Thursdays Thoughts, Shooting The West

Sister Cindy and I will be heading to Winnemucca NV next Tuesday,

for the ....... Shooting The West XXV

The Nevada Photography Experience

"WAHOO!!!!!!!"

Five days of workshops, lectures, individual sessions

 and taking pictures to our little hearts content.

We signed up for "Understanding Your Digital Camera"

Decided it wouldn't hurt us to actually get to know our cameras.

In my case, when I screw it up, I can get it back into neutral.

We also signed up for a class with Barbara Van Cleve ,

might be a little over our heads with this one, but excited !!!

And entered photos in the 

Range Magazine's "Outback Roundup 2013"

These are the two I entered.

The only thing about taking off for a few days is 

leaving JS ...."Home Alone"

"I'm Feeling Wordy"

How on earth does one month get packed so full of stuff and go so fast.

The first three weekends where taken up by babies.

"Maverick Lucas" came into the world and wanted to party with a 

John Deere theme. Plenty or women were willing to party with him.

Mamma showing off all his new things and Grandma spoiling him.

As the month progressed, we had one good rain to soak the ground

 and a lot of north wind to dry it out, other then that it's been like spring.

Miss Riley celebrated her first birthday the second weekend.

Not sure how much she got out of it, but the adults had a great time.

Her mom and dad had a small cake made just for her to put her 

hands and face in the frosting.  She was having nothing to do with it.

Dipping her cracker in the frosting was as far as she was going.

Cattlewomen's meeting, Charity Gals Bunco, Crab Feed at Richvale,

Cattlemen's Red Meat Dinner and a Rotary Roundup BBQ...

The social calendar was over loaded.

Dogs, cows, farming and working for JS,

filled up the rest of the days of the month.

 BEST OF ALL !!!!

Daughter Dawn's Baby shower, with family and closes girlfriends.

I went with her to the doctor yesterday and all is well.

The doctor scheduled a C-section, babies breech.

Little Miss Kinley Grace Nevers will be joining our family 

March 20 2013, unless she decides to do a head dive.

I can hardly believe it.

Pretty Picture Monday

Sunday Stills, Sunrise / Sunset... with a building

Rice Dryers, at Richvale CA. 

in the Northern Sacramento Valley 

"Happy Trails To You"

"HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND"

Thursday Thoughts, Friendship

I told my kids once, "When you get to the other end of your life

and you have one good friend that's been with you the whole journey,

to consider themselves lucky"

~

To have more then one is a miracle.

Wordless Wednesday

"Speed Dating" Farmer Style

Yesterday I attended the 3rd Annual Chico Ag 2013 Speed Dating event.

I was contacted last week, through the Farm Bureau and asked 

if we would be interested, that they didn't have any orange growers.

Not sure what to expect, I agreed to come.

The participants consisted of buyers, sellers and sponsors.

Buyers such as markets, restaurants and caterers.  Sellers, citrus 

growers, beef and poultry, cheese maker and many others.

Sponsors, irrigation, banking, Ag building and logistics.

The sellers were divided into two groups, red and blue, 

five minutes on and off.   The five minutes on going to each buyer,

selling yourself and your product.  Five minutes off talking to sponsors

and other sellers.   This repeated for about two hours.

I'm not sure how many sales, if any will come of all of it,

 but it made me stop and think about what was important that

I wanted to tell them about our orchard and operation.

These kind of events are way out of my comfort zone,

 so if nothing else good practice.  

Thursdays Thoughts, $$$$$

The Girls are settling down and making them selves at home.

Lou, our friend we bought them from, never takes the 

calves off the cows, until he hulls them to the sale......

so we're weening at 4 and 5 hundred pounds.

It's going better then I thought is would.

Shane spent Monday and Tuesday checking and fixing

 all the fences.  After looking  the corral over we decided to

 replace the post that the gate hangs on.  It was rotted and 

wouldn't take much (like a 4 hundred pound heifer) to brake it.

As in all things, one post "$" led to another "$" that led to 

another "$".......   you get the point!

Did I mention I haven't even paid for the livestock yet.....


PS..... HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Farmer Johns, A Cow Man

Today was my monthly Cattlewomens meeting and 

I was proud to announce that JS and I are

 officially in the cow business.

Our friend and neighbor is selling all of his cows and calve.

He's retiring for the second time.  He's in his 80s....

so we bought his calves, all four of them.

One bull  and three heifers.  Theses are the two older

heifers, the bull calf and the other heifer are not 

quite old enough to be weaned yet.

JS is just as proud as he can be.  I on the other hand,

am not to sure how profitable this first year is going to be.

We're already into one fence post 

and two new tires.  

There's more to this story, 

but I can't seem to tell it without cussing.

Pretty Picture Monday

Sunday Stills, Circles

Thursdays Thoughts, Rainy Day

It's February and the annual January Spring is over,

winter returned today and it's welcomed.

The orchard need a good long drink, after all the freezing.

The ground is dry and hard, the alternative is mud, but we need the rain.

February and March are traditionally our wet months,

Lets hope so.

Wordless Wednesday

Walking with Ranch Dog

I took a walk around the farm today and Ranch Dog come along.

We checked out the fruit trees in the kitchen garden, they got 

pruned today and sprayed with dormant spray. 

As we walked to the Olive orchard,

 I spotted these deer in the oranges.

Need to start gathering all the bins, to be cleaned and put away.

Ranch dog had a good time running around the Olive orchard,

lots of smells to check out.

Seems a little early but Mr Robin was setting in the Eucalyptus tree,

as I walked by headed to the mailbox.

Routs in my orchard makes me sad...... :(

Picked up the mail and as I started up the driveway, 

saw Mr Jack Rabbit hanging out.

Look who's half way up the drive.

Thanks Ranch Dog for waiting for me.

Sunday Stills, Fabrics

This weeks challenge is about textures and micro skills.

This is why one should reread the challenge before they 

take photos, missed the micro part......  Oh well.

"I love table clothes" and it is such a pretty day out,

so I brought them out side and draped them over the 

kitchen garden fence.

Hope your having a great day too..... ;D

Pfriday Photo Play..... ;D