Variety is good in all things.

I nearly killed my father-in-law today. I really didn’t mean to, I like the guy. It was an accident.

After feeding cows this morning he graciously waited while I got my horse and we ran the cows in to sort off some late calves. Coyote plodded slowly towards the corn field wanting desperately to return to his herd, until he saw the four wheeler. He was so thrilled. He wasn’t going to be alone after all. He is pretty sure that he is a four wheeler. Together with his buddy we gathered the cows in from the corn field. It was going so well. We got them in to the first pen with no problems. I was thrilled to be riding. Coyote was trying to run away with me.  Life was good. The unwanted cows happily trailed back out the gate. No trouble no fuss. Down to the calves and a couple remaining cows we took them up to the barn and a smaller pen to finish sorting.

Once again no problems, easy cheesy, slick as silk, piece of cake. The cows ran right out the gate. The calves stayed in as was the goal. But….

There was one calf. A little runt of a calf with a red tinge to his hide. He, it was decided, needed to go back out with the cows. I don’t know why, it is not for me to ask these things. I am simply sitting on my horse doing as I am told, happy to be out and about.

That scrawny little runt of a calf refused to go out the gate. He would get right to it and dodge back past us to the other calves. I think they were egging him on.  A couple of times though he would stop and just stand, there under Coyotes nose. My father-in-law thought out loud about different pens we could move them to and schemes that might separate them. I really don’t know what all he might have said. I wasn’t listening. I had a horse, I had a rope, I could do this I thought. So as he droned on I dropped a loop around the calf’s neck.

It took me a moment to get over the shock of catching something. I am not a roper. I briefly thought that I should have worn gloves. Then I got my dally, Coyote turned like a pro and we drug the calf out the gate. I had time to be proud of my self. We had done it. Job completed.

Then the calf leaped sideways and banged into father-in-law and gate. Oops, but not to bad. He then came over to get the rope off. Now we had a problem. The scrawny runt of a calf grew to gigantic proportions. He bellowed and kicked and ran in circles. I have to remind myself that my father-in-law is seventy-ish, he is not at all feeble. But still he is in his seventies, he shouldn’t be fighting with a calf on the end of a rope.

He was flung about, stepped on, whipped around and generally beat up.

In the end the rope was retrieved. The father-in-law survived and I vow never to do it again. I will never ever head a calf again, trying to be helpful. Next time we will do something less drastic. Next time, next time I’ll heel it.

These guys are a new favorite. Their videos are awesome.

I will take any excuse I can come up with to get on a horse. So when My father-in-law asked if I would take the other four wheeler and help move cows I said no.

I would come help move cows if he would give me time to grab a horse though. He had some other things to do so it wasn’t a problem. I grabbed my bridle and some cookies, horse cookies that is, caught Coyote and we were ready to go. I didn’t brush him or anything just hopped on bare back. We were ready in record time.

It’s funny how after so long of little to no riding I feel like my seat is better than it was back when I rode all the time. We galloped bare back through the corn field after those cows and I wasn’t afraid. I had no trouble letting go of his mane to grab the reins two handed and insist that we really did have to stop. I even fell of off the old boy last time I rode. One of those slow motion kind of things. I think he was standing still as I slid to the ground, but it didn’t bother me any like it usually would. Maybe because my falling offs are usually much more dramatic and painful.

It was kind of embarrassing, why does that sort of thing have to happen in front of an audience? An audience of four wheeler guys is worst of all. But I digress, we had a beautiful ride. I am getting pretty good at posting bare back. Those dang four wheelers go so fast I feel like I am holding them up all the time if we walk leisurely along. It doesn’t help that Coyote thinks he is a four wheeler and wants to keep up with his heard. I had to insist that we walk though when I started getting a charley horse in my thigh.

All this cow moving was due to an idea for which my father-in-law is becoming locally famous. He has made two news papers and come Febuary The Farm Journal. Wow.

During a corn harvest already made poor by drought, the wind blew for a couple of days around sixty miles an hour. It blew semies over and caused blinding dust storms that closed interstate 8o. It also blew the ears of corn off the stalks. Dropped the number of bushels harvested by half in many fields. All that corn laying there was too much to let go to waste, but was also to much to turn the cows onto. I had not known that cows could founded just like horses do. Well not just like, cows are ok afterwards they grow long toes and don’t walk very well.

With the sky high hay prices there had to be a way to make use of the corn fields. So husband and father-in-law spent a weekend welding braces to hold electric fence insulators and attache an electric fence to the pivot. The ultumet in rotational grazing. Get it rotational, cause the pivot rotates?

Oh never mind.

Any way.  The whole thing is surrounded by electric fence. Since the field is  round, the perimeter fence is always the same distance from the pivot and a simple gate latch finishes the circuit. The cows are allowed a small sliver of corn laden field. With the whole herd on it there isn’t enough corn for any one cow to get too much. They graze for a couple of days then the pivot gets moved and they have fresh corn stalks.

Brilliant.

We went Christmas tree hunting last weekend. The weather was warm but windy. The trees and hills blocked most of the wind though and it was beautiful. We went to a neighbors pasture and hiked through the draws looking for just the right one. We found some that were to big. Many that were to small. Big beautiful thick ones, with at least two trunks. Tall thin ones with lots of “character”, to so much for some of us. Finally as we neared the pick up exhausted from our climbing we found IT. The One.

Finally! I have such a hard time waiting for November, much less until after Thanksgiving, to start playing my favorites. As soon as Halloween is over I want my music. Now that Decimber is here I can fully indulge my self. I love Trans-Siberian Railroad.

And of course

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

He was a stinky dog, a smelly dog, an overly friendly dog. He was a happy dog, a barking dog who never saw reason to listen.

The poor old boy came to an end this morning, helping feed like he usually does. He had been growing deaf in the last year and I think that was the problem. As he writhed on the ground joyously rolling in something smelly he failed to hear the payloader backing towards him. That was it quick and painless, his last thoughts happy ones.

Daisy will miss him the most I think, although I am surprised at how sad I feel at his passing. He was a vile and disgusting dog who swam in the sewer and rolled in any thing dead. He was fully intact and liked to back up at you huge pink parts swinging.

He was patient and kind. Tolerant of small children’s poking and pulling. He loved it really often knocking them down in his enthusiasm. Not a mean bone in his body, he would never have dreamed of biting. He put up with Daisy and her endless energy. She loved to bounce around him snarling and biting. He was her best friend and companion. He loved to run circles around the four wheeler barking like an idiot. Faithful and loyal he slept on his masters doorstep scorning his roomy dog house. Always present never helpful. We will miss you Zip, much to our surprise.

It happened one night as we sat enjoying a quiet family meal. The sweet young child lay upon her daddies shoulder as we finished eating.  Cuteness was simply oozing from her. Then into the silence erupted a racket.  A gurgling, squirting sort of racket. Now we are quite proud of her many crude noise making talents but this was above and beyond. Soon the stench reached our noses and not long after a damp brown spot appeared on the back that had previously been so lovingly stroked.

Leaping into action her father, holding her in extended arms made a mad dash for the bath room. As I followed behind in a much more leisurely manner I heard exclamations and curses echoing down the stairs. I don’t believe I quite caught every thing but it seemed to be some thing along the line of “How can such a small child create such a large amount of…. mess?”

And so she received an impromptu bath. The first one for her poor father and under such trying circumstances.

It’s been a long time since I posted anything, at least partially because we have been working feverishly on the nursery. And now it’s almost done! This is so exciting. Especially for those of us trying to live, with a baby, in a construction zone. We have baby stuff, tools and dust spread through out the house. It will be nice to be able to clean, dust and baby stuff up from around the house and be done with it. Every nook and cranny is filled with things waiting to go into the nursery we can’t even get into our beloved library. Some times I wonder how it’s all going to fit.

My parents came clear out here for a weekend and fixed the ceiling. Dad fixed the ceiling, mom babysat. He tore down all the old plaster and put up dry wall. He taped and sanded and even got it painted before they had to leave. We couldn’t have done it with out them and it’s so nice to have that done but it would also have been nice to gotten to visit and maybe go ridding with mom. I’m not complaining though because it’s almost done!

The walls are patched and painted, the beautiful wood floors are varnished, all we have left to do is paint and install the quarter round on the base board and the same with the crown molding. We have all ready dug the crib out of it’s box. Not so much putting it together yet, but ready to.

I just can’t wait to start decorating.

To be continued……..

Jesus came to the baby while she was still in her Momma’s belly

He tells her, “I will always take care of you and love you little Elly”

I promise never to leave you alone

Not ever, not now, not after you are born

Her parents watch their child as she is sleeping

They wonder what can a baby be dreaming

They don’t know that Jesus is talking to her still

She smiles and nods and listens to his will

He let her meet her guardian angel

Who was clothed in gowns of purple

He tells her of calves, ponies and sheep

She listens to it all while she’s asleep

She gives a tug on an angel’s wing

And pulls a cloud, like a balloon, on a string

Jesus waves good-bye at heavens gate

Tells her she must go now she can’t be late

He tells her He loves her

And promises to keep her

Safe and sound

In her Fathers arms she is bound

A baby’s dreams

Are beautiful things