Good Morning From the Bluff Country!

It's a BEAUTIFUL morning in the Bluff Country! I sat with the girls for a few minutes this morning. Got this nice shot of Prima Dona grazing next to a large thistle plant. Yes, I know I need to chop it down. Believe it or not it is the ONLY one in the paddock.

I was trying to get some photos of Flash Dance and Dazzle with their droopy, dew-laden fleece but they would NOT cooperate! They just keep running up to me. Kind of hard to complain too much about that problem...

Prima Dona also found this gone-to-seed blade of grass to hide behind, in my otherwise short, well groomed pasture!

I think I'll cut a fresh bouquet of Daisies and Purple Cone Flowers for my desk at work today.

Dream says...

"Why don't you come up and SEE me sometime???"

;-)

YES ~ I still have SHEEP...

"Bluff Country Eureka"
I do realize that I have not posted much about my sheep since half of my flock left for it's new home in Maryland.

Eureka and Zorro
Zaria
It's been so hot and miserable that the neither the sheep nor I feel like taking pictures! I'm gonna rectify that ~ real soon!

But not tonight. Tonight I'm tired and it's past my bedtime. I'm working this weekend so have to get up early. As soon as I got home from work tonight, I changed clothes and hopped on the riding mower. I got the top of the ewes pasture mowed and my front yard. I love how nice things look when they're all neat and even and freshly mowed!

I did pick up the grass clippings from last night, to save for hay this winter. The "Frugal Shepherd" lives on!

Then, I spent 45 minutes sitting in Katie's swing, in my backyard. No wonder she loves sitting out there so much!!! It is SO peaceful and beautiful and restful! I seriously considered sleeping in my backyard! (there are NO mosquitos!)

Maybe another night...

Next week, I'm going to start halter lessons with my two "chosen girls": Flash Dance and Dazzle. THAT should be fun and maybe even worth reading about...

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

The DOG DAYS of Summer...

It's hot. Hot and humid! I do not LIKE hot and humid. SOME of my animals don't seem to be bothered by the heat and humidity.

Nothing seems to phase them...

They just play (Lily's got a pine cone that Bella wants!)

And play

And PLAY!

It looks like Lily may have given up!

Can you see the pine cone, lying in the grass?

"BACK OFF, BELLA!"

"Mom! Lily won't share!!"
("Can I bite her???")

I'm thinking "No", Bella...

BAD BOY, BAD BOY, What Ya Gonna Do?What Ya Gonna Do When He Comes For You?

Before I go into the gory details of my latest 'Dance" with Hunter ~ I'd like to take a moment to THANK YOU. Thank you to each and every one of you who 'heard me' yesterday. I don't think you can know how much strength your messages (both on here and in private) gave to me. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of empowerment that grew in my psyche with each and every comment that I read. I'm NOT sorry that I posted...

And now, back to our Regular Scheduled Programming:

Hunter has been bad. Yes, again!

You've gotta give the guy credit for trying...

Once again, it wasn't a vicious attack ~ more of a "Hmmmm, she's just standing there, maybe I'll butt her" kind of thing.

This time, I held on to my camera!

Needless to say, bad behavior will NOT be tolerated and the Golden Boy is just going to have to get that through his thick head...

Hunter says...

"JEESE! What a GROUCH!"

Sometimes a Thousand Words are Worth More Than a Picture...

Warning:: This is not a sheep or chicken related or Beautiful Baby Girl or happy Grandchildren related post. It's one of those yucky, personal, feelings related posts. So, if you don't want to get involved in personal, emotional kind of stuff, please skip my blog today. Becky's got a really cool post about how she rescued a little HUMMINGBIRD ~ check that one out! I'll be back soon with happier subjects.

My thoughts on living with chronic, clinical depression.

It's never far away.
I'm fine right now. Life is good. I love my life SO very much.

But.

There is always a shadow hanging over me. I can sense the depression ~ just waiting to pounce. Scary.

I upped my medication. That's twice in the past month. If this feeling persists, I will go back in and see my doctor. It's too early in the season to be dealing with this!!

I've started another blog ~ this one I'm keeping private. It's just for me. I'll log my daily feelings on there and try to track the progress of my emotional state. Yesterday, I likened the feeling that I have to my world being this bright, sunny, cheerful place but depression is just on the other side of the door. I'm fine right now. Depression isn't trying to break down the door. It's not even knocking at the door. But it's there.

I want it to go away.

I don't know if it's better for me to talk about it. Or even to think about it ~ or to try to keep my mind occupied with positive thoughts. I do know that feeling the need to "not think about things" is usually a sign of the depression returning. But I don't want to DWELL on it! I don't want to give it power over my daily life. Yet, the fact is, it's the first thing that I think about when i wake up in the morning. I guess it's already got power.

I guess the very fact that I've upped my medication, started another (private) blog and am writing this today should tell me that it's already got power. Shit

I am not asking for sympathy. Nor pity. In fact, knowing that people will want to offer sympathy makes me not want to share my feelings. People worrying about me feels like a burden ~ not support. Does that sound selfish? I don't mean to be selfish. But it IS the way that it feels.

OK ~ so the fact is, I may be ending my "remission" and entering another period of clinical depression. If I am, I'll deal with it. If I feel the need to share ~ I'll share. If I don't, I won't. I know my family loves me. I know I have many, wonderful friends. I know I'm not alone. I've been through this before. I can do it again...

Wishing you all a "Happy Day"

Love,

Nancy
P.S. Boy! I hope I don't end up wishing I hadn't posted this!

;-)

Tormenting My Beautiful Baby Girl...

OK. I admit it. I've resorted to blatant bribery and psychological manipulation. But Katie started it! She's the one who said she might come home over Labor Day weekend!

HOW am I tormenting my beloved, youngest child, you may ask? By posting photographs of her favorite place to be:
My Back Yard

To be more exact ~ the SWING in my backyard.

This is where Katie likes to sit and read and relax when she's home.

Most evenings will find her sitting in the swing, reading a book and sipping a glass of wine. If it's cool out, she may wrap one of my shawls around her shoulders.

Katie's seldom alone ~ Mimi and Bella frequently join her on her nightly vigils. We all miss her.

Hurry Home Katie!

We'll keep your seat warm!

*For the Record...*
Katie, I'm pretty sure that you know that as much as we do all miss you, we certainly understand your desire to be with Carter if there's any way that can be arranged. I'm (secretly) hoping that you can work it out. Don't worry ~ it'll be beautiful in the FALL as well...

I love you

Did I Dream That???

It was an unGodly HOT weekend. This summer has been exceptionally cool ~ up until this weekend. I do NOT deal with heat and humidity well, in my old age!

I knew the heat wave was coming so Friday night, I baked some "This Isn't Your Mother's Chocolate Chip Cookie" cookies, ala Susan Mcmillin at the "Chickens In The Road" Blogspot. To say they are good is like saying that I LIKE Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Blizzards...

Saturday was wickedly hot so I went to work. *On my THREE-DAY-OFF WEEKEND!* They have air conditioning. Saturday night, I took some cookies to my VSF (Very Special Friend) who I call "Doc" ~ and that's ALL you need to know Mr. Stearman!!! I spent the night at Doc's but it was so hot that he slept in the bedroom and I slept on the floor in the living room. RIGHT in front of the air conditioner.

I came home early this morning and went back to bed. Slept until 11:00 o'clock!! I HAD to do more baking because I had purchased fresh blueberries for a tempting recipe I saw on "Welcome To Prosperine" Blogspot. I didn't want the blueberries to go to waist WASTE, so I bit the bullet and baked "Orange Blueberry Bread" today. (TWO loaves!) Oh - My - Gosh is it good!!! (notice that half of the smaller loaf is already gone)

The heat and humidity were stifling so I took a nap. I laid down at 3 o'clock and slept until 5. Nobody can accuse me of not making the most of my weekends off!

When I got up at five, it was glorious outside! Still a bit muggy but the temp had dropped precipitously and it was MUCH more bearable. I took the chickens out the left over orange peels (I grated the peels and hand squeezed the juice called for in the recipe!). They seemed to enjoy them.

Especially Star!




I'm still very tired so I think I'll call it a night early tonight. Happy DREAMS!

DREAM says...

It was WAY too hot for us girls to pose so
This One's For Katie..."



;-)

Suddenly Saturday and a Broken Promise... CATS!

I'm sorry, Dreamer. I know that I promised an all-sheep post. I even took over 2 hundred pictures yesterday and STILL don't have what I want for a sheep post! I got lots of Dog and Cat and Chicken and Back Yard pictures ~ but hardly any sheep pictures. I'll keep trying.

In the meantime...

My beautiful Dsisy Kitty, although somewhat aloof, is often featured on this blog.

She frequently 'poses' regally surveying her Kingdom.

Whereas "Silly Lily the Lover Kitty" tends to be goofing off ~ throwing herself on the ground to be petted or rolling around like a goof ball!



A rare shot of Lily on all four feet!


"I was just looking for the perfect spot to throw myself down!"

"HEY WAIT! What about ME?"

Good Point! My Sweet "MiMi Kitty" is the lovely girl that I adopted (was it 3 or 4 years ago??) as a nine-year old cat! She's doing wonderfully ~ although she is kept outdoors 99.9% of the time because she's NOT good about using her litter box!

"Yeah, but I'm CUTE!!"
And one HECK of a Hunter!

I love them all!

DREAM says...

"MEEEOW!"