GASP *&! ..GURGLE*@!

AHHHhhhhh! ... A breath at last!

It's been a l.o.n.g.......4 months since I posted...

Tonite I decided I very much needed to take a few moments, to see if blogging was still occuring or if some new form of communication had been developed in my absense.

~~~

FYI...I am in the market for a new calendar & clock!

Ones that will give me back some days and hours!

...and even some seasons!

I'd pay dearly...if someone can scrounge them up!

My last post was barely a month into Spring,

and here it is now a month until Autumn! WOW!
~~~

We have been working non stop since this new "adventure" came to us. Progress has been made, but it is slow, tedious and frustrating!

20+ years of neglect and abuse just may take forever

~if ever ~

to turn this place into half of what it was so long ago.

Do we have the stamina to do just that?

That is yet to be seen....

We promised ourselves we'd not push ourselves as in years past....

as it is not OUR place!

...but old habits are hard to break!

**

*

DON'T EVER EVER judge a book by it's cover!

Remember, we had not seen the inside of this house before we agreed to take on this new direction in our lives.

We Knew what we were getting into with the barns, pastures, fencing etc.

But the house?

Foolishly, we thought

"It's a brick house! What could be wrong?"
***

Well............we may not have said yes...

had we seen beyond the brick facade!

GRUELING beyond anything else we've tackled in our lifetime!

(and mind you, we have taken on many challenges...)

May 1 to July 1, was 7am - to wee hours of the night for me!

EVERY SINGLE DAY!

I cannot believe how some people live...and abuse!

The first night I "slept" here...on an air bed, I woke every 15 minutes unable to breathe!

At 2 am, I woke up Cowboy and told him that I'm too old to take on such a daunting task!

The grime, the filth, the stench! The next day, we called the owner and he scheduled a carpet cleaner for the following day.

~~~

This started a a huge snowball effect...

one which, to this day, has not quit rolling!
~~~

The night it was cleaned (they said it was the worst job they'd ever tackled!)

the urine smell was worse!

Cowboy's smeller doesn't work like mine,

maybe because he's around horse and cattle excretions all day,

but mine is fine tuned and it did not like what passed over the sensors!

I ended up sleeping in my car most of the night!

I came inside once to get a drink of water

...only to run to the toilet and puke!

I gathered my purse and the Yorkies,

ran back to the car and headed home to our other place!!
~~~

Needless to say, before anything could progress within these walls,

the old flooring had to be removed, the floors and walls

primered with Kilz...several times.

The one and half year old carpet & pad was sooooo saturated

with cat and dog urnine, one couldn't have salvadged a

'clean' square yard of it if one wanted to!!

That was just the beginning...........

many many other daunting challenges,

disgusting discoveries have come to face us since May 1.

Luckily, my job's starting date got put off until July 1

because she saw what we were faced with here!!

~~~

Our home an hour away, was becoming a burden...

watering, weeding etc...every waking hour and waning muscle

was needed for this place if it's ever to be comfortable

for us to make a positive 'go' of our choice to move here.

~~~

We pondered for sometime on what to do...

~~~

There are only so many hours in a day,

there is only four hands between us...

and the wanting for an "easier" life,

was increasingly becoming a tougher life!

~~~

So...we advertised on CraigsList...to lease our home out.

Within 2 days, a gal from Boise, Id. with 2 kids wanted to lease it and be closer to her family.

~~~

...As of last Wednesday....

that burden was taken off of our shoulders for the most part.

No extra hours have to be squeezed out of the week to tend to it;

no more double power bills, 2 yards to mow and maintain....

~~~

So tonite, after spending a whole day of doing nothing....

truly nothing,

I decided I'd make a post....and then take one hour each evening

after work, to try and catch up with all of my friends

in the world of Blogland!

I've missed out on a bunch I'm sure! I know of two young gals who probably already had their babies and I missed the big event!!!

I know of one who was getting married...and I've missed out on all the fun!

But....

this week, I'm hoping to catch up on all of you!

I've missed all of you!

This W.O.W. is definetly triple W.O.W. these days....

but not ready to hang it up or to be turned out to pasture...

...

maybe next week, I'll think so....

Here Is The Scoop...

...on our Changes (and my absence)

Twenty years of sh** can take a toll!

I'm pretty darned sure this is a portrait of Us,
if we had the time to look in the mirror!

~

We have been hopscotching back and forth,

east & west, and back again!

Working here, working there, going after this, going after that.

~

Doing what?

Cleaning up what twenty years ago, used to be a fancy Registered Hereford facility.
No occupant since it's closure has maintained a thing.
It appears to have been used more as a dumping ground for anything and everything.

Sure, there has been herds of cattle in there and horses too, but no one took pride in what they were doing.

Nothing was fixed or maintained properly.

~

In walks US...the workaholics!

Known for taking on the most rundown places
and turning them into something worth having.

This time though, our pocketbook is tucked away!

The man who owns it is footing the bill.

And he'd "foot" more by providing a labor force if we could be there the whole time to make sure things were done properly and to our specifications, but we can't be there 100% of the time.

So we are using our energy, our muscle power to make things as they should be,
the way we want them...

...as much as we can until we are there everyday.

~

What will we have?

...When the tons of garbage have gone to the landfill (so far 3.5 tons!),

the 20 years of manure accumulation has been spread on the fields,

the paddocks are repaired and gates rehung,

old feed trucks, tractors and other equipment are disposed of,

fences repaired, weeds removed, old dead trees burned,

and a good old fashioned power washing....

(if we survive...)

~
We will have this...

• An insulated indoor riding area (sand has already been placed) for Cowboy to work his colts
• A outdoor riding arena 130' x 200'. (materials for construction arrived last Friday!)
• An indoor wash area for the horses complete with hot water, floor drain and safe 'footing'.
• An office space 14 x 20 (NO more invasion of my house by clients and their dogs!)
• A tack room 14 x 20
• A His and Hers restroom
• Enough large paddocks, some under cover, to house 20+ horses if one was so inclined
• 35 irrigated acres which are cross fenced
• Paddocks and pastures have automatic waterers with electricity for no freeze ups in the winter!
• And then there is a brick home..2400 sq ft...which we haven't got to see the inside of yet and what it's going to require...the renters are to be gone by the end of the month.

What is this costing us?
Not a dime!
We don't have to sell or rent out our home here.
We are giving this a try until the first of the year to see where it takes us.
Maybe we will hate the location,
maybe the owner will re-neg on his promises.
..maybe anything...
we then can pack up and come home...here!
It won't be a lot of packing either, as we have no intentions of moving all of our belongings. We will take some basics...like my coffee pot for sure!
We will come home on the weekends to mow my lawn
and water my flowers and gardens.
~
But maybe...just maybe, we will like everything!
The owner has the feedyard and the hay fields contracted out for 5 years, maybe we can get the same time contract for little or nothing.
~
That's too far off to worry about.
~
How did this come to be?
A friend I worked with years ago (22 to be exact!)
..came back into my life in January!
She and her husband are an hour away where they operate a 6-8,000 head feedyard
(Cowboy can daywork all he wants...if he wants!)
They run a separate business with their own cow/calf herd on 10,000 acres
(more land for Cowboy to ride colts on!)
They raise Quarter Horses too.
(more colts for Cowboy to start!)
She's been wanting me to come to work for them.
We couldn't justify it until this other opportunity arose.
This gentleman contacted her looking for a "caretaker" of sorts!
...and she thought of us!
After meeting with the gentleman, seeing the place and discussing his wants and our requirements and reaching an agreement...
...I accepted the job...
So, June 1, this ol' night owl, aka Cowboy's Wife...
must relearn getting up each morning and going to a job!!!
Yikes!! It's been a long time!
I am looking forward to it though.
I miss having interactions with humans ~face to face.
I miss using my tongue and jaws to actually speak words instead of typing them!
My drive to work will be 3.5 miles!
I can still wear my Wranglers!
I can go home at lunch to make sure Cowboy hasn't eaten too much dirt
and that he is still in one piece!
It will even provide us with much needed medical insurance.
I don't have the schooling for it, but accounting has always come easy to me.
(I would MUCH rather work in a horticulture nursery but one of those didn't land in my lap!)
But...it is what it is!
And I am excited to get back into the world of 'living'!
~
Better than all of the above...
We are going from a dying town of approx. 300 people to another agricultural town of approx. 6,000 people.
Which means...
I will have access to a grocery store!
~
More importantly...
~
I can order PIZZA!
I can even have a WHOPPER anytime I want!!!
~
Ahhhh.....I can smell and taste them already!

(Do you see now why I chose W.O.W. as my name??
Today, I am W.O.W. more than ever! )

Beep....Beep...

...Beep!...Beep!

I'm sorry but all lines are busy right now.

If you care to leave a message, I will get back to you as soon as possible!

My brain has been busy.

My life has been playin' hop scotch....

Change is Good...

....Right????

~

I'm not talking about changing your underwear, although,

a person should seriously consider doing so on a regular basis!

~
I'm not talking about changing your name either,

though there could be advantages to doing so if you are

inclined to live a double life.

~
But Change...

~
Change means pulling yourself out of the pit you have fallen into and exposing yourself to new ideas, new people,

and new adventures!

~
Change will add new perspectives, new hopes,

and even new dreams!

~

Change is about setting yourself free of complacency

if one has fallen into that stagnant stage of life.
We have never enjoyed being complacent or stagnant.
Yet, somehow, we allowed ourselves to fall into that trap.
It has become our "accepted" pattern of living

since the economic crisis hit last fall.

We have not been willing to step out of our

state of complacency ...

to even consider there might be a better way!

It became our safety net of sorts.

We avoided taking any risks (which is not normal for us!).

We simply accepted things the way they had become

and hunkered down for the impending storm!

Survival was our daily motto.
~
But not anymore!

~
We began scrambling to free ourselves

from the burdensome bind

that webbed itself around our existence.

Life became a twisted knotted mess.

We knew we had to set ourselves free,

become untangled...

...before strangulation took place!

We don’t seek riches and material things,

we only want to enjoy life…and to dance again !

~

~

I am elated to say...

We have found the dance floor once again…
We are eager to feel that gentle touch on our soles.
…One step at a time.

~

~

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass,
it's about learning to dance in the rain.
(unknown)

~~

I have tossed the umbrella aside...

And I...

You...

...to this crazy dance called Life!
~

Don't waste anytime wiping your feet..

We do not know where this dance will take us,

but there is one thing we know for sure,

~

Dancing not only cleanses your SOLES...

but it also cleanses your SOUL!

Am I being vague? Not telling you what Change is to us?

That's part of the excitement of Change!

I reassure you, Cowboy will remain a Cowboy...

...and me?

~

Always

will

be

a

What Do You Have...

...When a 13 year old boy is almost 6 foot tall?

~
A rambunctious gangly kid...

~
With

L~~~ L

O~~~ E

N ~~~G

G~~~ S

! ~~~ !

°°__ ~~~ __°°

~

What happens when said kid and his rowdy cousins stuff M-80’s

up a car's tailpipe and take off running?

~
An accident looking to happen!

~
Left leg at the knee does a 360° rotation as said kid

tumbles down an embankment.

~
#1 Surgery!

~

*

~
What happens when said kid is 14 and decides to out race

traffic down a hill on his bicycle?

~
A semi truck gets in his path and sends him sailing!

~
Left leg at the knee is bent and the foot now lays on said kid's chest.

~
#2 Surgery!

~

*

~
What happens when said kid turns 15 and decides to play football,

hoping to entice his Dad for some attention?

~
Run like a long legged kid should,

onto the playing field at the start of the first game of the year!

~
Left leg at the knee buckles and foot now lays aside said kid's hip.

~
#3 Surgery!

~

*

~
What happens when said kid becomes a grown man

and thinks nothing can stop him in his tracks?

~
Not even an ornery Shetland Pony getting a “pedicure”.

~
Cowboy Wife hears a crunch and a click from the Left leg at the knee,

and an “Oh Sh**” from said kid - turned Farrier's lips as he becomes immobile in a knee scrunched position

under an extremely delighted Shetland Pony’s belly.

~
#4 Surgery!

~

***

~
What happens 25 years later, when said kid, said farrier,

said grown man-Cowboy cannot make the trek up to the house~

Because Left leg at the knee is locked in a 45° angle back?

~
There is a lot of grumbling, groaning, whistling and hollerin'!

~

Where is that dern'd Woman he calls his Cowboy Wife?

~

She is NOT hearing anything, or even worrying about anything!

She has her tunes playing as she works on her projects,

~~happily indoors!

~
Glancing out the window, said Cowboy Wife sees a figure

crouched and crawling in the dirt.

She thinks about getting the shotgun; an intruder seems to be lurking!

~

Where is her Cowboy anyway?

~

She heads for the door, grabs the shotgun along the way,

steps out onto the porch and fixes to take aim... *wink..
~

“Geez Woman!! ..Whatcha doin'? ..

Where have you been?”

~

~
~
***
~

~
~
What happens when Dr. takes his first peek at the

Left leg at the knee without even a touch?
~
“There ain’t nothing I can do for you!”
“Here’s an Orthopaedic referral!”
~

***

~
What happens when Orthpaedic Doc walks into the room
after looking at X-Rays of Left leg at the Knee and says

~
“Well Cowboy, you are BALD!” ??
~
Cowboy Wife giggles and cries out..“Duh!”

~
Cowboy chuckles and takes his hat off to say,

~
“How did you know that by looking at my knee x-ray?”
~
Doc laughs too!
~
Then Doc frowns.
~
“Your Left leg at the knee…It is balder than a billiard ball!”

“It is even Balder than your head!”

~

Doc Continues..

~
“You have less than zero cartilage,

you have nothing at all left in your left knee!!”
“You don’t even have a legal amount of bone…”
“You’ve been running bone on bone…you have no tread left!”
~
#1 Total Knee Replacement!

~

~~~~~~screeeeeeetch!

Halt~~~~~~~~~

*** We say WHOA! ***

....Let's back up here....

~

~

***

~

~
“Sorry, Doc!” .. “We are out of here!”

~

Cowboy and Cowboy Wife say in unison!
Cowboy makes his final plea...

~

“Give me a shot of some magical concoction to get me by!”
~
U
N
T
I
L
.
?
~

please.......

~

***

~~

Walking hand in hand from the dreaded confines of the truth,

turning to each other, Cowboy and Cowboy Wife smile,

saying together ..

"In His Dreams!!!"

~

Shaking the dust from their minds,

cinching up their boot strings,

and wrapping another layer of tough leather around their resolve...

Cowboy and Cowboy Wife climb on their horse,

gather up the reins to their life...

~

....ride off into the sunset!

~

***

~

Tomorrow will be just another day...

~

in the life...

~

of

~

a

♫..."I'm Gonna Hire A Wino!

...To Re-decorate My Life ♫




Yes...

it is spilling the

white stuff...


...AGAIN!







If that is not enough..

I think I see a tractor..
~
...sitting idle..

that has no driver...







I thought everything was coming up roses...




♫..I beg your pardon,I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
There's gotta be a little rain sometimes.
When you take, you gotta give, so live and let live,
Or let go.
I beg your pardon,
I never promised
you a rose garden.♫

That's what I get for dreamin'...

~

There is work to be done...corrals to finish,

more fencing to be built!

Cowboy has more horses scheduled in the coming months,

after the 5 that are here have been started

and are handling good!

~
~~

Who is gonna do it now? Ol' Mac the Sleepy head??
~

~

~

~
~
~

See these???

↓

Do you think

these empty

♪ ..boots are made

for walking ♪ ..?
~
or that should be

♪..for working..?
~
~
~
~

~

~

~~~~

We'll know more on Wednesday...

In the meantime??

I am seriously contemplating crying out "I Quit" again!

♫..Red, red wine ♪
Stay close to me
Dont let me be alone ..♪

I might be needing a whole cellar full for keeping company with!

Border Collies...

...Are Worth More Than Gold to a Cowboy!

This is our Mac..
an 8 week Tri-Color cutie!

~

~

~
~
~

Here's Mac at 9 months, (on the right), helping his Mom, Kayla

during one of Cowboy's Stock Dog Clinics he was putting on...

~

~
~
~

See all of this snow? Yikes!
Mac is on top.....at age 4
We were all in agreement..let's head for Arizona !
~
~
~
After 5 years, of working at the feedlot and becoming bilingual working dogs,
we came home to Washington.
(His Mom Kayla and Grandma Zig...died here at home)
~
~
~
~

Last Summer, at age 12, Mac enjoyed the sunshine and still thrived on spending his days trailing along with Cowboy, scouting for cattle and tangling with the coyotes.

~
~
~~
~
~
Ol' Mac is almost 13 years now.
He still loves his role as Cowboy's sidekick...
Long days outdoors, curling up in the cave he dug under the chicken coop
and throwing in a quick nip at one of the horses..
...yes, at a much greater distance now.
~
But he loves to sleep too!
~
~
~
~
~
~
EXCEPT....
At Night!
~
~
~
I am a night owl...by MY choosing.
I get cranky when I don't get to sleep when I want!
Since January,
Ol' Mac has become afraid of the dark!
He hates to be alone!
And he hates to be in our room!
He became an inside dog only 3 years ago and had never set foot in our
room until our recent attempts of trying to get him to sleep!
~
He howls...and he howls...
~
We have tried leaving him in the mud room.
(with the light on and off...the heat on and off)
~
He howls...and he howls...
~
We have tried leaving him inside with the TV and lights on.
(His eyesight is not good, nor is his hearing but we tried anyway)
~
He howls...and he howls...
~
Having one of us "sleep" on the little tiny sofa in the TV room seems to keep him content. Frequently, he will nudge your hand.
Or he will stand staring at you.
Once you are in as deep of sleep as you are going to get,
he will apply his cold wet nose to your face,
making sure you are still there...and awake!
...scaring the crap out of you!
~
~
Cowboy and I have been taking turns, since January when this
became an issue, of curling up with Ol' Mac.
Because I "fit" better on the little sofa,
I seem to be the elected companion more times than not.
~
~
This is getting really old!
~
I mean REALLY REALLY old!
~
Ol' Mac's value of being worth more than that of gold...
... is fastly declining!
~
~
So here I sit, Ol' Mac is standing guard in the doorway - doozing!
Yes...he is standing, I'm sure it is to prevent any attempt on my part of sneaking
off to the soft comforts of my REAL bed!
~
I may as well work on my projects!
~
Sleep has become a rare commodity in our home!
~
I'm pretty sure this has contributed to my previous post!

Life...

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life."

*
"It goes on.”
Robert Frost

~

....Whether you are ready or not!

~
As of late, I've not only been in a quandary and procrastinating too much
(yes, we all know how good I am at that)

but I have been languishing in a slump!

I am disgusted with my mind-set;

my lack of cohesion that I once took pride in.
~

I don't draw a paycheck for being me, no matter how productive nor how much I flounder, so there is no point in firing myself.
~~
Have you had a moment or an hour or even a day,
when you experienced an "awakening"?
~

Saturday, I awoke to realize that Life has been going on...
...without me!

~
I've been on a fast train going nowhere!
Nowhere productive or worthwhile.
~
Did I have a dream? I wondered.
Or was it feelings of guilt harbored deep within?

~
I don't really know, except that it slapped me square across my face!

I am pretty confident that I will carry this "Life Brand"

on my cheeks for weeks! Hopefully, as a constant reminder.
~

I decided to get a grip, pick up my pace and catch up with Life!

~
I am making some changes and rearranging my priorities.

~
I am setting some guidelines and aim to keep myself on track.
~ ~
I have taken on a few "projects" that I can no longer ignore!

They are important to me...and I'm curious where they will lead.

If I ignore them, I'll never know....

~

As I sit here typing, the working part of my brain is creating my path...
~
This week I am beginning with a clean slate!
I fully intend to keep up with Life!

For those of us who aren't getting any younger...

Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers.

I got this in an email, and since I have other things going on keeping me from blogging, I thought some of you could use a giggle today too!

~

They include:

Bobby Darin ---Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.

Herman's Hermits ---Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker .

Ringo Starr --- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.

The Bee Gees -- - How Can You Mend a Broken Hip..

Roberta Flack--- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.

Johnny Nash --- I Can't See Clearly Now.

Paul Simon--- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver

The Commodores ---Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.

Marvin Gaye --- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.

Procol Harem--- A Whiter Shade of Hair.

Leo Sayer --- You Make Me Feel Like Napping.

The Temptations --- Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.

Abba--- Denture Queen.

Tony Orlando --- Knock three Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.
Helen Reddy --- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.

Leslie Gore--- It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To.

And Last but NOT least:

Willie Nelson --- On the Commode Again

Tongue Twisters...

...and Faerie Tales!

Do you actually care...

~

"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck

if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" ?

~

Some people do!

Universities have actually been studying this

Tongue Twister for an answer, for years!

~

I personally, could care less...

"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

*

*

I DO care about Faerie Tales though!

~

And I "Believe" in Faeries!

~

The Tooth Faerie,

Asrai, the Water Faerie;

I believe in Faerie Food

And Tinker Bell!

...and I firmly believe in...

Faerie Tale Endings...Cowboy and I are living one!

~

Fairies are Real!

~
Did you know there are "Wood Faeries" too?

~

No...Woodchuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood,

is NOT the "Wood Faerie" not even close!

*

*

*

~

~

*

Because we are remote, we read our own power meters.

There is no point in trying to cheat as once a year,

the power company sends out a human to verify your honesty.

Last week........the monthly reading I did.

Promptly doing the calculations

I cried out a loud "OUCH!"

~

Having been out of firewood for a month,

we've had to rely on the furnace to ward off

winter's unwillingness to warm our home.

Everyday, Cowboy works outdoors,

whether it's minus 20 or plus 100,

he could care less.

~

But Me? I'm a wooz.

I need warmth!

So I cranked on the heat.

Yet still 'freezing' indoors!

I was missing the intensely penetrating wood heat.

I begged Old Man Winter to lighten his grip!

*

Then....magically~

"Wood Faeries" appeared at dawn, on this Saturday past.

Sprinkling the ground with their miraculous wood dust!

As I awoke to the continuous thuds and tings,

I peered through the blinds in a sleepy awe!

Three little Fairies (actually quite large they were),

tip-toeing and tossing; happily hurling;

they were singing and splitting!

Watching the three Faeries sent tickles to my toes

and I danced away my winter heating woes!

When their work was done they set off for some fun.
Quickly disappearing beyond the hills of wheat,
I ~~~B~L~E~W~~~whispers over their wings...

"Please, return at dusk for a Faerie feast!"

....and they did!!

~
We all ate til our bellies jiggled,
we chatted and told stories galore.
The fiery flames crackled and wiggled,
And sprinkles of sleepy dust drifted softly to the floor...
It was late as we bid each a G'night.
We showed them to their beds,
Shared hugs and gratitude, then dimmed the lights.

When the new morning sun sought out the horizon,
the three "Wood Faeries" were gone.
They left without a sound, not a word, not even a song.

~

Had they truly been here I wondered?

~

~

Slowly stoking the glowing embers, I smiled...

~
I believe in Faeries...don't you?

I Began to Shake...

...Rattle and Roll!


Singing~ Oh, Shake shake shake, shake shake shake,

Shake your booty! Shake your booty!

Oh, shake shake shake, shake shake shake,

Shake your booty!

Shake your booty. WoWohoo,Yeah!
~

~

~

~
There I was~ .."just a-walkin' down the street,

~

singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"

~

Snappin' her fingers and shufflin' her feet, singin'

`

"Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"

~
~

~

~

~

~
Then~ I. Felt. the. Earth. Move..
.
.
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Under. my. Feet...
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Shake your booty.WoWohoo,Yeah!

S

P

R

I

N

G

..................ONLY.........................................
.A............

FEW

...............STEPS

..................................AWAY!

"Daffodils"
William Wordsworth(1804)

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
~
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
~
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
~
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

I Saw It Coming...

...as it peeked through the shadows!

First appearing as a long arm stretching across the distance.

It became bolder and more menacing.

Creeping faster, with dagger-like fingers, it grabbed for me.

Evil in demeanor, intentions of vengeance,

and with lightening speed accuracy - it latched on.

~

Swirling into dizzy land, it flung me like a limp noodle.

Wrapping my being around the bitter hardness of porcelain.

The lid exploded with a cruel throbbing anger.

Limp and empty, with sticky attachment...

~

A cottony warmth gathered me,

laying me gently into the billowing bundle of loftiness.

I flitted through hours of cold eyes of steel

into heated hugs of down.

~

Twilight 'til dawn, the battled raged on.

And On...

...And On!

~

Vicious and Unrelenting Attachment

-vs-

Meager and Weak Determination.

~

Today, I declare victory!

~
~
~
~
~
(update on previous post)

~

Foal WON... a filly.

Store LOST... permanently closed!

It's Not Your "Last Chance"...

...but Your "Take A Chance".

~

We have all seen signs on the Highways "Last Stop...."

"Last Chance...." for various reasons.

You pay heed or not, depending on your present or future needs.

Our little town has a "market", if you will.

I've given it the name "Take A Chance".

When I drive the 10 miles to get there...

I always know that I'm "Taking a Chance".~

A Chance that they will have scotch tape if I accidentally tossed a bill I didn't want to pay into the shredder.

A Chance that they will have toilet paper if my last roll fell into the toilet and sank like a dying ship.

A Chance that they will have salt if, for some reason I tossed too much over my shoulder, which I do daily!

A Chance that they will have milk if Cowboy is having his lactose withdrawals.~

Our "Take A Chance" market is slowly whithering away, into the dust from which it emmerged about 100 yrs ago.

Yesterday I asked our Son, who is here for a few days,

to go "Take A Chance".

~

So much for the need (or want) of milk!~
~
~
~
~

This is what he found taped to the locked door.

...Only in Small Town, USA

(and this morning?? NO MILK!)

Just Stepping Out...

...of My "Here & Now" moment...

...briefly, to thank you all for your kind and loving thoughts;

your heartfelt prayers.

It is truly a comfort to have so many virtual friends & hugs!

Tomorrow is yet another long day (2 hr drive each way) to be with our friends but I will catch up with each of you soon.

From "Misty's" family and ours, thank you!

A "Misty" Mourn...

Years ago...

however scarcely twenty,

Your roots were laid delicately,

in a foundation of love,

with sacred devotion.
They allowed you to reach out,

seeking poise and composition.

Yet they remain deeply implanted...

for strength and resilience.

~
You seized the heart of the garden~

with your magnificence, your grace.
Your blooms emerged in unfaltering silk

...and quiet hues.

Year after year, your grandeur~unrivaled.

~
You were sturdy, yet delicate;

You were tough, yet generous.
Your stems arched high into the heavens...

Filling the air with admiration and wonderment.
~

Your elegance filled our hearts every day.
~

~

Unbeknownst to the world,

A storm of turbulence engulfed your resolve.

~

~
If only…..
~

~
If only…..
~

~

~
“Misty” ...we will miss you.

~
You are a Rose ...

A Sweet fragrant Spirit.

"Misty"...you will bloom, eternally,

As the centerpiece in the gardens...

Of those lives you've touched.

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

* * *

Cowboy & I share in the pain and the loss, these very dear friends are having to endure.

Misty (name has been changed out of respect for the family) was young, creative, intelligent and ever so compassionate; with so many doors to the world, yet to open.

She was a 'natural' with horses even though they were not her passion.

She devoted her time and love to her chickens, goats, cattle & dogs.

She planted, studied and experimented, with great success, in the gardens.

She loved her family, her faith, and her life, above all.

The medical diagnosis she received last week, although not life threatening at this time, was devasting news of a debilitating life ahead.

All of her youth, her vigor and determination, must not have been enough for this beautiful young lady to keep up her resolve.

*

~

...It is a "Misty" mourn...

Ahhh...

"It was such a lovely day I thought it a pity to get up. "
W. Somerset Maugham

Maybe I'll repeat this again tomorrow....

~

ZZZzzz..
~
ZZzz..

~
Zz..

The Famous "Robins"...

...We All Know &/or Love So Well.

Batman & ROBIN have been icons in our lives since the 1940's. They have appeared in the comics, as TV series and on the big screen in several versions. Everyone adores the sweet youthful face of Batman's sidekick~the popular~ROBIN.








The distinguished ROBIN Williams landed in our laps, in 1978, as an alien who came to Earth from the planet Ork in a large egg-shaped space ship via "Mork & Mindy".
ROBIN has been a welcomed 'visitor' in our lives as a comedian/actor extraordinaire!
Who doesn't welcome ROBIN Williams on their screens?
I, personally, would welcome him into my home!

~
~
~
~

We shall never forget the legend of the notorious ROBIN Hood!
The triumph of good over evil!
The robbing of the rich to give to the poor!
There is a mystical vision, a magical interpretation that has been woven into the rich tapestry of who ROBIN Hood truly is.
I have alwys wanted 'to believe' that he existed.
History records indicate it would have been sometime in the 13th. Century.
~If ROBIN Hood truly existed~








Becoming stranded on a beautiful island in 1894, through the words of Daniel Devoe, is the story of the illustrious ROBINson Crusoe.

Since childhood, this story has continued to intrigue me. I read the words, I saw the movies, and watched the TV series ...always "dreaming" of such a place, a life, such isolation...even with pirates and palm trees!
ROBINson Crusoe has remained an intricate part of who I am, why I am.

My earliest recollection of the most celebrated ROBIN of all,

is that of the North American songbird (Turdus migratorius) having a rust-red breast and gray and black upper plumage.

I have listened to, and cherished, their music since I can remember flitting in the gardens as a toddler.

Their appearance and their songs have a hint of magical wonder.

They were, and always will be, indicators that brighter and better days will soon be enjoyed.

I can never forget my childhood friend, neighbor

and "partner in crime" was ROBIN.

We shared wild adventures, invisible games;

explored the forbidden forests and beaches.

We were inseperable and enjoyed years of friendship.

~

~

~

So when my favorite ROBIN...showed up last Friday, I was elated! Memories of wonderment, laughter and good times overwhelmed me.

I lit up like a child on Christmas morn!

I danced with joy and heard music in my ears!

~

Which of the notorious ROBINs appeared before me?

~
~
~~

~

~

~

~

None other than~

The Redbreasted ROBIN!

(aka North American Songbird)

Along with 15 others!

(which as you know, with my camera that only holds two pictures now,

and is worthless...

Nope, the 'photographer' is not worthless, just the camera!

you'll have to take my word on that...on both...)

I checked my garden journal and they arrived 6 days later than last year.

~

Is there any great significance to their arrival?

For me there is....