Home Sweet Home! by The Pioneer Woman
3 years ago
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Work is Taking Over Our Lives
A couple night ago Luke said in his sleep: "feed the cows". So, not only does he talk about feeding cattle all day long...now he's even telling me about it in his sleep!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Snake Adventure
Yesterday Kelly & I went for a walk out to one of the ponds. We were walking on the backside of the bank where some of the water drains out and I saw a BIG snake in the water. Since I am from an area where snakes are not dangerous I have had to adjust to being more afraid of snakes since moving to MO. I've been warned numerous times about copperheads and how they hang out around ponds and how dangerous they are. So, I didn't know what kind of snake it was but I knew it was big and that I didn't want myself or Kelly to get any closer.
We went back up to the house and got Luke and Luke got his gun and off we went to see if the snake was still there. It wasn't. We walked along where the water drains and couldn't see anything. We decided to walk back up the pond bank and there he was! Luke almost stepped on it before it turned around showing its fangs. Luke shot it several times but his 22 didn't do the trick. He was out of bullets and the snake was only pissed off.
I got the job of keeping an eye on the snake while Luke went back up to the house. I could see it breathing really hard and then nothing. I tried throwing a couple things at it and it didn't move. I thought it was dead. Then all of a sudden it raised it's head with it's fangs out and started swinging around. Then it slithered down the hill. It was definitely NOT dead! Fortunately, Luke showed back up with a bigger gun and blasted it before it could get away. Turns out it was a copperhead and that is not something that we want to have around our pond (especially that big of one). So, Kelly & I are safe again to walk around the pond--but we'll have to keep a very watchful eye out! Good thing we have Luke to keep us safe!
We went back up to the house and got Luke and Luke got his gun and off we went to see if the snake was still there. It wasn't. We walked along where the water drains and couldn't see anything. We decided to walk back up the pond bank and there he was! Luke almost stepped on it before it turned around showing its fangs. Luke shot it several times but his 22 didn't do the trick. He was out of bullets and the snake was only pissed off.
I got the job of keeping an eye on the snake while Luke went back up to the house. I could see it breathing really hard and then nothing. I tried throwing a couple things at it and it didn't move. I thought it was dead. Then all of a sudden it raised it's head with it's fangs out and started swinging around. Then it slithered down the hill. It was definitely NOT dead! Fortunately, Luke showed back up with a bigger gun and blasted it before it could get away. Turns out it was a copperhead and that is not something that we want to have around our pond (especially that big of one). So, Kelly & I are safe again to walk around the pond--but we'll have to keep a very watchful eye out! Good thing we have Luke to keep us safe!
Friday, March 20, 2009
This Time Next Week
One week from now I will not be thinking about feed in the slightest. I will be waking up in a hotel room in Miami, Florida! That's right. Next Thursday afternoon I will be driving to St. Louis to fly to Miami, where I will meet Lynmarie (who is flying to Miami from Kalispell). We will have most of the day Friday to hang out in Miami before we get on the cruise ship that night. Our cruise leaves Friday evening and we will wake up Saturday morning in the Bahamas! I am really excited and have already started packing.
This is a continuation from the girls trip that we took this time last year to Nashville. However, Mandy & Mariah weren't able to go this year due to Mariah's wedding and Mandy's baby. We will really miss them and wish they were going too!
This is a continuation from the girls trip that we took this time last year to Nashville. However, Mandy & Mariah weren't able to go this year due to Mariah's wedding and Mandy's baby. We will really miss them and wish they were going too!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Weekend Recap
Well, since I haven't even come close to writing daily, it only makes sense to have a weekend recap on Wednesday, right?
Friday night we went to dinner at the Catfish Restaurant in Memphis that we had heard SO much about since we moved to the area. We went with Miranda, Evan & Brady and really weren't too impressed. Personally, I can't stand catfish that still look like a catfish--just fried. So, I went to the "catfish place" and since all they have is a buffet, I had fried chicken instead of fish. Since Luke is Catholic and it's lent, he's not supposed to eat meat (except fish) on Fridays. This is one of the main reasons we chose to eat at this place on Friday night...but Luke forgot and was bragging about his plate that only had meat on it. Good thing Evan reminded him why we were at the Catfish Restaurant in the first place!
Saturday we went to a farm sale just East of La Plata and Luke's parents met us there. They wanted to come up for the weekend and this sale was kind of on the way. We got a pretty good deal on some bale rings and a harrow--so Luke was happy. He also got a deer stand for $2 and accidentally bid $1 (which was the winning bid) on a stack of old pallets. There were two end tables that I wanted to buy but I went to get a pop and when I got back they had already sold them!
Luke's parents stayed the night Saturday and were the first one's to get to see the new and improved spare bedroom (I'll have to post pictures sometime).
Sunday, after Steve & Debbie left, Luke & I started work on our brush clean-up project. As you can see in the picture below--our roadside ditches have become VERY overgrown and since we live in a county were nobody seems to care--you're in charge of taking care of your own ditches. And yes, those are fence posts somewhere under there--but the vines have completely taken them over!
Did I mention I love burning. The fun part of our brush clean-up project is definitely NOT the "brush clean-up". It is the burning that follows!
Well, that pretty much summed up our weekend!
Friday night we went to dinner at the Catfish Restaurant in Memphis that we had heard SO much about since we moved to the area. We went with Miranda, Evan & Brady and really weren't too impressed. Personally, I can't stand catfish that still look like a catfish--just fried. So, I went to the "catfish place" and since all they have is a buffet, I had fried chicken instead of fish. Since Luke is Catholic and it's lent, he's not supposed to eat meat (except fish) on Fridays. This is one of the main reasons we chose to eat at this place on Friday night...but Luke forgot and was bragging about his plate that only had meat on it. Good thing Evan reminded him why we were at the Catfish Restaurant in the first place!
Saturday we went to a farm sale just East of La Plata and Luke's parents met us there. They wanted to come up for the weekend and this sale was kind of on the way. We got a pretty good deal on some bale rings and a harrow--so Luke was happy. He also got a deer stand for $2 and accidentally bid $1 (which was the winning bid) on a stack of old pallets. There were two end tables that I wanted to buy but I went to get a pop and when I got back they had already sold them!
Luke's parents stayed the night Saturday and were the first one's to get to see the new and improved spare bedroom (I'll have to post pictures sometime).
Sunday, after Steve & Debbie left, Luke & I started work on our brush clean-up project. As you can see in the picture below--our roadside ditches have become VERY overgrown and since we live in a county were nobody seems to care--you're in charge of taking care of your own ditches. And yes, those are fence posts somewhere under there--but the vines have completely taken them over!
Did I mention I love burning. The fun part of our brush clean-up project is definitely NOT the "brush clean-up". It is the burning that follows!
Well, that pretty much summed up our weekend!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
2 Crazy Stories
Story 1:
Last Saturday night/Sunday morning we had a really bad thunderstorm come through Hurdland. It poured rain and the wind blew harder than I have ever seen! There's claims that there was a tornado just a little ways from here, but the National Weather Service never confirmed it.
Anyhow, I woke up to the wind pounding hail at our bedroom window on Sunday morning. We had no power and soon noticed the power lines were down in the yard. The power company came out, looked around, and then asked us where we usually keep our trampoline. Well, it's usually in the backyard, but it was nowhere to been seen.
The wind had picked up the trampoline and flew it into the power pole that has lines going to the 2 barns, machine shed, garage & house--ripping them down. Then it hit the fence-bending the steel posts over a little. Then it hit one the trees in the pasture, breaking branches and then landing in a pile below the tree.
Last Saturday night/Sunday morning we had a really bad thunderstorm come through Hurdland. It poured rain and the wind blew harder than I have ever seen! There's claims that there was a tornado just a little ways from here, but the National Weather Service never confirmed it.
Anyhow, I woke up to the wind pounding hail at our bedroom window on Sunday morning. We had no power and soon noticed the power lines were down in the yard. The power company came out, looked around, and then asked us where we usually keep our trampoline. Well, it's usually in the backyard, but it was nowhere to been seen.
The wind had picked up the trampoline and flew it into the power pole that has lines going to the 2 barns, machine shed, garage & house--ripping them down. Then it hit the fence-bending the steel posts over a little. Then it hit one the trees in the pasture, breaking branches and then landing in a pile below the tree.
Power lines across the front of the chicken coop:
The power company guy climbed right up the pole and got to work:
The power company guy climbed right up the pole and got to work:
Apparently this happens more frequently then you would expect--since the power company man was not suprised at all. Needless to say--no more jumping on the trampoline for us!
The trampoline's final resting spot:
Story 2:
Last night I put dinner in the oven and then watched America's Funniest Home Videos with Luke. The timer went off so I went into the kitchen to set dinner out. Luke was laughing really hard and paused our DVR so I could see the "funny winter sports" clips. We got our food and returned to watching the videos and next thing I know--I saw myself!! No kidding!!
There was a clip of 4 kids on a sled with a lady on the back and they went down the hill, hit a bump and the lady falls off the back, then hit a pole at the bottom of the hill and the kid in the front smacks her head on it and the kid in the back gets flung through the air over everyone else and lands in the snow. I'm sure that the kids are the Plymptons, Benkes and me and Glenda is on the back. I am so sure that we are sledding at the hill that goes to the Benke's lake house--I feel like I have seen this video before! We watched it several times on the DVR and have it recorded now--but I couldn't find anywhere online where it is posted. It's on the 300th episode special--Part 1, in case anyone saw it last night.
The mystery is--we don't know who sent in the video. My Dad claims he doesn't know anything about it....so....I don't know what to think!
Story 2:
Last night I put dinner in the oven and then watched America's Funniest Home Videos with Luke. The timer went off so I went into the kitchen to set dinner out. Luke was laughing really hard and paused our DVR so I could see the "funny winter sports" clips. We got our food and returned to watching the videos and next thing I know--I saw myself!! No kidding!!
There was a clip of 4 kids on a sled with a lady on the back and they went down the hill, hit a bump and the lady falls off the back, then hit a pole at the bottom of the hill and the kid in the front smacks her head on it and the kid in the back gets flung through the air over everyone else and lands in the snow. I'm sure that the kids are the Plymptons, Benkes and me and Glenda is on the back. I am so sure that we are sledding at the hill that goes to the Benke's lake house--I feel like I have seen this video before! We watched it several times on the DVR and have it recorded now--but I couldn't find anywhere online where it is posted. It's on the 300th episode special--Part 1, in case anyone saw it last night.
The mystery is--we don't know who sent in the video. My Dad claims he doesn't know anything about it....so....I don't know what to think!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Friday!
Today is an absolutely gorgeous day! It feels like it must be almost 70 degrees and it's really sunny. The sun just feels so great after what seemed like such a long winter.
So, it's way too nice of a day to be on the computer so I'm keeping this short!
Oh, and Luke reminded me that yesterday was the anniversary of our engagement--2 years!! He got home from work about 8:00 and had wine and roses! Maybe he IS romantic after all. Love you honey!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Hellos and Goodbyes
Monday night, my cow (my only cow), Bella, started to have her calf right before Luke came in for dinner. This was her first calf, so we went back out around 10:00 to see how things were progressing. Unfortunately, we didn't see a new calf. Instead she hadn't made much progress at all. To make a long story short, we had one heck of a time getting her in the corral and pulling the calf. I didn't think the calf was breathing when it first came out, but as I was taking the chains off I felt its heart beat! Soon after Bella starting licking her new baby and everything was okay, even though it was after midnight by this time. Suprisingly, her huge calf was actually a heifer. She is an AI calf and is out of the Angus bull Yield Grade.
So, Bella's new calf is our "hello":
On a different note, I had to say "Goodbye" to Pinky and Tommy this week. Both kittens were adopted (but not to the same place) and I'm really hoping that they are doing okay and being taken care of. The other two kittens are still here and I'm planning on just keeping them unless someone else really wants one. They were my personal favorites anyhow!
Good luck Pinky & Tommy:
So, Bella's new calf is our "hello":
On a different note, I had to say "Goodbye" to Pinky and Tommy this week. Both kittens were adopted (but not to the same place) and I'm really hoping that they are doing okay and being taken care of. The other two kittens are still here and I'm planning on just keeping them unless someone else really wants one. They were my personal favorites anyhow!
Good luck Pinky & Tommy:
Monday, March 2, 2009
Something in the Water
Watch out my Montana readers...there's something in the water up there. It's going around and it's contagious...and I'm not talking about the stomach flu and/or cold that I've had the last couple weeks. I'm talking about love!! I posted earlier that one of my very best friends, Mariah, got engaged in November and is planning a September wedding. Now, Erik and Courtney are planning a July wedding and Ken & Kassi just got engaged today! (For those of you who don't know, Ken & Erik are some of my friends from college & part of the group that went to Mexico together). I am so happy for everyone and just hope that Luke and I will be able to make it to as many of the weddings as possible. Seriously guys, couldn't you spread it out a little! Just kidding :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)