Life Happens When You Are Making Other Plans!

Hi all!
Well, we seem to be over the flu so on to the next adventures, right? Sorry, no creative goodies to share yet! But Wednesday through Saturday morning I'll be crafty heaven:)

We have an action packed week coming up:

1. Sami's last Volleyball Game is tomorrow
2. I'll be in Boise with Jake tomorrow (yes, missing the game - sigh)
3. Monday I dash to La Grande for deliveries
   
4. My car and my hair have appointments on Tuesday! Looking forward to one, not the other
   
5. I pack on Tuesday for TWO trips!!! One is my scrappy retreat, at a campground, and the other is a family reunion with the Sexton side. There is a HUGE party for my Mother In Law's Birthday, in another state! Rumor has it we will be square dancing!!!
   

I have a list of projects I HOPE to make while I am gone! Oh fun fun fun! This is when I get the majority of my Christmas goodies done... :) I'm dreaming up all sorts of things!


Most likely you won't hear from me for a while.. so, I'll leave you with two gems from our ranch life below!

Bunnies

The Adventure sof a Ranch Wife

Take Care!
And happy day to all of you...

So - What's a Chicken Run, You Ask?

These are the Pasture Poultry Chickens
In their portable pens
And the crates are in the background on the quad

This is the back of the truck loaded withBoxed Meat
That I pick up at a processor's place in Nampa, Idaho
The processor takes care of our lamb and beef

More Boxed Meat
Each week I pack 'last week's' chicken's (processed)
into boxes, load them into the truck,
then take them to storage.

And, These are my Assistants
Each Tuesday, July through September 15th
We have had Chicken Run Tuesdays
At least one lucky kid get's to come with me,
and at the end of our trip we get our Root Beer Floats
Last week was the last trip for these guys!

For those of you that have been scratching your heads.. I thought I would share with all of you what a chicken run is!

On Tuesdays, Dick and I get up at the crack of dawn. He eats. I get ready to 'go' on the said Chicken Run. I load boxes, tape, clipboard, coffee, check to pay the processor, a change of boots, and one child.

We go out in the field.

We load 40-50 chickens in crates.

Put them in the back of the truck or trailer.

And then, about 5:45 am, I take them on a scenic drive through the Baker Valley, then off to New Plymouth Idaho, where they are then 'processed'. The drive is 1.5 hours - one way.

After they are dropped off, I get to clean the back of the truck.

Then pack last week's frozen processed chickens.

Then drive to another place - 1 hour farther, to store our meat.

Sometimes I have 'double duty' and get to take lambs, and/or beef, and also deal with those boxes!


So, there you have it!
My last run was this week.. I am starting to teach classes on Tuesdays, and now that irrigation season has slowed, Mr. Sexton gets to do the runs!

Hallelujah.

Ranch Photos and Stories

Hi all... It's been an exciting week on the ranch.

1. Four Farmers Markets in a row (Wed pm, Thurs pm, Fri pm, and Sat)
   
2. On Tuesday we torched my 'old' Green House that 'biffed' in the huge wind storm of 2007. Kind of a sad event.. First, I cleaned out everything I could salvage and found a 'Little Tykes' garden tool! I'm saving it.. OH MY! A sweet little reminder of when the kids were itty bitty!
   
3. On Wednesday, the kids and I had 'chick duty' (as in muck work) and 'move the yearlings (cattle)' duty - along with an adventure. Ever see a woman walking down the highway looking out of place? That was me. Work clothes. Jeans inside my black rubber irrigating boots. Frightening sight no doubt!
   
4. And now, it's raining... Otherwise we would be marking lambs (heavy lifting) before Sami and I leave for Pendleton.
5. Tomorrow will be rain also, at the Baker Market. Oh well!
   

I posted lots of critter photos and more details on the ranch website... Here you go! Take a peek at our life on the ranch!

Sami is still playing with the Cricut. She is mad at it. It's not cutting deep enough for her, so it's being punished (turned off)... I love the paper she stole from one of my kits! Dang she has good taste!

Catch you all later!
TTFN!

You Know it's Spring When....

Backyard Shenanigans
The kids are actually seeking refuge from the lambs!

My Favorite Tree Is now in Bloom!

Part of the Backyard Scene
See how tall the grass is under the trampoline?
Holy Moly!
Lambs, chickens, cats, kids.
Oh my...

The Far Away View
Dang that grass!
Its grows
It gets cut
It gets raked
Repeat
It's needs water
But it sure is gorgeous!

*********************

These are the signs of Spring at Casa de Sexton:

1. The apple trees are blossoming and smell so good!
   
2. The grass is super tall and we can't keep Mr. Deere on top of it - or a mower person. We mow in sections.. It can be a daily chore.
   
3. The grass needs to be raked.... and 'raker people' are hard to come by!
   
4. The bummer lambs follow you everywhere - and the kids seek refuge on the trampoline
5. The chickens are very chatty and like to get into the piles of raked grass
   
6. Bottle feeding schedule is out of control! GADS... 6 am for all 10 (2 babies died yesterday); 11 am for the babies, noon for the big ones, 4 pm for the babies, 6 pm for big ones, 8 pm for the babies.
7. We just could not get away for a decent outing yesterday.. Due to #6, and yard work.. The kids and I had hoped to go swimming! Another day...
   
8. More chicks are arriving this Thursday... Mr. Sexton is building the pasture poultry house! Yeah!
   
9. The town/shopping list includes:

• Claritin D
• Eye drops
• Wasp Spray
  
• 4 bags of chick starter
• Lamb pellets
  
• 3 bags of layena
• 2 bags of lamb milk replacer
• Coffee (lots, please!)
• Lots of fun ice creams and the makings for root beer floats

Yep! Spring has sprung!

OOPS! Spoke Too Soon! New Lamb in the Box!

Well Hello There!

And Who might you be?
We won't know until the kids get home and name him.
I want to call him Skunk.
But the next letter is 'L'.
Lunk?
Lucky?
Larry?
That's blue grease marker on his head.
Dick does this so I know who is who.
Like branding.
The marks are in different spots.
Actually, it helps him 'catch them' later, if he marks one,
he comes back to find the lamb he marked!

He's Itty Bitty!

The Rest of the Bummer Lambs
They are trying to suck on me...
Looking for the nipples.
I mean bottles.

I love this Photo!
You might want to zoom in on this one!
Look for:
The Ducks
The Chickens
The sheep out the field
The Backhoe (working on ditches)
The bummer lambs
My husband!

This is when he 'caught' me and gave me a new job..

No going to town until later!

********************

OK... So I went outside to take photos of the bummer lambs...

Oh my.. What a gorgeous day! It's 47 degrees, no wind, and I was just in heaven!
For 30 minutes, that is!


There I was minding my own business. And my husband 'found me'.

'Oh, by the way, there's another lamb in the box'. He said to me.

'Do I need to feed it'? I asked, full of shuga' (short for shug)-I was hoping to get out of it..

'Yep. You're feed the rest at 11, right?' He said, all throaty....

(Excuse me, I was trying to work on a romance novel there for a moment!!! All that warm toasty sunshine!)

SNAP!

Oh yeah! 11 am! '

Yes! I'll be feeding them at 11!', my heart beat faster.
With the realization that time has once again gotten away from me.

CRAP.. It's 10 am. I got lost in my photo-shoot.. AKA, carried away.. Not only did I get the bummer lambs, but I also got carried away with the cows!

You will see why later!

Off to the next feeding we go!

Then town.

Hopefully.

And Lunch.

I'm hungry!

Bottle Lambs aka Bummers (The Process)

Bottle Lambs - The Last Resort
The Tube and Syringe
These are used when we have to 'tube' a lamb.
When a bottle lamb can't drink on it's own, meaning, it won't take a bottle,
this tube has to go down it's throat to it's tummy.
THIS IS NOT A FUN JOB!
For some reason, mostly Jake's lambs have been the ones getting tubed.
And, he has to hold them down (they are lying on their sides, stretched out)
while they are being tubed.
Often the tube wants to go to the lungs instead.
And, we try again, and again, and again.
We say a prayer for each lamb that has to endure this.
Jake and I both have been in tears during this process.
Again, it is not fun.

The Top of My Dryer
Yep. Baby bottles. They seem to work best for us.
The Process, you ask?
1. The bucket has dry lamb milk replacer in it.
2. Mix with warm water in the bigger container
3. Strain
4. Pour into bottles
5. Go Feed
6. Repeat Every 4 hours (during the day)

This is the List of Lambs
The kids assign each new lamb a name
We are working through the alphabet
The hatch marks are how many ounces each lamb gets
(they start with 4)
That last guy, Khipmunk (yes, with a K) died last night.
The guys with their names crossed off have also died during their brief stay with us.
Basically, we are trying to rescue babies that have been 'found' and,
not under good circumstances.
We have 250 Mamas that are having babies right now.
A good lambing ratio is 150 percent.
That would be all mamas having at least 1 baby, and half with twins.

Two of the Bottle Lambs
(Back when there were 2!)
The orange thing is a towel I used to keep a new one
extra warm
(when it was really cold out - like last week, they arrive cold,
and with cold mouths. They have to be heated up)
A prolonged cold mouth equals death.

The Setup In the Garage
The Big Tall Box is for bummer lambs
The long box in back has 75 chicks in it
(don't get me started on the chicks!)

******************

Perhaps this is too much info for all of you... But, heck, I'm sharing my life...

I'm trying to get caught up on all my 'what's going on at the ranch' photos for you!

According to my list, you still have not seen Shearing Photos of 2009, or pictures of all our bottle lambs! (Right now, we have 6 live ones that are thriving and happy and healthy)... Right now my babies are outside getting fresh air and sunshine. I'll move them back to the box at the next feeding.

So..

Here's the deal.

My husband checks the fields daily. He's seeing how everything is going.. Making sure no coyotes have come and killed babies or mamas (Hmm.. I have not heard a word about 'kills' yet! That is good news! Usually they arrive because they 'smell' the afterbirth and are coming in to get snacks), and seeing if any babies are separated from their mamas, or if any mamas are having problems giving birth to a baby. When he finds a baby that fits the 'bummer' category, he brings them home to our 'bummer lamb' nursery in the garage. Last night, two new ones arrived before dinner. All 'systems stopped' - meaning, we drop everything and go into 'feed the new babies' mode.

Dick had a jar full of colostrum that he milked from a ewe (OK mothers, you all know what that is). The colostrum is the 'heavy duty antibodies' that have to be fed to each newborn. Problem was, one of the newborns was 'pulled' from it's mama (Dick assisted in the birth)... The baby had a huge head, and needed to be tubed. Unfortunately, he did not live through the night.

Each time we get a new bottle lamb, the kids name them...

This actually breaks my heart. At times, We are attempting to accomplish the impossible.

In my mommy job, I attempt to hold my kids and tell them, God has a plan for each of these lambs, and yes they had to go, but we are their resting place before they go to Heaven. I also say that our lambs are lucky because they had two loving kids who gave them a warm place before they left, and they knew they were loved and special.

Well.. I think this is a good stopping spot. Suddenly, my mind is now moving on to other philosophical topics, and I have got to get to town before the next feeding!

I promise to post happy photos next!

Phew!

Shearing Sheep.... the ins and outs

Your's Truly - Two Years Ago
This is how I usually spend my birthday!

Ramon Packing Wool!

The Ewes Before They are Shorn

See Any Babies?

The Shearing Lane and Shearing 'Trailer'

****************

I neglected to take photos of our shearing operation yesterday! All the photos above are from 2 years ago... When it was sunny and gorgeous.. And, shearing landed on my birthday!



The shearing crew showed up Tuesday night (yep, birthday night - so no party) ... We've been waiting for the crew for 2 weeks but the rain keeps them away... and now that we are lambing, it's a real 'bummer' (sorry for the pun) because some of the ewes are having their babies in the lane, or right after they are shorn! Poor mommies!!!!

So, since we are short on hired hands, we kept the kids home to 'work' sheep. I'm sure the school just loves me right now... We are one of the few ranch families left with young kids at our rural school..Which to me, is sad...

Shearing is a 2-day job. We have 250 ewes.

The kids and my husband did not get home until 6:30 pm last night, and it took another hour before everyone settled in (change dirty clothes, collect eggs, etc). They worked a super long day (they come home for lunch but have to turn around and go back out)...

So, for their long day efforts I had a tasty dinner waiting, and snacks! OH.. and I did most of the chores (feed lambs, feed chickens, chicks and ducks)...

Isn't it amazing how food cures most aches and pains? Our meal was mashed potatoes, veggies slathered in garlic and butter (those baby cabbages that I can never remember their name!), and BBQ chicken drumsticks.. Chicken is a rarity on a beef and sheep place! Well, except for the 70 plus hens running around!!!!

So, today we were prepared for another day of shearing...

But... it rained last night, which means wet wool...

We aren't sure if we will shear or not... but we kept the kids home again. Either way, today will be better than yesterday! EVERYONE came home sore yesterday!

So, I'll drive the kids down to the headquarters in 15 minutes and we will see how it all goes...

I'll take photos this time, I promise!

Ranch Related News - May

I updated the ranch blog. Got lots going on!

Here's a link: To the Ranch

Catch you all later!

Easter Celebrations!

Isn't This the Cutest Card?
It came with a special gift from my Cousin Guy!
Thanks Guy!
The book is a hit!
His friend/student illustrated a beautiful children's Easter Book!

This is what 2 nights of 'no sleep' looks like - Scary Larry!
(Do not enlarge this photo! You will be knocked
back out of your chair by the luggage under my eyes!
And, I did not shower. Yep. My family REFUSED to WAIT!)
Darn those egg hunts before noon on a Sunday!
(Sorry, Sunday is my lazy PJ day!)

Easter Egg Hunt #2 - Back Yard
(starting to green up!)
Sami's fashion boots?
Irrigation Boots/Mud Boots
A necessity in every ranch girl's wardrobe!
And boys, moms and dads!

Getting Instructions from the Bunny's Assistant

Sami getting Assistance from the Chickens!
The chickens were hilarious. They would find the plastic eggs and peck them,
and they followed the kids everywhere!
Good thing they did not peck the real eggs!

Sami's Bunnies Came out To Play Yesterday
Along with the rest of the managerie
Click to enlarge and see the 'free bunny' moving around!

These guys are fast!
Not a good idea to have more than 1 running loose!

Easter Egg Hunt #1
Cool Cabin, eh?

Easter Egg Hunt #1
Our little town of Haines has an awesome hunt at the park!
Sami's on the Left - Go Sami!

Tonight's Dessert Hot Cross Buns!
(Let's skip dinner, OK?)
I picked this baby up in La Grande (30 miles away) when I did deliveries on Wednesday.
I gave the owner/baker a dozen of our fresh eggs.
(Too bad I didn't get a discount or a trade deal!)
An d, darn, it! Somethin' fell on the box and squished the frosting!

**********************

It's 5pm and we still aren't finished with our Easter Celebrations!

Easter is a very hectic time around Casa de Sexton...

First, there are the Easter Deliveries! Lamb and eggs are a big hit, uh, Easter, ya know? Wednesday I drove to Baker and La Grande, snuck in an egg delivery on Thursday in Baker, Friday to Boise, and Yesterday back to Baker, again... dang!

Now, toss my car problems into the 'driving' mix!
It's sitting at the shop.. It's been there since Thursday! Not sure when I'll get my 241,000 mile 'road warrior baby' back! Somethin' about the bearings in two different places...(transfer case, and differential - yup. In the four digit cost category)... Not the wheel area.. that was diagnosed at the first shop, which sent me to the 2nd shop and told me 'no driving' because my car would be dead on the road when 'i't decided to stop!
Ha ha ha ha!
But heck, no one could tell me when my car would drop dead! Typical Doctors... Do they know where I drive? NO MANS LAND!!! So, I'm playing it safe and letting them have it, and driving 'ranch rigs' until it's repaired.


So,anyway, my knight in shining armor picked me up Thursday evening, and then we had to pick up Jake who was stranded at Cub Scouts wondering where the heck his mother was (why yes, I do have a cell phone, but it's a new phone! let's not discuss the cell phone issue - new carrier, new phone (not my choice!), and I did not have my car with my directory!)...

Anyway, my husband gave me his gorgeous rig the following day. He even cleaned it! Boy cleaning style (windows clean, dashboard clean...) (Big Fat Smooch!) I drove my husband's Big Ol' Diesel Dodge Ram Truck to Boise.. 5 hour round trip thank you very much...which was actually fun! People do not know what the heck a chick is doing driving a big ol' truck with that big ol' grill on the front and the awesome aluminum tool box and fancy goose neck hitch...I was stylin... except when I try to go into reverse... hard gear to find!! Tee Hee!

Then Saturday arrived. Dang. Dick took the fancy truck for his own hauling trip and I had the flatbed to drive the kids to an Easter Egg hunt in Haines (7 miles away), then pick up another kid, then I had to drive the bucket of bolts down the highway to 'town' (17 miles away) to make a delivery. The flatbed is ugly. It's slow. And it's definitely the ranch rig. It looks like it has hit just about everything that has crossed it's path! HA!

Then, on top of the whole rig situation - Sami woke me up Friday night with ear ache #1, then again last night with ear ache #2. Dang... Dangity dang dang! Poor little munchkin! Needless to say, we both had sleepless nights. But she is her happy self during the day.. We will see how tonight goes. The good news? The moon was gorgeous at oh, 11 pm, and 2 am. and 6am!!!

Anyway, needless to say.. by the time Easter arrived, well, I felt worn out, run over, and that I had finished my Easter duties...

Uh, apparently not!

So, we had Easter Egg hunt #2 - in the yard.. and a great brunch featuring deviled eggs, potatoes and lamb sausage with eggs... (whole lotta eggs now with 70 hens!)...

And, tonight? Lamb Kabobs! Asparagus! More Deviled Eggs! And the Easter Hot Cross Buns...

Just give me the dessert, will ya?

Thanks be to God for the Resurrection... Thanks be to God for Renewal and Everlasting Life.

Amen.

Peace be with you..

(ps. I had to come back and edit all my typos! Boy!)

Ranch Related News

Tomorrow is my monthly Sexton Ranches Grass Fed Natural Lamb & Beef delivery day... I posted some photos and 'info' on the ranch blog.

Before I hook you up with a link, thought I would share some 'info'.

We have added eggs to our bag of tricks... Naturally raised chickens, who roam free (to my gardening and gorgeous back deck's dismay)... happy fat and sassy chickens...

Our chickens are darn lucky the dogs haven't eaten them (well, I take that back.... we have lost a couple to the evils of young dogs...as in MY FAVORITE HEN GOLDIE!)

Anyway, often 5 or 6 will sneak into a dog kennel to snatch dog food - with a dog in the kennel! Death wish! I didn't say they were the smartest chicks on the planet... As a matter of fact, one keeps laying eggs under my itty bitty wooden chair decor by the front door - then a dog comes and steals the egg.

Loose Dogs and Loose Eggs are an issue around here... 'Bugs' has been caught sneaking into the chicken house and stealing eggs! Just like his mother Maggie... But, we forgive him.. He is a cutiepie, how can we not love a dog that actually sits in the middle of all the younger chickens and just 'hangs out' like a guard dog! He hasn't eaten a live one (yet?), so he is forgiven...he also hangs out by Sami's goat Olive and calf Star..

So, I thought I would share some Chick-A-Wah photos, and what Spring looks like around here...

Oh.. Speaking of Spring, we got hit with a storm last night.. Crazy... At 4:45 pm I was watching HUGE flakes flowing down - then a sideways wind hit... 1 inch in gosh, 20 minutes?

It stopped, so we went to the school for the Dr. Seuss program... I was sitting on the fence on driving in a storm...

Then, when we left the school after the program - it was a blizzard! GADS...

No Spring...

OH!

Here is a link to the ranch blog post!

Arrrr! I Missed Talk LIke a Pirate Day! (Yet Invented my Own Special Holiday)

Yep.. I heard it through the grapevine, via other blogs the Talk Like A Pirate Day came and went. Go check that site out. It is darling!

The Just Johanna girls had a few challenges, as did a few other sites. The goal was to make pirate type cards. I watched it all from a distance, but just could not muster up me timbers to get off me bloody ars and participate. Nope. It was on September 19th, Friday, first day of moving Huffalumps (Heifers) and Woozles (Direct Market Beef). No fun to be had.


I really think such a monumental day should be closer to Halloween, when we are more than likely willing to be sportin' our Pirate and Wenchy attitudes.. Come to think of it, I know a few Wenches. Perhaps I should give those girls a call. Stir something up. Now I am in the mood!

*****

But then there was today... which really was a match made in Heaven for Talk Like a Pirate Day..

No, I take that back. Today surpassed Talk Like a Pirate Day. It was more like.....

Curse Like a Sailor Day!

Yep. Little ol' me was really lettin' the sails flap out there early this am.

It all started with another love note from Mr. Sexton who had to leave before the crack of dawn to take 8 beef on a road trip. He needed me to move the Huffalumps again, by my lonesome, and go out and feed Jessie, along with all the other stinkin' chores. It was a pleasant morning, dressed in my Eskimo Gear (have you seen my jester ski hat? HOT!)... and scraping the ice off the four-wheeler seat.

• The day started with 25 degrees of frosty weather.
• The kids are both are home sick with colds
• I am sportin' a close 2nd to their illness
  
• Mr. Sexton left about 6:30 am
• I went out at 7 am
  
• Returned at 8:30 am. Hotter than heck, wearing considerably less clothing - call it a fever, hot headed, or catching the bug. I don't care. The flames are still flickin', and I had to get those things off! Paramenapaus?
  

I think the cause was my battle with a *$#) stretch gate!

(Warning.. Foul language ahead.... )

Oh.. what is a stretch gate, you ask?

It's made of barbed wire, looks like a gate when stretched, (about 4 strands of barbed wire, with posts every 4 feet or so) yet when lying flat is a tangle of disaster waiting to trip any unsuspecting animal or human. These things are typically long enough so a truck can pass through.

Did I mention you have to stretch it to make the gate? As in who ever invented these things did not leave any room for 'play'? No extra inches to the gate? YOU MUST GET IT RIGHT AND HAVE ARMS MADE OF STEEL TO CLOSE THEM ?????? AAAAAAA!!!

Phew.

My job was to drive through field A which contained the Llama and sheep
Get to the *&#&# stinking stretch gate, which was closed, and separated Field A from Field B
Open the stretch gate,
to get into field B, where the Huffalumps were, so I could take down a hot fence so they could have more grass.

Oh.. The #&*((* stretch gate was stretched across a water hazard (I love that golf term!), aka ditch.

I had no intention of driving through the gate, I just wanted to open it a 'teeny weeny' so I could walk to the other side, then close the Son OF A B*#&.

That gate had no mercy. The inventor, also made this handy little device, called a stick, that is chained to the fence. You are to use it like a fulcrum to wedge it against the gate, pull it and the gate to the fence, then undo the loop of wire over the gate post to have it suddenly become limp and useless (the gate). You do the reverse to tighten the gate, but oh the gate and the loop of wire tend to not want to 'hook up' when it's time to close the gate!!! Which is where all sailors came to pay homage to me today.

I fought with that Son OF A B#^$ for several minutes. Super long, start tearing your clothes off and sweating minutes.

The stick thang is made for right handed folks. I am convinced. My husband dissagrees.

I am left handed.

And you need upper body strength.

I have none.

I could open the gate.

And close it on the 'right side' when I could use my left arm with the long end of the stick.

But, gee, to close it on the 'left side' with just the stub of the stick, was not working for me. I did try turning it around to have the long side, but it was not agreeing with me. I am so left brained! Or is it right brained? I confuse myself....

Hence, my Curse Like a Sailor Day... And boy did I let it rip.. And rip... and rip. This keeps the tears at bay. Tetering on a breakdown. Foot stomping, those sorts of things.

Goodness!

The neighbors most certainly did not have their windows open, too cold. Or, they would have been shocked.

The dogs got a few new terms for their card playing nights.

I thought about tying the damn thing with my jester hat and leaving it that way. But I did not want to be responsible for the Huffalumps getting mixed up with the sheep and Llama.. Bad mojo.

So.. I went back into Field B, the Huffalump side, closed the F(#*$n gate. then crawled through a section of barb wire to get back into field A.

And that was the beginning of my day.

Gads.

I'll take a photo of that gate later.

Not for the Sight Impared....

Which Would You Pick?

Today is another cold day... It's 5:00 pm and 55 degrees.... and when it's cold I tend to channel my inner Domestic Goddess... Cook a fun lunch (beef fajitas), do some laundry, get dinner into the crock pot (lamb shanks) and make a dessert for after dinner...along with mowing the lawn for 2 hours, and all those other pesky interruptions...

BUT I did not quite get to the dessert. Somehow I got sidetracked and forgot... See those two boxes sitting on my counter? Well, I tend to buy boxed mixes for the school events, and quick desserts, when I don't have time for the real thing..even though today would have been a great 'from scratch day' I wasn't up for it. Well, I had grabbed the two boxes above and put them on the counter to 'get some help' from any willing family members to pick which one they wanted...

My husband picked. But, not in the way I had hoped... You see, my darling husband has an eyesight problem. He did see the boxes and the pictures, but he neglected to read the fine print (as in Supreme Mix - it's there, under the title)... So, low and behold he ripped open the raspberry bars, hoping for a tasty snack, then somehow ripped open one of the interior sacks (the crust one) still without seeing what was inside (rather tricky I might ad) and shoved his hand inside - to find loose stuff...

This is what I heard coming from the kitchen...

WHAT THE HELL?????

So, naturally I go running in...

And this is what the kids heard coming from the kitchen...

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THOSE ARE MIXES!!!!

Then the kids come running in, and Sami could be heard saying...

WHAT'S GOING ON???

And me, responding, back in my normal happy mommy (slightly snarky and sarcastic) voice...

Daddy is just helping me pick what to make for dessert!

Well, we did have a good laugh. And Dick did need some snacks for his early morning trip tomorrow (hauling animals to the processor), and we will have a tasty dessert tonight, with real whipped cream (not holding back there)...

And the bars are cooking while I write!

Have a great day.

We all deserve a good laugh at our lives every now and then...

A Windy Day and the Lucky Number '51'

Jake in front of Lucky Number 51

Flying Kites

Sami Observing Mr. Sexton's Technique

A Closer Look at the Ranch Man Taking a Break

My Kidlets

This last Thursday was a very chilly, rainy and windy day...A typical 'what the heck is our weather doing now' day in Eastern Oregon.. I did panic.. I am not ready for summer to pack her bags. We started out with 35 degrees, which motivated me to start working on our Fall Newsletter (Ranch business - for our customers).

We decided it was time to take down the tent. Which is a bummer. It's fun having it outside for the kids to play in, sleep in, and just looks like summer! But, it was to rain during the day, so Jake and I got to work. Here's some trivia about our tent.

• It is 51 years old!
  
• My in-laws got it for their honeymoon trip to Alaska (they were guides on a packing trip. See where my husband gets his work ethic from? My father and mother in law worked on their honeymoon! ).
  
• They used it as a couple, then for family camping with their 3 young children (rumor has it that they bought a second tent as the kids got older and separated the boys from the girls),
  
• then my husband inherited it.
  
• We used it when we camped as a couple during our single days
  
• And then, all four us slept in this baby when we went camping last summer...
• The last time it was used was when Sami was 6 months old (during the Walsh Girls family reunion ski boat/House boat trip at Oroville Lake, CA) - 10 years ago!
  
• We are looking at a repeat performance later this week (the four of us camping and fishing)! Oh boy!!!
  

Late in the afternoon the sun came out, the clouds parted, and Dick and the kids flew a kite. Notice my husbands garb? That's his cold weather work gear! Mr. Carhart.

What cracks me up is Dick and Jake went and got their 'buz' cuts.. right before the cold snap! But, alas, today's high is to be 97, so all in all, perhaps the buz cuts weren't too premature.

I'll Be Your Huckleberry.....

Today's Breakfast - 10 am.
Yes.. even though up for hours.. This is my breakfast.
Mama style. Huckleberry waffles...

Eastern Oregon Gold
Huckleberries - and there all mine!

Classic 'Chick Flick' - Tombstone - 1993

Oh yes.. Tombstone was a chick flick.. lots of eye candy, girls... Lots of eye candy...

'I'll be your Huckleberry...' rolled off of Val Kilmer's luscious (well, as Doc Holiday he was dying from Tuberculosis) ashen lips in Tombstone several years back.. Tombstone was/is one of my all time fave movies... Why, you ask? The scenes...the cowboys...the independent dance hall vixen who I had to be (she was Kurt's babe of choice) the ever so HOT Kurt Russell.. on the big screen, with those awesome brilliant blue eyes against his ever so tan face... Oh my... Which, may be another reason why I fell head over heels in love with my husband.. Cowboy...blue eyes... dark hair... tan working man...

WAIT!!.. Tombstone is NOT the purpose of this post! )And now you are privy to how my mind really wanders!) The real reason for this post, is Huckleberries. And, thinking of Huckleberries, made me think of that Doc Holiday line from the movie.... which I never fully understood...

So to get back to your regular scheduled program, I must start from the beginning...

**** Hold on, grab some java, this will be long *****

If you recall, we dined/played/fire & moon gazed, and set up the camp tent four nights ago... the night of the ever so beautiful full moon... Well, we just could not pass up a repeat... So we did it again on Sunday night, when our temps reached 97 degrees... Oh the delight! When the sun goes down the temps drop rapidly here at 3,500 feet and boy was it a gorgeous clear, crisp evening ...

And since two nights were so darn successful, we decided to do it again last night, with friends. Share the wealth, ya know? ....

So, lamb kabobs were to make a repeat performance... and super sized marshmallows for the S-mores! And, even though the weather predicted a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms - we proceeded with plans.

Guests were to arrive at 7pm.

The storm hit with a vengeance about 6:30 pm. Dick and the kids got caught in the torrent while irrigating.

The power went out about 6:45 pm. I proceeded, by candlelight, in my kitchen to skewer Kabobs. No biggy... I mean, the grill is gas. No problemo.

Guests called at 7pm. to say they were running late and the storm caused major freaky damage in their neck of the woods... but they had power ... I figured they were exaggerating.

Guests arrived. Still no power.

The storm came and went, came and went. We saw a double rainbow, dramatic sunset, wind, and Jake started the fire in the pit all by himself. Dressed like an Eskimo.

Since the temps were 65 degrees, instead of 85, we dined indoors... by candles, lanterns, and great cheer. We all had a blast! The power came back on about 8:30 or 9 pm, but we turned the lights off, no need to interrupt our great fun.....

At some point, my BFF asked why Patchie was not going into his dog house in the rain. 'Oh, he just doesn't use his dog house much' one of us responded. Which is true....no sympathy here.

The kids stayed outdoors making S-mores while the grown-ups laughed and drank around the big table indoors...

The festivities ended about 10:30 pm. The tent was blown down from the storm so the kids slept indoors...

We went to bed...

Ahhh... But the night was not over dear friends.. The night was not over...

About 2 am (I think.. the power had knocked my clock out - so it was flashing some weird time), I heard chickens squawking.. Chickens do not squawk at night.. I bolted awake. Put on some ever so fashionable clothes.. grabbed a flashlight and went to investigate.

I found the squawker outside the pen. And, only 2 chickens were in the house, out of 20... Uh oh.. I thought. Somethin' is nabbin' my chicka wa wa's! (and, the red wine was still flowing in my bloodstream.. so I admit, I was a little twisted...)

I figured somethin' was up.. And went back to bed since no culprets were about.

Repeat squawk and wake up routine 2 more times. Each time I went out, I found a lone chicken outside, and put her in. Oh the madness! What the heck was going on? And why was it just one chicken at a time? Was it an alien abduction? Were aliens dropping them back, one by one? Freaky...

Then, I noticed Mr. Patchie. His chain reaches all the way to the chicken pen. I figured he was freaking out the chickens and keeping them from getting inside (why they were out did not cross my feeble mind) and I decided to shorten his chain... Then, I decided to move that darn house he doesn't use... and dang was it heavy! And DANG didn't the entire house squawk!

Lordy... The chickens in their infinite wisdom took refuge during the storm in Patchie's dog house.. He never touched them! He never ate them! And, I figured, he must have been sticking his nose in each time I heard a squawk and one would run away to their own house...

So, back to the house I went and woke my husband...

'Honey.. Guess where I have been and what I found!'.. By now it was just before 4:30 am...

He woke, got up and helped get all the chickens gathered into their own casa de chicka chicka...

While we were gathering them, his 4:30 alarm went off... (that is how I knew what time it was!)

So... back to bed I went again... for a nice sound slumber until 6:00 am...

Mr. Sexton woke me to 'rouse' the kids for irrigating duties, chores, etc...

Draggin' my body, folks, draggin' my body... I made a simple breakfast for the kids... eggs, and toast...

They came back.. famished... it was decided a 2nd round of breakfasts was in order.

Sami had french french toast (our term for when using a loaf of french bread).. that was restaurant order number one.

Jake had waffles.... restaurant order number two... Normally, I do not have the patience for special orders that take the morning away.. but, like I said, I am dragging...

For Mama?
I had huckleberry waffles, almond butter, a cup of joe, and the Capital Press (the Ag version of Wall Street Journal)...

Which brought us to 10 am... then, Mr. Sexton came home and insisted we fix the tent, and the kids ride the horses... Slave driver... I am still in my jammies and have no plans of going anywhere...except back to bed.

Oh.. and about the Huckleberries.. They are considered gold out here in Eastern Oregon.. Tasty little gems.. I bought a pound of them in Boise... and bring them out for tasty occasions!

Have a great day!

All my appointments have been moved to tomorrow.. Forecast is rain.. So Vacation Wednesday is now moved to Thursday.

This broadcast has been brought to you by one very sleep deprived mother who stayed up way too late, followed by four visits to the chicken house before daylight!

Horse Riding Update(s)

On the Left is Sami with Doc, on the Right is Toby with Ernest
Toby is actually my horse. But he does not like women.
I found out the hard way.
Dick rides him now.

Sami & Doc
Doc is awesome. I love this horse. And he smells so good!
Love horse musk.

Jake & Blackie
Blackie is the kid's pony.
He was a Christmas present many years ago!
I'll have to find that photo. The kids are really small on him!

Dogs, Horses, Crew
Ernest, the dog on the right, is actually retired (he sleeps a lot).
Ernest loves to go with the horses! He was 'on it'.
He got off his retired dog rear and would not take no for
an answer. He went with the crew and worked.

How I work my Anxiety
Pit by pit. Cherry pie.
OH! And I did buy a cherry pitter!
I still think there must be an easier way!!!

OK.. the Horse Back Riding/Working Recap:

So... the kids and Dick started on Sunday about 10:30 am getting the horses ready.. For some reason they still were not ready by noon, so they 'undid' the gear, tied up the horses under trees, ate lunch, napped, then, started over at about 2:30 pm.

I did notice that during the morning process there was a whole lot of prep work going on. Horse trimming, practice riding, learning to saddle up, etc... Basically a whole lot more work than was probably anticipated by you know who...

So.... when the crew went back out, saddled up again, and took off down the road in the horse trailer, I worked out my frustrations... I made a pie. Cherry pie.. all from scratch, which is my way...

Everyone came back safe and sound at 4:30pm. A quick trip I thought. They all settled in at the table to warm pie, ice cream and lemonade. Then, we talked.

Dick was mad. The kids held there heads down for a bit, but they did tell me later (after Dick left) that they did like being with the horses. Thank Goodness... Dick had shared that nothing went right. They were supposed to be sorting cattle, in a field, meaning, cutting out about 5 steers from the rest of the bunch and it just was not working. Hello. I know experienced adult riders that can not do this. Horse experience is one thing, cattle experience another. Two opportunities for learning here. But what do I know. I am a city girl.

So, Dick informed me that 'we have a new rule'. The rule is the kids can not play on computers or watch TV (without us) unless they have worked with the horses for at least an hour.

Guess what? Yesterday, Jake wanted to ride at 8 am. Woah! I am so glad the kids are NOT harmed by their experience (I obviously have the thinnest skin in this outfit). However, I did inform the kids they can not just go out and grab a horse and play (which Dick said was just fine). I told them all of there other chores must be done, and second I have to be with them. No questions asked.

So, about 3:30 pm yesterday I helped them get the horses again, and ride. They rode bareback and boy, do they have lots to learn. Neither one could put the bridle on. And 'brushing' was a half-a**ed task for Jake. He missed lots of dirt!

It seems I do know a thing or two and can help teach the kids. And, I will be with the horses - more than I thought.

Which really, is not a bad thing. I want the kids to learn, in a safe environment, and have fun.

And, I might just attempt to ride Toby before it's all said and done. Toby is my horse. And who I have not 'spoken with' since the time he reared up behind me and smacked me in the back with his front right hoof and left a big nasty bruise.

And that, my friends is one reason I don't ride and a story I will save for later.

Horse Back Confessions

I am not a cowgirl.

Meaning, my horse riding skills are very limited and I just don't ride. I did take lessons for a while, and loved it, but once I married my rancher husband, things changed...

It might have been his approach (nod head, 'yes, I have one of those too'). He's a 'just do it' kind of guy. Here's an example. 'Andi, just go out there and rope that calf and bring it back', said my husband. So, off I went. Never having roped. And I am a lefty. Which means my rope doesn't twist the way you righty's twist your ropes. The horse and I danced around for a while. Me swingin' the rope, the calf moving, the horse and I trying to get that calf.

I did not get the calf. I did get a sassy look from my husband. And a remark about 'what were you doing and where the heck is the calf?' No lessons. No help. However, I did adopt a personal snit fit attitude, marked with a 'that's the last time I ride with him' - huff. And it was. And it that was probably, oh, 9 or so years ago!

My husband does not get on a horse to just ride and enjoy the scenery, like I used to do. He's not the kind to say 'hey baby, wanna go check out the sunset on horseback?'
Nope. Horses are tools. You ride them when you need them and thats mainly to work cattle, or move cattle. They are not pets. You don't kiss them or whisper sweet nothings in their ears. (Hmmmm...make note to self)

Today the kids and my husband are going riding. I always get knots in my stomach when they do this.

Why?

The horses have not been ridden at all - all year.
They buck when they are like this
My kids are not experts
My husband doesn't care
My husband will tell them 'just do it'.

And it's my fault. My husband the horse expert says so. I should be teaching the kids to ride all summer. Me, the not so horse expert, the city girl.

Oh say a little prayer...

Last year I watched my son bounce off the back of Blackie.. The pony. My son who went 'backwards' smacked on the back of the horse then landed on the ground. Thank God in one piece and no injuries.... My son who does not pay attention or listen or watch out.

I sure hope my husband does.

Last year I had to come into the house when I saw them riding... They were coming home from the field and I was going to take photos of the romantic scene of the three of them, riding side by side.. beautiful. Then all hell broke loose. My son started screaming, he lost a reign, and a stirrup, and the pony took off with him. My husband chasing them. I could not watch. I came in and just prayed...

Lord, please hear my prayer.
Amen

Conducting a Test - Chickens vs Puppies

OK.. So at chores time I locked up the puppies (the 3 youngest ones) with two of the female dogs in one of the kennels...

Then, I tied up Patchie.

Then, I let the chickens free! Free to roam the yard and peck for goodies... Poor things... they've been in their own yard for so darn long they have no grass... They needed some new space...


So... I am driving to Boise today... will be gone for six hours... When I return I hope everything is as I left it....

I'll check in later!

Calling All Lamb & Beef Clients! Input Needed!

I need some assistance... if any of you reading this blog are our lamb and beef clients I would truly appreciate some input.

Our website continues to need 'upgrades' in order to serve you, our clients better. I emailed our new prices to our web designer two weeks ago, and we are still having design issues with how to get the interface more user friendly.

I try to email pricing sheets to those that request them and it is a tedious process at best.
So here is my question.... (actually 4, pick one that best serves your needs!)

1. Would you like to see a separate blog dedicated to the ranch business that has pricing data, product data, and delivery information, and a place for me to answer common questions, or
2. Would you prefer the data was at this site, and you could just access the appropriate archives (data on the left side, do the same as in #1) or
3. Would you prefer to get all info at the Web Site or
4. Everything is cool, and you are fine with the emails...

If you don't feel comfortable answering on this blog please email your answers to andisexton at cascadeaccess dot com. Sorry for the funky address, just trying to reduce spam (and I get tons from the website! Viagra anyone? Apparently the world web thinks I need it, as well as bigger body parts that would involve a sex change!)...

Thank you for your help!

Advent Day 10 - Happy Holidays!!! Meet Jess

Presenting......Our Christmas Card from Sexton Ranches

Every time I read or say out loud 'Happy holidays' I break out in song, Bing Crosby style!!!!
This is our Christmas Card (be sure to click on it to see it in all its glory!) that we are sending to all our wonderful beef and lamb clients...and some relatives and some friends!

You haven't met Jess yet - he is our new guard dog - and he is in the background with the sheep. Jess' full name is Jessie James, courtesy of Sami, the namer of all creatures great and small.

Jess is a shy guy... A true Guard Dog... also a little sweetie pie.. You can walk up to him, and he wags his tail, but he has his flight zone... get too close and off he goes!

Jess is the young dog Sami & Dick went to get after our other guard dogs were killed by the train. He actually came with a name... a mean one (Satan)... his previous owner obviously did not know his true spirit...

Advent Day 9 - Just a recap from yesterday.. Sami decided we needed a tea party.. She is so intuitive! She broke out her beautiful tea set from Auntie Paula, a Beatrix Potter collection, and she and I and Jake had tea and cookies! She made real herb tea. It was such a great Sunday event! Everyone poured their own tea. And our little hostess passed around cream and sugar. Afterwards I napped.. Sami joined me. Oh, life is wonderful! Of course it was only 11 am, but once again my insomnia woke me about 2:20 am and I just can't get back to sleep! By the way, in case any relatives are reading, Sami's tea set only has 2 cups.. we may need to upgrade!

Well, I am off to Grand Jury orientation! Yep.. I might be a little busy January through April! The kids are so curious about the jury process.. on one hand I would love to be selected since it will be a great experience to share with them. The downside is we would be home bound for Spring Break, and any other trips planned... and the markets start up again mid April! Oh well.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Jake's Snow Shoes

Look What I Found!

Sure enough... I found Jake's little sneakers out in suspicous spots in the backyard. Lefty 'lifted' them from the sheltered location I had them 'draining' from their last adventure - left out in the rain. Then it snowed and they were MIA somewhere under snow! These little guys were stiff as can be when I found them, and filled with snow balls. Note the kitty feet to the right - another accomplice no doubt.