Ever since we returned from Sukkot I've been putting off the chore of changing water around the property. I always manage to get half soaked no matter what I do and with the weather getting cooler and my fingers and toes always being too cold anyway, it seems my dislike for the job is reasonable. For the past couple of days dad has reminded me to go out and move the water several times and today I told him that I would do it as soon as the sunshine warmed things up a bit. Finally by 5 in the evening I realized the sun wasn't going to warm things up and that I'd better get out and do what I said I would do. Reluctantly I put on my jacket then I stood in dad's office and told him how cold I was. He told me to go get dressed as if it were zero degrees outside. I took the jacket off and pulled pajamas on under my clothes and a sweatshirt over them, then the jacket and a hat. Still, I procrastinated, standing in his office(looking ridiculous with the pj bottoms poking out from under my skirt). Finally I began to feel quite toasty so I got my boots on, tucked my pjs into them and headed out to the orchard to move the hose from one dry tree to the next. As I pulled the hose to it's new position it caught and kinked, the spray from the sprinkler dribbled to a stop and in the quiet of the outdoors I heard faint but distinct meow that I was sure I would never hear again. I looked around and spotted Mimi, my 15 year old cat who had been missing for 3 weeks, thought to have been eaten by dogs. She was stuck on the other side of the fence in the neighbors yard, pacing back and forth meowing. I almost began climbing the fence to rescue her, but the mental picture of what the neighbors might see and what they might think was enough to stop me. I ran and hopped in the car, drove around the block, ran through the neighbors back yard to scoop little Mimi up. She had a wild look about her and she seemed thin and scared. I walked back to the car with her, just then the neighbor was driving up. I happened to glance down and remembered those stupid pajama pants poking out from under my skirt, they had untucked themselves when I ran to Mimi's rescue. Embarrassed, I smiled and waved at the neighbor and hurried back home with poor skinny Mimi. She was served a heaping plate full of her favorite cat food while Flavia sat scowling and growling from the other side of the room(jealous spoiled thing). Now Mimi sleeps happily on a pile of quilts in the bedroom, jumping up meowing and purring every time I enter. It will take a few days to feed the wild and starving look out of her eyes and fatten her up. I can't believe I had given her up as dead. After all the excitement I went back out to finish setting the water, I didn't care anymore if I did get soaked.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A Sweet Surprise
Ever since we returned from Sukkot I've been putting off the chore of changing water around the property. I always manage to get half soaked no matter what I do and with the weather getting cooler and my fingers and toes always being too cold anyway, it seems my dislike for the job is reasonable. For the past couple of days dad has reminded me to go out and move the water several times and today I told him that I would do it as soon as the sunshine warmed things up a bit. Finally by 5 in the evening I realized the sun wasn't going to warm things up and that I'd better get out and do what I said I would do. Reluctantly I put on my jacket then I stood in dad's office and told him how cold I was. He told me to go get dressed as if it were zero degrees outside. I took the jacket off and pulled pajamas on under my clothes and a sweatshirt over them, then the jacket and a hat. Still, I procrastinated, standing in his office(looking ridiculous with the pj bottoms poking out from under my skirt). Finally I began to feel quite toasty so I got my boots on, tucked my pjs into them and headed out to the orchard to move the hose from one dry tree to the next. As I pulled the hose to it's new position it caught and kinked, the spray from the sprinkler dribbled to a stop and in the quiet of the outdoors I heard faint but distinct meow that I was sure I would never hear again. I looked around and spotted Mimi, my 15 year old cat who had been missing for 3 weeks, thought to have been eaten by dogs. She was stuck on the other side of the fence in the neighbors yard, pacing back and forth meowing. I almost began climbing the fence to rescue her, but the mental picture of what the neighbors might see and what they might think was enough to stop me. I ran and hopped in the car, drove around the block, ran through the neighbors back yard to scoop little Mimi up. She had a wild look about her and she seemed thin and scared. I walked back to the car with her, just then the neighbor was driving up. I happened to glance down and remembered those stupid pajama pants poking out from under my skirt, they had untucked themselves when I ran to Mimi's rescue. Embarrassed, I smiled and waved at the neighbor and hurried back home with poor skinny Mimi. She was served a heaping plate full of her favorite cat food while Flavia sat scowling and growling from the other side of the room(jealous spoiled thing). Now Mimi sleeps happily on a pile of quilts in the bedroom, jumping up meowing and purring every time I enter. It will take a few days to feed the wild and starving look out of her eyes and fatten her up. I can't believe I had given her up as dead. After all the excitement I went back out to finish setting the water, I didn't care anymore if I did get soaked.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Garden Photos Autumn Bounty
Autumn is here and so comes the bounty from the garden. I took a stroll in the garden today for the first time since we returned from Sukkot. I was surprised to see how many tomatoes went to waste while we were gone. Still there were five crates mostly full after I picked and that's not even touching the cherry tomato patch.
The peppers, cabbage, beets, carrots, squash, green beans, potatoes, and herbs will be a yummy addition to our autumn diet.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Sukkot Photos
YRM took quite a few photos and posted them on Facebook, I'm in a few of them. Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=512823&id=465899410342
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Home from Sukkot
Wow, what a trip! We drove over 900 miles the first day making it to Belle Fourche SD by bedtime. On day two we visited the Laura Ingalls homestead in DeSmet SD, it was 5 hours out of our way but we had promised my niece that we would go and it was worth the stop. After that dad decided that we would drive nonstop to Indiana so we drove all night, arriving at our destination the following morning.
We tried to catch up on sleep before the first meeting but there was just no way. We nearly got scared half to death that first day when there was a misunderstanding and we thought we had to sing at the first meeting, thankfully it was only a misunderstanding! The feast was wonderful, we met so many people! We played music on several occasions, went horseback riding, hiking, there was a BBQ, pioneer day, visiting around the camp fire. Every day there was at least one service. We learned many things and saw 11 people baptized!
On the way home we drove 1100 miles to Rapid City on the first day, on day two we visited aunt Helen and uncle Art and cousin's Sue and Rich. We also saw Mnt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Cosmos. On day three we drove through Sturgis and visited cousins Julie and Bill, then we drove on to Belle Fourche and took Rachael through the cemetery where our great great grandfather is buried. After that we topped off the day with a stop at the BBCR(Big Bonato Canyon Ranch) where the original Bonato homesteads still stand. Rachael had never been there so I took her on a hike to the Greslin homestead. We had to crawl under or over about 7 fences and walk probably 2 or 3 miles. We collected a few rocks and a deer scull. When we got back, Martin had showed up so we stood around visiting for a bit before getting back on the road. We drove till Big Timber MN where we stayed for the night. Our last day of travel we stopped at Butte to look at the mines, in Alberton we checked out the bookstore, and in Haugan we visited the souvenier store, 50,000 silver dollars. After that we had no motivation but to drive till we got home.
At home I found Flavia waiting for me, she was so happy that she sat by me for hours just watching and purring and occasionally meowing at me. Sadly, my 15 year old cat Mimi was likely eaten by the neighbor's rowdy dogs while we were gone. We looked all around for evidence but found nothing. Only Uncle Tony's story of chasing the dogs off, later he discovered that not all the cats were showing up for meals.
I'm not so happy to get back to farming, I sure would like it to be the dead of winter right now. I had to pick up my 5 goats from the goat sitter, I think I'll sell them as fast as I can and buy new ones in the spring!
It is good to be home though, in spite of all the work that is staring me in the face. At least I have my own bed to rest in and all the wonderful comforts of home.
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