Week 34 & Week 35 - I'm a Slacker

Yes, folks, I totally didn't get last week's blog post done...I'm a total slacker!  I could blame it on the eclipse but I won't.

We were not in the 'strip' across the nation to see the Total Eclipse but we were darned close.  It started to get 'dark' around 10 in the morning on Monday and by 1:13 in the afternoon it was just plain eerie!  One of the girls at work had a pair of eclipse glasses so we all took turns going out behind the library and looking at it.  I must say, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I wasn't totally awed like some folks but it was something to put in the memory book.

I saw this a few days after the eclipse.  Given the atmosphere around this country, I thought it appropriate.

On an entirely different note, the Hussies are home!  I don't know if any of them are pregnant - John plans on taking them in to the vet in November to have pregnancy tests done on them.  But Beast sure is happy to have his girls home again...he's been quite lonely all by himself for the last 3 months.  Let's not tell him that this coming Friday he is going to Freezer Camp...don't want to stress him out - it affects the meat!

From left to right you have Belle, Beast, Garnet, and Rosie.

I don't know if my readers in foreign countries are aware of the brouhaha going on here regarding Confederate statues...it's silly really.  Some folks want to remove statues dedicated to the period of time in our history that included the Confederacy.  It offends them....just like the Confederate flag offends them.  It's part of our history, folks...it really happened and we need to be reminded of it so it doesn't happen again.  I've decided to hop on the statue removal band wagon. Here is the one I want taken down permanently...

Thank for stopping by.

Week 33 - A Diganosis and a New Barn Roof

Shortly after we started building this house back in 2003, John was able to find the cornerstone of the barn that was already on the property.  You can see it in the header on this blog.  It appears the barn was built in 1937.  Yes, it's 80 years old this year.  She's a bit weather-worn...but she's a good barn none-the-less.  John has been systematically repairing all the windows, and a couple of weeks ago we had the roof re-painted and weatherproofed.  

 A lot of the companies in this area use Amish workers...it helps the economy of that group and they are an amazingly talented and professional group.  Anytime I hear that the Amish built something, I know it's quality work.  

The next barn project is to somehow re-do the doors to make them a bit more secure...then John is going to bring electricity and water to the barn and the gardens.  Currently, he uses hoses and extension cords to get water and power out there...during the winter it's a pain!  

2 of the 3 girl cows came home yesterday.  Rosie (on the left) and Belle (in the middle) have spent the last couple of months at Sex Camp and if they aren't carrying babies by now, there's something wrong with the bull they were dating.  John will take them to the vet in November and have them checked for pregnancy.  And, with luck, we should have calves being born in early spring - March-ish.  Our other girl, Garnet, decided she wanted to stay and play longer (actually, she got out of the corral and they couldn't catch her!) so she will hopefully come home next weekend.

That's Beast on the far right.  John went out early today to get some mowing done before the rains kicked in...notice those cows are not afraid of that big mower...yes there's a fence between them and the mower but, still!  They didn't even shy away.

I went to the surgeon on Monday for my 6 weeks checkup on my knee. Recover is still a bit slow but that's because of the ankle issue.  He took an x-ray of the offending ankle and it appears I have a 3 inch crack in the fibula - the thin, non-weight-bearing bone right next to the tibia.  It's used to stabilize the ankle bones.  There is noting they can do about that crack except let it heal on its own.  So I am left with pain and swelling (which is getting less and less each day) for the foreseeable future.  That being said, it has hampered the rehab of my knee cause some of the exercises I need to do involve the ankle and the doctor said to tell the PT folks to keep away from anything involving the ankle.  But, this, too shall pass and at least knowing what is wrong is helpful to my peace of mind.  It doesn't do a darned thing for the pain, but that's what pain pills are for, right?  

Mom and I drove to Branson yesterday morning.  I hadn't picked up any of this year's Row by Row patterns or kits yet and it is winding down.  We were gone a couple of hours and let me tell you by the time we got home, my ankle was not happy!  But knowing I got the kits I wanted from the 2 shops down there made me happy.  

Have a wonderful week and thanks for stopping by.

Week 32 - Rain!

This last week has just flown by. I'm still having problems with the right ankle - pain and immense swelling and then more pain - but I'm seeing my surgeon tomorrow for my 6 week checkup and I'll see if he can come up with some kind of plan for the ankle...I'm so tired of hurting!  And it's really putting a strain on the rehab of the knee!  More next week.

Rain in the Ozarks is sometimes a rare thing...sometimes a many-day-thing.  Right now, it's a many-day-thing.  We've had rain for the last 3 days and it's been wonderful!  It rained almost all day yesterday and today looks to be the same.  Gentle, pulsing rain.  Soaking the ground and not causing a lot of puddles.  At least not where we live.  Some parts of the Ozarks are under Flash Flood Watches but not us.  

Mom and I went into town yesterday morning.  I hadn't picked up either July or August's Block of the Month yet and those really need to get done.  I needed some embroidery bobbin thread as well so we made it an adventure.  Here's what we drove home in...

By the time we got home, it was so dark out that one would have thought it was closer to 8:00 P.M. than noon.  We had rain almost all day.  About 1:00 A.M. it started again and it's been going all day so far and it's only noon.  

John is making a big old pot of beef stew and some homemade bread for dinner...it sure does smell good in here!  

Thanks for stopping by.