Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Day's Musings...

While doing a repair job on a knife sheath for a friend I became aware of a feeling of deep deja vu like I had done the same thing before.  But I have never done anything with leather working.  The stitches came so very easy and even though I had the sheath for much longer then I should have(just kept forgetting about it), I got it done in no time and it doesn't even look like it's been repaired.

I've had this feeling before while learning a new skill.  I remember feeling this way when I first was shown how to spin...I felt like I had done it before, it seemed so much easier then I expected it to be.

Doing hay is another time that feels so much part of me. I feel very peaceful when doing this job.  Thinking a lot about what it would be like to do with horses rather then our 1950's tractor and equipment.

I've heard it said that some people are "old souls", and I wonder if that could be me.  I know some don't believe that we may have lived before, but I have a feeling that that just might be the case.  Nothing is more comforting to me then to be doing something "old fashioned".  Even sitting around a campfire leads my thoughts to what it might have been like to travel to a new homestead in the wilderness.  It is a warm thought, not one wrought with fear, but with comfort.

Here I sit using a computer and I feel quite comfortable doing this, but I really did feel "all thumbs" when I first started to learn how to use this technology, but there are times when I do something very low tech that it just comes without much fumbling.  Like old brain networks are relight and muscles remember the process.

And I do, like many others sometimes do wish things could go back to a simpler time.  I know it really wasn't that simple, there were just as many worries, just more personal.  Now a days there is so much outside stimulation for things that we really have no control over...wars in other countries, religious struggles, Victoria Secret ads, lost and starving children and animals...it just gets over whelming.

I guess it's time for me to put up my stockade around my place and do some blocking out of the outside world.  Watch less TV news and such!  Focus on what is personal to me...family, friends, and critters.  Make my life more simple.  

So, I guess this "old soul" is done rambling for the day.  Don't know if any of this will make sense to anyone else, but I feel better having said it.

Ad journal writing as another old skill.  I have my Great Grandmother diary and to read those entries are such a pleasant adventure for me.  Maybe I should go read one now...



Friday, October 25, 2013

Cider making time...

Had a fine day yesterday making apple cider.  Jeremiah and youngins' came bearing about a half bushel of apples, we had about a bushel and one half of our own, so we set about smashing and pressing them into yummy cider.


 

 
Then after making cider we all got into the carriage and went for a quick ride.
 




 
I said a quick ride because it was kind of nippy out and the wind on the way back was in our faces.  It was fun though and it was the first time Porchia has pulled more then just Greg and I.  There were six of us in the carriage, Jeremiah, my self and four kiddlins'.

Jeremiah was able to clock our speed at the slow trot we were moving about 7 miles and hour and the quickest was about 10 miles per hour.  Not bad for a fat little pony!

Enjoy the sunshine...Onward and Upward.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

First snow of the season!

Yep, that's right the first snow of the season.  While Greg and I were putting the finishing touches on the new machine/shade shed it spit snow at us.  When we were in and having lunch it snowed like crazy.  Just enough to make the driveway sort of white for a very short time.  Didn't last long.

Got most of the outdoor work done, so it can begin to get  cold and start becoming white and clean looking.

I know that there are a few of you who really don't like the idea of winter  coming, but this is Michigan folks the "Winter Wonderland".  So get out your snowmobile suits and get ready....Onward and Upward!

Friday, October 18, 2013

I'm a happy human!

I'm a happy human today.  After walking for an hour on the treadmill this morning, forth time this week.  We had breakfast and then Greg and I went outside and spent three hours doing horsey things!  Oh Yippy and Skippy!  It feels soooooo gooooood.

The sun was shining and it wasn't really warm, vest, hat and gloves to start out, but once moving it was nice.

First off we harnessed Porchia and hitched her to the new carriage and I drove her about a half hour in the arena.  What a great ride I am soooo loving my new carriage.  Comfortable and also it maneuvers.  It is also easy to get into.

Think now in your head "Heaven, I'm in Heaven!"  Sing the words to the song by that name.
Porchia and new carriage.
Porchia and new carriage.
Greg's view from the back seat.

New carriage minus pony.


 
Then after the arena work, we headed down the road for a real drive.
 
 


Greg's view next to me in the front seat.
You can't see them but she had on her new boots as well.
 
 
After about 3.5 miles we were back home.  Porchia had been in harness for one and one half hour and it was a great time!
 
 
Now it was time to bring out Isis and play with her for awhile.  It has been a year since she was last hitched up so I wasn't sure how she was going to do, but I was pleasantly surprised.  She had no trouble at all, that is until I asked for a trot, then things got a bit spooky.  For both of us.  So I've learned that she is very uncomfortable at the trot.  We will have to work on that.  But at the walk she is a sweety.  The cart is too small to be much fun and the ride is rough, but we did get about one half hour of work on her before calling it a day.
 
 




I see some changes that need to be made the next time I drive her, but otherwise, I really like this picture of Isis and I with the corn field as a background.
 
 
 
 
I like this shot, except for my scowl.  I'm not unhappy, it's just the sun is bright and I'm looking right into it.
 
 
So that is the story of why I am a happy human today.  I exercised and I played with my horseys!  Really it doesn't take a lot to make me happy.
 
Onward and Upward.






 


Monday, September 23, 2013

Had a great weekend.

This past weekend was a really good time both Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday, Chris and his friend who has a metal detector came over and we dug holes all over our place.  Most of what we got was junk!  Nails, nails, nails, and even more nails.  All most all were quite old, but still they were just nails!  There was a few scraps of metal which we couldn't even guess what they were, but again more just junk.

One interesting thing, was when I got a strong magnet and just put it in one of the piles of dirt...the very tiniest shavings of metal attached themselves to it.  Now that is what a magnet is suppose to do, attract metal, but I wouldn't have thought that there was all these little fine particles just there in the dirt.  I guess I could see if something metal had been there at one time and these little bits were all that was left but, I have no idea what could have been where I was getting all of it.

It was decided that we needed to move to a different part of the yard to see if we could come up with something at least more interesting, so we went to dig in the back yard.  We talked about where the outhouse may have been.  We took note of the back door and the path to the chicken coop.  Each one of us had our own ideas of where to start.  Scott, Chris's friend decided he would start just a foot or so off the path from the back door to the coop.  Before long he was making exclamations about what he had just found!  Now this is really quite cool....

 
A 1936 Dime.  How cool is that.  That dime was minted 77 years ago!  Look at the shape it is in.  Granted it's been out of circulation for some time, but it was in the dirt!  People walked over it everyday!  Scott said it wasn't even that deep in the ground either.  Pretty amazing!
 
According to what the guys looked up the value is: 
                                                             Melt Value  =  $1.59 (23-Sept-2013)
                                                                Coin Value  =  Aprrox.  $3.00
 
Scott was pretty excited about the find to say the least.
 
I think we all had a lot of fun.  I'll be ready to do it again when Scott gets his new toy, which is stronger.  Then maybe we can find something really interesting.
 
 
Then on Sunday, Greg and I attended a Carriage driving clinic in Whitmore Lake.  It was called "Carriage Driving for Beginners".  The farm that put it on is Odyssey Training Stables with Anita Alden the instructor.  It was pretty basic, but I did pick up a few pointers and had a nice time with a good group of fellow beginning drivers.  Even got to ride in a two wheeled cart with a really springy stepping Hackney pony, who was 25 and a four wheeled carriage pulled by a snappy Morgan mare.  Both moved out in a completely different way then my draft pony Porchia.  She doesn't have any snap or spring in her step, but she still can cover some ground when asked.
 
 
I enjoyed my weekend very much.  Next weekend could be a good one as well.  Saturday is a driving horse and equipment auction up in Mt. Pleasant and Sunday, Greg's brother and wife may come by to show us their new car.  I'm sure there will be food as well on Sunday, so it should be another nice weekend.
 
On a side note...I have managed to get the fall cleaning both upstairs and down done as of today.  Feels really good to have that job out of the way.
 
 
Just about time to head out to the barn and do the milking so.....Onward and Upward!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Back from the Northwoods once again.

Got back from vacation last Friday.  Had a really good time again this year.  The fishing was better then the last time.  Chris and Chita and Daniella spent the first weekend with us.

The first part of Saturday we spent metal detecting around a ghost town named Michelson.  It was a lumber boom town in the early 1900's.  Most of the village is under water due to Reedsburg Dam being built in the middle 1900's.  There are some remains of buildings left, but not many.  When I was a kid going up there, you could see a lot more homesteads being over grown, but now they are gone.  What we did find was the cement foundations to a very large building that we suspect was one of the saw mills located in the town.








The afternoon Daniella and I went fishing...for once the fishing was really good!




 
Stinking Grandkid caught a 13" Largemouth bass!
Too bad it needed to be 14" to keep it!
Biggest fish the whole nine days!


 
 
Nice shot of the bass and his big mouth!
 
The weather was good all nine days, rained at night, got really cool one or two nights, but all in all good.
 
 
One of our day trips took us exploring the other side of the back waters.  Plenty of two tracks and we saw some seldom seen wildlife...a partridge, and either it was a grey fox, or a coyote and also roaming free...


 
 
These guys were just free ranging at the end of the dead end road we took.  They were sure friendly and one really liked a good rump scratch.
 
 
Another day trip found us at the lighthouse at East Tawas Point.  Very nice, and we found out that the folks who were giving tours and answering questions were volunteers who got to spend the week living in the lighthouse!  So very cool.  Maybe a vacation idea later on.
 

While the kids were still with us, we went two tracking, or as my folks and I called it back in the day..."deer hunting".  We ended up going around to see the cottage that was my parents back then.  Chris remembers it some.  He wasn't very old the last time we were there, but he does remember it.

The very coolest part about going to see the cottage was that we met the people who owned the place next door.  They, or at least their family had owned it since 1954, so that meant that they were around when my parents and I were!  I don't remember them, but they seem to remember my mom.  Really was a nice chat.

Sunset over Houghton Lake at the end of Cottage Drive.

One of the two tracks.
 
While two tracking we also found the farm of one of the residents of Michelson.  He had owned the General Store.

 
 
It had been a beautiful farm in it's day.
 
 
Well I suppose I've gone on long enough, but before I close here are a few more high lights of our time:
 

A Pan full of fresh caught fish!

A pan full of golden brown fresh caught fish!

Greg and his puppy sleeping in.

The camp site.

The dogs enjoy camping.

"Do we really HAVE to go home tomorrow?"
 
 
Onward and Upward!




 
 




 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

One week from yesteday...

Yup, that's right yesterday was August 24th, in one week, August 31st I will turn 60!  Wow, I sure don't feel like I'm 60.  I guess I look 60 when I look in the mirror.  But when I think of my age I don't think 60.  Maybe 50.

I don't think my life is going to change much, I don't expect to slow down there are just too many things that I want to do and learn.  There might be some changes in what I do, but I still want to do plenty of things.  There are places I still want to see as well.

This is a day of thinking.  But mostly it is a day with things to get done...the usual chores and then help Jenn and Pat with the start of moving.

I am also hosting my group of knitting friends this week.  It is my special Tea Party I always host the Wednesday of my birthday.  Must get things ready for that.

Tuesday, the broilers go to R&B and then back to be cut up, bagged and frozen.  Jenn and Pat will be here in the evening to help with the cutting, bagging and such.  And also dinner together.

After the Tea Party is done, then it is time to get things ready for vacation.  Plus Labor Day weekend the Kid's move to Laingsburg will be completed. 

Vacation follows soon after.  I think that this year I will need the down time to think about what being 60 means to me.  What do I REALLY WANT TO DO?  What do I need to do to get the want to do done?  So many wants and soooo little time in the day.

Keep me in your thoughts and if you feel so inclined send up a little prayer to help me spent the next decade doing some real LIVING.  Quality time.

Onward and Upward!



Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Been a while again, but...

So, spent the last week at the Shiawassee Fair with my granddaughter Daniella.  She was showing  and selling her goats.  Had a good time as always and she got plenty of ribbons and even one trophy.  Great job Kiddo!

Now I need to get back into the swing.  Plenty of work to do around here as well as some fun things too.  I got a new horse just two weeks before fair and I really want to spent some quality time playing with her.  She rides and drives so it will be loads of fun.

Today will be catching up with phone and emails.  Also will try to get a plan on what needs to be done and when.  Then I can start checking things off the list of to dos.

I will try to get some pictures of the fair and my new pony when I get a bit more time.

For now...Onward and Upward!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

It has begun...

Busy day, it started when I went out to do chores.  I had two does who were due the day before.  We were really hoping that one at least would have because Daniella was here.  No such luck.  We had been keeping a close eye on them, but no one really was interested in the sheep that wasn't due, or so we thought until next week.  So anyway, I went to feed the sheep and the yearlings...I went to the door and looked into their pen.  What I saw was a big surprise...laying quite lifeless in the middle of the pen was a black lamb.  I could see it was breathing so I quick got in and picked it up and carried it into the house.  Greg said something about the goats would wait until Daniella was gone, but then realized that it wasn't a kid, but a lamb!

The next couple of hours were spent warming and stimulating and force feeding the little guy.  I asked Greg to go out and check to see if there were any others out there.  When he came back in he said he found one more, very small ewe, but that was it.

When I got a chance to go out, believe it or not I found another lamb, not as small but just as dead.  They all were cleaned off, but I expect that because there were three She just couldn't keep track of them.  Plus the yearling does were running around there as well since they were sharing the same pen.

We felt bad that we lost two of three lambs, but it got worse...that evening when we were out for chore I heard Greg say from the back of the barn..."another one!?"  Sure enough there was another lamb, not small but not as big as the one in the house.  She had lambed QUADS!  But because we hadn't thought she was due yet she lost three of them.  They had all been buried in the straw, maybe by her trying to "wake" them, or when she was nesting each time one was coming.  Hard to say.  Pretty amazing anyway.

I managed to bring the one survivor around somewhat, but he never would try to stand and didn't have much sucking desire.  When time came for Greg to take the dogs out for the last trip in the evening he checked on the little guy, he was dead.  He just didn't have any will to live.

So now, to finish this blog on a happier note.  While all the above was going on the two does decided that today was a good day to kid!  Genevieve was in strong labor when I went out at about 11:30 am.  It wasn't long and she had a doe and a buck to keep her busy.  Just as soon as she was about done then Amalthea let me know that things for her were not going as they should be.  When I checked her back end I saw another back end, little tail and all!  This one was coming breech.  Time for me to assist.  I won't go into the details, but it was quite an experience getting the legs up and back so that everything was a little more stream lined and easier to come out.  One nice little buckling doing fine. 

Before much more time passed I could see that once again things were not as they should be.  Little goats are suppose to come with their muzzles resting on their front legs.  The first thing your suppose to see is the toe of a front foot then the nose.  Well this little one was being a copycat...once again butt first.  Again I assisted and all was good, this time a doeling.  Twins, nice but wait...here we go again!  Third one same problem, this time another little buckling.  Everyone alive and well.

The last one was a bit smaller then the other two, I was concerned that he wouldn't get the milk he needed so I decided to make him a bottle baby.  At the time I had the lamb that would have been a bottle baby as well if he had lived, so they could keep each other company.

I had planned on leaving all the cross bred kids on their dams.  They will all be sold as they are dairy meat cross.

While I was out checking on the mommies and little ones I made a decision to take Genevieve's twins in to also be bottle babies.  She was slamming them against the wall every time they cried!  I didn't think they would last long if she kept that up!  So much for my plan to keep them on their mother.

As of this morning I now have one mommy and her two healthy little ones doing well in the barn.  One mommy who will now be a twice a day milk provider for her little ones and then later our first milk of the season.  The three littles in the greenhouse had a good breakfast this morning and will soon be growing like weeds.  With me bottle feeding them for the next few days at 7,11,3, and 7.  Then out to the barn and feedings will be at 7,1, and 7.  Anyone wishing to help  is welcome at any of the afore mentioned times.

Skippy is due on the 9th, here's hoping that she will not follow her mother and beat on her kids.  If so she will also be a twice a day milker from the start.

I have to also tell about my great and wonderful German Shepherd Dog Isabeau who is the most wonderful Mommy Dog that ever was!  She has been waiting for this time of the year since last year.  She loves the babies and as soon as there are crying babies around she is in heaven!  I can't get over how good she is with them and how much care she will give them.  How gentle she is and sweet.  She is a bit over protective of them when it comes to Anya though...I have seen teeth several time when Anya has gotten too close to Isabeau's babies!  Makes me laugh every time.  Anya I don't think sees the same wonderful thing that Isabeau does.  She is just curious at what it is and why on earth is it in the house!  I hope that she does see how Isabeau is and learns from her so that when the time comes Anya and take over as the Great and Wonderful German Shepherd Mommy Dog.

Here are a couple of pictures of Isabeau keeping watch over the little lamb while it was in the house yesterday.  She knows her job is to keep the little ones stimulated like a mommy would do and also to be there when a little one needs something.  She is the first to let us know if someone needs a bottle or go get out and move around for a bit.
I'm here if you need me! 

Don't even think of trying anything with my new baby!

I hope everyone has a chance to get outside while this wonderful sun is shinning, it's not warm, but it sure is bright out!  Have a great day.

Onward and Upward.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Sausage making...

Okay, so yesterday I posted on my facebook wall that Greg and I were making sausage and that I would post a picture when it was done.

Breakfast sausage on left and Sweet Italian on the right.
                                                                                      
Yummy!  And pretty too.

Onward and Upward!