Where’s the beach?? Aye!

My sweet honey works harder than anyone I have ever known.  Peanut season was upon us and he thought we only had a week before it started…he checked again and realized we had two weeks instead.  He decided we needed to take a trip before it started because he knew how much work was ahead of him.  When a man that works this hard says “let’s go” I just say where and when???…he replied Canada and 3 days from now…so yes we planned, booked, and packed for an 8 day trip in 3 days.  I am happy to say I did not choke him before, during, or after the trip.

Our morning started out early…we had a 7 am flight from Tampa which meant getting there at 5 am which meant leaving our house at 3 am…and yet no choking.  Upon arrival I had to go potty…big mistake…I washed my hands…its how I roll…as we passed the security check they ran a small piece of paper over my hands and put it in a machine and an alarm went off.  I was asked to take my luggage to a side room for a more thorough security check.  I was calm…Pug came and stood guard at the door of a very small room.

These two ladies who were very nice proceeded to explain exactly what they were about to do…needless to say I WAS NOT asked to remove any clothing…I would have had a major throw down….I mean REALLY…anyway after a thorough molestation of my personal self (the lady was very professional and gentle) they searched my luggage and gave me the okay…I was relieved and only slightly ticked and that was only because it was 5 am and I am NOT a morning person. After a closer inspection in the mirror I saw the dark circles under my puffy eyes and I could have easily been mistaken for a drug dealer as well as a user…..no wonder they checked me. While waiting for our flight we were called up to the desk on the loud speaker…what now????? Did they forget a spot on me…they said the flight was full and were reseating us…at first she gave us the wrong ticket and we were not even sitting together... so she redid it and we found out we were in FIRST CLASS.

We were going to be THOSE  people that we kind of sneer at when we board…not cause they are in the front but because they have ALL that leg room…now WE have all that leg room.  We were too tired and hungry to enjoy the breakfast but settled in our roomy seats quite nicely. I told Pug that they must have really wanted to keep a good eye on me…hope I am not on any watch lists :)

Our first stop was Quebec City, Canada.  It was beautiful and reminded me a lot of Europe.  The people were all very friendly (okay so that part did not remind me of Europe) and the scenery was so very pretty (but this part did).

         

         

         


                

         


After walking the boardwalk and the small shops of Quebec City, Pug and I took a tour that started at a vineyard….yes that is where they make wine…the good stuff.  The only wine I have ever liked was bought at a Jiffy store and had the word tickle on the bottle (can you say Boonesfarm).  I am not a wine drinker…at all.  But we were on a tour so we proceeded to taste with everybody else.  I had to be really careful not to let anyone see the yucky face I was making when I tasted…Pug was much better than I and actually liked some of it. It got to the point that I did not even get a sip in my glass and just took a small sip of Pug’s.  We tried 8 different wines…made right there at the vineyard…the expensive kind…and out of all 8…I liked ….O…yes-- none, nada, zilch…could not drink it without making a face…next time we are touring a rum distillery :)

           
                       I was surprised at the size of the grapes…very small.

                                    
                              The view behind the vineyard was beautiful.


           

This was a beautiful Basilica.             Here are the un-snowed-on ski slopes, would love to see it                                                                   covered in snow.

Our next stop was St. Annes Canyon.  This place was breathtaking…literally…we did a lot of climbing of steps and walking across bridges…but the views were worth it…and still no choking.

           

                 

       

        

I will do any amount of climbing to get this man’s thumbs up!!!

       

      
                                                                This was our view as we left Quebec City.


Our next stop was Charlottetown, which is also called Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia.  We took a tour to see some lighthouses.   Now I know what PEI stands for when talking about mussels :)

            

               

        

We got to the top of this one…more climbing and still no choking…and it was really hot up there so we took pictures quick and headed back down.  Each lighthouse had all the info on when they were used and how and had some of the original house stuff in them on display. Very interesting.

          

                 

The first lighthouses were round and difficult to build...then they decided to build them square because it was so much easier...so that is how you can tell the older ones from the newer ones....

          

We saw this light house as we left Charlottetown.  It was very hazy but really cool to see the light on.  There were many of these huge turbines everywhere.  It looks like they are directly behind this lighthouse but as we went further out the turbines were actually way down the island and not even close to the lighthouse.


Next stop was Sydney, Nova Scotia.  It was a quaint little town where Alexander Graham Bell lived.  Pug and I had our pictures taken with Alex and Mable.  They didn’t have much to say but seemed to be so much in love as they stared into each others eyes :) 

         

           

We did not find a tour we liked so we just hired a taxi driver and he took us on a beautiful scenic drive….he was very nice and informative…it was a relaxing drive.

           

           

                  

Canadian Geese…funny that we have seen these on our prairie before…….



Next was Halifax, Nova Scotia.  This was a big dang fiddle…actually the biggest in the world…but I really think Charlie Daniels could play the heck out of it if given a chance.  The outlander in the kilt playing the bagpipes was really cool.  He actually played one night in the show room on the ship. First he gave a very informative talk on the Citadel in Halifax, which was an un-penetrable fort in Halifax.  He explained how many tried to, but never succeeded in taking over the fort.  It was very interesting.   He was very talented and I love bagpipe music..must be my Irish roots…I listened and thought of how I had heard Amazing Grace played at a funeral one time and how much I loved it.  The show was almost over and it was announced he would play one more song…the cruise director said it was one of his favorites….the bagpipes started playing Amazing Grace…it was beautiful and enjoyed by everyone in the room…I was touched…

               

                 

          

This is the view from the Citadel…and the view into the Citadel…but going in was not part of the tour…we were a little disappointed but understood that more time would be needed to tour it.  This outlander guarding the fort was very serious and never moved a muscle…even when getting his picture taken with people.  It was kind of cool that I was reading a romance novel about an outlander on this trip….this guy was very sharp and professional but not near as sexy, tall, muscled, fair skinned and red-headed as the hero in my book…anyway it was cool to be reading about what I was seeing.


Next stop was the Public Gardens. The flowers were so gorgeous.  The pictures just don’t capture the true beauty. But we tried anyway.

           
    
         

          

         

We also toured the graveyard of many of the Titanic victims.  Halifax was the first city to respond to the distress call.  There were many graves with no names because so many were never identified…all had a number that told the order they were discovered.  It was kind of surreal to walk through and see all these named and unnamed grave markers and I was amazed at how many children were on the ship.  I was reliving the movie with Jack and Rose over in my head…I know it was not exactly like that but I am sure it was similar. Not to be disrespectful to any of the real people…but I still don’t understand why Rose did not move her butt over and let Jack get on that big floating door with her????

        



Next we toured Peggy’s Cove.  It was amazing.  It was really windy too.  Lots of rocks to climb…still no choking…this is true love people.  This was definitely scenery that I have never seen before.

       

                   

       

This is supposed to be vacation…why all the climbing…where’s the beach???? Aye’

       
              I loved this little area…so quaint... and this church was so sweet.


Our last stop before the Boston airport was Bar Harbor, Maine.  We have been here before years ago and we loved it.  We actually stayed in this hotel right on the water.  I was so happy to see this American flag…there is no place like home.

        

First was a bus ride to Cadillac Mountain.  We saw it years ago at sunset so this would be different.  Our bus driver looked like he was 99 years old but he was a great driver…I think he could have driven with his eyes closed which is good cause I don’t think he could see very well.

        

        

        

The views were breathtaking and so was the climbing (no choking) and that is our ship!!

We booked a tour on this schooner and we were not disappointed…the ride was very pleasant and we got some good pictures. Pug had a long conversation with the Captain who was very nice. I actually got to roll up my sleeves and catch a few sun rays since we had not seen the sun since we were in Quebec City.

        

        

This was Rick, a Newfoundland, he is a rescue dog…I am sure he could save you from drowning but he was also quite good at finding all the shady spots on the boat and enjoying all the attention from everyone onboard.  He moved very slow but still looked capable to do his job.  This boat is a lobster boat…there were many.

        

This is a picture of all the lobster traps…there were thousands….and this is our view leaving Bar Harbor.


        

Bar Harbor does not have a dock so we had to tender in from our ship. We used the lifeboats to tender in and the crew was very organized and got us there and back quite proficiently.  Pug really enjoyed watching them put the boats back.

        

I thought these chairs were pretty…kind of sets the whole décor mood of the ship…you don’t see these on other cruise ships…I thought they looked quite regal…kind of like the Titanic. There were plenty of wise (I don’t like the term “old”) people on this ship that may have sailed on the Titanic…anyway these chairs were right around the corner from our room…we could have sat in them any time we wanted…we did not….but we could have.   And who does not like a swinging monkey with eyes watching you sleep….that would be ME…he was cute and we got a picture but the eyes were too much…just a little creepy…I DO NOT do creepy.



       

My sweet honey had a relaxing time (absolutely no choking :) and he enjoyed himself but he had to stay connected…he always wanted to make sure all was right at home and on the farm. Its how he rolls.


        

When the hardest working man I have ever known says let’s go…I just say…when and where????? I will do anything to see this smile!!!

                                   

He loves his job…he loves the farm…but he loves his hobby too and this trip let him enjoy that tremendously!!! Worth every inch of my "personal self" searched, every step climbed, every line we had to stand in, every amount of time we had to wait, every “wise“ person we got behind :)  We had a really good time and I would recommend this cruise to anyone…just don’t go if you are looking for a beach :)

I have to add that our flight home was during the first Gator game of the season…he was being so good about missing it…we got on the plane (Jet Blue) and discovered that we each had tvs in each seat.  Could not have asked for a better end to a vacation.  Pug wore head phones and watched the game…I just laughed every time he got excited and hollered because he was so loud…who cares I did not know any of those people and it was the Gator game!!!  Whatever makes him happy :)


        

We saw some things we have never seen.  We saw some things we will never see again.  I did not see a beach or get a suntan.  Except for my sweet honey’s smile, this was my favorite sight…I can just never get enough of this!!!!  God is good all the time.

Them Smith Boys…

I saw a picture the other day…three little boys and one little girl sitting, arms around each others shoulders.  The caption read…That one girl……that always hangs out with the boys because its less drama.  This so reminded me of my boy cousins and myself when we were growing up.  My girl cousins (whom I loved dearly) were all older than me and were always primping in the mirror, fixing their hair and make-up and talking about cute boys.  That just wasn’t my thing, but like I said I loved them dearly…Belinda, LeeAnn, Martha, Vicky, and Lacinda.
  
I always hung out with the boys…when they would let me…some were older but a couple were really close to my age.  We were always hunting, fishing, boat & truck riding and swimming.  Edwin, Johnny, Greg and Jeff.  My first best friends…first boys to steal my heart… first boys to save me from Kevin (my big brother)… because when you are young…brothers are just a pain…unless their name is Karl or Sam :).  They probably did not even want me around but knew better than to say anything because my Grandaddy would have got on their “happy-go-to-meeting” and nobody wanted that.  So they let me hang out with them most of the time.

Edwin was the oldest and as far as I am concerned he was the “prettiest”.  He will not like that comment but he had the prettiest eyelashes and blonde hair.  With his tan skin it looked like he had his hair highlighted.  He always had a really pretty girlfriend, and of course I thought that was cool.   We went to church together so I got to see him a lot there and on youth trips. I remember he and Kevin would take small snakes to church in their pockets and let them crawl between them in the church pews…even at a young age, I thought…they are going to hell…..Jesus will not think that is funny. But they both turned out okay so I am sure their souls are safe.  My favorite memories of Edwin are in the hunting woods. Our families would go hunting and really rough it…none of this cabin or trailer stuff….we did it old school….in tents….no toilets or running water.  But some of the best times ever…I remember being really cold at night and having some great hot breakfasts in the mornings.  There was a hog strung up being skinned and Edwin told me that the purple looking “stuff” inside was jelly…needless to say I ate only butter on my toast.  (no electricity…frying pan toast…best you will ever eat!!)

Johnny was the wild one of the bunch.  Not scared of nothing….rebel without a cause…and so much dang fun.  I tasted my first moonshine with he and Kevin. (my oldest brother).  I only tasted….but they thought they could “handle” it and got really sloshed and sick…we were supervised and they did learn a lesson. I would have loved to have had a movie camera for that.  My favorite times with Johnny were when he would take me for a ride in his Datsun truck.  I don’t think we ever went and did not get stuck…I think that was the whole idea…it became a ritual….and every time he asked I always went…I remember thinking how I wanted to marry a boy like him someday…I am sure his Mom and my Daddy would not have agreed but that’s how much I loved him…and still do.

Greg was closest to my age.  We spent the most time together because my Aunt Diann babysat me while my Mama worked as a teachers assistant.  Greg was more like a brother to me…we looked a lot alike…both had light reddish hair, fair skin, and freckles…when we were out and together with Aunt Diann everyone thought we were siblings.  We played a lot together…trucks, dolls, whatever…we did not care.  I just loved him and was happy to get to see him so much.  There was never any “kissing cousins” stuff going on with any of us cousins as far as I know.  After all we were born and raised in Florida and that kind of stuff happened in the upper southern states anyway :) But I do remember writing Greg a note that said--- I love you....do you love me?…check yes or no….I never got it back but Aunt Diann did tell me later on in life that she found it and he had checked the yes box…be still my heart.  Johnny and Greg’s last name might not have been Smith but I truly feel that the Smith gene in them was definitely the dominant gene…with no offense to their Dad, Uncle Jack.  They will always be Smith boys to me….there was just something about them Smith boys…..

Jeff was a little younger than me and the preacher’s son…need I say more…always fun and always getting into trouble for something.  I remember having a Sweetheart Banquet at our church, Eastside Baptist in Dover.  Jeff and I had to walk out holding hands while someone sang “School Days”.  I am guessing we got that part because we were the preacher’s son and niece and close in age and height…I just remember thinking that I would not have done it with anyone else but Jeff.  My favorite memory is when he, Greg, and I were at Granny’s house and he and I were recording ourselves singing on my Granny’s cassette recorder.  We sang “All the Gold in California” by the Gatlin Brothers and “Oh, Lord Its Hard to be Humble” by Mac Davis.  I wrote out all the words so we could sing them right and loud…it was awesome. We were very careful to sing “I must be a heck of a man” instead of a hell of a man…we were not gonna have Granny getting upset with us.  Many years later while gathered around my Great Grandmother, Mommer Avant’s bed to sing her Christmas carols we were deciding what to sing and Jeff says…hey, who knows All The Gold In California??? I almost lost it and could not stop laughing….nobody else got it but we did.  Good times.

Our families did a lot of things together when I was young, but mostly it was Christmas Eve with Granny and July 4th which was my Granny’s birthday.  Can you imagine THAT many Smiths at one time and all in the same place???…it was HEAVENLY CHAOS!!!!  Each of us grandkids (12 original…some more were added later in life) got to spend weeks at a time in the summer with Granny and Grandaddy.  Usually anywhere from 2 to 5 kids at a time.  Granny never seemed to mind…lots of times my turn was with the boys…which I preferred.

My grandparents always lived near the water…first on the Withlacoochee River…we called it the Canal and then the Suwannee River.  My favorite time of all was at Suwannee when I got to stay with Granny and Grandaddy along with Greg and Jeff.  They were closest to my age and we always got along really good.  I thought the sun rose and set in those boys.  I loved them then…and I love them now…just don’t get to see them nearly enough.

The best thing about being with my boy cousins was that they would not let Kevin pick on me and of course I loved that. He may have been the biggest and the oldest but if they all ganged up on him…well you can imagine.  And if you are thinking I am being hard on Kevin…well I am not…he was the typical mean big brother that loved to traumatize me at every chance he got. He would chase me home from the bus stop, pull the heads off my dolls, and his favorite…that spit thing where he would hold me down…let it drip out of his mouth and then suck it back up before it dropped.  But he NEVER did any of that around my cousins…they would not put up with it.  He has since been forgiven and we are the best of friends now…but I do still hold a grudge…its how I roll…   My Grandaddy called the girls, Posies and the boys, Hotshots.  I always wanted to be a Hotshot…the boys made me feel like I was…

I did not have a good childhood…I had an awesome and amazing childhood.  Surrounded by the absolute best parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts. uncles, great aunts and uncles, and of course cousins. Some of the greatest times of my life were with my cousins…boys and girls…I have some treasured memories that I will forever hold in my heart. I don’t think families take the time to do those kinds of things anymore…it is sad but I am very thankful my parents made sure we did.  There were even distant (meaning not first cousins…and luckily these cousins lived really close too :) cousins who we got to spend lots of fun times with…Dee & Tammy and Chuck, Brian & Gary…our family was huge and happy and fun and there are moments I just sit and remember all the good times we had together.  We were so very lucky and blessed.  I believe God puts people in our lives for reasons…not just friends but certainly family too.  I definitely think I hit the jackpot in the cousin department of my life. God is good… all the time.

On a side note…Clay and Gina were my cousins on the Coleman side of the family.  God knew I would need them both in more significant positions in my life as I got older so He turned them into Coleman/Smiths and then they became one of the best brothers and sisters a girl could ever ask for. If you are wondering exactly how that happened….well that is a whole nuther blog post…  :) :)

COWBIRDS ROCK …and roll…

Cowbirds…I have never really thought much about them except for the fact that when they are perched on a big bull’s back it makes it really hard for the bull to look like a bad a$$, they poop on trucks parked under trees and they have never really been that exciting….that is until now…

I have recently spent a whole day with them.  While I mow pastures they swarm the mower and tractor looking for food.  I have come to see that there are some familiarities between myself and these birds….while I do not sit on bulls backs nor do I poop on parked trucks…I have found some things that my new friends and I have in common.

These birds seem to fly quite gracefully in the air.  Traveling in flocks and looking quite regal at times.  But that is where it ends.  I have seen many near miss, mid air, head on, collisions right before the landing.  They come in kamikaze style and land right in front of my tractor or the massive rolling tires and then just disappear.  I am sure the next thing will be squish/squash with nothing but a greasy spot and some feathers but they always move just in time….this is why they would make such a great super hero side-kick.  Their landing is quite funny.  It is really awkward and kind of all over the place.  As they touch down their wings do a really odd thing and they look like they might fall over.  They are clumsy and seem to trip over even the smallest cut stalk of whatever it is that I am mowing at the moment.  As you can see…we do have much in common…I have never been accused of being graceful…neither in the air nor on the ground.  Then there is that weird thing they do with their throats, it looks like it is vibrating.  So I will admit to being awkward and clumsy but luckily do not have the throat thing happening.

    
    

They are white in color with a few rust colored feathers on their head, chest, and back.  These rust colored feathers are really thin and if the wind catches them just right it looks more like hair.  Some of the birds are solid white and I am thinking they are young birds.  They have not yet grown into or earned their “rust” yet. The solid ones are a bit more clumsy and awkward too…thus they seem younger.

   
    

I don’t think these birds ever watched Sesame Street or Barney as “calf-chicks” because they do not share or have any concept of it.  They are quick to pounce on all grasshoppers, anything with wings to small to be able to get away from them, and the occasional mouse.  I am soooo glad they did not pounce on the baby rabbits because I would have had to jump out of the tractor and bulldogged the bird.  Not a pretty sight I am sure.

                                   

They do like music and are partial to Latino music.  As soon as Ricky Martin started singing SHAKE YOUR BON BON, there was definitely some bobbing of the head and shaking of the tail feathers action going on.  Then just as quick as it started…it stopped… as soon as Elvis sang I CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU .  It was so serene, so peaceful…they even refrained from eating.  It was as if we all had “a moment”.  We, meaning the birds, the “lunch”, and the crazy farmer lady. I was happy to see that they at least had some respect for the King.  It was almost magical…..but short lived because then BOOM!BOOM!POW! it was right back to head bobbing and booty shaking.  I guess there is just a little “heathen” in us all.
 
They are birds after my own heart because we are both white and have a deep heart felt love of soul music.  I could tell by the fact that they were singing to the grasshoppers the whole time, I KNOW YOU WANNA LEAVE ME, BUT I REFUSE TO LET YOU GO!! So they are not big on sharing but they sure AIN’T TOO PROUD TO BEG.  And after hearing my two favorite Marvin Gaye songs, I did see a few bird couples coming out of the bushes with big smiles on their faces and smoking cigarettes. I am not sure what to think of that…except there are some humans as well as birds that cannot handle the singing seduction of Mr. Marvin Gaye. LET’S GET IT ON and SEXUAL HEALING should come with warning labels, even in the bird world.

This little guy cracked me up.  He just came up out of nowhere…all alone… the Lone Cowbird.  He was such a rebel with a “I don’t need no flock, all the bugs are mine, I ain’t about to share, I own this field” attitude. He followed along until I was done for the day…I will miss him most.

             
                                   
            
            

So I will never look at cowbirds quite the same anymore…I kind of felt like I was in a bubble looking out into their world.  My pictures are terrible because most were taken from inside the cab through the glass.  These birds are not only skittish when I approached them to take pictures outside…they are really quick at everything they do.  From their funky landings, to their kamikaze dive-bombing in front of the tractor, to their catching and gulping down of insects.  And I was trying to drive at the same time I was taking pictures….I "shoot" and drive but I don’t text and drive :)  These birds try to be so serious, cool,  and “with it” but they just cannot help but to be goofy, kooky, and awkward. They never stand still for more than two seconds and I do believe they are super hyper.  They could use a dose or two of Ritalin.   I can really relate to that and laugh at all our similarities.  I have a new adoration for my cowbird brethren.  If only I could eat what bugs me too………

Love in my lunchbox…

Have you ever had one of those moments when the smell of something or the taste of something just immediately takes you to another place and time…and if you are lucky it is not only a good… but a great place and time…that happened to me today on my tractor.

As soon as I took the first bite of my ham sandwich I was transported back to some of the best days of my childhood as a student at Dover Elementary School.  I remember opening that H. R. Puffenstuff metal lunchbox with the matching thermos that had a little cup with a handle on the lid.  That thermos was always filled with the absolute best sweet tea ever made.

That ham sandwich was always perfect…just the right amount of mayonnaise (ALWAYS Kraft) and mustard.  Sunbeam white bread with the crust (I was NOT one of those kids…although I would end up having one of my own).  A piece of lettuce for that little crunch and doesn’t lettuce and ham just go together anyway. My sandwich was always cut in half…sometimes I got triangles…sometimes I got rectangles…but it was always cut in half. It was snuggled into one of those little plastic baggies that you kind of tucked in…not zippers or the whole yellow and blue make green kind... it was old school :) My Mama knew some kind of magic trick that made it stay tight so my sandwich stayed fresh and my chips, Nacho Cheese Doritos, always stayed in place…no crumbs in the lunch box.

There were no carrot sticks in my lunchbox…no apples or bananas.  But there was a round, tin-foiled, piece of vanilla crème-filled, chocolate covered goodness made by Hostess called a Ring Ding. :) :) May I have a moment of silence for the Ring Ding……………and I always got a folded paper towel tucked under my sandwich.

When I started packing my own daughters lunch for Kindergarten….I always wrote messages on her napkins and left her notes and cards in her lunch box.  I always wanted her to know that I was thinking about her even when she was away from me and that I loved her ALL THE TIME.   I never got messages on my paper towel, or hand written notes, or cards.  I never needed them…as soon as I opened that lunchbox, I was immediately and lovingly hit in the face…ever so gently… with all the love that my Mama had so tenderly put into each and every detail of that everyday meal. I had an amazing childhood filled with many wonderful memories.  I did not know it then…but I know it now…that was one of my favorite parts of my school day because of all the love my Mama put in my lunchbox.

Dry “draws”, birdshot, & the Holy Spirit…AMEN

We had a very interesting day of cow work.  It started off fairly normal…early….and as I have said before…I will rise but I refuse to shine.  I have never been a morning person and to function that early is one thing but to function on a horse is a whole nuther story.   We were taking the bulls off the cows so it was supposed to be an easy task for the most part…supposed to are the key words here…

The beginning was good.  We were working the “Home Herd” which is where my babies now reside.  Pug had seen them the night before while shutting up cows and they were all together.  But by morning 3 of them were on the wrong side of the fence…they had been dragging and got left behind by the big herd.   That was Ellie Mae, Davie, and Rufus.

 J.J. was with the big herd.  Everyone thought J.J. was not quite right in the head…I say nay nay – he knew to stay with the big herd when they started moving.  He is my favorite and when he saw me there was a short,  sweet connection, I think he remembered me and the bottle, head-butting me as I locked the gate, and having his ears rubbed and nose kissed…we had a moment… but then it was gone…I am sure he did not want to draw attention to himself with his new herd.  I sure didn’t want to mess up what he now had going for himself.  My babies may be puny and will never grow as much as the other calves but they are thriving and have so much more personality.  They are like their own little calf gang…not the “Bloods” or “Crypts” but the “Dinks”.  That is what we call calves that will never grow to their full potential.  I say small in stature…whooooge in heart!! Home is where your Mama is…I think the Home Herd is a very fitting place for my babies.

First excitement of the morning was when Pug’s horse got hit right in the chest by an angry cow…not mad…we NEVER say mad cow.  She did not want to go but he was persistent and she proceeded to resist.  As soon as she hit him the horse started bucking.  That answered a question I have had for a few weeks now – Pug was riding the new horse of mine from a while back…Mr. Ron the Roan.

A few weeks ago Mr. Ron decided to buck with me for no apparent reason.  I was going out around a tree to get after some cows and he just went at it.  First buck…I was unsettled from my seat…second buck… falling off but my boot was caught in the stirrup…third buck… boot came off and I landed flat on my face.  I was very lucky…my face is connected to my head which just so happens to be the hardest part of my anatomy…its a Smith thing!!!  There were a few obscenities on the way down but I feel they were fairly justified.  When I realized I was okay, well then I was really mad.  I wondered not only WHY he bucked me but WHEN he would do it again.  This cowgirl was not going to find out.  And for all you thinking…when you get bucked off…you get right back on…well you can all kiss my grits!!!!!!! I am not getting paid big bucks to ride and this is not my career.  My sweet honey traded horses with me that day…yes I did finish the day injured….horse and then tractor, its just how I roll…and until now the horse never bucked with Pug.  So at least now I know that when he gets spooked…he bucks.  He must have been spooked by a tree limb with me. Except for a still aching hand I’m all good…lucky and glad God was with me.  My Mama always said God watched over drunks and children…now I can add crazy old farmer ladies to that list.

As for Pug…he faired much better than me,  no big surprise there….as soon as the cow hit the horse…Pug knew what was next…he clamped down on that horse with his massive thighs and hung on.  He had the reins in one hand and a radio in the other.  After a few bucks the horse calmed down and Pug was still seated.  Only thing he lost was his hat and if he wasn’t holding the radio he would not have lost that.  Besides the hat is much easier to replace.  His rodeo flashback was over.  If truth be told…it was kind of sexy…I could have gotten all hot and bothered, you know that whole  sexy bronc riding cowboy thang, but after all… I was in the job…so I quickly got a hold of myself and it was back to business.   We let the angry cow fall back and left her, and penned the cows.…half the herd penned and onto the wet prairie to pen the other half.  God is good all the time.

As we pushed the cows across the prairie I noticed two bulls climb the dike so I called Van to see if I needed to follow them.  He said yes so away I went.  As I went after them I could see Pug,  Adam, and my grandog, Remi were after a bull that had got right in the middle of a deep pond.  They ended up leaving him for later.  To get up on the dike I had to cross a water filled ditch and climb the dike to follow the bulls.  This was a first for me and my '”new-to-me-Pugs-old-horse” Cinnamon…I called him Cinny.  He made it pretty clear to me he did not like walking in water but had no problem whatsoever stopping every chance he got to eat the grass growing in the water.  So I wasn’t sure how we would want to proceed.  After a little coaxing…he just jumped over…I have learned to just hang on and let the horse make that decision.

After the jump we started making our way up the side of the dike.  It is steep….not mountain top steep by no means but by Kellee steep…it was STEEP. Our best chance at getting up the dike was at an angle so that is how we went…it ended up taking us right under a tree and I was almost unsaddled but managed to hang on and we were on the trail of the bulls.  I noticed up ahead that the bulls decided to climb back down the dike…so of course we had to follow…again not mountain top steep but definitely Kellee-on-a-horse steep.  Cinny started down the side of the dike and I put a death grip on the saddle horn and leaned back…yes back…and for a few brief yet fantastic moments I WAS the man from snowy river!!!!!  It was very cool even though very short lived.  My horse and I made it down the side of the mountain…okay it was down the side of the dike…but there is no reason to be a dream killer.  I was still seated in the saddle and Cinny had all 4 feet on the ground.  God is good all the time.

As we pushed the second half of the cows closer to the cow pen I noticed that the already gray sky was getting darker and the few droplets of rain turned into buckets of rain.  The bottom completely fell out and it was a full on frog strangler.  We were all soaked…cow people, horses and saddles, and cows.  All I could think of was that I was so glad I was not wearing a white t-shirt and that I always wear a sports bra when I ride.  It is the little things that mean the most.   Yes we were drenched…but we always need rain…and in His time not ours.  I kind of had my own “I will praise you in this storm” moment….thankful for the fact that God is good all the time and is always with us.

After getting the cows penned we ran to the trucks and headed for shelter.  We did get to change clothes and my good friend and co-crew member, Mickey, said to me…”you want me to tell you how good our God is…I found a pair of dry, clean underwear in my truck…forgot they were even in there”.   I replied….again…God is good all the time.  There is nothing like dry “draws”.  I prefer to pronounce drawers “draws” for dramatic effect, it just sounds better…don’t you agree????

After the rain we went after our friend “Jacques Cousteau” the bull headed bull.  He just did not want to come out of the water.  We followed him out of the pond where he proceeded to enter the water filled ditch and he just walked up and down it like he was on a Sunday stroll/swim.  We even encountered a small gator…I was not afraid he would bite us or the horses but I did not want him to get my grandog, Remi or spook my horse…one wardrobe change was enough for this cowgirl.  And getting bucked into that yucky water was not very appealing, not to mention what it meant for my clean and dry “draws”.  After way too long of this nonsense I had agreed with Adam…either this bull was coming out or he was drowning and the latter was sounding better all the time.  Adam and Pug had already been up to their butts in the water and I don’t mean the horses butts either.  Enough was enough.  And the fact that my grandog had a hurt and bleeding foot did not help matters because I was quite sure it was the bulls fault.  It was time to get serious.

It was time for Pug to have a “come to Jesus meeting” with the bull.  Pug’s weapon of choice was a gun but only used birdshot so he didn’t hurt the bull…too bad.  He stayed back far enough so that the bull indeed felt it but was not wounded seriously…and he aimed for his big ol butt…I was hoping for between his eyes but that was just the tired cowgirl in me thinking such inhumane thoughts.  The bull unknowingly sauntered around in the pond taking his leisurely swim, having no idea of his upcoming “meeting”.  Pug took aim…one shot…perfectly placed…the bull jumped and headed very quickly out of the pond.  It looked like the Holy ghost had got ahold of him and I do believe he may have actually walked on water for a couple of steps.  Nothing like a good old “come to Jesus meeting” to get a soul going in the right direction.  God is good all the time.  Needless to say the bull steadily walked…without stopping or any lolly-gagging of any kind, straight to the cow pen and gladly loaded up on the trailer to take a ride to the bull field.   He did have a small boo boo on his tail but nothing serious…I am thinking it was probably a baby gator bite :).  Whatever it was I hope it hurt worse than my grandogs hurt and bleeding foot!!! I bet old Jacques will think twice before taking a swim again anytime soon.

An interesting, wet, annoying, and yet very successful cow work day…never a dull moment with this crew.  We got it done and will be ready to do it again real soon.  God is good all the time.

Whether its dry draws, well placed bird shot, being kept safe while we do our jobs, being able to praise Him from a rain soaked saddle, or just admiring His beautiful creations and live and work among them….there are so many things to be thankful for…so many ways He has and continues to bless us…God is good all the time…can I get a AMEN!!!!