Help Wanted.

I am drawing a blank.  I've got nothing.  Paper is blank, computer screen is blank.  I need help!

You may or may not know but lat fall I did a guess post over on the blog Housewives of Rural America.  It was scary, fun and nerve wracking to write and then push that send button.  I am so glad I did, as it was a great experience.  My post titled 12 Confessions of a Mediocre Housewife got a few chuckles and connected with some readers.  That's way I was hoping for but didn't expect.

Now this brings me to why I need help, I am scheduled to write another blog post to be published the end of February.  I am excited and honored that they are allowing me to write for the blog again.  That being said, I am drawing a blank on what to write about.

Shall I blog about my infamous Knephla soup recipe or another recipe?  Shall I blog about sugar beets  or my cows or farming in Montana?  Shall I blog about the craziness of working along your husband with 2 kids in tow?  Shall I blog about some of the hurdles we faced starting to farm and are facing now?  Maybe a craft idea?  Maybe I should blog about the steps I take to make and can my salsa?  OR maybe I should blog about how important it is to have your girlfriends and being able to talk to them and planning a girls night at home?  Shall I blog about and ask others on how they keep farm records, cattle records and book work and what apps and programs are available and they use?  Bull season is upon us, maybe a post on buying bulls.  Throw some of your ideas at me.

I need your help!!

Now I must get going and get corn shoveled to feed replacements and cull cows.  It's cold and snowy out so I have been procrastinating this morning.

In honor of #tbt, I thought I'd throw in a couple of pictures from a few years ago.  We were at dad's house and him and T were on a mission to catch 'her' horse Abe.  Unfortunately we lost Abe to botulism a year or so ago.  Enjoy your Thursday and the pictures
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Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

Who doesn't love Birthdays and the Birthday song?

TC, that's who.  Doesn't matter if we are singing Happy Birthday to her, you, me or her best friend.  She. Hates. It!!!

No joke, when attending friends birthday parties I try to remove her from the room before the singing starts.  Now, we, her aunts and uncles, our friends and everyone else who has witnessed gets a good laugh out of it.  Its the craziest thing.

What's that?  You don't believe me?  Well ok then.

Well there ya go!  Oh, and I am sure you noticed how her loving family did NOT quit singing to her!

New Year, New Goals

 New year, new blog goals for 2014.  My goal is to post at least twice a week, heres to me succeeding! I have my posts half written or waiting to be edited, so I best get busy!

For now, I thought I would share something I wrote a long time ago.  Don't be too harsh, but let me know what you think.  I can't even remember when I wrote this or if something had happened to make me write this.  I just know that this poem has been in my old notebook of my writings through 8 moves and living in 3 states.  That's saying something because I loose everything.  Enjoy.

Hey Grandpa

Tana Hauso-Berwick

Hey Grandpa - How's it going up there?

     Been busy working and riding

     Never can seem to get ahead

I need to talk, got some time to spare?

So, Grandpa - The pastures, they green?

     Down heres its dry and brown

     I try to smile, make it through the day

It's hard for me Grandpa, I'm sure you've seen.

Tell me Grandpa - Do the horses run hard and true?

     Are you taking time to enjoy yourself?

     Found me a man, strong 'n kind

Hardworking 'n funny, reminds me of you.

Hey Grandpa - Warm enough? 20 below here.

     Starting to snow and grow colder

     I'm trying to be tough, just like you taught

I wonder, why did you have to go?

This is it Grandpa - time to say goodbye.

     It's not forever, just a long while.

     Just remember Grandpa, I love you 'n

Sometimes Cowgirls do need to cry.  

Farming Friday

We started combining corn this past Wednesday.  When I say 'we' I really mean 'the guys'.   The guys started combining corn on Wednesday.  I was busy fixing fence, which is a whole other blog post.  

The corn has been running great, yieloing way more than the Hubby was guesstimating.  We've got a little over 100 acres combined and the average bu/ac is around 170.  That's average of dryland, stuff that got drowned out, and irrigated corn.  Not to shabby, not to shabby.  

I haven't been able to get over and snaps some pics of the 2013 corn combining, but the Hubby snapped some picture on his phone of them unloading trucks. 

Confessions

Confessions, I have a ton of blogging ideas, but life and kids and fall work is getting in the way of me getting them posted.  sorry.
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Another confession, I was a guest blogger over at Housewives of Rural America.   This blog was started not long ago, and I have been enjoying the weekly guest bloggers.  Hurry over and check it out.

I'll leave you with a picture for Not So Wordless Wednesday!  The guys were busy moving combines about yesterday, so that we could start combining corn this morning.

Just blame the dog...

This spring we were on the hunt for a new horse for T.  We had to put Ol' Fred down last winter due to old age.  Last summer T borrowed a horse from our good friends, and we were welcome to that horse if we needed.  The search began around calving time.  I was on the look and of course I had my dad on the prowl too.

There was a horse sale coming up, and we were busy looking through it.  Circling lots we thought sounded ok.  Now, you must know my dad is not a fan of horse sales.  He has a stead fast rule to never buy a horse through the ring.  In his almost 60 years he has bought 4 horses through the ring and 2 of those were no sales he purchased afterwards.  

I was unable to make it to the sale, so it all rested on dad's shoulders.  I gave him a budget, and off he went to look for and purchase an older gelding.  Dad kept calling throughout the sale, with words of 'I am not going to get anything bought' or 'lot 43 was not all he cracked up to be.'.  2 of dads good friends kept encouraging him to stay around and bid on the last horse of the sale.  They knew where the horse came from, and it was a good one.  

Dad had noticed that horse earlier.  Little palomino with 3 kids on it, just going all over the place.  He decided to wait it out.  They cracked the gate open and in came those 3 kids at a trot on that little palomino.  The auctioneer started chanting, and dad started raising his hand.  He finally quit, he had reached my budget.  About that time, the opened the gate again, and one of the kids gave out a whistle. Their dog came a running, grabbed a hold of that horses tail and started swinging around.  The horse never missed a beat.  The dog then jumped up on the hindquarters of the horse, weaved through the kids and laid across the horses back.  Dad couldn't help himself.  His arm went up, and up again until he was the winning bid on the horse.

Dad called me, and I quote 'I got you a horse, its not what you wanted and I went over budget.' That was it.  He had hung up!  So as I impatiently waited for him to call back, I was trying to get red in the face and get made.  

Turns out, once again, Dad knew best.   He bought a 4 year old mare, over my budget.  NOT an old gelding.  I'm here to tell you, that little horse rocks!  Tally has taken her and they are on the go.  They have helped move cows, been in a parade, kids rodeos, wagon trains.  You name it, those two little stinkers are on the go!  I couldn't be any prouder.

Yes, that is right I put my (then) 6 year old daughter on a 4 year old horse and turned them loose.  Dad had rode the horse for 2 weeks trying to make her mess up, and she never did.  So away they go.  Miss Sunny and  T riding, learning, and having a blast! Every kid should be so lucky.

Now dad gets his silly grin on his face when he tells this story, then he giggles and says 'just blame the dog.  If it wasn't for the dog I wouldn't have kept bidding!'  

Family Friday Night

Family Friday nights around here in the summer are not your typical family outings.

Nope, on any Friday night (and really any night of the week) we load up the kids and dog and head out to go check cows, check crops, go do some irrigating or a hundred other things that need to be done.  We take this time to be together as a family, but do get our work done and teach our kids.

T and TC just love going to check cows and helping putting out mineral.  I could say its because they are with mom or dad, or because we are spending time as a family but I would be lieing.   They enjoy putting out mineral so much because 'mixing' and 'stirring' the mineral is just the most fun!  It really is, just ask the two little blondes in the picture!

Putting out mineral is just one of the many things we do together as a family.  We irrigate, we seed, we hay, we move cows, we work cows, we harvest, we play, we fight, we hug and we love.  Its just what we do.

The kids, though they are young, have already learned you can't go check cows, put out mineral without checking on the water!  And maybe so mom can snap some pictures.  

 I just love old windmills.   Our Family Friday nights may not be typical, but they are who and what we are and do!  Pretty sure I wouldn't change a thing!