The Odds and End of 2010

Last day of 2010, tonight we're going down the road to

the neighbors house with a few other friends to

"Ring in the New Year"

We ring it in at 9pm with New York, so that we can

all be home in bed by 9:05...................wild bunch.

I've spent all morning our side, drying tarps, moving bins,

see my new muck boot from Dawn and Cory, "purple".

JS sent me to a job, since I was headed towards town,

I ran by the feed store. I used my new two wheel

wheelbarrow from JS.

Now don't be hard on him, I asked for the wheel barrow.

One has to work within JS's comfort zone when it comes

to gift shopping. Home Depot, Costco, Ace Hardware.

Last year he got me a Dell Lap Top and the year before

a Honda ATV. "I'm doing just fine"

The pickers are finishing up this weeks orders, that made

me feel good. Rain is coming in tonight, I filled the wood

ring in the house and filled the old wheelbarrow with

firewood and put it by the back door. That should last

us all weekend, so we wont have to go our in the rain.

Don't plan on going any where this weekend.

And finely got the bird feeder filled and up that

I got last year. Everything is in pretty good shape

around here going into 2011.

"Enjoy your New Years Eve and Be Safe".

Thursday's Thoughts

My thoughts are random today, the rain has stopped and it's clear.

Where did this year go, it verily got started and it's over. I had

all kinds of thing to talk about , but none seem important.

We have no hardships. Our kids are healthy, all working and

full of laughter at Christmas. I've never prayed for them to

have wealth or fame, just health and happiness, to travel

safe and the strength to stand in the world on their own.

I'm sure they wouldn't mine a good word on the wealth.

The job are small and farther from home. It would be nice

if a couple of house came our way in the new year. We

have work and that makes us more fortunate them most.

Custom Home Building is an interesting business right now.

I have all kinds of wants, but no needs. My life is full of

family, friends and the happiness of spending a life time

with them all. Now that we have shared out first Christmas

together, I'm looking foreword to sharing the new year.

Hope it brings to you all you need and

a little of what you want.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR"

Pretty Picture Monday

I hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as the

Starr family's. The house was full of family and fiends,

with lots of food and laughter. It was great.

I wanted you to see the beautiful flowers we received.

The first with the red roses is from my Mom.

The second with the white lily's and tulips are from

Elisabeth Demir our other child, in Sweden.

Lise aka "Meatball" or "The Swede"

and Daughter Dawn met in college where they formed

a strong friendship. Lise stood in Dawn's

wedding and comes and stays with us when

she is in the country. Most of the lily's haven't

even opened, so I will be enjoying then for a while.

Thanks again Mom and Swede for the beautiful flowers.

Sunday Stills, Hats

MERRY CHRISTMAS

ON THIS DAY WE WHICH YOU

"PEACE, JOY AND FAITH"

THE STARR FAMILY

Christmas Cookies

I'm headed off to finish my Christmas shopping, but I

wanted to to show you these wonderful cookies.

Emily the daughter in law of some really good friends,

owns Van Gooey Cakes and made these great sugar

cookies for a party we were at.

If you would like to see Emily's beautiful cakes

go to "Van Gooey cakes.wordpress.com

Surviving The Freeze

Sorry !........ I didn't mean to leave you hanging after the

big freeze. We had three days straight of that, not

looking fore ward to my water bill. We run the water

all night till the temp is above 40 in the morning. It helps

to save the trees , not always the fruit. Everything we

have picked so far has no damage.

We picked 14 bins on Thursday and 50 10lb. bags.

6 bins the week before, and yes I drive forklift.

Your right, that's a lot of green in that bin. Oranges

are best after the first of the year, but every one

wants them for Christmas....so we pick.

I've been eating them ( "that's how I test the sugar")

and their not to bad.

We sell what we call "Field Run". They come straight off

the tree into the bin or bag. No sorting, no washing and

no wax. Some of the places we sell to, will run them

through their equipment and box them by size.

We're a small operation and pick when we have orders

to fill, so we'll be harvesting till the end of January,

maybe even into February. As long as it's cold they'll

stay good on the tree into March.

Thursday after we had all the bins pulled our of the

orchard, I when around and laid all the ladders flat on

the ground and tipped the empty bins up on end. Then

took the quad around and made sure everything that

needed to be covered or brought in was taken care of,

so the rain or the wind wouldn't tear things up.

Today is the first day since Friday morning early

that it hasn't been raining cats and dogs.

But the weather man assured us

there is more to come.

Pretty Picture Monday

Plumas County, Sierra Nevada Range

Photos By Zach Starr

Sunday Stills, Holiday Decorations

"Merry Christmas Every One"

This weeks challenge is holiday decorations so here are

mine. I do all the decorating, and my Scotch-Irish

seems to come out this time of year. Lots of tartan

and lace. It's a mix of old and new, old items passed

down and new found treasures added from year to year.

I love the way it looks and I hope you enjoy as well.

The silver center piece is from JS,s family.

I call these North Pole ornaments, their like what

mom had when I was growing up.

It's plastic !

I have a few snowmen,

and cut glass and silver.

This tablecloth is real, mad by my great aunt Ruth for

her sister, my grandma Clark.

Lets not forget what the holiday is all about.

With a last name like Starr, you have one of two.

Come visit as often as you like and visit Sunday Stills.

"May All Your Christmases Be Bright"

"Still My Best Christmas Gift"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACHARY !!!

Thursday's Thoughts

THANK YOU CRYSTAL !!!

Look at the nice soap I won, made out or

Prairie Rose and Prickly Pear Cactus,

and it smells so good.

Back in November, Crystal of Ranch Riding blog up in

Alberta Canada had a contest. She asked what was our best

Christmas gift.

I said the birth of my youngest son Zachary, who was

born one week before Christmas. He still is the best

gift ever, but the lap top from last year and the ATV

from the year before are running a close second.

"Thank' again Crystal"

This Old Chair

Two weeks before JS and I married 32 years ago,we

bought the old cabin. A real cabin, made out of railroad

ties, no foundation, no running water in the winter,

no electricity no TV and best of all no phone.

"A lot like the cow camp, but with indoor plumbing".

It was our honeymoon cabin. We spent two whole

days of a weekend with JS's Irish Setter, Rudy and

a red canoe. We were on top of the world.

The people who sold it to us walked off and left

everything behind. Dishes, bedding, tools, a stack of

vintage Play Boys, beds, dinning set and this old chair.

It never looked this good the entire time it was in the

old cabin. When we decided to sell the place, we did

the same and left every thing behind, but the chair.

I couldn't part with it, so I brought it home and

peeled all the lairs of fabric...... 7 !

Green cut pile, orange Japanese Fans, red,

3 different blues and the old brown on top.

I had the cushions recovered. Washed the frame

with oil soap and sanded it, then had a couple

of coats of clear coat put on it

I think it turned our pretty good.

It has no marks, but I think it's from around the

Late 40s early 50's? not sure.

Wouldn't mine finding more pieces like it.

PS..................JS's mom took care of the Play Boys.

Cabin Tour

I thought you might like to see the cabin. We bought the

property in 2003, just as an investment. We had a cabin

that we hadn't been using much and really didn't need

another. But how many chances do you get to buy

lake front property in the mountains?

Just land no structures, but a lot of work. Downed trees,

brush, cleaning in general. After two years of working

weekend, sleeping on the ground and using the neighbor's

bathroom there had to be a change! It would be years

before we would build a cabin, we would just build a

garage with a bathroom and "storage"

"So we're storing a cabin up stairs"

The down stairs is the garage were we keep every thing,

fire wood, tools, suppliers, and "A Full Bathroom".

You have to go up stairs to the main living area. The

building is 24 x 24 and the one room has it all. Kitchen,

Dinning, Living and Bedroom and a loft up stairs were

the kids sleep when we're all here .

The one room reminds me of the cow camp we lived

in when I was a kid, though I think mom would disagree.

It has all the comforts of home the cow camp didn't.

I was going to cover the valances over the windows with

saddle blankets till I saw the price of them, so I used rugs.

JS hung them up with "nails" so I put spur rowels on

the nails to be more decorative.

Our "Art Collection" going down the stairs, I like

western, cowboy and wildlife the most.

Bev Doolittle is one of my favorites.

This is actually a napkin from the Yuba- Sutter Cattle

Woman with brands from all the ranches in their

counties. It has my great grandfathers, grandfathers,

two great uncles and an uncles brands on it.

I thought it made a nice keep sake so had it framed.

This picture I bought the day of our 30 anniversary up

in Quincy. JS had business there, so I tagged along. I was

walking around window shopping and found this gallery

with all kinds of western art, I liked this one. It somehow

reminded me of my life. The rider is me, the

horse is my life, you might note, we're looking in opposite

directions. That about sums up 30 years with JS.

We have the same goals in life, just on different trails.

Well this concludes our tour for the day and you may

make your donations to.................... ;-)