Pictures of What's Going On

Here are some pictures of our ponyride day with Ben and Kinley. We had a nice time.

Buddy is showing off one of his new tricks. Smile, Buddy!

Here is the area that Daddy has been clearing. There was privet and fallen cedar everywhere when he started.

I just wanted to post these pictures while I had the chance. I hope you enjoy them!

Planting Strawberries

We finished planting the strawberries yesterday. That was a long job, but fun. We can't wait to enjoy the fruits of our labor next spring. Whenever we work in the garden, our animals join us. We usually have Abby, Poco, Rusty, and all three cats out there with us. The cats had a great time running over the rows and leaving muddy footprints on the plastic row cover. They also amused themselves by batting at it and sticking their busy little paws down through the slits we cut in the plastic.

We've lived with Jack long enough to know that one doesn't get bored when he is around. As I was walking towards the house at the end of planting strawberries on Tuesday, Peg neighed at me. I looked up in time to see that Jack had somehow laid down beside the fence and gotten his back legs caught in it. As I headed out to help free him, he wriggled his way out of the fence. As soon as he was on his feet, Jack let out a long neigh as if to say,"I'm okay now. I got out all by myself!" He was limping, so I went into the pasture to assess the damage. Jack was pretty scraped up, but nothing dangerous. I put some ointment on his cuts and let him go. He's fine now. At least he didn't break the fence.

Momma, Annie, and I have started sewing together. I am really enjoying that time. Annie is making a pillowcase, Momma is making a dress, and I'm making a blouse. It is fun to be working on projects together.

Here is today's Scripture.
Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein. Hosea 14:9 KJV

Bunny has found a home!

Bunny the pit bull has found a good, loving home. The family that is taking her has acreage in the country, lots of other animals, and two children. They like her sweet, happy personality and her easygoing temperament. They know they will enjoy having Bunny. Can you guess who this family is? Actually, we've had the dog for so long that we are attached to her. We have seen how well she behaves in many different situations and have been pleased. We decided to keep her, since our only objection to Bunny was her breed. She is such a good dog, and Abby loves her. Bunny is going to be an interesting member of the family. She gets into such funny scrapes!

Here is today's scripture.
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6 KJV

Planting Black Plastic

On Sunday, we received our strawberry plants. That means we have to get the ground ready to plant them. Yesterday, Momma, Annie, and I cut up a roll of black plastic into three long strips. We laid it out over the rows where the strawberries will go, and we secured the edges of the plastic by burying them in the dirt. This job took several hours, because the ground was not freshly tilled and soft. Remember all that rain we have gotten? It pounded our clay soil until it was rather hard. However, the first part is done. Now all we have to do is mark the plastic and cut holes in it, plant the strawberries, and then keep up with weeding and watering. This year we're prepared for frost. We have more black plastic to cover our rows when it freezes. Last year we omitted this important detail, and we lost our first crop of berries. Live and learn! We sure got dirty yesterday. I think you could have planted the berries straight onto my skirt. I also discovered that I seem to be a fire ant magnet. Momma and Annie walked, knelt, and crawled up and down those rows, but as soon as I came along I got into ants. Ouch!

Jack's First Official Pony-ride

On Saturday, a neighbor came over with two of her grandchildren, a boy called Ben and a girl called Kinley. They like to come and play with Abby and do pony-rides. Kinley likes the horses, and Ben always enjoys Abby. Buddy is the horse we use for pony-rides, and he does the job very well. We've said in the past that Buddy has a fan club, because there are so many little children that just love Buddy. Kinley was ready to ride, and she noticed that Annie had been braiding Buddy's mane. She thought that was pretty neat, but Ben was disgusted. He thought that made Buddy look like a girl. In the meantime, I was saddling Jack so I could ride him. I did not think we'd use him for pony-rides, because Ben never wants to ride, and Kinley likes Buddy. Jack is also young and inexperienced. We had thought he might be too goofy to take on the job. Ben decided he wanted to pet Jack, so he came over and stood in front of the horse. When he reached out to touch him, Jack surprised him by sticking out his nose and ruffling Ben's hair. This was repeated several times, and then Ben said that he wanted to ride Jack. I decided that this was a good opportunity to get Ben to ride, so I said he could. Often when a child gets on a horse, they will open up and talk to you even if they were shy with you before. So we put Ben on Jack, and his grandmother took his picture. Ben commented on how tall Jack was, and I walked them around a little bit. After that, Ben got off and went to ride Buddy. Kinley got on Jack and took a longer ride. Jack took the whole business very seriously. He had a look of great concentration on his face. He did quite well, and the kids liked him. Buddy had better watch out , or he's going to lose his fan club to Jack!

Tuesday Night

On Tuesday evening we went and had dinner with a family from church. It was a pleasant time of fellowship, and I was able to give my friend the quilt I made for her. We all ate together and went for a night walk around their large property. We were accompanied by a Great Pyrenees dog, a small poodle, and a kitten. Then we girls (they have three daughters) sat in the living room and talked, and some of us played music. We had a lovely time together.

Annie is teaching Buddy some new tricks. He just learned how to give you a kiss, so now he knows how to shake hands, kiss, and shake his head to say no. If he could only learn to say yes, he'd be in good shape. Annie has tried and tried to teach yes, but Buddy likes to say no. She's also teaching him to bow, but that is a long, tricky process. Pegasus has been picking up on shaking hands by watching Buddy do it. He noticed that Buddy got treats when he offered his hoof, so Peg started doing the same thing. Unfortunately, Peg doesn't know the cue. He just does the trick. I'll have to work on that.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12 KJV

Ordinary Updates

Aside from the Roundup, here's what's been happening at our house. Daddy taught family class at church last Sunday, and he'll be teaching again this Sunday. His lesson is on 1 Corinthians 13, and he is doing a good job. Daddy has also been clearing brush and privet around an old cedar tree that fell during Hurricane Gustav. We want to get that spot cleared, take down the remains of the tree, and let grass grow there. Daddy is making good progress on that project, but Spunkabitty objects. Daddy is destroying one of his favorite hideouts.

Annie has been experimenting with gluten-free baked goods, and she is pleased with the results. She found that buckwheat makes a good muffin. This means that even though she's gluten intolerant, she can finally eat baked goods again. Annie is working on arranging some Christmas songs on the piano. They sound lovely.

Momma has worked hard on our schedule, and it is really working out well. We are getting a lot more done now, and that is truly a blessing. Momma has also been helping me to sing the alto part when our family sings together in the evenings. I need plenty of help!

I just finished a quilt that I was making for a friend. It was a fun, challenging project, and I learned a lot in the process. I can't wait to give my friend the quilt.

That is what is happening over here. I hope all of you are well.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. James 1:2-3 KJV

Results from the Roundup

We had a wonderful time at the River Road Roundup. The weather was lovely, the people were so friendly, and the course was fun. Annie and I decided this kind of competition is what we like to do.

Peg behaved much better than I thought he would. We made it to the finals and placed fifth! The obstacle we are negotiating in the photo is called the teeter-totter (or as a young girl at the event said, a totter-tater). This was the obstacle I didn't think we could do at all, but Peg acted like he knew exactly what to do. We had 8 minutes to complete 20 obstacles of varying difficulty. Buddy tried hard in spite of being a scaredycat. He'll improve with practice, and the obstacles with which he was familiar were done quite well.

Buddy and Peg did really well, especially since this was their first time. I did wonder what I was in for when I first got Peg off the trailer. He was distracted, skittery, and frisky. He didn't want to listen to me at all. However, he soon settled down. Buddy was good from the moment he got off the trailer. His favorite part was entertaining a family of small children who were spectators.

Our family had a great time. We are all red in the face now, though, because the wind blew hard. We have sunburn and windburn, and Annie says we look like boiled crawfish. I don't know about that.

Here is today's memory verse.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4 KJV

We are finally experiencing some fall weather! I was ready for fall temperatures. It's my favorite time of the year. It is still muddy, though. Guess whose feet those are!

Whenever I take my horse somewhere, I like him to be clean. That usually involves a bath,because Peg's white coat gets stained easily. He has spent the past few days getting thoroughly dirty in the mud and wet grass. What makes it worse is that the pasture he lives in is the only place on the whole property with red clay. He was such a mess. I said that he was putting on his war paint, because he was streaked red, green, and brown. I took the opportunity yesterday to bathe him before it turned cooler. He turns blue and starts shivering if you even mention a bath in cool weather. However, that means I have to keep him clean longer, since the best thing is to bathe the afternoon before the event. It will be a battle, because one of Peg's favorite things to do is to see how soon he can reapply his war paint.

The River Road Roundup

Well, the bread turned out perfectly. Between the two of us, Momma and I have almost demolished an entire loaf. Yum! I put thyme, rosemary, and sage in it this time, and that made it taste extra good. I wonder how long those five loaves will last...

The River Road Roundup is going to be held in spite of the wet. I can't wait to go. This will be the first time that Annie and I have done any kind of competition with our own horses. The Roundup will be at Farr Park. It is going to feel strange being at Farr Park again, since we have not been to that facility in several years. Annie and I were thoroughly familiar with the place, so I know we'll be right at home there. We won't need to ask where anything is. I am quite excited! I sure hope Peg behaves himself.

Our family is making up a schedule to live by. It is going to be a big help with balancing school and all the other things we do. So far, it is working well, although I'm behind schedule right now.

Baking Bread

I am going to bake bread today, and I hope that it behaves itself this time! Working with freshly ground wheat flour can be a tricky task. Sometimes the yeast decides to be quite happy and rise too fast and too far. Other times it sulks and won't rise nearly far enough. About half the time it behaves beautifully, and I get pretty bread. It doesn't really matter one way or another, because I am the only one who eats the bread anyway. I don't care what it looks like or how heavy it is. All fresh bread tastes good and smells lovely. Besides, in case of a total flop, I can always feed it to the dog. She has never failed to give bread a rave review.

Today's verses are a continuation of the ones we had yesterday.
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 1 Corinthians 13:6-7

Horsey Business

I am exceedingly thankful. Peg, who has been lame since Wednesday, is almost entirely sound again. I've been worried about him, because I could not find anything wrong. He's a bit reckless with his feet, though, so I think he must have gotten a stone bruise on his hoof.
Annie and I are hoping to go to our first trail horse competition on Saturday with Buddy and Peg. However, it might be canceled due to rain and wet ground. The competition is called the River Road Roundup, and it is an obstacle course to be negotiated on horseback. Some obstacles might include: water crossings, small jumps, poles to back through, gates to open, logs to drag, and Buddy's nemesis, the "cowboy curtain." It should be really fun but challenging as well. I hope the rain stops so we can go.
The garden is still mostly mud. The peas, onions, and carrots haven't come up yet, but everything else is doing pretty well. I believe the weeds are going to be a bumper crop this year. Too bad we can't eat them.

Here is today's memory verse:
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 KJV

The Finished Product

If you recall, I mentioned a while back that Daddy was building a butcher block for our kitchen. It is now finished. The butcher block looks really nice to us. I can't wait to begin using it. The maple top turned out prettily. We've been looking forward to having the extra chopping space, because we tend to eat a lot of dishes with chopped vegetables. Daddy designed the drawer for our knives, and he is thinking about putting a lazy susan in the cabinet. He's going to hang a towel bar on the side of the butcher block for our kitchen towels. God has really blessed our Daddy with talent for designing and building furniture. We are so thankful for him for many reasons.

Running out of time!

Well, time is running out for Bunny the pit bull. We are about out of people to ask if they want her, and no one has answered the signs we put up. We don't know what to do with her. She is such a great dog. Bunny has continued to behave herself, but last night she put those huge jaws to work. Annie had left the tackroom door open, and there was a jar of molasses syrup (we mix it with Rusty's joint supplement so he'll eat it all) on the floor. Bunny chewed a hole in the metal lid and ate almost all the syrup. I guess she likes molasses. Bunny thinks she's a lap dog; she makes a pitiful watchdog since she is happy to see everybody who shows up at our house. Abby walks around people's cars and barks until we say it is okay, but Bunny just wags her little tail as hard as it will wag. She doesn't even bark! If you want a sweet, sweet, friendly pit bull, let us know. Bunny would love to find her forever home!

I took some more pictures of Peg and Jack the other day. It is fun to take their pictures, because they both seem to act up for the camera. They do like the spotlight, and I'm afraid Peg is quite vain. He knows he's unique, with his blue eyes and fancy color. Poco, on the other hand, is difficult to photograph because she has a dislike for the camera. She'll run from it and make ugly faces at it.

October showers bring...mud!

It has rained almost every day since I put in the garden. The seeds and transplants love it, but unfortunately so do the weeds. They are popping up everywhere in an effort to thwart my veggie-growing. Therefore it is crucial that I go out every day and pull weeds. Sounds easy, right? When newly tilled and rowed ground gets saturated with water, the mud that results is an aggressive, shoe-eating beast! It has sucked off my shoes several times, which, as they are old and probably belong in the trash (to put it mildly), is not terribly hard to do. Then, to avoid falling into said mud, I have to catch hold of the fence. Thankfully, today Momma and Annie were able to help with the weeding. When engaged in the weed war I am watched with obvious interest by Poco, Rusty, Abby, and Spunkabitty. My most dedicated garden companion is Bitty. He chases the weeds as I throw them out of the garden, and sometimes he lands in a mud puddle himself. Then he wants to come inside and sleep on the furniture, but we don't allow that until he cleans up. Bunny amuses herself by walking along the garden rows and sitting on the transplants. We trained Abby to stay out of the garden, because she likes to help herself to the produce.

I haven't posted memory verses because we've been memorising the books of the Bible. However, we're through with that now, so here is today's Scripture.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23 KJV

Spunkabitty

It is time to introduce you to another one of our critters. His name is Spunkabitty, and he's the handsome, sweet-looking kitty cat in the picture. ;) Watch out, he's dangerous. Spunkabitty, or Bitty for short, is certainly no longer bitty,but that is what a certain member of our family decided to call him when he showed up at our house at about 6 weeks of age. Bitty has a deformed lower lip which the vet said is probably due to his being hit by a car at around 3 weeks old. In the four years we've had Bitty, he has been bitten by poisonous snakes at least twice and by a black widow spider at least once. He has had tangles with wild animals and stray cats. Spunkabitty is tough, and he doesn't back down to anybody. He likes to lie in wait for the dogs and jump on them as they go by. He has even been known to stand his ground before a horse and swat it on the nose!

Daddy says Bitty is the only really useful animal on the property. That cat is truly a hunting machine. He scarcely eats at home, but he catches plenty of meals outside. No animal is safe from Bitty.

We bring the cats inside for the night because we lost a cat one night to the pack of coyotes that live on our road. Spunkabitty is difficult to catch, and he rarely comes when called. It is maddening to walk around calling him in the evening, knowing that he is sitting under a bush somewhere, watching you. (He wants to stay out. He'd like to taste coyote.) When you finally get him in, Bitty likes to sharpen his little claws on the couch, beat up the other cats, and then go to sleep on somebody's bed. In the middle of the night he climbs up on the grand piano, which he is forbidden to do. The other night he gave himself away, because Annie forgot to close it. Da-da! Spunkabitty is not a talented piano player.

You are probaby wondering why we keep such a terror at our house. Well, he is cute, in an odd sort of way, and he can be really sweet when he wants to be. Spunkabitty is a constant source of amusement for our family.

Bunny and the Snapper

The other day a large snapping turtle marched onto our property. The dogs took note. Abby, veteran of several encounters with snappers, knew exactly what to do. She left it severely alone. Bunny, the cheerful, inquisitive, rather dull pit bull, was enthusiastic about this new creature. She sniffed and sniffed. In spite of several warnings from us, she continued to explore. The snapper was in a bad mood. It hissed, threatened and opened its jaws. Bunny, oblivious to the meaning of all this, pressed her nose in closer. SNAP! YIP! The snapping turtle had won the day. Bunny retired vanquished from the field of battle with a bleeding nose (although she never knew she was bothering anyone). You could practically hear Abby smugly say," I told you not to do that."

On Saturday, Annie and I went down the street and brought home a mare and foal. We have permission to work with these horses whenever we want. The mare is called Sadie, and the foal, who is now about 8 months old, is named Jasmine. Jasmine is special to us, because Momma and Annie were there when Jasmine was born. We also kept Jasmine at our house for a month while she was being weaned. Annie and I spent a lot of time working with her while she was here. It was a fun experience.

Usually we concentrate on Jasmine, but on Saturday we put her in the pasture to play with Poco and Rusty while we worked on Sadie. Sadie is an older mare of quarter horse type. She doesn't get handled much, so she's a bit rusty on her manners. However, we got to ride her in the round pen. Sadie is really a great horse. She just needs some time. These are some pictures of Sadie and Jasmine. Jasmine is changing color, because although she was born black, she'll be grey like her mother when she grows up.

From top to bottom: Sadie in a pen at our house, Jasmine and Sadie a few days after Jasmine's birth, Jasmine at our house, 4 months old, Jasmine in our pasture at 6 months.

The Fall Garden

I got most of the garden put in yesterday afternoon. It went well, and I had a pleasant time digging, planting, and watering. It rained last night, so my seeds should be well watered in now. I am growing broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale, rutabagas, turnips, radishes, carrots, cilantro, parsley, celery, beets, swiss chard, four lettuces, sugar snap peas, brussels sprouts, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, and strawberries. I still have to plant the peas, carrots, radishes, and carrots. The strawberries won't arrive until later this month, and we haven't yet purchased the onions or brussels sprouts. I can't wait to see how the garden turns out. Hopefully, we'll be producing an abundance of good, healthy veggies this winter. Daddy says the rabbits are going to be very happy with me. Those rabbits had better stay out of my garden!

Daddy is building a butcherblock for our kitchen. He's using some beautiful old lumber that we salvaged out of an old barn we tore down a while ago. We think it is oak or pecan. The top is going to be maple. I'll post pictures of it when it is finished. It sure is a blessing to have a Daddy who can build things.

Here is today's memory verse.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 KJV