Winter Blues and Dreamin' of Spring

It is January. It is the dead of winter. It is cold. I just don't mean "cold", but "freeze the snot in your nose" kind of cold.  And if that is not enough, you got to throw in some snow.

This is what we woke up to this morning. Note, the light is true...It is just dreary today.

Also, ignore the streak of dirt on the window. It is winter and I will not go and clean it until spring arrives...all 3 days of it!

During this dull, drab, dreary winter, it is almost like our sweet mail lady knows what we need. Seed Catalogs!!  YES!

This is what arrived within a few days of each other. I do believe I threw some out too. I know there are some Ag catalogs in there, but they also have greenhouse and chicken products. So, in my book, that throws them in the same category as a seed catalog!

Now, in my spare time, I am thumbing through these pages, dreaming of warmer days and a garden filled with produce.....aaahhhh....

Confessions and Buffalo

My husband LOVES when I ride along with him at work. I LOATHE riding along with my husband when he is a work. I have too much to do, to sit in a truck and be bored for hours....

This fall, through a class (Love and Respect), I was reminded how much it means to him to have me by his side, regardless of what he is doing. He loves the company. It energizes him and he loves spending time with me (I guess that is why he married me!) So, today when he asked, I agreed.

Just to set the scene a little better. The past week, my trusty-rusty camera was giving me some problems. I ignored them like any non-techno person would because it would just fix itself and go away. Right? Well, yesterday, we went for a little hike. The kiddos just love getting outside and outside our yard. We had a blast. A little snow, a little mud, hills, trees and bulls...Always makes for a fun afternoon!  I pull out the camera to take a few pictures to remember the day with and nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, but some grinding, beeping and lens issues. UGH!  So, I moped around the hike oblivious to my husband's shouts of "keep the dog with you!" and look up to see the 40 bulls in this canyon/pasture following us....nice.  One child was ready to leap off the top of the hill because she was terrified and the other, who is visually impaired, could not understand why I was holding on to her and would not let her "be out front". Well, the bulls became disinterested and we finished our hike, complete with tree knocking for "big foot"!

When we got home, I started researching my camera issue, because as much as I want a shiny, fancy pants, new camera, it just is not going to happen any time soon. I did find lots of information, as the issue is common. So, Monday morning, I set out to fix my camera! And I did! I am such a techy-geek! Ha!

This is when my husband walks in and congratulates me on my success and then pops the question - "Do you want to ride with me when I feed the buffalo?" Um....not really, but I bite my tongue. Ok, I will go. I grab my stuff and he adds "Aren't you going to bring a snack?" And, I am sure my reply was not all that pleasant, but went along the lines of "and just how long does it actually take to feed the buffalo?"

See, you have to understand that when he says XX mins/hours, it has to be multiplied by the "In Reality" factor. It NEVER takes what it should when I am along. Something goes "wrong" and we are stuck out in the middle of a pasture miles from anywhere and anyone with no cell service.

But, I bite my tongue, grab some almonds and a Diet Coke and a smile and hop into the truck.  Well, HIS dog is not impressed. She looks at me with some dirty words floating above her head because she knows she has to sit on the floor and I get the seat.  We get settled and go bouncing along our way.

We get to the buffalo (ok, they are bison, but buffalo sounds better!). They are waiting for the truck...Apparently, they know this thing pops out tasty treats each visit.  We drive to the feeding spot and I enjoy with my working camera!

Stampeding Bison! They love snack time!

Mad Bison! Or more than likely "It was chilly and she got her workout in!"

She is not impressed with the seating arrangements today....

4 pairs of swans having a snack. There are regularly 2 pairs in this cornfield, but today, they invited some friends. (and it is pretty foggy too)

From our hike, before the camera completely died - she needed a "gun" to shoot wildlife...

 And the magnifying glass to help see things "far away".....

And if you know where I live and realize it is the end of January and, yes, we are in "just" fleeces...Does not seem right.

Thanks for sticking with the rabbit trails in this post!

The BEST Popcorn!

Now that I live "in the sticks", I love when I can buy things locally. It makes me feel good knowing that my money is staying right here. This past year, I discovered a hidden jewel in the Sandhills! Double K Popcorn! This is THE BEST popcorn I have had in ages!

 The variety I love is Mushroom. It pops into the large, super-sized, "Cracker Jack" pieces of popcorn. It is awesome!

I used this over Christmas to make caramel popcorn. It was delicious! I will be posting that recipe a little later (after I lose some of the Christmas fluff and can afford to eat the whole batch!)

Check them out and find out what the buzz is about! There are a couple different varieties besides the Mushroom and I believe they even have microwave packets!

Taco Dip That Is Super Easy!

With a rather popular football game right around the corner, I thought I would share an easy dip that will be a crowd favorite!

I have been making this dip for years. Yes, finally something that is "pre-Pinterest"! I do not actually remember where I saw this recipe.

What you will need -

1-8oz container of Sour Cream
1-packet of Taco Seasoning (Or use 1 Tbsp of homemade Taco Seasoning, which is what I prefer)
A bowl to mix it

So, here is the hard part...Mix it all together. Done.

Then serve with Frito Chips and watch it disappear!

I have not tried this, but I am sure you could substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream and make it a little 'healthier'.

(and, yes, I wrote a blog without pictures...naughty blogger...)

There's A Chicken Where?

As most of you know, I love chickens! I am still learning all there is to know about them and am not an expert at all, but I love chickens!


I love the fact that they share with me their eggs daily...Okay, maybe in the bitter cold it is a little hit or miss, but generally speaking, they share with me.

Overall, this group of hens is pretty tame. They do not try and rush me when I open the coop door and escape into the great unknown. They will run outside the chicken door into the pen and leave me to grab eggs, clean or feed them. Occasionally, I will catch one sitting on the eggs acting a little broody. However, there is not a big fight when I reach under and grab the eggs. I have yet to get pecked by these girls.

The other day, I noticed one of the hens acting like she was not feeling well. I just kind of kept an eye on her and was monitoring what was going on. The next day, she was even worse; pretty lethargic, getting stepped on by the other biddies, etc. So, I pulled her out and brought her to the house. The fabulous Cowboy, grabbed a dog crate and hay for me. I settled her in and made sure she had fresh water and feed. She was so sweet. She would quietly cluck to me. So, I knew in my heart I had done the right thing and that she would probably make it. She was not sick, rather bullied....

Here is where she is sleeping. This morning she was wide awake, talking to me, eating food! I was so excited! I gave her some table scraps as a treat. She loved it!

I hope to take her back out to the flock in a couple of days. I also hope my chicken bullies will leave her alone.

I am sure there a few people who knew me in a "previous life" that will laugh hysterically when they read all this. I mean, I owned a cat or maybe two back in those days. Never would I have dreamed of having farm animals, much less inviting them into my home!


So, yes, there is a chicken in my house...

Got Some Laundry To Do?

A while back, I talked about a homemade stain "remover" I used to clean the Cowboy's clothes after his long day at work. It was great! I still use it.  I have also been using homemade laundry detergent too. Actually, I've been using it for quite some time. It feels like a "Love-Hate" relationship. I started out making a liquid version. Hated it. Sorry, but I did. My sister-in-law loved it, but I hated mine. So, I had been on a long, several year journey to find a powder version that would suit me and my grubby family.

Well, I think I found it! I actually made the first batch last June. Yes, Last June...as in 2012.It lasted my dirt-loving, outdoor playing, family 7 months! I did not write about it because I wanted to make certain that I like it before actually talking about it.

You can guess where I found this "recipe"...Yes, Pinterest. This is the recipe I used from Being Creative To Keep My Sanity. It calls for the usual stuff Borax, Washing Soda, Baking Soda, OxiClean and Fels Naptha.

I used the standard size of Borax and Washing Soda, 4lbs of Baking Soda, approximately 3 lbs of OxiClean, and THREE bars of Fels.

Next, grab a garbage bag. Dump the powders in and mix it up. You might want to make sure that you've pulled the top of the bag closed and keep an eye on dust wafting out of the bag. You do not want to get this stuff in your eyes!

Then the most dreaded part of the process...Grating the Fels. I started out using the small part of the grater to get finely shredded soap, like in this picture.

But I must admit that after what seemed like an eternity, I flipped to the other side and grated away, much more quickly. I then used a knife to break those pieces up.

Then I dumped the Fels into the grocery bag and mixed it up again. Then I carefully poured the detergent into my detergent container. (I got this one at Walmart)  I use about 1 Tablespoon per load. With our family of 4, one being someone who works outdoors and with large animals, It should last us about 7 months. Also, I do not have an HE washing machine.

And it is just that simple. Enjoy!