Sunday Solitude as the Sun Goes Down

A cool drink of water left over from the sprinkler...

Hope everyone had a very blessed weekend,

Happy Trails...

Oops!

I went out this evening to gather eggs..

Oops, excuse you, did someone have a little touch of gas?

Do you see it?

As my darling husband would say "That's about as big as a popcorn fart!"

Happy Trails...

A Break from My Computer

I have been at it nonstop this morning working on the webstore trying to get it up and running. Hopefully, it will be open by the end of the week. I had to take a break and go walk to the mailbox..the sun's warmth felt so good on me.

I guess if you're plastic, it's okay to be left out in the hot sun all day...

But if you're not, the shade sure feels good..

The cotton across the road seems to like the hot dry weather.

The farmer way over there is stirring up even more dust...hahuh, huhhh, it's coming my way..time to go back in..

Happy Trails..

GiveAway Day and 100th Post!

Today is the huge GiveAway Day hosted by Sew, Mama, Sew and I decided to participate once again. In celebration of my 100th post and with Father's Day right around the corner, I'll be giving away two armchair caddies. These are great on an armchair or side of the bed tucked in a mattress. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment why you think someone might enjoy having one. Two winners will be picked at random on June 1st. You have til midnight May 31st to enter your comments. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if chosen. And, sorry, I will not be shipping internationally.

Good Luck and

Happy Trails.....

99 and 1 To Go

Tomorrow is going to be my 100th post. Be sure to stop by as I'm participating in the huge giveaway day in blogland hosted by the folks over at Sew, Mama, Sew. They hosted one last December that was a huge success and this one's going to be even better and more fun because it's open for several days giving everyone a chance to browse the giveaways on participating blogs.

This is what I got to wake up to this morning. Everything was a pink haze. Am I blessed or what?

Do you think we could use a little rain?

Even the fireants have left...

Aha, here they are...they just relocated.

Don't forget to get in on guessing the day I'm going to get 23 eggs.

Happy Trails...

Guess the Eggs Contest

Everyday I walk out to gather eggs, it's always interesting trying to guess how many I'm going to have waiting for me. So I thought what fun it would be to have a contest.

Let me start at the beginning...

Dec 17 I started with 24 pullet (a young female chicken) hatchlings; 6 Ameracaunas, 6 black sex links, 6 red sex links and 6 gold sex links. If you look back at one of my posts, it was confirmed that Rooster Cogburn was a rooster which means I have 23 chickens that will lay eggs. Chickens will generally start laying eggs around 20-24 weeks and they will lay one egg a day. When they first start laying, they might skip a day or two before getting into a regular pattern of laying. On May 6, at 20 weeks old, I was presented with the first egg. For several days after that, I would get 1-3 eggs and then a couple days of nothing. On May 20th (22 weeks old) I got 9 eggs, then 11, then 13 and now for the past couple days, I've been getting anywhere from 9-13. The Ameracaunas lay the green eggs so the most I can get of those a day is 5.

Today I got 16 eggs!!! They have a chicken house with their nest boxes and are turned out in a huge pen during the day and put up at night.

This Wednesday, May 27, they will be 23 weeks old. So, I thought I'd have a contest on who could guess the first day I get 23 eggs. Your guess is as good as mine but I will send out a special gift to whoever can guess the day. I'll post at the end of the day how many eggs I've collected. First right guess get the prize.

Good Luck and

Happy Trails...

A Quiet Morning

Yesterday morning Harley and I were out taking one of our many walks around the place, enjoying the cool crisp start to the day. Of course, she had to stop along the way and chew on a pecan wood stick while I snapped a few pictures.

The dill in the garden is blooming and smells wonderful..

The quiet was interrupted by the cropduster spraying the cotton field out front.

Such is my morning...

Happy Trails..

Another Day, Another Year

Yesterday, God allowed me to wake up to see this gorgeous sunrise and celebrate another year since my birth day. I will never understand why I've been chosen to be so blessed.

My cup truly runneth over...

Here's the overgrown garden out back. I've got to get out there and weed!

Check out this tiny little cucumber...it's about 3/4 inch long right now.

I've read in some of your blogs that you have trouble with moles. I wanted to share with you a picture of our mole chaser in the front garden. It's basically a windmill that has a little bead up in the crossbar pipe that, when turning, sends down a vibration through the pipe and chases away the moles. My neighbor just asked that we not send them her way because she has enough already.

Eve is out front watching over the front garden. It was so cute last evening..I looked out and Harley was lying at her feet. I tried to get a picture but when I walked out, she saw me and realized that was not me out there and came running.

I'm going to move Eve to the back garden out by the chickens. Maybe she can pull out some of those weeds while I'm in here on the computer...

Happy Trails...

The Party's Over

Graduation Day has come and gone...yipee! The party's over and now real life begins...get a job!

Here's Buck on the left with his compadre and life long friend since kindergarten in the green shirt who graduated yesterday too. They have no clue what lies ahead...only when they are 40 yrs older and blogging about their own children will they realize what has hit them.

On another note, I got my first green egg yesterday...and the first day I got a total of five eggs. There are still 18 more chickens that need to be getting it on their little pea brain minds. I think I know which Ameracauna this is.. she was at the door this morning waiting for me to finish putting fresh hay in the nest boxes so she could get in there.

Happy Trails...

Busy Thursday

There's a lot going on today. We've got one graduating from Texas A&M University tomorrow so we're planning a big hoorah. He was on the 5 yr program so we're most happy to see this come to an end. So today is cooking and cleaning day.

I'd tried to get a good night's sleep so I can get crackin' early. Dottie crawled up in bed with me early this morning and curled up right under my chins...no, that's not a typo. My cup runneth over and so do my chins...

Anyway, today is also the day for the aerial spray for the orchard so had to get horses in the barn and prepare for the spray. Hopefully, this will be a good year and we'll have a great harvest.

So while I'm in the kitchen with eggs cooking on the stove, I thought I'd snap a few pictures of the kitchen and family room...it's all one big room. There's nothing yet on the walls...just haven't had time to get to that yet.

Yes, I took the easy way out and bought canned foods. Trust me, I'm still cooking a lot. Here in Texas we eat big.

Happy Trails...

Good Kitty!

Welcome? I don't think so! I'm sitting here at my computer and Dottie is in her usual spot on the window sill and she starts going nuts! I look out and this huge snake was slithering across my back doorway. I know it's just a chicken snake but I don't do snakes...especially at my back door!

Good Kitty! You're a keeper!

Meet Dottie

Meet the newest addition to our farm. Buddy and I agreed that when we got our house finished we would get a housecat. We have been looking and found exactly what we were looking for. She is a year old and strictly an inside cat. She is so sweet and loves Buddy. We live very close to Texas A&M University - hence, lots of college students...and I mean a lot! This time of year, the students are vacating the campus and leaving behind their unwanted belongings. Apparently, one particular student moved out and left her roommates with this gorgeous cat which they could not keep or take home themselves. So, that's how Dottie entered our lives.

This is a favorite spot in the house..in the window sill watching the dogs and the hummingbirds zipping to and from the feeder.

Happy Trails...

A Happy Mother's Day Story

I recall my first real Mother's Day. It was not a day set aside to honor Mother's everywhere. It was the day I became a mother when my first child was born. God said "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children." Gen 3: 16. Yet God makes it a labor of love.
While in the hospital, my mother brought me a florist's arrangment that had an assortment of small green plants. One of those little plants survived it's way for 35 years through countless moves and numerous window sills. It has multiplied, been repotted and multiplied again. A friend of mine asked me just this week if she could have a start for herself and her mother. Oh, yes, this little plant somehow keeps on giving to mothers. Thanks, Mom, for this special plant from my very first Mother's Day.

Mother's Day Gift Idea

Take something old and make it new.

Find a pretty coffee cup and saucer and glue them together as shown and you've got a perfect little tray for Mom's or Grandma's keepsakes.

Hope every Mother has a very Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Trails...