Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Spring Has Sprung......Finally

A photo of our 2007 garden Our Canadian "friends" that visit our pond each spring


At our place spring has sprung.....finally. Last year we had an unexpected freeze on April 16th. It occurred more than a month after the time of the average last freeze. It caught us off guard. Apparently it also caught everyone else off guard too. By that time our vegetable garden was already started. It killed everything. It killed some of our fruit trees as well. Even the native oak trees were affected. Since they already were in the process of growing new leaves. Now, this spring we see the true damage that was done. Several of the big old oaks are dead. Fortunately we have many, many trees. Back where we used to live, it would have been devastating since we lived on five acres with only a few trees. I told "My Honey" that this crazy weather must be a sign of "that global warming" that "he doesn't believe in". He is in denial.



Now we are already behind schedule with the garden. Hopefully if the rain holds off we can get something growing soon. I so look forward to our fresh produce. We always have more than we can use and share with family and friends. So they are looking forward to harvest time as well. We like to grow some of the rare heirloom tomatoes that you can't find just anywhere. Brandy wine, Purple Cherokee, Black Krim and Orange Jubilee are some of the ones that we've grown in the past.



Signs that spring is really here around our place include:


1) our furry winterized horses are becoming slick and shiny again


2) the Canadian geese that "visit" our pond each year have returned


3) the horses are no longer interested in their rations of hay, they prefer to graze on the new grass, even if it is only a half inch tall


4) mowing is a never-ending chore, with over 2 acres of yard and many acres of pasture, we literally from now until the after the first freeze in the fall


5) weed-eating is also a never-ending job, to add the finishing touch to all that mowing


6) horse's hooves are growing rapidly, which means the back-breaking chore of trimming and around our place there are a total of 40 equine feet to tend to ( 9 horses & one donkey)


7) the insects return in full force, we have more than our fair share of flies, wasps and fire ants soon to be followed by mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers


8) everything that we "put off" doing this winter, now has to be dealt with, the tractor will

require maintenance, as well as a new battery, storms took a toll on the roof of the barn as well as the garage and our many "pending projects" will require all of our time, money and energy


9) the trails around our property boundaries, which we cleared during the winter are becoming overgrown, which is extra hard to do now because the poison ivy and snakes will complicate


the task, and the job of removing (by hand) the many rocks from the trail ways will take us another ten lifetimes


10)another sign of spring, brings problems to the hen house. When warm weather returns to our place, so do the snakes and possums which prey on our chickens and eggs



We are so glad that spring has sprung to be able to do all of these things and are very thankful to be able to work outside without needing long-johns and a heavy winter coat. So at least this change in the weather does lighten the load of chores in one area. Wearing less clothing will mean having less laundry to wash. Thank goodness for small favors !!!!

Friday, April 25, 2008

"Our Little Piece of Heaven"




I live in a rural area with "My Honey" (which is how I refer to my husband, since I had always considered marriage a four-letter word). We are living our dream of having a piece of land and lots of animals. I wake up everyday thankful for another day and wouldn't trade my life for any other.

When we were looking for property to buy, we had many conditions to meet. We started looking at land in one state and ended up in another state. Other than the obvious requirement of price range, there was a lot of other criteria to be met.

"Our place" had to be at least 50 miles from a freeway and at least 25 miles from a Walmart. (We didn't want to be crowded.) "Our place" had to be on a dirt road. "Our place" had to have property boundaries adjoining federal land. (We don't want to be crowded in the future.) "Our place" had to have at least some open pasture area and some fencing for us to be able to move our horses there immediately. "Our place" had to be the last place that we would ever have to move to for the rest of our lives.

We said that if we could figure out a way to get 100 acres of land that would fit into our budget and our dreams that we would be willing to live in a tent. Fortunately, we did find "our place" which included an old farm house. It's not fancy. It is liveable and it does have potential. Someday when we get everything outside fixed up just like we want, then and only then will we use our limited budget to remodel the house... Like we said, "Who needs a stinking palace, if we have our own kingdom. ha! (We still haven't figured out how to build a alligator filled moat around the whole 132 acres, lol.)

We've built a 100' x 100' enclosure for our goats. We've built a hen house and a chicken pen. We've started a large vegetable garden. We've started a small (10 fruit tree) orchard with apple, peach, pear and plum trees. We've been remodeling a large old wooden cattle barn into a ten stall horse barn. We've built new fencing around the entire barn yard area, as well as a "blind horse habitat" (which is a long story, better saved for another day). We've planted over 30 rose bushes as well as a multitude of other flowers, bushes and trees. We have acquired "bee boxes" and plan to become beekeepers, which is good for the environment, plus we luv fresh, raw honey.

When I say WE, I mean My Honey & I, without any paid help or any unpaid help for that matter. We are quite a team. One of us has the majority of skills and one of us has the majority of the ideas, but let's not go into which is which. Fortunately both of us are very hard workers, which helps since we work, and work and work on "our place", often from sun-up to sun-down. Around the ranch there is enough work for the two of us for approximately ten life times.

I've joked that if someone else suddenly woke up today living "our life" at "our place" that they would think that they were being punished for "some forgotten sin" from their past.

To us this lifestyle is not our punishment. We consider ourselves lucky to have our own little piece of Heaven on Earth.

"Experimental Cooking"


I look at cooking as being an experiment. No matter how hard I try, I rarely can make it through a recipe without changing something, adding something, substituting something or leaving out ingredients that don't appeal to me. I consider LIFE to be just one big experiment, so I often "make it up" as I go along.

The following is one of my experimental recipes that I "made up" to add the healthful benefits of soy and flax to our lives. Give it a try !

BLUEBERRY FLAX SOY BRAN MUFFINS

1 cup organic oat bran
1/2 cup organic soy flour
1/2 cup organic ground flax seeds
1 egg
1 cup soy milk (vanilla flavored preferred)
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
1/2 teaspoon course ground sea salt
1 Tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil
1 cup frozen blueberries

Mix together dry ingredients first. Then the remaining ingredients, add frozen blueberries last.
Stir only until combined ( over stirring will cause tough muffins). Makes 1 dozen.
Bake in oven, preheated to 425 for 15-17 minutes

*If you prefer substitute another fruit such as raisins, dates, or whatever you like
*I use paper liners in a muffin pan for easy removal & clean up
*Flax seeds tend to cause baked goods to brown more quickly and cooking times vary.

"A Very Unlikely Blogger"

I'm a very unlikely blogger. Blogging is a very public forum. I am an extremely private person. I have very little computer experience. Until recently, I didn't even know the definition of the word "blog" and certainly didn't know that such a place as "blogosphere" existed.



I don't have a computer. My blogs are rough drafts which are done at the public library. In my life, computer access and free time are very limited. About twenty years ago, I was one of "those" people who wanted nothing to do with this "modern technology" and hoped that this "computer craze" would be nothing more than a passing fad. But since it is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future I have decided to "jump in over my head", instead of slowly wading in to test the water. I've always done that. It's all or nothing. As Helen Keller said "Life is a daring adventure or nothing".



"My blog, 100 Random Things About Me" served as my introduction for this blog site. I "borrowed" the idea from a cousin out west (hope she didn't mind). I enjoyed reading her blogs, which led me to read other people's blogs. It amazes me how many people there are out there that have something to say. What an incredible age we live in, which allows so many people to voice their opinions and to be heard across long distances at such a high rate of speed.



I have something to say and it will be interesting to find out who will be interested in listening. While this is my 3rd blog post, today I received my first comments. It kind of threw me for a loop, I was caught off guard as to how apparently sometimes comments may require an additional response from me. I'm not sure what is considered appropriate. But I will respond as I do to everything in my life, with the "always sincere and honest" approach. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Today is Earth Day !!!!

Photobucket


Today is Earth Day. For those of us that believe that the world and all of it's resources belong to the human race, it is just another day like any other. For the rest of us that understand that we are only a small part of the Circle of Life it means that today we should be extra thankful and appreciative for what the Great Creator has provided.

Every day we are given the opportunity to care for our little piece of the world. Every day we have the chance to make the choice to make "our" world a better place or to continue the living like there is no tomorrow. Every day in some small way each of us can contribute something to the Earth that so generously sustains our lives year after year.

If each person would take personal responsibility to change even the tiniest aspect of their life that would benefit the natural environment, collectively it would make a positive move in the right direction. Ask yourself "what can I contribute" instead of "what is in it for me".

If you have the chance to watch the program on National Geographic Channel "The Human Footprint", please do. If you'd prefer follow this link: http://www.natgeohumanfootprint.com/, which details what resources are used up for each person in the USA over a lifetime. How much of an impact does your current lifestyle have on our world? How can that be modified? Do you take personal responsibility for what your existence costs in the big scheme of things?

As a side note: On this date in 1899, the Oklahoma Land Rush began. Numerous settlers rushed into the former Indian Territory to stake claim to land for their homesteads. Those who cheated and started before the scheduled time were referred to Sooners. Eight years later in 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state in the USA. With that being said, how many people take into consideration how this affected the Native people who lived in that area before the Land Rush of 1899??? They were the people who believed that they belonged to the land instead of the land belonging to them. They were the ones who never took more than they could use and thanked the Great Spirit for everything they took. They cared for the land as Mother Earth. In general, those who inhabit that same land now days are living a life that is very disrespectful to their "mother". The repercussions of this may someday be very severe.

Monday, April 21, 2008

100 Random Things About Me

1. I've been trying to SAVE THE WORLD since 1972.
2. At age 30, I danced for the first time.
3. I believe that angels walk among us.
4. I've always wanted a zebra.
5. In 9 years, my husband and I have never been to the movies together.
6. I haven't been on an airplane since 1998.
7. I hate to shop except for groceries and garage sales.
8. I've done medical volunteer work in a foreign country.
9. I could make scrambled eggs when I was 5 years old.
10. I think that EVERYDAY should be Earth Day.
11. I want to learn to sky dive.
12. I translated for patients during my lunch break at the hospital where I worked.
13. I'm a fairly good shot with a rifle or a pistol.
14. I have spent one night in jail. Don't ever ignore a speeding ticket !
15. I hate all things fake.
16. I recycle and buy organic when ever possible.
17. A Siamese was my first cat.
18. I listed my race as "human" on the 1980 & 1990 U.S. Census.
19. My husband and I wrote our own wedding vows.
20. I always cry when I watch sad movies.
21. I traveled with a roofing company for four years. That is hard work.
22. I have the knack of stretching every dollar to $1.50.
23. I started scrap booking last year.
24. I love antiques.
25. I value all living things.
26. I take my pillow with me when I travel.
27. I've backpacked 9 hours across the floor of the Grand Canyon with a limited water supply.
28. Both of my stepdaughter's names have 7 letters and each contains 3 vowels.
29. My first vehicle was a 1968 Volkswagen Bug.
30. It was metallic PURPLE with wide tires.
31. I have never met my in-laws. They live in Arizona.
32. My life has been touched by the kindness of strangers.
33. We had a pet monkey when I was a kid.
34. We bottle raised a baby Bobcat, but not at the same time as #33.
35. My great x 3 grandmother was on the Trail of Tears.
36. By choice, I did not attend my high school prom.
37. I almost died of pneumonia at eighteen months old.
38. My sourdough starter is 4 years old this month.
39. English is my first language.
40. My first Spanish class was at age 22. I now think and dream in Spanish.
41. I have been horseback riding since before I could walk.
42. The longest word that I remember how to spell has 26 letters.
43. It is : ESOPHAGOGASTRODEUDONOSCOPY, I think, lol !!!
44. I love sound of the wind.
45. I believe in signs.
46. I have a never-ending "sweet-tooth"
47. I can "french-braid" my own hair.
48. When she married my dad, my stepmother & I had the same name: first, middle and last.
49. Beginning in 2001, I lived in a cabin on a mountain WITHOUT running water. After 2 years, it's easy.
50. My first very own horse was born four days before I was born. She died when we were 26 years old.
51. In my family of 15 people, there have been 28 marriages.
52. Some were never married. Some were married up to five times.
53. My great x 6 uncle Daniel Boone left the area that he'd settled because it was too crowded.
54. I choose to live in the country for that same reason. Twenty years of city life was enough for me.
55. I admire those who defend the defenseless.
56. When I was 9 yrs.old I broke my arm and hid that fact from my parents for 3 weeks.
57. I have saved every birthday card from my dad for the past 36 years.
58. I have flown in a helicopter and a sea plane.
59. I can cook a full course meal from scratch in a dutch over over a wood fire on a trail ride.
60. The only time that I've ever felt lost was while scuba diving in low visibility conditions.
61. I hate to kill anything. I take "bugs" outside to set them free.
62. I once relocated a possum from the hen house to a river side location with a dozen eggs as a gift.
63. My great-great grandfather was a prisoner of war at Camp Douglas during the Civil War.
64. I hate discrimination of any kind.
65. I hate "hate" of any kind....
66. I have bottle raised three baby goats in the past 7 years.
67. Our cats are named for Old West outlaws.
68. I love candle lit bubble baths.
69. I've been writing checks for bills since I was twelve years old.
70. I love to stand near the edge of a tall cliff, or to sit on the edge with my feet dangling over.
71. Back in 1979, after meeting her son, I promised a co-worker that I'd vote for him for President.
72. Years later, I voted. He won and lived in the White House for eight years.
73. I want to be cremated.
74. As a friend, I was always the one willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.
75. I attempted to remove an old bullet from a friend's scalp. See # 74....above and beyond the call of duty.
76. Ansel Adams is one of my favorite B& W photographers.
77. I want to raise a baby buffalo as a pet.
78. I have my grandmother's house plant. She died in 1981.
79. I have over a dozen nieces and nephews despite the fact that my only sibling has no children.
80. I have had 8 root canals in one day....marathon dental appointments aren't for the faint of heart, lol.
81. I have almost every inexpensive kitchen gadget known to mankind.
82. I have traveled to 19 of the 31 states in Mexico.
83. I haven't "bought" an egg since 2004. We have chickens.
84. I donated over 3 gallons of blood over the course of the years that I worked in hospitals.
85. My homemade baked goods contain duck eggs. We have Indian Runner Ducks.
86. I hate to be cold. I'm cold when most people are comfortable.
87. I've seen the ocean at the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, but not the Atlantic.
88. I believe in premonitions.
89. I lived in an area that reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit
90. I've looked up 40+ long lost friends in the past two years.
91. Years ago, tequila was my favorite party drink....straight with salt and lime.
92. I love to make others laugh.
93. I can't stand to see anyone or anything suffer without trying to intervene.
94. I make homemade bread often.
95. There are 3 kinds of sprouts "sprouting" in my kitchen right now.
96. My mom called me "The Energizer Bunny" because I keep going and going....
97. My dad called me "The Horse Police" for being able to see a skinny horse while driving 70 m.p.h.
98. My sister called me "Betty Crocker" for my love of cooking and baking.
99. I call my husband "My Most Unexpected Blessing" for proving to me that marriage is not a 4 letter word.
100. My heart was stolen when my 7 yr.old stepdaughter started calling me her SECOND MOM. Despite years
of worry and a substantial amount of grief, I've never regretted accepting her as my own daughter.