And Now...........Kittens

Well, I'm off to a large home school expo. I will attend workshops, conferences and refrain from buying every book I see. This is one of the rare times I actually want to leave my house. I will be by myself all. day. long. Well, apart from the other 3,000 people there but you know what I mean. I can not even remember the last time that happened.

The kids were getting tired of me. They wanted to kick me out for a while and this seemed like a reasonable route. Clever little things.

I wont be posting very much this weekend so while I'm gone enjoy these pictures of the kittens.

I'm sure I'll have some interesting story about how I stuck my foot in my mouth or completely embarrassed myself at the Expo but until then, this will have to do.

The kittens are getting big and playful. They have found their way up from the barn to the porch. They love playing with shoes and attacking anything that moves. Usually my feet.

They are attracted to my honey's shoes like catnip.

And what have you been up to?

Um...Nothin' much.

Juss' workin' outside until I stink like a dadgum pig. Or a goat. I don't know which yet. After a few hours, it don't matter much no way.

Sorry. I am writing this way to needle my very good friend who said I was gaining a southern accent. I had to tell her I was hiding it all along. The person she met was a total fake. I am such a fraud. All this time she thought I was a high falootin artsy-fartsy teacher. I can not live with the lie any longer........

I'm sorry. We all know I'm just a wanna-be country girl. A displaced Yankee. Will you still love me Jamie?

Got carried away again. I spent too much time with the goats and chickens today. I was talking to them. We had a real good conversation. Bonded. We relate you know, on so many levels.

Anywhoooo....

This is what I have been up to today:

Imagine...There are beautiful flowers growing under this tree...Not.

I discovered 10 tons of river rock under a tree in the back yard so I filled in all the spots that needed it in the front walkway then I put some around a few trees in the front yard. I also had some left over slate so I used that as well. It is hard to grow flowers under the trees, so I put in a few hostas, pots, and decorative rock.

I'm sure your wondering how I could not know we had so much rock back there. Well, because it was buried under dirt/sand until our lovely dog started digging, revealing the treasure.

I love my dog. Sometimes. Only when he is keeping the deer out of my garden. Which he is not at the moment so I really don't know how I feel. We have a love/hate relationship.

I love the rock. I hate his lazy little hiney. I mean, how spoiled do you have to be not to chase deer off? Really?

And this is the other tree.

I pestered my piggies to pose for me. This one was happy to oblige me. Isn't she beautiful?

I know, lots of people think pigs are ugly, dirty, and smelly. But, I just love mine. I think they are sweet and smart and beautiful. Don't tell my husband but I named this one Miss. Piggy. He did not want me to name them but I secretly call her name. She loves it. She is a little piggy diva who loves to have her picture taken. And have her nose rubbed.

I'm ready for my close up Mr. Deville

Oh, don't be shy.

I picked several veggies from the garden. Zucchini, tomatoes, beans, squash, jalapenos, and okra. Yummy!

Don't you just love the bucket? My honey gave it to me. I keep it by the garden just to pick veggies. It makes me feel special.

Here is the rock border Lex and I made for the Veggie Garden. This is the rock that was left over from the fireplace, sprinkled all over the property like fairy dust. We loaded up each rock and had enough to line 3 sides of the garden. (almost 50x50) Who says I don't recycle?

I checked on my beans I planted last week. Aren't they just the most beautiful sprouts you have ever seen? I mean, really? I love watching plants grow from seed. It is like watching a birth. But without all the gross stuff and just the beauty of it all. The sprout rises, the seed splits, the plant bursts out of the shell and makes its way into the world.

Beautiful.

Just like a clean slate. A fresh start. New beginnings.

We could all use that.

I weeded the garden. I won't even show you the before pictures. It is too embarrassing. They were as high as my nose and clung on for dear life.

This is the very manly, high powered, far-reaching sprinkler tripod my husband made for me. Can't you just hear the man-grunts? I love my honey. Now I don't have to stand by the garden for 30 minutes hand watering each plant. He is so thoughtful.

Do you see something wrong with this picture?

The tomatoes perhaps?

Hmmmmmmmm.

What could it be?

Maybe my lazy, no good, spoiled rotten dogs are not doing their job?

Yes, that is it.

The deer have eaten the tops off of all my tomato plants.

And then stepped on them.

They are taunting me.

As if the fruit tree's were not enough, now they are going after my precious tomatoes.

Well, I get the last laugh.

You see, deer season is coming up.

My husband is an excellent hunter.

We will have deer in the freezer and out of the garden.

Ha.

(insert evil maniacal laughter here)

I caught my pumpkin on the swing with her ipod enjoying the sunshine peeking out from behind the rain clouds. Oh to be 12 again.

Peaceful.

Carefree.

Happy.

Just another day on the farm.

You thought I was joking about the Emu bones

I apologize for the following post. It is ugly. It is disturbing. It offends the eye. Not pleasantly aesthetic in the least.

I have mentioned a few times the curious things we find around the property. Like in my recent post, Digging Up Bones

Well, this past weekend we loaded up all our "finds" and removed them. I was astounded at all the treasure we found.

We find emu bones just like this all over the property.

Plus, hair. *shudder*

Don't ask me why the boy has one sock pulled way up and one that is not even visible.

I'm sure I don't want to know. Socks are a touchy subject round here.

Since moving in , we have found two trailer loads worth of junk. One load was removed by a man who recycles junk for a living. (Free to us) The other load was full of lovely things like you see here.

Old fence and some kind of electric insulation.

PVC pipe.

Satellite dishes, truck windows, various car parts and lots of rusty old fence.

Various cords and unidentifiable objects. Bags and bags of used propane bottles and trash.

My husband told me what this was but my eyes kind of glazed over and I don't exactly recall. Something about a high pressure jack or something to that effect.

Lots of pipes concreted into the ground. My He-Man husband took a sledge to the concrete and blasted it to smithereens. Then we told the children to pick up all the pieces while we sipped iced tea.

Just teasing.

Maybe.

We filled up the trailer and got all the junk out of our eyesight. What a wonderful feeling that was. We are keeping some of the items to re-use. The PVC will come in handy with our irrigation projects. There was also a large pile of rock left over from our fireplace that someone decided to sprinkle all over the property like fairy dust. My daughter and I used those to put a pretty edge on our vegetable garden. Plus, we found a ton of river rock in the back that I am going to load up and put in our front walkway.

We are slowly getting the property cleaned up and headed in the right direction, one drop of sweat at a time.

Free Range.

Well, the divas were let loose last week to test out if they could be free-range. During the day at least. I do lock them up at night in the barn and let them out in the morning. There are way too many predators around here to just leave the barn door open.

I was a little worried that they would not go back in the barn when the sun was setting but they did a wonderful job. When they are out, the dogs have to be on their tie-outs so I have been trying to come up with a schedule that is fair to all animals. For now, they alternate days. That is until we have the dogs better trained to protect and not eat the chickens.

They have been eating bugs, scratching the ground and fertilizing all over the place. I am a happy camper. Hopefully they will be happy hens that will start laying soon and the others will fatten up for the freezer.

Wordless

Cheap Romantic

The kids surprised Lee and I last night with their "restaurant" called Cheap Romantic.

Oh my, they are too cute. They set up a table on the front porch with a tablecloth, flowers, candles and condiments. They even rolled up the silverware in napkins and made....

Coasters

A full menu

They even played music for us. An old Dixie Chick CD.

Nothing says romantic like hearing Goodbye Earl.

Earl had to die
Goodbye earl
Those black-eyed peas
They tasted all right to me earl
You're feeling weak
Why don't you lay down
And sleep earl
Aint it dark
Wrapped up in that tarp earl

Made me feel all gooey and sentimental.

They each dressed up and had their own waiter towels.

They took our orders for drinks, appetizers, then for our main meal.

Even wine glasses...but filled with water, of course.

Every time they would bring out our order in would be in this tray. They brought out the chair each and every time with the tray to set it down and serve us. (Me thinks they have been to Olive Garden too often)

They made a wonderful pasta and salad. They put a lot of effort into serving us. It was just the sweetest thing ever. It really did relax us and made us appreciate these fantastic kiddos even more. They hi-fived each other when their Dad and I were hugging and dancing.

This little guy missed the excitement due to a nap, so this morning he made a restaurant for me. He called it Fun Deals. Each dish on his menu started with the word fun.

He made me 4 pieces of fun buttered toast and fun hot green tea.

The kids all just melt my heart.

Until the older two wiggled their way in Cody's restaurant this morning and started ordering things left and right like a bunch of freaks. Like, all Cody's money, his hat, chocolate, sugar, and if they could eat the house and my chickens...things just got out of hand from there.

I love my kiddos.

Something Deadly This Way Comes......

This is another one of those posts that you absolutely should NOT read if you are:

A. Squeamish.

B. Don't like to see blood.

C. Have a weak stomach.

So, this would be a good time to go to The Pioneer Woman's Site and enter a contest.

Or

Paint a picture

Or

Come clean my house and do all my laundry.

Just kidding....

Wait, no, I'm really not.

Okay, if you insist on scrolling down, go right ahead.

Don't say I did not warn you.

Last chance to scrub my floors.

Anyone? Anyone?

*crickets*

Okay, fine.

This sweet pumpkin saved me and my middle boy from certain death this evening.

She has the eyes of a hawk and instinct of a mama grizzly bear.

She spotted something odd by the garden.

A strange pattern that did not fit in well. She looked again and realized it was a snake.

Not just any snake. A copperhead. Her brother was about to jump over it and she quickly warned him to stay back and told him where to go so he would not be in danger. I heard her yelling and came to see what was going on and she flung her arms up in front of me so I could not take another step and ordered me to be still. She pointed the snake out patiently while I repeatedly said "Where? Where? I don't see it." This was right at dusk you see and my eyes don't work as well as they use to. Finally, I saw it and got the heebe jeebies, the willies, and chills.

I. do. not. like. snakes.

I do not like snakes Sam I am, I could not would not in some jam, not in a pan fried with Pam.

Not on a tram or.....Ooops, got a little carried away.

Anyhoo----I screamed like a little girl and yelled for my husband. My daughter told him there was a snake. He asked if he needed his gun. I yell back, "Yes, No, I don't know, Yes." Clear as mud, right?

He brought his gun and shot it. Then shot it again. Once more for good measure.

It was still alive and capable of striking so....

My brave, wonderful, and very handsome husband..

Chopped its head off with a hoe.

He tossed the head out in the woods and fed the rest to......................

The pigs.

My daughter and husband are my heroes.

Without them, I would be dead.