Drive By Post, 8-21-08

Things have been busy around here, but at the same time nothing really big to post about.

• We have received lots of rain, a very good thing. All of our haygrazer crop is up and growing. The grass at the ranch is green, I can hardly keep up with the mowing around the house!


• After Jeff got all the hay seed in the ground, we needed to brand cattle. Since we got a later start on branding this year than last, we had a bunch of last year's late calves to brand as well as this year's. Pictures of the event to follow. After we branded, we took the mamas and their calves to the pasture down the road. Talk about happy cows! That pasture hasn't been grazed on in nearly 3 years. It was completely burned by our big fire in November 2005, and it took us a while to get miles of fence rebuilt there and new water tanks put in. The yearlings we kept here at the house. As soon as the brands peel we can haul them off to the sale.



• School has started. I think the kids were happier to go back than I was to see them leave. It was a boring and uneventful summer for them, with no trips, no swim lessons, or other things most kids get to do during the summer. With fuel prices the way they are, we just decided to stay home. Shelby started the 6th grade (her second year of middle school); Ch'ree is in 4th; Chance in Kindergarten. Drew still has another year at home before he can start preschool.


• I'm back to school, too. I'm taking three online courses this semester: English 201 (short story); Anthropology 233 (People and Cultures of the world) and History 122 (World History II).


• For sale. It's official, we have put our ranch on the market. In the last 2 or 3 years, land values have gone up, up, UP! We had the place appraised and it looked so good, we have decided to try and sell it. Just the ranch, not the farm. So, if anyone out there wants to buy a ranch with 1,141 acres, nice brand new barn and a 2,150+/- sq.ft brick home, just come on by! We plan on building a home on our farm if it sells, so we will still be around here. I'll put a link to the realtor up when he has it listed online.


• Jeff has been busy finishing up things for his EMT-Intermediate license. He went to Las Cruces last weekend for the written and skills test. We know he passed the latter, watching the mailbox to find out the former. He is volunteering at the county fair today in the EMT tent.


• We will be hitting the fair on Saturday. All the kid events are that day. I found a good turtle for the turtle race, and the boys can participate in the greased pig chase and stick horse race. I purchased tickets for the arenacross already. The boys LOVE to watch the 4-wheelers and motorcycles race. But I'm sure Chance will be upset that he can't bring his 4-wheeler and race, too. He wanted to really bad last year.

The big movie event for the summer wasn't in theaters, it was in our living room! The Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds concert on Disney Channel was THE thing to watch this summer. Had we lived in a big town, we could have seen it in the theaters late last winter. But the nearest theater that had it was 2 hours away in Amarillo, and our school/basketball schedule wouldn't allow it. Poor country kids. LOL!

They also passed away those hot summer days learning to play chess. While Chance (barely pictured and barely dressed behind Ch'ree's head) played PS2.

Mamas and babies sorted away from each other. Do you think the mamas are telling their offspring, "Don't worry, it will only hurt for a second"?

The kids got a good position out of the way.


One of the teens, Addison, we had come help us. I think she's just bossing her big brother around up there.


The other two teens helping us. Seth in the red, Garrett in the grey.

Jeff branding, Don welding a knife (he's going to go notch an ear) and Alan (Seth and Addison's father) on the far left vaccinating.

First day of school!! Chance would not give me a decent smile for the camera.

Ch'ree will, though. Such a little princess.

The only picture I got of Shelby all day. With her cheer squad (she's in the back). First day of school starts off with a pep rally. The cheerleaders do some sideline chants to get the student body into some school spirit. Then the teachers are announced just like the starting line up at a game.

At the pep rally, the picture of our state champion cheer squad was presented. The girls on the right with the knee high black socks, camo shorts and tanks: some members of the varsity squad. That was their outfit for their hip hop dance routine they performed, they don't really dress like that for school.

Awww, poor Drew. So sad that everyone else got to go to school and he had to stay home. Well, not really. He was mad I told him no to something on the computer.

Attack of the giant zuccini!! LOL! Just kidding. With all the rain we had, I hadn't had a chance to go check the garden in a week. When I finally got out there, this is what I found. Not sure if it is edible or not, but sure is big!!