The Inadvertent Farmer

My glamorous life...

Yesterday I admitted that my life was not let us say...typical.

Today I am going to prove that although it may be slightly unusual it is indeed glamorous!

First there is the fancy schmancy car I drive around here.  Meet my 1972 3/4 ton Chevy pickup truck!  I love this truck...seriously I do.  It can haul gravel and manure like nobody's business.  Today she is hauling brush.  Yes I know, you can hardly stand the excitement of it all...

We enter the pasture through our lovely gate...the one that the camel bent the heck out of by leaning over.  Yes thank you Gizmo!

 
 

Baby Boy and I take the bumpy ride to the bottom of the field where the burn pile is...the one that we keep saying we're going to burn.  We started it 10 years ago.  Right now it is just a very slowly decomposing compost pile.

All the while we are dressed in the newest designer farm-wear...Carharts and muck boots!

As I start unloading brush Baby Boy jumps into the truck in a panic and starts yelling and pointing at something.  Does he see a bear?  Maybe a cougar?

What is is wrong baby?

 

Ohhhh I see.

He is not a fan of Gizmo except from a distance. Notice the little girl hiding behind the tree?  Yep even brave Sweet Girl is a little wary when our 1500 pound pet is near...go figure.

 

"Camel get me"

"No sweetie, he is just hoping we have a treat for him"

"Go way Dizmo...no tweat for you."

"You'll be safe up on the top of the truck."

"Dizmo...me bigger en you...HA HA!"

 

 Hey big guy!

Don't big guy me...where are the treats?

I've got some nice tender leaves and shoots over here for you.

BRUSH...you've brought me brush?  What no apples? No yummy oats?  Just old sticks...hrmmfff!

Come on...you'll love it! 

I don't know...it smells kinda funny.

 

Ok fine you big baby...I'll feed it to you.

Of course you will...you are wrapped around my little finger...so to speak.

Notice to those reading...those are the latest gloves straight from Paris, really they are.  All those with any fashion sense at all wear rubberized teal gloves...really!

This isn't too bad I suppose.

 

I told you that you would like it...you need to trust me.

 

Trust is earned...aren't you the one that entices me with grain and then shaves my neck?

 

Ummmm...well...yes that would be me.

 

You see my point then?

 

I suppose I do...

 

Note to readers...again...check out the shadow in the above picture.  Yes that is me feeding a camel with one hand while taking a picture with the other, now that is glamorous!

 

Meanwhile Baby Boys had decided to come down and join me in the bed of the truck.  He is busy picking leaves off and tossing them over the side for Gizmo..

 

That is nice of you to feed the camel sweetie

 

Me nice to Dizmo.

 

Here Dizmo...you wike weaf?  Yummy weaf. 

 

Mama...Dizmo eat wike this.

 

I love it when he makes camel faces!

 

But wait where is Sweet Girl?

 

Oh yeah...

 

 

She's doing her Laura Ingalls impression!

 

So as our little adventure ends, we pile back into our beloved old truck.  Take the bumpy ride up the hill and through the bent gate.

 

Back to the rest of our glamorous life!

 

Let's see, there's manure to be shoveled, dishes to be done, laundry to be folded, bread to be made...

 

Yep, just call me the Queen of all things sophisticated and edgy!

 

Bye now...all come back, ya hear?

 

(giggle...I always wanted to say that!)

 

 

 

Friday Funnies Blueberry Bread

For those of you here for a blueberry bread recipe you may be a little surprised to learn that it is my two year old that created this one!

Ingredients...One small child, one piece of homemade bread, one blueberry breakfast smoothie, and the secret ingredient?

One mama on the computer not paying very close attention to the goings on down the counter from her!

 Step one...take your homemade bread and place it carefully on your plate.

Step two...take your blueberry breakfast smoothie and pour it over your bread.

 Carefully taste...

Add more smoothie...by foot if need be!

Hold your bread up to the light to check for even consistency and  elasticity

Delicately and with great care eat your newly created treat!

Being careful to keep clean and neat...

And of course remember...

Always chew with your mouth closed!

 

Little House on the Prairie the simple joy!

 

Sweet Girl is completely enamored with Laura Ingalls.  We have read all the books...twice...already.  We own the first three seasons of Little House on the Prairie.  She wants to dress like Laura,  play like Laura, we even made corn husk dolls the other day since she was sure that Laura certainly must have had one!  I did draw the line on making head cheese like Laura...putting the vegan thing aside I just say...ick!

Well the other day she decided to do this...

Anyone?  Look familiar?

 

The simple joys of running through the prairie!

Ahhh, I recognize that little girl running down the hill!

Its Laura...but where is sister Mary?  Where is Jack her dog?

There's Jack!

Come on Jack! 

Aka Sugar our new black lab from the Humane Society...pound dogs rock!

Ahhh a perfect reenactment of this...

 

 

The first three seasons of the Little House on the Prairie tv series has been a wonderful thing to share with my family but especially my daughter.  I remember waiting from week to week for it to come on as a young girl.  It is fun to have something so wholesome to share with Sweet Girl...and even more fun to have it on dvd for instant gratification!

Hey...who let him on the set?

Cut!!! 

 

Country Fair Pony vs Camel

We haven't missed a fair in years here in our small town.

We wander the fairgrounds seeing all the sights and sounds that are a fair.  People talking and laughing, pigs squealing, cows mooing...

Then there is the smells, the distinct aroma of kettle corn, the sweet smell of cotton candy...the pigs, the cows.

The first thing we always do is this...Sweet Girl insists on it!

She adores the ponies.  Each and every year she begs for one of her own.  This time the owner of the ponies overheard...not good!

"Mama, can I have a pony...please, please, please?"

"No, we have enough animals."

"But mama we don't have a pony for me to ride"

"Excuse me ma'am, but I have a few ponies for sale...I could make you a really good deal.  Your daughter looks like a natural up there."

"Did you hear that mama?  He has ponies for sale...can we get one please, please, please?"

I look from the sneaky ponyman to my 6 year old daughter and back.

"No thank you...she already has a camel"

Silence

As we walk away I noticed the ponyman lean over and say something to his ponywife while he points in my direction...

I can imagine what he must be saying

"See that woman?  She won't buy her daughter a pony because she says the kid already has a camel.  Some people will say anything, even lie in front of their kids!"

I gave him a friendly wave as we walked to the chicken barn to find Baby Boy and Hubby...

"Mama?"

"Yes Sweetie"

"When I get bigger and join 4-H can I bring Gizmo to the fair?"

"I don't think they have a camel class in 4-H, sorry"

 

"Mama?"

"Yes"

"Maybe we could trade the camel for a pony."

"You know sweetie...that is certainly something to think about."

 

Go jump in a pile of leaves Child Style

As much as I dislike the fact the summer has left us.  I do admit the leaves are awefully pretty right now...even after they have fallen they beautifully decorate the landscape in their rich colors. 
The kids on the other hand are not so interested in looking at them as...

 Jumping in them!  Children are all about action after all!

 

WhoooHooo!

  

So my little piece of advice for the day is this...
 

Chores will wait, the dishes aren't going anywhere, but the leaves...and the kids,

Will quickly be gone so...

Come on and kick your feet up and enjoy fall! 

(And always remember to bring your camera!)

 

Not Me Monday the Potty Edition

Warning...this post is not for the weak of stomach, the newly pregnant, or those with a less than strong constitution.

 Potty Adventures with my five kids...

Or what I would never do as a sane, caring, compassionate parent and wife!

Recently I did not forget to put a towel under Baby Boy as he unexpectedly fell asleep on the couch (he still wets in his sleep).  He then of course did not wet all over himself and the couch as though he had just finished off a whole liter of pop!  I tried to blot it up as best I could... but since company was coming over I knew I had no time to launder the cover on that section of the couch so I did not just flip over the damp cushion. Of course I did not spend the whole visit hoping my dear friend would stay on her side of the couch as apposed to the pee pee side.  I did not forget all about it until a few days later when I was searching through the couch for the remote control and lifted up said cushion and wondered what the stench was...I would never ever do such a thing because that would be gross!

I would never leave one of my kids with their father while potty training...because well he is not quite as long suffering as I am when it comes to this particular child rearing topic.  So one day I did not leave my #2 son with his father when he was in the midst of training to use the toilet.  As luck would have it small son did not poop in his underwear.  My husband did not show his usual compassion and take darling son outside and proceed to clean him off with the hose in the middle of the yard...with cold water!  He of course did not warn my small son that every time he pooped in his underwear from then on daddy was going to take him outside and hose him down...this particular son did not ever go in his underwear again...he really didn't!

I of course did not tell my husband that hosing a small child off outside with the hose was not what the books recommend for potty training...you were to be caring and kind and above all not become irritated.  Husband did not proceed to tell me that the books were certainly written by some...and I quote

"Pansy assed intellectuals who obviously have never raised real children...just hypothetical children."

How can one argue with logic like this???

  
 

Then there was the darling daughter that was so sensitive to smells when she was little that she would sit on the toilet while gagging the whole time when she had a bowel movement.  She never had an accident in her pants but there were times that I had to clean vomit off the floor when she was done with 'business'...

My three oldest boys would never stand around the commode and pee together to see how many bubbles they could make...and I would never stand at the door and watch the show chuckling to myself to see such a sight...well because I'm too proper for that and so are my children!

I never do a really cool 'pee-pee dance' when my children make it to the potty in time!

And lastly I would never discuss in a public forum the private trials of my potty training experience with my kids...because it just wouldn't be seemly.

Ahhhhh she didn't just say that!!!!

So now if you never visit me again on Not Me Monday I will completely understand...but I will miss you!

How to Take a Better Picture and Its Not What you Think!

Want to take better pictures?

Love all those beautiful photos you see on other people's blogs?

I have just 4 words for you...

Do this and I personally guarantee lovely photographs.

Are you ready?

Here it is...

 

"Go to the beach!"

It is pretty much impossible to take bad pictures at the beach...

You may get some goofy ones, or some mediocre shots, or even blurry ones but somehow you will still love them...

It is just too lovely there to actually take a bad picture...

No matter how fast the kids run or how hard the wind blows the pictures are always something to make you smile!

I took well over 100 pictures on this day and less than 10 ended up in my recycle bin...much to the horror of my overstuffed hard drive!

Something about the endless sky...

The perfect light that tip toes on the waves...

Footprints in the sand...

The vastness of it all...

I can't think of a more ideal spot for taking really great photos...

Or a better place for making memories!

Besides we all need to kick off our shoes once in a while and run barefoot in the sand!

Note...these photos were taken at Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast, that is haystack rock in the background of the first and last pictures!

Friday Funnies...A Mother's Heart

When going through my simply insane amount of pictures once in a while one comes along one that simply touches my heart.

It isn't necessarily the best in technical terms.  Maybe the composition isn't perfect, maybe is isn't the most crisp of photos in the bunch.  But there is just something about it that pulls at my heartstrings.

Today this was the picture.

I played with it, making it black and white...while wiping away a tear at the profiles of my #2 and #4 sons together in brotherly love...

I cropped...

 

And even changed the orientation from vertical to horizontal...

All the while bursting with pride a these beautiful beings I had birthed and brought into the world...these lovely boys that had obviously gotten the best of my genes...

Pride goes before a fall...

Or so they say...

Because when I finished fawning over this lovely picture I scrolled down to this...

 

 

 

OK...so obviously he got some of his father's genes!

 

And although this one got my blond hair did not get his crusty nose from my side of the family...

Nope...his dad's side for sure!

Genetically, it is all a big crap shoot!

 

Or as Forrest would say

"Life's a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get."

 

Happy Friday all...have a great weekend!

See ya tomorrow for Silent Saturday where you must endure my strangely random series of photos!

 

The Great Grape Harvest!

Hey Everyone...Look what I've just picked! 

Yep...Grapes!

Mama had great plans for grape juice...

But we had other plans...

We're pretty sure none of these are gonna make it all the way to juice or jelly or even raisins!

 

Nope...the only place these are gonna go is in our mouths!

 

 

Hey mama...we think you might want to plant some more grapes!

 
 
 

Yummmmm! 

Not Me...Never

It is that time again...

Fall?  No...

Canning? No...

Painting, Sewing, Jogging...Nope, Nada, Nah!

It is...

 

Potty Training time...for the 5th and last (I'm presuming anyway) time.

But I of course being the prim and proper parent would never do this...

Meet Capitan UnderPants!

I would not send my baby to grandma's in his Cookie Monster underwear and red rubber boots...nope, would not do that, it would not be civilized!

 

He seldom goes to Grandma's without some sort of container to collect treasures in...

 

Why rubber boots when it is not raining? I hear you wondering...

It of course would not be that it is much easier to clean pee out of rubber boots than it is out of leather tennis shoes...no that would never be my reasoning...that would be just a little icky!

I of course as a parent would not worry about the amount of laundry potty training causes, therefore forgoing pants for the next month or so.  I would never be so insensitive to the tender baby legs that might get scratched on the pasture grass or any potential scraped knees...no I am a much more tender mother than that!

 

Nor would I assault the sensitives of any stray UPS driver that might meander up our dead end drive...

Bye Baby...have fun at grandma's!

Another thing that a sensible parent like I would never ever do...

I would never look at these pictures and realize that today it is potty training...

Tomorrow...College!

I would not then proceed to start to cry and have to stop posting while I composed myself...

No that is just not me...

 Oh who am I kidding?  That is just exactly like me.

Bye bye baby...mama will miss you.

Sniffff...

Come see what else we are NOT doing!

 

Only a Real Man...

Only a man completely comfortable with his masculinity would wear this...

 

In public, while coaching...

Yep, my man is a real man!

 

It also helps that he has fathered 4 sons and this is his only daughter whom he would do anything for, including wearing pink while coaching a bunch of other 6 year old girls...

 

Which by the way he says is just like herding cats!

I have never herded cats myself but if it is half as hard as herding camels then...

No thank you honey...you can do the coaching!

 

They are too busy giggling, hugging, grinning and talking to really care much about the game.  They run the wrong direction...kick it into the wrong goal.

And just don't care...not a speck...not an smidge...nope they are there to socialize, the game is just a means to that end.

Oh the difference between our boys and our lone girl is simply shocking.

When the boys lost it ruined their whole day...they fussed and pouted and carried on.  Sweet Girl doesn't even know the score at the end of the game...and never thinks to ask.  She just wants to know if one of her little friends can come home with us!

I asked her once what she liked about scoring a goal...her reply

"My friends do a cheer for me and give me hugs"

Ohhh my dear sweet hubby...his inner competitor must be withering away.

His masculine drive for his team to be the best, to have the single minded purpose of domination of the soccer league has been stamped out by a bunch of little girls in pink shirts.

 

One little girl in particular...the one who doesn't care if her foot connects with the ball or not!

Nope...she's just there to have fun!

Me?  Well I find the whole thing completely amusing...

You go girls!!!

 

And honey, thanks being such a super coach...you rock!

 

Beside you look great in pink!!!

giggle...

Friday Funnies OH Brother!

With four sons around ages 23 to 2...you just never know!

It is like having my own private circus!

There are tumblers, acrobats, and clowns...

And just think...I have a ring side seat to all the hilarity and mayhem!

Not Me, I Would Never Shave a Camel!

 

This could not have happened at my house because if it had...

That would make my life just too weird even for me...

 

While washing some dishes the other day I happened to look out of the window to see the camel leaning across the fence almost to the point of breaking it...all the while ignoring the electricity pulsing through the supposedly critter proof top wire.  This part of the story I fully admit happened.

I of course did not run out side shouting at said camel and would never ever throw one of my wet half washed pots at him...that would not be rational.  I would also not leave it out in the field for 5 days, nope, never.

He of course did not move back but a few paces and look at me, annoyed, while chewing the grass he illegally got from my side of the fence...I get no respect.

I did not then stomp back into the house and yell for my 21 year old college student son who was minding his own business doing homework...I would not interrupt homework for anything, it is far too important!

I then did not proceed to tell him I was either going for hubby's shotgun or the clippers.

He being the calm son would never need to explain to his emotional mother that it would be a LOT of trouble to bury something as big a a camel with nothing but a shovel...

The clippers it was...or wasn't!

I of course have camel clippers (yep, go ask for those at the feed store!)...I would never borrow the clippers my mom has for her cock-a-poo, no that would be too odd.

I then did not proceed to have my son, who should have been doing homework, shave the camel's neck as to make for better contact with the electric fence...would never do this.

The poor boy did not get camel hair all over him... 

I certainly did not then let my 6 year old daughter grab the clippers and go for it... 

I would never think it prudent parenting for a small child to be handling an electric cutting device while standing beneath a 1500# slightly grumpy camel...not me I'm a better parent than that! 

If I was to let my daughter do such a thing I'm sure she would do a great job!

 

Meanwhile...

I would never in a million years recruit my freshly out of Marine Boot Camp favorite nephew in the whole world, to partake in such a strange thing as in shaving a camel...nor would I have him hold a manure covered bucket with grain to keep the camel still.  I have way more respect for him than that... 

I of course would never ever tease him that if he is ever shipped to Iraq that he would fit right in...knowing how to shave a camel and all...I would not find that completely amusing, cracking myself up insanely...nope I have a better sense of humor than that!

I would never suggest that if he was really tough he would get up and ride the hairy, obnoxious beast...no I would never tease a Marine!

Nope things like this don't happen around here...really, they don't!

No...that would just be too strange.

 

Besides...camels don't like to be shaved...really they don't!

Come see what else we are NOT doing!

Not Me Monday...Yes I went to college, Why?

 
Sweet Girl and I made a great little project the other day...

We cut our wood, measured our lines and then carefully painted it with lovely pastel colors...

We then painted itty bitty numbers, taking care to not get any paint on ourselves...

We of course would not be so messy.

Yep...we're making a place value chart...

Sweet girl is learning about this in math...

The 1's place, 10's place and the 100's place 

Of course being a college educated mother this is all just kids stuff to me...

I also painstakingly put little x's on each of the number leaving the 's' in each one plain to add some artistic punch...it would certainly not be because I was tired of painting little x's...

And if any of you smart readers can see what I'm going to not be admitting to please don't let me know how fast you noticed...it would make me feel much better about myself, thank you very much...my tender ego thanks you too!

Little flowers were meticulously painted in the direct center of each column...

Meanwhile my 21 year old college student son comes in to watch, the following conversation never happened

Hey mom, what are you doing?

Making a place value chart for Sweet Girl's math lessons...cool huh?

Yeah but...

But what?

Have you looked at it...really looked at it?

Why did I mess up the paint somewhere?

Didn't you say you went to college?

Yes I did...what's with the sarcasm?

Just look at it mom and you will eventually figure it out.

He heads to the refrigerator while chuckling to himself...

I look at my little chart...

and look..

look some more...

No! I would not do that...

I slap my hand on my forehead and my son laughs out loud, Sweet Girl looks puzzled, and Baby Boy laughs just because his brother is.

No, a smart cookie like me would not get the chart backwards, I would certainly not put the hundreds where the ones go or visa versa.

I then did not have to pry all the numbers off, scrape as much glue off as I could, repaint and re-glue...I would have to do that because that would be an irritating waste of time.

I also would not realize after I was all done that the tens column actually did not have to be redone because it was correct...no, I did not remove it also.

Of course there was not evidence left on the lovely chart of my mistake...never.

 Who put that arrow there?

Of course my darling college student son would never tell his brothers about this with great amusement...no, he would not embarrass is mother like that.

Of course I did not spend all afternoon wondering what my oldest children and their lovely friend were thinking of their college educated mother... 

Because I was too busy watching Sweet Girl's soccer game...

And being cool...

In my drugstore glasses...

And my Bonne Bell over glossed lips...

I certainly could not be bothered by sarcastic older children...

 Besides...Baby Boy knows nothing about place value...

Yet!

Come visit and see what else we are NOT doing!

Note when I get the number cards done I will show the completed...and correct...place value chart to you

Friday Funnies...Out Takes

When I take photos of my sweet darling daughter, my only girl...my princess,

This is what I love to see when I download my camera...

Sweet little girl photos...

The innocence of childhood captured forever...

 

Ahhh...she melts my heart!

But as a mom I know that for every sweet angelic picture I will also get at least two of these...

Grrrrr...Miss Monster...

Or this...

 Lady like huh?

 
 

Don't even know what this face is about...

 

And while she's eating we might as well remember this one...

And who could forget this? 

So next time you visit somone's blog and think that those are the sweetest most photogenic kids you have ever seen...

Remember that chances are that their computer is quite simply overrun with these...

OK...

Maybe not exactly like this...

But you get what I'm trying to say...

Right?

Tea Party Crashers

Do you know what is so good about having a little girl?

Tea Parties!!!

After 3 boys and lego wars, and fort building, race tracks and all things with wheels it is fun to see what a little girl loves to do...

She still likes legos and forts but she also spends time on the floor with her friends sipping tea...

Meet Katy and Cassie...they are sisters that live in the country and grow flowers.  They especially love catnip.  Peppermint tea is their very favorite...

 

Bubbles, Fifi, and Callie join the fun.  Bubbles if from Los Vegas where she is a regular in long running show on the strip.  Fifi is from the big city of New York where she spends her days getting her nails done and walking around town with glamorous human.  Callie is a farm cat who is visiting from the Dakotas...Green tea with lemon and honey is their choice.

 

Meet Laura...Sweet Girl's special friend.  Laura is from the prairie where she lives in a little house with her ma and pa and three sisters.  She is drinking pear tea with a spoonful of white sugar...she doesn't get white sugar very often at home.

 

Finally there is Mary...she is the girl that all of us know.  She has brighter eyes, clearer skin, prettier hair, and more fashionable clothes.  She is a bright and shining star...and we do our best to like her anyway.

 

She has declined any cookies but is having some white peach tea with lemon.

 

 The party is going perfectly with Laura and Mary hitting it off splendidly...we attribute this to Laura's down to earth country charms...even a spoiled girl like Mary cannot resist such sweetness.

All the girls are giggling and and sipping tea when...

Who should saunter in but the ruffians from Baby Boy's room next door.  Who invited these characters?

 

Lance is the leader of this gang of delinquents...he tries to hide his tender heart behind that sneer.

 

  Rufus talks a big game...but he actually as dumb as a post.  He also has no manners and slurps his tea and gets crumbs on the floor.

 

OK...hold it one cotton pickin' minute.

Who invited the camel?

Mary was that you?  There are no camel allowed in the house...ever.

 

Why is it that girls always like the tall boys?

 

In spite of the party crashers a good time was had by all...

Laura enjoyed her time so much that she has decided to leave her little house on the prairie and move in here with the camel...

Ohhh the scandal...

 

My Child Would Never... Nor Would I

Sweet Baby Boy is 2...

I have never actually had a child go through what is typically 'the terrible twos'...

No, two has been traditionally one of my very favorite ages...

 

This could all change in a heartbeat...

Hey Baby...you're looking a little tired there.

 

No mama...me no tiwurd.

I'm thinking it might be time for a nap little man.

 

Me no wike nap...me no nap.

I really think you need to go to bed sweetie.

 

Pwwweeeze mama...no tiwurd, no nap...ebber, ebber, no nap ebber 'gain

You crying just shows me how tired you are...you look so sad. Come here sweetie and we'll sit in the rocking chair together...

 

Me NO SAD......Me MAAADDD!!!

Me NO NO NO NO NAP!!!!!!!

Of course being the loving, sensitive, caring mother I am I would never say this...

Fine, if you want to be a little grouch and have a miserable afternoon because you are so tired then be my guest.

Just don't come cryin' to me when everything makes you crazy...

 

Never would I say such a thing...ever.

 

Note to self...spell check does not speak toddler...ebber!

Come see what others are NOT doing today over at Mckmama's place!

Silent Saturday...

Since I have the Friday Funnies it seemed logical to me to have the Silent Saturdays...

Why? You ask... I do not see the logic.

You don't?

Well there is not really any logic per say...

It is just that I have so many darn pictures...

And Saturdays are usually kind of busy around my house...

And I don't get a lot of visitors here on the blog on this day...

And I wouldn't want to waste my precious words when no one is listening...

That would be too much like my real life...

So I am instituting

Silent Saturdays...

Yes a day with a little less talk and a lot more action...action photos...and still photos...and critter photos...and kid photos...and old photos...

Random photos that have no reason to be together than besides I like 'em.

We will see how many Saturdays in a row I can be quiet...

Starting next week

Because, well I have not been too silent today...

According to the men in my life I have actually never really been silent...

Except when I have been under for surgery or something...

But for some reason they don't think that counts...

 

I think that should count...

 

 

Homemade apple cake with homemade applesauce...heaven on a plate!

 

Come back next week and I promise I'll shut up...

Really I will.

 

Hey...I heard that!

Friday Funnies...Spanish Version!

This is a true account of what happens when you take a phonics using little white farm girl to a Mexican Restaurant...

Luckily for Sweet Girl her big brother took a few years of Spanish in high school.

This is a small part of their conversation before ordering...

Fr- i- j -o -l-es...Sweet Girl doing her best to sound it out.

Frijoles are beans...you pronounce it free-ho-lays, in Spanish the 'j' says the 'h' sounds.

Why?

Because that is just what you do.

It makes it hard to read.

Not if you're Spanish.

Qu-e-s-a-d-i-l-a-s

That is pronounced cay-suh-dee-yah

I don't know if I would like to eat that...

Well it is two tortillas with something between them like cheese, it is cut into little wedges.

Oh, ok...I could eat that.

P-i-c-o  d-e  g-a-l-o

You will like this, its tomatoes and onions and cilantro, kind of like salsa.  You say it peek-oh duh-guy-oh

That sounds like a game or something...

 

We need to work on your Spanish little sister...I'll help you.

Muy bien, gracious

(me chuckling at big brother's puzzled look)

Just because she can't read it doesn't mean she can't speak it!

Playing in the Mighty Columbia River

As a life long resident of Washington State there are a few things that are so constant that I don't always appreciate them as I should.

The Pacific Ocean is always there just off the coast...it is stunning.  We have an actual rain forest, yep a real life honest to goodness rain forest! Then there is the mighty Columbia River runs through our state.

In fact the Columbia River Runs right next to our town.  We spend many summer afternoons playing along its shores and in its waters...

The Columbia is over 1200 miles long.  It starts in British Columbia and empties into the Pacific Ocean on the border of Washington and Oregon.  It is the biggest river in this neck of the woods.

Sweet Girl loves to play in it...

 

Baby Boy loves to play alongside it...

 

Sweet Girl in...

 

Baby Boy beside...

Hey Baby whatcha lookin' at?

 

Something we all like to do is watch the container ships go up and down the river.

Did you know that more than 40% of our country's wheat exports are shipped down the Columbia? 

We also see lots of windsurfers, jet skis, fishing boats and barges!

 

The Columbia River is also home to the rare and elusive Giant Fuchsia Crab...

I counted myself lucky to capture this one just as it was emerging from the water!

 

Keeping watch for pirates is an important duty not to be taken lightly...

 

One must find the highest spot possible in order to see those pesky pirates!

 

Permission to come on board?

Yes...but you've got to swab the decks and help me watch for pirates!

AyeEye Cappin'

I must say that we are very lucky to have such a great river on our doorstep to play in.

It is also the biggest generator of hydro electric power in the whole of North America.  We have great electrical rates.

These rates come with a cost...even with fish ladders it is hard for the fish to get upstream to spawn. Their numbers are dangerously low.

 Some want to breach the dams to help the fish.  But that would have a huge negative impact on the people and industries that rely on low cost electricity.  There does not seem to be a good solution for this, compromise does not come easily.

Unfortunately we also have issues with pollution...there is so much run off from farms and industry not to mention the Hanford Nuclear site up river from us.

As a parent I feel fortunate to have such a place for the kids to play, but it also concerns me about the health of the river and the implications on my kids.

It makes me sad that I have to tell the kids that they can't put their faces in the water, no drinking, and I shower them off as soon as we get home.

I wish we could solve these problems immediately, but that does not seem to be in the cards...

 

So for now the kids and I will sit here in the sand and watch the ships go by...

 

Fall Garden Prep and Cleanup

Although we are still in full harvest mode we are also getting some fall prep and clean up done around here...

 Baby Boy is helping my in the bed that soon will cradle our precious garlic...

We LOVE garlic!

We have planted a fall cover crop in some beds while others are soon to be covered with hay and manure.  Rototilling will soon commence in a new area of the garden in preperations for next spring (in the Northwest it is way to wet to till in the early spring).  After the ground is turned I will cover it will hay and compost thick enough to discourage weeds.

Some things are still growing like mad...

I have more pepper, eggplants, and tomatoes than I can just about handle!

(Come back tomorrow and see what I make with this basket of goodies!)

There are also a few beans, lots of kale, onions, and some swiss chard.

 

The flowers are still blooming.

Some purposefully planted, some not...

 

 

We are not the only ones hard at work...

Even the yellow jackets are!

If you want more bug photos and a little story or two I'm over at Not Dabbling in Normal exploring whether yellow jackets can be considered art!

 

Of course there are the jams and jellies to be made this time of year!

 

How about you?  What are you doing to get ready for change of seasons?

Friday Funnies...Here Comes Trouble!

Here comes trouble!

Double Trouble!

They run and slide and knock things over...

They laugh and wrestle like most brothers!

 

Only difference being...

They are 19 years apart in age!

Oh yeah, one more difference from most brothers...

They never, ever argue!

Having kids this far apart in age might be a little different...

But these two never argue over toys, who got the biggest cookie, or who's turn it is...

And I never have had to send them to their rooms for fighting!

Nope...nothing but the good stuff here!

Fun With Photo Editing and Manipulating

This photo was taken a few days ago in my mom's garden.  It is pretty typical of the kind of photos you find here.

Editing this was super quick and easy.

But sometimes when the kids are asleep and I am avoiding the sink full of dishes and the laundry pile that is growing at an alarming rate downstairs, I like to play around with photos.

I suppose you would actually call it photo manipulating instead of photo editing...

Here is the same hydrangea as above that I have put through a couple of filters and color saturation taken down...

Now before I go any farther let me state I am not even remotely and expert on any of this...

I have photoshop...I have heard nothing but wonderful things about it...

I have never used mine.

Yes I have yet to learn to use it and it has been residing on my computer for almost 2 years, sigh.

I still use an old Microsoft program that you can't even buy anymore, 'Picture It'

I will learn Photoshop one of these days...when the laundry is done, the kids are bigger, the garden is weedless, and the camel quits breaking the fence!

On this I made it black and white, softened the edges, brightened, upped the contrast and then sharpened just the little fuzzies.

 

On this one I selected the pumpkins using a little tool that grabs the edge pixels as you work your way around them.  Then I inverted so the background was chosen and made it black and white.

I love these little pumpkins they are just too cute...I'm going to plant many more next year!

 

A Dahlia up close and put through 6 filters until it looks like a painting!

 

When I was looking at the original photo I was trying to imagine what I could do with it that would be fun and different.  I thought having one of hubby's bees look like they were pollinating an old painting would be unique.

So I carefully selected the bee to make sure I got all his little parts.  Then I inverted the selection just like the pumpkins.  Next I put the flowers through a bunch of filter till I liked it and and voila...a bee on a painting!

 

Even my kids aren't safe from being manipulated...well their photos anyway!

You saw this photo last week in my homeschool post.

This I did similar to the bee and the pumpkins but when I was all done I overlaid a grunge border I had...I must say I LOVE this one.

I think I will redo this one to clean up the edges of Sweet Girl and her doll then have it printed and framed.  I have the perfect spot in her room to hang it!

 

And one last photo...

 Kiss Me....I'm Irish!

Mending Fences...Yet again!

You know you're a farmer when the expression "I have some fences to mend" has nothing whatsoever to do with apologies, grovelling, or admitting to being an arse...

 

No when you live on a farm mending fences means...well your fence is broke and before everyone escapes you better go fix it.

 

It also means in my case that the #&%! camel has broken it...again!

 

 

This is what an electric fence insulator looks like when it battles a 1500 pound camel...yep busted clean in half!

 

It is a battle it will never win, even with 2000 volts on its side, Gizmo always wins!

 

 

But at least I had good help along...

 

 

 

Another way to tell you live on a farm is when you ask your two year old to hand you the long fence insulators...and he knows exactly which ones those are.

 

 

Sweet Girl is not so much into mending fences...she much rather stand in the middle of the field and direct traffic!

 

"HALT...this is a goat crossing, you are a camel, you must halt!"

 

 

Baby Boy went and played with his sister for a while but ran back needing a hug...

 

 

As we were sitting together in the grass and singing 'Bob the Builder' Sophie our young female llama came up to let us know we were off key!

 

She is such a lovely girl!

 

Her parents were two strays I took in not knowing anything about them...turned out they were male and female...

 

In fact they liked each other so much that we have had three baby llamas produced from them so far!

 

Anyway we got the fence fixed and it was time to go in and get dinner on...

 

This was the response I got...

 

 

"NO mama...me no want to go in.  Me no like go in house.  NO!"

 

"Mama make me sad"

 

 

So what did we do?

 

Well we stayed outside of course...

 

Until the llamas...and camel...and goat came home!

 

 

 

Then had a very late dinner and went to bed...

 

As I was drifting off I sent up this prayer...

 

"Dear God, I know Gizmo is one of your creatures and I certainly wouldn't want to break one of your commandments by killing him...so could you just keep him from breaking the fence for at least a couple of days?  I would surely appreciate your help on this, thanks...amen."

Beach Vacation!

Hello everyone in my little corner of blogdom...

I am at the beach right now.

We are enjoying the majestic Pacific Ocean, wringing out the last drops of summer!

I was going to leave you with a romanticized picture of my children leaving tiny footprints in the sand...

Or holding hand while skipping along on the edge of the surf...

But...

I figured this one would be more in keeping with my life...

 

I went to the beach to play in the sand...

But tripped over sister and where did I land?

I fell on my face and not on my toes...

And ended with sand up my sweet little nose!

 

Have a wonderful Monday...I'll see you here, same place same time, tomorrow!