Till the Cows Come Home

 These days our ranching program looks a little different.

We bought a set of cows 2 years ago in South Texas.

The fella that was looking after them, daily, was from a family we've known for 30 years and as dependable and reliable as you could ever hope to know, but we still made multiple trips to help gather or work. It's a 12 hour drive one way so DH put on a lot of miles, always leaving out long before dawn

Unfortunately, the owner and his brother tragically died on the ranch in a plane accident and the family, understandably, lost their compass. Eventually, the manager left and the cattle weren't tended to under successive management so we looked for alternatives. None of this was the family's fault as they were dealing with an unimaginable loss and moving our cows eased their load a bit and gave us peace of mind when it came to our investment.

                           

Thankfully, DH's BIL shared a contact that steered us in a new direction and we were able to move our herd to wheat pasture (still in South Texas) for 6 months, at which time, they droughted out and we needed to move them once more. Of course, the day they processed them (last Thursday), it poured. DH phoned that evening and asked me to pray for it NOT to rain overnight or the trucks wouldn't be able to get in. THAT'S a first. I've spent the last 39 years praying FOR rain. This reversal was completely foreign to me, but pray I did and the good Lord kept the rain at bay.

12 hours on the road after loading 87 pair, unloading in the dark, driving another hour home and unloading horses at 11 p.m. made for an incredibly long day. I know the barn lights were a welcome sight when he pulled in

                            

And then we were headed back out just after 5 the next morning

                                                           

to insure the cattle were settled and paired up. Hated to truck pairs with baby calves that far, but it couldn't be helped and now they are only an hour away and it's easier for us to keep an eye on them.

DH found one sick calf he doctored

 

We are still hunting grass, but a friend had room in his feed yard and let us keep our motley crew there until God opens a grassy window.

We also currently have 40 heifers on wheat and will be moving them May 1st to some lease country.

It's been so very different from what we've known, but we're incredibly grateful for the network of friends and family that have helped us along the way. And all glory goes to our Lord and Savior because not a single step has been possible without Him.

Garden Plans

I've never had a huge garden, but always enjoyed growing a few things. The 20 years we managed the LE Ranch, it was a challenge. In a good year, we had 10" of rainfall annually and those good years were rare. Besides harsh desert conditions, the water wasn't great and the ground was tough so I cobbled some raised beds together. They were just 6" deep. 

But the dirt I mixed up for them was like black gold for 12 years and and the garden was mostly successful

The last year we were there, I didn't have a garden because we moved in August and I didn't have one here last year because we were too busy with other projects. But we recently finished the orchard and I didn't want another year without a garden. I splurged and bought some raised beds from Anleolife. I just started with 3. They are 8 x 4 x 2. We put 1 together Tuesday evening

And the other 2, Wednesday morning. The 1st one took a long time, but by the time we started the 3rd one, we had a system and it took us an hour.

There are 80 of these wing nuts and bolts per bed. That's a lot of twisting for old hands.

When we moved here, the backyard was not a priority. The previous owners had dogs so they put up a fence for when they were away. We're not fans of chain-link, but when you have a nice deck and a beautiful view, you're not going to be spending time in the backyard.

It was just left natural, which we loved, but we did want to clean it up. We trimmed things up, plucked things, and cleaned out a lot of cactus. We removed 5 loads with the skid steer.

And I do want to toss out wildflower seed and see what takes in this rugged terrain.

DH moved some rocks

because when we ran out of room in the orchard, we put 4 fruit trees behind the house.😉

There was a big pile of old wood that DH was going to haul off, but when I went to clean it up, it ocurred to me that I could use it as filler in the beds. 

DH leveled out a spot to set the beds.

I chuckled when he pulled out the level. It's a garden bed. I'm not that particular, but DH is detail oriented. I'm so grateful for his help. I couldn't have done this without him.

I broke down old cardboard I'd been saving to put in the bottom

 and then I started raking up and hauling branches and old  bark

DH and I set the beds in place and I worked on filling them while he was away, processing and moving cows. I am not comfortable running the skid steer so I am zipping around in the Can-am and piling it with branches

I'm also going to need a lot more dirt!

It's still too early to plant most things, but that's up next after I get the beds filled. It's a work in progress and it it looks like I'll be spending more time back here than I thought. 🥰

Digging into Flannel

As I was moving fabric bins the other day, I peeked into the flannel tub. These have been in here for many years and I suddenly felt like I ought to do something with them. I still liked these, but I didn't have any plan or direction for them and I needed some coordinating pieces to move them forward.

So I grabbed a piece of paper and started scratching out some ideas and notes for simple designs. I knew I'd forget what the plan was if I didn't write it down.

Then I hopped online and sorted through some fabrics and ordered some pieces that would allow me to complete my vision for these quilts because the only flannel I have is in that bin. 

Next week I hope to spend a day cutting and end up with 6 kits, ready to sew.

1. In the Saddle - This will be either a rag quilt or simple squares alternating with hourglass blocks. I had the cowboy & denim.

2. Panda Palooza - this will be a gingham quilt. I had the panda and pink fabric.

3. Flutterby Butterfly - I just had the butterfly flannel. I think I'll alternate squares of the butterfly with flower or pinwheel blocks.

4. Flannel Garden - The top 3 fabrics were in my bin. This may be a checkerboard quilt.

5. Froggy Fun - I'll alternate frog squares with a 9-patch for an Irish Chain effect. The frogs were the only fabric I already had.

6. Sassy Squirrel -  I had the squirrel and pink fabric. This will be a gingham quilt. This fabric is close to 30 years old! I bought 2 yards from Alco for $2.49 when our daughter was a toddler and she's now 32! Yikes! I was going to make overalls or a little jumper. 😂 And yes, we DO have a granddaughter now, but although I loved sewing clothes for the kids when they were small, I no longer have any desire to do that. And she will outgrow the clothes faster than she'll outgrow a quilt. 😉

None of these were on my list of quilts I listed back in January, but when I opened this bin, it was like a whole herd of squirrels jumped out and scattered and I had to do something about it. 😄

A Treasured Day

 Little E drew a treasure map when she was home a few weeks ago. She was certain that there was treasure at Pap's and Gram's house. 😂

So when she was here for a few days over Spring Break, we headed out in search of it. 

She led the way and I followed

At one point she turned around and exclaimed, "Gram. I think we're lost!" 😂

After consulting her trusty map, we retraced our steps and were soon back on track

After almost an hour, she was positive she had landed upon the spot, but we had forgotten our shovels so we marked the spot with an X and a flag 

and returned to the house for some water and lunch.

After refueling and a nap, we headed back out and digging began in earnest

Could it be?

Shiver me timbers!

A box was discovered!

Anticipation...

                                                              

The magical moment of discovery

And it was filled with treasures 

A kaleidoscope!

She was SO excited

                                                            

She ran back to the house so fast exclaiming, "Gram! Hurry! We have to show Pap!"

And Pap was quite impressed!

She's pretty sharp and asked Pap if he'd buried it, but he was honest and said he did not. Good thing Gram is not a suspect. She wouldn't want to have to walk the plank. 😉 

And the best part of it all was that the 'real' treasure wasn't even in the box. 😉