All's Quiet or Eggs Eggs Eggs

   I know, it's been a really long time since I've written anything, but honestly, nothing ever happens. About the only thing that has happened is Amy, Daniel and Michaela moving to Colorado. It's very quiet. I'm trying to put the put things back where they were before they moved in. I'm also making the spare room into a sewing/craft room. I am making progress.
   May didn't get the memo that said it is spring. Wednesday, we had a high of 45 and that night a low of 32. So far, it looks like most of our tiny fruit survived. We still haven't planted anything in the garden since we will be gone for a little bit the end of June. Barbara did plant every seed in her seed packages and is going to give use the plants after we get back. I have no idea what we are going to do with a gazillion tomato plants.
   I have an over abundance of eggs. I don't like eggs and only use them for cooking. Tim doesn't really eat that many. I don't have enough to sell, so we have given some to a neighbor. I really don't need 36 eggs. I know, that's not many compared to what some people get, but for us, it's too many. I have 5 hens and one or two might end up in the freezer. Of course during the winter, I end up buying eggs because the laying has really slowed down to a slow trickle.
   Our assorted berry bushes are doing great this year and hopefully, we'll get a good crop if the birds don't get them first.
   I finally have a lilac bush. I bought it for myself for Mother's Day. We would like to get a lot more and plant them along the fence line behind us and along the property line on the side where there is no fence. Deer aren't suppose to like lilacs.
   Now you can see for yourselves that we are really boring people and nothing exciting happens.

Wile E. Coyote Just Ran By

   I'm sitting in my chair, looking out of the window, trying to think of something to write about, when all of a sudden a very healthy looking coyote ran through the yard. It was 9:15 AM. It was in such a hurry that it was panicking when it couldn't get through the fence. Luckily, no one and no dogs were out. Once it saw the llamas behind us us, it quickly went a different direction. I guess llamas really do work as guard animals. I didn't see a road runner go by before the coyote.
   There are many baby goats behind us. One little black kid seems to be the leader of the other kids. It gets on top of the big wooden spool and jumps in the air and dances around on it's hind legs showing off, having a good old time. The goats do play king of the spool, but the little black kid always wins and seems to rub it in when all the other kids are knocked off. I miss having goats, but it's much cheaper and easier on my poor old body watching the neighbors goats.
   The pregnant doe hasn't been back lately, but others have. I noticed some deer ate the little wild plum tree that is in a flower pot right by the front door. I've been growing it since we cut it off of a wild plum tree we came across on one of our drives. It was about a foot high, and now it's looking like a tree and ready to plant somewhere.
   I bought an iPad Mini not too long ago and have been playing with it a lot trying to figure out the things I can do on it. I really wish you still got paper owner's manuals these days. Yesterday, I discovered I can check library books out on it, so this morning, I did. It would be nice if I could change the font on the library book, but you either can't or I just haven't figured out how. Either way, I can live with large letters.
   Rumor has it that next Wednesday, it's suppose to get to 69, WooHoo!! Spring might eventually get her after all. I don't think we are planting a garden this year until after we get home from Danny and Amy's wedding the end of June. I'll miss all the potatoes we plant.
   Well, I guess I'll go fold that basket of towels for fun. I'm still waiting for the clothes to come folded right out of the dryer.

Spring Is Here, Spring Is Hear

                                                                                                                                                                                           

   At long last, spring is here. It's also hear. You can hear the birds and the hail and the baby animals behind us. You can't really tell by our below freezing temps at night, but we have been in the mid 40's to the lower 50's, so that means spring. The fields and yards are turning green. It's funny, but the grass is green under the snow. I still haven't seen our first buttercup of the year yet. On the down side, spring is also mud season and boy is it muddy.
   I took a picture of one of Phyllis' pointy eggs next to the other eggs we are getting. She still lays eggs like this, so I guess they are normal for her. I really need to get busy and bake because I have a lot of eggs. I don't have enough to sell.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since it is spring, we have been getting our usual rain and hail to help the mud situation along. We had this hail the other day.

   The storm lasted about 20 minutes and the hail was still there the next morning. It was about thumb nail size and I guess technically, it was gropel.

   Soon, hopefully, the ground will be firm enough to till up the garden a few times. It's still way too early to plant anything. The strawberries that have leaves piled on top of them are doing well. 

   I'm going to plant the kind of peas I usually plant this year, because the peas I planted last year stay hard as a rock even after pressure cooking them. Teach me to plant something other then the old tried and true.

 

   The other day, I went into the laundry room and found this.There are feet under that big dog in the clothes basket. It didn't bother Jake, who just kept on eating. Those are Michaela's feet. Her trusty bunny is in the basket with her. Clothes baskets are such fun when you're a kid.

 

 

I'm making progress playing my assorted musical instruments. Michaela wants to dance all the time when I play them. For some reason, she doesn't like the alto recorder and always tells me to put it back. I figure since the dogs don't howl when I play, I'm doing alright.

 

 

 

It's That Time Of Year Again

   As you can see by the tremendous amount of blogs I have posted lately, absolutely nothing is going on here. It's still winter, and today, it's snowing. We were suppose to only get 1-3" but I think I can safely say we will be getting more than that since we already have about 4" of the new wet fluffy kind of snow. We do have 100% chance of snow.
   On my last blog, I have no idea why it posted the way it did. I did everything like I usually do, but I guess it needed a change, too.
   I am making progress playing the recorder and tin whistle. My mind is having trouble remembering the name of the notes, but my fingers remember where they are suppose to be to make the notes, so I guess it's progress.
   I have made a little progress hula hooping. It's a heavier and bigger adult hula hoop so it's harder, for me anyway, to keep up. Everytime Michaela sees me get it out, she has to call Amy over and she sits on the floor on Amy's lap and laugh at me. It reminds me of when we were kids and we laughed at my mom as she was doing Jack LaLane exercises that were on the TV. In my older years, I feel bad about doing that.
   It's that time of year when everyone is tired of snow and are planning what to plant in their gardens.
Some people in town have even tilled their gardens up already, They get less snow than we get. Our garden happens to be frozen and under a bunch of snow. We are trying to figure out ways to keep our spinach crop from getting dirt all over the leaves. It doesn't rinse off that well just running it under water. We really need a green house and/or hoop frames, cold frames.
   Phyllis the White Crested Black Polish chicken has finally started to lay eggs that are usable. She laid 2 others, but the shells were so soft they got walked on and broke. Anyway, Phyllis lays the longest, narrowest eggs I have ever seen. If I were a chicken, that would be the kind I'd want to push out. They are a very elongated egg shape and very white.
   I still haven't started making bear clothes yet. I have them added to the top of my long list of things to make.
   As you can see, nothing exciting is going on. It might be nice to have some kind of good excitement once in a while. We can do without the bad kind of excitement.

I Still Live In A Snow Globe

Doe eating apple peelings

    Winter is still here. Our high temperatures have been below freezing for a few weeks now. Luckily, we are suppose to warm up and have temperatures above freezing now, around 33 degrees. That is warm compared to what it has been.
   This doe stopped by to eat apple peelings we had just put out. She is looking pregnant. Se has been coming around here with her mother since she was a little spotted fawn.

Doe caught in mid-chew

   She really enjoyed the apple peelings, but she kept a watchful eye on her surroundings, even while eating.

Freezing fog on pine needles

   Along with our cold temperatures, we have been foggy. Freezing fog does interesting things. I like the way it looks on the pine trees.

Close up of the pine needles
 

   One thing nice about having to take care of the chickens is being able to go outside and take pictures.

   We did have a few bright, sunny days mixed on with all the fog. Even with the sun, the after effects of the freezing fog was still around. It was very pretty.





A bright sunny freezing day

   Snow is in the forecast with our warmer weather. It's really too bad that snow is so nice and pretty and then it gets so dirty and ugly.
   In another 2-3 months all this pretty white snow will be a melted, muddy mess. About this same time, the doe might have given birth and hopefully, she'll come around with her new fawn.













Another Year And Still Nothing Exciting Going On Here

   We are such boring people, there is really nothing to tell, which is why I haven't written anything lately. Our son, Daniel, and his girlfriend, Amy, got engaged Dec. 28. We welcome her to the family. Amy fits right in.  You saw pictures of them on one of the past blogs not too long ago. They plan on a wedding in Sept. Alyssa and David have also set a wedding date, sometime in the spring of 2014. Alyssa and David have been together for so long, he's already family.
   For some reason I'm having problems getting pictures on here, but you've all seen snow pictures before anyway.
   I bought another Native American style flute, this one is in the key of D and is made from birch. I was going to put a picture of it up, but no luck.
   I'm thinking about starting another quilt top, but I need to get those bear clothes done. I had patterns for a 15 and 19 inch bear. I chose to make the 15 inch bear. I should have chosen the 19 inch bear because they have better clothes. A long time ago, I could find free downloadable patterns for bear clothes on the internet, but can I find them when I want them? Maybe, I'll try to shrink the patterns to fit a smaller bear.
   See, I told you we were boring people. Hopefully nothing too exciting happens, because we like quiet, not necessarily boring.
  

At Long Last I'm Finished

Alix's quilt

    Finally, at long last, I have finished the five Christmas quilts I made for the five grand kids. I thought they turned out really well for my first quilting attempt.
   I made the backing in their favorite colors, except for Nathan who didn't have one yet, so multicolored stripes was his. Nathan has since decided his favorite color is green Luckily, there are green stripes in the backing.
   I should have smoothed them out before I took the pictures, especially Ashlynn's, but I didn't notice it until after I took the pictures.

Michaela's quilt

   I intend to make more quilts eventually, but now I have to make those promised bear clothes for the bears I made for the kids last Christmas.
   I've worked on the quilts for so long, it feels kind of funny not having to work on them anymore. Four of the quilts were mailed to Arizona, but I'm pretty sure they will be after Christmas quilts. One day, I just might get things mailed in time. I really try, it just never works out that way.
  


Nathan's quilt

Micheal's quilt

Ashlynn's quilt.

A Quilting I Will Go

   I have been very, very busy working on the quilts I'm making for our grand kids for Christmas. I think I started in May, took a break and did other things and now I'm back at it again. I am making 5 quilts and I finished the second one last night.
   Since this is the first time I have ever quited, it is also a learning experience for the next quilts I'm going to make. I've learned not to sew the batting to the top and then sew the back to it all. It sounded like a good idea, but as I'm top stitching it with the sewing machine, the top spreads out more. I've also learned it's probably not a good idea to sew it all together until it's top stitched. The quilts have turned out nice for my first attempt. I did try to sew them all together, with right sides facing leaving a hole and then turning everything inside out, but that really didn't work. I have made very nice borders  by folding the backing over it all. I like them better this way, too. I had to take apart the first quilt which was loads of fun and then it took me 3 tries to get the thing all pined together nice and neat. I didn't want to do it on the floor because I'd never get up again and I'd have a lot of help with the dogs and Michaela, so I use the kitchen island and just shift the whole thing as I go.
   Micheal is very worried and anxiously waiting for clothes for the bears I made them last year. He even asked my mom if she knew if I was working on the clothes when they went to their house for Thanksgiving. So, after quilts, it's bear clothes. I'm also crocheting slippers for my parents and still need to make the pants for Amy and Alyssa that they have requested. I'm now positive my list is never ending. It does give me something to do and snow will be here soon so I'll be stuck in the house except for my big outing to collect the eggs.
   We (Tim) finally caught a mouse and so far, it looks like it was the only one.
   It's been raining for days now and walking outside reminds me of walking on a sponge, not that I've ever walked on a sponge.
   I guess I'd better get busy and start working on the quilts again. I'll take pictures of them all when I have finished. I hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to mail them. Four of them go to Arizona and the fifth one stays here.
   I wonder whet brilliant ideas I'll get for next years Christmas gifts for the grand kids? Gift cards?

First Snow Of The Year

   Late Thursday afternoon/evening and into Friday, we had our first snow of the year. I know it's just me, but it seems colder this year. I know it actually has been colder, but that's not the reason. Maybe my old bones and healed broken bones just don't like cold this year.
   Yes, I know, we chose to live up here where it snows. I still like looking at it through the windows. It's so pretty and you have that kind of hush you only get from snow. I'm pretty sure as the fall progresses into winter I should, hopefully, warm up.
   Poor Jake says snow is for the birds and Chip thinks it's great as long as it doesn't fall off of the trees or some other object and scare him. The chickens are doing fine so far. Michaela is really impressed with all the white out side and the snow on the floor the dogs bring in. Michaela has reached the take your clothes off stage in life, so she runs around in blanket sleepers with a snap over the zipper pull at the neck because she hasn't figured out how to get out of those, yet.
   I'm almost done dehydrating potatoes and then it's freeze and dehydrate all the carrots in the refrigerator.
   I've decided we have an invisible mouse that just leaves droppings behind. You'd think it would step on and stick to a sticky mouse trap eventually, wouldn't you?
   I have all 5 quilt tops sewn together and names and dates embroidered on them and I'll start the filling and back part tomorrow. I'm just going to tie them together because it sounds the fastest and easiest and since they are my first quilts, I'll take the easy way and work up to harder.
   Micheal says the bears I made for the grand kids last year still need clothes. My list of things to make just gets longer and wouldn't you know it? I have towels to fold. I'm still waiting for the magic clothes folding dryer. My excuse now is I've been sick and just don't feel like it and we all know where to find them if one is needed.
   I made powdered laundry detergent a couple of weeks ago and it seems to work very well. The clothes are cleaner and softer and once again I am using white vinegar for fabric softener. I've used it before, but I think I will all the time now.
   You should all prepare yourselves because eventually there will be snow pictures up here again.
Also pictures of these tiny, tiny red bugs that should up after one of the last rains. Oh well, that's it for now. Goodnight.

Just Great!! We Have Mice

   When Tim was rototilling the garden in, he noticed he went over a few mouse nests. Wouldn't you know it, they have moved into the house. We haven't found where they have come in, just the signs of them.
   The first place they were noticed were in Tim's spare room. Next it was the drawer under the oven where I keep my cookie sheets. Then it was the pantry and in the bathroom cabinet, under the sinks in our bathroom. Today, it was under the cabinet under the kitchen sink where we keep the trash can.
   Tim put sticky mouse traps where the mice signs were, but no mice on the traps. Maybe we need to put some peanut butter in the middle of them. He did notice last night that there were little foot prints in a trap and it was a few feet away from where he put it. I think they are little field mice instead of your usual house mouse. More traps will be put out.
   The pantry was taken apart and everything taken out of boxes. It's a good thing I like glass jars and collect decorative cans. When we lived in California, we had a mouse that ate a chunk of the concrete floor in the pantry trying to make a hole.
   We don't want to put poison out because of Michaela and pets. I can't convince Tim we need a cat. I have been trying to repel the little critters with peppermint oil in containers where the mice have been. I read that peppermint oil and lavender are suppose to repel mice. I have some lavender potpourri I'll put under our sink.
   I know most people get mice in the house at one time or another, but I'd be really happy if they skipped us. Since we live in the country and have been here for 4 years, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later, but I really wish it hadn't.