It's a New Year Already

Happy New Year's Eve!  Wow, it's already 2013...

Today, we woke up to snow!  We had about an inch to two inches; enough to go sledding, which did make our day.  This evening, the whole family went out and sledded on our hills right by the house.  The snow had gotten harder so the sledding was pretty fast, but fun.  When we came in, we started making carameled apples, but sadly, they didn't turn out right. ( cheap caramel )  So it goes, though.

We had a great, white Christmas, by the way.  Dad took us 3 kids out a few days before Christmas and we cut down a real tree!  Yep, we took a little bit of time to find the right one, then we cut it and put it in the pick up.  After driving a little ways, it fell out.  And again it fell out after we loaded it the 2nd time.  It was neat because we walked through snow to get it.  We were all glad that the tree wasn't any bigger, it barely fit in the house!  If you are wondering, it was 10 1/2 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and 5 feet deep.  Again I say--big!
We went out to my Dad's parent's house on the Sunday before Christmas, then to Mom's mother's house on Christmas Eve.  We were home on Christmas day.

So now that Christmas is passed, we will welcome the new year tomorrow.  We will also enjoy a revival beginning at our church.  Happy New Year!  : )     

Ranch Life Around Christmas

If you are looking at the pictures and wondering what in the world that is; it's Peanut Brittle.  The first I have ever made.  It turned out really tasty, just not pretty. 

Over the past few days I have been busy with the family.  We have been moving our cattle, which means we have been outside riding the horses in warm or cold weather, wind or still.  It's been good family time, good for the horses, especially our younger ones still in training.  Plus, it's good for the cattle, just to get them used to horses and people. 

We have been trying to buy something while Christmas shopping, but it hasn't worked out as planned.  It's hard to buy a gift for someone who says, "I don't care what you get me." and you can't find anything that would fit them.  So, our Christmas shopping hasn't been much fun.  Thankfully, I am about through.

We have had a little Christmas tree up since August, but recently we got to put up the big one. The inside of the house is all lit up in Christmas lights with Christmas music playing.  We got to put Christmas lights on our balcony for the first time.  It's pretty.  I would show you pictures, but they aren't good enough.  Sorry.  

Monday, we gathered up our cows and sorted 19 off to take to my uncle's wheat.  Paradise got a nice ride in.  I got to slide off of her left side, plus I got on her from the right side.  She is doing good for a young horse, though we still have a lot to learn.  Dad and Mom treated us to pizza that night.  And we did our cookie run.  (Every year at Christmastime, we as a family take home-made cookies to our neighbors. It's always fun.)  We got to see some good friends and talk for a while.  

Yes, we have been some what busy with school.  But that's nothing real exciting...

Yesterday, I was the first one down stairs, and as I looked out the window to the east, I saw a movement.  As I watched, Tonzo, my dog, come into sight with his tail tucked between his legs.  As I looked, a coyote came into view.  Then two others.  I thought of our chickens, who run freely about the ranch.  So, I ran up stairs and got Dad.  After getting a gun and shells, we walked outside.  We looked and to the north, and just across the road, a coyote stood over a deer rib cage.  After a second, he turned and ran off.  Dad and I trooped after him.  But when we reached the top of the hill he had gone over, the coyotes were nowhere to be seen.  It was disappointing, and odd.  They vanished!  Thankfully, they didn't get any chickens or Mom's whole deer that was hanging behind our pickup.  It was a fun way to start our day, though. 

On the odder side - I got to enjoy one of my pigeon's eggs today.  Pigeon egg?!  Yes, I have a female pigeon who has laid 41 eggs this year and we do eat them.  I got to hard boiled one and peel it.  After showing everyone in the family what a hard boiled pigeon looked and felt like, I ate it.  It was different... but good after getting under the rubber feeling part.  It felt like a bouncy ball.  It was a fun thing to try, though.  

Today, we did school and I finished for this week except for math.  I played with Big J. and Little J. quite a bit.  Also, we did get a skift of snow!  I am so glad.  Not near enough to sled, but still, it's a start.  It is still really windy now, but not snowing.  I wonder what it will look like tomorrow.

If I do not get back here and write a post before Christmas, may you all have a great Christmas day.  Merry Christmas!  : )    

December Already?!

Well, as you can see I haven't been on here for quite a while.  We had a great Thanksgiving with our great family, plus two extras, well three if you count dogs...  Anyway- it's already the Christmas month!  I can't believe it, though I have had a Christmas tree up and Christmas music since August.
I don't know about you, but I don't like this weather.  I mean it's nice, but not for December!  It has been nice to ride in it and work with the cattle.  Still, I would really like to have snow.  Anyone else agree?   

We have been doing quite a lot of cattle work lately.  We have weaned our calves and now they are on wheat.  Thankfully, they will stay there and that will give us more grass for our cows.  Sadly, though, there's not much grass because of the drought.  Going back and forth from the wheat, we got to see a spot where an air plane crashed.  It might have been a once-in-a-life-time thing to see it.  The pilot did walk away, thankfully.  Plus, on our way back from the wheat, we stopped and got ice cream as a treat.  

Just today Dad took us two older kids and drove our two long-horns to a pen.  There we loaded up one of them and took them to some different pens.  Then we sorted 4 cows and their calves in a different pasture; then took them to a set of pens.  We will sell them tomorrow.  It was a nice ride, but windy.  On our way home, it got colder; we were really glad that we didn't have any chores to do outside.  (We took our bottle calves to wheat also.)  For the rest of the day, we will be lazy and do about nothing.  It sounds good to just sit and relax.  : )