Senior Games

My Uncle John will be 100 years old on Saturday.  We can't have his party that day.  He is participating in the Senior Games in Cleveland, OH this week.  So far he has won 3 gold medals and 2 silver.  He made the paper today in the bowling competition.  He is in two of the pictures.  You can click on them to make them bigger.

We'll have to party next week-end!  My soon to be 97 year old Aunt Janette will be there too.

We hauled bales today.  Cloudy and cool--maybe we'll get rain tonight!

Making Hay While the Sun Shines/Feline Friday

We have been "making hay while the sun shines" this week.

DH did the mowing this time.  I ran the rake to make the windrows for the baler to pick up.  I need to make sure I miss all the rocks and holes.  I need to be sure not to cover up rocks with hay that might cause major damage to the baler. DH follows me making bales.  The hay has to lay on the ground and cure for a couple days in between mowing and baling.  It needs to be done right to be good feed for the cattle.

This is my view heading home dodging bales with the tractor and the rake.  DH will stack the bales this week-end.

These bales were stacked earlier.  If it would rain, we might be able to mow this patch again.  We are in need of rain for the corn.  It's getting dry again and the fire danger has risen in our area.  The wheat will need combining soon too.

Peanut has been spending the hot afternoons in the house.  I had to run to town for parts on Tuesday, so she rode along to get her shots at the Vet Clinic. 

She was a very good patient.  She slept in an interesting pose for her afternoon nap.

I hope she was having good dreams.  Hopefully I will get back to sewing sometime this week-end.
I'm linking up with Sarah for Feline Friday.  :)

Feline Friday

I needed some instant sewing gratification, so I took a Cherry On Top layer cake and charm pack, did some cutting and made some big blocks.  I think Puss was checking out the little owls.

She seemed amused to see me sewing again--it's been awhile.  She just sat on the bed and watched.  Later she went to her hidey hole in the closet for a real nap.

This is cute fabric.  I'm still in the process of sewing rows together.  I'm planning a wide border to add more size to make it a lap size quilt. It's been fun to cut, sew and iron fabric again.  It's a start.

I'm linking up with Sarah, because I love cats and their quilters.

Thank you, Terry!

I won a pincushion from Terry at Terry's Treasures.  I haven't been blogging or reading very many blogs.  Terry always has fun projects and beautiful pictures.   She also makes quite a few pincushions.   I commented on her post and was a winner.  She sent me a lovely fabric/rickrack wrapped parcel!

So many goodies!!

The pincushion is made from one of her signature blocks.  I love those cute little button topped pins!!

Terry also sent me embroidery floss, quilty magnet and a lovely card (love butterflies!).  Thank you so much Terry!!  This win and bloggy thank you will get me back to blogging!!

I've been missing the blog world, but the real world seems to take up all my energy.  I won't try to catch you up on the last two months. 

As you can see from the header, we have been blessed with rain.  It is so wonderful to have the color green in our life again.  Last year's brown world was such a downer.  We are busy making hay for winter feeding now.  We fed every last bale and chopped corn stalk last winter.  We had to buy more of each to keep our cattle herd.   The rain means we will not have to sell our cattle.  They have all been vaccinated and are in summer pastures.  The grass is tall and lush.  The flies are plentiful too.  Every day I check water tanks and fences to make sure everyone has water for the hot days of July and are staying in their assigned pasture.  We are trying to control the fly problem with fly spray, back rubbers and fly control lick tubs.   Flies irritate cattle and also spread diseases.

Thank you so much to those who checked on me while I was offline.  DD #1 is healing and will not have to see the dermatologist for 3 months.  I had another steroid shot in my knee and shot of liquid too.  I made it through calving season and am doing exercise therapy now. 

I have more news to share, but will check in again soon. 

Mother's Day Gifts

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, aunts, sisters and mothers to be--every special woman who cares for family in a loving way.    I'm having a lovely Mother's Day.  It is a gorgeous day outside.  DD 1 was home for 3 whole days of help and fun.  She brought me these lovely flowers.  Don't you just love Gerber Daisies?!  The roses are very, very pretty too.  She also treated me to a certificate for a pedicure and some wonderful soap and lotion.  Best of all I appreciate all her help and the laughing and talking that goes with it.  DD 2 is in Florida and I miss her so very, very much.  We had a nice visit by phone and Skype will be later.

I got another special present today.  This is "Baby"  and again.  Baby had her own baby early this morning.  We have been checking on her often, because we knew she was getting close.  I told DD 1 that "maybe she will have a Mother's Day baby for me".  She is a good momma and very protective.  I raised her well. 

No sewing.  Just calving and now some planting in the fields.  We haven't had any rain since the snow in April.  It is very dusty in the pasture.  I'm praying for rain.  We plant with "hope for the future". 

Here are a few more Mother's Day couples in honor of this special day.

 

Another newborn on Mother's Day and an excellent mom.

 

Look a likes.

 

More look a likes.

 

Lillian and Lily are continuing to be pampered with special care.  Lily brings sunshine daily to our lives.  Her sweet personality and cute antics have won our hearts.  She is so curious and playful.  She does put her ears back when she disapproves of us, but no spitting yet.  lol

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!  I was blessed with a great one.

Calving Season

The weather has turned nice with a heat wave and we all are enjoying the sunshine.  I thought I would share some of the other pictures I took during the last two weeks.  DD #1 was home for a couple days this week-end and helped us catch up on things and some sleep too.  :)

In labor in the "favorite" corner of the calving lot.

The corner was bedded with hay, but the snow is rapidly covering it up.  We let Mom lick off the new baby (bonding) and then they go to the warm dry barn.

The "old" long horn cow had a plain baby this year.  Each year she alternates--one year speckled like her, the next year a plain black one.  She is one of our tamest cows.  She comes to DH's cow call.

Just another "pretty" face. 

I'm sure there will be no sewing for a couple more weeks.  The snow is all melted and farming will begin very very soon.  Double duty will be on DH's schedule.  It is amazing how dusty it is in the pasture already.  The ground sucked the moisture right down.  Today I can actually see the beginning sprouts of green.  The trees are very late this year too.  None of the small retail greenhouses are filled in town yet.  It's a very late start for the growing season for everyone.

The Winter That Stayed

You haven't seen much of me--nobody has.  I've been either in the pasture, the barn or sleeping.  Not always enough sleeping.  lol   This isn't the kind of weather I like to have baby calves in.  In fact we are calving a week later than last year, hoping to avoid cold weather.  It has been a very, very long two weeks of snow and wind and colder than average temperatures.  There has been a lot of hands on calving help needed to keep everyone dry and healthy.

Snow is not an ideal place to have a newborn.  When it does happen,  it's up to the rancher to swoop the baby up and take it to a warmer dryer place.  Sometimes Mom follows--sometimes she needs to be persuaded.

The calves that are a week old do better in the snow.  You can tell a healthy calf by his looks.   They have their ears up and usually enjoy morning play time--even in the snow.

It takes a lot of straw and shelter to keep all the older ones warm and dry too.  It's a busy job when the weather is crappy.  There are emergency trips to the vet with little ones that need extra help.  I tell DH: "we can't sleep with them too".  

More later...........................