Thursdays Thoughts, The June Drop

Much like April when the orchard is in full bloom,

a natural occurrence happens in June as well.  The June Drop.

I don't know if all citrus varieties do the same, but 

Navel Oranges naturally thin themselves from the tree and fall to the ground. 

Hence the name, June Drop.

Leaving the remaining fruit on the trees to become bigger and better.

All part of Mother Natures plan.

JS has finally gotten use to the annual event (after 20 years)

The first few years, he would go into the orchard, pick up a hand full

 of the little dropped oranges off the ground 

and with a slightly "In Mourning" look

 (much like the look he would give the coffee can full of mountain oysters

setting on the ground at my families calf branding)  

then look up at me and proclaim

"There's got to be someway to stop this!"

My thoughts were always "Oh John, you'll never make a farmer"

knowing that lots of orchards have to be thinned by hand,

this was a blessing and I for one was grateful. 

Now days JS doesn't even notice the drop and the routine

 of the orchard has become old hat.

The four seasons are marked by 

Spring Flowers, Summer Watering, Fall Coloring and Winter Harvest.

A routine that runs it's curse in the same order year after year.

Still the wonder of it all, is new each time I see it.

Wordless Wednesday

June Blessing

The orchard soaking up a much needed

 and surprising June rain.

A Blessing from above.

Pretty Picture Monday

Pfriday Photo Play

Thursdays Thoughts, "Projects"

Never a shortage of things to do on the 18.

There is always a project, in some varied stage of unfinished.

I have decided that every flower bed needs a good cleaning.

"One Down"

The project to finish fencing in the back yard is coming along.

All It needs is .........

Block man to put the caps on the wall,

Fence guy to finish the ....."fence"

Post to hand the lower gate,

Back fill the wall and level

I hope it will be done soon,

because,  "I need the gate to finish another project."

Cross fencing the olive orchard.

Thank You Ranch Dog for showing were the new fence is going.

JS decided he wants to take the top off the Land Cruiser for the summer,

so that meant pulling out the snowmobiles and cleaning the garage !!!

Oh..... your funny, you think JS is doing that.

Today, I'm cleaning the snowmobiles and covers,

so I can put them back in the garage.

This was not what I had planned this week,

but it never is.................   ;D

Wordless Wednesday

Biscuit Go's Shopping

Dawn and I took The Biscuit on her first big shopping trip to Chico today.

We're getting her trained right.

Cathy's Sew and Vac, Lowe's Home Improvement

and Costco for lunch.....   No Neiman Marcus in Butte County.

Her mother looks the same way when I take her shopping, 

All Smiles and Drools........  ;D

Pretty Picture Monday

Thursdays Thoughts, Cussed By A Cow

I got a "butt chewing" this morning and I hate to admit it, but I had it coming.

Cows were throwing a fit and I though it was because

I hadn't gotten them fed.  We have a lot of dry feed

(the reason for having cows) so weekdays their on dry feed, with hay

(JS got a little existed about having cows and bought a "little " hay)

On weekends I turn them out, onto the green irrigated feed.

Of course, I always get a big ear full, when the gate is shut to that field.

Hays fed ? ................  and they're still walking the fence ?

"Here comes the part where I feel like a jerk!"

I shut their water off yesterday.

Yes ... I feel bad.......   and a little dumb.

It was leaking and making a big mud hole.  I needed to level it,

fix the float and clean it out, from the dogs getting in it.

Turned the water off so the cows would drink it down, 

that would make it easier to empty and fix.

Just glad the temperatures been cooler.

"Water tank full, Cows quiet, still leaks"

Pretty Picture Monday

It's a Biscuit Kind of Day

A couple times a week Daughter Dawn

emails me photos from her phone of

 "The Biscuit"

This is her latest portrait.

Thursdays Thoughts, It's a Fine Morning

"It's a fine morning,

when you can chase

 a rabbit through the orchard,

tree a squirrel,

give the cows ... what for

and take a dip in the pool

 all before lunch."

Ranch Dog

"Wrath of The Biscuit"

Nana babysat me for the first time today.

The first 30 minutes was all fun, I got changed,

held, kissed, we played, my Nana's the best.

Then I got hungry!

!!! And my Nana tried to feed me with a fake teat !!!

I showed her the "Wrath of the Biscuit"

I wasn't born yesterday.

Pretty Picture Monday

Click On Image to Enlarge

Thursdays Thoughts, My Girl

My girl, with her girl.

Think this picture says it all.

Wordless In Black & White

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

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

Wordless Wednesday