Home again. The dogs are happy to see us. We didn't have to worry about them going hungry, there was still food left. They are both now back to their "people watching" stations on the otherside of the sliding door, anxiously awaiting bones, rawhides or special goodies!
I opened the door to the cat's home and they turned their heads and gave me the look, like "ho hum...you are back." So laid back are those cats!
Its still a little cool out, but tomorrow is suppose to be in the 60's. Spring is here! Flowers, weeds and grass are all beginning to show green.
Christopher will be back next month. Perhaps by then I can get this scrapbook completed and start something outside!! If I hadn't done so much procrastination, I am sure I could probably have had it finished by now!!!
It was a busy weekend. Pete and Ginger had a family gathering celebrating a birthday and introducing the family to a newly found grandchild! Christopher had a lot of fun with his cousins, whom he only gets to see a time or two during the year. Sunday night we went to The Tooth Fairy. The title brings visions of a movie comparable to tinkerbell...or something. It wasn't. At first, it was a little hard to take a big man in a fairy costume, but by the end of the show we are laughing and cheering. It was a very nice movie!! Four stars at least!
Its a good day here. The Lord always gives us something to look forward to, or the next door that opens in our lives. God is good.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mowing the Grass
Its time to mow the grass in California again. This time Huimin has called on Victoria to come up and help her; and, to bring her mower too, in case there are snakes out there. I wish I could sit with the kids in the house and watch as those two try to scare all the snakes out of the grass and get it mowed. The scary part is walking past the unmowed section as you push the mower forward. A snake can have quite a long striking distance.
When we first moved into our house in Sun Prairie Estates we had the challenge of mowing weeds, in the first pasture, that were higher than our kids. It was horrible. I got a scythe and then me and the kids knocked down the weeds and piled them into the back of the open scout. We looked like a huge haystack going down the road to the dump. It took many trips.
However around the shed, it wasn't only weeds, it was weeds, very tall grass and spilled over oats from the neighbor's field. Tim was mowing with the rider all the grass areas (around the shed, the lower pasture and the upper field). As he was mowing around the shed something bit him as he was mowing through the grass. He was sitting on the riding tractor with tall leather boots on. A snake had zero'd in on him and bit right through the boot. Luckily we had bull snakes out there, so it was not poisonous.
Here is another site on rattlesnakes: http://www.whmentors.org/saf/snakes.html
It includes their striking distance, first aid for bites and symptoms of the poison. Rattlers are pit vipers. These snakes have pits between their eyes and nostrils which detect heat. They use these "pits" to hunt for warm blooded prey. So, hopefully, if they are in front of the lawnmower, they will confuse the heat of the mower with the body heat of the girls. They can strike from 1/2 to 1/3 their length. Oh yea, another thing..they hunt day and night. One more note of caution--their tails don't rattle if they are wet.
According to this site, Huimin and Victoria will be able to discern whether the snakes are rattlers or gopher snakes by looking at their teeth. If it ONLY has two fangs on top -- it is a rattler. If it has a full set of teeth on top -- it is a gopher snake pretending to be a rattler. So, Huimin and Victoria...be careful!
When we first moved into our house in Sun Prairie Estates we had the challenge of mowing weeds, in the first pasture, that were higher than our kids. It was horrible. I got a scythe and then me and the kids knocked down the weeds and piled them into the back of the open scout. We looked like a huge haystack going down the road to the dump. It took many trips.
However around the shed, it wasn't only weeds, it was weeds, very tall grass and spilled over oats from the neighbor's field. Tim was mowing with the rider all the grass areas (around the shed, the lower pasture and the upper field). As he was mowing around the shed something bit him as he was mowing through the grass. He was sitting on the riding tractor with tall leather boots on. A snake had zero'd in on him and bit right through the boot. Luckily we had bull snakes out there, so it was not poisonous.
Here is another site on rattlesnakes: http://www.whmentors.org/saf/snakes.html
It includes their striking distance, first aid for bites and symptoms of the poison. Rattlers are pit vipers. These snakes have pits between their eyes and nostrils which detect heat. They use these "pits" to hunt for warm blooded prey. So, hopefully, if they are in front of the lawnmower, they will confuse the heat of the mower with the body heat of the girls. They can strike from 1/2 to 1/3 their length. Oh yea, another thing..they hunt day and night. One more note of caution--their tails don't rattle if they are wet.
According to this site, Huimin and Victoria will be able to discern whether the snakes are rattlers or gopher snakes by looking at their teeth. If it ONLY has two fangs on top -- it is a rattler. If it has a full set of teeth on top -- it is a gopher snake pretending to be a rattler. So, Huimin and Victoria...be careful!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Blue Monday
Got up when I heard Beamer whine to go out. As I glanced out the glass sliding door, everything looked white outside. I hurried over to the door to see if it was really "white stuff" that I saw. YES, it was! We had snow again!! Those nice warm sunny days--gone. After the dogs and cats were taken care of I hurried downstairs to check weather.com. Only two days of cold and then it is back to the 50's. Yea! Of course, I wouldn't mind a little of those high 60's that Texas seems to be having, either.
So--its a cold day in Montana. Nothing to do except bake cookies and wash clothes. Kathleen had some left-over nut topping for sundaes. I used it in the peanutbutter cookies and they came out so very delicious!! Had to test quite a few just to make sure each one had that special, crunchy taste. mmmmm
Tomorrow I will be in town all day. This time I am shopping wisely. I have already started the draft of a SHOPPING LIST. Not going to forget the toothpaste this time! The present tube is now so smashed down, I'm not sure there is enough for another brushing. Also, need to get some trail mix and get some adventurous cookies made before Christopher gets here! Can't wait to surprise everyone with a new taste. Hopefully it will turn out good.
So--its a cold day in Montana. Nothing to do except bake cookies and wash clothes. Kathleen had some left-over nut topping for sundaes. I used it in the peanutbutter cookies and they came out so very delicious!! Had to test quite a few just to make sure each one had that special, crunchy taste. mmmmm
Tomorrow I will be in town all day. This time I am shopping wisely. I have already started the draft of a SHOPPING LIST. Not going to forget the toothpaste this time! The present tube is now so smashed down, I'm not sure there is enough for another brushing. Also, need to get some trail mix and get some adventurous cookies made before Christopher gets here! Can't wait to surprise everyone with a new taste. Hopefully it will turn out good.
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