Cows and Coneflowers

After abusing my ankle yesterday, I was back to crutches and limited activity again today and honestly, I wasn’t too happy about that, even though it was my own fault. I had just started indulging in a pity-party when Mom came into the house. “Are the cows supposed to be out?” she asked. I looked outside, and of course the answer was “no.” The cows weren’t just “out.” They were out just about in our front yard! The pity-party didn’t last too much longer, and I hobbled outside with my camera to take pictures of the cattle, and to call my uncle to give him the head’s up.
IMG_7794The cows had found a hole in the fence, and the green grass and water in the dam were irresistible, I guess. They were pretty content, and I think we could have left them and they’d still be there tomorrow. Uncle Stuart was out fencing, and when he drove up in the beat-up ranch Toyota, he, Dad, and I moved them back into the pasture they’re supposed to be in.
IMG_7845Cows are beautiful creatures. They’re in a further pasture now, but I love when they are close enough to hear them lowing, and to smell their warm scent.
IMG_7847As I snapped pictures of the cows and the wildflowers, and tromped through the waist-high grass with my dad and my uncle, my frustration melted. Pity-parties really are a waste of time, and are so entirely uncalled-for.
IMG_7801Life is good. God is good. Cows and coneflowers reminded me of that.

Laura Elizabeth

Welcome Weather

I woke up to the gentle melody of rain on the tin roof, just inches above my face. What a welcome, refreshing sound! We’re behind some 6 inches of rainfall this summer already, and everything has been scorching. The garden has been almost impossible to keep watered, ranchers’ hay production is significantly reduced, and the landscape has started to turn a withered brown. For weeks, the grass has been too dry to walk barefoot on it, and even the weeds in the garden have wilted. The 1,600-acre Crow Peak Fire near Spearfish has been blazing for a week and is only about 15% contained. The last thing anyone wanted was a thunderstorm without rain. But we got rain! Boy, did we get rain.
IMG_7189The clouds were low and heavy, hanging in the trees, and already the landscape looks richer, greener. The rain pitter-pattered on the tin roof for most of the morning. At times it would nearly quiet, but then the sound of larger drops would lead into another downpour, though never torrential. It was the slow kind of rain that soaks in deep and doesn’t turn to runoff. We got 1 inch total. The frogs are singing again now. It was a good day for reading, writing, and hot tea.
IMG_7191Trixie wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the rain. Unlike our other dog, Baby, who would retreat into her dog house for the whole day when it rained, Trixie was soaked and muddy from digging in the yard, undeterred by the wet. She didn’t seem to care at first, but at one point jumped up and peeked in the window over the kitchen sink. I think she was a little bored. She had dried off a little by noon, so she went with me to take Dad his lunch in Hermosa. She is such a puppy! She hasn’t experienced many car rides and tried to cuddle up initially, then went back to trying to chew on whatever was close enough to get her mouth on, whether it was me, or her leash, or the blanket she was sitting on. She was pretty happy to see Sarah, who got off early from work today.
IMG_7196We’re hoping for more rain tonight. It doesn’t look like there is much chance of precipitation over the next week, but we’ll take whatever we get and be glad of it!

Laura Elizabeth

Keeping Cool

It was a hot one today. I thought I could go for a “cool, morning walk” by leaving at 9:00. Not so. When I got home at 10:00 or so, the thermometer was already reading 90 degrees. Luna chose to beat the heat by sleeping. All day. In the chicken shed. On a cardboard box. IMG_6815

Trixie, on the other hand, panted and looked miserable until I filled a plastic tub with water for her. Poor thing, she wanted so badly to go swimming in it, but it was just a little small. IMG_6791.small

IMG_6803.small IMG_6806.smallShe can swim in the stock pond, and does, but she gets muddy and gross and eats stuff off the bottom of the pond. And then she runs off.  We need to get her a kiddie pool.

Laura Elizabeth

Bats in the Miner’s Cabin

I love bats. Such tiny, mysterious little creatures, with their furry little bodies and leathery little wings, and little pointed ears. Unfortunately, I think the heat may have gotten to our bat population today. I saw one out in the heat of midday, which is almost unheard of, and then I found two babies as they fell out of their roost. By the time I had come back with gloves and my camera, they had died, presumably from the heat. Hopefully not from a bad disease. IMG_6913

Tonight in the Miner’s Cabin, there was a high-pitched squeaking and an occasional scrabbling sound coming from outside. When I went out to look, there was a baby bat clinging above the window, sometimes retreating into a crack above the window frame, and adult bats swooped around, sometimes coming to rest right near the baby. I’m afraid I agitated them a little bit in my admiration, since they swooped closer and closer to my head! They didn’t seem to appreciate my presence.

Judging from the number of adult bats and the squeaking, I’d say we have a bat nursery in our Miner’s Cabin! I can think of a handful of people who might not think this is such a nice thing. But I have no complaints.

Laura Elizabeth

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Puppy Antics

Baby animals are impossible to hold grudges against. Not that Trixie deserves any grudges just yet, but let’s just say she is all puppy and no training. She is grovellingly sweet – unless, of course, she has something and thinks someone is trying to take it away. The sweetness melts and out comes this ferocious little tiger of a dog. Project number one.
TrixieShe has already decided that this is home. I’m pretty impressed, considering that this was only day three for the little tyke. So for most of today, we were able to let her roam at will, mainly only chaining her up if my uncle drove by – Because he has a yellow lab who is already Trixie’s favorite buddy, and she will follow Sunny to the ends of the earth. But there is very little risk of her wandering too far. She is sociable and friendly, so pretty much where the people are, there she will be.
IMG_5318We have a new rule on the homestead, and that goes something like this: Anything belongs to Trixie. Anything she might be interested in, if it is conceivably within reach, belongs to her. That’s just how things are right now. Project number two.
IMG_5273There is an unfortunate symbiotic relationship between the cats and the dog. Cats kill rodents, dog eats remains. Perhaps if it happens more rapidly in the future, it will be fine, but Trixie found a very dead rabbit today. As in, full grown rabbit at least a week dead. It was putrid, and was apparently very appetizing. She carried it off and refused to give it up. Refer back to “tiger of a dog.” When Dad got it away from her (she already respects him), she tried fishing it out of the trash can. Nasty. The words “drop it” mean absolutely nothing to her. Neither does the word “come.” Projects number three and four.
Trixie and SarahAs I said, she’s all puppy, and she still thinks she is the size of a kitten. Meaning, she still things she is a lap dog. Sitting down on the porch next to her is an invitation to be mauled, in a puppy-rough kind of a way, where teeth get lightly involved with ears and chins and heads. That’s why the putrid rabbit was not an option. Baby, my sister’s dog and the one we had until about 6 months ago, is a reluctant cuddler. Trixie thrives off of cuddling and rough play.
IMG_5398And she is darling. Absolutely darling. And good company. I took a blanket outside this afternoon, and sat on it to do my Bible reading, and she sat with me watching her world go by, and sharing my bag of granola. She finally collapsed in the shade and fell asleep. I think she had a long day.

Laura Elizabeth

Happiness is…

To each his own, of course. Some prefer the bustle (chaos) of city living, or even the quiet bustle of town life. Some prefer the opportunities that come with living in the city, the close grocery stores, coffee shops, entertainment, the arts, etc. Some would be bored by what I consider to be the perfect pace of living. I recently had someone ask me what I do for fun. I kind of realized that just about all I do for fun is hiking. That, and photography and writing. I suppose some would be extremely bored by this.
Chives in the GardenThe Hills are in a state of perfection at sunset. Kashka followed me around as I snapped pictures of the cattle that Jack brought out for the summer, of the glowing poppies finally blooming in the overgrown garden, and of the chives which were neglected and left to head out. We’ve had a busy spring, and the garden unfortunately doesn’t weed or plant or prune itself.
Bully BoyThe cows contentedly grazed and watched me back as I watched them, and one of the cows headed straight towards me, like she wanted to say hello.  The little bull calves, like this one, were skittish but curious. The cows are in the pasture closest to the cabin, so we can hear them calling to each other, and can smell the warm, sweet odor, which I love.
Poppies at SunsetThe Kashka-Cat is a darling. She loves to be underfoot, in the way, and around “her people.” She and Luna make themselves scarce when we have company, but she and her brother are quite the life of the party when it is just the family. I worked on my Bible reading in the Miner’s Cabin before I went to get Anna from work and, true to form, Kashka roamed around the cabin for a good little while, finally ending up on the sofa with me. There is nothing quite like the company of a cat.
IMG_4153Happiness is a cabin, a camera, and the company of a cat. Perfection.

Laura Elizabeth