Little Ducks

New Blog

2011-10-08T23:55:00.000-05:00

We have finally made it to our new home in New York. Since we no longer live on our farm, I thought it appropriate to start a blog focusing on our new life here. I was going to let the blog die but then I was reminded by friends and family members that the blog is the only way they can keep up with the children and what is going on in our world. I am touched that those closest to me actually read my ramblings and nonsensical posts. Sometimes it is just easier to push the publish button at 2 a.m. than to pick up the phone. I am naturally anti-social and a recluse. It is hard for me to keep up with everyone. I'm working on it. Really.

Here is the link to the new blog:

http://anatesparvae.blogspot.com/ .......if you'd like to follow along.

Herding Ducks...Home for sale.

2011-03-27T12:50:00.009-05:00

The time has come for us to move on. We have put the house and property on the market. If you know of anyone who would like to move to a small hobby farm in the Montgomery area, this may be just the ticket. This is a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home that sits on just over 3 acres. There is a LR, DR, Kitchen, and two bonus rooms. Included in the property is a large barn that has a built in chicken coop and nesting boxes, fenced pasture for horses, horse shelter, and a separate animal enclosure attached to the barn for chickens or goats. There is a 50x50 ft garden plot, a (young) orchard with 20 producing fruit trees and small goldfish pond. If you are interested or want additional pictures or information, e-mail me at camd23@hotmail.com or leave a message here.

Fenced pasture.
Fenced pasture with barn. The fence is solar powered.
Horse Shed attached to the back of the barn.
View from Orchard.
Another view from the orchard.

Orchard entrance. There are 20 fruit trees; Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, Santa Rosa plum, assorted peaches, Asian pear, Bartlett pear. There are blueberry, strawberry and blackberry bushes, a mint garden, 250 foot herb gardens, a small fish pond and several ornamental trees such as weeping cherry, Crepe Myrtle and Camellias.

Part of the herb garden. There is Rosemary (tons), Tarragon, Lemon Balm, Cilantro, Sage, Pineapple sage, oregano, fennel, chives, pansy and basil.

Front Porch

LR

LR..fireplace is 24 feet high.

Back wall under 24ft. vaulted ceiling.

View from kitchen window.
Kitchen
One of the two bonus rooms. I use this one for a school room.

Downstairs bedroom.
Upstairs Bathroom.
Upstairs bathroom...huge jetted tub.

Downstairs half bath.

Downstairs full bathroom
Slate floors in bathroom. There is slate/wood floors throughout the house.
Back porch

French Marines, Creeks, and Half-Naked Men

2010-11-08T18:45:00.004-06:00

We went to the Fort Toulouse/Fort Jackson Living History Days again this year. Thankfully, I was not imprisoned for being an unruly wife, like last time. I'm thankful to my husband for showing a little compassion and humanity to me this year. He is a gem. We saw several reenactments as we took a leisurely stroll around the fort.

We saw items that were traded between 1700-1820.

Among them, grain, mustard, fruit, bread and of course.......

Handmade muskrat mittens. They keep hands warm and simultaneously act as a tool to scare the heck out of your brothers. Okay, Lex, put the evil mitts down and walk away.

I tried to barter for this long handled paddle but it was a no go. For some reason, they did not think mints and lint was worth the trade. What-evah. I so wanted it for my homeschool room. Hey, don't judge, I need to keep order somehow.

This was a Creek Indian dance that was about their heritage going away. It was very sad.

But then. Then, there was this. He was saying something. Umm, it may have been important or informative or educational but I have no idea because his snow white... naked... bare legs were screaming over his voice. Sometimes, his lappet would peek out and I would think; Wait, was that?? No it couldn't have been. I have no idea what he said. Even after watching it at home several times, I still don't have a clue.

Happy Fronteir Days!

Around the Farm

2010-10-29T09:02:00.005-05:00

It has been a while since I posted the goings on around the farm. The summer was busy and this school year is even more so. We are facing a move in the next year and to be honest, I have avoided posting about the farm because it makes me sad to think we will be leaving so much behind. We have worked so hard to make the property what it is and we have experienced so many blessings. It will be difficult to go but I know there is a new adventure waiting for us.

This was one of the Copper Maran chicks I got just a few months ago. She is big and beautiful and just started laying.

This is the reason these hens are so sought after. On the right is a normal brown egg from one of my Rhode Island Red hens. On the left, the Copper Maran's egg. They are a deep chocolate brown and only get darker as the hen matures. It makes a normal brown egg look white.

This is the sweetest horse that has ever lived. How can you not fall in love with those deep brown eyes?

Miss Prissy is feeling much better. She gave up on her golf ball hatching and is back to her old prissy self. Except she stopped laying eggs. I think she just resigned herself to being an old maid.

The herbs are going to seed and getting ready to go dormant for the winter.

The scarecrow is not doing his job at all. The deer and chicken have devoured what was left of the garden. I am thinking of demoting him to a yard decoration. He is lazy and just stands around all day anyway.

It is very quiet in the pigpen since we took the last hog to the butcher. I miss the squealing and snorting. Also, all kinds of plants have started to grow in there. At first sight it looks like weeds but a closer inspection revealed tons of tomato plants, cucumber vines and squash plants. They are doing better than the plants I started inside, babied and fretted over all season. Next spring, I am just going to throw seeds everywhere and ignore the plants.

I hope you all are enjoying the cooler weather and have a great weekend.

McWane Science Museum

2010-10-25T09:19:00.006-05:00

Our homeschool group took a field trip to the McWane Science Museum last week. We have been here several times but it is always fun and the kids really enjoy all the activities here.

This is a screen that displays butterflies flying around. If you are very still, the butterflies will land on you and won't move until you do. Or until your brother comes and scares them off which results in stories I do not wish to repeat.

I seriously need one of these in my home. I think it would curb scenarios like those mentioned
above.

Help! I'm being eaten by a giant trout.

This was a really neat touch tank that had sharks and stingrays.

Brandon was cracking me up with this giant pin impression.
You may have to turn your head sideways as I always forget to orient the screen right or it comes out sideways.

Lake Martin Hike

2010-10-25T08:18:00.004-05:00

We went on a hike at Lake Martin a few weeks back. This hike was a bit rougher than our last one in that the terrain was much steeper and it was a bit longer. The trail was really slippery because tons of pine needles fell and covered the path. I never knew how slick pine needles could be until I tried to walk uphill on 2 inches of those suckers. We are lucky no one broke anything.

The trail started right by the lake and wound up and down the hills surrounding the lake. It was really beautiful.
It was also very steep. My glutes cried for days after.

We spotted this Fence Lizard toward the end of the trail. Lee caught it and let the kids examine
it before letting it go. When Lee did let it go, it crawled up his pants leg then ran around his belly and up and down his back before jumping in the leaves. I have not laughed that hard in a long time.

Brandon was convinced that his dad was going to throw the lizard at him. That is why the hat is in front of his face. I don't know where he would get such an idea.

The kids liked wading around in the lake after the hike to cool off.

It was a beautiful day for a hike and we all enjoyed spending some quality time together.

Cheaha Falls, Talladega National Forest, Alabama

2010-10-08T08:37:00.004-05:00

Just to make sure we are on the same page, the Alaska posts are done. We have gone back to our real lives in Alabama.

One thing we like to do as a family is go on hikes. This is not something easily done during the summer in Alabama but fall is the perfect time. We have lows in the mid 40's during the night and highs of only 75-80 or so during the day. Much better than the 113 degree sweltering days of summer. Last weekend, we visited Cheaha Falls in the Talladega National Forest. It was so beautiful. We have had a pretty bad drought this summer so the falls were really more of a trickle but it was beautiful nonetheless. Besides, the lack of water gave us a chance to explore further than we would have been able to if the water was more plentiful.

There were many pools of water going down the hillside. Little fish and jumping water spiders were everywhere.

What a sweet little monkey. His brown eyes are hypnotizing even from a distance. Little stinker.

The drips of water over many of the rocks formed holes and beautiful markings.

This one was not so much beautiful as it was gross. It was a large hole that went all the way through the boulder. The children nicknamed it the "toilet". Lovely.

This was kind of cool, a tree whose roots had grown through the crevasses of the rock and hung suspended from the bottom.

What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.

Denali

2010-10-04T07:48:00.004-05:00

During the four years we lived in Alaska, we only had a clear view of Denali once. Usually, the mountain is covered with thick clouds and getting a nice view of the mountain is pretty difficult. That was the case on our trip up to Fairbanks. It was rainy and foggy and cloudy. We did not see much of anything. On the way back to Anchorage, it was raining in Fairbanks so I was a little doubtful that we would get to see the mountain on the way home. As you can see, it cleared up beautifully and we had the best view of Denali yet. What a blessing. Once again, I'll just show the beauty of Alaska without my words mucking it up.

Nenana River

Fairbanks, AK

2010-09-25T08:45:00.007-05:00

We drove up to Fairbanks just in time to see fall creep in. Every season in Alaska is beautiful, but fall is just spectacular. The landscape comes alive with golds, reds, purples and blues. The colors are so vibrant, they just take my breath away.

I love birch trees. The trees in Alabama are okay but they pale in comparison to the birch.
I wish I could fill my whole property with them.

We met up with some friends at Creamers Field Migratory Wildlife Refuge. This used to be the site of Creamer's Dairy, which closed in 1966 due to changes of shipping and outside competition shortly after WW ll. Creamers Field is now a bird haven. It is a popular spot to watch many different kinds of birds on their annual pass through Fairbanks. Geese, ducks, cranes and songbirds make up most of the bird population. Sometimes, a moose can be seen lumbering over the field.
There are 2 miles of walking trails at creamers field. They are maintained carefully and beautifully.
My sweet little monkey is always careful to pick a flower *with* the roots attached so I can transplant his sweet gift.

While in Fairbanks, we went to North Pole to visit our church family. It was so wonderful to see
them and this part of the trip meant the world to me. They really are part of our family and I miss them terribly.

I was able to see a few friends who are very special to me. My friend Stephanie is such a caring, sweet and precious person. It was so nice to see her. I also saw a good friend who used to live across the street from me at Eielson but dang it, I forgot my camera and did not get a shot of us together. I guess I'll just have to force myself to go all the way back to AK to get one. Besides, I've been back in the Alabama heat for a week now and I'm ready to get out of here.

The drive back to Anchorage was just as beautiful as the drive up. Next stop, Denali.

Alaska, The Running Version

2010-09-23T08:49:00.005-05:00

I took my good friend, Jamie's advice and went running on a coastal trail in Anchorage. This was one of the best parts of the trip. Lee and I ran six miles up and down one of the most beautiful trails I have ever been on. It was so peaceful and beautiful. I was thankful to be able to share it with the most important person in my life.

For once, I'll just be quiet and let the pictures do the talking.

Of Giants, Hula Hoops And Chocolate Dipped Bacon. Or As Some May Call It, The Alaska State Fair.

2010-09-19T11:26:00.015-05:00

Isn't Alaska just breathtaking? Just look at the snow, the glaciers the endless miles of ice...... Well, at least that is what I was pretending it was from my seat in the airplane on the way there. Hey, it's a long trip. I have to entertain myself somehow.

This is the first of many chapters in the Alaska digest. We fit a lot into two and a half weeks and had a blast.

First stop, The Alaska State Fair.

Giants

Veggies grow so big in Alaska due to the nearly 24 hour sunshine and the rich soil. I am always astounded at how large they can grow. That is a lot of turnip. Soup anyone?

After the fair, some people donate their veggies to charity or give them to the city they live in for a giant Jack-O-Lantern. This year's winner is not sure what he will do with his pumpkin after the fair. He said he might just put it on craigslist.

Hula Hoops

My good friend's daughter said she would try the hula hoops if I would. Little did she know that back in the day, I was a hula-hooping queen.

All the kids joined in and out hula-hooped me. I just threw my crown on the ground and stomped on it. Getting old stinks.

Truly, I have no words. This was by far the most surprising part of the entire fair. You know I love me some bacon as well as chocolate but together? On a stick? That is enough to even scare me. No, I did not try it. Even though I was triple dog dared. I did try the deep-fried cheesecake but you know, I have to draw the line somewhere.

I let the boy try processed, refined and dyed sugar on a stick. Yes, it was as big as his sweet little
head. I had nightmares about cavities and ADHD for days after.

However, I did not let him have deep fried potato chips with processed cheese squirted all over the top. That was beyond scary.

I also held back and refused to allow them to get their hair dyed and cemented in various styles. I never let the kids have any fun.

Sweetness

We stayed with the most phenomenal family during our vacation in Alaska. I am very close with a wonderful homeschooling mom of three spectacular kiddos. I love her children just like my own and consider all of them family. Her three children are best friends with my three children. Our families are meant to be close to each other and we can't wait until that can be a reality. We just soaked up every second we could with them and had a wonderful time.

They had a great time at the fair and made a lot of great memories.

Payback

2010-09-19T01:14:00.002-05:00

This is what happens when one goes on vacation for over
two weeks and forgets to have their lawn service come out
to mow, weed eat and prune everything perfectly for the duration.

Only, we don't have a lawn service and it was mowed and
trimmed perfectly a few weeks ago. The grass is out of control.
I may have to get a machete and search for my husband if he does
not come back soon.

Pictures from our vacation to Alaska will come as soon as the jungle is eliminated and
Lee has recovered.

Prissy

2010-08-26T10:29:00.008-05:00

Our little banty has a problem. She is lonely and in need of a husband and family. The problem is, she is the only banty we have. The other roosters are way out of her league. They don't even give her a second look. She has decided to take it upon herself to have chicks of her own. I think she has been watching too many Jennifer Aniston movies.

We have decided to give her the name of Prissy. After Miss Prissy, Foghorn Leghorn's love interest. Poor prissy was always trying to make Foghorn her one true love. Only to be shunned by the other hens and Foghorn himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0gjNRpr8ao

Prissy stopped laying eggs and decided to sit on her nest day after day trying to hatch, well, nothing because her nest was empty. She believed she was sitting on an egg and would puff up and make threatening noises every time we went close to her. After 3 weeks of this, I took pity on her and decided to put a golf ball in her nest. I thought there was no way she would accept this abnormally large egg (large for a banty anyway, they are 1/4 to 1/2 the size of a normal chicken) but I was curious to see what she would do.

Prissy has literally taken the golf ball under her wing.
She is trying her very best to be a good mommy; patiently waiting for her baby to come. I can't help feeling sorry for her and wondering if I did more harm than good. You should hear the other hens clucking wildly and ridiculing her.

Life can be so cruel. The other hens don't care much if they have babies or not. They take it for granted. This one wants one so badly and can't. Poor little Prissy.

Bacon

2010-08-20T08:14:00.005-05:00

Oh, hi there. Did you bring me some food? Scraps? Rinds? Oooooh, I know, those little pieces of bacon that you burned for the 100th time? By the way, what is bacon? That stuff is wonderful, I tell you. Wait. What did you just say?

I'm going on a little trip? A field trip? Is it to the dump? I just love that place.
No? I'm going where????? What's that?

What chu talkin bout, Willis?

And I thought you loved me. All this time, you were just using me.
All the treats and buckets of food were just to fatten me up?
I feel so used and dirty.

Don't even look at me.

Summer Recap

2010-07-28T08:45:00.017-05:00

Our summer vacation is quickly coming to an end.

I am forcing the kids The children are thrilled to start our new
school year next week.  Just the smell of freshly sharpened pencils
puts them in a joyful frenzy.  Oh wait,maybe that is just me.  At any
rate, we are starting our new school year on Monday.  I for one am
overjoyed to get back into a routine of reading, thinking, learning
and watching all those wonderful light bulbs click above the children's
sweet little heads.

I have not updated the blog a whole lot this summer
so here is a quick recap of what we have been up to:

I did a whole lot of weeding and mowing and raking and shoveling
and did I mention weeding? Oh my. The things I could have
accomplished if it weren't for those disgusting weeds!

I worked in the flower gardens.

And in the veggie gardens. I harvested
about 300 pounds of red potatoes,
lots of butternut squash,peas, beans, okra
and tomatoes(the ones the darn horn worms
did not get!) I am going to plant a fall garden
as well.  I will have lots of lettuce, broccoli,
cabbages, carrots and other
cool weather veggies.


This sweet, chubby, precious little
cupcake turned 13 this summer.


Please make her stop growing.

I shot and killed a nasty snake all by myself. It was eating eggs in
my barn and I just can not have that. I am terrified of snakes. There
was shaking and whimpering involved while killing it but I got the
job done. If my daughter was not there comforting me, I probably
would have chickened out.

Speaking of chickens I spent a lot of time chasing chickens from
the back porch, from eating everything in my garden and from
the front yard where they were eating all the grass seed. I finally
trimmed their feathers and made them stay in the chicken yard
for a while.

Worked a lot in the orchard, trying to get grass, flowers and herbs to grow.

Tried and failed to save an egg-bound chicken.

Started to learn how to make stained glass jewelry. Still working on it,
I'm a little rough.

Brandon (center) tried out for and participated in this years
Missoula Children's Theatre production of Pinocchio. He was one
of the Pleasure Island kids who turns into a donkey.

The kids started volunteering at the humane society.
(Click on Homeschooling above to see the details)

And I chopped off a good 6 inches of hair because of the
awful humidity that ruins any chances of maintaining
any other hair style.

The end.

What did you do with your summer vacation?

It's a jungle out there

2010-07-09T09:14:00.004-05:00

Oh, what a tangled web we weave
When we simply refuse to weed.

It took me 10 hours all together to weed the garden.

It. was. that.bad.

I find it totally disgusting that the weeds are thriving so. We have had barely any rain this summer along with scalding temperatures with heat indexes up to 113. My veggies are suffering but the weeds, oh the weeds are growing like crazy. Grass will grow up through the wood chips in the garden and reach the heights of my thigh with no effort.

However, planting grass seed around the house is a whole other matter. I tenderly tilled the soil, added home-grown fertilizer, spread the seed at just the right setting on the spreader and watered like crazy. I yelled when the kids or animals walked on it and willed it to grow. Nothing. Nada..zip.

Apparently, I need to thickly cover the lawn with wood chips, neglect the grass and pull one sprig of grass to make 100 more pop up. Yes, a change in strategy.. I've just had the wrong approach all along.

Well, at least the weeds are out of the garden for now. Enjoy it because I'm sure that by this time next week it will look just as bad as before I weeded.

Won't you be my neighbor?

2010-07-05T21:03:00.007-05:00

So, we have been living in this house for just about a year and a half. The only neighbors we have met have been the sweet old couple that lives about 800 yards across from us. He drives a school bus and is just the sweetest thing you could ever meet. He knows I home school and does not even give me any flack for it. His wife is a retired school teacher. He tells me I am doing the right thing by home schooling. That just knocks me on my arse. Usually, school teachers (and their minions) are the ones that give me the most trouble about my decision to home school my kiddos, so my sweet old neighbors are just way up there in my book of people I like. I think they have a perspective that most people "in the system" do not. They come over to give the kids suckers and warn me about suspicious people in the neighborhood. I just love them more than chocolate. I bring them eggs and veggies from my garden and tell them how much I adore them. I have a thing for old people.........that is a whole other post.... I do love these particular neighbors.

However, there is a dark side. I have other neighbors. These neighbors have never come to give the kids suckers, much less introduced themselves. Their dogs come over (3 of them) frequently to pee/defecate in my garden and chase my chickens. There are two football kickers....I mean....... terriers and one big Saint Bernard looking dog that could care less he is not on his own property. They run/lumber over and bark at me as if I am the one out of place and intruding on their space. Then, they chase my chickens and horses until I get my bee-bee gun and scare them off.

So, the owners of these dogs have witnessed many situations on this property that MAY have given them the wrong impression...Their property is through some trees and about 800 yards from our property line. The first time I noticed their "attention" was when I was chasing a pig that escaped it's pen around our property for 3 hours and I had lost any hint of civility, let alone manners. I was tired of trying to get the pig back in it's pen and was just at the end of my rope. I was cussing, and yelling and saying a whole bunch of things I know I shouldn't have but darn it!!! That pig was infuriating! I glanced across the property to see this particular neighbor just staring at me. I know he thought I was a lunatic. I had a horse whip in one hand, a lasso in the other and was screaming like a banshee. We won't even talk about the gun I was threatening to use or the nice man that had to come help me because my husband was waaaaaaaaay out of town and could do nothing to aleave my frustration.

Another time, the kids (all 3 of them) were on the trampoline and fighting about the rules of the particular game they were playing. Never mind the fact that they had been arguing ALL DAY or the fact that I sent them outside because the were driving me completely insane.........they still had to fight about who did what and what was not fair and who pushed who on the trampoline....I just lost it and started yelling at them........Only, who was hanging around but the neighbor across the way, listening to every evil hiss that came out of my mouth.......

Then, then......... there was yesterday....... It was the fourth of July. The day for celebrating and fireworks, pic nicks, friends and BBQs.......Sam, my elusive golden retriever had disappeared for a while. I did not think anything of it because he will often disappear and then show back up with turtles or a squirrels or just covered in mud. We live in the country, in the woods, by a creek. I was really not all that worried about him.

Unfortunately, he decided to pay a visit to our neighbors who were having a BBQ and disrupt their festivities. By disrupt, I mean steal all their BBQ, jump on the guests and make it totally impossible to enjoy their day. They put him in their truck and took him from neighbor to neighbor until they found his owners........Us.

I was in the middle of cooking our fourth of July BBQ fixings....At that particular moment, I was cutting up a watermelon when I heard an engine. Now, if you know me at all, you will know that people coming on to my property , unannounced just gets my panties in a wad. I don't like people coming here without notice and it makes me very nervous.

Which is why I have this sign posted on my driveway..

So, when the neighbors came over, speeding down my driveway, it put me in a bit of a tizzy. I went out with my butcher knife in hand (because I was just cutting up watermelon and the sound of a truck engine put me in a tizzy) I did not think clearly enough to put he knife down because my bubble had been breached!!!!!!

I went out to the truck, knife in hand to see what they wanted....They very quickly told me that they had this dog that was interrupting their BBQ and were trying to find the owners. Yep, it was my dog....I called him out of the truck and apologized.....I wished them well and sent them on their way... Still holding the butcher knife...

So, I think I made just a really spectacular impression.....Cussing at pigs, yelling at kids and coming out to meet them with a butcher knife. I'm sure they will be calling to invite us over to BBQ or hang out any moment . I just know it.

Maybe someday I will make some friends....Or not.

Probably not.

Sigh................................

Happy fourth of July!!!

Hiding.

2010-06-29T16:24:00.002-05:00

That is what I've been doing lately. Why hide you ask? Because my children follow me around everywhere asking me endless questions and they just. never. stop. talking...Who thought up this idea of giving children a break in the summer? Please tell me because I would like to kick them in the head. Back to schoolwork I say!!

Okay, yes, I homeschool but it is different when we are doing school. They are on a schedule. They do multiple subjects and there is no time for boredom. Our summer has been full of "I'm bords and I have nothing to dos and can I have ice creams and what would you do ifs" every. two. seconds. So, I hide.

I have been hiding in the garden, hiding in the barn, the orchard, chicken coop, in my office buried under mountains of curriculum, photos and books. Also, hiding in my closet with a bag of chocolate because that is the only place my children can not find me.

I thought summer was supposed to be relaxing, peaceful, lazy and fun. When I was a kid, I was outside all day. I made mud pies and played in the sprinkler and went on long walks and found interesting animals. Like humongous slugs. Then poured salt on them and watched them fizz and bubble and disintegrate. You know, fun kid stuff. Why is it such a struggle to get my kids outside and using their imaginations?

There is forced outside time around here. You would think they were told to go break rocks in a chain gang. There is moaning, crying and whining about going outside. Even when it is not hot. The only thing that gets them excited about going outside is the threat of raking or shoveling or doing hard labor. Then they scatter and can't be found for hours. *sigh* Whatever works, I guess.

Uh-oh..I hear them coming. Off to hide again. *Please send chocolate*

This and That

2010-06-03T09:06:00.006-05:00

I've been pretty scarce lately. We have been so busy working in the gardens and doing various projects outside. We have officially finished our "school year" and will be enjoying a short break before switching to our summer school schedule.

Everything is growing and blooming around here. It is so pretty and is such a great blessing after all our hard work.

Dahlias are my absolute favorite flower ever. When tulips are not in bloom that is. I just love these guys. Some of them are dinner plate dahlias. They get bigger than my kiddos heads. If you've seen the middle one's head, then you would be pretty impressed. (Just kidding buddy, I love you and your sweet head more than chocolate)

This is a lily from a lily tree I planted several months ago. These lily trees can get up to 5 feet. I can't wait to see how tall it gets.

These are my clearance sale Wal Mart roses. I got them for two dollars each. They looked very sad when I got them. I nursed and loved them back to life.

I have no clue what this is. I bought if from a sweet old lady that grows and sells plants from her home. She could not remember what it was but said it bloomed the same time as crepe myrtles and that they were very pretty. If you know, please tell me so I can properly care for it.

Cilantro going to seed.

My veggie garden is in full swing. I've already harvested about 250 lbs of potatoes. I'm planting corn where they were. I also have squash,

Sweet peas

Cucumbers and lots of tomatoes, okra, a variety of peppers and watermelon. Plus, I planted a lot of herbs in the orchard and started a bunch of new plants from seed. I love this time of year. I am truly thankful for all we have been blessed with.

We have a few new additions to the farm. This little cutie is a Banty chicken. They are much smaller than normal chickens and lay teeny tiny little midget eggs. They are so cute! You can't do much with them but she is fun to have around.

Just look at her next to the other chickens. She is so little!

My pretty Americana rooster is all grown up and beautiful. His feathers have so many different colors.

I got 8 Black Maran chicks. I have been wanting these chicks since we moved here but had not been able to find them. I feel like I hit the jackpot. They lay chocolate brown eggs that are so beautiful. These hens and their eggs are very popular. They have such a sweet temperament. The kids feed them out of their hands and pet them like little kitties. Too cute!

This is my newest Americana hen. She is supposed to lay pink eggs. I have only had her a few days and she has not laid an egg yet. I am anxiously waiting to see her eggs.

I traded these new chickens for something else that left the farm this weekend. I can't tell you what yet because it is too painful. Just kidding, I really have to go do a bunch of errands and am running out of time so I'll have to finish the story later.

Have a wonderful Thursday!!

2010-05-29T09:21:00.003-05:00

We are really enjoying the spring here. The blackberries have come in a little early and we have been picking them by the pound. We have 6 pounds in the freezer and that is just from one day's picking. Cody really wanted to make something with them so we spent the evening learning the art of pie making. He did a really good job helping and he especially enjoyed shaping the dough.

This is the child who tells me every day that he is going to be a chef when he grows up. He also says he will never leave home and will cook for me every day even when I am old and in a wheelchair. Then he tops it off with, "Mommy, even when your ugly, I still love you." How...sweet. I think.

The Fruits Of Our Labor.

2010-05-18T07:50:00.011-05:00

A year and a half ago, our family moved out to the country and started a small hobby farm. We longed for a simpler life. One in which the children would learn about hard work, family, and the joys of living a simple life. We all knew it would be a lot of hard work but it did not quite sink in how much work or how difficult it would be until several months later.

We had dreams of a beautiful green pasture with horses and chickens, a garden and a beautiful orchard.

This is the transformation of the orchard.

When we bought the house, there were many tall skinny pines that were in danger of falling on the house and others that were strangling out all the light and grass as far as the eye could see. There was plenty of poison ivy, moss, brush, and leaves at least 6 inches thick. Not exactly the best place for an orchard. We had a total of about 180 trees cut down around the property to make room for an orchard, pasture, and to save our roof from being obliterated.

It took us over a year to get all the limbs piled,
Needles raked,

And piles burned.
Only to be left with a million piles of ash and charcoal. Which took many, many weeks to clean up.

Finally, we were left only with stumps. Stumps everywhere. As far as the eye could see. They were like a ton of pimples all over the property. Ugly, big and annoying. It would be a while before we could get someone to come out and grind them up so.....

I started to dig them up and Lee would use his chainsaw to cut them out. We did several this way until we found a reasonable and honest stump grinder company that did not see dollar signs as soon as they came on the property.

They had the stumps out of here in less than two days. Watching the stumps get obliterated was the most deeply satisfying feeling ever. It took another month and a half before we would have all the shavings cleaned up, transferred to the garden, and put to use as mulch around the property.

I put in a 250 foot walkway, an arbor, stepping stones, and planted as many herbs, seeds, and flowers as I could get my hands on. There are about 20 fruit trees, lots of blueberries, grapes, figs, strawberries, honeysuckle, rose bushes, azaleas, crepe myrtles, and a mint garden. We are still trying to figure out what to put at the end of the walkway. We are leaning toward a small pond with a fountain coming out of it.

The trees are bearing fruit and doing so well.

The berries have started to come in.

This is the mint garden with 6 different kinds of mint.

I planted hundreds of purple cone flowers (from my sweet Dad) and a lot of wildflowers along the walkway.
There are also lots of herbs, tulips, and gladiolas on each side. I can not wait until the flowers come up, bloom and everything fills in.

Working on the orchard has been a lot of hard work but so very rewarding. There is still a lot of work to do but we have come so far. It is so nice to sit in my rocking chair on the front porch and look around to see the fruits of our labor. God has blessed us so deeply and I am truly thankful.

Wordless Thursday. Because I have too much to say on Wednesday.

2010-05-06T21:11:00.002-05:00

Azul and Violeta

2010-05-04T08:08:00.003-05:00

I answered an ad on Craigslist yesterday for two free "Easter chicks." I'm not sure if you are familiar with the practice of dying chicks at Easter time. Here is a little info. to get you up to speed. http://www.poultryhelp.com/coloringchicks.html

While the original purpose of dying embryos was useful for scientific observation, I'm not certain that it is a good practice to dye chicks just for the novelty of it. My primary objection is that many people think they are cute to have at Easter and then don't know what to do with them as they grow. It encourages irresponsibility at the expense of the chickens.

Not to mention embarrassment. Just look at the poor things. Hiding in the corner, not wanting to show their faces. I think I even see a tear forming at the corner of Violeta's eye. Just imagine the therapy bills they will incur over this traumatizing fiasco. I don't mind though. That is just the kind of farmer I am. Sensitive, caring, whisperer of chickens. I need my own t.v. show.

Don't worry, babies. Soon, you will molt and this whole humiliating experience will be far behind you. The other chickens will accept you, after they stop laughing.

The Marathon That Wasn't

2010-04-28T20:15:00.002-05:00

We arrived in Nashville a few days before the marathon so that we would have plenty of time to go to the expo and do all the touristy things. The expo was awesome. It was well organized and I was surprised at how easy it was to pick up my race packet and make my way through the booths. We bagged a ton of free stuff and had a lot of fun walking around.

We went to the Country Music Hall of Fame and spent most of the day there. It was enough of a distraction to quell my nervousness and keep my brain busy so I did not obsess about the nausea creeping in. I learned a great deal about country music and enjoyed all the displays.

I had been carb-loading most of the week. By Friday night, I was tired of chewing and even more tired of whole wheat anything. I had a last meal of pasta with chicken and bread and hydrated as best I could. I spent most of Friday evening getting all my gear ready and double-checking to make sure that everything was easily accessible.

I slept lightly but managed to get enough sleep to feel rested. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and started to get dressed and everything ready to go. We left early but still managed to get stuck in traffic for 30 minutes. What I didn't know was that the race officials decided to start the race early but only made a brief announcement on T.V. Most of the runners did not get that information. I got there just in time to find my corral and to hear the start gun go off. I was really nervous walking up to this crowd of 31,000 people but was surprised that once I found my spot, my nervousness went away.

The first 9 miles were pretty tough. Most of the hills for the entire course were in the beginning. I was trying really hard to conserve energy going up the hills and then making up for it going down. The hills were a lot tougher than I thought they would be and I exerted more energy than I would have liked. This threw my time off a little but I kept going as best I could.

I had my camelback on and was staying well hydrated. I was also eating a Powergel every 4 miles or so to keep up my energy. Well, something happened around mile 15 and my stomach shut down. I felt like I was running with bricks in my stomach and eating a Powergel at the time was the worst thing I could have done. I started gagging, dry heaving, and almost lost it. Gatorade helped keep the nausea at bay but my stomach felt heavy for the rest of the race.

By mile 20, I was feeling quite a bit better. I saw my husband with my youngest kiddo on his shoulders and he was holding a banner that read, Go Mommy Go! My other two kids were cheering me on and encouraging me as I ran by. That touched my heart and gave me the extra burst I needed to keep going. But then the rain started. And the lightening came.

At first, the rain was a welcome blessing. I needed to cool off and did not mind running in it. Then, I heard the strangest thing. I ran by a water station and the volunteers were yelling, "Good job, keep going, only one more mile." Wait. What? One more mile? I looked at my Garmin. It only said 21.2. Something is not right. They must be confused. I put it out of my head for another mile until....... I saw the finish line. My heart sunk. I only had 3.8 miles to go.

They diverted all the runners and called off the race on account of the weather. It was too dangerous to keep the runners out on the road so they pulled everyone in. So, of course, they shut down the race immediately and closed the course and made everyone go home. Oh wait, no they didn't. They let everyone take pictures, engrave their medals, visit the various booths and enjoy food and massages. They also let the 1/2 marathoners stay on the course an additional 2 hours while they threatened to arrest several of the full marathon runners for continuing on the course.

I could not help but be angry. I can understand calling off the race on account of the dangerous weather. However, they did not follow through. They were not consistent with everyone and as a result, several thousand runners were not able to finish the entire marathon. So, my finish time of 3:39:27 was for a 22.2 mile race. Not a marathon. I could not feel more let down.

Looking at my medal makes me feel sick and I cannot say I ran a marathon. The director of the marathon sent an e-mail out this morning offering $50.00 off another Rock and Roll Marathon in various cities to the runners affected but that hardly took the sting out of the whole thing. I do not know if I will run another Rock and Roll event. What started out to be a well-organized and fun event ended up being a huge disorganized letdown. I did not train for 4 months to run 22.2 miles. I trained to run 26.2.

So, what next? Well, I'll suck it up and start training again. I moped around for 3 days and now I need to get over it. Anyone have any race suggestions? Fun marathons? I'll be waiting anxiously for your recommendations

Hmmm.

2010-04-16T07:25:00.002-05:00

One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn't belong.

Can you tell which thing is not like the others,

by the time I finish my song?

This is the smallest chicken egg I have ever seen in my life. That, or a quail is sneaking into the barn to lay eggs. Cody thought it was so cute that he just had to boil it and eat it as soon as possible. Brandon thought we should let the hen hatch it out so we could have a dwarf chicken.

Cody won.

New!

2010-04-10T10:40:00.004-05:00

The running trilogy is complete.

Click on the My Crazy Running Addiction tab for the scoop.

Blog Makeover

2010-04-08T07:56:00.009-05:00

I'm in the middle of giving the blog a makeover. Meanwhile, allow my sweet Lum to give you your farm fix and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He is my favorite horse. Just don't tell princess, she is a bit of a D-I-V-A.

Easter

2010-04-05T11:05:00.005-05:00

"And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here." -- St. Augustine

What a beautiful Easter Sunday we had. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky and I got to spend the day with the ones I love the most. The tulips and fruit trees opened their blooms. I could not think of a better day for them to say hello.

The kids had a great time looking for eggs and spending the day outside.

My egg hiding tricks did not fool them.
The eggs the kids decorated were cracking me up. Don't ask me why I bought them a monster egg decorating kit. I just have to be different. They had a lot of fun coming up with egg monsters. Then went all sticker crazy, putting them on noses, fingers and eye lids. They were out of control.

We had such a nice day. I am so thankful for the blessings our family has. I thank the Lord for each and every one.

Early Spring

2010-03-31T09:51:00.004-05:00

Spring has started to tip toe in. The daffodils are up, tulips are peeking out of the ground and I am as busy as a bee.
The walkway in the orchard is starting to take shape. Tulips are growing up, giving the area some much needed color. I am planting herbs, dinner-plate dahlias and wildflowers all along the pathway. It will be so pretty in a few months.

I have been working on landscaping, planting our spring garden and getting the kids ready for benchmark testing. Also, trying to be patient while we are waiting to hear if we will get orders to move or not. That is a whole other post....meanwhile, I will be working like a crazy woman and trying not to think too much.

2010-03-26T10:07:00.004-05:00

We went to the rodeo and had a blast! I was in heaven. Cowboys, Wrangler jeans, chaps and wild broncs. Did I mention chaps? Oh. my.

My favorite parts of the rodeo are the bronc riding and mutton busting.

First, bronc riding. I can not imagine being thrown and jolted around on a mad horse. Let alone getting stuck. You have to see this.....

I was a little scared for this guy. Glad everything turned out okay. The hysterical laughing you hear in the background is my son. My 6 year old son who, apparently, needs to work on empathizing with others. He thought this was just the funniest thing he ever saw. He has issues.

Now the mutton busting, that is funny. My tummy hurt because I was laughing so much.

Wait. Maybe I'm the one with issues. Laughing at small children being thrown from a sheep and being drug several yards. That's a little warped.

Well, at least the boy comes by it naturally.

All the laughing must have worn him out because he slept the remaining hour and a half. You would think sleeping at a rodeo would be hard, strange or abnormal.

Apparently not. Somehow, it's contagious.

Girls are immune. This has been a public service announcement.

Your welcome.

Stumps....or lack therof

2010-03-25T13:53:00.004-05:00

After a year and a half of clearing brush, picking up sticks and raking. It is finished.

The source of my pain, aggravation, irritation and constant bellyaching is gone.

The stump men cometh and wrought a path of destruction in their wake. I could not be happier.

First, they cut down the stumps close to the ground.

Then their large stump grinder turned the stumps into sawdust.

Hardly a trace of a stump was left, except for a stray root here and there.

The crew was so hard working and did a wonderful job. They were professional, friendly and fast! They were also one of the few that gave us a reasonable price and negotiated with us. So, if you are in Southern Alabama and need tree or stump work done, you should get in touch with these great guys. www.alabamatreearborist.com (No, I was not compensated to say that, they are just a great company) They are also heavily involved in community and christian services.

We are now filling in holes, using the wood chips for mulch in the gardens and leveling everything out to seed grass. I can't wait to show you how it all turns out.

All the hard work has been worth it. Things are looking so much better around here.

2010-03-11T06:49:00.002-06:00

New post in Homeschooling~~~~ The children are paying taxes and rent. Insert maniacal laughter......

1

2010-03-05T08:56:00.006-06:00

I left you all hanging the other day about the pig situation. Instead of going on and on elaborating on every little detail, the engulfing anger in the pit of my stomach and my wishy-washy feelings on the whole thing, I made a video that is much more delicate and subtle and without all the words that would make me pay a lot of money to the swear jar.

2010-03-01T09:01:00.001-06:00

New posts in Art, Home and garden and Running.

I like Blogspots new options but it would be nice if each page could have new posts added to it like the homepage.

Piggy Wiggy

2010-02-26T07:10:00.003-06:00

Two of the piggies left the farm yesterday to be prepared for my freezer. Wait. Three piggies left the farm. Hopefully, one will come back. We think the sow is pregnant and we really don't want to butcher her. We are keeping the Boar as well. I'm a little nervous to find out how it goes down today.

Loading pigs is not as easy as it would seem. I have always heard that when the time comes, they know. After yesterday, I agree.

The two that we did not want to load kept coming to us but the two we did want kept running to the corner. With a lot of food and many entertaining antics, we were able to get them loaded. So, after three pigs finally went up into the trailer, we closed the doors and called it a day. If we tried to get the extra one out, the others would surely follow and we would have to start all over again.

A friend came to load up the pigs and take them to the processor. Lee is off vacationing for a week, er..I mean getting laser eye surgery, so it was up to his friend and I to deal with the pigs. This same friend came to my rescue a few days ago when the pigs escaped their pen. I was able to get all but one back in. I tried for over an hour and was just about ready to put my 9mm to use when he showed up. It took a while but we got the little convict back in the pen.

It is a little sad to see them go. Raising them has been a really neat experience. I have learned a lot from them. Pigs are smart and funny and cute in an ugly kind of way. Hopefully, we will have a bunch of piglets running around in about 4 months. That is IF the sow comes back. I am sitting on pins and needles.

Cramming....

2010-02-23T12:02:00.006-06:00

It seems like I have been doing a lot of cramming lately. Cramming home school, cramming farm work, marathon training, and fun. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We have been getting a lot accomplished and that feels very good. Now, I have to do a lot of cramming in my blog update because I have been neglecting it.

We actually got 4 inches of snow here in lower Alabama. It lasted for a full day. The kids really enjoyed playing in the snow, making snow men and snow angels. Except for Brandon. He had surgery to get his adenoids taken out the day it snowed and he could not enjoy it. He did enjoy 2 gallons of ice cream, however.

The snow left as fast as it came and spring is trying to creep in. My fruit trees are budding out,
welcoming spring and begging it to stay. This is one of my peach trees. I just love the flowers.

My tulips and daffodils are poking up through the ground. I have been planting pansies and dusty millers. Dusty miller has done remarkably well here. I planted some last spring and they lasted through summer and winter and are still doing well.

I have put in two strawberry beds like this one. As the plants spread out and get bigger, I will make more beds and transplant the overgrowth. These beds are in the orchard, by the path I am putting in. I have a tree guy coming over tomorrow to give me an estimate on stump removal. I could not be happier. It is like Christmas for me. I have been waiting so long to get these ugly stumps out of here. The property is really starting to look better and that makes me happy. Our hard work is starting to pay off.

We had a chance to get out as a family. We found a nice trail not too far away and spent the day hiking. It was so nice to get out in the sunshine and take a day off.

Elllie (the white goat) had a miscarriage. I guess Butter did have a chance to breed her before he died. Sadly, she could not carry the baby to term. May (the grey goat) should have been bred as well. I have seen some subtle signs that she may be pregnant. I am really hoping she is. If so, she will kidd in a few months.

Lee built this chicken coop inside the barn for me. I would say "we" built it but all I did was hand him things. He used material left over from when the barn was built. It matches the barn nicely. He did a wonderful job. This is the side view.

Here is the front view. He made built-in nesting boxes with access from the outside of the coop. He put in a large window and a nice walk-in door.

Here is the view from inside the coop. One of the Americana hens is laying a turquoise egg. They are so pretty! I have another Americana that is laying pink eggs that are speckled with brown. These are my favorite chickens! Just don't tell the divas that.

He also put in this multi-level roost......

And a door to the outside. They are happy hens and I'm a happy wife. My husband is so good to me.

The egg bowl runneth over

2010-02-09T07:20:00.004-06:00

The chickens started laying again about a month ago. They only took about 6 weeks off for winter. I was surprised how quickly they started laying again.

After all the drama and cannibalism in the barn was over, I started finding eggs everywhere. The divas are giving about 6-7 eggs a day. There are still several that will start laying for the first time in the spring. Things are very eggciting around here. Sorry, it's a rainy Tuesday. That's the best joke I can come up with on a gloomy day.

One of my Americana hens started laying yesterday. I was so happy to see a beautiful green egg waiting for me in the nesting box. Lee told me it was not ripe yet and to put it back in for a while. ; ) Finding the egg made my whole day, which is good because I was having a pretty cruddy morning.

It has been so rewarding to raise these chickens from fluffy, soft, yellow, chirping balls to hens that are providing food for our family. I don't think I would have appreciated them nearly as much as if I bought them full-grown and laying.

It has been a lot of hard work, drama, and some heartbreak raising them the past year. It was worth it though. I am one step closer to earning my farmer membership card.

The Silence of the Chickens Part 2

2010-01-23T09:10:00.000-06:00

Decoys are often used to catch serial killers. Something to lure them in. I thought and thought. Finally, I knew just what to do. Golf balls. Golf balls would be the decoy. Hard, semi-egg shaped and impenetrable. It was time to go back. Back to the dark barn and set the trap.

Inside the barn, I moved slowly and quietly. Shaking, and gasping for air, I felt my way along the chicken wire to the nests. Henrietta was sitting on her eggs in the corner, crying and clucking quietly, begging me with her eyes to help her.

With stealth and accuracy, I switched the eggs with the golf balls before Henrietta could say, "bawk."

I made my way out of the barn as quickly as possible without disturbing the other chickens or tipping them off to the trap. I settled myself just outside the barn where I could watch without being noticed.

Then waited.

And waited.

And waited.

(Hey, have you ever waited on a chicken to lay an egg? They take forever!)

Finally, there was movement. Henrietta raised herself up to reveal 2 newly laid eggs among the golf balls. Then, she started to peck. Peck her own eggs! All this time, I thought it was another chicken. I suddenly realized that she wanted in the house to come after me not for comfort. That manipulative hen! I started trembling. The screaming of the chickens started playing loudly in my head.

Henrietta started pecking at the golf balls. She pecked and pecked but could not break through. She shuffled the eggs around and tried again with no luck. Genius! The balls are working. Her inability to penetrate the balls was making her lose her cannibalistic cravings. Desensitizing her to the temptation just may work!

Over the next several days, I snuck in the barn to switch her eggs with golf balls. I've found no more broken eggs and no sign of yolk on her mouth. I even tested her by leaving a few eggs in her nest for a couple days. She was not even tempted.

Everything has returned to normal in the barn. The chickens are leaving their roosts and happily chasing bugs again.

Henreitta is cured.

Just call me the chicken doctor.

If you are wondering, the chickens have been silenced. No more nightmares with the screaming clucks of chickens.

My egg bowl is overflowing once again.

And the Clucky winner is................

2010-01-21T12:21:00.000-06:00

With much laughter, deliberation and nail-biting, I chose the winner of the caption contest. It was a hard choice because you all are so dadgum funny!!

If you did not win this time, do not despair, I plan on having many more name the caption contests. Also, if you will e-mail me your address I will send you a nice little consolation prize.

This was so much fun, I can't wait to do it again.

The winner is..........SmrtMama. Please e-mail me your address (camd23 at hotmail) and I will get your prize in the mail. : )

Wordless Tuesday....

2010-01-19T08:31:00.002-06:00

Yes, I realize that most people post Wordless Wednesday pictures. Maybe because wordless and Wednesday both have "W's". Who knows?

Well, I am never one to go with the flow. I'm a rebel, a bad girl, B-b-b-b-b-b-Bad to the bone... da nu nu nu nuh.

What? What's that you say? How can this be a wordless Tuesday picture if I won't stop typing? Well, that's because I'm not talking about the picture.

Get it? Got it? Good.

Anyway, I won't talk about the picture because I think it speaks for itself. I was going to give this picture a title like, "Getting Chicky With it," however, I did not think Will Smith would appreciate me mutilating his song. I like Will too much to do that. We're tight like that.

So, in honor of my first Wordless Tuesday post, I would like to have a teeny, tiny, small little giveaway. I would like you to name my picture. The cornier the better. Puns, similes and metaphors are all accepted. Heck, I'll even accept haiku.

Winner gets a $15.00 Starbucks gift card. Just comment below or e-mail me if that makes you feel all warm and gooey inside.

I will announce the winner on Friday, the 22nd. Sometime after my morning java hit but before I climb in my soft, warm and heavenly Tempurpedic oasis.

I look forward to reading your brilliant submissions.

Silence of the Chickens

2010-01-16T10:01:00.011-06:00

Hannibal Chicken: I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner.

Crazy Farmer Lady: If you didn't kill him, then who did?

Hannibal Chicken: Who can say. Best thing for him, really. His development was going nowhere.

Hannibal Chicken: I ate his yolk with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

I went out to the barn the other day and found a broken egg with no sign of yolk anywhere. I thought it might have just been an accident.

Then the next day I found two, then three and now four.

There is a murderer loose in the coop. The chickens are quaking in fear. They are afraid to leave their nesting boxes and roosts.

Rumors and gossip are spreading like wildfire. They are turning on each other. Henrietta is begging to come in the house to sleep, she thinks her nest is next.

Just when I settled in for the night, the phone rang. There was heavy clucking on the other end.

Finally a voice says: "Are you close to catching somebody you think?"

Me (Crazy Farmer Lady) : Yes, well I think. I think one of the hens may be eating their own eggs. It's just a matter of time before I find out which one."

Hannibal Chicken: "You still wake up sometimes, don't you? You wake up in the dark and hear the clucking of the chickens?"

Crazy Farmer Lady: "Yes!" " Yes!"

Hannibal Chicken: And you think if you save poor Henrietta, you could make them stop, don't you? You think if Henrietta lives, you won't wake up in the dark ever again to that awful clucking of the chickens?"

Crazy Farmer Lady: I don't know. I don't know.

To be continued.........

A quick update...

2010-01-15T09:45:00.004-06:00

Boy have we been busy. Like everyone , we are trying to get back in a good routine after the holidays. That would be a heck of a lot easier if water pipes, duct work, and gas lines did not all burst, break or malfunction all at once.

Lexy the Chemist.

Apart from repairs, we have been going on several field trips. We were able to visit a Hyundai manufacturing plant. They had over 2,000 robots that we were able to see in action. It was awesome! Of course, we could not take pictures so you'll have to use your imagination for that one. We also visited the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness exhibit at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

http://www.artsbma.org/about-the-museum/newsroom/press-releases/538-life-liberty-press

It was outstanding! Again, no cameras allowed. The art on display was from the 1700-1800's .

Seeing paintings from the Revolutionary War and the founders of our country was inspiring. The children learned so much and left with a sense of pride and patriotism.

Then we headed to the McWane Science Center. http://www.mcwane.org/exhibits

We had a blast.

They were "transported" inside a game that let them play the drums, participate in a soccer game and play volleyball. I think this is the next generation's game system. So cool!

Visit a weather center and play with a green screen to report the weather.
Dig for fossils.

I really need this at home when the kids won't listen. A bed of nails. Bwa ha ha.

This booth replicated high wind speeds up to 90 mph.
This was a ball gadget course. Probably the boys favorite thing to watch.

Then, it was back to work. Stumps and more stumps. Can you see how massive the stumps and roots are? Some of them are as thick as the stumps themselves. I can not wait until they are gone and grass and flowers take their place. I'm tired of looking at them and digging them up.

I hope everyone had a good holiday season and are making progress with your goals for the new year.

Snapshots from Christmas

2009-12-29T09:17:00.003-06:00

We had a very quiet and simple Christmas. It was wonderful. Lex and I went to The Nutcracker as we do every year. Just us girls. It is something we look forward to every Christmas.

We were able to visit with family that drove down from Arkansas. They spoiled the kids and played a billion games of connect four with them. It was bliss.

We made a gingerbread house and so many sugar cookies that we could not eat them all.

I read The Nativity on Christmas Eve then we opened presents on Christmas morning and spent the day relaxing. It was so nice.

Lee's Christmas present to me was a huge pile of lumber and glass that he will turn into a beautiful greenhouse for me. He is so thoughtful and sweet. Or just really tired of me filling up every nook and cranny around the house with seedlings and pots.

Lets go with sweet.

Today, we are putting all the Christmas decorations away. I resisted the urge to do so the day after Christmas but I can no longer resist. It has to be put away today before my eye starts twitching. I need my house back to normal.

This is as close as we got to getting snow. A little frost that melted by 9:00 am. I'll take it though.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the time with your loved ones.

Goodbye...

2009-12-23T08:39:00.002-06:00

Butter died unexpectedly last night. Monday he was running around and doing well. Tuesday he was found on his side, unable to stand on his own. He ate a little but deteriorated quickly throughout the day. He lost functioning of his legs, then the ability to hold his head up. I never saw it coming. I am so sad and sick over this. I know it is a normal part of farm life but that does not make it any easier. I buried him this morning. I don't know if he even had a chance to breed the does. I guess we will find out in the spring. He was such a sweet buck. I will miss him.

Just so you don't think I'm exaggerating........

2009-12-10T18:41:00.002-06:00

Not too long ago, I went out to the orchard to take care of a little piece of mesh wire.

There was about 6" of wire sticking up out of the ground. It posed a hazard to our lawn mower and 4-wheeler, so I wanted to get it out of the ground real quick while I had an extra 5 minutes.

Well, 5 minutes turned into 3 hours. After 3 hours, I uncovered what you see above.

Yes, it was all underground. A small piece of mesh wire turned into a whole flippin landfill.

So you see, when I say trash and treasures are sprinkled all around our property like fairy dust............

I'm really not kidding.

Every time the shovel goes in the ground, another landfill is discovered and I down another bottle of Aleave.

Someone tell the junk fairy she is not welcome here and to go away. I've had my fill of her presents.

Thank you..

Eat Your Hearts Out, Ladies.

2009-12-03T19:46:00.003-06:00

My husband and I just celebrated our 14th Anniversary on the first of December. I can hardly believe we have been together that long. He is perfect for me. My best friend and the only person I can see myself old and senile with.

I look just like this baby when he holds me. At peace, restful, and maybe drooling a little.

I hope you can commit these pictures of him to memory because they are the only ones he would ever let me put up on the Internet. You could not imagine the amount of groveling and begging I had to do just for these two.

The first one shows his sweet side, the second his strong. Just the way I like him.

I am more in love with him today than ever.

Top Five and music from the Farmer

2009-11-24T10:28:00.013-06:00

Since this month marks our one year anniversary of moving to Alabama, I thought I would post the five most read stories of the year. Have a good laugh at my expense.

How To Have A Really Fun Sunday

I Need To Stay Away From Anything With Water In It

Gardening is Dangerous

No Respect

The Sky Is Falling

Just in case you have not seen it, enjoy the musical talent of the crazy farmer lady....

Morning On The Farm

One

2009-11-18T05:45:00.019-06:00

It has been one year this month since we moved from Alaska to Alabama. One year since we bought our house and completely changed the way we live. We went from living on an Air Force Base like sardines to wide open spaces and a house in the country. We have turned our land into a small hobby farm. We have a simple life filled with blessings. I am so thankful.

When we moved in , the house and land was a blank slate. There was no landscaping or plants at all.
We put in a 50 foot walkway with slate stepping stones and and framed it with gardenias, camellias, rosemary and various other plants.

We planted over 200 tulip and daffodil bulbs around the front of the house. We also put in hydrangeas, jasmine, wisteria, hibiscus, rosemary, crepe myrtles, columbine and various other perennials. Of course, it is fall now and everything is going dormant. I can't wait for spring. It will be so beautiful.

Above is where we put in a vegetable garden. There was quite a bit of clearing to get done before we could even till and plant.

The garden is about 50 x 50. In a few weeks we will fence the garden in and put a nice gate on the front. We will let the pigs in to till everything up and get the garden ready for me to plant in the spring.
We cut down 98 trees around the property. Many of the trees were in danger of falling on the house. The others were cleared to make room to put in a orchard and pasture. The above picture is what the orchard area looked like after cutting the trees down. We had so much clearing to do that it took almost 3 months.

This is after clearing. Grass has started to grow in where there was only moss.

We have planted 16 fruit trees and transplanted a magnolia tree.

My next project for this area is to put in a walkway and sitting area. I'm also thinking about putting in a small garden pond and fountain.

Above is what the pasture area looked like before we cut down the trees.

After we cut down the trees and had a barn installed.

This is now. The area has been cleared and we put up a fence. We still have a lot of stumps to deal with but they will be gone soon. I love how green everything has become.

We also picked up a few animals along the way.

All the hard work has been worth it. Our family has grown closer, we have all become stronger in many ways, and we are seeing the fruit of our labor. Our whole way of life has changed and I would not want it any other way. I am so thankful for our blessings.

Lum and Princess

2009-11-16T09:30:00.004-06:00

I have not posted for a while because we have been working our tails off. We have put up a fence, cleaned out and organized the barn, and cleared the pasture of dangerous weeds and "treasure" we keep finding all over the property.
Lee got me these two boot planters for my birthday. I fell in love with them. They look like a pair of worn boots. Specifically, Lee's old boots. Every time I look at them I think about him and smile. They frame the walk in gate nicely. We did all this work to get ready for.......

These big guys.

Lee went home to Arkansas to pick up these sweet horses from his dad. Meet Lum. He is a pure Missouri Fox Trotter. He is just beautiful and so loving. He melts me. He is named after Lum from the Lum and Abner comedy radio show. The show took place from 1932-1954 in a fictional town, Pine Ridge, Arkansas.

This is Princess. Princess is just a sweet and beautiful girl. Her name suits her well. She is 1/2 fox trotter and 1/2 mustang. She is pure sugar.

Both horses come right up to us every time we go in the pasture and expect to get lots of pats and neck rubs. They are spoiled already.
They are both such a welcome and long-wanted addition to our farm. Expect lots of pictures and tons of gushing over them for a while. They are worth every sore muscle and blister it took to get them here.

Let's Hear it for Bachelor Number Two!

2009-11-09T19:38:00.006-06:00

Meet our next bachelor, Butter. He likes going for long walks in tall green grass, head-butting on Friday nights, and loves beards on his does.

He is a young buck but prefers older does. Hopefully he will be well-received by our bacheloretts. They are hard to please and need a buck to that is able to hold his own.

Unlike

Our Last Bachelor

So far so good. Both girls acted like love-sick teenagers. They were flagging their tails, curling lips, nuzzling noses and May kept doing this thing with her tongue. Weirdo. I don't think she has put her tongue back in her mouth since Thursday.

I pray that all goes well and we will have babies (and especially milk) in the spring.

Let's hope our buck can perform under pressure.

Church

2009-11-07T20:51:00.002-06:00

There is a sign not too far away right off the highway that says; "Go to church, or the Devil will get you." I'm not sure that is the best route to take but it certainly does stick with you. What interesting church signs are in your area?

This can't be good.

2009-11-06T21:21:00.004-06:00

Lydia Brenner: Maybe we ought to leave.

Mitch Brenner: No, not now. Not while they're massing out there.

Lydia Brenner: When?

Mitch Brenner: We'll just see what happens.

Lydia Brenner: Where will we go?

Mitch Brenner: I don't know. We're safe here for the time being...

Lydia Brenner: What happens when you run out of wood?

Mitch Brenner: I don't know. We'll break up the furniture.

These birds are really freaking me out. They are congregating in a tree right behind my house. There were hundreds. I got them on video just as they were quieting down. I think I'll hole up in the house for a while. *shudder*

2009-11-05T19:07:00.003-06:00

Furious. Sickened. Praying.

Enjoy...

2009-11-04T20:27:00.006-06:00

The cute and cuddly kittens because they are the last.

They got spayed today. 5 cats are more than enough for the farm. We don't want any more "oops" moments. They are outside cats but must stay inside for several days so they can heal.
Sometimes good things come from accidents. We sure do love them.

Remind me of that at 2 in the morning when they won't stop meowing and jumping on my counters. They are already driving us nuts.

The sky is falling

2009-11-03T19:32:00.005-06:00

Once upon a time there was a very masculine chicken named Henrietta. One day, Henrietta was squawking by the side of the house and throwing a hissy fit because she could not get back under the porch to lay her eggs when something hit her on her head. She immediately started running and clucking wildly as if to yell, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"

Of course, all of her commotion got the attention of the other hens and they came running to see what was the matter. What could it be? Did a chunk of sky fall and crash to the earth? Is the world going to end? Everyone stared at the gaping hole in the earth and tried to figure out if they were doomed.

Henrietta clucked that first something went and stole all her eggs, then something covered up the hole she used to get under the house, she was hit in the head and now there is a massive crater in the earth. We're doomed! We're all going to die!

Run for your lives!

Or maybe the crazy farmer lady just dug up a magnolia tree and hit the shemale chicken in the head with a piece of dirt. It was purely accidental but then the crazy farmer lady hoped that maybe it would simmer the hysterical chicken down and convince her to go lay her eggs in the barn like a normal chicken.

It didn't.

Maybe I should rename her Chicken Little. Or Chicken Licken.

If she does not calm down, I'm gonna order some Zanex.

Henrietta the Questionable Hen.

2009-11-02T20:02:00.002-06:00

Meet, Henrietta.

Henrietta is a "special" hen. You see, for quite some time I did not know if Henrietta was a male or female. She has this giant rooster comb on the top of her head and a larger than normal wattles.

I thought she was a freak of nature. I kept referring to her as the "he/she" or the....well, you don't want to know what I called her. Especially if there are young children around. Suffice it to say that my husband said I was mean for calling her this name. But, come on!

This is my rooster. My big, domineering, tough rooster. And her head looks identical.

I was beginning to wonder if she/he would be of any use. Maybe it WAS and underdeveloped rooster. Or, maybe it was a hen that would give me lots of eggs. How was I to know??????

She was also the weird loner that always hung around the house apart from the other hens. Usually, I can pin hens down but this one? This one was tough. What? You say just look? Um. Well. No. Just can't do it. I'm not far enough in my farmer training. Sorry.

Just look at her compared to the other hens. She is the last one in the back. Even from there her comb and wattle sticks out like no ones business.

Freak.

Well, today my friends, I found out the truth. I now know what Henrietta is. I have proof.

I followed her, you see. Her hanging around the house was just a little too suspicious. She escaped under the house through a break in the trellis. She went under the porch and stayed for a while. After a few minutes, I became suspicious, so I followed her.

Yes, this claustrophobic farmer was so curious that she climbed on her hands and knees under the porch and house to find out what our precious Henrietta was up to. Well, after a few squawks, ten cobwebs wrapped around the top of the head and two squished spiders I found out what she was doing.

Laying eggs. That's what.

She made a nest under the porch and had deposited 15 eggs.

So, the mystery is solved. My freakish chicken is a hen.

I am so relieved. Not that she is a freak but that she is a hen.

I was so worried.

Don't you think that Henrietta is the perfect name for her?

I smile every time I say it.

Henrietta.

The He/She.

Just because I Love You.....

2009-11-01T19:28:00.002-06:00

I caught this hen laying an egg out in the barn today. Just because I love you all so much, I decided to grab my camera and get it on tape. I thought, "Hey, this will only take a minute." Um, no. It took this chicken over 20 minutes to lay the egg. I guess I thought it would be a lot quicker. She has decided to start laying on a shelf we are converting to nesting boxes. Not the other shelf with hay and privacy. Weirdo.

I wanted to grab my camera later on when I caught our rooster "gettin' friendly" with one the the hens but I was not fast enough.

Life is getting exciting round here.

Yes, the egg survived. Miraculously.

Next week, I have something big to show you! I'm so excited.

One of these things is not like the others..

2009-10-29T22:52:00.005-05:00

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Lassie

Old yeller

And yes, even Toto.

All extraordinary dogs.

Brave, faithful, loyal and smart.

They would not go on a savage killing spree.

This one? Weeeeeeeell..He is loyal. Sometimes Brave.

On a good day, faithful but smart? I'm starting to wonder.

This poor, confused, and backward dog from Alaska has no clue what he is doing. He had never seen a reptile in his whole 4 years in Alaska. No snake nor turtle nor frog nor lizard.

Then we moved to Alabama.

Sammy has been bringing us turtles since the spring. At first, he just brought them home and dropped them in the front yard, loosing interest quickly.

Read Turtles and Toads and Kids, Oh My!

Then he would chew on them for a moment and loose interest. We were able to get them and hide them in the woods again.

Now, he is eating them.

Yep. Eating them.

He gnaws on the side of the shell until it cracks and then eats the insides.

Not only eating them, but leaving the shells all over the place. He has a serious problem.

He wont touch his bones. Not his Nylabone or his Meat bones.

Isn't that a sign of addiction? Loosing interest in things once enjoyed. Upping the amount consumed each time.

He is not chasing deer and does not come when he is called. He is too focused on getting his next fix. He has already had 4 in the last few weeks. He is out of control.

I think we need an intervention.

Anyone have the Dog Whisperer's number?

Dont forget to check out the cooking contest.

2009-10-29T09:33:00.001-05:00

Click on the "cooking" link above if you want to do a cooking challenge with me. I am giving out a few prizes at the end.

: )

Stalking

2009-10-28T07:10:00.003-05:00

Ever feel like your being followed?

My chickens are obsessed with me.

They do this anytime I go outside.

They are worse than my children. I can not take one

step without one being underfoot.

Ouch!!

2009-10-26T06:00:00.003-05:00

Above are two eggs from the same chicken found on Saturday.

The egg on the left is clearly much larger than the one on the right.

Please ignore the ghost-pale coloring of my hand and arm.

I'm a freak of nature. Much like this egg.

As a mother, I can not help but feel sorry for this poor chicken. It must have been a difficult delivery. All I keep thinking is; Wow, that had to hurt.

The bottom of the egg was really weird. All wrinkly and deformed.

Turns out it was a double yolker. How cool is that?

Even though it was freakish and weird, it tasted wonderful.

I am really loving the fresh eggs.

Excuse me while I go compare birth stories with my hen.

What do you see through your window?

2009-10-23T06:34:00.003-05:00

Let's just take this in, shall we?

I'm not sure what to point out first. The obscene amount of laziness going on with the farm animals, how funny it is that chickens are constantly on my back porch or the fact that they are all getting along so well.

Let's go with laziness. Why do I even have these animals? The dogs have stopped chasing deer away, the cats huddle at the door and attack me every time I walk out, and the chickens are starting to believe they are cats. The chickens have started hanging out on the back porch, stealing cat food, and I think I heard one "meow" instead of "cluck".

The world does not make sense anymore.

Things are out of control.

My Endless love

2009-10-22T10:05:00.001-05:00

From the moment I saw you, my heart quickened.

My palms got sweaty, my mouth dry, I could not speak.

I knew we were meant to be. A perfect match. Nothing could stop us.

Not hair ball, socks, or the millions of pennies the children throw all over the house like fairy dust.

Your suction power makes me quiver. How clean you make my house.

Oh, how I love you so.

Moving

2009-10-21T09:28:00.005-05:00

Soon, I will be moving my blog over to Wordpress. I have more flexibility over there with the blog and can do a little bit more. I will continue to post here until everything is ready and then let you all know when I am "moved in" Just wanted to give you a heads up. Until then, the posts for the different sections will be updated at the top of the page where it says "links to other sections" That is one thing I don't like, if I update homeschooling then it does not show up that I have written a new post. Over at Wordpress, it will be less confusing and easier to read. I'll keep you updated.

If you'd like to take a peek at the new site while I'm working on it, go to http://goingcountry.wordpress.com/

Time is running out

2009-10-21T08:47:00.002-05:00

Or at least it feels like it is.
Moments like this make me appreciate the kids and it makes me want to slow down to enjoy them.

Until they start fighting about who's taller and faster and smarter. Then the countdown to flying out of the nest starts again.

The most beautiful egg I have ever seen.

2009-10-10T12:37:00.017-05:00

Brandon found this egg in the barn this morning. This is our first farm-fresh chicken egg.

We raised our chickens since they were a few days old.

(Click below for the story)

So I broke down

We loved and protected and primped them.

(Why a guy in a mullet? Click below to find out)

Primping Chickens

We even put up with their ungrateful behavior and plots against us.

(This is what I get for taking care of my chicks)

No Respect

And now, finally, we are seeing the fruits of our labor. One beautiful, brown, perfect, egg.

It had a nice hard shell (signifying the chickens good health)

A tall, stiff, and creamy yolk.

It was so yummy.

Well worth all the trouble the divas put me through.

Now, you'll have to excuse me. I'm going to go give them a hug.

2009-10-08T08:55:00.002-05:00

I really missed all these guys while I was gone.

I think all but the goats doubled in size in 3 weeks.

It is so nice to be home.

I had to include my favorite song. Enjoy!

To start your day off with a laugh...

2009-10-07T08:40:00.003-05:00

This is hilarious.

http://www.uncommondescent.com/audios/sc hool_message.mp3

Love and Sushi

2009-10-03T07:35:00.010-05:00

Disclaimer: This is not really a recipe for sushi, more like the process I use. If anyone is interested, I can post this as a recipe in the cooking section. Just let me know.

I love sushi for many reasons. One is that it reminds me of Dad. He learned how to make sushi from a Japanese Chef when I was around 7-8 years old. He made it for many special occasions and it was always an impressive and beautiful presentation. He made sushi when it was not "in" and many people had no idea what I was talking about when I told them I had sushi for dinner.

But the reason I really love sushi is because it reminds me of my husband. We met in Japan. I had just graduated high school and he had only been in the Air Force for 2 years. I was living at Yokota, he was stationed at Okinawa but was TDY to Yokota for just a little while. Very soon after we met we knew, we wanted to get married. I know it sounds corny, but I just knew he was the only one I would spend the rest of my life with. We were deeply connected from the beginning. Everything went very fast. So fast that everyone said our marriage would not last. We were engaged after two weeks and married after 6 months. Statistically, they should have been right. We were young and had everything going against us. After we became engaged, he had to go back to the island and I did not see him for 6 months. During that separation, I moved to Arkansas to wait for him to come home so we could get married. He came home for one month, during which time we were married, spent a short amount of time together, and he went back to Okinawa to finish his overseas tour....for 9 more months. So, that is 6 weeks out of the first 15 months we actually spent time together. Our phone bills were ridiculous. Well, it is 14 years later and I am crazier about him than I have ever been. He is my best friend and the most wonderful man. I am lucky to have him. We have a lot of fond memories of Japan and plan to go back for one of our anniversaries.

The reason I made sushi tonight was because my children are studying about ancient Japan in school right now. I have been trying to make cuisine from each country we are studying. This was just a very simple sushi dinner. Just to give the kids an idea. It would have taken me at least 3/4 of a whole day to make a proper Japanese dinner. I'm sure my dad is looking at my pictures thinking "Oh, no, what did she do?" Sorry, Dad. I promise to make a proper meal soon. Or, maybe I can convince him to come visit and make it for me. Yes, that sounds so much better. Then, I could sit on the couch and eat chocolate and read a book.

Can I just say, there is a difference between Sushi and Sashimi? Well, there is. Anytime I say the word sushi, people say, "Oh, yuck! I could never eat raw fish." Well, Sushi may or may not have raw fish. Here is the definition of :

Sushi-n.

Cold cooked rice dressed with vinegar that is shaped into bite-sized pieces and topped with raw or cooked fish, or formed into a roll with fish, egg, or vegetables and wrapped in seaweed.

Sashimi-n.

A Japanese dish consisting of very thin bite-size slices of fresh raw fish, traditionally served with soy sauce and wasabi.

So, you see, sushi may or may not have raw fish but sashimi is all raw fish. Get it?

For the record, I love Sashimi too.

Here is the cast of characters. Oooh, did you hear that? I sound like PW. That makes me imagine I have lots of cattle, horses and cowboys running around my property. And, a fancy lodge with lots of friends and a huge gourmet kitchen with a fully stocked pantry. Hmmm. I think I will get Lee some Chaps. Yes, that will do nicely. I don't need the rest of that stuff. Just him in some wranglers and chaps.

Sorry, I get a little carried away.....To make my very simplified version of sushi I just cut up some veggies into thin strips. I had red and yellow bell peppers, avocado, cucumber (seedless is best), green onion and shrimp. I bought a few packs of roasted seaweed, Wasabi paste, pickled ginger and soy sauce. Do yourself a favor and go around for a whole day saying Wahsawbeee (wasabi) it is fun and will thoroughly confuse those around you.

Japanese writing is beautiful. There is a whole art form using different forms of Asian writing called Sumi-e. It is beautiful. This also reminds me of people who get tattoos of their name in Kanji. You know the tattoo artist is like, this guy wants his name in Kanji on his arm but I am really going to write fish head or kick me instead. It will be hilarious and he will never know. Wash your veggies and then cut them in super-thin strips.

I cut off the ends of the peppers and cucumbers, dice them and make a vinegary salad out of them. You can throw in onion, octopus, shrimp etc.. in there as well.
Just dice it all up, add a few tablespoons of rice vinegar and a few tablespoons of sugar. Less if you don't like it very sweet. Let it sit for 30 minutes, drain the liquid and serve.

This is a bamboo mat used to make the sushi rolls.
Place your seaweed, shiny side down on the mat.
Add a layer of sticky rice on the edge closest to you.

Add whatever combination of veggies/seafood that tickles your fancy. The next part, I forgot this time because it has been so long since I have made sushi. You need to add another thin layer of rice on top of the veggies. That is why mine came out kind of lopsided with the veggies on one side and rice on the other.

Then, roll up the mat 1/4 turn at a time pulling the roll back toward you and squeezing the roll gently to firm up the roll.

When you are almost to the end of the roll, dab your finger in a little water and spread it across the end of the roll to "glue" the end to the roll. This will ensure your roll stays put and does not fall out all over the floor. The roll should be nice and tight, like this.

Continue to fill with whatever fillings you like and roll until your hearts content.

Once you have all your rolls done, you need to cut each roll into about 1-2 inch slices. You will need a very sharp knife and every other cut or so you'll need to wipe the knife with a cloth that is damp with a little warm water. This will prevent the sticky rice from sticking to your knife, making it impossible to cut.
Before you know it, you have a colorful platter of sushi rolls.

Um, no son, we do not stab and mutilate the sushi. Even if it looks like it would be a lot of fun.
He is doing a pretty good job learning how to use the chopsticks. And, yes, he does often eat w/o his shirt off. In fact, it is hard to keep clothes on the boy. Remember when I said the boys often run around in their underwear? What can I say? We moved from Alaska to Alabama. The boy is hot.

Lex is doing a pretty good job too.

The youngest boy, not so much. He stabbed, poked and flung his way around at first.
Then I modified his chopsticks to help him out a bit.

I wrapped a rubber band around the end of the chopsticks and then placed a folded piece of paper just under the rubber band between the chopsticks. This makes chopstick tweezers that make it super easy to learn to use them. All they have to do is hold the chopsticks in their hand and pinch their food.
Like this.
Success! His confidence level went up about a bazillion points.
So much so that he had to stare at his reflection in the mirror while he was eating and would not look at me so that I could get a decent picture.

Um, son? Hello? Look at me.
The kids had fun eating sushi, listening to their Mom get mushy about their Dad, and figuring out how to eat with chopsticks without flinging food across the room. You'll have to excuse me now, I need to go start planning an elaborate trip to Japan which won't take place for 11 more years.

Last Stop.....Family

2009-10-01T10:48:00.008-05:00

It is not often I have the opportunity to see my Dad and Cathy. I was so thankful we were able to work a stop in Colorado into our trip. The kids just love seeing their grandparents and spending time with them. My Dad has always been kind of cool. He rides motorcycles, grows his hair long, knows more about botany and music than anyone I know, and is such a hard worker. Now that he is retired he has more time to really enjoy himself. Cathy is the sweetest woman I have ever met. She is very smart and kind and really knows how to keep my Dad in line. (Just kidding, Dad, kind of)

We went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo together http://www.cmzoo.org/ and had a great time. We went on the sky ride first. What a beautiful view! When we reached the top, the zoo had astronomy stations set up with telescopes so that we could see the sun and sunspots through special filters. It was really neat. Until Cody was, well, Cody and decided to adjust the focus on a telescope when I was taking a picture. Sigh... He makes me sigh a lot. Well, at least they were able to fix it pretty easy.

On the way back down, we got a really nice view of the giraffe enclosure. This zoo has the largest giraffe herd in the nation. You even get to feed them!The kids were even able to pet them. They are so soft! My Dad took me to this same zoo when I was around 10. Even then my favorite part was feeding the giraffes.

Look at this beautiful animal. Giraffes are my most favorite zoo animal. I just think they are beautiful and sweet. Just look at those eyes!

Cody was trying very hard to feed them without getting his hands covered with sticky giraffe spit. I'm glad we had a lot of Germ-X on hand. Get it? On hand? I know...I need a life.

They had the usual animals..

These grizzly bears were play fighting and got pretty aggressive. So neat to watch.

These fish were in with the bears so they could hunt whenever they chose.

Lexy is always so brave. That is a millipede she is caressing. I get the

heebe-jeebies just looking at this.

We successfully wore Cody out.

I did not think that was possible.

We had such a nice visit and can't wait to see them again.

Bears fighting

I had my camera turned the wrong way for this video, so you may have to tilt your head to the left and use your imagination. Sorry. My software can not turn the video for me.

A post of epic proportions.

2009-09-26T09:48:00.007-05:00

Our third stop was in Washington state. We stayed with our very dear friends for just over a week. We just love this family. We really *need* to live closer to each other. I do not know how we will make it happen but I'm working on it. Each of our children are the same ages, have similar personalities and are all very close friends. We really need to live next door to each other. My friend is an inspiration. She is an awesome home school teacher, the sweetest and most loving mom, and such a caring and wonderful friend. I miss them already...

Such Sweetness.

We had such a good time at their house. My friend often does things for her children they do not expect. Special treats or surprises. This time, she bought whip cream and pie plates and let the children have a "Pie Fight" in her back yard. We did a lot of fun things while there but I think this was the kids favorite. They had such a blast. She makes me want to be a more fun and relaxed mom. I just love her. We went to the Pacific Science Center http://www.pacsci.org/ and had a blast. There were many floors to explore and a lot of hands on activities for the kids.

There was a beautiful butterfly garden.

This honey bee hive was located inside but the bees had an outside access. It was so neat! You could hear them buzzing and vibrating while they worked.

We were able to visit a few touch tanks that had sea stars, starfish, anemones and crabs.

Lexy's "souvenir" from the Science Center was a sucker that had a scorpion inside.

She actually ate the scorpion. She is a lot more adventurous than I. Or just crazy. Yeah, I'll go with crazy.

We visited the zoo and had a great time. The kiddos favorite part was going in the Budgie Buddies exhibit. They were able to feed the birds and had many land on them.

We also went to the beach near my friend's mothers house. The kids loved exploring and playing. Cody had fun playing with the bucket and shovel until he broke both. Add those to the list of things I have to replace because of his...Ummmmm... curiosity.

We had such a great time. We will really miss our dear friends and can not wait until we can see them again.

4 Stone-Faced Men and Claustrophobia.

2009-09-25T07:16:00.009-05:00

Our next stop was South Dakota, where I traumatized a waitress and made her cry. But we won't talk about that. Except to say that there is no good way to say that that the salad is rotten, the lemonade was unpalatable, an eight dollar steak and cheese sandwich should be served warm and on bread bigger than a small hot dog bun (and without gnats flying around it), and a five dollar kids meal should include more than 1/2 a grilled cheese sandwich and a tablespoon of applesauce served in a dressing cup. I told the young lady that she was very sweet and did not do anything wrong but the food was unacceptable. I guess there is no good way to say that to a young teenage girl without her taking it personally and hiding in the back to cry.

Anywhooooooooo...........

We went to the Washington Memorial on our way to Alaska 5 years ago but the kids did not really remember so we went again. The last time we went, parking was easy, there were no crowds and I escaped with my sanity. None of those things happened this time. They put in a multi-level parking garage and charge $10.00 per car BUT does not accept debit or credit cards.......That would have been nice to know. Also, the lanes were confusing and I ended up in the tour bus lane on the top level at a pedestrian crossing with one million people crossing and not letting me through. I think this was the first time I was grumpy before I even got out of the car.

After we got away from the crowd we enjoyed exploring and talking about the monument, the presidents, and the process used to make the sculptures.

Mom, please take the picture already, the sun is burning a hole our eyeballs.

We also visited the Beautiful Rushmore Cave http://www.beautifulrushmorecave.com/which brought about several episodes of claustrophobia. The last time I was in a cave it was the Carlsbad Caverns which are pretty large and airy. The Beautiful Rushmore Cave was not large and airy but it was really neat, you know, when I was not imagining getting stuck.

This hole replicates the opening of one of the entrances. No, we did not take this tour. If we did, I am certain that I would not be alive. I would have died of a panic attack.

This is one of the entrances that we did go through. You had to turn sideways and duck your head. Yikes!

Once inside we had a wonderful time. There were so many neat formations and minerals that had the most beautiful colors.

Kind of looks like fried eggs.

Another hole to squeeze through.

Stalactites are formations that hang down from the ceiling.

Stalagmites are formations that build up from the ground. When both are connected, they form a column.

This was the original opening. When they first discovered the cave, they had to put a tree down the hole and climb down the tree. Later, they used a ladder then eventually blew a hole in the side of the mountain to gain easier access.

Our guide's name was Fred. He is the coolest tour guide I have ever had. He told jokes and was very entertaining. He made my kids laugh. Anyone that makes them laugh is pretty cool in my book.

Look at those big brown eyes. He just makes me melt.

We had such a good time.