Blah.

Now it's time for a little rambling ranting:

What a crazy week. Between these insane rain showers that dump an inch of rain in 45 minutes, and then send the temp. back up to the high 80's, and our idiotic neighbor who actually sued us for keeping our cows and baling hay - if I could say "chuck it all and move to the city, I would."

But then we wouldn't have these (which sure do taste yummy in our freezer - and we are the only ones of our friends who can truthfully say we eat steaks once or twice a week for most of the year):

So we deal with the neighbor (who isn't actually a neighbor, but he is 3 properties away from ours - I think he needs meds - heck, there are days I KNOW I need meds myself) by going to our attorney, getting every other lot owner in our allotment to sign an Affidavit saying our cows and our farming are not obnoxious and offensive, and pulling out all our tax returns to prove that we are not farming commercialy, this is not our main source of income (or even a second or third source of income), pulling our property's zoning ordinance that shows that we are zoned in an Agricultural District (and are thus exempt from stupid restrictions), and we claimed he just filed a nuisance lawsuit, and with any luck, his attorney will convince him next week to back down and life will be good as we know and love it.

Just to give you an idea of how ignorant he is - all of our cows are beef cows - he also alleges in his Complaint that we are selling the milk we get off of our DAIRY COWS privately to individuals for human consumption.

Note to self: Never, ever, ever again buy a 20 acre lot in an allotment where there are very unclear and vague restrictions governing said lots, one of which is "no swine or poultry shall be harbored on said lots, nor any other commercial operation that becomes obnoxious or offensive to residential use." I certainly did not buying 20 acres to look at weeds and spend every day on a lawn mower. Unfortunately for us, this neighbor thinks these restrictions are gospel.

Fortunately for us, our neighbors who are actually adjacent to us love our cows, love us, and love to see Todd and Tyler out there on the tractor baling hay. Our neighbors must not be able to hear the cows and calves bawling when it is weaning time:)

And you can bet your butt those stupid restrictions are being changed as we speak, as we only need 2/3 of the lot owners to agree to change them, and we have 21 out of 22 lot owners agreeing to change them (and you can guess who the one is that doesn't want them changed!!)

No sewing has been done since earlier in the week - but I'm hoping to pull my 4th finish for July out of my hat by Sunday night!! We'll see how successful I am. And I do have a package to mail off to a dear friend, hopefully I will get it in the mail tomorrow-I am the loser now!!

And you're seeing the daylillies because they have just started to bloom, and I love the colors!
Kris

Farming Down Time

Every year, we get a little bit of a break in farm activities - which is always nice.
Our corn is growing:


The calves are growing:


Hay is made:


The garden looks decent (note - I did NOT say my garden looks wonderful - I need to get out there and control the grass in some spots):



But, we are at the point where we can take a little breather.

Of course, straw will be ready to bale in the next couple of weeks, and probably our second cutting of hay will be ready at the same time.

On the game plan for this week:

*wean calves
*get a few cows ready to ship to auction (we are upgrading our herd in anticipation of the kids showing steers at our County Fair)
*garden, garden, garden
*AND try to avoid the rain!! Last night coming home from Jessie's physical therapy, we were deluged with a horrific lightning storm/rain combo. Bad enough that even I pulled off the road to wait it out. 1 inch of rain in 45 minutes. No power for most of the evening so we enjoyed a nice, QUIET evening.

That's about it 'round here.

Kris

I don't know how to count

Last week, I was congratulating myself that I was all caught up on my Quilt A Long blocks - but I only did to #8, and this week she posted #11 yesterday.

So apparently, I really don't know how to count. DUH!!!

That's okay though, because I did blocks 9 and 10 last night, as well as 2 of the setting blocks. And all the pieces are cut out for the rest of the setting blocks, the 4 patches are sewn together, so I only have to sew the blocks together. So technically, now I am all caught up, except for block #11.

Not much else is happening here - it is the usual farming lull, but I'm expecting that to change as straw will be ready to be baled here directly, and probably our 2nd cutting of hay will be ready at the same time.

Jessie had a wonderful time at camp - but boy, was she tired!!!

See ya,

Kris

3rd finish for 5 by the end of July

I worked like a maniac yesterday afternoon - as we had a big picnic to go to last night. Lots of friends, lots of food, swiming and kayaking/canoeing in the pond (you get the idea).

And I got this quilt done, binding machine sewn on, 15 minutes before we were ready to leave.

And I am in love with it. Our friends were in love with it. Complete strangers were in love with it (although one lady did ask me how I could stand to have it laying on the grass with kids eating on it and rolling around on it - HELLO!?!?!?!? THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF A "PICNIC QUILT.")

It's been a busy weekend - but we have gotten lots accomplished. Jessie is camping with her girl scout troop - she'll be home shortly - I cannot wait to hear the stories she has to tell.

Kris

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!!!!

Have a wonderful day,

Kris

Finish #2 for 5 by the End of July

I finished it - and I love it. Jessie loves it. Todd even liked it.

I cheated and sewed the binding on by machine - but it was done by about 7:00 Friday night. And I dove right in on quilting my picnic quilt - although I am having issues with the thread tension. Which might just be more noticeable since I have red thread on the bottom and yellow on the top. Oh well. I'm not ripping it out.

More rain here - just a steady drizzle. Guaranteed to make our 4th a drippy one.

Weekly Tidbits

I'm back...


Hard to believe it is July already. No sewing has gone on much at all this week (I've done bits and pieces here and there - working on quilting 1 of my quilts a little at a time) - but the weather here has been gorgeous - until today that is. Steady, drizzly rain ALL DAY LONG.


Earlier this week I decided to ride both horses (yes, both of them) one night. Then I was feeling a little sore here .... but it reminded me of how much I enjoy riding. Our 1 horse is still fairly green - I just haven't had the time to put into her, and I haven't been on her since last fall. But she was so fun - she is so calm and relaxed, although she is HUGE (16+ hands or so). My old show horse, Shamy, who is Jessie's walk-trot horse for 4-h next year was good too - and I haven't been on her in 2 years - the kids rode her a lot last year, but I never climbed on her.


The chicks continue to amaze me! They are really looking scruffy right now - with parts of their feathers coming in, but oh how cute they are!






The garden is growing by leaps and bounds, and so are the weeds. Todd and I spent about an hour the other night weeding the rhubarb and strawberries. This weekend we are hoping to get the tomatoes and peppers mulched really, really good with straw. I didn't get out there with the tomato cages in time.


This weekend we are also putting in another pond. Yes, another one. I currently have 15 fish in my little pond and I am having a heck of a time keeping the water clear (I should only have 5 or 6 in there). So today I went and brought another liner, and hopefully this weekend Todd will get the neighbors backhoe and dig it for me. We are doing this one a little differently - and putting a bog filter in it to help with the green water, in addition to a biological filter. Of course, I will have to buy more plants for it once we have it in the ground - hehe.


And this is what I've been working on today - I just need to put the binding on and I am done with my 2nd finish. Hopefully finish #3 (my fruit and veggie picnic quilt), will be done by Saturday. This was my first pieced back, and I love it. This one will hang in Jessie's room (or probably more accurately, lay on her floor if she uses it at all).




Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!!!!!

Kris