By-the-Way. . .

Did I mention that I hate cows?  All bovidae. . .

The only good one is on my plate.

Was just hooked by a cow that wasn't even mine.

On my own property.

Poor starved down thing.

She was on the muscle as well as the lam.

At least she didn't have horns.

Was trying to unload feed into my own barn.

I couldn't get out of the way.

At least it was a hit and run.

Full on in the chest/abdomen.

Pitched me into the side of the truck.

Maybe being fat is a good thing?

Wonder how sore I am going to be later?

My dogs may be worthless but they ran her
scrawny behind away, off my place.

Updated. . .

About 10:30, after sitting still for a little bit. . .  I discovered that it was worse than I thought.  The massage and adjustment I'd gotten yesterday was slightly undone.  So to Lufkin I did go.

It is better to laugh than be mad but it makes me think of the Chris Ledoux song, The Bull Rider.

The Bull RiderI was sittin' in a bar-room one rainy afternoon
... Tellin' stories about rodeo and listening to a tune
Rodeo starts tomorrow in this one horse town
So Bill took our names and put our entries down


I went to the office the next day to see
What bareback horse I had and pay me fees
I looked on the list but my name wasn't found
I thought Bill might have forgot to put me down


I looked on the board and I happened to find
My name was on another list I was in the bull ridin'
My knees began to knock and my face began to sweat
And I heaved and gagged on the rodeo office steps


Well I may be a fool but a coward I'm not
So I borrowed a bull rope with a bell in the knot
I walked in the arena with them other bull ridin' fools
And walked down to the chutes and found my bull


Then I put my rope in the middle of his back
And had some cowboy pull out the slack
And then I wrapped the tail around my hand and back and said
"Boy's open the gate, just a little bitty crack"


Well the bull hit the gate with his head
And I could see over his hump that his eyes was red
He bailed out of there with a big snort and beller
And something inside of me told me I was yeller


Well the dust and hairs and flies from off his hump
It whisk to my nose as he made another jump
And the stink of it all was more than I could stand
So I jerked my wrap and opened my hand


Well he jumped in the air and made one more turn
And as the rope slid through my hand it sure did burn
He flang me down in a great big heap
And right in the middle of me he did leap


With his feet on my belly standin' in place
That dirty old bull blew snot in my face
So them damned old bulls
You can run 'em in a chute


And put your ropes on them big galoots
But the closest you're gonna find me
To their stinkin' hair
Is to help some other fool get flung in the air


Boy, next time I see Bill
I'm gonna break his dang neck
Enter me in the bull ridin'
Shoot I think I'll enter him in the barrel racing

Chris Ledoux

Thanks D.G.

I needed to see that this morning.

Of Mice & Men & the Lowly Ant

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A WOMAN.

Recently, I have started Project Property Cleanse.  I am feeling tons better and am ready to get on with life.  The cooler temperatures we’ve had lately didn’t help me either in wanting to get out and get started on the land My Better Half inherited. His grandparents have resided here for over sixty years operating a side business of hay baling and tree planting in the process.  Nothing against them, but if we are going to live here the rest of our lives, lets make it how we (I) want/prefer while we can, right?  There is lots of work and fence building/repair to do.

I actually started working when the days were pretty hot but would work early in the mornings and only until I couldn't stand it anymore, then I found an inside project.

Here is some of what I am dealing with:

Defunct cow pens.

Part of old hog pens that is adjacent to the cattle pens.

Some hog pen wire that My Better Half pushed up with dozer when requested to do so.  They were rather large pens.

What is left of the old hog pens.

These pens have not been in long term use in quite some time.  The last time the cattle pens were used, portable panels had to be brought in to reinforce the fences as a certain few decided to jump through the northern side of the fence.

Clutter around the place.

The first stack of stuff I have come up with.  Lots more to go.

The second stack I started up.

Watch it grow!

The employ of nature's weed eater.

My Better Half asked me how I was going to haul it.  I told him in the cow trailer, just give me some time, a few kind words, and watch me.  He had decided that we wouldn't be able to haul any of this stuff off until we repaired our flatbed trailer as we would need a trailer with sides.  That wasn't going to work as I was on a roll.  We've all heard the story of the Little Engine That Could and the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper preparing for winter. 

A little time and a few kind words later. . . (Yes, I employed the help of the tractor on some things.  And I slave drove children while I was at it.)  We may be little, but we are MIGHTY!!!!!!!!!!!  (Might Mouse!!)

(No, I haven't finished working on redoing the trailer.  The weather hasn't exactly co-operated.  Too windy, too cold, too wet, too hot. .  . take your pick.) 

Anyway, I took the load to be recycled this morning.  It weighed more than I thought I would.  It was a little less than 4,000 pounds and 96 of that was copper I was paid for.  However, lesson learned. . . A new state rule; any communications wire must be accompanied by a letter stating as to where the wire came from.  Huh?  So the communications wire I had (a bunch of) went back on the truck as did about a half dozen old tires still on old rims. .  . They don't want the rubber, just the metal.  Gotta fix that.  Pretty lucrative day for a housewife.

(I only got one pile and part of the other before going to town.  I felt it was already a big enough load to ask somebody to pull out of my trailer.  Lots more stuff to go. . . )

Life is a Drag. . . . For now.

Its the same old ho-hum. .  . .

Blazing hot temperatures.

No rain.

Routine grind.

Nursing locked up muscles.

Changes a comin' though.

School starts Monday.

I will be lost.

Trouble Makers

Remember the mountain lion story that turned out to be a bird?  I could not for the life of me figure out what this bird was so I took pictures and sent them in to the Cornell school of Orinthology.  I was pleasantly surprised that they got back to me and were able to answer as to what bird it was.  It is called a green heron and they are very common. 

That is funny because I don't recollect ever seeing or hearing one.  But they are pretty cool looking.  The pictures I was able to get were of hatchlings that were emerging from the nest.  They were very skittish so I wasn't able to get close enough to get just really good pictures with my old rinky-dink camera.  Though they were enough to help identify the birds, I found a better picture of an adult to share with you.

A Surprise Meeting

While out and about on Friday, I got to meet a little girl by the name of Bambi.  She is quite inquisitive and friendly.  She is also very willing gives kisses, but no hugs. 

Checking the camera out.

Enjoying a chin scratching.

Latest Creation From LEGO Land

This long hot summer is just dragging on and on.  They say there is no end in sight of the dry weather and extremely high temperatures.  We have seen some amazing things as a result.  Brother, on the other hand, cannot and won't be deterred from his creativity and engineering activities. 

After growing bored with his log truck/trailer, he built a complete dumptruck but his mother was a bit absent minded at the time and failed to get pictures of it.  The dumptruck went the way of the junkyard as all vehicles eventually go.  From the wreckage a new rig has emerged. .  . a pipeliner's mechanic rig, complete with crane.

Changing a tire.

Compressor

Front

Engine

Crane in action.

Loaded up and ready to move.

Spare parts box.

Tool Box

Summertime Fun

For a while, I was the victim. . .  then, poor Miss Johnnie had to put up with them.

She was a pretty good sport even though the look on her face said differently at times.  Putting up with house monkeys endears her to me all the more.

Oh, the things she puts up with.  Thing 1 and Thing 2.  Pretending to be Native American or Hippies?

I have yet to figure out what this face is.

Packing the crazy ones around.

Having to think about putting up with them.

Roving around.



Redneck Swimming Club

They, Sister and Brother, may have given up on ever getting a pool. . . . so they opted for the second next best thing. . .  a water trough set up in the shade of the house and a couple of oak trees.

Hey, have you happened to see the most beautiful girl?

(07/24/2011)

Funky white boy!

(07/24/2011)

(07/24/2011)

Water fight with cattle syringes?

(07/24/2011)

What Could Be My New Ride

While in the city, today, I saw the truck I want next.  It might get better fuel mileage than my 2011?

(07/18/2011)

Who ever it belonged to, obviously didn't just chunk it together.  However, it is very odd as it is an Isuzu tractor with a Chevy (ooops!  Its a Dodge) bed/rear end.  Nice paint job, though.  Isuzu was put on the tailgate.

But you can bet that I get this 2011 paid off, I won't be getting anything else for a while.

What is This?

Can you see it?  Gliding through the air?  Slipping, sliding.  Falling down?



(07/14/2011)

If you could combine the three of these you could see what Brother I were privy to see.  A complete rainbow.  I couldn't get far enough away from it.  And, amazingly, there were four rainbows altogether.  You can't see them in the pictures but they were there.  There was a faint one closer to us but there were two more stacked just underneath the prettiest one.

(07/14/2011)

(07/14/2011)

(07/14/2011)

State Visitors

Of late, due to the drought, we have been seeing more and more birds coming up to scratch through horse manure and steal chicken feed.  So we have taken to feeding the dear little souls.  You can't help but feel for them, so we were feeding them.



(07/12/2011)

(07/12/2011)

Some weren't too happy with the woman at the window. 

(07/13/2011)

See?

(07/13/2011)

(07/12/2011)

(07/12/2011)

(07/13/2011)

These lovely visitors have graced us with their beauty as well.

(07/14/2011)



Evenutally, another visitor started coming around.  He is called Sneaky Squirrel.

(07/14/2011)



(07/14/2011)

(07/15/2011)



(07/15/2011)



And while we are on the topic of droughts and with the recent event of wildfire in the area, I have incorporated the help of the following creatures to help combat the issue of underbrush near the house.



(07/13/2011)



 Here is their handiwork.

(07/13/2011)