MAMA! It's hippy day!

Sydney informed me it was Hippy Day at school. Do you know what it's like living on a ranch with no Wal-Mart (or any store) nearby to run to? It means I must dig around and find what I can to create hippyness on a whim. I did not save any of my hippy clothes from, well, awhile ago. Okay, okay, I was born in the 60's, not as some "love child" but more as an accident (Monty, our dog, ate Mom's birth control pills... really). And then Mom and Dad's "whoops" was multiplied when, two minutes after I made an appearance, my twin brother surprised them and the doctor too... but I digress.

Back on track; I dug through my closet and found nothing. Well nothing "I" would consider hippy. Then I remembered a shirt one of my girlfriends brought out for me not too long ago (what was she thinking??) I pinned it closed because it was a bit big but Sydney was starting to look like a hippy. Braid her hair, throw on a headband, some beads, a peace symbol & flower, and she was good to go :) Visions of "Hell no, we won't go!" jump into my head when I look at this picture.

UPDATE: It has been pointed out to me that the way Sydney's hands are facing it is an offensive gesture in other countries! I do apologize to my international readers! In Canada any way that you hold up two fingers is considered a "peace" gesture, and it doesn't matter which way the hands are facing. An offensive gesture here is if only one middle finger is up.

Oh my Lord, you know if her hair were a bit lighter she'd look...like... me, back in about 1975!

And if you were on some kind of phycidellic kick way back when (and I don't even want to know with what) then this might bring back memories... far out man ;)

Free Desktop Wallpaper

I was playing around with my camera and snapped a photo of a crystal that hangs above my deck. I resized it and it looks pretty cool as my desktop wallpaper. If you'd like a copy in large format for your own desktop click here.

My Mom was telling me that she couldn't see the tiny egg in yesterday's post. Her resolution is lower on her computer than mine and the right side of the pictures on my blog posts were cut off. Is anyone else having this problem? I resized the egg pictures but was wondering how many can see the full Ford symbol on Pop's truck grill in this post? She couldn't see it at all. I'm not sure of the "standard" resolution that people use, but I gather I have mine quite small, no wonder I think I need glasses! LOL I checked some stats and it seems most people are at 1280x1024, I then checked mine and it's at 1680x1050, quite a difference! I think I'll resize my pics to 640x480 and see if it makes a difference.

Chicken Tales

I get all sizes of eggs. Small ones from the Banty hens, regular size from the regular hens, and BIG ones from hens just starting, or just ending, their lives.

The regular size egg is in the center, it's hard to tell but the big egg is most likely a double-yolker and pretty much fills my hand.

I have an assortment of chickens, mixed and matched over the years, with new ones added to the coop every so often. I thought I'd pretty much seen everything there is to see with eggs; ones with no shell, wrinkled eggs, half shell eggs, HUGE eggs, small eggs.... but then these gals do something that surprises me.

I've seen eggs that were small, or so I thought, but I have never, ever, not in my whole life, seen an egg this small come from my coop! The youngest chickens I have are about three months old, hens don't start laying until about five months, so I'm pretty sure this egg didn't come from any of them, but you never know.

One BIG day, many meals!

The other day I was at Felt Artistic and her post was about a cookbook called "The Big Cook."   I was intrigued.  I watched the video and immediately bought the book.  I also printed out their free sample recipe, Saucy Chicken, and made a mental note to buy the chicken the recipe called for.

When I drove my niece home to Abbotsford I picked up the chicken I
needed and made six meals.  I've cooked one, Hubby took three to camp,
and I still have 2 bags left.  He can throw them into a crockpot
(actually it will be J.R. 'cause Hubby doesn't cook) or they can be
cooked in the oven.  A side of rice and veggies and the guys will be
happy campers and they won't have to eat take-out or go to the
restaurant.

The book arrived the other day and I was pleasantly surprised that all three authors had signed it, nice touch :)  But I had to drive Hubby to the airport in Kamloops before I could see it.  I asked Dallas, who picks up my mail, to snap pictures and email them to me so I could write up a grocery list.  While I was in Kamloops I picked up a whole lot of chicken, pork, and other fixin's so I could create when I got home.

The book is really well put together, including detailed nutrition facts at the end.  There are 73 beef, chicken, and pork recipes with colour pictures, as well as tips and hints for each recipe.  Also included are serving suggestions so you won't draw a blank when you need to know what to make with the main meal.  I'm pretty sure all three women hail from Alberta, the province next to mine, so it seems "local" to me ;)

You can make 1, 4, 6, or 8 meals that serve between 4-6 people for each meal (although I think if Hubby were home I might have to cook two packages, he likes leftovers).  You basically make a large batch, divide it equally between large ziploc bags, and then freeze them for later use.  The recipes are down-home ingredients, and nothing you have to fly to another country to find.  I think the most exotic thing I've found in the whole book so far is mangoes :)  Very few of the recipes are cooked before freezing, making them very quick to prepare. 

With my Kamloops shopping trip, I made up Chicken Fettaccine (4 bags), Sweet & Sour Pork (8 bags), and 2 bags of Amazing Chicken, the sauce for the Amazing chicken, which is made with apricot jam, was truly delish, yum!  So I currently have 16 meals in my freezer, most can be cooked in under an hour if I put them in the oven, or I can throw them in a crockpot in the morning and they will be delicious for supper that night.  Some of them you can stir-fry or barbecue too, great for summer meals.

What a great timesaver, and buying in bulk helps with the cost.  They also suggest getting together and cooking with three other friends and in one day you would have over 200 meals in your freezer!

Runaway truck!!!

The excitement of the day was looking up at the horse pasture above my garden and seeing Pop's truck coming flat out down the field! My first thought was "wow that truck is sure going fast!" Then it was the sudden realization that there was no driver!

I flew to the glass doors, by this time the truck had gone right past my garden, I then ran to the other side of the house expecting to see the truck flying into the corral across the road, I saw nothing. Then I thought that maybe Pops was slumped over in the seat (hey you never know) so I went for my boots and screamed out the door. I spotted Pops at the top of the field closing the gate, I hollered "POPS!! YOU OKAY?" He was too far away to hear but I could see him finish closing the gate and start the long walk to the bottom.

We met over at his truck. The damage after veering around several cows, bouncing clear down a field, crashing over a woodpile with airtime, dipping into a ditch, plowing through a five strand barb wire fence with a wooden rail across the top, skidding sideways over one big hump of a hill of dirt, and finally coming to rest on a tractor implement?

The windshield is broken...

...and the truck also has a few new cracks in the grill.

I think what panicked Pops the most was, from his view, it looked as if the truck were going to hit our house! He said he was hollering and running after the truck but (in his words) "The truck picked up speed so damn fast... forget it."

A friend has his speed boat parked out here alongside a cube van where we have stored household furnishings and such, the truck was between the two with about a foot of room on each side where it stopped miraculously on all four wheels! I do believe that the tractor implement embedded into the ground that has a piece sticking up, caught the front axle and stopped the truck dead in it's tracks.

Pops was super quick on moving his truck and I did hear him mumble something about "no blogging this" but later on I caught Mikey outside fixing the fence. Check out the woodpile that the truck sailed over! In the far distance I've marked where the truck started from. He had left the truck running on what he thought was "level" ground while he hopped out to close a gate. Next time "e" brake Pops... EEEEE brake!

Mikey using the fence tightener to repair the fence.

Later on in the day Pops was back in the field and the truck seems to be running fine, Ford tough I say :)

Rough day

Sometimes you have to do things on a ranch that you really don't want to do, you think that you are incapable of doing. I usually have Hubby around to do those things... unfortunately he's up in the Charlotte's working.

One of my chickens is sick, she's old and you can tell she has a problem. She's suffering, and I have to put her out of her misery. I find it hard to do when, after five + years, she has given me so much, but one can't stand by and watch an animal suffer. I did walk over to the shop looking for Pops but he wasn't around. I spoke to my BIL and my nephew, but today everyone is out rounding up cows to give them medication before anymore calves are born, and they were needed elsewhere. I knew what I had to do...

With a heart feeling like lead I went to the closet and grabbed the .22 gun I own. I loaded it with one bullet, stuck two in my pocket and headed out the door.

She was sitting in an odd position by the chick waterer. I moved the waterer, said I was sorry, and held the gun to her head. One shot and she was down, and I felt horrible. I am happy she is not suffering anymore and has found peace.

Yes there are many times I wonder how we can gather the strength to do the things we do? I admit I'm a "town" kid, I was not raised on a ranch, nor a farm, but I've done more things in the last 15 years of my life that I never would have done if I lived in town... good and bad.

It's times like this when I think about the birth of a single calf born just last week, or the peeping of a tiny chick breaking from it's shell, a full grown hen so trusting she'll eat from your hand... it's those times that keep me going and help me through the rough days.

The picture is one of my much younger hens in the coop.

Lexi Portraits

If it weren't for Davimack I don't think I would have taken such beautiful shots of my granddaughter Lexi, thank you Davimack! He gives great advice and I will repeat he really needs to write a book on photography, specifically the Canon Rebel camera :)

Dallas and Lexi were out today and even though Lexi slept through the whole photo shoot I think the pictures came out great. I'm getting this camera figured out! :)

This one was way too bright with a pink background so I used an action in PS and turned it vintage.

I stopped at the hardware store and picked up a couple of muslin drop clothes from the paint department. The size is 9'x12' and they are perfect for backdrops, they cost about 30 bucks each, much cheaper than buying professional ones; $200.00+ yikes!. I intend to dye them using this tutorial but haven't had time yet. I have an unfinished house and hammered nails around the top of the wall, then used safety pins all around the outside edge of the drop clothes and hung them on the nails.

Another dog, oh no!

Well I didn't think I'd be typing the above title for a loooong while.  You see, I have many dogs now, I can't quite put a whole number on how many because I also have "part-time" dogs.  For instance Teddy is our dog, Grandma gave him to us when he started spending a lot of time over here, but, on occasion, he still travels between our house and Grandma's house.  Then there's Meegie who turned 14 on January 2nd, Annie (Meegie's daughter) who will be 13 on May 5th, Blue will be 4 on May 26th, and Jumbo I have no idea how old he is.  Those are the dogs I can actually say are truly mine :)

But it's not uncommon to walk down my hallway and find seven dogs around our woodstove: Meegie, Annie, Jumbo, (Chihuahuas) Blue, No No (Heelers) Teddy, (Black Lab) and Yeller (Yellow Lab).  Whenever Mikey, my nephew, comes over he usually has Jess' dog Sadie (Heeler) with him, but she only visits until Mikey leaves.  Do you think I need another dog?  Can my vacuum cleaner handle another dog?  Can I apply for a government grant for dogfood? ;)

Meet Doolittle:

He's real friendly, real sweet, real quiet... and he has no home.  Oh he did, he had a great home, he belonged to Bert... and how can I turn him away?  Sydney has already taken a liking to him.

The only problem is he isn't fixed... and neither is our heeler, Blue.  So what's a person supposed to do?

Living on a ranch with Pops a decision can be made quite quickly!  He came over this afternoon, along with Grandma and Mikey, and we neutered both dogs.  The surgeries went well and in the picture Doolittle is still a bit dopey from the medication.  Blue is a lot more perkier after his surgery and I'm sure the two of them will be up and bouncing around tomorrow, let's hope they become fast friends (fingers crossed).

A Heck of a Ride!

He was 96, a month shy of his 97th birthday. A friend I had only met in the last few years, but he made a great impact on myself, my children, and even my little chihuahua Jumbo (who he always called "The Elephant Dog"). I'm sure most of you know by now whom I'm speaking of, Bert, our neighbour from up the road.

A smile with Jumbo on his knee.

Jaycee and Bert.

Last Saturday morning Jaycee called and chatted with me for a bit. Near the end of the call I asked if it would be okay if I hopped in the truck and brought Jumbo up to see Bert. She told me that he had asked to see "Kansas & Jumbo" last week, but I know he really just wanted to see Jumbo, who loves sitting on his knee and who Bert had grown quite fond of.

I told the kids I would be back in about an hour and toodled up there. Bert was laying in bed and I let Jumbo crawl gently beside him. He raised his hand and delicately patted Jumbo, I could tell they were both happy to see each other. I spent a bit of time visiting and later returned home to the ranch, I found it heartbreaking to know that my friend would soon no longer be with us.

A few hours later Jaycee called and told me that Bert had passed peacefully in his sleep, I jumped in the truck and drove back up there. Jaycee, along with the nurse from Lytton, had dressed Bert in his plaid shirt and blue jeans and it looked as if this cowboy were "goin' to a dance" :) Bert looked spiffy and content, and before I left, I told him "Goodbye old timer, you've had one heck of a ride!"

The next day Hubby, Mike (BIL), Pops, and I went up to take Bert to our graveyard. Bert wanted to be buried on his own ranch but unfortunately it doesn't have a registered graveyard so the next best place is ours. He can see his property from here and I know he'd like that, after all he lived there for over 60 years and built the place with his own two hands.

I had spoke with Robert the night before and asked if he could draw up plans for a casket, he then faxed me the plans. Hubby contacted a neighbour in Fountain Valley who built it, very simple and just the way Bert wanted. It was so nice that Bert's final arrangements were put together by a combination of friends from all over. Living here is really a blessing and you can't beat a country life, even at the end of one's life.

As we were driving over to the graveyard we stopped at the barn and Hubby's other brother asked if we needed a hand, he drove his truck over and helped too.
Here's the four of them at our graveyard.

Bert had a good, long life and I was happy and honoured to have met him. I would have loved to have heard more of his stories but one time I questioned him a bit too much and he told me "How the heck am I supposed to remember something that happened that long ago when I can't remember last week?!" LOL, yes he could be a bit tempermental at times but that was Bert :) He never minded when I picked fruit at his house, and he'd even tell me the best trees to pick from. I still have a few jars of the best cherry pie filling in my pantry that came from his pie cherry trees, and some of those trees we have planted on our own ranch. I'd bring him home canning, a bit of baking, and often gave him fresh eggs and fish. He'd tell me that I didn't have to do that but he'd always thank me and told me he was greatful someone was doing something
with his fruit. He was very appreciative when Hubby would drop off split wood for the old fashioned stoves he had throughout the house. Remember his kitchen stove?

And then the stove in his chicken coop? Although I'm sure it's been awhile since this one has been fired up :)

I remember when the picture below was taken. Jevan was reaching his hand out to Bert's and, after each having a firm grasp, Bert cupped both his hands over Jevan's and said "That's a pretty big hand young feller." I tried explaining to Jevan that Bert and him were 91 years apart in the picture, but not until I said that Bert had had 95 Christmas' and that he had had only 4, did he somewhat understand the age difference :)

He will be missed and thought of often, goodbye old friend, may you rest in peace, and keep an eye out for all of us that live here and the many lives you've touched.

Colour at the end of the day

Today was the first day in a long time that I had some time to just stroll around the ranch all by myself. Here's some random shots of everything from the graveyard field to the top of the driveway across the road.

A bald eagle sitting in a tree down by the graveyard. I didn't get too close before the dogs scared him off so this picture is quite zoomed and cropped.

The ranch across the river from us.

As always, my faithful partner Blue.

He will follow me anywhere...

...even when I don't want him to ;)

Yeller and Sadie were with me for awhile.

Teddy was with me today as well, but I didn't get any decent pics of him so I'm throwing one up that I took on Sunday. Teddy will find a mouse anywhere! He'll get his nose into the hay and dig until he pries it up with just the tip of his teeth, crazy dog.

I took this picture the other day and it's currently my desktop wallpaper.
If you'd like it for your desktop click here for a larger version, I'd love if you left me a comment letting me know :)

A close-up of the two eagles in the above picture:

One of them got a bit fluffed up when he saw the big dogs, thank goodness it wasn't one of my chihuahuas!

Looking through the trees down to the river.

We've had a few sheep hanging around the top of the driveway but today they were across the road and up the hill a bit. They blend in so well with the landscape sometimes it's hard to spot them.

After taking pictures for a few hours, Pops dropped in to let me know that the first calf of the season was born today.
Hubby helping the little heifer to her feet.

She's up! We figure she's probably around four hours old because she's quite dry and has been well licked off by her Mama.

Mama quite concerned and steps in for a close-up.

I came in the house and started to look at some of the pictures I took today. Don't you sometimes find that landscape photos are a bit dreary looking, especially in the winter without much sunshine? So I grabbed a pink rose that was given to me, held it up to the window, and snapped some colour into my day :)

Birds around the ranch

For a quite some time I've been heading out in the morning trying to get some good shots of the eagles that have been hanging around the ranch.  Pops has put meat on the fence attracting the eagles and everyone's been telling me that I should be out there snapping pics.  Well I have been... unfortunately Blue and the cat love to follow along.  Eagles don't like dogs, cats, or humans, so when I get somewhat close they fly off.


Here's my latest efforts.

An immature bald eagle and a magpie.

Blue is holding back so the eagle is actually staying...

But the temptation is just too great and he scares it off.

So I head over to the corral and take some pictures of this bird.
It's a Clark's Nutcracker, a jay bird.  And here I thought that all jay's were blue, but the book "All The Birds of North America" tells me different.

These birds are like crows when it comes to eating.

In frustration over the eagles, I head back to the house to upload the shots I did get.  While I'm uploading I hear thump, thump, thump.  I'm thinking a chicken was left out of the coop last night and is eating the bird seed on the deck.

I look up to see a female Downy Woodpecker sitting on the woodpile.  I took this picture through the window while sitting at my kitchen table.

Good grip on the little thing.

So while I'm typing up this post I look out the window and happen to see one of the eagles flying right past!  Then it lands in the horse pasture just above the garden!  I grab my camera, a stronger telephoto lens (and I really should have had a tripod) and I get this:

If it weren't for Blue I might have got a shot off while the bird was sitting... damn dog sticks to me like glue no matter where I am :)

So I've concluded that I should just sit at my table and wait for the birds to come to me :)

But I persist...

I head down to the shop looking for Pops to give him a message.  I have camera in hand and I really think everyone is starting to get used to seeing me with it because no one bats an eye anymore.

I spy one of the eagles in the tree above the mossy shack... no dogs are in sight to scare him/her off...I sneak up ever so quietly and get this:

And this:

It flies off and as I turn around I see Blue, No No, and Yeller all looking at me.  I give up!  At least Teddy knows better because this is what he was doing, good dog :)