tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34866693228163073082024-03-14T01:28:44.912-04:00Big Woods Cabinwhole lotta loveSarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-21853314815059899172009-10-16T14:12:00.004-04:002009-10-28T16:45:18.582-04:00Big Woods Attack! AKA El Sucio, Cat of the WeekWell, no pics because I JUST got my camera back, but I wanted to relate a little story that happened about a week ago when my niece (9) and nephew (4) were staying with us. Overall, we had a great time. They are welcome back any time and hopefully next time my other nephew (7) can come, too!<br /><br />So, the other night after dinner, we were having a dance party of sorts (I like to move it, move it, anyone?) and generally merry-making and fun-having. <br />Suddenly, a god-awful racket kicked up from our front porch. Emma and I ran out there to see what was going on and found Ladybird and Striper looking on as Sucio fought ferociously with what looked like Trusty. As I was yelling and trying to figure out WHY Trusty was attacking Sucio, Emma cried out, "It's a raccoon!!"<br /><br />And it was.<br /><br />About that time, as thoughts such as "I need a gun!" "I need a big stick" "Here's a big stick!" were running through my head (I vaguely remember shouting things to Adam, but have no idea what they were), the raccoon took off across the yard. Sucio ran up the porch posts onto the rafters (in about .2 seconds).<br /><br />In the following moments, we got Sucio down from the porch, Emma helped round up and account for the other cats (Striper and Ladybird split when the raccoon went barreling past them, Trusty showed up moments later like, "whoa, what happened?") and I inspected Sucio for wounds. Didn't see anything at first and I thought we were going to get lucky.<br />Short of it, we weren't.<br />He's got a huge "V" of skin flapping on his left hind leg, right at the hock.<br /><br />Trip to the emergency vet.<br />Twice daily medications, general surveillance.<br />Everything will likely be fine, he was up to date on his rabies, thank God. He got a booster, some anti-biotics, wound cleaning/care etc. He's got a big bandage on it and we're hoping the skin will heal and reattach, otherwise, it'll have to be cut off, and the wound will just have to scar over, which will take a lot longer.<br />He's had to go back to the vet for bandage assessment and we had to switch anti-biotics because the first ones were making him puke all over the house. Which is just about the last thing anyone needs.<br /><br />Don't think the raccoon was rabid, because he sure lit out of there pretty quick once I showed up and started shouting :-). I have to say we're a bit proud of El Sucio for sticking it to the ol' 'coon, he held his own! Cat of the Week!!<br />Anyway, he's doing well, seems to be enjoying laying around on Buck's lambskin all day and doesn't seem to have any inclination to dart outside, even though he's spent the last several months out-of-doors. <br /><br />This is good, as when we move, we'll most likely be keeping all the cats inside for awhile. <br /><br />Oops-- didn't know we were moving?? That's a whole 'nother post...Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-77620826207668673012009-08-06T15:36:00.008-04:002009-08-07T00:16:20.241-04:00Yurts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.journeyetc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/yurt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 295px;" src="http://www.journeyetc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/yurt.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />We've been really into the idea of Yurts lately. Not only because of a recent fascination with Mongolia (<span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cave_of_the_Yellow_Dog">Cave of the Yellow Dog</a></span>,anyone?).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:HGPylLpN2bGMCM:http://www.queensfilmtheatre.com/uploads/thumbnail/cave-yellow-dog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 98px; height: 98px;" src="http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:HGPylLpN2bGMCM:http://www.queensfilmtheatre.com/uploads/thumbnail/cave-yellow-dog.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /> Well, partly because of that. But for other reasons, too.<br />I like the circular aspect. The Shakers built circular barns-- not to give the Devil a corner to hide in, at least that's what I've heard. Strangely reminiscent of certain Feng Shui principles of not having places for chi to stagnate (I guess it's strange, maybe there is some well-known link between American Shakers and the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui-- I admit to not knowing much else about the Shakers besides their enthusiasm for round buildings and nice, sturdy furniture).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.newenglandtravelplanner.com/assets/vt_images/burlington/shelburne_round_barn5285.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 175px;" src="http://www.newenglandtravelplanner.com/assets/vt_images/burlington/shelburne_round_barn5285.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rogershepherd.com/WIW/solution4/images/barn_su"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="http://rogershepherd.com/WIW/solution4/images/barn_su" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />A huge difference between these round buildings and a yurt is portability-- unlike Shakers, Mongolians are an historically nomadic people, so yurts are traditionally a very portable structure.<br /><br />There are a few manufacturers of yurts in the US (<span style="font-style:italic;">Yurt</span> is actually a Russian word, <span style="font-style:italic;">Ger</span> is the Mongolian name). The 30' (diameter) is about 700 square feet- more than enough room! Okay, maybe not <span style="font-style:italic;">more</span> than enough, but enough. Especially if you live in the vast, open stretches of the steppes of Mongolia, or, more likely for us, a big field. <br />A Mongolian yurt. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1p8HAyCVRT7k-yqLnSvw3-hw2twJO4Wykj1lGh4T9njgHgbMXsm0hZh794BTWMJWtYFKJQ1TIfv0w"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 437px; height: 300px;" src="http://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1p8HAyCVRT7k-yqLnSvw3-hw2twJO4Wykj1lGh4T9njgHgbMXsm0hZh794BTWMJWtYFKJQ1TIfv0w" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />A Mongolian yurt on the inside.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.studyrussian.com/MGU/Mongolia-countryside/ger5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 350px;" src="http://www.studyrussian.com/MGU/Mongolia-countryside/ger5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />There's plenty on the internet about yurts, and all different types, from fancy-pants yurts like these:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yurtinfo.org/images/faq16.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 442px; height: 336px;" src="http://www.yurtinfo.org/images/faq16.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.aceguru.com/ITRC/yurt1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 321px; height: 332px;" src="http://www.aceguru.com/ITRC/yurt1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />to simple yurts like this one:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.adrienneasher.com/Real%20Estate%20Site/Site_Images/yurt2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.adrienneasher.com/Real%20Estate%20Site/Site_Images/yurt2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />and even this American adaptation of a yurt (with perhaps a little inspiration from Tolkien- note the grass roof and round roof door) :<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.chizeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/yurt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 330px;" src="http://www.chizeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/yurt.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> (this one is neat. Not technically a yurt, but still neat.)<br /><br />Here are some step-by-step photos for the <a href="http://www.highroad.org/ranch/yurt.htm">setting up of a typical yurt.</a><br /><br />The prices vary from place to place, and there are lots of extras you can get (insulation, thicker roof canvas, extra windows/doors, composting toilets, woodstoves, &c.) but seems like a standard 30 footer would run you in the neighborhood of $8-10,000. <br />They supposedly last for years, and you can replace the canvas as needed-- most sites say their roofs are guaranteed for 15 years.<br /><br />How about a tree yurt? (I'm guessing the round decking is on top of the square support, otherwise, well, you'd fall out the sides, wouldn't you?)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yurts.com/images/photo-gallery/large/3_gallery_lrg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 241px;" src="http://www.yurts.com/images/photo-gallery/large/3_gallery_lrg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />A bright, colorful tree yurt!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.coloradoyurt.com/new2007/img/large/yurt_photo_gallery_42.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.coloradoyurt.com/new2007/img/large/yurt_photo_gallery_42.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />And a well-made yurt can withstand a pretty decent (I might even say "brutal") winter.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3309025523_538e48ce8e.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 318px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3309025523_538e48ce8e.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.coloradoyurt.com/new2007/img/large/yurt_burried_in_snow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.coloradoyurt.com/new2007/img/large/yurt_burried_in_snow.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />We're also big fans of the tipi. I mean, who isn't? Again, I like the circular set up. I had a friend that house-sat at a house with a tipi, a big one like these, and it was really cool. Maybe we could have one as our "guest room." Anyone want to come visit? <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.coloradoyurt.com/new2007/img/large/p1010174.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.coloradoyurt.com/new2007/img/large/p1010174.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.coloradoyurt.com/new2007/img/large/32_tepee_bw.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.coloradoyurt.com/new2007/img/large/32_tepee_bw.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-3881024133093787432009-07-17T16:46:00.013-04:002009-08-07T00:11:17.531-04:00Cat of the Week-- Trusty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ58d-WaHb7y7E_FEYPVcB8RAJPDfPNKM1rBM26dEAzLdVPmPtCrYhtqDR_dtTMZUga66QqqHZm1Jd3pPghoZspJ8hrIQK7JRESV5_1hGJMQlrrDz1UJBNYfFVZmfjLRiLWcVtKjX5oEQ/s1600-h/DSC00615.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ58d-WaHb7y7E_FEYPVcB8RAJPDfPNKM1rBM26dEAzLdVPmPtCrYhtqDR_dtTMZUga66QqqHZm1Jd3pPghoZspJ8hrIQK7JRESV5_1hGJMQlrrDz1UJBNYfFVZmfjLRiLWcVtKjX5oEQ/s320/DSC00615.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359537069909964610" /></a><br /><br /> This is Trusty. He is four and a half years old, male neutered domestic shorthair silver (or just plain ol' grey) tabby. We got him (for free) as a six-week-old kitten, and as we drove away from his birth family on that stormy June eve, he never looked back. He sat quietly in my lap looking around with interest and not a speck of fear or hesitancy, and then he fell asleep. <br /><br />Baby Trusty:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NUX170j52TuoLP5PMjepnIVItYRH4YuP7MJSsZT9vrXbhAWDR9IcHP44X3y8A6ViHwYu9nbSfWcbZtAvnYxen3ckj9HwKKIac9U5er7ACLV_f87yt0-UuYCjgjtz2Tl9dlvNguN-ULA/s1600-h/trc4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NUX170j52TuoLP5PMjepnIVItYRH4YuP7MJSsZT9vrXbhAWDR9IcHP44X3y8A6ViHwYu9nbSfWcbZtAvnYxen3ckj9HwKKIac9U5er7ACLV_f87yt0-UuYCjgjtz2Tl9dlvNguN-ULA/s320/trc4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366493762680296674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabHgHgByjb72DjZJnycB8w774gOXVphrWWF_QMhJAspjlEFNGZ0u3xPpAzUFQON9b13dI9VeaMdxtK68ey5FLfOlI9dbyRuEhoIIdji38PhIIUmGrJJJfjxipcvovMUomS6XW5IabR8Q/s1600-h/trc2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabHgHgByjb72DjZJnycB8w774gOXVphrWWF_QMhJAspjlEFNGZ0u3xPpAzUFQON9b13dI9VeaMdxtK68ey5FLfOlI9dbyRuEhoIIdji38PhIIUmGrJJJfjxipcvovMUomS6XW5IabR8Q/s320/trc2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366493752812801890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcWudSx-KG0p1GB95YX-Q-KJ3tO48ae1ep6NWL97rcvWfP1O87Pmebc2ejaG5P3aQfnrxY0Mi_AD07rU99l5dvroiuftRiFMwGB1UTkrUObl4UMVVaVdHP4Br_SfeHVFWQ9s2omV6Rlc/s1600-h/Papa+and+baby.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcWudSx-KG0p1GB95YX-Q-KJ3tO48ae1ep6NWL97rcvWfP1O87Pmebc2ejaG5P3aQfnrxY0Mi_AD07rU99l5dvroiuftRiFMwGB1UTkrUObl4UMVVaVdHP4Br_SfeHVFWQ9s2omV6Rlc/s320/Papa+and+baby.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366493742133392114" /></a><br /><br /> While he has won the coveted title "Cat of the Week" before, this is a somewhat rare occasion. "Cat of the Week" is a weekly or biweekly contest we hold here in our cabin, based on many different factors: good behavior, wild antics, bringing the most gumballs and sticks on to the porch, sleeping in cute/funny places, &c. More often than not, Trusty gets the less-coveted "Not Cat of the Week". Mostly because, well, Trusty is kind of a jerk. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDIizhOs4Wh3WGH40Ymh2I4CjioMpBHFAo8BE2cPJnOGiaGimW0r2kLZGQNK8OKCKtpn9TkZhWLVbIqL1aXoDeKZC7F9aoaexeTPk1mnnIAcbjqGy-fp0oKS1GxRUJjRT3NS6HZ6TeG8/s1600-h/DSC04082.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDIizhOs4Wh3WGH40Ymh2I4CjioMpBHFAo8BE2cPJnOGiaGimW0r2kLZGQNK8OKCKtpn9TkZhWLVbIqL1aXoDeKZC7F9aoaexeTPk1mnnIAcbjqGy-fp0oKS1GxRUJjRT3NS6HZ6TeG8/s320/DSC04082.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359557651949874946" /></a><br /><br />Instances of this would be his propensity to take up an entire human's worth of the bed, refusing obstinately to move or even budge, really.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2gy7FNCbFNVYD1P_F0oocYLb1pe9yRFAlEfukCTDPHhPI_wJ74u26HwvMpyEjVud6xrTuWxFP_PYEXiUT3yTQB9zh2_ZHH0CK5xyDXGKjHLlODs9kIz5LWxIdYHKfGgLdT_iDxAM1q4/s1600-h/DSC04431.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2gy7FNCbFNVYD1P_F0oocYLb1pe9yRFAlEfukCTDPHhPI_wJ74u26HwvMpyEjVud6xrTuWxFP_PYEXiUT3yTQB9zh2_ZHH0CK5xyDXGKjHLlODs9kIz5LWxIdYHKfGgLdT_iDxAM1q4/s320/DSC04431.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359561690702763394" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcKXplraM7zaXfMnIrJrWn0ZHWAv4oX5yqHkGKdKhlSV6sHNsZ1rqzflnV1RiFsRi3rCO-rRhTbRjv_nQyJdvJYwkG3uExddy_jYdu1FuhtW6C-6bgma913lBuRfhfm7YGhvTXb3jItI/s1600-h/backlog+194.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcKXplraM7zaXfMnIrJrWn0ZHWAv4oX5yqHkGKdKhlSV6sHNsZ1rqzflnV1RiFsRi3rCO-rRhTbRjv_nQyJdvJYwkG3uExddy_jYdu1FuhtW6C-6bgma913lBuRfhfm7YGhvTXb3jItI/s320/backlog+194.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359561702813686802" /></a><br /> Most cats will jump up if you hiss at them, nudge them, or attempt to lift them, Trusty goes completely limp and forces you to really commit to hefting his considerable bulk off the bed.<br /><br />Also, he tends to give dirty looks. <br />It is true that most cats give people dirty looks, but for some reason Trusty's looks seem extra loathsome. Of course, when this is your dad, can you really blame him?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZU5b5auOfFhq8TcbMwNyTuAUZTq-D3fLRwtp0WqVYJdWTA_SYKYQDbIUuMQPVpSYZBCjuzgQJJ1Z8WLooJBwVswwigjGzRNrqPheEz0t2K8eUZqlYPhnDS9-3A0qSE1FzwlstwK1qGg/s1600-h/DSC01692.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZU5b5auOfFhq8TcbMwNyTuAUZTq-D3fLRwtp0WqVYJdWTA_SYKYQDbIUuMQPVpSYZBCjuzgQJJ1Z8WLooJBwVswwigjGzRNrqPheEz0t2K8eUZqlYPhnDS9-3A0qSE1FzwlstwK1qGg/s320/DSC01692.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359537080838782978" /></a><br /><br /><br />He can be sweet if the mood strikes him. And he does sleep in cute/funny places, as well as have some pretty great wild antics. But underneath it all, he's still Trusty, and I guess part of what that means is ephemeral and cannot be captured in this blog. Maybe the pictures will help.<br /><br />Trusty in boxes:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PLO4JzU_23GRL59RQrL-afhi9o-tV_edIpfCWxmhs_LxdpLAvoU4HWshQK-oR31LoleWmwB42WrfQaSRxPgbjCHJ-Fp6w3T_-CiUuHK8waPzoGESMnvB_1l6zPj5lUPiYld9Iszs-vI/s1600-h/DSC03030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PLO4JzU_23GRL59RQrL-afhi9o-tV_edIpfCWxmhs_LxdpLAvoU4HWshQK-oR31LoleWmwB42WrfQaSRxPgbjCHJ-Fp6w3T_-CiUuHK8waPzoGESMnvB_1l6zPj5lUPiYld9Iszs-vI/s320/DSC03030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359553052647503410" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK23ySCkuyKIV0pEzbfSDabpy7zqTiNUJ2fIMKu3iN8Ul6ORAEefR-29ZXfCnDoZajH72psVdZYzm7HZSwm8rD24U1gDL7BQbkf3kbVjg5Q6Gma1y6cX3mXKtJuQTNzMKQ39xyKPGts64/s1600-h/trustybox.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK23ySCkuyKIV0pEzbfSDabpy7zqTiNUJ2fIMKu3iN8Ul6ORAEefR-29ZXfCnDoZajH72psVdZYzm7HZSwm8rD24U1gDL7BQbkf3kbVjg5Q6Gma1y6cX3mXKtJuQTNzMKQ39xyKPGts64/s320/trustybox.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359561681556009538" /></a><br /><br />Trusty and Sophie. Notice their faces. Quite different thoughts, don't you think? It's not so much that he's a bad sport, but he's not exactly a good sport, either. Though I remember this day, and I was impressed with his patience. He eventually did swat at her, but it was mostly just bluff, and probably because I was laughing at them... He may have gotten Cat of the Week for this photo shoot...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZVQBnnvndRN4OE9bFl7yytoZmy5vsOCzWJQvHJ1Fg_-vumy3C8Lg3UnqyZ02epaoB33k2fcYFipY5IlpRaqPtj-iVWMZm9L4Y7ew7WIcTprOn128YhUisEJx7YoetVTaPTsgHbXBCvw/s1600-h/DSC00560.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZVQBnnvndRN4OE9bFl7yytoZmy5vsOCzWJQvHJ1Fg_-vumy3C8Lg3UnqyZ02epaoB33k2fcYFipY5IlpRaqPtj-iVWMZm9L4Y7ew7WIcTprOn128YhUisEJx7YoetVTaPTsgHbXBCvw/s320/DSC00560.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359537061256526834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWsn8ZlJCMaQvVjz208dZYaLBofat4bvERLl0IhApA4LSGGZeDnr-KxGRvBCmfIq9Hzk4CnEVHvDKTs0rp89j1MEk-d1ASXwwXtAL3CTSkr-qt6T8L3-OSHqwJulpORc3JbbCmyLNPfo/s1600-h/DSC00558.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWsn8ZlJCMaQvVjz208dZYaLBofat4bvERLl0IhApA4LSGGZeDnr-KxGRvBCmfIq9Hzk4CnEVHvDKTs0rp89j1MEk-d1ASXwwXtAL3CTSkr-qt6T8L3-OSHqwJulpORc3JbbCmyLNPfo/s320/DSC00558.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359537052069838194" /></a><br /><br />Trusty has always been a fan of the hammock...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEa-WI9_OYq_Na-kco9GgtFGGdYqStlV4CW5_kHXvGrluV3eLou6YTZo435GD5DZZU4-5cgMnih2yUX9qazfdW8qHZTuzPSRtZs3kY_WMKCCqrDuVxJylgT1nmPMa2CCqfx4m4wwtX9k/s1600-h/DSC03039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEa-WI9_OYq_Na-kco9GgtFGGdYqStlV4CW5_kHXvGrluV3eLou6YTZo435GD5DZZU4-5cgMnih2yUX9qazfdW8qHZTuzPSRtZs3kY_WMKCCqrDuVxJylgT1nmPMa2CCqfx4m4wwtX9k/s320/DSC03039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359561677387570562" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYydaIIbTgkpFBaOpRRLo-exfzyD-MBZrnibCln3WIAqhoa_zIAQjA84V_7cHshdJi1GQrZdXTSpnrNmPjv1dWXf5CM2nOGmtlhB7-yrqzmEDvknoNHRmwcj2niwLh6ep_w72Ah5dQWg/s1600-h/DSC02949.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYydaIIbTgkpFBaOpRRLo-exfzyD-MBZrnibCln3WIAqhoa_zIAQjA84V_7cHshdJi1GQrZdXTSpnrNmPjv1dWXf5CM2nOGmtlhB7-yrqzmEDvknoNHRmwcj2niwLh6ep_w72Ah5dQWg/s320/DSC02949.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359553040054358066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Csarw1U9aT1xHl_dIpYzgx-t3_mO8NzysDOHK7bAwDoYeGHv2I4BDUqFgxx8_qymypICPDKRrzM6Ovp_Q0f6j5-OWpBxjlxvcOS3KNDlBSwl8BDBY9m6kkzK6PFHv_aGnQ7qKS2qjxw/s1600-h/DSC03688.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Csarw1U9aT1xHl_dIpYzgx-t3_mO8NzysDOHK7bAwDoYeGHv2I4BDUqFgxx8_qymypICPDKRrzM6Ovp_Q0f6j5-OWpBxjlxvcOS3KNDlBSwl8BDBY9m6kkzK6PFHv_aGnQ7qKS2qjxw/s320/DSC03688.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359553077257739938" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQIRDyzX4FMkiCXGYRWIIh7H-D8XqG0Xaq0SV0jC69PQxrD8hp0kt8rrETh0NJSb1D7QbWNFBR8ZxLcEvJUGDbFli9jNrQesSfWGnrUI1O4ltVK_X4VYdGCxLQtinWiectKSbI2kDgC4/s1600-h/backlog+230.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQIRDyzX4FMkiCXGYRWIIh7H-D8XqG0Xaq0SV0jC69PQxrD8hp0kt8rrETh0NJSb1D7QbWNFBR8ZxLcEvJUGDbFli9jNrQesSfWGnrUI1O4ltVK_X4VYdGCxLQtinWiectKSbI2kDgC4/s320/backlog+230.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366493730130402402" /></a><br /><br />Well, almost always...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuT6iKviyzDCdtU2-_XUIaxkAk7g59SKueBTclDHk_f8eD8lwlkgsePLM-4w0qlJ0YQDKLPBo0-s29jrPmnphwq5g1v6BexHzmUu7MxV8oFzYAB4KhL-S7uOw1PfT-tZVlpyTJ5f7-fs/s1600-h/DSC02951.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuT6iKviyzDCdtU2-_XUIaxkAk7g59SKueBTclDHk_f8eD8lwlkgsePLM-4w0qlJ0YQDKLPBo0-s29jrPmnphwq5g1v6BexHzmUu7MxV8oFzYAB4KhL-S7uOw1PfT-tZVlpyTJ5f7-fs/s320/DSC02951.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367064355713294722" /></a><br /><br />(This was taken immediately after he fell off the hammock- not such a big fan now, are we Trusty?)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwZIxFVibXd_8iGUDnCW4flBFXI9M_moPQmyfYmyN_KeFjL2096gF6XTPxccyEgqAzwMC3vWMS9s6i8FphrMC6L55Jv7T8N8hQody9EPZPX4D-jzYrhykQyQLHo95-jFVlrU2OVhfpXg/s1600-h/DSC02952.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwZIxFVibXd_8iGUDnCW4flBFXI9M_moPQmyfYmyN_KeFjL2096gF6XTPxccyEgqAzwMC3vWMS9s6i8FphrMC6L55Jv7T8N8hQody9EPZPX4D-jzYrhykQyQLHo95-jFVlrU2OVhfpXg/s320/DSC02952.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367064366690056018" /></a><br /><br />Oh, yeah, and then there was that time that we came home from work and found poor Trusty waiting on the porch with a hugely swollen face. We let him in the house, where he took himself straight to bed and slept for several hours. The swelling started to go down, but he had this big welt above his eye. Suddenly, one day, about a week later, I was looking at him and I gasped... no, it couldn't be... could it? <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1FbSqyHXHrT4xTPUaZr8gA5ni19lSMW83Y1PjL47sKwbhZ2dvOLERa7oMeDLr0Ty7oVXp6-xUD69PcW4V0xcj1b3jdYjPzGVRqPIQcQ8nRKMs13oCEvStVU6LCjwVOHjNFOUiQNEHDI/s1600-h/DSC02752.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1FbSqyHXHrT4xTPUaZr8gA5ni19lSMW83Y1PjL47sKwbhZ2dvOLERa7oMeDLr0Ty7oVXp6-xUD69PcW4V0xcj1b3jdYjPzGVRqPIQcQ8nRKMs13oCEvStVU6LCjwVOHjNFOUiQNEHDI/s320/DSC02752.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359548870831533938" /></a><br />Yes, it was. <br />Someone (our neighbor) shot him with a BB gun.<br />So, he's lucky he's not blind, for sure.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSbWhWjhIfoyAxmaglWB_U8d1ICkKnudUZmgrw0xB4XDviPVn0Zyig_a4_X9Fg3cyB9I5vQTtxDhZFZVyaTxR2bHm2qz5oecV2S3mCvilt28iDs18fMUNjVtgFeqF6lZ7cy5_KsOlhrQ/s1600-h/DSC02755.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSbWhWjhIfoyAxmaglWB_U8d1ICkKnudUZmgrw0xB4XDviPVn0Zyig_a4_X9Fg3cyB9I5vQTtxDhZFZVyaTxR2bHm2qz5oecV2S3mCvilt28iDs18fMUNjVtgFeqF6lZ7cy5_KsOlhrQ/s320/DSC02755.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359548878438040274" /></a><br /><br />Trusty has always been mostly Adam's cat. It was Adam, after all, who saw a picture of Trusty and his sisters on the internet and said (to my surprise) "I want <span style="font-style:italic;">that</span> one!" So, it made sense that when Buck was born, Trusty wanted to include himself in the father/son bonding (as older son).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07Zf2kbP7_TF8K7IufB2tKDFzdVWcQORh3AFugo-Q38hYB7uo682MaIw7K4hMyIrKkMnSBdHejP7sqpOfuJeVkabyqkC00lPYxH9l6zVziyze_i0yhCdWdfhkkIU36plRHg9Q_Vd0RDs/s1600-h/DSC03947.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07Zf2kbP7_TF8K7IufB2tKDFzdVWcQORh3AFugo-Q38hYB7uo682MaIw7K4hMyIrKkMnSBdHejP7sqpOfuJeVkabyqkC00lPYxH9l6zVziyze_i0yhCdWdfhkkIU36plRHg9Q_Vd0RDs/s320/DSC03947.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359557639413678386" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa4mLSGKU8NSXG1NG6HTFEOrvgD_9E7KszdDkhQLbpzBk_mgt6Wa4drZhS9Vtqd-5PU51wqxkO_fM-7jqfNNsqCj_BByz1c9bomdHtOZvpWynQEnJps4bF4kbrrJhDf75GvFfR4Or2qY/s1600-h/DSC03945.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa4mLSGKU8NSXG1NG6HTFEOrvgD_9E7KszdDkhQLbpzBk_mgt6Wa4drZhS9Vtqd-5PU51wqxkO_fM-7jqfNNsqCj_BByz1c9bomdHtOZvpWynQEnJps4bF4kbrrJhDf75GvFfR4Or2qY/s320/DSC03945.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359557628898306882" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLLLgUQ5uLDk24YLb74MlS_aR0yY2jN2VH8sYLiWHQETuiMYo0G0GKAXJjZ_tsc_1y-d5huIQITWDFMj29rtdLud4FRNNcc3tsQHquPyeYNeic8k0_tSQD8umxKwyy0vIJ5j0R5Y8n-0/s1600-h/DSC03765.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLLLgUQ5uLDk24YLb74MlS_aR0yY2jN2VH8sYLiWHQETuiMYo0G0GKAXJjZ_tsc_1y-d5huIQITWDFMj29rtdLud4FRNNcc3tsQHquPyeYNeic8k0_tSQD8umxKwyy0vIJ5j0R5Y8n-0/s320/DSC03765.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359557613625258962" /></a><br /><br />Not that Buck minded at all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdOH5e4WzQl3xTpvcglD8qz34n-sm-N6tdAwBdGzN3UstKfGXBx98quPumAOeNX2b_ZyWi02fbhEJok1kZIF4l1BNdfO-XaMJdYS3N2a4MaWUnTP-EINUnVoMP7n3rX8xxfb6hWrUn7c/s1600-h/DSC03771.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdOH5e4WzQl3xTpvcglD8qz34n-sm-N6tdAwBdGzN3UstKfGXBx98quPumAOeNX2b_ZyWi02fbhEJok1kZIF4l1BNdfO-XaMJdYS3N2a4MaWUnTP-EINUnVoMP7n3rX8xxfb6hWrUn7c/s320/DSC03771.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359557618703689746" /></a><br /><br />And some more photos...<br /><br /><br />Trusty enjoys walking in the woods with us. Cat of the Week!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GsbCuOXoNx84PSHzqxgmgw3oyiA_O95ual06WJGG2hGLFXMV3PY05KdBq1W2B-Gb5UEEarw5AGDYkQbUK4iE3i8PDytchRDckAOVSIhT9qh22z3Je6JIgt_DcICshPol05GZp4Rq7Zw/s1600-h/DSC00463.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GsbCuOXoNx84PSHzqxgmgw3oyiA_O95ual06WJGG2hGLFXMV3PY05KdBq1W2B-Gb5UEEarw5AGDYkQbUK4iE3i8PDytchRDckAOVSIhT9qh22z3Je6JIgt_DcICshPol05GZp4Rq7Zw/s320/DSC00463.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366493737427265570" /></a><br /><br /><br />Cat of the Week!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYUBKnjHBEKsm3sImI4j0myY2WjK_5Ql2AAznOMr5bIriV3BsxysCks7UZalOcR8qL-qlS-Cri0mEz8XEp2UPQgCffGVq8aC9GWhXfrr9N6X0PF-NvwUej3b32A7ouGkwW_q3eoGKXdU/s1600-h/DSC02023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYUBKnjHBEKsm3sImI4j0myY2WjK_5Ql2AAznOMr5bIriV3BsxysCks7UZalOcR8qL-qlS-Cri0mEz8XEp2UPQgCffGVq8aC9GWhXfrr9N6X0PF-NvwUej3b32A7ouGkwW_q3eoGKXdU/s320/DSC02023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359548861612841682" /></a><br /><br /><br />Carpet Pet of the Week!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETDoNv8mAZ54ZIw1A0FHnGSrMpXxqQG3OjJ1XJOEucj9GxfSOVynqTtmRaB6FFwRrC2tQdR23Mx160F4RzyAsueI3D6rBUGQkhZvR7LoaKlqAfsN-nZ-x3IlzpHX10cm_anQiLiS2UKY/s1600-h/DSC01902.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETDoNv8mAZ54ZIw1A0FHnGSrMpXxqQG3OjJ1XJOEucj9GxfSOVynqTtmRaB6FFwRrC2tQdR23Mx160F4RzyAsueI3D6rBUGQkhZvR7LoaKlqAfsN-nZ-x3IlzpHX10cm_anQiLiS2UKY/s320/DSC01902.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359548857567630946" /></a><br /><br />Cute sleeping position! Cat of the Week!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMGxkd4sxrmIrCIfEcQ0nwS66V2Pr0Wdi_AVlRbiV8wMWxHjBt1Wec8enhbymwNMaDGDF8fMNX2FK1RyMVmWDAPKRfD8ia51Fx4mE9MvU-RixzFqaY949dQxknzmTRkt5keaJS3EW8L8/s1600-h/DSC02922.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMGxkd4sxrmIrCIfEcQ0nwS66V2Pr0Wdi_AVlRbiV8wMWxHjBt1Wec8enhbymwNMaDGDF8fMNX2FK1RyMVmWDAPKRfD8ia51Fx4mE9MvU-RixzFqaY949dQxknzmTRkt5keaJS3EW8L8/s320/DSC02922.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367064359893101570" /></a><br /><br /><br />Cat of the Week!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3fWqS6tvE6M3SWxZTuEAlXeELsKRwEL-dpUe8cEFJ-YcQk7P5MXHZ-2IrGDD9LA1dpq0AtyGvUgNUP_pL5j8x3irhjePZOGe-sgAmYqVHvf8yo_-OC6AOTXFEd9aXNxiDh-7OwbbPnM/s1600-h/DSC01821.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3fWqS6tvE6M3SWxZTuEAlXeELsKRwEL-dpUe8cEFJ-YcQk7P5MXHZ-2IrGDD9LA1dpq0AtyGvUgNUP_pL5j8x3irhjePZOGe-sgAmYqVHvf8yo_-OC6AOTXFEd9aXNxiDh-7OwbbPnM/s320/DSC01821.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359548848510915986" /></a><br /><br /><br />Not really Cat of the Week material, but not bad, not bad. Keep trying. You look a little stiff.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8rdQP1Y83w4ybz4IV_C6mdQZ7BRzFvLITYjP7yZNG2fAhneDkUyBZpNvdzaF2WbMr1vJIrf9YkzpHNIyivPCMqXe-bMJTzIwI9mWF6mhfFlIApcRq1V3slLBnAzIiC9DPARzBqGlma0/s1600-h/DSC01662.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8rdQP1Y83w4ybz4IV_C6mdQZ7BRzFvLITYjP7yZNG2fAhneDkUyBZpNvdzaF2WbMr1vJIrf9YkzpHNIyivPCMqXe-bMJTzIwI9mWF6mhfFlIApcRq1V3slLBnAzIiC9DPARzBqGlma0/s320/DSC01662.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359537078141302962" /></a><br /><br /><br />He is a pretty boy. Keep up the good work, Trusty. You get Cat of the Week!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO9cGmvLObke1n5s5WWTHvyhOr52IcypHewTD_c7YJGsgHrEh36oqmdBHL00pRDfwnnqEdJ2_rvDLKs_kwexrr0GbnfJYV8ZbalOltWGUATubvgBZdp5UxQtbqJjjh55W1Ht_YVoB5uE/s1600-h/DSC04086.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO9cGmvLObke1n5s5WWTHvyhOr52IcypHewTD_c7YJGsgHrEh36oqmdBHL00pRDfwnnqEdJ2_rvDLKs_kwexrr0GbnfJYV8ZbalOltWGUATubvgBZdp5UxQtbqJjjh55W1Ht_YVoB5uE/s320/DSC04086.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359561666675464930" /></a>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-19725410533834680352009-07-13T09:47:00.001-04:002009-08-07T00:11:37.371-04:00Buck's First RideLet me preface this by saying that it was my dream that Buck would ride a horse before he could walk. Well, that didn't happen, but I finally got Buck on a horse! And was not disappointed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPYoBxcEue0yZa1hu6QdGklIAVvd4SYIlPL5iAAT8os-pbpNMc8cSi1VWlTtA5_SyYeCNHFLERf7QAhwd-a34C2Y0SvZVq1Jrgey7FUmxn0yrmifPEVhRKSCrFiwKtqym8BWcXs5nZr8/s1600-h/2009-7+051.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPYoBxcEue0yZa1hu6QdGklIAVvd4SYIlPL5iAAT8os-pbpNMc8cSi1VWlTtA5_SyYeCNHFLERf7QAhwd-a34C2Y0SvZVq1Jrgey7FUmxn0yrmifPEVhRKSCrFiwKtqym8BWcXs5nZr8/s320/2009-7+051.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357948389870158242" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBFOi9cMa8sfOdDr6Mh5BZX-VNV-A7lM1j2srpiXibhlF7hD7B7Bt1LI8HJz7BNHuxZBQhnSDuv9R8Vn9zW0-RQdAAFzFG_ZuQm1VeCKFspk1lOCpWUMrXD8EHJM-b4ED44n1tA8rBQE/s1600-h/2009-7+052.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBFOi9cMa8sfOdDr6Mh5BZX-VNV-A7lM1j2srpiXibhlF7hD7B7Bt1LI8HJz7BNHuxZBQhnSDuv9R8Vn9zW0-RQdAAFzFG_ZuQm1VeCKFspk1lOCpWUMrXD8EHJM-b4ED44n1tA8rBQE/s320/2009-7+052.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357948401301165730" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N3AF6OEcnIWGl7vuRNQi3ovwqAgw6vA_ln202Tnxv5ZdxwAP2XWhL2IH90X9Knyjeiv11_nnoiPffdWTWrW2yPZG1-TJWeLHq6NkAA1LagJyugyVXYZjy4XSYKjtUYR7fuUazagoYZ0/s1600-h/2009-7+054.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N3AF6OEcnIWGl7vuRNQi3ovwqAgw6vA_ln202Tnxv5ZdxwAP2XWhL2IH90X9Knyjeiv11_nnoiPffdWTWrW2yPZG1-TJWeLHq6NkAA1LagJyugyVXYZjy4XSYKjtUYR7fuUazagoYZ0/s320/2009-7+054.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357948403136963746" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMZynupZADCdUZvfUXnzNGHHpAnB8RPg7d-VV2NOLNzNMJgryt-6Xv2Ys1O-rrlBI1bO2WwD1uPue8SI_1OU0DpgYS709-7MDrhv0nla5Fcp5giVA-m5DQ1L04yMF0OcgHuwN4mN5txQ/s1600-h/2009-7+055.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMZynupZADCdUZvfUXnzNGHHpAnB8RPg7d-VV2NOLNzNMJgryt-6Xv2Ys1O-rrlBI1bO2WwD1uPue8SI_1OU0DpgYS709-7MDrhv0nla5Fcp5giVA-m5DQ1L04yMF0OcgHuwN4mN5txQ/s320/2009-7+055.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357948411025359890" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanl32uLG-EDxpTS7YEADd4-MfkkUPD_HjI_CD4rNHXgsN5FsuGoIPINVIJbpXqmvu7vBx0n3X2110ljcQGieppi_AClUx_-AYvG94od0dtQp6ZffkEWsvJBSJzft5n2ZOlU5yi-JkLR0/s1600-h/2009-7+056.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanl32uLG-EDxpTS7YEADd4-MfkkUPD_HjI_CD4rNHXgsN5FsuGoIPINVIJbpXqmvu7vBx0n3X2110ljcQGieppi_AClUx_-AYvG94od0dtQp6ZffkEWsvJBSJzft5n2ZOlU5yi-JkLR0/s320/2009-7+056.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357948421321927298" /></a><br /><br />Can't believe we didn't get a video, but you get the point.<br />Buck was so eager to get on the horse that they actually let him skip in line in front of the bigger kids. He was squealing and would cry every time the horses started walking away with their riders. I had a thought that he would get a little unsure when the horse started walking, but he absolutely loved it. He was so happy to be on that horse! (her name is Candy, by the way)<br /><br />This was at <a href="http://flintlockfarm.com/">Flintlock Farm</a>, a primarily Morgan Horse operation where I take riding lessons (my Mother's Day present). The folks here are really nice, laid-back, and know a ton about Morgans. They had a barn party this weekend, with food, demos, pony rides, and ((wait for it)) ... horse painting. Yes, painting. Horse. Don't worry, there are pictures.<br /><br />The other lady in the picture is Anne, my instructor. She and her husband Rob run the barn and do all the training/lessons. They have riders from 4 up to 50. They do everything from Western Pleasure to English Pleasure (two very different disciplines!) and every style in between. I should probably do a post the differences between them. I'll work on that...<br /> Unfortunately, Buck napped through the demos, so I don't have any pictures from that. The horses are just beautiful-- some of them are just showy as can be-- they pick their feet way up, arch their necks and tails, and are generally big show-offs. These are the ones that sell for thirty grand!! (I've set my sights somewhat lower after learning this). Here's "Harley," driving (from the Flintlock Farms website)<br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBDTPUZjCpHWswppdciUf_nKmQSKLChQQY-CccGYgyf4_xs2o7NfWGogPEWQ4EeUg5rA33ZK6p44iUdpCqX7lk2Uq2tL0miHCDkrkxpU2_F2OkpLD4RaOKkUu3aLJl8iLasZYlY_IKLY/s1600-h/HarleyDrivingODsml.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBDTPUZjCpHWswppdciUf_nKmQSKLChQQY-CccGYgyf4_xs2o7NfWGogPEWQ4EeUg5rA33ZK6p44iUdpCqX7lk2Uq2tL0miHCDkrkxpU2_F2OkpLD4RaOKkUu3aLJl8iLasZYlY_IKLY/s320/HarleyDrivingODsml.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357956809720307650" /></a><br /><br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Clsj5wjzG6JnBuPjtObFLBdw-IhZBTa9hGLpW9gDBs6dV4u_a2WuMY_clSE040sck7GoE-kvSuOORM4ae7VkMLgsoGjqsSDxchRYfFR_xCW9VwDxkI6WMTw5K8fWC3YctkywhfopsYw/s1600-h/2009-7+091.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Clsj5wjzG6JnBuPjtObFLBdw-IhZBTa9hGLpW9gDBs6dV4u_a2WuMY_clSE040sck7GoE-kvSuOORM4ae7VkMLgsoGjqsSDxchRYfFR_xCW9VwDxkI6WMTw5K8fWC3YctkywhfopsYw/s320/2009-7+091.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357956249608545458" /></a>Buck and Anne and Rob's little boy, who is just a few months older than Buck.<br /> <br />And this is their daughter- she just turned 5 and is probably already a better rider than I am...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3uOwSidzkJCjoKAU_GxdKgPoyZF08HIF1-ooIwyWLA600SdX957Je6a-iG_AlgGzOlD-za-7wxQckztB_VDBBklbDccgkk-1izlGAjFBalt7XZHC-3jJSu4epk9nIqFALdQz8sXhoO8/s1600-h/2009-7+082.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3uOwSidzkJCjoKAU_GxdKgPoyZF08HIF1-ooIwyWLA600SdX957Je6a-iG_AlgGzOlD-za-7wxQckztB_VDBBklbDccgkk-1izlGAjFBalt7XZHC-3jJSu4epk9nIqFALdQz8sXhoO8/s320/2009-7+082.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357956275268012162" /></a><br /> <br />You may think that this little boy is offering his tractor to Buck, but you'd be wrong. This is actually baby language for, "See this? It's mine!! You can't have it, so don't even try!"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqGiO1hkGea3XQoxskXLce7nptYvOhpD4g2uo-PilGLdZFt0tSXUam8Vqifur1LyMA00Qwe1c1GoIi6OFd_D7mfV4UQNypGe0dCH84jMszwRD7f1iuaWL1eSEzQzrRuDb0-Wtdn9pen0/s1600-h/2009-7+099.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqGiO1hkGea3XQoxskXLce7nptYvOhpD4g2uo-PilGLdZFt0tSXUam8Vqifur1LyMA00Qwe1c1GoIi6OFd_D7mfV4UQNypGe0dCH84jMszwRD7f1iuaWL1eSEzQzrRuDb0-Wtdn9pen0/s320/2009-7+099.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357956262365437954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmg1hSX_Mqz_qxN6YXWjMQrxQqRUyaHN-ZCidZPziQu2iQiGLMUQ_pqhcj8jw9_4lKzljwR03IYHvCR8GdY5Vru_jSJt1L4WPm2oMK0c0sPwjcqoHxrEU2Ns_GVPhT5WqgJ-bX9YEi30/s1600-h/2009-7+097.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmg1hSX_Mqz_qxN6YXWjMQrxQqRUyaHN-ZCidZPziQu2iQiGLMUQ_pqhcj8jw9_4lKzljwR03IYHvCR8GdY5Vru_jSJt1L4WPm2oMK0c0sPwjcqoHxrEU2Ns_GVPhT5WqgJ-bX9YEi30/s320/2009-7+097.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357956259413198706" /></a><br />"I said, don't even try!!"<br /><br />And here is Candy again, being painted, and taking it like a saint...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdglWyLWQ2-dp6mxjYfg1Ok0k4Shxm9ZJmo09uqR7bumRhXcog54N9WPWqIsRsa6DUghU9mpd5QLHeNmA0_StA4oT8Pm8DsQ0iIaAvWIwEjwnHhyphenhyphenP-k2_xpIRdZezcVmyeB_PICBnhPE/s1600-h/2009-7+072.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdglWyLWQ2-dp6mxjYfg1Ok0k4Shxm9ZJmo09uqR7bumRhXcog54N9WPWqIsRsa6DUghU9mpd5QLHeNmA0_StA4oT8Pm8DsQ0iIaAvWIwEjwnHhyphenhyphenP-k2_xpIRdZezcVmyeB_PICBnhPE/s320/2009-7+072.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357959555612657314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXbJ5lLujJ5g7zPu0lF2LjoUSVGoteatF7Ckk-Zl49unJN9brWLNiKo1oZWWVZgF42NjEvs_WPJOZGbKLcN2GalY_bvaCW1DPKgW_M7oYWIKqqGWAVcWdKQ75QcEnellpU_BHm5OmfX4/s1600-h/2009-7+076.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXbJ5lLujJ5g7zPu0lF2LjoUSVGoteatF7Ckk-Zl49unJN9brWLNiKo1oZWWVZgF42NjEvs_WPJOZGbKLcN2GalY_bvaCW1DPKgW_M7oYWIKqqGWAVcWdKQ75QcEnellpU_BHm5OmfX4/s320/2009-7+076.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357959543550168194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsjePWFqY6ISCzBckv1xsqnzMEv55UdDm2JZxefcE1ltWAnET0Bi_8MSEut8CMGszVae62gtQO-JytnRObGSylRyC0f9VETMj3y7ovrlU3wFUFN89YF74S-kNKfqcIdBffK5KM0Do2BA/s1600-h/2009-7+072.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsjePWFqY6ISCzBckv1xsqnzMEv55UdDm2JZxefcE1ltWAnET0Bi_8MSEut8CMGszVae62gtQO-JytnRObGSylRyC0f9VETMj3y7ovrlU3wFUFN89YF74S-kNKfqcIdBffK5KM0Do2BA/s320/2009-7+072.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357959540164486834" /></a><br /><br />All in all, it was a really fun day. Buck even got to sit on one of the fancy show horses, Rose, which of course, we failed to capture on camera. He didn't want to get down, either!! All the horses are very friendly, friendliness being a characteristic of the Morgan breed, but I think that they had a special affinity for Buck! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3n-JSeDTwZo7Qw1reJt1XUQNQHTAD46qo234_Lme22Ljp924iUzTgIzyA997ZCjx7kdbTHG6xPnV_15MvTLvBmigYvP5m5XJa4jvJvOXm8piLi7iHLSBkwQnARMmGB9DwnbAfvzrs2wk/s1600-h/2009-7+069.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3n-JSeDTwZo7Qw1reJt1XUQNQHTAD46qo234_Lme22Ljp924iUzTgIzyA997ZCjx7kdbTHG6xPnV_15MvTLvBmigYvP5m5XJa4jvJvOXm8piLi7iHLSBkwQnARMmGB9DwnbAfvzrs2wk/s320/2009-7+069.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357956270828375330" /></a><br />I also think this proves, more than ever, that we need our own horse(s). <br />I'm sure you will agree.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-47292485598418344562009-07-09T10:09:00.001-04:002009-08-07T00:11:56.255-04:00Garden Blooms<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0vAXndm2bwKexxXoK3eKA80eb2-rffogEHafBy9q00VTziuvhEZ8FDiBzz8m6kWyPL93n7GhKrBjaSGifFeJi19YBxUlVzJFI3fuC6-XSHwqV-IfAiFygibWIbyofXaavAIGSfwY3UQ/s1600-h/2009-7+027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0vAXndm2bwKexxXoK3eKA80eb2-rffogEHafBy9q00VTziuvhEZ8FDiBzz8m6kWyPL93n7GhKrBjaSGifFeJi19YBxUlVzJFI3fuC6-XSHwqV-IfAiFygibWIbyofXaavAIGSfwY3UQ/s320/2009-7+027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356497466987419554" /></a><br /><br />I've tried over the last couple years to have some summer color added to the yard-- in addition to the spring bloomers (daffodils, tulips, phlox, irises, and a host of annuals), I've finally got some plants that bloom in the heat! Very important around here. It's been dry, dry, dry, after so much rain at the beginning of June, but with a few exceptions that I've been babying, most of my perennials are thriving.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98Pm94h2eqjXUwxc783-d1YN7n8PYJlVtC3ljRXsHRT64JefNYzUaZHJAyo2_8mUU4Qn8OQYmnDJQCWL3AvYTF7LEcILpElipXCIPcSZVt6cUSuGatmSFyR5aL9ArpQqeC2Ig3_FqlKQ/s1600-h/2009-7+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98Pm94h2eqjXUwxc783-d1YN7n8PYJlVtC3ljRXsHRT64JefNYzUaZHJAyo2_8mUU4Qn8OQYmnDJQCWL3AvYTF7LEcILpElipXCIPcSZVt6cUSuGatmSFyR5aL9ArpQqeC2Ig3_FqlKQ/s320/2009-7+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356465868149591570" /></a><br />Here's the purple coneflower in the front bed-- is it just me or are everyone else's coneflowers more purple? Mine seem awfully pale. But awfully pretty, too! And the blooms last forever!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj6RUTUG2q5t9fcvdwwDm5eNcbvMjcDVdCXAVolYRM-Jq6bnyuNq66wSTOPe2CEt6yWBGHWlnNAxCbrltbhXsac6oNoCGo1m6kJUyBOx1EMhNfB-eTcFvZecTtR9E8ircQNXQHVhWh10/s1600-h/2009-7+013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj6RUTUG2q5t9fcvdwwDm5eNcbvMjcDVdCXAVolYRM-Jq6bnyuNq66wSTOPe2CEt6yWBGHWlnNAxCbrltbhXsac6oNoCGo1m6kJUyBOx1EMhNfB-eTcFvZecTtR9E8ircQNXQHVhWh10/s320/2009-7+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356465876082922450" /></a>I got these Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) as the local plant sale was closing up for the season- two for five dollars. They were pretty root-bound, but I've been babying them a bit, and they seem to be doing fine. They like water from the pond...as do all the plants...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMxgM2LYfIu_JZSkD6ydRFA2bwfdYLMF5fFS8L7dBTEZqQg8hmnhRcF1GQZVcAquBqMRtb2xajSWlSF0mM2OcXzrYWhgPKJ84NJFkLHDNQoqKPt8Ick8BR6T6lxj77U4V3kAsVkCzif8/s1600-h/2009-7+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMxgM2LYfIu_JZSkD6ydRFA2bwfdYLMF5fFS8L7dBTEZqQg8hmnhRcF1GQZVcAquBqMRtb2xajSWlSF0mM2OcXzrYWhgPKJ84NJFkLHDNQoqKPt8Ick8BR6T6lxj77U4V3kAsVkCzif8/s320/2009-7+019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356465896967577986" /></a><br />My first attempt at roses. I got two bushes. The tea rose has a lovely yellow flower, but I only got a few little blooms and they weren't that great and didn't last long and they're all done now. Either the bush isn't very hardy (surprise-- roses are susceptible to all sorts of ailments...bugs, blights, etc.) or I've got it in too much shade. I've got a place to move it in the fall that gets more sun, so we'll see. But, the climbing rose I got is doing very well after a late start. This is the "America" variety, according to the package it's a very hardy little bush and also disease resistant. I think that I've seen several of these along fences and mailboxes around here. I think it's just beautiful, and it smells very sweet!<br /><br />And it even has a new bud!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNad5J6ww6imN63CtaapuVidSnVLjgCR2aBunlj2OGlThaE-B6A5Swe2mGGQpjMOlBRCMrg4ZwmHxAs8qaUgf1A1ZO5tKZ0tsixpUHBFkyHi8hbLjtSUfi9ZPHRpDxvr5bdC6N0_dxv4/s1600-h/2009-7+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNad5J6ww6imN63CtaapuVidSnVLjgCR2aBunlj2OGlThaE-B6A5Swe2mGGQpjMOlBRCMrg4ZwmHxAs8qaUgf1A1ZO5tKZ0tsixpUHBFkyHi8hbLjtSUfi9ZPHRpDxvr5bdC6N0_dxv4/s320/2009-7+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356470143673383554" /></a><br /><br />Here's a few shots of the fishpond Adam and Andy built over the winter. It's doing really well. Our 12 cent goldfish are flourishing (and getting HUGE) and eating all the mosquito larvae, and the plants are doing well and cleaning and oxygenating the water. Balance. You can see several goldfish on the right side of the pond, gathered near the rocks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb31LJzHwr2Zg9n6-P2MRncC8G65RXeVk57Ole4Zg9iWLYLcOhTlIJporl3PmkoO9DK6dVfUwkXdi1HTR3jpQT6JTjYkU29rquQwnVJzK1LURsdu9hkT6Elu_H_g0VFhAVqlie3uBnYaU/s1600-h/2009-7+012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb31LJzHwr2Zg9n6-P2MRncC8G65RXeVk57Ole4Zg9iWLYLcOhTlIJporl3PmkoO9DK6dVfUwkXdi1HTR3jpQT6JTjYkU29rquQwnVJzK1LURsdu9hkT6Elu_H_g0VFhAVqlie3uBnYaU/s320/2009-7+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356470133813124914" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpqJWwLpe-Lf3urjzdwhbKVYfKMw9Go1A24wi7e-kNO1lQYq8i8bOFiVODcDqjU-T8ky5446MhshX4a_eFCbJkxYeav2eXKQKuGp9VNgChWJihVTc44P3icfUJX4naXXSwmSyzDKoTh0/s1600-h/2009-7+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpqJWwLpe-Lf3urjzdwhbKVYfKMw9Go1A24wi7e-kNO1lQYq8i8bOFiVODcDqjU-T8ky5446MhshX4a_eFCbJkxYeav2eXKQKuGp9VNgChWJihVTc44P3icfUJX4naXXSwmSyzDKoTh0/s320/2009-7+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356470155950672338" /></a> The crocosmia that were such a pain in the front beds (spreading, falling over, not blooming) we dug up completely and tossed most of them down by the pond. We replanted a few of them and they've really taken to their new spot(that's them in the orange). <br />The water hyacinth also bloomed-- and it was beautiful-- but it only lasted a day and no more have bloomed yet. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxGPWAndyGN3zBeRB2jBz1Zp-TkIHzrEmI8i-YhGC4XJ4rRYsE_BaH5KNpitxl6AKy2tw-V6jRa95QvpLn98t9DlWKRiVfjVWD8wQFRN1wpRDITP_JqiXdFi0HWO794c67FmFfUs-jZc/s1600-h/2009-7+022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxGPWAndyGN3zBeRB2jBz1Zp-TkIHzrEmI8i-YhGC4XJ4rRYsE_BaH5KNpitxl6AKy2tw-V6jRa95QvpLn98t9DlWKRiVfjVWD8wQFRN1wpRDITP_JqiXdFi0HWO794c67FmFfUs-jZc/s320/2009-7+022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356470151297548338" /></a>The ever-faithful petunia... this little guy is still going, even though Buck picks every flower that it blooms...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOu0gjcugWuGWa3sDDNjIOBfcSpp_l-TxYNngHOeCL1FDJj3xXKyfR2YPZZqIzNeKaOK4g4uxXc6EdR2xNqbmoT47J24yz9PBjn3g7bjYPOt9aP40nik_8yZY1_eRzn8oGydfqXbSxF8/s1600-h/2009-7+020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOu0gjcugWuGWa3sDDNjIOBfcSpp_l-TxYNngHOeCL1FDJj3xXKyfR2YPZZqIzNeKaOK4g4uxXc6EdR2xNqbmoT47J24yz9PBjn3g7bjYPOt9aP40nik_8yZY1_eRzn8oGydfqXbSxF8/s320/2009-7+020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356470136990505810" /></a><br />I've seen bigger butterfly bushes, for sure, but our little one is plugging along. It's getting a bit past it's prime as far as blooming goes, but it's still chugging along. The hummingbirds love this thing! <br /><br />The story behind this butterfly bush is pretty cool... as we were moving into our Big Woods Cabin from our Little House on Alaska Lane, I was lamenting the absence of a butterfly bush at our new house. Our place there had a big old butterfly bush that I loved, but it had white blossoms, and as you all know, I prefer purple. So I had decided that I was going to have to go find a purple butterfly bush for the new house. This was before we had "settled" the yard-- when we moved in, everything was a mess, and nothing was growing except weeds and grapevine, there were saplings encroaching all around the house and there was trash everywhere. We'd lived at the old place almost 2 years and had done a lot of work in the yard and had really spiffed it up. It took about three trips to transport all the plants I dug up and took with us-- and I left quite a few, too... <br />But anyway, I was out doing something with the dog fence-- taking down the electric fence wire, I think, and was sweating and getting bitten by mosquitos and covered in dirt as I worked, generally just pissed off, and I happened to look up and -- what do you know -- there was a little purple butterfly bush about a foot and a half tall. Right there along the fence line. I'd never noticed it before, indeed, it was as if it had been put there a'purpose just for me to find that day.<br />So quick as you like, I dug it up, potted it, brought it here, planted it, and there it is. It also serves as the memorial tree to two bunnies, a tiny kitten and a zebra finch that are buried around its base (no, I haven't been able to kick my pet cemetery habit). <br /><br />This is very similar to the butterfly bush, and the butterflies and hummingbirds love it, too. I think I am remembering its name is hyssop. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJG4-wlGsDHh0uIbKokFiI-h8CvST2Rg-eui4woXBkrMxitOJc0Epbx-TfNkz3eSszZrj3K20qDT-tjcrRV9lmrPf0Sd-oyXwxwQ1WZQlbsPottCUZ2oEXm6USOu4lkCs1p8k3drmVT8g/s1600-h/2009-7+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJG4-wlGsDHh0uIbKokFiI-h8CvST2Rg-eui4woXBkrMxitOJc0Epbx-TfNkz3eSszZrj3K20qDT-tjcrRV9lmrPf0Sd-oyXwxwQ1WZQlbsPottCUZ2oEXm6USOu4lkCs1p8k3drmVT8g/s320/2009-7+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356489653551962050" /></a><br /><br />And here are the real show-stoppers... the lilies! My little yellow day lily is all bloomed out, but there are some new lilies in the flowerbed this summer...<br />This one is the Nosferatu Lily that Grant and Joie gave me for my birthday. The picture on the i.d. tag looked a little darker, almost black. Mine is more purplish-red, but I love it just the same!! (I'm pretty sure this will be Mina's favorite, too...)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTlLcgS5zkq8uQdec6tnhrxS3CtJJvZbsnQRCCqGA94FEfZIFOo3YWVpjccYgB66XTS8ZTkaV9M8L4JAiRE7UOAxA3DTCxP5Q3yrlwmTidMkHAcymrolUuMKRVaHXbGmvCBla2eGx0u4/s1600-h/2009-7+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTlLcgS5zkq8uQdec6tnhrxS3CtJJvZbsnQRCCqGA94FEfZIFOo3YWVpjccYgB66XTS8ZTkaV9M8L4JAiRE7UOAxA3DTCxP5Q3yrlwmTidMkHAcymrolUuMKRVaHXbGmvCBla2eGx0u4/s320/2009-7+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356465885276277394" /></a>The blooms last about two days-- this one was already beginning to wilt. There should be several more days' worth of blooms, though, once I got it in the ground, it started flourishing!<br /><br />And here's my "rescue" lilies. Found these two in landscaping pots under our old neighbors' deck. I said to myself, I said, "Now that looks like a lily. And if it's not a lily, it's something." And so we planted them right in the front beds and just look! Around here, we don't buy plants, we just find them... <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDhNDN-oa-suiI2WN-OPvNAlxWrFxQqredEVvFZj-IQ6LFh5ICH5nQD2EaywBEctKhBN41FwI8sLQd_nfm8YNxev2Ww-TpruVfFw8vk8qjzKvVnNumxDmC8uJSVe7RJuXQ2nxqHnIRZ8/s1600-h/2009-7+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDhNDN-oa-suiI2WN-OPvNAlxWrFxQqredEVvFZj-IQ6LFh5ICH5nQD2EaywBEctKhBN41FwI8sLQd_nfm8YNxev2Ww-TpruVfFw8vk8qjzKvVnNumxDmC8uJSVe7RJuXQ2nxqHnIRZ8/s320/2009-7+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356465894259629874" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEOS6jeraMWGTRPFoqI4FR-aBSx1pJrujqMQA20fj_EyqK4fpIsbHsEkb3SdEA8zXYGgKEO2FjQcPYv5MvUBvBD4l0R3oGE5fL9_EVtdxhsxXH4he3OyQ8WQ1BrLrH0hBdxPtEG1-ypw/s1600-h/2009-7+028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEOS6jeraMWGTRPFoqI4FR-aBSx1pJrujqMQA20fj_EyqK4fpIsbHsEkb3SdEA8zXYGgKEO2FjQcPYv5MvUBvBD4l0R3oGE5fL9_EVtdxhsxXH4he3OyQ8WQ1BrLrH0hBdxPtEG1-ypw/s320/2009-7+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356494447607009138" /></a><br /><br />Here's the other one, a beautiful, pure white lily...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7N79TwfmUtP3-sAksqWJ7WwRW-4auDRXXuO5yJ9jHut1_ZTyIH6X1Spm1CmZPwk6tr4EpHzaoML3MbhL2VjQD-YNd68qPLeTVCF9sNlz-8Rkefdyj5x5Y59bEeqsL6zMksT_e0xF4oQ/s1600-h/2009-7+033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7N79TwfmUtP3-sAksqWJ7WwRW-4auDRXXuO5yJ9jHut1_ZTyIH6X1Spm1CmZPwk6tr4EpHzaoML3MbhL2VjQD-YNd68qPLeTVCF9sNlz-8Rkefdyj5x5Y59bEeqsL6zMksT_e0xF4oQ/s320/2009-7+033.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356489614461301746" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-H2ggI7tnWGLPNFnEqVq5O43Os3Fi9nH8giY_9BqPe2Q_PXXvup2fYXo7xa7yi46HItE6Q3n0uihnGx28_E-PKxiVzANBz83je6IKS8WxrATzDBFtfvrP1hys4inTe3A3nCgskJYh3k/s1600-h/2009-7+045.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-H2ggI7tnWGLPNFnEqVq5O43Os3Fi9nH8giY_9BqPe2Q_PXXvup2fYXo7xa7yi46HItE6Q3n0uihnGx28_E-PKxiVzANBz83je6IKS8WxrATzDBFtfvrP1hys4inTe3A3nCgskJYh3k/s320/2009-7+045.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356494450064732882" /></a><br /><br />And here is the original Lily, still recovering from her TPLO surgery (but that's another post...)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd6Xa114E3Y9HrFrI9wWQOgU0nuoFGxT7f9s7fNHPTFvZl-VKFT6YABP8k07QKsk1FVfyXDIik_2Dm8csV7ZgQXFrN_bclbwbfwDYe9fizIubVp38Fax_AeSJL9GX8jxPS-t4r-hB4PY/s1600-h/2009-7+025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd6Xa114E3Y9HrFrI9wWQOgU0nuoFGxT7f9s7fNHPTFvZl-VKFT6YABP8k07QKsk1FVfyXDIik_2Dm8csV7ZgQXFrN_bclbwbfwDYe9fizIubVp38Fax_AeSJL9GX8jxPS-t4r-hB4PY/s320/2009-7+025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356489647696872466" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PZKXRBMcZsxAHS4rwM1lkn2Vobsrgvp4jzXZW3QTrsxWakpybx3M75RxJ3p7k3YLKWTCD-0nMObhZghO9Sc-8bwR3u5zbj_OSy5T_5-N0GaUEdjRGZeSYkWrPX-orB5SBAbgJAL_bQM/s1600-h/2009-7+029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PZKXRBMcZsxAHS4rwM1lkn2Vobsrgvp4jzXZW3QTrsxWakpybx3M75RxJ3p7k3YLKWTCD-0nMObhZghO9Sc-8bwR3u5zbj_OSy5T_5-N0GaUEdjRGZeSYkWrPX-orB5SBAbgJAL_bQM/s320/2009-7+029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356492327850247890" /></a><br />Buck is quite the gardener. He really enjoys my garden urn, I use it to make both "Sun Water" and "Moon Water." Ask me about it. I have had to take it out of the beds, though, otherwise he tramples everything trying to get to it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhQULpZisoiHMvXvWUtsINAGHhDKddgyHfPrzqOQvPdRjbGHIXVRmhp4ou_lFOqCnYGXEYtRUppir2EOM-3_CeoHWl74l7zDJXUg__Jf-7Bn7cELGldFFzsnsFrqPNnayeq8diPMOZos/s1600-h/2009-7+030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhQULpZisoiHMvXvWUtsINAGHhDKddgyHfPrzqOQvPdRjbGHIXVRmhp4ou_lFOqCnYGXEYtRUppir2EOM-3_CeoHWl74l7zDJXUg__Jf-7Bn7cELGldFFzsnsFrqPNnayeq8diPMOZos/s320/2009-7+030.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356492338228872418" /></a><br />I have tried to encourage him to smell the flowers, not pick them...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfU9VQ0N4uKRBnp1cM6f2pr3vR3ehvNOGtBtE9sfcME20L_sHPYsaHom5HM3ghiQPNupPBOQKpoALRl2djG-XZP43B7929tjLcQ_ySMaosrkotEN_IWGHvb1fC6p11kfP17DhC1IDCCyY/s1600-h/2009-7+044.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfU9VQ0N4uKRBnp1cM6f2pr3vR3ehvNOGtBtE9sfcME20L_sHPYsaHom5HM3ghiQPNupPBOQKpoALRl2djG-XZP43B7929tjLcQ_ySMaosrkotEN_IWGHvb1fC6p11kfP17DhC1IDCCyY/s320/2009-7+044.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356492351103797970" /></a><br /><br /><br />The old-fashioned yellow day lily is done blooming for this year, but it's seeds are just getting started...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzG6RRbWoPLKwcz7dTkCD8YmdjtOJ_7vRfQ_JZ1zFQEghGQubEdKdMzb0QoylqNlOZy9nYBkUwxOMDmTH2LSI73uzIaoDaWebjQedtjA7ViPjSJ_fGbezsKLyyRD1VMuEPlFm6_opHqW0/s1600-h/2009-7+046.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzG6RRbWoPLKwcz7dTkCD8YmdjtOJ_7vRfQ_JZ1zFQEghGQubEdKdMzb0QoylqNlOZy9nYBkUwxOMDmTH2LSI73uzIaoDaWebjQedtjA7ViPjSJ_fGbezsKLyyRD1VMuEPlFm6_opHqW0/s320/2009-7+046.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356494427493348722" /></a><br /><br />Yesterday Buck was very interested in these little seed pods. We emptied out a couple and planted them in two different spots. We'll see if anything comes up!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiCoHaUPHCQPWr08XP04RQxHeuGQLSaTrc9Qe7qTpCEI0RcFbY5BF6mAC7BxqfkI-UhVSXndnuS099JKDGaUveD3w9YbmtgowWwuQjGKh_K8eMAOzBdldLkTZtNTig5S5Aau-GoTklIw/s1600-h/2009-7+047.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiCoHaUPHCQPWr08XP04RQxHeuGQLSaTrc9Qe7qTpCEI0RcFbY5BF6mAC7BxqfkI-UhVSXndnuS099JKDGaUveD3w9YbmtgowWwuQjGKh_K8eMAOzBdldLkTZtNTig5S5Aau-GoTklIw/s320/2009-7+047.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356492351969380146" /></a><br /><br />One of my favorites is the lovely oxalis. It shares a family tree with the shamrock. I have four of these planted around the yard, all from a plant I grew up with, that my mom got from my dad's grandmother... I sent a couple small plants back up to the hill in VA to my sister and niece, and they're doing great up there, so it's come full circle. This is a really neat plant. It has these tubers that it puts out, you can divide them up easily and it grows great, stands the winters, and blooms all the time. They are a little stressed with the heat, but it's not stopping the blooming! Usually the leaves are much fuller and they look like a big green ball.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwciRjPItNXmiIlp7YYxwJDCMQxXkDNwAy3BV32KXZlr6mmNzAAR3_f5cJT8AsNPUxy6f3lDqqtGXTT-loHauLsRcUO1Nde8SjNkkaP4-5U7v92N6K2exPUAkfWeKinbq6lb8CRuM4WGM/s1600-h/2009-7+035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwciRjPItNXmiIlp7YYxwJDCMQxXkDNwAy3BV32KXZlr6mmNzAAR3_f5cJT8AsNPUxy6f3lDqqtGXTT-loHauLsRcUO1Nde8SjNkkaP4-5U7v92N6K2exPUAkfWeKinbq6lb8CRuM4WGM/s320/2009-7+035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356489659511149938" /></a><br /><br />My daisies are actually looking better lately. The flowers seemed too scrawny to me, but lately they are filling out a bit. These came from Adam's mom, and were planted by Dad and Angela last year right after Buck was born. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UcGVZLKmofmyQ_IAO-v_rC9H061yn-AA282D_Ehwa2f9mOu1TRUW6jZQIXx10xbXDkunY6xQ56V88l2P0N93SeA4uU8AtSKf277DI2WI3LodKUB9OiwJaGsBAKxj7VvQ-n8zvswH0a4/s1600-h/2009-7+036.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UcGVZLKmofmyQ_IAO-v_rC9H061yn-AA282D_Ehwa2f9mOu1TRUW6jZQIXx10xbXDkunY6xQ56V88l2P0N93SeA4uU8AtSKf277DI2WI3LodKUB9OiwJaGsBAKxj7VvQ-n8zvswH0a4/s320/2009-7+036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356489666825679250" /></a><br /><br />Can you find the boy?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UTC5lt_UKKuyOGix7bp9oFFUiizvbhCExnNZNJetp1sD2UAfVEJeF3GLZ5oxp8lORsNaA-EMreZP-EnkBdW5bSpdOdMOarFkwvg-ginTam0F8x4ismdqbM2f0jE16M9HFr4cUNC44tM/s1600-h/2009-7+038.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UTC5lt_UKKuyOGix7bp9oFFUiizvbhCExnNZNJetp1sD2UAfVEJeF3GLZ5oxp8lORsNaA-EMreZP-EnkBdW5bSpdOdMOarFkwvg-ginTam0F8x4ismdqbM2f0jE16M9HFr4cUNC44tM/s320/2009-7+038.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356492341903597570" /></a><br /><br />But we all must agree, the brightest, most beautiful bloom in the whole garden is that pretty little blue-eyed boy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_p775I3I6sQTpXLBhMBB_7sMzhz_rYT_zKwg4J04MUCr1UpInHZ_BnGzf9g9sT3Q5ErHx9JnDzI5EoBS4S7DqhBnxfnU37fCbD-C40c2HUN70an3JQ0SaP0JLd_GRQZvUNxMjkj0YxA/s1600-h/2009-7+040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_p775I3I6sQTpXLBhMBB_7sMzhz_rYT_zKwg4J04MUCr1UpInHZ_BnGzf9g9sT3Q5ErHx9JnDzI5EoBS4S7DqhBnxfnU37fCbD-C40c2HUN70an3JQ0SaP0JLd_GRQZvUNxMjkj0YxA/s320/2009-7+040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356494435916225074" /></a>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-51662801300567020412009-07-07T10:23:00.001-04:002009-08-07T00:12:34.957-04:00Ancient HistoryOkay, so these pictures are only a few months old, but that's like eons in baby years. Remember how I was lamenting their absence from my blog? No longer. This new computer is sumthin. Right now I have seven internet tabs open, my picture wizard (no relation to my Window Wizard), I'm uploading pictures and video, typing and everything's just buzzing right along. Amazing, I tell ye. <br />As soon as the battery on my camera re-charges (it's about to konk out after uploading 264 photos...), I will rush outside and take some pictures of the "grounds" and the "garden." Hopefully everyone will be impressed.<br />You know, I got kinda slack about the blog because, honestly, what fun is a blog without pictures? Not much. It may be informative, or at least vaguely interesting, but fun? Without pictures? Not so much.<br /><br /><br />So, without further ado...<br />here's some pictures from Buck's first Halloween. He went as Elmer Fudd, and his buddy Annabelle was a little (adorable) lamb! (and, yes, I had horns) This was back when they were just learning to sit up on their own-- now they're both walking! (Annabelle took her first steps last night!!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kniubunyMRfiMV7ZHY-tyRpqBrLGFY905DxYM7E8GomzOwW0ZW9dJiiX9Qjd0jeVkaDtaMG8HOzsM085Z2pVsJzfOPvB0IMH_jEFe9VdOUeejzfm_2sUL5kxkzQXSZRwkFD6SlDcLrY/s1600-h/backlog+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kniubunyMRfiMV7ZHY-tyRpqBrLGFY905DxYM7E8GomzOwW0ZW9dJiiX9Qjd0jeVkaDtaMG8HOzsM085Z2pVsJzfOPvB0IMH_jEFe9VdOUeejzfm_2sUL5kxkzQXSZRwkFD6SlDcLrY/s320/backlog+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355725152271532978" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03D8evi19yfODoXT1QV3U2KvMMtZyZZeyXuZB4tPI4NGGH0qBGE3r-hFxc0dxi7173GevaGpmMgPVTMloltgQLniwK3hFWI3NMo6Hv2ZdoTUg5Gm3r9Z4nRZJ758xuTFve1cOc707bFU/s1600-h/backlog+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03D8evi19yfODoXT1QV3U2KvMMtZyZZeyXuZB4tPI4NGGH0qBGE3r-hFxc0dxi7173GevaGpmMgPVTMloltgQLniwK3hFWI3NMo6Hv2ZdoTUg5Gm3r9Z4nRZJ758xuTFve1cOc707bFU/s320/backlog+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355725163961290226" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfGTb9uyUFuq5iYjitGBtzew0Jm0b1g3twt_VARJDFg3lubFF2W2-Q3-SWNPiYMNtWzAJHDhjKsqjvhuBpKIdAPZnzTUmP8_aGh2KZ4XXZCkbc_s_sWjzubTGnNR1P1YoWz3-Ujuhl78/s1600-h/backlog+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfGTb9uyUFuq5iYjitGBtzew0Jm0b1g3twt_VARJDFg3lubFF2W2-Q3-SWNPiYMNtWzAJHDhjKsqjvhuBpKIdAPZnzTUmP8_aGh2KZ4XXZCkbc_s_sWjzubTGnNR1P1YoWz3-Ujuhl78/s320/backlog+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355725157405358290" border="0"></a><br /><br /><br />Also a video of Granddaddy and Buck playing patty-cake. This was his favorite-- although now he prefers Itsy-Bitsy Spider...<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy6x7qwkxQOVbhUIREI0LjYWEOh1Haggp8ja5RD_8QJ1tVPsBKR7YIEJE4lJSd1Sn1aRAIUo5zo3Avi7OcAIA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br />Here, also are the long-lost pictures of Emma and then Evan's first extended stay with us... Emma came first and stayed for almost a week. We had a great time. This was in the beginning of November sometime.<br />Emma and Striper were inseparable...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfP9q0PaHTKJkQvpPGGC3gVwwpK97Lebk0oFdplaqZkXylMpnene8dEdpZOkGA3eQEBi9kIOHGm62o-Rx1tES2uUo8Oayp_aDdHSahwnSpS0KVJfQYayMzXNu-aLR8pTp3JRgmEqsyDQ/s1600-h/backlog+055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfP9q0PaHTKJkQvpPGGC3gVwwpK97Lebk0oFdplaqZkXylMpnene8dEdpZOkGA3eQEBi9kIOHGm62o-Rx1tES2uUo8Oayp_aDdHSahwnSpS0KVJfQYayMzXNu-aLR8pTp3JRgmEqsyDQ/s320/backlog+055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355731101567504562" border="0"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_5MCNpxk_xacQ1bzoh8Mnm2P0mQuiPb0VF3sb2z6nqEUh6riQJBUXPoeFZW9r3WQ1xyKuJh0FDDFlaiI80OCMvtIyp1uYMUWxoXaDyny8X-L5l3s67fDgyI_WhTnlrSOEu-9pQ2-b1c/s1600-h/backlog+034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_5MCNpxk_xacQ1bzoh8Mnm2P0mQuiPb0VF3sb2z6nqEUh6riQJBUXPoeFZW9r3WQ1xyKuJh0FDDFlaiI80OCMvtIyp1uYMUWxoXaDyny8X-L5l3s67fDgyI_WhTnlrSOEu-9pQ2-b1c/s320/backlog+034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355731088132445778" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN6V8L3uAfSwrfem6g8hc26DPh_3qpV5YZgYwStkZjkjjQoTx-A3kELyGr64QbvfXaTUTCPdKTsOdO1PRuiQsIsFPu8a-hr_Vr82a0JNOv8c6lSvYZQuC4AGXMZsmkGZrBjD8Vpd9dXg/s1600-h/backlog+044.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN6V8L3uAfSwrfem6g8hc26DPh_3qpV5YZgYwStkZjkjjQoTx-A3kELyGr64QbvfXaTUTCPdKTsOdO1PRuiQsIsFPu8a-hr_Vr82a0JNOv8c6lSvYZQuC4AGXMZsmkGZrBjD8Vpd9dXg/s320/backlog+044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355731097718961858" border="0"></a><br /><br />Here's Emma and Uncle Adam-- FLOATING IN SPACE!!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqAGp04UzdsoMNrXX9HOEIIbiqF_GEPYzzDXN44JC_HuzP822y3xUbV3wvtU62oXpvayAyv0aOjYidZ7r6PynIY_IxJM12G-rM-2-liDnSPeKkHQxkh0LakDAkVavpUb8ZcBf6fVeoP0/s1600-h/backlog+033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqAGp04UzdsoMNrXX9HOEIIbiqF_GEPYzzDXN44JC_HuzP822y3xUbV3wvtU62oXpvayAyv0aOjYidZ7r6PynIY_IxJM12G-rM-2-liDnSPeKkHQxkh0LakDAkVavpUb8ZcBf6fVeoP0/s320/backlog+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355731106378584370" border="0"></a><br /><br />Evan came the next week and stayed for the whole weekend. It rained a lot while he was here, but we did the best we could! We played with Lego's (or watched Evan play with Lego's!) and watched the original Journey to the Center of the Earth on netflix. Oh, yeah, and Evan became a robot:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFFiuYxB1YkIE6o88MkzGTwQle_NmyJ5sr1zfr5D75TaYaB6VT0ZudFAgwHH6jfI0bNrxuo-KpiKj1K-7YTgKgZazt9MXiKbQjAu0y2DdMg_esWyWJBs0XsFjo_SjArwfGiVe4-whSSA/s1600-h/backlog+061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFFiuYxB1YkIE6o88MkzGTwQle_NmyJ5sr1zfr5D75TaYaB6VT0ZudFAgwHH6jfI0bNrxuo-KpiKj1K-7YTgKgZazt9MXiKbQjAu0y2DdMg_esWyWJBs0XsFjo_SjArwfGiVe4-whSSA/s320/backlog+061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355731112613805074" border="0"></a><br /><br /><br />And, as promised, here's Buck pushing his wagon in a cowboy hat!!! This was in March, just a week or two before he started walking on his own.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6jGARU8RiUcHIqLHZyuwTTZEzZRO6eV22yUc1MKNSONwbQ9ECSPbZiR_jQGfIjmwLS3E8x9QJD3sEegQj-PsJTJUAyQ5gKRkWRWRm6yQaZgk75Gpf6w2Lf3RBsDo4V5cQv128gk3O20/s1600-h/backlog+064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6jGARU8RiUcHIqLHZyuwTTZEzZRO6eV22yUc1MKNSONwbQ9ECSPbZiR_jQGfIjmwLS3E8x9QJD3sEegQj-PsJTJUAyQ5gKRkWRWRm6yQaZgk75Gpf6w2Lf3RBsDo4V5cQv128gk3O20/s320/backlog+064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355736842938871186" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_km0NddqXrHuqvIxe00NO2Naq_ALA2eMeZF7niKZFkvYXIhsWjH22CHlPWrhFEvZzoDkZAv99FYGhOrBdysSXa83pxwbiGl9IpmmeiXjnAwo5uMyDPFqSH0-5ZU4Z8s_g1vuzX6q3614/s1600-h/backlog+063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_km0NddqXrHuqvIxe00NO2Naq_ALA2eMeZF7niKZFkvYXIhsWjH22CHlPWrhFEvZzoDkZAv99FYGhOrBdysSXa83pxwbiGl9IpmmeiXjnAwo5uMyDPFqSH0-5ZU4Z8s_g1vuzX6q3614/s320/backlog+063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355736833910377042" border="0"></a>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-11531004166936906882009-07-07T08:42:00.001-04:002009-08-07T00:12:56.371-04:00Tah-dah!!!Well, we've got pictures!! We've got pictures from Halloween, pictures from winter, pictures of spring, pictures of Buck in a cowboy hat...<br />All it took was a massive overhauling. Well, actually, I'm pretty sure that I have a brand new computer and that nothing of my old (except the files) is left. Lee and Caleb at Computer Therapy picked up the old computer (which had finally stopped turning on) for "repair" and brought back a nice refurbished one that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the old one, except that there's pictures of us on it. I can run multiple programs at once, I can even watch DVDs. Can you do that on <span style="font-style:italic;">your</span> computer?? Okay, probably. <br /><br />But most of you never got the chance to see my old computer (which, by the way, was free...) And suffice to say, I'm pretty excited about the new one.<br /><br />I'm actually uploading pictures right now, as I type, and it's not slowing me down one bit. Wow. I've got a ton of cute videos, too. I've got to get my speakers hooked back up. Stay tuned...Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-79683714429212482472009-06-18T11:18:00.002-04:002009-08-07T00:17:50.599-04:00It's come to this...Barney and Friends???? <br />That's what Buck is doing right now while I peruse the internet... wow. I never thought it would come to this. It's amazing that I'm at all able to block out (at least partly) the cutesy songs and pay attention to anything else... Buck is not so lucky-- he is held captive... he is adding his 2 cents though, with the xylophone and the smacking of a DVD case...<br /><br />We've been busy. Buck is quickly morphing into a little boy. I actually left last night to help out a friend and was gone for almost 5 hours... Buck was asleep when I got home, and Adam was very happy and a little smug. (He knew that I was worried that Buck would be screaming for me when I got home...) I honestly don't know how I feel about it. On the one hand, it was great to be able to take the time to help out my friend and have my undivided attention to give to something... <br />On the other hand, it's a blow to my mommy ego that things went so smoothly without me, even if it was only for a few hours...<br />Buck did make up for not seeing me by nursing pretty much all night... so I guess I'm not dispensable yet! <br />He has made sure to stay close to me all morning, keeps coming up for hugs and bringing me "presents" (which include chewed pieces of paper and cheerios he picked up off the floor, as well as shoes). <br />And Adam really liked being the primary caregiver for the night. He was able to soothe at least one big head bonk and got the boy to go to sleep.<br />Good job, daddy.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-86852650854805174332009-05-26T11:26:00.001-04:002009-05-26T11:52:13.393-04:00Rain, rain...Well, I guess this is what I get for putting off all the laundry that I should've done over the weekend... it's been raining steadily for about 2 hours now, and it looks like it's settling in for the day... <br /><br />I just hate running the dryer!! True, it makes the clothes softer, and gets more cat and dogs hair off them, but still. I honestly enjoy hanging clothes on the line, and I find it much more convenient to fold them as they come off the line than when they come out of the dryer.<br /><br />What was I doing all weekend that prevented me from my laundry task?<br />Well, it is summer, and that means COOKOUTS!!!<br /><br />Saturday we had our buddy Murat's birthday party over in Hillsborough. Rope swinging, rum cake eating, and a campfire. (yes, I made my first rum cake. It was eaten down to the last crumb, so I think it's safe to say it was a hit)<br />Sunday, it was a nice potluck at Rain and Elizabeth's-- a lot of the same folks from Murat's party made it out again. It was so nice to hang out. We kinda missed the social season last summer, what with a new baby and all. We saw people, just not so many at once! My contribution was two stratas-- sourdough, broccoli, jalepenos, peppers, and eggs, one with sausage, one veggie. We had just enough left over for breakfast on Monday.<br />Monday, as Adam was leaving for work (on Memorial day, I know!), we decided that we hadn't gotten enough of our friends and we decided to have an impromptu Memorial Day Cookout Potluck... and because we have awesome friends, about seven people showed up and we had a great time. Most serendipitous.<br /><br />And now, today, rain.<br />And also, about six loads of laundry, not including the ever-growing piles of "secondary laundry"-- towels, sheets, and oh yeah, dog towels, which we seem to have more of than any other type of towel...<br /><br />Here's some pictures I stole from facebook-- yeah, we still haven't gotten our computer fixed...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs047.snc1/4433_691758623129_11800391_39649063_2759467_s.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs047.snc1/4433_691758623129_11800391_39649063_2759467_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs007.snc1/4433_691758593189_11800391_39649057_4803580_s.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 97px; height: 130px;" src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs007.snc1/4433_691758593189_11800391_39649057_4803580_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/4314_97335091583_618286583_2666718_4146556_s.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/4314_97335091583_618286583_2666718_4146556_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/4314_97335156583_618286583_2666730_4756843_s.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs033.snc1/4314_97335156583_618286583_2666730_4756843_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-31690067565950017822009-03-16T16:26:00.001-04:002009-08-07T00:16:09.267-04:00Spring CleaningThe key is to be ruthless. I haven't been very ruthless in the past year or so, and I find myself having to make up for it now... the shirt that looked really good that one time but has a stain? Get rid of it. That vase that you never really liked but you like the person who gave it to you so you've been holding on to it? Get rid of it. Cards from your college graduation? Get rid of them. Your "matchbook collection"? Get rid of it. That book that you got from the thrift store and still haven't gotten around to reading in three years? Get rid of it!!!<br /><br />There are some things I'm having trouble with, and I admit I did pull two pair of jeans out of the thrift store box (they may fit again!). <br />But I will say that both closets are completely decluttered, as well as the kitchen table (which had become a sort of purgatory for correspondence-- now it is all put away or thrown away and the table is empty!! I also cleaned and decluttered the bathroom, I mean, how many bottles of lotion does one need? Even now, I shouldn't have to buy lotion again for at least two years. <br /><br />It is a blessing not just for them, but for me and my decluttering task as well, that I have a few friends and family members expecting or having recently welcomed babies. I am forcing myself to part with some of those adorable, cute, precious, tiny clothes that I have been hording. Yes, they still contain some of that rare, delicate infant essence, but how many onesies does one really need to save? I mean, they are white and made by Gerber. They aren't exactly unusual or hard to find. And besides, someone else can use them!! <br />I did keep some things, of course. You can't expect me to part with every baby item that Buck no longer fits in. Well, I mean, go ahead and expect it but it ain't gonna happen, my friend. <br /><br />I'm about to raid Buck's toy bucket while he's asleep and repossess a few things. His birthday is coming up and an influx in unavoidable. Adam and I had this discussion. You can't say "no presents" because some people are going to bring presents anyway and then the people who don't feel like cheapskates. I mean, the people who aren't cheapskates. The real cheapskates probably don't feel like cheapskates, they probably feel like the people who brought presents are suckers.<br />Anyway, point being that you're gonna get all manner of items from birthdays, Christmases, Easters, Fourth of Julys, cousins, friends, and random relatives. It is inevitable, but you can pass on the things that have been outgrown. <br /><br />Here's a few rules I've been playing by in the declutter the cabin game:<br />Get rid of:<br />1. things you haven't used in the past 5-6 months<br />2. things that you don't really like but (for some reason) keep<br />3. things that you have two or more of (like sneakers- I now have one pair)<br />4. paper. this is a big one. Catalogs, junk mail that somehow doesn't make it to the recycling, old bills, bank statements, birthday cards, etc... <br />(I do love to save personal letters, though, but now I have a drawer with a box for all the letters and notes I want to keep.)<br />5. broken junk you haven't gotten fixed in the past year. This is a big one. Yes, that record player was great, but it hasn't worked in two years. It's JUNK!!<br />6. anything you can!!! <br /><br />Keep:<br />1. Things that make you happy. There's nothing wrong with keeping something for sentimental reasons. But don't keep anything that has negativity attached to it- just keep the things that remind you of the good times. If you're unsure, keep it. In six months, maybe you'll be ready to part with it.<br />2. Things you use at least semi-regularly.<br />3. pictures-- but put them in an album. I am just starting to really take this one to heart. I've been putting off "albumizing" my pictures for years now because it seems like so much work to organize them chronologically and then get them in an album. I've decided to hell with it, I'll just put them in an album and not worry about getting them perfectly organized. You can enjoy you pictures much more this way, and keep them safe. Of course, now most of my pictures are digital, but I'd really like to have the "old-timey" ones in albums. <br />Oh, but throw out any pictures that give you bad feelings-- that one where you've always thought your hair looked awful, pictures of people that make you mad, etc. Only keep the good ones. <br />4. Anything you can't bear to give up yet! <br />You don't have to make yourself miserable. The point is to remove clutter so you feel better, not deny yourself all material possessions. There are convents and monasteries for that. <br /><br />I've been struggling with this one-- chipped dishes. The feng shui (or "fung schway" as I like to call it) book I've been reading says that chipped dishes are almost famously inauspicious. They can make you lose things and people cheat you.<br />My problem is most of my dishes --okay, that might be exaggerating a little-- but plenty of my dishes are chipped. My favorite plate (which I found in a trashcan) is chipped. I don't know what to do about it...<br /><br />Oh yeah-- throw away your old phonebooks, too. I had like five of them laying around. We never even use them anymore...Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-17379184313552291452009-03-05T11:05:00.001-05:002009-08-07T00:17:05.062-04:00In like a lion, out like a lamb<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0LSsDgXcCFbyx6Ovn1g9XdI6BZSpfPneqn4hnZbohPE-0iod7KCwxwfeh7GwXr8MQ7EOczKvKKaoSf4zdlcO_dUiHp19vlY1QxTKJkIOmgasJKMRzJtZTXglTUrfqrCOTWc7CkAlcKk/s1600-h/DSC03042.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0LSsDgXcCFbyx6Ovn1g9XdI6BZSpfPneqn4hnZbohPE-0iod7KCwxwfeh7GwXr8MQ7EOczKvKKaoSf4zdlcO_dUiHp19vlY1QxTKJkIOmgasJKMRzJtZTXglTUrfqrCOTWc7CkAlcKk/s320/DSC03042.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309747128030621090" /></a><br /><br /><br />At least that's what I'm hoping for. The forecast looks good. After two inches of snow and temperatures in the teens, it's looking like this weekend will be in the 70's... yeah, I know, awesome.<br /><br />I've been having a problem. <br />Some of you may know that I am continually filling up my computer's smallish hard drive with the literally thousands of pictures I take (of what? the boy, mostly, followed closely by the dogs and cats, and of course, the chickens, and the flowers-- which, hallelujah, are starting to bloom, in spite of the cold!!). <br />To alleviate the situation, we bought and external hard drive last year, and have been backing everything up on it. <br />You can probably guess the rest of the story...<br /><br />The external hard drive is not working. I am not able to access any of the files stored on it, neither can I save any more files to it. <br /><br />Before everyone freaks out, let me reassure you that in a rare moment of foresight, of the pictures that moved, I deleted from the computer only those pictures of Buck that were out of focus or otherwise not up to my high standards of perfection (...have you seen my house?), so I still have all his baby pictures. <br />Anyway. What is on the line mostly is pictures from that other life I had about a year and a half ago, and who really cares about that?<br />Besides, I'm pretty confident that the files are still there, we just may need to have them "professionally" recovered. <br />Oh, and the tech support from the company has returned my query only to ask for our proof of purchase. My question is-- What proof of purchase? It was an internet purchase. I don't exactly have a receipt laying around. Also, how would I get it to them if I did? I'm serious, here, folks, I have no idea how to go about this. <br /><br />What's the point of all this?<br /><br />The point is, I can't post any pictures. <br />Well, I can't post any new pictures. <br />And I've got two (count 'em) memory cards chock-full-o-nuts and ready to be uploaded. I just don't have any space. :(<br />(I usually don't use emoticons, but that one is strictly necessary.)<br /><br />I'll give you a few teasers-- check back periodically and maybe I'll have figured this whole mess out-- or, if you're one of those annoyingly knowledgeable/awesome in a pinch computer gurus ("Oh, no, no, what you want to do is *THIS*") PLEASE HELP ME!!!<br /><br /><br />Pictures/movies you could be enjoying RIGHT NOW!!<br />-Buck crawling outside!!<br />-Long-lost pictures of Buck's First Halloween! (I never uploaded them!)<br />-various hilarious (that has a nice ring...) pictures of Adam!<br />-Buck petting (hitting) cats!<br />-Adam and my dad bottling beer!<br />-Adam and Andy digging a pond!<br />-Buck pushing his wagon in a cowboy hat!!<br /><br />And for all you flora lovers, no, unfortunately I haven't been able to take my annual daffodil shots. But here, I'll post one from three years ago and NO ONE WILL KNOW!! Well, I guess everyone will know, but only because they got told...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoX43agE3KGV15X1q3RFNjDoGVHNVB2mU_saJhavSgMHii_5UGhyphenhyphensibYNVpft4llGyfBdwDhAT2TiaKcL6uowEhRH879gS6k2bNxUK2xTyQfEf4DExwukz1BuN1DurRr1FVDXcR6RKU0/s1600-h/DSC00312.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoX43agE3KGV15X1q3RFNjDoGVHNVB2mU_saJhavSgMHii_5UGhyphenhyphensibYNVpft4llGyfBdwDhAT2TiaKcL6uowEhRH879gS6k2bNxUK2xTyQfEf4DExwukz1BuN1DurRr1FVDXcR6RKU0/s320/DSC00312.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309741507861282946" /></a><br /><br /><br />And here's one of my barrel'o'pansies... I need to get that going again...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdbt4CdH9zuUSJxODERyErPIbAlAkNN6MHtvsh-hWs-HfjU4nMdOIYGre-u65-PrghXLHwGmveqzuUMShwneqXIAuwM-H7UiI0N5BQU-8hlNna4pJuy09_x_tvaUVGFHAa333SWzYx10/s1600-h/DSC02884.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdbt4CdH9zuUSJxODERyErPIbAlAkNN6MHtvsh-hWs-HfjU4nMdOIYGre-u65-PrghXLHwGmveqzuUMShwneqXIAuwM-H7UiI0N5BQU-8hlNna4pJuy09_x_tvaUVGFHAa333SWzYx10/s320/DSC02884.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309741514946791714" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Oh, and in case you forgot or never got to see it-- here's me and Buck at this time last year...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOfy3g_OZKbOfg-DUAeyUQseAoSTPYsYwJTWG3sR7k_vw0g774UWV-aoOFczNILBgYIDqqq-EBQU53u1XQlQJuimbC1vfIF5XIYNigA7zud0_2nydMDK48y8lrrYlrs2lfGIn0zt-Ky4/s1600-h/DSC03107.JPG"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOfy3g_OZKbOfg-DUAeyUQseAoSTPYsYwJTWG3sR7k_vw0g774UWV-aoOFczNILBgYIDqqq-EBQU53u1XQlQJuimbC1vfIF5XIYNigA7zud0_2nydMDK48y8lrrYlrs2lfGIn0zt-Ky4/s320/DSC03107.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309747137846952866" /></a>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-61496994664937248272009-01-18T10:55:00.001-05:002009-08-07T00:18:40.370-04:00A New Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqX_jutJ8TkqifWBkDEHmEVoL-cTtjMDGIGt2XuwN5_aTmCME3PCt5xuV8xkyY1_hOqqa8JrRdlaiXYDxH9CiEDbeQXAEve9jfTo1is4aU_FkQw-TK_NR7LdWmw2dONpMLFQyQ2r8MT4/s1600-h/DSC05579.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqX_jutJ8TkqifWBkDEHmEVoL-cTtjMDGIGt2XuwN5_aTmCME3PCt5xuV8xkyY1_hOqqa8JrRdlaiXYDxH9CiEDbeQXAEve9jfTo1is4aU_FkQw-TK_NR7LdWmw2dONpMLFQyQ2r8MT4/s320/DSC05579.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292672783553275730" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />It's been awhile... I've been away from the blogworld for a month or two now... usually Buck wakes up from his nap as soon as I sit down to type, so we'll see how this post goes...<br /><br />Things are happening around here, though, and I don't have pictures of all of it, so here is a brief summary of the last month or so:<br /><br />-Buck is now crawling and eating! He is into everything, like a good baby should be! He has the bumps on his head to prove it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnSkZJ_FsNEZzjjSLH9ms1Uwh1CBZU3QW1wb982yiqHev3gTP5OcgTJSjlq0QfCaquYmiwaX_hthK_e4_wyxSHMWqpjqPvyQkZxSqC26PESSAbKUOIiKzvAYXaxLW7Gh8Vw7SkzrBG7E/s1600-h/DSC05567.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnSkZJ_FsNEZzjjSLH9ms1Uwh1CBZU3QW1wb982yiqHev3gTP5OcgTJSjlq0QfCaquYmiwaX_hthK_e4_wyxSHMWqpjqPvyQkZxSqC26PESSAbKUOIiKzvAYXaxLW7Gh8Vw7SkzrBG7E/s320/DSC05567.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292672739585571970" /></a><br /> He had his first taste of bacon this morning and I'm happy to say that he loved it and whined until we gave him more. Just like mama!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFWtHqf_fY5-M2JEvbBqx83p0qNguUIVDK5n23TQU2eLWv2bOVIc87enmStCyhVX3nPxW-7twFYXSXXcYsbn5HvZeEKI_YMFJSxdKUw2tcVhO255shzVaN1oKSa70Dc1WgQ6T28ksNrI/s1600-h/DSC05585.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFWtHqf_fY5-M2JEvbBqx83p0qNguUIVDK5n23TQU2eLWv2bOVIc87enmStCyhVX3nPxW-7twFYXSXXcYsbn5HvZeEKI_YMFJSxdKUw2tcVhO255shzVaN1oKSa70Dc1WgQ6T28ksNrI/s320/DSC05585.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292672745977554802" /></a><br />He's big enough now to use his little potty-- as you can see!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOIDlwq6Odd0L0XjQrtRDwWFfjPuSK5OOjjRaG5K_t_J7DSic6FlzXtxl9Km9WFOSTskUJ2P8D8hDmwo-ubhOVBL6l0al5phYnvwlQQdCQ0yMNx2EUIWBrVKh68LqBpm2J3w35KdEhwM/s1600-h/buckpotty.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOIDlwq6Odd0L0XjQrtRDwWFfjPuSK5OOjjRaG5K_t_J7DSic6FlzXtxl9Km9WFOSTskUJ2P8D8hDmwo-ubhOVBL6l0al5phYnvwlQQdCQ0yMNx2EUIWBrVKh68LqBpm2J3w35KdEhwM/s320/buckpotty.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292672731064941922" /></a><br /><br />-The chicks from my September post are now all grown up and in with the older chickens. Phoenix's feet continue to look healthy.<br />One of the hens has turned out to be a rooster, and he is beautiful. I'll try to post a picture of "Red Cloud's Revenge" soon. (Red Cloud was our first rooster, who was killed in the Great Chicken Massacre of Ought-Six) <br /><br />-My dear bunny, Castro, died unexpectedly two weeks ago. We buried him under the butterfly bush and beside his friend, Mr. Rextopher Bun, who died last winter about this same time. So now we are bunniless. :(<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQimhNfukZlpI37OM6dDU_ddtq2QH9ZZhOtg1O-rw2AAati6lmmhs3V8sTp1XLQvyL9FlNnpnc-n3M1umGPg3vt2oWKWLdgWgGy6HKSuviPum_HRzpSiJ99fGWDd3l7A-s4BtkBqG5rs/s1600-h/castro.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQimhNfukZlpI37OM6dDU_ddtq2QH9ZZhOtg1O-rw2AAati6lmmhs3V8sTp1XLQvyL9FlNnpnc-n3M1umGPg3vt2oWKWLdgWgGy6HKSuviPum_HRzpSiJ99fGWDd3l7A-s4BtkBqG5rs/s320/castro.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292670226613062018" /></a><br /><br />-The day after Castro died, one of the Ameraucanas got out of the pen and was attacked by Honey and Murdock. We thought for sure she was a goner, but she's still kicking, two weeks later. Her right leg was badly broken and she had major wounds on her back end. We managed to keep infection at bay with twice-daily cleanings and application of triple antibiotic ointment. We borrowed the ointment from our neighbor, and it's a good thing we did, because her mom happened to be over and when she heard about our injured chicken, she immediately volunteered to help. She is an experienced chicken doctor, which is just what we needed! Her hugest contribution was helping to set and splint the leg. I was the most nervous about that! <br />Mendy (as we have named her) seems to be doing great. Today is two weeks since the accident and I think we may remove the splint today.<br />Meanwhile, she has been living in the recently vacated rabbit hutch inside.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzofREHmEtxaZLYARjrGNsMhROULeKvx28kq9zSaZAi-WhOeQRNu0XQFXXJr8w8tGcJiVy6VeGKymJoo76tVgn8kr4Qe62WlYZ0pXgIn9OiOc7HMatEtsw4rHaE0lYdm7TPDnUz7946o/s1600-h/DSC05562.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzofREHmEtxaZLYARjrGNsMhROULeKvx28kq9zSaZAi-WhOeQRNu0XQFXXJr8w8tGcJiVy6VeGKymJoo76tVgn8kr4Qe62WlYZ0pXgIn9OiOc7HMatEtsw4rHaE0lYdm7TPDnUz7946o/s320/DSC05562.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292668533743087394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQION0K7jE01A2BzuP4dtuAvNbWi8vH8LIK4FkTdZPw-APzPZtYmCzT8-r4ZO4p-CUrvE17SzdCuQd2d_-0iutlLXOUkJuGvh60LJ_GBkWsJojdYp9JgPUBw4nmxqm4AFNRuvg51HMsg/s1600-h/DSC05561.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQION0K7jE01A2BzuP4dtuAvNbWi8vH8LIK4FkTdZPw-APzPZtYmCzT8-r4ZO4p-CUrvE17SzdCuQd2d_-0iutlLXOUkJuGvh60LJ_GBkWsJojdYp9JgPUBw4nmxqm4AFNRuvg51HMsg/s320/DSC05561.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292668523780923698" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYLQvMOmHZ9X6jam13U00F4frOaHYQMLvE7F6A_zRAuAm9H29qKIm-Ttl-ALkl4rJMAujHjrS4r6ENNcX5hz6cOOSWytPPBkN1CXyAw0GijLD9asOwjnf5pJqlhY-eO5i44j-T_gnTRs/s1600-h/DSC05560.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYLQvMOmHZ9X6jam13U00F4frOaHYQMLvE7F6A_zRAuAm9H29qKIm-Ttl-ALkl4rJMAujHjrS4r6ENNcX5hz6cOOSWytPPBkN1CXyAw0GijLD9asOwjnf5pJqlhY-eO5i44j-T_gnTRs/s320/DSC05560.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292668515325932642" /></a><br /><br />-My sister and her kids came down for a short visit. We had a great time and even managed to get in a trip to the Carnivore Preservation Trust to see all the servals, ocelots, binterongs, caracals, and of course, TIGERS!! Ben and Stacey were able to come over for the "field trip" too. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpomrbYfVPzLyMOwFL7iavbnXIE1ChLxS5mZqiR3aDdOzqRCyMkbOS8fsMwnBNPRN4pPgqQR4lT7iXfIbZ9QBxKt1MAZEbZj0ceVZXPYXf22X5G4lkOpwIvPffOApjid9bXXPYF3tyls/s1600-h/rajah.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 236px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpomrbYfVPzLyMOwFL7iavbnXIE1ChLxS5mZqiR3aDdOzqRCyMkbOS8fsMwnBNPRN4pPgqQR4lT7iXfIbZ9QBxKt1MAZEbZj0ceVZXPYXf22X5G4lkOpwIvPffOApjid9bXXPYF3tyls/s320/rajah.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292682928034693938" /></a><br />This is one of their younger tigers, Rajah. He and his sister were found in the middle of a busy road, where their owner had dumped them. (I didn't take this one, I found it on the internet. But it is Rajah. The other pics aren't of the CPT animals, just random pics from the web.)<br />This one is a serval <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LTazVPhkrHIIBmgyTIFmIGy0lE5fS6bzRQ-9aCrKDFpLqAYr8nsTIosvP2QZ6mHqocMHn9Pk4D_wHVQZI41XsC2JLsT0r4zwDxqxblsVSvGrJ7Fm4ZyYyWIWVR3NYAvDT2qGrFzJtHo/s1600-h/serval_cat.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LTazVPhkrHIIBmgyTIFmIGy0lE5fS6bzRQ-9aCrKDFpLqAYr8nsTIosvP2QZ6mHqocMHn9Pk4D_wHVQZI41XsC2JLsT0r4zwDxqxblsVSvGrJ7Fm4ZyYyWIWVR3NYAvDT2qGrFzJtHo/s320/serval_cat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292681728283912194" /></a> <br />Here's the ocelot- beautiful, but they smell like a big ol' litterbox full of pee...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHboyjOSjZIi6FGOnFkWn9zqEA-4FMjKGHPp_XL9n3sJyfSnFTToctSa4MP6-zYztfWyfcg42huebJmeh2lL8Rw8pwm1mNGU_JggeeI0oUJyhfbNn5bS_otiBTd0RwDUmbD0kPvFgPus/s1600-h/ocelot.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHboyjOSjZIi6FGOnFkWn9zqEA-4FMjKGHPp_XL9n3sJyfSnFTToctSa4MP6-zYztfWyfcg42huebJmeh2lL8Rw8pwm1mNGU_JggeeI0oUJyhfbNn5bS_otiBTd0RwDUmbD0kPvFgPus/s320/ocelot.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292681722429394930" /></a><br />And the caracal, which are really neat and remind me the most of housecats.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvgPqPtjKJmY1RrxFk2dDf39n9doucnCZoblftGDypfBgVFxrq-vAmgPbcgX2qUJ3dFY3Y1E7WeD951P-I4jDSe5e4fvGhBHYPBLuzmgJFQ1ubq3ZoCFvS2bYe7YVrjCiVgVJUpEZ5Pw/s1600-h/caracal.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvgPqPtjKJmY1RrxFk2dDf39n9doucnCZoblftGDypfBgVFxrq-vAmgPbcgX2qUJ3dFY3Y1E7WeD951P-I4jDSe5e4fvGhBHYPBLuzmgJFQ1ubq3ZoCFvS2bYe7YVrjCiVgVJUpEZ5Pw/s320/caracal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292681725963186834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7jD6e_qg7vgRG3g_V6y74tS72hNuNEBWyWX0JGDcrkvrb6qAnJaPxo3qrwTEyvle8bB9RTVECKCHDQvq0JrhW4NuUxivcboSpMUT5ibZhAKrV5EBk84Xbpt5YIIp7yVJiyG-T10fHIE/s1600-h/binterong.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7jD6e_qg7vgRG3g_V6y74tS72hNuNEBWyWX0JGDcrkvrb6qAnJaPxo3qrwTEyvle8bB9RTVECKCHDQvq0JrhW4NuUxivcboSpMUT5ibZhAKrV5EBk84Xbpt5YIIp7yVJiyG-T10fHIE/s320/binterong.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292681718102349618" /></a> The binterongs were really neat and they smelled like fritos. Bizarre, I know, but true. They're not cats, but they are carnivores. <br />It was really cool. I'd like to go to one of the twilight tours, which is when they feed them, and they're much more active. The one thing that I learned from the tour is that is is 100% legal to own tigers and other exotic cats in NC. So, now all we need is a tiger pen...<br /><br />-Window Wizard has a new ad coming out next month in the Southern Neighbor (a local, monthly publication distributed through Chapel Hill neighborhoods), a it stars all of us and Mac, Adam's right-hand man. It's a pretty good picture, don't you think?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjl6fF0uxH3L6tYxIHypc4AmeyVeuD66Oz_PMGTZRgcg6G-1SMszvLk9OYMmZtgVdiw757mHzAPZncy1cglZcxCbj4O0e418hN9QTR5RBg74etEpQn7XTzEaPhjEP7uXJA0YZPWQ7FqU/s1600-h/ww1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjl6fF0uxH3L6tYxIHypc4AmeyVeuD66Oz_PMGTZRgcg6G-1SMszvLk9OYMmZtgVdiw757mHzAPZncy1cglZcxCbj4O0e418hN9QTR5RBg74etEpQn7XTzEaPhjEP7uXJA0YZPWQ7FqU/s320/ww1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292675223117318146" /></a><br /><br />-We have a new addition to our chicken family. Lucy (or is it Loosey?) was hanging around loose in our neighbors' yard. They don't know where she escaped from, but after a couple days, they corralled her into their garage and then Adam and my bro went and got her. She gets along with the other chickens so far. As far as I can tell, she is an Old English Game hen. She's got the long, tall body and tail of a Game chicken. She doesn't look exactly like the Game hens we had growing up, but she looks just like the ones I've found pics of on the internet. She's pretty. These aren't her, but she looks like something between the two:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeZE01qNs5sRBJbI3CLEnWjo7XwT0a_Z8AQPE9s7YxnAhOfwdNBFl08aVMDPLtRfwWTk4RgnuwGQOJYysE9vFwzgu6NYmUMIfoBUqu6l3UjYZYuBNLe_OuC6qJNAefwM4GqaEsnGrhow/s1600-h/gamehen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeZE01qNs5sRBJbI3CLEnWjo7XwT0a_Z8AQPE9s7YxnAhOfwdNBFl08aVMDPLtRfwWTk4RgnuwGQOJYysE9vFwzgu6NYmUMIfoBUqu6l3UjYZYuBNLe_OuC6qJNAefwM4GqaEsnGrhow/s320/gamehen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292680072973063650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrOYs84_CF5lHMTwosACyb7SD9VJn9pCAcY21JIc87dQCzbc-yfyUJRdKAnljqunNvzFJBvk8Z3wYmsk7gnBvewcBKVmkJIaReYR6UdlzOZXh95_8AUMTzGBRg3OVAING3ohZgpyJACA/s1600-h/db_Henrietta.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 182px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrOYs84_CF5lHMTwosACyb7SD9VJn9pCAcY21JIc87dQCzbc-yfyUJRdKAnljqunNvzFJBvk8Z3wYmsk7gnBvewcBKVmkJIaReYR6UdlzOZXh95_8AUMTzGBRg3OVAING3ohZgpyJACA/s320/db_Henrietta.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292676268167276354" /></a>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-7485778117903792262008-11-21T18:51:00.000-05:002008-11-21T18:57:06.800-05:00FREE DR. PEPPERCheck it out!<br />Free Dr. Pepper! Oh, and Guns'n'Roses has a new album...<br />http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081121/ap_on_en_mu/guns_n_roses_dr_pepper;_ylt=Av4yDfHmkbIaz_2wFaKvctW_.nQASarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-1907443301236831272008-11-21T15:13:00.001-05:002009-08-07T00:18:56.442-04:00The List-- from my sister's blog...My sister put this in her blog and then challenged me to do it too(well, she emailed it to me). So here it is. <br /><br /><br />Bold the things you’ve done and will admit to:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Started your own blog</span><br />2. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Slept under the stars</span><br />3. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Played in a band</span> yep, even recorded a cd. And played a show in Cincinnati!<br />4. Visited Hawaii<br />5. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Watched a meteor shower</span><br />6. Given more than you can afford to charity<br />7. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Been to Disneyland/world</span><br />8. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Climbed a mountain</span><br />9. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Held a praying mantis</span><br />10. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sang a solo</span> <br />11. Bungee jumped<br />12. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Visited Paris</span> <br />13. Watched a lightning storm at sea <br />14. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Taught yourself an art from scratch</span> <br />15. Adopted a child (do dogs, cats, or bunny children count?)<br />16. Had food poisoning <br />17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty<br />18. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Grown your own vegetables</span><br />19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France<br />20. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Slept on an overnight train</span> It's not as cool as it sounds. Believe me.<br />21. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Had a pillow fight</span><br />22. Hitch hiked <br />23. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Taken a sick day when you’re not ill</span> It's called a "sick prevention day"<br />24. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Built a snow fort</span> like once, when it even snowed enough...<br />25. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Held a lamb</span> If you think baby goats are cute (and you're right), just wait until you hold a baby lamb. They are probably one of the world's sweetest babies. Second to my own, of course.<br />26. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gone skinny dipping</span><br />27. Run a Marathon (why would I do that?)<br />28. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Ridden in a gondola in Venice</span> Okay, I didn't actually ride in a gondola (too expensive) so I settled for riding the public transportation boat. Much cheaper and still pretty cool. Venice, even loaded as it is with tourists, is quite amazing.<br />29. Seen a total eclipse<br />30. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Watched a sunrise or sunset</span><br />31. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Hit a home run</span> I kicked a home run in kickball a few years ago...<br />32. Been on a cruise<br />33. Seen Niagara Falls in person<br />34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors<br />35. Seen an Amish community<br />36. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Taught yourself a new language</span> With help from Senora Lucy, por supuesto. <br />37. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Had enough money to be truly satisfied</span><br />38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person I saw the mini version at Mini-Europe (in Brussels), though!<br />39. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gone rock climbing</span><br />40. Seen Michelangelo’s David<br />41. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sung karaoke</span> only like every thursday for about 2 years...<br />42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt<br />43. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant</span> Well, I worked at the restaurant, and it wasn't a meal, it was pizza, but still...<br />44. Visited Africa (Hopefully someday)<br />45. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Walked on a beach by moonlight</span><br />46. Been transported in an ambulance <br />47. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Had your portrait painted</span> do sketches count? If done by a "real" artist? (Lauren, I'm looking in your general direction...)<br />48. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gone deep sea fishing</span><br />49. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Seen the Sistine Chapel in person</span> Okay, I haven't, but Adam is over my shoulder saying he has, and since we share everything, I guess I can share that experience, too, right? <br />50. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris</span> Okay, again, I was too poor to pay and not patient enough to wait in the long line anyway, but I have stood at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower in Paris...<br />51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling<br />52. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Kissed in the rain</span><br />53. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Played in the mud</span><br />54. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gone to a drive-in theater</span><br />55. Been in a movie<br />56. Visited the Great Wall of China<br />57. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Started a business</span> Okay, this one is Adam's again...<br />58. Taken a martial arts class<br />59. Visited Russia<br />60. Served at a soup kitchen<br />61. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sold Girl Scout Cookies</span><br />62. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gone whale watching</span> Not the kind on rafts, but I have seen and watched whales before. <br />63. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gotten flowers for no reason</span><br />64. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Donated blood, platelets or plasma</span><br />65. Gone sky diving<br />66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp<br />67. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Bounced a check</span> Oh yeah.<br />68. Flown in a helicopter<br />69. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Saved a favorite childhood toy</span> I even saved the corpse of a childhood toy. After my dog tore its stuffing out. So sad. I'm still not over it.<br />70. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Visited the Lincoln Memorial</span><br />71. Eaten Caviar (no, thank you)<br />72. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Pieced a quilt</span> in my mind!<br />73. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Stood in Times Square</span><br />74. Toured the Everglades<br />75. Been fired from a job<br />76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London<br />77. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Broken a bone</span> <br />78. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Been on a speeding motorcycle</span> well, I don't know how fast we were going but it felt 2 fast, 2 furious... I was about 7 and my uncle was driving, just on trails in the woods, but still...<br />79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person<br />80. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Published a book</span> Well, there's only one copy of it, but my senior thesis was/is a book of my poems, and can be read by anyone who cares to at the Wilson Library on UNC's campus<br />81. Visited the Vatican<br />82. Bought a brand new car<br />83. Walked in Jerusalem<br />84. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Had your picture in the newspaper</span><br />85. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Read the entire Bible</span><br />86. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Visited the White House</span> Well, not as an invited guest, we just stopped by to look.<br />87. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Killed and prepared an animal for eating</span> <br />88. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Had chickenpox</span><br />89. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Saved someone’s life</span> mostly animal someones. but they count.<br />90. Sat on a jury<br />91. Met someone famous. <br />92. Joined a book club<br />93. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lost a loved one</span><br />94. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Had a baby</span><br />95. Seen the Alamo in person <br />96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake<br />97. Been involved in a law suit<br />98. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Owned a cell phone</span> although I did hold out until like 2003...<br />99. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Been stung by a bee </span><br />100. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Baked fresh bread</span>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-67420612720103739452008-11-17T18:16:00.001-05:002009-08-07T00:20:08.715-04:00New Friends<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62dIseUc0DSypK-huZkJsXUQmEYEYliaAWg_ox0jJZcEpXvQKYbVA8OrvqdDdhG9lE50jiyWBIbZsSX_RFYxZyO-jq2mzuf1QCaWNwu57zImsd1zF_-PnICeSVZieJuei0_j5o6WjhW0/s1600-h/DSC05177.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62dIseUc0DSypK-huZkJsXUQmEYEYliaAWg_ox0jJZcEpXvQKYbVA8OrvqdDdhG9lE50jiyWBIbZsSX_RFYxZyO-jq2mzuf1QCaWNwu57zImsd1zF_-PnICeSVZieJuei0_j5o6WjhW0/s320/DSC05177.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269772578709884418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLT-FOUZIrPxumsPYUjQrXesY04oiBxEzFYzVoOpu9a-V4Im-Y6c79X7wPjwz3SuEJAV9VxtP5GgPcTMtOzSlikOk3SdvvKiPq2ZQ-6d0TuTSGFE7BZq6yzyr6qZb02tyXC-KAm72rA0/s1600-h/DSC05168.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLT-FOUZIrPxumsPYUjQrXesY04oiBxEzFYzVoOpu9a-V4Im-Y6c79X7wPjwz3SuEJAV9VxtP5GgPcTMtOzSlikOk3SdvvKiPq2ZQ-6d0TuTSGFE7BZq6yzyr6qZb02tyXC-KAm72rA0/s320/DSC05168.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269772569721139842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUovMegoK9d_M91R9_J0EUjstPYdgPPcAsxqW9fshWzv4DzrMvWPWgOy9agn68jv5A5M2TXopUm79owEVpcKZtRQWOs5-vpItfpgPQv7qcryPuSBteDsNl2PyF2MzNQi1i_r5-WJD5t8/s1600-h/DSC05133.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUovMegoK9d_M91R9_J0EUjstPYdgPPcAsxqW9fshWzv4DzrMvWPWgOy9agn68jv5A5M2TXopUm79owEVpcKZtRQWOs5-vpItfpgPQv7qcryPuSBteDsNl2PyF2MzNQi1i_r5-WJD5t8/s320/DSC05133.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269772567020703106" /></a><br /><br />Here are a couple of pictures of Buck and his buddy Hank.<br />The two youngest on our trip to the mountains in October!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5HMxqcDK3HnopK4M30EAKUtB-HFRe5Gs2bLi7adRVVrhzSGyXQYGRDfKaPSY3AhoF60ELQxWW4vGW5R330D6FDEjlDqtOahBf9gcV5C6sQsrFVAcsZYyDAgA813HaDQnUMYPGi4TkdI/s1600-h/buck&dick.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5HMxqcDK3HnopK4M30EAKUtB-HFRe5Gs2bLi7adRVVrhzSGyXQYGRDfKaPSY3AhoF60ELQxWW4vGW5R330D6FDEjlDqtOahBf9gcV5C6sQsrFVAcsZYyDAgA813HaDQnUMYPGi4TkdI/s320/buck&dick.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269772560101528642" /></a><br />And here's Buck and Dick Dudley, sharing life from opposite ends! Dick is a month or two short of 89 years, Buck is a month or two short of 8 months!Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-11277506713331877822008-10-16T09:56:00.002-04:002009-08-07T00:19:41.716-04:00mountain tripWe had a great time on our trip to Virginia! Keely and Curt put up with all of us-- and all our dogs-- for a long, fun, work and play weekend. <br /><br /><br />Aunt Jeanne, don't know if you read this, but DISREGARD THE NEXT PARAGRAPH AND DON'T LOOK AT THE PICTURES!!!! <br /> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdUa7ITW1cYuLHE7qYz-1VP573tj9faofdN3yvtYY4IZjgOAHJmKqNfEMVXT-chk4yc620jLclNFZD3r3mrroboTbHrqAAt8v0wVIf_o_RzyRVZ7zH4oHAGzBiHOwyDoNHkt3GPMyEgQ/s1600-h/DSC05152.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdUa7ITW1cYuLHE7qYz-1VP573tj9faofdN3yvtYY4IZjgOAHJmKqNfEMVXT-chk4yc620jLclNFZD3r3mrroboTbHrqAAt8v0wVIf_o_RzyRVZ7zH4oHAGzBiHOwyDoNHkt3GPMyEgQ/s320/DSC05152.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269419653115093778" /></a><br /><br /><br />Uncle Ben treated all the kids to Squirrel Hunting 101. Then we roasted the squirrel over the open fire and everybody got a bite. You can see that the kids were pretty impressed with his skills. They all huddled around the "work table" and watched the skinning and cleaning process. My littlest nephew was overheard remarking that if Uncle Ben got more squirrels, they could paint the table red with the blood...good observation, buddy! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2QkfN0RC_WX9TeS9j9W3hnNgS_xjBcwK52_2K4XrnXu4Ln1rmZuswTeddIYJAp0YdmmvRkRp2ry9rV-_jo_ZhE9P-VBjB60aGorMlpNRxAssrPN1j86IXovWlyGj66W18cbOySZh82E/s1600-h/DSC05141.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2QkfN0RC_WX9TeS9j9W3hnNgS_xjBcwK52_2K4XrnXu4Ln1rmZuswTeddIYJAp0YdmmvRkRp2ry9rV-_jo_ZhE9P-VBjB60aGorMlpNRxAssrPN1j86IXovWlyGj66W18cbOySZh82E/s320/DSC05141.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269419645206260402" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEV8LEn7BRbHeuNcFqUNL1MaURIyZghoQxqiPBuJYlbteAfWjK4HDt7Q6cMVC8kTBPdJvpuAh5Yv6WvHyiBkuRJlQG0jBNTaIuCY5O2W-OKnfHymlNl19KBmG6MP-faZSm0MQxxAYvMyE/s1600-h/DSC05105.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEV8LEn7BRbHeuNcFqUNL1MaURIyZghoQxqiPBuJYlbteAfWjK4HDt7Q6cMVC8kTBPdJvpuAh5Yv6WvHyiBkuRJlQG0jBNTaIuCY5O2W-OKnfHymlNl19KBmG6MP-faZSm0MQxxAYvMyE/s320/DSC05105.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269419618997250098" /></a><br /><br />We cleaned out the old barn, including our old bikes. I remembered them as being much, much bigger. I couldn't bear to let the "Machine Gun" go, so it went back in the barn. Maybe we can fix it up for Buck (I guess I should just clarify-- the Machine Gun is the red roadster-type bike, so-called because it used to rattle and shake when you rode it).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92rRAflPI9RdNvUslG5WaBNMSwwJfg476a7FOBsAE4ZaQEoz-v9X3nxy8w812-LzhcJ-xL_EhAwVZLLuapDVa1tRV72yPELzPb200iDMQkmLz2aokJpoRLW-ccchyphenhyphenSC380a6F8gkTLVk/s1600-h/DSC05125.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92rRAflPI9RdNvUslG5WaBNMSwwJfg476a7FOBsAE4ZaQEoz-v9X3nxy8w812-LzhcJ-xL_EhAwVZLLuapDVa1tRV72yPELzPb200iDMQkmLz2aokJpoRLW-ccchyphenhyphenSC380a6F8gkTLVk/s320/DSC05125.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269419630291942338" /></a><br /><br />After hours of hauling out dirty what-nots and dusty odd-bits, we were all pretty grimy and greasy. So we all loaded up and took a dip in the beautiful Cowpasture River (not being sarcastic, it's the cleanest river in Virginia!!). It was cold but we all (even my niece and I) got in and went all the way under! There was some hair (and beard) washing as well. It ended with a free-for-all hornet's nest rock-throw. Kinda like a Turkey Shoot, but it doesn't matter who hits the nest, everybody gets a prize (which is being chased and stung by hornets!). Okay, actually, no one hit the nest but I think Ben was closest and no one got stung, not that we hung around too much longer...<br /><br />I'll be posting some more "moments" and pictures later-- I finally got my pictures backed up on the external harddrive to make more room for the new ones (it's only been a month...) We really had a great time, though. The weather was beautiful. So were the mountains. And the old farm is looking younger everyday! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7yLz5FBWJzK1NWOq7gYHL0KenccpGOPk-uthSrtrLrwhPa-J-q0GTZNinrox0VpMpqAthZFQt_TMkjCxu_Ekov1HqCWmWvLjHR7G1ZiYBH1NcIW0x1qVeqMm2ZgFVcUjycD6Z5ETqws/s1600-h/DSC05086.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7yLz5FBWJzK1NWOq7gYHL0KenccpGOPk-uthSrtrLrwhPa-J-q0GTZNinrox0VpMpqAthZFQt_TMkjCxu_Ekov1HqCWmWvLjHR7G1ZiYBH1NcIW0x1qVeqMm2ZgFVcUjycD6Z5ETqws/s320/DSC05086.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269419605774025762" /></a><br /><br />Also, even though I haven't been blogging, life here in the Big Woods has been trotting merrily along, so I have plenty of things to share with everyone... if only I can find the time to type them up!!!Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-62058118317447955012008-10-16T09:10:00.000-04:002009-07-10T00:09:23.456-04:00Fun Things To Do With BabyThis is about the funnest thing Buck knows. Now, everyone, just calm down. In many peaceful, loving cultures, part of growing up is being tossed up in the air and caught. Caught. Not dropped, caught. Babies find the sensation irresistible. Buck is no exception.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwXhzBSSt6hmABr4NUz4bwr2S-YqPl74easCp8lPgIbGtNGWR1Y0ZcvVyGaG-aYSlP8l86k3J5-e_Kdq2v4TQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-56500268867485850002008-10-02T10:23:00.000-04:002008-10-02T15:53:22.542-04:00Tough weekWell, it's been a crazy few weeks and now things are calming down a bit. Adam has been really busy with his business, which is both good and bad. Things are settling down now, and he's back to a more or less "regular" schedule. <br />In the past two weeks, several things have happened, all of them sort of connected. Our roof, as of September 14th (happy birthday, Meg!):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzo6Gqq-HzIXtXCKMnRhek7jqdWV_PSPPHk8qC4H8rKmdj0SB-VV_UxHexTdonuS4S49A7NURMUUQshEDMOzx3kZLQdnVrNumLbxFILIh-rWadAWNeBTd7fl8lBjyt_XRCchTh6WMQBlE/s1600-h/DSC04772.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzo6Gqq-HzIXtXCKMnRhek7jqdWV_PSPPHk8qC4H8rKmdj0SB-VV_UxHexTdonuS4S49A7NURMUUQshEDMOzx3kZLQdnVrNumLbxFILIh-rWadAWNeBTd7fl8lBjyt_XRCchTh6WMQBlE/s320/DSC04772.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252563755987523042" /></a><br />It obviously needed some work. It has actually been in bad shape getting worse since we moved in two Octobers ago. Then, in July, our landlord's son, Shannon, came and took off the shingles on the porch roof so he could replace some rotting beams (that were a result of the leaking roof). He didn't put any shingles back on, because the roofers were supposed to come that next week to replace the whole roof-- tear off all the shingles, re-do the flashing and put on a new metal roof. <br />The roofers never showed. <br />This coincided with Mr. Bob's (Bob Blackwood, our landlord) failing health. His emphesema started bothering him more, and he was just not feeling well. On top of that, he was furious about what he called, "the biggest half-ass job I have ever been a part of," and was calling all kinds of contractors trying to get somebody out here to put the new roof on.<br />Well. He finally found someone to do the job. They started on Monday, September 22nd. I kept waiting for Bob to show up to check that they were doing the work right- he is always supervising anything that happens around here. I knew when he never came down that he must be feeling very poorly. <br />Late in the afternoon, right around five, while the roofers were cleaning up the debris from shucking off the old shingles, they left the gate open and Red, Honey and Murdock all ran out and across the road. I didn't even realize what had happened until I saw Murdock sitting at the front door, waiting to be let in. Red and Honey weren't so quick to return. I strapped Buck in the Ergo carrier and set off looking for them without any luck. Around 7 pm, when Adam got home, he took the car and drove down the road and found Honey. We figured Red would be home shortly. <br />The next morning, he still hadn't come back. <br /><br />Later that same morning, Shannon came down to the house to give me some more bad news: Mr. Bob had passed away the evening before at the hospital, with his wife Ann and Shannon there with him. I wish we'd gotten a picture of Bob, tending his bees, or driving around in his truck (fueled with biodiesel), or shooting squirrels off his bird feeders, or holding Buck. He loved Buck. He always said how much he wanted grandchildren, and was tickled when Adam declared Buck his "grand-neighbor." Just a couple days before he died, Adam took Buck up to see him, wearing his red and black-checked jacket and "Elmer Fudd" hat. Bob got a big kick out of that. We will really miss him.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-10007274511341748902008-09-12T12:53:00.002-04:002009-08-07T00:13:54.611-04:00New Chicks!!!Well, the friendly folks down at Pittsboro Feed and Garden decided to order baby chicks for the fall, and, well...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8TtcR96SackWZB7p_HiC-KKuM1usj1EQAHrzOMxgc8SWzKSsu2NLXtv8gzy0MgBBS4YLS1vQqtYPXf3wTTlT8yII_lS3f5vFv-ZclqJYKUnv4NEG244kqiGObRlxw66m3qDvrgk-1Es/s1600-h/DSC04722.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245193125622836466" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8TtcR96SackWZB7p_HiC-KKuM1usj1EQAHrzOMxgc8SWzKSsu2NLXtv8gzy0MgBBS4YLS1vQqtYPXf3wTTlT8yII_lS3f5vFv-ZclqJYKUnv4NEG244kqiGObRlxw66m3qDvrgk-1Es/s320/DSC04722.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />We've got 10 baby Ameraucanas. These are very pretty chickens when they their feathers come in, and of course chicks are always cute. These are the chickens that lay light blue or green eggs, so sometimes they're called "Easter Egg Chickens," but the breed name is Ameraucana. They're related to the South American breed, Araucana, and look similiar. Araucanas also lay colored eggs and have bright, jungle-fowl-ish plumage. They have ear tufts and are rumpless, that is, they don't have tails. Ameraucanas are a breed that came from crossing American breeds with Aracaunas, which are rare in North America. The result is that Ameraucanas have tails, and no ear tufts. Some do have ear muffs and beards, which are feathers around the sides of the eyes and on their upper throats.<br /><br />These are so freshly hatched, most of them still have their egg teeth, that little bump on the end of the beak that they use to break out of their shells. Left over from the dinosaur days. The egg tooth falls off a day or two after hatching, so obviously these babies are fresh!</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9IyNFjmN1SBuDHgV_g22Og-9TWel9vu65BBBnoJgiYaAwWUt0MpmBX3_xZO7VYqdHulRzxv-MFdwpfCb5JnlCtBHEAG_KZP7BrprsQZGoRlJXvCFOp_ORC9WPzTMwELaFy4utzoB96s/s1600-h/DSC04725.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245193949383129202" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9IyNFjmN1SBuDHgV_g22Og-9TWel9vu65BBBnoJgiYaAwWUt0MpmBX3_xZO7VYqdHulRzxv-MFdwpfCb5JnlCtBHEAG_KZP7BrprsQZGoRlJXvCFOp_ORC9WPzTMwELaFy4utzoB96s/s320/DSC04725.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />In case you are wondering, yes, the USPS does ship live baby chicks through the regular mail. We ordered some last year and, boy, were the people at the Post Office excited about that package!<br /><br />Buck really likes watching all the chicks cheeping and scratching around in the brooder. This one looks like it might have ear muffs.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSL2WH4_K4HdDyLckLnHzs27Z80j6ZduffLDwBvQE-x_RsT4i2wH9f1qXJ5Swmk-psOtFRyrk7E570dwBpwAxh3Znhw1riS46eN3hgFDM1YjFEXSAVZtzHbmJ_Ny1dp_TmI8L2GIwn22k/s1600-h/DSC04728.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245195008869874562" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSL2WH4_K4HdDyLckLnHzs27Z80j6ZduffLDwBvQE-x_RsT4i2wH9f1qXJ5Swmk-psOtFRyrk7E570dwBpwAxh3Znhw1riS46eN3hgFDM1YjFEXSAVZtzHbmJ_Ny1dp_TmI8L2GIwn22k/s320/DSC04728.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We've had a lot of heavy rain this week and last, with the result being that mushrooms are popping up everywhere. Last year the drought was so bad I don't think I saw a mushroom all year. When a bunch popped up after a rain it was like I was seeing them for the first time-- I'd forgotten that they just spring up overnight! These are some of a large crop growing in the dog pen by the doghouses.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYk8crc-Ql7FADt_Yw_A7Eo-f-eOnVznEKiKTaQDLeV4RTTA2PfsBsbGjNdZgHtBPwj5yB-G66sg8NhAHG5r8N1J_GR23_SUREM4OO3UltvKIIS_94SWdsQPXAxmQZHZVr4sKSRusKxg/s1600-h/DSC04732.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245195843842298530" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYk8crc-Ql7FADt_Yw_A7Eo-f-eOnVznEKiKTaQDLeV4RTTA2PfsBsbGjNdZgHtBPwj5yB-G66sg8NhAHG5r8N1J_GR23_SUREM4OO3UltvKIIS_94SWdsQPXAxmQZHZVr4sKSRusKxg/s320/DSC04732.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br />And here's some pretty blooms on Buck's swamp sunflower. I bought this one at the NC Botanical Gardens about a week before he was born. It was just three or four inches tall. You can see it's thriving just like Buck! We planted it in a spot where it can spread. Now that we have this one, I've been noticing them everywhere along the roads.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7aI4zdyCgOnb-4Cm_iyMrlJn4jX4W9ejRySIdzhID-D9yrK2nFaaZzCq23mIZWIZFrd37Oor4n57_LIrAwiTpoOm1M3yMvhFHOe5LCKmbmM1TW9qto_b7snxlp9lV6erPm4inV0I8Ck/s1600-h/DSC04740.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245197324461301842" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7aI4zdyCgOnb-4Cm_iyMrlJn4jX4W9ejRySIdzhID-D9yrK2nFaaZzCq23mIZWIZFrd37Oor4n57_LIrAwiTpoOm1M3yMvhFHOe5LCKmbmM1TW9qto_b7snxlp9lV6erPm4inV0I8Ck/s320/DSC04740.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-81664492846200564942008-09-11T09:25:00.000-04:002008-09-12T12:47:19.626-04:00Too many pictures?Well, I filled up the computer's hard drive. It took about a year and a half, but I finally did it. So I spent this morning selectively deleting pictures. Not to worry, they are all backed up on the external hard drive, so those fifteen fuzzy, out-of-focus pictures of Ladybird sitting on the computer desk are still there. So relax. Even with having deleted probably 50-100 pictures, it won't take me long to fill it back up.<br /><br />"Mom, quit taking pictures and PLAY WITH ME!!"<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3PLKyS8u3jDn-0lYqKSQV65_nkTb09VKDUPSKfaYayLh-zEXpgMfeOcW4LgmAEPp-B2H5qvLdCucMcjs9CPr6uKRlBNJ965HDZyiFoe5BkyMig2w7Fj3dXJh-KSsaaVfYzWKMw5Zwkc/s1600-h/DSC04716.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3PLKyS8u3jDn-0lYqKSQV65_nkTb09VKDUPSKfaYayLh-zEXpgMfeOcW4LgmAEPp-B2H5qvLdCucMcjs9CPr6uKRlBNJ965HDZyiFoe5BkyMig2w7Fj3dXJh-KSsaaVfYzWKMw5Zwkc/s320/DSC04716.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244769612527268802" /></a>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-25445360170623771592008-09-10T09:10:00.001-04:002008-09-10T09:22:03.368-04:00Buck's First Swing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnhIgaU5bDRiC6rtYZ6p2mGsqjjrO2X2Y5rYumgI9Qeg_FgPBeZjGOq4qTd-ayN-sIcIk5iAYVClNmy_Ze-_NLH57JwjpyMTZZ1bjEbqnjwY22kL1k91th8gjH0pX_goAgEh_yh79IIM/s1600-h/DSC04562.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnhIgaU5bDRiC6rtYZ6p2mGsqjjrO2X2Y5rYumgI9Qeg_FgPBeZjGOq4qTd-ayN-sIcIk5iAYVClNmy_Ze-_NLH57JwjpyMTZZ1bjEbqnjwY22kL1k91th8gjH0pX_goAgEh_yh79IIM/s320/DSC04562.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244381825524022962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjCeKI8xS7UEaOZcTu4UUAf21iCViejlqnikk8UeH_mhyphenhyphenEAxY1F8zJTNRL6Y5HA8OFBOcT_EFMkWfuA3tHfHeaRZYJBB54rhfHf2N1FScpTuMSXPl1VI7SXEmyZiIaSB17byiUHy6LmQ/s1600-h/DSC04584.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjCeKI8xS7UEaOZcTu4UUAf21iCViejlqnikk8UeH_mhyphenhyphenEAxY1F8zJTNRL6Y5HA8OFBOcT_EFMkWfuA3tHfHeaRZYJBB54rhfHf2N1FScpTuMSXPl1VI7SXEmyZiIaSB17byiUHy6LmQ/s320/DSC04584.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244381841325129826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxv9rEy2kKfsvgZLzYIgbCRMPyoVyn1qTcHEPIkAglMS0L-FvhvOqnGiLHcdU7AumL4IuV0811cFZxtP7TRXmqjtKrESMmFmCifCD6A1lKwjJLfYmLmcTxF2Ei-P6-JSwk9DSm68jA3s/s1600-h/DSC04598.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxv9rEy2kKfsvgZLzYIgbCRMPyoVyn1qTcHEPIkAglMS0L-FvhvOqnGiLHcdU7AumL4IuV0811cFZxtP7TRXmqjtKrESMmFmCifCD6A1lKwjJLfYmLmcTxF2Ei-P6-JSwk9DSm68jA3s/s320/DSC04598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244381844777873826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbmtlPzELp77_kNF-t7A6YVADA-tn3pTgX1og_SF-HUpW-pUXm91w9Rw01bF5m28aXEpQgxzmbxss0ChUOAx7r3B14ruJYLhXnbCEotIbZKU1NmWpGjHsnnbOU1ALB0I-QrQHsBYBMA8/s1600-h/DSC04603.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbmtlPzELp77_kNF-t7A6YVADA-tn3pTgX1og_SF-HUpW-pUXm91w9Rw01bF5m28aXEpQgxzmbxss0ChUOAx7r3B14ruJYLhXnbCEotIbZKU1NmWpGjHsnnbOU1ALB0I-QrQHsBYBMA8/s320/DSC04603.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244381853662223570" border="0" /></a><br />Buck and I took a trip to Manteo last week, coinciding with Keely and her kids being down there, too. We had a great time. One afternoon, Keely and I took all the kids over to the ol' swimming hole by the old ferry dock, beside the aquarium. I didn't get any pictures of Buck "swimming" in the sound, but did these great ones of him swinging for the first time. He loved it!! The older kids had fun on the swings, too, and I think they enjoyed the swimming hole being a little calmer and easier to manage than the ocean.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-44734169139571869842008-09-09T10:43:00.000-04:002008-10-16T09:55:36.094-04:00Fun Things To Do With BabyThis is about the funnest thing Buck knows. Now, everyone, just calm down. In many peaceful, loving cultures, part of growing up is being tossed up in the air and caught. Caught. Not dropped, caught. Babies find the sensation irresistible. Buck is no exception.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy2DFdngVYR-R50fZrD8lHrEfeJplSvZy_uneOqOW5KcdzhutXBiHFZbhLSaek6xc92rQYzrqEY5q7KKmcP6w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-41268035295251402072008-09-07T22:59:00.001-04:002009-08-07T00:14:14.676-04:00Chicken Feet, Part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqo7LbkgXL73aU8g8wKI1NgyL7TVFPhP1wRVtADwHjCn7GMm48djE8wxMxMdDRai3l8JuB6JKk1t2dl95ZvOVXwA9XdjfGVbAkDcTKTNRlbaV05C8v8diz3SbyGR1LOxj4puvq3u-P3c/s1600-h/DSC04503.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqo7LbkgXL73aU8g8wKI1NgyL7TVFPhP1wRVtADwHjCn7GMm48djE8wxMxMdDRai3l8JuB6JKk1t2dl95ZvOVXwA9XdjfGVbAkDcTKTNRlbaV05C8v8diz3SbyGR1LOxj4puvq3u-P3c/s320/DSC04503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243485496398153330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmduZG8joay3zmyWTPnVGZeoYWK0N99tYK2X4YGt50MAhHOJY761gpFRATk2TpWTe8Xm1fsA8c4fU22SLr3OWhJ8JADxoxrueoWqZ8kh4oe8wz5cS9lDcgXMhyphenhyphenvxUtXizwH8DA1vL24U/s1600-h/DSC04499.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmduZG8joay3zmyWTPnVGZeoYWK0N99tYK2X4YGt50MAhHOJY761gpFRATk2TpWTe8Xm1fsA8c4fU22SLr3OWhJ8JADxoxrueoWqZ8kh4oe8wz5cS9lDcgXMhyphenhyphenvxUtXizwH8DA1vL24U/s320/DSC04499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243484729914789538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwkDoRqf1GNcrvXPNIgR26BuOXUtZPiCVZ6rPgXcVojzNFIKmwnTGQ1-tye6Nw6q5AoUQGLfxUOg4S99NKkxJvtId5puitkjX_BFZOy02GwKGZzy472egmSDlrlI1DdIj5dWfkP4CnKU/s1600-h/DSC04497.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwkDoRqf1GNcrvXPNIgR26BuOXUtZPiCVZ6rPgXcVojzNFIKmwnTGQ1-tye6Nw6q5AoUQGLfxUOg4S99NKkxJvtId5puitkjX_BFZOy02GwKGZzy472egmSDlrlI1DdIj5dWfkP4CnKU/s320/DSC04497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243482598674464226" border="0" /></a>So Phoenix's feet are looking better. Our internet service was out the last week and a half or so, so this update is actually from the first week.<br />Can't really tell, but his feet look a little better to me. He also seems to not be quite as freaked out by being cornered and grabbed out of the flock. He's a wily little guy, don't get me wrong. He's still doing his best not to be caught. He just doesn't seem as panicked about it.<br />I actually think he might even enjoy it a bit. It's like a chicken spa. I've put in some pictures to show the process, and also to compare with the first pictures. His feet are still red most of the way up, but the areas closer to his hock (the leg joint, roughly correlating to our ankle) look less irritated. His toes still look pretty bad, but they don't look as "angry" to me. We'll just have to wait and see if they start healing. The pictures aren't the best. It's hard to tell what's going on when you're holding a chicken in one hand and trying to photograph it's feet with the other.<br />I'm keeping an eye on the hens' legs and feet, and they all look fine. Not sure why Phoenix is more susceptible to whatever this is-- skin infection? Whatever it is, I hope it is actually getting better.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-27097229478466763742008-09-07T22:31:00.001-04:002009-08-07T00:15:33.884-04:00A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVYElQJZi7LlCZARzSjCgLOX7nk3fmWyAguBzVnMrcRiMdd89WSrEFtajOEpy2RdLEh_2bQjy42hdOHohnzxmjSk3tKnVefHzl3ShpqcGcBFzyuABcLfS6v_RoO9Y9G4uN-ZV3avE0sA/s1600-h/DSC04511.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVYElQJZi7LlCZARzSjCgLOX7nk3fmWyAguBzVnMrcRiMdd89WSrEFtajOEpy2RdLEh_2bQjy42hdOHohnzxmjSk3tKnVefHzl3ShpqcGcBFzyuABcLfS6v_RoO9Y9G4uN-ZV3avE0sA/s320/DSC04511.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243473933138039282" border="0" /></a><br />The other morning I woke up to a strange 'chirrup'-ing sound. I hopped up quickly, thinking the cats had dragged a bird in the house and were holding it hostage. I'm pretty familiar with this sound, as, at least once a season, the cats kidnap birds. They rarely get to actual killing, because I will usually intercept them before then.<br />Well, I walked out into the hall and all the cats were sitting there, looking very innocent. They all meowed and started darting over to the food bowl-- their normal morning ritual.<br />No bird.<br />So I figured I must have misheard and it was just one of the finches throwing its voice or something.<br />You may have already figured out there was indeed a bird in the house. Murdock the dog actually pointed it out to me. A very pretty little Carolina Wren, one of my favorites. She was in the bathroom, cleverly hiding in between the bathroom sink and the wall, where the cats couldn't reach her. I, however, have longer limbs than the cats and make quick work of scooping her up. She seemed fine, if startled, so while the cats were busy breakfasting, I took her out to the porch and opened my hand. She spread her wings and undulated to the neighbor's porch, where she sat, apparently collecting herself.<br />Well, the next day, I was folding laundry in the living room when I heard a familiar little 'chirrup.' I looked outside and saw the cats huddled under the bird feeders looking very intent. I investigated and found that once again, they had a little Carolina Wren, this time she was just sitting on the ground, looking around at all the cats, as if hypnotized by them. I can't be sure it was the same bird, but I think it was. She didn't seem as startled when I picked her up this time, and struggled hardly at all. Got some nice pictures of her. She was content to just perch on my hand.<br />I decided that since she was acting awful dazed, and this was possible the second time in as many days that she'd been nabbed by the cats, that if she were going to live, she was going to need some help. So I looked to the wonderful, non-profit, free to the public services of Piedmont Wildlife Center (www.piedmontwildlifecenter.org). They will take in injured wildlife and rehabilitate them when possible, at no cost to the rescuer. They have had some pretty cool cases brought in from all over the state. Check out their website.<br />They were closed for the day but I found helpful instructions on their site (put the bird in a small cardboard box, no food or water, keep in a quiet, dark place away from other animals) and Adam ended up taking her in for me the next morning. I will check her status this week and let you know.<br />This makes the second bird in two weeks that cats have attempted to kidnap. The other was a young female cardinal that I caught under the porch with El Sucio. She wasn't as sweet as the wren and tried to take a chunk out of my pinky. Those seed-cracking beaks are strong!!<br />I'm guessing that this sudden outburst of bird hostages has to do with young birds starting out on their own for the first time. Hopefully this will be the last of the bird captives for awhile...although, with this crew:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZdscDiTInGSxeej3lTJiBmd2LJQmjd-9982Gy5EwjjmGaVg2uH9mfUQ-q2BTGXCHrqkSsyirROlfqxHsS_7yJu82mvYVt8W4YxohuhPKklkxyhzkjf-mZg4fojN-tzLqUQFHvRWoaz4/s1600-h/birdcats.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZdscDiTInGSxeej3lTJiBmd2LJQmjd-9982Gy5EwjjmGaVg2uH9mfUQ-q2BTGXCHrqkSsyirROlfqxHsS_7yJu82mvYVt8W4YxohuhPKklkxyhzkjf-mZg4fojN-tzLqUQFHvRWoaz4/s320/birdcats.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244409200625178242" border="0" /></a>...who knows.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486669322816307308.post-84256424421444409552008-08-26T14:42:00.001-04:002009-08-07T00:14:31.333-04:00Chicken Feet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zltIBXU42GH9zuY-utrY7AnTUVvEshK3SRHbW6gwPc3jwJWnoK9X8k8AWOB48xF7czAdeObPvZcog1WTMfmghJL2pwmJ_x9leWHnukeIvhn4JfpSNmFm8bZc8Tg5bpaNmfS90p_6cFI/s1600-h/DSC04440.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zltIBXU42GH9zuY-utrY7AnTUVvEshK3SRHbW6gwPc3jwJWnoK9X8k8AWOB48xF7czAdeObPvZcog1WTMfmghJL2pwmJ_x9leWHnukeIvhn4JfpSNmFm8bZc8Tg5bpaNmfS90p_6cFI/s320/DSC04440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238912091945076162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDn6trSb4u8KNEX0mFYs9DlfbsNvtEAE8sxEi1aEP9ENd1HcoYmKpSOQxNmfBnOsa2awm_b5TaCEoCin8th_eEF9EwvRzEdREqtoFYZO87tkIvK8oeqhYRUjAtes5v_Dgxwixzywi7kqQ/s1600-h/DSC02874.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDn6trSb4u8KNEX0mFYs9DlfbsNvtEAE8sxEi1aEP9ENd1HcoYmKpSOQxNmfBnOsa2awm_b5TaCEoCin8th_eEF9EwvRzEdREqtoFYZO87tkIvK8oeqhYRUjAtes5v_Dgxwixzywi7kqQ/s320/DSC02874.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238901949419963442" border="0" /></a>Well, it's always something here in our menagerie, and this time it's Phoenix. He is our little bantam Cochin rooster. That's him on the left, the little one with the creamy-colored neck and black body. The feathers on his legs make him a Cochin. They also make him look like he's wearing pants. I love him. He's a great little rooster. Always very polite to his ladies, offering them any choice morsel he finds. For those of you who have never seen a rooster taking care of his hens, what happens is this: When you toss some delicious treats into the pen (tomato ends, old green beans, apple cores, etc.) all the chickens start running around pecking and picking. The rooster, if he's a good one, will find a morsel and make a certain cluck. Kind of a quork. This means, "I've found a tasty treat, if anyone wants it," and a hen or two will respond by checking out what he has. If it is indeed a treat, he will let them take it right out of his beak. If he's just being dramatic about a bit of regular old food, they usually ignore him.<br /> Well, the other day we noticed his feet looking red and scabby (see picture on the right). I looked and searched my poultry books and the internet, but really didn't come up with anything. So I emailed the Chatham County Extension agent in charge of poultry, sent him a couple pictures and asked for advice. He got right back with me and suggested soaking the feet up to the hocks in a dilute betadine bath 3 times a week and see if that helps.<br /> Phoenix, while the only one of our chickens to have a name (the other ones all look alike), is not the tamest. He's actually quite dodgy about handling. I was a bit concerned, but having caught him without too much trouble in the past, set out this morning with my barn boots, leaving the boy with his daddy, and mixed up the solution in an old red bucket. 1 oz. betadine to 4 c. water. I estimated the betadine in the Motorhead shotglass and added about 5 cups warm water, just to make sure it wasn't too strong. Caught the little guy without much trouble on the second try, and after he squawked like he was being attacked and eaten, got him calmed down.<br /> The best way to calm a chicken is to make sure you've got their wings comfortably pinned against them, hold them close to your body so they feel secure, speak gentle, soothing tones, and I've found that stroking their beak will almost always work.<br /> So today was the first treatment. Phoenix did great. After his initial freak-out, he remained calm throughout the ordeal, excepting a few loud <span style="font-style: italic;">bi-cawk</span>s when he was startled, once by Honey tearing across the yard to bark at some squirrels, and once just because he's a chicken. Next soaking scheduled for Thursday.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14804269621296382045noreply@blogger.com0