Decorating, Baking, Quilting, and Shopping!

November 28, 2009

Jennifer and the girls came for the weekend and we did some decorating yesterday and baking today! What fun!! We threw in a DVD on quilting, gosh, how much better can it get!!

Yesterday the girls helped put lights up on the railing. Liv said, "OOH! Look at the lights!" She didn't notice them being on until it got a little darker. Then Jen and I got the tree down from the bunk house and the girls helped me put the ornaments on. It was such a blessing for me. I could tell them where some of them came from and they got to put them on "where ever" they wanted!!! Of course Liv is ready for Christmas to be tomorrow. I explained that we are getting ready for Cookie Day too and that it would be SOON! Ready or not here it comes. I am so GLAD Jennifer wanted to start baking cookies. We now have some in the freezer waiting for the big day. I also have some sugar cookie dough in the refrigerator ready to be rolled and cut tomorrow. I love the smell of them baking as well as tasting them. I'll try to refrain until the BIG day! I tried another sugar cookie recipe. Maybe it will be the best one yet...

The Farmer's Wife came up with the idea of Cookie Day. She wanted us to make some memories together with the kids and this will be our 7th year. Not everyone has been able to come to each one, but we have done well. We have taken lots of pictures and there is lots of decorating of sugar cookies! A little candy is made. It is mostly visiting and eating and laughing. It is really Cowboy and my Christmas with the kids. Weather permitting, this will be Tristin's first Cookie Day.
Liv is hard at chopping the nuts finer. She was a BIG help to Jennifer! She stirred and shaped cookies and was ready for something else to do. Kamy was Cowboy's shotgun today. Actually Amy was shotgun and Kamy rode in the middle. They had a big time and Cowboy said she didn't say anything. I told him she was taking it all in. It will all spill out later!

Liv takes the best pictures! She is happy and smiling and ready for ...

Kamyrn got the garland put up and it will look "shiny" and bright for awhile. That is the last of the garland from Christmases past! All us kids like this! Look at her two helpers in the background.

I am sorry I don't have "shopping" pictures, but look in any paper or online. Cari and Joey went shopping yesterday morning. I didn't realize people were "driven" to get up at 3:30 or earlier to get to the shops which open at 4 a.m. Yikes!! It really takes Cari to tell the story. I was truly laughing. I told her she needs a blog and she asked me to blog for her, BUT it loses something in the translation from her to me to you. She said their destination was Best Buy for a new laptop for Cari and a router. She had the number and name of what she wanted. They waited in line and then they sat in the car and they she got in when the crowd rushed through the doors instead of going to the back of the line (at almost 6 ft. she can cut if she wants!). She made a "beeline" for the laptops, got the one she wanted and then had to swim through the crowd to find a clerk to find out where the routers were and then back to the same spot.

Joey had given her the pep talk in the car that it was to be a fun outing and if they didn't get what they wanted it would be okay and just enjoy it. He was farther back in the line, so when he got through the door, he grabbed a laptop and didn't even know what he had, thinking Cari maybe didn't get one!! They had a big laugh together about just enjoying the shopping and not getting in a panic! It sounds like the best part of the morning was when they met up with Joey's folks and went to breakfast at the Muzzle Loader. Cari said the cops were out in force early this morning... She said I would have to come up next year and we could go shopping. What could I possibly want at 4 a.m.??? and in cold weather where I would have to stand in line? I will have to give that some thought. Well, on second thinking--if it were fabric at 75 or 80% off...hummm.

And the best part was we got up to a skiff of snow. We girls were delighted. As Liv said, It looks like Christmas!!!

Real Cowboy Etiquette cont.

November 22, 2009

This picture has always been a favorite--the detail on the saddle is so clear.

"Holding Herd"

There are so many rules with holding herd but I will list a couple of them and just continue with the numbers I started.

Rule #4: The BOSS works the herd unless he specifies someone else.

Rule #5: As a rider do not let any cattle run out of the herd unless they are "worked out."

Rule #6: All riders outside of the herd are not to ride in front of another rider when keeping the cattle in a bunch. These cattle are not to be bunched too closely, just held in a "loose" circle. (They are not really circles in a true sense of the word either.)

AND, Cowboy reminded me that there is to be NO POINTING. I just started laughing because you see, when I first "held herd" I was the POINTER! My first REALLY big mistake! (Or maybe the first of many...) There were three of us which included Cowboy working this bunch of cattle. This was probably my maiden voyage as they say! I was watching cowboy and watching the cows and their calves and soon I spotted one pair right in front of me...this is hard to write! So being the dutifully organized person that I am, I wanted to help, so I waved my arm and pointed to the cow and calf. Oops!!!! Here came Cowboy and told me why not to point! It distracts the man working the cattle. He will eventually get to the ones you saw and his concentration is not broken by POINTING FINGERS. Another thing, don't help by trying to get the pair out yourself, pretty soon the herd has run every direction under your watchful eye. (I knew better, but sure wanted to slip in and get them out real "quick.")

Rule #6: It not polite to ride in front of another rider at any time. You are to ride around behind them.

Rule #7: You don't swap places around the herd. If you start on the left of the boss you stay there.

I prefer to work against the fence. It feels like I have more control of cattle trying to sneak by me.


Here are some top hands from Roscoe: John, Jason, and Jacob.

Here is a bunch of cattle and probably some chilled-down cowboys and they are
"holding herd."

I remember a cold day when they had me help. We were bundled up and there were several of us. I was cold and trying to stay warm while not moving. It seemed dreadfully slow and I got to day dreaming and watching traffic instead of "cattle." I got the big wave and got the message to "pay attention." Ah, the days of a working cowgirl!

Real Cowboy Etiquette

November 21, 2009

Cowboy on Ace...

Little did I know when I married Cowboy that I would learn Cowboy Etiquette. I knew table/dining/finer points of etiquette. Was I in for a formal education!

There are definite rules for cowboys when helping one another do cattle work.

Rule #1: When one is helping the neighbor, the neighbor leads out and this is called the circle or the gather. When they get to where they are going to gather the cattle, he starts breaking the riders off and tells them what part of the country he wants them to gather and where they are going to throw the herd together. ( I have gone with Cowboy when it is just the two of us and there is no way I keep up very well, and it doesn't matter what horse. We will have switched horses the next time and I am still behind. Could it possible be me and my riding ability?! My mind knows what I need to be doing, but my body lags behind!)

Rule #2: When the cowboy or cowboys are assigned their section they gather their own specific country and you are not suppose to ride into another's country unless you see something the other cowboy missed, but that could put you behind with your gather. Also it is good to "top" out so the others can see where you are.

Cowboy is taking this very seriously, so I will devote more than one blog to this task. He wants me to get it "right" and with the right terminology. And, of course, I like to digress with a story or two! I have a story that I want to tell and that brings us another rule.

Rule #3: When you gather a pasture, you gather it all and bring everything to the herd and leave nothing behind. He (the boss for that day) will work off the pairs or cows that he doesn't want for the purpose of the gather.

Now for the story. If my memory serves me correctly there were six of us riding that day. It was in the "south" pasture and I had my little area to work. I am sure that it was a straight shot of sorts. As you are well aware, I don't ride often and therefore "tucker" out easily so I am NEVER assigned the "outer" circle. Cowboy does that himself. Back to my story...I found three pair. If you have ever moved, worked or been around cows and calves, they didn't want to stay together and they were constantly trying to "leak" off. I worked my butt off and I finally was able to pick up seven more pair. I was pretty darned proud of myself to think that I was able to keep them together and I was headed in the right direction. (I have trouble with directions much to Cowboy's dismay!) I was busy keeping them all together and had ridden hard, for me, when over the hill came Cowboy. I was so glad to see him and wanted him to know I REALLY could be a cowgirl. When he got to me he said, "We have the herd already thrown together and we don't need these." Do you feel the shock I felt?? Needless to say, I cried! Bill said he was worried because it was taking me so long and that is why he came looking. I got myself pulled together before we got to the herd...

Tonight he said that he should have had me bring them into the herd as it is Rule #3 and he could have worked them off. But common sense says that is silly! It saved quite a bit of time not to. The next blog will be about holding herd.


The "men" and Cowboy's Sweetheart and Cowboy...

Hair-Do Day!

November 19, 2009

There you have it! Those are the 60's styles when I was strutting my stuff!!! Ratted hairdos with lots of hair spray, the taller the better, bouffant is the word!! In 1960 I was 13 and I graduated from Bozeman in 1969! I taught in mini skirts and "big" hair in Battle Ground, Washington. Cowboy said he would have liked to have been in a class with a teacher with a mini skirt! Hummm... The school had 1300 kids with three business teachers and bussed the majority of the students to school. I stayed one year. I was the "traveling" teacher, so had no desk or classroom. I did love the students. They wanted to know why I wanted to leave. I told them I could not see "out" (the Big Sky was beckoning), and I missed the smell of sagebrush. I think I have always been a country girl at heart! I told my Uncle that when I grew up I was going to marry a "rich" rancher. Little did I know that was an oxymoron!

Today was my monthly hair-do day!! I have been going to the same "stylist" for 12 years. We figured out the number of years today! One becomes friends and gets involved in their lives and have an update every 4 to 5 weeks! It made me feel special and she fixes it how I can't. I have that "glue" but when I put it on, it looks like "glue" and not really very touchable!

I hurried through the grocery store and grabbed a snack and my spiced chai tea and headed north/northeast! I left Roundup at 12:00 noon. Cowboy called at 1:45 p.m. to see if I was still in Round Town and I said sure. He asked me to pick up worm paste for the horses. Then I told him, sorry, I had the house in my sites. So, he was getting ready for lunch and we caught up on our day. The best part is when he said, "Boy, your hair sure looks nice!" I am telling you, Cowboy is a KEEPER!! No one usually sees me but him. I didn't have to put on a Scotch cap today (but I have!) but the treadmill time made it droop just a wee bit!

Getting my hair done is a treat!!! Hair color is the cheapest face lift a girl can give herself. It will take 10 years off of her age. Dye it grey and it will add 10. I don't want to test that theory just yet about the latter!

The BEST part of the morning was getting to see my friend, Betty Jean, who had spirited away to get her hair cut. We talked fast and furious! We had hugs and a few tears. What are friends about... It was just a blessing to see her.

Montana Sunset

November 18, 2009

I was driving home from Miles City yesterday in a "hurry" to get to a library meeting when the most beautiful sunset accompanied me home. I kept thinking I should just stop and take a picture. But, I had a "front door" as Cowboy would say, and I was in a hurry AND I just got an alignment and new tires...what can I say!

It finally just got to me. I had to stop and take a picture. I can't understand why my pictures don't turn out as well as God's original. I keep trying, but they don't seem to quite get how it REALLY looks! It just took my breath away. I wanted to share it with you.

The meeting went well, there is a new roof on the library building, no more swimming pools in the halls.

The weather has been so nice, Cowboy and I are counting our blessings for him to get his work done!

I went fabric shopping on Monday, but that is another blog with some fun pictures.

Almost Finished Project

November 11, 2009

I took a couple of pictures today to show the work on the garage, etc. for those that care. After glancing at the beginning lines of some of the blogs I follow, this will be a sleeper, but that is okay!
Note "temporary bridge" but it will work for this winter. We have teetered around on bricks, rocks and pallets for a few years now. It will be nice to shovel and sweep snow and be able to stand upright!!

We have both wandered around on the cement saying, "Isn't this just great!?! We will be putting our outfits in the garage on Saturday. Our dilemma is that we can't have the pad too long lengthwise as we have to get the water drained away from the house as it has a tendency to want to come back and pool around the basement. Won't the kiddies have fun with chalk and little toys!

This a has been a busy few days. We had cowboys here to help do cattle work and even called on The Farmer's Wife who was a Godsend for My Cowboy. He said she was "excellent" help. I need to forward that to her blog!! I did bunches of cooking and baking. Yesterday I caught up on washing and ironing and cut a little material. Today everyone went home as they shipped some more calves. I got one bed stripped and three to go. But Cowboy got leftovers, so no cooking today until this evening.

Have several sewing projects that HAVE to get done as soon as two babies arrive. Robert & Marina's baby blanket is done and I am working on a blanket for B.J. & Marsha's new little girl. When I get the pink one made, I will take some pictures.

We have 300 head of calves to wean yet...just maybe we will be done before Thanksgiving this year. The weather has held so far...

Cowboy Cooking for Cowboys!

November 8, 2009

The cowboys are coming the cowboys are coming! We had lots of roast beef left over, they were coming on Saturday to be here at noon. I had to be in Billings at a yearly meeting for the weight group that I work for so... we decided that barbecued beef would be the order of the day for Saturday. Friday night was the time to make Cowboy's special sauce.
And he cooks too! How blessed am I?? Actually this one was a joint effort as I chopped all the onion and garlic.

Ingredients to add. Now Farmer's Wife, you know that this has my stamp on it because everything is measured!! Cowboy told me that he measures "some" of the stuff.

Finished product and ready for the oven. I have to tell you I had some when I got home Saturday evening with a tossed salad and it was delicious. Rosie O'Grady told me I should probably put the recipe with this post. This recipe is out of the NATIONAL COWBOY HALL OF FAME CHUCK WAGON COOKBOOK.

COWBOY BARBECUE SAUCE

2 tablespoons bacon grease or vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup tomato catsup
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Hot red pepper sauce to taste
Makes about 2 cups.

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. (Bill likes to cook it more.)

2. Stir in the catsup, chili sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, until slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Season with hot sauce to taste. (Cowboy leaves out the hot sauce)
(The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated.)

Cowboy has tried other B-B-Q sauces, but keeping coming back to this one. He did a double batch and all we have left over is a short quart.

Work in Progress! And Bits and Pieces

November 6th, 2009

We are finally getting a side walk and ramp for the garage. I love watching other people hard at work so I thought I would take a few photos. I will have to post an "after" picture later.
#1 helper cat was renamed Miss Feisty today! She wanted to help in every way! They finally locked her in the kennel in the garage with food and water so there weren't cute little kitty tracks in the cement!
She is ready to pose...


The "boys" were trying to put plastic up before the cement came and they had quite a time getting the plastic away from her.

I am trying to promote a "bridge" between the slab and the bunk house door. Alan is a lumber man, my Cowboy is an iron man. He has function but The Farmer has the aesthetics. So nothing will be done over the winter. There isn't much room there. Cowboy wants to use treadplate...hummmm. At one time I had talked about an arbor and Cowboy informed me, "I don't want anything with an overhang..." so that idea went away!

Here is the cement and did they ever work for awhile. Then the WIND came!! Whew!!

I forgot to take a picture of the pies before they were cut. I don't know why they are on edge, but you can see those hard-working carpenters got to have their pick of peach or cherry! Besides, we have cowboys coming tomorrow so they will need pie to keep them going.

Although, my Cowboy told me that he was "getting about pie-ed out." Hard to believe...

On to BITS and PIECES

Amy went to the vet in Billings yesterday. STILL came home with a wrap that still looks like a cast. We will take it off in two weeks and check her leg. She would not use it up there and has been running around on it here. Go figure! Saying that she does not like that place is an understatement. They put her to sleep every time we go there so they can work on and x-ray her leg. She is READY to go home when time to leave. I went at 4 yesterday to get her as Dr. Brown said that would be fine. Of course she was still out and they wouldn't let me take her. I said I could load her myself and she could sleep going home. But the answer was no and I had to come back in an hour.

We got the weirdest catalog in the mail this week. Now that Christmas is nearing we are on MANY mailing lists. The particular catalog I am talking about gave me the weebee jebeebies. That unsettled feeling. I really wanted to burn the darned thing. I will not put the actual name of the catalog on here, but there are various hooded capes in velvet, jewelery that looks like snakes, books on spells, wizard canes, and dresses that looked "witchy". Bill and I looked at it together and both wondered where in the world that it had come from. I ripped our name off of the back and out of the order blank in the middle. I tore them up and it went in the recycle sack for magazines.

Time to sew a stitch or knit a row...

Facing Face Book

What in the world have I done? I keep getting e-mails from people saying that they want to be my "friend." I decided to bite the bullet and sign up or on or whichever it is. I have looked around in the site a little and looked at various pictures of some friends. Enjoyed the pictures of course. Then there were names of people that wanted to be "friends" and I didn't even know who they were! I had to call daughter #1 (that is tricky, do I call the Farmer's Wife daughter #1?? and M.M. daughter #1 or #2?) and ask her what to do about people that I clicked on and don't really want to be friends with. Then I asked about the names of people that I didn't have a clue who they were. Some were classmates of my kids. They don't want to hear from me surely.

NOW the big question is what does one do now that one can sign in???? One of my "quilting friends" asked the same thing, so I am not the only one in a quandary.

Blogging takes time and I am thinking searching around in Face Book will be a consumer of time also!

Questions, just questions????