for the faint of heart

Bits and pieces of my Sunday afternoon...

All pics click bigger for details,

if you're into that kind of thing.

While I can't convey what I felt there,

maybe some of these pics will touch you

like they touched me.

This is a very small cemetery,

old in some parts and new in others.

I only kept to the old part.

So old, some stones were scarred

broken and mended

adding to the desolation effect.

Many markers were just stones laid flat on the ground -

notice how they all depict date of death

but not of birth?

Almost forgotten...

Forgotten families laid out side by side

for eternal rest...

The older stones are hard to decipher

but most still have character...

This one broke my heart:

just one simple stone marker

for a child born and died the same year...

...and next to her simple stone, 

that of her brother:

Born in 1792, lived a long full life -

kind of a miracle back in those days...

Two more babies laid to rest

side by side...

I wish I could read these inscriptions

worn smooth by time...

This is the only stone cross in the cemetery -

and a very old one, at that:

Some families could afford better stones than others:

wife of a doctor, eternal:

A life, resumed in a few phrases

carved in stone:

I wonder: do you want to be remembered this way?

Or just have your ashes scattered, no stone to commemorate

the passing of your soul?

songs of happy

I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries,

and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.  

~Joseph Addison, The Spectator, 1712

today was a good day :-)

It started out sleepily, stormy, rainy, lazily.

But lunchtime I was bored, bored, booooored!

Didn't feel like doing any chores, cooking, internetting - and it was too soggy outside for any farm fun. Bah humbug.

The skies finally dried up long enough for me to grab my camera and head to the tiny old cemetery a few blocks away. I'd noticed some interesting stones in there before and wanted a closer look.

I'm not sure what happened while I was in there...

But it was very powerful.

Not in a religious way - in a very human way. I can't explain it other to say I felt very small down there, between rows of fallen, worn-out stones telling stories of long-departed souls. How many tears were spilled on the ground beneath my feet? How long until it's me that stands there, mourning my parents, my siblings, my friends?

My own self?

I had to leave after a bit, it was all too much. But I felt cleansed afterwards, filled with renewed energy and decided that today was going to be a good day, after all.

Vegas and I enjoyed a few games of Yahtzee while drinking hot tea and I actually didn't suck at it like usual - woo! Then I got some long-overdue weeding and coop run mowing done, spent quality time with the flocks and ended the afternoon with a great game of lawn badminton with Vegas (and the wind) - we sure shuttled that cock, LOL :-D

I'll post some pics tomorrow or the day after.

Powerful, I tell you.

/end of License To Live post/

pee-your-pants funny

Vegas finds the BEST things!

So there's this guy on a dating site called Plenty Of Fish who totes himself as an artist, he apparently chats girls up and gets them to send him photos of themselves so he can draw them...

Some results and convos below.

I doubt he ever lands a date for all his efforts - LOL!

(click on pics to enlarge text)

 

Have a great weekend, everyone! :-)

lovely limerick :-)

Found this on the internet and just had to share!

There was an old farmer who lived by a rock

He sat in the meadow a'shaking his

Fist at the boys who were down by the crick

Their feet in the water, their hands on their

Marbles and playthings and in days of yore

There came a young lady. She looked like a

Pretty young creature, she sat on the grass

She pulled up her dresses and showed us her

Ruffles and laces and white puffy duck

She said she was learning a new way to

Bring up her children and learn them to knit

While the boys in the barnyard were shoveling

Refuse and litter from yesterday's hunt

While the girl in the meadow was rubbing her

Eyes at the fellows as girls sometimes do

To make it quite clear that she wanted to

Go for a nice, pleasant stroll on the grass

Then hurry back home for a nice piece of

Ice cream and cake that stood three layers tall

And after desert she was ready to

Go for another walk down by the dock

With any young man with a sizeable

Roll of one hundreds and a big bulge up front

If he'd ask politely, she'd show him her

Little pet dog who was subject to fits

Then maybe she'd let him grab hold of her

Small tender hands with a movement so quick

Then she'd bend on over and suck on his

Soda so sweetly 'til she finished it

Then pull down her panties to rub on her

Hip that she bruised when she ran down the hall

'Cause he tried to force her to lick on his

Candy so tasty made of butterscotch

And then he spread whip cream all over her

Cookies that she had been baking all night

If you think this is dirty, you know you're damned right!

cycle of life

I promise to visit your blogs this week, miss you guys!

As for here...

Latest developments on the technofarm posted here on the Chicken Diaries... wish it was better news but we don't control what life hands us...

my happy doggies

Say hello to the beanies! :-)

Yeah, they're goofy but we love our sweet akitas!

dayum!

Ah, glorious summertime - 

when real life takes over and blogland becomes a place to visit 

once in a blue moon to make sure everyone's OK...

I don't want to bore you guys with repetitive farm blabber, weather updates and the like.

So I keep it quiet.

I've not had the photo bug in a while so that's quiet too.

Just enjoying life, my critters, time with my husband, 

the warm sun and fresh green everything...

And my gorgeous, sweet-as-sugar peonies:

Greetings from the furry beanies!

Back soon, maybe tomorrow - can't plan these things 

in the summertiiiiime!

PS: do cast your votes on my weekly polls, just for fun!

Happy Birthday to my dear husband!

A year older but still bananas over you!

Awe :-)

(the rest of the mushy stuff stays private, LOL)

On life

Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man.  

There is no difference there between a cat or a man.  

The idea of difference is a human conception 
for man's own advantage.  

~Sri Aurobindo

look what we got today :-D

Been wanting a panini press for years

and I found one today!

I guess it happened because I wasn't out shopping for one, LOL:

Breville rocks so it was love  at first sight...

Plus it was on sale :-D

Tried it as soon as I got home

and lunch was deeeeeeelicious - best melty sammich evar!

That thing is fast, too!

Can't wait to go crazy on all kinds of sammich combos...

Vegas is my taste tester.

I'm such a good wife :-D

conquer it

He has not learned the lesson of life
who does not every day surmount a fear.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I used to talk a lot. And walk even more.

Now I just sort of live things rather than talk or think about them... not necessarily the best course of action 24/7, I realise. Sometimes life needs thinking about but I seem to forget how.

Feeling reclusive as of late.

Doing anything social or productive seems a monumental effort.

Now I'm reaching the saturation point - sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, you know?

Vegas reminded me that BC (before countrylife) I used to walk briskly at least an hour a day, sometimes two and I wasn't plagued with constant back aches despite my sedentary life at the office. I was fitter and happier with my body - yes, I was younger too (!) but still. This fattening up has got to stop, I don't feel like myself anymore.

I'm sorting out my iPod situation today - long story - and then I'll have my music back.

As of tomorrow my feet will start hauling this old carcass around town, at least 5 days a week - no excuses. I know I have to start slowly at first to get my walking muscles back to work but I look forward to that kind of pain. All this coupled with sensible eating, less snacking and my regular farm chores means I should start seeing results in a month or so - at least I hope so.

Otherwise this blue funk will become a sink hole.

Nobody likes a whiner ;-)

If you'd like to share your rejuvenation stories, weight loss experiences, tips and tricks to a healthier life I'd love to hear them!!

/end of Cheers To A Old New Moi post/

wouldn't this be nice?

Ah, what luxury it would be...

A girl can always dream, no? ;-)

maybe we won't move to texas!

Hot.

It's so very, very hot.

And humid.

I think the gravel in our driveway is melting.

In other news, it hasn't snowed lately(!) and we could use a little bit of rain to water the gardens... I didn't just say that.

It's been a roller-coaster of good cop/bad cop here the past few days.

Bad news: Jack's eye wasn't looking so good so I called the vet yesterday morning, left a message describing the symptoms and she rushed over right away as you don't mess around with suspected uveitis (inflammation of the eye, the leading cause of equine blindness). And yep, diagnostic confirmed. Uveitis.

Good news: we may have caught it in time, he's on topical meds 3 times a day so we'll know by tomorrow if the treatment is working. Could take a good two weeks to clear if all goes well. If not, then we're looking at months. Crossing fingers and toes. His vitals are great (heart, lungs, weight, legs, etc) so that's good news.

Bad news: yesterday the power steering broke on the car and Vegas was an hour away from home, in the city on business.

Good news: the problem seemed to has fixed itself after the car cooled down, which is strange and not very comforting, but at least he made the drive home in one piece. He's gone to the city again today so we'll see if it happens again. Still have to get it checked out though.

(pause for self-portrait of melting, sticky me)

Look at those ham arms :-D

Good news: found a local handyman who repaired the crappy little chicken coop yesterday since we don't have any spare money to build a new one - new roof with shingles, bump-out to add floor space and next week the whole ugly thing will be clad in white vinyl to seal it from the rain and pretty it up - yay! New summer home for the banties!

Bad news: missing roof shingles on our house, which is soooo tall we need to hire a professional roofer with proper equipment to sort it out. No funds for that but it's a need and not a want so we'll have to figure something out. Crap.

So, besides all of this, the heat and humidity are bringing the dogs down, specially Dakotah. He's been throwing up bile in the mornings and barely eating his breakfasts, which is highly unusual for the 4-legged hoover. His front limping is getting worse and he has zero energy. My naturopath expert friend will come give him a Bowen treatment tomorrow to see if that helps, if not then off to the surgeon vet he goes... I only trust the one who rebuilt his knee 3 years ago, even if the clinic is an hour away and very expensive.

C'est la vie, yes?

At least I get to wear the sexiest fuscia push-up bra evar thanks to sweet Prin, whose Victoria Secret shopping faux-pas often end being Christmas for me - seriously, she has been supplying me with the most perfect boob racks for a while now, I should hire her as my stylist :-D

/end of Cleavage post/

Happy Monday

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.

~John Gunther

Now that was terrible!

I'm not sure I should put this video here since it opens the door for lots of critiques and laughter, but what the heck.

My friend and I went for another ride last evening and it was pretty much a downer compared to the amazing "hollywood sunset" ride from last Wednesday. Old man Jack was not in the mood, he was tired and dragging his feet, huffing and puffing, sluggish and fighing the bit with every step - which is strange because he seemed fine before being saddled up and two days ago he had the energy of a horse half his age.

I guess everyone has bad days, specially when you're a geriatric.

Poor Jack. He gets the whole week off, I feel so bad.

We still took a couple of videos since we had taken the camera, so here's something for your viewing pleasure. But first! A few things!

1) WTF were my hands and arms doing flying all over the place like that, LOL!
2) Only noticed after the video was shot that the saddle had slipped off his withers - stupid too-big girth strap - that explains my weird riding position and posture
3) I need to do something about that helmet head, it's terrible
4) I don't know a thing about riding but I sure as hell enjoy it anyways

Now, here's my friend on Jack,

so you can see how riding should be done.

Someday I'll get there... someday.

Jack still looks pretty amazing for his age, doesn't he?

Most horses are retired in their teens and are lucky to make it past their twenties. Jack is a good 26 years old, an oddity in the horse world. I'm supposed to keep him fit with light trail riding, so hopefully last night was just a glitch and he's still in good shape.

I'll have the vet give him a once-over later this week, his teeth probably need getting done too. Better be safe than sorry.

In other news Vegas came home this morning after a long night of travel, he's passed out right now the poor thing. I'll let him sleep for a bit and then stuff him with fresh bread from our local French bakery and some hot coffee. Life is good :-)

/end of Happy Weekend! post/

Going to the birds

Last night, about 30 minutes after shutting my light and dozing off, a grey dove appeared above my head, wings outstretched, suspended in the air chirping a happy song.

It freaked me out so bad I jumped out of bed, my heart beating a mile a minute.

I groped for the light, switched it on and of course there was no bird - only reality settling in that I had hallucinated - not really a dream since I hadn't really been asleep, had I?

But just in case, I had to research it:

To see birds in your dream, symbolize your goals, aspirations and hopes. To dream of chirping and/or flying birds, represent joy, harmony, ecstasy, balance, and love. It denotes a sunny outlook in life. You are experiencing spiritual freedom and psychological liberation. It is almost as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

Or, maybe my brain was just full of the 4 baby birds I rescued earlier in the day.

There's a nest tucked away under the roof of the barn, I often see mama bird flying in with a mouthful of goodies for the hungry babies - I'd never seen them but they sure do make a racket!

Yesterday afternoon I went to the barn to check on the banties (my small-sized chickens) and heard frantic peeping and scratching in the chute that used to allow bedding to unload from the attic to the ground floor. It's been condemned due to floor rot around that area, it's full of dusty hay and the trap entrance is covered with an old piece of plywood so I figured something must have gotten trapped in there - I had to go up to check.

To set the stage: yesterday was incredibly windy and very, very warm - an ususual combination for this time of year. The barn attic was an oven.

The old bedding corner is very dark and hosts potential wasp nests so I was very wary - add soft floors and it's really creepy. Something fluttered around and by the sound of it: baby birds in distress. I managed to locate three little grey things with panting yellow beaks, gently cornered them and returned them to their nest, figuring a gust of wind must have knocked them all out. I checked the chute where I had heard the scratching but all was calm, so I figured that was that.

Back down on the main floor the scratching and peeping was more urgent than ever and that's when my friend showed up to retrieve one of the new baby chicks I had gotten a few days before and didn't want anymore since it was obviously a boy. He was in a rush, it was sweltering, but I told him to hang on cuz there was no way I could let a baby die like that. He said "oh it's just a stupid black bird" but hey, I told him every creature deserves to live and I just had to do it.

Went back up, crawled slowly into the hot dark dusty corner, removed the plywood cover to the chute and there was baby bird, beak open and panting, exhausted and frightened. I gently lifted it out of the chute and put it back near the nest, where it dashed right back in with its mates.

There, so relieved!

Later on in the day I saw mama bird flying in and out of the barn roof with mouthfuls of food, I heard the babies demanding their dinner so I knew everything was all right.

Adventures on the farm, eh?

Last night the heat wave finally broke, everyone's happy after a good night's sleep and I'm not even that sore after an awesome horseback ride in the trails behind our house - although the bowed leg syndrome will no doubt appear tomorrow, LOL!

My friend and I galloped through lush green grassy fields, on hilltops overlooking the setting sun - it was like a hollywood movie, that's how excellent it was. My old man Jack was pumped like a mexican jumping bean, he had the energy of a 5 year old stallion and my friend kept telling me he looked so young and energized, not even close to his grand old age of 26!

Two more sleeps until Vegas comes home.

I miss him.

/end of Be Kind To Karma post/

Good morning

The moment when you first wake up in the morning 

is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. 

No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, 

you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, 

absolutely anything may happen. 

And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. 

The possibility is always there. 

~Monica Baldwin