My New Back Yard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last spring when getting ready for Joleen's graduation I wanted to do the party here at the house but may back yard was a disaster.  

This was my inspiration picture, It was from the Faerie Magazine. I know mine looks nothing like this but I do have the lights and eventually I want to have the lights hanging down more with some  beads and flowers also hanging,(maybe a fairy or two hidden in all of it.)    

 

Every year we put back a little money to do remodel and repairs on the house. Last year I was going to do the laundry room but after looking at the back yard and wanting to do the party there plus I want have to have Katie's graduation party this year decided to put the money into the yard. So glad we did I just love it.

 

 

 

here are a few before pictures. On this bottom level I had planted grass a few years ago, the slopping area, I had planted mint but we have so may noxious weeds I couldn't keep up with them and they over ran everything.

 

 

 

 

 

The thing that looks like a big brown bush is a silverlace vine covering a tank that I run the washer water in to in the summer, to use to water some of the plants in the yard.

 

 

We put in 9 cedar post that we already had, we did have to buy the 2x4's to put on the top. Andy made the braces to hold them up and we had some long screws to put in them. 

 

I put down two layers of plastic then covered it with sawdust we have an unlimited supply so I figured that would work just as good as anything and it didn't cost anything. I had already used rock to outline the slope, so I just rearranged them. I had some pots that trees came in so I dug a hole and put them in then filled with potting soil and planted lavender in them. Figured that would be a good place to stick the teki torches. I did have to but some mulch.

 

For the  railing I had some 4x4's that we used, then used some pig wire that we had a bunch of. I took all our house Christmas lights and strung through the roof. Then I went and cut a bunch of willows at a friends house to put on the bottoms and on the roof. 

 

 

This was the old sand box the sand was packed down hard and full of weeds so I pulled all the weeds and dug a fire pit we had an old tractor tire rim that we used for a fire ring. Put two hooks on one side to hang lanterns and put a row of solar lights on the other side.

 

On the other side I put some wood panels up along side the dog kennel and hung a wreath and some flower boxes

 

Then I strung some lights on the arches down the sidewalk.

The empty spot on the right is where the faerie garden it going to go. It rained so  much this last spring and summer that I never got to get it set up. I have most of the stuff for it and can't wait to put it out.

 

I hung some shears and we bought new patio furniture I found some stuff at Wal-Mart for fairly cheap that looked real nice and fit with the decor. It's hard to see but the silverlace bloomed out and is all green, looks great on the side.

I didn't get pictures of the front and the front side of the things I did there, maybe this spring.

 

I love it even though I don't get to spend much time out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Powell

It is snowing like crazy here. Just adding to all the snow we already have. So I thought I would talk about warmer nicer weather, and share some pictures of our trip to Lake Powell this past summer.

My brother has a house boat there and invited us for a long week-end. I have to admit I sort of drug my feet about going, I am terrified of water. (Nearly drowned when I was younger.) They finally talked me into going, and I have to admit I'm so glad they did I had so much fun.

You can see just how low the water is, Andy said it was up quite a bit from when he and Travis were there a few months before. Hopefully with all the snow we are getting it will come up a bunch this spring.

Just cruising out in the middle.

 Yes we are going to go in there.

 

We went through there and it opened up to a lot more, you can see the little alcove.

We went and hung out and played in the alcove for a while. This is looking out from under the alcove. It was huge inside there were about 6 other boats in there with us and still a ton of room. Kind of funny to think that when the water level is where it is suppose to be all this is under water.

Joleen,Andy and my Brother playing in the water.

 

After that we went and rode around for a little more, till we came to this narrow gap we stopped and Joleen, Travis and my Brother decided to swim into it. 

 

 They got back there pretty far, then started jumping in off the ledge.

 

After ridding a little longer we went to the marina and got some ice cream. These fish hang out and wait for someone to feed them. Pretty funny to watch them swarm when someone throws something in for them to eat.

Joleen trying to learn how to ski, She got pretty good after a while.

 

Here are some ducks just chillin in the water, They would dive down and be gone forever then all the sudden pop back up.

 

It was a super fun trip. They even got me in the water with a life jacket. Have to admit once I got comfortable I was in the water a lot (even when I couldn't touch the bottom) Althogh I did stay by the house boat. When we were out in the boat I wouldn't get out, maybe next time.

 

 

Rodeo Weekend

This past week-end was Rodeo week-end. We really hadn't planned on going to the rodeo. Andy came home for lunch Friday and asked if I wanted to go. At first I didn't I just had so much I needed to get done that weekend, but I said yes, so he went and got some tickets for all of us.

The girls got back from state convention about 2:00 and I told them we were going so they went and took a little nap. State convention wore them out to bed late and up early all week.  

We went and I was so glad we did it was very good and I  even got to see my cousins husband ride, he rides saddle bronc.


This was part of the opening ceremony the video isn't great but you kind of get the idea. I love rodeos they are so patriotic they even have a prayer.
As you will see during the opening ceremony they had a horse with a flag to represent a fallen soldier. 




Video by Terra Sapp 

This is a picture of the little boy saluting the flag it was kind of hard to see in the video. Many teary eyed people in the stands when he did that.

 

 

This was right after when they brought out the flag. They also brought out the flag at the end of the rodeo to.

 

 

This was the clown/bull fighter his name is Brian Potter and he was really good. towards the end one of the bull fighters got hurt so he had to step in to help. If you look closely you can See a horse in that car.

 

 

Here he is bringing out the horse.He put on a really good show.

 

 

Here are the royalty they do so much through out the year to promote the rodeo.

 

 

 



Kind of hard to see but this is bareback rider.

 

Team roping

 

One of the stick horse races for the little ones they are so cute to watch.

 

The mutton bustin it is so funny to watch the little ones do this the girls did it when they were little and they loved it.

 

This is one of the tie downs kind of hard to see.

One of the bull riders. Sorry the pictures are not real good. I told Andy that  maybe someday I could  get a little better camera hint hint don't know if he got the hint though lol.

 

After the rodeo Joleen and her boyfriend had wanted to go to the dance. Then I decided I wanted to go to, so we all went to the dance vanishing Breed was playing a very good local band. Andy has played with them a few times. I really like them all they play is country or as my Aunt would call it honky tonk music.

 

 

 We got home about 12:30. I have decided I am not as young as I once was lol. Saturday I had to be in town at 8:00 to pick up and help with bountiful Baskets, so there was no sleeping in. I brought my stuff home got the girls and went back to town. I ended up being there most of the day, by the time we got everything done.Andy and his Mom went and played music that evening, at a music festival about an hour away. I stayed home and tried to get a little yard  and house work done.The girls went to the rodeo again, they were going to go to the carnival but they ended up not going  which was fine with me. They got home about 11:00 And Andy and his Mom  didn't get home until about 1:00 so by the time I got her settled in Joleens room and Andy and I sat and unwound a little it was about 2:30, so another late night. I did get to sleep in a little the next morning . Andy took his mom home and I worked in the yard till he got back then we went and checked cows and changed water.by the time we were done Sunday night I was wore out.

Snow Again and having babies

Well it is snowing we were hoping for rain but I guess we will get what we can get.

We have stared calving we have four so far, seems like weather like this makes them start calving so we gathered up some of the heifers that are due soon and stating to look like they might do something and got them in the corrals so we can keep an eye on them.

One of Kayla’s cows had twins the mother would only take one of them so Kayla having to bottle feed. When my milk cow calves we will probably put it on the milk cow to raise (She raised 3 calves last year).

I will try to get some better baby pictures as we have more calves.

Going to get corn stocks

 

 



We have been feeding the cows corn stocks from the Ute farm to help stretch the hay. The cows seem to like them and it sure has helped. We went last Wednesday to get some.

 

 

I love this bench it is outside the office. It is hares to see in the picture but it is very detailed the bear corn stacks and sunflowers are on the sides.

 

 

They have several stacks like this all over the farm.

 

 

 

I love this loader, wish we had one it moves these bales so easily and quickly.

 

 

They loaded two at a time.

 

 

 

We got four in front and four in back.

 

two on top

 

for a total of ten.

 

all strapped down and ready to go.

 

We are hoping to go next Wednesday to get one more load.

We are sooo Screwed !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A friend sent this to me just had to share. So funny but also so sad because it is so true.

 

 

 

 

 

Going to get wood

 

We went and got wood last Wednesday we were starting to get a little low with all this cold cold weather ( below zero a lot of nights) we have used a lot of wood. We don’t get a lot of wood in the fall because we are so busy so we get most of our wood in the winter.

 

 

 

 

I was headed to the back and the horses met me at the gate. I put the gate down and drove through but before I could get the gate closed they had got out. I called them toby and simera turned around thank goodness I had some bran to give them to bribe them back in.

Got them back in and gave them all a little bran.

Here is one of the piles of wood we are cutting.

Andy working on a log.

A small load but hopefully it will last a little while.
 

 
We also loaded some logs that we had pulled out last fall. Got them loaded to take home. We will cut them up later for fire wood.

 

 

Not to bad for a mornings work.