No Such Thing As Window Shopping

Still home, still haying. The rain just won't give us a long enough break to get things wrapped up. I know several bloggers joined my blog expecting to get to go off on neat excursions round the country with me, and that has yet to happen. I promise you we DO really drive truck and go all over and I do post about it!

But we are relishing this extended time at home, I do believe its the longest break we've ever taken. I don't want it to end. For the first time in ages, I sincerely have ZERO desire to go back to the road. And Malcolm feels the same way. I guess it will give us that extra drive to get working all the harder so we can pay off some things and be home more than not.

In the mean time, we're soaking up every moment. I'm going to post in a couple days about some of my "chores" I've adopted around here, and also my sister asked to see the inside of my new home, so I'll post some pictures of the only two rooms that are mostly photo-worthy. The rest of the house isn't even unpacked yet. Time will take care of that. Until then...

Haven't made a trip to town for parts in several days. Its been nice NOT going to town, but I've got a few things I could use from the store, so I guess next time a part is needed for the tractor, I'll volunteer to go. When we go to Bowman for parts, we drive past an elk ranch, and the other day when I went, the bulls were right up next to the fence. I was supposed to be hurrying for the part, but it was too good an opportunity to not stop and check them out close up. So I took a few minutes to visit. There is just something about the bull elk that makes you have to stop and admire!

The swather was down for a few days while we waited for a part to come in. In the mean time, the baling continued with what was down, between rain showers that is. We've had more storms, and neighbors on three sides got hailed badly. So far we've been spared but this last storm on Friday, which dropped pea and marble size hail on our yard, hurtled soft ball size hail through the neighbors vehicle windows and actually punched holes in their roof. They say you can stand on the roof and look into their attic, and they had picked up some of the hailstones and put them in the freezer to show off. Crazy!

Yesterday had a fine forecast according to the local radio station, but around 2:00 when Peggy and I took lunch to the men, we found Malcolm working on the swather...again....

...and beautiful but suspicious looking clouds rolling in from the southwest.

Sure enough, by the time the guys had finished eating and Malcolm had gotten the swather up and running, it was evident that time was running out.

Malcolm's dad hurried to bale up the hay that had already been rained on twice so it wouldn't get drowned again. Got that done, and a little more cut, and then it was over for the day.

It was a short storm, and overall we were lucky. Further south there were tornado warnings, so I guess we should be thankful we just got rain. Brief rain, but heavy enough to put an end to haying for the day. So instead we went window shopping.

Window shopping...something I'm usually good at. I am the best window shopper on Earth! I am really good at shopping and NOT buying anything. I am not good at spending money. I just can't let go of it, especially if I'm buying for myself.  But I love to look. So yesterday, we went window shopping at a friend and neighbors.

see Malcolm in the lead?

Malcolm went out to bring in the merchandise for inspection. This is a herd of 2 and 3 year olds. They were all halter broke so they are pretty friendly. They are also very familiar with a bucket and what it means, which made Malcolm quite popular. It reminded me of the Pied Piper of Hamlin.

These horses stand out by the road and I've admired them whenever we drive by on our way to deliver lunch. I've even visited with them across the fence a little. But Malcolm and his dad had waded through the herd one evening and came home talking about which ones they were going to bring home. WHAT? Well I have to look too! Just window shopping mind you, because I have my hands full of horses already!

Malcolm's dad likes this 2 year old bay roan filly. She must have been some one's pet. She's the friendliest in the bunch and follows us around like a puppy dog on a string. I do like the bay roans!

So many pretty horses, I'll just take them all! But I'm just window shopping, remember?

Malcolm was leaning towards this pretty buttermilk buckskin. She was one of the more friendlier ones, though she never quite let us touch her. But she also never strayed too far from the front line.

But then we also looked at their yearlings, and Malcolm found one there he liked better. And I have to say, she is one handsome looking filly! I like her a lot, and if he doesn't get her, I just might go claim her for myself!

Another filly in the yearling herd I was looking at is this red roan paint. She was kind of marked up nice. But, really, the last thing I need is ANOTHER young horse! I have my hands full with Sky and this years foal!

From the sounds of it, Dawn is about to get some company in her pasture. I think there will be at least two more females moving in, maybe three. I'm blessed to have a father-in-law who enjoys a pasture full of horses as much as I do. I've kind of adopted him as my partner in crime when it comes to the horses. He seems to be game for anything if its going to put a herd in his pasture for him to look at and enjoy.

There's no such thing as window shopping...at least not when it comes to horses!