Happy Birthday Daddy

My father Vern E. Myers. He would have been 99 today. I think I have the age correct. There has not been a day in the past 54 years that I have not missed him. I was his shadow. He taught me to milk cows, clean calves pens, swim, dance and many more things. I only heard him swear one time in my life. And that was at a cow. They have driven me to utter a cuss word too.

He had fair skin but very dark hair. I look much like his mother. He injured his leg/hip in an accident but I don't remember how. He drove truck for Goodwill when I was very young. He worked in a truck garden near Auburn at one time with his best friend Gabrielle who was a large Phillapino man. He worked for the Milwaukee Railroad until he became ill. He died at age 45 of lung cancer.

We named our oldest son (middle name) after him.

One of the last things he knew that I did and I remember his pride was I won a college scholarship with my beef cow. He got he a cow show halter. I have it to this day. I treasure it.

My daddy was a dreamer. I don't think it was always profitable but he had big dreams. So do I.

Happy birthday in heaven my dear daddy.

A Happy Anniversary

Today was our 52nd. wedding anniversary. Bob had these for me when he got home from work. They smell so heavenly. He doesn't bring me flowers often so it was a special treat.

Then we went to the cattle auction. Not so romantic but we enjoy it. We have more orders for meat than we have steers and went looking for a bargain that was not going to require feeding to make it meat ready. We did. He will go get it tomorrow. They had a big pen of longhorn cattle but we did not stay that long. I wanted to see what they went for. I wanted a set of the horns. Big suckers with LONG horns.

Nikki fixed my name on Face Book and now I can't sign on and she left so I can't call her. Maybe it will work later. I wanted to put my maiden name with my present name so maybe someone in my past will find me.

Night all. Maybe it won't be so cold tomorrow. Boy were Amelia and Ditto glad to get it. Katie is coming out tomorrow and work Abby hard so maybe she will be acting better.

Sunday

Our spoiled and indulged dogs. They each have a pillow. We were getting ready for church and I walked in and saw them. Skeeter just opened his eyes but did not offer to move.

It is very cold here. Went to 18 last night and is to go to 12 tonight. I am not ready for this. We had pulled all the hoses drained them and put them up for the winter. Tonight Bob put the heaters in the two waterers outside. He turned the automatic ones in the stalls up a notch. It is supposed to s...... on Tuesday before warming up and just raining. We need the water bad.

Bob put Amelia out with the other horses today and Abby starting attacking again. She ran her off to a far corner. I finally went in and beat Abby off with a rope and got Meli back out. Then Abby took after Wrangler and kicked him twice in the head and he has two nasty cuts on his face. We took him out of there too. I am about ready for Katie to take her to the moon. I can't imagine what has got into her. She even has Pepper intimidated and we won't tolerate that long.

We went to church and then to dinner for our anniversary. It is tomorrow but Bob has to work and we went today. We went to Chili's. I had ribs. Not the best I have eaten. They were kind of dry. We had fun anyway. 52 years married.

Saturday Smiles

Who could resist smiling back at that big grin. This is Skyelor, out 13 year old grandson. He rarely smiles and I considered this picture a grand slam. I grin back at him every time I look at this picture.

We took Henry back today to be with his mama. She heard him holler for her before he even got out of the trailer and she came on the run. He is certainly old enough to be weaned but he did not think so. I did not plan on going with Bob but he wanted me to so the apples will have to wait for another day. Bob brought me in another bucket full. Apples coming out my ears.

Ditto has got into the hang of coming in when I call her as she has done for several years now. Amelia said, no you are not catching me............so.................I got a can with some grain and she came to a screeching halt and came to me at a trot. I had to laugh at her. She will get it. She was funny.

I went grocery shopping this evening earlier. I hate it but its necessary. Not a good evening to go shopping though. All the crazies of the area were there too.

Friday

The first basket of apples I picked today. I picked two more larger containers. Now I have to figure out what to do with them all. I have already put enough applesauce in the freezer for a couple or three years. I am going to put bags ready to make pie or apple crisp with.This is the biggest crop we have gotten off the tree. There probably is another container full where I can't get to them. The tree will need to be sprayed in the spring and we will have to figure out how to keep the yellow jackets out of the tree. Most of the damage on the apples are from those nasty critters.

Boy did Ditto and Amelia like being in the barn last night. Ditto came on the run when I called her this evening but I had to go get Amelia. When she remembered where we were going she came as fast as I could walk. I put the old girls out with the rest of the horses for the day. Ditto did fine but Abby was so mean to Amelia and finally Meli just went to her own corner of the pasture and stayed away. I won't do that to her again. Abby was even mean to her when I was trying to lead her out. She followed us kicking at her. I just can't subject that old pony to that kind of treatment.

Henry is still bawling his head off but its not quite as loud. He did quit when he was laying down and he didn't even do that yesterday. He is healing up just fine. More penicillin on Sunday and then he can either go back up to his mother or out to the pasture here.

It is supposed to be 15 degrees tonight. That is COLD. I hope my carrots wont be hurt. Forgot to go pull them until right now. Today I made a stew for dinner and the only thing I bought was the onion. I did not grow them. It was the last of the potatoes though. Did not have many.

Bob is blowing the pipes out of a mobile for a friend of ours. He has put it off and now it must be done. Its an older lady that has been like family to us. When Bob got over there, with the truck running he accidentally locked himself out and his tools were in the cab. I had to go take my key. I wasn't too happy about it but it gives me a big laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Jadeyn Justine

Our beautiful Jade turned 12 today. She is a very social butterfly and going through the normal things a 6th. grade girl turning 12 goes thru. Her mother and sister took a balloon bouquet to her during her lunch time. She loved her. Her dad came and had cake and ice cream and brought her a beautiful coat for her birthday. He has not always been present for her and it meant alot to have him there this evening.

We put Henry back in the chute this afternoon to check his surgical procedure site considering the mess he was when we started. Actually, he is doing great. He got another cambiotic shot, actually 2 of them and a tetanus toxoid shot and an anti tetanus toxoid shot. He was really mad when we were trying to get him in the chute. He put his head down and got me right in the solar pl exes. I am a little sore but he was just scared. I would not have wanted to go back in there if I had had to have all that surgery done. It had to hurt. Saturday, he will get transported back to his mother. Our ears will be glad of that. He has not stopped bawling for his mom. I think his throat should be sore by now.

I felt terrific today. That is a first in over a month. I cleaned stalls. I played with Pepper and Rosie for a while. I put the hay and grain in the stalls so when the horses came in it was ready. I got the hay in the wheelbarrow for the two penned up horse and the donkeys. Bob fed them and I put the three horses in just before we left for Jades party. It felt so so so good to be outside and doing things. Hurrah.

My thinking day - I was thinking about the night Jade was born. What a pretty baby she was.

I was thinking about this past month and how nasty I have felt and so thankful that today was good. I thought about all the apples on the tree that need picked and processed. I was thinking about all the acorn squash and how I was going to keep them good until we eat them. I have enough Hubbard squash in the freezer to feed an army. I was thinking how good it was about all the things I have put in the freezer when I cooked too much that we have used this month when I was just not up to it. And most of all I thought how good it was to be outside.

Wednesday

This was the view out of my living room window this evening. I wish the camera could get it just as it was. Beautiful

Henry decided to get out somehow today. He is missing his mother and bawling for her. He is some swollen but seems ok. He will get another shot of penecillin and tentnus tomorrow. I hope he is still contained in his pen tomorrow morning when I get up.

Tomorrow Ditto and Amelia start coming in to their stalls for the night. It is supposed to go down into the high teens over the weekend. Ditto won't tolerate that so much. I need to find her blanket and see if we have one that will fit Amelia. Two old ladies needing special attention. I was over filling their water container and Ditto came and wanted hugs. So she got them. She is my special special horse friend.