Hmmm, Where Were We?

Oh yes, our beloved Nick had been shot/hit-by-a-car/kicked-by-a-horse.
Let me explain.
Upon first seeing Nick, I had thought he had been shot. Wrong!
Turns out the x-rays showed blunt force trauma to the back left leg and no bullet or bullet path. So the observing veterinarian diagnosed, "Probably hit by a car."
But later Tim and I talked more about the horrible open wound (I thought it was where he had been shot) that was on the outside of his back left leg and after also discussing that the x-rays showed no damage to his lower back or pelvis, we've concluded he may have been kicked by a horse.
Anyway, all that to say, his back left femur was broken in six places.
Tim's friend put pins in the leg last Friday and we're hoping the bones will start to fuse back. Tim brought him home last night and it was such a sweet homecoming. He limped to each one of us, licked our hands with much tail wagging and whining while we lavished praise and lots of petting on our sweet Nickaroni.

Now, regarding Facebook rejecting me/deactivating my account. I guess there must have been a glitch in the system somewhere because I was back on that evening. Still, the whole situation has caused me to be a bit disgruntled and I've deleted all my photo albums there as well as any personal information. Janes comment left me a little paranoid.
The 4-H County Demonstration Speech Contest is tomorrow. So you know what that means. Mama has been busy writing speeches and encouraging (that's a nice way to put it) children to work on said speeches for the last week.
The oldest will be giving her speech over making homemade suet for the birds. The middle child will be demonstrating with her Bantam pullet the different parts of a chicken as well as what you feed it. And last is the youngest childs speech on how to plant a bean plant. It should all be very interesting, tense, and a bit suspenseful as the kids have never attempted public speaking while holding a live animal. This may be the one we talk about for years, who knows.
And so, how am I? Well, I've told the kids that after lunch tomorrow, I'm heading to bed. It's just not right that there are those around here that are afforded the opportunity to nap and lounge.
"Who?!" you may ask.
Well, just look here...

And here...

I'd say that's proof positive that I'm due for a little R&R!
Blessings and nighty night, Julie  

Facebook Has Rejected Me?!

Yes, I enjoyed using the social networking site Facebook. It was a means for me to observe pictures of my extended family and keep up with relatives, if you will. None of us are true letter writers.
Yes, at times, I did status my frustrations with different politicians and political issues and comment quite candidly my opinion on such important subjects as the consumption of chocolate or whether-or-not I would be attending certain homeschooling events.
So imagine my surprise when clicking over this morning to find that my account had been deactivated. HUH?!
No explanation, just deactivated.
Rejection of this type is something I'm just not used to.
Maybe it's a mixed blessing...I don't know, but I guess maybe it means I won't be checking over at their site anymore to see if anyone else agrees with my devotion to bacon or talking smack with my OU supporter friends.
And maybe in the words of Martha Stewart, "It's a good thing."
All I know is that right now...at this very moment...I'm feelin' horribly and ridiculously rejected!
But, this too shall pass.
Julie 

A Day @ 40 Acre Farm

Most days, my day starts early.
I've been amazed that as I've gotten older how much more I enjoy the early morning hours.
My body clock is set at 5:30 AM.
After waking, two cups of coffee follow.
I enjoy my coffee while surfing a bit online.
Then just as the sun begins to peer over the eastern horizon, I suit up...coat, scarf, and hat.
It's Fall and the morning temperatures are a bit brisk.
After running the puppy off of the front porch (she knows better), I head towards the barn and chicken coops. We have two coops that are seperated by a wall of chicken wire currently as the older hens could quite possibly peck one of the younger chickens to death.
After feeding and watering the birds, checking for eggs as the red Sexlinks tend to lay early, and giving the little Welsh pony, Trixie, a li'l bit of scratching, I make my way back to the house.



Looking out the kitchen window to the west, I pause to admire the sun spreading it's shine slowly over the lake and woods in the distance.



I just have to get some pictures so I rush to grab my camera and station myself on the backporch, clicking away. This is not an easy feat as the backporch, foul-tempered cat, Annie, continuously rubs and bumps her head against my lower leg.



I find that if I pause too long to admire...the time gets away quickly.
So...it's back in the house.
Most days it's cereal for the kiddos.
Of course they don't approve, but who asked them, right.
So the cherubs are up now and there's plenty of conversation, noise, and bustle. It's not uncommon for someone to wake up with a negative attitude. Is it wrong that at this time I relish the fact that I secretly gave away all of his Sillybands to some recent toddler visitors???
Out here, far far away from all that is civilized, I have to take what I can get, don't judge me too harshly.
Back to my morning, school starts as soon as children have made their beds, brushed their teeth (we brush after breakfast), and gotten dressed.



Here, my oldest seems to be saying, "Mom, I know you and Daddy are very frugal, but can't we use textbooks like other homeschoolers?" My boy looks on wistfully.
These are actually photos of the kids observing different kinds of rocks during our Geology unit this past summer. Afterwards, they painted volcanoes.




Our school schedule usually looks like this:

Bible Reading & Devotion
Saxon Math
Language Arts & Spelling
Science or Thematic Unit

We're currently working on a 20th Century unit and are stuck at 1910. Well, not stuck, but stopped there for the time being. Seems our afternoons have filled up lately with the extra curricular. This afternoon it's a Geography Coop twenty miles away and then Cub Scouts this evening.
Most evenings, when Tim has gotten home from work, we all try to get as much done outside before it gets too dark.
Yesterday, Tim brought up quite a few roundbales from the pasture. The horses and cows had started eating the ends out due to the increasing lack of green grass.



We sell most of these and Tim even put one out in the median of our drive for a friend to come pick up later this week.



We also needed to bring one to the barn and put a roundbale feeder on it.
But not before the kids had a bit of fun with the feeder.






Okay, now we're ready to get the feeder on the roundbale.



That's done and now time for some more fun!






We've had quite a day!
The sun is setting...



and the kids are basking in it's departing rays.



My last chores outside are to get the older chickens back in their pen, fed, and watered. The younger chickens then get my attention as I have to make sure they have plenty to eat and drink and shut them up in their coop securely. I'm quite pleased that I haven't lost one yet to predation but am bracing myself to not be too overly upset when the inevitable happens as I've read it's quite common.



Now, it's inside for the evening meal, supper, and then soon to bed!
While this is not everyday, it is an average day for us.
Blessings to you and yours!

A Nick Update & Twin Chickens Hatching Video

Our Nick is at a friends clinic and awaiting surgery.
We had originally thought he was shot but turns out that the x-rays tell a different story.
Looks like he may have been hit by a car.
The back left femur is broken in at least six places requiring an amputation of the leg or to be pinned.
We're going to try the "pin" route.
Tim won't be doing the surgery as it is a very tedious surgery and he hasn't performed it in over eleven years.
So a friend will likely perform it.

This afternoon the children and I will be heading into town to run errands. We will be sure and visit our Nick. I'll keep everyone updated on his convalescing here.

Get Well Soon, Dear Nick!

While lurking around the blog world, I came upon a wonderful video!
Funny, one day while cracking open one of our X Large Jumbo size eggs which was unsurprisingly a double yolker, I had made the statement to the children that a double yolker could never live. Now why I made that statement, I don't know...but ignorantly, I did.
So imagine my surprise when I came across this wonderful video.



Hope you enjoyed that!
Blessings and have a great day, Julie

Definitely A Country Living Con

The dogs were gone all day yesterday.
This is really quite normal, even though we don't approve.
But living in the country and I mean way out in the country, we need them loose. They're a part of Ranch Security and yes, I'm borrowing the term from the "Hank the Cowdog" series.
But seriously, along with the guns that we possess, the dogs are a valuable part of keeping the place secure.
And not to mention, they keep the predators (coyotes, bobcats, racoons, and foxes)  from killing our free-range chickens.
Last night only two dogs made it home. The oldest and the youngest.
Our highly athletic Nick was still gone.
This morning, not-so-bright and early, Tim and I went outside to see if he was back. He was not.
We went about our morning chores taking a break every now and then to call and whistle.
Quite honestly, I made myself hoarse.
A couple of hours later, Tim left for work and Nick still was not home.
I know I've said derogatory things about Nick and even posted an entry at the other blog that didn't quite play up his best features.
But, I love that pup. He's my tried and true hiking companion. Always behind me on the trail and occasionally sticking his sharp Collie nose into the back of my leg. We connect in an odd master/dog sort of way.



Around  9:30 AM, as I was making my way into our schoolroom, I looked up and out the front window that faces the driveway and saw Nick limping up the drive. He had his back left leg pulled up and wasn't putting any weight on it.
Not being one to be subtle, I exclaimed, "Oh my!" and ran out the front door...of course the kids were following close behind.
He laid down in the side yard. I told the kids to put the other two dogs in the kennel so we could get a closer look at Nick. But I already had a pretty good idea of what we were going to find....a gunshot wound.
The children were able to get the dogs in the kennel and came over to where Nick was lying on his side in the grass. Upon closer inspection, yes there was what looked to be a gunshot wound in his upper left thigh. There was fresh blood and dried blood on his thigh, leg, and foot.
I called Tim at work and he told me to give him 1000mg of moxicillian. I crushed it and an aspirin up into some catfood (we were out of dogfood), warm milk, and diced bologna. Nick ate it.
Now we wait until Tim the veterinarian gets home and gives our Nickaroni a more thorough examination.

Just A Little Bit of What's Up Here

If you're a regular visitor here you may have noticed some changes here and there.
Yes, I can be fickle about how my blog appears.
I want it to be pretty...but not too pretty.
So that's the reason for the variety of background colors that have been applied over the last week.
I was trying to find one that suited me and I think I'll stick with this for awhile.

In other news, it's getting colder here and there are leaves covering our frontyard, backyard, and sideyards.
We're the little house surrounded by woods, so in the fall we get hit hard with falling foliage.
I can see a LOT of raking in the childrens future.

Just gotta mention how pleased I was with how the American public responded at the polls this last Tuesday. Now lets see what happens. Hopefully, the TEA Party will keep up its driving force and hold these new Republican Senators and Congressmens feet to the fire.

Also, I wanted to mention that my mother is doing wonderfully. I've mentioned here before that she is mentally ill and had been off of her medicine for over twelve years.
She is back on it now and our relationship has improved drastically.

Today has been a bit of a hard day for reasons I won't go into. Nothing major mind you, just stuff that should probably stay at our Lord's feet. I have a tendency to pick it up and try to work it all out in my own strength, though. Yes, I can be a control freak.
But, I'm dragging the whole mess right back to Him and trusting that He will work it all out to His glory.
Blessings, Julie