Here I Am Again

Willow is still with us--she will be 17 this year.  She is my first Shetland.

It's been a long, long time since I last blogged.  I'd like to start again.  I'm not sure how that will go.  Maybe just pictures, a few stories here and there.  The farm is still ticking along.  Still have collies, cats and sheep.    I don't raise lambs anymore, and the sheep farm is more like a Care Center for the Aged and Infirm.  Keeps me pretty busy.   

The year of 2017 was filled with some awful things, terrible losses.  We lost my Dad.   Someday I might talk about that more.   But not this first blog back.   

Stunning Sunset--the skies have been glorious this past year.

Monumentally I joined Facebook.  Kinda hate it, kinda like it.  But it seems the way to go nowadays and I'm 'in the loop' now with what goes on--and I get to see lots of extended friends and family photos.   Plus I got some good hay out of it, when my hay supplier moved away and I didn't know where to get the winters supply.  So there is that.  

My internet connection at home is...so....slow....that I can't really do much computer work at home, so I tuck it in around work.  I hope (someday) we get out of the dead space and get some decent internet connectivity again.  Maybe if certain companies would see fit not to oversell their customer base that might help too.

Neighborhood Watch.  Chickie, Rosemary, Persia & Eve

There are 14 left in the sheep flock.  I sheared 17 with scissors this past Spring.  My shearer had to retire due to health concerns, and I didn't know until it was time to shear.  It was an interesting experience.  I guess I get to do it again here in a few months.  

Girls (Minty, Carly & Ashley) with their hunter orange on.

I bought a new camera!  So excited to have a good camera again and taking lots and lots and lots of pictures.  And I've started trying to be creative again too...sometimes I do better than others--but have  been dabbling in painting--acrylics, oils, watercolors and have taken up needle felting again.  Still learning on that, but love it.   Hoping (someday) to get a little building for a studio, so I can leave projects out to work on (impossible with kitties in the house). 

Oil and Gesso Forest Scene

Indian Creek Snowstorm--Watercolor

Oh.  And I'm feeling lots better health wise now.  Got myself pretty sick with diabetes before I went to the doctor and figured out what was wrong. Still have some ground to gain back but getting there.  Things had piled up around here too, so am trying to catch up from several years of not feeling good.

Needle Felted Chipmunk

Needle  Felted Doe

And I think that is a good start.  I always have liked to blog and keep a record of the homestead, so my goal is to do that again and I hope some of you are still around to journey with me!  Now for some pretty pictures.    

Grey Pony--Acrylics

Mid November

Morning Sun through the Maples

Our glorious autumn is finally winding down and even though she was beautiful and generous in her beauty and time with us, still I wish for more.  

Now it's cold.  Really cold at nights.   The leaves have mostly been blown away to Kingdom Come and only a few stubborn mums cling to color.   Soon the grass will fade to it's winter brown  and winter will have arrived.  Bummer.

On the bright side this year the barn is filled with good hay and the sheep are relishing some free pumpkins.  They still find a blade or two of grass and have feasted on leaves.  We've made it nearly half way through November and still they are not on full winter hay rations.

Soon I hope my wood guy will get my wood supply delivered and then perhaps while I'm never willing for winter to come at least I will be somewhat ready.  I reckon.

I'll finish with a 'few' pictures of the past month.

Hope you are all well and enjoying the days before winter.  

Last brilliant display from my hard maple tree

 
 

It was hard to get anything done for looking at all the lavish color displays

My new stove--delivered today!  The (really, really) old one died.  This one has four burners that work and an oven that works!  Happy early birthday to me!   Isn't she pretty?  I shall call her Pinto. 

Minty wanted to dress up as an Afghan Hound for Halloween.  What do you think?

Collie in the Woods.  Ashley smirking because she is the only one that can be trusted off leash in the woods.

Carly struttin' her stuff.  And she sure do like to strut.

One of my no-kill Shetland rugs.  This one is produced by sweet Ranger and needs to be listed on Etsy very soon. 

Oh yeah.  Here we go again.  This beautiful Coon Hound showed up this past weekend.   I'm sure  belongs to a hunter--and is wearing a collar, we are seeking the owner.  (Such a marvelous deep voice). 

Summer Days

A Glorious Sunrise

Summer is moving fast now.  We've  had a dry spell, and rain would be much appreciated to revive my fading pastures.   However we are still far ahead of last years awfulness.  At least the sheep have had grass for most of the summer.   

Same morning--stunning colors--even with the light pole photo bomb!

Since I can't seem to find the time or discipline to sit down and get a post done (although I've got several started!), I thought I'd just put up a montage of summer this year.  I've also been working on sprucing up the blog--if you'd like to look I've added new pictures and a few buttons on my sidebar.  I was especially excited to get the weather widget on --easily amused obviously. Hope your summer is going well!  

Sweet old Willow--she is 12 this year--getting her special eats in the morning

Golden Rain Tree in full bloom

Queens Anne Lace

Field of Wild Flowers

Ashley

Minty

Carly

Buford---Stray kitty with a loud mouth and higher taste standards than any stray kitty should have. 

Scenes From A Fall Evening

It's a beautiful, busy time of the year!  Hope you all have 

a great weekend.

Isaac, Will You Be A Drought Breaker For Missouri?

 The first clouds from Isaac blew gently into Missouri on a south east wind this evening.  The skies were high and the trees rustled eerily. Despite the steady breeze there is a feeling of quiet waiting.The outrider clouds were odd and spectacular with the play of the setting sun and rising moon. 

Will Isaac bring much needed rain?  We hope and we pray.  The forecast is, well, all over the map, but the possibility seems good.  It should move in late tonight.  There is a chance of unsettled weather, but hopefully we will only get rain.  A good soaking gentle rain. But even if most of  it runs off at least it will help fill the ponds and rivers.

We have had less than an inch of rain since mid June.   A good soaker might green things up a little bit...and maybe wash off some really dirty sheep.  Maybe even brighten the spirits of some very worried farmers--both big and small. 

For now we are just waiting, although there is a tiny thread of excitement and hope in conversations.  I'm not sorry to see this distressful month of August go, and hope the door doesn't hit her on the fanny on the way out! 

 You can't really see it well, but there is a full ring around the moon--a good sign of rain as it signifies moisture in the atmosphere.  

Scenes From A Dry & Thirsty Land

Bluffs along the Niangua River showing premature leaf color changes

Not dry!  Wet!   This is the Spring (Susie Hole) at Bennett Spring.  If you biggify you can see where the water comes up and also the many trout that inhabit the waters

Still dry here.  We've had a little rain this week, a little less than a half inch.  It did green up some little bits of grass that resides in the shade.  And it washed the dust off.  August has just been a month to get through and that is about all I have to say about that.  Still searching for hay, but I've had to step back and not be so frantic in my mind about it.  All I need is four big rounds to get me through.  Surely someone has that many to sell?  Surely.

I think this is a Muskrat--it was boldly feeding at the edge of the spring when Ashley and I were walking the trail.

The (hungry) wildlife is abundant and feeding at odd times of the day.  This has been exciting in the fact that it's a rarity and I've gotten so interesting pictures.  My heart is heavy for  what is ahead for the wildlife though unless we get some rains...soon.

For those you who have your 'fair share' of wild critters, those that have so many deer they call them 'meadow rats' and such, this won't be exciting to see.  We have abundant  wildlife around here and abundant habitat for them, so that in normal times the closest you see a deer in the daylight is when it runs out in front of your car.  However due to the dry conditions all natural habits seem to have been put aside.

Since August is almost history here are few more pictures from the dry land.  Still praying for rain and hope that September will be kinder.

These next three pictures were of a large doe and her still spotted fawn.  In the last picture she was starting to run--but isn't she lovely?

These three photos were taken on river bottom pastures so are fairly 'green'

So...this is what green grass looks like?

Mourning Dove & Chipmunk (!) near the bird feeder.

And here is the bigger picture...a Blue Jay joins the crowd

My, my look at those fat cheeks.  I wonder where all my bird seed goes?

Lots of Gold Finches have joined the masses

Mourning Dove again--this is the first time, ever, I've had these lovely birds come to the feeder

Blurry Picture--but Bluebirds too!

Sign of the times---long lines still at the sale barn way up in the afternoon.  Can't feed cows if you don't have hay!

Dry and Thirsty Land---Durrington Branch