Pretty Picture Monday

Early Saturday morning in the mountains and a cup of coffee.

Thursdays Thoughts, Autumn Fires

Fall Push

You know what the Fall Push is ?!

It's when the first day of Fall arrives and suddenly your feeling

 "Pushed" to do those things you said you were going to all summer,

"Now"! before Winter gets here.

I worked in the old orchard yesterday,cleaning up branches, pine cones

 and cutting our star thistle and blackberries.   We stopped watering it 

a few years ago.  We were putting more into it them we were getting out.  

Not a lot to do there but I try to keep it clean.  It has good grass in
 the spring,  someday I hope to take out the trees and put in pasture.

Ranch Dog and George were not invited to come.

I had some other helpers

Then I moved down to the burn pile.

If you have a farm you most likely have one of theses.

There was a patch of stickers, I'd been putting off cutting.

These Beauties, Spanish Sabers

Next on the list, the woodshed, it's the summer catchall.
Once everything was out, swept the floor, washed down the
 wheel barrows.  Some new tire perhaps ?

 Washed the woodring and  will be giving it a new coat of 

black paint before it go's in the house.

Cut up what wood there was for kindling

and need to start gathering more.

All clean and ready.

In a couple of weeks Youngest Son Zach 

will be home to split firewood.  More new tires!

 He doesn't make it home much and I can't wait to see him.

Well, back at it today.

Pretty Picture Monday

Fall is coming to the Sierra.

The Dogwoods give us to shows a year.

I love Fall.

Thursdays Thoughts, Mans Best Friend

God Said
I need somebody
strong enough 
to pull a sled
 and find bones
yet gentle enough
 to love babies
and lead the blind
Someone who
will spend all day
on a couch 
with a resting head 
and supportive eyes
to lift the spirits
of a broken heart
So God made a dog

Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake

Sunday, JS and I went to the Cattlewomen's Fall BBQ

potluck and I posted this photo on Facebook.

Well I got a lot of request for the recipe.

There is all kinds of versions of it, here's mine.

"Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake"

(or as I call it,"Lazy Wife Cobbler")

As you can see the ingredients are simple

and so is the recipe.

Ingredients 

1   Yellow Cake Mix, your favorite.
2   21 oz cans, Cherry pie filling.
1   8 oz can Crushed Pineapple.
2   Sticks of Butter.
1   Small Bag of Sliced Almonds  (optional)

Preheat oven to 375

Mix together well, 
cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple in bowl.
spread fruit mixture evenly into a prepared 9 x 13 pan.

Top the fruit mixture with the "dry" cake mix,
spreading with a fork, "do not mix into the fruit mixture."

Cut the two sticks of butter into pats,
 about 16 to 20 per  stick.
Place the butter pats across the top of the dry make mix
in a single layer.

Top with nuts.

Bake about 45 minutes.



I like it best,
 Hot out of the oven,  over Vanilla Ice Cream.

Oh ! Baby !!!!!

!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JS !!!

Today is JS's birthday, at our age birthdays are pretty low key.

Big breakfast this morning, birthday wishes by phone from the kids,

a few cards in the mail and dinner out tonight.

A simple birthday for a simple man.

Sunday Stills, Watershots

I actually posted this photo about a week ago, in a story. 

  When I saw the challenge I knew I wanted to put it up again. 

      I like it.

I Would Really Like A Day Off

"Yes I'm Whining"

Last weekend we had a crew working in the mountains at the new cabin.

I wasn't planning on going to the cabin but, "Working men have to be fed."

Spent most of Monday in town and two trips to Chico,

making it back in time to work horses with Tammy.

Tuesday was our Cattlewomen's meeting and I can't even remember

what I did that afternoon.  Babysat the Biscuit on Wednesday,

 worked horses that night.

 Took Mom to the eye doctor yesterday,  She's having Cataract eye surgery,

on Tuesday.   Today I have the Biscuit, Saturday Dawn and I are go to

 Sacramento to look at lights and appliances for the new cabin.

Sunday we go to the Cattlewomen's BBQ and 

Monday it starts again. 

"I think I have a bottle of wine around here someplace"   ;D

AMERICA

!!  America Is Not Weak  !!

The President and his advisers are. 

I don't care what ivy league university they attended,

they are in over their heads and couldn't find their asses with both hands. 

!!  America Is Not Weak  !!

Cattlewomen's Creed

BELIEVING THAT THE LIVESTOCK

 INDUSTRY IS OF BASIC IMPORTANCE

 TO THE WORLD EXISTENCE, 

WE THE BUTTE COUNTY CATTLEWOMEN, 

DEDICATE OURSELVES TO SUPPORT

 IT WITH OUR LABOR AND FINANCES;

TO PROMOTE IT THROUGH

 INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY;

TO ENCOURAGE ITS PRODUCERS 

WITH OUR UNDERSTANDING AND LOVE;

TO DO ALL IN OUR POWER TO 

INSTILL IN THE COMING GENERATION

THE LOVE OF THE LAND AND OF LIFE,

THE HUMILITY AND AWE BEFORE

NATURE AND THE HOPE AND FAITH IN 

THE FUTURE  THAT IS INHERENT IN

CATTLEMEN AND CATTLEWOMEN

Pretty Picture Monday

Sunday Stills, Headshots

The "Biscuit" and Grandpa, having lunch together.

Photo Fishing Trip

Yesterday Sister Cindy invited me to join her down at the river.

The Feather River goes through our town and the Salmon are running.

We found a trail and climbed down the rocks to the waters edge,

picking a place to sit, to scope our pray.

The fish were jumping everywhere and our excitement was high.

Camera settings checked, the sun was right, plenty of subjects,

cameras amid.  Let the shooting begin.

Here's how it went from this point.

"Fish jumps out of the water, go's back in to the water, we point and shoot camera."

we have some really nice photos of the water splashing, no fish!

After a few "Word" the conclusion was that this wasn't going to work.

We needed a new tactic.

The thought was now to hold the frame in a single

 position and wait for the fish to simple jump into it.

   "Photographing the Majestic Salmon perfectly captured in mid air."

You know,  like in all those fishing magazines.

It's hard setting there looking in a single spot and hearing the fish jumping

 on both sides of were your looking.  From the far side of the rocks I hear

 Sister Cindy's voice, "They wont jump in to my frame."

I had already digressed to the landscape.

Laughing and joking we decided to move closer to the diversion dam.

More Fish and More Jumping.  Our chances would be a little better.

Side tracked by some pretty flowers, we were soon in position, 

for our attended targets.  Same tactic, but with a bigger frame.

Both happy with a few of our photos, 

it was established that, we are no fish photographers

"It's Really Really hard work."
and maybe, we might want to get into a little better shape,
if were going to be rock climbing.

It was a good challenge and time spent with Sister Cindy
 is always worth while.  Can't wait to go again.

Pretty Picture Monday