Here's what came for a visit

As we were clearing away an area of the fence line, we came upon this big guy.  He wasn't too happy we disturbed him as he was on his way to the pond.  We pulled the grass away from him and he reared his mouth open wide and stretched out his rough neck.  He was a thick, sturdy alligator snapping turtle.  His tail looked like an alligator with large bumps and ridges. 

So we watched him a little while and then left him alone. We must have found him while he was taking a little rest in the cool of the grass. 

We kindof figured that he knew where he was going and he didn't need any help to get there. Later that afternoon we came back and he was gone. It's pretty safe to say, we won't be going swimming in the pond this summer. 

Diego and Broody

This was too cute not to share...Diego, my paint horse is always a very curious fellow. He likes to be all up in your space and you can never pet, brush or love on him toooooo much as far as he's concerned! Here he is trying to get a better look at my chicken, Broody. If you look close, you can see his eyes looking right at her! He's a very intense guy and very smart...almost too smart. Broody was eating away and minding her own business when she looked up and saw this huge horse peering down at her...Yipes!! Their eyes met and she just stood there for a moment. But then...off she went and Diego had a look on his face like, "Where ya going?" I couldn't believe I caught it on camera...I just had to laugh!

A snake under my clothes line...Yikes!!

Just a little while ago, as we were having some quiet time together something was lurking in our back yard...eeewwww. Well, as we looked out the back window we saw the mocking birds flying around and trying to get at something in the grass. We took a closer look and it was this black thing crawling along in the grass.

We grabbed a long-handled squeegee, the shovel and made sure everyone had their boots on!! I immediately thrust that squeegee over its neck and then Garrett took hold of the handle and then I put the shovel through its neck...eeewwww...it was terrible. My poor little chickens were just having a fit! Clucking around and making such a fuss. The kitties were wondering what was going on and we put the puppies into the crate for safety. Ha! Garrett holding the snake... Here's Austin holding the 4'1" long Southern Water Snake

My chickens are growing

Here we are several months down the road and we still have our little chickens. We got them when they were just 4 days old along with 2 ducks. By the way, the ducks think they are part of the chicken brood I guess, because they all stick together. Here is their coop with a fence around it and then here are the chickens that have decided they like it out of their yard. If one goes into the coop, they all will follow. If one decides to eat or drink, they all want to do it too. It is so cute. There is a 'PECKING' order you know. I mean among fowl. They all know who's 'BOSS'.

Do you see my little 4lb long-haired Chihuahua? She is just sitting there watching them. Especially Broody, who is getting a bit too close. Now, the chickens are about 3 1/2 months old and today I opened their fencing door and let them out for a while. They are big enough to walk around the YARD, (our big yard), and enjoy getting all the worms they want. We had the kittens, puppies, dogs, cats, the goat, the pony and the ducks and chickens out in the yard. Thank goodness the chickens like to stay right around where my garden is growing. Here are most of my little brood-8 chickens & 2 ducks This is Broody(my chicken), Jemima & Willamina(Camille's ducks)

They decided to take little walk. They went right into the horses pasture and found something good to munch on. But in a moment they were back at the coop and ready to get into their own little yard. I just got Broody going in the right direction and the rest followed along. Love It!!

Baby Blue Jays

Well, you know how kids can be. They find the littlest thing and want to keep it. Earlier in the week, they came running into the house saying, "Mommy! Mommy! We have found 2 baby birds!! You've got to come and see them." So out the door I went and look what was sitting there looking up at us. These baby blue jays.

Surrounding our patio are some gorgeous trees that are taller than our roof. They provide shade and house several nests. These little creatures fell out of their nest and I guess they couldn't have fallen into better hands. Of course, I am completely bias...Hee, hee!!

We thought we'd just leave them under a tree and let the momma come and help them...she was squawking' up a storm. Flying around us, scared for her babies.

But that didn't work. They thought it would be best if the little creatures were back in their nest. So, the kids put them in a bucket and tied a rope around the bucket's handle. The boys leaned a ladder up to the tree and climbed straight up...with the other end of the rope tied to their belt loop. Ok, picture this: 1 girl, 2 boys, 2 baby birds, a bucket and a rope, a tree and a ladder & 1 empty nest. After getting to the top where the nest was (about 35-40 FEET in the air), they untied the end at their belt loop, hung it over a limb and filed it down to Micaylah and I, who were standing on the ground.

Micaylah, then pulls her end of the rope and up goes the bucket with the little birds in it...slowly and carefully. Austin was about half the way up to help guide it and then it made its way all the way up to Garrett. They are little team players and they worked together to get the birds back into their nest. Here the little birds are. Back into their cozy nest, with their momma flying around above them.They look pretty happy!!

Our Little Farm...it's growing!

Bit by bit and little by little, you could say we are growing...except that it hasn't been exactly a little or a bit. Does the term "Just add water" mean anything? If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here is many thousands. Enjoy the story and the photos!! Growing up I always had land to run and play on. My brothers and I would keep busy just by being outside. I can't remember a time when we didn't have some kind of unique animal around: squirrel, snakes, rabbits, pigs, cows, of course horses, a pet owl-it was white...I found it and put it in a box. I even had 2 pet alligators-that was something else. Always dogs and never a cat except once...then she wasn't...my Dad, who is a hunter of wild animals...deer, pig, bear, gator, brought me a little piglet(I named him Wilbur) and I raised it all the way till it was huge. I could even walk him around with a rope. I went on vacation with my cousin and came back...at breakfast everyone was laughing and then I realized...we were having bacon for breakfast. What a shame for me. I'm not a big meat eater still..LOL I had lots of cousins to play with too. Jacque and I went on many adventures into the 'jungle'!! Our little brothers always wanted to come along, but we were too fast and got out the door from them every time. By the time they found us, we were up a tall oak tree and watched as they ran underneath looking for us! I had a best friend growing up named Julie. She and I did all kinds of things together. She was a country girl too. We knew each other since we were little, but in the 6th grade we became 'best friends'. We loved horses! She had a beautiful horse and a little Shetland pony, named Comet. And yes, he was a little comet...shooting to the right as I went to the left. It was too funny. Then my Dad got me a horse of my own. She was wonderful. Her name was Taquita. And she was as gorgeous as her name. I used to ride in the Silver Spurs Rodeo and in the local parades. That was so much fun. I was part of the quadrille, which is basically square dancing on horseback and I did a little bit of pole bending and barrel racing. I say that loosely...a little bit. But it was fun and an experience I'll never forget. One time in the quadrille I was knocked off my horse, right in the middle of the entire rodeo. Everything stopped. Here I am laying on the ground, my horse standing over me...a good horse does that, I got my breath, stood up, picked up my cowgirl hat and bowed graciously, tipping my hat at the crowd. I think I got a standing ovation. What made me do that, I do not know! Country living is how I was raised. (I clean up farely well...lol) It's always been in me and I'm amazed at how perfectly God has brought me back to it. In a way I never would have imagined. With my own husband and our precious children. Living out in the country again, I can show our children the ways I was taught and give them another part of me. Something I thought was forgotten. I'm so inspired to see them responding, interacting and giving, the way they do. They seem to love it as much as I did. As much as I still do. It's a serene way to live and a very different lifestyle from today's modern life, but I don't care. It's away from so much 'stuff' that really doesn't matter anyway. You could say we're not exposing them to what goes on in the world. I say you're right! They ARE missing a lot...negative political views, alternative lifestyles, entertainment choices, peer pressure...we are keeping them from that. They will learn the facts of humanity, economics and government issues when the time is right. Just right now isn't the time. We know whose shoulders the government is on. They must be kids and live life to the fullest...God said, "I've come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!" That's what we are doing. That's how we're living!! More ABUNDANTLY!! Thank You Lord...for your ways are higher than ours.