A Snowmobile built for two!

K showed up at our house today riding his Skidoo sled.  It is built for two people to sit side by side.  B drove me around the farm in it and I laughed the whole time.   It was a LOT of fun.  Later he called to report that he tried to ride over, around, through, (I am not sure which) a canal and didn't make it.  He had to get a tractor to pull his sled out of the muck.  He says it has water in the gas tank, the carburetor, the intake valve and probably everywhere else.   Once again, no photo.
P.S.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Too Old?

Some people might say that a 50 yr old farmer and his 43 yr old wife are too old for childish activities like sledding and the people saying it the loudest would probably be the farmer and his wife.  Even though they are old enough to know better, they spent their afternoon sledding on the hills at the farm and had a right good old time!   Sorry, no pictures included.  Too bad because the farmer's beard, mustache and right side of his face were covered with ice and snow not to mention everywhere else.  We would slide down the hill, land in a heap at the bottom, get our faces licked by a friendly dog or two and then begin the arduous climb back up the hill.  It was so fun we might try it again tomorrow!

Solar Heated Mobile Office

Even though my husband laughs at the thought of it, sitting in the cab of the tractor keeps me warm when I need to let the dogs run.  I can even get internet reception most of the time and all the windows let the sun in and make it toasty inside.  It isn't everyone who has access to such a great place to be.

My own "Pieces"

My sister surprised us all at Christmas with our own lap quilt from the same clothing she used to make my mom's quilt from my dad's clothing.  It was beyond kind of her and I will always treasure it.  I am including the words to the poem she wrote for my mom.

Pieces

There are pieces of heaven we’ve all felt through dad.
Happiness, laughter, kindness
Love, peace and friendship we’ve all had.

These pieces of his life still remain with us today.
Covering us daily, comforting, guiding,
And ever warming us with his presence.

The many pieces taught,
The many pieces shown.
Will not be forgotten,
But will ever be known.

The pieces left by dad will always be cherished,
Whether we see a man about a horse,
Are tickled by a boat or feather,
Have a finger pulled,
Or get around to it at “the first”
His love from above will always be treasured.

Each piece has its place,
Each piece is remembered.
Responsibility, good character, dedication have all been taught,
Support, patience, joy and excitement have all been shared.

We receive new pieces each day from above,
We are covered with warmth, humor and perseverance,
Feelings of belonging, purpose and importance.
Each piece being sent with his unconditional love.

Through jokes, quiet chuckles and hard work.
Through gathering together, camping, fishing, gardening, and being steadfast.
His pieces are sewn, tied and bound by each of us.

He is there with us throughout our own journeys.
He has left a legacy of togetherness and love.
Forever, receiving dad’s prized pieces from heaven above.

 

Cat on a Cold Haystack

Without a good reason, we found Gilligan perched on the top of the haystack this evening.  There is no explaining that cat!  Since I had camera in hand, it took some other pics of the crazy cat.

Find the Fox

Walking back from getting the mail this afternoon I saw something moving down by the river.  I figured by the size of it, it had to be a fox.  Sure enough!  I haven't seen a fox around here since before November. After watching it through binoculars, I decided to give the camera a shot.  There was no way I could get close enough to it for a good shot, so you can enjoy trying to find it somewhere in the landscape.

Olympic-sized Injury

J was the only injury. She earned a medal, we can't decide if it is the "Short Term Memory Award" or the "I Didn't Heed My Own Warning" award. She warned all of us repeatedly not to walk into the board jutting out from the truck. Yeah, you guessed it, she walked smack dab into the board herself.

Be sure to note the scratch on the inside of the eye besides the puncture wound on the forehead. I am betting on a black-eye by tomorrow.

The First Annual Wilkins Winter Olympics

Today we held an Olympics of sorts on the farm. We didn't have very many events, but we had a lot of fun. Some of the events included trap shooting, 4-wheeler racing, sledding, snow-shoeing and snow-angel making.

J with his medals for winning both shooting events.

Walking Amongst the Deer

L. walking the farm road.

Proof that my husband wasn't seeing things the other night.

Tracks everywhere!

My sisters came over on Christmas and we went on a walk with our cameras. We just got to the bottom of the hill when Jasmine took off running. This is never a good thing! I thought she had found a fox, but instead she spotted a small herd of deer. I called her back, but by then the deer had been spooked and were quickly jumping the fence into our neighbors field. We continued on our walk and found a small herd, we don't know if it is the same group we scared or not. So far, we don't have deer tracks around the haystacks. Just everywhere else, literally.

More Winter Shots

I took these pictures the morning of Christmas Eve. It was 8 degrees outside.

Anniversary #3

The Spiral Jetty

The remains of an oil well head.

We have made it to our third anniversary even though it seems like we have been married for more than twenty years. My darling husband wanted to go to the Spiral Jetty and then have lunch in Snowville. I wanted to go to SLC, eat at the Roof and possibly stay the night at a hotel. You can see who won by the photos. I should have known better. For our honeymoon, we went to Elko, Nevada. Actually, we also stayed in SLC at the Anniversary Inn and Elko was a lot of fun.

Sunrise

I couldn't help but take a picture of this gorgeous sunrise.

Jasmine

Jasmine doesn't seem to mind the cold. She loves to dig for mice under the snow. I often find her up to her shoulder blades in the compost pile. I guess having a fur coat comes in handy during this time of year.

Winter has arrived!

The first day of winter has come and gone, but the snow and the cold are here to stay. I love the first day of winter simply because it means we will gain daylight instead of lose it. The farm is beautiful covered in snow, but it is COLD!

Oh Deer!

We often see deer around the farm. This picture was taken last year, but we had about 15 or more in the backyard tonight. It was too dark to take a picture, but I am glad my husband noticed them even if he is afraid they will eat the hay stacked in the yard.

Pieces

My sister made a quilt out of my dad's favorite clothes. She is a master quilter and it is magnificent. All of the sisters helped tie it. We gave it to my mom on Thanksgiving, knowing it would make her sad, but we couldn't help it. My sister also wrote a poem about "Pieces". When I get a copy of the words, I will add them to this post.

Goose hunting the easy way!

I took the camera and the dogs down to the river one morning and found a flock of geese just waiting for a photo op. The best part is that my nephew and brother-in-law are so jealous of me. I didn't have to lay in the snow wearing camo. My nephew can't believe the shot I got of a double-banded goose.

Gilligan

Smeared blood and chunks of hair eerily greeted my husband Sunday morning as he opened the door to the old house to feed the cats. We have two officially recognized cats here at the Dismal Land and Livestock Company, Gilligan (male, orange) and Satan (female, tortoise shell). It is the large assortment of unauthorized cats that cause concern and lately it has been one orange tiger-striped male cat in particular that has been bothersome. He hangs around at night either looking for more territory to claim or maybe just a free meal. Gilligan, the defender, tries to warn him off with the moaning and wailing that only cats can do before a fight. We come out and scare off the intruder (I know my husband would have shot him by now if I weren't such an animal lover), but he keeps returning. As the tale continues, Gilligan turns up missing that same morning. My husband looked in all the likely places before he came in to tell me. By this time, we should have been ready to leave for church, but I told my husband a cat was more important than church today. I joined the search with no luck and we then resorted to leashing the dogs to track down Gilligan. No cat to be found. I ended up leaving in time to do my Primary job and Husband got out his chair to await the cat's hoped for return. This crazy story has a very happy ending. Gilligan returned on his own about 45 minutes after we gave up the search. He had a few scratches on his nose and matted blood on his tail, only the blood wasn't his. It looked like he had brushed against something bloody. I guess Gilligan handled the marauder all by himself as the stray cat hasn't been seen since.

More photos

Family Pictures on the farm

My sister and her family wanted to take pictures on our farm.  They came over on a cold Sunday and we snapped quickly to beat the snow.  I think they turned out fabulously, even if the photographer isn't even good enough to be called a novice. 

Squirrels

We have been overrun with squirrels this year.  It is the end of November and I thought they would be hibernating by now.  Apparently not!  Jasmine went crazy this morning sniffing all around the tractor.  Sure enough, when I opened the hood, there was another troublesome squirrel.  Now, let's make it clear, I am an animal lover, protector and guardian, but these squirrels are something else.  They dig tunnels everywhere, including in my husband's shop floor.  It is cement, but they are burrowing through cracks.  They haul the walnut, apples and pears inside the engines with them and have a tasty feast.  All they leave behind are shells and poop!   They really are a problem.  I am willing to share the farm with them, but do they have to reside within three feet of the house?