 3 week old heifer.  Steve got them yesterday and brought them home to a muddy yard.  It rained here all day and it was so nasty, that I stayed home when he went to get them, but had to get dressed up to go out and help unload and get them settled in.  Took pictures this morning, and they are both dry and fine in their little pen.  We'll leave them there a few more days before moving them.  Momma is 3 years old and so calm.  She isn't afraid of us or the dogs.

Momma was chewing on that hay - I tried chewing it, but this is MUCH better!

So cuddly and soft.  Now to think of new names!

Last years calf and his momma.  Call him "Curly"- he has really grown!

Now after the rain we had yesterday, things will green up fast.  We didn't have our rain gauge up yet, so don't know how much rain we got.  Sure was a nasty, cool, wet day!    Glad the sun is out today.

The neighbors are coming over to see baby pigs today.  Will get pictures later of them.

Have a great day!!!!!

Can't Find What is in Front of Their Noses!

  Two old farts, digging for and looking for a DVD.  If they would have let Chance in there to look, I think he could have found the DVD.  Some time ago (can't remember when), we'd borrowed a DVD from Gene and Connie.  A Willie Nelson & Friends.  I don't remember if it was a good DVD or not, but after a half hour or so of them pulling pictures and junk out of the storage area  the guys finally gave up looking for the DVD.  The next day, though I figured I better clean the mess up, and found the DVD right away.  It wasn't in the storage area - it had been on top of the DVD player, but had slid off and was behind the DVD player!!!!  But now you could ask for any movie you like, and if we have it, it would now be found in alphabetical order!!!!!!  Would you believe that!  Really, the cupboard was a mess.  I removed all the candles, and pictures, picture frames, remotes and stuff that had been tossed in there and found new homes for them.  Now the only things there behind closed doors are DVD's and VCR's!  Look at the mess below!  Now both shelves are all nice and orderly.  Didn't take a picture of the after -   probably should have.   How do you like Gene's bald head?  Steve's loosing more hair all the time.  Maybe one of these days when I give him a hair cut/trim, I'll shave it all off like Gene's!

 After they gave up looking for the DVD, we played a couple of games of Golf!  Easy card game that we can sit a still do a lot of visiting and munching.  I'm about ready for another night of cards!

Open House!

This morning we went to the Lions Pancake Feed and Open House for the new Fire Hall and Community Center in our little town of Osage.  They also had nurses and helpers to check your eyes, take your blood pressure and prick your finger to check your blood sugar.  We did it all - and we checked out fine.  My one eye tested a little high for pressure, but I have my checkup this next week, so will show the doctor what this result was.  There also was a lady there giving you a 5 - 10 minute free reflexology treatment on your ears!  Works wonderful.  It hurt, but really did help my sore neck, and sinsuses.  I think I'll make an appointment with her for the hour treatment for hand, feet and ears.  My left ear really hurt when she was rubbing them.  It almost felt like she was milking them, (don't know really how that feels, but it felt like she was pinching and pulling pretty good on them!!!)   Oh can you imagine that sight!  Milking of the ears!    (dah - stupid humor!!!)
I don't think Steve sat there for that, but there was a line up; so she was pretty popular!

I then went outside to watch the firemen show off some of their equipment.  They already had done a pretty good job of cutting up a car - demonstrating the the "Jaws of Life", and other saws, etc.

Here you see them trying to start a rotating saw. 

The dashboard in this picture is in place. The drivers side area, the guys are putting in something that will work like a jack, and the next picture they will be using the "jaws" to expand the dashboard on the passenger side.

I am so thankful that these men and women volunteer their time to help all of us in this wonderful area that we live.  Without their dedication to we wouldn't have the quick time response to fire calls or accidents in this area.  Late nights they leave their families snuggled in bed to go fight grass fires that some people have carelessly set on purpose (we have a problem with that in this area), house fires, and to help assist law officers at vehicle accidents in the area.  We have had some bad accidents in this area with loss of life and that is very hard for the Firemen and First Responders to deal with.  Hubby Steve was part of the fire department for 23 years.  He was with the group that started this Volunteer Department, and is now retired from it;  and the group is still growing.  Now there are two fire halls and a wider area to be of service for.  A lot of time is given by this great group of men and women.  Across the country there are a lot of volunteer fire departments - Thank you to all of the volunteers!

Today has been a great sunny warm day - no jacket today weather!  But we are supposed to get rain tonight - possibly turning into snow!   You'd think having several inches on April 1st would be the end.  We'll see!!!!!!

Have a great rest of your weekend!