Thursday, May 30, 2013

Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day


Today We Remember Those Who Gave
Time, Blood and Life.

May They Hear, See and Feel,
Our Thanks, Dedication and Love.

Photographer Unknow

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Thursdays Thoughts, Never Shoot Your Rattlesnake With a Fire Extinguisher!



I started cleaning out the feed room yesterday. 
The day before I killed a baby rattlesnake inside.
The thought was "Were there was one, there could be two"
Just wasn't planning on it being Mama!


After going back to the house and putting on my boots,
I stopped by the garden shed, grabbed the flat noise shovel
 and the pointy hoe before returning to the feed room.
By now the hearts pumping.


Pushed the door open with the shovel  "No Mama"
With the pointy hoe, I started pulling things out or the feed room.
Chainsaws, buckets, post drivers, feed can.
Anything, I could reach with the pointy hoe from the doorway.
All the time looking for Mama.


 It's was one thing to drag all that stuff out and an other
 to make sure I had a clear path of retreat.  

There She was behind a rubber feeding bucket full of horse brushes.
Coiled !!!

I stepped back out of the feed room, shut the door
and for reasons that only God can answer, 
went to the garage and got a fire extinguisher ?

Hell I Don't Know Why !!!???!!!

I had seen it on some TV show back in the 70's and thought 
it was a good idea to shot Mama snake with it.
"It worked on TV"






BAD


~



BAD IDEA


~




I shot her twice, the room filled up with a white cloud,
like the fog rolling in on the San Francisco Bay.
All I could think was,
"That's not quite how I remember this working"


~

Plan B.......  went to the house, got a Pepsi and
waited for the fog to roll out.    Now I was on a mission!!!  
 It didn't take much for the white cloud to dissipate, of course
 Mama snake was not were I had seen her last and everything 
in the feed room was now covered with a white blanket.
"What a mess"


Pointy hoe in hand, I started pulling more things out,
knowing that when I found her, Mama was going to be less then happy.
I had pulled everything away from the walls, the only thing lift to move 
was the Kid's green 4-H show box.


Smacked the box with the shovel and Mama started buzzing.
I couldn't move the box without stepping into the feed room and 
that would put mama between me and the door.

Not Happening !!!!!!!

Pushed the flat noise shovel between and box and the wall
like a pry bar, pushing the box away for the wall an me.

Have you ever seen a while rattlesnake?
She was kind of pretty and really ticked off!


Unable to get a hold of her with and shovel or the pointy hoe,
a show stick was hanging on the wall.  It's hooked on the end and
I was able to hook her and drag her outside onto the sidewalk
and kill her with my dull shovel..... poor thing.

Never had a snake in a room before and
I don't Like It

So every shed on the place is getting cleaned out starting with
the mess I made in the feed room.

Moral to this story

"Never Shoot Your Rattlesnake With A Fire Extinguisher"

Wish I hadn't

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

"Could Be"



You should have heard the "Groaning"
when I announced in the darkness this morning

"I forgot to turn the water off, last night"

"It could be"  that I didn't get the usual lecture,
because I was the one holding the flash light,
while JS and the welder were fixing the tractor.

"Maybe"  I didn't get the usual lecture, because I was
 the one driving with flashers going, behind said contractor
 as he drove the tractor home in the dark,
 with no tail lights or reflectors.

"It's possible"  I didn't get the usual lecture, because I 
was the good wife, who showed up when his forklift 
over heated and he needed a ride.

Plus two trips to town and to Gridley for tractor parts.

"Could Be"  




Thursday, May 16, 2013

Thursdays Thoughts, Photography



It's funny how life changes.  
 Until these past few years I hardly ever picked up a camera.
Looking back, while the kids were home, you'd be
 hard pressed to find photos of birthdays, sports, Christmas,
 or life in general.  I feel like such a bad mom at times.


I've had lots of hobbies along the way, but they take time, 
 can only do them in one place, they need lots of stuff 
 and they take patients.  Not one of my strengths.

So what is it about photography, that I so enjoy?

After going with Dawn, to have Kinley's new born photos taken 
by Ali Borene, I knew right away that studio photography was not 
my thing.  My attention span is way to short. 
Wedding pictures no!, Portraits no!
Except for love ones, I really don't like pictures of people.  

When attending the Shooting The West event, a landscape photo 
was shown, one of the Photographers asked the group
" What would make this shot more interesting?"
then replied "By putting a person in the picture"
My reaction (in my head only)  "No! that would wreck it"

I think it's the simplicity of it.

Yes, I realize that's an oxymoron, proclaiming photography 
as simple.   God knows!!  at times it has taken all my strength, 
to not throw my camera into the lake and
 say the hell with the whole thing. 

The simplicity......... of the everyday things.
To have camera in hand, along on a walk, or setting in the seat of 
you car, to grab at that moment, something catches your eye.
   No staging, tripods, or approval of critics. 
Just a simple picture that make "you" happy.


I may never get to the point in my photograph that I feel 
comfortable enough to call myself a photographer and 
realize that many of the photos I post to facebook and
this blog are not earth moving.

My goal is to just simply take a good picture,
that makes me happy.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

~GAME CAMERA~



Testing.....    Hello !   are you working ?

Talk about out of sight out of mind!
Santa brought me a game camera for Christmas.  As you can see
 by the date, I put it out in the olive orchard, Feb. 27 and
 for got it.


Sunday, JS asked,  what I ever did with it?

Well here it is, the results of my big game photography.

There where a lot of pictures like this one.....  ???
Note the nice green grass. 


And lots and lots of pictures or Possessed and Alien Deer.


I like this one....wonder what she's looking at?


Hello pretty, was that you in the night shots.....


Nice, slick, fat Black Tail Deer,


on my nice green grass......
Nothing else out here eating it, have at it.


Ranch Dog.


Hoping this is one of the olive pickers?


A herd of shiny eyed deer.


LOL......   I'm guessing Gray squirrel not skunk. 


"Old Gal on Quad"


This is a sad picture, it's son-in-law Cory's truck,
 the day he buried his old dog.  I felt honored,
that he wanted to bring her to our place.


Daytime deer shops were few.


I put in this picture so you could see how dry the grass is now.


See Mr. Coyote.......  on the left.


Last but not least,  
 OK!?...... does this deer look pregnant to you?

That was fun, I'll get it set back up and 
see what visits this next mouth.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Little Paper Clipping




This ! is what I'm been doing all week, fighting a head cold.
Even had to miss a coffee date with Dawn and Biscuit.
It's all JS fault, I'm sick !!!

You might have noticed I've been on face book, "a bit much"
that's because I spent most of the week in the office cleaning and filing,
so the computers been on a lot.

I ran across this little paper clipping in all my cleaning.

Written By Grandma Rita Walburn
Great Truths That Little Kids Have Learned

1.  No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2.  When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush you hair.
3.  If your sister hits you, don't hit her back.
 They always catch the second person.
4.  You can't trust dogs to watch your food.

Great Truths That Adults Have Learned

1.  Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2.  Wrinkles don't hurt.
3.  Families are like fudge, mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4.  Forbid your husband to come home from the mountains,
when he's sick.

I might have added that last one.
Have a great weekend.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

"HAPPY BISCUIT"


I DON'T USUALLY  POST TWICE IN A DAY,
BUT DAUGHTER DAWN SENT ME THIS PHOTO 
 BY EMAIL AND I JUST HAD TO SHARE.

A Quite Week.... I Hope



The herd enjoying the rain Monday morning.

After last weeks busy schedule, this week has started out to be pretty
 quiet.  Sunday JS had meeting with out of town customers and I didn't 
do much.  Pick up the house, cleaned out the refrigerator,
 did laundry and watched Nascar.


Yesterday we had a nice rain, for most of the morning. 
  Couldn't have planned it better, everything around here needed watering
 and it was a good soaking rain that settled the just.


Once I finished morning choirs I sat in the office and payed bills, 
Today I'm editing photos from a couple of Cattlewomen events.
The plan for this afternoon is to head to Yuba City to Sam's Club.
JS's kind of shopping, if it's not Home Depot or Tractor Supply.

What a nice quite morning, a little cool, but the windows are open, 
it smells good and no wind.



Friday, May 3, 2013

"Is It Monday Yet" !?!?!



My week started last Saturday, volunteering for the CA. State
 Beef Ambassador competition.  Sarah De Forest from our group
 is the state chair and the Butte County Cattlewomen 
hosted the event at the Chico Ag Farm.   My job was to chaperon
the sequestered contestants during the judging.  I always like
volunteering for this.  It is such a joy to spend the day with a 
group of kids, that are happy, polite, fun, can carry on an
intelligent conversation, with full sentences and real English.   
24 strangers in the morning were 24 friend by the end of the day.
What a great bunch of kids, always restores my faith in 
American youth.


Saturday night ran to the mountains for a little R&R, cleaned up the job
site at the new cabin and home in time to have dinner with Shane.
" Now, who do you think was cooking"?
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent,
 "Cleaning Everything", house, yard, farm!!! 
"Shane helped, that's why he was getting fed Sunday night".
Thursday night we would be hosting a back yard concert,
but first a flying trip to San Francisco, Wednesday afternoon.
   Not flying in a plane,  flying down the freeway! 
 3.5 hours to Treasure Island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay
 for a four hour Pella Window event and 2.5 hours home.......
 that's the difference between "BAD" Bay Area traffic and good.


Thursday night "Miss Juni Fisher"  what a treat
"What A Gal"
Juni's music is divers and a history of rodeo, ranching and horses.
The time is always to shot when she comes to visit.
It was also Sister Cindy's Birthday , cake and all....
Can't think of a better why to celebrate.

Today my Charity Ladies met at the El Medio Fire Station 
to get ready for our annual spring rummage sale Saturday

After that the calendar is clear.  My goal this summer,
 is to keep it that way, for as long as possible...

"I Might Just Take Monday Off"