I Done Did It

Well folks, I done did it.

They all thought I couldn't.

Even I thought I couldn't after they all thought I couldn't.

What did I done do??

I helped drive our truck and trailer safely home to the ol' farmstead yesterday afternoon.

Yup, the little California girl can drive a diesel truck and 30 foot trailer.

Without hitting curbs.

Without hitting cars.

Without hitting pedestrians.

Without going over the speed limit.

I actually didn't think it was that big of a deal. I mean, I drove 10 horses every week in a 24+ foot horse trailer down mountain roads in Colorado. Where sometimes you had hundred foot drops on either side of you, and taking your eyes off the road for a second would end up with you driving down a mountainside.

However, I started to pysch myself out after I kept hearing from family member after family member,

"Oh Katie dear, are you sure you can handle that big ol' tank?"

"Can you handle that thing on the freeway?"

"What about those right turns?"

I'm not saying I'm an expert at driving trailers. I'm not saying I was any good when I started out driving goosenecks years ago. I learned how to drive a gooseneck in high school when we had a little gooseneck to tote the horses around to my rodeos. As far as bigger horse trailers - the first time I got put behind the wheel of the 24 or 28 foot trailer in Colorado, within a minute, I saw the trailer wheels go off the road into floating air. By some grace of God, we all made it safely - horses, wranglers, and our lunches still in our bellies. I think my now dear friends, Ash and Sarah, thought I was some Cali girl who drove a little Smart Car everywhere and were wondering why our boss decided to hire me.

But... that little trailer wheelie experience in Colorado along with being a passenger in a horse trailer accident involving my horse and trailer, I have learned to drive rather safely with a horse trailer.

No slidin' stops. Don't take yer eyes off the road pard'. And be nice to yer neighbors.

I'm not saying I'm the best truck and trailer drive out there either.

Sheesh, I'm sure as heck not the best driver out there, period.

But I try my best to get the job done and get everyone home safely.

And you know what I did yesterday afternoon??

I done did it.

 Anything boys can do, I can do better...



Reporting to you from the backseat

Currently, my mom, herdsman Joe, puppy Stoney, and I are headed down south on the 99 to meet my uncles. The are meeting us at Perkos cafe with a black shiny ford f550 with a 30 foot gooseneck trailer in tow. I'm supposed to know how to drive that thing pretty soon... Pray for me. And the cows I'll be transporting. Of course,this is all pending on whether or not I can acquire my class a drivers license. Pray for me. And the people driving on the highway when I take my test.

Today was the first day in about two weeks that the weather's been good enough to travel with a trailer over the Grapevine pass near L.A. Where my uncles are. So, about that weather. It's been raining. A LOT. As in, Texas and I had a 'manure river' flowing thru or front pasture down into driveway turning our porch, dogs, trucks, and newly planted flowerbeds a disaster zone. Plus, the rodents living outside have become sick and tired of being soaking wet for 10 days straight, so they've decided to move in with Texas and I. One big happy rodent friendly family!! Here's a picture of me at our house warming party for the mice, of course covered in my new favorite makeup secret: mud!!

Missing my Puppy

Someone's staying overnight at the vet's this evening after getting a certain puppy surgery.

One that means he's no longer a man. Yup, Stoney is no longer a mandog. He's an it. I'll now be referring to him as "it". I miss it.

I'm never going to be able to have kids. I can't do this separation anxiety stuff.

Hmm

One of these things is not like the other.

New

 So, I got a special delivery in the mail on Friday.

A very special delivery.

I bought a Canon Rebel T1i DSLR camera with some money I have been saving up over the last year from my birthday and Christmas. I have been meaning to buy a more advanced camera than a "point and shoot" for awhile. You won't be catching me sticking this baby in my back pocket while riding my horse or dancing at the bar.

Nope. This is my very first nice camera. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been cooperative in letting me try out my camera outdoors. It's been raining all weekend and blowing so hard that I woke up in the middle of the night last night in a full body sweat thinking I was back in the Panhandle of Texas. Not cool. Ok, maybe none of that really happened, but it's been a rough weekend. For Texas. He's had to work out in the miserable weather all weekend.

Back to my camera. Since I haven't had the chance to really go outside and shoot some pictures, I had to try it out inside to get a little taste of what to expect.

Naturally, I picked Goose to be my first model. At first, she was pretty shy. She would barely make eye contact with the camera.

After a few shots, she started to get acquainted with being in the spotlight.

I moved on to other models, like Texas. He's so cute. And "furry" as my vegetarian friend deemed him last week. All was fine and dandy with my Texas model, but...

I was suddenly pulled away...

Someone wanted to be back in the spotlight. Apparently, she didn't approve of me taking pictures of Texas.

So, I gave in and started taking more pictures of my furry kitty.

She ate it up.

Two thousand pictures later, I decided it was best to give Goose a water break, so I could also try out my new toy on the boys.

Oops.

After she caught me in the act the second time around, Goose made it clear that I was not allowed to take pictures without her in it.

How can I say no to this face? :)

Disclaimer: I am not a crazy cat lady.



"O Romeo, Romeo"

"Wherefore art thou Romeo?"

Looking Back on St. Patty's

In honor of St. Patty's Day, reminiscing on old times, and adjusting to the idea that I will probably not be drinking green beer today...

Here are some pictures from my previous St. Patty's Day excursions.

My friend Katie and I back in 2009 getting our butts up at the crack of dawn to stand in line at the bars at 5:45 a.m. During Finals Week.

I started the morning off at 6 a.m. with a red bull and vodka. Listening to a live rock/grunge band admist hundreds of other college students packed into a bar. Tell me, why was that fun?

Now, here's a look back to one year ago in 2010.

My friend Kat that I met while working at the 4UR in 2008 came to visit me for a week last winter. We decided that St. Patty's would be a good timeframe for her to visit me because it would be one of the few days there'd be more than 5 people at the bar in Creede.

How I miss the ol' Tommyknocker.

Living in a small mountain town for awhile was fun, but I don't think I could stay there forever as a single gal. It's the kind of town that you need a family to keep you busy during the long winter months.

Otherwise, you end up spending all of your free time doing this:

Not saying I don't like foosball, but I have far larger aspirations in life than being the Queen of Foos.

I sure do miss that little town though. Winter was my favorite time at the ranch. Except for the fact I was the only single twenty something at the ranch. Oh, and I couldn't ride my horse unless I made the 70 mile trip into the valley where it wasn't covered in three feet of snow.

Happy St. Patty's Day, and I hope someone out there dedicates a green beer to me today!!

Wordless

Fat Cat

Goose has been trying to adjust to life being an indoor cat. Life without squirrels, bunny rabbits, and mice... well, I guess she's had some mice in her life recently.

Since she doesn't have to find and kill her own food anymore, Goose has been basking in the delight of Meow Mix.

A little bit too much.

I have a fat cat.

So, I have been cutting back on her food, and all was going well until I came home for lunch yesterday and found this:

Goose had found her kitty treats which I had strategically stashed in a box underneath a bunch a heavy dog toys.

Not only did she find the kitty treats, but she violently opened the kitty treats and left them strewn all over the room.

The first step is admitting it. I have a fat cat.

Help.

Peppy

Sometimes, you get that feeling...

...that you're being followed...

...or watched from afar...

...and if you get that feeling here at the ranch...

...you can usually guess Peppy is not far away...

...she's sneaky...

....she'll follow you all over the ranch for hours...

...she might even follow you home and adopt you...

...anyone looking for a new cat??...

...I hear Petsmart has kitties up for adoption on the weekends...

....because this girls already got a home.... much to the dismay of Texas.

Cow Shitzu

This is what happens when you work with dairy cows after it rains.

You get covered in cow shitzu.

From head to toe.

Stoney thought it was great, so he congratulated me. I think it's because he can lick the manure off of my coveralls when he's sitting next to me. Bad puppy.

Since Then and Now

Well, I am not doing a very good job of being a blogger!! Sorry y'all, but I am a working woman!!

Here's what I have been up to:

Trying to sell a horse...

Trying to look for a new horse to add to my collection. FYI...

... this one was not the one.  I typically like horses that you can stop.

I've been busy wrangling little mousies.

Goosie seemed to enjoy her new "toy".

I even gave her an opportunity to catch and kill her own food once again... that was a fail.

Another thing I've been up to...

Texas and I turned this...

...into this!

Yup, totally a joint effort. As usual. :)

Hey, someone's gotta take pictures!

The end result:

Rosemary. Jalapenos. Peppermint. Cilantro.

Wait, I wanted to plant flowers, how'd we end up with spices and jalapenos??!

Of course, I've been taking lots of pictures of my baby who just turned 6 months old.

Working. Feeding these money eating machines. Getting covered in cow shitzu.

And of course, enjoying the California sun (when it's not raining, of course) with a cold brew in hand.

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