Shawnigans, Get Your Gun!

We had some excitement the other night. My Mom was here and we heard this horrific noise. It woke me up, and I realized it was the sound of a dying chicken. Shawn jumped out of bed, and began the search for a usable flashlight.( they are forever needing batteries) I'm laying there hearing him fumble around and making noise. Finally, I found him batteries and out he went to investigate. He came back promptly, told me he had found the dead chicken, placed it in the kitchen sink till morning(Kyri needed to see what happens when you don't shut the chickens in for the night)


and quickly crawled back into bed. By this time all this banging had awakened Mom. She thought Shal was being his usual noisy self. We had no sooner lain back down when a more terrifying noise erupted from the coop. The night thief had returned. Quickly, Shawn jumped from the bed. Awwwkk...I heard the poor chicken screaming, and saw Shawn tucking in his shirt to go kill the varmint. I scold him, asking if he has to tuck in, can't he just wear my robe, I mean there is a chicken dying out there. Then there was the mad scrambling search for the shotgun shells, him telling me not to get up, I'd just had surgery and me telling him I had to or he'd never get out there in time.

Finally, He got his clothes on, his shells, his gun, and don't forget his flashlight. Out the back door he disappeared, I sat in the living room to wait. By now, Mom had joined me. Suddenly, a Kaboom broke the stillness and then in strides Shawn, the might hunter, ejecting the shell on the rug at my feet. The chicken thief opossum would trouble us no more. Shawn had proudly stopped the creature in its tracks.


We finally went back to our beds, a little too riled to sleep. The next morning the evidence was revealed. Of course, Kyri had to drag the dead chicken to the back forty for burial and Kelton had to document the whole episode and we called in the big dog(Shallen) to dig the hole. Fortunately, life goes back to normal, hopefully this time with the chickens locked up. By the way, egg production is at an all time high. Life is good:)

Help! He's Growing Up!

Shallen passed his written test for his permit drivers license today.
It's hard to believe he can actually legally drive. Next he'll be graduated and out the door.

...And I'll be an old lady, or am I that already?
Congrats, Shallen!!

Baxter, The Dog, Of Course!!!

Sometimes God's creatures are just amazing in the way they communicate love and devotion. This little pooch is our terrier mixed mutt that adopted us when we moved here last year.

Baxter!

He used to belong to our neighbor up the hill from us, but when he discovered Kyri (she called him Dixie at first) he decided he didn't want to go home. We tried sending him home, our neighbor tried tying him up, we even threw rocks and waved big sticks, but to no avail. He'd hide under the shed and sleep on our porch

Here he's in my flower pot

when we weren't home. Finally, we approached our neighbor and offered to pay for him, but instead he just gave him to us. Now he is a constant source of pleasure and laughs and love. He has a sensitive personality ( has been known to pout), but over all, just funny and sweet. His real name is Baxter and he has become one of the family. It cracks me up all the different things he does.

He enjoys sleeping upside down at times.

He'll run with the horses literally all day if you're going riding. He does chores with the kids every morning and spends an exorbant amount of time by the fire. In case you couldn't tell, we love him bunches!

He is even loving to our cat, Talli. We call her his lady friend.

Here's to you, Baxter, may you live a long time!!!

Me? A New Mom?

We our the proud new parents of a preemie. A baby foal, a filly, to be exact. She was born with a will to live, though, and fight for her life, she has. Her Mama didn't have any milk at first, so it was round the clock feedings. I'm not cut out for that stuff, anymore.

But she is stronger and growing and the Mama has her milk in. She's pretty special and everybody is taken with her.

Welcome! Neftali Sausan!

Ice Storm Survival

If you've never been in a true ice storm, you can't totally relate, but let me try to express the feelings and emotions of the long journey our family took over the last two weeks. It first started with my friend Kathy informing me I'd better stock up. Of course, where else would I go? But then everyone else was there too, and emergency supplies were dwindling.

But since we still had power after the first day, we dined on fish tacos. Yum!


The next morning made chores interesting, but Kelt treated it as a grand adventure, as always. It was finally on the third day that the sun came out...

and we began the long haul of cleaning and restoring our world around us.
Oh, yes, by this time our power was gone and we were running the generator to run the well pump. My propane stove worked just fine and the fridge was on and off through the day. I even could run my washer, Yea!!!


It was the lack of hot water and easy ways to heat water that I discovered why I wouldn't make a good pioneer's wife. Don't get me wrong, I was blessed to be able to function that week long power shortage, but I still remember how warm the shower was and how clean and refreshed I felt. Thank God for modern inventions! So much happened that week, but I'll stop for now and let this be a recap for you. Power is on and life continues on...