Snowy Day Projects

I had the bigger bag cut out since December, waiting for the "right" time to put it together.  So, with all the snow, I thought it would best to be sewing instead of baking!

 

That is the 5th big bag I have made.  I couldn't decide which colors as I did like the black, white, and red bags I have made, and the cowboy fabric too.  But I really like the limely green color and it is pretty popular now in the quilt stores.  A friend made herself a smaller version of the big bag and made a purse.  I just cut my blocks down and used less blocks and came up with my own smaller version.  My friend Sandy in Lewistown gave me a pattern for the small coin purse with three little compartments, so naturally I had to make one of them too!! One of our big girls wants a big bag, so I will cut it out one of these first days...  She has picked her material.  I have quite a few projects in various stages of "doing!"  My Shop-Hop quilt for this year needs to be finished, the big blocks are done, I need to cut some more fabric and make some small bear paws and put it together.  It is faster to type what I need to do that doing it!  Ha!

 

This is a project that I "almost" had completed.  I had the binding sewn down and decided that I wanted to do a little bit more quilting so I had put it aside.  I took it out this month and got it finished so it will be ready for next Christmas.

Stranded Cows

When asked Monday morning, before we had gotten out of bed, Cowboy didn't think any cattle would be stranded in the storm.  We were in for a big surprise!  He did come back to the house before he had gotten very far in his feeding and asked for his camera in case there were some good shots to be taken!  Boy!  Did he get some!

  That is the Big Dry Creek that you are looking at.  It is blown full of snow.  This picture is east of our house.

 The cut bank is behind the cattle.  The 20 head went in there against it for protection from the storm.  The snow swirled around them until the drift was six feet all around.  Note the over hang of snow on the top of the bank. The only reason Cowboy went looking for these cattle is because his count was off.

You can see that Bill had started digging the trench (by hand).  He said it was six feet deep, at least.  (No wonder he was so tired on Monday evening.  He could not read his book very long without falling asleep!)

Note snow overhang has fallen on the cows.  The cows didn't really want to come out, but after the snow fell they were ready to come out the trench.

Finally here comes the first brave girl...

There they come...

They are one lucky bunch of girls!

This is a different pasture and Cowboy took a picture of the cows getting through the snow drifts.

Another pictures of cows crossing a coulee.  Cowboy is liking this blogging bit.  He likes to read the ones we are following and he likes to take pictures of cattle.  We may see more of his pictures if he keeps taking his camera.

An aside...I went with him yesterday at 1:30 p.m. to "help for a little while."  Ranch women every where know what that really means!  For maximum health benefits, it is recommended that we drink between 6-8 glasses of water a day or more.  I was prepared, I left the house and was ready for an hour or so...  About two and a half hours later, I kept looking at the outside temperature, wondering how much longer we would be...knowing it was going to get colder...knowing we wouldn't get home before dark...

I really do love the ranch life and please come and visit any time you can.  You may have to shovel a little snow right now!

Cowboy's Blizzard Picture

Cowboy wanted his camera to take some pictures outside.  He went to feed a "little" bunch of calves that will go to market when he can get them out!!  And then he went to get some more fire wood.  Note the snow drift in front of the deck.  The big snow pile by the side of the garage is my water tank/strawberry bed.  It collected lots of snow.  I am just so thankful that we don't have to go out in this, unless the power goes out and then Cowboy will have to hook up a generator.  We are praying that everything will hold until this is over.  We just got word that The Farmer and The Farmer's Wife are out of power.  Hope everyone can find a warm spot to get to.

Here is some more fire wood for us.  I was going to sweep a little while Cowboy was shoveling the deck because of the big drift, and the snow is wet even though it is not 32.  The wind was so strong, I didn't stay outside very long.  Bill took the broom and tried getting it off of the screen and window of sliding door and it is filled again and it has only been one hour.

I took this picture of the pin-tail grouse early in January.  He/She was eating the berries out of the cedar tree right outside the living room window.  Margaret told me that Gramps used to put corn on the deck railing to entice them to come in and eat.  Without Grandma being home, the grouse have been eating the berries in her trees undisturbed.  It was fun to do some bird watching.

Drink some hot chocolate and snuggle down.

Blizzard January 2010

This storm will be one for the record books.  I don't know how much it snowed last night, but every time I woke up I could hear the wind howling.  Cowboy got up at 4:30 a.m. and shoveled his way to the garage to let the dog out to do her morning duties.  Amy came out the door and hurried right back in and was having NO part of going outside!  Tiggy stayed six feet back from the door and looked out and was not going to let anyone boot HER out the door!

I took pictures of the windows early this morning.  They were so snow covered we couldn't see outside.  I told Cowboy that it made me claustrophobic instead of cozy and he told me to "step on outside."  Well, that wasn't what I had in mind and the wind was blowing too hard and the drifts were too high to sweep screens and windows!

 

 

 This picture was taken out the north living room window.  There is a huge drift and if you look to where we planted the trees, they are buried except for the one on the right.  You can just see the wire cage around it.  The snow is level with the dike.

 This was taken through the sliding glass doors looking at the deck, railing, and cedar tree.  They are heavy with snow.  The temperature has hovered in the 20's yesterday, all night, and today it is 24 right now.  Warm, but not really with the wind chill.

This is under the deck and there is a big drift by the cooker.  Looking at the center is my water pump with just the top sticking out.  Cowboy and Amy walked to the barn to do chores and the gates have big drifts in them and he said he had to pick his way around.  Cowboy said he couldn't drive his pickup down there without getting stuck.  We talked to one neighbor today and he got his pickup promptly stuck, so he just walked back to the house and left it there until this is over.

It is a great day for staying inside.  We did a joint effort and made hamburger soup for lunch and had a mini loaf of hard bread to go with it.  It was a feast!

Hope you are warm and "cozy" and safe where ever you are!

Winter January Storm Day

This storm has been predicted for a few days now.  One never knows if it is coming or not.  Sometimes they do bypass us.  One can only hope!  I took some pictures this morning and this afternoon.  It has been foggy all day with heavier fog at times.  I even filled some pitchers and jugs with water in case the power went off.  The lines were getting pretty big.  Bill is the one that said it might happen.

Rosie had me update my blog and now I can't write under the pictures.  What kind of deal is this???  It is 9:00 p.m. and I have turned into a pumpkin.  So, I guess I will write here and you can view pictures after you read!  Ugh!!  The tree in the yard this morning already had lots of frost and by afternoon it was really fluffy.  The trees above were taken later afternoon.  The cowboy hat and the scroll ironwork are under the deck and they had a fine coat too. 

When I was in grade school I stuck my tongue on the swing set at school.  Did every kid do that???  All it takes is one time!!  Hope the BIG storm passes us by.  Cowboy thinks we have 4 or 5 inches right now.  I see the trees swaying the breeze so the wind is blowing.  You can bet that it is blowing at the highway.  Montana always has a surprise as far as the weather is concerned.

Did I make this work?  We will see.  Computers are great, but frustrating!

Born and Bred in the USA

"My baby is American made..." Is the title and the start of this sentence two different songs??? Just wanted to show Cowboy in his "American made" clothes. (Not all of course, our companies outsource too much!)
Shirt: Ruddock Mfg. Company, Flying R Ranchwear, wool vest: Schaefer Outfitter, hat: Law Dog Hat Co., Billings, scarf ? We will give them a little free advertising. Bill has a blue wool vest from Schaefer's also.


Cowboy is pretty tickled with himself. He has lost 25 pounds and I am still working on my "freshman" 15! Well, maybe just the last 10. Why do men make it look so easy? They do lose faster than women which is a known fact. Needless to say, there haven't been many pies baked around our ranch for a while. That helps the cook!

Smoky Butte

January 17, 2010

On our way to church in Jordan this morning it was a beautiful day at the ranch...it was 36 degrees! That has got to be a beautiful day! When we topped the hill on the way to the highway Cowboy said, "Look at Smoky Butte." I was looking that way and marveling at the site.

All we could see was the very tip. We backed up the hill to take this picture. Bill said he had only seen that one or two times in his lifetime. He said that it is quite a large hill as he has been at the base of it, but it is sitting in a "hole" or low area. It is one of the higher "hills" in this area. There was a little weather front hanging in there.


Here is another picture a little closer to town. They told us there was quite a fog in Jordan for awhile this morning and this must be some of the aftermath.


Here it is on the way home, back to normal! Our snow is melting!! But it is icy around the house and out buildings!

Traveling Threesome!

January 14, 2010

I made a trip to Billings on Monday to pick up Cowboy as he was getting the semi worked on. My friend, Gladys had an appointment to get her knee replacement checked, so she rode with me. And our other passenger was Amy. She did well and LOVED traveling. I even got to go see Cari in her office at St. Vincent's. That was a highlight of the day!

Today was "hair-do" day, so I told Cowboy on Monday I was going to Roundup Thursday, so I could take him back to Billings to get his truck. Of course, Amy was a passenger again! Thinking that he would be headed home before me, Bill took Amy with him. He had to repair tires, get a rim replaced, and found another tire that needed repaired. He arrived home after me by almost two hours! Amy was glad to get home!
If only dogs could talk... She really wanted to ride in the front and me ride in the back! She got to have a couple of bites of Bill's snack on the way to Billings! My kids must think their mother is really slipping! I mean, after all, hauling a dog around in a VERY NICE car. I couldn't stand it tonight! I went out and cleaned the window and the seat and said to Cowboy that I was going to have to make or buy something for the seat!!
Don't you love this picture?! She is queen AND she gets to ride in the front and there isn't any room for Cowboy's Sweetheart!!!

Back to Roundup to the beauty shop. Betty Jean was getting her hair done and lo and behold, Molly Jo came to get her hair cut too! Molly Jo is Betty's granddaughter and a month older that our grandie, Baylee Murnion. This was her second cut from Doreen. She laughed and sat pretty still for an "almost" three-year-old. She will be three in March.
Below is Molly Jo with Mommy (Jenny Gilbert) and she is looking pretty serious as she knew we wanted a "beautiful" picture after her hair cut!

Grandma Betty Jean and Molly Jo...I see lots of family resemblance! What a good looking pair!

My friend Sandy liked how my hair was being done (she is from Lewistown), so she started making appointments when I did. At first she just met me for lunches when I went and then got so she wanted them to do her hair too. We both look forward to our monthly or every five week visits! We get caught up on family and whatever else is going on. Sandy and I are classmates and graduates of Custer County High School. We were wondering today where all the years have gone...
I am so very thankful that the weather warmed up and that the roads were good. I even broke down and washed the car. The windshield was so bad that I could only see out of the part the window washer cleaned and the same with the back window. As for putting stuff in or taking stuff out of the back end...ugh! Bill said that it would be a very good idea to get it washed. It probably won't last long, but at least one layer is gone not to be topped by another!

Roundup Quilting Day!

January 9, 2010

Cross Country Piece Makers meet the second Saturday of every month. It never varies and those that can make it show up. This group was started by a few enterprising young women in 1993. I joined in 1994. It is a wonderful group...people move away, friends die (which is the hardest of all), and new ones join all for the love of quilting! I have learned so much by going to these gatherings. The "girls" are all so willing to share what they have learned in classes, have given classes, and we have ALL profited from each other's mistakes. Most of all we laugh a lot and pray for one another and are there no matter what. I have some pictures from today.

One of the sayings of one of the charter members is, "Quilting together is cheaper than a psychiatrist." I am sure that doesn't take into account all the fabric, notions, well, enough said...

One of the fun things for us from Jordan is that we get in lots of visiting going and coming and solve lots of quilting dilemmas...
This quilt is called "The World's Easiest Quilt." I, for one, am here to tell you that is a bald-faced lie! I have made two of them, and it did not get any easier. Cathy Kombol has made seven of these I think she said. She said, "They are so easy!" I don't know whether to try another one or not. The last time I did one, I said, "Never AGAIN!" It is all in how you place the squares that have been cut twice and that is what makes the design. Clear as mud, huh??

Here is the fabric that she started with. I think we cut 15 or 16" squares. I can't remember and I am not going to look up the directions for you. Cathy thought that some kid would like this one or an old lady, namely her. One thing it is, bright and cheery.

Here is part of the group hard at it. Some of the retired ladies quilt every Wednesday, so they bring hand projects to work on during our Saturday meetings. A few bring machines, depending on projects at the time.

We are doing two different "block-of-the-month" projects. This snowman is one and each month will be finished so that is will be like a calendar where we change monthly. I didn't have mine done, I wanted to see some of the others and what they were doing. Most of us are excited about this one as we can use up scraps and it will reflect our personalities.

This is Leah's up close and personal...

Roma is always working on something that takes my eye. Today it is a black and white and that yummy lime green. I can hardly wait to see it done!
Laura F. got Leah's Snowman quilt done and it is so cute! The quilting is exquisite. The next picture will be a close up of the quilting. Laura has a long-arm machine and says she loves to quilt and she has an artistic flare. She makes up her quilting ideas.
One of the other block-of-the-month projects will be different star blocks. I decide I would do both, can't be left out you know. Maybe it is the overachiever mode I get in! ha! I picked out of a hat from the color wheel--I am doing monochromatic and the color I picked out of the hat is purple! Perfect!! I have lots of purple. I will use scraps and I need two darks, two mediums, and two lights in my blocks.

Another project on the burner after today is sewing together 128 light squares on top of 128 dark squares and see what we get. Mark them down the middle, sew on both sides of the mark, cut on the mark, and voila!!! Two blocks! Eleven of us decided to do this project and so we all had to cut 128 6 1/2" squares of light material and 128 darks. Then we walked around the table and took one off of the top of the dark piles. When we got them all picked up, we walked around and did the lights until those piles were gone. Whew!!!

I have enough projects to keep me out of trouble for a long time!! Not that I am prone to trouble...

New Year's Blessings!

January 3, 2010

That is so hard to write, 2010! I can remember when we were in high school and we were figuring out how old we would be in the year 2000. Goodness gracious! Now it is 2010 and that makes me ten years older and I thought that it was an OLD age way back! Age is relative...

Now to the blessing!!!!! I am doing a little purging. I never thought I was a saver until I had to move from Melstone to Billings and then from Billings to here. I always saved cards. I LOVE cards. I like buying them, I like sending them, and I like to receive them too! Cowboy likes to buy cards so that is a blessing for me. I digress from my story...

I was going through our wedding cards one by one, isn't that what your Mama tells you, just in case... and lo and behold!!! I found money. Here is the proof!!!
It even looks like old money, it is not like the "funny money" they are printing now! Oh, what a surprise! Both of us just started laughing!! Weren't we glad I did not throw the lot out!?! We looked at each one and did a little reminiscing about the givers.

I sat and wrote out some goals for 2010 and wrote how I would like to achieve them. I won't write them down for you, they are for me to do and strive for. Above all I want to be the woman God wants me to be this year and some of that will be getting in His word to read and study.

Hope you find a little money in your "old" cards!