Well, Finally A Blog Post!

Hello, it's me.
I was wondering if after all these months you'd like to meet
To go over everything.

Thanks, Adele.

Yep, it's been awhile, and I am sorry, but also not sorry because I've been concentrating on being healthy, visiting doctors and wondering what the heck was wrong with me. It started this past summer, a weak, shambling, dizzy, heart pounding, hurting-in-every-joint, mentally confused and depressed kind of summer. I was very scared and had many blood tests to figure it out. All was negative except for a slightly low normal B12 number which my local physician's assistant pronounced as normal. After a little reading, though, I learned that low normal B12 for people over 55 may signal a deficiency. Hmm.

After all that I can say I am well and what might have been Lyme disease/something autoimmune/rheumatic/hemochromatosis or what ever else I've been Googling on the internet has boiled itself down to a plain old Vitamin B12 deficiency and osteoarthritis. So after taking the B12 in megadoses and beginning a keep-the body-moving regimen, I'm much better and ready to forget all this nonsense.

So let's catch up and go over everything so far this winter:

We've had snow, more than ever since we moved here. Z came for a visit around Christmas time and we did a little hiking. Isn't it just like Californians to go for a hike while it's snowing?

Then it snowed some more and melted. Then it snowed some more and that one lasted for a couple of weeks because it was cold. Last night it snowed again and it's absolutely gorgeous. Tom went walking around this morning before the sun came up and then decided to plow the driveway. Ms. Pearl likes to ride in the Polaris Ranger, but doesn't like the whirring sound when the plow goes up and down and bails out of the vehicle.

That's it for today. Hope you like the pics.

For my quilty buddies: I have one top finished and another one almost there. This will be the Year of Finishes. Yep, it will.

Tom shot all the photos.

Z and B hiking in the snow-That chubby person is wearing lots of layers, just so you know.

Snowy Beaver Dam

Cabin Before Sunrise

Front Gate of Nickel and Dime Ranch

A Sleeping Garden

Snowy Rimrock

Sheepherder's Wagon-The Sheepherder is Out

Growing Dome and Rimrock

Looking West

A Snowy Woodpile

Ms. Pearl is Plowing

The Ranch Has Snow!

We haven't seen this much snow since mid-March five years ago when we moved in. This past couple of weeks have seen waves of snowstorms, not like back east, but substantial enough for it to stay on the ground for longer than a day or so. Everyone says, "Thank God for the moisture!" 

Tom took some photos while he and I hiked around the ranch, so, Trudy, here you go. It really is a Winter Wonderland.

We were glad the propane truck was able to get in since we were running a bit low.

 That's Earl, the delivery driver, braving the elements to deliver our propane. I gratefully sent him on his way with a mug of Raspberry Zinger tea and a bag of Trader Joe's trail mix.

Here's the view, looking north toward the beaver dam along the creek.

 Ms. Pearl decided she didn't want to wade across the creek.

I miss our steers. Tom doesn't, though, because they tended to destroy his targets and knock over the park benches scattered around the ranch.

Ms. Pearl wants you to know that she didn't need a coat because she just keeps moving and that generates heat. Besides, there's nothing quite so invigorating as rolling around in the snow for a snow bath.

We have a few more days of snow and that's just fine. This is the trade-off for mild, low-80's summers, and for that, we are glad.

Looking south. That's me and Ms. P walking across the front pasture.

Cheers!

December 2014

The Lazy Boyz came up to the house for a snack because, well, they like snacks, so we oblige them with what is called Cake. Its real name is Ranch Cake, made with supplements, minerals and other goodies. They just get a little because their food is grass, but Cake makes their day. Buffalo, one of The Boyz, reallytruly kicks up his heels when he sees us because He Likes Cake.

A few hours ago it started snowing and The Boyz were still hanging outside the garage.

 A Lazy Boy just never knows when there might be just a Little More Cake.

First Snow of the Season-Ranch Headquarters

Calling our place ranch headquarters is a joke, because with a gigantic herd of two Angus beef cattle, there's not much coordinating to do.

The snow is already starting to melt, but I hope there will be enough for our visitors to enjoy when they arrive on Friday.

First Snow: The Lazy Boyz Want Snacks!

Over the weekend we had snow, so the ski areas are happy and so was Ms. Pearl.

Playing Frisbee in the snow is the best thing, ever. The Frisbee lands under the snow and Ms. Pearl must dig for it. It's a fun time for a dog, that's for sure!

The Lazy Boyz, Roman and Buffalo, are looking decidedly, well, beefy. And very furry.

Do you have any snacks?

When temps get into the teens and below, or if it snows and the grass is covered up, we feed extra hay. If The Boyz don't keep up their calories, they will lose weight. They are full figured dudes and we want to keep it that way.

It's almost sundown, but the sun is still on the rim rock for a few more minutes.

Ms. P says that's just enough to throw the old Frisbee one more time.

May Day 2014

Last week I was gardening and planting stuff and feeling just like this:

A spring snow, though, has put the outdoor gardening on hiatus for a day or two.

Sunrise Snow May 1, 2014

The snow is already melting (look at the wall in the above pic), but the big question is how is the broccoli I planted four days ago doing? And the apple blossoms? How are they? Is everyone out there okay? My Southern California self emerges, panic at any weather change, News at 11!

It looks like one more cold day and night and then temps will be rising. My optimistic New Mexico self says, "Thanks for the moisture and please, bring us more where that came from!"

Quilty Pleasures: Spiderweb Quilt With Snow

Like many grown kids, ours came to visit last weekend toting her laundry, including this spiderweb quilt I made a couple years ago.

She's trying to preserve this quilt because the previous one had so much laundering and drying the border ended up shredded (crummy fabric, methinks).

"Will it dry outside?" she asked. "Sure," Tom said. "It'll freeze dry."

So she draped it over the deck railing for overnight.

It was just a 10 percent chance of snow, which around here usually means it ain't gonna happen, but sure enough, it did. And so the quilt had a quick tumble on low temperature anyway and is none the worse for wear.

Last Snow of the Season?

Our winter has been neither snowy nor cold, except for a few days here and there. I am not complaining about the lack of cold, but we could use a little more moisture.

Luckily, the past several days have had rain and sleet and even a little snow, so our ground is nice and wet, just what the grass needs.

This morning while he and Ms. Pearl were on their morning constitutional, Tom took some photos. The snow was already melting and will probably be gone by tomorrow.

Doesn't it look like sea urchins in a tide pool?

Nice Snow Isn't Always An Oxymoron

It seems like the Southwestern United States has been in a state of drought, or almost out of a drought, or here we go again, it's a drought again, year after year. It's been an unending loop.

A couple of small snowstorms here in Northern New Mexico have made folks a little happier. As everyone I talk to says, "We need the moisture."

Along with the snow this time came some wicked cold, down to single digits at night and teens during the day. It's warming up, though, so that nice snow will melt slowly, trickling down to feed the soil and its plants. Well, that's the plan, anyway.

Ms. Pearl and her man went on a morning survey; I was lazy and stayed inside.

 

The report is simple:  The sky is blue, the sun is shining and all is well.

Cutting Down a Tree

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this year. Either calm or chaotic, I am sure it was magical.

It's amazing how quickly Christmas zoomed up on us and then it was gone like a flash! We had a low key holiday with a simple menu of caramelized onion puff pastry appetizers, Cornish game hens with a lovely rosemary garlic sauce, mashed potatoes and a spicy but not too spicy Swiss chard. Pepperidge Farm cake was for dessert. We kept it simple and enjoyed each others' company.

Here are some photos of a project Tom and Z did around Thanksgiving. Macho man stuff, that's for sure.

There was a dead pine tree needing to come down, so Tom waited until Z could help. Z says he likes to do manual labor when he comes to the ranch, so we are taking him at his word.

Z is the hatchet man.

And Tom is the chainsaw guy.

Ms. Pearl just can't stand the snow.

Here's the tree almost ready for the words, "Timber!"

Luckily, the tree landed just exactly where they wanted, between two smaller trees, so nothing was damaged.

Ms. Pearl wants to tell everyone it was a job well done.

So what's my part in this? When it's time to cut up the tree, I promise to gather the logs and help T stack them. Yep.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ms. Pearl wants to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

We pretended that Ms. Pearl helped, even though she didn't.

Not your basic store bought turkey, but excellent eating, that's for sure.

We Had Some Snow!

It's hard to tell how much snow we have had in the past four days, but my not-so-educated estimate is almost a foot based on our tromping about outside and looking at the accumulations on fences, tables, and other fixed objects in the yard.

Raised Beds and Long Porch

Garage and Grand Entry

Yesterday the guys and Ms. P went outside for some exploring. No blue sky yesterday.

Z and MP Snowshoing Along Coyote Creek

Ms. P loves the snow!

Today we went looking for the L'il Guyz, which is my current name for the new beef cattle. We've been feeding them hay since it's so cold and their grass is covered with snow.

This is down the driveway looking north.

And this is looking south. Z says it looks like a Norwegian fjord.

It's a winter wonderland out there and it isn't even winter yet!

And here's a photo of something new, a sheepherder's wagon. More about that later.

We are snug in the cabin and today will be a let's-finish-something-anything day in the sewing room.