December 15, 2019

How could we be at the end of another decade? 

It just doesn't seem possible, does it? 

I am blessed to still be here, I lost my sister and 

my two brothers, my stepson and my husband is this 

decade...it seemed like a long one, to me. 

Here's to the next! 

We have just had our annual Santa's Express and Country Christmas 

at the National Agricultural Center yesterday and today, 

the 14th and 15th.  We had decent weather, if cold, 

yesterday, but today we have had a snow storm all day. 

Ten of the volunteers and faithful Judy, who is one 

of the two Ag employees, made it to the building, 

where we truncated things and had Santa in his wonderland, 

coffee and cocoa, cookies, and two crafts for the kids that we 

brought up from the general store and school. 

We had 50 hardy family members come out to see Santa, and it was 

wonderful to see them. 

Driving was very treacherous, and we closed up at 2 PM so 

everyone could get home safely. 

Sorry for the blur, but we had some silliness going on 

Paiton's best friend Jocelyn, Paiton and Jax were all volunteers 

and worked as elves yesterday.  Here they were at lunch break in the barn. 

Cameron and Judy are the only actual employees at the Ag Hall, 

and Debbie, on the right, is a board member who volunteers regularly, and it 

was her concept that was used for this year's Christmas wonderland in the 

original gallery.  It was wonderful, and a big hit! 

The pictures do not do it justice, it was awesome. 

Here was Paiton last week, grooming Kali.  

I'm so proud of her, she is doing much better in her riding. 

Last Saturday, Paiton and our little friend Brayden decorated Christmas cookies here. 

This made my heart swell. 

I have noticed, too, that when they are out in the yard and greet each other 

on the deck or porch, they are joyful, playing and jumping at each other. 

I am really glad to see that. 

No, we are not doing too well on the diets, we will tackle them again after Christmas. 

Bittersweet, growing in the front fence line. 

There are also some humongous vines, which I am 

going to start working on now that Santa's Express has been 

put to bed. 

An example of the number of steps I have been getting daily in the last three weeks. 

Whew!

I'm so blessed to live where I can see such beauty daily. 

Of all the animals we had here, llamas, mini-horses, a wonderful old pony, 

and the goats... the sheep have been my favorites. 

To see them grazing in the pasture or yard makes me feel so 

peaceful... and I totally understand the words now, 

"Sheep may safely graze". 

I am blessed, too, to have a good hay supplier and know that

I can feed them over the winter. 

I caught that stinker Singleton the other morning, crowing. 

He has a sort of truncated crow now, after the coyote attack 

last summer.  

I discovered it is Singleton who is chasing his daddy, Ferdie, out of the 

hen house every morning.  Ferdie pretty much lives in the yard now, 

except he is still sleeping in the big hen house at night.  He waits for me at the gate

to let him in, and then sneaks in so his son Buddy does not see him. 

I am still toying with putting him in the unused little hen house with a hen or two, but... that would mean more work daily.  

I found out a little earlier this evening that the camera I had on the porch the last three days was set to video.  I am going to try to figure out how to transfer a video to blogger, 

these are different than others I have dealt with, 

it's a Bushnell cam and I hardly ever use it. 

There were some interesting possum interactions going on, 

and I found out that the sparrows are eating the cat food during the day!

Tomorrow will be a snow day, and I will be working on cleaning and getting the house ready for Christmas! 

And... the Holidays are Upon Us!

We have been decorating steadily at the National Agricultural 

Center, for our Santa's Country Christmas event on the 

14th and 15th of December. 

Two years ago, we hardly decorated anything but the barn and the train depot. 

(Smile) 

Last year, we began to decorate a few more buildings. 

This year... well, we have been busy, and one of our volunteers, 

Debbie, has been particularly busy!  I won't show what she is 

doing, yet. 

We use the General Store for crafts at Christmas time. 

I don't know if you can tell, but we went with a Snowman 

these this year, the trees are not decorated, but we have snowmen 

scattered around the store. The tree in the center is lit. 

Yes, the sun was glinting off the display case, but I can 

tell you it looks so festive.  There are lights in the windows of 

this building and the Hatchery. 

The schoolhouse has a tree, and bows in the windows. 

(kids make a craft to decorate this tree) 

There are small hints of Christmas (and a tree) in the Smith farmhouse. 

I will be changing out the greenery as we get closer to Christmas, it smelled 

heavenly.... but... we wanted the "candles" on for a school tour last Wednesday. 

There were greenery and candles all around the farmhouse.  I tried to keep it 

simple, in keeping with the history. 

I had a lot of fun doing all this, but yes, it takes many hours for me and the other volunteers to pull this off. 

We have lots of new things this year, I can't wait to show you all. 

Our admission fee for this event is 5.00 A CARLOAD. 

Yes, 5.00 a carload! 

There is a Reindeer 5K run (or 1K walk) on Saturday morning, and then we are open from 

10-5 on Saturday, and noon to 4 on Sunday.  

For the tour on Wednesday, Charles, our bee expert, 

showed a new frame he had made in one of the hives, so he could 

show the bees up close and personal to the kids! 

It was fascinating to see and hear the bees. 

The frame was put back in the hive when we finished. 

Two of our men volunteers were busy putting up the 

banner on the corner as I was leaving.  

Of course, our train will be running, barring any heavy snow... and Santa will be seeing all the kids coming ... instead of in our train depot, he will be in the main museum building this year in a winter wonderland... more on that later. 

I can tell that I, and my fellow volunteers, will be glad when it is all over, and I suspect I am going to store some of the things I hauled over last year and this year there, so I won't have to haul them again!

This huge Santa, that I found at Dollar General, will be going over, but 

coming back here for our family Christmas, my two year old 

great-granddaughter is coming this year. 

Back to farm stuff...

I got another ten bales of hay two weeks ago today, and I am satisfied I have enough 

for winter, unless for some reason we have a terrible one.  I did talk to my hay man that night, and he told me he has plenty, which relieved me.  

There is still grazing, so the sheep are turned out all day long in the pasture and in the yard. 

They won't be able to come in the yard next summer, once I have planted flowers. 

The stinkers! 

Actually, they do not do this very often.  I have even quit closing off the doorways with the 

chairs!

I still find it so very peaceful to watch them grazing, they have just been great pets, and yes, they ARE pets. 

They crack me up, they were standing there calling me. 

The beautiful tree is done now, for the year. 

My beautiful Ferdie, the oldest rooster here, has been 

picked on by his clone son, Buddy.  He has been living on the house side of the yard, I don't know if he is flying over or getting through somehow I have not seen yet. 

He has plenty of food and water, and I put him back in the henhouse every night.  If any 

rooster would go, it would be Buddy, the protector but also the combative one. 

He hid out yesterday in the overgrown garden beds.  

I'm getting ready to go out and put everyone to bed, including 

Ferdie... have a great week everyone! 

The Run Up To Christmas

What I did all morning. 

And wrap and bag and wrap and bag. 

It's all finished, except for bagging the two oldest boys, 
Nathan and Chris, who may not be able to come up from Garnett. 

I'll get theirs to them next week, but it won't be the same without them. 

With 11 grandkids, there is a lot of wrapping and bagging. 

I think we are going to have to have a bigger tree next year. 

I still have lots to do, and I have NOT MADE ONE COOKIE! 

The dogs and I took a break to go for a walk around noon.  This bucolic picture is with my favorite little herd... you see they are all comfortable in the forty degree weather... but notice the ice on the pond?  

Barn love, on the way. 

And more barn love. 

Yesterday it was cloudy and cold all day... it was so good to see the 
sun today, despite this look on Lil's face. 
She was edging her way down the drive and had to come back. 

Someone else had the right idea. 

He does not like the tubes and wrapping paper. 

Now, on to signing cards. 

I hope you all are almost finished getting ready!

We have our Christmas party on Sunday... woo hoo! 

Five Minues of Sunshine

That's what we had, in between the drizzle today. The skies miraculously opened up to sun... and just as quickly went away before I could get a shot. 

That was the view out the back door about 10:30. 

But, as you can see... the rain has been steady. 

This morning was Advent adoration... and you see... we are getting ready for the blessed birth. 

However... as you can see... Baby Jesus is already in our home nativity... along with the labrador retriever, the deer... and to the side out of camera view... the Canadian geese. 

(and the pine trees!)

This is my family creche. 

This is how Paiton arranged it. 

As I went out the door to church this morning... I had to laugh.. because there is a 

smaller creche on the table just inside the door... and she arranged it, too! 

She's a girl after my own heart. 

You see the puddle in the drive at the old house... and there goes Jester, following Lilly. 

Yes, I know that door has to be rebuilt... we have so much yet to do. 

While he was running, Lilly was digging for moles. 

We didn't stay long... it was blowing, and the temps were dropping.  We went from 

54 to 41 in about an hour, and light drizzle was still falling. 

It was good to get home. 

Tomorrow, Keith has another medical procedure... but it will not take all day... and I hope to finish what little bit of shopping I still have left to do. 

There is a possibility of snow on Wednesday! 

Here's a little clip of Jester on the run...

While I am waiting during Keith's procedure tomorrow, I hope to get caught up on 

everyone's blogs.... at least, I'm going to try. 

I appreciate everyone who has left a comment during this busy season. 

Cards for Leontien and More

Won't you all take a minute to send a card to blogger Leontien Vandelaar?  She continues her fight against a debilitating cancer.

 

Nancy, at a Rural Journal, here, wrote about her and has a link to her remarkable story on the blog of their family dairy, Four Leaf Clover Dairy.

 



 

Card courtesy the Graphics Fairy

 

Maybe our cards can pick up her spirits this Christmas season, and those of her family and husband.

 

I spent the day on getting the Christmas boxes sorted out and back out to the storage building, as the carpet cleaners are coming tomorrow.

 

I had to do a few errands this morning, and Lilly Ann is at the vet's, so I must go to get her in a short while.  She is being checked over for an itching skin condition.

 

Waterers were all frozen this morning, and I carried warm water to the birds, who were very thankful to get it.  I'll dump the metal waterers tonight at dark, and then in the morning can fill them quickly, without having to carry them into the house to thaw. 

 

We are expecting only one more night of really frigid temps.

 

Guess who was watching me today as I moved the boxes?

 

 

And the little wildings were very present, too... on such a cold day.  I put warm water out for them, and lots of food.

 

 

and these; we are going through lots of nyger seed now.

 

 

 



Christmas Prep

Well, sort of.

I'm going through them all, and going to mark each bin/box whether or not we are keeping or donating or throwing out.  Some will be donated next year, in the fall, for the thrift store's Christmas Room.

 

Trying to get them off the porch by Monday.  (and out of the kitchen and living room!)

 

Nathan helped Grandma and Grandpa immensely today.  He pulled the line for the little henhouse through the cut in the eaves, and then crawled into the henhouse and changed out the warming bulb, and connected everything.  It took us a few tries... you see, we are down to ONE operational outlet in the big henhouse now, the mice have chewed through everything else.  The year got away from us... we had hoped to have it re-wired by now.

 

We are expecting very cold temps tonight and tomorrow night.  We had no rain today, though, and the clouds actually cleared in the afternoon.

 

 

Here is our resident owl, about an hour ago this evening!  I went to Saturday afternoon church services so I could sleep in a little in the morning... I left the warming lights on in both henhouses on the east side... and when I went out there to close up, thought I saw something fly across the light of the open pophole of the little henhouse.  I think I narrowly averted danger... but it didn't go far.... and was not a bit worried by me going around, shutting the gates, closing the popholes.  I'm sorry this isn't clearer, but it was full dark by then.

 

On second thought, I may ask Keith to go out and shine the spotlight in the little henhouse and see if there is a half-eaten bird in there!