Autumn, Aprons, A Rose is a Rose...

What a glorious morning!  The last couple of days the temps have been in the upper 60's first thing in the morning when I go out to feed and water my chickies.  I feel a little "fallish" coming on!  I don't wanna rush but it makes me long for cool days, sweaters, soup on the stove, and one of Becky's soy candles in Pumpkin Spice burning on the table.  You know that delightful shivery feeling of autumn?

Well, we've got upper 90's again coming back, but it sure is nice! What's going on in your neck of the woods?  I'm trying to get a little painting done today.   Something new for me - I'll be sure and post pictures over at South Light art blog later - link on my sidebar if you're interested...

Here, at the farm, let's see who's minding the henhouse....

Well, for starters, Mr. Black/Yellow Garden Spider is keeping watch on the back side of it, and...

Miss Gypsy is guarding the front.  Actually, I had thrown some rolls to the chickens and she tried to do some digging to get one of them and I had to shut that down.  I even gave her one of her own and she buried it behind the AC unit outside.  Silly dog.  She comes to the back door every morning and asks for her dog biscuit.  Sometimes, she eats it, sometimes, she buries it.

Did I ever show you  my vintage apron collection?  Well, if I did, you're gonna see it again.

I didn't mean to have a collection, but it just happened.  I had a couple of aprons that were my grandmothers' that I'd saved through the years.  As I visited garage/junk sales, vintage aprons kept drawing my attention and were so cheap (most of the time).  When I looked at them, I immediately thought about the women who wore them, the work that they did to feed their families, the hands that dried themselves on them, the eggs and garden goodies that were collected in them, the children who grabbed onto them pulling at their mom for some attention, and perhaps even the tears that were shed on them.  

One by one, another worn and faded apron came home with me on my forays.  I now have 18 - EIGHTEEN - yes, you heard me right, 18.  It just happened.  But you know what's fun now?  When we have friends over to the farm for supper, I shall have all the ladies put on one of my vintage aprons while we're getting everything ready.  It'll be fun for all of us!  The aprons all hang on the door in my kitchen so they're easy to grab one up and go.

See what my sweet husband brought home last night?  He stopped and bought me 3 bouquets of Tyler roses!  They are so beautiful.  "Just because..."  And they smell heavenly...  I had enough to make two pitchers full.  I love roses - I don't care if they're not the swanky long-stemmed ones.  I think I actually prefer the little Rose-stand roses - they're lovely, really smelly (  :)))) and easy to put in my vintage pitchers and vases.  He was so thoughtful!  And I'm so lucky!

Take care, friends - you coastal folks look out for that hurricane a-comin'.  And by all means, no matter what you do, Keep Your Dress Down!

# 273 of 300 Ways to Catch a Snake (and other foolishness...)

When you live in the country, you're gonna run across critters.  Critters abound out here and if you don't like critters, then don't live in the country.  Critters are different from your good buddy pets.  Critters eat your garden, dig holes everywhere, come in the house even when they're not supposed to and are a general nuisance. We're always trying to get rid of critters - mice, rats, gophers, armadillos, moles, skunks, hogs, possums, 'coons AND last but certainly not least - SNAKES.

Now I don't cotton to these kinda critters too much myself, but they're not going to keep me from loving my little farm and enjoying every minute I'm here!  You just live with 'em and deal with 'em.

This morning, we had a some excitement here at Sand Flat Farm.  I went out early - 6:45 to feed and water my chickies before work. Fresh water, fill up the feeder, strew a little corn to scratch, clean out the night's poo... you know, the usual. Upon exiting the run, I happened to glance to the side, right by the doorlatch, and lo and behold, I saw THIS ------>

WARNING - Graphic photos - not for the squeamish nor faint of heart!!!

I MUST HAVE JUMPED BACK TEN FEET!

This fellow slithered into the coop probably a couple of days ago. I wondered why the chickens only laid 2 eggs that day when they usually lay 5-6.  I thought it was just too hot outside.  Evidently, the snake had come through the small gauge chicken wire and ate his fill and then couldn't get back through with such a full stomach!  He was a good 4 to 4 1/2 feet long

Rat snake, right?  At least I hope so. We've seen him a couple of times around the yard.  He'd always shoot up under the house when he spotted us looking at him with an evil intent in our eyes.  Can you count the bumps along his stomach?  SIX, there are six bumps! Horrors!

Slowly, I eased out of the coop trying not to disturb him. I started for my hoe, but decided to go get Tony out of bed and have him come out. He dressed quickly and got the hoe ready.  Tony took the snake's tail and carried him twined around the end of the hoe out to the orchard and neatly whacked his head off.

Good job!  Another farm critter bites the dust!  Glad that was all he bit!  Tony got a plastic bag to dispose of this booger and I went to check the coop just in case there was an early egg or an egg from the night before.

GUESS WHAT!  That dumb snake swallowed all six of my golf balls that I'd put in the nests to show the hens where to lay!!!!  I imagine he did eat a couple of the previous day's eggs, and then later decided to eat the rest of them!  JOKE'S ON YOU MR. SNAKE!  I'll bet he had a major case of indigestion!  Now, don't think us bad folks for killing this guy - he would have died anyway trying to pass those golf balls.

Sooooo,  we retrieved my golf balls...

Lookie there ^ - see all six lined up in a neat row!

Kinda gross actually, but at least I got my balls back - to be cleaned and disinfected for sure - reptiles have really nasty mouths - full of germs and bacteria.  Yuck, maybe I just need to get some more...

Now, have any questions?  Well, then you've just seen #273 of 300 ways to catch a snake.  Great way to trap a snake in your chicken coop!  You're very welcome.

Keep yer dress down.

Note Card Party at VEE's Place!

Ready for Vee's Note Card Party???

This week I was looking through my photos and trying to come up with worthy photos, and my kitties kept jumping out at me!  So I thought I'd put together some kitty pictures to offer as note cards this week ---

Oct 25, 2010

Alice is relaxing under the wagon of mums...

June 19, 2010

Is there ANYTHING cuter than a little kitten?????

Aug 31, 2011

Sambo ruined my pot plants - guess he liked the cool dirt...

Jan 25, 2011

This kitty Jasper was my mouser/gopher-catcher.  Sadly, he went missing, but he was a beautiful cat with aqua blue eyes.  Sigh...

I'm looking forward to checking out your note cards!  Hop on over to Vee's blog and see who else is playing!

Po-Dunk Towns and Farm News...

Close your eyes for a moment and let me share with you something that you'll have to see in your mind's eye (cuz I didn't have my camera).   Imagine, if you will, a beautiful sunny afternoon - warm, actually quite hot, and a sauna-like breeze is blowing.  As you drive along the road, you look towards the sunny western side of the sky and something catches your eye - a flash of something glittering, a spray of water in the air.  The mist even creates rainbow-like arcs in the spray.

What I'm looking at - I'm not believing!

My hubby and I were on our way back from Nashville to see our oldest son.  Finally back in Texas country, we were relieved that we only had an hour or so to get home.  Going thru an armpit little po-dunk town which shall remain nameless, Tony and I saw something that we'd never seen before - blew us away.

There in this little town, in a little serve-yourself driving through carwash were three people - a couple of guys and a gal.  They were pressure-spraying and cleaning there in the stall ...

wait for it...

wait...





three big standard TOILETS!!!

You might be a r*dneck if...
... you take your bathroom plumbin' fixtures to the carwash to clean 'em!"



Ok, there you have it.  Aren't you glad you read that story???  Weren't you excited???

Can't believe I didn't have my camera battery charged up after going to see Adam. We had a good time - just went to see him for a couple of days. I carried his painting to him - he LOVED it!

Been SO hot here...  Just running through some of my pics and thought I'd show you a couple...

Tony and I had this portrait done when Princess H. was born.  After two boys, I went all out on her pink nursery.  I love this picture of my kids - the boys spoiled their little sister and they were both crazy about her, and still are.  That's what I think of when I look at this picture... sigh...oh where did the years go....

Next, a couple of random vignettes from around the farmhouse.  

My dear friend Trish and her daughter spied this cute shabby grandfather clock at Canton Trades Days and they brought it home for my birthday a couple of years ago.  It's SO cute, vintage turquoise.  This handpainted lamp belonged to Tony's grandmother.  It's also painted on the top, but I put this little shade over it and I kinda liked it...

Hay cuttin' season has been going gangbusters around here.  The man who cuts our hay has two grown daughters.  They, their mom and one of their friends stack that hay on the trailer to put in the barn.  Two strong strapping gals - their dad didn't have sons, so these girls have learned to do all this hard work.  They come as much as their dad does to cut, rake and bale hay.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, my friends!  It's about time for schools to start around here and work traffic to pick up. I'll have to start leaving for work a little earlier.  I'm actually looking forward to autumn and a break from the heat. Tony and I are planning a trip to New England this fall sometime. I'm really looking forward to that!

Keep yer dress down, gals!

Chick-Fil-A

Today is...

Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day!

Get out and support your local Chick-Fil-A and tell them how much you appreciate their stand on Family and Christian values (and freedom of speech)!!!!!!!!

I've already been - Have you??????

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