8 June 2024

Putting The Toy To Work

My husband bought me a Cadillac for Christmas. It’s a lot of fun to say, especially if I leave out about it being twenty years old and high mileage. But, does that really make a difference? He thought I needed a tow vehicle so I could get a trailer. I kept thinking it would be fun to tie a bow on it and do one of those obnoxious Christmas gift pictures. But I can’t even force myself to be that obnoxious jokingly.

I bought myself a trailer to pull with it. A pretty little matching horse trailer, modified so it can serve as a stock trailer too.

Our theme song is Chris LeDoux, Caddilac Cowboy, “horse trailer on a Cadilac, talking to the cowboy in the Coup Deville” 🎶

I’m very fond of my tow set up. It’s very pretty and frivolous. I feel a little embarrassed driving the obviously made for horses and play get up out here in ranch country with the big stock trailers and work pick ups.

Today my toys did some actual work. I was so proud of them. We hauled the last of the pairs to pasture. Calves in my trailer. It’s too dainty to load down with cows, but calves it can handle. Cows in the big stock trailer. I felt pretty dang ranchy 🤣

Then came home and carefully hosed it out so it could be pretty again and not covered in calf poop.

Category: Cows | LEAVE A COMMENT
7 June 2024

Happy Father’s Day

In June we take the time to celebrate a group who is often over looked, under appreciated, even persecuted in this day and age. Their contribution to society goes beyond anything that can have a value placed on it. And yet they are considered unnecessary and even mocked.

June is all about fathers!

Our children will be gone over Father’s Day, off visiting their grand parents, so we will be celebrating this weekend. Their father is hard working and devoted. He may not always be cheerful but he does always put his family first. He teaches his children to farm, garden, fix all the things, and how to treat their spouses with nothing but love and kindness for someday when they are grown. He gets little enough thanks, and not near as much from us as he deserves. No gifts, but we made him his yearly batch of cherry mash. The same treat the children have been helping me make him for Father’s day since long before they were old enough to be stirring a boiling pot of marshmallow goo.

My father deserves recognition and appreciation too. Growing up we would go all week without seeing him as he worked two jobs to keep us housed and fed. He’d leave before we got up in the morning and not get home from work until well after we were in bed for the entire length of my childhood. But, he would still drop everything and drive clear home from wherever he was working, to hook up the trailer and come rescue us when we rode the horses too far afield and wanted a ride back home. He still made time to spend with us on weekends and vacations and taught me how to work on cars and basic, very very basic, carpentry skills. He took the time to make sure I knew I could do anything if I tried hard enough and that there were no ‘girl’ jobs, I had better just get out there and get it done.

My brother carries on the tradition doing everything he can for and with his children who mean more to him than anything. There is no funner dad out there. I appreciate that he takes the time to spread that to my children too.

My grandpa, gone but in no way forgotten, who made sure his daughter could have a horse and passed down his love of a beautiful fiery horse.

All these great men and wonderful fathers out there. They all deserve far more appreciation than they get. Hard working and gone so much of the time. We sure do enjoy them when they can be around.

Happy Father’s Day.

Category: Family, It's a God thing | LEAVE A COMMENT
1 June 2024

Feral

The children have gone completely feral again.

Last fall when school started we made them move back into the house again. As soon as school got out, they got out the tent and moved in. One night we made them sleep inside because the wind was blowing so bad, making life miserable. Then the next morning we woke to rain early in the morning. We went back to sleep happy and dry. They were a bit damp. The tent isn’t particularly water proof. A cheapy from walmart, you get what you pay for. But they were happy. Blankets and sleeping bags went on the clothes line to dry.

Last night we woke very early in the morning to thunder. I threw shoes on to go out and make them come inside. The lightening was flashing through the clouds continuously, so bright it was blinding. They weren’t sure why we wanted them to come in, but sleepily stumbled to their beds.

This morning blankets went back to the clothesline.

I keep thinking I should encourage them to explore further afield. Go camp in a pasture. Or out in the stack yard. Really live on the wild side.

But, we do, very rarely get mountain lions through the area. Even a rare as they are, it’s more than I’m comfortable with. Then there are the cows in the pasture. That would be bad 🤣  Even the resident coyotes make me a little nervous. I guess they can stay in the yard for now.

It’s fun having nomad, explorer children who no longer live in the house.

 

Category: 8, Goblin Child | LEAVE A COMMENT