Busy weekend

It was crazy! lol, lets see, where to start....

Ok so Friday I was doing stuff outside..fixing stuff in the chicken coop, mowing/trimming, spraying for bugs, working on/in the basement, little stuff like that. Then I got a call from my SIL asking me to come help her get stuff set up for the poker run. No problem, I went there and supervised, moved a table, and filled a couple coolers, that was it, LOL. Then I went and picked up the DH. Let me explain the poker run.

SIL decided a few months ago to do an antique tractor poker run. Cool idea, and a mouthful to say, but I thought, why not? So she has been planning and getting things together for that, which occured on this past Sat, the 20th. Cool! It was about 30 miles long, with 5 stops, (2 of which were her house the start/finish). There were supposed to be 13 tractors, but there ended up being 7. There was supposed to be 53 people, there ended up being 28. But over all, it was a good turn out for the first one! It started at 1030, with registration til 1130. Then we all rolled out (7 tractors, 2 pulling hay racks for us 'non drivers')at about noon. After all the stops, and messing around along the way, we got back around 5pm. She wanted it to last into the night, but everyone was so tired from being drunk and in the sun all day, by 7 it was over, lol. Again, it was still fun and not bad for the first run. I think next year will be better!

BIL:


SIL: this pic got chopped for some reason, she is the one on the far right of the pic


DH:


Me:



So then, on Sunday, DH decided we would go to Peoria and mess around. So that was an all day affair, lol. I was so pooped by Sunday evening!! Then on Monday, I piddled around here, went to Burlington with the DH, then took him to work. I came home and did 4 loads of laundry, and CRASHED, lol.

I do want to pass on a bit about a new book I just started reading. Its by Stephanie Meyer, and its called Twilight. Its the first in a series, and is supposed to be really good. It falls in line with the vampire theme that I like, and am looking forward to reading it!!

Chris Daughtry

I loved him on American Idol, and STILL love him!! Something about his singing, his presence, his aura is just AWSOME

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Rainy days

I know that rain is nature's way of cleansing the earth. I believe that. But DAMN!! We must be really dirty, because its been raining for 3 days!! We had two days prior to that of wonderful weather, and I managed to get stuff done, but before that it rained for 2 days as well! Rain can be a great thing, don't get me wrong, but several days in a row is just depressing! I find myself laying in my tanning bed just to get that 'boost' that occurs from the light. Yeah, its artificial, but I gotta do something!!

Runnin' with the pack...or not

Since yesterday was cold and rainy, I stayed inside, in comfies all day. BUt today is a new day! High supposed to be 68, and sunny...woohoo! So after taking care of laundry and gettting it hung out, I decided to take Benjamin out for a romp in the back 40. Keep in mind, in all the times before he has gone with me, Elite, and Max. This time, it was 'just us'.

At first he hung right by my side, not real sure what to do. He has always followed Elite, and never really explored 'on his own'. But after some encouraging words, and me just walking along, he decided running on his own was great!. He never ventured out of eyesight, but he did seem to relax and enjoy the romp. Of course, he would come 'check in' with me, and even walk beside me for a bit, at which point he would get a 'good boy' and some rubs. I really think he enjoyed himself! And that got me to thinking......

I think I could train him to track. I don't know if it would be for SAR (Search And Rescue) or just for sport, like in Schutzhund, but I think he could do it. The one hang up right now is that even at almost 2 years old, he is still very much a puppy. His focus is minimal, lol. But I think I could slowly start laying the 'ground work' with him, in very small incriments. It would probably take at least a year to get things really going with him, and with the cooler weather, I might start. But as winter sets in, we'd have to put things on hold a bit, and start back up at first thaw. Even then, summer would be a bitch, as we'd have to do it in the wee morning hours, or late evenings. LOL...sounds like I'm trying to talk myself out of it. Ah well, it would just be for fun anyway, lol.

Anyway, the point is, I think he had a good time today, running with his 'pack', even if it was just me! :) Love my "Snuggabear"

Where would you live?

If given the choice, where would you live? I often think about that. Given the 'perfect' conditions....like winning the lottery, or my kids being old enough to fly, etc etc.

I don't have a particular 'place' in mind. I guess I have criteria, though. I want nice weather all year round. Mid 80's for the highs during the day, and 60's-70's at night. Not terribly dry, but not raining everyday either. Lots of ground to spread out on, no real close neighbors. A place to garden, raise my animals, and have peace and quiet. A place where my actions don't infringe upon, or disturb my neighbors. A place where the only cars that come by are the ones to see me. Call me selfish, lol, but does a place really exist??

I often wonder.....ok, weatherwise, Hawaii has the closest weather pattern for what I want. Landwise....the north/northwestern states have the ground; Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, etc, but not real good for gardening. That goes to the southeastern states, and even here in the mid west. Good rich soil, not too sandy, not too much clay. Colorado, where I was born and lived for 13 years, had the mountains that I will always love. To be surrounded by them is heaven.

So I ask, does such a place really exist? And what is YOUR ideal place to live???

Gorgeous weather

I just had to say, its been absolutely gorgeous here the past couple of weeks. Mid 80's, sunny, low humidity, light breeze...awsome! The kind of weather that you can go out and get tons of things accomplished with, and the kind of weather at night that makes you feel like you're camping! Waking up in the morning, all snuggled up under the covers and the temp in your bedroom is 55 degrees. Awsome!!

I have to admit, I've only been moderately following the Olympics. Yes, Phelps is awsome, and so are the gymnists. I am sick of volleyball, and basketball. And here where I am, the 'good' events come on so late, I'm already in bed!!

The garden is almost done, and I'll be taking down the fence soon. Beyond that, I've been helping in the hog barn again, which also entails listening to my BIL bitch that his wife won't do the things I do. What can I say to that? Not much, thats for sure.

Today, we finished up vaccinating, and I came home and mangaed to clean 2 bedrooms, and get the window sills upstairs vacuumed out of all the bugs. Thats 7 windows up, and 7 more downstairs to go. Tomorrow I'll go to the hog barn again and clean the heat lamps and get them delivered to the other barn for storage. Then I'll work on the sills downstairs, and maybe try to get the garage straightened up. Thursday and Friday I'll be at my SIL's babysitting my niece and nephew. Plus, Thursday night is Hot Mamma's Club night..I can't wait!!

Horse Power vs. Horsepower

This past weekend I decided to take a break from all of my 'to do's' and go to the Old Thresher's event. Basically, its farmers and exibitioners from around the tri-states showing off their tractors (antique and newer), women showing off their quilting and homemade wares, a small flea market, along with food, ice cream, and other events. It showcases the past, and how we've come to be. So I loaded up Ben, thinking it would be a great training/socialization exercise as well, and off we went. That big boy did soooo good!! At first he was a bit scared of the horses, but taking our time, he got used to them and was actually sleaping through some of the event, and we were mere feet from the pulls!! He also did really well with all the people and kids wanting to pet him...of course he loved it, and learned quickly to 'be easy'. Anyway.....

Among the different events are the antique tractor pulls (in low gear, hooked to a 'sled' the tractors of different classes see how far they can pull a progressively heavier weight), the kiddie tractor races and pulls, tractor races/games, and finally, the draft horse pulls. Anyone that knows me is well aware of my affection for the latter. I go every year specifically to see them. Of course, I go the day prior to watch the in-laws pull with their tractors. But the highlight for me is the horses. I take tons of pictures every year, and although its usually the same participants, I still sit in awe of the sheer raw power of these magnificent animals. Most of them pull on the farms; plows, wagons, hay racks, etc. But this event is different. They must pull a sled from a dead stop, and its 'dead weight'. The teams are weighed, then cinderblocks are placed on the sled in a progressive ratio depending on the team pulling. Don't ask me, thats all I can tell you..lol. Here is the sled:



On the back a 12 foot chain was attached and gathered close....when the sled was pulled, the chain unraveled and once it had reached the end, a whistle blew signaling to the drivers they could stop.

On the average, teams weighed in at around 3,500 pounds. They would start out pulling their weight, then go up with each pull, with teams being given 2 attempts per pull. If they could not or would not pull on both attempts, or pulled short, they were eliminated. They were 'whittled' down until the last 2 teams remained. Whoever pulled the full length after that was the winner. And would you believe it came down to a husband and wife competing against each other?? LOL SHE WON!! WOOHOO!!

Anyway, after the horse pulls I went to the car show for a different display of horsepower. Old cars, new cars, fancy cars, you name it. I like the 1940's hot rods, and the Camero's. So, here are some pictures for your enjoyment...

















Ben after the pulls and on our way to the car show:





And here are a few shots of the other horsepower!!







Needless to say, the 2 days of playing really set me back, so I spent all day Sunday, and part of today catching up!! LOL....but I wouldn't miss those horses for the world!!