Friday, November 03, 2006

The Drive

If I Had Known..........

Had I known What Iwas to face, I would have stayed home. I left after some chores and finally getting the 4runner back. I had a dentist appointment that had been put off several times for various reasons...And so I was to drive to East Wenatchee, spend the night and go to the dentist first thing in the morning. So I left Halleyville ( i.e.) our ranch and proceeded East over highway 2..All was going well up till I was 9 miles west of Stevens Pass..I found fear in the form of snow...Lots of snow... It was not long before I was so sick that I had to pull over, a task in itself. Anyway about 4 miles before the pass hubby called I was telling him how bad it was and that I wanted to turn around. He assured me that the East side was drier and that I only had a few miles of this and I'd be clear of the whole mess. Little did he know that the East side of the Cascades had a winter storm warning. Little did I know IT WAS ONLY GETTING WORSE.... I cursed hubby and said prayers. I would spend the next hour and ten minutes in this... The top of the pass to Leavenworth is a twisty road, river on the side I was going..My stomach sank and I turned those colors....Pale and green....Well I am here in the hotel getting my morning started wanting to drink coffee...A no-no as I am being knocked out for several hours while they do all the dental work at once.....Well that is all for now. The hotel staff here is very nice and one of the maids will come in and take buluga out while I'm being tortured...It was snowing by the time I got here and stopped a few hours later..Just rain at the moment.... It is debatable if I forgive hubby.....okay, your right I already did.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Sharing

I had hoped to let you all know about MIGHTY MAX this week in greater detail but I think my best bet would be to have you visit his blog. This is a precious little child!

HIS BLOG ADDRESS IS: http://maxupdate.blogspot.com Please say prayers for him and his mother as there is a visit with his father, whom he hasn't seen in almost a year. This is a tense weekend. Much love and prayers to this incredible child and mother.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Still So Cold

Rocky Rooster

Well now it seems that Rocky has decided that if he starts his morning hymn on the back steps I will open the door while making my coffee and he will be able to warm up and visit a bit, grab some cat food near my feet and call it a good start for his day. I tried in vane to convince him that he and the girls would be warmer in the barn and would he reconsider it....He just marched off as if I was asking him to become a pot of chicken stew. I made a trail of the soft bread and cat food to the barn door hoping that they might go in...ALL came just near enough to the door but would not go further. As far as I know they will not freeze regardless of the fact again this morning the troughs were frozen...The sky is just turning a swell pink color and the white frost on the fields look magical. Im still hoping to find a solution to the chicken coop resistance...They had spent a week locked in the barn and the very moment I opened the door they took off and refused to return. I too had the garden shed door open hoping at least they would venture in...I thought they KNOW that the scratch is in there...Still no deal.

Liz and I spoke of this and she said she too had one rooster who refused lodging...We'll see what happens as winter settles in.

I put some carpet on the deck as Buluga would not ice skate across the deck, but whimpered to find a way out. She was out in a shot the moment it went down.

I had tried to unscrew the irrigation spigots off was able to get one of five ..The remaining four stubbornly refusing as I cursed wishing I had done it sooner then the day it decided to freeze. It came as a surprise to most of us here, too early for such things. I will hope that it warms up today..It never did get warm enough to defrost the filters.

I dread the winter here alone with hubby off working and knowing that the passes will open up and close in random order. His job to will keep him far and away. It is always a risk that he will or will not be able to make the pass as well as get more than 18 hours off. So with that I will bundle up and make the best of it.

The horses and alpacas seem to be adjusting to the weather better than myself.

The House on the corner was put up for sale a week ago and the traffic of lookers are mind boggling..I myself am hoping that old lady Taylor will buy it as she does most of the houses that come on the market with in her view. She is fab!! She is a great grandma but you'd never know it..She teaches aerobics 16 times a week and is more active than most people you'll ever meet..Very cool lady and I stop by when I see her rig in the driveway...Not very often but always a treat to hear the stories of our house and the old days of our area.

The momma wild cat and her kitten still refuse to come in out of the cold. They do not run when I stand at the door and put cat food out for them and I will try to have more patience (hahaha) in taming them.

Well that is all for the moment it is light enough for me to get to the barn and find the heaters and the horse blankets without killing myself....Hope you are all well and the day brings you great things...

P.S. I notice that there are many folks from other countries reading the blog...Welcome to the ranch, watch your step and enjoy the antics of Halleyville.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

frozen fleece

Frosty Alpacas



Frosty Head

SO COLD

Again the water was frozen solid and the horses gave me that look...Yes that one that screams " what are you thinking? Why? " and so I feel guilt wishing that I could bring them into the house, but you all know what Mr. H would say about that. So I try to reassure them that this too will pass I will somehow care and provide you with extras like blankets as well as some extra feed to keep you just a bit warmer.
I will get up to the barn and grab the blankets I bought this summer at a barn sale....Me the ever bargain hunter managed with some luck to get three newer blankets for a mere $60.00 dollars. Each one new would be $130.00 at the least. Hubby looked at me when I came home with them as it was 90 degrees at the time. And I just gave him that look...Then said trust me we'll need these later....Remember how cold and wet it was just 4 month's ago? Anyway off to bundle up and go feed. Will try to get some photos to you soon.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Back to Work

Off he goes!

Hi hoo hi hoo off to work he goes!!!!

Tinker Toys for Men


In the mood for building something huge.....The Big Tinker Toy!
Hubby leaving after our 16 hour visit. Little did he know the pass was closed and he would have to take the long way around. Over 5 hours vs the 3 he would have otherwise....

Early Sunday

Time is never what it seems....And with the fall back it is as if you spend a few days getting use to the change. I for one could care a less...It is the coffee pot reprogramming that drives me nuts....

about the last post , everything is fine as the other person involved did not even know there was an issue....Me? Well when I'm in tears it is an issue....

John came home for a small visit as I could not go over the pass to meet him...As the 4runner is still not prepared. Anyway he called home at some hour that I do not recall saying he had just taken the exit..I got up put slippers on and opened up the huge gate for him.. He parked the SUV and found me sleepy eyed and falling into his arms.

I fixed him up a plate of food and he relaxed as much as he could with the princess Buluga under his every step. She refused to take her eyes off of him, making certain he was not leaving again so soon. The googly eyes of her at her man made me realize how she adored him. He finally had to go lay down with her and give her the attention she needed from her master. The hardest thing when he is gone is the "bobo pouty face" ....She will punish me as she refuses to eat for several days...Hence I break out the chicken hearts and fry them up , the one thing she can not resist. It will drive you mad if you look at her too hard.

We awoke around midnight, he with Bulugas body next to him and me on the sofa my face shoved in the back as to drown out the television noise. I woke hubby up and we got to bed..Who knows what he was watching the TiVo had recorded and saved all his favs.... At least 6 hours worth..Survivor? CSI? Or what but he got his TV fix and will be okay until the next time he comes.

His alarm went off at 4:30 am after I had watched him turn it off....So he went to shut it off and I was awaken again 15 minutes later...Evil thing.. By this time it is too late IM up and awake Buluga plays the in out game...I finally caved in and went out with her...My reward for that? Two owls talking with each other..I being me tried to figure out what they might be talking about...The cows that were crashing about in the dark, Buluga the crazy cats or maybe where the best seasons hunting ground for rodents might be...Anyway I spent the better part of thirty minutes enjoying the quiet...Then the horses heard me and started to nicker demanding food at 5 am! Not a chance. I tried to go back to bed and was kicked out for squirming.....As soon as I left the bedroom Rocky was determined to give hubby the full chorus of his morning wake up call....I heard hubby snickering from the bedroom little did he know that the rooster was on the back porch fluttering his wings taking a deep breath and then streaching his neck way up and letting loose...Over and over till he was rather satisfied he had woken up everyone ( his duty) and then off he went...

One either loves a rooster wake up or does not....There is no grey area unless you are sick or did not get enough sleep..Me ? Well I'll take that every morning for the rest of my life...I never had an alarm clock ( hubby came with them ) and I for one can not stand them...BUT A ROOSTER? Heck yes I love it! Anyway I have left hubby in bed and he IS tired and NEEDS the rest....I will make Eggs Florentine for breakfast...I treat we rarely get as the process is long ( not really) and one has to wait until the craving is over powering your senses about the calories involved ....The idea of cream and butter in a soft sauce ......Add shall we say 600 calories? Anyway that is the plan....I hope not to do much in the way of work around here today..Just veg, watch TV, eat and snuggle up....And enjoy my hubbies visit. He has photos from the dam that I will be posting either today or tomorrow. Have a good Sunday and check in soon... I hope you all at one time get to wake up to a rooster....There is nothing like it.....

I'd never make it in the city you know!