HALLOWEEN AT FT BRAGG

I MISS MY GRAND BABIES AND TOM AND KARRI SO BAD!

A SIMPLER LIFE

I am sitting here drained after paying bills. How would it feel not to have to pay out this money every payday?

Thank goodness for payday though. I paid off 2 credit cards today. And paid a large bit toward the last two.

I can't wait until those two are paid off. Of course there is always something else to buy around the corner.

Here is what I have to save for:

1. king sized mattress (aprox 600)
2. Home depot barn/shop with a loft (aprox 3500)
3. New front porch (might have to sell Bull)
4. Expansion of the master bed and bath...gonna add 8ft or so to the front of the house. (Ok I might need a contractor for a boyfriend!)
5. A deeper cleaned out pond......don't even want to think about this cost.

I keep asking myself....do I really need a king sized mattress...(yep)
do I really need a shop from Home Depot? (yep right now my tools are in the house, my current shop leaks bad, and my stuff is in storage 35 miles away and it needs to come home.
do I really need a new front porch? (ok no I don't....but it sure would be nice)
do I really need a bigger bedroom and bathroom? (no I don't need that either but if I had a boyfriend who was a contractor, negotiation could be fun!!)

At some point my self control will catch up with me and I will start to really save for retirement. I have simplified my life before to the point of living in a camper for 2 years. I know that I can do it again. Not the camper thing unless I have to....but just live simply
Food from the garden/pantry
Eggs from the hen house if the hens feel so inclined today...
Dandelion greens from the orchard....
One day fruit from the orchard.....
And who knows....fish from my pond?

But until then, I need to get better at simplifying what I can.

Time for a garage sale!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

SO CINDERELLA CAME BY TODAY.....

Firewood, Chickens and Coyotes

I came home with a trunk load of free firewood that my dad gave me. He has probably 4 more trunk loads. I changed clothes and turned on the light in the chicken house.






This morning when I went to leave for work before daylight I saw that Oreo had flown up and roosted on the top of the chicken wire. I sent a text to my daughter to clip her wings when she woke up. Well guess who was sitting on top of the wire tonight. Mind you her wings were shorter but I had never shown Heather how to clip a chicken's wing feathers. So I snatched her up, carried her upside down into the house...another little trick I need to show my daughter....gotta get her used to the country again.....and talked to Oreo while I clipped off all the feathers on one wing. She was as calm as could be. I took her back to her buddies and filled the food and water and they played happily while I unloaded the firewood.



This night is warm...just like TX to change her mind about the cold weather so fast. That's ok cause I unloaded wood in my pj's and listened to the seranade of a pack of coyotes w/in 100 yards of me. I am sure they are still talking about the new fast food place in town.



After I was done unloading, I leaned on the shed door and watched my chickens. This is what I love so much about chickens. When I watch them the cares of my day just slip away. I laughed as Blackie the Mystery Chicken tried to stuff herself into the food bucket, and Vanilla was staring straight up at the ceiling trying to figure out how to get up there.


Shadow and Brave are best friends and don't go anywere unless they are together.


As you can see chickens are a lot like people. The smarter older chickens are on the roost.....



while the younger teenagers are still up and messing around (talking on their cell phones or playing WOW)......lol





Tonight although stressful with work and visiting my mom who is still ill, it ended rather well.

Thought of the day....chickens are cheaper than therapy.

OK I COULD GET USED TO THIS

I CAME HOME TO A DAUGHTER WHO IS VERY HAPPY TO HAVE A NEW BOYFRIEND, KITTIES WHO ARE HAPPY TO SEE ME, BUT IT IS VERY COLD OUTSIDE (OK OK SO IT'S COLD FOR TEXAS!) IT'S ALREADY 48 OUTSIDE AND PROBABLY ONLY ABOUT 10 DEGREES WARMER IN THE HOUSE. SO I BUILT A FIRE. AND W/IN 30 MINUTES THE LIVING ROOM IS WARM AS TOAST. I REALLY LIKE THIS. I HAVE TO GET BETTER AT BUILDING UP THE FIRE AND REGULATING THE AIR SO THAT I GET AS MUCH HEAT OUT OF A LOAD OF WOOD AS POSSIBLE. BUT THIS WILL BE MUCH CHEAPER THAN PROPANE!

IT TAKES UP THE WHOLE BEDROOM!

SO MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A MEASURING TAPE WITH ME?

42 DEGREES!

Ok the ouside chores have to get done but with a nice warm weekend behind me why did I wait until it is 42 out with a 25mph stiff North wind? The second part of my chore list is going to be quite painful!

The sun is up and it is beautiful. MY NEW BED IS BEING DELIVERED TODAY. I will post pics as soon as it gets here. I don't have a mattress yet but that will be after the 30th.

I am drinking coffee and my warm kitty is draped across my shoulder. I can hear rush hour traffic in the distance and am very grateful that I am not in it.

Well I guess I better get out some gloves and go plant garlic!

Quiet evening

The wind is out of the North. No cricket sounds or owl sounds tonight. There are no sounds from the neighbors...no dogs barking.

Just the sound of the wind. What a peaceful evening. I don't have to be to work til late tomorrow so I want to get as much done tonight as possible. Here is my to do list before I go to bed.

1. take out all the trash
2. three loads of laundry
3. empty the kitty litter
4. vacume living room hall and my bedroom
5. clean my bathroom
6. clean the kitchen
7. pick up toys and put them in the toy box

In the morning:
1. cut starter wood and fill up a box on the front porch with it
2. cut up the remainder of the smaller branches to start fires (seperate box)
3. larger wood in a 3rd box
4. clean front porch
5. cut the scrub brush from the trees that we cut last year and bundle to dry as starter wood
6. clean up the field
7. mow the field--about a 2 hour job...so this will be partial
8. deal with an angry daughter who got woke up by the mower :)
9. drink coffee in my rocking chair on the front porch and watch the birds at the bird feeder.

and last but not least...play with my chickies--OREO (the queen), VANILLA, CHOCOLATE, SHADOW, BRAVE, AND BLACKIE THE MYSTERY CHICKEN. (Dakota hasn't chosen a name yet)

3RD POST--CHICKEN WHISPERER

THERE ARE FEW WHO UNDERSTAND MY GRANDSON JAYDEN. HE GETS IN TROUBLE AT SCHOOL, HE IS ROUGH WITH HIS BROTHER....BUT WHEN YOU LOOK IN HIS EYES YOU SEE SOMETHING.....ANIMALS KNOW IT. DOGS LOVE HIM AND HE LOVES ANIMALS. THIS LITTLE CHICKEN INSTANTLY FELL IN LOVE WITH JAYDEN. AFTER ONLY ONCE OF FALLING ASLEEP IN HIS LAP SHE NOW STANDS AND LETS HIM PICK HER UP.

2ND POST--CHICKEN HOUSE RESCUE

THE CHICKENS ARE HERE...THE HOUSE IS NOT PINK

HERE IS THE BEGINNING OF MY FLOCK. THEY DON'T HAVE NAMES YET BUT JAYDEN, DAKOTA AND I WENT TO A BEAUTIFUL FARM OUTSIDE OF QUINLIN WHERE A NICE MAN SOLD CHICKENS TURKEYS AND DUCKS. WE BOUGHT 1 BARRED ROCK ABOUT 4 MONTHS OLD, 1 RHODE ISLAND RED, SAME AGE AND 4 LITTLE BARN YARD MIXES THAT THE BOYS AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH.

BY THE TIME I CAME BACK HOME WITH THE CHICKENS DAD HAD BUILT ME NEW STEPS!



















AND ALSO WHEN WE GOT BACK DAVID WAS HERE WITH HIS SPRAYER AND HAS BEGUN SRAYING ON SEALER.

2nd Post: All Done!

And look at the porch...compare with the photo of the porch in the first post and look how much higher above the top step is is now! Yea ok....I really need new steps!

THIS IS SO PAINFUL!

WELL THE BIG TRUCK ARRIVED A LITTLE LATE BUT NOT TOO...FILLED WITH SANTA AND HIS ELVES....

LOTS OF PREP WORK AND YELLING AND DIGGING HAPPENED....

THEN ONE MAN BEGAN TO YELL A NUMERICAL (IN SPANISH) SEQUENCE AND FROM UNDER THE HOUSE YOU COULD HEAR MANY JACKS BEING PUMPED IN UNISON.

THIS PART WAS VERY COOL.....AROUND THAT TIME IT WAS 10:30ISH AND TIME FOR BREAKFAST. I MADE SOME SCRAMBLED EGGS AND TOAST AND SAT DOWN TO CHECK MY EMAIL AND THERE WAS A VERY LOUD POP...A CRACK SHOT ACROSS MY LIVING ROOM WALL!

THIS WAS THE FIRST OF MANY......HERE ARE SOME PICS OF THE ONGOING AFTERMATH...THEY AREN'T DONE YET.

TOMORROW IS CHRISTMAS!

I AM ON VACATION FOR THE WHOLE DAY!! AND ON TOP OF THAT A WHOLE TRUCK OF WORKERS (OK I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY) WILL GET TO MY HOUSE AT 8:30AM AND START WORKING ON LEVELING MY HOUSE!!!

FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ME....I LOVE TO WATCH MEN WORK!

#1...EVEN WEAK MEN ARE STRONGER THAN WOMEN; I LOVE TO WATCH HOW THEY MAKE EVEN THE HARDEST JOBS LOOK EASY

#2..I LOVE THE WAY THEIR MINDS WORK TO SOLVE A COMPLICATED CONSTRUCTION TYPE PROJECT!

#3..AND IT SIMPLY MAKES MY HEART JOYOUS TO WATCH MEN WORKING

THE FACT THAT MY HOUSE WILL BE LEVEL WHEN THEY ARE DONE IS JUST ICING ON THE CAKE! I AM GOING TO SIT IN MY SWING....WITH MY ICED TEA.....AND ENJOY WATHING SANTA AND HIS LITTLE ELVES!

DON'T WORRY...I WILL TAKE PICTURES!

A YEAR LONG BLONDE MOMENT

LAST YEAR WHEN I MOVED IN I ASKED THE PLUMBER WHY THE HOT WATER PRESSURE WAS SO LOW. HE GAVE ME LOTS OF IDEAS LIKE A KINKED LINE UNDER THE HOUSE, DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TANK AND THE SINKS/TUBS (I didn't even fall for that one because my house is 1200 SF!), ETC.

YESTERDAY I HAD JUST DECIDED THAT BEFORE I GET A NEW FRONT PORCH, I NEEDED TO RE-PLUMB FOR HOT WATER BECAUSE I CAN'T STAND THIS ANY MORE...I HAVE LONG HAIR AND I NEED HOT WATER PRESSURE!

TODAY I BENT DOWN AND TURNED ON THE HOT WATER TO TAKE A SHOWER AND A LIGHT BULB WENT OFF.

I TURNED THE KNOB BACK OFF....WALKED DOWN THE HALL TO THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND LO AND BEHOLD...THERE IS A KNOB ON THE HOTWATER TANK TOO!

I TURNED IT LIKE I WAS TURNING IT ON AND IT REALLY TURNED A LOT!

WENT BACK TO THE TUB AND LOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT DO I HAVE TO SHOW FOR ALL OF THIS OVERTIME?

1. SERVICED AND FIXED THE WOOD STOVE $140

2. SIGNED A CONTRACT TO LEVEL THE HOUSE $2400

3. PAID OFF THE KING SIZED 4 POSTER TEXAS BED $568

4. HIRED A PAINTER! $1300

5. TOOK MY DAUGHTER AND GRAND KIDS TO RED LOBSTER FOR HER 27TH BIRTHDAY $80

6. BOUGHT A NEW CROCK POT TO MAKE HOME MADE CHILI ON SUNDAY $39

7. BOUGHT A NEW NINJA COSTUME FOR HALLOWEEN $20

8. FINISHED BUILDING THE CHICKEN HOUSE...$1 MILLION DOLLARS

9. AND FINALLY DINNER AT DENNYS...JAYDEN'S FAVORITE PLACE...$20

NOW I AM BROKE!

FARM NINJAS

JUST WHEN I WAS STARTING TO FEEL A LITTLE SCARED LIVING IN THE COUNTRY.....ALONG CAME MY FARM NINJA TO KEEP ME SAFE....WHAT WOULD i DO WITHOUT HIM!

STOVE IS GETTING WORKED ON

IT IS NEVER A GOOD THING WHEN THE STOVE REPAIR GUY SAYS....OOOPS!

LOOKS LIKE I WILL BE GOOD TO HAVE FIRES THIS YEAR WHEN THEY ARE DONE. THEY SAY IT JUST NEEDED A GOOD CLEANING. THE SOUNDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THE ATTIC DON'T SOUND GOOD THOUGH.

COWS ARE MOOOOOOING!!!

OK IT IS 1AM AND I AM AWAKE. THERE ARE TWO COWS AND TWO CALVES ACROSS THE STREET THAT HAVE ALL THE COWS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN AN UPROAR. THEY ARE BEING WEENED AND HAVE BEEN CALLING OUT TO EACH OTHER ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. WE FINALLY CLOSED THE WINDOWS AND TURNED ON THE A/C!

SITTING IN MY DARKENED LIVING ROOM WITH JUST THE LIGHT FROM MY COMPUTER, MY DAUGHTER AND I TALKED THROUGH ALL OF THE BAD THINGS GOING ON IN THE WORLD, THE SAD COWS, HOW MUCH FUN IT WILL BE FOR SHE AND I TO SIT IN THE CHICKEN HOUSE AND MAKE PETS OF THE CHICKENS LIKE WE USED TO. SHE IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING CHICKENS.

SHE AND I HAVE A HARD TIME WATCHING THE NEWS BECAUSE IT IS SO BAD.

MY SON CALLED TODAY FROM NC IN THE ARMY AND TOLD ME HIS GOOD FRIEND FROM THE LITTLE TOWN IN TX WHERE HE AND THIS BOY LIVED AND WERE FIRE FIGHTERS TOGETHER HAD GIVEN UP THE FIGHT AND COMMITTED SUICIDE. TOM HAD TRIED TO TALK THIS BOY INTO THE ARMY AND I KNOW TOM...HE WILL FEEL A FAILURE AND WILL THINK HE SHOULD HAVE TRIED HARDER. TOM TENDS TO TAKE ON THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS.

WE WERE NOT CREATED FOR THIS. WE WERE CREATED FOR SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS. WE ARE A JIGSAW PUZZLE PIECE THAT JUST DOESN'T FIT WHERE IT IS AT...AND BECAUSE OF THIS THE WORLD IS IN AN UPROAR. CHILDREN AND PEOPLE SUFFER EVERY DAY.

I CAN'T WAIT TO BE WHERE I FIT.

THOUGHT: IF THIS WORLD DIDN'T SUCK SO BAD...WE'D ALL FALL OFF

POSTS ARE WATERED AND SET...MISSING ONE THOUGH!

After looking at the outside chicken run I realized I should have put in 5 posts not 4. I need two at the end to hang a gate on! Ok So If I buy a sharp shooter I bet I can figure out how to dig one post hole. I watched Todd do 4!

Actually I helped so much that the first words out of my mouth this morning were..."OW"

While setting the first post last night a coyote raced right past us through the circle of light! 5 feet away from us! (probably checking out the new Mcdonalds drive through)...but my whole yard is fenced...where he came from and where he went I will never know because he came out of the dark and ran into the dark.

The moon is full and bright...it is warm outside. Probably the last warm full moon.

Looked at the news after a day where work is finally starting to settle down and lo and behold....CA is burning and a new tropical storm is forming in the Atlantic.

I guess overtime is a good thing.

CHICKEN RUN POSTS ARE IN!

AND IN THE PROCESS WE FOUND OUT WHY RAIN WATER DOESN'T DRAIN. WE FOUND THE HARD PAN

.

MY DAY OFF

What a beautiful day it is outside. I can't believe how wonderful it is. I have been busy catching up on my day off. I got to sleep in til 7:30!! Amazing. While the coffee was brewing I washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.

Then I started the first of 3 loads of laundry, cleaned both bathrooms, and then drank my first cup while checking my emails. That is around the time I found the shovel in the coat closet. Go figure.

Then it was time to get to work outside. With scissors, trash bags and weed eater in hand, I went out to work on the soon to be chicken run. Yes the one with the poison ivy. Now it was very day light so I could see what I was doing. Hmmmm....didn't know poison ivy had thorns. Went in to look it up and lo and behold.....it's not poison ivy but blackberries instead. I am such a country woman I just amaze myself sometimes.

Got most of the tall grass and the torn up plastic bags picked up and raked out the potting soil that Bull had dumped out flat. I had a wheel barrow full of molded old turkey food that had to go into the compost so I could use the wheel barrow to wheel down the 10 full trash bags that I had filled when cleaning up in the shop and behind the shop to the end of the driveway where I keep the trash can. Got that done and the dew was now dry so I brought out the vacume cleaner and VACUMED MY DRIVE WAY....had to put that in all caps because it really made me mad to have to vacume my grass driveway. But I had to clean up all the stuffing from the giant stuffed dog that Bull tore up.

Then I raked the front yard and finished picking up all the tiny iddy biddy pieces of stuff there that Bull had torn up. After all of that I pulled out the mower and mowed the front yard and the back by the chicken run.

Time to take a shower and go to The Home Depot. Bought my list of supplies that I need to build the chicken run. Talked to the guys that are picking it up...bless their hearts...they have been at work since 6am and will be tired before they even get here.

Then to Kroger...picked up large potatos to bake, ranch style beans, dressing for the salad, marinade for the 4 large rib eye steaks that I will be cooking for the guys building the chicken pen, and a Mr. Coffee ice tea machine. It is hot today and they will need ice tea.

Stopped by Sonic to get ice and came on home. The taters are baking....Flash is curled up next to me and I think I have time for a little nap before the guys get here.

WOW I LOVE DAYS OFF.....I FORGOT HOW MUCH FUN WORK YOU CAN GET DONE!!!

OH AND ......GO COWBOYS!!!

LOOK WHAT I FOUND

IN THE COAT CLOSET! I KNEW I HAD A FLAT BLADE SHOVEL.....TIME TO CLEAN OUT THE CLOSETS I GUESS....

How did it get so dirty? I have only been here 1 year!

2.5 hours I worked on the shop....when I started I thought I would have it done in an hour at the

most! Holy cow! I am such a pack rat!

But now the shop is clean (ish)

And the chicken house is almost ready for birds...I know I have been saying that for a long time! But really. It is almost time!

Now what the heck am I going to do with this pile of trash???

STUPID DOGS

I HATE DOGS. WHY DO I HAVE A DOG? ALL THEY DO IT TEAR STUFF UP AND KILL YOUR STOCK. YES THERE ARE GOOD FARM DOGS OUT THERE BUT I DON'T HAVE ONE. ALL HE DOES IS....

EAT MY TREES






EAT MY GOOD EXTENTION CORDS

EAT MY FURNITURE

MAKE TRASH IN MY YARD

YES THIS WAS SEVERAL BAGS OF REALLY GOOD POTTING SOIL.

AGAIN....WHY DO I OWN A STUPID EATING CHEWING POOPING MACHINE?