the tractor show...

Can anyone explain why there are some weekends when there seems to be "nothing fun to do" and other weekends where there is so much to do, that you race around, trying to cram everything in, and still enjoy it?? I don't know why it is that way, but such was the case for us.

I was at the barn bright and early, and caught this wonderful sight... all the little barn swallows were out of the nest and working on their first flying lesson. After about two trips around the field with the parents calling back and forth to them... they were gone!! Now I could easily "see .. the empty nest" and it's been kind of quiet around the barn with no sound of peeping baby birds as the parents arrived with food. Oh well... I understand that they often return to their place of birth to make new homes, so maybe next spring we will have a few more families....

On Saturday we went to the Raitt Farm for their 14th (I think I heard) annual tractor and antique engine show. This is such a nice time, and there's lots to see other than tractors... but I do like looking at them!!! They have crafts and food, and "events" -- such as tractor pulls -- little rides for the kids, and all sort of family things. It's nice to see that "farm life" is alive and well here in the North East, and I get I real kick watching the kids (mostly young-teens boys) driving tractors around.

We met up with Dave and Sean, Kas and Nate, and saw several friends that we only seem to see this one time a year. Little "one lunger" engines ran and popped, and there were all sorts of displays of "things of the past"... saw mills, belt driven items and the like. You can see why the "poor horse" was quickly replaced with these "modern inventions"....

Isn't this a "sweet" little sleigh.. think it would look awfully nice behind a team of Percherons!!!!!The day was finally like summer, and the shade actually felt good!!!!

In the evening we went to spend time with friends at their camp, sat and caught up on the news, and just had a minute to relax..... seems nice.

Brown eyed cowgirl--- saw this bike and thought of you!!!!****

exciting blogs to come

I am just too tired to post tonite, but there are some great blogs coming up... and I will leave you with couple of "teaser" pictures.....

day with Tonka

it's a .......

We have some news... most of our friends already know part of this news, but for some of my "dear readers" this will be all new to you. A few months ago, our Sadie came and told us that she is expecting.. to be totally honest, this news was a "shocker"... Sadie is still trying to find her own "way in life" and "baby" wasn't exactly on the list. It took me some time to put this all together, but as time has gone on... I am beginning to look forward to the big event. It has meant a great deal to me all the support that we have all received from our family and friends. And since Sadie has moved back home with us... you can just imagine that the push to get into the house is even more so...

But today, I went with her to see the ultra sound.. and we have been given the news that (96% sure) there is a little GRAND DAUGHTER on the way... due to arrive around the middle of October. As I drove home, I can already see little riding chaps, a helmet... a child's saddle, and the first "walk, trot horse show class"... OR... junior handler with a cute little cocker at her side......

the future holds much excitement and joy......

congratulations Deb!!!

Last June, Deb brought Alice (Mocha's foal) to the driving clinic. Deb wanted to add to her horse knowledge and Alice was being... well, say we say, Less than agreeable when it came to driving. Deb worked with Butch, picked up some new ideas, and she and Alice did some amazing work at the clinic.

After the clinic they ran into another trouble spot, but Deb kept her cool and took a deep breath and continue on with her training of Alice. Part of which was giving Alice a little time off.

This morning when I opened my email, look at the great pictures that were waiting for me. Deb has Alice back in cart and reports that she is going well!!!!

We "horse folk" can certainly understand the thrill that you have when all of a "sudden" your hard work, patience and determination begins to pay off....

so.. I just want to send a huge congratulations to Deb and to Alice.. and wish them both many miles of happy driving...

I'll be sure to tell Mocha!!!!!!

got a lift??

Work is going along well on the house once again. Siding is the big project of the moment, Ed and Ken want to take advantage of the warm summer days and get this outside work done. Because it would be near impossible to do all of this from a ladder (never mind the height of it all) Ed has rented a lift to get the high sides done.

Not only is it "more comfortable" to work from a lift, but it's much safer and faster. The time that it will save makes it worth the "investment" of the rent.











this pictures shows the "false" front doors on the garage. It is designed to make the garage look like an old barn attached to the house. I can't believe what a different look it gives to the place.

The birdies on the farm are doing well. The keets are getting big and have some of their feathers coming in. They are really beginning to go thru some food now.

the turkeys are growing at an amazing rate. I don't hear "peeping" any more... they are beginning to make that "gobble" sound. And sadly, we did loose one last week, we aren't exactly sure what happened, but we fear that it may have been killed by the others... the food bin was quite low and they were picking on each other. We will be careful not to let that happen again... turkeys are kind of mean creatures, so you have to be sure that everyone has enough space and plenty of food and water.

"the girls" seem pretty happy in their outside pen. We are still getting an egg a day... I like to save them up during the week and have a special breakfast with their eggs on the weekends.

and I think that the barn swallows should have made a bigger home. All of their babies have survived, and I believe there are six of them. I don't think it will be too long before the flying lessons will begin!! they look pretty crowded in that nest!!!

and speaking of flying, check out the next two blogs... one of the plane that landed several times on the lake this morning, and the other is of pictures that Dale took tonite as she was flying over the farm.....

and a Monday evening...

the day began with watching a "sea plane" practice landings on the lake... and it ended with these photos taken by my friend Dale, as she flew over the farm and lake this evening...

we thought we heard a plane in "close" as we were having dinner... and sure enough, we should have gone outside and waved to Dale....

thanks for the GREAT photos my friend.....

*** Rick, that was Dale that we heard at dinner time!!!******

a Monday morning....

What a treat it was, drinking coffee and watching this beautiful sight.....

VBS, fireworks and bean supper....

It's been a pretty interesting week around here, we finished getting all our hay in.. which was (is) a big project all to itself. The last load came in Tuesday evening, and since the fire guys weren't around, we called Betty!!! who came after a long day of work to give us a hand!!! How do you say thank you to such a good friend!!!!

It was also a good week for dog training and I had several private lessons. It happens like that all the time, weeks go by without hardy a call, and then I am busier than I can imagine. I felt like I was running the roads all week, but I met a bunch of nice dogs and people, and learned more about the area that we now live in.

Sadie was busy all week working at our church and helping out with Vacation Bible school. They were so happy to have her, she is very artistic and is great with crafts and such, so that was her focus all week. The kids loved her as well. On the last day of "school" they had a carnival for the kids.. earlier in the week, Sadie had offered to bring Mocha for the kids to see and to be a part of the carnival. Sadie asked me if I could run her over on Friday, but with my private students, i didn't see how I really could. So, she decided that she would just have Ed bring Mocha and Sadie would handle her. At first some of the VBS folks were unsure about Mocha... but they finally decided that it would be OK and once they met her, they loved her.... as did the children. I was sorry to have missed out on it, but Sadie said Mocha was as good as ever. I think the kids were a little disappointed that they couldn't ride her.. but we are very careful about how much weight we put on her back, so it was just decided that no one would ride instead of saying that only little ones could.

Friday evening we went to Deb's and Dave's for a cookout and then onto the fireworks. The fireworks were suppose to happen on the 4th, but due to bad weather.. they had to be postponed. While we were having a cookout at Deb's and Dave's, a shower came thru and I began to wonder if they would be postponed again... but they weren't. Actually it was a prefect night for fireworks, because the cloudy sky made them look closer and brighter. The bugs weren't too bad, and we had a great time all together. After that we made an ice cream run, and Sadie, Ed and I didn't get home until midnight.... it's been quite a while since we have been out that late!!!!!

Tonite, the three of us worked at the church's bean supper. It was great fun, we have such a nice group of people in our church!!! The crowd wasn't as large as they had hoped, and I actually think the weather was against us.... it was a beautiful sunny (hot) evening, and I suspect that most people were probably outside or having their own cookouts in the nice weather. But all in all I think it was quite a success, and we certainly enjoyed our supper after we were done "working".

After the supper, we went to the barn for a while. Betty popped over, and we hitched Mocha to her cart. Dare I jinx myself in telling you that she was absolutely wonderful in her cart this evening. We took turns driving up and down the driveway (we stayed out of the field because it was so buggy).. she went along like a little trooper. Even in her turns, she was "even" and her "whoa" was a dead stop. If this keeps up, it will be time to work with her "off the farm"... I keep thinking it would be great fun to drive her up and down the camp road.. but I want to be sure her "skills" are well in place before we go to far.

Weather wise, it's been a grand weekend so far.. so, I hope those who are needing to finish up in the hay fields got some time in

new blogs..

scroll down, there are new blogs to read, more to come... once I am done editing!!!! keep watching.. I am catching up.......

WHERE ARE THE BLOGS!!!

By now my loyal reader have just about had it... I know, no new blogs... but I just find it so hard to blog without pictures... so, what I have been doing is blogging and saving them as drafts until I can add the photos.... which, should be VERY soon as the computer is fixed and just waiting for collection.

but, this morning as I was spending my time with the Lord, a story keeps coming to mind, and I just have to share it....

A family is trapped by a flood and stuck on the roof of their house, the rains are pouring down and the water is rising... as they wait, a man comes by with a canoe... "get in" he says "I will paddle us to safety"... The family says.. "no, we are fine, God will save us"

A bit later another man comes by with a row boat, he says to the family... "get in, I will row you to safety", but the family replies, "we will wait, God will save us"

The rains come harder, the flood gets bigger, along comes a man in a motor boat "get in, I will take you to safety".. and yet the family refuses saying "we'll wait for God to save us"...

well, the family finds themselves in heaven.. confused, they look around and when they meet up with the Good Lord they say... "We don't understand, we waited for you to save us"...

the Good Lord looks at the family and says... "I sent you a canoe, a row boat and a motor boat... what where you looking for?"

the family looks at the Good Lord and says.... "we were waiting for a helicopter"....

The thing is, I've been looking for that helicopter myself, and it occurred to me that I have had several "boats" come my way lately... think it's time to "forget that helicopter" and say thank you for the "boats"........

playin' on a Sunday....

Today after church, we went down to the farm to see what things we could accomplish. It actually was a gorgeous day on the lake, but since we had no company to share it with... sitting around just didn't appeal to me. We have a long list of "little things" that need to be done, so, it's easy to pick something and just begin.

For months now, I have felt rather guilty.... , when I am working at the farm, it means leaving dogs at home. I just can't keep an eye on everyone and "do" what ever it is that I am there for. We brought a kennel run up from the old house and I kept saying to Ed that I would like to set it up at the farm. That way, when I am busy , the dogs can be "with me" and I don't have to worry about where they are or what they are up to. So, this afternoon...Ed said, "Let's get that kennel up".

The area that would be perfect for the kennel needed to have some trees brought down. Fortunately, Rick has left his big chipper with us. Ed fire up the chain saw, and I fed that big chipper. It's a bit scary working that with thing, but, I just went easy and we (the chipper and I ) got along fine. Goodness, that chipper makes quick work, and we got a nice place cleared for the kennel, plus a little more. When we finally get the "woods" thinned out like that, they are going to look so nice. I just don't know "when" all that will happen, but that's a job that we can work at a little at a time.



The Kennel fit perfectly in the area that we cleared. We kept the bigger straighter trees, and any hardwood trees (which aren't many) that we came across. There is nice shade in the kennel and plenty of room to move about. The dogs are going to be happy to be there.

We gave it "a try" ... Mr. Guinea was quite interested in it himself. He kept walking by it.. perhaps he is impressed that he is loose and the dogs are penned.

Both Ed and I were pretty tired last night, and secretly glad that we didn't get a call about another load of hay being ready.... however, later in the evening, Harold called and said the officer's meeting scheduled for Monday evening was going to be postponed.... due to hay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

make hay while the sun shines...

The hay has been really late this year due to all the wet weather we have been having. On a good year, you can get hay in by the middle of June... and off year.. by the fourth of July... but this year.. simply getting it in has been a real concern.

Fortunately, we put a big load in last year. Having never bought hay for a whole year before, and not being sure of what we would really need... I decided to err on the "more" side. I have felt very blessed in that we still have a good pile of hay in the barn, because some of my other horse friends have been in a bit of a panic. I have been able to help them out, and still keep us in a good place.

Friday was a beautiful day, and so was Saturday... Ed and I had a pretty good idea that Father would be cutting. We made a dump run in the afternoon and sure enough, Father had been cutting all morning and was beginning to bale. His two sons, Harold (the current fire chief) and Pete, plus two other friends, Jimmy and his son, were all helping Father. One load of hay was already stacked and sold, but they were working on "ours". Ed and I ran home to get the trailer (hats and gloves!!!) and headed back to the field. Actually I hung around camp for a bit waiting for the new renters to come... so by the time I made it to the field, the trailer was nearly full of hay.

We were a bit "worried" about getting the hay up to the loft... the sky was beginning to look "rainish" and we had the elevator to get down (that thing is HEAVY and I really can't manage it). We asked the guys if they would give us a hand with the elevator, and got even more... they were all willing to come and help us put the hay up!!!! (what a blessing!!!)... With the five of them, and Ed, the hay flew into the loft, I was planning on helping, but found it was easier to stay out of the way and just count bales!!! I can't believe how fast they got it in!!!!

We still have at least two loads coming in, but now, between last year's left over supply and the start of this year... the hay loft "looks much better".... Now, if this weather can just hang in there a week or two... it would give all the hay men a chance to catch up!!!! Let's hope.................