February Flashback - 2004

Between a sleepover, an unshakable headache (might be related) and a few commitments for today, we didn't make it to the farm this weekend. Without farm stuff to post about, I thought it would be a good time to look back and see what we were doing in February of 2004. We had just gotten our digital camera in January and were having fun learning how to use it. All of these pictures are from that time.

This horse was one of the ice sculptures at the St. Paul Winter Carnival. It was one of the years that they built an ice palace....you can see that in the background.

This was also taken at the St. Paul Winter Carnival. It was cold, it was snowy, but it was a lot of fun to go and see everything. Eric had asked a passerby to take our photo. Since our camera was brand new and sort of expensive, this was also about the time that Eric would size up the person he'd ask to take the picture to make sure it was someone he could outrun if they tried to take off with our camera....really :-) Eric, me, Brian, Billy, and Bob.

Brian and Billy in front of an ice sculpture. Billy had just gotten over the flu...can you tell?

Czar showing off at the farm.

Skylar and Penny racing or chasing in the snow at the farm.

Who builds snowmen when you can build a snow horse? This was in our back yard on a melty February day.

Say cheese....Brian was 11, Billy almost 9.

Mom...hurry up...our butts are getting wet!

The snow horse was a big hit.

Such a hit that Billy pleaded with me to build one at his school for winter carnival days...or some type of days where the parents came in and played with the kids at recess....3rd grade.

Brian was too cool for school....sporting some cool shades in 5th grade.

Parenting was hard work back in 2004. Even the cat needed a nap.

It's sort of hard work in 2009 too...maybe a nap is in order today. 'Til next time....

A Couple of Movies and a Cover Up

We actually got out and saw a movie last night. We saw Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood. I know that it's been out for a while, but at least we saw it before it was put on DVD! I don't think it's up for any awards, but it should be. It's a powerful movie. I won't give anything away if you haven't seen it and are planning to.

I've been a Clint Eastwood fan for a long time...and I have to say that it was hard for me to see how much he has aged. I think that it was harder to see because of my dad....I've always sort of associated Clint Eastwood with my dad. First because of the spaghetti westerns that he did....tough guy on horseback....and then because of the Every Which Way but Loose movies. My dad got such a kick out of those....me too. And because Clint is only 1 1/2 years older than my dad. I knew that my dad was aging, but it happens so gradually that sometimes you don't really see it. With actors, you can see an older film one day where they are young and vital and then you see a current film and it feels like all those years have passed in a day. OK, I'm rattling on and not making sense...so I'll just say that it was a really good movie and that it was sort of hard to see Clint looking old. I wouldn't mess with him though!

Another movie that I want to mention is Taking Chance with Kevin Bacon. It's on HBO tonight. Here's a part of the synopsis from the HBO website.

In April 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl, USMC, came across the name of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Chance Phelps, a young Marine who had been killed by hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Strobl, a Desert Storm veteran with 17 years of military service, requested that he be assigned for military escort duty to accompany Chance's remains to his family in Dubois, Wyo. Witnessing the spontaneous outpouring of support and respect for the fallen Marine - from the groundskeepers he passed along the road to the cargo handlers at the airport - Strobl was moved to capture the experience in his personal journal, writing Taking Chance.

Here's a link to the HBO site if you are interested. http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/

It looks like a very moving story. The other reason that I want to see it is that my photographer friend from Montana plays the bagpipes for the funeral service in the movie. We don't get HBO, but I am going to try my best to see it!

Now, for the cover up. It had been getting kind of gray looking around here. The snow that was left was dirty, the grass that was showing was dead. Well, all of it got covered up last night.

Almost 4" of new snow to cover up the grunge.

I am ready for Spring, but the snow sure made things white and pretty again.

It was heaped up on everything.

Even on the berries that still cling to the bushes.

The nice thing about when it snows late in the winter is that you know it won't stick around for very long.

Someone should let this guy know that....

...he's not looking very happy.

Birds and Horses

This little horse is my photo of the day. It's one of three glass ornaments that hang in the computer room. And to be honest, the main reason that I took a photo of it is because I had been busy working, realized that it was almost dark...again...the camera was sitting there, I was sitting there and the ornament was there. Seemed like reason enough to me! I actually really like how it turned out. One of the things that I like is how the roof of the neighbors house frames the bottom of the ornament. Sometimes it's ok to be lazy. :-) Isn't it??

OK...on to the farm. I know that I've shown pictures of them before, but I really like watching the birds at the farm...and I like trying to capture them in photos. So...here are a bunch of bird pictures....scroll through them fast if you're bored. It's OK....isn't it?

These are gold finches...next summer they will be a bright lemon yellow. Bet you can't wait for pictures of that! Can you?

And one of my favorite birds...the Chickadee.

You can always tell when Spring is coming by their song. Their songs change with the seasons.

If you hear a bird singing Chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee....that would be the Chickadee. Bet you didn't know I was that smart did you?

Aren't they cute? Whoop....where is this one off to?

It was pretty cold the day these were taken...I was worried about their cute little feet. Couldn't they stick to the aluminum cable? Well couldn't they?

This one is a nuthatch. I like them because they are upside down a lot. Sort of like my thinking...upside down, all mixed up.

This one is a female Downy Woodpecker. I get them mixed up with Hairy Woodpeckers sometimes...Hairy is bigger and has a bigger beak. Did you know that?

This is a red bellied woodpecker. Sometimes I get him mixed up with a Flicker. I get mixed up a lot.

There are a couple of bird brains that I like at the farm too. Skylar, he's sort of ornery and kind of aloof sometimes. He's my favorite. I suppose that says something about me that I don't want to know.

And then there is Czar. He's a character. He's very curious. When we're out riding he'd rather spend his time looking around than walking. He decided to check out my gloves this day.

Ummm.....tasty. He liked them....until I told him that they were made out of horse hide and that he'd better watch it. I'm kind of ornery like that other guy. Hmm.

And this is Murphy. He spends a lot of time wondering why no one is petting him every minute. Maybe if those darned birds and horses and people weren't around he'd get some attention...maybe.

In the meantime, he'll just wait and watch. He knows that I can't ignore that sad face for too long! Could you?

The Driver

It was Christmas 1993, Brian was just over one year old. His favorite gift that Christmas was his first car....a red and yellow Cozy Coupe. We were the typical parents of a first born. Say Momma Brian, you can do it....then crawl Brian, crawl, you can do it...then it was walk Brian walk, you can do it! We wanted him to hit those milestones right on target. We encouraged him to learn and grow.

By the time the 2nd one comes along it's "he's crawling already? Not yet, we're not ready!" And by then you realize how much more trouble they can get into when they are mobile. And you sort of start to realize how fast the time is going.

But when Brian got his little car, we were still in the "eager for every first" stage. Brian was sure proud to be sooooo big and driving his very own car. They called it the Cozy Coupe...most of us called it the Flintstones mobile since it was powered with his feet. And powered by Mom and Dad pushing him around when he wanted to go faster. It was fun, it was safe...well...except for the big hill that was our driveway....he was mobile but it was in our control.

Well, that feeling of control went out the door today. Brian is taking his last behind the wheel session. He's had his permit for quite a while...but we hadn't been very aggressive about scheduling the behind the wheel. It's ok, it can wait, you don't need to drive just yet.

And Brian hasn't been pushing us about it. He says driving is sort of boring. He says he doesn't like worrying about what the other guy is doing. I get that. Learning to drive in the suburbs is so different than growing up in the country driving farm vehicles from the time you can reach the pedals. And growing up in a place where you couldn't wait to get some wheels which signaled freedom.

But he's ready now. You can tell from the smile. And I've probably been a bad mom for not encouraging him more....and for not saying come on Brian, you can do it! And going ahead and scheduling the sessions.

But I've learned a little from the time that they were small, every time you teach these guys something it just means that they are one step closer to growing up. And I do know that growing up is a good thing....it's just that I'm not always ready for it.

Sometimes it's hard to let go....because letting go means that they are in control now. And I do know that he can handle it....it's just that I am a little worried. Because I'm a mom. And because see, when he was little I don't think that we were strict enough about his driving. We allowed squirrelly friends in the car...and we even let him drink and drive.


He better not have any ideas about doing stuff like that now....but then again.....I do have the keys. Maybe I have more control than I thought! Man, this parenting thing is hard.

p.s....I'm just joking around about the drinking and driving and about the letting go. Brian is a good kid...he wouldn't do anything like that....and I would scalp him if he ever did.

Feeding Time

There is a lot to do and see on the farm....and if anyone knows about all that goes on there, it would be these two, Skylar and Czar. Look at them...they know that something is coming. They don't miss very much....ever.

I was pretty far away from them using my telephoto lens...being quiet as a mouse....and look who spotted me. Skylar is looking right at me, Czar is pretending that I'm not there, but he knows that I am....just look at his ears.

But I'm not very interesting when they know that something really interesting is coming down the road....even the cows are starting to notice.

What is it? Do you know?

Hay...you were right.

It's feeding time at the farm. The big bales have to be hauled with the tractor, and the one on the front is lifted high over the bale feeder and dropped inside.

The one on the back is put on the ground and the bale feeder is tipped on it's side and then dropped over the bale. That's how we do it anyway....we...like I'm doing anything besides opening the gate and taking pictures. But opening the gate does help...a little...it's one less trip up and down from the tractor in bulky Carharts. I tell myself that.

Anyway, this guy knew the tractor was coming before any of us could hear it. Doesn't he look wise and knowing? Doesn't he look like he wants me to leave him the heck alone so he can eat?

This guy is happy...warm sunshine on his back, yummy hay in his tummy.

This one looks a little worried that I might be ready to take some of his hay...don't worry little buddy...I like oats better.

Momma cow is thinking about something....looks like she has a complaint of some sort.

Oh...I see....not enough salt on her hay today. She had to go over to the salt lick. Those Momma cows have such sensitive palates. I guess if it's coming back up to chew again as cud, you'd want it to be just right too. English lesson for the day...cud: food brought up into the mouth by ruminating animals from it's first stomach to be chewed again. Sorry if you've just eaten lunch. :-)

So...the point of today's blog is to say.....if you ever want to know what's going on around the farm, just look at these guys. They hear all and see all. Even when they are eating.

I think I'll end on that note.

I have this creepy feeling that someone is listening to me.