Sweet, Smart & Sensitive

 This little one is growing up so fast, and since her Mom doesn’t seem to blog . . . I figured I better.

Since I’m the Grandma, I think I have the right.

I’m certainly not great at capturing Studio quality photos, but these will do in a pinch.

She is about 19 months old . . . 2 yrs in July!

I think this picture is the sweetest little face . . . but she was not happy with me.

She wanted to get up & play!

So that’s what we did.

Oakleigh loves my piano.

I just had to zero in on her cutest little boots.

In a month they probably won’t fit her anymore!

Sweet Gifts from heaven!

Who’s There?

Deer.

Deer Who?

Deer!

Everyday . . . Deer visit me.

They are eating every bush and tree that resides in our yard.

I can go outside, and almost be right on top of them . . . they don’t care!

I took these pictures through the glass on the side of my front door.

This little guy was literally by the front step.

I think that they are quite beautiful!

My round topiary trees are almost gone now…..ugg.

This guy just stared at me, through the glass.

They must be really hungry!

Pretty soon . . . they’ll have to find a new yard to chew on.

This poor blog has been neglected . . . I guess I just can’t handle two blogs at the same time.

This video motivated me to “Get Off My butt and Write.”

Everytime I type that blog name I think the same thing.

It should read:  “Get On your butt and Write.”  It’s too late now, the domain name is bought and paid for!

I tend to keep up my baking blog: Get Off Your Butt and BAKE! . . . a tad better.

Go there for a delicious Caramel Apple post.

The summer has flown by, and I’ve been able to check off many . . . need to do’s, want to do’s and don’t have a choice to do’s!  Most of the warm summer days have been spent picking raspberries, hoeing the garden, mowing the lawn, and did I say weeds!  I think that’s why I love fall so much.  Everything is so beautiful with the oranges, golds, browns, reds . . . and the weeds don’t grow quite as fast.  This is the time of year that these beautiful purple flowers pop up all over my yard.  Take a look:

 I went outside just a couple of days ago, and snapped a few pictures from our still growing garden.

It’s just amazing how long a garden will last, as long as they weather stays warm and you keep watering it.

We have lots and lots of these plums.

I will be making plum jelly this week.

It’s un-real how many cherry tomatoes we’ve picked this season.

Still picking . . . and loving every juicy bite!

Not to mention the big ones, that have now started to turn red.

And . . . believe it or not this lone little Strawberry was waiting for me to eat it!

The corn has been delicious and buttery and fattening as well.

This is what potatoes look like after the vines have died.  We have been enjoying them for weeks now.

Believe it or not, the broccoli is still hanging on, although the heads are much smaller.

Look at the beautiful flowers on broccoli.

Goodbye summer . . . Hello FALL!

My hubbie is out there at about 5:00 A.M. on the dot . . . EVERY MORNING!

I however feel the need to put on Makeup and do my hair before joining him.

WHY? 

I must be insane!  By the time I burrow deep in the ruins of the Raspberries, along with the Grasshoppers and the Daddy Long Legs I look like HELL!  I literally look like I have at least 15 cats, because my arms and legs are scratched from top to bottom.  Tonight, I looked at my hubbies arms . . . his are basically scratchless!  I just don’t get it.  He doesn’t get me!  Anyway, if it sounds like I’m complaining . . . I am!  However, I’m thankful for a full freezer and happy neighbors who have received nice big Raspberries, all picked and hand delivered. We have also been eating new little potatoes, peas and carrots for a couple of weeks now.  The corn and beans will soon be ready, and I’m trying to gear for that.  Just so you know, my hubbie is in his 7th heaven while he’s buried in the garden.  I just follow like a puppy dog . . . act like I’m enjoying it and occasionally bite him every now and then!  I’m also Thankful that I have a hard working husband who is trying to make me into a Farm girl . . . just ainta gonna happen! 

This seems to be what takes the most time. 

They need picked daily . . . We have a lot of them.  The berries are as big as your thumb!

They do make wonderful treats though.

Raspberry Blueberry Cream Tarts and Huckleberry Raspberry Freezer jam.

If you want the recipes, go to Get Off Your Butt and BAKE!

We have Tomato’s and Corn.

 We have Broccoli and plum trees.

We have Beans and Peas.

We have Carrots, and just look at the lovely little flowers on top of the Potatoes.

Thanks for visiting our Garden.

Winter . . . are you coming anytime soon???

All we have to do in the winter is shovel!

What do you do when a little 4 yr. old proclaims . . . “I’m bored” . . . at least 20 times before 9:00 a.m. in the morning? 

You quickly make a plan!

Addisyn, Bridger and I decided to change a boring day into a fun filled day.  We went to the ZOO. 

Take a look.

 Bridger got annoyed with my picture taking right along with the monkeys!

My favorite . . . Can you imagine walking around with all that hair, in this heat!

Addi takes time to pose for me . . . so sweet!

See the little guy at the bottom left . . . some days I feel that way!

The penguins have the most fabulous blue pool to swim in  . . . however, they just didn’t care to get wet!

Broken arm or not, Bridger was going to ride those rides!

Addi chickened out at the last moment.

When I asked what their favorite Animal at the Zoo was . . . It was the Goats!

Go figure.

 The end.

When you are taking pictures of sheer beauty, it simply doesn’t matter if they pose!

Boston

a.k.a -”Bossie”

Logan

a.k.a. “Little Buddy”

No time to gel the hair!

 I think he learned this look from his Dad! 

 ”You do whatever you want Nana . . . I’m NOT moving from this couch!”

Logan is the best Eater I’ve ever met!

I will tell you one more time . . . PUT THAT CAMERA AWAY!

Don’t let this angel face fool you . . . This little one can certainly Hold her own!

 ”Grandkids are certainly a gift from Heaven!”

— ran·dom·ness noun . . .just because! 

I was smart this time. 

I actually remembered to bring my camera and my Canon EOS 7D book for Dummies!  I’ve learned quite a lot from reading that book.  It didn’t have a Chapter about how to take good pictures through a bug filled windshield, however.  See . . . if you look close, you can see my husbands ear plugs on the dashboard as I was taking the picture.  You can also see the bugs stuck to that windshield.  It’s not too bad, considering I took it through the very dirty windshield.

Kenny was setting up a guidance system, up on the Rexburg Bench.

Did you know that most farmers don’t even have to drive their tractors anymore. 

Those straight rows come from the guidance system!

Look closely, the rows towards the front are grain.  The rows further back are potatoes.

Grain rows are much closer together!

 POTATO 101

The rows are 36″ apart and potato seed pieces are placed 10″ apart by the potato planter.

The fertilizer is placed beneath the seed piece, and the funguside is placed in the ground to kill all the bugs that put the black spots on the potatoes that you buy in the store.

 The red box on the planter has the chemical to kill potato beatles that eat the plant as it grows.

I learned all of this from my Book for Dummies……NOT!

They will fill that potato planter with the spuds that are in the truck picture below.

They are seed potatoes that were grown last year, in high altitude areas that are in disease free soils.

They are grown purposely small, so that the potatoes have several eyes.  Eyes are the little indented spots that you see on the potatoes that you peel for dinner.  Each seed potatoe has several eyes.  When they cut the potatoes into two to three ounce pieces, you hope each piece has several eyes.  These eyes . . . of each of the pieces, is where the plants starts to grow.

*If you have had potatoes start to grow little arms and legs . . . that is the eye of the potatoe.  If you were to cut it into pieces and place it in your garden . . . it will GROW!

This truck of potatoes is all ready cut, treated and ready for planting.  It holds 300 sacks.  Each sack is 100 lbs.

I’ve driven one of these suckers before . . . . hated every minute of it. 

My heart raced at stroke level the entire time!

Oh……how my husband wished he’d married a FARM GIRL.

When the Guidance System . . . fails to Guide, because the farmer pushes the wrong buttons,

he simply crawls out of the cab of the tractor . . . and calls Kenny!

My hubbie is the skinny guy.

ONE MORE TIME . . . push this button, then that button, then this button, then that button.

Don’t forget!~

Boredom has now set in . . . Let’s see how far my lens will take me.

Cannon . . . take me away!

My 24-105mm lens, is not the best for shots like this. 

  These grain bins will be very full come September.

Somewhere in Ashton, they have turned grain bins into the most fabulous house.  Really!

When we did finally get home . . . Kenny had to check on the GARDEN.

Once a farmer - always a farmer. 

I don’t live in a grain bin, I live in this house.

All the windows in this house are disgustingly dirty, just like that truck windshield!

Do you remember Pete . . . well, he’s still on the job.

He doesn’t do a very good job though.

He just sits there, and sits there, and sits there!

I took more pictures.

These blossoms are from our plum trees.

Did you know that if the trees don’t blossom, they won’t produce fruit?

Our yard will be Weed free . . . for about four to five minutes!

Like I said . . . Once a farmer, always a farmer.

We have this Old stuff at our house.

It’s older than I am!

This is an OLD potato Planter.

Can you imagine!

 This is a Mower Sickle. It mowed hay . . . once upon a time.  Horse drawn!

The Bumble bees are out in FULL FORCE!

and so are the TULIPS!

They are much sweeter than the bees.

They don’t seem to have a liking for me either.

These are my favorite.

and just like this post . . . all good things must come to an end.

My husband didn’t need a guidance system to plant his garden.

GO TO BED PETE . . . it’s getting late!

*My Camera is now in shock, as it actually got out of the kitchen.

Convinced that if my hubbie had to choose between me and . . .

the garden,

He would certainly choose . . .

the garden!

I’d like you to meet Pete.

Pete’s the newest member of our family.

He’s the “Keeper of the Seed.”

His job is 24-7.

As my hubbie puts it . . . “You won’t watch the garden, so somebody has to!”

You see, I’m suppose to keep my eye out for these beautiful creatures.

Oh Yes . . . let’s not forget the pesky pheasants that also sneak by me.

This one turned to look at me as if to say . . . Ha Ha.

You’re in trouble now!

Save some for me . . .

Pete just sat there.

He’s fired!

Some how, it was my fault . . . instead of Pete’s.

For Pete’s sake.

Less peas to pick – I win!

I really wanted to see if my camera could focus, on anything but pictures of food.

I found new life.

My eyes watered the entire time!

Ahhhh spring.

This large tree is dead . . . but new life is found there!

Do you know what the above pic is?  It is a Christmas plant that is still blooming after 2 years!

and finally . . .

Some people are happy wherever they find themselves.

SPRING . . .

simple, poised, renewed, intense, nutured, grace