First Big Snow November 2011

last night as it began...snow and sleet mixed

                                      Well it has happened.  That 4 letter word- S.N.O.W.

We have been trying to get ready for winter, it has been such a very busy summer and fall around here and with family --things that have taken us away from working here on the farm.  So now here we are beginning winter, and were about 10 working weeks behind! Oh well...life will go on!

We worked last week to re-side the chicken house and the little shed close to that.  We decided to 'fill' in the space between by adding boards and a roof to ex tend the length of the sheds.  After residing all of them, we added the wooden boards that we have so they are up and done. (we will design a special old west theme in the spring).

Toys and children's chairs are tucked away and the area our grandchildren call Keeslar park-it is ready now for winter.  Lawn chairs, lawn swings and summer items are all stored away.  This year I was able to get the gardens cleaned out this fall!  That is a first for me-usually I am pulling old weeds in the spring.

We continued to work to get things done around here. Had to dig a new trench for replacing the electricity from the garage to the barn, I really do not like digging.  It took a few hours to dig and then we had to put the electric wire into that black tube to keep it safe under the ground.   That took about 3 hours to stuff that thru...we wanted it to be whole and not cut the black tube thing like we did the first time --to help feed it the wire thru.  I think that is why the first one quit working in the first place.  So we got that done.  Buried the tube and moved onto the next project.

  Monday after work, Scott picked up a ton of lime stone for the driveway to fill in the speed bumps we had develop over the past 6 months.  We unloaded that in the rain.  Then last night the second ton and we unloaded that in the sleet.    But 2 tons into the speed bumps and they are finally almost filled in.  We will still need about another ton to finish the ones by the beginning of the driveway...and out by the barn.

Scott scraping snow off of the car (why did we not take the 4x4 truck in this weather I never will know!)

Then last night, sleet and snow.  We had to go to a doctor appointment for Scott that was scheduled at 5 pm and we sat there for an hour before being seen.  All the while the snow falling outside.  The normal 20 minute drive took us a half an hour to get there.

We left the appointment about 6:30 and did not get home until 7:30.  Scott got the blade on the tractor to be ready for plowing in the morning and just as he was getting done-the power went off in the house!

We really are not ready in this society for no power~!  I got what water I could get from the faucet before the water quit which was a whole 4 cups.  I guess I need some jugs of water to sit back just in case for power outages.  We have 2 huge water troughs filled but then in the winter they would freeze without a heater plugged in!  I think we need a solar heater for those-do they make them?

Out came the candles and flash lights.  Scott came in and ate his supper (very very late to be eating, but he was hungry and we did not get to eat earlier) The stove still works, but had to light it with a match, with no electricity it does not light auto.

I also thought, gotta get that outhouse built again.

Then for drinking water in an emergency-there would always be snow to melt, heat it first-to kill the yuk in it from our atmosphere, and put it away in a clean container, sit it out side to cool and we have water to drink!

Frig items-well you can set them in a cooler out side in the winter and that works to keep stuff cold!

Lots to plan to keep stuff ok and going.  At least heat-our gas heaters do not relay on electricity. that is good and if we ever get our wood stove in (on the list of things to do before winter...)

So our house can survive the heat and food part if the power goes out, but no water unless there is snow-we got to do something about that.  Cant have animals getting thirsty or us!

Stay warm everyone!
Enjoy some photos of our property in the winter!

interesting view of something covered in snow looks like a lambs head resting ....

view out our back door

one of scotts ladders resting on the edge of the hand rail and covered in snow

a tree in the chicken coop

an important tool for winter

sunrise thru the branches

pasture view over the top of the trailer

view of the pine trees on the west side of the property

A butterfly 'hatches'!

Well it has been a very busy summer....

But wanted to catch everyone up that may read about our adventures on our little farm. The summer has went fast, as it usually does! 




Our little gardens of food has provided enough for Scott and I to eat from, but not enough to can. I did get to can some tomatoes, (24 quarts) and will can about that much more, but not enough cucumbers for pickles. I am sad a bout that. Plenty of zucchini, 

and I will harvest the black eyed peas soon. That is a first for me. I will have some winter squash too-sadly our peppers did not do well.

One of the fun things I did this year was something I use to do when younger-watch the development of a monarch butterfly!  Do you know that if you try to help a butterfly hatch, it can kill it?  It must break out of its 'shell' on its own.  

this one has just come out of its chrysalis see how the wings are wrinkled?  When if first comes out, it is very wrinkled ---looks shriveled up almost!  In order for it to survive, it must do all of this itself...it makes the wings stronger.  

this one has been 'drying for about 2 hours" and it is a male (their are two spots, sort of like dots that are scent spots on the lower wings)

So while out mowing on the back 40, I found some larva (5) and put them into a large gallon jar. Fed them plenty of milk weed and watch them turn into a chrysalis. then the day they would "break out" from their protective chrysalis, the chrysalis turned black, but you could see the butterfly thru the clear protective covering. 

It is neat how it goes from green to clear so you can see it. It looks black because of the change and the clearness-your seeing the black on the  wings. Then you look closer and you see the orange too!

It will hatch that day. 3 hatched on one day, so I did some photos. they are below-from the larva stage to the end-the butterfly! Enjoy!

the larva is getting into the "J" position and ready to spin the chrysalis  

its silk is put on the glass jar to hold it in place...

just getting done, notice the moisture (even a drop of fluid towards the bottom of the photo) and the shape is not very smooth, "bumpy"

the shape is still "bumpy"

the shape is much smoother, notice the gold color on the outside.  this one is about 8 days old, you can see the wings developing.

just before (minutes) it 'hatches"

3 have hatched!

the wings are drying....

I placed them on the flowers just outside my back door, they stayed in the area for about 6 hours before flying away.  They take awhile for the wings to actually
 dry...

This is a female

COMING HOME FROM COLORADO

Well we left our little cabin in the wee hours of the morning on Monday...

to begin the drive home. We planned on camping in a state park somewhere along that drive...but left that possibility open, not making actual plans.

So the maps all say its about a 22 hour drive, but after making this drive twice now, its a bit more I think! The actual driving time may be only that or even less, but the travel---oh wow! Its a looooooooong drive! I think the heat made it longer, needing more stops for the auto to rest and all!

Along the route we saw

many of these big wind mills...they are huge! Often we would see about 300 or more at a time! We saw this in the edge of Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska!

Here is a small town in the edge of Colorado that I just like the name....

We drove until we were so tired, it

was so hot (the air conditioner was at least still working, but not very cold) It was just the heat that was keeping it from working well cause in the evening when the sun was at our backs while driving it actually felt cold!

So we stopped for the late afternoon (our time about 5 pm) at a state park where we thought about camping. The land looked green (must have had plenty of rain or they water the lawns) and the grounds looked like they kept it up well. The lake was ok to swim in, so after getting the 'day pass' (we were not sure if we would

stay and camp yet or not) we went straight to the lake and jumped in! We just sat floating around for about an hour or more, then got out and ate our dinner (using the camp stove) of stew...from a can :( but it still was good! The picnic table sitting in the shade with a breeze, our wet swim clothes still on.....we thought maybe we could camp here after all. Then we walked out into the sun and said....no. WOW was it still hot!

So we left the park after about 2 and a half hours and back on the road!

It was now after 7 pm and that meant we were driving thru the night with about 12 hours to go at least! (this camp/state park was in Nebraska some where) We drove until about 2 am or later (all along we took turns driving) and then we pulled into a rest stop and slept until the sun was just peeking over the horizon. We opened our eyes, looked and then said-sleeping again! We slept until about 7 am, and then left. We were somewhere after moline in Illinois. We made it to home about noon or later.... that's our story...!

COLORADO the last days!

Lets see....where did I leave off.....Oh ya, we were to vacation for the next 3-5 days, but decided to come home early. Scott was worried that if we would come home, he would not see me (as I would go back to work right away) but I reminded him that I took this WHOLE week off! Silly man!

Oh yes, well the last day of our trip we went into the small town close to the camp ground...we drove out of town and towards pikes peak, but did not go up there. We did not want to take the truck up such a tall mountain, with the brakes and all...so was gonna take the train or some other type of rental -buy a ticket to go --tourist type thing, but did not want to spend the extra money. We remained committed to not charging anything (been years now).,.so no pikes peak. GOD will show me that part of america when I die and if I still want to see it! :) I imagine that I will be allowed to see any of HIS handiwork that I have not yet seen, if I want to then!

So rather than spend money we did not have, we came home. We were only going to spend what was allotted for the trip, and then the trip ends! It is that simple! We drove thru the small town right down from the campsite, this was one of a few places that we would have visited but the funds were "done" for this trip!

There was a glass blowing spot, a yarn shop, a shop with wind chimes and a few other unique shops that we avoided (to avoid temptation to 'charge it" just because we like it...). Maybe LORD willing, if we get to go back, then maybe we can shop too! Were not shoppers anyway, we may look around ok, not stressed to spend money we dont have, but the town was sooooo busy and that also was a reason we did not go up to the stores! The town was cute, and would be fun to visit again some day.

Below are some photos of the town...

Well more later!

Colorado-Camping!

Scott and I nick named this rock pigeon rock with all the birds (pigeons) sitting on it!

Well, we left the conference center on Friday about noon, there is one thing at the center that I did not talk about before, it was a piece of "art".  Those of you who know me KNOW I am an artist (see one of my works below)
BUT- as a midwife, even I would NOT have this piece of art in my office!  This retreat center is run by some nuns. It was being used as a vase, (Although I did take a photo of it, I will not post it here-it was vulgar) 

My husband asked me to go see this vase in the lobby, and he asked-is that what I think it is?  I looked and said-well yes it is.  He had a lot more time that we did, so spent time sitting in the lobby and looking around at the art on the wall and all the other stuff....


  It was the male p****, with part of the woman around it (you can imagine what parts) and then the color coming out of the top-well that represented you know what...so very very gross. They were using the thing for a vase.   I told a few close friends at the conference to check that out...but of course did not announce this type of thing -weird gross art-at a Christian conference...!

my friend and fellow board member Lori L.  From 

California

My friend Jill from Georgia, who will help us with the next conference...it will be in October in 2012, (not April as we thought before) so NO ONE who wants my services get preg and be due during that time!

Other than that, and a few meals that were not the best (that is ALWAYS a issue not matter where we are at and no matter what conference we are attending....no one cooks like me -except for my mom, and well-Shonda Parker!  Loves that gals cooking!  

part of the park....

So we left and went south to the camp ground we were gonna stay at.   I HATE the name, but it goes with the park that is in this area.  Garden of the gods.  I want to rename all of it to Garden of the ONE TRUE GOD...since HE made the land and all...but no one will do that around here! 

another view of the park

 But that is me-I want to give GOD, the ONE TRUE GOD, the glory for all of HIS creation, and there are many beautiful parks and land in this country that bears names that do NOT give HIM glory!

another view as we hiked..

We have been staying at the camp site -it is very dog friendly.  Matter of fact, the small camping cabin we are staying in, (see photo below) is 'dog friendly'.

inside of the small cabin where we are staying...

  We did not realize that there were some camping cabins that do not allow pets, I would have rather had one of those... 


Yesterday we went to the park, and hiked a little---.
Met some starnge type of people, along with normal people...this photo below (sorry, I cant turn it) I wanted to ask them :  If you tell me why your dressed strange that way, I will tell you why I am dressed normally....

Love this rock formation!

Rocks where you can climb at your risk...the sign suggests to Not climb as the rocks can fall, but everyone was climbing here!

the rock formation I liked!

  It is not a huge park so it is an easy hike, but we did not do the whole hike.  My knee wont allow that and took a day to recover from being on the second floor at the retreat center-so stairs all the time, and hills down and up from the dinning hall......As I continue to loose weight, that will help some, but after having surgery, my knee will never be the same until GOD heals it or I go home to heaven and get a new one!


So here are some more photos...enjoy!

all around the park you see stuff like this, like it was washed out with water, not billions of years ago, but thousands-from some flood!  

another cool area washed out from water....

you can see the different colored rocks here

a great view...

close up of 'pigeon' rock!

this was on a tree, this is how the leaves looked on this tree...not sure what kind of tree it is though!

see scott and I at the top?!  We are younger looking and I am thinner when I am up in thinner air like that! We let some stranger just take our camera and take our photo!   Ha Ha!

another view!

Well, we had to come into Mcdonalds to type this, (did NOT eat here-so gross!) so not sure if we will type anything else until were home again...but we will update ya all later when we can!
Be blessed!
Scott and Ireena!