What Do You Have...

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

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A rambunctious gangly kid...

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With

L~~~ L

O~~~ E

N ~~~G

G~~~ S

! ~~~ !

°°__ ~~~ __°°

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

up a car's tailpipe and take off running?

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An accident looking to happen!

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

tumbles down an embankment.

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#1 Surgery!

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*

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

traffic down a hill on his bicycle?

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

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

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#2 Surgery!

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*

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

hoping to entice his Dad for some attention?

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Run like a long legged kid should,

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

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

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#3 Surgery!

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*

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What happens when said kid becomes a grown man

and thinks nothing can stop him in his tracks?

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

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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.

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#4 Surgery!

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***

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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?

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

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

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

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

~~happily indoors!

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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!

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Where is her Cowboy anyway?

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

steps out onto the porch and fixes to take aim... *wink..
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“Geez Woman!! ..Whatcha doin'? ..

Where have you been?”

~

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

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

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

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

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Cowboy chuckles and takes his hat off to say,

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

“It is even Balder than your head!”

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Doc Continues..

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“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!”
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#1 Total Knee Replacement!

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~~~~~~screeeeeeetch!

Halt~~~~~~~~~

*** We say WHOA! ***

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

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~

***

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

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

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

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***

~~

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!!!"

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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...

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....ride off into the sunset!

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***

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Tomorrow will be just another day...

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in the life...

~

of

~

a

Life...

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

*
"It goes on.”
Robert Frost

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....Whether you are ready or not!

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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!

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

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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!

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I am making some changes and rearranging my priorities.

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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!

What the heck...

...I've spilled my guts before!

Ok…who the heck Scrapped me?? Far too many of you I'd say!
What in tarnation are you all trying to tell me anyhow?
In my book, Scrapping is what you do with something that’s old or no longer useful

for it’s original purpose…like Scrap Iron, Scrap paper, table scraps…

What’s a person like me supposed to think?

Geez!
So you think you want Scraps of me?
Well, hope you don’t regret Scrappin’ this ol’ gal!

I can come back to haunt you, you know!

I've thought long and hard as to whether I'd do this or not.
I then remembered that some of you already know more about me
than my own family does~ as since the beginning of my blogging last May,
it's been no holds barred as my fingers tap away at the keyboard!
So, here's some more dirt on me.
*
Just be sure to fill the hole back in when you are done reading!
Shovel will be provided!
Start Diggin' my friends...

1) I may be a short, lightweight, lefty…but don’t let that fool you! Cowboy always warns people that dynamite comes in small packages! I can hold my own with most men, pull more than my own weight, stand tall for what I believe in and punch with my right if necessary! (I’m sure for these reasons, I won’t be caring for myself by the time I’m 60-70…but then, someone had better shoot me!
If there are any takers on this deed, we can sign a contract now, so I can rest easy...)

2) I tend to hold my anger or frustrations inside. In all honestly, I’ve only totally ‘lost it’ 3 times in my life! Twice with Hydro (daughter). First was when she was 8..she threatened to jump off the rail of a bridge into a dry creek... (She was mad at me for something). Running towards her, with willow branch waving , she got off and ran up an embankment like a deer! I was hot on her tail with my blood boiling! Unfortunately, my endurance could not match a spry 8 year olds. I was exhausted by the time I got to the top where she stood so smug, all I could do was hug her! Not out of love…but for needing to hang on and catch my breath and wits!
Second time was during those trying “mother/daughter” years (I'm still amazed my Mom survived 3 girls!). One evening I was so angry (hmmm..can’t remember why now though) , I stormed flew out of my room, charged at her with my finger wagging and tongue flailing as she sat in a rocker in front of ceiling to floor windows…she honestly thought I was going to shove her out through the glass…and I wanted to.
My third time of cutting loose was with Cowboy! 20+ years ago.....before he quit drinking...hence he hasn't drank since!

3) I dreamed since I was a young girl ~of having my own Nursery/Greenhouse. Becoming a Cowboy’s wife as I did, meant following the Cowboy way, not getting my fingers in the dirt of my choosing! You must move and move again to where ever a Cowboy needs to go. Where the work is! We have moved 22 times in our years. Bought, built and/or remodeled (100% with our own hands)...7 of those times. If there was anything already hinting of “landscaped”…I’d hand dig it all up and start with my own ideas. I planned & planted. I watched my endeavors spring to life, become as I dreamed they be! Just as they’d begin to flourish~it was time to move again. That's as close to my dreams I've ever gotten.
(3 ½: I never totally unpack everything!)

4) I went to college and became a Paralegal. I needed to prove to "someone" in my life…that I was capable! That I deserved to be treated as a valued person; that I warranted respect. While going to college full time, working full time…and never ever neglecting the young lives of my children....
I didn’t get much sleep in those days…heck I still don’t.....
I learned a valuable lesson because of my Advisor. To be assertive! And assertive I became!
I divorced "the reason" I needed to go to college! (Yep…I was married before!) I never went on to pursue that career, because I had accomplished my goal! And it felt wonderful! I began to actually live & breathe again! Then I met Cowboy….and with like #3, a Paralegal career would not fit into that lifestyle.
And I didn’t care! I have no regrets.

5) I’m a self taught ‘electrician’! Electricity bothers me NOT! I wired and rewired those houses I talked about in #3. (Cowboy fears electricity!) Each time I passed inspection the first time! I am the designated electric fence tester. I can grab hold and hang on without care! Electrical things in my life have a very short life span. Toasters, irons, sewing machines, handheld phones, curling irons, hair dryers, (like I ever need these!), coffee pots, (my trusty Bunn is the only one that survives my coffee passion…the 3 I’ve owned have each lasted a min. of 4 years! Others…a max. of 4 weeks!). The list goes on and on including computers. I have ‘fried’ 2 of my own and 3 at jobs I’ve held.
Warning, never hire me if you want your computer to live!

6) My Cowboy and others call me an Artist. That is a HUGE title, one which I’ve yet to acknowledge. Pencil is one I prefer, etching on scratchboard is another. I give it all away to who ever thinks they want it. I have kept a few of my favorites and only when we moved here, 3 years ago, would I allow them to hang on my walls. (I am my own worst critic). I love working with wood and building things. Outside? Nature and it's gifts provides me another palette to get creative with! I took up stained glass last winter, making my own patterns and teaching myself as I learned, burned & cut myself, broke and cussed at many shards! Funds and economy stopped me in my tracks, from pursuing it again this winter.

7) I am a perfectionist! And I hate myself for it sometimes! A few hints....when I edge my lawn…I use an old kitchen knife & scissors, while on my hands and knees to making the “perfect” curve or straight edge.
When I paint walls (which I love to do. I am forever changing the colors in my house)...I use a tiny artist brush at the ceilings, the floor, around the trims & tiny 'surprises' sprinkled about. Takes me hours and hours. I tolerate no ‘slips’ or misses!
Cleaning? A toothbrush and my hands and knees are my companion! These days I make sure I have my reading glasses on so I miss not a single speck!

8) Yet…at the same time as #7…I can walk away when I see my quest has come to completion…..almost! The last 1-2” of a hand painted design on a bedroom wall will never be finished; a picture or stained-glass creation will lie tossed to the side and never be framed until someone else lays claim to it. The end product looks just like I envisioned, albeit 99.9% completed! I need no more than that.

9) I could be a vegetarian easily. I am pretty (ridiculously) finicky about my meat! Corn fed beef (done our way!) and hung for 30 days (costs more though but worth every dime or rather dollar!) on my orders or I won’t patronize that butcher, cut NO fat off! Pork MUST have fat also! I cannot eat store bought pork or beef! Or most other people’s idea of GOOD meat!

Better put on and pull up your waders....this one is deep!

10) If I were alone…I would live at the ocean. The Pacific...Oregon shores are the best!

I’d walk the sandy beaches barefoot. I’d allow the crashing waves to tackle my ankles.

I’d inhale the salty sea mist and listen as the gulls cry through the skies.

I’d have a little cozy cottage, complete with a fireplace to curl up by.

I’d write, I’d draw, I’d read, I’d quilt, I’d blog!
Rain or shine!!
I'd live on tacos and PB & J's...& coffee of course!
I L-O-V-E the ocean…the peace it brings me.

And.....
Now, hang on to your saddles here …those of you who love them…I would never have to see, speak or hear the word HORSE again! On MY turf!

Without going into a ton of detail for my reasons (I've got 30+ years of pent up reasons!)

...HORSE means: broke in the wallet, too many hours of people, time dominance, restrictive & obtrusive, damage, pain ....I'll stop here as I'm sure I just dug my hole deeper here...but that's me and my guts spilling.....

Now that I’ve been ‘forced’ into scrapping my life…

I thought it would be harder to do and then I had to start eliminating,

would anyone care to pick up the pieces, glue them back together so

I can start all over again?

Nope, dumb question…I don’t want to start over!

*

I would not change my life!

I may not always like the life that I have,

but I always love my Cowboy and our life together!

**

*

*

*
Here's your shovel, as I promised~now start filling the dirt back in!

If you feel inclined? Go dig up some dirt of your own,

scrap yourself on your blog for us to read!

While you are at it....please shovel my snow too!

Thanks!

**EDIT: 1/7/09**..if you feel the need to leave a judgmental email instead of a comment, please go here first.

I'm Not AWOL...

...I'm just doing a survival manuever.


I will be back here in a day or two.
I miss visiting all of you, but I've had other priorities...called LIFE!

Let the good times roll...

...or so the saying goes!!

We just had our anniversary on the 24th, which Cowboy forgot, by the way...
I do forgive him though, as in our chosen way of life, we rarely know what day it is anyhow! They all meld into one another, days into weeks, months into years.
I can not begin to tell you about the miles we've traveled,

the time that has flown by, the experiences, the people....

....and the huge tolls that have come a long with us!

...and Yes...the rewards too!

**********

It all began here...in this old homestead! (you can read more if you want)

The day turned out to be the hottest day on record,

maybe it was our love that set the world on fire that day!

**********

~Early morning means a lot of hustle & bustle,

after all....there's going to be a wedding!~

The help is arriving!

Brothers, Sisters, Nieces, Nephews, Friends & Children~everyone pitched in!
Open that gate & bring on the muscles, bales of straw & plywood!

One can not have a Spaghetti feed that I'd prepared on the wood

cook stove the day before without tables now!

All the kids joined in the fun & excitement of the day.

They were making garlic bread to be heated in the oven.

(despite the fact that this was going to turn out to be a record breaking temperature day!)

Oh yes, there is always some last minute 'finishing touches' that need to be

done on the treadle sewing machine...

I made the shirts & dresses sitting right here!

**********

~The Ceremony~

"Do you take this Cowboy...."

"You may kiss the bride!"

Signing our lives away ....for better? or worse?...

**********

~And now the fun begins!~

Ohhhh! What? A waiting line!

Was it for the outhouse? (yes, we really had one)

or for the keg in the woodshed?

We danced......as we did the night we met, as we still do so many years later!

**********

We even had entertainment by the fireside!

Cowboy's wild cousins.....played the spoons!

My cousin.....played the guitar!

It's was a long day, filled with friends, family, laughter, & wonderful memories! A good time was had by all! We got baby calves as wedding gifts which ran around all day with the 9 puppies ... catching hugs & loves by everyone! (wished my picture taking Brother would have got some of those!)Some of our guests were camped out in the fields overnight, to share in a hearty breakfast!

Not my Gramma though! She REFUSED! Claims she lived like this years before & would not even slip back in time for one night!

**********

This is a very special picture of mine that I have to share....

My two Aunts, talking with me, who gave me so much love & support over the years when there was no one else. Cancer took them both in recent years....I so miss them!

Then there is my Great Uncle! (the really tall one! NO, I did not get that gene when the pool was stirred up, turns out that I am the shortest on that side of the family! Actually...I ended up the shortest on both sides~ hmmmm!)...
I cannot thank Uncle Harold enough! He taught me to search out & live my dreams; pay no mind to the road blocks that may appear, just work around & through them; have fun, laugh, love & enjoy life! His greatest teaching was "Don't EVER stop learning!" He never did!
I love this man with all my heart & he showed his love & support in my life like no other!
I know, he knew I was there holding his hand at the end....he gave me that warm gentle squeeze, as he had done for so many years!
I still hold on to those squeezes in my heart!

I've done "Trials"..."Triumphs"...

...and today I'll make it "Tears"...

Hey I'm entitled to have a bad day! I honestly don't TAKE them near as often as I probably should.
Just seems that my life doesn't afford me the time for that & hence, I listen.
Today, I ignored the time factor.
I made the time to have a bad day! I deserved to have a bad day!
Of all our years together, I've truly taken only about 20 of them...now that is not very many considering there's been well over 12,ooo days! so I'll make today #21.

I completed all the chores again this a.m.
(because I had to! ~see post)

• 6:00 a.m. ~I had a phone call saying that our Momma cow, her calf and Mr.& Mrs. calves were out, could I please come help get them back in. They aren't too far away...yet. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr! I just hate to be forced into moving faster'n I want that early...w/o first having my usual 2-3 cups of coffee, lingering on the front porch to assess my day! Alright...I'll head over there, yet Hubby won't be with me...are you sure we can get them in ourselves? They were sure....
• 8:15 a.m. ~Arrived home after collecting the renegades. I really hate cows! I think I hate all 4 legged creatures! And, maybe some 2 legged ones also! I hiked to the top of the hill to get behind them, sore feet & all, (this time with boots on) I could see that "Mr." had gotten a feed sack from the barn & was headed out shaking it. The cows must have heard the sack...because they turned and all 4 went barreling down towards him! "Mrs." was near the gate..ready to shut it despite the broken wires. My first thought when the cows began to fly off the hill, was OH NO! They will run right over top of "Mrs." & then "Mr." ! (Which didn't happen, by the way) My second thought was "...and you called me WHY??? The grain sacks seem to work just mighty fine without dragging my sorry butt over here at 6.am.!" Mr." said he could fix the gate, so I bid them a 'pleasant' G'bye and was on my way. I said Grrrrrrrrrrrrr the whole drive home! (they really are the nicest people...it was just me today...not being very nice! They don't know that, so please don't let it out of the bag!)
• 8:30a.m.~Finally, coffee is done & I've poured myself 2 cups at once! Put an ice cube in each, so I could 'chug' them! Maybe I could choke that Grrrrrrrrrrrrr out of my throat! I even brought the pot outside with me just in case I decided to drink the whole durned thing! I will now sit on the porch and assess my day! Oh, by the way, yes I did check on that 2 legged critter in the house that is a big contributor to the Grrrrrrrrrrrrrhave, (At this point of my morning...I really don't care! You might, so I'll fill ya in. Still B,P &B, swelling is down tremendously, which by the way, could be because I duct taped hundreds of 25# sacks of ice to his body, hoping it'd freeze him in time....make him think about why I hate this life sometimes...today especially! He did however, suffer a broken tooth in the ordeal...yea! now maybe I don't have to cook anymore, with any luck, maybe he'll only be able to suck through a straw for the rest of his life!....that is if I allow him to have a life!)
• 12:30 p.m. ~DONE!! Cleaned out the chicken coop which 95% of the time smells so clean, but today.......it wreaked! Wanted to kill them all and eat them for supper! But I don't want to pluck them! Fed all the hay burners...Wanted to throw a match to each & every pile of hay I had to pitchfork into thoese feeders, not to mention that huge pile we just spent a ton of gr$$ns on...and say "hey...this is what happens when you BURN hay, you hay-burners!!" But, then I'd have had to call the Fire Dept, for catching the whole county on fire! Then I'd be sued by the Fed's for burning CRP ground; by the farmer's for burning up their soon to harvest wheat, by the ranchers for ruining their grazing grounds.(..oops ...ours too, except we don't need much, because their butts are going down the road too if I have my way!); by the hunter's for burning out all the pheasants, grouse, deer, elk and moose...to name a few. Oh...then the Grain Train people would sue because I burned up their tracks...and then the EPA would have had their turn at me for burning the beaver dams in the creek & killing the natural habitat for all them other 4 & 2 legged critters that might call it home! Ok........that out of my system...it was then time to doctor that gelding that plowed himself into injury during the storm earlier this week...seems to me, that he created his own grief...why should I have to do anything? Was wishing I had scalding hot water instead of ice cold, to run over his wounds...and maybe some turpentine while I'm at it! Yea! He certainly isn't helping me...and I certainly had created NONE of this! Heck! I'm just a danged Cowboy's Wife!!! Along for the ride! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr ! I finally put away all the tack -nicely that I'd piled on the floor that day of this horror story's beginning, in a huge heap in the middle of his tack room. Not sure why....I wasn't the one to leave it unattended or unused! And besides...Cowboy is SOOOO very picky about the How it is taken care of, hung and put away...I've never got it 'right' yet after all these years....should have just left 'em all in the dust! Kinda like he does when he takes his clothes off at the end of a day....in a heap....in a cloud of dust...like Linus! Cowboy's 'domain' outside is like Spic n' Span...could eat off the floors...so why can't my mud room look the same?? Go figure! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr! I've mucked & bucked, I've gathered & doctored, I've mumbled & grumbled...my muscles hurt, my feet hurt, my hands are filthy & dry( I never wear gloves either-except in the winter), lips are chapped and I'm covered in dust, chafe & 'compost maker'....
• 12:32 p.m.~I plopped myself down on the cleanest saddle blanket I could find, outside on the plank floors of the tack shed...tossed my boots into oblivion, gathered my knees up to bury my face in...................and the Tears began to pour......and pour....and more Tears poured.....and poured! (Maybe she drank too much coffee this a.m. you might be saying...I say, maybe I've drank too hard of a life, too long!)
• 3:05p.m. ~ I must have fallen asleep! So I head over to the water spicket, turn the hose on my hands & face to wash off all the dried mud (isn't that what women pay to have done? Mud facials or something? Maybe I could earn a living coaxing them to come out to middle of nowhere...I'll give them mud facials...the real thing!). I collected my boots, glance around at the spotless barnyard, all the 4 legged critters are content and I head for the house.....my inner peace comes from my gardening.....so upon reaching the yard gate, I was blessed with my fresh mowed grass from yesterday, stopped and picked a bouquet of carnations, mmm... they smell so sweet! Sat down on the steps of the front porch......glanced around the "life" in my flower beds, at the empty corral down the drive (still missing the sound of cows), up yonder at all the wheat fields where they looked like an ocean as the soon to be harvested grains 'flowed' like waves in the slight breezes.

I am feeling better now. Life is good. My Cowboy could have been hurt worse.

But...................is this the life we should be staying in????

We are remote. We aren't youngsters. It's dangerous. And we barely get by.....

And the Sun Sets...

...ending another glorious day for A Cowboy's Wife!

or was it??? Let's back track...the day was July 1, 2008.....yesterday!
(If you don't like to walk backwards in time, go to the beginning ...

... at the end and read up!)

-9:35pm: Sitting on the front porch, our appetites satisfied with Spaghetti Carbonara, we 'noticed' the mess...we never got to today...shook our heads and said "Oh well...there is always tomorrow!"

We both agreed that today-the tempers, the frustrations, the work...are much easier to cope with on a cold 0* day after a long nights sleep, than it is on a 101* summer day, after very little sleep! I'm Ok now...Cowboy is Ok now...power is working, A/C is running (only the 3rd time I've turned it on...hate the higher power bills so I use sparingly!), all the animals seem content, nothing died, we're alive & sitting on our front porch...together!

I'm savoring my 4th cup of coffee (6th for the day)...I noticed the sun was setting over the wheat fields in the distance. Since calm had come back to my senses...I DID think about that danged camera that I never seem to have handy...so seeing the sunset, I did the best I & the camera can do....

"The Calm AFTER the Storm"

Tomorrow is yet another day....

-6:55 pm: Ok, all the chickens are SAFELY back in their pen. They were relieved, and so was I! We had to fix their pen also...seems as somewhere in the midnight riot, one of the horses must have kicked through their pen leaving a gaping hole. The "Girls" got their "rights" read to them...once they realized all that hollering was directed at them to STOP! They are now safe in their kennels...to contemplate their day! The good & the bad! Our bellies are screaming for supper...and my mind reminds me I have NOT had my daily quota of coffee!

-5:30 pm: Horses unsaddled, bathed & turned out. Hmmmmmm...we haven't even begun to do MY "yard chores"....I'm thinking.. "...bet it don't happen today!" As that thought flew passed my brain..we saw Tess chasing...a chicken! They had gotten out sometime between 11: am & now! She listens pretty well, yet sometimes she has a brain fart & forgets she's being spoken (or hollered) to! This was one of those times! Chaos! Squaking & feathers filled the air! Millie decided she wanted to be in on the action too! You all know how them "Teen years" are! Ol' Man Mac, knows better, so he just found the best seat in the house and watched...I'm sure he was thinking "Ok you young pups...you're in for a lesson on discipline!"

-4:20 pm: Arrived back home...after having had to load up two horses, haul over to "Mr. & Mrs", and set out to find & gather OUR Momma cow & her calf, along with the 2 newly weaned from the bottle/to butcher calves of theirs. They didn't like the storm either, I'd guess! Luckily, they were found on the CRP to the south and NOT the wheat fields to the north & west! We got the buggers back, had to clean out their water troughs of mud...and repair more fences! I have to say Tess and Millie did a great job helping! (pretty much the only Plus of the day so far!)

-11:45 am: Finishing our lunch, the phone rings...."uh-oh" , I hear Hubby say, "we'll be right there"...the Uh-Oh.......sent prickly sensations through my spine...I knew those words meant something NOT fun was about to happen!

-11:00 am: Just got done with the "horse chores"! Whew! Aside from the normal cleaning & feeding, there was water troughs to be cleaned from all the mud created by the Haboob, horses to be caught, and doctored, fences to be mended & pens put back where they used to be! Quite appearent, the horses did NOT enjoy the storm either! They got all rawled up & went berserk! It's a domino effect...only takes ONE to stir the whole pot! We'll never know which one started it...doesn't matter, "damage" was done. One gate was bent & barely hanging; two horses were 'roaming' on the CRP bordering us (Cowboy forgot to shut that gate when he came back in from riding the day before! Bet he doesn't forget again, you are thinking...but I know him...he will!); the fence between one young filly & a gelding was "sagging", t-posts bent..and they were together. The gelding must have created that mess, as he is the one that needed doctoring. Luckily, nothing too serious, as wire is known to do. Cowboy had to get out the scissors & then do some stitching. He'll be fine, just looks ugly!The only horse here that seemed to keep his cool was the 2 year old stallion going to Hawaii! Thank goodness!!

-7:30 am: Having finished a light breakfast of eggs, toast and peaches, we grumpily agreed that more would be accomplished, productively, if we joined forces. I will help Cowboy do all the "horse chores" because there was going to be more than usual. (We heard the ruccous in the dark quiet hours, but there was no use doing anything about it until morning). He will help me to the "yard chores" seeing branches and tumbleweeds EVERYWHERE! Without wandering around the premises...I could only imagine what else took place...but I'll check that out AFTER the "horse chores"...no point in getting more stressed!

TUES July 1, 2008-6:30 am: Grrrrr! DID NOT sleep well! We had a horrible wind storm come through last nite, lost the power about midnite & it stayed off for 2.5 hours, temp's hovered around 88*in the bedroom,living room~ everywhere! Felt like I was in AZ again! Complete with the Haboob! We sat on the front porch assessing the whole situation afore us, drinking our coffee! Neither of us speaking for fear our lack of REM sleep would cause us to take slashes at the world around us, including each other!

"HABOOB" def: The word "haboob" comes from the Arabic word habb, meaning “wind.” A haboob is a wall of dust as a result of a microburst or downburst. The air forced downward is pushed forward by the front of a thunderstorm cell, dragging dust and debris with it, as it travels across the terrain.

Haboobs occur mostly during the summer months . These dust storms are much more serious than dust devils. The wind during a haboob is usually up to about 30 mph and dust can rise high into the air as it blows over the Valley. A haboob can last for up to three hours . There various degrees of dust storms, but the haboob is the largest and most dangerous.

Got Our Hearts Fed & Bellies Full...

....being neighborly for the past 3 days.

And we enjoyed every minute of it despite the heat! Today, it got up to 104*, but plenty of water and lemonade was provided for our work drenched bodies & parched gullets.
One of our closer "neighbors" (several miles away) needed some help with fencing in their 40 acres for their 2 bottle fed/to butcher calves, repairs of water lines & weed control. I can't call them elderly, as I hate that term...mainly, because someday someone will be calling me that & I don't like the sounds of it! They are wonderful people and their grown kids & grandkids don't live very close to help, so we try to help whenever they will let us.

Not that we didn't have things to be done here at home, because that is just a given....but making the time, having the opportunity to help others is such a pleasure for us! And one of the great rewards, according to Hubby, is we always get fed well! Boy .. do the country farmers & ranchers know how to take care of one's appetites! (I've always enjoyed that privilege when it is put on my shoulders. I love to cook for those who love to eat!!)
Noontime is suppertime...always was, and still is for that generation of this culture. Early to work, supper break, back to work for another 7-8 hours..light snack of leftovers, relax a spell & off to bed~ to do it all over the next day. Although the women do help some, they generally spend the mornings preparing the noontime supper.
These past 3 days, the "Mr." was out with us, handing out more fencing nails, gathering the fencing pliers we'd dropped 100' back (which would allow a break for us to dose ourselves with water...since he'd would walk back to the spot, look around a bit & then come back..... I'm not too sure that he walked any faster than we would have! The heat drains ya!) or he was mixing up more weed killer.
Mostly, he sat on the tailgate of the pickup propped against the rolls of barbed wire and the cooler which was filled with water, jugs of lemonade & fruit. He told story upon story...the words would just flow off his tongue, hour after hour! Not only did it help the hours pass quickly, it also filled our hearts with times of the past. He was born & raised on his place. His Mom just passed away this winter at 98 years. We heard stories of his childhood, his & the "Mrs." years as pig farmers on this ground. The raising of their children. Tough times, glorious times, none with regrets or sorrow. There was a constant twinkle in his eyes.......it never clouded over.

The first morning, arriving there at 5 a.m., they were disappointed we didn't come at 4:30 for breakfast! Now I am NOT a breakfast person, and getting up at 3:30-4:00 a.m. is not a real easy task for me, as I am a night person! But, Hubby, on the other hand, LOVES a good country breakfast to start the day. Truly...I USED to make them for him. I used to be up before everyone, and make breakfast time a great start to a new days beginning...but he certainly does not expect it from me now (he's never "expected" it but loves it when it happens!). I will surprise him once in awhile, usually in the winter, getting up before him. I'll make the coffee, get the fires stoked & house warmed, so when he comes out from the depth of dreamland, it is the aromas of a warm house, sizzling bacon & the love of his wife...filtering through the hallway to his nostrils that awakens him.
Needless to say, day 2 & 3...we were there for breakfast! Yesterday was Hubby's fav...biscuits & gravy (ALL food is his fav!). Today's fare was bacon, eggs (ours that we supply them with), & french toast ("Mrs." homemade bread style!) with homemade huckleberry syrup. Yummmm!
Day 1, I helped Hubby with the fencing & soaked up all the wonderful stories told by the "Mr.".

Day 2, I stayed back, while Hubby fixed water lines & got more stories..some I'm sure that shan't be told in mixed company :)
.... I helped the "Mrs." in weeding her flower beds and veggie garden. I even hung out some laundry to dry in the warm breezes. "Mrs." doesn't handle the heat too well, I could tell even though she would not admit it. I had to battle with her to let me work outside & her inside! I did take a lot of breaks to go inside to keep her company and watch her skillful hands preparing supper. She'd eventually, wipe her hands on her apron, bring the coffee pot to the table, shove the plate of fresh snickerdoodles at me (yep, she'd made them that morning!), then sit for a spell and tell me some of her stories! On my..........how I love the stories from that generation...especially the folks who lived on farms & ranches! The love in her words spoke loudly of her contentment & joys of a good life. I had such a wonderful time and I am ever so grateful that I opted to stay behind to spend the day with her! We giggled so much my toes hurt!

Day 3, today, was weed spraying...I'm not totally for it, for the environment and my nostrils...but it is their choice, and rightly so...
as it is their calves out there grazing ... there is Wyeth Lupine, Kochia, Field Horsetail in too large of quantities to feel safe. Their land hasn't been grazed & maintained for the past 10 or so years, to keep these noxious weeds at bay. There is plenty of grasses to last the summer, but...you never know, cattle won't usually eat noxious plants if there is plenty of good feed...but they needed to nipped in the butt now!
I told my Cowboy, he had to slow down today! I worry about him being in the heat so long, as he had a heat stroke while in AZ when he was shoeing horses. He is more susceptible now, we are told, and his tolerance to heat is much less. Sooooooo, being the 'other half' of this helping party...I packed the sprayer on my back for most of the morning. I was never so happy as to see the watch strike 11:00 a.m.! It was suppertime! Not that I was hungry.....but I needed to get cooled off and sit awhile with only my 105# of body weight instead of that pack on my back...which added half again the weight my feet are used to packing! There was only about 2 hours left of work to be done...fixing the automatic water fittings & filling the water troughs, hanging one more gate...one last 'trip around' to make sure all the fencing was secure...the neighboring wheat farmer might get a tad irate to find cows grazing in their fields.
Whew.....glad today was done! We sat in the cool shade of their locust trees with ice water and fresh Rhubarb pie!
(Which by the way, is my absolute most favorite dessert ever! No strawberries, no apples to tone down the tartness...just Rhubarb and a little sugar!)
Once we cooled off & got our bearings back, we came home. One more job had to be done...but luckily my Cowboy didn't need my help for that...gathering up the one Shorthorn which calved so late & her calf....loading them and taking them over to the "Mr. & Mrs." place to turn out with their 2 ~freshly weaned from the bottle~ calves....to keep them company. I climbed in the shower for a long cool one, then sat on the front porch with glass of iced tea...........ignoring the ache in my legs, my hands, my back....
Just savoring....savoring the stories told....savoring the giggles....savoring the memories of the past 3 days!
I will cherish them forever!

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PS...one of these days...I'm going to figure out some way to attach my cheap ol' camera to my hip `permanently~so I can take pix like everyone else does!
******************
AREN'T YOU CURIOUS??
I've got to tell you what was on the daily Suppertime menu...prepared lovingly by "Mrs."
DAY:
1) Fried Chicken (yet another Fav of my Cowboy! His Fav list goes to eternity...really!)
mashed potatoes, milk gravy, home canned peaches, home canned beets, cornbread!
2) Baked ham, scalloped potatoes, spinach salad, homemade rolls, home canned applesause!
3) German Sausage they made themselves, potato salad, cranberry muffins, fresh sliced strawberries!

Hungry yet? Come on over!

From the Heart...

....as my blog title says...

Karen had "questions" in the comments part…"On the Rim of a Bucket..", so here's the answers to the best of my ability.

This is really a tough one to answer….as we didn’t really “think” about things as we were doing, choosing &… LIVING. It was just life…flowing though our veins.

"Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness. " -- George Bernard Shaw
Let me begin with a question..did you read “Our Life”?

As I've written this, I deleted , added some more, and cut out even more…not knowing how much I should share to the “blogging world”. Then my Hubby said… "it’s from your heart! That is what your blog is about!!”

So, this is my uncut version…take it for what it's worth.
A brief synopsis of us:

Hubby’s Mom died when he was 6 yrs & his brother was 10 months. His Dad worked construction & was gone a lot. As a matter of convenience & necessity, he married a widower with 5 children of her own. She was a tough, tough lady! And for a 6 yr old, it became a battle for him…. Soon, he was ‘farmed’ out to relatives in Ohio on a dairy farm, back to Washington to friends on a cattle ranch. He became a “lost” soul. He struggled to find himself, to find where he ‘belonged’. He found the camaraderie & “love” with the animals surrounding him…they were his companions, his life.
At 14, he was on his own. He worked numerous jobs, riding his bike to & from work & school…to survive.( FFA was the only reason he continued with school!)

I, on the other hand, had a “complete” family unit. Full of love, we didn’t seem to ‘lack’ for anything…but somehow I "felt out of place" (through my own doings, my own heart, no fault of my family). I had different interests, different dreams & goals than my siblings. I struggled to find where I belonged, also. I built “forts” in the heavy woods & spent many long hours alone there. Reading, drawing, thinking & dreaming. It was my "secret" hiding place. I worked as soon as I was able, from babysitting, housecleaning, dishwashing, sign making, car hopping, to have the things that I wanted…different than what was provided for. I was a challenge, I'm sure for my folks. I married right out of high school..into a very "dominating" situation. My babies came along early…and I still was not “ME”…who ever that was! Shortly thereafter, to prove to others, and mostly to myself, that I was an individual with an independent mind & heart, I went to college. THERE is where I began to ‘find myself’. Thanks to a wonderful Advisor who egged me on to find “that person”.

I walked away with nothing, (except for the kids) from the"Good Life"

(in most peoples way of thinking) never looking behind....

My Cowboy & I met at a cross roads in each of our lives.

I was getting a divorce…so I could learn to be Me!

My Cowboy hadn’t found who HE was yet…to that point.

By some lucky turn of fate, we met~ and INSTANTLY knew we were “kindred souls”, as we danced our first dance 'for the rest of our lives', together. (remember Anne Murray's song? "Could I have this dance.." )

Because of our pasts, the life long quests to know who we were, where we belonged~~ through each other, we were able to solve that mystery! We found that we shared a common ground to build our life, our ideals, our dreams on....

we found that place in life where we belonged!

This is where “Our Life” begins…

The kids were young when we started our lives together. We never had vacations, fancy clothes, or many material things. We had food on the table, a roof over our heads (or a tent at times), we did the best we could with what we were blessed. When gifts were given, they were simple. Baby calves, handmade quilts from old remnants, to name a few.

Our home had discipline, respect & love!

We 'participated' in the kids lives~ from schoolwork to sports, gymnastics, school plays & concerts...(many times standing in the back against the wall, as Hubby would be 'fresh' from work at a dairy, a horse ranch, a day unloading semi's of hay, or a day spent shoeing horses. In case you don't know, all of these are quite smelly..when in the confines of a warm building with lots of people! The kids could always 'smell' that we were there tho! )

The Kids 'participated' in our lives~from gathering the winter wood supply, chores with the animals, to helping inside & outside. We lived, we cried, we laughed, we pondered, we planned, we shared everything....even to the point the kids knew where we stood financially, which was reality! We hid nothing.

In answer to your questions, several things come to mind & in no particular order, as they prioritised themselves when necessary.
1) Work ethic. Set by example! You work no matter what!…sick, broken bones, etc. (We’ve done it all!) Work, whether for the relationship, the paycheck or for survival. Work, for your dreams, your life! Give it your all & then 1,000 times more! Take pride in all you do & be your own best and worst critic. Work together for mutual needs & goals, side by side. And yes, the kids worked with us, ... for survival. We worked as a family to live, to play, to respect & to love each other. I cannot emphasize ~work~ enough! Life is about work....

"No person who is enthusiastic about his work has anything to fear from life." -- Samuel Goldwyn
2) Consistency. Say what you mean, do what you say! Don’t allow temptations, peers, frustrations, a weak heart, or a tired mind veer you from your words & actions.
3) Dream! Whether you change them a million times or two times…dreams provide for perseverance. Dreams allow for creativity. Dreams create a path for guidance through the roads of life. You can do anything..if you believe in your dreams strong enough! Believe in yourself!
4) Common Sense. Use your mind, use your heart wisely. Think! Think! and then Listen to it! To survive and to achieve -your inner self is the wisest & it gives you strength & know-how.
5) Love and mean it! Give it! Receive it and Give it some more!!! Be supportive of those you love. Be there for them in times of need, times of fear or sadness; be there to shoulder their burdens. Be there to share their daily joys, their accomplishments. Just ALWAYS BE THERE!
6) Practice the 3 ‘R’s: Respect, Responsibility, Reward!

Respect: Show respect to others and yourself, listen & learn. Respect life & the environment because we are given only one shot at it. Take only what you truly need & replenish whenever, wherever-the best that you can.

Responsibility: You must be responsible for YOUR own actions! Given choices, means to choose responsibly.. because YOU must be accountable for your actions. ALWAYS!!!

"You are free to choose, but the choices you make today will determine what you will have, be, and do in the tomorrow of your life." -- Zig Zigler

Reward: even the smallest of things! Praise well! Reward gives confidence, builds stamina & empowers the mind, body & soul! And Rewards bring smiles! Smiles brighten the world!

I'm not trying to paint a rosy picture, because it was not always so easy as I just wrote. There were plenty of times of turmoil, struggles, tears and pain. We all had our times when throwing in the towel would have been easier! There were times we didn't like each other very much! But, when push came to shove.......we ALWAYS, ALWAYS loved one another! We'd fight to the death for each other, we'd bend over backwards for one another. We were solid together, empowered by each other.......so we never got too far off course in our lives, our survival, as a strong family unit. Arm in arm, we walked through life.....and still do!

The four of us, we're a force to be reckoned with, we could move a mountain if the need or will arose!

I cannot resist adding this quote:
"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life " .. William Morris

Testing of the minds..

...That's what comments from LL did in my "post", and Karen has done on this "post"....


This blogging stuff can be tougher than I thought!
I'll have your answer Karen...shortly...

On the Rim of a Bucket...

...I've sat impatiently all day! (Mentally speaking..)

...Pondering the words from a comment made by LL to last nites post. Hope LL doesn't mind if I quote him....... (of course he doesn't..anyone can read it!)...

..."and I can safely say I rarely have seen someone who "gets it" ...

And I'm still pondering as my fingers are trying to hit the right keys.

"gets it"..."gets it"...

Do I "gets it" ? That depends of one's interpretation of "gets it".

I will however, interpret those words after a longgggggggg days' ponderance...my way. And at the rate my brain is working. This could take me to the wee hrs of the nite to finish...and ya'll will have hit the "next" button before I'm finished.....(Thanks, LL, I haven't felt this mentally challenged about my life, since my college days!) Oh well..........

Been dangling the toes of my right foot, outside that bucket...letting the breezes & even the gnats, whisper by them...ignoring any innuendos. Freedom; carefree; peace; warmth; flippancy.

The toes of my left foot, for all practical purposes as I am left handed, have been draped inside of the bucket...clambering against the cold hard steel, tangled amongst the contents therein
.....my life!
Hardships; rewards; disappointments; fulfillments; resentments; forgiveness; survival. And so many others!
Would I trade the left toes for the right toes? NEVER!
My life with a Cowboy has been challenging to say the least!
We've moved tons; we've lived without running water, power & plumbing; we've worked physically beyond the limits our bodies were created for; we've been sued by "Seattlites" wanting a rural lifestyle...yet not liking their inability to change that rural setting~ into "Seattle in the country". (which we lost & had to sell, for a loss, as we didn't have enough $$ to fight for our rights). We have truthfully lived on a dime, still do...& at times less than! (once, Hubby painted a local gas station in order to buy a dress for the daughter to go to a prom!). Material things have not been a priority for us..birthday & Christmas gifts were a rarity (still are!) ...a happy, loving HOME is all that we have needed. The kids worked summer jobs when old enough, even after school some, for things they wanted yet we could not afford. There were times they bought a few groceries with their earnings. Then came the college years...they both worked as they attended, got student loans....
...we could not afford to help them, financially.

Do I resent the struggles, the strife, the fights we've dealt with over the years? I'd be lying if I said "No". At times, there was resentment. Not at my Cowboy, not at our children, not at our life....it was directed at those who could not accept, or who wanted us to change who we were! We still have friends & acquaintances who tell us how amazed they are that we survived as a couple with all we've been through.
We survived....because of the respect & love for each other & our chosen lifestyle. It's embedded in our souls.

The biggest compliment, the most loving reward comes from our son. He is still single...still in search of that perfect mate.
(We wish he'd lower his ideals somewhat tho...)
1) "She" has to meet or beat his Sister's qualities...educated; compassionate for life, the earth & others; independent yet capable of sharing; a hard worker yet loves pampering & having fun; a good cook (altho he can cook superbly himself!); & the ability to grow, survive & thrive with life's struggles...all the qualities & values he says we instilled in them.
2) He says he'd love for a relationship that equals half of what we have!
"She" must have the desire & be capable of working along side him through life, through love, to cry, to share, to sacrifice, to give to a relationship as I have to my Cowboy! Heart & Soul.

Did we create an impossible dream for him, for teaching him our ways of love & life?
We hope not.
Do we wish they would have followed life in our footsteps?
Heck no!
Did they have resentments for their upbringing, what they missed out on?
Maybe....but we hope they've gotten over it.

And I'll say it again, ....I would not trade my left toes inside that bucket of life & the tangled web of time, for the right toes on the outside! Not a chance!
I may have aged faster, become more weathered & worn, but I've become a stronger, independant woman, a more compassionate wife...because Hubby & I have been a team throughout our lives together! We have survived!
So, do I "gets it" ? I think so...

Starry, Starry Nite...

...(wonder how many there really are!) and pert-near a full moon!
We ate supper at a decent hour tonite (8:30 instead of 10pm!).
It was cool, calm & just the right 'feel' for a walk!
Hubby doesn't walk much, says that's what horses are for!
But he humored me & agreed to accompany me. Of course, we took our whole brood along too! Millie, Tess, & Mac~the Border Collies; Levi & Wyatt~ the Spoiled Yorkies. They must have been able to pick up on the quiet calmness of the 'mood', because they weren't rambunctious & crazy! Behaved really well! (and that is tough for the one & 1/2 yr old girls!).
Dusk was getting pretty close to becoming twilight by the time we got to the wooden bridge that's part of our drive.
Sure wish I had a good camera ... and then knew how to use it!
(Like The Lady Professor does...she takes beautiful pix!)
40' below us from the bridge, were three does drinking from the creek.
Saw 8, yep eight, wild turkeys too.
An owl lives under the bridge somewhere, and he was hooting to who knows who! Maybe we were too close for comfort...
We stayed there for a time, gulping in the fresh air, listening to Willow Creek as it wound through the willows and beaver dams. The moon was shining like a perfect china plate above the rollling hills of wheat! All white and shimmery! The "kids" sat quietly at our feet!
They seemed to be enjoying this special time too!
On the walk home, we heard several coyotes off in the distance with their young (the young ones always sound like they are playing & having fun!); there was cattle under some cottonwoods nearby and one Mama calling out for her young'un.
Walking in the moonlit darkness now, closer to the house, a few horses nickered, a few munching the last of their supper, while one farther away sighed heavily...as in deep REM sleep.
I love these kinds of evenings...as much as I love today's kind of mornings!
It was a perfect ending to a more than perfect day!

My Cowboy & I are together....

...again!
Wow! 9 days away from home is a long time! Especially when you are in love like my hubby & I are! After all these years, we still have that 'spark'! He told me I can't go anywhere again....without him! And if that's the case...then we need to make some changes in our lifestyle! Like having way too many animals to be responsible for...and even more importantly...having more money so we could afford to go places...and possibly hiring a local kid to do chores, which means more $$$ with the price of gas to get someone to come out this far!!
Don't see that happening any time in our near future! (The more money thing!) Hence, not getting away much won't be on the agenda either!
Would love to go to the ocean! I find such peace there! Love walking the beaches at nite and in the rain! In my younger days, while going to college, I'd go to the Oregon coast to spend the day to do my studies. Sit in a coffee shop over looking the surf, eat soup, study (if raining), and take walks periodically. If not raining, would hunker down against a piece of driftwood, wrapped in a blanket and study all day.
Why did I go to college?? ....To "prove" I could, to those who thought I couldn't.
And then marry a Cowboy for an austere way of life? Becuz he stole my heart! :)

Hubby ain't too keen on the ocean...he'd rather be high in the mountains, a horseback, like the days we ran a pack outfit. I enjoy that too, but that's where most of our time has been spent...a horseback. He knows how much I love the beach...so I know he would oblige. We've only gone 3 times in all these years!
Think it's time again!
Hmmmm...just might have to make the plans! I grew up on Whidbey Island, spent my childhood at all the beaches. Barnacles and all! Oh what fun those days were! (wouldn't want to be that young again, but would love to have the freedom and the time!)

Ooops....got lost in Nostalgia~land....

Getting to know my nieces was awesome! One is married with a really cool husband. They are moving to Wisconsin on their next new adventure...a new job for them came up while I was there! A great young couple!
Then the Graduate...Wow! She is sooooo cool! And has her "head on" very straight! I was so impressed! And what a doll!!! She did "keep" me up til the wee hours of a nite....don't think I went to bed before 2: am any nite there! One for sure, was 4 am...a few others after the 3: am mark. I'm a nite owl, but 8 nites like that and then up and at 'em by 9 am?? Zapped me big time!
Will treasure those days & all the memories! It was wonderful!
My sister has had 'issues' with me over the years....mainly 'cuz she felt I didn't care enough about the family to do things different...like get good paying jobs in order to be 'present' at family functions more! But, we had a great time rekindling our Sisterhood! (Hopefully those issues are in the past, and won't crop up again as they have every few years!) I love her dearly...and have hated the times we did not get to share, all the missed long conversations, the hugs, the tears, and the reminiscing as sisters should....
Life can be cruel...Life can be challenging...but Life is what we make it!
And my hubby's and my life together has been the best!