Meet Nickie....

Yesterday was the 4th anniversary of Nickie coming to live with me perminately.
I first met her on August 28th, 2003. That was my first day working at the SPCA and she had been brought in with a litter of 11 puppies. We were told that she had been a stray on the indian reservation, for quite some time and, they had finally trapped her in a barn (where she had her litter of pups), and brought her to the shelter.
Since the puppies were still nursing (only a few days old) they were in need of a foster home until the puppies were old enough to be away from their mom. It was late in the day, near closing time, when Nickie and her babiess were brought in. The kennel mangager did not have a chance to make phone calls to see if she could find someone willing to provide foster care to the shelter's newest family, so they asked all staff memebers if anyone could take this family home. "Just for tonight, until we have a chance to find a foster home". I brought them home, and decided to foster them until the puppies were old enough to find new forever homes of their own. Then we even found a new forever home for Nickie, or so we thought ... two weeks later we got a call from the guy who had adopted her, and told us he no longer had Nickie... she had gotten away from him and couldn't catch her. Well, to make a long story short, on October 1st, 2003 ..... Nickie came to live with me FOREVER!!!!
I adopted her and she has been with me ever since.

LOL... I have to laugh every time I think of how scared she was of men... until she met *T*. You see when he started coming to the house I told him that my one dog hates all men, and it was kind of a joke that if he could win Nickie's trust then I'd give him a chance (to renew MY trust in men). Within a couple weeks, if he and I were on opposite sides of the room and both of us called her, she would go to him and not me. I could not believe it, but I kept up my end of the deal and gave our relationship a chance ... what can I say.... He and I have been together ever since too :-)

Thank You Nickie, for showing me everyone needs a second (or third) chance in life. I love you babe!

What do you think???

What do you think of the new look??? I've done some rearranging and redecorating. I'm not sure if I like it yet so let me know your thoughts... any suggestions?

Misty Morning

Good Morning everyone!
This is the view I had from my back steps around 7 o'clock this morning.A view of the catalpa tree at the same time this morning.

These two pics were taken about a half an hour after those first two. The white spot you see in the pasture is Lacy our 25 year old horse.

If you look closely you may be able to see the birds sitting on the wire near the electric pole. They were just sitting there watching the sun come up.

It's been twenty days since I've written.... and I still have no idea what to write about today. This month has been very emotional for me, even though it may not have appeared that way to others. I have had a lot of inner thoughts going on that I have not shared with anyone. Some would call it soul searching, but I'm not sure that is the correct term.

I can't even say that I've figured anything out during all my thoughtful times... I just know that there are a lot of issues in my life that need to be addressed, somehow. I can't say that I'm UNhappy but I am sure I'm not as Happy as I could/should be. Lately, I feel as if I am drifting through my days with no emotion what so ever.

So what would you like me to talk about.... any suggestions?

Summer is gone!

Summer is officially gone. Labor Day Weekend has come and gone. We were looking forward to having a long weekend but were so busy that we didn't even get to sleep in at all.

Friday evening: *T* went to help with bingo and *M* and *C* came down to visit while he was gone. *C* sat and watched t.v. while *M* helped me set up a myspace account. I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time getting it the way I want it. I have always heard about this myspace thing, but never really paid too much attention to what it really is or how to use it. I'm sure I'll get it but it'll be a while...

Saturday: I had to be to work at 6 a.m. and *T* had to go sit with our elderly neighbor at 8 a.m. When I got home it was nearly 5 p.m and *T* was mowing the lawn. I noticed that he had gotten the apple tree that fell in the back yard cleaned up and had also mowed down all the blackberry bushes that were behind the garage. I've been wanting to get them mowed for a couple of years, so I could start them over. The canes had gotten so big that I couldn't get to the berries when they were ripe... so the bushes were just taking over the back lawn for no reason.

*M* had invited us to a cook out at her house and said that they would be eating around 5 p.m. but when I got home she had left a message saying it would be closer to 6 p.m. before they would be eating. Since I didn't get home until nearly 5 p.m. and *T* was still mowing I was glad to here that. We got to *M*'s house around 7 p.m., ate, chatted a bit, and came home just about dark. Did chores and went to bed.

Sunday: I was up early... *T* had volunteered me to make scalloped potatoes for a pig roast we were invited to. I asked him how he knew that I could make scalloped potatoes ... I have not made them since we've been together... he just smiled and said "honey.... you are a hellofagood cook... you can do it!". So, I was busy peeling and slicing enough potatoes to fill a 12"x17"x2" baking pan, and trying to get them cooked by noon. I finally got them cooked and we got to the pig roast around 1 p.m. We had a really good time, and stayed longer then we had planned... <<<>>>...
Came home watched movies and went to bed.

Monday: I woke up early. While I was trying to get some laundry done mom came over to say that the neighbor's daughter just called her and wanted us to go check on her father because she had been trying to call and no one was answering. *T* went to check and called back to say no one was home.... HHHMMMM... did he run away????.... the man can hardly walk, let alone run. Come to find out the lady who had been with him during the night had taken him to *S*'s house and he was waiting for his daughter to get home to go get him. *T* and I were also waiting for the daughter (*C*)... she had asked if we would help her unload her moving van when she got here... the only problem.... the reason she was trying to call her dad to begin with was because the moving van broke down and she wasn't going to be here when she thought she would. She was somewhere near the PA/OH border and had to wait for a mechanic from Ohio to come help. After a while *T* got to thinking and called *C* back and had her try something else to get the van started.... it worked. So she ended up getting here a little after 3 p.m. instead of noon. By the time we got the van unloaded and got back home it was after 7 p.m. We both had to be to work early (*T* at 4a.m. and me at 6a.m) so it was off to bed again.

And the weekend was GONE!

Today it was back to work as usual... Up at 3:15 a.m. make *T* lunch, see him off to work by 3:35 a.m. I went back to bed until 5:15 a.m. then got up and went to work at 6 a.m.

Good Morning

Good Morning

I'm sitting here sipping my coffee, cruising the net, waiting for the boys to wake up. I can't believe they are still asleep, because they went to sleep at nine o'clock last night. They were so tired. *T* and I went to get the boys last evening and when we got home they played outside until it was almost dark. The boys were playing with the dogs in the sandbox, and watching the skydivers' plane flying around. Freefall Oz was having their annual Boogie (lots of pro skydivers coming to sky dive) and since we only live a couple of miles from there the plane was quite low when it would go over the house, we could watch it circle around as it was climbing to the right elevation to for the skydivers to jump. *C&B* (the boys), and of course Ace (the puppy) helped *T* feed all the animals while I cooked dinner and then we took it out to the picnic table to eat. So we all had a very enjoyable evening. *A* (the boys' BM) called about 9:35 pm to talk to the boys before they went to sleep. when I told her they were already asleep I think she was a disappointed. She was at work when we picked the boys up, so she hadn't seen them all day. I kind of felt bad that she didn't get to talk to them, but maybe she'll call again this morning.



In the barn, to my surprise, the old hen that got broody and I set 6 eggs under is still setting on them. I can't remember what day I put the eggs under her :-? I really need to get them candled to see if there are any chicks in them.

The cows have been moved over to Mom's pastures so it seems odd not to have to fill both water tubs 4 or 5 times each day. The horse is still over here, she must really like my pastures because she will not go over to Mom's. She used to stay with the cows no matter which pastures they were in, but anymore Lacy (the horse) just looks at us like "are you crazy" when we are moving the cows over. Then she will go to the back corner, and stay there until we have the cows all moved and the gates closed. I think she has just gotten to the point in her life that she doesn't like change. She is 25 years old now, so I guess she has earned her right to decide which pasture she wants to live in. :-)

I'm still looking for a milking goat. I know where there are some nice looking Alpines for sale, but I'm not sure what breed I want. I like Nubian, but I don't like how vocal they are. I also like Saanens but I like the color patterns on the Aplines. Maybe I'll just have to get one of each ;-P

I'd also like to get a couple more meat rabbits. We saw a litter of Black New Zealands for sale at the fair, but the sign did not have a contact name on it and we did not see anyone around who knew who's bunnies they were. I wanted to check back another day but we didn't get back to the fair until late Saturday evening after all the animals had gone home. :-(

The I have the turkeys in the barn and would like to let them out to free range, but *T* is afraid the coyotes will eat them. And I'm sure they would too if we didn't shut them in at night just like the other small animals. We let the chickens, ducks, geese, guinea hens free range and then close them in at night, so why can't we do the same with the turkeys??? I think he is just a bit over protective...LOL.



I have got to get this house cleaned! I keep trying (at least I think I am) but I just don't seen to be getting anywhere. I have been trying to work on something for a certain amount of time each day, and if I can stick to it I know it will work. I'm just not disciplined enough.

why me?

While I was at the store this morning a guy (*W*) stopped in to see if I was working. I wasn't officially working, but I was there. He "the guy done at Mix's says you might take in an injured bird". My first question was "what kind of bird?" *W* said he found a homing pigeon next to the road in front of his house, it is drinking and eating and he has found the owner, who lives near Syracuse, NY (a long way from here), but *W* doesn't know anything about birds so he would like me to take it until he figures out what the owner wants to do with it. Like I do! I told *W* that I would take the bird and see what I can do for it ... we'll see.

When I got home there was a message from *J* wanting to know if we will take that other turkey her dad has up at his place. I guess it is one of the same ones that we got from *G* last week. What is it with people?

I told my mother that I'm thinking of changing the name of my farm from Seldom Seen Acres to Seldom Seen Sanctuary. Okay... not really. It does make me smile to think that when people are trying to find a good place for there animals to go they think of ME :-)