The Zebra Dun

I love this poem. Probably the thing I love most about it is hearing my friend, Pat, recite it from memory.

We was camped on the plains at the head of the Cimmaron,

When along comes a stranger and stopped to argue some,

Well he looked so very foolish when he begun to look around

For he seemed just like a greenhorn just escaped from town.

We asked him had he been to chuck he said he hadn't a smear,

So we opened up the chuckbox and said he could eat right here,

Well he filled up on some coffee and some biscuits and some beans

And started right in talking about the foreign kings and queens.

All about the foreign wars on the land and on the seas

With guns as big as steers, and ramrods big as trees.

About a feller named Paul Jones, a fightin' son of a gun

A fighter and the grittiest cuss that ever packed a gun

Such an educated feller, his thoughts just come in herds,

He astonished all them cowboys with his highfalutin' words

Well the stranger kept on talkin' till the boys they all got sick

And begun to look around to see if they could play a trick.

Well, he said he'd lost his job up on the Santa Fe

He was goin' 'cross the plains to for to hit the Seven D;

didn't say how come it, just some trouble with the boss

But asked if he could borrow a fat saddle horse.

Well, this tickled all the boys to death, we laughed way down our sleeves

We said we'd give him a fine horse, as fresh and fat as you please.

So Shorty grabbed his lariat and he roped the Zebra Dun

And we give him to the stranger and waited for the fun.

Now old Dunny was an outlaw, he'd grown so awful wild

He could paw the moon down, he could jump a mile;

Old Dunny stood right still there, like as he didn't know

Till the stranger had him saddled and ready for to go.

When the stranger hit the saddle, then old Dun he quit the earth,

And started travelin' upwards for all that he was worth,

A-yellin' and a-squealin' and a-having wall-eyed fits

His front feet perpendicular, his hind feet in the bits.

We could see the tops of mountains under Dunny every jump

But the stranger he was glued there just like the camel's hump;

The stranger he just sat there, and twirled his black moustache,

Just like a summer boarder waitin' for the hash.

Well he thumped him in the shoulders and he spun him when he whirled,

And hollered to them cowboys, "I'm the wolf of the world!"

And when he had dismounted and once more upon the ground,

We knew he was a thoroughbred and not a dud from town.

The boss he was a-standin' there just watchin' of the show

Walked over to the stranger and said, "You needn't go.

If you can use a lariat like you rode old Zebra Dun

You're the man I've been looking for since the Year of One!"

And when the herd stampeded he was always on the spot,

And set them off to nothing, like the boiling of a pot.

Well, there's one thing and a shore thing I've learned since I've been born

Every educated feller ain't a plumb greenhorn.

4 Point Buck

**Warning**This blog contains photos of actual dead animals. There will be blood and there will be carcasses. They are NOT neatly saran wrapped and neatly stacked in a freezer section. They are real and they are dead. Continue at your own risk.

He's a beauty isn't he? Ok, well you probably can't really tell from just his head but take my word for it. He really was a beauty. And now we can give thanks for the freezer full of meat. This buck is technically Dean's but they usually share what they get. Doug has a doe tag so he is waiting for his chance to get a doe at a later date. They got this buck on a piece of my dad's ground north of our farm. And it wasn't 24 hours earlier that Dean was in Mexico City getting ready to head back home after a weeks worth of work.

While Hadley marveled at the deer and Kate looked on, I took the time to saddle Elvis up and ride in the arena. Holy Smokes. No one has bothered to tell Elvis that he is 20. The horse is a rocket. Within the first 5 minutes of riding I had worn raw spots on the inside of both my knees from hanging on. It was a short but sweet. Then Cruiser got out to stretch his legs and warm his muscles. When I returned him to the pen we decided to make a training experience for him. Doug threw the deer hide over the fence to let the horses get used to it. Cruiser was intensely interested but he was freaked out just the same. Elvis came at it like he might like to paw it to death but had a few moments of confusion about what it was as well. You can see Cruiser in the background of the picture looking on with great interest. I was not surprised to see how both of these horses reacted. For some horses this is scary to the point that they would run through a fence to get away from it. Imagine the trust a horse would have to feel to let a hunter throw a dead animal up on his back to pack out of the mountains! Everything in the survival section of their brains says "Whatever you do, don't let it get on your back or you're as good as dead!" But yet they do, for trust in a man.

Here is a picture of a happier, more relaxed Cruiser.

I always love this part of hunting season. When Doug's uncle lived out here it was such a social time when everyone was down at the cooler, skinning their deer and bs-ing about their hunting stories. I know it sounds morbid but there was something comforting about seeing all of these guys back from the fields and getting ready to cut up their deer for winter meals. It's probably the same part of me that likes to make apple sauce, the Mrs Ingles in me. Mary (played by Hadley) and Half Pint/Laura will be played by Kate. Pa played by Doug. And Uncle Albert will be played by Dean. But who will be Nellie Olson?

But me step back to earlier in the day. Along with being the last weekend of deer season it is also opening weekend of pheasant season. Bird season lasts far longer--into December. And this it the time of year where I have to keep a constant eye out for trespassers. Nothing fries me more than someone who just stops in for a bird hunt without asking permission. Ok, I wouldn't give them permission anyway but STILL! The response that makes me the most mad? "Well, I didn't see a sign that said no trespassing." Ummm...first of all, it is all posted. Secondly, do they post their property in town? Do we just assume we can do into something privately owned unless it says we can't? What backwards thinking.

On to something more positive. Last night we went down the road to a neighbors autumn party. I was looking forward to it from the time I got the invite. It was the most down home family friendly party I had ever seen! Everyone was invited to wear costumes. It was completely geared to the little kids too. They had a huge potluck, a big bonfire, hay ride through the fields and a really fun cake walk. Kate and Hadley had so much fun at the cake walk. Even though they both won they had as much or more fun just walking around to the music and then stopping on a marker when the music stopped. Kate even went back for a second round with nice older gentleman she didn't even know. I am grateful Dean came back to get me and the girls otherwise I wouldn't have gone. Doug came home at the end of the day from scouting for elk and hunting with a fever and wasn't going anywhere. At 8:30 everyone gathered to watch the incredible moon rises we are blessed with. The rest of the party goers proceded to dance the night away and we decided to call it good and head for the barn. But the party was country living at it's finest.

Exquisite Art

This is Ella, pictured on the right. She belongs to my friend, Dwayne. Dwayne raises some exceptional horses and we became friends through a mutual trainer and our friendship grew from there. Faith and horses are often our topics of conversation. But back to Ella...her dad is Cruiser's grandpa. Follow me? His name is Artful Move and he is a multiple world champion and so are countless numbers of his baby. Dwayne offered me the privilege of naming this little beauty so after many days of deliberation I came up with Exquisite Art. What do you think?

Orofino or Bust

Blame it on pregnancy. Especially Kate. That's when it started. Waking up at 2 am is not something I would have otherwise considered. I don't think I ever was awake at 2 am before I was pregnant but it seems to be one of the things that stuck with me long after the babies came. So here I am at the computer hoping to share a little of the day trip my mom and I went on.

Not too awfully long ago I sent an email to a friend, Katie, who lives in Orofino, Idaho. Katie is from Walla Walla and we have known her and her family for a long time. She is married to a really wonderful man and has two beautiful children. And she also has a large percentage of the small herd of horses we have raised over the years. When I emailed her I asked her if she would like to add one more to the herd. So that is where it began. She accepted my offer of adding Cash to their herd and a road trip was planned.

Cash and my mom loaded up at the crack of dawn this morning and we headed out for a trip across eastern Washington and into Idaho to deliver him. Orofino sits about an hour up the Clearwater River from Lewiston and what a pretty drive it was with the fall colors and countless boats fishing in the Clearwater. Before we started up the long steep hill to their farm I decided I needed to go to the bathroom so we stopped in what I thought to be the sleepy town of Greer. As soon as I stepped out of the truck it seemed the animals came out of the woodwork and Greer wasn't so sleepy after all. Semi's were coming in both directions, someones dumb little wiener dog was trotting in and out of the road trying to come visit us but being scared of us in the same turn. Okie jumped out of the back of the truck and was running around trying to find me. More cars were coming. The dumb wiener dog went back and stood in the middle of the road. My mom and I both covered our eyes so as not to witness the sure death of the dumb dog in the shadows on the road. A handful of cats came running out of the house closest to the road and scattered here and there. So we tended to our business and moved on quickly to avoid sure disaster. Thankfully no animals were killed in this segment of our adventure.

So we twisted and turned and awed at the drop offs as we drove up and up this hill. Finally when we were almost to the top we reached what had to be their driveway. The Bird family lives on a picturesque working farm on the top of the prairie. It was a classic old yellow farm house with a number of weather outbuildings that equipment and animals call home. Cash unloaded and looked around and I could swear I heard him say, "I'm home." He grazed on the lead rope and checked things out. Even laid down and rolled while I was holding him and visiting with Mike.

Soon we were joined by the rest of the family. Katie and her two darling kids. Their daughter is a born rider. She immediately wanted to show off her riding skills for us. She has my mom's mare, Scout, and the two have become quite a pair. They also have Cash's brother, Sport, who is now 20. He was the first foal we ever raised. They now own Jewel, their mother, and at 24 she looks fantastic. And now, they have Cash to add to their herd. I hope it works out because they are a fantastic home.

After we turned Cash out in their arena to settle in, we stood around and visited while Okie and their dog ran around and around the farm. They had two ponds and the dogs took a few swims in addition to checking for birds and other varmints. While the we chatted their son, 3 1/2, asked his dad if they could do some farming while the girls talked. Talk about born to farm!! What a fantastic help he will be to his dad as he gets older. A real blessing considering the love of the land they share and all the work to be done.

So after visiting we decided we better load up and start our 3 hour drive home so my mom could get back in the day light to get up to their cabin for the weekend. We said our good byes and with a feeling of contentment I started the truck and headed home. I have never felt so peaceful about saying good bye to a horse. He has been a good horse and we have been through a number of life changes together. He moved with me through every step of Doug's medical school and residency. We have ridden in the Cascades, the high desert, the Blue Mountains and beyond. So now he can see even more beautiful ground with them.

After a relatively quick stop at Costco in Clarkston, we headed back home getting home with plenty of day light. It was nice to go down and see Cruiser and Elvis, eager to see me but wondering where Cash was. Elvis even let out a nicker. They had become great buddies. This will give me more time to focus on the two remaining horses.

Betty had watched the girls while I went on my trip. She reported that the goats climbed her fence twice while I was away and she had to get them out of her yard. I don't know what I am going to do with those goats. I hate to keep them penned up and feed them my good (precious in today's economy) hay when there is so much around the farm to eat if they free range. But now that I know they are climbing her bank and getting into her yard I can't turn them lose. Anyone want a couple of nice goats? I suppose I didn't do a good job of selling them in the previous statement.

So we now look forward to a beautiful weekend. Doug is not on call so I imagine he will hit the deer trail again. I am hoping to get a ride or two in. With that, I bid you good night. Or should I say good morning?

Hunters Moon

Tonight is a hunters moon. With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, it is time to hunt. Since the fields have been reaped, hunters can easily see pheasants and the animals which have come out to glean. Or so tonight's moon is described in the farmers almanac. We had a bit of a slaughter out here last weekend and I don't think there are but a few bucks left in the area it seems. Doug and I are both mourning the loss of such a beautiful herd that faithfully spent every evening with us in the fields grazing all summer long.

But let's look on the bright side. Seth, who works in the ER at St Mary's, went hunting with Doug Sunday morning. Doug took them out hunting with nothing to show for their hunt other than some good stories. But to show their gratitude they spent the afternoon helping us cut up a tree that had recently fallen and cut it up into fire wood. This was such a HUGE help, I hope they realize how much we appreciated it. We have so much wood our quad has been kicked out of it's usual parking spot so we can store the wood undercover.

I have been watching a friends little boys on Tuesday afternoons and into the evenings while she attends classes at the local college. We always have alot of fun, most of our time is spent down with the horses and chickens and goats. Luke and Gavin have been friends with Hadley and Kate since they moved here two years ago. I had to laugh today when the kids were down playing at the barn and I talked to the farrier while he put new shoes on Elvis. I noticed a wet spot on Luke's pants and I asked him what it was. His expression changed from smiling to concern when he looked down. He learned a lesson the hard way, pockets are not a good way to transport eggs to the house. lol. Hadley marveled at how Elvis could stand on three legs really well while Joe worked on his back hoof nailing on the shoe and she repeatedly told Joe how good at it Elvis was. She also told Joe she thought he was a really good horse doctor the way he was applying the shoe. HA!

Tonight I have felt like a real pioneer woman. My neighbor, Melissa, inspired me to make apple sauce after I smelled it cooking at her house last Friday. After asking my grandma for recommendations of what kind of apples to use (

I got a variety of McIntosh) she graciously lent me the tools of the trade. I was thrilled to borrow her apple mill and pot to cook the apples that belonged to HER mother making them at least 100 years old. WOW! So I have made several batches of apple sauce and love the process. Although the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar for every 5 cups of apple sauce I have used no more than 1 or 2 tbsp because I think the apples are sweet enough in their natural state. A dash of nutmeg and a few shakes of cinnamon and there you have one of life's simplest pleasures...home made apple sauce. Ahhhh.... And to make it even better, the goats and chickens will get to induldge in a treat tomorrow by cleaning up all the apple left overs after the process is complete making everyone happy.

Tomorrow morning (Friday) my mom and I are heading out on a road trip. Yep, we haven't been on one for a long time it seems but Doug's mom is watching the girls and we are heading to Orofino, Idaho. My horse, Cash, is going to be moving to live with the Bird family along with his brother, sister and mom. I hope it works out because they would be a fantastic home for him. And he would be a great horse for them too. He has a lot of good stuff to offer. The trailer is hooked up, the tank is full. Orofino here we come!

Opening Season

Deer season has arrived. This morning at 0 dark thirty Doug was up and ready to meet the day. Doug and his brother Dean make an annual ritual of deer hunting on my families farm ground and this year was no exception. Unfortunately, opening morning did not yield them the results they were hoping for. Doug said more than anything he really just enjoys getting out in the fields and seeing the sites from hill tops and escaping every day demands. He has a doe tag so the pressure to get a buck is not what it usually is. He is not a trophy hunter but rather likes to fill the freezer full of meat for the winter.

On that note I have to tell you what I am reading. It is called the Last American Male by Elizabeth Gilbert. She is the woman who wrote Eat Love Pray, another must read. This is about the life of a man who moved to the woods at age 17 and is living the land. He buys nothing, he makes everything. He lives a life most of us can't even imagine. Ok, check it out on half.com if it sounds the least bit interesting. I am not very far into it but Gilbert is a brilliant writer and I am sure this one won't disappoint.

Back to the real world...Hadley's school (Kids Place) is a school that lets the kids direct the things they study. When the children show an interest in something a small group is made up of participants and the study begins. The current group is interested in farms. So as part of their study, Hadley and I invited them to come out and visit our farm. After I committed I started panicking...what in the world am I going to do with these kids for an entire morning? Well, my energy was wasted on worry. We had a great time. The sun was out, the day was beautiful and you've never seen more happy faces. Unfortunately, I was the hostess with the mostest which means I didn't get any pictures to share. I had expected the kids to be totally taken with the horses and want to spend all of their time learning every little thing about them from saddling to feeding to care taking but guess what? That was not the case. If you asked them they would probably say their favorite thing was chasing the chickens. The goats were also a big hit. Now to say they weren't interested in the horses isn't accurate. They were. A handful of them brushed Elvis while he stood patiently. Then we saddled him up and each child got their turn riding him around the pen several times. It was a fun morning and I am glad we were able to share the things we love with others. I have to say THANKS to my neighbor Melissa (who reads this blog) because she watched Kate while the kids were here. Sharing Elvis with other kids is not a strong suit of hers. So Kylie and Kate arrived just as we were wrapping it up. Perfect timing.

Saturday Kate and Hadley and I made a trip to town to see my dad as he recovers from his surgery. He seems to be doing ok, just uncomfortable at the point of incision which is to be expected. After our visit the girls (including my mom and sister Lisa) loaded up and headed south to Milton-Freewater where we stopped at a couple of great farms to buy produce. We picked up a huge box of apples to make apple sauce. I was inspired by neighbor Melissa who's house smelled heavenly when I dropped Kate off Friday morning. We also made a run to Saagers, a nice shoe store in down town Milton Freewater. At that point we had to head back to the farm so Kate could take her nap. Hadley and I made up a batch of carmel apples with our next apples and listened to Doug and Dean tell us about the big one (ok, little one) that got away.

So with that, I will go throw another log on the fire and enjoy this chilly, windy autumn evening.

Autumn Bliss

It seems we have smoothly rolled into autumn but it seems hard to believe summer is just another memory. We enjoyed having Doug home for a little vacation. It seems a shame that people have to leave their farms to work because family and farms both thrive when everyone is available to lend a hand.

With the cooler and shorter days, I have found a chance to read a little more. I have been reading a fantastic book that has been out for quite some time now. Even when I worked in the bookstore in Yakima I never read it but just recently I was inspired to pick up a copy. Lance Armstrong's powerful story called It's Not About the Bike follows his battle (and victory) with cancer and the bikes races and love stories along the way. You can pick up a used copy for next to nothing at half.com which is where I buy the majority of my books. My cousin, Ryan, and I share a very similar taste in books so she always gives me good suggestions of things to read. I have 3 more books on the way that I will have to share with you after I start reading.


It seems like I have been having some really fun little outings with the girls. This weekend was the annual Sausage Festival at Doug's Alma mater DeSales. I usually end up having such a nice time at events they sponsor. They are always have a very small town, safe, feel to them. Hadley and Kate, along with a few friends, indulged in face painting and bouncing on the huge blow up slides and toys along with various carnival type games. After Kate and I decided to call it a day Hadley stayed on with our very good friends, the O'Conners and even partied on into the night with them. They always have so much fun together. And then today we met up with the O'Conner's again at Home Depot to take advantage of a building project they host for kids every Monday. At no cost to the families, they supply the wooden projects and all the supplies. Today Hadley built a bird house and Kate built a tool box. Having the opportunity to take advantage of fun projects like these makes saying good bye to summer easier.


Along with the fall weather comes wet weather and wind. We had a big storm blow through on Friday that knocked down another section of our locust tree. A blessing for our need for wood to use in the wood stove but another thing to clean up. Another tree blew down out along the creek that we will also be able to use. And just a couple weeks ago I was regretting not having enough wood stock piled for heating. Guess God heard my concerns.


There is always a little sense of urgency in the fall to get things done before the freezing weather sets in. Doug stays on top of a long list of winter preparations like checking antifreeze levels in trucks and tractors and draining fluids that might freeze. He winterized my horse trailer so none of the pipes will freeze. We also would like to get some more fencing improvements done around the horses and goats and plant some trees. So many things and so little time. Just like ourselves, the farm is a work in progress.


My dad is scheduled to have knee surgery this Friday to repair a torn meniscus. The surgery sounds like it will be relatively run of the mill and should only have him down for a few weeks. He is the Washington state wheat commissioner in addition to farming full time. He travels some for his commissioner duties and has a trip scheduled at the end of October in Denver. He should be healed up enough to make the trip. He is also a very active letter writer to many of the large newspapers like Seattle Times and is often quoted on articles involving farming issues. Being on the mend for his bum knee shouldn't slow down that at all. My dad is pictured in Washington DC with Senator Patty Murray. He is just to her left along with fellow friend/farmer/neighbor Harold Cochran.


In addition to everything else I was able to get a couple of rides in this week. They seeded my hills across the road so now I need to ride about a mile down the creek and cross the equipment bridge at our neighbors to access the Gradwahl's hills. I have to thank Allan Gradwahl for mending his bridge in a few places. While it was safe for equipment, a few broken boards made cross on 4 legs a little scary. It is a pretty good drop on each side with no rails so I always sweat a little on the way over. The last time we were riding, Todd (who farms our ground) was burning off the stubble so we got a birds eye view of the fires from the hill tops. The wind was blowing perfectly to keep it from choking us out. Everyone, myself included, got a good work out from that ride. Okie flushed out a deer directly into our path, the scared doe ran blindly up a bank and ended up about 10 feet in front of the horses at a dead run. Elvis didn't even flinch while Cruiser thought he should head for the hills.

So that, my friends, is a slice of what we did out here this week. Hope everyone is enjoying their autumn as well.