Fall and Our Building Additions

The fall colors were so beautiful this year. Unfortunately they are all but gone now. It didn't last very long. I can't believe winter is upon us. We have been busy with projects around the homestead, not just the cabin. We built a well house/garden shed for storing tillers, mowers, insecticides, fertilizers, shovels, hoes, etc, and protection for the well pump. I love it. Larry says I have it junked up already. But it is more organized than his shed! And we have built a garage out back on the old basketball pad. It is for the boat, 4-wheeler, t-rex, and maybe my durango. When I took the picture the big doors were not installed yet, in fact the door man is doing it today. We hope to get it organized and then clean the old shed up and get it more organized. It is hard to find anything in there, and definitely hard to do any work in there. So there is my update for now. With winter coming on maybe I can keep up to date, for a while at least. That is, if I have anything to report. Who knows, the next update maybe a hunting one! Happy THANKSGIVING everyone!!!

Our Animal Story

We have quite a history with animals, some really funny stories, but not funny at the time! Well, here is one for 2009. Marty and Larry went to work on a man's air condition unit. This man lives about a mile and a half from us. He is going to move and had a cow and horse he can't take with them. Larry was interested in the cow, but of course Marty was interested in the horse. They ask the man about the cow. He had already promised the cow to somebody else, but the horse he still had. When Marty inquired about how much he was asking for the horse the man told him he would give it to him. Larry and Marty came home and was excited about getting the horse for nothing. My first question was "is it sway back? No, ok is it crosseyed, blind?" No, in fact the horse is a good looking quarter horse, as you can see by the pictures, and seems to be gentle. She comes when we call her, she can be petted and led with a halter. A man next to the horse owner, said he rode her and she does real good. Not much of a story you say...... Well, now begins the story.....

A friend of ours and her husband were excited Marty and Larry was getting a horse. She loves horses, rides, and knows quite a lot about them. They brought over their horse trailor so Marty could get the horse home, as we didn't know how well the horse was with riders, and not wanting to just take someone's opinion. It was misting rain and the horse was out in the pasture with the cow. So our friend's husband went out in the field to see about getting the horse, WITHOUT A HALTER OR ROPE. He went right up to the horse and was petting her, but didn't have a rope to put on her to lead her to the trailor. In the next pasture, was three other horses belonging to someone else. Those horses started running the fence line and got our horse to running. Marty and our friend was in the upper part of the field and her husband was in the lower part of the field. One of the horses in the other pasture was running toward the fence and either slid when trying to stop or was going to jump the fence and didn't make it, in either case it got caught in the fence and fell down entangled in the fence. Our friend was going to try to get it loose but it was scared and kept trying to get up and finally pulled free, but cut it's leg bad in doing so. Now the race was on to find out who owned the horse and get them to call a vet and get that horse taken care of, before it bled to death. After going here and there, calling this one and that one, the owner was notified. The horse is ok but the vet said it cut a legiment in it's leg and the horse just wouldn't be the same anymore :( We don't know why those other horses went crazy like that. No one was anywhere around them.

Marty got our horse home and put her in the pasture with our 4 heifers (cows who have not had babies) and Buddy our bull. We thought it would be fine because she, the horse, was in a pasture with a cow. Well, were we ever wrong!! Our herd was scared of the horse and I guess she knew it because she chased them through the fence! Larry's brother called us and said " your cows are running out behind my house". We thought he was funning with us. haha on us! Larry's brother was on his porch with another neighbor and they saw the horse chasing the cows and then Larry's brother-in-law told Marty he saw the horse chase the cows around the pond 2 times and thought to himself "where did that horse come from". Well, the cows went through the electric fence and across Marty's back yard, Larry's brother-in-law's property, Larry's brother's property and two went up the road to the church. A neighbor on his 4 wheeler cut them off (at the pass, LOL) and drove them back to where the others were. Marty, with a bucket of feed, went through the woods and pastures of our neighbor behind us, to try to find them. Larry and I were in the T-rex (a side by side 4 wheeler type vehicle), going up and down the rode looking for the cows, looking for the neighbor with a key to unlock the gate so we could get in the pastures behind our house. Marty had to go on a work call (his own air conditioning business) so it was up to Larry and me to get the cows home. The cows followed Larry across the neighbor's pastures until they came to the ditch, and they didn't want to cross the ditch. We finally got them across after Larry talked his brother into putting his dog up. The dog was wanting to chase the cows and they weren't about to turn their backs on that dog. We led the cows home (bribing them with sweet feed all the way). While I was leading them the last little way home, Larry went to open the fence up to put them back in the pasture and put the horse in the other pasture away from the cows. THE HORSE, BY THE WAY, DIDN'T LEAVE THE PASTURE, even with the fence down!!! Maybe the horse wanted the pasture all for herself. After at least 5 hours, maybe more, the cows are home, Larry and I are wore to a frazzle, and ALL the neighbors have heard Marty's free horse caused Larry and I to have to chase down our run away cows!! It might not sound like much, but if you have ever had to round -up runaway cows, well......let's just hope you don't ever have too!

Gulf Shores

While our jetsetting younger daughter Gina and son-in-law Greg, was in Europe, Larry and I went to Gulf Shores with our son and daughter-in-law, Marty and Misty, and nephew Scott and his family Wendy and Kylie. We had a great time and Larry even went swimming in the ocean!!

Short Michigan Trip

We had a wonderful but short time in Michigan last week. We celebrated with Greg on his birthday at Buddy's Pizza, yum, and then helped them get ready for their housewarming party two days later. Larry cooked 8 boston butts on the grill (and 3 were eaten off the grill!!), just a sample of the way it's done down south. I think Gina likes to show off her southern heritage a little, haha. The weather was cool, but for Larry and I it was refreshing.

I hope everyone knows how much it meant to us that you came to see us and Gina and Greg's home. We would liked to have stayed longer and spend more time with you but as you know Larry has a health problem that needs attended to. I will try to update the blog on the news we get. Just keep us in your prayers.

BHD

BHD-----BIG HICKORY DOWN!!!

Another tree fell yesterday. We had a rain and wind come through, dark clouds, flash flood warning. We didn't think that the wind was all that hard. but with the ground so saturated just a little wind will topple tall trees. This hickory was leaning the way it fell and Larry was wanting it down. It broke some limbs on the chestnut tree. We heard it go down and immediately ran to look for the cows! They were smart enough to not be under trees during the storm. Boy we have a lot of wood cutting to do, when we are able to get to it.

As for the ole wives tale of rain on the first/ rain for the next 15 days: it almost did. We didn't have rain on the 12th, but did the next day. I stopped trying to keep up with it after that. We all are wanting it to stop but know that in July and August we will probably be praying for rain. Everything is so green, but the gardens! We can't get in it to plant. The corn is up but who knows if it will make. We have tomato plants in the sunroom that are about ready to bloom!

The Ball Player

I'll let the pictures do all the talking!

Patio

We had kind of a dead space between the sunroom and the deck. So we had a patio poured, along with a side walk on the other side of the sunroom connecting the sidewalks, and a well house/garden shed floor. When the rain lets up enough for us to build the well house/garden shed, that's the next project!

Bags

I have been doing some sewing. Weather out is wet and with Larry working with Marty I have some time to do what I want. This pattern was too cute and I had to try it. I think it turned out good. I made the pink one for Susan and the yellow one for Gina. Have you gotten it yet, Gina?

Good day of fishing

Well, it wasn't a pretty morning as far as sunshine. We had clouds and a drizzle of rain before we left to go fishing. But it didn't rain on us and we caught some nice size crappie and 2 bass. Not bad for a day's work. I think I will have my bass mounted. For a 6 pounder, it is really nice. The crappie will be eaten as they are really nice:}

RAIN, RAIN, and more RAIN

If some of these pictures look familiar, they are not the same as some I've already posted. This is a new flood. Larry says it will rain for the next 15 days, because it rained on the 1st day of the month. I guess we will see. Right now it is raining very hard. I think we have had over 6 inches since May 1st. Can you imagine rain for 40 days and 40 nights? Three days of rain and we feel like caged birds! At least we don't have tornado warnings today.

Wind Storm Damage

We had very high winds last night and lost some big trees. They fell on the fence at a couple of places. We were lucky that we didn't have any more damage than that. But it sure hurts to loose the fishing shade trees.

Hail Storm

We had some storms yesterday, tornadoes, high winds, rain and hail. There was some damage west of us. The BIG TREE at the corner of Oak Grove and Scott Branch Roads is down. It looked dead inside but it was leafing out. Gone now. There was some big hail in Huntsville, but as you can see this was as big as I found. I didn't want any bigger anyway!

First Egg on the First Day

The Oak Grove Williams Farm has expanded. We are now Chicken Farmers. We, along with our partners Linda and Felton, have 8 Golden Nuggets, the brand of chicken they are. Larry named four of them, Chick-a-dee, Chick-a-pea, Chick-a-saw, and Chick-a-paw. We also got the first egg as new chicken farmers. I think it is about the size of a small/medium egg, and tan in color. Now to keep the "critters" from getting them!

Bristol Race

My busy march also included the saturday and sunday race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Larry picked me up in North Carolina. We stayed in Asheville and drove to the speedway for the races. It was exciting. I sure have missed going to the races and being with the "gang". I guess they miss it too. Thank you, Gina, for the tickets.

My busy March

I had a very good time in North Carolina, visiting and catching up with my cousins. Pattie and Mike were gracious to let us stay with them for the week. Susan, Roger, Joshua, Jaren and myself stayed there, while dad and Irene stayed with Robert. Dad, Irene, and Robert had a good time, at least dad did. But I think they all did. I laughted at them picking at each other and arguing, but most of all reminising about the past when they were young'uns! Driving around the areas where dad grew up, I had a question, How did they ever find their way out? It is so remote and far away by foot it is amazing they got around. But it was fun and I would take dad back again. I know his cousins probably don't get on the internet, but if any of them see this, I just want them to know I truly thank them for coming to Russell's Fish House to see dad. It is hard to get around to see everyone in just one visit, and going to the Fish House for supper and visiting made it so much easier for me and dad. You really can't imagine how happy you made dad. Thank you to Larry and Mary Jewel Russell who fed us all "on the house". You are very special people, everyone. Thank you.

The Birthday Man

The ole wives tale came true today. If it clouds up over a frost, it will snow within the week. And it happened on Larry's birthday. Now the wind is blowing and it's cold. But as cattle barons we still have to feed the stock. Happy Birthday to my honey, and many more. I love you.

New Additions to the Farm

Four new calves were added to the Oak Grove Williams farm. That makes a total of four!, not counting the 2 cats plus the 2 stray cats, and 2 granddogs, or the deer we see now and again. Two of the calves are Marty's and Misty's. It started raining and now the catch pen is looking like a hog lot. We had to let the calves out into the pasture, which we wanted to do later after they got use to us and being here. They had no place to lay down it was so muddy. Misty needs a good pair of muck boots now that she is a cattle baroness! She might have to do some round ups, right GINA!!

New Flooring

We finally got hardwood flooring in our livingroom. Mr and Ms Fix It, Harlan and Kim Worley laid it for us, and they did a very good job. We are well pleased with it. I suggested we have it put in our bedroom next, but Larry shot that down! He hates spending money!!

Daddy's New Toy

Larry broke down and bought this new atv. I got to drive it when Adam the salesman delivered it. Marty and the granddogs went with me around the pasture, I thought we would do a little farm work while we were out riding. It is a smooth riding machine.