An Illustrated Recap of November...

...because it would take too many words to tell it all. Well, there will be a few words, maybe quite a few, but I'll keep it to a minimum as best I can. You know how "wordy" I can get sometimes.

We were home for a little more than 3 1/2 weeks.

There were some early mornings...

...and some late nights.



 After our trip to Helena to pick up Reba and Fancy, the next big event was rounding up cows...

...sorting in the corrals...

...and loading the calves up to go to their new homes.

 Over the course of 2 1/2 weeks, we hauled cattle 4 days, taking calves to the scale in town, the rest of the calves to the sale barn near Belle Fourche, hauling "open" cows to the sale another day, and bringing home 4 loads of bred cows from summer pasture. In all, we ran about 1200 miles just shufflin' cows around from place to place.

 Aside from cow business though, there were other things going on. Friendships were formed....

...some more reluctantly than others.

And old friendships were rekindled. Judy from Loves Ranch Life and More made the trip to Baker to have lunch with me one day, and on another day my mother-in-law and I went to a neighbor's for a short visit and to get some of her wonderful home made soaps.

I just love these soaps from Pure Prairie Soap, and the lady who makes them is a delightful person! I was so glad to finally meet her and get to visit, and my mother-in-law enjoyed getting to catch up with a friend.

Back at home, there were crafting successes....

...and cooking failures.

my sister's carrot cake runeth over. Delicious taste, stinky mess in my oven!

 Injuries were mended...

...and lots of pampering of the princess commenced to make her feel better.

And just because the calves were shipped and another years "crop" was in the bag, that didn't mean outside work was over. Maintenance is an on going chore, and often requires some creativity. My caption for this picture? How many men does it take to change a light bulb?

  The answer? Two! If they have a bucket of tools, a step ladder, a semi trailer, a tractor to lift them up, a woman to run the tractor, and a dog to wait patiently in the warmth of the tractor and out of the wind. Smart girl! Some chores take team effort, no matter how small they may seem.

 We also made time for some outdoor recreation while the weather was still nice! A motor had been recently acquired and fitted to the S.S. JMBAR Cruiseship, so we had to take it out for a test run before it all got packed up for the winter. It sure beats rowing!

 And of course, Gemma got a few lessons worked into her busy schedule. The dog and I are her best buds! She's even started to whinny at me when she sees me coming and meets me half way.

 It's sweet, but I sure hope our friendship doesn't take on similarities to her bond with Lucy. I had a surprise opportunity to catch my future cutting horse (?) at work. I'm not sure her play partner was enjoying the game as much as she was.

I appologize for the racket. I was standing at the gate where all the mama cows were congregated looking for their missing calves. They sure can raise a ruckus!

The last week at home, my mother-in-law and I made a total of four trips to Belle Fourche, SD for Paris's leg injury. That's about a 3 hour drive there and another three hours back. So we had lots of visiting time. We also discovered a neat quilting shop and a very pleasant coffee house across the road. On Friday we had our last vet appointment during which I became concerned that Paris couldn't come with us after all. The vet needed to change her splint bandaging once a week, and there were already sores forming on her leg. Turns out hairlessness is a disadvantage when your wearing a cast!

I was very frustrated because I'd been counting on taking her with us, and now it didn't look promising. BUT...our home town vet whom we adore (but who isn't set up for the little guys yet, thus our trip to Belle Fourche) had Malcolm and I, and Paris, come to her home on Sunday, where she spent an hour going over the process of taking off the dressings, medicating the sutures, and re wrapping and splinting the leg. I was leery of being responsible for it, but she assured us that we could do it without problems, and also reassured me that the splint is actually just a secondary support. In fact, if the sores persist or get worse, we're to take the splint off and leave it off. All that metal in her leg (see earlier pictures in this post) is what's actually supporting her while the bones heal. And it all gets to stay in there too. Little Paris and her new bionic leg.

The last days at home provided some beautiful scenery...

...to be enjoyed from the window as I baked cookies for the girls, wrapped Christmas presents, and gathered our things together for re-packing the truck.

It was a busy home time, lots of work, a little play, a few traumatic moments, but even with problems and being tired, it was just good to be home!

We left Monday morning, loaded near Timber Lake, SD and headed south towards Colorado.

 Leaving home is always a bit bitter sweet. We hate to leave, and yet by the end of these long breaks, we feel compelled to be productive again. Home time was great, but really, it's not so bad being back in the truck.

 Especially knowing in a few weeks we'll have more time off, and this time it will be for a Tennessee Christmas! We haven't seen my family since April, and we haven't had a Tennessee Christmas for a couple of years. I CAN'T WAIT!

Mom's beatiful garden under a rare TN snow last winter

Because I Love Birds

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you already have picked up on my love of horses. It should be obvious that I adore my naked dogs. And you might even have come to realize that I think chickens are fantastic and have big ideas about a future flock.

And some of you might have even come to realize what those who are close to me have known for some time. I am a bird fanatic.

I LOVE birds. I came by it honest. Its a gene that got passed down to me from my mother. And she got it from her mother. The three of us could sit at the window, or better yet on the porch, and watch birds come to our feeders for hours on end.

One would think I pick up horse related nicknacks, and though those do find their way into the rooms of our house, I'm much more likely to spend money on something frivolous if it has a bird on it. Such as this book mark...

...which came home with me from Pier One back in June, even though I already have a number of bookmarks that don't even get used.

And then there is this dish...

...that somehow found its way into our truck after we had breakfast at a Cracker Barrel in New Mexico. Actually I'd looked at these a number of times over the spring and summer and when I found them on the sale rack for $2, I decided it had earned its way to my library book shelf. For what, I can't say. Perhaps it will collect stray buttons, pins, or just sit there empty. But it seemed to need me to take it home.

My mother-in-law has gotten into collecting polish pottery pieces. She has some gorgeous dishes, bowls, and tea cups. And one day when I was over at her house, she was unpacking a newly arrived box. I was delighted when she walked into the room carrying a pretty tea cup and saucer and exclaimed over how pretty they were, not realizing that she was bringing them to give to me, not just show me. She'd seen them on her pottery search and bought them for my birthday. My family indulges my love of birds.

So now you know I'm a bird-a-holic. I know a number of you are as well. And so I just had to show you my newest find. Because I not only love birds, but I also love books and when the two are combined, I'm beyond happy.

Last week, my mother-in-law and I ran to Bowman, ND for tractor parts (we seem to be doing that a lot lately) and while we were there, she wanted to stop in the library and check out what was in their book room. The library has a book room where they shelve all their "extras," books that have been donated that they can't use, books that they have too many copies of, books that they just don't need anymore. These books are available for the taking, though they suggest a donation to help them out, and we are happy to give it.

I wasn't in the market for a book. I just went along for the ride. But of course I walked out with three books! One on herb gardening, a cook book, and this treasure!

The most recent copyright date I can find on it is 1904, though the book is not nearly that old. However, it is old enough that the information is out of date. Some of the birds had names that were slightly off from what they are known as today. For instance, there is a "Cedar bird" of the waxwing family. Umm...don't they mean Cedar Waxwing? So its old, I just don't know how old. I paid $1 for this book!

"What", you may ask, "does she want with an out of date bird identification book?"

I'll show you! For $1, I got these...

The book is filled with gorgeous illustrations! Some of them are just breathtaking, in that vintage kind of way. I'm picturing some of them framed in vintage frames and hanging in my bird themed library.

The mockingbird warmed my heart. He will get used for something because he is the Tennessee state bird. Maybe I'll hang him next to my cross-stitched Tennessee picture.

And of course if I do that, then I'll need to hang the western Meadowlark picture next to my cross-stitch of Montana.



And this one was really lovely. I love the gold finches and was delighted to discover that they come visit me in Montana. They pass through our area in the springtime during migration and fill the yard with their pretty songs and chirps, splashes of bright color in a still winter-drab landscape.

So, I was wondering if you had any ideas or inspirations to share after seeing my new treasure. There are about 15-20 really nice illustrations in here, and I can't put them all on my walls, because that would just be too much. What else can I use these for in order to display and enjoy them? Any ideas?











Painting Flowers

This past weekend I learned something very interesting and thought I'd share. After all, who knows when random bits of informationn will come in handy for someone else!


My sister's colors for her wedding were white and a dark raspberry pink. Its a very pretty color.


She has always loved tulips.

She had pictured in her mind a few raspberry pink tulips in vases on the tables at the reception. It looked really pretty.

The park where the wedding was held wouldn't let us throw rice or birdseed or much of anything else. Our of desperation we even asked if we could throw Rice Krispies cereal and the answer was no, because they didn't want to attract more ducks and geese than were already there. Meagan wasn't big on the "blowing bubbles" trend, and with that we were out of ideas. We had to dig deep into the imagination for a solution, but one finally presented itself, and when it came time for the bride and groom to depart, we showered them with raspberry pink carnation petals. It was really pretty.

I was busy throwing petals so left it to the real photographer to get a picture of the effect it created.

The only other flowers in Meagan's wedding plans were her bridal bouquets. She wanted a tight and full cluster of hydrangea blossoms, white for her attendants, and raspberry pink for her and Lily.


Hydrangeas do actually come in a deep pink color. They are called Red Hydrangea's according to Mom. But according to the florist they were using, they are not available at this time of year. He had another suggestion and said they'd order in what he was thinking of, and if they weren't pink enough, we would decide what to do from there.


So on Saturday morning, Mom, Meagan, and I headed out to find the obscure little florist wholesale shop tucked into a side street on the west side of Nashville. It was really neat and I was so angry with myself as we were leaving because I realized I never thought to take any pictures for the blog, or for Meagan's memories either! Oh well!


What the florist had obtained was beautiful, but no where NEAR raspberry pink. They were hydrangea blossoms in varied shades of pink and green. We thought they were lovely, but not what we were looking for at all.

But this particular florist, who had been a marvel to work with, helping Mom over the phone and swapping emails with her dozens of times, came through and saved the day.


We were skeptical of his solution at first, but he assured us it was easily done, would look great, and would solve our issue.

As it turns out, they make a special spray paint just for flowers! I've never heard of such a thing! And I guess you can get it in all sorts of colors! He demonstrated for us on an extra blossom, packed our flowers in the car for us and waved goodbye as we drove away.


Back at Meagan's house, we unloaded our flowers and carried them into the garage, as it was already getting windy, a precursor of the gusts to come the next day.


The garage got pretty fumigated with paint fumes, but it was better than fighting the wind with the delicate blooms. We were a little nervous about the prospect of the flowers turning out OK, but there was nothing to do but get started and see what happened. We let Meagan do the honors on the first one.

And Lily, of course, had to get in on the action! Who couldn't resist the opportunity to paint flowers!

After that we left them to dry. We didn't want to go overboard until we knew what they were going to look like.

I'm still amazed! Who would have thought you can spray paint flowers to get your desired color? It worked like a charm, and on the big day, Meagan and Lily had beautiful bouquets of raspberry pink hydrangea blossoms that looked completly natural.

Beautiful flowers made especially for beautiful girls to carry on a beautiful day!

My Civil War Quilt: Month Three

The Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh is another batttle known by two names. Some know it as the Battle of Shiloh. Others refer to it as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. Regardless of how you call it, it was two days of blood letting that left both sides shocked at the carnage. It was the bloodiest battle in American History up to that point.

The Battle of Shiloh is considered to be one of the four most important battles of the American Civil War. The reason being that it was a strategic location. Union troops were attempting to reach northern Mississippi and make their way to the Mississippi river. With control of the river, they would have the Confederacy seriously disabled. During the Battle of Shiloh, Confederate troops attempted to turn the Union away from their objective.

In April of 1862, Union troops, lead by Ulysses S. Grant, had moved deep into Tennessee and camped on the western bank of the Tennessee River at Pittsburg Landing. Nearby was a log church, Shiloh Methodist, that would be caught in the midst of the struggle, witnessing human savagery and serving as a hospital for wounded.

replica reconstructed on the sight of the original building

Union troops were caught off guard by a surprise attack at dawn on April 6. Led by Johnston and Beauregard, the Confederate objective was to block the Union from advancing into northern Mississippi and thus reaching the Mississippi River. Confederate troops were able to drive Union forces back during the start of the battle, but confusion among Confederate lines resulted in the Union troops being pushed to the northeast back towards Pittsburg Landing, instead of into the swamps to the west as was intended. Union troops were able to entrench in a sunken road, later referred to as the "Hornet's Nest" because of the intense fighting that took place there. Their entrenchment provided enough time for Union troops to pull up reinforcements during the night.

the sunken road

During the second day of battle, the tide was turned when Union troops launched a counter attack. Realizing they were low on ammunition and food, and had already suffered over 10,000 casualties, Confederate leaders ordered a retreat.

Two short days of battle left both sides decimated. Union casualties were listed at 13,047 with 1,754 killed, 8,408 wounded, and 2,885 missing. Confederates had not faired much better listing their casualties at 10, 699 with 1,728 killed, 8,012 wounded, and 959 missing. In the aftermath, Ulysses S. Grant was accused by the press of being drunk during battle, leading to accusations of poor performance and responsibility for not being prepared for the attack. His career suffered for a time as a result. Though he was a heavy drinker, the reports of his drunkenness during battle are believed to be false. With time his popularity returned due to his successful leadership. He would later become the leader of the Union army and after the war would be elected the 18th president of the United States

Shiloh National Military Park, though in Tennessee and relatively close to where I grew up, is one of the battlefields I have never visited. I have always wanted to and still have hope to do so one day in the future.

There are always spots at each battle field that became famous for various reasons, such as the Hornet's Nest. One of the more well known spots for this battle is Sarah Bell's Peach Orchard. It was a location of intense fighting near the Hornet's Nest where Confederate General Johnston was killed and where the bodies of the fallen were covered in the soft pink petals of the peach blossoms.

Every time I do one of these posts, I read about the battle on other sights. I know the names, but there are so many details to learn! And every time I research a battle I am overwhelmed by the casualties. How did they manage? What did they do with more than 3,500 dead? How did they tend 16,000 wounded men? How would they even begin to cope, especially in a relatively rural area such as western Tennessee? How did the locals manage with that many soldiers present needing food and medical attention, and so much more? I can't even begin to imagine.

For more reading on The Battle of Shiloh:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shiloh#Aftermath

http://www.civilwaralbum.com/shiloh/index.htm#November

For a pictorial tour:

http://www.civilwaralbum.com/shiloh/tour1.htm

I'm letting you know ahead of time that the next months of my quilt and posts are going to be delayed. I've not had time to put together my quilt squares and it looks like my next home time is already booked with packing and getting things moved to the ranch. So this will be my last installment on my Sesquicentennial blog posts for a time. We may very well have to finish our Civil War posts after the anniversary year is over. But I will finish, I promise myself and you!

Big happenings this weekend! I'm so excited and will share all about it early next week!

On a Snowy Afternoon

The other day I found myself at home alone again. Malcolm had taken a second trip out to the ranch. And so as I sipped my tea at the table that morning, checking emails, I pondered what to do with my day. 

Within minutes of my debate beginning, a very whiny Paris asked to be picked up, and proceeded to whine and gripe about the cold to me for almost an hour, pitching a fit every time I sat her down. She was my inspiration. I was not going to sit in the house holding her all day or listening to her whine and whimper. I had a couple errands I'd been putting off, so I tucked the girls into their kennels in their over-heated room, and off to town I went.

On a snowy afternoon in Billings, here's what I like to do. First I run some mundane errands I've been putting off. I go take a check to our prorate service, pick up some printer ink at the office supply store, and make a return at the mall. But after those trips, things get a little more entertaining.

Lunch with a friend downtown. I picked up some yummy enchiladas and took them to her work place where she is the only clerk on duty and I, the only visitor. A snowy afternoon in Billings sometimes equals slow business. So we sat behind the counter and munched on yummy warm food and took up the better part of an hour chatting, until my parking meter was about to run out and I had to leave, or put in another quarter.


After lunch, I'm off to the hallowed ground...

Nothing in the world like spending an afternoon sprawled in the floor of a bookstore pilfering through the crafting and agricultural books. And of course there were several passes made down the fiction isles, the magazine collection, and the cookbooks, though they had significantly decreased their cookbook selection by two whole shelving units. How unfortunate!


I spent the most time here, parked in front of these delightful titles, plotting which ones I'd get once I had the animals that needed the care. I wrote down several interesting titles, including one called "Holy Shit," a book singing  the various praises and delights of manure! It was just too intriguing of a title to not jot it down, if only for an occasional sheepish chuckle upon reading it.

After I've spent as long as I possibly dare, neglecting my pups for several hours, I narrow down the choices in the basket, proceed through the checkout line, and head for home,
where I unload the car, snatch my new treasures up in arms, and head upstairs to bury my nose in one of them, dogs trailing behind me, no more whining because they are just glad to be out of the kennel and close to me. Besides we're heading to their favorite room in the house also!

I have to make room on the table between the library chairs, so I sort through some catalogs that have been gathering there. Lately, these delights have been coming the the mail to torture me. I prowl through them, planning future flower and vegetable garden plots.

This one in particular caught my attention, and will be kept laying around just because its neat.

It looks authentically antique on the outside...

...and the inside. My very own old time seed catalog!

This one too has caused small rounds of self-torture.

Having cleared space for the new books on the table, I have to clear space for myself in my favorite chair, because its the favorite chair of three others as well.

And being their favorite, look what the heathens have done to my beloved chair!

They love to sit in and lay on it, but even more, a particular someone, or two, love to wallow in it, and their claws are not treating our favorite chair with loving care. We've had several lengthy discussions on proper favorite chair etiquette but they just don't seem to get it.

But upholstery damaged and three dogs piled on top of me, its still a comfy place to snuggle into a good book on a snowy evening at home.

This morning, its a frigid -20. This cold is causing even the heated bird bath to frost up and cause problems watering my birds.

The girls took care of business in record time and are now upstairs snuggled into our favorite chair, no wallowing heard as of yet. I think they are thawing out first.

The only rooster on the place is frozen to the ground and even if he could, I don't think he'd be doing much crowing this morning!

I have two more days at home before we return to work on Monday. I plan to make the most of them, spending quite a bit of time in my chair upstairs with a book.

I want to thank everyone who ordered from my Pampered Chef party, and all those who thought about it as well. We gave my sister a great start in her new endeavor. I hope we've set the pattern for her future success. I promised a $25 PC gift certificate to one lucky person. We did a drawing from orders and the lucky individual who gets to do more Pampered Chef shopping is Judy in North Dakota! Congratulations Judy! Hope you enjoy shopping!