Dirt under the fingernails. Scratches and bruises. Cattle getting out and having to be rounded up. Tall conifer-covered mountains. Bumpy dirt roads. Muddy diesel truck. The scent of the wood burning stove in the air… and in my hair. Soft fur. Hawks soaring in the big blue expanse. Calves playing in the paddock. Dogs romping. [...]
There is another voice on the ranch adding to the usual cacophony… Ducks! An adult flock of rare Ancona ducks is the generous contribution of a sweet Lady who has to move off of her farm. Thank You Sherri!!! Ducks are a completely new species to us, so it’s quite interesting and entertaining to watch [...]
Here I am, 10,000 feet in the air, on my way home. It’s been a whirlwind 2 months on the warm southern California coast. Incredibly wonderful to be with so much of my extended family, helping my parents during my Dad's recovery from hip replacement surgery, and seeing many old friends!! While departing is definitely [...]
I want to introduce you to a ranch resident not often seen… this is Chanel, our gorgeous ten year old house cat, also known as Kitty. She is a precious companion, the sweetest cat I’ve ever known, and I’ve known many being an admitted cat person and all. She is so nice to canines of [...]
We have a fruit orchard!!! It’s small at just six trees, but with just the two of us our needs are minimal. It should start to serve us well in two years’ time, with some to share. Perhaps we’ll add a couple more later on. There are two Manchurian crabapples, two Buckeye Gala apples, one [...]
The saying goes “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Yes, a picture has great power, but so do words. Picture these: fingers plucking a tree-ripened red apple from its branch, silvery salmon swimming in clear water, a mound of dew sprinkled green pea pods, perfectly marbled raw beef steak, a bowl of dark blueberries. [...]
Caution: graphic photo There we were one fine sunny day, rummaging through stacks of boxes that had been stored under tarps for two years, salvaging what wasn’t ruined by moisture, mice, or pack rats when suddenly, something odd caught our attention. Halfway in-halfway out a hole in a milk crate was a dead pack rat. [...]
1. Spring cleaning is accomplished fast! 2. Everyday tidying up is done in a wink. 3. It’s incredibly efficient to heat in winter. 4. You don’t have to yell in order to talk to someone in another room. 5. You cannot accumulate as much “stuff” because there simply isn’t the space! 6. It helps you [...]
I have been remiss in posting the rest of the Guest Cabin/Bunkhouse pics. And boy have I gotten an earful about it! Although the inside is not completely finished yet, it’s still perfectly useable and comfortable. front back front door and bead board paneling on lower walls large [...]
Progress often comes more slowly than we’d like, but like the rings of a tree reveal, slow growth is sometimes better than fast. When the growth rings are spaced far apart it means growth took place quite fast. This could mean a weak tree; lumber milled from such timber might mean it is not as [...]
