I got my baby back, baby back, baby back...

LN came home from 4-H sep away state camp today.

Doesn't she look happy as a clam and well rested? Little did she know she needed to go to a petting zoo for a few hours at least as soon as possible, lol.

I fed her 1st, I know not to tame the beast with orders when sleep deprived but food works well. After a short stop at a local diner, her fav she was alot more chipper!

Our 4-H agent needed as last minute sub and LN fit in fine. It is only a few miles from home too that helped.

When she got home I offered her a "gift"

Her new field hockey stick that came while she was away. She has out grown last years already.She has a Navy soccer camp coming up next week followed by a Towson field hockey camp. She ll be pooped but a better player for going. I'll be alot poorer for payin the tuition though!



Location, Location, Location

Our barn is 1/4 for business and 3/4 personal space.

I like the way over 20 yrs I've arranged the space to fit each animals needs for the most part.

This is the back of the 100+ yr old barn, formerly a dairy barn. The main wing with the peak showing is the main body of the barn with the 2 sides as a giant loafing shed on the right and a smaller left side containing the store in the front and back here the goat/lamb areas.

This is a better view of the huge loafing shed attached to the main barn, view is from the side and front section where cows get turned out at night. The are you see open in the corner is the steer/heifer pen. To go inside to feed them you enter main barn to right  of tanks and go halfway through and turn left through an old feed stall exiting into 2 foot drop to loafing shed.

This is the door looking back into main barn stall. This is 40 ft deep from back of open sided soth end loafing shed. Now look up above doorway, above my redneck step you see below the drop of the doorway.

Better look at redneck step but wait what's that in front of step? The black droppings?  Go back to the previous picture and look over the door again.

Yep you guessed it right. The barn swallows have retuned to the prime real estate right where I have to enter and exit repeatedly during ther day carrying hay or 100# feed sacks or just to feed animals.

Location, Location, Location!

I have discussed what will happen if they empty on my head but they haven't responded yet.

In other areas, my volunteer vining garden is growing right in cow pen on dirt/gravel entrance.

We moved the gates back to protect plants as best we can. We'll see what grows in this solid rocky area. I chiseled some tomatoes in place in the open areas but it was hard and tough going.

Pumpkins seem to like it though. We'll see...

I also stuffed 2 yellow tomatoe plants in the end of my flower bed where I plant annuals normally.

My regular garden is a bust this year as I need new fencing since it's in horse pasture near 2nd well. There's always next year I guess. 

Broken Records

The heat has broken a record in Delaware and it's still June!

I have broken a record on B*tchiness because of the heat!

I am sleeping in the basement on the floor in the craft room untill I buy a futon because of the said heat!

I decided to chemically have my hair straightened on a record setting hottest day!
Apparently you can NOT touch or wash your hair for a week while it's "setting" at the hottest part of the year! I was informed of this at the "no turning back" part of the process. I am not impressed yet. I had it done to cut out the horrible frizz of my humidity induced curly, wavey, frizzey mess on my head. I should NOT care and should have put up with it and kept slathering it with moroccan oil each day.

 I'm too old to be vain. I am ashamed.


In nicer news I picked up my "newer to me" camper on Father's Day.
TaDa!

I now need to clean and  transfer things from old camper but will wait for a break in the 100* days that is due next week. The only differences are minor such as bunks are on opposite sides in the back and it's 7 years newer than the older one. Oh yea...it DOES NOT LEAK! So woohooo!

On the way back from the 1 1/2 ride fetching said camper we stopped at Greenwood Fire House to get their fundraising chicken. It is the bomb according to LN. She was begging so we stopped. It is a vinegar based sause on the chicken which is cooked over charcoal pits. It is only available in the summer on weekends. R & her husband S2 go regularly to buy as they live closer and took LN one day she was down with them. I've only had it once before when S2 brought it to fair for us but it is yummmy! You get a thigh/leg quarter with chips, roll and pickles. I add more sauce which is provided.

LN cleaned up her portion leaving only bones and the pickles.
I don't think S was impressed though. He's hard to please when it's not his idea although he cleaned it up only complaining afterwards ;P

When I went to download these pictures from father's Day I found this....

I love you too LN!

You never know what she'll do when you leave your camera laying around but it made my day finding her message in pictures.

JFB's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

You are a keeper Dad!

I love you and miss seeing you!

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my birthday.

I am 49 years young.

It's a number.

It doesn't bother me much.

I wish I knew way back when what I know now though.

I received a Kindle fire from S.

LN bought me a cover for it.

I was gifted with creme filled doughnuts too.

I likey.

I tried to post to blog from my Kindle but can't.

Anyone know how to?

Screen loads but after highlighting post square I can't get keyboard to show up?

I'm not good with this stuff.

Please help!!!

I'll nap till help arrives

Naps are good on old woman birthdays.



Front Porch Views

I Love , Love, Love my front porch!

Yes it's too close to the road but my husband lived here before I met him

so there was no choice as this is a family home.

Still I love my front porch.

It is on the north side of the house facing the used to be country road.

When I moved in it was enclosed with screens and was plain ugly.

The small front yard was fenced badly and dogs ran the perimeter creating huge gullies.

I tore it apart and added mushroom soil and plants.

This is an oakleaf hydrangea.

This pic inly shows a tiny bit of the bush I started from a clipping a friend gave me.

I also have a butterfly bush.

It is in full bloom attracting butterflies and humming birds.

I have 2 porch swings, 1 on each end .

East side and west side so choosing is according to sun placement and time of day.

I sit here alot to eat lunch or to read in the evenings.

Sometimes I take a small pillow out on Sundays and nap a little.

Don't tell anyone.

The massive chime is my husbands addition recently.

It's loud and has a constant hum even when the wind is low. I'm not sure I like it.

This is west end, the hydrangeas are massive almost forming a jungle, secluded area.

I use the old refrigerator to store flags and Christmas lights and candles, etc.

I love my red metal chairs. I don't sit there much because the dust created by customers

coming in keeps them covered.

If I'm on my porch, this is usually somewhere around as well!

Usually with a soccer ball on her foot.

Oh well someone has to love her! Hehehehehe!

It's Raining...Ahhhh...

Kinda getting dry around here...

It's been steady and softly raining since early this morning.

A gentle, soaking in, it's a good thing, rain !

Pastures & lawn are sighing with relief.

Blueberries are ripening...yum

Grape vines are full, hopefully I remember to spray in time to keep

rotting fungus from attacking again. If not it's nice shade under the arbor.

Always nice to see LN so serious as she and friend work on fair horticulture crafts.

Here they were making terriums.

Tonight is 2nd night of tryouts for travel soccer.

It may be postponed.

I bought another camper so that would mean I could go pick it up.

My current camper was the 1st we've ever bought.

I didn't know to crawl on the roof and finely inspect it, I took seller at their word.

WRONG...WRONG...WRONG

It leaks so bad the floor is rotting after only few years of 1x a year use at fair.

Apparently it had been in a wreak and roof was patched/repaired wrong. Damaged area was covered with an abutting patch instead of overlapping.

I know now what to look at and for but it was expensive lesson.

New camper to me anyhow was fully inspected. Same setup and size so that suits me and LN fine at fair.

Under 30 ft and no slide outs is a rule for where we camp.

Lots of storage was my requirement. I don't like making 17 mi trip for extra supplies.

Spa Time

Yesterday the girls decided to start washing everyone regularly in anticipation for end of July fair.

Some liked their spa day, some did not.

LN has been regularly bathing her steer and R's heifer which are in the back of our barn inside with a concrete, mat covered area with  fans running.

These are the other cattle the girls have in another area, they are in our roping arena where it's dry and dirty.

They wash and blow dry their cattle to promote hair growth which can be used in the fitting of each animal.

It also cools them off and helps with the handling ease of each one.

The more they are worked with the better it is to do health checks and general grooming needs.

Definitely looks like R is killing her calf by blowing him dry after his bath.

Funny LN s calf doesn't mind much. Looking pretty feels good?

Yes, she really is that nasty, no shadow on picture , flat out dirty!

She went to fair last year as a yearling heifer , that was the last time she had a bath, yuck!

Grandma Miss Diamond even got a little TLC treatment.

She is the matriarch of our cattle. She started this adventure as my son Z's calf 8 years ago.

Little did we know what would happen long term.

LN in her hurt your eyes neon shirt, placed 4th in Senior Livestock Judging at the county level as a 12 yr old. She's heading to state fair in July to compete at state level.

She's gonna be dangerous when she's older I'm betting.

LN took her market goat and lamb to petting zoo last weekend at a local orchard.

Her soccer buddy helped her out holding the goat as kids petted and asked questions.

It's a community service project for her and a nice addition to the local farming industry we support.

It's been awhile...

It's been awhile since I posted anything

I don't wanna be negative all the time

I'm working on self improvement in that respect

I'm not great at it

I am trying

Otherwise school is a 1/2 day away from LN being with me all day , every day

Well except when she goes to her 4-H camp and sports camps but still...

Yesterday she had a half day as well and she washed and blew out her steer and cleaned pens and walked and washed hogs

When we came inside I was happy it was only mid afternoon and all accomplished

I'm not big on nighttime work

I'll do it but for some reason if it's daylight I'm more driven

LN has decided to try out at another soccer club over an hour away through a congested area

I offered it to her so I'm not complaining

She goes for 1st of 3 try outs this evening, she s gonna have to kick a** and take names

This is an hard club to get into with Olympic style coaches

Yikes

At least she s aiming high

She was surprised last week to win a PBS award at her school

It was for being an all around student who has the grades and a little something else

It was voted by her teachers with only 2 per group which there are 2 groups in her grade receiving it

She said "I was just doing what everyone should be doing"

lol

O yea and Ln has been elected Vice President of her National Junior Honor Society

She was happy with that

Never to early to hedge her bets for better scholarship chances

All and All not a bad time around here

Weather is beautiful with no humidity and 70's

I'm such a nervous nellie I'm waiting on the other shoe to drop though

Be more positive, be more positive, be ....