SUMMER IS WINDING DOWN

It is very cool (ok for Texas) this morning. It is in the high 60's. I posted yesterday that I have been away so long I don't even know if anything is growing in my garden any more.

The answer is yes...barely....but yes. Here is what I harvested this morning.

(in place of a photo....i will post a gripe about blogspot not fixing their photo post button...anyone know what is going on?)

This is about 5-6 pounds of cantelope, and yes these are butternut squash...all of mine this year have been "single serving" sized. Don't know if I accidently bought them that way or what.

Also 2 eggs in the box. Someone....hmmmm....locked the chickens out of the chicken house last night. Not sure where they slept.

Getting ready to check emails, drink a cup of cafe vienna and get ready for work

SORRY SO LONG POSTING

I have not been home long enough to post about anything interesting. Daughter came and took the dog after she tried to play with (maul) one of the hens. Just as with my other dog, I am not here enough to teach her otherwise.

I am not sure if my daughter plans on training her to do anything but I hope she realizes that the dog is pregnant with pit bull puppies.

So I opened the chicken house back up, the front gate now gets locked when I leave for work, and I work from dark to dark. I have no time to do anything here.

My dad said he would come over for a mowing lesson and then he could come over now and then and mow a little or weed eat a little.

I don't know if my garden is still producing or if the fruit trees are dieing in the heat.

Just working working working. All of the emotional tolls I believe are having an effect on my work production. That has got to end.

Although I will be working this weekend, I will take a half of a day and take some pics to post and mow and relax.

I'M BEING SUED

Being me is an adventure these days. Haven't I said enough about just wanting a peaceful farm..a few chickens....and quiet?

When I pulled in my driveway, attached to the locked gate was a card from a process server. I called and left a voice mail. My name is spelled wrong. I still have no clue who is sueing me or calling me to court.

Also, the dog finally grabbed one of the chickens. Around here that holds a penalty equal to death or banishment. I called my estranged daughter and gave her until tomorrow to find Sara a new home. Or else.

I went to bed at 9....it is 10:30 and I am still awake. No wonder?

SQUASH BLOSSUMS

Who can tell me how to take these beauties and turn them into stuffed squash blossums?

ESTRANGEMENT

This is an odd word. But it has deep meaning to me. I am now officially estranged with my daughter. Quick turn around wasn't it?

I am very unsure of how it happened but suffice it to say, I will not be treated with disrespect in my own home.

So for the first time in almost a year, I am living alone. I have spent the last 24 hours in a hurt daze. But now I move forward. You know me. I will always move forward.

I want to see the positive in this so I will make a list! First though, I do not hate living alone. I have done it a lot over the past 9.5 years. Most of the time there is great peace there.

1. Peace...when you live alone....you come home to a peace filled home (99% of the time)
2. Utilities: the cost of my utilities will be cut by at least 2/3-when alone I am very strict about the a/c not being on, the lights being off, etc.
3. Clean home: I was in a situation where even if I cleaned it would not stay that way. Now it will
4. What I buy will stay on the cabinet.
5. I can hatch chicks and not feel bad by not helping them out of their shells.
6. I can now guilt free butcher the chicks I hatch (yes this was a problem...her heart was too soft)

One thing that was said to me in an attempt to be hurtful was my ownership of my home...it was thrown back at me as if it was a bad thing. I lived in a camper for two years to save for a down payment. I am proud of the fact that I was able, as a single woman to buy a 3 acre farm. I will not allow anyone to remove that part of my pride. I work hard every day to maintain an income and this home.

So now I move forward. As with animals, my heart hardens on any who runs away. I offer the gift of my home....I will not require that they stay. I simply require respect.

QUICK CHANGE

How unbelievably quick things go from wonderful to horrible.

Today my life have been turned upside down. I am not ready to go into details but your prayers will be appreciated.

Unbelievable when you read the last post and then read todays, that things could go from that to horrible that quick.

Thank you for your support.

TUESDAY SURPRISES

Daughter had a big surprise for me yesterday. She bought 2 large steaks and marinaded them all day and we cooked them out on the fire.

Here is our cooking station. Not too shabby.

I looked up at the horses next door and one looked very pretty. Then we realized it was inside our fence!!

I told her to go shut the gate. He panicked and took off runing with his tail straight up in the air. Silly horse. She shut the gate, made a comment about how much he looked like the horse she loved in high school. His name was Rebel. A man drove by and told us that the owner was on his way from Dallas. He never got there before dark though. I have not stepped outside to see if we still have a horse.

But something odd happened right after that. My ex called to say that the owner of Rebel was giving him away and wanted to know if we wanted him and one other horse! Now you tell me how odd that is....just moments before we were talking about Rebel.

Rebel had been taken away from my daughter against her will. The man who gave him to my ex wanted him back and instead of thinking of my daughter, he just let the horse be taken away.

I found out last night how that has torn my daughter apart. I saw in her eyes how much she wanted this horse. I asked her if she understood how expensive horses are and she said yes and it was going to be her expense. I asked if she had anyone who would put up a fence....she works at a little bar that is frequented by men coming in off of ranches so that was a silly question.

So I guess we are going to be getting horses. I don't think this land is good for horses though. We will see how it works out.

BUSY MONDAY..PIT BULL LOVERS AND FREE FIRE WOOD

I hate Mondays. But today was interesting. At lunch I answsered an add on Craigslist for free firewood. Picked up about 1/2 a cord...woohooo.

I had loaded up one trailer load and drove it into the back yard and around the hot tub walked my dog (who is in heat) and her Pit Bull Lover. He belongs to a neighbor that I like a lot. So I walked into my room, got the shotgun, came out and pointed the gun at him....and shot....the the left. He tore for the fence but he is way too large to jump and couldn't get through.

Neighbors house is about 100 yds away. After the second shot from about 20 ft away....to the left....I yelled in my meanest loudest voice....."GLEN.....COME GET HIM!" Then I positioned myself so that the next shot would drive him out of the corner he was in and toward the front gate. It worked....I like Glen...that is why his dog is breathing.

So here is the firewood I picked up. I am going to keep watching craigslist.

Here are some cantelopes that are going to be growing and should be ripe in the next week or so.

And a yellow hubbard squash that is orange and green....is this edible?

Then I mowed for about an hour or so. Not a bad night. Now I am playing on Farmville.

END OF THE WEEKEND

Ok the work marathon has ended. I have relaxed for a few hours. Played on the internet.

I just got done cleaning the kitchen. (not spotless mind you) and am on my second load of laundry.

I am sitting in my chair, listening to the end of shot gun practice from across the street (almost dove season) and cooling on the table beside me is a canning jar full of boiling water, local honey and herbal tea consisting of St. Johns wort, lemon balm, lavendar, lemon grass, stevia, and sage.

Mmmmm mmmmm good. Across my shoulder is my white kitty purring in my ear and happy feeting my shoulder.

From the laundry room is a squeeky noise that I should be worried about but am deciding not to tonight. And in my room is a soft bed with clean sheets that is softly calling my name.

My hope for you is that you dream dreams of peace.

LATE NIGHT AT WORK

I am currently in a hotel next to work. I had to work late and couldn't make the drive. Gotta do it all again tomorrow.

But my sis got me a great birthday present. I used it for the first time this morning.

Now I am ready to start making cowboy coffee by the fire. Time to come up with a great dutch oven recipe for breakfast.

WOOD WORKING GURU I AM NOT

I fixed the table with 12 wood screws. Ok it's not pretty but it works.

WELCOME HOME SON PARTY

YES I SANG KARIOKE.....ME.....WITH MY SON. IT WAS COMPLETLY FUN.

WE WENT TO THE LITTLE BAR THAT MY DAUGHTER WORKS AT AND TONS OF PEOPLE JOINED OUR CELEBRATION IN WELCOMING HOME MY SON.

(SOME OF THEM EVEN CAME TO THE HOUSE AFTERWARDS AND HAD A BON FIRE)

DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MOWING I WILL GET DONE TODAY THOUGH.

DINNER AND SMALL TALK

We cooked seasoned potatos in the dutch oven over the fire and smoke sausage. We sat outside and watched the shooting stars and listened to the coyotes howl.

It was a very fun evening. We moved the stereo out on the porch so the music was good.

Today I bought a new weedeater and used it for an hour. Could not figure out why it quit. Had the son come and look at it.......hmmmmmm out of gas.

BREAKFAST WITH THE KIDS

My kids that is. Son learned how to make the most amazing omlette in Afghanistan. He said that there are Indians who although due to religous reasons won't fight the war, will act as support.

One makes omlettes. These are more like crepes as you begin with a wide thin layer of egg.

For filling I finely chopped organic grass fed pork roast and fried it with home grown garlic, then we chopped green onions, used shredded cheese and chopped jalepinos, and sour cream.

He says you pile the filling in a pile in the middle....then after a bit you fold up the front flap, then the back flap, then each side, then use the spatula and flip it over off to the side but still on the grill. It will sit there and cook a bit and seal shut.

While it is cooking a bit more you can start the next one. It looks like a burito. But oh man is it wonderful!!

I love drinking coffee with my kids and talking. They are very cool.

Then I went out and cleaned out the chicken house. Raked the inside and loaded up all the rest of the firewood and took it out front for tonights fire.

Took the burnable stuff out to the bon fire.

Bad news though...the new dog Sara was helping (chasing crickets) and I noticed that she is going into heat. This is not good at all. I will be overrun with male dogs who will probably eat my chickens. I have the gun ready.

Army Boy

I picked up my son from the airport. I am so glad he was not in uniform because I was late picking him up and I would have been awarded the worst mom award from those standing around him. His plane landed 26 minutes early!

Daughter and I took him to Chilis to meet his grand parents and Aunt. He showed off his new tattoo.

I helped my sister the day before get rid of a pile of broken bricks from her back yard. I advertised them on criagslist and found a local man who wants them and who will off load them himself if I deliver. I will do that today and then go pick up rabbit poo.

This is perfect timing as I will mix it with the grass clippings that I will rake over the next couple of days. Happiness is seeing your army boy and building a new compost pile!

Back to drinking coffee with my boy.

A SPECIAL VISITOR

Coffee break. I am drinking coffee in my new favorite cup. My friend sent me home with this after my river trip. Is this cool or what?

I woke up at 6am this morning after being up cleaning at midnight. Today my son comes in from Afghanistan. I pick him up at the air port around 4ish. Now I am scrambling trying to get caught up on all the things that got put aside for the past 2 weeks. Still have 2 loads of laundry to do, do floors, clean the front porch....oh and lets not even get into what needs to be done to the yard.

My son is one of those kids like Faith's son, who is a hard worker. I know he cringes coming home because he knows I will have a sonny do list for him.

Here is what I have so far:

1. get that &%^$#@ weedeater fixed

2. help me relocate the garden fence (this is a maybe because yesterday I counted about 10 cantelopes hanging on the fence)

3. help me fix the two wood tables outside

4. help me put together the dog kennel

5. help me install the new fire pit cooker

Isn't work so much more fun with someone?

6. Possibly disassemble the hot tub? That is a huge job

7. move the china cabinet to my bedroom

8. help me install the new shower curtain rod

9. help me install new shades in the living room

Poor guy....he'll have to go back to war to get some rest.

GARDENS GONE WILD

I wish I had photos of what I found in the garden tonight. HOLY COW. The cantelope vines run about 10 feet wide by 15 feet long. Full of flowers but only one hanging fruit.

Yellow Hubbard: Monday I picked 2 huge squash, today I picked two more and 1 was hanging in a place I could not reach.

Tomatos: picked about 15 slightly small almost ripe tomatos.

Pumpkin: vine is also about 10x15 with lots of blossoms but no fruit yet.

BERMUDA GRASS: Man I wish I could bale this stuff. It is higher than the sides of all of the raised beds. Yes I will be doing round up before I plant my fall garden.

So no pics because of the rain.

FANCY COOKIN

I am so excited. I used my "miles" on my last credit card to get an Amazon.com gift card. This is what I bought!

A rotisserie grill and spit. Next purchase like this will be a fire place coffee pot. Daughter is an amazing fire cook...well an amazing anything cook.

Talking to a co-worker today got me excited about grilling out. I want to find different kinds of wood to see how they taste. I want to stock up on different kinds of spices and grow them too.

He has a komodo oven. High dollar but very cool. I will keep you posted as I begin to experiment with cooking out. This might be fun!

Wow I can not believe how much of a disaster my house was. I took a little time away from town this weekend to visit a friend. We drove in the country to a state rec area along a river. This is an area of the river I have never seen before and you can see the bottom and it is not mud but course sand and round smooth rocks.

It was very quiet and there was only a couple of other people within sight. And me with no fishing pole! Never again.

I brought home a bunch of rocks. I want to bring home sand also.

I went back to work today which was a good thing. It kept my mind busy all day. It also gave my co-workers a chance to express sympathy. I really do work with wonderful people.

Tonight I worked on my bedroom. I folded clean clothes for an hour and then hung up until I ran out of hangers. This was the last part of our 2nd mothers day present to my daughter from her kids. They shared their closet with her.

The yard is a mess though from the puppy playing all day. I can't get her to eat though. I think daughter is feeding her table scraps all day. She won't touch dog food unless you stand right next to her or feed her by hand.

Tomorrow I will work on toilets and floors. But first I will clean out the hen house and mow until dark.

Life does go on around you when you are grieving. This has amazed me before.