Spring is Springing!

There are signs of spring showing up all around us!  New babies in the pasture. (and if you click on the above photo, you will see the bottom rung of the fence around the pond is broken somewhere.  That's another sign of spring around here - TIME TO FIX THE FENCE!)

More babies enjoying the sun.

Close up of this little one - we usually don't keep white calves (charolais) - they are NOT good at staying in the pasture.  We only have the mom because she was pregnant at the time we were loading cows last time.

Silly daffodils.  When we moved here, the 'landscaping' that had been done was very interesting.  Flower beds around things - like the satellite dish, etc....These guys come up every year even after being mowed all summer.

After having planted more blueberry bushes than I care to number, we finally put some in pots on the back deck.  Apparently this was the perfect idea!  We'll keep them there for several years, until I'm absolutely sure that they'll survive in the garden.  I'd add some photos of robins on this post too - for my northern friends because that's the sign of spring in PA - but I see robins here all year long.  They come to my feeder outside in December and January.  

Stay in the Pasture!

REALLY??  Anyone see what's wrong in this photo???

Yes, you.  I'm going to chase you.

I can still see you.  Even if I'm only walking.  I will catch up to you.  Walking is scarier than running.  That's why it's called Walking Dead, not Running Dead.  Hahahaha!   I mean business.

No, I won't stop.  You know where you got out.  Now go back in.

And just for good measure.  This is the correct way to let a cow know it needs to stay put. In OUR pasture.  

Climbing Trees

One of my favorite things to do when I was a young child was climb trees.  In front of the house where we lived, there was a row of pine trees.  If I watched out for where the sticky pine sap was glopped up, these trees were great fun to climb because the branches grew in 'rings'.  Every foot or so, there was another ring of branches and it was easy-peasy to climb.  So easy, I'd get all the way to the top and would only stop when the tree began to bend a little.  (I did have some common sense as a child...either that or I didn't feel like messing up my clothes falling 40 feet or so)  I could look out over a field to the highway looking one direction, and in the other direction I could see behind my house to the next road.  My girls had such a fun time climbing this tree in the front yard!  I really need to find a tall tree and show them how to climb WAY up!  (and for those of you wondering - this was a couple of days after the snow - it melts quickly here!)

Several years ago, a big tree fell in a storm and the "older kids" had fun climbing on it.  

Roof Collapse!

So...the snow got a little bit heavy as it was melting and one of the side wings of the barn collapsed onto the hay (and a tractor!).  We were planning to do some work on the barn this year anyway as a lot of beams and boards need some replacing.  It looks like the demo part has been done for us!

Throwback Thursday

August 1991 - introducing Kyle to his new brother Keenan and telling him to 'be gentle'.  Kyle and Keenan are only 366 days apart.  Isn't it amazing how quickly babies grow up?

The Weather?? It is Very Peculiar!

Here's the back deck right after the snow stopped.  

Same view, about 2 hours after the snow stopped.  I won't post any photos from today because I think my northern friends would want to beat me up a little.  It's 74 on my front porch.  I've got the doors open changing the air in the house.  (yes, I'm gloating a little!!)

Snow Day!

We finally had enough snow to play in!

The cool thing is that THIS IS REAL SNOW!  Not just a photo effect :)

Making angels.

Laughing and trying to stand all bundled up!

We made a snowman!  Olaf style, but it's a snowman!  

Dallin and Emmy

Kirsten and Tyler trying to tube.  It didn't work too well because the snow was too sticky.  And yes, Tyler is WEARING SHORTS!  Because he's a nut.

I went back right after the snow stopped to put the eyes on the snowman and get some photos, but he melted too quickly.  

SNOW!

The kids didn't have school on Wednesday, which I think was really silly considering Wednesday was an early release day which would have the kids home by 12:30-12:45 and the snow didn't start until about 2 PM.  Once it started though, it really came down!

This is Thursday after the first storm and before the second wave of snow went through.

It really blew everywhere!  This is the back deck.  

This is during the second snow storm.  Those higher snow covered blobs are hay bales and the shorter, blackish blobs are the cattle!

Very sticky snow!  It was beautiful for a while......

And we had a lot more accumulation than we've had in years, but.....

The sticky snow in the second storm caused some problems.  This is the chicken wire that we have around the chicken house (to keep them out of my garden, darn it!).  The weight of the snow pushed the wire down.  Apparently, that's not the worst though.  One wing of our barn collapsed and the roof is sitting on the hay.   

It is very pretty though, isn't it?

Thursday's Throwback Photo

SO, why does 1994 NOT seem like a 'throwback'???  This is Brandee, Kyle, Keenan, and Tyler taking a walk while we were visiting Granny Pennings one time.  Notice how it's the OLDEST in the wagon with the YOUNGEST pulling her.  You know, I think that "I bet you can't pull me/I dare you" thing works really well!

"Snowmageddon"

Check it out!  A cool "Snowstorm 2014" graphic already!  We're sitting here just waiting to see what we get.  It's been so many years since we've had a snow storm that is more than a dusting.  School for tomorrow has already been cancelled.  Not sure why they made that decision though - according to the predictions, the snow isn't supposed to get here until after lunch time.  The kids had early release tomorrow anyway.  (doesn't calling it 'early release' make it sound like they're being let out of prison?)  We've got the normal bread and milk, plus chocolate chips (duh), soup, and about 4 dozen eggs.  The generator has been brought down to the house from the shop.  The cows have a freshly filled hay wagon, 2 new protein tubs, and some new mineral blocks.  Kerosene has been purchased for a heater for the shop so Tim can keep working.  I mean, really, did you think a little thing like Snowmageddon would stop him???  Hopefully, I'll have some snow photos to post soon!

Negatives DONE!

Whew, I actually have one thing completed!  All of our negatives are uploaded to the computer.  Now I'm going to use some online photo programs (free!) and 'fix' them up a bit.  Here's another photo from a negative -

This is Granny Pennings holding Hayleigh in July of 2000.

Wishing For Snow Instead of Rain!

I know this won't make me very popular with the people up North....but I'd really like some of this rain to be snow!  We had a some snow last week, and it was nice!  I made a comment about driving in it on Facebook and was teased a little about it, but it is different here to drive in the snow.  There's not enough trucks to put cinders or salt on the roads, and since there's no deep freeze, it seems like the snow sticks on the road and turns icy right away.  BUT - I still want some snow!  I love being snowed in - chili on the stove, movies on TV, and a fire in the fireplace.  Sounds like a perfect day (or couple of days!) to me!