Musings of a Sheep Ranch

~ Seeking Self-Reliance~

2012-01-31T05:33:00.000-08:00

Organic veggies from our garden

My focus homeward began when I was young. I really shifted my desire in high school, attempting to drag as many friends as I could into "working a farm" with me. Long before the CSA was a popular, locally-sustainable way to eat good, organic food I was trying to recruit friends, to no avail. At that time, my family owned a 40 acre farm, it was to be left to myself and two siblings by my grandfather, who wanted the farm to stay in the family. I had every intention of farming on that farm, but greed can do bad things to people, and so, off I went in search of another place that I could live self-reliantly.

"Today we choose to grow our own food because we prefer quality, and we recognize the tie between good food and good health. It's hard to buy that kind of quality." ~Harvey Ussery. I personally just wanted to get my hands in the dirt and raise my own, healthy food. And so, a big garden went in, I purchased four sheep, brought my chickens with me......and the rest is history.

I love this life, but one of the biggest misconceptions people have about homesteading & homemaking is that it's tidy, and that every homestead is picture perfect. The truth is it's a messy, exhausting way to live. There are always things to do, and you must learn to live with the feeling of not having accomplished all you wanted to on any given day. For example: today is butter making day, tinctures are brewed and ready to bottle, barn & hen house need cleaning, garden beds still need further amending, wood from the tree limbs need to be stacked..........oh yeah, laundry is piling up and bread needs to be made........will I get to all of them, certainly not, but I'll mark off what I can for today and be satisfied that I did a lot for this one day! It's a dance, an ebb and flow.

Many people confuse self-reliance with self-sufficiency. True self-sufficient living is impossible (unless you're Amish maybe). I can't grow all of my own grain to feed my sheep, However, I do believe that we can and should, build a community with like-minded people and continuously work toward self-reliance, the ability to make and do things. Because a self-reliant community builds resilience through networks of shared skills and goods with the goal of sustainable living.

My motto: produce more than I consume. There are myraid ways to do this, for instance, I play music rather than download it, I knit rather than go to the movies, I grow food rather than buy it from a grocery store, I cook rather than go out to eat. I love producing for my well-being, it makes my life more interesting, further, I just don't have time to waste money!

Maybe "progress" means taking a giant step "backward." The world has become so enarmored with technological solutions that many people don't recognize the efficiency of natural ways. We need to follow a more cyclical model: Things are produced, they die, and then they are recomposed through natural processes. In nature, there is no waste.

"Self-sufficient living allows us to experience magic daily, and it's wonderful: the magic of germination, decomposition, the cycling year, the relationship between soil and plants, the diversity of birds and insects, and how they do this great wheeling, complex dance." Natural processes transform in magical ways.

Start up fees can be exuberant depending on what you desire, but it doesn't have to be. You can start with a garden and chickens, whatever works for you. There is a great turning going on in our country, this world. People are hopeful and being part of a hopeful movement truly is exhilarating. If you have the dream, desire and work ethic, I say.........FOLLOW THAT DREAM!

~ My Christmas Spirit in A Junk Yard ~

2011-12-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

     The ranch has had snow on the ground for 3 weeks now........lot's of snow, which is why I had to go out this morning, and shovel out the back of the pick-up truck so I could drive it to the junk yard.

   This particular junk yard is East of Snowflake. It starts on the side of the county highway and meanders back on acreage. Mike owns it, he and his wife. Mike makes treasures out of others junk, and it's always worth stopping to take a look around.

   After wandering around for awhile (in mud I might add), I found a piece I liked. Unfortunately, no one was home. I walked over to the Country store next door, asked to use the phone, and called Mike on his cell. He was ecstatic that someone was at the junk yard inquiring about one of his pieces. He was almost to town with his wife, but he said he'd turn around and scoot back to meet up with me. He did so promptly I might add.

   We settled on a price and shook hands. Something I have always done when a deal has been struck or when conducting business with people. Mike took off somewhere in the junk yard to locate a dolly to load this "piece" in my pick-up truck. I wandered around a bit longer looking at things. Out of no where a young man walked up to Mike's wife, he told her he'd run out of gas down the road, he wondered if she had a used gas can he could borrow. She located one for him, loaned it to him, and off he went to the country store to fill it with gas. A few minutes later, he took off on foot to fill his tank. Another older gentleman pulled up in his dilapidated truck, got out with a big ol' grin and said "hi" to both of us. Mike's wife obviously knew him. They chit-chatted while I continued to wander.

   While I wandered around, I couldn't help but tune into their conversation...................the man was having problems locating and obtaining parts for his old truck. He evidently lived many miles off the highway on a county road. Without blinking an eye, Mike's wife told him she would get the parts he needed while she was down in Payson this week, not to worry. Mike then walked out from the back with his dolly and noticed their friend. He smiled and shook his hand, it was then that Mike told their friend that he and his wife would be feeding people again at Christmas this year. Mike told him it would be similar to the meal they hosted at Thanksgiving......anybody and everybody could show up for food, companionship, warmth. Mike said he didn't want anybody to go without at Christmas. His friend told him he wouldn't miss it for the world, cuz the meal they made everyone at Thanksgiving was wonderful!

   After Mike loaded my piece, he walked over to the store to make change for me, but before he did, he asked me if I was thirsty, would I like something to drink? I declined but thanked him anyway. While Mike was off getting my change, his wife and the man came over with a rope and tied my "piece" down in the truck, although I think it would have been fine without the tie down, it was a very kind gesture. It was something they didn't even think twice about doing for me.

   After saying my good-byes, and slowly pulling out of the mud hole of a parking lot onto the county road, I reflected on those few precious moments. In fact, I was so moved by these three people, that tears welled in my eyes. To look at these three people, a person could/would certainly assume they were very poor, lacking the basic material goods we all take for granted. Yet the spirit with which these three people moved in, in their daily lives, was so much richer and gentler than anything I have ever witnessed. The compassion, concern, and care they showed to perfect strangers was almost surreal.

   And it wasn't because of the "holiday" spirit. No, this is something much bigger, I feel it in my gut...........these people move in this gentle spirit daily. This is who they are!

   This experience will stay with me for along time, this was a wonderful gift I received.

Proverbs 22:9 "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."

~ Walking Amongst Her ~

2011-12-20T06:39:00.000-08:00

     I'm very much "in love" with nature! It is when I'm standing in her grace & beauty, that I most feel at home. Personal problems either large or small, become very insignificant when you stand among her.........she is healing.

    Nature affords me the chance to follow my interests and reduces pressures, fears, introjects and social expectations. The natural world affects my values and aspirations..........mostly my intrinsic aspirations. When I spend time in nature, I place a higher value on community/connectedness values and a lower value on self-oriented values. Full contact with nature has humanizing effects on me.

   For me, a call to understand that nature is not inert, passive or limited in intelligence, lends creedence to the fact that we humans are not more intelligent than nature and vice-versa. There is nothing that happens outside, which is not inside us. Nature is spiritual, we are spiritual beings......the two go hand in hand.

    And so..........I reach for that intrinsic connectedness, for that smell of life, for that beauty, for peace.........for my life!

~ On Any Given Day......~

2011-11-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

Our granddaughter Kiley, and her girlfriend at a Fall concert.

Two of my childhood girlfriends attending a BBQ at the ranch.

Rick (aka Bampa), helping Brady load a pumpkin at the Willis Farm

On any given day, I could be:
1. Pickin' pumpkins with my grandkids at a local farm.
2. Hosting a big party or gathering.
3. Dressing up and driving 20 miles to attend a grandchilds concert.
4. Hangin' in my favorite jeans to attend a grand childs soccer, baseball, or softball game.
5. Making a healthy lunch, and taking it to the elementary school my daughter teaches at, so we can have a lil' mother/daughter time.
6. Booking a flight to Washington state in June with my daughter, to spend a few days with good friends touring wineries.

A lone coyote hunting in the field outside my kitchen window.

Canning heirloom & organic food from our garden annually.

Watching a lambs curiosity when it sneaks away from it's mother, only to find the grass IS greener on the otherside of the fence.

7. Tending to a sick animal, losing sleep over it, until it's nursed back to health.
8. Creating a large, organic garden annually, so that we might partake of the finest in vegetables.
9. Seeing wildlife around our ranch, ( lil' feral cats seeking warmth and respite in our barns on a cold winter day, raccoons, deer, elk, antelope, coyotes, owls, hawks, eagles, ducks & trumpeter swans.....and snakes).

My beloved spinning wheel.

A #300 pound hog, heading to locker. Certainly not for everyone, and by far, not easy.

My artisan yarns, sold in boutiques here in the White Mountains.

10. Fiber art.
11. Raising animals on our ranch, all with dignity and respect, then taking that life so that it may nourish us.
12. The meditative art of spinning & knitting.

Attending all day BBQ's hosted by friends.

Having to say "good-bye" to a beloved pet.

Time spent with friends.

13. Blessings for the many good friends we have.
14. Sharing years with a pet, loving them unconditionally, then making a heart-wrenching decision.
15. Good food, raised well.

The simple joy of watching our lambs.

Annual wood-cutting.

Sunrises & Sunsets

This month, when so many have "blessings" in the forefront of their minds, I can tell you, I have many. I'm thankful for the life my mother gave me, thankful for my family & friends, thankful for the dream I aspired to reach and obtained, I'm thankful for so many daily things that it would bog the mind. Take heed to the smallest of things in your life, sometimes they're all you need, the very essence that keeps the heart loving and pumping.

Residing at the Helm...........Being Your Own Village

2011-09-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

A shared posting from a website I subscribe to........enjoy:

Sometimes we need to be our own village and utilizing all of our skills and learning more.

Simple survival requires us to be in possession of many skills. The pursuit of dreams requires many more. Most individuals rely on the support of a village, whether peopled by relatives or community members, to effectively address the numerous ways we need assistance. This can mean anything from asking favors of acquaintances and leaning on loved ones for support to paying a skilled artisan to handle specialized tasks. However, each human being is born with the capacity to be their own village. We embody many roles throughout our lifetimes, all of which are representative of our capacity for self-sufficiency and self-determination. In different moments in our lives, we are our own counselor, janitor, caregiver, cook, healer, teacher, and student. Our willingness to joyfully take on these roles grants us the power to maintain control over the direction our life’s journey takes.

In times past, human beings learned all of the skills needed for survival. Today, the majority of people specialize in a single discipline, which they hone throughout their lives. Thus, many of us feel uncomfortable standing at the helm of our own existence. We question our ability to make decisions concerning our own health, happiness, and welfare, and are left feeling dependent and powerless. But the authority to take ultimate responsibility for our lives is simply a matter of believing that we have the necessary faith and intelligence to cope with any circumstance the universe chooses to place in our path. Proving that we can each be our own villages through action enables us to accept that we are strong enough to exist autonomously. Cooking, cultivating a garden of fruits and vegetables, undertaking minor home repair, or adopting a healthier lifestyle can help you reassert your will.

Being your own village does not mean embracing isolation, for a balanced life is built upon the dual foundations of the inner and the outer villages. Rather, being your own village is a celebration of your wondrous inner strength and resourcefulness, as well as an acknowledgment of your innate ability to capably steer the course of your life.

Peace to all of you, who find your inner and outer villages!

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~ Silly Boys...........Trucks are for Girls! ~

2011-09-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when my way of thinkin' about life shifted. I was once a young woman travelling around the countryside backpacking, and working for the Department of Natural Resources, now.....I'm a farm girl who knows how to "buck" hay, and birth lambs.

Outside this afternoon, stacking a cord of wood on the ol' woodpile, a hay truck drove by. I looked up as it went by, just in time to observe the "quality" of the hay. It was evident (to a trained eye), that this particular load of hay had gotten wet! The dreaded curse of farmers..........a perfect day of cutting, then a random rain storm to drench it all. At that point it becomes "cow" hay cuz only cows can eat it. I also happened to note how many "squeezes" were on this truck...........that's when it dawned on me that I'm not your average girl! I had to laugh at myself, because I'm not sure when this transformation happened.

Here's a lil,' "good to know" trivia I have in my head, y'll might want to pay attention to this bit of information...........HOW TO FIT 39 BALES OF HAY INTO A STANDARD SIZE PICK-UP TRUCK!

Bottom 1st Row

9 bales on their sides-4 on their sides on the bottom first row(running front to back direction of truck)

1 on its side between the tire wells(running side to side)

4 on their sides on the bottom last row (running front to back & near tail-gate)

Second Row

10 bales on their bottoms (running side to side)

Third Row

10 bales on their bottoms(one bale running front to back, two bales running side to side, then one bale running front to back again. Then...two bales of hay running side to side to block in the first four bales. Then repeat with one bale running front to back, two bales running side to side)

Fourth Row (Top)

10 bales on their bottoms (running side to side)

So now, y'll know how to stack 39 bales of hay on a pick-up truck. Another lil' trivia: If you're so lucky as to go into the farmers field and "buck" these yourself (for a much cheaper price) you won't have to "tip" the young man at the feed store. Because that's another lil' bit of information for you............. it's etiquette to tip the young buck who's loading your hay into the pick-up for you. Kinda like you would a waitress when she serves you food.

Also keep in mind that any errand runnin' you might have to do that day (such as pedicures, manicures or beauty parlor), do it before you get your pick-up truck load of hay..........unless you're really good with those side mirrors ladies! I happen to be one of those gals that's real good with those mirrors!

Somehow, somewhere along the way, my way of thinkin' and livin' has certainly SHIFTED!!

"As long as we are all here, it's pretty clear that the struggle is to share the planet, rather than divide it."

~ Imagine~

2011-09-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

IMAGINING the many paths we could pursue in life helps us get up each morning and face the world. But there's sweeter satisfaction in finding the power to follow through.

In the country, firsts come year after year---all memorable and most heartwarming. Imagine your first bite-sized potato from a garden you planted yourself. Imagine waving your arms frantically at a failed attempt to round up an escaped sheep. Imagine a scar-covered farmer who tells you stories from his childhood as if they were only yesterday. Imagine the tiniest breeze as a baby wren attempts its first flight inches from your ear to the calling of its mom--going nowhere fast, but determined to make the journey. Imagine a place where an owl screeching in the tree next to your window at night is, quite literally, an eye opener. Imagine a place where the world really does stand still for moments at a time. So I did......................................................................................

I've imagined this little farm since childhood. It's always been my dream, to be surrounded by animals. In my estimation, it is in the presence of animals that we develop a higher sense of ourselves and the world in which we all participate. Animals teach us much, if we would only listen and observe........ I pass through the seasons of a year in step with my flocks cycle. Breeding turns to lambing and shearing turns to grazing and so on. I credit my life to my animals for teaching me that we all fit together, that we all hold a place and purpose in the world.

Imagine a productive garden full of food.........Sometimes I think to myself that maybe, just maybe, a person's time would be as well spent raising food as raising money to buy food.

I pass through these seasons with the cycles of my sheep, the cycles of the garden, the cycles of a country year.... It's hard work, it takes a patient hand, and being satisfied when everything is taken care of at the end of the day, even if it isn't perfect.

Imagine a place.......where your most far-fetched ideas come to play...

A poem by Pat Lynn Reilly:

Imagine a Woman

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman.

A woman who honors her experience and tells her stories.

Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who trusts and respects herself.

A woman who listens

to her needs and desires.

Who meets them with tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who acknowledges the past's influence on the present.

A woman who has walked through her past.

Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life.

A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf.

Who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods.

A woman who imagines the divine

in her image and likeness.

Who designs a personal spirituality

to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman in love

with her own body.

A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is.

Who celebrates its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman who honors the body

of the Goddess in her changing body.

A woman who celebrates the accumulation

of her years and her wisdom.

Who refuses to use her life-energy

disguising the changes in her body and life.

Imagine a woman who values

the women in her life.

A woman who sits in circles of women.

Who is reminded of the truth

about herself when she forgets.

Imagine yourself as this woman.

~ Energy N. 1. The strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.

2011-08-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

Energy, seems to be lacking in many people these days...........hmmm? I've always been an industrious and hardworking individual. I don't really know if it's due to good genes or the work ethic my folks instilled in us as young kids (chores galore, including weeding a large lot by hand every summer!). I've always worked.

The sustenance of my energy is a culmination of a few things: 1. Diet 2. Exercise 3. Living life to it's fullest every single day. 4. Genes.... we'll give credit where credit is due!

I was a young women once.........I had dreams, ambitions, and ENERGY! I've hiked mountains and lakes most people will never see, I've rock climbed granite slabs on mountainsides, I've back-packed in Alaska twice, I've river rafted on an Alaskan river (they are huge & ferocious), I've lived off-grid in the mountains of Washington state, hauling my own water with a wee baby in tow. I've always gardened, eaten well, and taken care of my body. I've never stopped LIVING!

Now that our children are raised and gone, I'm busier than ever. I still grow a huge garden (because I know how wonderful the veggies are), I preserve what can't be eaten, I'm an avid spinner and knitter, I belong to a weekly, women's group, I now market my yarns (which is a full-time job of it's own), I handle all the husbandry on our ranch (castrations, dockings, and illnesses), I handle all the breeding (more detailed than you might think), I clean my own house (which gets darn dirty on a ranch w/three dogs and two cats welcome indoors at any time), I maintain the lawns, flower beds, garden and watering on our ranch. I find the time in the day to meditate, do yoga & walk 3.5 miles most mornings.

Bottom line: This IS my LIFE. How can I NOT have the energy to grab it by the horns and LIVE it??? It amazes me how many people I know are awe striken by my "energy." It's not so much about having energy as it is living life, and being healthy. When you have that, you have the energy.

If you want ENERGY...........get up, get moving, do something new everyday, go for a hike, eat well and be concious of your eating, what you're eating, get plenty of sleep, drink 64 oz. of water daily, meditate for 30 minutes ..............my ENERGY runneth over because of my lifestyle. Anyone can have this, they just have to want it!

If I could tell y'll one thing about "obtaining more ENERGY" it would be to throw out all conventional foods and sugars in your pantry, cut them out of your diet, eat more organic (especially meats!!!), slowly work towards becoming completely organic in food choices.................AND......................dance, hike, do yoga............just move!

Have a happy, loving heart, and abundant life, it'll do ya good! It will be a life fulfilled!

For The Love of Gardening

2011-08-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Heirloom lettuce

Heirloom Ruby Okra

I was a young girl when I fell in love with gardening, it started with my grandma's garden. She was not only a fantastic gardener, but she was also a phenomenal cook. My grandma was originally from Wyatt, LA. Thus began my love of gardening.

I grew my very first garden when I was 17. I lived in a lil' house off Oak street in the "big city." I had a lil' flower bed in front of the house which I tore out to plant veggies. Along the side of the house, I dug up the lawn and put in peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce. Before I could reap all that I'd sown, I moved to Northern California. I kept in touch with a few of my neighbors in the area. Since the lil' house didn't rent out too soon after I moved, my good neighbors took advantage of my garden............they said, "your peppers were HOT, and the tomatoes were sweet." I knew then, that I would always garden.

There haven't been but a handful of years since that day that I haven't grown a garden. I'm now into my 33rd year of gardening. I've learned a lot along the way, in fact, I'm still learning. I've advanced from store bought plants, to raising my own seedlings. I've also concurred that organic is better, and heirloom is the BEST! These days, I start my own seedlings from organic, heirloom seeds that I save from year to year. After all, gardening is about frugality in once sense and bounty in another.

There is truly nothing more inspiring or loving than tending to a garden........giant sunflowers on their tip-toes, looking up towards the sun, and following it throughout the day. Heirloom squash, melons, and cucumbers with their long tendrils unfurling outward, reaching into the cacophony of green. Heirloom beans with names like greasy grits, dragon tongue and rams horn.........one can only fathom what those might look like. My lil' friends; the toads, lady bugs, lizards, hummingbirds, butterflies, bees (yes, we have lots of bees), occasional snakes, and our bug seeking ducks. Every breath is a giveaway dance between you and the plants.......for this reason, I garden!

Three Little Purls

2011-06-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

2-Pair Woolen Socks

It's taken quite sometime to learn how to spin and knit. I've also noticed that people LOVE a quality craft. Everybody wants to learn, but few actually take the time to venture into something this time consuming. You definately have to be passionate about this craft in order to go forth with it. Then....theirs the "doing something with all the yarn" aspect, like learning to knit!

I learned how to spin on a wheel approximately 1 1/2 years ago, a 2 hour lesson. I left a mountain town with a wheel in tow, I brought it home, and the rest is history. Practice, practice and more practice. I had an incredible teacher, a real sweet lady. She would email me the first month and ask, "are you spinning, making yarn?" AND......if I wasn't, I darn sure was reminded that if I didn't, I wouldn't! Thus began my huge LOVE of spinning and knitting.

A lot of women knit, but not many make their own yarn. Personally, I think that when you spin, you become a part of that yarn, wooven into each strand, pulled tightly into that unique yarn! Thinking the whole time, "just what other fibers would go good with this particular yarn, should I make a 2-ply or a 3-ply, should I make thin or thick yarn or bumpy yarn........the mind is always engaged. And so, for me, I couldn't imagine going to a store and "buying yarn."

In this process of learning, I've also learned that if you spin well, people want to buy your yarns (with a small commission attached). Maybe I'm a bit stingy, but when I raise the wool, shear the wool, skirt and scour the wool, spin and knit the wool, I'm not really diggin' the idea of sharing my hard earned profits with anyone!

So I've decided that since I already like to spin and knit, I will now knit for profit. I started a business page on Facebook to announce the new site (I'm still working on the construction of it). This way I only have to share funds with one person, "The Man," and some sweet sheep!

If any of "ewe" are interested in purchasing: socks (casual and hiking), scarves, hats or cotton dishcloths/washcloths, drop me a line. In time, I intend to learn to knit baby items and shawls, at the moment, I do not. If you are interested in socks, I need a shoe size(USA). If you're interested in hats, I need a head circumference measurement, this is specific so email me on "how to measure the noggin' " info!

As most of you know, my passion's are many, but my biggest is our sheep! I love these critters like I love "The Man" (DON'T tell him I told ya that!). Each one has a very unique personality, some are stubborn, some are cuddly, and some are just plain troublemakers. But each and every one is loved unconditionally. Once ya love a sheep, then ya love the fleece/fiber/yarn/clothing!!!! So for me, this isn't so much about earning a buck or two knitting, this is about my passion............

Janet Frame (quoting some of her prose)

And Francie's father would pick at something else, the way someone who is knitting will pull
at the threads to make a hole, but their father tried to pick
and unpick something inside himself that every year of being alive
had knitted, with the pattern, the purl and plain of time gone
muddled and different from the dream neatness.

Why We LOVE Sheep!

2011-05-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Our Sweet "Gracie"

Years ago, when I was a young women, I wanted sheep. I think it's every girls dream to raise sheep. I mean, what's not to love about them? So, in 2006 I was finally able to raise them, I wasn't a young women anymore, but I still had the desire and fortitude. Thus began my journey with sheep.

I don't want to get into detail about how I purchased my original sheep or which breeds I started with, however it is important to note that I did want to end up with Jacob sheep as my main flock.

Sheep are incredibly smart animals, the bonds they form with one another and their shepherd are deep. People have to earn it though, they have to be trusted, gentle, and willing. I am one such person, I'm very connected to my sheep. I talk to them on a daily basis, study them, pet them, and hand feed them.  For a sheep, that entails a lot of trust, for a shepherdess, that entails a lot of love.

My sheep give me so much more than I give them in return. They give me peace, love, pleasure and joy. But they also give me meat, wool, compost and dairy.

Handspinning is my joy. It's meditative and calming. When my world gets a bit out of kilter, I turn to my wheel, knitting or carding. It sets my world in perspective once again.

The barn cleaning is also a huge bonus. All sheep manure is readily available for use in a compost pile or to be directly sown into a garden, around trees & shrubs or made into manure tea instantly. Sheep completely digest their food, thus any weed seeds that may be in the hay you feed them, are gone, completely. The same goes for goats if you happen to raise them. So, my sheep give me terrific compost which in turn gives me excellent food in my garden. The better the soil, the more "good" amendments you put into it, the healthier the quality of your food. I let my girls glean my garden at the end of the season, they've earned it.

When I have a ewe that is producing too much milk for her one lamb, guess who gets to milk her? If you've never had sheep milk or cheese, you're missing a phenomenal treat. In my opinion, it's far superior to goat milk.

Annually we cull two sheep for our freezer.........lamb is super healthy containing a great source of protein, iron and zinc. It delivers a healthy dose of B12 and niacin. It is by far healthier for you than beef. It's a red meat that packs it all! I haven't had a cut of beef in six years. I utilize the fat from the lamb for making our own tallow as well. Ever had potatoes cooked in lamb tallow.............OMGosh!

In essence, we use the sheep "poo" for our own food, the wool for our clothing, the meat for our health. What we receive in return from our woolies completes the circle. We give them a clean barn, medical care and vitamins, love, attention and proper care all around.....daily!  Did I mention that I also market some of the fleece? Yep, I make money by selling fleece to women who also like to spin.  I also sell lambs to good homes annually.

I posted this article to inspire others who may be thinking about raising animals.........sheep are the ultimate farm animal to have. You reap so much from them..........trust, love, affection. Also, the lil' lambs are pretty darn cute and so fun to watch!

Sheet Mulching Gardening..........A New Concept?

2011-05-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

Since it's Spring and everyone is talking about gardening, it made sense to post a story about my gardening experiences over the past umpteen years! I have been gardening and canning from my gardens for 33 years........wow! You'd think I know more than I actually do when it comes to gardening, but sometimes, just getting a garden planted, tending to it, and canning from it, can seem overwhelming....gardening is work, plain and simple.

I've recently learned about a "gardening technique" that our locals call, "Lasagna Technique." In actuality, the Lasagna technique of gardening has been around since the early 1900's. Ruth Stout was the originator of this gardening style. Ruth called it "sheet mulching gardening." I kinda like that term better, the visual in the name or something. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge lasagna fan, I don't know.

The idea of this gardening technique is pretty cut and dry. You are basically making compost in your garden beds. I've always been a "raised bed gardener" until I moved out to our lil' ranch. The previous owners had a large garden area tilled near our barns. Not having ever really planted in the dirt without a garden bed, I thought I'd give it a try. I have to tell you, although this garden produced prolifically for me over the past four years, I spent my life out in the garden weeding! I was losing my love of gardening very quickly. I turned to "The Man" not long ago and told him, "if you don't help me make garden beds, I'm not canning you anymore pickles, beets, greens, pumpkin or tomatoes"...........that seemed to be his inspiration! He loves home-grown, home-canned goodies his wife makes him. I know, I really play hard ball at times! Thus, the "re-vamping" of the Anderson garden.

Our beds are assorted in length, width remains the same. They are made of recycled and reclaimed materials. Sandstone, wood, galvanized metal...........it's the "shanty town" of gardens. We feel good using these materials, I don't care that it doesn't look like Martha Stewart's raised bed garden........I mean, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???" So begins the new and improved Anderson garden.

Let me just say here quickly that part of the inspiration for the re-vamping of our garden came from a local tour not long ago, at a farmer's market grower. His explanation and technique of his gardening was my inspiration. Wish I'd listened to him five years ago when he offered to come to my house and show me "how!" Such is life.

So begins the work for the Anderson's. We build the beds out of reclaimed and recycled materials with corner posts sunk in the ground and bracing every 6-8 ft. We line the beds with chicken wire that is purchased in 4-ft. wide rolls (this process is done to keep moles, voles, prarie dogs and anything else that's a "digger" out). The next layer is cardboard, a full layer. We used boxes that we broke down (these are free!). On top of the cardboard we place a brown or green manure, doesn't matter which one you start with, as long as you alternate the layers. Brown manures should be twice as thick as the green manures. We also bought a truck-load of black cinder sand for $12. I mix one shovel full of sand into three shovel full of mulch (or brown manure). Mix and use. Keep alternating browns, greens, browns, greens. The depth of these beds should be anywhere from 18-24-inches high. Wet each layer lightly before adding another layer. You will finish this garden bed with good soil (that may cost you some money). When the bed is complete and you've wet the whole concoction for a few days, sprinkle bonemeal over the top (kinda like the icing on a cake), this will give you added phosphorus. PLANT your heirloom, organic seeds.

Remember that annually you will have to amend the soil, but from this point on, you have created some incredible rich, humus soil that will give you healthy veggies and herbs. As you amend this annually, it only gets better, darker, more fluffy, loaded with a lot of microbial growth that will nourish your veggies.

I'm very excited to be "back into my gardening forte'," I can grow incredible gardens with gardening beds, they are easy to amend, easy to weed (this won't be a perfectly weed free garden), easy to harvest from. I'm glad I only wasted four years trying this "other" gardening, let me tell you, it SUCKS! And it does because it destroys all the microbial growth in the soil, it turns up weed seeds so that sunlight hits them and thus begins your "weed patch." It hurts the lil' earth worms (if you have any), and it's just plain hard on the soil. Also, remember to heavily mulch your walk-ways so weeds don't begin growing in them. Use either a drip irrigation system on this garden, or a bubbler turned down low, or hand water. Don't over-head water ANY PART OF IT, or you will create more weeds within your garden boundry.

I had a garden once upon a time, I sold herbs to a local restaurant, I fed other families, I fed my own family, I harvested and dried my own herbs and never bought store bought herbs............I'm back to my roots this year, me and my "shanty town" garden! Happy Gardening y'll!

A Blessing Way

2011-03-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Val

The Blessingway originates from the Navajo people. It is a very positive ritual, affirming that a women will have a natural and beautiful birth experience. The ceremony marks the women's rite of passage. It is a ceremony of empowerment near the time of birthing. Within a circle of friends in a quiet, gentle, spiritual ceremony, those attending will celebrate sisterhood, welcome a new baby to earth, and honor mother, birth life and rebirth.

This is my good friend Val, although I haven't known Val that long, she has truly stolen a piece of my heart. Val is very close in age to my own daughter. Val is new to our area, her husband Javier just started a Naturopathic practice in a near-by town. Val is a graphic web designer. She is also a member of our weekly womens group called the "Radical Homemakers."

It was after one of these weekly meetings that I truly connected with Val. She stayed at my house after our meeting ended, to chat with me about my sheep, spinning, and knitting.........Val is also a knitter. We talked about her dreams of moving to their new five acre parcel of land, the yurt she wanted to buy for their temporary home, raising animals and babies. How could any of that be dull? When I found out that her mother lived in Maryland and that she had no siblings, I knew I needed to hold a blessingway for her. She needed women to surround her with love at this point in her life. So, we did...........
Welcome to the Sacred Ceremony & Smudging..........

We started the ceremony with smudging....smudging is the burning of sacred herbs in ceremonies for clearing, prayer, & purification. We used Sweetgrass and White Sage. I had previously chosen four women to invoke the "four directions" presence and power. Each women brought in a direction (the East first, then S., then W. & finally N.) Each women said a prayer and filled prayer ties with tobacco and sage, we tied each small prayer tie off with my sweet "Gracies" wool in a continuous circle. This was given to Val so that she would have these spiritual prayers and energy to take home with her. As she is having a home birth with a midwife, each prayer tie can be tied in her room or on her bed in the directions they belong. Red to the East, Yellow to the South, Black to the West and White to the North.

Me welcoming the Women

& Grandmothers

Singing spiritual songs

My good friend Maxie and my grand daughter Kiley, made a fresh flower tiara for Val. Kiley brushed and braided Val's hair, and then the tiara was placed upon her head. It was beautiful and fragrant.........flowers are symbolic of natures abundance and beauty just as a women is when she is in her full pregnant bloom.

Brushing hair and placing the tiara

We then took turns massaging Val's feet with cornmeal and warm Lavender water while she was able to relax and enjoy the moment.

Lorraine, Val's midwife washing Val's feet

Massaging her feet w/cornmeal

Sharing the warmed sweet almond oil for a massage

A massage from the ladies

Each women was asked to bring a bead for a birth blessing necklace. Individually each women presented Val with a bead that they had chosen with care, something symbolic to them. As they placed the bead on a silver strand, they offered Val their individual blessing.........a safe passage for she and the baby, cherish and love each moment with your child as they grow so quickly, peace and love during your labor and so forth. This necklace will give Val a connection to all her women friends when she is birthing.

The oldest "sage" of the blessingway, Barbara Kerr, she is 85 yoa

After our bead sharing, we made Val expose her belly so that all of us could paint her belly with henna (a natural & temporary dye). We got creative............

The henna painting.....

We ended the day with an outdoor picnic. I had spent just a few days (ha!) choreographing and making an organic food buffet. We had fresh ground Kamut carrot cake with honey-cream cheese frosting for Val, some incredible apricot-raspberry bars, a bunch of organic finger foods & pregnancy iced tea.

We also made prayer flags, similar to Tibetan prayer flags. Each women was able to choose a color of fabric, paint a blessing on the flags which Val will also be able to hang in her room during her labor. Another gentle reminder that her women friends are with her in spirit through this journey. Candles were sent home with all the women so that we can start a phone tree.... when I receive the call from Val's midwife Lorraine, that Val has gone into labor I will then call all the other women, we will light our candles and send positive energy and prayers for she and the baby, that they will indeed have a safe passage.

Val, I was a bit nervous the day of our ceremony, but I want you to know one thing......if going through this rite was difficult, no women would have more than one child........from the moment you hold that lil' babe in your arms, nestle her to your breast, you will be hooked and smitten the remainder of your life. There is NO getting around it, you will be in love forever after!

From the heart of Earth, by means of yellow pollen
Blessing is extended.
Blessing is extended.
On top of the pollen floor may I there in blessing give birth!
With long-life happiness surrounding me
May I in blessing give birth!
May I quickly give birth!
In blessing may I arise again, in blessing may I recover,
As one who is long-life happiness may I live on!

--Navajo chant from the Blessingway Ceremony

Grandma Nellie~A True Story

2011-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

     "My great-grandmother was 111 years old when she died, the same age as the tatoo markings on her chin.
     Grandma Nellie, as everyone called her, lived across the Klamoth river on Blue Creek. The only way you could get to her house was by a long journey through the ancient redwoods, through the prairies to the river, then across by boat. It was a very dangerous section of the mightly Klamath River where Blue Creek, which ran down from the saced High Country mountains, merged into the river. Blue Creek is still the purest, clearest, and most beautiful creek in the Yurok tribal territory.
     Grandma Nellie was both a Seer and a Ceremonial Medicine Women. She healed with herbs, was considered clairvoyant because she could see into the future with accuracy, and she could find lost objects and lost people. She was able to solve murder cases, tell people's fortunes, and could read people's minds. That is why a lot of people feared her and why she lived alone, across the river, up on the side of the forested small mountain that eventually leads up to the higher mountains known as the Siskiyous.
    The old farmhouse that was built years ago still stands there, and behind it you can find the traditional Yurok-style, redwood plank house our people lived in for centuries before European influence. Grandma used the old style Indian house to dry, sort, and store her herbs and as a place of meditation and prayer. Not too far from it was also the old-style, semi-subterranean, sacred sweatlodge she had used for doctoring hard cases, and the old salmon-fish smoke house that she used for making salmon strips, deer jerky, and smoked eels. She did not have electricity, modern plumbing, or conveniences. She had an old outhouse, a water system in the house based on gravitational flow, and an old wood heater for the kitchen and front room.
    For years she lived all by herself in the old house, at the old village site. Different relations would come to visit and bring her food and some modern supplies like kerosene for the lamps, clothes, pots and pans, and toilet paper. She grew her own tobacco, cultivated her own teas, and lived close to the land, drawing upon berries, plants, fish and deer for her survival. She also had a garden that usually provided her with more food than she could use, and she canned a lot.
    Her property was one of the most highly desired pieces of allotted Indian land on the reservation and Klamath River. So there was always someone trying to buy it from her at a steal, or tying to intimidate her to sell or threatening to take it from her. But she always stood her ground. Because of her reputation as a Medicine Women, and maybe due to her choice of property, the different local church representatives were always trying to get Grandma to join their denomination.
     Grandma Nellie was already mad at the government, the large corporations, and the BIA for ripping hundreds of acres of her land under the notorious 1887 Dawes Act, then the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, and the so-called state rights of way. She didn't have much tolerance for a group of people who called themselves Christians and who kept pestering her to come to their church services. But one day she decided to take them up on the offer. She went with a group of their congregation to Crescent City and attended their service, supposedly as a guest speaker about the "Indian Religion." As she stood up in front of the congregation she heard the scream of a Hawk. It flew into the church and sat on one of the pew-type chairs. With tears in her eyes she suddenly changed her tone of voice and the topic of her discussion.
     "I can't do this. I can't be a part of what you people want me to be. You see the Hawk. It was sent by the Great Creator in the same way that God sent a burning bush to Moses, the Whirlwind to Job, and a Cloud to Noah. These are the religious leaders you teach us about, the ones you claim you learn from. Well, we Indians have our leaders too, and God speaks to us in a mysterious way. I know why you're trying to be nice to me. I am not saying that all of you have bad intentions, but I do want to warn you that all of Nature is witness to your thoughts, actions, and deeds. I cannot change for you so that you will accept me. I cannot and will not give or sell you my land. My ancestors are buried there. It is sacred ground. The old Indian trail that I use for spiritual pilgrimages to Red Mountain, to pray for the people, and speak to the Great Creator is on that land. It starts from my house and it is full of spirits, or what you white people call angels. But now I know why I finally agreed to come here. I came to bring you a message. You say that the book you study and believe in, The Bible, is the word of God? Why don't you follow it? We Indians are different than you people. We are not what you call hypocrites. Our women do not attend religious services whey they are on their moontime, their monthly cycles. That is against the Indian custom and laws, the Natural laws, and the Creator's Laws. Isn't that same law in your holy book? Isn't that same law all around the world in all cultures? You can't hide from the Moon. She sees everything. You can't change the law by calling it a curse, or demon worship, when it is a sacred and holy time for women. Your ways are destroying our Indian ways and the Earth along with it. You are creating imbalance and a lot of sickness. And in the future, a lot of strange and terrible diseases will come from problems with blood. So be forewarned.
    "I want to leave now. I want to go back to my home where things are not so strange to me. There I can pray and feel good about it. But I tell you this. I had a dream. The great water serpent from the Klamoth River came and talked to me. He said he is angry at what people are doing to his home. Cutting all the trees, destroying the land, trying to catch all the fish and sell them without following ceremony. He said people are no longer following the old ways by making payment to him and the Creator. He doesn't like the way our Indian people make a mockery of the ancient and sacred dances by coming there drunk, women on their moontime, and everyone throwing garbage all over the sacred grounds. So he said the Great Creator is going to send him down the river to purify it, by the next full moon."
    Grandma Nellie then went home and prayed. She went into the forest and found a small sacred tree, the dogwood, and did a ceremony on it. She took the sapling down to the front yard of her house, facing the river. She faced upriver, then downriver. She offered her pipe and tobacco and prayed to the water serpent: "I am an old lady, this is all I have left. My ancestors are buried here. I have food planted here. I respect everything here. To me the land is sacred. The river is sacred, and we cannot live without it. That is why I pray to the Great Creator and all my relations here this morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset. Now I offer tobacco to the Moon, the spirit of the river, the water serpent, and all my relations. I cry out to the Great Creator and say thank you for the dream and warning. I ask that you not hurt me or my people. I plant this sacred tree here, in this spot, only ten yards from the front door of my house. Do not let the water go any further than this."
     A few days later, in 1964, a flood raged down the mightly Klamath River. It devastated the entire area, taking away homes, livestock, and human life on both sides of the river. It flooded Crescent City and destroyed the church in which Grandma Nellie had stood just a few days before. It was the worst flood ever recorded in California history. My Grandma Nellie is now dead and buried at the old village site. As you get out of the boat and begin to walk up to the old trail, leading up the side of a steep bank toward the old farmhouse, you can see that a flood had hit the place at one time. The first house on the trail is totally destroyed, with only bits and pieces of wood scattered around an old foundation. The second house, halfway up the trail, is mostly filled with mud on the inside. The third house, where Grandma Nellie lived, is still standing. It is wedged between five trees. The water did not go any higher than the sapling she planted, and you can see that it has now grown into a young tree."--Tela Star Hawk Lake The Last Female Shaman
     The last I heard, the BIA is trying to divide the property up among all the different grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and as a result nobody can live on the land.
      When I heard this story, it touched me very deeply.  My own granfather once told us, "some people always have to have someone else to look down on, to make themselves feel better, more important." In my mind, Grandma Nellie was special, not only in her abilities as a Medicine Women, but in her devotion to her life, her ways. We should all live as Grandma Nellie did, in pure honesty, devotion and strength. Live with the Three R's: Respect, Relationship and Reciprocity...........live in kindness.

Lacto-Bacto-Cilli-Us

2011-02-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

Organic Lacto-Fermented Oranges Sweetened w/Rapadura

The tradition of preserving foods, enhancing their nutritive value, and making them more interesting to eat through fermentation is a very ancient one.

It may seem strange to some, that in earlier times, people knew how to preserve veggies for long periods without the use of freezers or canning supplies. This was done through the process of lacto-fermentation. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits putrefying bacteria. Starches and sugars in veggies and fruits are converted into lactic acid by the many species of lactic-acid-producing bacteria. These lactobacilli are ubiquitous, present on the surface of all living things and especially numerous on leaves and roots of plants growing in or near the ground.

Organic Lacto-Fermented Garlic

The ancient Greeks understood that important chemical changes took place during this type of fermentation. Their name for this change was "alchemy." Like the fermentation of dairy products, preservation of veggies and fruits by the process of lacto-fermentation has numerous advantages beyond those of simple preservation. The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented veggies enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms also produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps veggies and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.

Chronic illness in industrialized nations has reached epic proportion because we have been dazzled by technologies stepchild--fast foods, fractionated foods, ersatz foods-all the bright baubles that fill up the shelves at our grocery stores, convenience markets, vending machines and even health food stores.

In America, one person in three dies of cancer, one in three suffers from allergies, one in ten will have ulcers and one in five is mentally ill. Continuing this grim litany, one out of five pregnancies ends in miscarriage and one quarter of a million infants are born with a birth defect each year. Other degenerative diseases-arthritis, multiple sclerosis, digestive disorders, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, epilepsy and chronic fatique-afflict a significant majority of our citizens, sapping the energy and the very life blood of our nation. Learning disabilities such as dyslexia and hyperactivity afflict seven million young people. These diseases were extremely rare only a generation or two ago. --"Nourishing Traditons"

Chemical sensitivities and problems with the immune system abound. We have almost forgotten that our natural state is one of balance, wholeness and vitality.

With all this said, I personally embarked on this "whole food, organic food, healthy food, local food" journey, long ago. I began this journey with food and good health, back in the mid seventies, but somewhere along the way, I fell off track and lost my health. In the past 7-8 years, I've returned to my "balance, wholeness and vitality." In the process, I think (fingers crossed, knock on wood), that I've begun to cure myself of Rheumatoid Arthritis! And I truly believe that my immunological disease was caused by chemical sensitivities in our food. I was creating the disease by eating BAD food!!

Let me just say, in defense of myself.........I was a healthy cook, or so I thought! I mean, we raise all our own meat (we DO NOT) buy store bought meats of any kind. We have raised an organic garden every year for as long as I can remember, I even can surplus from the garden. We drink local raw milk from the dairy down the road.............so you ask, "what was the problem?" Pre-packaged food, condiments, sugars, flour, cereals, canned goods............the list goes on and on.

People have got to become the new crusader's for their own health, they have got to start reading labels, learn more about genetically modified food, how your factory farmed animals are raised, what they are fed to "finish" them for the grocer chains, for YOUR consumption. Because if you don't, and if you continue on the path of destruction you are on, you WILL come down with either heart disease, cancer or any of the aboved mentioned illnesses.

I decided one day to denounce all pre-packaged food items in my home. I went through every nook and cranny, every spice shelf, every cracker cabinet, every condiment and threw them out(BTW-I now have plenty of room in my fridge for the "good stuff). I no longer make trips to "chain" grocery stores! On occasion I will partake in the local green grocer for some organic produce to replenish my stock. I make my own mayo, mustard, ketchup, salad dressings, crackers, cereals, bread, pizza dough, stocks, butter, kefir, buttermilk, creme fraiche', cream cheese, cheese.............I'm probably missing a bunch more, but you get the jest of this posting. And I know that many of you are saying to yourself, "who has the time?" You have to find the time, and if you can't, then buy organic and remember, if it's not USDA organic certified, then look closely on the label for hidden GMO ingredients.

Use only natural sweetners in small amounts: raw honey, maple syrup, Rapadura, Stevia, date sugar, molasses, malted grain syrups, sorghum syrup and naturally sweetened jams. AVOID: Fructose and high fructose corn syrup, concentrated fruit juice, and avoid all refined sugars from which nutrients have been removed.

Organic Veggie Stock

Our scientists and doctors today are mystified by the proliferation of new viruses-not only the deadly AIDS virus but the whole gamut of human viruses that seem to be associated with everything from chronic fatigue to cancer to arthritis. They are equally mystified by recent increases in the incidence of intestinal parasites and pathogenic yeasts, even among those whose sanitary practices are faultless. I believe that in abandoning the ancient practice of lacto-fermentation and in our insistence on a diet in which everything has been pasteurized, we have compromised the health of our intestinal flora and made ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic mircroorganisms. If so, the cure for these diseases will be found not in vaccinations, drugs or antibiotics but in a restored partnership with the many varieties of lactobacilli, our symbionts of the microscopic world.

R.A. was a "new" disease for me..........up until my diagnoses in 2003, I had been a healthy young women. When the disease hit me, it hit me hard and with full force. It travelled from the bottoms of my feet, to my hips, to my joints in my fingers, knees, elbow, shoulder...........it moved like a snake throughout my body, causing severe pain, and fever which would land me in bed for days. The "specialist's" and Dr.'s all put me on steroids, new drugs..........nothing worked. I quit taking the meds and tried to heal myself with herbs to no avail. It was when I finally went completely organic and threw out ALL pre-packaged "garbage" that my R.A. slowly began to recess, dissipate.......... and hopefully remain dormant for the rest of my life.

If you have stomach issues, chronic fatique, fibro-myalgia, R.A., IBS, colitis, Crohn's, gastro-intestinal issues, GERD, thryroid problems............I'm telling you, it's in your food, it's what you're consuming, it IS making you ill.

The decision of what you eat, everyday, three times a day, can change your life profoundly.

Homemade organic wheat crackers from fresh ground red wheat.

The Jacob's:Genesis 30

2011-01-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

"Fuse"

A purebred Jacob ram

Rockin' A Ranch has waited almost 5 years to obtain a pair of Jacob's for breeding. We have finally achieved our goal with the purchase of "Fuse" December 2010, and the purchase of "Lily" in May of 2010. Timing is everything so they say, and it couldn't have transpired any other way for us, because we did indeed, need time to set ourselves up for this project. Along the way, we have learned huge amounts in regards to sheep and sheep rearing. All of it a process to land us where we are today. I'm glad we didn't rush this, I'm glad we took our time.

It has always been my desire to raise Jacob sheep. They are a small breed, they are smart, they have a beautiful fleece known as the "Hand Spinner's Delight." Actually hand spinner's and weavers alike love their fiber. For market meat, the Jacob meat is lower in total fat, lower in cholesterol and high in quality protein, compared to any other red meats. Only venison and rabbit rank leaner.........so with that said, I've always wanted to raise and market Jacob's. Besides, who can resist their gorgeous lil' lambs all spotted, their "goat like" personalities which make them very curious and easily tamed.

"Lily"
A yearling Jacob ewe

We are now in the midst of breeding our two Jacob's. Fuse has turned out to be a very gentle, sweet fellow.....Lily a bit nervous (this will be her first breeding). Most often, first time ewes will have a single lamb, after that, they are prone to twins and triplets. If she has a lil' ram lamb this summer, he is sold to the gentleman that sold us Fuse. Tom and I are hoping to do some in-line breeding with our small flock in order to be able to sustain our flock of Jacob's.

Lambing season is the crux of raising sheep. It's the one time in the growing of sheep to "get it right." We keep our sheep in top conformation all year (at least we try), flush them prior to breeding, fine tune their food in the last 6 weeks of gestation..... providing the ewes with top quality hay, a smidgen of molasses three days of the week, daily grain..........all in the hopes that our percentage of lamb to ewe ratio will turn out excellent. Thus far Rockin' A Ranch has done very well. There is always room for improvement though because we're always learning something new in regards to sheep. As I've said before, what works for us, doesn't necessarily work for someone else. For instance, we know that our sheep HATE bermuda grass (it's too soapy tasting), they'd rather starve than eat that grass. They love the high protein hay that Shawn brings us twice a year, they love Timothy grass and they LOVE rye grass. We don't feed our rams or wethers any hay unless it's super cold outdoors, otherwise they get grass. They love apples, pears, carrots, turnip greens (but not the turnip) and ORGANIC animal crackers from Costco.

I've had one ewe in particular over the past five years that wouldn't let me near her. She was so flighty and skittish, which made it very hard to work with her. To boot, she's a very large Suffolk. After her lambing in July, she can't stay away from me, her nose is constantly in my face or pockets. Her son Mickey even goes so far as to jump up on me like a pup.........he wants pets under the chin (or those yummy cookies!). Gaining the trust of sheep takes time, perseverance, routine, and calmness.

More than anything, we enjoy raising our sheep...........Jacob or not. We have "Heinz 57" sheep that are just as special and prolific in lambings as any purebred. They all have their own personality and are unique in their own special way. I can't imagine a life without sheep.

Now that the breeding has begun, we watch and wait. If a ewe spends a lot of time squatting and urinating in front of the ram, she is not ready. Her estrus has not begun. If the ewe nears ovulation, the ram will move near her and keep near, till she will stand for mating. Ewes will stay in heat for 6-18 hours and if not mated cycle again in 17-21 days. I will keep Lily with Fuse for approximately 60-68 days before removing her. That will ensure several cycles of ovulation. Once a ewe is pregnant, she will no longer let the ram mate with her......the copulation is over.

So we're looking very forward to our lambing season this year, we should have at least one lil' spotted, curly haired lamb by summer. I believe that Tom and I are focused on the true essence of raising this breed of sheep...........we're helping preserve a unique and valuable breed.

"Lily" & "Fuse"
Purebred Jacob sheep

The Cowgirl

2010-11-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

I had a s-t-r-a-n-g-e day Saturday, November 28th. The day started very well, me sippin' a mug of joe in my recliner knitting, The Man at the computer looking at local real estate for sale. The man finds a 1930's cabin that has been re-located from Murphy's cabin's in Pinetop, to the Concho area. The real estate ad said it had 23 acres, couple of barns and wood cook stove in the kitchen, WELL...........that fired up my lightbulbs.........I learned to can on an ol' wood cookstove. So we decided that when a reasonable morning hour rolled around, we'd call a realtor and maybe go see this cabin. In the interim, the man located some further properties we could look at. So our morning consisted of driving around our area looking at listings we were interested in. The cabin............not EVEN worth the money they are asking, but they've only been on the market 30 days, we'll keep our eye on it and see how low it drops (which is really unfortunate for the people who own it, but it's a buyers dream!).

We decided that since none of the houses we had seen were really good income property, we'd drive around in the Black Mesa area, just because it's pretty and we'd never been on the road. We went past some very interesting places. New Dawn Ranch.........that was defintely an interesting place.........several yurts, a single wide mobile, gorgeous backdrop and view and an es-guess-timate of close to $100,000K in fencing and barns for Alpacas. I wanna be an Alpaca when I grow up............crazy the craze over Alpaca's.

We finished up with that lil' road and headed down Stirrup Road which ended up at the edge of a huge wash...........it was impassable with a four wheel drive vehicle. However, when we turned around and headed back out to the highway, about a mile or so down, we ran across Stirrup Road. Guess that road's for 3 & 4 wheel drive ATV's. Certainly wasn't one we could take, and we're not weanies.

As we headed East on Concho highway, The Man says," there's a road that I wanna check out, how's that sound to you?" Well hell, I'm captive in the car, going 70 mph down the road, "sounds good to me." So we do, we turn onto a dirt road with a sign out on the highway that reads, "A to Z Well Drilling & Water Tanks," so it dawns on me The Man wants to inquire about the water storage tanks, but turns out I was dead wrong. He really did just wanna take a drive down this road. This is where my day turns strange...........we are heading South on this dirt road, we're approx. 4-5 miles back in (BTW-there is NO sign of any living creature, driveway nor home), when we happen upon a guy (in the middle of nowhere) in a Bobcat driving down the road........hmmmm. Further down the road, say another 3-4 miles we run into a guy (looked like an old hippy from the 60's), driving a 1940's Ford tractor.......hmmm. I ask The Man, "what in the world are these two guys doing?" I can tell by his look I'm not gonna get an answer. We are driving along, admiring the country (in the middle of nowhere), taking spur roads off spur roads and just driving. We're hoping that one of these dirt roads will take us out to the highway in a very round about way......ya know, so we can see all this remote country! We are in this huge rock outcropping of sandstone driving, when we come upon these piles of stacked rocks.........you know, the "new agey" type of stacked rocks you see in Sedona.........all over! In the middle of nowhere...........hmmm. We continue on, both thinking about the rocks when we spot a Border Collie/Aussie Shepherd with a bandana around his neck, running. Seems he's with the cowgirl on the horse that rounds the corner about the same time we round the corner. She stops, we stop..........the dog is running around trying to follow her commands and gettin' an ass chewin' by this cowgirl at the same time. I roll down my window.........we talk, I ask her if we can get out to the highway on this lil' ol' dirt road. She says, "used to, but the damn wash washed out and ya can't anymore." O.K. well, can we head further South on this road and meet the highway South of here? She says, " ya, ya can, but don't turn left up ahead, keep veering to the right and the ol' road turns kindly rough, but........well" she says as she pets her horse, "I have 4-wheel drive so I can get through anything." About that time, she takes a long pull on a beer she's got with her in this cool beer holder that's part of her darn saddle! "Yep," she says, "I figured I'd take ol' Wallace out today for a long ride cuz it's gonna snow tomorrow." She looks up at the sky, sniffs the air, seems like in anticipation of a snow flurry at any moment. The Man and I look up also....then she says, "Ya know I aint afraid to ride out her by myself, cuz I pack a gun and I know how to use it." "Good, good," I say to her, "that's a smart thing to do riding this far out." "Oh no" she says, I don't live that far away, see that mountain over yonder, well I just live up on the side of that damn thing......been living there for five years now, came from Chicago." "Told myself I'd never live anywhur it snowed evur again after Chicago, but here I am." Takes another long pull off her beer and gazes off. "See, the Mr. and me bought land out here, pulled in our travel trailer and an ol' bus, but hell it cost us so much to put the well in that we can't afford electricity or a home..........so I live in the travel trailer and he lives in the bus.........works just fine by me." "Got me three horses." O.K...... I am thinking that we have warped backwards in time to the Twilight Zone. She's tellin us stuff I don't NEED to know. She says, "What do you do?" I tell her we have a small sheep ranch and she says, "well, how do you like that?" I tell her we really love the sheep and it's just a hobby farm really. "Where do you live?" I give her a vague idea.........we all sit in silence for a bit AND just when I'm getting ready to tell her to enjoy the rest of her ride with Wallace, she begins talking again.........stuff, like........."ya know, I told the ol' man that we're gettin' to old to be livin' like this, what if he had a damn heart-attack on me, how am I supposed to get his ass loaded in our truck to meet the ambulance out on the county road?" "My GOD, we're miles off the road on the side of a damn mountian!" I tell her I can feel for her, "yep, getting to old for this kinda life style for sure." She likes that I agree with her, like maybe I'd ride home with her and tell her ol' man that I agree with her!

The cowgirls name is Deb. She is a real cowgirl from Chicago, who lives off the grid, off the land and as far away from any establishment as she can be! She rides her three horses everyday of the week cuz she loves them, they need excercise and she can drink her beer in peace. I wish I'd have had the camera with me for a candid shot of this women on her horse...........Goldwater would have been proud of the shot.

We say "good-bye" and head down the road she suggested............it becomes evident to us right soon, that this road is indeed only passable with her kinda 4-wheel drive..........a horse named Wallace. We turn around and head back the way we came..........I look to the North and wayyyyy up on the side of a mountain is this.......yellow bus, up near the clouds. Can't tell if there's a travel trailer or not cuz it's so far up..........but I think it's where she lives. We never see her, the horse, nor the dog again on our way out...........we drive in silence......................we come upon the man still on his 1940's tractor just driving around on the road................we scoot home once we hit the highway.........in silence. Been thinkin' about Deb the cowgirl all day......... while it's stormin and I'm sittin' by my ol' woodstove in my nice, lil' cozy home. God bless you Deb, the Cowgirl from Chicago!

THANKS-giving

2010-11-22T07:49:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving........my favorite holiday. Nothing is expected from anyone aside from some good vittles and a comfy, cozy, atmosphere spent with family. Something magical happens on Thanksgiving........we become more focused on the many blessings we've been bestowed in our lives. We take a calm, deep breath and allow "life to be life" for a day. No worries, no timelines, no problem..........a blessing before a meal with hands interlocked around the table, chatter, naps, movies, and hot, comforting beverages round the ol' woodstove.

My Thanks & Blessing

1. The health of my entire family

2. The safety of our soldiers.

3. My sweet husband, who has allowed me to be ME!

4. My home

5. My animals

6. Friends

7. My belief

8. My life

9. A special blessing to those who have passed before me.....I miss you all dearly.

May you all have a blessed, and "comfy" Thanksgiving with those you love.

~Happy Thanksgiving~

Marketing Fleece

2010-10-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Finding the niche for marketing our fleece has taken me some time. When I started raising sheep, I was in it for the meat production only. It didn't dawn on me that I would soon become addicted to spinning. Once you learn to spin, everything else becomes muted, in the background. I still market my sheep for meat sales, and every year, I sell all our lambs. That's a big deal to me. How did I do it?
1: Give samples of your good, natural lamb (already processed and back from the butcher) to people to try. Once they've tried your product, they will be back to purchase a lamb the following year........guaranteed!

2: Take good care of the animals, the facilities they live in, and keep them in good body condition. That speaks volumes to people who are in the market for meat. A dirty pen, matted sheep, long hooves and foul water do not!

3: Once sold, take a deposit to hold that lamb for them when weaning/or locker time arrives. Keep them posted on their lamb, the growth, weight, etc. Set up the locker date for them, once that's done, the locker and the individual are now in correspondence. Make sure to deliver the animal to the locker as a courtesy.

I have repeat customers who contact us a year in advance of the next lambing due to our attention to detail, exquisite taste of our lamb, and the quality care of our animals.

Our Fiber: I've just recently found my niche' for marketing the fiber. It took leg work, word of mouth and a skill. I have marketed on-line via farm blog forums, walked into shops and displayed my yarn to owners, talked with many people. It has finally paid off......I now market fleece in the Appalachian mountain range, sell yarn on consignment in a local boutique, and have sold to a fiber artist in the valley. I hope to have my own web site designed, and up and running in the near future. People will buy your product if you believe in your product. I'm not out to make huge sums of money from my fleece or yarn. I just want to offer a premium yarn and fleece to women who enjoy the art of spinning and knitting as I do. If the income supplements a small portion of what it takes me monetarily to raise the sheep, I'm happy. Plus, I get all the fiber I want to spin and knit my own lil' treasures.

I have found peace in my love of raising sheep. At this point in my life, I can't imagine NOT having sheep. A good friend of mine once told me........."you'll probably keel over in a mess of sheep dung one day Kat, but you'll be happy!" I couldn't have said it better!

"Crafting Happiness"

2010-09-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

For Melanie

"Hands on projects are like mental health vitamins: They remind our brains we can have some impact on the world."-Body & Soul

"Research suggests that when we immerse ourselves in activities involving planning, anticipation, and self-forgetting movement--such as gardening, crafting, or even engine tinkering (a pastime of the Dalai Lama)-we not only come back into the moment but also reduce stress and combat anxiety and depression."

Yep, hard physical work producing palpable results might be a source of pleasure! Modern science tells us one of the best cures for depression is god old-fashioned handiwork. Think of it as DIY therapy.

In our contemporary age, when it's possible to Tweet ones' deepest thoughts while waiting two minutes for dinner to warm in the microwave, "this circuitry, encompassing a vast amount of "brain real estate," isn't often called on to function in coordination and communication, as it seems evolutionarily designed to do." When we activate our own effort-driven reward circuitry, it squirts a cocktail of feel-good neurotransmitters, including dopamine (the "reward" chemical), endorphins (released w/exercise), and serotonin (secreted during repetitive movement.)

There are low rates of depression among members of Old Order Amish communities. The Amish, who sew their own clothes, tap their own syrup, and drive handheld plows through dry furrows, could be getting a serious neurobiological lift from all of their effort!

When I knit a scarf, spin my fleece into yarn, can goods from our garden and grow my garden, my brains executive-thinking center get busy planning, then the happy-anticipation zone begins to zing with activity, talking back to the executive top brain and reaching out to other parts that make me dive my hands into action. The irony is that some of these hobbies sound so simplistic!

As I age I understand that keeping my brain fit is crucial to keeping my body whole, alive and alert. Learning something new, working Soduku, crosswords, crafting, are all key to aiding in the "whole of Kat." It produces new, healthier brain cells. Doing a mentally absorbing task interrupts ruminations long enough for them to subside, and my thinking becomes more clear and less negative.

When I repeatedly do things with my hands that have a tangible result, I get better at them and I have more confidence. Handicrafts are so gratifying, and promote a fine grained, joyful observing that is hard to come by when life flies by at it's usual breakneck clip. Any creative activity presents an opportunity to realize how much you've never noticed, which leads to more engagement, which leads to better health and well-being. When you let yourself explore your own innate creativity, the resulting "mindfulness"-often branches out into other areas.

For me, the joy is in the planning and execution, when I can tap into some new realm by returning to a beginners mind thinking (I'm thinking it's similar to a childs way of being a free spirit).

Just about everyone has a story, and her/his own deep, uniquely creative talents. There's so much to learn from the unknown--realizing that often there's no such thing as right or wrong in anything you do. Hands on work satisfies our primal craving to create solid objects; it could also be an antidote to our cultural malaise...........

My Baby Girl.........Jessi

2010-09-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

Jessica Ann

There is a reason GOD gives us the pleasure of having daughters, because we need them like we need breath and a heart-beat. They are such a quintessential part of our being, an extension with a "new, fresh perspective." This is my sweet baby girl, Jessica (I've always called her Jessi or Sis). She is a Thursday's child, born at 11:43 a.m. at 6 pounds 14 oz. in a huge snowstorm, very near the Canadian border in Eastern Washington. I had her naturally, by the LeBoyer method and nursed her until she was six months of age. She was a sheer joy from the moment she entered this world. She has always smiled a lot, talked a lot and been very, very smart!   When she entered pre-school she could count to 10, say her ABC's and was one of the teachers favorite kids.  By the time she was in kindergarten, she was honored with going next door to the pre-school class to "READ" to them. She has always been a Type A who enjoys excelling in everything she does.

She's done amazing things over the years: Graduating from high school a year early w/excellent grades, getting her Associate degree when she was pregnant with her second child. Getting her Bachelor's degree in between the second and third child. Now enrolled in the Master's program with three kids and a full-time job as a teacher. She is an excellent cook, debater, dancer, singer, hiker, mother, wife, teacher, lady! She is MY BEST FRIEND! I am very proud of this young woman, she has done copious amounts of "good things" with her life.

She's thoughtful, sweet, humorous, sensitive, kind, loving. When I watch her with her three kids, I feel honored. She hugs them, loves them, tells them positive things all the time, she also disciplines like know one you've ever seen. The kids respect her, love her back immensely, worship her, confide in her, miss her terribly when she's gone...............isn't that the way it's supposed to be? She rules with an iron clad fist, and holds them as if they were a glass figurine, ever so gently, the perfect dynamic.

She's beautiful with a very slight body frame (size 0), she's very health conscious, energetic beyond human capability (she wears me out). She outdoes most men in fishing, hiking, and horseshoes. Anytime I go ANYWHERE with her, people stare. She exudes a confident demeanor and zest for life that shows in her stance and face.

Jessi, from the moment you entered my life, you changed me forever. I wanted you to always be safe, be happy, be healthy. I pray for you everyday, because now I can't protect you from under my wing.......you have your own family to do that for you now, but it's the BEST way I know to still keep you safe from afar. I will be praying for you the rest of my days..........because I love you beyond measure. My life is far more enriched because of you.  Did you know that Thursday's child will go far? You have gone far my sweet baby, you have pursued a richness in your life and I'm very, very proud of you. I often miss holding you, playing barbies or plane with you, I miss baking lil' goodies for your small, sweet mouth. I miss the kisses, the grimy hugs, the cherry stained face. I miss that lil' baby girl, but then I see you walk in the door............and I'm taken back.............you have become a beautiful, smart women, and I'm so proud of you................this is my Billet-Doux to you!

When times seem too hard to bear & I l feel like giving up

I envision your beautiful face, the twinkle of your eyes and things of such

The bond we created from my womb to the day you were born

Is a mother and daughter bind that can never be torn

With the strength and guidance of God and the blessings he pours down from above

I want to be the best mom I can be to you and embrace you with all my love

You are as precious as a flower and as gorgeous as a rose

You have been specially made to the very tip of your nose

You are as sweet as honey; such an innocent young child

You are brighter than any star in the sky every time you smile

I want you to be proud of who you are and strive to be the best

Put forth your efforts to achieve your goals and let God do the rest

I will always be your mother first, but I'm also your friend

Your are the most precious gift, that I've ever been given

I love you Jessica Ann!

A Farm Girls Life

2010-08-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Life sure is good, I've absolutely no complaints (except on occasion when my hands are too stiff!).

It's a GOOD life when: 1. You wake up to the most gorgeous sunrise ever.

2. The smell of the ol' ranch kitchen smells like fresh brewed coffee.

3. You wake up with a good plan for the day.

4. You feel good.

5. When it's feeding time in the morning, you walk out to a nice, crisp, clean, outdoorsy smell, and all the animals are happy to see you.

6. All the animals appear to be healthy.

7. Having a bowl of oatmeal with fresh milk from the dairy down the road.

8. Taking a nice, hot bath in the morning with a book....just a half hour to read in peace.

9. No phones interupting the guiet.

10. A husband that calls you shortly after he's left for work, just to tell you he "loves you."

11. A day spent either canning, gardening, spinning, knitting, reading or cooking. No T.V. for this "farm girl." I like a productive day.

12. Or, a day skirting fleece from our sheep, or hanging out clean clothes on a well loved clothesline.

13. An afternoon spent blogging with other "farm girls." We chat a lot about spinning, sheep, gardens, and canning. Boring to most people I'm sure, but ever so exciting to have such a wonderful network of women to converse with, share ideas.

14. The joy of picking a lot of fresh veggies from the garden and then plotting the meal around it........how blessed we are.

15. A phone call from a grand child after school, to tell me something hugely, significant that happened to them that day.

16. The joy of seeing my husband pull in the drive-way, the three dogs thrilled beyond containment as well, what a splendid "welcome home."

17. A healthy, delicious meal spent with someone you love so deeply.

18. Crawling into bed together, snuggling and talking about the day, the weather, the animals, our grandkids.

19. Saying our "prayers" together in hopes that all those we love will remain healthy and happy.

20. Sleeping well through the night, awakening to the rooster outside our bedroom door in the early morning hours, only to start all over again........

Yes, life is very, very GOOD!

To my lil' cowboy, "I love you more and the most!"

"Ignorance is Not Bliss"

2010-08-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

This is "Boone," he was one of three lambs born this year to "Freckles." He has a brother that looked almost identical although he was polled, and a big sister that looked nothing like the two boys. They were born very healthy. My mother helped me with the lambing, it was her first time seeing a lamb born. She told me the next morning, "I wouldn't have wanted to leave this earth without seeing this, thank you." How fun that evening was for us.

As most of you know who have followed my blog, we breed and raise sheep. We sell most of our lambs for meat, we raise a few for close family/friends, and we keep a few for good breeding stock, with desirable traits. Now that I've discovered spinning the fiber into yarn for projects, that plays a role in which sheep we keep and which ones we sell as well.

No matter what the outcome for the lamb, we raise all equal. We practice good husbandry skills and provide excellent care to each. We often have a waiting list of people who want to buy "our" lambs.

We sold this lil' guy yesterday to a couple near our home. Both moved here from California, apparently they've raised chickens before, possibly a steer or two.........so they've told us........ Late last summer they asked us if they could purchase a lamb from us after it was weaned. I was a bit hesitant as I could tell from speaking to them, they really didn't have much common sense when it came to livestock (or chickens for that matter). However, to be fair in my assessment, I gave her books to read on raising sheep and I told her to "google" anything and everything to educate herself on sheep. From a physical standpoint it looked as though they were getting into the project of raising livestock. They purchased an additional acre of land, fenced it (and re-fenced it), build a small shelter large enough to house a steer and sheep, bought a feeder, a water trough and hay. They put some money into this little venture of theirs. When the time was nearing for weaning, I asked her to return the book(which he said they had been reading), and pick the young lamb up at 7a.m. on August 13th.

A day prior to the sell date, the neighbor guy called to tell me that they couldn't come pick up this lamb until 10 a.m. That wasn't good news for me as I don't feed any of my animals if one is getting transported, it's hard on them to deal with the stress on a full gut. Gives them a tummy-ache. Plus, "The Man" and myself had two surveying jobs to do that morning, over-time for him and a chance for me to help him. Also we had to get back at a reasonable hour to accept two squeezes being delivered to our hay barn that afternoon. This "10 a.m." time frame wasn't working for us..........so with a bit of protest, the neighbor said he'd be here at 8a.m.

"The Man" and myself got up early, had our couple cups of coffee and then went out to the barn. I always send an animal off with trimmed hooves, a worming shot, and a shipping fever shot. I do this early enough to make sure there is no reaction to any of the shots. All was fine with "Boone" that morning, his temperature was good, he was ready to go to a new home.

The neighbors showed on time(thank goodness), and "The Man" did his magic on "whispering' to his sheep to calm them. He caught "Boone" without a hitch............however, about that time the neighbor opened the gate into the barn, and stormed in with his "noose" in hand which he abruptly put around the lambs neck, scaring the dickens out of the other sheep. Until the lamb was placed in the back of the truck did I notice the tightness around his lil' neck and the fact that his ear was cinched down in the tight mess. I told the neighbor to "take the tight rope off his neck, sit with him in the back of the truck and try this knot, something that allows him to breathe if he strains against it." He didn't tie the new knot, instead he held the lamb and they drove off down the road.

You know when you have a little voice inside of you telling you something? I didn't listen to that yesterday. I regret that today. GOD spoke to me yesterday and I just "blew him off." Pride and a promise I guess. Our Border collie even spoke to us and we didn't listen. He was very stressed the lamb was leaving and baaing in the back of the truck, to the tune of running the fence line crying as they drove off. It took awhile to calm him, those are his lambs and he bonds with them from the moment they hit this world. He's the only dog I allow into a lambing jug after lambing, he needs to smell them, lick them, bond with them, he does and the ewes are not in the least bothered by "Blue," they know he is safe.

The neighbors showed at 8a.m. to pick up their lamb, the sweet lamb perished by 9a.m. I keep asking myself, "how did this happen?" Ignorance..........lack of education, arrogance, pride...........all of the above. That was the voice......it told me to tell them I had decided to keep the lamb, raise it for ourselves...........I didn't because I had told them I would sell one to them. I suspected they weren't educating themselves properly, I was right.

The lil' lamb should have been transported to their ranch, confined in a small corral for about three days and allowed to acclimate SAFELY!! Instead, the lamb was tossed out in an acre pasture with a huge Hereford steer while the couple went indoors to do..........???? Evidently the lamb slammed his head into the welded livestock panel several times to the point of knocking itself out and collapsing in exhaustion. By the time we noticed them loading the lamb up in the back of the truck, we went over and asked, "is everything o.k." Response, "No, we're taking the lamb to the vet, he hurt himself." I will spare you further details on the injury to this lil' lamb, we suspect a broken neck. He was scared, wanted to go back home to his brother, mother and sister, the ranch he knew and loved..........his lil' life was premorse.

I will blame myself for not listening to "the lil' voice inside me," and for having suspicions about a couple not educated in raising sheep. They had this ideology that you could just "buy and animal, throw it in a pasture, fatten it up and all would be well." No common sense came into play here, no observation over the lamb when they took it home, no clue what to do with a lamb once he was down (they didn't move him out of the hot sun (91 F.) for over thirty minutes), they put him in a truck which had been in the hot sun, untethered, with no pad or blanket, and hauled him 17 miles from home. The sheep vet in town was five miles away.

This could have been prevented with proper "know how" on raising sheep. This could have been prevented had I not sold him to this couple.

We've learned a valuable lesson here, one I will never make again. I'm sorry sweet "Boone," so sorry.

"One act of pure love in saving life is geater than spending the whole of one's time in religious offerings to the gods.........." --Dhammapada

"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated."--Ghandi

An Old Soul

2010-08-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

A calf looking in the front door of the ranch house......"where's my mama?"

What inspires us as individuals to "take up" a way of life, a passion...........and why us?

My passion for "ranching" has long been with me. For me, it started as a young girl. Probably, thinking back, from the time I was 7 years old. I think of myself as an "old soul." I can't remember feeling any other way. My whole life has been building to this crux...........owning land, livestock, gardening, canning and living "the old ways."

For me, animals are the highlight of my day. It gives me "purpose" to care for them, treat them when they get sick, help the "girls" with their lambings should they need me............seems mine always do, for support if nothing else. If you've never looked into the eyes of a ewe when she's ready to lamb, you can't know the depth of her "want" for you to be there with her. Even if it's just sitting in the corner of a lambing jug, speaking quietly to her, coaching her through the lambing process. It's one of the greatest feelings anyone can experience. When an animal lets you know that it's "o.k." to be there with them during a difficult time, that's the ultimate.

When your three day old calve sees you as his surrogate mother. He'll follow you anywhere, nudge you for more milk, suck on your fingers for security..........even sleep on you. That to, is the reason I do what I do.

I love when I return from a day gone from the ranch, the three dogs greet me at the gate ever excited I've returned to them, and they no longer have to be in charge of the sheep..........they bounce around, howl with joy, expect pets when you get out of the car.

Picking my own heirloom veggies from my garden(veggies now big and grown from seedlings I started back in winter). Trimming and cleaning them in preparation for the canning process. Experimenting with recipes and pickling brines............because I have canned for so many years, I have the confidence to "tweak" a recipe. Washing my full jars after they've set for 24-hours and sealed. Lining them up on my cellar shelves, knowing that I'll have fresh tasting fruits and veggies for the cold winter months.

Making my own sourdough starter (now over 12 years old) and making homemade artisan loaves of bread for "The Man" and myself. Nothing is finer than having homemade sourdough biscuits with homemade plum, apricot, peach, blueberry or apple butter jam.............along with fresh eggs from my hens, and homegrown bacon or sausage from our hog.

Having a wonderful clothes line with an incredible view of the mountains, the BEST part of hanging my clothes out to dry. The gray water from the washer draining into the orchard to water the fruit trees, while also providing drinking water for the many animals that wander through our ranch land. I make my own cleaning and washing supplies so that I tread a bit lighter on our earth, eliminating many of the harsh chemicals that most "store-bought" supplies have.

My love of reading books rather than watching T.V. (my daddy used to call it the "idiot box!"). Cutting our own firewood for the long winter months, as it's the only source of heat we have........in 85 years, no resident of this ranch house has deemed it necessary to provide heat in any other way...........hmmmm? I know why, because wood heat is the warmest heat! My joy of putting on a pot of soup or stew in the winter on the ol' woodstove and simmering it all day.

To many people, this may sound like a lot of hard work, and I'll admit....not always do I want to hang my laundry out to dry, or make our bread, or even can. But once I get started, push myself to do so, I'm happy. I just had a "lazy moment" when I wanted to fudge on the task. Then, from out of nowhere, I think about my ancestors, my "people," and I think.........what if they hadn't done what they needed to do for a day, a week...........? Maybe none of us would be here.

GOD gave us each a day to live in fullfillment. I don't think he intended for us to sit in front of a T.V., a computer, an electonic game, or on our bumms! He expected us to spend time outdoors everyday, working the soil, breathing the air, walking, working, cooking healthy meals, spending time in quiet respite and reflection............for me, it can only happen in a garden, "one is nearer GODS heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth."

But truly, my life has always been focused aound my two children. They ventured into this journey with me from the day they entered this world. This lifestyle I live isn't something new to me, I've been living this way for many years...........by choice.
   I lived in Washington state on a remote five acres, my children grew up there. I grew a large garden, canned, raised animals, shovelled my own snow, dealt with frozen water pipes, dug myself out of the snow when stuck in my ol' truck (I was seven months pregnant on one such occasion) I also worked, and attended college all the while being a single mom. My children rode a school bus for over three hours daily during the school months. It was dark when they got off the bus and dark when they got on, they had over a mile walk back into our lil' homestead everyday. Winter time, I met them out on the county road. They had just enough time to eat a home-cooked meal, shower, do homework and go to bed...........only to start over the next day. My two children learned my work ethic............work hard, play hard and spent time alone everyday, so you have something to "bring to the table." They are incredible young people and I love them beyond measure. They are successful, educated, and productive individuals. They are kind, compassionate, smart, and very loving. We spend time with one another often. I'm a proud mama, I'm glad that my children appreciate how I've raised them. I'm glad I've left them a legacy, something they can always "fall back on" and know how to.............

On any given day ask my children, "Has she left you a legacy? Has she inspired you to be your best? Are you strong in character and physical being, strong in faith?" I know that answer..............

"Dreams come a couple sizes too big so you can grow into them."

P.L.O.M. People

2010-07-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday out at the ranch we had a family meal with our kids and grand kids. It had been over a week since we'd seen our daughter, she had been attending a week long conference in Scottsdale. There were ten of us, we had a family style meal outdoors at the picnic table, something I always grew up with.

My daughter and I finally got around to talking about her conference, she really learned a lot and enjoyed it. She especially liked the speaker at the conference who was from Kentucky. She told me a lil' story about this women, it got me thinking about my family..............all those Southern relatives of mine!

My grand daddy, Grady Henry Noland, was born in Sherman, Texas. He was the baby out of seven children. His mother who was originally from Georgia, raised her seven children mostly by herself. Her husband was a drifter, who would leave her for years at a time and then one day...........just surface again. The family made their living as sharecroppers. Traveling where and whenever there was work, so they moved often.

My granny, Bertha Ann Coursey/Noland, was born in Wyatt, Louisiana. She was the fourth child of twelve children. Her mama was Cherokee, English and French. Her father was Irish. They too were sharecroppers, moving often.

Both families eventually landed in Marked Tree, Arkansas working farms. That is where my grandparents met and married. We have a large family cemetary in Jonesboro, Arkansas, not far from Marked Tree.

Eventually my grandparents moved to Arizona. My grand daddy eventually started making his own hard, earned cash by building lil' shotgun houses for the soldiers during the forties. This eventually earned him enough to buy a small ranch and build a home for the family. He raised cattle.

The speaker at the conference, told the group about her mama's favorite word..........it was "P.L.O.M. people"............which stood for, "poor lil' ol' me." I grew up knowing things like this, it's something that happens when you are raised by Southerners. Sayings like: "gettin' all the good and plenty out of something," meaning you had to wear it out before you got another. "Shit fire," which my grand daddy said when something went wrong, the only cuss word I ever heard him use. I say it now, but tame it a bit with "shoot fire," my middle grandson likes to use it also........frequently! "Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit," when you couldn't believe something, kinda like "all be." "Sister," his nickname for his daughter, "Poor lil' ol thing," something usually said when you didn't like someone or were gossiping about them. There were many lil' ol' sayings, my point being, that life with Southerners is never, ever dull!!! They certainly keep a conversation full of life and humor.

Now I've met P.L.O.M. people before, you know, the ones that constantly complain about their woes. Whether is be an illness, a wrongful deed done to them, things just not going right for them............we've all met them. In fact, I have a neighbor that is a P.L.O.M. person, in all honesty, he drives me nuts!! I can't talk to him for too long, because before you know it, he's rollin' in his own self-pity, I figure he doesn't need me for an audience, he's his own, "one man pity party." Usually when he corners me, I listen for a wee bit and then tell him I've got somethin' burnin' in the kitchen and quickly depart.

Now I'm a darn positive girl most of the time. I thank GOD everyday when I wake up, just for the sheer fact that I DID wake up! Another day to enjoy time with my grand babies, kids, husband and.................our lil' ol' ranch.

My point is that I'm very proud of my roots, I'm very proud of my grand parents for etching out a nice life for themselves when all odds were against them. I'm proud of the fact that I was able to spend so much time with my grandparents, we were close. I spent my life eating some of the BEST Southern cuisine ever..............ham hocks and pintos with cast iron cornbread (my granny made the BEST!), fried okra, turnip greens cooked in bacon grease for hours on the stovetop, lima beans and ham, black-eyed peas, fried chicken and fried sunfish, watermelon with salt, homemade ice cream, cornpones, drop biscuits with homemade jams, meringue pies of all types, iced tea by the gallons drunk out of quart jars iced down, homemade mac and cheese, pickled goodies.

I miss my grand parents, there are so many things I would love to ask them now that I'm older. One thing is for sure, I'm proud of my "people" and I'm proud to share that Southern gift with my "sister" and "boo"...............Jessi Ann and Jared Thomas (aka J.T.)

A Spinning Wheel for Katie or Confessions of a Spinning Addict!

2010-06-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

This is my newest purchase....a traditional Ashford spinning wheel. It's a single drive, made in New Zealand, probably a 1960's model. I think I got a very, very, good deal on this spinning wheel from a very, very, nice lady I know.

I bought this wheel from a "blogger" friend, shepherdess friend, and email friend. It was my first time to actually meet her in person, along with her significant other, and all her beautiful sheep and lambs. What an education I got that day. I can't say enough about learning a "new" craft. I'm a firm believer in keeping the ol' noggin in good working order by always educating self, and learning something new, something that feels good to spirit, that sings out to your soul. Thus my desire to purchase a spinning wheel so the joy of spinning would go a bit faster for me. You see, I'd always spun fiber with a drop spindle...............now I know that's an art in itself, but what a joke! Give me a spinning wheel anyday!!!

In my short 2-3 hour visit with K.L. a master spinner herself, I learned sooo much in such a short time. K.L. is truly a great teacher, a patient woman, a kind soul. I learned the parts of the spinning wheel, I learned little tricks of the trade so to speak on a wheel, I learned how to spin, how to wash fleece properly, how to oil "the machine," how to thread the machine, how to ply, also knitty knobs and lazy kates, AND.....which way to spin cut fleece!!! Now I know why she is a Master spinner with the Endowment of Arts, she's phenomenal and I like her a lot.

This is a flyer and a bobbin on a spinning wheel. Isn't it pretty?? This is a top view to give you an idea of how it works and how the fiber looks once spun. The flyer goes around wrapping the fleece onto the bobbin as I peddle with my foot. It's a pretty intricate ordeal if you're not good at multi-tasking, but with time and practice, you too can spin fleece into yarn.The blue rubber band is off a bunch of fresh broccoli, it is used for the tension, I can either tighten or ease up on the tension depending on the fiber and how fast I want to spin.....which isn't fast at the moment, but I'm o.k. with that because right now, I enjoy the feel of the machine as I work the fleece and learn the wheel. Fast is a later date for this spinner.

I also learned that the flyer on the wheel was engineered with the help of Leanardo di Vinci............who knew and isn't that cool? Also in the washing process of wool, the spinning cycle of the wool is called, "wuzzing." Washing fleece is called, "scouring."When spinning, you always spin to the right, ply to the left (aka "sinister"). Plying is when you join yarns on your wheel.

The parts of a wheel: Bobbin, Flyer, Maidens, Mother of All, Tension knob or brake, Wheel and Hub, Footman, Peddle, Leader.......I'm having a blast with this wheel, I'm in love!!!

This morning I pulled up my Farmer's forecast on the weather for our area.....and guess what? It's going to be really windy on the high plateau today....awww! The garden is watered, the sheep, steer, and chickens are already fed so........... I'm spinning today just for the "shear" (no pun intended) joy of spinning my fleece into yarn!

SONG FOR THE SPINNING WHEEL

Swiftly turn the murmuring wheel!

Night has brought the welcome hour,

When the weary fingers feel

Help, as if from faery power;

Dewy night o'ershades the ground:

Turn the swift wheel round and round!

Now, beneath the starry sky,

Couch the widely-scattered sheep;

Ply the pleasant labour, ply!

For the spindle,while they sleep,

Runs with speed more smooth and fine,

Gathering up a trustier line.

Short-lived likings may be bred

By a glance from fickle eyes;

But true love is like the thread

Which the kindly wool supplies,

When the flocks are all at rest

Sleeping on the mountain's breast.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

"The Bean Tree"

2010-05-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

This is a "bean tree." It stands seven foot tall, it's made of green willow, and it's my own creation...........well the idea of a trellis isn't mine, but the "bean tree" is. I've used these for many years in gardening. However, when we moved from our home in Show Low to our home in the country...............I left my "bean trees" behind, I've been kickin' myself in the hinny ever since.

Yesterday after getting three lil' grandkids up, fed, and ready for their departure from the ranch, "The Man" asked me what I wanted to do for the day. I told him I'd think about it while he was returning the lil' chicks back to their parentals.

I knew the garden was getting planted over Memorial week-end (as it has for many years), further my greenhouse is being taken over by my heirloom beans with names like: Ram's Horn, Greasy Grits, Anazazi, & the beloved, Giant Speckled. The runners on these beans are lovingly embracing my heirloom tomato plants and squash.........boy am I ready to plant! So it only seemed right that "The Man" and I spend a very windy day, along the rivers edge, cutting willow. I used the lopers, he used a saw.........pretty soon, we had a truck-load of fresh, green, willow for my craft.

These "bean trees" are NOT hard to make, we can usually whip one out in about a half-hour. I need ten by next week-end!! We strip four branches, lay them on the ground and measure seven foot, then cut. We then stand them upright, get the feel of the willow and it's best fit, then start screwing pieces together at the top (think of a tepee). Once the top is screwed, we make two layers of bracing at different heights on the "bean tree." Sometimes we criss-cross, sometimes we square off. Once these are completed, we sink the legs into the earth by about six inches and I plant the heirloom bean in the middle of the "tree." Then I hang a homemade device from the upper portion of the "tree" to distract birds from my bean plants.

These "bean trees" work like a charm and they are good for many, many years. Once the bean plant has started it's upward climb (to the height of seven foot or more), and blooms.........you have a beautiful, piece of art in the garden.

My next garden art will be a loom. It's part sculpture, part loom, part wildlife attractor and is six foot high and three foot wide The vertical strings (the warp) are garden jute The horizontal threads (the weft) are woven in from any materials you want........mine will be wool fibers combined with grasses, flowers, and stalks from my garden. I will weave willow, amaranth, echinacea, and sunflower stalks, dill, zinnias, and black-eyed Susans. Friends, family and grandkids are all welcome to gather to weave rows on the sculpture.

The spark of love, the joy of connection, and the knowledge that we are a tiny part of the whole tapestry is amazingly powerful.

So.............get your creative juices flowing and share your ideas!"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing............then we truly live life."---Greg Anderson

"Because Kindness Matters"

2010-05-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

There are times when people do something unexpected and you're blown away by their insight and kindness.

Last Monday while driving home from Phoenix, "The Man" and myself stopped at a convenience market to purchase some water and candy. It just happened to be on the reservation. As we pulled in, a young cowdog was in the parking lot, completely stressed, obviously nursing some young pups somewhere, and she had this very worried look on her face. I hopped out of the vehicle and said, "hi pooch, where are your babies?" "The Man" looked over at her and said, "you need to get along and go feed your babies." This particular convenience market is a busy market. Cars were pulling in one after another to gas up and head to wherever...........no one really paid any mind to the lil' bitch, but it was obvious she wanted something from someone, anyone!

As I approached the check-out line, I asked the cashier what the deal was with the dog. He said, "she's a stray, feral, animal control has already hauled her off, but then they realized she had a litter of pups somewhere so they had to bring her back and let her go, you know, she has to nurse those pups." I asked him, "does anyone know where the pups are?" He said "yes, they're right over yonder near the creek, out in the desert."

We finished our transaction, I turned to head out the door, when "The Man" grabbed by shoulder and said, "head on out to the truck, I'll be out in a minute." I stopped on my way out to the truck and called the dog, she was so frightened, and headset on her mission. About that time, "The Man" comes out of the market with a big, fat, juicy hot dog in a bunn. He blows on it, the lil' cowdog is salivating, pacing, hungry. One at a time, he pinches off lil' pieces and cools them, then tosses them to her. She is terrified to get too close to him, but the temptation is too much for her, she is hungry. She gobbles the last of the hot dog and bunn down and backs up a pace, looks at the man and decides he's o.k.................she comes over to him, rubs up against his leg and walks away to beg from others coming and going.

With a glisten of a tear in his eye, we head out to the truck, get in and resume our trip back up the mountain. I don't say a word. When we get home, check on our own animals and head into the house, I turn to "The Man" and tell him, "these are the things you think of and do, unconditionally, that make me love you so very much." We kiss, hug and head off to retire for the night, it's been a long day.

I love you very much! You are a special human being and I'm thankful everyday for you.

"The Cycle"

2010-04-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

This is sweet "Kitchi" minutes after birth. His name is Algonquin for, "brave one." Brave he was, as was his mother, "Gracie." He was 11# at birth. He is a Jacob/Churro lamb. He has very curly, jet black fleece, with dapplings of white. He will have horns as it's in his genetics.

At 10 a.m. last Friday, "The Man" came into the house and told me to come check our ewe "Gracie." We knew she was soon to lamb but weren't quite sure when. When I approached the lambing jug she had chosen, she was in obvious signs of labor. I assumed she was in the first stage of labor and would present a bag of water soon. "The Man" and myself stayed in the jug with "Gracie." We timed a half hour, cooing and speaking softly to "Gracie" giving her words of encouragement, this was her first lambing. About fifteen minutes into the labor, I realized something was amiss................a thought that had plagued me for most of her pregnancy. Another push from the ewe and I saw................one hoof!

I quickly scrubbed up, went back outside and did a check on her. The lamb was crossed up, what shepherds call "dystocia," meaning an abnormal or difficult birth...........little did we know, it would be both. As I reached further into the ewe to locate the position of the other leg, she went down on me. It's so much easier to correct and manipulate a "crossed" lamb when the ewe remains upright. I did finally locate the other leg, which was further in her and bent. Once freed and pulled down to meet the other hoove, I reached back in to locate the head. It was stuck............BIG time. Everytime I let go of the hooves to try and free the forehead, the lambs legs contracted back inside her. This is the point in time that "The Man" gets his first experience with helping "birth a babe."

I had "The Man" hold onto the legs (which were a smidgen of the way out), while I further tried to help the ewe with her delivery. Try as we might, the lamb was stuck! We are both getting nervous as "Gracie" now isn't responding to a whole lot.........I'm fearing shock as we have worked on her now for approximately 10 minutes. Finally, I ask "The Man" to let me have the legs, I push the lamb further inside, rotate a quarter turn and let him have the legs back. Re-entry tells me we can now start pulling slowly. We are both, literally sweating now, pulling and finally, out pops the head of a very sweet lamb..............he's moving..............thank you GOD. Another moment and he is fully delivered. I quickly place the lamb at the mouth and nose of the ewe......to no avail. The ewe is "spent" and unresponsive!

The lamb is covered in meconium so I realize he's been in the womb too long. I turn him over to "The Man" for clean-up and resume with my ewe. I'm cooing her, checking her respirations, telling her to "get up." Finally, "The Man" who is emotionally spent now, moves over and gently pushes her telling her to "get up." She does...........oh thank GOD once again. She is super weak. She doesn't want anything to do with her lil' boy lamb. We are worried.

After interminable hours, we get the ewes energy back up to snuff, give shots of penicillan, vitamins, molasses water.............she then finally takes a "sniff" of the lamb..................then a "lick" of the lamb...............then a "nuzzle" of the lamb..............longer than should have transpired, she finally let's her babe nuzzle her breast................colostrum finally in his belly, tired from his entry into the world..............they lie together and sleep.

After four days in a lambing jug with her son, "Gracie" has turned out to be a very good mother. She's attentive, let's him nurse as often as he wants, and will stave off other jealous ewes to protect. Fortunately for "The Man," myself, "Gracie" and "Kitchi," no signs of infection are present, he is now bouncing around although very shy with the other lambs (who are much bigger than him at this point). He's eating alfalfa, sleeping and thriving.

This will be "Gracies" one and only babe. She is too tiny (due to her own crippling as a lamb) to ever bare another. I can't nor won't put her through another ordeal like this one. Do I get rid of her, do I keep her? I don't know the answer to that question yet................however, I will follow "my heart" when that decision needs to be made.

Welcome to the world, "Kitchi," you are a "brave one!" But then, your mama beat all odds in her own life!!!!

"Cattle Dot Helps Shepherdess Kat!!"

2010-04-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful mother, I won't tell you how "young" she is but most would not believe me, she looks phenomenal for her age! She is holding our youngest grandson Chase and her youngest great-grandchild (she has six).

Tuesday, April 13th "The Man" has to leave the ranch during the peak of lambing season, he's headed over to Kirkland Air Force base to survey a new facility. I'm just a tad bit nervous as I have one ewe in particular that usually has multiples and I don't want to be by myself on this lambing. "The Man" suggests I call my mama and ask her to come stay with me until his return in a couple of days. I call, and "Cattle Dot" comes without question, I love her for her selfless acts of kindness.

We get up first thing in the morning and check on the ewe, she appears to be fine but she is sleeping a lot and standing guard in one particular "lambing jug." This jug has always been the jug she lambs in and NO one else gets to step foot in it when she's ready to lamb! Throughout the day we check on her, usually hourly checks as I can see she's progressing in labor.........I call this the "silent stage of labor." The ewe is restless, tired, pawing the ground, isolating herself from the rest of the flock, and generally, just kinda miserable.

After an entire day of keeping vigil, it's now feeding time for the sheep. I call each pregnant or nursing ewe to me after the hay has been bucked into the feed bunker, they must come for their grain. Each one comes as called to snarf up their grain...........except one..........."Freckles." Often but NOT always, a ewe will refuse her grain feeding just prior to lambing...........a rumen full of grain fermenting isn't an "iddy" way to go into full blown labor. I know she will lamb soon.

After the nightly feeding, "Cattle Dot" suggests we sit in the barn at the table and have a glass of wine, that way we can "kinda watch the ewe." I oblige and we enjoy the last of the late afternoon with another glass of wine. I'm beginning to see the ewe getting more and more agitated so I suggest we mosey into the ol' ranch house and have dinner.

I've already made up two wonderful arugula/spinach salads with the works, one steamed artichoke (we can split with my wonderful lime aioli), and a batch of roasted asparagus..........that will be our dinner this evening............before sitting down, I make one last check on the ewe and realize that this dinner will be put on hold!

I walk out to the barn leaving "Cattle Dot" to set up the table, only to find a lil' white head standing in the lambing jug...............Miss "Freckles" has decided to start the rodeo without us! I run back indoors and tell "Cattle Dot" to, "suit up and head out to the barn, she's birthin' babies." Now "Cattle Dot" has never seen lambs born, she's tried on numerous occasions but to no avail, it's taken four years and she finally gets to assist with a lambing. She cleans their lil' noses as they arrive, she dips the umbilical, she dries them off, she fills a drench syringe three times for me so I can give them a energy booster............the temperature outdoors is plummeting, we're wet from sheep fluids, we don't have on our proper coats...........and when we think we'll head into the house to get them, another lamb is making it's entrance into the world. By midnight, we have helped the ewe with her lambing, she's tired, we're tired, but the lambs are doing well, nursing and sleeping, nice and warm under the jug lights. The temperature outdoors is now 33 F. We pick up our lambing kit, the dirty, wet towels, and head into the house. We strip down...........do a quick wash over, put PJ's on and eat our meal in silence.

We both stagger off to bed lightly saying our inaudible "goodnights" and drop off into a deep slumber. "Cattle Dot" has finally seen the lil' lambs born, she's happy, tired, and say's she "wouldn't have missed it for the world." I'm more than thankful that "Cattle Dot" has helped "Shepherdess Kat" this cold, Spring night in April.

Thank you mama, I'm ever thankful............AND, I'm glad your daddy raised cattle and you are a nurse! Both bits of your knowledge helped tremendously!! "Hey............what do ya say we do it again next year?"

Land of Nod

2010-04-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry about this shot of my ewe "Freckles," my favorite pie-bald dam, but it validates this posting.

Poor "Freckles" is ready to lamb in the next week, she is carrying multiples. We're not talking about twins or triplets either. Last Spring she put out four lambs, three ram lambs and a small ewe lamb that was "silly as all get out!" This year.....is anybodys guess, but I'm thinking at least four again, if not five!

We also have another ewe/dam that is pregnant for the first time in three years. She took her time "smoozing" up to the ol' ram. Now she is also carrying multiples, twins I believe. Because most of you know that she is my sweet baby, this is just a bit nerve racking for this shepherdess. I'm compelled to be there for both of these ewes, one may need me for support and one may need me for support and manipulation of a lamb in vitro!

We have two other dams as well that are pregnant but my worry is not over them. They are seasoned, sure fired sheep who know what they are doing. Maybe it's because I have enough on my plate as it stands today. Now "Freckles" is a well seasoned, sure fire sheep also but handling the task of lambing, cleaning and suckling four or five lambs is one, big, job. Last year she barely had time to clean one off and another was on it's way.

The nights are long and tiresome for me, up every two hours round the clock until lambing season is over..............I'm sleep deprived! "The Man" helps out when he can but with a full work load I certainly don't expect him to get up every two hours during the night.....although he is missing some awesome happenings out in the world.

One-thirty a.m. April 5th.........oh my were the stars bright, and light, and the moon was yellow. I even took the time to run into the house for the camera so I could get a shot of the moon...........at one-thirty in the morning!A couple of nights in a row, the owls have been making a racket in the ol' Elm trees. The coyotes are loud lately, food must be abundant for them. And always you hear dogs barking off in the distance.

Speaking of dogs, "Blue" usually heads out with me each and every time like a loyal companion, he protects me..... and he pees! I like that he wants to go outdoors with me, often as I'm cooing to the sheep in their jugs, he lies down near my feet wondering.........."how long is she going to coo those damn sheep?" But he waits and he's usually patient, sometimes he'll wait for me at the end of the walk-way especially if it's cold outdoors.

When lambing season is over, and the weather is warmer, and all lambs are growing ferociously, I'll grab a great book, lie in my outdoor recliner and visit the land of nod!

"Star Light, Star Bright"

2010-03-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would create new religions overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of GOD. Instead, the stars come out every night and we watch television.---Paul Hawken

Le printemps!

2010-03-07T15:11:00.000-08:00

Awake, thou wintry earth-

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!

-Thomas Blackburn-

Spring is almost upon us, March 20th to be exact. Life is busy here at Rockin' A Ranch, there are lambing jugs to ready for new lambs, a new holding pen getting built for the new steer , seedlings to be placed in "my special soil mix" for veggie starts, pruning of fruit trees, fertilizing of roses and flower beds..........a lot of work for two people. We wouldn't have it any other way though...........working hard comes naturally to "The Man" and myself.

Walking the grounds the other day I noticed my perennial herbs breaking soil to greet the warmer days. I love my fresh herbs. I pluck them during the Spring/Summer for drying, also for flavoring foods, butter, drinks, and using them as garnish for my "famous" Antipasto platter. I also love growing edible flowers, Borage candied and placed in a glass of white wine sangria or tea, Nastursiums for salads, marigolds, violets, stock, pinks and cowslips. Lavender and rose petals add a delicate color and flavor to our homemade ice cream. Tulips partially dipped in chocolate and stuffed with lavender cream (stamen removed of course!). In fact, I have a cousin in Vashon, Washington that grows edible flowers for most of the restaurants in Seattle, maybe it's inveterate for the two of us.

"The Man" and myself are praying (along with our little mantra song) in hopes that our fruit blossoms on the trees will not freeze this year and we'll have an abundance of fruit.

Even "Blue" is anticipating an acceleration of action on the lone prarie lately, he's been pining his days away watching over his flock of sheep.......all after seeing some coyotes and bobcats recently. He's a "good ol' boy," slowly coming into his own.

Yesterday's order of first cutting hay was delivered to the ol' ranch. Over three ton to be exact, another is on the way. This next batch will be the second cutting with smaller stems. Sheep like smaller stems but all parts of alfalfa (including the stems) have serious nutritional value. This load has a lot of protein in it for the unborn lambs and the ewes. I like to get this in prior to the "girls" lambing, it's so good for them. Our shearer friend, Miss Penney is coming in on March 20th to shear. I like to get that done before lambing as well, keeps it a bit "tidier" for the lambing process.

If I haven't told you about our shearer, now is my time to brag!!! Penney is the daughter of Lynn. Lynn sold me my first two ewes on the ranch and my first two rams. Thus started the breeding of sheep at Rockin' A Ranch. Lynn raised over 300 head of sheep in Republic, Washington in her hay-day. Penney learned what she knows from a very smart, kind, and compassionate mama. Penney LOVES to enter competitions with her shearing, last years took place in California. She took third.............third internationally.........yeah, that means she out-sheared some real seasoned male, New Zealanders, Aussies, and the like. She is an incredible shearer and we're very blessed that Lynn sent her to us.

As I said, we have a new edition arriving at the ranch soon...........a Holstein steer calf (YES, that means bottle feeding three times a day). Praying the lil' guy doesn't get scours and grows to be a nice, healthy steer. Twenty-some chicks will also arrive late April. I've furthered the flock of chickens incorporating more old, heritage breeds, and some will be raised for about six weeks and butchered for our freezer. After four years of raising our own meat, store bought pales folks! I can butcher and dress a chicken in less than fifteen minutes now.............who'd a thunk? Our two new ducks are on order, a drake and hen "Buff," originating from England. And of course our heritage breed turkeys are also on order.

In denouement, I will be nurturing and bottle feeding a calf (hopefully NO lambs), tending to baby chicks of all varieties, and coaxing my sweet veggies, herbs and flowers along this Spring...............what'll you be doing this Spring?

Staying Connected

2010-02-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

I've had many pictures taken of me in my lifetime, most not so good, a few that are "o.k." I'm not a big fan of having my picture taken, guess it's because so many show that "crooked smile" that's genetic, or all my freckles (which seem to be resurfacing just like when I was six!), the crows-feet around my eyes and mouth (from so many years of smilin'). But this isn't a posting about aging, good picture vs. bad picture, this is about staying connected to our friends!

In many ways, friends define us and keep us sane. For women nearing 50, as our generation ages, our networks of friends become larger. Not only larger but more important to us.

I'm a fairly outgoing lady, I've never been shy nor been too overly concerned with what other's may think of me. My motto has always been, "don't take yourself too seriously, cuz' no one else does!" I believe that! I love to walk up to a stranger and start a conversation with them, I enjoy meeting new people, I enjoy making friends. In the words of Maya Angelou, "we're all more alike than unalike." So true..............The beautiful lady in the picture is my friend Mary, we've known each other for ten years. She is an incredible lady and we have "ginormous" amounts in common. I love her very much, in fact, I just had her over this past Saturday for six hours, we had a lot of fun and time to talk. I needed my "fix of Mary," it had been too long. To me, I think of friendship as something I need like exercise or a good night's sleep.

Friendship is not a constant state of connection; it needs to be tended like a garden, and improves with that tending. In the past couple of years, I've been able to reconnect with many friends from grade school. I was never one for getting "hyped" about a reunion (high school or otherwise), those that I was friends with in grade school or high school, are those that I want to stay connected to. There is Carol, Kellee, Meg, Stacey, Sarah, Maxie, Melanie, Beverly, Cathy, Janie, Jerry, Jay, Randy, Rob, Rod, Mike, Nancy, Nora, Penney and a plethora of other truly, terrific friends.

Every hour of friendship time I add to my life diminishes stress and increases my happiness. There are things you will tell a friend that you wouldn't tell a spouse or lover. Even a small shot of "friend time" can recharge my spirit and help me maintain that connection. Meg and I try to chat at least once a week through messenger, Carol calls whenever she's up and available to shop and go out to lunch. Kellee sends me emails that she won't send anyone else.....cuz' she know's me so well. Sweet Stacey for posting one of the nicest "surveys" amongst our friends on Facebook about my writing, Maxie for her sweet, personal letters to me via FB, Sarah for her kindness, and honesty.....I could go on and on about my dear friends.............I cherish them all.

I find that's it's really easy and enormously satisfying to "pick up where we left off," even after thirty plus years! I love each and everyone of you, thank you for the friendship, history we share, laughter, giggles and tears. You're the BEST!!!

P.S. I have wonderful photo's of these treasured friends that I wanted to post on here, but.............I couldn't get them to post for some reason.....shucks!

Billet-Doux

2010-02-13T05:22:00.000-08:00

If I was a flower growin' wild and free

All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.

And if I was a tree growing tall and green

All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,

The rumble of your water would be my call

If you were the winter, I know I'd be your snow

Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

All I want is you , will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side.

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod

If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod

If you were a floor, I'd wanna be the rug

And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be your hug.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side.

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.

If you were the love, I'd be the desire

If you were a castle, I'd be your moat

And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side.

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

This my love is how I feel about us, and I love you Rick beyond measure!

For Toby, with love from your seasoned, SAINT-ly, Sage......................!!!

2010-02-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

This is going to be my fav post to date......you know why? Because our son-in-law Toby is not only a "sweet guy," but he's also very, very, self-assured, and cocky.........so I get to put him in his place with this posting!

Sunday morning (the morning of the Superbowl), I started getting text's from Toby.....lil' jabs about the upcoming game and his certainty that I would lose the bet we had.....WAIT, let me back up just a sec.....you see, Toby lost our Superbowl bet the previous year, he owed me dinner for that loss. One year to the date, he decided he'd "man up to his debt" by having us over for dinner......on Superbowl Sunday! Now mind you, I had to wait ONE FULL YEAR TO BE PAID FOR HIS LOSS OF THE 2009 SUPERBOWL!

BTW-Toby, your Bison burgers rocked the house and the bottle of Cabernet you bought me (as part of being a loser in 2009), outstanding with a wonderful complexity!

Now back to the story....... approximately two weeks ago, I received a phone call from Toby..........he called to tell me that he was betting on the Colts at the Superbowl and I could have the Saints!!!! "Hello, who wagers a bet this way???" So being the wise Sage that I am, I went along with it but he got an earful yesterday over his betting formalities.

I was good with the Saints because, #1 my granny was from Louisiana, #2 the Saints were rated the "under-dog," #3 the Saints have never made it to a Superbowl.....I was good with it, no problems really, until Mr. Smartypants wanted to pester me all day Sunday with his texts, "be here at four-thirty......i will be thinking about what you will be making me for dinner next year." or "I'm always one step ahead of you." I think at that point I texted him back and told him to KMA and quit pestering me!

"The Man" and I arrived on time for the event, bringing some Irish beer with us. Kick-off began...........and I have to admit, in the first quarter of that game it DID look like the "ponies" would take it......they were certainly leading the way to victory.............until.........the off-side kick by the Saints............now that sure upped the ante for the "ponies."

About that time, my sis called me on my cell to rave about the off-side kick by "our team." Sooooo.....I let her have a jab at Toby...........jab she did.

Wasn't long before the boys (Toby and Brady) were really gettin' stressed over the way the game was turning.............

Ahhhhh....the glory of winning!!!!! Toby, "I'll be on-time next year and I WILL be thinking about what you will be making me for dinner!" xoxoxo

Hidden Treasures.........

2010-01-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

I love this ol' ranch, considering it's ONLY eighty-five years old, one can only fathom the treasures left behind by others.

When we first moved in, all I seemed to stumble upon was broken glass. That was rather frustrating since I have grand children and animals that could be injured on such items. Then I began to find utensils.........in the strangest places. I've found spoons, forks and knives in the pastures and corrals, it's like all the ol' time cowboys were out on the fence eating "Beenie-Weenies" all day, and keepin' an eye on the "doggies."

But then one day, I started really focusing on my finds.........purple glass shards, pottery shards, railroad spikes, beautifully designed broken plates and cups, old buttons, coins, a compass, kids play jacks(the old metal ones), marbles...........the insurmountable treasures I have found now grace my home and yard.

I have been collecting purple glass for many years now. Beginning in the 1860's glass makers in the United States started using manganese to give glass clarity instead of lead due to the lead shortages created by the civil war. Glass containing manganese eventually turns a light purple when exposed to sunlight, a side effect that was unknown at the time the practice started. By roughly 1915, most companies in the United States switched from manganese to selenium to maintain clearness in glass.

Also.........the multitude of machinery parts I have found, sheep shears (hum?....I thought this was a cattle ranch), bolts, hammers, hand tools, and some pieces I have NO clue as to their origin.........abundant to say the least. It's truly like a treasure hunt out here, one just need be aware, and pay attention, and "ye shall find."

These railroad spikes have been found in abundance on our lil' ranch......we did have a railroad running just in front of our home many years ago. I've seen these in the antique stores as high as $4.50 a piece. I'm thinkin' we're sittin' on a small fortune here at the ol' homestead.

We have lived here for almost four years, on the first of January 2010, "The Man" and myself decided to head outdoors to finish a fencing project that needed to be completed. I was on one side of the fence tying wire, "The Man" on the other side. I leaned down to tie wire to the bottom of a post when low and behold.....I found a real treasure.........a button....... a sea-shell button from a womens garment. I was very excited, my grandmother used to collect sea-shell buttons, in fact my sister and I split a few of her buttons years ago so we would have her collection to remember her.

Over the years I've often felt her presence near me. I have been told by her two children that she would have loved this ol' ranch. So this find sends a very positive omen to me, I know she is with me daily, edging me on to till the soil, fill my lungs with fresh air, plant and can, spin my wool and be with God here in my humble abode. I take nothing for granted, all these treasures were meant to be found by us.......thanks for guiding me grandma.....I love you!

"2010.......A Pro-Liberty Year!"

2010-01-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

This year marks the end of an indefinable era. We have seen changes to our world like few other decades have seen. There have been so many shaping events in history, who can forget that this decade began with millions questioning whether or not our civilization would collapse as we faced Y2K. The first decade brought the horrors of a date whose name and significance would forever change our understanding of freedom, and with it a new America.

It held a massive catastrophic natural disaster those names would forever become synonymous with devastation, and nearly stole an iconic major national city from us. We saw the Boston Red Sox at last beat a curse held since 1919, finally winning the World Series not just once, but twice! Then there was a War....a decade of bloodshed as we worked to free the world from a force that has been a shadow throughout the world.

We have seen the lowest deeds of man come to light with the difficulties of torture, the unremorseful Bernie Madoff (made-off with all your money!), and an epic economic failure that our country felt immune from. Then there were the elections that would go down in history, with Bush's second time around and the endless jokes about Florida's inability to count, and the most memorable of all....the first African American President.

The Constitution is based on six basic principles. These are deeply ingrained in the mindset and landscape of US government...allegedly!

Let's start with "Popular Sovereignty," this principle states that the source of governmental power lies with the people. This belief stems from the concept of the social contract and the idea that government should be for the benefit of it's citizens. If the government is not protecting it's people, it should be dissolved.

Limited Government: Since the people give government it's power, government itself is limited to the power given it by them. The U.S. government does not derive it's power from itself. It must follow it's own laws and it can only act using powers given to it by the people. americanhistory.com

There are four more principles you can look up for yourself, but I have to speak my mind here. I DO NOT believe our government speaks for the majority of the people. When the government decides that you must be "forced" to buy a government service (the new health care bill), it is unprecedented!! They are ramming a health care bill down our throats that over 70% of us said we don't want because it will actually raise healthcare costs and decrease benefits for most of us! Do you want the United States of America to become the United Socialist States of America?

It's like they are telling us, "give up all your liberties so we can help you!" Or better yet, George Carlin's quote, "people go back to bed, your government is IN CONTROL!" Scary s--t if you ask me.

I love my health care plan as it stands now....I don't want any part of the "governments health care plan." "If I choose not to participate and you throw me in jail............please Obama, make sure you give me a HD, flat screen, T.V. in my cell."

I'm not socialist and I don't want to live in a socialist country, I'm not "anti-government," but I am "Pro-Liberty!"

Christmas Crafts and Bubble Baths

2009-12-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

You know, sometimes in your life, certain things hit you hard in the heart and you know you're changed forever. This past week-end that happened to me (us).

We had the honor of watching three of our five grand kids for several nights while their parents went out of town. What an initial whirlwind that was.........kids arrived with huge pieces of luggage, talking non-stop all the while, and the baby (who just learned to walk) grabbing goodies as fast as you could put one up. I knew we were in for a "treat."

And that's exactly what we got...........once the initial hurricane settled into the eye of the storm, everything went smoothly. The only time I really felt a bit of anxiety was at meal time, the baby would cling to my leg crying and hungry, Brady would TELL ME what HE wanted for dinner, Kiley would say, "Nana I'm really hungry." Once the babe was strapped into his high chair with fresh fruit, things calmed...............I could then focus on the meal. Mind you this was three times a day with snacks in between. Aside from the starving lil' chicks, the time spent with them was fun.

Kiley and I made Christmas crafts for her "second" family (her biological father, his wife and their four kids). I knew she was "stressing" over what to make them as they are kids that apparently are very "picky" about what they get for gifts. After a small pep talk with Kiley about homemade gifts vs. store bought, she buckled down to make meaningful gifts for her siblings. I have to tell you, she put her heart and soul into those gifts for her siblings.

I have "stuff", craft stuff...........in bags, in containers, in boxes, you name it, I have it. She pulled everyone of those out to "design" her Christmas gifts.She embellished those crafts with paint, lace, ribbons, roses, and tacky glue. She measured, cut, and painted those crafts into some of the cutest "shabby chic" lil' designs ever! They turned out darling and she was soooo proud of her artistic work. She made one sign, designed in a heart that said........"Every girl has a story to tell......" Now she came up with that lil' saying on her own, I personally want her to do one for me that says.........."Every woman has a story to tell....." She's a gifted, artistic child and I'm glad I was able to devote the time to her.I couldn't have spent the one-on-one time with her either if it hadn't been for "The Man" holding down the rest of the fort...........two boys bouncing off the walls!!!

Now for those two boys...................wow! They are a handful but oh so adorable. If you are a woman who's never had the honor of having a son, you won't understand the following, plain and simple, you just "can't know." Boys are a breed of their own, they wipe snot on their sleeves or the bottom of their shirts, they smell sweaty, they "fart" and think it's "so hilarious." I mean, they are completely from another gene pool altogether....left side, right side brain....I don't know but they are certainly different than lil' girls. These two lil' boys wanted to play outside (in 30-40 something F.), they wanted to dig in dirt, build mountains, paint on wood, saw wood, hammer and nail.......all I can say, "Thank GOD for "The Man." He knows how to do this "boy thing" with the boys very well. Chase (aka Coursey) I did indeed bundle up both days and let him check out the critters for about an hour. He needed the fresh air, Vitamin D and I needed him to tucker himself out walking and navigating the ranch. That he did, he took great naps for his Nana.

"The Man" and his lil' buddy Brady (aka Bingo), had a hoopla of a time building bridges, tunnels, cabins, and lakes out of the left-over sand from the well drilling. They made a city, actually "Bingo" called it his town in Alaska, it was so dubbed, "Alaska City." After interminable hours outdoors, playing in sand and sweating, Nana called the boys in for baths. I had absolutely NO problem getting those boys in for baths either as they love the new claw-foot tub(their deeper than modern day tubs). Strip em' down, get em' naked and start the bubble bath...........easy as pie.Gettin' em out was the hard part!

What changed this Nana over the week-end? I realize that life is short, grand kids grow up too fast, time spent one-on-one with each of them is precious beyond measure. I cherish these days with my grand kids, they are truly the "light of my life." I just HAPPEN to love kids, I like to tease the grand kids, I like to wrestle with the grand kids, give kisses and hugs to them............it makes you younger, lighter, the load less heavy. Life is precious and grand kids are a treasure.

In denouement, "The Man" and myself were in bed by 8 p.m. Sunday evening, we were plum tuckered from playin' so hard with those kids..............and it felt GOOD!!!!! I think it was a week-end....... "Jesus approved."

NANA'S MUSSELS DI NAPOLI

A GRAND KIDS REQUEST RECIPE!

4# mussels

2 Cups white wine

1 cup salted butter

10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons Italian herbs

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Gently cook garlic together with olive oil until the garlic gets soft.

In a large saucepan combine the mussels, wine and butter. Add garlic and any remaining olive oil. Cover the pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Mussels are cooked when the shells are open. Add all remaining ingredients, stir carefully and simmer gently on low heat for about two minutes. Serve in bowls with plenty of bread to soak up the delicious juices!!! Add a salad and Bon Appetit!!!

*My two grand kids will eat a pound of mussels on their own.......believe it or not!!!!!

The Reincarnation of Veggies, Shrimp Shells and Bones

2009-12-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

I tend to be a thrify person, re-using/recycling as much as possible. It's important to me to leave as small a footprint in my life-time as possible. I recycle windows, doors, wool, paper, plastics...........just about everything. I even feed apples gone bad to my sheep, diced up small, thrown in a bucket with beet pulp to give them a treat during cold weather. I've been this way for a very long time. I was always the one child growing up who saved her allowance, it's in my nature to save.

I make my own cleaning supplies because they are not harmful to the ground water, my lungs, my skin or the critters that drink from our gray water ditch (that feeds the fruit trees). I like the idea that one action begets another in a positive way.

I also make my own stocks for cooking. During the week, I have a produce bag I keep in the fridge, as I use veggies throughout the week, I save bits and pieces of them. Stems from fresh herbs (which I always grow indoors in the winter), lettuce with a small brown spot, potato, mushroom and carrot peels, onion tops and bottoms, just about any lil' stem, spine or leaf I can save, I do. Once a week, I take out a large stock pot, add a tablespoon of olive oil, dump the bag of veggie bits in, saute' to weep and add water. It's that simple. It usually makes about four quarts of wonderful, salt-free, rich stock.......nothing esoteric, just simple, superior stock.

Sometimes I add wine, always I add a bouquet of whole peppercorns and Herbs de Provence, whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. To me, it's common sense to reincarnate these veggie "throw-aways" to make a superior stock. When I'm done with the stock, I take the used, cooked scraps out to my chickens who devour it in minutes, another process in recycling.

I also compost for our garden. I keep a bucket under the sink with a lid, add hair, lint from the dryer, coffee grounds, egg shells (cleaned and crumbled). You'd be amazed at how much garbage one person can save in a household, just reincarnating our "trash." Using our garbage to better our gardens, our bodies, our animals. Dogs love left-over rice, pumpkin, cottage cheese, bananas..........it's good for them and it doesn't go into the trash can.

I also save all my shrimp and crab shells for homemade seafood stock, chicken pieces for chicken stock, lamb bones for lamb stock, veal bones for veal stock..............these are stocks that cost a whole lot of money if you had to purchase them for a particular dish. Seafood stock is a bit trickier than the others, but a good seafood stock can make or break a good chowder, seafood fondue or Etouffee. Sometimes I spend a day making different stocks, I also pressure can them for the cellar. I have quite an assortment of yummy stocks made from kitchen scraps most people would throw away. Not this girl, not ever. Stocks are the basis of cooking, a good stock produces good food. You stop by my lil' ranch one day for a chowder, soup, or sauce, and I can bet ya' that your lil' ol' palate will be in heaven.

Sister Kat's Cafe Vegetable Stock

1 large bag of veggie scraps (celery, onion, carrot, potato, leek, parsnip, turnip, zucchini, mushroom.........whatever you're cooking with that week)

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Bouquet Garni (definitely add peppercorns)

Large, heavy bottomed stock pot

15 cups of water

1 1/2 hours of your time

Heat the stock pot over med-high heat for a few seconds, add olive oil, swirl and add veggies scraps. Saute' the veggie scraps for about 7-10 minutes stirring often to prevent burning. Add water and bouquet garni. Lower heat and cover pan. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Once done, remove from burner, take the lid off and cool. Once cooled, strain broth and pour into quart jars. Refrigerate, use within one week.

Texting and The Messenger

2009-12-05T05:31:00.000-08:00

This is our sweet granddaughter Kiley Renee', since birth the family has called her "Nay-Nay," or "Nay." Our roots derive in the South, if you're a Southerner than you know that's it's mandatory that everyone in the family has a "nick-name." As a child mine was "Katrinka," our friends even had nick-names by my parents. "The Man" and our son Jared have the same nick-name........."Boo." I can holler at "Boo" and either one of them will know by the inflection in my voice, which one should respond. Stifles people how that works..........it's a Southern thing!

Recently our 10 year old granddaughter has learned to "text." She is fascinated by her ability to communicate with the family without making a single phone call...........call it progress I guess. Now I'll be the first to tell you that I was "never going to own a cell phone." However, at much whining from the kids and my sister, I ended up with a cell phone given me on a "heck of a plan, so it's FREE!" "We're the Verizon family!" My mother is on it, my sister, nephew, kids, husband...........just about anyone I care to talk to............sooooo, I'm part of the "texting," and "cell phone" world. I admit, I'm a quick learner, I can take pictures(zoom in and out), save um', send um', and I can use Word to text(I'm actually getting pretty fast), I can add contacts, fill the calendar and have it remind me of "very important stuff," and I can even use vibrate(so I'm not disturbed with a cell tone in the middle of something important!). Yeah, it's a pretty fascinating world we live in!

Every morning I get on my computer, rarely do I miss a day, and since I wake anywhere from 4a.m. -5a.m., I'm on-line before most of the U.S. When my darling granddaughter is done with chores for the morning, it's become our routine to "poke" one another on-line. I actually love that she thinks of me immediatley, see's I'm on-line and starts sending me lil' pokes and jabs. I'll be typing away, checking out various "stuff" on-line and all of a sudden I hear the "pop." Someone has sent me a message...........it's Nay-Nay. She's discovered Yahoo messenger! However, I did teach her(on-line) mind you, how to create an avatar, you know the lil' picture you create that has the words spewing out of it's mouth on messenger? Yesterday, I'm surfing the web when I hear the ever familiar "pop," it was her. And of course I had to send her a message back saying, "Oh no, not you again!" That of course set her up for her favorite part of messenger..............poking fun at her "Nana."

I actually hate that our granddaughter is growing up soooo fast, learning how to text, send text's via the internet, Yahoo messenger, talk about boys.................oops, did I say that?! However, I love that she has a means to communicate with me without even picking up a phone, that we can chat daily, I can tell her how much I love her, to have a good day at school, stay away from the boys!

Yesterday's chat did benefit me quite well, she asked me what I was doing for the day(she always does), I told her I HAD to clean house and I sure wish she could help me, I'd even buy her lunch. She liked the idea of a lunch with her Nana, but didn't relish the idea of housecleaning. Throughout the conversation through messenger, she must have asked her mother (the school teacher) if she could "ditch" school for the day, come out to the ranch, help her Nana clean house for a "free" lunch. "Well I'll be" if Jessica didn't go with it(that was actually a bit short of miraculous for both Nay-Nay and myself) as Jessica is a strict parent, rarely bending the rules when it comes to her childrens education. Once both of us were over the shock, I drove 17 miles into town, picked up my sweet lil' girl and drove her back out to the ranch.

Clean house....................yes she did. She scrubbed down the bathroom, dusted our bedroom and mopped both those floors for me while I attended to the remainder of the ol' homestead. I paid up on my end of the deal as well, at noon we went to her favorite lil' Mexican restaurant in town La Concina de Evas. She ordered a red chile cheese enchilada, a shredded beef taco and a side of beans, and "yup" she ate every bite and downed it with a Dr. Pepper. Afterwards, we came home and played several games of backgammon, she whipped my butt by the way, she even backgammoned me the first game.......ouch!

So, technology...........not always a BAD thing. This technology has allowed me to stay closer to a lil' girl that is growing up quickly before my eyes. I know that when she becomes a teen-ager, I'll probably be the last person she text's, messenger's or whatever may be the newest, latest wave, but for now.............text/mess away "Nay." I love you more and the most!

The Resurrection Fern

2009-12-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

I am at my best in the mornings, I'm happy, ready to greet the day, and feeling positive. I'm definitley a morning person.

Routinely after my morning chores I sit down to my computer for news updates, email, banking/bill paying, and of course blogging. Listening to music is essential to my morning. I have a terrific radio station I've been listening to for quite awhile , it's an internet station out of the U.K.

As I'm aging, I'm more into music that evokes emotion, earthiness, acoustical, pastoral.............FOLK!! Particularly, Indie Folk music. Indie folk music arose in the 1980's and 1990's from singer/songwriters affected by indie alternative/rock music. Festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella demanded the genres rise. It's a musical style primarily categorized by "independent" smaller music labels supporting progressive folk music artists. I'm sure this genre of music appeals to me because of the many, talented musicians I lived among, hung with, and was friends with, in Northern California many moons ago.

One morning while listening to my radio station, I heard a song that truly hit me to the core....."Resurrection Fern," a twangy, haunting, folksie, pastoral, radiant...............song. It's the epitome of "indie genre" and I fell in love with Iron and Wine, especially the poet Sam Beam. I can actually say, "I want to mother his children"................o.k., well maybe not mother his children but pretty darn close.

After listening to it several times I pulled up a botany website, this is what I found about
the "resurrection fern."

Biology of "resurrection fern" :

a resurrection fern is an epiphyte(non-parasitic, does not grow in the ground, like the ghost orchid) that grows on the branches of cypress and live oak trees. It's name is derived from it's ability to survive long periods of drought. When there is no rain, the ferns will curl up their undersides and turn brown, appearing dead. Then, when the slightest bit of moisture is present, it will immediately "resurrect" and restore itself to it's rich green color. With ferns most water is absorbed on the undersides of the leaf blades, making the resurrection fern particularly clever. These plants can lose almost all their water which is needed to hydrate cells and still survive. Botanists have long held that the resurrection fern could go 100 years with out water and still revive after just one rain shower.

It's hard not to see how this remarkable plant can translate into our own lives. It's a beautiful thing to ponder, but today I'll let you draw your own conclusions.............listen to the song...............!

'Resurrection Fern'

In our days we will live

like our ghosts will live:

pitching glass at cornfield crows

and folding clothes.

Like tubborn boys across the road

we'll keep everything:

grandma's gun and the black bear claw

that took her dog.

When sister Laurie says, "Amen"

we won't hear anything:

the ten-car trains will take that word

that fledgling bird.

And the fallen house across the way

it'll keep everything:

the babys breath

our bravery wasted and our shame.

And we'll undress beside the ashes of the fire

both our tender bellies wound in bailing wire:

all the more a pair of underwater pearls

than the oak tree and the resurrection fern.

In our days we will say

what our ghosts will say:

we gave the world what it saw fit

and what'd we get?

Like stubborn boys with big green eyes

we'll see everything:

in the timid shade of the autumn leaves

and the buzzards wing.

And we'll undress beside the ashes of the fire

our tender bellies wound in bailing wire

all the more a pair of underwater pearls

than the oak tree and the resurrection fern.

"Cinnamon Girl"

2009-11-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

I had this incredible idea a couple of weeks ago, I was going to make some "homemade, yeasty, scrumptious, cinnamon rolls." Now I know that there are "cheat-sheet" ways to make cinnamon rolls, I was in home-ec once upon a time. You know the type, start with the Pillsbury guy "whomp biscuit" dough, roll it out..........you get the idea. NO, I wanted some that were authentic, from the farm table, cinnamon rolls!

I obtained a remarkable recipe from a reputable person(on a blog herself), and went for the gusto. Let's just say, we started this dough with 1 quart of milk, 2 packages of yeast, 9 cups of flour and I won't tell you how many pounds of butter I went through, you WON'T want to know.For the making of these "beauties" I had to clear an entire counter top, butter six pie tins and have buckets of flour, sugar, and cinnamon available at the ready.........along with butter. Now I don't know about ya'll, but I haven't dappled in cinnamon dough in a few moons. I got the rectangle rolled out, proud as could be that the dimensions were right on target. Then I read the next portion of the recipe................"drizzle 1 1/2 -2 cups of melted butter over the dough." SAY WHAT???? I re-read it again, I went back on-line to her frame by frame example on "her" blog, yup', sure enough, she was pooooouring butter over her dough. Well, who am I to question this women's family recipe for cinnamon rolls, let alone her butter intake(lethal). So I took the plunge and did it!!!!! Let me remind you, this was just HALF THE DOUGH........ yeah, we still had another half to go with 1 1/2 -2 cups of butter drizzled(more like poured) over it.

I rolled the dough like "she-devil" told me to on her blog, towards me, with all the yummy, gooey, butter-sugar-cinnamon comin' at me like a damn tsunami! It rolled right on out of that dough, onto my kitchen cabinets, floor, feet............!!!! Now what the h--l do ya do? I thought to myself, "self, cut this into rolls, stuff those suckers in the pan and clean up." But it dawned on me, I still had another HALF to roll out, along with the "ladled butter."

While those first "disasters" were rising nice and pretty in their lil' pans, I started on the next half.This time I out-witted "miss she-devil, homemade, my hinny." This time when I rolled out the beautiful rectangle, I didn't immediately ladle butter on top. This time, I waited until the butter started coagulating in the pyrex measuring cup, slowly poured it on the dough, let it coagulate a bit more, then sugared and cinnamoned the heck out of the dough. I let it set awhile longer(No butter is going to outsmart me), then slowly rolled toward me...................worked like a champ! No tsunami, no mess, perfect! By the way, I instantly took pen to my printed recipe and made LARGE notations about my discovery with the butter.

Next came the "nice ladies" Maple frosting recipe to top these beauties off........1 bag of powdered sugar, maple flavoring, coffee, BUTTER. I stirred it in the pan until all ingredients were smooth, thick, but still pourable, frosting. She said in the recipe, "don't skimp on the frosting, go CRAZY!!!!" Well hell, it made enough frosting for an entire table-top.

Well let me tell ya, this lil' homespun idea I had was a memorable experience. This recipe made six pans of cinnamon rolls. I think I have a quart of maple frosting in the freezer left-over (for next time, yeah right!).As I pulled them out of the oven nice and warm, who walks in the door but "The Man" and his buddy from work. The house smells like heaven, the rolls look beautiful, and I'm feeling just a bit ridiculous having SIX pans of cinnamon rolls sitting in front of me. So what do I do, I give a dozen to Shane, I load "The Man" up with a dozen to take to the neighbors, I have a dozen for tomorrows wood-cutting and I've still got three left...I froze um'. I'll pull um' out when the nephew arrives over Thanksgiving.

Now I will tell you this, you could get marriage proposals off sharing these babies, you'll have a man wrapped around every finger you possess with these lil' jewels, you will have people in love with you. They are a labor of love with just a smidgen of BUTTER!!!! Oh yeah, the "nice lil' lady" who has this recipe on her blog, I think her name is Ree, she say's she's a pioneer women, I think she's just a bit "crazy."

Bon Appetit!

Carrie, Angelina, and Pumpkins

2009-11-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Carrie, we've known each other for approximately six years. Really known each other in a close way, in the past two years. Carrie is sweet, kind, gentle, and considerate. A heck of a package to have as a friend.

Carrie is learning to can, she started last year which is good because she has a large family and she's still very young. She has made apple butter, applesauce, grinds her own wheat for bread, she's really getting the "homesteading" attitude down.

Several years ago I told her, if you ever learn to can meat, learn from someone you trust and who has years of experience. I got a call last week............. Carrie wanted to learn to can smoked turkey and fresh pumpkins. I was ready to teach her(and I felt honored that she asked me).

Yesterday I drove over to her lil' homestead(she's about six miles from our homestead)..........pressure canner, canning tongs, and my tea bags all in tow. I knew it would be a long day, canning days always are. We fired up the tea kettle, chatted and giggled while we set up all our canning supplies. Carrie had made a nice fire in the wood-stove to keep us warm.............and warm it kept us! We had windows and a front door open after that first canner load fired up!

I showed Carrie how to scrub, cut and peel a pumpkin. We let Miss Angelina also help, she is Carrie's three year old daugther, she's so darn adorable AND bossy! Angelina got to put the cubed chunks of pumpkin in the pot as we peeled. It was an important job for her and she took it very seriously. She stood at the sink with us on a 25 pound laundry soap container so she could be one of the "canner girls." She told us she was "big enough to help us." And help she truly did.

I know Carrie because her husband works daily with my husband. Both are surveyors and friends. Carrie and Shane have five kids, three biological children and two young foster children. The oldest child of theirs is Jeremiah, he is six, then sweet Angelina, and 7 month old Layne. Carrie is still nursing Layne, I'm a BIG advocate for nursing your babies. All are beautiful children, well behaved, and a joy to be around as are their parents.

In fact, I barter eggs with Shane (he loves our fresh eggs) and he sharpens my hoof trimmers for our sheep. He works a stone and a blade like no one I've ever known, we're talking SHARP!!! Shane will probably "kill me" for saying so, but he also makes a mean banana nut bread which he has shared with me on occasion. I hear from his wife, that he also makes a killer cheesecake, pies and lasagna. He is one of the hardest working young men I've ever known and he's a "jack of all trades, master of all."

Shane and Carrie are a wonderful Christian couple who spent many months training to become foster parents. They have a five year old foster daughter, and her lil' brother who is two, their youngest sibling(a baby) is not with them. These two foster children have lived a very sad, rough life for their "wee" years. "The Man" and I admire them deeply for their devotion to these kids. These two lil' foster kids tell them they "love them" often. I can't imagine the heartbreak they will go through when these children have to go..........and it may not be for adoption purposes, it may just be placing them into another foster home.

We finally wound up our lil' task of canning around 4, although I left Carrie with a canner load of pumpkin jiggling away, she wouldn't be done completely for sometime.............but she had it down when I left. Shane will now have fresh spiced, canned, pumpkin to make his holiday pies.

It was a wonderful day for staying indoors and teaching such a sweet woman and her "princess" how to can. I got to play with Angelina, she's such a "big girl," and I got to hold a sweet baby......I don't think Jeremiah was overly thrilled with the "canner girls" he played all day with his building blocks. I do think his lil' ears perked when I told him to make sure and come out to the ranch this spring when the lambs are born.

The world is such a better place because of this family, I'm truly "blessed" to call them our friends.

The "Flushing" Gathering

2009-11-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

All great gatherings start with good food.........especially if you want help! October 24th we had a gathering, a "flushing" gathering or should I say, a "Pre-Flushing" gathering.Flushing is the practice of placing the ewes on an increasing plane of nutrition, that is, in a slight weight-gain situation, to prepare for breeding. Flushing is accomplished by supplementing the diet with grain. This system gets the ewes in better physical condition for breeding, it also helps to synchronize them by bringing them into heat at about the same time, which prevents long, strung-out lambing sessions. Flushing is also a factor in twinning, because with better nourishment the ewes are more likely to drop two or more ova. On this day we also like to trim hooves (which means catching, trimming and releasing), crutch(short trimming of the dock area for cleaner breeding), vaccinate, and check lower eyelids, gums and teeth. This gives me an overall idea of how the sheep are doing healthwise, along with basic "tidying" up for the breeding season.Rockin' A Ranch was truly blessed this year with a heck of a turn-out of people. We had friends, family, grandkids, dogs and goats, all inclusive.We trimmed hooves, crutched ewes, gave shots, all in about two hours. Not bad considering how "flighty" my sheep are around anybody but us. Thus we had to have Jim B. from up the road at Lovelake Ranch(a nine section cattle ranch..........HUGE!) do some roping on a few sheep.I must say, all the sheep looked healthy, some a lil' fatter than should be (my philosophy is to feed them well, not keep them lean), I'm slowly learning that my philosophy isn't necessarily the healthiest for the sheep. Large fat deposits mean ovarian fat, less ova development, you get the idea. But, to date our lambing season's are getting better and better with more and more lambs being dropped annually.

We had two "novices" at work this year learning to trim hooves............Jared (our son) and Toby(our son-in-law).I have to admit, our son-in-law did much better in the trimming department than our son(I'm thinkin' if something happened to the two of us, the boys would figure it out!). Toby has also been trained in law enforcement to draw blood for testing purposes.........so shots............"piece of cake for him." Now, if we can get Toby trained to not choke the sheep when he catches, and Jared to lighten up on the hoof trimmin', we'll be good to go. Handling takes time to learn, the less stress on the sheep, the happier and more cooperative they'll be the next time around.Teaching someone to learn to respect the dignity of the animal, ease in handling, and the "zen" of guietness/slowness in ones gait, movements and speech is not an easy feat. However, you must teach because we can all use the help, especially as our flocks increase.

While a few of us were in dealing with sheep, Jared taught Coursey how to sit atop a goat, Jim B. taught Brady how to rope a dog, others stood by just to see how it's done.

When the job was complete, my two grandsons and myself went in search of a cold one. We helped Mama get her goodies out of the car and started heating food. I cooked prior to this gathering for two days. I slow-smoked 17# of beef chuck over hickory, "The Man" got to pull the beef, we had scrumptious BBQ sauce, onion bunns, Jessica's mouth watering mustardy potato salad, Mama's marinated veggie salad, garlic bread, cowboy beans, Nopalito(Cactus Paddle salad), pickled goodies from my cellar/garden, jello salad, pies and cakes. Iced coolers of beer, water, tea, wine............oh yes, my hot spiced wine also, I think some of the younger crowd got a bit "silly" on this stuff.

Jared and Cai (our god daughters mama) hadn't seen one another in awhile, it was a nice reunion for them. Coursey (our youngest grandson) showed Mama his new cowboy boots..........When most of the crowd left, my girlfriend Barbie and myself walked out to the barn near dusk, talked the talk all shepherdess's love to talk, hugged and called it an evening.

I want to "Thank you" all for your help, your huge cunsumption of food, wit, ablility to get along with complete strangers and laugh, talk, enjoy! It was wonderful and it was FUN!

Acts of Kindness

2009-10-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

What constitutes an act of kindness? What kind of individual can step out of themselves for a moment to be selfless for another? I live with one of these individuals, a selfless man who would do anything for me, our children and others..........family or not. I have been blessed! I am surrounded by individuals just like him.................

Barbie comes to help us with hoof trimming, she brings me a quart of fresh goat milk from her morning milking(she knows how much I love goat milk), along with that, she brings two new hoof trimmers to help us with the job, she'd just gone out and bought them for the "flushing gathering."

Karen H. comes over with hubby Tuesday evening, she brings a warm pot of homemade chicken noodle soup, they want to know how I'm fairing after the surgery that morning.

Joe H. who is new to the area offers his services (a week to be exact) in helping lay new water pipe throughout our property along with electrical, ditch witching, pick and axe work (I call it blood, sweat and tears).

Mama who gets up in the dark to meet us at the hospital to wait out the surgery, then drives me home so "The Man" can get back to work...............work is lean these days, you must take what you can get!

Our son-in-law who would drop anything to come out and help us, cutting dead wood, clearing limbs, moving us, ditch witching with "The Man."

My sister who offers gifts often, lil' things that she knows you'll love, or it goes with the house, or it matches something I already have, or it adds to one of many collections I've accumulated.

Barbie butchering one of her own lambs by herself, because she knows the family out of work down the road is getting hungry.

Karen and Joe H. having us over for dinner because they know we're exhausted from all the "Murphys" that have been invading our homestead since the beginning of summer.

My mama for always being there to talk to, cry to, vent to.....................

My sister for her example of strength..........when strength is the last thing she feels.

"The Man" for loading wood in the back of Barbies truck so she'll be warm for a couple of nights without having to scavenge wood.

"The Man" for filling Barbies empty jugs with our water that she loves.

"The Man" for giving money to a stranger in more need than us.

Barbie for helping me clean a barn out just so she can have a "gourmet meal from Sister Kat's kitchen." I'd feed her anyday, she's such a booster for my ego! :)

I thank all of you for your selfless acts, being our friends and companions, our loves.

Do acts of kindness trickle down into a ripple effect? I believe they do because "nice matters."

"We can do no great things; only small things with great love."

~Mother Teresa

"Autumn the wind blows colder than summer............

2009-10-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

This is our God daughter, Autumn Cody. She was actually born in Spring, April 2nd. I was at the hospital with her mama the day she was born. I love this lil' girl. She is polite, kind, sensitive and spiritual.

I met Autumn's mother when we were liaisons for Hope House and the Catholic church. Hope House is a home for unwed, pregnant women. Those unwed women who were Catholic, were assigned to us for Church functions, attendance of weekly mass and family time. The first time I met Cai Cody, I liked her immediately. She was very pregnant, lonely, and needed some hope. We must have given her that as she has been in our lives now for over seven years. She in return has given us Autumn.................

Cai is Apache. She was sent off the reservation at a very young age to live with a Catholic family who would send her to Catholic school, teach her the "American way." This is very common for reservation children....to be sent away from their people, and taught a whole different culture. Cai actually had a wonderful "American" family that she enjoyed, although she missed her mama, daddy and siblings much.

"The Man" and myself have been included in Apache ceremonies over the years thanks to Cai and Autumn. The Apache Sunrise Ceremony or na'ii'ees.

It's an arduous communal four-day ceremony that Apache girls of the past and present experience soon after their first menstruation. Through numerous sacred ceremonies, dances, songs and enactments, the girls become imbued with the physical and spiritual power of White Painted Woman, and embrace their role as women of the Apache Nation.

For most of four days and nights, to songs and prayers, they dance, as well as run toward the four directions. During this time, they also participate in and conduct sacred rituals, receiving and giving both gifts and blessings, and experiencing their own capacity to heal.

The Sunrise Ceremony involves extensive preparation and teaching, often lasting six months or more before the ritual begins. Much of the preparation, such as creating the girl's highly symbolic costume, and building the lodge, requires following complex procedures and rituals; another facet of preparation is a physical regime oriented toward strengthening the girl's physical endurance. Her family is also engaged in extensive food preparation, since throughout the ceremony, they will be providing food and gifts to all participants and visitors.

Most of the extended family of an Apache girl are involved in preparing her puberty ceremony. The most central figure is the sponsoring godmother, followed by the medicine man and Gans Crown Dancers.

The family takes special care in choosing the godmother, who will be a role model and have a special relationship with the girl throughout her life. As her primary attendant in the Sunrise ceremony, the godmother will dance with her both day and night, massage her, help inspirit her and care for her when she is exhausted, give her food and drink, and prepare a huge dinner for all her relations.

When choosing a godmother, the family visits her residence at dawn, places an eagle feather on her foot, offering her also a prayer stone and gifts as they request her to serve as godmother to their daughter. The medicine man also has an important role, and must be approached in a similar manner. He will preside over much of the ceremony, chanting dozens of songs and prayers, and both orchestrating and paying the singers and drummers that will accompany him.

The work involved in sponsoring a Sunrise Ceremony is enormous, as is the cost, which apporximates $10,000 per ceremony.

The Godmother chosen for such a ceremony will be a godmother chosen from the reservation, an Apache woman. We guide Autumn in her religious beliefs only. She attends St. Anthony catholic school, attends mass every Sunday and is being taught her catechism classes. Cai is continuing her religious beginnings with her daughter.

Cai is attending college to become a pharmacy tech, she lives off the reservation for now, as it is much easier to travel to and from college three times a week than to travel the long distance from the reservation. She is 8 months pregnant now and living once again at the Hope House. She is pregnant with a baby boy this time, her third child.

We have been Autumn's godparents since she was one year old. It was a very, very special calling for "The Man" and myself, one we don't take lightly. Although we don't see Autumn as much as we'd like to, I will drop anything I'm doing to get to see her. All Cai has to do is call, and we're there.

Cai and I have developed a close relationship over the years, somewhat like girlfriends. She calls often, we chat, we text, we Facebook together, we see one another. She is a beautiful woman, kind and compassionate. I enjoy time spent with the two of them, I respect that she trusts us enough to include us in many aspects of the Apache traditions as do her mother and father. We've met her siblings, Autumn's father, and her grandmother who still wears traditional Apache attire. Cai comes from good "stock."

Autumn came to Taylor last week for a school field trip to the Pumpkin patch, Cai immediately called me. I stopped whatever it was I was doing, hopped in the car and drove over. I spent four hours with the two of them, along with three class grades of St. Anthony children! We sipped hot Chamomile tea in the park, I brushed her hair while she talked(she has beautiful jet black, shiny hair which I love), I listened. We shared food, hugs, laughter. I love these two girls very much, I pray that one day, Cai will find a man who appreciates her for her spirituality, compassionate personality, beauty, and beliefs.

"The Man" and myself are looking forward to Autumn's confirmation in the church soon. She will be surrounded with people who love her dearly, she is easy to love. I look forward to the day when she will become a woman, dancing her dance and walking her four directions to merge with White Painted Woman who is born again and again, from generation to generation.

"Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy, a ram el be angry too wouldn't ewe?"

2009-10-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

This is one time of year the sheep look forward to......the gleaning of the ranch owners garden and yard. This time of year we let the sheep out daily to assist in the job of "clean-up" on the ol' ranch. There are a million elm leaves to be munched, left-over chard and spinach in the garden along with beet and carrot tops. The sound of the sheep munching is similar to rice krispies crackling in ones bowl of cereal.

The lambs are a bit skittish at first as they have never left their domain other than changing pastures periodically. Mama sheep after awhile, tend to let their lambs "fend for themselves" when it comes to the Fall gleaning. They just want to "snarf" up as many goodies as they can in an alloted amount of time............."babies, you're on you're own!"

I know one thing about people, they love to watch baby animals. Annually people pull over on the side of the road to watch the sheep. Lambs are about the cutest lil' things you've ever seen when it comes to play.They hop, bounce, arc and run like lil' maniacs. These lil' "leaf munchers" are having the time of their life. Two nights ago we had three cars pulled off the road at once, thankfully the lil' cuties put on a show. Have you ever seen a lamb bounce? It's crazy the height they can get, all the while landing with acute accuracy only to bounce again even higher. It's great entertainment for "The Man" and myself.....I gather it is for the people in the cars as well.

Friday evening after cutting wood all day, we decided to cook outdoors on the ol' campfire once again. This particular evening we cooked up a small Dutch oven of Walla-Walla sweet onions in butter with a lot of black pepper and a smidgen of coffee, steaks, and foil wrapped taters in the fire. While sitting outdoors, recapping the day, the neighbors stopped by for awhile, we enjoy their company. The "neighbor woman" was watching the sheep roaming the yard smiling, wondering if it was o.k. that they were, "eating leaves on the tree," "now they're in your rose bed,".............NOT! I think "Estes" instigates this lil' adventure, goats LOVE rose bushes. Once I've chased them out, they head to the garden until dusk, munching away.The only downside of this "holiday" is the rams discontent at not being invited to join them. This annual event has a tendency to anger him........all inclusive: headbutting the corral fence, guttural crying, frustration, unsettled behavior to say the least! He has "Oreo" to keep him company but it's just not the same as getting out of the corral to "mingle" with his girls. I keep telling "Blackcloud" that he only has one month left before he can "visit" with his girls..........I don't think he finds this humorous! Try as I might to console him, it's just not working.This look is pure frustration at the shepherdess for not including him in the "fun stuff." Feeling a bit humbled by his look, I manage to talk to him a bit, try and calm him down.......he stops the guttural crying and listens if only for a short bit of time.I absolutely love this ram, if you look closely in his eyes, you can tell that he is intelligent and wise for his age. He's always a "pure" gentleman with his girls, never butting the ewes or lambs, just taking his time and watching.....always watching.It's time for me to call the flock back into the barn for a small amount of food, they've supplemented much in the hour they've been out of the barn..........think Hoover vacuums! Thinking I've got all of them in, I begin to feed, it's getting darker so I decide to do a head count.........one is missing! I close the gate to the barn, head out in search of the "wee lost one" only to find this.............our 200 pound Nubian hiding behind a fir bough!

"Build a fire and they will come!"

2009-10-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

Yep..........build a fire and they will come! Specifically if it entails food................"Rockin' A Ranch hobo dinners." A good, hot fire with a nice bed of coals, foil, veggies, cheese's, gravies, meat of choice and you've got yourself a campfire delight.

Three times this week-end we outdid ourselves in our "culinary fest of hobo dinners." Let's see, there was Friday night with a wonderful Chicken Divan, Saturday night with a thick pork chop and gravy, Sunday evening was Dutch oven boneless leg of lamb.............YUM!

"The Man" and myself love the outdoors and with Fall upon us, we're trying to "milk" every drop of sunshine out of the shortened days that we possibly can. It's a beautiful time of year for campfires, fall colors, hobo dinners, and watching the wildlife.Summer time is too hot for campfires, so this time of year makes perfect sense to get one a blaze!

Saturday morning I spoke with our daughter Jessica on the phone, I love our lil' chats. "What are the kids doing?" What are you doing today?" You get the jest..............well, I mentioned our "hobo dinners" to her on Saturday morning, and she decided that after their day trip up to Sunrise for the Fall colors, they'd like to come out for some of those! Come they did, around fourish. Babies in tow, lawn chairs, sweaters, hats, mittens..............that's NO simple feat when you've got lil' ones in tow. We sat around the campfire and chatted for awhile before heading into the ol' ranch house to make up the dinners.

Toby (aka Tobias) was in boy scouts for a long time, I actually think his Dad was a leader or something, anyway, he manned the fire throughout the duration of cooking. He'd spread out the coals until they looked like a "fan of fire," add more wood as needed, stir the cabbage dish in the Dutch oven.....................he was doing real well so "The Man" and myself let him have at it. By the way, give a man a fire, a poker, and food, and he'll chat your ear off! It's like they're in their element...............cavemanish! (Except they didn't "kill" the "hobo dinner!")

All in all, it was a great evening spent with two of our youngest of five grand babies, our kids, and one another. When dinner was over, we got to play with our grand kids for several hours..........we had absolutely NO T.V. on, no music (although it would have been a nice touch), just the six of us, playing, chatting, resting and enjoying one another. I think the kids mosied out of the ol' ranch house around tenish, Tobias was going home with the boys to get them tucked into bed, Jessica was going grocery shopping with two of her girlfriends, manned with several envelopes of coupons to do the weekly shopping. Let me tell you, those three girls are masters at saving...............like a $130 grocery bill getting "chopped" with coupon savings to over half! NO kids or men are allowed, it's "girl time," serious as it is.................I'll bet those nightime checkers are "suited up" and ready when they see these three girls marching in the store.

Once again.....................it's so very, very important to tell those you love just how much you love them, how much you cherish time with them. Also, "tickles" and song singin' are critical for lil' ones to enjoy. I felt like I'd been "run over by a truck" when those two lil' grandson's of ours left that evening, they crawled and jumped all over Nana........................and boy did I love that!

Rockin' A Ranch Hobo Dinner

Take two 18-inch sheets of hevy duty aluminum foil and lay them out per packet. Assemble packets by placing pork chop (bone-in) on top of foil.

Mix a large can or two small cans low-sodium cream of mushroom soup, 1/4 cup sherry, 1 envelope of Lipton onion soup mix, fresh sliced mushrooms and freshly ground black pepper. Divide evenly amongst packets spooning on top of pork chop. Wrap foil by folding down to base of meat, tucking in the ends tightly. Place on a cookie sheet along with tongs and a long handled spatula....................holler at the guys to "come get it!" When packet is done cooking, open carefully due to steam, top each pork chop with a slice of Provolone cheese, a few French Fried Onion's (from the can), reclose for a few. Serve.

Rockin' A Ranch Cabbage and Apples

3 slices of good quality Maple bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 head green or red cabbage, cut into small pieces

3 tart apples, unpeeled, cored, and cut into pieces

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pull out the ol' cast-iron Dutch oven, place uncooked bacon in the bottom. Add the onion, cabbage, and apples. Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper, stir. Cover and holler at the guys to "come and get it." Once over the bed of coals, make sure and stir the dish every so often to prevent the onions from burning, mixing the bacon around in the dish. Cook approximately 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mixture of lemon juice, sugar and salt to the dish, stir, cook an additional 10 minutes and serve. Kids love this dish......................so does Tobias! Makes enough for a crowd.

Woodcutting 101

2009-10-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've decided that although wood-cutting is a hard, dirty, long, and laborious job, it can be fun despite the sore hands, feet, and dirt caked into every orifice one has. When "The Man" and myself set out to cut wood, we set out in style. This past Saturday we headed out into the woods(the burn area from one of Arizona's largest fires in history.

This particular wood-cutting run we had some mighty fine food (if I do say so myself!). Always, always I pack a lot of fruit, when your mouth is parched and dry, oranges and melon seem to quench and perk up the ol' tastebuds.

To start our morning off "The Man" made some incredible fresh ground "joe." We always take a thermos of "joe" out for that initial cup on the tailgate of the ol' Ford. Nothing nicer than a warm cup a joe and cool, mountain mornings. I brought along a nice, warm coffee cake for the occasion, just out of the oven. While we nibbled on coffee cake, sipped some joe, we eyeballed some dead oak, fortunately, the dead oak was in the middle of a young, new grove.........fires are good for one thing for sure....... Arizona's overgrown forest floor. Fires are great for incubating fine, new growth, once it's raged through an area.

"The Man" said he really liked his coffee cake and "just how long has it been since you made this?" "When our kids were lil'?" Overlooking the obvious sarcasm, I told him "I've never made you THIS coffee cake." We then set to work............after about two hours of cutting we decided to take a break for some water and fruit. Always, we sit and admire the wood we've cut. I have to say, we did well in our scouting efforts this trip.

Now I personally think you can turn any arduous task into a much better time with a good attitude and a belly full. It's good exercise, it will keep you warm in the winter (we heat strictly with wood), and I love to look at the striations and coloring of different wood types.......Juniper, Cedar and Oak, all hard woods. When we're about half way loaded, we stop for lunch. This particular wood-cutting trip I made sandwiches...........not just any sandwich either. I took some very good, roasted turkey, smoked Fontina, fresh red onion, avocado and homemade fig jam. Now put that all on some good homemade bread..............heaven opened up for us! These were not "dainty" sandwiches mind you, these were "drizzle down your arm" sandwiches, the best kind to eat.

Once finished with our task of wood-cutting (which takes us six hours), we head for home..........tired, satisfied, and one cord closer to our goal. We cut throughout the Fall using two or more permits to "stock up" on the wood supply. One day every week-end and the chore is done.

When wood-cutters are selling wood in the "peak" season (Winter), they make $200 + a cord. Personally, I can think of a million and one things I would rather spend $200 dollars on................like saving for a vacation next year.

As we pull into the drive-way, weary but happy to be home, the three dogs greet us with wagging tails. They LOVE to smell our pants and boots, like, "where have you two been?" "Oh come on, let me guess!"

Now is the time to unload and stack the wood. Once that task is done, we crack open a cold one, sit on the tailgate of the ol' truck, and admire our efforts. The day has come full circle, it's getting late, the sheep are bellowing for food, and the dogs want to come inside and visit with us. The smell of the pork roast packed full of garlic, simmering in homemade sauerkraut, apples, onion, potatoes and spices(oh yes, and a good stout ale) infuses the house, we are soooo ready for a hot bath, P.J.'s and a glass of wine to unwind this evening.........until next week-end when we do it all over again.

Shepherdess Kat's Coffee Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

8 oz. carton of sour cream

2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Combine butter and sugar, cream until light and fluffy, add eggs and sour cream, mixing well. Combine next five ingredients, add to batter and mix well. Pour batter into a disposable, greased and floured 9x13x2-inch pan. Combine brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon, sprinkle on top of batter. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Uncover and bake at 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes.