May Update

Hey y'all! I'm baaaack! How is everyone? Loving May as much as me? This is one of my favorite months. So much fun to see everything "springing" (ah, ha, ha) to life!

So...still having a bit of a writers block with my blogging...seems like a lot of the stuff that I feel like blogging about is the same stuff I would have blogged about around this time last year! So for now, thought it might be fun to post some before & afters of our yard/arena. Can't believe it's been a year since we started really working on it!

Remember this?

Yay! I have a lawn now! Please excuse my crooked/wavy lines...must've been hittin' the Mike's Hard Lemonade prior to this. Just kidding. ;)Of course, we still have all kinds of work to do...finish weeding, mulching the beds, etc, etc. It really is endless, isn't it?

On to the arena...here it is when there was still a big ol' compost pile in the middle of it...
And here it is now! But it's still unfinished too. We had a friend who was using a dump truck for a project at his house so we were able to go in on it & start getting gravel. There's a great quarry just about 3 miles up the road from us...so convenient! Except that the truck had to go back & we're still a few dumps short on the gravel. So we're gonna have to buck up and pay a dump truck service or rent one ourselves to finish. Yuck. I'm tired of shelling out $$$.

Then, we'll still have to compact the gravel and then bring in sand. But at least it's a start! However, I'm really itchin' to get it done, because fatso needs some good exercise! And my horse does too. He, he. But really, it's been hard to look at this area that is *this close* and not be able to use it yet. Argh. The SAFE show that we participated in last year is coming up in a few months and I'm not sure if I'm gonna make my goal of entering all the English classes if I don't get to work SOON! For now, I've been putting around on him, up the road and whatnot, but I really need to get down to business. All in due time I guess.

If you ask me though, Caspian doesn't seem to mind this situation a bit. He seems more than content to enjoy a life of ease soaking up some sun, rolling in the dirt, and, of course, eating like a horse.

Oh, in other exciting horsey news...I got new truck!!! Long story, but the short of it is that at 205k well driven miles, my trusty Rodeo gave up the fight. She's now parked out to pasture...she might have some more life in her but it's gonna take some diagnostics and we didn't feel like continuing to dump $$ into her. Now we can just work on her a little at a time & not have to depend on her for daily commuting. I had had her into the mechanic a few times in the last couple of months and finally one fateful Saturday she got a little belligerent and started steering us all over the road. It was at that point that we turned her back around and headed home. My hubby was heading out of town for the day, but before he left he found a 2006 F150 for sale in a town a little bit north of us. He wasn't able to come with me, so I called up my mom and we did a bonsai run up there and the rest is history. I now have a new/old truck sitting in my driveway and I absolutely LOVE IT! It's funny how when you have become accustomed to putting up with your car's quirks, it makes you really appreciate driving a super reliable vehicle.

And the most exciting part is that it's the model with the V8 engine and transmission cooler...which means...a HORSE TRAILER is in my future! Eventually. My grandpa has one he's been trying to get me to take but it needs new tires. And probably some welding work. Nothing too major & obviously still a good deal but like I said...so tired of spending $$$. Especially with the recent new/old truck expense. I'm thinkin' maybe I'll be patient and if anyone buys my flowers (fingers crossed) at our Saturday market I'll use that $$ for tires. We'll see. I'll definitely keep you guys posted & you'll be the first to know when my Prince finally gets his chariot! I have so many plans for us once we get mobile! It opens up a whole new world!

Here's a glimpse of some of my baby flowers...hopefully these guys will prove to be profitable and play a role in getting us mobile! Keep your fingers crossed for me! I'll definitely keep y'all posted!

Happy spring and longer days to you all!

Is it really April?

...and have I really not blogged since FEBRUARY?!?! Jeez, I'm such a slacker! Thank you Pony Girl for reaching out and giving me a little cyber tap on the shoulder..."Hello....you out there??" ;)

Yep, I'm still around! So many times I've gone to do a blog post, but have then gotten wrapped up in other things...sometimes it's really hard to find the time, huh? But I've been missin' y'all so HI!!

One of the things that has had me SUPER busy lately is that I've started a flower farm...can't remember if I mentioned that before. I'm totally excited about it, but it has been taking a ton of my energy lately! Not just the manual labor (I'm sitting here with SORE muscles), but also a lot of computer time has been devoted to it. I started a blog for it back in October and recently I've been working on a regular website and facebook page for it. Busy, busy! But fun! It anyone out there is interested in flower farming info, feel free to hop on over to my flower farm blog! :)

So...here's a quick post to update y'all on the latest goings on...

My new favorite piece of decor in my house...a "twig" wall sconce from Partylite! It's supposed to be for candles of course, but what kind of flower farmer would I be if I didn't put flowers in it?! ;)

Spring is finally here! I just love when tulips start showing their colors!

Caspian's doing well, but gave me a bit of a scare last week when I discovered this horrible looking scrape on his back leg! I was absolutely baffled as to how he would have done it...I really try to keep his pasture/shelter area free from any possible hazards. But you know horses! I finally had a lightbulb moment and realized that he must have scraped it on the farrier's hoof stand when he got his pedicure. He was really full of it that day and was being a bit of a pill. How I didn't notice it right away is beyond me, but it's healing up well and I've been giving it lots of TLC. I can hardly stand to look at this picture. My poor baby. It's looking so much better now, thank goodness.

The Wacky Weimies are crazy as always and are really enjoying the nicer weather and longer days. We've gotten back in the routine of our daily walks and all of us are loving it. I live for those walks. Lately, I've even been incorporating some skipping into the routine...'cause it's really fun and helps get my heart rate up! I loathe jogging, but I could skip a mile any day of the week! I have to admit that I go back to walking if I hear a car coming though. I feel like Phoebe from Friends on the episode where she runs with her arms circling like wind turbines through Central Park. And I'm not sure that I want to be known in my 'hood as the girl who "skips" her dogs... ;)
Okey dokey, think that's it for now! But here's a little cyber flower arrangement for you guys...happy spring! I'll try to be back soon! :)

Uncharacteristic

It is uncharacteristically beeee-autiful around here right now! Spring has sprung and weeks ahead of schedule. It's weird to be basking in this spring-type weather when so many other parts of the country have been getting dumped on with snow! But hey, I'm not complaining, for the past couple of years that's been us! Well, I guess we didn't really get dumped on this time of year but it was still COLD and we definitely did have some of the white stuff.

But not this year! It's super warm and everything seems to be coming alive right now. Flowering trees are bursting with color, birds are singing in the trees, horses are shedding...it's craziness! But again, I'm NOT complaining! I'll take it while we've got it! Seems like we get a spring like this about every five years or so. I can remember that both '99 and '05 were like this...so I guess we're right on schedule!

Along with all this nice weather, we've had some absolutely gorgeous sunsets lately. I probably should have saved these pics for "Skywatch Friday" but we all know I've been a little lax in my posting lately, so I figured I better get 'em up now before it's June ;)

Our Forsythia shrubs are blooming, which is one of my favorite flowering shrubs to take cuttings from. These lasted about a week and a half in the vase with very little attention, other than changing out the water. Love having flowers in the house.

Happy almost March everyone! Just a few more weeks to go 'till it's official! WOO-HOO!!!

Out of my blogging block!

...for now at least!

Wow, it's been FOREVER since I last posted! I've still been visiting all of my wonderful bloggy friends, enjoying keeping up with everyone but for some reason I've just had a major blogging block goin' on! I still don't know if I have a whole ton to write about, but I did have a couple of things that I wanted to share with you. One is an idea that I meant to post LAST APRIL! Um, we're now only two months away from THIS APRIL!! I'm so lame! :)

But, nonetheless, here it is:

During this time of the year, I often try to channel some of my energy into working on "inside" tasks. 'Cause I know that as soon as it warms up just a smidgen you won't be able to keep me in! So one thing I did last April was spruce up my media cabinets a little. I was tired of looking at my DVDs and books through the clear glass so I decided to make some fabric panels to dress 'em up a little. I'm a dork and forgot to take before pictures, but you've all seen a cabinet with see through glass, right? ;)

So, here's the after...I chose a faux suede with "tooling"...found it for a pretty good deal at good ol' Walmart.
And here's the inside view. I just took an Elmer's foam board, cut it to the dimension of my glass with an exacto knife and then wrapped the fabric around it, securing it with glue dots. Then, I just tucked it into the recessed area behind the glass and...as "Cake Boss" would say...BADA BOOM! I had fancy cabinet! P.S. That's the real reason I haven't been blogging...been glued to Cake Boss marathons on TLC. ;) he, he
Here, I did the same thing with my book case that's in our front room. It's the first room people see when they walk in and I just think the book case was cluttering it up a little.
Now, it's nice and un-cluttered. Much mo' betta.
Lastly, for those of you like me who are in denial that it's not quite spring yet, let's start some seeds shall we? This is the only good picture I have to post, but I wanted to share an idea I just learned about. Instead of buying peat pots for starting seeds, you can totally use stuff you have around the house! In the background, you'll see a tray filled with toilet paper rolls cut in half, then a tray of plastic pony pack pots that I had left over from last year, and here in the foreground...coffee cups and sleeves! These babies worked PERFECTLY for the larger seedlings that I was transplanting. Just filled 'em up with dirt (using a plastic spoon for scooping) and ta da! An extra bonus to this method is that when you go to plant your start in the ground, you can kinda shimmy the sleeve up to act as a protective barrier for the first few days of being outside in the ground. I can't take credit for this idea...read it in my "Starting from Seed" magazine...what a great resource that magazine was!
More post to follow (I promise!) with pics as my baby plants develop. YAY! These hands just can't WAIT to get dirty!!

Hope everyone is doing well! I'll be back soon! :) Ta ta for now!

Frost & Harvest

Kuntry Boy and I got to get outta town for a couple of days recently...and upon our return THIS is what I saw! Excuse me whilst I weep aloud. Sniff, sniff.

Apparently, while we were gone Western Washington experienced her first frost. Well, at least those of us at higher elevations. I can't speak for the lowlands, but I suspect that they may have been spared this time around. But just wait...it's coming for ya.

We've had some very nice fall days, but recently it has turned c-o-l-d. As in itchy skin, chapped lips, and warm up the car in the morning cold. Yuck. I've been dreading this. But I've also been preparing myself for it. And it's time I suck it up.

So yesterday I donned my jacket and earwarmer and poked around in the garden, desperately clinging on to the memory of warm soil.

Sadly, it's time to say good bye to most of my flowers for the year. But I rest assured knowing that my tulip and lily bulbs are cozy underneath a bed of dirt and poo and will be there to bring in the spring after cooling their roots for the winter.

I do have a few beds that still contain some cheeriness...a few varieties that don't mind a little chill like snapdragons, stock, bachelor buttons, sunflowers, and sweet peas. But it's only a matter of time. ;)

Fortunately it's not all doom and gloom in the garden (hmm...am I coming off a little melodramatic? Maybe a bit whiny?) ;)

Anyway, while I was poking around and inspecting the carnage I came across this lovely sight!

Wow! How exciting! Red potatoes ready to be harvested! I was so stoked about this because even though I've been an obsessed gardener for years, this was my first year trying my hand at growing food! As I rooted around I came up with 11 or so of these babies. And a few were BIG! Too fun!

In the same bed as these guys I also grew leeks and onions...so guess what I made for dinner tonight? That's right! Potato leek soup! You are so smart. ;)

Unfortunately, my onions were not as successful as the potatoes or leeks. See these three little baby onions? Yeah, they're more like shallots. Oh, well. I still used 'em. And another grown up onion from the store. Darn it. But it was still fun to use ingredients from the garden to make dinner tonight!

And guess what the best part is? Kuntry Boy LIKED IT!! ***Bells, whistles, party blower, ah-ooo-ga*** Mark this day on the calendar! It's not often that one of my experimental meals gets rave reviews. Or even a "thumbs in the middle". But he kept going on and on about it! Of course, he had to doctor it up with lots of pepper and saltines, but he even does that to Ivar's clam chowder so I didn't take it too personally. ;)

I found the recipe for it at http://www.pinchmysalt.com/. I picked it 'cause it looked like the most straightforward recipe, yet still flavorful. Emeril had a mouthwatering recipe, but Mr. Meat and patatas isn't usually a fan of meals with a "gourmet spin".

Definitely go check out the site, but here's the gist of it:

Sautee up (in 3tbsp. butter) 1 onion (chopped) and 3 leeks (thinly sliced) until just golden brown.

While that's cookin', thinly slice up 6-8 potatoes (depending on the type/size of potato being used).

Once the onions and leeks have turned golden, add in the potatoes and enough chicken broth to just cover the potatoes.

Continue cooking on medium heat until potatoes soften.

Use a masher to, um, mash the potatoes until you reach the desired consistency.


Add in 1 cup (or so) of heavy cream (or half and half or milk). I used heavy cream. 'Cause now that it's getting cold I need some extra insulation. At least that's what I tell myself each winter. ;) Also add in any seasonings you dig...I used sea salt & pepper and a little garlic sea salt too. Can't go wrong with garlic, right?

Cook on low to medium heat for about 15 more minutes to let the soup thicken and then serve up and enjoy!


Since I didn't think the heavy cream was enough of a sin I also sprinkled some cheese on top. Oh, yeah...and I also dipped some fresh bread into it. I'm doomed. Better put the scale away for a few months. Why can't I have the metabolism of a Weimaraner? ;)

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Macro Monday: My Garden Friend

Hello everyone, and happy Macro Monday to you! Ed, over at Sunday Stills has been thoughtful enough to add another feature to his site and is now hosting Macro Monday as well! Too fun! I love taking macro shots (now that my friend Patches showed me how to!), so I'm really excited about this addition.

I actually didn't plan on participating this week, but I just got done uploading these photos of a little stowaway that was on my snapdragons that I brought in tonight. I was fascinated by this guy (or gal?) and was really excited to get some decent shots. He (she?) was moving really fast trying to figure out what the heck happened and why he (she?) was no longer in the garden! Once I saw them I thought, "ooh, perfect for Macro Monday!" So here I am!

I was really excited with how clear this one came out. How cool that you can see the eyes! Unfortunately, there's a MAJOR rookie mistake in this picture. See that big black area in the foreground? Yeah, that would be my shadow...uh, I'm still learning. ;)
This guy's shadow is okay, though. Sadly, after taking this photo, I lost track of the little guy and I fear that he may have been injested by Cabela. I was attempting to get him back on a snapdragon stalk to bring him outside when Cabela stuck her nose right in the middle of what I was doing and then started licking her chops. I never did see him again. Goodbye, little friend. We'll always have the macros...

I love it! *20 Kuntry Girl favorites*

Gosh, time sure is flying by this summer! I've been a little absent from blogging lately, because I've been super busy with all sorts of fun shenanigans. :) Like so many of you, I'm sure, I have this huge backlog of blog posts I've been meaning to write but haven't quite been able to find the time for. So, I figured why not just get them all out in one post?

So, I would like to share with you the top twenty things (in no particular order) that I'm lovin' right now, figuring that this should pretty much cover most of my backlogged blog post ideas. Then, the slate will be clean, my mind will be clear and I will be at peace again. For now. ;)

20. I'm lovin' this heat wave we're having in Washington!! I know, I know...it's a little much for us Washington folk who are used to being spoiled by a very temperate summer climate. However, as you're wiping the sweat from your brow walking to your mailbox, I challenge you to remember that our six month winter will be here before we know it and we will be longing for these hot summer days! I know I will be!

19. I'm lovin' the evening breezes that lightly blow past me as I'm outside taking care of my last few chores. They carry on them the scent of horse poo and sweet peas and they are a welcome friend at the end of a sweltering day.

18. I'm lovin' fresh strawberries from the garden and I'm looking forward to the ripening of our blueberries and blackberries.

17. I'm loving' the fact that I got to enjoy some quality summer time with Kuntry Boy at the beach last week! Even if it was just one day, this type of trip is usually not possible 'till Octoberish.

Not that the time of year makes much difference when you're talking Washington beaches! July or October, it's probably gonna be grey, maybe a little drizzly, and a lot chilly! :) But we did get some sun too! I'm lovin' the fact that I got to cruise around on the back of a moped with him and momentarily forget about the fact that there's still another month or so before he's home again!

I love that we got to have a campfire on the beach and that he seemed to really enjoy being able to kick back and relax on a fun summer day. This time of year, he usually only gets one day off about every thirty or forty days.

I loved taking these pictures of him and his friend (he and his friend?) that we went with...his friend's wife & I were cracking up...don't these pictures look so romantic?!

The mopeds parked side by side, the dudes gazing over the water contemplating life...so picturesque. He'd kick my butt if he knew I was posting these, so let's just keep this between us, shall we? ;)

16. I'm lovin' that my garden is starting to take off after a late, late planting this year. I love cutting fresh snapdragons and herbs to bring inside.

I'm looking forward to blooming sunflowers and zinnias. I love my little garden kitty that accompanies (and sometimes annoys) me as I'm watering and weeding. Why do cats always have to park themselves in the middle of what you're doing?!

15. I'm lovin' that my grass experiment is actually working and I'm starting to get a (somewhat) lush front lawn! I've been installing it one wheelbarrow at a time, mixing topsoil, coconut fiber, organic compost, dolomite lime, grass seed, and water then spreading it out, molding the edge to the contours of our flower gardens. I still have lots of work to do, but it's coming along!

14. I'm lovin' my two new "summer bags". I got the green one at the Gap on a super sale and it worked great as a beach bag! The bright one I got from a very good friend who unfortunately lives way too far away from me. She sent this to me on my birthday and I absolutely love it. It's called a Bagolita...I love the uniqueness of these bags!

13. I'm lovin' easy, light summer meals. I love snipping fresh dill from the garden and broiling up some salmon. I love cheese tortellinis with basil, garlic, EVOO, lemon juice, and cheese. Sometimes I top 'em with fresh shrimp or scallops. P.S. Yes, Patches, that is bag cheese. I'm so ashamed. I love my staple summer dinner of an "avocado omelet taco". Using eggs in a carton (Best of the Egg by Lucerne), I fry myself up an "egg tortilla", sprinkle on some salt and pepper, top with Italian cheese (again, from a bag) and then fold over a mix of cubed avocado and chopped onion and tomato. Super quick and good for me! Love it! I also love my summer dessert of plain yogurt topped with honey from my mom's beehives. So good!

12. I'm lovin' grooming my smooth summer horsey. I'm especially lovin' a new skin treatment I got for him called Calm Coat. This stuff smells SO good and has all sorts of healing benefits. I recently read about mixing it with Vaseline and Campo Phenique for a bug bite salve/repellent. Perfect to rub on Caspian's belly with a sponge, since he's a buger about fly spray. Although, I'd prefer not to use petroleum, so I'm trying to think of something else similar that I can mix it with. Any suggestions? Lanolin? Five O'Clock Somewhere? Any expert advice?

11. I'm lovin' the surcingle and long lines I got for training. Speaking of training, I'm really lovin' our trainer. She's so patient, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. She's super helpful and above everything, she's extremely generous. One session, she brought out a bunch of her saddles to help me determine what type of saddle will be the best fit for Caspian. Last session, she brought me five of her own books to read to reinforce what we've been learning.

10. I'm lovin' Dover's Summer Sale catalog, from which I just ordered two new pairs of breeches and a pair of super cool boot socks. I swear I did need these, 'cause I only had one pair of junky consignment breeches. I need to stop looking at the catalog now, though, because I probably don't need a pair in every color (including plaid). Nor do I need a pair of half-chaps, a new helmet, and multiple pairs of gloves. Yet. ;)

9. I'm lovin' the sweet smell of sun baked local hay permeating the still summer air. I love driving down our highway with my windows down and filling my lungs with it. If I could bottle that smell, I'd put it in one of those reed diffusers! :)

8. I'm lovin' the fact that local farmland that two years ago would have been snatched up by a developer is now being farmed again. There's a new farm that's started right down the road from me that's growing organic produce. I love passing by the workers each morning and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that their venture will be successful.

7. I'm lovin' living in a small town. I've really come alive living in the country again. It suits me perfectly. I love all the work that goes with it, even if it can be overwhelming at times. I love that I'm on a first name basis at the hardware store and the post office. I love that I have awesome neighbors that watch over me and our house and whom I can trust to take excellent care of my horse when I'm out of town.

6. I'm lovin' Pioneer Woman's new Tasty Kitchen website. She's really outdone herself now!

5. I'm lovin' my new pair of gardening clogs. They're SUPER dorky, but I don't get a funky sock line when I wear them. Plus, they match the tank top that I wear under my denim shorts overalls. Now is this Kuntry Chic or what?!

4. I'm lovin' the snakes that slither through the tall grass as I walk up our hill to water our trees. Seriously. I've made my peace with them. Only because they're not poisonous. ;)

3. I'm lovin' the fact that the Jenny Doe has been getting a lot of rest lately. I don't love that it's because my pastures are fried, but I'm not a huge fan of mowing. Well, I actually don't really mind it, it's pretty relaxing (unless I'm getting stuck traversing our hills) but it takes up SO MUCH TIME!

2. I'm lovin' waking up early on Sunday mornings so that I have a little time to be lazy with my crazies. They seriously know when it's the weekend and they love to lounge around with me before starting our day.

Dogs are so smart. It's crazy how they have their little internal clocks.

1. Last, but not least, I'm LOVIN' all my blogging buddies! You all provide me with great daily entertainment, not to mention lots of wonderful information and insights. I might not always get a chance to comment, especially if I'm doing a quick read, but I really appreciate everyone's stories and helpful tips!

Some of my most recent favorite informative posts have been:

**Kacy with her post on hoof boots. I've been contemplating what type to get Caspian and can use all the info. possible.

**One Red Horse with tips for helping to strengthen a horse's back. I've recently started some exercises with Caspian that our trainer showed me so this post was very timely! It was amazing to see her before & afters!

**Five O'Clock Somewhere with her healing salve post. Quite impressive!

Okey dokey, I think that's it! What are some of your favorite things right now? :)