New Tires

Yesterday, I got to go to town.  The ton truck needed 2 new tires.  It's a great truck that we found back

at the first of the year.  We had been looking for a flat bed truck with a dump bed on it for the farm. 

We knew we would need to be hauling gravel and other things for the farm, so we began the hunt. 

Hubby searched high and low, far and near and we finally found this in Springfield.

It is just what we were looking for!  We knew we didn't want a

new truck....they only get scratched and dinged!   So we found this used one :)

When you purchase from this business, they go through the

vehicle and fix what needs fixing and then give it all a new coat of paint!  

  So we found this used one :)  They only problem

was that

a couple of the rear tires were slick and one had developed a flat....so off to town and $300 dollars

later we have a new pair!

So far it's been useful.  As we construct the water lines for the cattle waterers, we had to purchase 10'

long pipes which we hauled with the truck.  Then when we purchased the waterers themselves, wwe

hauled them also with the truck.  It's been great!  Another great feature of this truck is that both of the

side panels drop down for easy access to what ever you're hauling!  A girl's gotta love it!

As we put this farm together and purchase the needed equipment, we're always trying to be as

economical as possible.  We still don't have a house yet and still will need to build that, so all money

that we can save in other places will be used for that!  And we can't get started soon enough!  One

thing that could get that process started sooner though is for us to sell another piece of property.  It is

an 80 acre piece of property that we bought before we found this farm.  It is a beautiful piece with a

beautiful view.  On the next post, I'll give you the information.  It may be just the place you're looking

for!  You too could have your own little piece of the beautiful, peaceful Ozarks!!

Rain....rain.....rain......

We are up to our eyes in water....not literally of course.  But, it seems as if it has been raining every day!  In the last 24 hours, at our house, I've measured 2.25 inches.  But for the area a little south of here, on the weather map today, it was reporting 6 ".  I'd like to send a little of this down to Texas which is burning up and on fire!  Our lake (Bull Shoals) is so full, they are talking about opening the gates again. 

It happened in '08

And the sound was deafening....it roared!  It was pretty awesome to witness such power!

And it's cool too....much cooler than what is normal for this time of year, so the garden is waining.  Just two days ago I planted squash and cucumbers.....now I'm wondering if they'll get the warmth they need to sprout!  The potatoes are sticking their little heads through the soil...hopefully they'll not rot!

I should have planted the cool weather things sooner, but school kept getting in the way...all those projects!  But the lettuce and radishes have sprouted and the sugar peas are about 6" tall now.  The tomato plants that were friended to me will have to wait to go in the ground.  The weather man is predicting upper 30's tonight and I don't want them chilled. 
Where's the sunshine and warm weather?  Come on....I'm ready!

We've done it again!

Well....it happened again.   We just can't help ourselves.  This time though, it's a little boy and his name is Tug.

We were headed home from the farm and a lady who was riding the ferry with us told the husband that she had some blue heeler pups to give away.  When we adopted Petie, we were looking for a heeler pup, but the one promised to us never materialized.  So when this opportunity presented itself.....what else could we do?  Besides, we felt that we were rescuing this little guy.  When he was brought to us, he was with two of his remaining brothers.  Each of the dogs was absolutly covered in ticks.  They had so many ticks between their little toes that they were all splayed out.  They were all in their ears and under their arms.  We probably spent 2 hours picking off about 300 ticks.....it was AWFUL! 

We decided on the name of Tug, since his possibility of adoption came about on the ferry which is

powered by a .....tug! 

He went to the vet today.....got his first puppy shots, worming and weighed in at a healthy 10 lbs.

So now, has anybody got any good tips on training a heeler? 

Spring has sprung!

It's spring in the Ozarks and it is beautiful!

We have waited through the cold and gray and the anticipation for warm and green and lots of other colors. 

As I drive around, all of the beautiful trees are bursting with colors such as white pinks and mauve!  And if you can find a redbud next to a cedar...oh my what a sight!

 The dogwoods have opened their blossoms over night and what a sight they are.  So the absolute best is if you can find a cedar a redbud and a dogwood all together....it just don't get no better than that!

While I was out walking this morning, I was still looking for the elusive morel mushroom.  I have a special spot that I check each spring, but nothing yet.  I'm wondering if anyone else has found any yet?

Go out and take a walk and see what beauty you can find!

I've been outed!

Dear readers,

I have been writing this blog for a while now.  I didn't tell any of the family or friends.  I just wanted to test drive for a while and see if anyone was interested.  Well......I got found out!  I'm officially out of the closet!   And it's a funny story if you read my daughter-in-law's blog http://www.mrs-adventure.com/2011/04/i-found-her-and-shes-coming-out-of.html#comments.  She's so funny and such a good writer...maybe I was a little intimidated.   Even my husband didn't know, so I had to confess to him too.  Ironically though, he had made off handed  comments over the last couple of months, that I write a blog.  Little did he know!  And it wasn't that I was trying to be secretive about  the whole thing.  Haven't you ever tried something and not told anyone....maybe started a diet or started exercising with out telling anyone?  Maybe we don't do that so we won't be held accountable.  Maybe we think that if no one knows and we fail, then it's only us that knows about it?   Anyway, I'm out and here I am!  Thanks Rachael and Aaron, you've helped me with my little secret and it couldn't have turned out better!

One Kings Lane

Have you visited One Kings Lane yet?  I've signed up and get emails from them.  They have sales from many different vendors.  Some may interest you and some may not.  I've ordered a couple of times from them and have been very pleased.  I needed a new scale for the kitchen and ended up with a nice digital one for about $12.  Check it out!

https://www.onekingslane.com/invite/ChristiWest

What am I doing?

As I sit here tonight, I am wondering what in the world am I doing?  We just finished spring break and

 started back to class today.  We had a boat load of stuff due....projects and they weren't little ones either.  I

 mean one of the projects took about 25 hours worth of work to complete.  And then to top it off, we had a

 bugger of a test in our last class of the day.  Whew........and now time's a tickin....and the end of the

semester will be here soon.  That's a good thing and a bad thing....that means finals and then.....summer

 classes start June 1st til July 1st....yuck!  But, looking on the bright side....next fall....I'll be a senior!! 

Wahoo!  And in the spring semester.....we're interns   or   student teachers!!    I will have to say though, the

program I am in does seem to prepare you very well for the classroom.  I'm anxious to put all of this

knowledge into practice in my own classroom.