And Now for the Farm Animal Pics

Yesterday, we viewed the farm buildings.

Today, it's all about the animals baby!

There were animals of all shapes, sorts and sizes.

We had large majestic animals:



And wee little ones, who were a bit camera shy:




Some you could pet and feed. Others, not so much. Upon seeing this sign, instead of thinking "I shouldn't feed these animals, I thought: "I should hang this sign around my neck!" Lol!



But, I digress. The above sign was posted outside of this pen.

How beautiful is this guy? I didn't feed him. I was too busy admiring his beauty. So much so, I wanted to arrange for the inheritance of his hide after his timely demise. " Mr. Steer Clear of Me, may I have your coat when you no longer need it? It would look lovely upon my bedroom floor. Thank you kind sir."... Oh quit "poo-pooing" me Kiki! I need me some rawhide!!! ;)

Next we came upon the Alcatraz portion of the farm.




This place was wired up tight. I don't know what this cute little fella could have possibly done. But being a male, it's a given he probably acted like "an ass" at one time or another. :D





He was begging to be petted. But not allowed. Perhaps he tried to take off an appendage at one time. But I think he is remorseful....yet, perhaps not to be trusted.


Another "beauty" was Tom. I'd never seen a turkey so large before.

The ones on my table are much smaller. And not nearly as beautiful. I would have to pardon this guy too. Long may you live Senor Tom.
(That's the little woman standing in front of him. She didn't want me getting too close to her man. :)
Now we have come to the feeding portion of our program. This is the part that all children (and animals) love the most of any farm visit. Allow me to introduce you to our hungry little friends:



What is it about farm animals that the public can feed? They act like they are raving mad with hunger. They are all pushing and climbing up the fence (and over each other) to get a morsel of feed. When we were there, so were about 50 other people-all with feed. So, I seriously doubt they were starving. Yet, I too have known hunger-so who am I to judge when enough is enough.


Some of these fellas were so cute we named them. Okay, I named them. Below is little "Fu Man Chew" Notice his beard.

He was quite serious about his meal.

And this little guy, I named Mr. Soprano. Don't even THINK about not feeding him!!!

He meant business. I think he would have taken out a hit on me, if I failed to share the oats with him. I shared. No worries. Much laughter, but no worries.

The next guy I have given the moniker of Princess Leia. The wrong gender for such a name, but fitting none the less. Don't you agree?



The last shot, is of pigeons. I don't like pigeons really. But these two were hanging around the feeding pens. They just walked around, unafraid of everyone, looking for food. I thought they looked like an old married couple. I don't know if they were from around these parts, or if they too were tourists at the farm. Perhaps they just flew in for dinner.

The Early Bird special I'll bet!!!

:D........

Touring the Farm

We toured an old farm recently. This farm belongs to a very well known family that makes sausage. These barns are exactly how you would picture a barn to look in your mind-yet, rarely how a barn looks in actuality. At least not any that I've seen before. But then, I don't get out much. :) The farm itself is open for the public to tour. Your admission includes roaming the grounds, feeding the animals and admission to the museum. In the background is the facility where they make aforementioned sausage. The public is not allowed in there. (Although I think it would be cool to see how sausage is made. Oh, not the slaughtering part-the assembly line/packaging part.) This pond was on the property. It had horses grazing around it, ducks floating upon it-very peaceful. All my husband could think about was what type of fish might be IN it. :) Everyone loved the hayride. The lovely man who drove the tractor reminded me of my Dad. It made me a wee bit homesick. It was ALL I could do not to hug his neck....but luckily, my family was spared me humiliating them....barely. However, I may just go back again one day to see him. I'll take my sister. She too will see the resemblance-and we will hug the heck out of him. Maybe he will have daughters, so he will understand.



The farm also had the old family homestead. No touring was allowed. However, I would have loved to see the inside. To see how the family lived once upon a time. To go back in time so to speak. But, I had to make due with viewing it from the outside-at a distance. Doesn't it look quaint though? I loved everything about it. Right down to the white picket fence.

The following shots are of the museum.

This one is set up like an old fashioned store.

They had rooms set up like old fashioned kitchens and barns as well.

The picture below reminds me once again of my Dad. He used to have a scale set up like this in his store once upon a time to weigh meat on.

I was once again consumed by an overwhelming urge to go outside and hug the tractor driver. But I'll be visiting my Dad again soon; after which, complete strangers (that in my mind's eye resemble him) will be safe from aforementioned wacko woman accosting them .....for a little while at least.

Tomorrow I will share all the farm animal pictures. But for today, I just wanted you to see the actual farm. And now for what I think is the coolest part. Okay, one of the coolest parts. Aside from the cute picturesque barns, the relaxing pond, the historical museum and family homestead, and the father look alike.

One of the coolest things is this:

This country farm is now smack dab in the middle of a very commercial area. 6 lanes of traffic, businesses as far as the eye can see, rush hour traffic galore-and right across the street...an oasis of calm and yesteryear.


I loved the juxtaposition between yesterday and today's world. Which one would you prefer to reside in?

Come on Baby, " Do the locomotion..."

While on summer vacation, we revisited the good ol' days. We went to see how people used to commute by rail. Have you ever wondered what the inside of one of these old cars looked like? Well wonder no more. This particular car was run on electricity. It transported mail as well as passengers. Oh so roomy inside no?

In the back was the "post office."

Here they sorted the day's mail, like so:

Up front was ,what I am assuming, "first class" seating.

In the middle, standing room only. Stand up, grab a bar, and hold the heck on! But aren't the old advertisements great? And look how tiny the baggage compartments are. For businessmen with teeny, tiny briefcases. :) Teeny, tiny briefcases, hmmmm, I wonder- is that how the term "small businesses" came about?

I think I would prefer to be in the middle of the train. I would much rather stand and hold on, than sit and watch the conductor drive the train.

This is all the equipment necessary to drive a train???!!! Seriously???!!! Where's the radio? Heated seats? GPS? Oh wait. We're on a track, guess we can't really wonder off course now can we. Just the same, I think I 'd rather walk.




And for the love of Mike, don't even get me started on the "facilities." Drink from this fountain? I'd rather stay parched, thank you.





Ohhhhh, and the commode....

It sits like 4 inches off the floor. The sign says, "Please do not use the toilet while train is in the station." No worries! Sweet mother of pearl, I'm glad we progressed in our transportation since then.

Still, it was great seeing how people used to commute. Everyone had a good time exploring history.

And it made for some great photo ops:

Just look at these guys" holding up the train." Get it, holding up the train...:) My Uncle Dennie would have liked that joke. Ahem, anyways...

Sure looks like somebody has been eating their veggies!!!

Sit a Spell

Forrest Gump has forever ruined the way I view park benches. I can no longer see a comfortable spot to sit and rest. All I can think of now when I see a park bench is the phrase, "Life is like a box of chocolates." Aaaaggghhhh!!! Luckily, my boys have never seen that horrible, horrible, need 3 boxes of tissue and hours of therapy, scar you for life movie. So, park benches don't affect them. Obviously, they don't have issues...but, I digress. They found this one quite comfy. We were awaiting our turn for one of the nearby attractions.

We had a few minutes (or twenty) to wait. Wouldn't you love to know the thoughts that they were contemplating?

Me too!

Let Summer Begin!!!

We FINALLY finished up with this year's school work. Can I get a HALLELUJAH??!!! Or at the very least a YEEHAW???!!!

This year was an interesting year teaching two children instead of just one. But we all survived and learned alot in the process. I learned that I need to have more alcoholic beverages on hand. Purely for teaching the youngest mathematics...If Mommy has 6 beers and drinks 1, how many are left? LOL! Just joking.

It will be a shorter summer than usual, due to us running 3 weeks late with our schooling.(flu days, field trips, etc.) I will be adjusting schedules for next year accordingly. I found it takes a little longer when teaching two children separately. However, if all goes well-we will finish up school next year in May!!

Big Changes are coming. Next year brown eyes will be learning to read, and blue eyes will be starting high school (a year early.) Can't even wrap my head around that yet. But I don't have to. The next 8 weeks or so, I'm just going to concentrate on relaxation and showing the boys a good summer. Swimming, movie watching, Wii playing, fishing, field trips and book reading. Yeah!!! I love summer!!!

Got Bread?

I got ambitious this weekend. I know from the picture below you might think I was like Jethro Bodine (The Beverly Hillbillies) and just had me a large bowl of oatmeal chock full of nuts ..... Every time I use this bowl I think of him and his appetite, but I digress. I didn't eat this much. And this isn't oatmeal. I made up a batch of Banana Nut Bread.

As you can see from this picture, when I make up Banana Nut Bread-I make a lot!!! You can also probably guess why from looking at the below picture.

I barely get this yummy concoction out of the oven, and someone is already cutting into it and sampling the goods. Although, I'm not mentioning any names... (Ricardo.)

If any of you have some bananas sitting around needing a new purpose in life, or if you want to make up a delicious treat for the family- the recipe is below. And as you know, I'm no chef, so it's a given that this recipe is easy. :) Enjoy!!!

BANANA NUT BREAD:

2 C sugar

2/3 C butter

4 eggs

8 bananas

3 C flour

2 tsp soda

2 tsp salt

Chopped Nuts of your choice

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add flour, soda and salt-mix well. Mash in bananas and add the nuts-again mixing well. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan. Bake @ 35o for around 1hour (give or take depending on your oven.)

(** Special Editor's Note-It's worth mentioning, this recipe does not contain MILK of ANY sort- **private joke/bittersweet smile and tears inserted here.)

Ima Jo King on Women's Issues

Howdy!!! Ima Back!! Has it been awhile since you've had a good laugh? Are you needing a laugh more now than ever? Well, "Ima" gonna try to take care of that.

Awhile back a friend of mine sent me some Q&A's on Women's "Issues". I found this information highly enlightening and very entertaining as well. I can only hope it answers some questions you might have also had. Enjoy...


Pregnancy, Estrogen, and Women
PREGNANCY Q & A & more!

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q: I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q: What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?

Q: My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure.Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q: Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.

"ESTROGEN ISSUES" 10 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE "ESTROGEN ISSUES"
1. Everyone around you has an attitude problem.
2. You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet
3. The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.
4. Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.
5. You're using your cellular phone to dial up every bumper sticker that says: "How's my driving-call 1- 800-"
6. Everyone's head looks like an invitation to batting practice.
7. Everyone seems to have just landed here from "outer space"
8. You can't believe they don't make a tampon bigger than Super Plus.
9. You're sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.
10. The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.

Well, I certainly feel better. Hope everyone has a great weekend! And as I always say: If you can't be a good example, serve as a horrible warning to others!!!

'Til Next Time,
Ima Jo King- Blogger at Large

Happy Birthday Brown Eyes!!!

Today is yet another very special day in our household. Seven years ago today, I was blessed with my second son. My youngest. Beautiful Brown Eyes. This little guy is my living proof that you can love your second child every bit as much as you do your firstborn. My heart had been saving a special spot, just for him all along.

Brown Eyes is every bit as much of a blessing as his brother is. He is also just as much loved.

I must say, my two boys are very different in personalities. But, both are as equally wonderful.

When I knew I was pregnant with my second child, I had hoped I would get another son. One who would be an ornery, mischievous bit of goods. My prayers were answered.


Brown Eyes likes to live his life on the wild side. He is all about taking risks. He also says exactly what he feels, when he feels it, he doesn't sugarcoat it, and you never have to doubt that he meant it. I admire those qualities in him. I wouldn't try to change them, even if I could.

He's a fly by the seat of your pants kind of guy. Some days are more adventurous than others; but, every day is an adventure just the same. He is sweet and loving one minute. Comical and ornery the next.

Brown Eyes can make me laugh like no other! He's definitely got his Momma's twisted sense of humor.

He's also got his Momma's temper, bless his little heart! But unlike me, this little guy is worth the extra effort, even on those trying days. :) He's extremely loving, exceptionally smart, and very good at heart. He's just a good egg I tell ya! (Who knew I could be capable of producing two of those top notch, quality eggs???!!! )

So here's to my youngest, Beautiful Brown Eyes!!! Your smile makes my heart melt, my eyes misty, and my arms ache to embrace you always. The very sound of your sweet little laugh makes my soul soar and my day complete. I love you more than words can say. I will love you even more tomorrow than I do today. I am so lucky to be your Mom! I hope that all your wishes and dreams come true; because, that's the gift you and your brother have given to me.

Happy Birthday Ella!!!

June is the month of Birthday's around our casa. First we had Ol' Blue Eyes celebrating the big "Teen" Birthday. And today is little Miss Ella Enchanted Me's Birthday. She is turning 1 year old today!!! And may I say, what a difference a year makes in the life (and size) of an English Mastiff.



This is our sweet little girl when she was only two days old. She weighed in at less than 2 lbs.



Fast forward eight weeks, to the first night we brought her home:

Ohhhhhh! If you think I didn't pinch those cute little hind legs a time or two....well, you'd be mistaken. I'm not that strong. She was just too stinking cute and pinchable to resist I tell ya!! And look at those rolls of skin. Only a dog and a baby can make excess rolls look so good!!! :)



Then we hit our mid year point:

Oh, my goodness!!! Look at that velvet muzzle. And those wrinkles!!! I like to call this shot: "Deep thoughts by Ella." :)

And now weighing in at close to 150 lbs is our girlie a year in the making:

Beautiful, sweet, enchanting, pampered, lovable, can't live without ya, Ella Pooh.

Happy Birthday sweet girl!!! We all love you so very much!!! Looking forward to many more happy, wonderful, amusing years together!!!!

Love Dare Day.....14???

I dare say, my beloved Ricardo and I are not following the Love Dare Book as it is meant to be followed. I Dare say, we have been too stinking busy. We've had so much going on that we have agreed to take the weekends off from reading our marital book. Is that wrong?! Is it soooo wrong that it is right?! Like, when two negatives make a positive sort of right???!!! I dare say, we will have to amend the 40 day dare into something more like: "The it's gonna take 2 months, cause we take the weekends off , 40 day Love Dare." or "The 60 Day (give or take) 40 Day Love Dare for the Mathematically and Time Challenged Couple" or perhaps: "Our Marriage isn't going anywhere, anytime soon, (I think) so we're taking our sweet time 4000 Day Love Dare"....catchy titles huh?





I know what you're thinking. In the amount of time it took to come up with these clever titles, I could have read the book. Well, perhaps. But the point is, I'm up to my eyeballs in chores, school, birthdays, etc. So, when hubby asked what I thought about taking the weekends off from reading; I jumped at the chance.





We've been spending our weekends out poolside as a family (dogs and all). Which I am certain, SOMEWHERE in this book it mentions quality family time. The past several days have seemed a little irrelevant. We've had days that spend time talking about arguing, giving in to a disagreement, constructive arguing, etc. Ricardo and I honestly don't argue. I can't think of the last time we had a "disagreement." We got that out of our system years ago. It's in the past. Kinda like dancing all night, drinking with friends and dating.





Speaking of, when I mentioned date night to Ricardo, he said: "I thought dating other people was frowned upon." Which caused me to laugh hysterically. I guess in some houses that comment wouldn't have gone over well. But, in ours..laughter wins every time. But I digress.





Anyhow, we are muddling our way through this book as best as we can. I wouldn't be surprised if the author showed up on our doorstep any day now and demanded we relinquish the books to him. But we are slowly but surely, ( actually more slowly than surely) getting through the dare. Today is Day 14 which is about neglecting an activity you would normally do so that you can spend some quality time with each other. UhOh. I can guess which activity we will neglect so that we can spend more time together. Guess that means tomorrow will be DAY 14...or perhaps the day after.





Anyway, as I was saying, we are still married. Still doing fine. Still reading. It is any one's guess at this point as to when we will finish this challenge. Perhaps on our upcoming Anniversary? Oh wait, that's next month. Not enough time to finish it before this year's Anniversary. Lets try for next years. I'll keep you abreast of the latest. ( A breast...snicker, snort, giggle) Perhaps they have a remedial marital book for the juvenile, will laugh at anything, too immature to read/write couple???!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLUE EYES

Today is a very special day. 13 years ago today, I was blessed with a son. Ol' Blue Eyes. My eldest son. My heart, my soul, one of life's greatest gifts. I don't know what I did to deserve him; but, I give thanks for him every day. In my humble opinion, Blue Eyes is one of the most perfect human beings ever to grace planet Earth.

He is extremely intelligent and talented. He is also kind, patient, loving and just all around wonderful. How could I have had a part in creating something so utterly perfect?!! He's one good egg I tell ya! :)

He is a wonderful son and a fabulous big brother. I cherish every memory of him as a baby and small child.

I am so proud of the teenager that he has become. And, I have no doubt as to the wonderful man he will soon be.

Blue Eyes, I love you more than mere words can express. I will love you even more tomorrow than I do today. You make the world a better place, simply by being in it!

So, here's to you Blue Eyes-Happy 13th Birthday!!! I hope all your wishes and dreams come true-no one deserves it more!