Of course those who know me know that I consider Facebook to be wrong even when it goes right.

Having recently helped my Grandmother to get a smartphone we have embarked on an adventure together. It remains to be seen if either of us will survive, but it’s been fun. With a phone there must come Facebook; how else to keep up with friends and family? With the rather dubious help of my mother she has begun to experiment with commenting. Through speech-to-text of course which only adds to the adventure. So with lots of begging for forgiveness grandma, here is a fine example of the joys of modern technology. Can you guess what she was trying to say?

Grandma commenting on a picture of a new pair of pants:
-How The Hobbit kathryn grey black pants why didn’t you take a picture of them I only saw the top half of you buddy
-Sorry kathryn I was trying to say what they used to say many years ago and not grey black but black pants sorry I’ve been drinking by
The wearer of the pants, baffled:
-I can’t help that I’m short lol

Grandma to her other granddaughter:
-What an adorable little snow girl you look very pretty Melanie this is your great grandma died
-I’m I’m sending a correction to my earlier message I did not die I am the microphone picks up the strange things I think I said I start to say to tammie did I and then hit picked up dad died sorry I’m not dead by

Here’s hoping  Grandma will still speak to me after posting this. She’s doing a great job with the new phone even if she doesn’t always think so. These very amusing mistakes come from the speech to text and are not her doing. And should definitely mention that she wasn’t drinking. Never having had a computer of any sort it’s a big jump from flip phone to smart phone. Be patient and keep trying Grandma, you’re doing good.

How did it sneak up on us so fast? Only eleven days to go, if my math is correct and it seldom is.  I had so many big plans and have accomplished none of them. We have Christmas lights up and a tree but no cookie decorating parties, and what else, I don’t know maybe that was it.

We did go to the Santa Soup Cook Off last night. It was packed. The Goblin Child sat on Santas lap and smiled for a picture. We looked at what was for sale, waited in the mile long line to sample the soups and decorated an ornament. It was just to much for the child, her head nearly exploded as we tried to sit and eat. The only thing she really wanted and that would get her to hold still was being with her cousins. Ava and Cade were there with their mom and she wanted to spend every second holding the hand of one or the other.

With her bouncing off the walls we decided to forgo the Christmas concert. The music teacher always does an excellent job with it and we were hoping to see it again. As much as we had wanted to see it there was no way The Child would sit still long enough to enjoy any of it. As a consolation, to us, we went to look at the Christmas lights. There are a few houses around town that go all out and a farm east of town that decorates the whole yard. We let the child come stand in the front seat with us as we drove slowly around the yard. She oohed and awed at the over abundance of Christmas spirit but was mostly interested in anything Micky and Minny related. She was not happy to get back in the car seat but we had more lights to see. Another house back on the highway was aglow and visible from miles away. Not as big but brighter perhaps. She had no trouble in her overstimulated state staying awake till we got home to look at our neighbors lights once again. They are always impressive and have two Micky Mouses.

The weather was beautiful today. So much so that it was hard to make ourselves head to town and church. As a compromise we went outside to play for awhile before getting ready. Somehow an impromptu game of hide and seek broke out.

It was the child’s first time playing and the rules were a bit sketchy. She had a tendency to peek and give orders as to hiding places but we all had a blast. Her father helped her stand against a tree and count the first time as I stood behind a small leafless bush. Children are amazing. She stared straight at me through the branches without seeing then with a little help and nudging she was squealingly delighted to discover me there. Then her father hid. He’s a good hider.  By the time we counted to three he had disappeared. He wasn’t behind the bush. He wasn’t behind the barrel. He startled a particularly loud squeal from he when she discovered him behind the bunk house.

She wanted a turn at hiding too. Usually leaping out at us before we had a chance to find her. We of course jumped and squealed appropriately. The game could have gone on all day but it was time to get ready.

For once the weather was beautiful. Last year I believe it was about nineteen degrees. Of course last year I got to bring a horse. Given a choice I’m not sure which I would choose. Maybe next year I can have both. Beautiful is relative of course, thirties to low forties, most things are nice compared to nineteen degrees.

The Goblin Child and I bundled up warm and rode on the four wheeler with her father. I am sure we were a BIG help. The poor thing isn’t made to carry that much weight. We didn’t fit very well either with four of us and Daisy. But we enjoyed it, or I did, not sure that the child could see out wedged between us as she was. But it was warmer and safer and allowed her father some limited steering ability.

The cattle came in easy enough and headed straight for the corrals. The four-wheelers were dropping like flies though, which I have to mention because, to everyone’s pleasure I’m sure, I spend the whole time saying how much better everything would work with horses. One was over heating and another just died. Ours worked fine though allowing The Goblin Child and I to chase those cows. We had dropped her father off to bring the pickup and trailer along.

Growing tired of sitting the child insisted on standing on the seat in front of me. I was fine with it, other than my arm growing sore from holding her, until she turned around and yanked my hat off my head. Not exactly sure what happened then  but it went in very slow motion. I let go of her to grab the hat and she fell backwards off the side of the four-wheeler. I realized I was dropping my child to save my hat and had a change of priorities. Letting the hat fall I reached down and grabbed the leg of the child who seemed to be floating  on her back sticking out to the side of the four-wheeler and pulled her upright by her lower leg. It doesn’t make sense. Not really sure of the logistics here, it must have been a God thing.

We were stopped by then, not that we were moving above a crawl in the first place but stopped is still good. She decided it might be a good idea to sit down. We retrieved my hat from the ground and continued on after the cattle none the worse for the wear.

Much to the overly excitable child’s delight an airplane flew low over our heads as we walked down the road. She is fascinated by pwanes and tried to tell everybody around us about it, whether they could hear over the work they were doing and the noise of engines or not. She pointed and talked and asked for more when we could no longer see it. Luckily for her the owner of the plane came by to visit after he had landed. With some fair amount of hinting he invited us over to see it closer, not for a ride fortunately for me. She got to sit in it and look around to her hearts content. It was a beautiful plane, built in 1946 it’s build consisted of a steel frame, light pipes it seemed, and some wood parts covered in cloth. I mean the whole body was covered in cloth. No metal, except a little around the nose, and no plastic, all fabric that is stretched over the frame then ironed to shrink fit it. It was fascinating and horrifying. It has lasted this long though so apparently it works.

After getting all the cattle hauled home and calves sorted off cows and lunch ate and the child down for a much needed nap I played the pregnant card and quit for the day. Riding around on the four-wheeler all morning took muscles I don’t have at the moment and as much as I wanted to continue playing (vaccinating the calves) I really could go on no longer. So here I sit playing on the computer while by the sound of things outside the guys have finished with the calves and are pushing this bunch of cattle out to join the others on the corn stalks. It is nearly dark, the warmth of the day used up and a good time to be done with a good days work.

We got our Christmas tree yesterday. Last year we put up a fake one. The Goblin Child was toddling about and the kitty was young, a full sized tree seemed like disaster waiting to happen. Before that we had usually gone out and cut our own tree. It was the most fun, searching for hours up and down the draws until we found just the right tree. In the wild pine trees look nothing like farm grown Christmas trees. Just thinking about attempting the search with Goblin Child in tow was more than we could handle.

So we bought one. It is beautiful and perfectly shaped and  spray painted green. Seriously? Why do they feel the need for that?

The Goblin Child refused to get out of the pick up and help choose the perfect one so we left her sitting inside where it was warm playing on her tablet while we braved the wind and cold, thirteen degrees, to try to figure out the prices.

While she napped that afternoon we put up the tree and brought down Christmas decorations. When she awoke it was time for her to help decorate the tree. She loved it. Happily attempting to name the color of every ornament, usually green colors are so hard, she then matched them with a light bulb of the corresponding color. I was so busy trying to get the decorations out of their packaging fast enough to keep up with her that it took me awhile to notice her collection of bulbs. Apparently that was the perfect spot to hang them.

Sorry about the sideways video. I know there is a certain way the camera has to be facing for it to take upright videos. I never can remember what way that is.

We sat in front of the fire (heating stove, not fireplace Justin) and played with marbles. The cold round glass was fun to feel. They cascaded so marvelously noisily when dropped from a hand back into the bowl. When tossed on the floor they could be stood on and rolled around on and we could count them.

She happily repeated after me as we counted nearly to ten. The she started counting on her own. For the most part it was the usual “two, two, two” but then as she crouched next to me, her finger gently placed on one marble to pull it towards her she counted ” one” then she selected another “two”. I held my breath in excitement as she reached again counting “two”. I had released my breath in a sigh just as  she continued to “tree”.  As far as I’m concerned that is counting to three.

My favorite pony came up lame last Friday. I have had enough experience with lameness and grievous injuries to help me decide that he was probably fine. The temperature was hovering around zero, I didn’t want to haul him anywhere and there was no way to soak it. The weather was doing any icing for us. So we waited. By the next day he was putting more weight on it. The slight swelling around the ankle had spread a little higher but there was no more cause for concern.

The weekend was cold and, if not busy, difficult to get outside. Every time I checked my little Coyote looked fine. The swelling kept getting a little worse. Monday the child was a wee bit exasperating and I was tired so I never made it out to check the old boy. Today I looked over the fence and saw all four legs swollen with the original leg swelled up clear to the shoulder. It was somewhat concerning to say the least.

When we met my hard working husband for lunch I told him about my pony and despite being run ragged from a busy morning and a mile long list of things to do he insisted on coming home to hook up the trailer and watch the grouchy, sickly child so I could take Coyote to the vet. He did. I did. She said the pony would be fine. Gave me some bute and instructions to keep my husband cause you don’t find men like that every day.

I agreed wholeheartedly.

So my hard working, thoughtful, considerate husband, thank you so much, I’m not sure you realize how much I appreciated it and you.

Not normally such a big deal but today the thermometer reads six below.

This calls for a little extra preparation. I had been outside already as I ran out to take care of the chickens. Although cold there was no wind blowing and the sun was out so I thought we would escape our cold induced hibernation.

Dressing for the cold is an undertaking. Socks, sweat pants, long sleeved shirt, sweat shirt, scarf, gloves, snow pants, hat, coat and snow boots. All the while she is squirming and turning and trying to help. I am still in a tee shirt and socks as she dashes out the door, unable to wait. Hurrying to put on a bare minimum of warm clothing I rush out the door to find where she has disappeared to. The fresh powdery layer of snow helps me track her to the swing set where she stands pointing and telling me about the moon, no longer full but hanging still in the frigged blue sky.

Acknowledging her excitement I take the time to run in the back door and grab gloves. We zipped down the slide, with added speed from the slick snow pants, take a walk through the frozen snow covered garden and pick some corn for Baa. Before we can feed Baa she finds the back door and is ready to go inside out of the cold. It’s fine with me, we have achieved our goal of staying outside longer than what it took to get dressed.

Inside we warm our hands in front of the fire while I warm milk for hot chocolate and we thaw from our fun time playing outside in the cold and snow.

The other night light shone brightly through our window as the full moon rose up over the horizon. It was huge and brilliantly bright. I asked The Goblin Child if she had seen it and she ran to the window. Throwing the curtain aside she stared for a moment in awe before rushing to the door. It was a warm night but still I persuaded her that boots and a coat would be a good idea before going outside.

Properly clothed we went out to bask in the light of the moon. After ohhing and awwing we decided to go swing and dance and play in the unusually bright night. This is where her father found us when he arrived home from work and he joined us, basking in the moon light.

A little late for Halloween but whatever.

As we sat warm and cozy cuddled on the couch playing with our phones and computers my loving husband turned to me and asked, with horror in his eyes if I wanted to hear a scarey story. I sat for a moment thinking about whether or not I did. Finally I said sure tell me. He looked back down at the screen of his phone and began to recite.

Monday- high 28 low 3 freezing drizzle and snow, Tuesday- high 14 low -4, Wednesday- high 14 low -8

I wanted to clap my hands over my ears to block out the shear terror of it but it would make no difference. So I sat frozen in shock and horror as it went on for the entire week. Fortunately this was on Friday and the forecast for the weekend was mid sixties. The weekend stretched ahead of us entirely too short a time to get everything prepared for the deep freeze.

There were cows to bring home, electric fence to put up and heaters to turn on in the waterers. Friday the guys ran around putting in steel posts. We started early Saturday putting up the fence. The Goblin Child rode on the four-wheeler with her father running the wire. I, mounted on my own trusty four-wheeler went around putting insulators on the posts.

The child and I absconded our duties long enough to go to music class then returned in time for lunch and to get in on bringing the cattle home. All four of us, including Daisy of course, hopped on a four-wheeler and headed after the cattle. At the gate to the pasture I got off to wait and make sure they turned the proper direction once they hit the road. I was so glad I did when my people came out on the four-wheeler with the child grinning ear to ear, pointing and telling me cows! cows!

At the highway the other helpers waited to stop traffic and help get past the houses with big unfenced yards on both sides. My mother-in-law was dropped off to hold one entire yard by herself while my sister-in-law and Cowboy Bill parked on the big road. The cattle turned north into the CRP and I jumped off in the road with the child while they raced after the herd. They steered the herd back to the road only to have them head south right past the mother-in-law into the yard. My cow chasing husband went to retrieve them and I stood in the road holding the child and the road to they didn’t head back east. The father-in-law came and parked next to us. When I told him that we could hold the road if he wanted to go help get them out of the yard he declined so off the child and I went on foot to help clear the neighbors yard of cattle.

As we got around them they finally began to flee the yard. The leaders ran onto the road and headed east right past the father-in-law as he sat, possibly talking on the phone. My hard driving husband got around them and turned them back. With the mother-in-law and me both in the yard we were able to keep them out and the finally crossed the highway. The rest of the ride home was a breeze and it was decided that we would go after another bunch.

By now the child was fast asleep on her fathers arm as he tried to drive. We moved her to the pickup where she immediately awoke but declined to come back to the four-wheeler. She stayed there for the rest of the day being very helpful I’m sure as she bounced up and down in the seat and climbed from lap to lap.

On the poor over worked four-wheeler my cow hating husband and I raced back and fourth along the line of cattle trying to keep them on the road as they strung out for what seemed like miles with the leaders racing ahead and the tail end barely moving as the pickups prodded them down the road. I wished desperately for my horse as we took turns jumping off the four-wheeler and running along side the cattle trying to keep them out of the wheat fields. We raced ahead of the bunch to block the side roads at intersections and get gates closed. Then ran back to get them back out of the field they had immediately dove into when we left. One more four-wheeler, or even better a horse, would have been a great help. Just one to watch both sides plus all the other stuff was nearly impossible. By the end of the day I had no trouble remembering that I was pregnant. My sister-in-law even started leaping out of the pickup and running down the side of the rather rotten bunch of cattle to turn them back onto the track with my mother-in-law reaching across from the passenger side to drive. But at last the reluctant herd reached their own pasture where they belonged.

The next day it was back to fencing again. And today it snows. The predictions of horror are here. There will be more cattle to get but they will wait for another day, if history holds true for a much colder day. One much like today.