This week

Another pretty sunset at the wanch.

A pick - the first tool you reach for when digging in the Ozarks. 

K8 behind the wheel and lots of cows on the pasture...

...either way, I think there is lots of this brown stuff in our future.
P.S. The three leaf plant in lower left corner is wild blackberry, which grows like a weed here.

Internet restored!

#11 Get dirty and need more frequent baths; #12 Know which snakes are poisonous; #13 Don't freak-out about bugs; #14 Will eventually get poison ivy rash; and #15 See and handle lots of wildlife - birds, bugs, fish, mammals, and reptiles. 

Photos

K7 and K8 ride their chariot.

K7 gives K6 an attitude re-adjustment.

Remember this tiny egg? Time for a taste test...

...not much yellow yoke...

...looks okay, just so tiny...

...not even 1/4 the regular size...

...but it tasted okay!

More brush to burn - its a never ending story.

Yes, Dexters are small cows.

Interrupted Internet

I use Total Highspeed Internet service. Its a radio wave delivery. My receiver is mounted at the top of my neighbor's barn on the ridge in front of our farm. Three weeks ago, my neighbors burned a brush pile, but they forgot they had a buried power line beneath the burn spot. They melted the wire and we have been without internet. We occassionally go to McDonalds for the free wifi, but its slow! Hopefully, tomorrow...

One week, three road trips.

The little dogs never take road trips. They play all day every day, and bark at most things day and night. A great life.

K8 and I took a road trip to Oklahoma to visit family and pick-up a new ewe for our flock.

K8 had some birthday money and said he needed something from Walmart while in Oklahoma.

Oh my gosh! What kind of parent would let their child eat ice cream for breakfast? 

It was 105 degrees in Oklahoma last Saturday the 3rd of September. We rigged the tarp to give shade for the ewe, and waited until late afternoon to pick her up. Most of state has had 50-plus straight days with temperatures in the 100's and no rain. Yes, most of the grass was burnt dry. 

Another short road trip to the library with K6.

I came out with 5 books to his one, and I have already read 3 of them.

Yesterday I took last road trip of the week. Towed this 30 foot trailer 250 miles to the big city where K2 is attending Law School. First home he ever bought! He intends to live in it for the next 3 years.

Mystery of the tiny Egg

It was a typical morning at the Wanch - let the chickens out of their coop and milk Darlin. K8 is holding Darlin's tail to keep her from swinging it at S's head.

I took a few pictures of happenings inside the coop.

And outside the coop.

And inside the coop - just a bunch of hungry chickens eating grain every where you look, so I decided to gather eggs.

This was all I found, a tiny egg! What can it mean? Not feeding the girls enough? I doubt that. Could it be the 47 degree temps at night? Maybe, but doubt that as well. Could they want to unionize and go on strike for better living conditions? I doubt that since they live in an awesome coop!

This is how the tiny thing measures up to an egg we got yesterday. Something is definitely different.

It will take a lot of tiny eggs to feed our family. Hope we solve the mystery soon.

Upon further thought, and closer examination of this morning's photos, we think we have a theory. Notice the little black chick coming out of the coop entrance in the lower right hand corner of this pic. She is one of the new girls we hatched from our incubator earlier this summer who only recently joined the flock. We think the tiny egg is hers. What do you think?

Unsolicited product endorsement

Forever Guarantee

I had never heard of CUTCO Knives, but 12 years ago I had a former high school student of mine selling knives to pay his way through his first year of college. He was a good kid, so I said "come on over and give me your sales pitch". I have never regretted it. I bought a "Trimmer", the model you see in this photo. The next year I had another former student (female) call me up and wanting to come over and "practice her sales pitch on me". She also had been a good student, plus I already loved CUTCO knives, so I said "come on over". I bought more knives. I have also occasionally given them as wedding presents.

Why this post? Because after 11 and 12 years, these 2 wonderful kitchen tools had their tips broken off! I was heart-broken as I use these knives several times a day. How can that happen? Upon questioning, all my sons denied breaking the tips, so the knives must have just worn out, right? I remembered CUTCO had a Forever Guarantee, so I packaged the knives and mailed them with a letter explaining their history and my fondness. I received 2 brand new knives in the mail this week. The Guarantee works and I am very happy to have my favorite kitchen knives back in hand! If you don't have any CUTCO knives, and you don't have any former students calling you up to practice their sales pitch, just go to this web page and spend your hard earned money on a great kitchen knife:

http://www.cutco.com/home.jsp

Domesticated animal update

The most interesting things come out of our pond...look at this critter!

Even cuter up close. "Jack" is our new West Highland White Terrier (a Westie), a gift from our daughter K5 who lives in Texas and who started back to school and could not keep him in her new apartment. Her loss and the Wanch's gain.

Here the 4 little ones practice what they will do to any intruders to the Wanch (at least above an intruder's foot and below his knee).

Five pure bred dogs and I did not buy any of them - What a deal!

"Jimmy" the cat tolerates all the dogs.

We have to check any worker's trucks before they leave because "Jimmy" likes to get in them or on them.

The ducks are sort of domesticated. 

They are constantly working on their synchronized swimming routine, but I never have a camera handy when all 4 have their heads under water and their tails in the air.

Road Safety Reminder

When the tires on your vehicle start looking like this, you probably should not drive in the rain nor should you carry your own children let alone other people's kids!

I just had 4 brand new Michelin tires put on the truck, so you are safe to ride with me again. Because I frequently drive through pastures and woods, I paid a little extra for tires with 10 welts or layers, so I can drive off-road without worrying too much about rocks, nails, barbed wire,
thorns, little stumps, evil commie pungie sticks, etc.

Last week's Poll answer...

Yes, I have lived in Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri (among many other states), and yes, they all have good college football teams. Heck, I even root for some of them except for when they play my number one favorite team:

I entered OU in 1972 as a 17 year old freshman, and I graduated from OU in 1976, so I have been a major fan for many years.