Go With the Flow!

Winter has been rather warm with weird weather, same as everywhere. We have snow but the ground underneath is barely frozen. That means it is possible to get stuck in the snow and mud at the same time!

We're keeping busy with everyday life. Priorities change rather quick out here, so neither the cabin nor bridge are finished. Go with the flow, is our motto!

We added a small spinners flock of Shetland sheep. I look forward to learning to spin with their gorgeous fleece!

Chirp, chirp

If it were the time of year for crickets to be chirping, we could insert the sound here. Things have been slow due to weather, lots of rain, especially for this time of year. Hay to bring in, animals to care for, etc. You know... life!

New Blogs

A couple of our other blogs have a new location...  on Blogspot of course! 

You’ll find the same newsy content, weekly posts (hopefully), and a lot more beautiful photos of our English Shepherd farmdogs and life around the Ranch.

Be sure to leave comments, offer ideas, and ask questions!!

We hope you’ll visit often!

 Our other blogs:

http://highlandglennES.blogspot.com/

http://HGRanch2011.blogspot.com/

Now It Begins

The weeds are cleared, corners staked, holes dug, roofing/insulation ordered. What do these things add up to? We have begun work on our tiny cabin!

Yes, it is a bit late in the season to begin. But my health and our sanity won’t allow another winter in the fifth wheel. So we’re racing the weather to get the concrete into the post holes. Once that is done the floor and roof need to go up quickly, too. From then on it won’t be as much of a race. With it being so small (18x18) it also won’t take long to go up. We have lots of friends willing to help, so we’ll host a cabin raising - complete with hot coffee/chocolate, muffins, soup, etc. for our hard-working helpers!

Photo 1- clearing the weeds off cabin site

Photo 2- weeds all gone

Photo 3- Greer "helps" with hubs for marking corners

The Bumblebee Story

A previously untold story…

Only days after arriving with the fifth wheel trailer, a smallish sort of bumblebee was noticed flying in and out of a hole under the gooseneck. They were quite pretty actually. With so many things to think about and do in getting settled, we didn’t pay much mind to their buzzing activity. We should have.

Soon we knew the bees were building a nest inside the walls of the trailer. One day before leaving for town, Tom stuffed a plastic bag in the hole. Upon returning home there were no less than 12 bees inside the trailer. Not my idea of a friendly homecoming. Fortunately, they were a very docile type of bumblebee, even while being swatted at. We figured since they couldn’t get back out the plugged hole, they had made their way along the wiring or such. Wrong.

It wasn’t long before I could hear their buzzing while in bed at night. Being that the bed is literally inches off the floor of the gooseneck, this means the nest was technically very, very close to my head. Not a thought that promotes restful sleep. With a nocturnally playful pet like my cat Chanel, who enjoyed pouncing on the sound in the floor, the buzzing sound would escalate by many decibels. There is nothing quite like being peacefully asleep, in the pitch-dark quiet, to be awakened by angry buzzing only inches from your head!

As the nest grew I began having more inside-bee experiences. Kitty’s nightly playtime resulted in my putting a small cooler over that area of the floor. And in my switching sides of the bed. I did sleep a bit better. That is until we realized the bees were crawling inside through a gap in the floor which was mostly blocked by the cooler. I was a nervous wreck, I’d had enough.

We were forced to a lethal decision – use a poisonous spray inside that hole. Even though we are against using chemical toxins we had no other choice. This action made the otherwise docile bumblebees a tad angry. Tom got stung in the neck by bees that actually guarded the hole! Soon the buzzing sound wasn’t heard anymore. The hole was permanently blocked.

As were any other potentially attractive looking holes to bees. 

Really?

*Financial Institution Rep: So, *Mr. Down-in-the-dumps, a representative will be coming by to discuss bringing your account up to date.

Mr. Down-in-the-dumps: Wall, that’ll be fine. I haf’ta give ya directions cuz the dang blasted bridge is wrecked.

Financial Institution Rep: Oh? Okay, I’ll make a note in your file for the representative. Go ahead. I’m ready.

Mr. Down-in-the-dumps: Wall, first off, come out the gravel road a fair piece. Thar ain’t too many pot holes in it this time a year. Turn on’ta our road. It’s the one with the cattle guard missin’ some bars. Yer car should cross it jes fine. But ya can’t git far after that cuz like I said a-fore, the bridge is out. Ya haf’ta wade through the crik. That won’t be no trouble cuz the water ain’t runnin’ fast and it’s only ‘bout 4 feet deep, jes watch out ya don’t go an twist yer ankle on them tricky rocks at the bottom. Then keep on a-walkin’ up the hill. When ya see the shortest pine tree, the one with the bear claw marks on it, start walkin’ west. Won’t be long til ya see the trailer back yonder in the trees. We’ll knows yer here cuz the dogs’ll bark. But don’t worry none ‘bout them, thar tied up. #Cooter jes sounds mean, but she ain’t. Skeeter’s the one ya got’ta watch out fer. He done bit my mother-in-law last week. Twister’s jes a pup an’ll lick ya ta death ‘fore she’d bite ya.

Financial Institution Rep: Really. Well, we could just talk about this matter by telephone instead. If that’s more convenient for you?

*Most of the following conversation is not real. Any resemblance to a real conversation is mostly coincidental. This conversation was mostly imagined.

# Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Fun at the Ferry County Fair

With our spirits so low, we really, really needed a diversion. So we splurged and treated ourselves to a day at the county fair. What fun! 

We got to see numerous entries by friends, from animals to a single flower, bread, jam, photographs, and a quilt. These even inspired us to enter next year! Then there was the fair food – pulled pork nachos (yum!) and my favorite… cotton candy. Hey, it’s only once a year right?

We heard the Pony Express race put on by members of the Colville tribe was a definite must-see, so we went home to take care of the afternoon/evening chores and then went back for the race, as well as barrel racing, mutton busting (too cute to miss!) and bull riding. Apparently, our little fair is unique in that it is one of the last fairs in Washington to still have horse racing. And what a sight to behold! Wow, talk about athletes, both human and equine. We’re glad we went back, although an EMT friend said she hates it since she is usually standing by for any injuries.

Our spirits were refreshed from an entire day of not thinking about our problems, visiting with friends, and getting in touch with the community a bit more.

At 5 a.m. Tom woke up with the stomach flu. Ugh.