Dog Days of Summer

In the blink of an eye it seems summer is starting to wind down. We looked forward to it for so long and now we are having to prepare for the changes of fall and starting school and a change in pace. I always love the transition of seasons but this could very well go down as one of my most favorite summers and I will be sorry to bid it farewell. We did get to experience some of the almost forgotten wet stuff earlier in the week with a change in temps and it added some nice moisture to the farm and perhaps helped me catch up a little with the watering. I admit I am not the best at keeping things evenly watered. It never seems to be down on a regular schedule which is necessary out here to keep things looking their best. But it is not an exaggeration when I say that there is probably 10 acres of grass and flower beds to keep watered out here and Doug goes a lot of the watering on the big piece of grass east of our house and I try to keep up with the rest of it. The Dry Creek levels dwindle this time of the summer and we are trying to get enough water on the 30 acres east of our house to seed it to alfalfa this fall so that is where the priority lies.

This is the first full week that we have shared with our new neighbors/friends, Tara and her daughter Ashleigh. It has been a lot of fun and a nice change of pace. The girls are enjoying the new faces and go back and forth between the two houses all day it seems. It really makes it so much easier for me to a get a few more things done when they run down to Tara's. I am really thankful for her help with them. Ashleigh and Hadley spend a lot of time on their bikes. Now that Hadley is riding without training wheels it has breathed new life into her interest in bikes. I had forgotten what a big deal it is to finally master bike riding. Freedom. On Friday we even loaded up the bikes and headed over to Hadley's friend, Lash's, house. They have a great driveway for bike riding and this added space gave Hadley the practice she needed to get really proficient at bike riding.

My mom rescued some cats from the mountains this summer. I am sure you all remember the photos of Weed and the babies she had. Well, Mengus is the other cat she rescued and she had her babies on Saturday. I had dropped by to pick up a t-post puller and decided to check on the cats when I was in the barn. Mengus was hard at work having her babies and Weed was right by her side coaching her along. When she had her baby, Weed and Mengus both took the job of licking it dry very seriously. My cat loving sister and her cat loving son, David, hurried over to see the excitement.

Things have been getting wrapped up with the fencing project. Doug and I completed the parameter fencing around the horses and now all I have left to do is pull the t-posts holding up the Noble panels and replace with railroad ties. Cruiser is tough on fencing, things have to be pretty goof proof in order to avoid injuries with that walking accident. I can't tell you how nice it has been to make the improvements we have over the past year. A new tack room and now new fencing...I would eventually like to get electricity down to the horses and also improve the fencing around the goats and chickens.

Last week I picked up a book recommended by a good friend. The book is called The Last Lecture. It is well worth your time to check out if you are looking for something to read. It isn't very long but it has a great message about life and time well spent. It was recommended by my friend, Nancy, who I got to know when I was living in Snohomish and working at Inglemoor High School in Bothell. There are some people in life that we come across and they are just heaven sent. Well, Nancy is one of them. I truly believe she is an angel.

Doug is looking forward to a big hunt in Idaho come September. He has taken 2 weeks off from work and has done a lot preperation and we are now trying to figure out the logistics of joining him for part of the hunt. Let's hope this is the year that Doug bags an elk.

Mama Mia

I think it would be safe to say it is hotter than the hubs of hell today. And yesterday. And the day before. I am now ready for a break in the weather. A nice big rain storm would suit me well since everyone around us is done with harvest. But I will take what we have with a smile on my face. And with that smile, I look back to the last several days...

Thursday was a nice break from the usual days. Betty took the girls in the morning which gave me a chance to run errands and work around the farm without trying to keep an eye on the girls too. A run to Bordertown filled up the feed bins for all the animals and then I was able to pick up posts to complete the final side of fencing we are putting in. After lunch with Doug and Dean at Mongolian BBQ and a pass through the Dollar Store (without purchases I might add) I returned to the farm and got to work getting some things done around here. After the evening air cooled off a bit Doug and I fired up the motorcycles and took a spin through the country side. While riding down a gravel road close to nothing I spotted a little black dog along side the road in a field trying to find shade next to an overgrown weed. We immediately stopped and picked him up. It broke my heart to see this poor little thing abandoned out here on this lonely road. The chances of them getting found is slim and it was so hot, over 100. Of course he isn't wearing a collar, isn't neutered and hasn't been reported missing. The good news is he is a wonderful little dog, very good with kids, cats and other dogs. Anyone need another dog? Doug named him Pico. He looks like a full blooded ghetto mutt to me but I know he has a lot of Chihuahua and Pug in him with good traits from both breeds surfacing in his disposition.

Friday morning we had a nice treat. Our neighbor Eric dropped off Kylie first thing in the morning. Kylie's mom is pregnant and this summer heat is taking it's toll on her so we thought it would be fun if Kylie came over and played in the morning and gave Melissa a break. The girls have developed a real liking for playing dress up and creating things in the play kitchen so that occupied them for quite awhile. When Melissa did come over we had a nice visit and then Kylie went home in the late morning.

Doug got home early from work and we loaded up what we could and headed for the hills. My parents cabin was sounding pretty good to us on this HOT HOT day. When we left our farm the temp read 107. 107! Can you believe it? And this was after 5 pm!! It was a nice break to beat some of the heat up at the cabin by Tollgate. When we arrived Hadley wanted to ride her bike, she has recently started riding without the training wheels so a big part of her thoughts are occupied with bike riding these days. My parents have a nice dirt road that runs back to their cabin so that gave her a good place to play around with the bike. Even though she is within sight we always keep a close eye on her because of the very recent sightings of a black bear on my parents property. In addition to bear, squirrels and deer there has also been mountain lions on the property although I am almost certain all the dogs and noise during the day light hours would keep them at bay.

After a ?restfull? night of sleeping we got up and planned our motorcycle ride. I have a favorite ride that takes us out the breaks of the Umatilla. It is a notch up from logging road riding in terms of skill required in certain sections and I like the challenge. The reward is a stop in a small meadow that opens out to this view. It always looks like I should see a bear rustling for berries in the valley below but so far, no such sightings. Kate and Pico went with us on the ride. Kate loves the bikes and there was no chance of leaving her at home. She loves, with a passion, the "nun nuns" (term coined from the sound the bikes make.) Pico sat on the seat in front of Doug for a rather interesting picture--I wish I had got one of those two heading down the trail together. Pico is just pleased to be with us, no matter where he has to go to share that companionship.

After resting a spell and taking in the sites we mounted up again and headed back to the cabin. Let me take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about our guide, my mother. Mama Mia. I swear she must be part Indian. I usually think of myself as having a good sense of direction and being able to find myself around without issue. But I have to admit, here in writing, I get confused about what turns to take back there in the woods when we are riding our motorcycles. My mom, let's refer to her as Sacajawea, can figure out where to go with her eyes closed. It seems that every time we go out to this site we take a different route. And Sacajawea is always our dutiful guide. She waits for us at every turn to make sure she doesn't lose us. I swear there must be a hundred different trails back there and she can just find her way out every time without getting lost. We always have a great time riding the trails. I look forward to our next trip up there.

I must divulge one of my weaknesses while up at the cabin besides eating anything sweet I can get my hands on. I love to work on jigsaw puzzles. And I am pretty good if I don't say so myself. It might be what a jigsaw puzzle represents more than anything. A simple, uncomplicated life without a lot of demands. If someone has time to sit down and put together a picture cut into 1000 pieces than there must not be a whole lot else to do. And what a luxury that is!! No water to move, no lawns to mow, no animals to feed, to laundry to do, ironing, grocery shopping, or bills to pay. Nope. The things we focus on up at the cabin are what we will be eating, where the kids are and where we will be riding our bikes or horses. Can't beat it!! So that, my friends, is one of the many reasons we enjoy going to the cabin. And when I say we, I mean Doug and I. Doug:Master of the Universe.

So Sunday was catch up day. We got up early, unloaded wood for fencing, mowed the lawns, watered all the plants at our place and Doug's moms, and took care of the animals. Doug had a friend and his boys come out to ride their dirt bikes on the track so that took a good part of the morning. After they left I got a quick ride in on Cruiser before the temperature rose above 100. It has been fun to get back in the saddle and I am trying to get ready for a horse show in September in Monroe.

Our new renters/friends moved in on Sunday. Ashleigh and her mom, Tara, are going to be spending the month with us before they move into their new home in town. They moved here from Moses Lake and her husband will be following at the end of the month. Ashleigh and Hadley and Kate are enjoying riding bikes and playing while Tara and I get a chance to visit. And one added bonus to having them here? Tara is a great showperson and I hope to pick her brain and get a few lessons in showmanship and equitation while she is here! We were so happy to share the beautiful sunset with them and then we turned out sites to the full moon (Green Corn Moon this month) rising over the hill. Oh it was SO pretty! Another reason to be thankful to live out here on the farm.

The Three Amigos

Well, there were actually four amigos but only three were interested in riding Elvis today so they are the ones who got their mugs captured in this wild west pose. This morning Zeke and Eli came out with their mom Becky to visit the girls, horses, chickens and goats. They had such a good time. Kate was the first one in the saddle and could not be removed once she felt the leather beneath her. I asked her to hop off so Eli could ride and she wasn't going anywhere other than scooting forward so he could sit behind her.

Along with the excitement of riding the horse they also got to visit with the chickens and goats. And Hadley, our resident chicken whisperer, was able to catch Jesus. This was truly a miracle. She is hard to catch. The kids collected three eggs and headed for the house after our visit was finished. One egg made it.

Another happy summer day with friends.

Harvest Time

This is the week we wait for all year. The payoff for all the hard work. Harvest. Harvest started late this year due to more moisture and cooler weather than normal. Today Todd rolled in with the combines and bank out wagon and started cutting. Their day started off with a little excitement. The boy driving the water truck got off the road on to a soft shoulder and rolled the truck. Thankfully no one was hurt.

The wheat being grown on our land is planted in the fall and is called hard red winter wheat. It is especially high in protein and is best used for breads. Most farmers in our area plant winter wheat.

The combines being used are Internationals and they cut the wheat and then dump it into the trailer being pulled by the tractor called the bank out wagon. Bank out wagons speed up the process of cutting because it can go anywhere the combines go. This eliminates the need for the combines to ever stop cutting to dump their load. Most of the land is very hilly and trucks can't drive on a lot of it. Our land, however, is almost entirely flat. Once the bank out wagon is full it dumps it into the waiting semi and trailers. The semi will haul it directly to the river, either the Snake or the Columbia where it will wait its turn to be loaded on a barge destine for Portland.

But do you want to know who is the most pleased when the combines fire up their diesel motors? The hawks who reside on the farm. They fly high over the combines waiting for them to uncover mice and gophers and then they swoop down and pick them up. Sometimes they will even grab a snake. Did you know hawks see well enough that if they could read they could read standard type print from 1 mile away. Amazing.

Fun of the Farm Part 2

Even though our final month of summer has arrived we aren't going to let the fun start to dwindle. This week was packed full of good times. Hot weather didn't slow us down. Monday night Doug scored more points as being the fun parent and set up a two man tent on the little deck off our bedroom. We drug out the sleeping bags and blankets and pillows galore. We also brought flash lights and books and stories to share. The girls thought this was the most fun thing imaginable. Hey, can't say that I blame them. But with that kind of excitement it becomes hard to convince anyone to fall asleep. So Doug left us alone and slept inside and the girls (myself included) all laid down and talked ourselves into a hard sleep. Well, at least they did. Sleeping on a wooden deck on a hot summer night isn't as easy as it used to be. I thought I did amazingly well to sleep until 3 am and then I decided to move my old bones into bed. Just as I settle into my soft, comfortable bed not more than 2 feet away from where they are sleeping Kate awakes. And then Hadley awakes. I swear they are like little wild animals. They could sense, even in the deepest sleep, that I had left the den. Lordy. So out of bed and back into the tent I went to try and lull them back to bed but no luck. So the whole clan moved back inside. Why is it that I was the only one tired the next morning?

Our chickens have been keeping our bellies full of eggs this summer. Call me crazy but I never tire of collecting their beautiful eggs. Daily I marvel at how perfect they are and the beautiful range of colors they produce. Although Thelma is the orneriest hen she is the best layer. She lays early and her eggs are usually extra large. Tres eggs are the easiest to identify because of their blue/green color. Our newest layer, Runner, has started laying eggs and hers is the small egg on the top. They will become larger as she lays more, it is typical for them to start small. I hope to add a few more hens to the flock pretty soon. We love having eggs for breakfast and sharing farm eggs with friends and family, there is nothing like them. Their shells are much harder than store bought eggs and the yolks are practically orange.

Hadley and Kate's little neighbor friend, Kylie, came over to play Friday morning. We feel really fortunate to have such a nice little girl living out here "next" door. Next door calculates to about 3 miles up the road. They had a sweet little tea party after dressing up in princess dresses. Melissa and I just had to sit back and marvel at this because neither one of us were ever the princess type. We were tomboys through and through. No barbie's for us, breyer horses and dirt hills. These girls will have a great time growing up together. Kylie is expecting a baby brother this fall.

Friday night Hadley and I went out to one of her friends birthday parties. Lash turned 5 and he was having a bike riding party. I have never seen so many little kids pedaling around on their bikes and scooters. They all had a lot of fun. Hadley and Lash have known each other their entire short little lives and they also attend Kids Place preschool together.

We were all glad the giant thunder clouds swung wide and missed the kids party so they pedaled until dark.

Kate and Hadley spent the night with Betty last night so Doug and I had an old fashion date night. We watched a movie, one of our favorites, American Beauty. You should check it out if you haven't seen it for awhile. It is really an amazing film. And then we headed to town, AFTER DARK, to get ice cream. Heavenly.

So that brings us to Sunday. My good friend Tara Anderson is moving to Walla Walla from Warden. She brought her husband, daughter and mother in law over to see their new home. They won't be able to move into their house until the middle of September so they will be living in our guest house until then. Their daughter is 6 and Hadley and Ashleigh will have a fun time on the farm for the remainder of the summer. Tara and I met last year while showing under the trainer at the Quarter Horse shows. She has since sold her mare but our friendship has continued. I know we have some good times ahead of us. We had such a kick spending the afternoon together watching Doug making beer.

Like Father Like Daughter

Hadley and Doug spent the afternoon riding motorcycles and testing their skills over homemade jumps. I wish you could have seen the intensity in Hadley's face as she approached the jump. Over and over she circled around and flew through the air. Kate is every bit as passionate about the bikes but just isn't quite big enough to ride by herself.

Tidbits

Just a few thoughts....

I have to smile when I think back to that cold, wet December night when Doug made a late and long trip to Colville Washington to pick Okie (then known as Micky) up. We had recently lost our good farm dog, Biscuit, to the road and I was terribly lonely when doing chores. Doug and I found Okie on http://www.petfinder.com/ and Doug knew right away he was the perfect dog. He is a 1 year old Border Collie/Australian Shepard cross. Problem was that he was scheduled to be delivered to a group in Seattle on Monday. The woman running the rescue in Colville said if we could get there before Monday we could have him. She knew he was much better suited for a farm than city life and dog parks. So Doug left on Saturday afternoon in the cold, miserable weather December sometimes offers and headed north. The rest is history. He belonged to an elderly couple who had kept him from one of their litters for their grand daughter who had sense lost interest. Kindly, they decided to find a home that would offer him more attention. He is a good dog with a heart of gold and an endless supply of energy.

A couple things I learned today. First of all, goats in a pen are never really confined. Hadley, Kate and I were painting our horse shelters. I had opened a section of fencing while I thought the goats were busy doing something else in their pen and they managed not only to get over there and squeeze out but knock over the entire section of fencing on top of Kate with me helplessly holding a paint roller and the end of the fence. So the second thing I learned was goats and paints don't mix. Ever. In the process of dragging them back into the pen, they both rubbed their bodies along side of the newly painted shelters. Daffodil (in the background) stuck her head in the bucket of paint before I drug her into the pen and got paint all over her face and ears along with the side of her body while being drug. Did I mention the love-hate relationship? Below you can see our work in progress. It will soon be fenced in wood around the parameter and cross fenced with Noble panels. And the shelters are in need of just a little more detailing with paint and then they will be ready for another few years.

Farm kids have the most fun. No doubt about it. Our neighbors grand kids came down and played with Hadley and Kate on Friday evening. Kate took a break from hide and seek to pick some flowers. Hadley and I have planted a lot of flowers this summer and our work is finally starting to pay off with some great color around the farm. Both girls just thrive when they are outside running and playing hard.

Strike a Pose

I have to start with what is arguably the most exciting thing to happen all week. Just a hand full of people know I was involved in a photo shoot earlier in the spring for Pendleton Woolen Mills ( http://www.pendleton-usa.com/ ) Pendleton was shooting a special line of clothing dedicated to the 100th year celebration of the Pendleton Round Up. For the shoot, they wanted authentic cowgirls from the area and I guess I fit the bill. It was a lot of fun and I am sure they got some great photos. Now, if I didn't tell you it was me you would most likely skim right over it in the catalog or on the internet and not make the connection. But here is the shot that made it in the catalog to show case a beautiful silk scarf with the trademark bucking horse in the middle. After the photo shoot I was asked by Pendleton Woolen Mills to come back and model their spring 2009 line at the July sales meeting which took place yesterday, Thursday. I, along with two other women from the area, modeled 9 different styles in a runway type setting. It was a lot of fun and I was extremely flattered to be involved in these two projects.

In addition to the exciting runway show this week focused around the divorce trial of my brother in law. I can't tell you what a long process this has been. She left in February 2007 and it has been nothing but an ugly battle since she stepped out the door. Thankfully, no children were involved, and we feel a very fair judgement was handed down yesterday during the judges decision. This is the first divorce our family has dealt with and I hope I never have to witness the process again. Painfully ugly and damaging. There were no winners.

Wednesday was a fun morning out on the farm. Our neighbors grandkids came down for the annual horse ride. They spend a week of their summer vacation over here during harvest every year and we always look forward to seeing them. They are great kids, full of personality and charm. Elvis gladly gave everyone a tour of the pasture and waited patiently while photos were taken to document yet another summer visit. I think this is what he really thinks of the riding we do with him.

Today, Friday, we hurried in to help my mom move hay before her new hay for 2008 arrived. I don't know how it works out that my mom has two horses that get fat on air and I have a horse that eats what should satisfy 3 horses! Cash and Cruiser both demand a lot of hay to maintain their weight. But anyway, we were happy to go help my poor broken up mom move her hay. She thinks she broke a rib last week doing some work around her place so moving bales only aggrivates it. While I was moving the last of the hay, Kate and Hadley got to visit with the new barn kitties. I couldn't believe it but Hadley was afraid to hold the baby kitties. Kate didn't hesitate holding and has such a nice way of picking them up around the neck. Their mom was a rescue kitty my mom got from the mountains where they have a cabin. I believe she is a sister to my cat, Grass. Hadley named Grass and he has been the best cat. So when my mom brought home his sister I couldn't think of a more perfect name then Weed. Don't you agree?

Our fence building continues on. Doug's enthusiasm is amazing. I appreciate his positive attitude and willingness to do so much work for another person after putting in long, stressful hours at the clinic. We have a system going now, he puts up the boards and I paint the shelters while he works. Typically the girls sit in the shade of the water troughs and play in the dirt. Strangely enough, it feels very calming and productive. Everyone seems to know their role in this task.

Let me share a word about goats. As they have grown older I have developed a love hate relationship with them. They are fun and spunky and friendly. I appreciate that. They are pushy, they jump on everything and they sometimes knock the girls down. I don't like that. I brought home a load of straw from my mom's that I use for bedding in the goat/chicken coup and while I was unloading it I caught this photo on my camera. I am not a fussy person by nature but when it comes to this pickup I like it to be kept as close to new as possible. Goats on the roof doesn't fit into the range of what I deem acceptable. I must admit I thought about what a goat would taste like after being roasted when I saw her take that final leap onto the roof but decided she was worth too much money to eat. After the fun of unloading straw and watching the goats and the kids play on it, I decided it was timeto get out the hoof trimmers and trim their hooves. It was a bit of rodeo and I wish someone had been there to see the fun. Don't underestimate the strength of a goat who doesn't want his or her nails done. They are supposed to have their hooves trimmed every 4-6 weeks and this was the first time I have taken them on. It took some serious wrastling around and pinning them against the wall or straw bales but we got it done. Not without working up a man sweat though.

Kate seems to be developing an affection for riding. She loves the time we spend down at the horse pens and I have to keep an constant eye on her because she is forever wanting to get in with the horses and pet their legs. Thankfully they are kind and gentle horses. Cruiser's 1450 lbs compared to 30 lbs doesn't make it a safe combination. Whenever I am with her she is allowed to pet them or sit on them and she always loves it. Anyone who knows Cruiser knows how big he is, a solid 17 hands but kind as a teddy bear.

So there you have it. Another week on the farm.