Oh my..........

Was it really May 1st since I last posted? I guess the summer just slips away, with no rhyme or reason. Since may 1st, we have been busy, that is for sure. Vacation trip to No California, yard work, gardens. Mowing and ugh, what else? No time to clean house or blog. Where are the Merry Maids? I will accept fairies too. Who ever shows up first. I am not picky!

By the time we got back from vacation, I was so tired of trying to grow veggies, I have decided to stick to flowers. I was disgusted, and had planted so few items, it should not have been all that hard, but, the cukes were still bitter after taking the advice of master gardeners and adding lime to the soil. The zuchini even was few and far between. You know it is bad then! I must say though, the whole month of May we went without rain, so I was trying to water things, but gave up. I had the lawn all mowed, and thought, hey, I leave for vacation June 30th, and without rin, the lawn won't be a pasture when I get home! Of course it poured right before I left. So much for that idea.

I had a good time in California. I had a lovely visit with the in laws, and the boys were worn out when I got there. (This was a good sign!) I met some wonderful folks while I was there too. And had a lot of good food. Came home to not being able to fit into my Wranglers all that well. Once I commenced yard work that seemed to work to slim back down a tad. Once it got really hot here, I stayed indoors too much, and need to start working out. (Insert whining here) I really do love working out, it is just hard to get back on the treadmill. Jeans weather is sneaking in and out, and reminding me daily to get my rump in gear. Such is life.

I need to get out and take some video. The only thing left is some flowers and gourd plants. That will be a site to see. Honest, it is quite funny!

Anyway..... I decided what would be fun this next few months or so, is to offer up some freebies to my friends, from my friends all over the web! Nothing that I can say I endorse, and make money from, cuz I have to say that from the governments stand point. Did you see that on the news last night? Back to the freebies. If you have patterns you would like to offer as a freebie, give me a shout. E-patterns are preferable, graphics are great. It is good free advertising for you, and fun for my readers. Give me a shout if you like! SKennen @ Bellsouth.net. Remove the spaces. If you would like to win something, in the next few days, I will be posting some goodies to win as well as the first one today! Contests, gotta love them!

So, let the games begin! Today, I have a free pattern to give away, from none other than moi! I have been busy designing new patterns, and I will be sending out a pattern to one lucky person! In the comments section, post your favorite fall thing to do? Is it that first burst of color from the trees, or a family get together to do something that is a family tradition that is, to you, the start of fall?

I will be emailing a winner first thing in the morning!

Thanks for patiently waiting for A Cowgirl Spirit to opening the barn doors back up and dust off the saddles filled with cobwebs, and getting back to writing! Be sure to sign up for the RSS feed so you won't miss a post!

Have a great day y'all!

Sue

Need Volunteers.........

Currently seeking old hoers. Must work hard, in not so harsh conditions. No laying around in the flower beds to do the work. Must be experienced in the hoeing field. Fringe benefits available. (Will furnish grubs, err, I meant grub.)

Doesn't that just make you wonder? "What kind of woman is this gal?" Crazy I guess. When your back aches from all that hard work, you think of ways to ease up the work load. Strange things always cross my mind.

Hubby has taken the week off, so he can lay around in bed all day long, and do nothing. Tee hee. He can't keep up with his old hoe. Tsk Tsk. PBR bull riding being bumped too late, just for hockey play offs. Sheesh. What is the world coming to? Nothing much to watch, and by the time I sit down, I crash.

We are having the in laws coming out from No. California over Memorial Weekend. So I am, of course, in a state of mass cleaning, as well as trying to finish up planting, and yard clean up. When they get here, I can rest on my laurels. I have the need to prioritize things that need to be done. I want it all done at once of course, but I am only one woman. We all know though, that one woman is worth ten men. I believe that. ;)

Gramma and Grampa G are the greatest. (Names have been changed to protect their innocence.) They will be taking the boys back to California with them, for over a month. Then I will meet up with them for a week and a half of Frontier Days fun over the 4th of July week. I can't wait! For no kids here that is. HAHA. Hubby says, "What will you do without them?" Run around the house nekked like I used to, before kids. I think he hopes he will still be here for that.

Well, now that we have had rain, it is time to mow the lawn again. I also want to try something new for the hanging baskets today. I bought these morning glory seeds last year that are deep pink and a purple that looks blue, with white edges. So, I will try that, with something tall in the middle. I have no idea what. I usually buy plants, but we will see. You just can't find the plants you want all the time here. Seeds are something to try. I also need something for my planters around the pool. It is hard to find something that can with stand the heat and sun all day long here. I have decided to try those short sunflowers. I just will have to remember to water them. Note to self, "try harder this year."

Okie dokie then. Off to the hoeing. Have a blessed weekend!

Sue

Air Space is a Premium Here......

It looks like LAX around here lately! We do love it though. 3 Years ago, when we moved here, the same family had been on this lane for 2o some years, owning it all. They shot everything in site. Now, finally the birds, and wildlife are coming back, enforce.

We have cattle egrets in the pastures, herons of every description, swooping over the bayou, and dining on crawdads, and muscles. Otters swimming back and forth, doing the same. Oh, wait, otters don't fly. Back to birds. The mockingbird that wakes us with his song is so funny. He was so excited this morning, he was on the power line, hopping up 2 feet in the air, every so many bars that he sang. Or maybe he was getting a little zap in his toes?

The smaller birds are thriving also. I chuckled at an article this past few issues of Better Homes and Gardens I believe it was. They mentioned if you are on a budget, make a pile of branches and twigs to attract birds to your yard. After cutting limbs to clean up trees, we have 4 huge burn piles ready for fall. They are loaded down with nests now. The purple martins dive bomb over me, as I walk to the garden. I just wait til they dive bomb over me, and let the poop fly. I almost got it the other day. I wonder if he was snickering as he flew by. It had to be a male. You just know it had to be....

The garden is now planted. I made three videos in the youtube video bar, if you would like to see. I wanted a progressive report for this year. It will help hubby see our hard work takes shape as he works out of the country. He is the one that wants that big gourd arbor, so we will build it, and see how it works this year. I think he plans on retiring on the money we make selling them. Need gourds, anyone? We will have more coming this Spring!

I need to get out there and weed. I do have another blogging story for later today. I hope you enjoy the videos!

Blessing for a good day!
Sue

Gardening 101

Long time, no post. This will be short and sweet! I have been in the garden, planting away! My dear hubby is helping me build a new gourd arbor, amongst other things. He is such a dear. We celebrated our 17th anniversary two days ago. I can't believe how time flies. Never heard that saying before! I guess I will keep him.

I will take some video so that I can have a progressive look at how things come out. You know how you have a blank slate in a newer yard. I wanted it all done, all at once. Now that I have matured, I still want it that way, but, all in all, a slow progression helps. I do need to build that primitive fence around the flower garden, and want to do it a little bit different. I lost a lemon tree, so I will have to replace it soon.

I will head out the door now, and get things all done, with video, and post that. Meanwhile, here is an old archive of my friend Martha's yard from 2 years ago.

If it works anyway!

Have a blessed day, Sue

When Good Dogs go Bad

Did I ever tell you we have 4 house dogs? 2, 60 pound bulldogs, and 2, 110 pound Rottweiler puppies. Yes, I said puppies. I lost my mind a long time ago, so this is not a problem. It is however, a problem for my hubby, and Brody. Brody is a cat person, and hubby is just, hubby. ;) He loves them, but those pups are getting too big to be in the house all the time. They do go out when it is warm, so that helps the exercise, but it has been cold. And, the biggest thing that drives him crazy is how 4 dogs like that can all fit on my feet, all at once. It is a feat to see, for sure. He is jealous. He wants to be the only sitting at my feet. I don't blame him, everyone should bow, and kiss my feet.

First thing in the morning is so much fun here! We don't need alarms to wake up, we have doggies that get the zoomies. You know what I mean when I say zoomies, if you have doggies. The puppies, Zeus and Apollo start wrestling, and chasing each other, bouncing off the walls, and springing off the couches, so get the extra zoom effect. We don't allow them on the couches, so this is something of an alarming thing. I mean, we do need some new furniture, but, hubby does not see this as funny. I do though, as I push them off of the couches, and act mad. I am mad, but it is still hilarious to watch!

Bossy and Bruce, the bulldogs do get in to the act, but their short legs make it harder to jump for them. Thank goodness! We have had bulldogs in the house for the past 18 years, at least one, and to have tall dogs has been a challenge. Zeus has been a laidback boy, but Apollo is a sneaky brat. I have had a phone, and a new camera succumb to his meal of choice, when he gets up to the goodies on the counter. They still work, but it is hard to dial out, or take pics, when the screen has a tooth mark in them. You just can't see anything! My Ray Bans have been chewed, and those are just the things we have found before the innevitable gifting that comes later on. I won't say any more. I think you get the picture.

All in all, the puppy training has gone well. They have had no potty accidents in months, thanks to dog kennels. If you have not ever used those to potty train dogs, it is the way to go. Or just pull out your hair. Great if you need to thin out thick hair, but if you have thin hair like me, go get some Rogain first.

Dogs are an endless source of entertainment, exercise and unconditional love. Even if I am constantly tripping over one or all. As I type, Bruce is sitting as close to me as he can be, without actually crawling up my pantleg. We almost lost him a month or so ago, so he has really been a Momma's boy. He is the sweetest boy!

I guess I better go sweep up the floor. Did you know dust doggies do not end in the spring time, and they do not hide well. I swept them all up the other day, and hid them under the couches. Work done well, until I threw open the windows, and the breeze that freshened the house air, also blew them all out. Drat. Sweeping things under the rug definatly does not work. I guess today I will throw them out. More work, actually having to pick them up, and dump them in to the garbage.

Well, here I go. It will take extra time, so I best get to it!

Have a great day!
Sue

Mr Naughty

Here he is, in all his glory, our lil bugger, Mr Naughty! He looks like an angel, now doesn't he? :0)