Chief resident building inspector and mechanic

Cheyenne

(aka Ninnie, Cheyennerbananaer, Lil Baby, Pretty Girl, Twinkle Toes, and the latest one- Shortcake)

*I'm telling you, this battery is dead!*

*One good kick, Daddy, and this building will just topple over.*

She's our farm helper, intruder alarm, diesel mechanic, building inspector, and loyal assistant in every project Jason starts.

Spring after winter

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.

~ Rachel Carson

Tote Bag in an evening

I've been hanging on to a vintage t shirt of my hubbys for a few YEARS now, just waiting for the perfect application.  Finally, I happened across this blue, white and yellow plaid material. I lined the tote with a vintage flour sack dish towel and put in grommets to run the handles through. I cut 1" wide strips of tshirt material, braided it and tied a knot to keep it from pulling through the grommets.

I'll admit one thing- I could not get my fusible webbing to cooperate so the t shirt material stretched as I was sewing so I sewed a strait line around the border and ziggzagged around the strait line to give it a deconstructed feel.

OMG, such abuse!

Look at these two! You would think they'd be out of their yard all the time, right? They jump and jump, clearing the gate with every leap and bound, BUT they never jump over. Never.

Is that not a perfect animal abuse ad? I mean look at Remi's pitiful little face and death grip on the fence! And Win looks desperate to escape!

What would the Cesar, the Dog Whisperer say?

LOVE these goaties!

They never cease to entertain me!

It's the Verizon bars! Really, we do only have three bars at our place.

Pan, the smiliest goat EVER! He's so stinking cute.

Merlin takes a siesta while Luna and Pan SCRITCH AND SCRATCH the spring itchies away.

Aren't we VIBRANT!

Jalayna, Lindsay, and Wraylee- "A Matched Set"

I believe that people come into our lives for a reason, a season, a lifetime. It is rare to find a true friend, and even more rare to find two. As luck would have it, Lindsay and I get to be sisters! Jalayna is the Royal Icing on top of the sugar cookie!

It's my 100th post!

How shall we celebrate? With new boots!

They do look fantastic, no? Xander sure loves them!

OMG, He's three. THREE!

You can't force spring

BUT you CAN force Paper White bulbs!

A friend gave me this little Paper White in a Mason Jar for Christmas last year. It grew really well and when it's life was over I put it in storage with the intention of planting the bulbs in my garden. It seems the Paper White had other plans! I found it with half an inch of growth two weeks ago, replanted the bulb a little lower in the soil, watered well and VOILA!

Instant Spring!

Star light, star bright

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you and everything you do…


I LOVE STARS! No, not star decorations, star tattoos or gold stars on the board…I’m talking about stars in the sky; the Milky Way, constellations, shooting stars and satellites. I am not sure exactly when my love of stars began. When I was a little girl someone taught me "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight". I think it was my Momma. Sometime around 5th or 6th grade Grandpa would  sit/lay out in the yard with us and look for satellites in the sky. If you just watch for slow, steady, unblinking movement, usually around the Milky Way...that's a satellite! With this game, Grandpa introduced me to the vast expanse of the galaxy and even gave me my very own constellation. You all know it as Cassiopeia, The Seated Queen.

WHY you ask!

What does it look like to you? The letter W! What’s my name start with? The letter W!

Hey, I’m pretty thrilled to have my own constellation. I feel connected to it, like seeing an old friend when I look up to the night sky.

There is NO BETTER PLACE to see the stars at night than in the darkness below my barn. Imagine stand in the shadows, holding Howly Berry (our purrrrry farm cat) and listening to the horses munch at their dinner, all the while taking in the night sky in all its glory. I seek out Cassiopeia first and then make my way across the sky, picking out the constellations I learned in high school astrology class. I love nights when the stars are vividly shining and the Milky Way seems so crisp, like a big white ribbon around the sky.

So I challenge you- find a shadowy place tonight (providing it’s not too cold) and check out the stars. See if you can pick out all the stars of a constellation, even if it’s the Big Dipper!

Facing the dawn

Our windmill eagerly anticipates the sunrise, the beginning of a fresh new day.

I eagerly anticipate the lilac, peony, and bottlebrush buckeye growing and blooming around our windmill and greeting the passerby’s on our country road. Spring fever starts!

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