Imagine, if you will, a spring weekend in Nebraska. The birds are singing, calves are playing, and this Mom had 30 hours home alone. Such was a recent weekend here on the ranch. Hubby and sons went to visit family in Minnesota. I was determined to plant the garden and someone needed to keep an eye … More The Calf and the Well Pit
Things work a little differently when prepping for a storm out in the country … More Winter Storm Preparations – Ranch Style
Out here in rural America, “working out” is different than large cities. There is no need to go to a gym when there is a pile of fence posts that needs to be sorted and stacked. There is no need to run in the park when you have miles of gravel roads or a wayward … More My New Workout: The Catwalk
Landscaping on the Great Plains is a losing proposition from the get-go. It does not help that I am not very good at gardening. It is even worse with pets and livestock. When we first built the ranch house, we knew we needed a dog. Every rural abode needs a protector, right? We found a … More I Cannot Have Nice Horticultural Things
There is always that one sibling that insists on doing things differently. This is our litter of kittens from summer-2014. The backwards kitten (“Kit”) is a unique personality. Since this picture was taken, she survived a 10-day solo excursion into the wilds of our farm (when cats disappear that long around here, it is extremely … More Doing Things Differently
Farm dogs are always on duty. At least, our farm dog thinks she is. One day, after a layer of new snow, I looked out the window over the backyard. This panorama (click to make it larger) shows the enthusiasm our loyal puppy has for protecting her family against…well, I’m not sure what. Below is my best … More What Does a Farm Dog Do All Day?
Most of my stories on farm trucks are about “Old Brown“, the 1977 Ford farm truck that never died…just had its parts replaced, one piece at a time. Today’s tale also includes a bonus segment on one of Old Brown’s companions in the shed. One fine day, Dad’s errand list included a trip to the implement dealer for … More Cigars and Farm Trucks Don’t Mix
Recently, hubby and I spent the day talking to high school sophomores about careers in animal science. We both have advanced degrees in this field (masters degree in ruminant nutrition) but our personalities and preferences have taken us to very different jobs. This makes us uniquely qualified to talk to students about the wide variety of … More Career Day–Future Animal Scientists?
I have a confession to make. I am terrible at growing zucchini. Zukes are the “kindergarten” of gardening. Aspiring gardeners start with that and work their way toward more challenging vegetables. Zucchini are supposed to be the plant that makes a person feel like they accomplished something. Like they are a REAL gardener. Every year … More Garden Confessions
We recently returned from a quick family trip up north to Manitoba. My middle son was enchanted by this field of canola and how small it made the grain bin look. I loved the bright yellow flowers and their contrast with the blue sky.
Fence Post Diaries 