A Weekend on the Farm

Charis and Kol spent last weekend with us from Friday night through Monday morning, and we had a marvelous time!  (This could have been a "Wordless Wednesday" post--except I didn't finish it on Wednesday and I can't do "wordless!")  However, a picture IS worth a thousand words, so I don't need too many . . .

Happy to be here!

Misty helps wave goodbye.

Off to feed the animals Saturday morning.

Siobhan is the perfect, un-scary size--and she loves petting.

Back from a long morning walk with Didi.

Good thing Mimi came to the rescue with the Doodad!

A Hotdog Man for lunch . . .

. . . revives tired bodies and spirits.

Fall evening + Pony = Perfect Farm Fun.

Julie is ready for supper, and so are we.

Marbleworks always fascintates.

Some good, old-fashioned fun.

A Sunday Bible story fills a quiet moment.  You might not know it from the busy photos, but we have lots of story times here.

Face Time with Dada, Mama and Eden.

Ah, the wonders of modern technology!

What goes up . . .

. . . must come . . .

. . . down!  We proved that one over and over!

Only one aunt in the entire world . . .

. . . would let her niece and nephew climb and slide all over her new truck.  Aunt Kara rocks--and Tacoma is Kid Tough!  (Are you listening, Mr. Toyota executive?)

Tractor Supply is fun for kids, too.  Charis and Kol show off their new toys--Pegasus-Julie and a blue truck.  (Eat your heart out, Aunt Kara!)

All good things must come to an end, including fun-filled days and time at the farm.  Good night, sweet kiddos!  We loved having you here!

There and Back Again: Frodo's Journey to Zephyr Hill Farm

We were on our way to the dump this afternoon when our neighbor at the end of the road stopped us.

"Did you lose a brown and white pony?" she asked.  "Because it was just here, but my dogs scared it off while I was getting a bucket of sweet feed."

Our first thought was no, Julie couldn't have gotten out, but the neighbor was sure it was her.  She gave us the bucket of feed and a lead rope, and we went off looking down both directions of the main road as far as the nearest horses.  No Julie.  So we headed home to see how she had gotten out and to be sure none of the other animals had followed her.

Halfway down the road we spotted the escapee in another neighbor's yard--and it wasn't Julie, thank heavens!  I offered the feed and secured the pony, which was actually a miniature horse.  We chatted with the elderly lady who lives there and then I walked the stray down the road and up our driveway to the nearest empty pasture.

It turns out it was a little stud horse.

I took a couple of photos to help with identification.

 We made sure he could reach the water which is at Dexter height.

Misty was trying to figure out why this other dog smells like a horse.

We left the little guy standing on the hill gazing out at my girls, dreaming of Amazons.

It only took a couple of phone calls to find out that our visitor's name is Frodo and to locate his owner, a young girl who plans to teach him tricks.  Apparently Frodo has already learned some Houdini-style tricks, as this is the fourth time he's escaped.  I imagine we'll see him again, now that he knows there are ladies here.  I suggested to his young owner that unless she needs to breed him, she might want to geld him--and maybe change his name.  Both might tame his wanderlust!

Bye-bye, Frodo!  See you next time!

Life Through My Lens

These are random photos that I've taken recently.  No one photo merited an entire post, but taken together they show snippets of my life through my lens.  And they make me smile!  I hope they make you smile, too!

"I believe in unicorns!"

Jet-Lea, martial arts expert.

"I never repeat gossip, so listen carefully."

"Did, too!"  "Did not!"  "Did, too!"  "Did not!"

"Run, run as fast as you can; you can't catch me, I'm the Rocket Man!"

Détente.

"Here's lookin' at you, kid."  Jet does his Humphrey Bogart impersonation.

Creepy-crawlies on my back porch.  This is good.

Creepy-crawlies inside my house.  This is not good.

Jet:  "Will you be my friend?"
Macree:  "Munch, munch."

Jet:  "Will you be my friend?"
Olivia:  'Howooooooooo!"

Puppy-Cat disguised as a ferret.

Twenty-One Ways to Have Fun on the Farm

Friday we had dear friends over for breakfast along with their three kids.  We remember when they first met and were dating long distance--how time flies!

After breakfast it was time for fun . . .

1)  Take a family portrait with the Doodad.

2)  Take a ride on Julie.

3)  See things from a new perspective.

4)  Sit your horse straight and tall.

 5)  Enjoy being the only one who can reach the stirrups.

 6)  Ride a pony for the very first time in your life.

7)  And look absolutely adorable doing it.

8)  Laugh out loud.

9)  Try teamwork.

10)  Take another great family portrait--and be the one to make a funny face.

11)  Watch the naughty horses get into mischief--from the safety of the Doodad.

12)  Open the gate.

13)  Climb on the gate.

14)  Sit in the shade of the RTV.

 15)  Laugh about stepping in manure.

17)  Pet a calf.

18)  Watch someone else pet a calf.

19)  Invent the most unusual position for petting a calf.

20)  Pet a mama cow.

21)  Be in a cow's family portrait.

Thank you, Nicolas, Alison, William, Elliot and Aimée for embracing our farm with so much joy.  You made our day!