Can it be next Monday yet???

My husband's passion is wrestling. He is a 4x state champ from High School and now is the Head Coach for our local USA Wrestling club. 

He attended a week long camp this past summer is Coos Bay Oregon with a handful of kids from our club. And came back ready to wrestle and get the season going. But also determined to bring a camp of that level to our community.....

Fast forward a few months and I've been right there the whole time, helping with all the little details. Having meetings with different people to secure components of the camp. 

These last few details for this camp have fallen on my shoulders. Ughhhh. It will all fall together, it always does, but I'm just ready to start the Weekend Warrior Camp and go back to normal life!!!

On another note...the clinician that is coming, Ken Chertow, is pretty darn awesome. And has an awesome staff.  Check them out at www.kenchertow.com.

Wordless Wednesday

J WOW Cow

Meet Sunny Belle. My 30th birthday present to myself (how am I 30 already??!!) While I have disclosed MY real age, I should also mention that Sunny Belle, aka JWow Cow, is 8. And possibly pregnant. (fingers and hooves crossed!)

With minimal grazing at our house (the front lawn only needs trimmed a few times a week), Sunny was allowed to be picky. And find the prize parts of the hay bale.

She wasn't so keen on posing for pictures. She says head shots are not her best angle.

This is how she got the nickname JWow.  Something to do with the TV show Jersey Shore and some actresses (are "reality" TV people called actors/actresses??) that are also well endowed in the udder department.  And since she's a Jersey Cow, it seemed like a good fit.  I don't watch the show so I'm not really sure.  But I love the nickname!!

 She's OK with it too.

"And I deserve to be treated like the Star I am!!"

Turkeys in the house;Boys in the park

 Turkey babies are cute

 The "three amigos".

 Boys in the park are cute too!

Soon-ish

I really want to tell you all about my Birthday Milk Cow (she's pretty awesome), my almost done greenhouse (which I am currently using for a milking parlor and will be darned awesome when it's done...soon!), how well Shawn did at fair showing his two birds, and how much Abigail has grown/learned, and the recent addition of our super hunter manx spazoid cat... BUT

I have to go milk the cow
and get into the shower (I don't like smelling like the cow when I head to town!).........
and then I have an appointment in town to do some radio adds with a friend.  At first these were intimidating but now they are pretty darn fun.

Hope to make it back today. Or maybe tomorrow. Or who knows....soon-ish!!

FarmGirl's Friends

Theses are some washcloths that I have listed in my ArtFire store.  http://www.artfire.com/users/BlondeNakCreations  

They are so much fun to make and I am loving playing with all the bright, springy colors!

Bring on the Rain

I love the rain in the High Desert!  The smell, the anticipation of greenness, although short lived, to come.  The way the dull browns of the usual landscape become transformed into a bright palette of browns, yellows, oranges, tans, sage greens and all the mixes in between. :)  I'll try for some pictures next time...Who really knows when next time could be!

And how is it that dust can smell good???  I don't know, but oh it does!  The rain opens up the desert pores and the wet dusty, sagey, rainy smell is everywhere.

I'll take this last bit of snow too....Here that snow weary easterners?  Send it here! :)

Chicken Woes

It's been an adventurous past week here in the NakPak house.
The neighbor's dog came through the aging back fence (on the to get done list for this year, 100%!) and attacked my chickens.  On my front steps.  Ended up getting two of the gals.  One of my fluffy butted Buffs and Lil Yellow Hen, that I hatched last spring.  The Buff got the worst of it.  A friend has some experience tending wounded chicks, so I drove Ms. Buff over the hill to be watched while we were out of town.  She didn't make the weekend, which breaks my heart.  Should I have just put her down here at home?  I hate to think that I prolonged any suffering.

Lil Yellow Hen had much more minor wounds.  But I couldn't leave her cooped in "the box" , aka homemade chicken tractor, while we were gone.  I rinsed her wounds, treated them with some iodine and covered em with Pine tar and what was left of her back feathers.  Poor gal has literally been tarred and feathered!  But the pine tar is a natural antiseptic, covers the bare skin and any redness that might show through.  The nasty taste will keep the other chickens from pecking at her while she heals.  Who knows when the pine tar will rub off.  Just might last until her next molt.  Or when new feathers grow in.  BUT she is hobbling around with everyone else and eating well and otherwise a happy hen.

I am not a happy hen about the whole situation.  On the one hand IT IS THE DOG OWNERS FAULT.  On the other hand I have a hard time 100% blaming the dog.  These neighbors, right behind us, have 2 heelers.  That stay cooped up in a small kennel 90% of the time.  When they do get to come out for a romp the dogs are understandably stir crazy.  They have always stayed in their yard, I was quite impressed with them actually.  The fence is just 4 strands of barbed wire, more to keep cows out than dogs in.  BUT, you don't just open up the kennel and then go back in the house!!!!  Supervise the dang dogs!  These are just renters, so who knows where they moved here from, how long they'll stay and if they really "get" the lay of the land, per say, around these parts.  Your dog has had its one chance from me.  The shotgun is now on standby.

I really just need to get that paint ball gun.  Wayward, naughty dogs (and totally obnoxious grazing cows) can be stung with a paint ball, effectively warned that they are not welcome here.  Repeat offenders can be easily recognized, and the shotgun can be used as a last resort.  And trust me, it will be (used that is).

Abigail's Story

 Abigail was born in a pasture, only seeing people from a distance.  When I first saw her she was in a pen with all the other foals being weaned.  

She was cut from the herd, much to her dismay, and herded into the trailer like a cow.  When her first bumpy ride of her life was over she found herself deposited into a small pen with strange smells and strange horses all around.  

She wanted nothing to do with this predator like creature, trying to touch her and be close to her.

But the thing kept coming back!  All the time!  Talking and wanting to be near her.  

Reminds me of the other weanling I brought home, a 6 month old mustang filly. We named her Lady, for the "L" shaped star on her forehead.

Lady the Mustang

 How I miss her, she was one smart little lady. Too smart to sit in the pasture and wait for me to be able to ride again.

But I digress....Back to Abigail. After many long hours of standing in her pen, just quiet, letting her get used to me she started to come around.  She decided that since I bring her food and she sees the other horses lean over the panels to be touched by me I must not be all that bad.

 Many quiet hours later I was able to touch her.  Many more days later I was able to put the halter on her.  And she rapidly progressed from there.  We started going on "walks" in the pasture outside her pen, and then the time came to take off the halter and leave her with the "big guys".  Exciting and scary for both of us!  I don't think I slept much that night, up and down to check her many times.

 And now she is like a big puppy dog!  You walk into the pasture and she is in your pocket, wondering what you have today.  I love her curiosity, her gentleness.

 And she loves checking out the cows, which is good because I have plans for her to become a cow horse. :)

Frosty whiskers

 We've been on a few walks outside the pasture.  She's not so sure she likes to go through the gate, but she'll figure it out.

We're currently working on her ground manners, respecting my space, not walking on my toes, walking next to me.  And focusing on me when we are out and about.

Doll Aprons

They are approximately 12 inches in length (the ties) and 5 inches in height.

This one has cute little beads along the waist.

I like the ruffles on the western one.  Cute!

Cute little hearts

Prior to being sick I made up a few of theses---

They are in crochet thread, which I was given about 2 years ago. I had no idea what to do with it at the time, I don't do doilys and such. But the hearts are adorable in the dainty thread, don't ya think? I left the top threads long, not weaved in, for hanging.

I'm thinking these will be wonderful valentines for the boy's teachers. I may have to do one in the dark blue, Shawn has a male teacher, not so sure he wants a pink one. :) I'm thinking of taking some embroidery thread and putting something on them, conversation heart style.

One sleeve attatched to Hubby's sweater, one more sleeve to put on and then two long seams to do (ugh! I dislike the big seams!) and then buttons to attatch. I hope it comes out nice after all this work!

A teddy bear I started prior to Christmas almost done. I'm thinking he'll go in my artfire store, and then if he doesn't sell he can go to the farmer's market with me :)

Oh-Check out my ArtFire store! I finally got some things put in it! You can find my store here. I hope to have more done for the store soon, problem is I keep taking custom orders from friends and giving away what I make!

Just found this link for a baby unicorn  here . Adorable! I love horses, so I could just leave the horn off, chose some of my browns and make all sorts of little horsies. Once I get a few of my many WIP's done, of course!