Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Fleeing Summer

 
I've come to believe that summer passes by so fast in an effort to just keep up with us. It is our busiest time of year (on a ranch), which is why I've been remiss about updating everything on my blog. I am outside most of the time, then steal a nap in the afternoon, forever play catch-up with the mundane chores in life and then back out to water the garden and landscape projects. So, I think I'll just post photos of my 'life at the present' and let it go at that. I hope any and all who may read this have had as busy a summer as me...the good kind of busy...and just as enjoyable.

Haying time...bringing bales home for the winter.

Freshly picked Nanking Cherries

Part of my flower bed...the new landscape project. My swinging night life consists of all of my evenings spent behind a hose; another view below...


My dear husband was at a ranch auction and he bought an old treadle sewing machine for me. The cabinet is beyond recovery, but I took the darling little machine out and the drawers will be re-purposed when we complete our mudroom-porch this fall. One entire wall will be shelves and cupboards. I want to use all old doors and vintage "junk". The tiny teddy is one I made years ago.

On a junk-hunt, I found a cute little old dish-drying rack to display some of my old china in.

"Ribbon" is coming along nicely. Here she was grazing while there was a branding going on in a nearby corral.


My Galpals and I got together for our MaryJanesFarm sisterhood meeting and we made mosaic goodies...mine turned out to be a tea-pot planter(?). Almost all of the broken glass and china that I used came from the homestead dump that was once my gr gr grandparents place. I am the little old white-haired lady.


My pullets should begin to lay sometime in October. At the moment, I am trying to play a role in the demise of a hawk that has sinister plans for my hens! I've shot at him 3 times with my 22, but with no success. Fortunately, the girls learned all they need to know about hawks after witnessing 2 of their sisters being attacked...one killed and eaten and the other I saved by running the hawk off. If only I'd had my gun then. The pullets run from one covered kind of place to another around the barnyard and when they hear the hawk's voice, they run and dive, dive, dive for cover! Chickens Are Not Dumb.

Above: a beautiful print I found (eBay) that I'll frame and put in the porch when it is done. Thus far, I've found a great barn-board bench, an old door to hang lots of doorknobs on for decor thingies, an old gate to hang hooks on for coats, a GREAT old step-back cupboard that I'll paint a olive green, old suitcases for storage containers. I'm on the hunt for a harvest table to live under the bank of windows, but I may have to have one made to suit the place. I'm so looking forward to at long last having a mudroom-porch and a covered, screened-in patio! Useful rooms are so fun to decorate and I'm stoked to see them when they finally are done. My husband has been hauling hay home every day for a few weeks. There's just not enough of him to go around and afterall, summer is for fun too and he loves to rodeo when he can get away from the ranch.  Well, that's all for now. I need to go out and put some chicken wire around my new run for the pullet-girls.  Happy Trails...until we meet again.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh, my gosh, the photos are so beautiful, as always! Your flower gardens are so lovely! I love the variety of flowers. You have such a knack!
That picture of Ribbon is gorgeous...what a beauty of a horse. The colors are fantastic and the detail scrumptious!
I would say that hubby of yours is a 'keeper' any man that brings a antique sewing machine home....should get anything he wants...lol.
I too have been working (in my mind) on my back porch, I was thinking about using all windows, I would love to use a door but don't really have the room. I love all your ideas and hope to steal some as soon as you show pics! lol
Thanks, for the wonderful post.

Unknown said...

Hi Shery!
Looks like a wonderful summer you are having... and your time behind the hose has been well spent... your flowers are bee u ti ful!
Yes, summer most certanily is fleeting when we are busy soaking up all of it we can... I snuck home from the " cottage" today to do a little laundry and check on my " girls and the garden " and I just had to stop by the " Ranch " for a quick hello!

Thanks for popping over to see our screened porch! :)
Big farmgirl hug!
Deb

Brenda said...

Hi Shery,
I tried to leave a comment twice on the Maryjanes Ranch blog but it kept tossing it back at me saying incorrect e-mail. Checked once, checked twice could not see the problem. So I am commenting now how pretty the postcards were and the new knowledge on the meaning of flowers, I enjoyed it. I am sure I said more but I cannot remember it now. Your pullets are lookin good and so are your plantings. They are growing in so pretty. I just cannot seem to amend my soil enough to offset all the sand we have. My Flocks are all very pretty right now though, I think I might just have to buy every color of those that I can find. I hope you post pictures of the porch when it is done. I had an enclosed porch at my previous home and I miss it a lot. As you say they are so fun to decorate. I have posted a couple of good recipes as of late on my blog. Good for summer bounty. A cucumber relish recipe and a zucchini casserole that my hubs loves enough to ask me to make it again. That does not happen often. Blessings!

Kelly said...

Hi Shery,
I just found your blog. Love it! You now have a new follower. :) Like you I love the country life. Come visit me in my Okie blog!
Kelly

Brenda said...

Shery, just wanted to let you know that I have been listening to your play list all afternoon while painting the trim in the room I am working on. It is right across the hall from hubs office so I can hear it. You have so many of my favorites that I just have been listening all the way down the list. Twila Paris just played, one of my very favorites. Time to move into the kitchen I'll have to pick it up another time.

RockMeGently said...

What a grace-filled blog you write, loved my visit! Your photos are so beautiful and the music is wonderful. Came by you via SilverRose Designs. Looking forward to future updates from Reata Rose Ranch and pictures of the new mudroom. :)
Blessings,
Sheree

C'est la Vie said...

Yep have to agree. Pretty piks. I am posting about my son from Texas. Made his first NFR....Really excited. He is a team Roper and he is sooo good. Look for him in Vegas. Nice to meet you we are cattle and Horse people also. Quarter Horses though.. I have been Mia for a while but catching up on some Blogging!!!

Shirley said...

Hope you get posting again, and that you had a good Christmas.