Thursday, December 10, 2009

SNOW!

I enjoyed a 'wild' weekend in Vegas; watching the National Finals Rodeo, shopping, people watching, watching my sister thoroughly enjoy the country music bands. But I kept an ear tuned to the winter storm warnings back home in California. After a long but uneventful flight home Sunday night, we were met by rain at the airport, heavier rain as we reached the foothills, rain and snow mixed as we climbed towards home.... and this....


Snow greets us at our gate. Not too bad, I suppose. The house is toasty warm and we crawl between flannel sheets and fall fast asleep. I plan to rise in a few hours and head south to work.
We are jolted from our slumber sometime early morning by a crack of thunder. I think how weird that the blizzard has changed to a thunder storm. Then back to sleep. Jerry wakes me saying he can't find the alarm clock. The clock isn't missing, the power is out. Both now fully awake, we realize the earlier boom wasn't thunder.... dressing quickly we grab flashlights and head out the door. Amazed to be greeted by a dazzling white landscape littered with downed branches and trees, sagging power lines and trees heavy with packs of snow performing the most incredible gymnastics.

The realtor assured me that it snowed very seldom at this location. hhmmph

Amy and Jerry hung pine boughs and bows on the fence posts last week. The fresh snow is a nice touch.




Billie explores.





This is supposed to stand straight up.











Tristan was one of the happy ones.








Power lines and trees and snow.







A candy cane wanna-be.





Jerry and Tristan being good neighbors.


More happiness.


This is the thunder maker... just missed taking out our new fence. At 6:00 a.m. we were clearing it from the road. Jerry chain sawed, I supervised and offered suggestions.




These smaller oaks did smash the back fence.


Annie has the right idea.

Four days later, the electric is back on, just in time for my return home tomorrow. I hope the snow is all melted by tomorrow too.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Coon Hound

Got out of bed, opened my window blinds and noticed Cort laying in the yard, staring up a tree. As soon as he spies me, he jumps to his feet and starts leaping and twisting and spinning in the air, all while loudly vocalizing an alert to a trespassing varmint.







Looking pleased with himself, but always goofy with one ear up-one ear down.




He doesn't howl, he doesn't bay, he has an annoying high pitched yip, yip, yip, that gets our attention.






She's b a c k...... every few months she wanders over, gets treed, then high-tails it out of here when we distract Cort and no one is looking.




She's large, she's cute, but we don't want her nesting here and raising a family again. Can't blame her for trying though, this is a nice place to live.




Friday, October 23, 2009

Coloma Cemetery

This morning I visited the small local hair salon for a new 'do'. I like it. It's wavy and layered. I thoroughly enjoy my time at this Beauty Shop, an owner who says she is old enough to be my grandmother, I laughed and we figured out the dates and she could be my 'mother' not grandma!
Folks, both men and women, just stop in for chat and coffee. A real friendly gathering place, home-town atmosphere, good people.

Tristan had a short day at school so I picked him up instead of him riding the bus for an hour to get home. We visited the local thrift shop and I picked up a few bargain items to create more costumes for my front yard scary gathering.

Late this afternoon, on our way to the 'big town', we stopped in Coloma. I have lived in the area for several years and have never visited the Coloma Cemetery. We were on our way to a Haunted House and I decided it would a great time to visit the small local graveyard. I love graveyards, the older the better. You know about Coloma, right? The location of Sutter's Mill? The place where gold was first discovered in California and started the whole rush West? There's interesting history here, and this Cemetery is lovely, a wonderful resting place.


Several beautiful iron 'privacy fences' encircle family plots.

On a hill side, the trails meander up and down and all around.


Some markers are interesting indeed! I want to know this whole story. And what's up with the coins?

A few wooden markers remain, most so worn they can't be read. Someone recently had painted in the carved wording on this sad plank.

What a peaceful, gentle spot.



Tristan shows us the oldest grave he could find. 1850.

I plan to go back and spend more time wandering and reading.

Does anyone else enjoy visiting old cemeteries?


I had to stop to fuel up my truck, Tristan got in the bed of the truck to watch the sky and he was doing some wild dancing and singing, I caught this shot before he saw me and calmed himself!

No pictures of the Haunted House. The High School put it on and it was fun. Dark, spooky and lots of strobe lights, way beyond my photographic skills.

A good day and I blogged twice this month.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Lovin' October

Shorter cooler days are here. Autumn. Rainy season. Chili, stews, soups and baked goods.

I love October, especially since I don't have blizzards, frozen pipes and icy water buckets looming in my future.

Today will be a long winded, probably too many photos, look at life here at our cabin this month.





I don't really love 'everything' about October. The rains softened up our rock hard ground which apparently our gophers find very pleasing. Mounds of dirt and gopher holes are not my idea of desirable landscaping. However, the cats and Cort are entertained for hours at a time, which in turn entertains me, so not all is bad. They'll even catch one of those bad boys now and then.








With the rains and cooler temperatures we have things sprouting up all over the place. Daffodils are peaking up through the soil, Resurrection Lilies are just showing their green tips, and pictured above are some new plants coming up in a couple of our rock gardens. I am pretty certain aren't just weeds but what are they? Any help with plant identification is welcomed. Thanks in advance.












Several plants are still flowering. My roses continue to be sad and pathetic, refusing to be photographed.






Vegetable production is winding down but the plants look green and marvelous, I think that they love this cool wet weather. The green pepper plants are still proucing blossoms and peppers.







We tried a new variety of squash this year, Patty Pans, and we think they are great. They are still blooming and producing and hiding little ants.







Amy planted a row of radishes a few weeks ago. They are thriving. I had planted some in the spring, they hated the California summer heat and did not grow. Amy also planted a few rows of lettuce at the same time but they have not sprouted. We had lots of lettuce from the garden all summer long and were hoping for a winter crop also. Oh well......








I planted two rows of carrots in the spring, they also hated the hot summer and seemed to just be barely surviving. I didn't give up on them and I have been rewarded with a spurt of carrot growth. A baby carrot! And it tasted wonderful.








This week's colorful bounty.










And then there's Halloween. I thoroughly enjoy decorating with scary creatures. One poor soul greats you coming in the gate, two if you count the dog.











A closer look, he's not one-legged, just angled that way. I would love to have a large stuffed buzzard or two to perch above him. Maybe next year. Perhaps if I tossed chicken livers up there, real buzzards would come pose for me?







Two Halloween's ago this critter was making friends with Dawg the Sheep, now he is Carson's buddy. Cort just wants to find gophers, good Cort.











"Some" in my family have poked fun at her. She is a witch without a hat, I believe it must have fallen in the river on her way here. And her broom, so it's not a typical witch broom, it is better than the vacuum cleaner that she almost rode to our house. I'm not sure if Carson likes the witch or just insists on being part of my scary pictures. Cort's off somewhere digging up gopher tunnels, good boy Cort.









Last week's rains seemed to clean the dust off of everything. Our sky really is this color. Can you just smell the scent of pine on this crisp, clear day? I can....








Oaks are busy dropping millions of leaves and acorns. I should gather the acorns, pound them, make acorn flour, and find some tasty Native American recipes to try.








HAHAHA I crack myself up. I can't even blog more than once monthly these days.


I bet that Jennifer would do it. ;-)











A little reminder of the BIG storm that we had last weeks. Tristan and I gathered this pile of limbs out of the front yard the day after the storm. We didn't lose any trees, just old dead branches.


















May you always see the rainbow!



HAPPY TRAILS!

















Thursday, September 3, 2009

Taking a lunch break.

Another day at home working around the Log Cabin and I am loving it. A breeze is rustling the leaves, making the 90 degree temperatures feel much cooler, and the sky is that deep shade of blue that encourages slow,deep breaths.

After seeing the rest of the family off to work and school this morning, I fed horses and assorted small pets, made my bed, watered the flower beds and veggie garden, visited on the computer for a bit and enjoyed a phone call with my 'across the continent' daughter.



I have a list of inside chores waiting to be done but decided to enjoy the great outdoors instead.



I started on straightening out the tack room. The clutter on the floor isn't always there, I emptied shelves to straighten and reorganize, moved saddles and bridles around, swept away spider webs. Decided I needed to go get a ladder or stool to continue. Wandered over to the garden to check the sprinklers....





Then...... started on this pile of iris roots, tubors or bulbs, whatever they are called. We worked on the front fence last week. The property is (or was) lined with irises along the road. Jerry had to dig them all up. So here they are in this pile. I started cutting off the green tops and putting the roots in the can. Then stopped. Am I supposed to wait until the greens turn brown to cut them off? When do I replant irises? What kind of fertilizer do I need to supplement the soil with before replanting? When do I dig up and thin the dafodils? When to plant my tulip bulbs? Dropped my scissors and wandered back to the barn....


Back to the barn; forgot my stool for the tack room, decided I'd clean the stalls. Odd as it sounds, stall cleaning relaxes me. My thoughts drifted to Tristan, this morning he asked his Mom if he needed to change clothes if he cleaned the stalls before school. Her answer was, "yes, you can't go to school smelling like horse poop", so he didn't clean stalls. This is one of his regular chores which he does after school. After two stalls I put away my rake, didn't want him irritated that I did his work...
Feeling as though I just can't focus and finish any one project today. Went and looked in the garage. ugh
I was thirsty so wandered into the house for a drink.



Well, it's almost noon. A drink and maybe an early lunch today. A bit of cold coffee left from this morning's fresh pot. This summer I have taken a liking to iced coffee. It's as equally refreshing as iced tea.




I crush a bunch of ice, blend in milk, add a splash of stout cold coffee.










Mmmmm mmmmm good. Today I'm thinking a splash of flavor would be good. Yes: but I have NO bananas, no berries, maybe a dash of vanilla?.........


well heck...... a splash of this, a dash of that, here a little of that and to top if off this!





Not bad!
Then I start thinking again, is this a problem? Drinking alone before noon?
Naw. Don't worry, I really don't have a problem.
Then I remembered my trip to Puerto Rico a few years ago with Mom and Dad. Mom and I would kick back, read all morning, as soon as it was noon, we would wander (high-tail it) down to the little pub, to enjoy one of their delicious tropical adult beverages. It was one of our little vacation pleasures. So I will consider this liquid lunch of mine a little vacation pleasure. I am starting the Labor Day Weekend early. Tomorrow, Jerry and I head off on another adventure.
So here's to you Mom and Dad!
Back outdoors now to be more unfocused than before.
Happy Trails..........








Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Felidae Felis domestica

Hhhmmmmm, not a cat; but very, very cute. The littlest (medium-size) grand daughter and I visited him/her at the Sacramento Zoo this summer.





Well..... this isn't a cat either, but I threw in this picture anyways. Any guesses? This tree reaches over our roof.



OK, I should change the title of this post. I realize that not everybody is fond of cats, but most everyone enjoys a family of deer out for a stroll in the neighborhood, so this picture is for everyone.




Not a cat.......





CATS: The original topic of this photo series.
Billy and Annie adore one another. They really aren't as fat as this picture makes them appear. It is the bad angle of the shot, really. They are actually quite svelte.

This is Tristan's cat Lucy. I call her Looney Lucy. Fits her to a 'T'.






Looney Lucy does tricks. Here she leaps from one building to another following her Mom's hand signals.






Annie likes Jerry the best, follows him everywhere, helping with chores and tasks.








Then there is Billy..... Billy, Billy, Billy.

We really prefer him to stay off the ceiling.










Billy and Molly-the-Shy-one.


Billy, bird watching.


I've noticed that Billy just can't seem to keep his feet on the ground, unless he is eating or sleeping, he reminds me of an eleven year old boy.

Side note:
For a good laugh today visit www.poopandboogies.blogspot.com be sure to read the comments!