an oldie revisited as digital painting…
Category Archives: The Barnyard
7 Quick Takes
— 1 —
It's been a challenging week. We'll just start there. The climax came yesterday afternoon when I yelled at the warranty lady over the plumber's cell phone as he and his assistant looked awkwardly at the light fixtures in my kitchen. Not my finest moment – though I will clarify that my "going off" consisted of informing the woman that I was "highly offended, shocked, and appalled". I have never yelled at a stranger. Then again, no stranger has ever seriously suggested that I was the sort to misrepresent a garbage disposal. Apparently there is a line past which I can be pushed. And it involves plumbing.
— 2 —
Ever had this happen? Tess was feverish this week. Abbie hasn't been sleeping well either. The other night I had Tess in the room keeping close eye on her. Abbie woke up very very early and wouldn't be consoled. Moira brought her from their room to us. She fell asleep reluctantly while clutching her mama. It wasn't much later that the sun rose and we were all up. Tess reported that there was "p@@p on the pillow." I was sure it wasn't that and had some recall of Abbie holding something – cookie? There was no sign of it though. As I was walking to the kitchen I had this odd tugging sensation on the back of my shirt. Sure enough. Cookie. Chocolate. Dried. On me. Still. The whole wadded half eaten thing. It met it's end, right about where a toddler was clasping her hands around my back.
Motherhood is not for wimps.
— 3 —
Can I count this as physics? At least for moving month? Found the bigs experimenting with various heights of water and it can be done.
— 4 —
I feel his pain
Though I will say the paring down is coming along REALLY well. In fact the whole process is way faster at the end than at the beginning. It seems to go in waves and by the end the stuff you couldn't part with at the beginning is far easier to let go.
— 5 —
My current favorite book of the bible? Isaiah. Hands down. Seems every verse I find that I am saving and reflecting upon comes from Isaiah lately.
— 6 —
The birdwatching is becoming a full-blown passion. Though the very best place to watch birds is my bedroom window. So call me more, Rebecca, because that is the only room which has cell reception and I can multitask lol. We'll say it's for the sake of science. : )
This baby didn't get the memo that prairie birds are supposed to fly off into the sunset when a woman with a camera emerges from the house. It actually came within a few feet of me and hung out a while. Not so odd for city birds, I know. Just not common out here.
We did get a very close look at a little meadowlark (? like below) but it was because he flew into the plate glass window and that was just a little too raw for the blog. Ditto the perfect skunk specimen in the road. You know you're a homeschool family when you back up to get a closer look because one boy hasn't seen one in real life before.
— 7 —
Tess was talking to Daddy the other day and he asked her if she was coming to him soon. (in Europe) She said yes. He asked her how she was getting there. Like, were we going to drive? She paused and said, "Yes."
Then explained, "Yes…. I am going to drive my pink helicopter."
Oh yeah, I'm riding with her. ; )
Ok am off to redeem this week by having lunch with my bud, Tara who is in town. Have a wonderful weekend!
kitty, kitty
In which we take a walk to the barn….
when peace came
When peace came, I showered
Under streaming light–
And rays channelled through
The greys of ancient gloom,
 When peace came, my addled head was Reconciling, airing, ringing true–
And we were blessed by starting fresh; A rhythm of pervading warmth; Serenity. –Mark R Slaughter
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shootin’ the bull
It doesn't take much to amuse us. Dh and I have been making really lame jokes over the latest local hoo-ha. Now once upon a time neighborhood squabbles might have been over who left the trash can out front too long or who didn't mow their lawn. The trash cans out our way are big ole dumpsters which are emptied twice a month however and the lawn mowers are often on four legs. The trash doesn't phase too many folks but hey, if your 'mower' wanders over to the neighbor's it IS a problem. Especially when it's a 2000 lb bull.
Neighbor A moved his heifers to a new pasture last week. Neighbor B's bull thought this was a swell move and wasted no time introducing himself – snapping several strands of barbed wire in the process. Neighbor A found this a bit too, um, 'neighborly' of him if you get my drift. ; ) He complained vigorously in fact.
Neighbor B has protested. His bull's defense? Neighbor A's heifers "enticed" him over the fence.
Oh my. I am doubled over again. Give me a sec here…….
(bwa ha ha ha!) Wiping the tears off my my face. You know we are milking this one mercilessly right? Like why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free….. yeah. I don't get out much. : )
Picture me now if you will: bull to the south and strumpet cows to the north. And we thought we moved to the country to escape this sort of disgraceful behavior.
Seriously – I love it here.
Spring on the ranch
"The year is at spring,
And day's at the morn,
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God is in His heaven -
All's right with the world!" - Robert Browning
I hope all is right in your world and that you have smiled broadly and laughed out loud at least once today. Take Abbie's cue : )
Frosty morning
Moira took these pics around the ranch the other morning. It was nippy as you can tell. By the weekend it was warm and sunny again. 
I hope your weekend has been restful as well.
foggy morning
The rain is raining all around
….it falls on field and tree….
So goes the verse although that was definitely not the case with our fields and trees this summer. Lightning meant fire, not rain. We were far more likely to see clouds of smoke than these:
Finally, however, the sky opened this month and blessed us with a number of soaking rans which the thirsty prairie greedily lapped up. After months of stepping out of my front door onto parched ground it was a miracle to see the fields kissed with dew this morning. I walked along in sandals that were soon wonderfully wet.
kittens in the morning
Woke up to these little ones sunning themselves today.
Starry Sky Journal 