A valentine to you...

Watercolor by Ian Ramsay... Mountain Valley Ranch, Western Montana

 

Some day...

 

To the rare ones...

Joseph Alleman Artworks

 "Distant Horizon" - oil on canvas 30x30

 

 

May the Woke awaken...

 Well said...  

https://twitter.com/i/status/1614512100545789952

Mother Nature's art

I was outside early this morning and found this frost pattern on the bottom of a clay pot saucer... 

 

 

I Wish you Christmas

 in the words of John Rutter

I wish you starlight on fields of snow,

The winter’s morning light and evening’s glow;

I wish you candles that shine from ev’ry tree

So all the world can see

The light that there could be.

I wish you music, I wish you song,

With voices echoing, joyous and strong;

I wish you church bells, ringing true and clear;

I wish you Christmas, a merry Christmas,

A merry Christmas to remember all the year.

Old friends smiling, thinking of times gone by;

Young friends laughing:

 Christmas is here,

Spirits are bright, and hopes are high.

 I wish you loved ones around your fire;

May Christmas bring you all your heart’s desire.

I wish you children to make the season new,

With dreams you help come true,

Just like it was for you.

 I wish you blessings, I wish you love,

The sound of angel choirs from high above;

I wish you laughter, happiness and cheer:

I wish you Christmas, a merry Christmas,

And may its joy and peace be with you through the year.

I wish you music, I wish you song;

I wish you harmony your whole life long;

The warmth of memories that long remain:

I wish you Christmas, a merry Christmas,

And may God Bless you till we all shall meet again.

 

Still wandering...

Road Tripp'n...

 

Sean & I took a road trip to N Calif.  I drove the hour and a half to Sean's ranchette at oh dark thirty and he drove from there on down.

The lack of snow on Mt Shasta was troubling.  When you have lived where water is such a precious commodity, you know how important snow pack is to replenishing the aquifer.

 

Lake Shasta was very low as well. It's looking to be another tough year for farmers and ranchers.

 

 

As we were pulling into the compound at Marymine's there were a million snow geese busy destroying an alfalfa field. 

 

I told Sean that I felt sorry for that farmer, and was thankful it wasn't one of Clarke's alfalfa fields.  Come to find out it was a new field of his. Dang.

Finally, I got to meet and hold great grand baby, Zoey.

 

She's such a good baby. Goes everywhere with Ali and never fuses.  I picked her up, and she took one look at me, cocked her head, pooped her diaper, and smiled. We bonded! Marymine and I only locked horns once on who's turn it was to hold her. Guess who won that one.  Ali is in her element as a mom.

We went out to dinner that night, only people wearing masks were the servers. The place was busy and no one was worrying about social distancing.  The push back to unconstitutional mandates is happening. Yay!

Sean took off the next morning to a friend's further south, with the promise that he would stop & pick me up on his way back North.

Ali, Zoey, and I ran farmer errands most of the day. That evening after Marymine got home from work we caught up, and she showed Ali & I how to make chocolate bombs...

 

Anyone who thinks the country is quiet, hasn't lived there long. All those geese (see above) make a lot of noise, add in the coyotes at night, and you have sound effects galore. 

Thought I would walk the fields just at day break, til I realized it would be better to stay close to the compound.  There are a couple of blinds not that far from the houses, and buckshot stings.

That evening Colt said we all needed to go have a beer at Farmer's Brewing in Princeton, 

 

 and that we would take "the party bus".  What party bus, I asked.  Oh, they laughed, the boys bought a bus at an auction in Oregon, and it's "the perfect party bus". Got a little remodeling to finish inside, but other than that...                           What a hoot!

 

Loved getting to spend time with my wild, crazy, hard work'n crew.

Sean and I are now back in the rainy, cold North country.

"There's Trouble"...

 

 

 

 

Here I am starting a new year, trying to bloom where I'm planted.  Really need to cut back on the cooking, and to get motivated to finish a bunch of projects. 

Combat yoga is calling my name, again, but I seem to be going a bit deaf.

All my crew are well and busy.  My great grand baby is doing well. Photos after I get down there to see her in person.

MySean came and spent Christmas Day with me.  He gifted me with a new copy of a much cherished book that I had loaned him.  It somehow disappeared from his place.

 

 

He then had the unmitigated gall to ask if he could borrow it (again)... "NOPE"!  "LOL"  It has since gone to be read by a BIL & SIL, who have along with me, shared history of places, and will return it. 

Dogs are fine, and have come in mighty handy for the two dog nights we've had of late. 

Only had to wear the hated mask of oppression once last year when I went to the eye doc for a glaucoma test.  Doc greeted me with a big smile and  "There's Trouble!" Obviously, he remembered me from past encounters.
 

Christmas 2020...

 

 

Great Gran here...

 

 

 Getting a text at 2:50 AM brought me out of a sound sleep with some trepidation.  Usually no happiness comes from messages at that time of night. 

This one brought great joy: "Miss Zoey arrived at 2:11 AM today 💗".

Great Grand baby Zoey made her maiden voyage into our family December 10, 2020 at 2:11 AM.  She weighed in at 7.1 lbs and 19" long.  

 

All is well.  We are blessed.

 

PS:  Thank you all for the kind words. They are home now and doing fine.  Sean and I are going down next month to see her!!! 

Trees & Daisy...

 

 

Haven't seen this in person yet, but I will as it is not that far from MySean's small ranch outside Sheridan.  

 

(MySean is a Project manager for Hampton Lumber)

In other news, Peanut has had her name changed to Daisy.

She will answer to anything so it hasn't been a difficult transition.  Took her to the vet Tuesday to get her current on a host of vacs and a checkup. (She lost the vision in her left eye when Cody's Anatolian Shepherd bit her head last summer.)    She was really good for the vet, in fact he commented that she was mellow for a mini doxie.  It was a very tiring day for her and she needed a wee nap when we got back home.  

 

 

 

The Aftermath...

Hope your Thanksgiving was all you needed it to be.

 

The pie and I went down to MySean's on Friday to celebrate Thanksgiving with part of the family.  We gathered with much hugging and laughter.  Good food was shared, good wine was drank, and tall tales of misadventure were told. 

 

MySean bought a new pro xp sport RZR and proceeded to give his ma a hair on fire fast ride around the ranch. Through the evening mist we went, dodging numerous trees and stumps...

 

When he said "hang on ma" I knew it was going to be fun.  Damn that thing can go, and the cornering is awesome.  By the end of the wild ride I was covered in mud, and sporting a big grin! 

 

Thankful 4 family & pie...

 

Wednesday was a pie making class for me at my SIL Shell's. All my SILs are good cooks, but Shell is beyond good. Her culinary skills are legend in the family.

  

Why she was brave enough to take me on as an apprentice is untold.

My part of the supply list sent me in search of Spelt flour.  This was a must according to Shell, as it makes the best, light and flaky crust.

In a big bowl we mixed the Spelt flour with cubes of Crisco, added a touch of water, and a pinch of salt. Formed into balls and placed it outside to stay cold til we were ready for it.

 

Next (with the help of my niece) was to core, peel, and slice several bushels of apples with ancient paring knives. We used Granny Smith apples, Shell says she prefers Pippins, but they are hard to find here. A mix of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp works for me. 

We stirred cinnamon, brown sugar, sugar, and butter into the apples and set that aside while we went on to make the pie crusts.

Shell whipped out her Mrs. Anderson's, floured it up, and rolled out the dough. 

Crust was put in the pan, and filled with the apple mixture. Top crust made and placed over the filling.  Fluted the edges, and baked at 400 for how ever long it takes.  

 

 

It isn't pretty but I'm hoping it's good eat'n...

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

 

Snow Geese Migration...

 

Since I posted Marymine's video, there have been a few questions about the snow geese.   This article might be of interest:

"More than a million snow geese return to California’s wetlands every winter.

It’s a migration dating back millennia. Their arrival sends bird enthusiasts and conservationists flocking to the Sacramento Valley to catch the noisy spectacle.

 

1. Where did the snow geese come from?

For thousands of years, snow geese have migrated from the Arctic along the Pacific flyway to winter on the Sacramento River floodplain.

Now that humans control the river’s flow through dams and other management, natural flooding no longer occurs. “That’s why preserving wetland wildlife refuges (where the geese now congregate) is so important.”

While some migrate from as far as Russia, most of California’s snow geese are likely flying from Alaska and western Canada, Humboldt State University wildlife management professor and goose expert Jeff Black said. While at their summer breeding grounds, snow geese lose their flight feathers, grounding them. They grow back at the end of summer, and the geese take flight for the western United States and Mexico.

2. Where is home now that they’re here?

Besides refuges, snow geese and other wetland wildlife hangout in rice fields, which serve as “surrogate wetlands.”

Rice farmers, who flood their fields after the fall harvest, welcome them, said Jim Morris, spokesman for the California Rice Commission in Sacramento. Snow geese arrive “just in time” to fertilize fields with their droppings, enriching soil before spring planting.

The fields supply more than 60% of the fall/winter food consumed by wetland migratory birds, Morris said. Part of that feast is the stubble left from harvested rice plants. What they don’t eat, their big flappy feet may smack down, pushing it under water and into the soil. “You need the stubble to decompose before you can plant again, (so birds provide) a real service.”

About 230 wetland species graze in the Sacramento Valley, home to 97% of California’s 500,000-acre rice grow, Morris said.

California is the second largest rice-producing state after Arkansas, growing more than four billion pounds of rice. More than 90% is sushi rice.

3. How do I know if what I’m seeing is a snow goose?

Snow geese are hard to miss. They’re a big bird with a 4.5-foot wingspan, according to the Audubon Society, and usually gather in large numbers.

They sport white bodies with black wingtips, a look scientists think makes them blend in with the snow, Black said.

Look for couples.

“They migrate in devoted lifelong pairs,” Black said. "

By Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight

Cakes & Snows

 

 *Told WSF I would try to find photos of some of Marymine's delicious cakes...

 She makes them outside of her regular day job. 

*Forgot to take my phone on my walks at Marymine's, but low n behold...

she posted a video of her backyard... turn your sound up to get the real effect.  The first 1:30 min will orient you and then if you skip to the 5:50 min mark you will see them spot her...

https://www.facebook.com/1738670879/videos/pcb.10208152070516349/10208152045675728 

Road Trip Nov 2020

 

Made a quick trip to Cali to see friends and family, and attend Ali's baby shower. (Willie stayed with my cousin in Portland, as traveling is not his thing.)

 Spent the first night in RB and went to the Art Walk with a BIL & SIL.  It has been so dry there that a small rain shower was welcomed. Saw local art work at some of the 24 venues. But to be greeted with much hugging and laughter by friends that I haven't seen since I moved to Vancouver was The Best. 

 

 

The next day I traveled on to Marymine's.  Seemed like forever since I had gotten to see some of my grandkids.

Ali's husband Tyler's parents and grandparents had flown out from Kansas for the shower. Which led to more hugging and laughter.  So good to see them again. Granddaughter Lauren drove home from college in Fresno for the baby shower. 

 

 We all worked on making decorations for the hall and Marymine made cookies.  She's an extraordinary baker, along with her other talents.

 

The shower was small, just family and close friends, but that baby is wanting for nothing. Great grand baby, Zoey Grace is due the middle of next month! 

 

 

Monday morning I left for home with Nate stuffed with four big crocks for my SIL in Oregon, a new sticker for my ride made by Marymine,   

wine, a rose bush, wine, goodies from Marymine, wine, and Peanut. It was good to have Peanut with me as it forced me to stop more than normal to air her out.  Picked up Willie on the way through Portland.  After nine hours of driving I stumbled into the hovel, took care of the dogs, and crawled into bed. 

 

Peanut is a dappled wiener, and quite the character.  She came home with me at the behest of Marymine and the grandkids. Willie has been informed by her that she is the boss of him... 

 

Willie has been wearing the look of a befuddled ol fella, but is slowly adapting to having her around. 

 

 

Veterans Day 2020

 

 

 

Thank you Veterans for your service to our country.  

 

Dad second from the left side, front row of photo.

Daughter, Marymine

Grandson Corpsman Cody