Wings, a Discovery & a Roundup

Another full day here on this hillbilly farm! I woke up early this morning, my back has been bothering me some now and then and I needed to get up and stretch it out. I thought I might go back to bed, but was up long enough that I figured I better not, since I had several things I needed to do. I did managed to toss a couple LO's together before I started my day...although I sure wish I could do more than two a day, since I seem to keep taking to many photos. LOL

A while back, I discovered the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a day website, and thought it would be cool to try...but never got their book so I could, although I have thought about buying it some time. I happen to google artisan bread one day a couple weeks ago, and found an article on the Mother Earth News site with recipes from the book, so I printed it out so I could try some of them first, before deciding if I wanted to buy the book. I put the whole wheat recipe together today...not sure if I'm going to like it very well or not, but it's in the fridge, and I plan on using it for pizza dough this weekend. I'll be able to use some of my homemade cheese on it too...so we will see just how good it is for pizza, something I've been wondering for a while now. LOL

After doing more cleaning (why is that a never ending job...am I that much of a slob? Don't answer that! LOL) mixing up the dough, making cheese and trying a new spaghetti sauce recipe (will use it for Lasagna in a couple days...with more homemade cheese!!) I headed out with my camera for our Apple Tree. The blooms are really covering it this year, and while the bees don't seem to be as thick as they were a couple years ago, there was more of a variety there this time...as well as some butterflies! This is the first year I remember seeing the butterflies.


Naturally I got several photos of the Butterflies, but I also got some of the bees, including a big bumble bee. There is even one that is flying on flicker that looks kinda wicked with it's tongue hanging out.


I took a ton of photos, and it took me forever to go through and pick out the best to keep. I've put the 11 photos that I took today on flicker...I'm really trying to cut down on how many photos I keep, but I just couldn't get it down any further. LOL


I also walked over to see how DH was coming this morning, between jobs in the kitchen, and I passed one of the Apricot trees we planted when we first bought the farm. We planted quite a few fruit trees, and the two Apricot trees are the only ones left...one of them isn't real "pretty" but...it's amazing they are still alive, since all the others died. It's a combination of drought conditions, us not living here when we planted them so couldn't water them lots, and not being gardeners. LOL

Anyway we had seen that the trees had bloomed this year, and so I stopped on my way past the tree this morning to see if I could see any fruit growing. I think I did!!! The above photo is what I saw...so maybe, for the first time this year....we might have a few Apricots from our own tree!!! Yippee!! Course watch something happen, and we miss them and the birds get them all. *giggle* Least it looks like it might actually produce though, that's just amazing. LOL

This evening, while we were doing our bible reading, the Dogs (doxie's) started barking out the patio door. We tried to ignore them at first, but then I looked up and out the window in the sewing room since I can see it from my chair in the living room, to see if I could maybe see what the dogs were so excited about. My eyes landed on Daisy, who was looking back towards the patio door because she could hear the dogs barking too. I let out a gasp, and said "The cows are out!!" and we both jumped up and headed out for a roundup.

I kinda thought that it wouldn't be to hard to get them in, after all they aren't usually real fast, and if we get behind them, they usually go forward, like we want them too. WRONG!

Mabel isn't real fast...but Daisy, she can get up some speed, and she was feeling frisky and kicking up her heels having a good ole time. She went around the outhouse, and then took off back down the drive to the apple tree...which is close to where we wanted them to go. However then she started walking along the fence to the south, instead of the north, like she was going to go around the house again. I didn't really want to play ring around the rosy, with our house, so I turned and went around the house the other way, and caught up with her around our raised garden beds.

I walked up towards her...DH had gone and opened the gate, so we just had to walk them back along the fence, and in...but Daisy had other ideas. She tried to dodge around me one way, and when I cut her off, she tried to go the other. She was playing with me, I know she was, cause she just looked like she was having fun. Mabel was close, and decided she wanted to go on south a bit further too, and after trying to get her turned around and Daisy almost slipping by me, I decided to let DH get Mabel, and I'd keep after Daisy and try to get her in, after all she was the trouble maker of the evening. LOL

I walked up and could almost touch Daisy, when she turned and took off back towards the apple tree kicking up her heels again, so I started after her, kinda angling to the east, so hopefully I could stop her from going back up the hill. As I neared the apple tree, I saw Daisy round the tree, stop on the other side, and peak around it, under the branches, to see where I was. I had to laugh, cause it was funny, and cute how she did it. I just wish I had had my camera, and could have gotten a photo.

I walked on up past the tree, and as I got up and turned, I saw DH coming down the fence line with Mabel ahead of him. Daisy must have seen them too, cause she then turned and ran in through the gate, like we wanted them too, instead of trying to get around me or DH again. She was running and kicking up her heels even once they were both back in where we wanted them (in the fence on the driveway). I think she really enjoyed her outing and the "chase", and it sure was funny seeing her dance around, like a young calf. We did a mean thing though...we made them go back into the pasture beside the driveway for the night...since they got out of the driveway. LOL They weren't to happy about that.

I have to admit, although I'm getting better with the cows, when Daisy was trying to dodge around me one way and then the other, it made me nervous, because the time the bull got out and charged towards me (read about it here if you haven't) flashed through my mind. However, I tried not to let it show, cause I've heard they can tell these things, and anyway, I swear I could see Daisy laughing at me with her eyes, so I was able to make myself continue playing her game. After all, most of the time it WAS funny, I LOVE seeing the goats and cows running around kicking up their heels having fun...although I'd prefer it wasn't because they were out where they aren't suppose to be! LOL

All in all, it was another full, fun and interesting day here on the farm. DH got a brush pile burnt, so he can finish the fence line he has been working on, and I kept busy in the kitchen...although still didn't finish everything I wanted to. *sigh* Story of my life I guess. LOL

I better get off here and get to bed, it's late (because the photos took me so long to sort and reject) and I'm tired with the early morning and busy day. Don't forget there are more photos of "wings" on flicker, if you want to see some more photos I took today.

Hope you don't mind the LONG post to much! :)