100th Post

I know, I'm late in the day, but at least I am posting today.

Today was great!  It was cold and we had a few flurries, but thankfully, I was able to take my driving test.  First try, I PASSED!  Yay!  I'm so thankful and glad. 
So now I can drive.  Who knows where I'll go with this license.  Anyway, I'm glad to have it behind me and know that I can drive without another person if I need to.  (I like driving by myself so much better.)

 

After taking the test, we celebrated by eating ice cream cones...and shopping.  Shopping always sneaks its way into town outings, doesn't it?  Living on a ranch out of town, you buy what you need when you go to town.  No quick trips to pick up a bag of chips. 

 

And now, I am quickly trying to think of and type a post for you all.  I think this candle picture is quite pretty.  Orange and glowing.  As cold air floats around, this picture is almost warm.  Enjoy and keep safe.  : )

What to Post?

 

Can it really be Thursday?  So soon?

 

Yep. 

 

Well, needless to say, I didn't know what to post.  A bunch of the pictures this year have been animals, landscape, and all have been bland colors.  Course, it being winter and all, there aren't many colors outside the windows.  So, with that being said, I guess you'll just get to look at a picture I drew a few days ago.

 

I can't say that I'm great at sketching, but I was assigned, in one of my school books, to draw a cheerful person.  And this was my end result.  (I don't think she looks all that cheerful.  Do you?)  

 

We've been riding a little to move cattle and for fun, too. 

The weather has been up and down; we've gotten snow and 80* temps. this month, and today is chilly with wind.

 

I'll end here and let you get back to whatever it is you're doing, but thank you for taking the time to read my post.  Farewell!  : )    

Looking Back

Two doves resting on the old swing set.

I didn't know what picture to post this week.  I guess you saw that I posted a goat post yesterday and that took most all of my ideas for today's post.  However, I looked through some old pictures and realized that on February 12, 2013, I took pictures, thus, here are two for you to look at.

This February has been warm, sunny, cold, windy, and cloudy, though not on the same day, of course.  Apparently, Feb. of 2013 was snowy, so it's quite different this year. 

Maybe we'll get some snow this month before it ends; we need the moisture.  The river is still dry and usually by this time of year, it's full.  We can't pasture some spots because the river is the only water source.  So, we're trying to use what grass we have and hope and pray for a better year.  : )
  

Looking north to the pasture right by our house.

The Goats: Part Two

Well, to our great surprise, my old, grumpy nanny goat had twins on Monday.  It's strange how the older an animal is, the less they show before they have their baby.  I mean that on younger cows or goats, you can study their bag.  As the time for them to calve/kid comes their bag fills with milk and really gets big.  Also, you can tell by other parts of their bodies.  But, Miss Carmoll, my goat, didn't show any signs of kidding so soon! 

 

I guess she knew what she was doing, though, and she had both boys out of the wind and in the shining sun.  *Good girl.*  Her bag isn't the best and so we have to help the boys nurse, but it won't be long and then they'll be big enough and strong enough to feed themselves.

 

But, yet again, this goat has proven to be a great mother, unlike the way she acts when we milk her.  People who know that I own her always ask why I still have her.  True, she is a pain most of the time--she kicks and head butts and anything else to hurt a person, but yes, I still have her.  She's one of my favorites, in fact. 

 

Anyway, here are some pictures of the newest kids and I had to add this last picture of the other three.  Kids are so cute, don't you agree?  : )

 

Billy 1 (until we get a better name)

 

Billy 2 (until we get a better name)

 

Carmoll and her babies

Rapunzel, Prince (we decided that fit the boy), and Oval 

Laura Ingalls Wilder

*Picture from Google*



I found out (thanks to Google) that today is Laura Ingalls Wilder's 148th birthday.  Wow!  I wonder what she'd think of this world if she could see it now as it is.  A bunch has changed, even in the years I've lived.  What a totally different life people live as the years stack up.

 

I don't rightly know why I'm doing a blog post about this lady, but something sparked inside me and I felt I should share my thoughts.  Or something to that point. 

 

My mom had watched some Little House on the Prairie episodes growing up and a few years ago, my whole family started watching them for our Family Movie Night.  Each week--usually on Friday night--we would pop corn over the stove, pull out a bottle of pop, sit down in our "TV room", and watch a couple of Little Houses.  It was such a clean show with pretty good morals and one our whole family, whatever the ages, could enjoy.  We laughed and cried, rolled our eyes on some occasions, and were warmed by the show. 

 

Well, a few episodes later, we now have all of the seasons, one through nine.  We still do our Family Movie Night, though we've long since finished all of the episodes, we find other great movies to watch.

 

I'm no expert, but I don't think there could've been a better actress to play Laura than Melissa Gilbert.  I'm really glad she did and I believe she helped Laura Ingalls Wilder become more real to me. 

 

I have personally read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie book collection.  I started reading ones at a nearby library until they didn't have the next one I wanted.  So, for my birthday in 2011, my grandma bought me the whole set.  I still have that set in my room, in fact, and I never plan on getting rid of them.  All of her books were well written and I went through them pretty quick I believe.  And like they say, the books were better than the movies.  I still liked both, however.      

 

*Picture from Google*

I recently found out about Wilder's autobiography, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, and I desperately want to get my hands on a copy!  It sounds like it could be a really good book.  I hope it shows readers an even deeper insight on the life of this well-known woman.      



 

I also admire Wilder for her writing ability.  Being a writer myself, it is always encouraging to see fellow writers succeed in writing, and it helps me to think, "I can do this, too!"  And I know that we writers (at least I do) need that encouragement.

 

Maybe you like Laura Ingalls Wilder for different reasons, or you don't care about her at all, but either way, I just felt like making this post.  So, I hope you enjoyed and have a blessed day.  : )

 

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

 

~

 

"Remember well, and bear in mind, a constant friend is hard to find."

 

~

 

"The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes, and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies."

 

~

 

"There is nothing wrong with God's plan that man should earn his bread by the sweat of his brow."

 

~ 

 

"Remember me with smiles and laughter, for that is how I will remember you all.  If you can only remember me with tears, then don't remember me at all."

 

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

 

The Goats

Here you go.  I got some pictures of my little goat kids.  We haven't decided on a name for the boy (above picture), but we named the girls.  The black one is Rapunzel and the one with the most brown is Oval.  The mama goat is taking excellent care of them and even had them by herself.  They will be so much fun once they learn how to use those wobbly legs of theirs!  : )
   

 

Feb. 5th

Hello, hello! 

This week's picture is of one of my latest taxidermy projects.  As seen, it's an old deer skull (one we found dead) and a rattle snake on top, sneaking into the eye socket.  I skinned the headless snake, waited a few days, and then sewed it together while stuffing it with a piece of wire and cotton.  I jokingly said that it was my "cotton mouth" snake.
Dad helped form it in the right position and now it sits on our end table in the living room.

Lately on the ranch we've been keeping busy with homeschool, a little sickness (yuck), checking cattle, doing chores, and in our pastime we read, play card/board games, watch a movie or two, look at Pinterest/Facebook, or finish up whatever projects we're working on. 

Speaking of Pinterest and Facebook, at the end of each post, there are buttons you can click to share my blog.  So, if you are enjoying this blog, why not let your friends enjoy it, too?  I'd greatly appreciate it.

All of the chickens, cats, dogs, pigs, doves, cattle, goats, and horses are doing well.  AND... Dad called a bit ago, saying that one of my goats had her kids!  Yay!  I'm sure there'll be a post about that soon. 

So, keep checking back here.  I'll try to post every Thursday, unless something comes up.  ~Savannah  : )