I can explain!

I'm terribly sorry I didn't post Horse Logic Saturday! ...or Sunday.... But! I can explain all!
 You see, Saturday I was swamped with personal affairs like house chores, boring stuff like that etc., and I simply had to go to my little brother's soccer game. The weather was perfect that day - a balmy 75* and sunny all day. You know it's been rainy and cold here for the past two weeks(!) and that's something I am not used to {nor does it make me cheerful to be trapped indoors with homework - blah.} Anywho, my brother's team smoked the other one by a whopping 9 to 1. Afterwards there were victory icy-slurpy-high-sugar-yummy things all round. I can't recall clearly what happened once we got home. But that too is explainable because yesterday, after church, completely out of the blue, Da hooked up the trailer and said we were going to go trail riding!
 I know you must be thinking that with all the pastureland I'm blessed to be able to ride in whenever I want,  it's rather odd that I should be so excited to go trail riding. Well let me tell you this, we never take the horses on trails. We just don't have the time. And, when you ride nearly everyday all summer, even with all this land, you've pretty much adventured the whole place out. Things get a bit samey.
 Back to the main point.
So we loaded up Wilber for Da, Roanie for me, and Tricksey for little brother. Mum's knees hurt her real bad when she rides so she decided to just walk.

All loaded up
{L-R Wilber, Roanie... and Tricksey, though she's too short to see}

After a long and precarious drive up{...and up and up...} into the National Forest Reserve {aka, the Hills} we came to the spot. The trail head of Big Hill.
 What a sorry name for such a pretty place. The only excuse for such a name is that it was named by the Naive Americans and the translation is simply "big hill". If that is not the case, then whoever did name it is a buffoon. I stray yet again....
We took the longest loop around the hill, about 4 miles. Four miles of blissful riding in the depths of nature. The trees are dressed best autumn frocks, but only for for a few days. The breeze was already plucking at the leaves and whispering change.  As we passed through the silent wood, the leaves fell gently like golden confetti. The variety of hues the different trees take on after a summer of greens is extraordinary. Red oaks and maples, yellow aspens, orange birches..... God's own fireworks show.

I wasn't able to take pictures because I was riding the whole time, but I was able to snatch a few.

{This shot took me forever to get. Roanie wanted to go home, not hold still}

Roanie was awesome for me!! She only spooked twice the whole time. And that, my friends, is what you call a miracle.

Now I have to go now, though...  Da wants on. Okay, okay! I'ma gettin', I'ma gettin!
 I will try and post HL tonight!

-Gwyn

A few updates

I posted my "adventure" photos over at Big Sky, so if you don't follow already, be sure to check it out!

Tomorrow being Saturday, I will try and post another Horse Logic answering your questions and perhaps more, so be sure to come back!

Also take a look and listen to this song. The singers are Icelandic{Ooo!}.
 Embedding was disabled so you'll have to go right to Youtube. But anyway, for some reason it makes me smile to see those little old people acting like little kids :) And the song is so unique and pretty in its own way.

Till later!

-Gwyn

Of many things...

May I first just say how much I loved all those comments on my last post? It was so lovely to learn about your four-legged friends! It's very evident even in the words you used how much you love them :)
  Ah, if only the rest of humanity would look on animals as compassionately as you girls.
 Molly also says "Roo-roo" for the complements.

I know I've talked about canning and jelly making a million times this year already, and probably thought you'd heard the last of it {so did I!}, buuut... A few days ago Mum was given thirty pounds of home-grown grapes. Yep, you heard me right, thirty pounds of these little guys.

I don't know what were going to do with all of them, so for right now they're all in giant plastic bags in the freezer chest.

They don't taste like store-bought grapes either - they taste almost exactly like those little candy suckers you get at the bank! I don't know if you find that weird, but I do.

Speaking of weird... 

 I thought it was so funny the way this photo turned out. I didn't place them at all, and it was only when I edited it that I saw what appears to be a riot. {... I could say something about the Grapes of Wrath, but I won't...} 

 I suppose it's inevitable that we'll can a few, and maybe make juice and some jelly from the rest, but in the mean time....

Pumpkins anyone?

We harvested seven large jack-o-lanterns, two tiny premature ones, five turk's head squash, four baseball bat sized summer squash{not to mention all the smaller ones}, and millions of cherry tomatoes and decor gourds. What a great year for gourds and squash!

Little brother and I also went adventuring the other day and this time I brought along the camera. Unfortunately I haven't the time to post those just yet, so I must say Adieu to you, and you, and you, for now anyway. But do you have a garden?

-Gwyn

As a side note, could you please pray for my family. We're having a rather rough and tumble time at the moment. So if you  could it would be greatly appreciated.

{I couldn't resist sharing just one picture from our adventure :)}

My dear Molly dog

Molly, Molly, Molly... nearly 10 years and still strong!
 Though born on Halloween, her heart is of pure gold. Her brown eyes speak volumes, and her smile says it all.

Quiet and unassuming, she hangs back as the bouncing Hammie and the mooch Hooey shove with side and shoulder for your attention. But she's always there to greet you coming home with a Roo-roo! and happy tail-wag.

The chickens enjoy the cool dirt dog "beds" under our deck almost as much as the dogs :)

A friend to all Creation - except for a few hapless rabbits in her younger days — she has become Mother Hen to our chickens and caretaker of all small rodents she finds on her wide roamings.

The first dog to live on the farm, she has had numerous adventures including escapades going far beyond our farm's boundaries. Every time we saddle up she gets all excited, bouncing up and down and rooing until were off on another exciting adventure.

She was once accused of killing a neighbor's hen. Though it was never proven if she had, Da roped the dead chicken to her collar as punishment. Baring it with a look of utter humiliation and disgrace, she sat where she was as if chained, refusing to look at anyone except with the occasional pleading glance. Her joy when she was released was laughable, she bounced from one person to the next as if to say Look! I'm free!

Her unconditional love of family — and pond water — would be an inspiration to the World if they but knew her. {Well, maybe not the part about the pond water...} She is our simper fidelis.

I love my animals. :) Tell me about yours!

-Gwyn

Peaches Delight

,ph

I've been in the photo editing mood and we've been canning like crazy around here — peaches, apples, crab apples...! So, I give you the fruits of both labors! :)