Western Weekend

Hey, do you remember these fellas?.......... oops, wrong picture,


Do you remember these cowboys? Probably not, I never got around to blogging about our trip to Durango, Colorado last fall. It was an amazing trip, six men and one crazy woman.

It was a trip of awesome views and inspiring nature.

The men thrived on outdoor manly activities.

Not all was hard work, we took time for some exciting trail rides on those mountain horses.

The men did all of the camp cooking in rustic settings. Feel free to enlarge this photo to marvel over the kitchen set-up. This was real man country, I felt as a woman, I was being allowed to enter sacred grounds.

In the mountains, living in a log cabin and tents, riding horses, packing mules.........

The week went by much too quickly and before I knew it we were leaving the back country, headed for home, jobs, hot showers, modern kitchens, flush toilets and doors on bathrooms.....

The yearly trip to Durango, has been a tradition for about 14 years. Jerry has been gathering together groups of what I call his "city slickers" to leave the city behind and be real cowboys in the mountains of Colorado for a week in the autumn.

This year, the trip will not take place. We decided to invite last year's "city slickers" out to our place for a Western Gathering over Memorial Weekend.

Wives were invited also and it was a great bunch gathered at our cabin in the woods. Some stayed in the log cabin, some slept in tents, and a travel trailer made the trip.

I had a great weekend, but then, I slept in my house, in my own bedroom, in my own bed, and took a hot shower nightly.

I fondly remembered Colorado as I watched the men do manly men things.

Please don't ask..... yes, he IS shooting a gun out of the country kitchen, no that is NOT Jerry.

Those cowboys did ALL of the cooking for three days out in this kitchen next to our garage.

Jerry loaded up horses and mules and the boys hit the trails.

Two of the "City Slickers" got to enjoy the experience of riding mules, there were not quite enough horses to go around. For some reason it made me giggle. They were really good sports about having to ride mules. Not everyone wants to ride a mule. Just looking at this picture makes me giggle again.

A couple of our local friends joined the ride. I hiked ahead to snap a few pictures.

Then the ladies and I drove around in my truck and did a little sight seeing.

Their ride took them up along the American River, the hills are still green, a breeze was gently blowing, and it is not summer-time hot yet.

Everyone seemed to have a good time.

But by-golly, we are all going to really really miss Colorado this year.

December

Old age isn't for wimps.
Our (mine and the cowboy's) old tympanic membranes just 'ain't what they used to be'.
We've all heard that communication is the secret to a long, happy marriage.
Based on communication, ours is destined to be short and unhappy, or a good natured comedy of errors.
I submit a sample of a typical morning exchange here in the log house.

Bright eyed and cheerful farm-marm (me) preparing to provide breakfast, asks "- Cream of Wheat OK?"

Cowboy with tilted head and wrinkled brow slowly responds, "ummmm, y e a h ......"

Noticing his hesitation, farm-marm questions cowboy, "ahhh, what did you just hear me ask?"

Cowboy is quick to answer. "Can you read OK?"

*sigh*

Last year at this time, Jerry was in the hospital recovering from a heart attack and 3-way bypass. This has been an incredible year for us. And I am so thankful that he has recovered so well and is such an active, busy guy.

I fully intend to update my blog more frequently than once or twice a month. When I am not working for a paycheck, our at home chore list keeps me busy around here. Winter is coming, rain's on the way (we hope) and frost is on the ground.
A sample of chores on the list for the past two weeks:
Seed pastures
Seed yard
Neighborhood dog proof front fence (again)
Stack fire wood in wood shed
Cover wood piles outside with tarps
Put up corral fencing
Bandage horse leg
Float horses' teeth
Create huge brush piles
Burn brush piles
Till garden and fertilize
Make curtains
Make cute pillows
Organize office and catch-up on paperwork
Closet - reorganize seasonal clothes
Balance checkbooks and sort bills for taxes
Organize new business venture

- and lots of other stuff that I haven't even started yet.....
So I'd better get busy again.

Back in CA

Arrived home safely, our time in Durango was awesome. The drive home was very, very long (boring). We got home Sunday night. Amy had a big delicious crock of pea soup and a pan of cornbread waiting for us. We ate, unpacked and went to bed. I was up at 4 am and headed out of town to work for a week.
I have a camera full of pictures to share.
Now I have to get to work.

Around the Log Cabin

I'm glad to be home. Working out of town tires me, I don't sleep well. For two weeks I worked at a hospital too far to commute daily, I came home for the weekend only. Now I am home and it feels good. I am working at a clinic an hour away this week. Distance-wise it's not too far, just some of these mountain roads require slower, more cautious driving.

Just a few notes on our recent daily lives;
Tristan catches the school bus down the street, about a 5 minute walk. Last week a mother and daughter walking to the same bus stop, experienced a mountain lion crossing the road just in front of them.
Tristan will be playing in band, his first time playing an instrument, he has chosen the trombone... ( I took accordion lessons for a short time)
We finished my small riding arena yesterday.
The kittens are cats now. Not so tiny anymore.
We finished the permanent fence around the 'lower' horse pasture.

Several trees here on the property bloomed, beautiful Crape Myrtle Trees.

These funny stalks popped up overnight.

There were several in a few of the flower beds. Not sure what they were.

Resurrection Lilies! I love them. They have faded now. What do I do with them? Dead head the flowers? Cut the stalk off at the ground? Can I safely transplant the bulbs? I'd like them grouped together, or shall I leave them be? I need a garden buddy to help me out here!

And today I gathered these lovelies from my garden. Our bounty has not been abundant but I am thrilled with every tiny cherry tomato that ripens. We had potatoes, green beans and Egg Plant Parmesan for supper. yum

How 'Grand' it is!

I'm heading back home tomorrow night. I am not liking this long separation from my 'place' and my cowboy and my 4-legged family. Is the gypsy wander-lusting part of my personality fading away? Or am I merely exhausted by this two week stretch of hectic work and 'bad air'?








We are getting closer and closer to having the house as we want it. For the first time in my adult life, my living space reflects more of my partner's personality than my own. Jerry has definite ideas and decorates while I'm not there. (Maybe because sometimes I'll roll my eyes at his ideas.) I'm not real fond of the cowhide on the couch, but heck, he loves it. I'm more of a country and floral kind of gal, but the western theme is OK by me. I feel like we live in a vacation style western lodge. It's fun and unique.

This picture was taken when we first looked at our log house. Wide open spaces and lots of wood.

The same corner now; cowhide on the couch, western theme area rug decorated with 'brands', rodeo and western throw pillows.

The Cowboy Bar. Decorated with Jerry's cowboy pictures and old horse stuff. I will admit that the saddle is mine. It's a real pretty show saddle that I don't use and have kept in the house for a few years now. (So maybe some of the decorating ideas are mine)

We have this very tall wall in the bedroom over the bed. We found the picture at the horse expo earlier this month. That's a double bed, the guest room has a queen size bed, I want to switch beds, the other one doesn't, so the bed stays as is.

This is how Annie looked when I left two weeks ago. The kitties grow too fast. I was amazed at how much they had changed when I saw them last weekend.

Another reason that I am anxious to get home.... The daughter and grandson arrived in California today. The two of them plus two cats, traveled in a rental truck filled with their belongings, across the USA, to start a new life chapter in the West.

I join Cort in jumping with excitement!

AND! Tomorrow Jerry travels 1/2 way to Idaho to meet his son, to pick up his two grand kids for a stay with us in California at our western vacation log lodge. This picture was taken last year on our horse riding vacation in the mountains of Durango. Friends of Jerry's own this cool log cabin camp.

When I married Jerry, my family had heard of him but hadn't met him yet, didn't even know much about him. There was plenty of time, I had planned on a very long engagement, 5 years sounded about right to me. Somehow, we got married 3 weeks after I accepted my engagement ring..... When I called to tell my daughters, this one said something like, "oh cool, um, so do I, like, have any new step-siblings? Can you send pictures of my new family?" Well now she gets to meet her kind of new, step niece and nephew.

I can hardly wait to get home. It is going to be great spending time with our Grand kids this summer.

Weekend

My Saturday was spent in bed, all day long. The summer flu, or as you may know, most of those cases of 12-24 hour summer flu are actually food poisoning. I was trying to remember what I could possibly have eaten since I eat mainly fruits and vegetables. Suddenly remembering I had to run errands from work the other day and grabbed a take-out sushi, I was certain it was the sushi. I sure was ill. Then I heard today that tomatoes are causing food poisoning, I am almost sure that I hadn't had a tomato in over a week.

Sunday we spent the day at the Expo Center in Sacramento enjoying the Horse Expo. It is a huge event, a fun-filled 3 days for the horse junkie. Jerry went Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. He bought way too much stuff. He likes to shop much more than I do. He did get good stuff though. Sunday we picked out two large framed prints for walls in the house that needed pictures.

I spent my day off yesterday, organizing the master closet. It is done. It is good. I don't use color coded hangers, but it is still good. Also did laundry, gardening, house cleaning, etc.

Finally had a chance to bath the beast. The dog has been in the 'dog house'. He took off after a skunk on the property Wednesday night, would not come back to me, and got skunked full force directly in the face. He 'then' came running back to me, whining, squinty eyed, and trying to rub his skunk-stinked body on my jeans. He got in a few rubs before I got in the house. He was banned from the house, until last night after his de-scenting.

The kittens are doing fine. They have a large wire crate to be safe in while we are away from home and to be safe from the wild energy of the dog until they are larger. Cort carries his large rubber Kong toy to their crate and drops it there for them, hoping for playmates. I don't let him play with them yet.

Today was a busy day at work. Nothing exciting, a pleasant day.

Chores

Jerry left at 5 a.m. to work down in the bay area putting some big cement structures under a bridge. He has a crew of 'riggers' that do the work but on the tough ones he goes to make sure things go well. He said that this one was a b*tch, he got home late this evening. He has a knack for figuring out how to move gargantuan stuff in seemingly inaccessible places. He's the one 'they' call when no one else can figure out a move. Every now and then I'll go out on a job with him and I find it amazing, but it does bother me when they are doing stuff high in the sky, and of course he has to go up too. No keeping Jerry down on the job.

So while he was down in the big city, I stayed home all day and worked around here. It was a hot day with a bit of a breeze. We have more brush to burn but I didn't risk it with the wind. I accomplished bunches but none of it very exciting.

I spent time watering the vegetable garden and the rock gardens. The flowers we planted this week are looking really nice. But we need more plants, three of the rock gardens still look a bit empty. I'm worried about the veggie garden, I don't think the majority of the seeds are coming up as they should. AND it looks like bugs must be eating at the little seedlings that have sprouted.

I got out all of our camp stuff and sorted through everything. I have been camping for a number of years and so has Jerry. We don't just do your basic set up a tent and camp, we haul along our horses too. So our camp gear is human and horse stuff. And we have a lot of duplicates that we don't need to be hauling around every time we go on a camp out. I have everything sorted, packed and ready to load into the trailer.

I mentioned yesterday that Jerry, like the good cowboy he is, always has farrier supplies in the trailer. Well good vet that I am, I always have medical supplies along. I updated and repacked my traveling horse-doctor gear. Our riding club's first camp out of the year is this weekend. I always hope I don't have to do any doctoring, but accidents do happen. As they say, horses are just an accident waiting to happen! I repacked and resupplied my human first aid kit too, sometimes the accidents involve horse AND rider. I know this from first hand experience.

Daily I remove boxes from the garage. I am more than 1/2 way done with clearing the garage now. Sometimes the job goes slowly as I rediscover items that I haven't unpacked in a few years. Last night I opened a box of old picture albums and high school year books. Took a little time to flip through the pages of memories. Wondering, how did I get so old so FAST? Today I opened boxes of decorating items so I also did a bit more decorating. Just a little at a time but the job is getting done. I have a pile of more things to put up in the rafters; my ski equipment, my golf bag and clubs, winter coats in a tote, mud and snow boots in another tote.

To end the day of chores I washed my truck and my car. And, I had room to put the car in the garage.

Jerry made it home safely through the gross California big city rush hour traffic, we had a nice dinner and now it's time for bed.

Oops, I forgot to update the last goal: weight lost this week Zero. But none gained back either.
I am curious about other's goals. How are you doing?

Aother week gone by ????

Another entire week has gone by, again. Sheesh, how does it happen? I spent a couple of days out of town last week and again this week. The long, busy days and then the late night drive home really wipe me out. Here's a recap of the week.



This is my little buddy, out of town. She lives in the city but is a ranch-girl at heart. She raised 4-H pigs for several years. This year she is raising an FFA lamb for the first time. A neighboring High School has stables available for the city kids to house their livestock projects. I enjoyed watching her 'work' the lamb while I was there. His name is Fabian... he has a very strange feminine baaaa.


Note her jammie bottoms, when I met her at her house to drive out to the lamb, I , um, mentioned that maybe she had forgotten to get dressed. She was intentionally wearing pj bottoms to the farm! At the farm, other teen girls were attired in pajama bottoms. What gives?

Sunday we had a visitors after Church. Jerry barbecued a mess of his awesome ribs and we had a bunch of traditional picnic foods. A very nice afternoon. We had 2 extra horses here, not ours, that a woman is trying to sell quickly. We knew right away that this old fat Morgan gelding would be a perfect match for our friends' 6 year old daughter. Another little buddy of mine. It was love at first sight and he went home with them. Now we only have 1 extra horse here.

Same little cutie as above, the dog was at her side the entire afternoon. When it was time to go home, she hid my dog in their truck. When she was 'caught', she tried to hide with him in the barn. I explained to her that he was my dog, and I am very attached, that she could not take him home, but she can come visit. She seriously suggested a deal, we take the horse out of the trailer and she would trade her new horse for my dog! No deal, I kept the dog.

Awake at 6 this morning, out at 7 am checking gardens. We have sprouting radishes!

Found a red rose bud this morning. The rose bushes, many of them, were growing wildly all around the house in untended rock gardens. The roses were sending branches between the logs of the house. Jerry went crazy with the chain saw. He tends to do that. He chopped the roses down to nubbins and transplanted them to the garden. I accused him of rose murder. The transplanted roses are thriving. In case you wonder... I admitted that I was wrong and he was right, again. He likes when I admit that. So I admit it as needed. (even when I know I was really right)

It was good to be home and not working this morning. This little rock garden is in the back of the house and doing nicely.

Another rock garden that we are working on. Planted this one last week, still deciding what to put there. If my Mom comes to visit, she'll have good ideas.

This is what I did to the side of the garage. Jerry had the idea to turn it into a horse wash rack. You know, put hitching posts there, a place to tie up horses and give them baths. The other horse stuff and barn are on the other side of the garage. This is what you see from our back deck.

I am learning this marriage stuff, do not argue, do not protest, do not give other options... just do.

I did up this western theme picnic area and the cowboy likes it and forgot all about the wash rack.

Now if I can just think of what to do about his 'prized' wood shed. That's a whole 'nother post.

Goal update; 3 # lost, 5 garage boxes emptied, 6 hours gardening on Saturday, 1 hour gardening this morning.

Monday

Another weekend gone.

Daughter and grandson made it home safely very late Saturday night. They had a few delays and were glad to finally reach home. Tristan went back to school today. If you are wondering, he does very well in school and his teacher had no problem granting him permission to miss classes last week. He enjoys learning and is one of those who researches topics that interest him.

I realized after speaking to another family member yesterday, that my daughter did not send out graduation announcements. She graduated from college last week, with high honors, as an educator in Art. I am very proud of her, so is her son. She will make a superb teacher!

Congratulations Amy!

After work Saturday, I got home and went right to work with Jerry, building our lower pasture fence. Lots of good heavy labor.

Sunday I stayed in bed almost the entire day. It was a migraine day. I hate them, most people who don't suffer them, do not understand how a headache can be so disabling. Jerry happens to be one of those..... I am thankful that I get only about three yearly now.

Yesterday we somehow ended up with two extra horses here for a week or so visit. (we hope) Jerry got a call from a friend, who has a friend, who needed a place quick to keep her two horses due to a family 'situation'. Re: bad divorce. So we have two very, very fat, worried horses in stalls.

This evening we worked on the lower pasture fence again. It's coming along and should be done before the weekend. Fencing is hard work. I love hard work. Building fence is dirty work. I love getting dirty.

We also started planting our garden tonight. We planted tomato plants and green pepper plants. Next we have about 10 packets of seeds to sow. I seem to recall that tonight we kind of made an agreement to get up half an hour earlier every morning to work in our garden. I think we may be nuts. But it was good to be kneeling and digging in the soft, rich, tilled earth.

The gophers are winning: the cowboy hasn't shot any and the hound hasn't been able to catch any with all of his crazed diggings. Tonight we set gopher traps. Round plastic 'boxes', placed in their tunnels, they enter, hit a trigger and are decapitated..... hhmmmmm. Seems like drastic measures to eliminate a few little rodents. I guess they don't make the list of desirable wildlife.

Neither do skunks, Cort got 'skunked' sometime early this morning. Just a little stink.

Cort also treed a big raccoon yesterday in the yard. I missed that excitement.

The evenings have been warm enough to sleep with the back door open. The crickets are loud tonight. One of my favorite spring/summer night sounds. Sweet dreams......

Sunday, Day of Rest

This is "Cort", my (our) new dog. Step-son could no longer keep him, so he has been confined in a kennel for a few months. He is a bit over a year old. He wears one ear up and one ear down. He seems to be smart and willing to please....

....he just needs to learn the house rules. Such as ,'no jumping up into the kitchen sink to watch us outdoors'. He has bonded to me already, but then I have spent the past few days hauling him everywhere with me. He does like Jerry too, but Jerry has been busy with his new toy.

His new tractor; it digs, it lifts, it pushes, it pulls, it is cool.

It was new in the 70s. It belong to Jerry's Uncle, then his Dad bought it, his Dad retired from farming and then passed away, the tractor sold to a friend, when J.J. heard it was being sold again, he called Jerry and asked if he wanted to buy his Dad's old tractor. When you live in a 'small town' you know the whereabouts of your Grandpa's old tractor.

The tractor has been well taken care of and works hard.

I thought I had convinced Jerry that Sunday is a day of rest. I am in here doing laundry, dishes and just a general clean-up after having guests.

Jerry and Cort are outside..... not on the old wooden swing, I assure you. So much for resting.

I hope that your Sunday has been peaceful.

DIFFERENCES: Part One

This is how I enjoy my time off. When work is done for the day and I am ready to relax. It's a winter (well almost Spring) afternoon and the trees are full of blossoms.

This old wooden swing is hung from an Oak branch in the side yard. It has character, it creaks, and it offers a pleasing view of our yard. I plan to spend some time just swinging and listening to the quiet of the afternoon.

The horses are loose, enjoying the afternoon exploring the yard. We are fully fenced and I let them out of their pasture to wander and graze. I find it peaceful and entertaining to watch horses. It doesn't take 'Rock' long to find me. She's headed over to visit and where she goes, 'Remington' follows.

Here she comes, she enjoys human contact. 'Rem', the old boy thinks the green grass is much more enjoyable.

'Rock' is very curious and likes to sniff my shoes, my hands, my hair. Sometimes after sniffing, she'll lick my feet, odd mare. I like to smell horses too, but never lick their feet (hooves).

Is she thinking, "Cool swing, I think I'll sniff it for a while."? Probably not.

OK, when I relax, I'm lazy, I didn't even brush the old leaf litter from the swing. 'Rock' sniffs the leaves for a moment. I can tell she's thinking, "These dry, crunchy leaves sure sound and smell Yummy!" I know she is going to lick them.

"Yuck, Bleck, Icky, Spit-Spit Spit it all out!"

And that's how I relax and laugh a bit.

Construction and Destruction

When I married Jerry, I got a new husband and a bunch of cool new friends. Today 4 of those friends came up from the city to spend the day at our new house. They came to enjoy some hard work in the country. Chain saws, fire, demolition and a fence raising. A good time was had by all.



A weird thing happened soon after they arrived. Jerry and G. were already running the chain saw in the pasture. I was preparing to show the others around when we were aware of a fawn caught in the fence. It was 'Little Buck-a-roo'. He was struggling and crying and making his situation worse. If you have never heard a fawn crying, all I can say is that it is heart breaking.
We ran up to help him out, I grabbed his head and neck, M. grabbed the hind quarters, we got him free of fence, lifted him out, set him down, and he sped away to find his mamma; who had apparently abandoned her frantic youngster. About 10 minutes later, the weirdness began; my throat was constricting, I began wheezing, my face ran with tears and snot, my corneas filled like water balloons, and my face was red hot. Suddenly I recalled the fall incident (read Oct. 15, 2007) when I handled a fawn and had an awful allergic reaction. Immediately I headed in to find drugs, take a shower and change clothes. I suffered for several hours. Odd. Fawns are the only animal I have this severe allergy to. The friends were thrilled to have participated in a real life and death fawn rescue!




The plan for the day was to horse-proof the pasture. Horses, having tiny pea-size brains, tend to injure themselves easily and escape the safety of their confines. We needed to repair and rebuild fence, remove brush and lower tree limbs, and rid the pasture of a couple of ricketty old pens and junk.






The weather was perfect for working out of doors. Every one pitched in, worked hard and we accomplished a bunch. The chain saw provided several large burn piles and lots of good wood for the wood shed. The fence lines are clear of brush. This property is so beautiful and looks even better cleaned up.



The fence posts are straightened and strengthened. The wire is raised and tightened. We want to be wildlife friendly (mice NOT included). Jerry and I came up with a soution to the deer delemma. At the established deer trails through the fences, we will remove the woven wire and have wooden post and rails, we want to prevent the deer getting caught in the higher-stronger fences and getting hurt.









In the middle of the pasture area is a pig pen. An old rotten wood shelter covering a deep pig wallow hole, fence posts rotting out, patched together fencing, piles of assorted junk & wood, and what pig home would be complete without the old bathtub as a water tank. M. was glad to be on the tearing down and burning detail. He did a fine job. It's a guy thing.
T. was a careful fire watcher and made sure all was well. There was no wind and the earth was damp, a good burn day.




The pig sty is gone. All that remains is a pile of ashes, a hole to be filled and a piece of sheet metal to haul away.

This building is Jerry's vision, he sees a Bunkhouse fit for visitors. I see..... well probably the same thing you do.

The end of a satisfying day. Great weather, hard work, and super-duper friends.