Summer's End

I have not ridden as much as I like this summer. I usually start in May with riding in the desert and end up on the mesa through October. The garden isn't anything special this year. Bugs ate up the squash. Weeds finally got the best of me in the garden. We are going to move the garden to the fenced in orchard area next year. It will be better. I will lay out plastic to burn up the weed seeds. I saw that technique on an organic website.

We are counting the days until the Hawaii family comes in on Thursday. I have arranged real horsemanship lessons for Bella and Gigi with Helen. How fantastic. David has not seen the girls in 2.5 years - before Gigi's diagnosis. He has not even met CJ yet!

We decided to breed 2 mares. I think Miha gave us the best foal we have ever had. She is 2yrs old now and at Helen's to be trained by the 4-H girls. Helen is the real deal. Bred SmokeyBelle, too. (Now called Cookie.)

Joys of the day

I will put up a photo of the raven family. They came in to nest this year. Chased off the magpies, the pigeons and robins! They set up shop on a tippy top branch of an elm tree and ruled over the place. Two young ones were soon hopping around the pastures and roosting on panels. They have moved on but once in a while they make some noises in the mornings.

I love to pick cucumbers warmed from the garden and eat them with balsamic vinegar.

I still sell my prim doll works at the Hotchkiss Creamery. What a fun blessing. I love to make things and someone keeps buying them.

The Hawaii kids are coming in a month. I arranged a real horseback riding lesson for the girls with Helen in Paonia. I can hardly wait. I am making lists of things I need to do and buy to make their visit happy. Maybe Mike and Shirley can come, too. I have some of Laura's fabrics to make a 9-patch quilt. I hope she and the girls will help me arrange the squares!! Shirley said she will quilt it.

A Blessed Life

I can't imagine living anywhere else. The old farm house, the pastures, the horses, all the trees we have planted. The boys grew up here. Twenty+ years. I am firmly planted on this part of the western slope of Colorado. The Grand Mesa behind us. The wood stove keeps us warm in winter. We burn wood we cut from our land. We grow vegetables in the summer. We ride our horses and raise foals. It is quiet and roomy on 20 acres of Grace. Most of the time the rest of the world is far away, churning and seething.

I know the country is circling the drain into tyranny but here on the farm we feel some personal control. I know the cities are under siege from invading forces destroying our society. I know the world is a boiling cauldron under the grip of thugs and criminals launching coups in every nation. I know that we can't spend money on anything but must store supplies for ourselves and our animals. I know inflation is hurting everyone and the folks in the cities despair.

We have ravens and magpies squaring off in the trees, deer and whistle pigs and coyotes and fox. Happy dogs and happy horses. David works hard at 2 jobs. I make dolls, crochet doilies and sew quilts and think about grand babies. The old house needs some paint and misc repairs. It always does.

I am grateful for my good boys. Cal and Laura live in Hawaii where they are lawyers and have 3 children. Cal is ambitious and aspires to the Republican political arena. Gigi is cured of leukemia.

Jack lives in Grand Junction and continues to attend Mesa State. He is artsy, a percussionist, softball player, likes to write and work on the farm with us.

Our world spun when Gigi was diagnosed. 3 1/2 yr old gift from God. How could it happen? Random? Toxins in the air and water? She fought her way back to health and will start K in the fall. She is tough like her daddy and her mommy and inspires us all. Bella is a long legged beauty, 8 yrs old and CJ will be a 2 yr old soon.

Today I sprayed weeds and mowed. David tractored out the stallion's pen. We enlarged the round pen and hugged and smelled equine friends while the deceivers and thieves plot to do us harm.