Mother's Day Present

Friday, May 2nd , 11:45 A.M. we located the Madison, SD., Countryside Kennel,where we met with Dorothy Sanborn co-owner,to visit with our soon to be English Springer Spaniel puppy "Sadie".

At six weeks old she was weaned a couple of days before we arrived. She and her siblings are still not very aware of the world beyond their little family cubicle. We had a great time visiting not only with our puppy, but all the little cuties being housed in the same building. Three of Sadie's siblings came to visit us as we were standing outside their pen. One of her sisters was really trying to escape the joint to explore the great huge world beyond. Then one of her brothers set up a howl, even at the tender age of 6 weeks and three days. What pipes the little guy had! Gave us all a chuckle for the day. Our visit concluded, Sadie, put back into her pen, she snuggled in for a nap with her family as we visited with Dorothy on our way out the door. Looking forward to the time we will be able to bring her to her "forever home",and the opportunity to share the outdoor experience as she gets older...

Milking Goats

Yes, this is me at the business end of a goat.... This past week was one of a personal enrichment experience. I learned how to milk a goat and to hold the legs while another person is doing the same so they won't lose the milk or get a rear hoof to the lip. Putting corn in the feeding tray of the stanchion helped to calm them until it was finished and keep them from trying to take off mid milking.

A neighbor lady of ours has gone through cancer surgery and her Dr. has started her on an 8 week course of chemotherapy - every two weeks. This past week her husband was out of town for his job. The oldest daughter who can be no more than 12 or 13 said she has been milking goats for 5-6 years. She has been the "Master Milker" while her mother is recuperating and father is out of town. Another neighbor lady, that lives across the road from me, and I went twice a day, Monday morning thru Friday morning. I ended my assistance on Thursday evening, and the other lady ended on Friday morning, since the man of the farm was to be back by the evening milking.

Friday morning we were off to Countryside Kennel at Madison,SD., to visit with our soon to be English Springer Spaniel puppy, "Sadie".

I'm SO Lonely...Oh So Lonely...

The song by the Beach Boys, "I'm So Lonely"... came to mind as I looked out the window and saw this turkey wandering around without any hens to accompany him in his ramblings about the timber. I snuck out the back door after turning the sound down on the television. Opened the door slowly, and made sure I didn't make a real heavy noise on the wooden steps that sit low for my short legs.

No!No!!! I didn't go out with a gun, or a bow. The camera was in hand. He had made another foray through the yard around noon a couple days before. Caught a glimpse of his side profile,then tail feathers as he was exiting. Must have heard me rambling around the house or saw motion by the windows. He is in a hurry now wanted to head for denser cover. To much attention from the non-turkey sector. It didn't take him long to get beyond my view. The weather remains unsettled ,but so far no more snow here. Just the forecast for more unneeded rain. It didn't come to mind in my hurry to get pictures, to try out my turkey calling skill, or lack there-of ,on this wayward Tom...

Garden Plant Update

The plants are liking their location by the window. I can see changes everyday. I am able to switch the plants around during the day to help make the stems stronger as they are drawn back and forth. The larger plants were seeded on March 19th. The peppers and eggplants were seeded at the same time, but it took them the normal 21 day range for them to sprout; their size is equivalent to the tomatoes I seeded on April 4th. I had some sweet potatoes left over from what a friend gave me last fall. They have been trying to sprout so I stuck them in a soil less potting medium. I broke one sprout off and placed in a plant cell, it developed roots very quickly. This is the first time I have tried this so I'm having a good time learning from instructions I have found on the 'Net.

We're Expecting!

We're expecting here at Timber Life. Not quite the same kind of news to share as Arthur, at SimplyOutdoors, and his wife,Jen, who are to become first time parents in October, but the closest I will get to becoming a parent to a little "crumb cruncher" again. I am keeping my eyes tuned to baby updates from lower Michigan... At Easter time I made the choice to start looking for a puppy - soon to be hunting companion. I have the "Gun Dog" DVD on the way from a purchase I made on E-bay.This is going to be a personal experience; to train and bring out the natural hunting talents of my little English Springer Spaniel as she grows up. Oh ! Did I mention she is a little girl??? Yes, we are going to pick up our puppy from Countryside Kennels located at Madison,SD. She won't be old enough to be separated from her dog family for another couple of weeks. So, you can guess how anxious I will be when the time finally arrives to bring her back to Iowa.

"I'll Be Back!"

I'll Be BACK!" Is what I heard last year when some masked bandits found it entertaining to sit at my sliding glass door, trying to shred the insect screen to gain passage into the great beyond. I'm sure it looked really inviting...So many things to get into. Even a pot of soil or two to dig through - bringing back memories of those DELICIOUS little grubs that are really tastey come that time of year. The light from the computer may have added a dimension of curiousity for the already curious characters. The raccoons aren't tiny anymore...I prophesy bunches of new babies in about a month. Hubby getting field camera's for me as Christmas gifts has given me some extra eyes to see what's passing by in the wee hours of the morning.

It's SHAKING!

Sitting here at my desk this morning after 4:30 I felt shaking and a little rolling of our house. My chair and desk were shaking,paper in the printer was vibrating...WHEW!!! I live in a mobile home presently and from one end to the other we have an elevation. Stacked concrete blocks were placed under the axells to level the structure. The first thought was that the increased ground moisture had made the blocks settle further into the ground under the weight of the building. Then the report came over the early morning local news that the USGS had reported a 5.4 earthquake at West Salem,IL. located on the New Madrid Fault line. My research on the USGS website revealed the exact locations that experienced the tumbler directly. SELECT EARTHQUAKE LOCATION DATE TIME MAGNITUDE 22 miles SSE of Olney, Illinois (ID hwb0418a) APR 18 2008 04:36:59 CDT 5.4 21 miles SW of Vincennes, Indiana (ID 2008qza6) APR 18 2008 04:36:58 CDT 5.2 19 miles SSE of Olney, Illinois (ID 851141) APR 18 2008 04:36:57 CDT 5.4 Hey Folks ! How many of you felt the earth move this morning???

Rapid City Cabela's News

According to the Rapid City Journal, Cabela's will be hiring as many as 150 sales associates to man/woman their new store. Beginning next week, Tuesday, April 22nd, thru Saturday, April 26th, anyone interested in becoming apart of the sales staff can apply. The store is going to be managed by the company's first ever female general manager by the name of Mary Bollock. She has been apart of the Cabela's experience since 2000 as an associate in the hunting department of the only other store in South Dakota , located at Mitchell. She has held various positions in her lifetime. Before starting with the Cabela's company she was a member of the air national guard and held the distinction of "first female weapons loader" in South Dakota. She worked with her husband in a family business before working as a supervisor for the Boyd's Gun stock factory in Mitchell. She is an avid hunter and fisher woman, bringing her hobby skills with her into the job, as do many of her co-workers. Mary, was quoted as saying"I am thrilled to be leading a team of dedicated employees in one of the most beautiful parts of the country." In my opinion she sounds like a positive influence in the world of the hunting supplier... Cabela's.

The"Eyes" Have It !

Sunday, April 13th, I changed the location of one of the field cameras to the back of the garden. Deer activity is always busy back there so I decided to get pictures. What has been comical is the up close, curious attitudes of some of the brown, four-legged creatures.

This picture was caught back in January, in a place not far from the one on Sunday. I have shared it before, but it's entertainment value continues to make me laugh...