Gardening Sunday - One Day...

Howdy-

I know I keep saying we have LOTS of squash and zucchini... but proof for you here. This is ONE DAY's pick!!

We try and pick at least 3-4 days a week or so. Should be more but there is just so much time in a day, and so much room to put it! LOL.  This here is our pick from earlier in the week. Been trying all kinds of recipes - zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini bread, squash bread, zucchini chips, zucchini boats, zucchini tots... all have been really yummy!

But if you look you will notice that there is one thing that is not like the others in that photo! Yes Hubby has picked his first watermelon!

They aren't getting as big as we expected them to. But they are sure cute! Little smaller than a dinner plate. Heavy though!

And really pretty inside-

I got one bite - really was all I wanted. Not a huge watermelon fan. But this one was really sweet and much much better than store bought. Thinking the next one I may have to have more than one bite!

This was photo Hubby sent in to me yesterday -

OH MY! Couldn't believe the grapes have turned so fast!! When he came in I just looked at him and said "WELL??" He wrinkled his face up and said "WOW THEY ARE SOUR!"

HA! too funny.  Now I need to see how many I need to make some jam! Bet more than the few we have huh? :0)

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday - we are planning to do some major picking today and Hubby is even talking about starting some fall plants! Can you believe it? I guess these are going to start croaking out on us. With the weather getting so hot. We sure have really enjoyed our first garden though! Thinking about more and different for the next spring though!

Have a blessed and wonderful Sunday!
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Escapees and Hiding Spots

Howdy -

Well it seems this week was about Escapees and Hiding Spots. First the boy donkeys decided that it would be fun to pull loose some of their panels and take some time running around. I didn't get any photos of that. Sorry - it was a bit panic for a little while, it was 95 degrees and about 275% humidity. So I wasn't thinking about photos. Just getting the guys cornered, harnessed up and taken back to their pen was all I could handle before passing out.

Sergio and Felipe went straight to Black Jacks pen, and well lets just say three "MEN" all trying to figure out who is the baddest in the group... well it was not a sweet tame encounter. Nope we had heads through fence panels, biting, kicking and lots of "talking". Oh my was loud and not fun. Finally convinced them to walk away and get back to their pen. The other three boys were just chowing down on grass right near their pen and they followed "Dad" right into the pen.

Then I think I might have told you that we had girls in with the the male Goats - and that we had some of the ladies head butting the fences and got into the "breeding" side of things. Not good! Was really good that we were outside and got everyone back in their proper places before anything happened to daughters or ladies that shouldn't breed anymore. Well.... we had two that was suppose to stay in Franks pen for a few more weeks Gracie and Vera.

Vera wanted no part of living back in that pen. She likes the girls pen and wasn't going back at all. So I have been watching her really close. Praying that she is already pregnant and that I won't miss another season with her. She is so beautiful I just can't wait to see babies from her. And Gracie for that matter... but she seems to be getting a round tummy and Hubby says he knows she got "got" ... LOL

Now this week we had another goat escape!! One of the boys. I call them my sucker goats. I just love them so much and they are so adorable there is just no way I can send them off to auction and not know what kind of home they get. Or if they become.. can't even type it!!

So I have 4 little boys now young men still. Alex decided that he wanted to see how the grass was in the doggies yard.. and got under the fence.

Not sure how long he was out there chowing down. I let the dogs out about 10:30 that night and was making sure they were all doing their business and not getting side tracked. When in the corner of their yard I saw Alex looking up at me. I freaked... and yelled for all the dogs to head in NOW! Not sure why but they weren't use to me yelling at them like that they did what I said. You see... I am not too sure how they dogs and Alex would have reacted if they had seen each other. Libbie goes on full psycho attach mode normally when she sees any animal in her area. And Alex is usually pretty calm, but well when a 9lb. Grey high pitch screaming thing comes running at you a million miles an hour, those horns could really do some damage to the doggies.... but all was ok. Dogs got in safe. Well except then Hubby and I were out there discussing with Alex he wanted to go back into his pen, catching and moving him. Then fixing the fence. LOL but all was ok.

Now how about a Hiding Spot?

Well you see for a while we had a Opossum getting into the goat pen, and having a little scrambled egg dinners - we trapped and got rid of the critter and having found any of the eggs in their normal places. Wondered where they were going and then thought maybe the snakes were getting them we have been fighting off from the chicken coop. But this week we decided that the Guineas just found a much better hiding spot -

Leaned down under the largest Goat Shed and guess what we found...

Yea.. a whole lot of Guinea eggs!! We haven't ever gathered the Guinea eggs to eat. I have just picked up all the ones we find and disposed of them. Many times they have already been crushed by a goat. We were hoping that we had a male and could get more Guineas... then decided that wasn't happening with the three we have. But now I have to get Hubby this weekend to get under the goat shed get all the eggs out cuz I am sure they are pretty rank. And then see if we can find us a BOY and have some babies! Until then keep a much closer eye under that shed.

Chica hasn't escaped... or had a new hiding spot. She just was so cute sitting on the porch waiting for me to head back in.

 LOL. She was panting pretty good. Hot Humid and she had barked and chased all the goats on one side of the fence, and the three big donkeys on the other side of the fence. She is very brave with her fences. With out them she would have been at the back door and wanting in, she is a love not a fighter at all.

Hope you have a wonderful day planned. Hug something furry or feathered today!

Hugs and -

High Hopes - Ribbon or Twine Challenge

Howdy -

This week for the High Hopes Challenge
the theme is Ribbon or Twine. Ok, I usually use ribbon, so it wasn't a stretch for me this week. But when going through my images I decided to pull out an older one that I haven't used in a while. And this one felt perfect for us this week. As our Garden as going strong right now. Just wish it was this peaceful and happy looking! Ours is more like a jungle! LOL Everything is growing out of control including the weeds with all the rain we had last week.

"Laurie's Garden Angel"

Just love this image - works for a summer or fall card! I colored with Copics (colors below) and then found papers from Graphic 45 to work with. Sewed lots of different layers down. Then I used two different ribbons on my card, all though I layered them, so it looks like one. The gingham was red and white and very bright! So I decided to tame it down and colored it with a deep yellow copic. Looks so much better and country with the yellow.

I didn't put a sentiment. Didn't know what I wanted it to be. Then decided that sometimes it is just nice to have a no reason card and just have a little message inside -

Inside the card is all scraps -

Copic colors used, and yes there was a lot of them!

Now it is time to pop over to the High Hopes Challenge Blog and see all the DT cards and then please do join us to win some more High Hopes of your own!

Have a wonderful day!
HUGS and

Whimsy Stamps - Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Howdy -

You ever have one of those weeks and you just need some "me time" therapy. That is coloring a favorite image for me. I love working on all the images I have, but there are those few that really do just make me hum and feel good working with them. And this one is that for sure!

Crissy's Digitals - "Pin the Tail on the Donkey"

See I bet you are smiling! Just a beautiful donkey isn't she? I say she cuz a bow like that and those eye lashes.. she has to be a she. I colored with my Copics - (colors are normally below... but sorry I could have sworn I took a photo of them and they were not on the camera. So it is my brain or the digital camera... I am blaming the camera ok? )  Punched the border with a Martha Stewart punch, papers are from Pink Paisley called "Hope Chest". Then added some punched branches and leaves with mulberry flowers.

Here is the inside with the scraps of paper -

Really made me feel so much better after a rough week to work with this image. Don't you have an image that does that for you? If not... or if you just want another... you need this one! Order it from Whimsy as a Digital image HERE . Make sure to tell them that Michelle said you had to have it as it is a favorite!!!

Have a great day! We cleaned out an Antique Booth at a mall.... sigh, just wasn't working out for us. So now I have find somewhere to put all this inventory until I can sell them on eBay or take to our next show.

HUGS and -

Gardening Sunday - I just love Crepe Myrtles!

Howdy -

This week I am going to take a break from the Garden. Sorry just so much squash, zucchini, tomatoes and WEEDS! Need to take a break from them. My excitement this week is our Crepe Myrtle trees. We planted a few out here on the farm when we moved here over 10 years ago. I love them. Pretty and they give the animals some great shade.

My favorite is one tree that in reality is three trees that have grown together. Two white and one light purple.

It is just now starting to bloom. In a week or so it will be solid -

The two colors together are just wonderful -

These trees are gorgeous!!! Now they do have one small tiny little bitty problem... as they are blooming, they get swarmed with bees... But so far we leave them alone and they leave us alone...

Hard to get photos of as they move really quick! I tried believe me! This one of those times I am thankful for digital cameras! I took about 65 photos to get one that you can tell it is a bee...

Just love these trees - They come in lots of different colors, but I really think the white and light purple are my favorites. Do you have any near you? What colors do you like?

I will get back to the garden next week... just think how big those watermelons will be then! LOL We are still eating lots of squash and zucchini. Still trying new recipes. But now at the point where I think we are going to freeze a bunch of it, and move on. Tomatoes are really doing well now and just yummy!

Have a wonderful Sunday!!
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Pretty Chicks!

Howdy -

The little chicks are now living in their new pen and their coop is all built. One day we will paint it and pretty it up, but for now it is good.

I took out my camera and sat out in their pen yesterday morning. They are so fun to watch I could waste so much time out there.

Inge's colors have really changed and are coming in so beautiful. She is a Swedish Flower Hen, which is suppose to be a very hard to find rare chicken, especially here. I could only get one. She is very cautious and quick to run back to the coop for safety so I have to move really slow around her.

This is Cora - 

She is a little thing, I think she is one of the Australorp's. She shadows the bigger ones all around the pen. Goes where ever they do - really funny to watch.

Now this next one is Eleanor. Our "Mighty Hunter" she catches flies like no other!!!

She is the biggest of all the chicks.... hoping she really is a hen....
oh and that is Cora right behind her. :0)

Speaking of worrying about being a hen... Oh my Periwinkle is really got me nervous! 

I have three Lavender Ameraucana... all were sexed when purchasing them... But Periwinkle is much different from the other two - no tail feathers, much larger comb, more aggressive... If "she" ends up being a "he" we will have to find another home for him. We can't have any roosters.... unless I can talk Hubby into that third coop.  Oh one other really odd thing about Periwinkle... her/his beak is totally crooked off to the side! I mean big time. I tried to get a photo straight on, will keep trying.

Here is my third Lavender - I named her "Orchid" -

She is really a pretty little thing. Loving these new chicks!!!

Found the donkeys watching me in with the chickens and snapped this one of Gabby and Bella -

 Pretty ladies aren't they? Love when they are all slicked off for summer.

When I came in the back door I found Autie and Gato...

Autie was "washing" Gato's face. Thinking maybe she had just had breakfast and Autie was helping her clean up. Sorry it was blurry but only had a half a second to snap. It must cause great embarrassment for Gato to be found letting Gato wash her face as she bolts once we see them!


See you tomorrow for Gardening Sunday -
HUGS and

High Hopes Stamps - Water!

Howdy -

This week the High Hopes Challenge is "Water"... nice refreshing "Water"! Any type of water on your card. Rain, Pool, Swimming, whatever!

I had some fun with "Diver Dan" he is so fun for a Summer Birthday Card - Especially when paired up with the High Hopes Sentiment "Dive Right In" -

Now he is a bit smaller image, so I made the card 5x5. Which I normally make 6x6... but I am thinking I may go more to the 5x5. One I have a ton of that size envelopes that need to be used and almost out of 6x6's and they are sometimes hard to find. And two... not as much to fill in.

I used more scraps today - Then saw a piece of satin ribbon that was the exact same color! Then I saw one of my Viva Decor Pens was also a perfect match!! A color I don't use hardly ever so that was really nice to pull it out to play and make lots of little pearl looking dots in green!

Inside same papers -

 Copic Colors used -

Now you need to see all the DT cards with a Water theme at the challenge Blog HERE - and then please do join us!!!

Have a wonderful day - we have some friends from out of town coming today so we are looking forward to that. Hope you have some fun planned too-

HUGS and -

Whimsy Inspiration - Grumpy Cat

Howdy -

I had this card scheduled for last week, and something in computer land went wrong. Imagine that - So here is my inspiration card for Whimsy Stamps -

This little kitty cracks me up - His name is "Grumpy Cat" by Miss Rach's Digital Collection. 

He is just too cute! I colored with my Copics (colors below)  I wanted a simple card to mail easy as a "Missing You" type of card. Don't he look like he is sad and missing someone?

Papers are from my scraps - I found a black ribbon with white stitching. White was way way too white, so I colored it with the same copics as the back ground of the kitty. Dotted some Viva Decor Paper Pen on the top right corner then added a sentiment "Miss You" from Miss You collection   Wonderful digital Sentiment Collection to have LOTS of good choices.

Inside of the card same papers -

Copics used -

This one was fun to do - Things are so busy around here that these fun more simple cards are working well for me.... and I love that they are so much easier to put into an envelope. Hate the look that postal lady gives me when my envelopes are big and lumpy. I love lots on cards, and big lumpy... but well... these are just really nice to work with too.

Need to get my chores done early today... I am spending lots of time out with the little chicks in their new pen. They seem to be really enjoying the room and running all around!

Have a wonderful day -
HUGS and

Gardening Sunday - Mmm Mmm Good!

Howdy -

This week we have been ENJOYING the garden! Of course everyone is enjoying squash and zucchini still... oh my... but finally we are enjoying the tomatoes! For real!


This is one day's gatherings of the little tomatoes - Dinner that night was chilled tomatoes with cottage cheese and fresh bread!

Now yesterday we gathered the first batch of Cherokee Tomatoes I told you about last week.

Now please don't judge! These things are SOO good. Ugly yes... But so yummy!  Heirlooms have flavor instead of looks that is for sure!

This week's Watermelon photo. The garden is so huge and overgrown due to all the rain we have had, they are getting hard to spot right off... Hubby says there are larger ones out there but I wasn't so keen on moving around things... still a bit snake shook. LOL

Don't believe me on the growth... take a look at the Squash...

Hubby looks so small out there in the middle of them! LOL

Still working on "different" recipes with the squash and zucchini. Some friends made stuffed zucchini, it was really good. So I went out looking for a recipe online to make it myself the other night.

Didn't want to head into town for just a few ingredients so I worked on my own recipe... working with what I had on hand.  Took some from one, then other things from another until I basically was just going it on my own.

Actually turned out really good!  Not pretty for the cover of a cooking magazine, but was really good.

Here is what my recipe ended up with -

Two zucchini's cut in half length wise. Scoop out the insides into a bowl leaving about 1/4 of an inch "boat". Place the boats upside down on a microwave plate - microwave with at wet paper towel over them for 3-4 minutes. Set aside -

Cook about 8 oz breakfast sausage in a skillet. ( I used 1/2 of a Jimmy Dean Original tube )Remove from skillet.
Chop 1/2 - 3/4  cup onion and put in skillet with chopped up zucchini insides. Cook until light brown. Add 1 can of Diced Tomatoes with Italian Spices.
Add 1/2 a tube of saltine crackers all "smooshed" up.
Add sausage back to pan, stir well. Remove from heat let sit a couple of minutes.
Add two eggs mixed well. Stir.
Add 1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir.

Put in "boats" In a baking dish sprayed with pam or something like that. Add a little more cheese on top.

Bake at pre heated 375 oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese starts to brown.

Really is good! I think I might try spicy breakfast sausage next time.

Hope you have a great Sunday planned. A Happy Father's Day with family.
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - Donkey Hugs and Love

Howdy -

We had another big thunder storm the other night that gave us some good rain, that was wonderful. It is so much greener here than it normally is in June and we are blessed as that gives the animals fresh grass to eat! The wind was not so good. Hubby and I have been watching a little wren build a bird nest in my hanging plant on the back porch. I was so excited about sneaking a photo of it for you guys... there were three tiny little eggs in the nest! WERE... I was so depressed when we went out after the storm and the plant was on the sidewalk, eggs broke. Hubby says she will start over - I hope so. We are going to wire the planter to the hanger to try and prevent it happening again. Never have had a plant blow off that hanger. It is protected by the house. Really was blowing!

Hubby has been finishing up the second chicken coop and today we will be introducing the chicks to their new home. I will get photos for next week.

I did capture a few photos this week of some Donkey Hugs and Love to show you -

Some donkey hugs between Irene and Pepita - these two are BFF's. About the same age. Pepita just amazes me. Ok, now she and her Dad Black Jack will never been in the same pasture. That wouldn't be good.... Dad and Daughter thing. But if they werek I really don't know if from a distance at all you would know which was which! She is a carbon copy of him!

Black Jack....

Pepita....

Now she has lost more hair here... but man.

Patricio will be right there with them and more carbon copies...

Here is a little "love"... I think our little boy Patricio "Pat-Man", has a crush on Juliet. Now we don't have the heart to break the news to him that she is a standard and he will never get to officially "date" her. But she seems to really like him too, but I think it is more of a baby sitting big sister thing for her. It is cute watching them together...

And speaking of "Love"... Frank is just adoring his "girls" living with him.

 He is not your typical Buck. He is so friendly and gentle. Not an aggressive bone in his entire body. Annie is his true love, he rubs and nuzzles her neck and follows her around. So sweet. I really didn't plan on putting Annie in with him this season, but when putting the other girls in she ran in too... I think she like Frank too. Gracie is the only other girl in this pen... she was taking her turn up on the hut I guess. Peso's pen and his girls is totally different. We have to spread the hay way way out and they sleep and stay way across the pen from each other. There is no sweet nuzzling there.

Hope you have some fun plans today - Maybe spending some time with a furry friend! I will be back for Gardening Sunday -

HUGS and-