Quail, Snot, Wheelbarrows, and Tractors....

Interesting topics, yes? Not really, I'm just horribly bored.

The quail have been hatched for a while, and they come to the yard often. They like the bird food I put out, and I like having them. Though I do have to keep an eye on the window wells because I've had to rescue baby quail from there before. Dublin then gets mad because she likes to tease them, but she survives.

Sometimes it's fun to document how they grow. When they're tiny, they're adorable. Within a week they start to look quite gangly. Momma still loves them and keeps a close eye, though. They're not very trusting little birds....

The 5 babies last week, they were still cute:

Yesterday, running from the camera:

Poor Luke is a big ball of snot this morning. I'm not terribly surprised, but I feel bad. I had hoped we dodged a bullet after I caught that cold in South Dakota, then promptly gave it to my husband when I got home. Luke stayed healthy. Apparently he just wanted to catch it from a friend of ours. Still, it's better now to get this part over with than to have him wake this way while camping. Thank goodness for tea, honey, orange juice, and children's herbs! He's got a good attitude, he's eating like a mammoth, and sweating, so I know he's fine.

He also has discovered the joy of riding in a wheelbarrow. The yard is a constant process, so the wheelbarrow is used often. I tossed Luke in one day in an effort to get him out of the way and to another spot in a quick fashion. The rest is history.

(unflattering, but it WAS yardwork)

(notice Red in all the pictures...)

Mom and dad brought the tractor out for us to use in the yard. We decided to wait on the sprinkler system simply because the ground was so hard when we put the yard in. Another year and the soil will have conditioned itself enough that a couple of trenches will be cake. Until then, I am the sprinkler system. But I don't mind.

This tractor is pretty aged now. Probably 50 years old. But it still works great! You can still buy water tractors, but mine is not only antique, it is unique. The new ones are all plastic, mine is cast iron, heavy as heck, and soaks the ground so well. I love it! The lawn does, too....

Return of the Jedi, among other things....

I couldn't help but laugh at Star Wars: Return of the Jedi last night. The movies the original series, I still remember nearly all of the lines. Verbatim. My brother is among the biggest of the Star Wars fans and used to make me watch the trilogy with him. Over, and over, and over. To the point that people hate to watch it with me now because, as previously mentioned, I still remember nearly every word to every line AND can point out mistakes.

So, why did I laugh last night? Because it was actually the first time I've watched the movie through since episodes 1-3 were completed and released a few years ago. Therefore, I had yet to see the "new" ending. The vision Luke Skywalker has of his father, Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan standing together is certainly not the original. It took me a moment, the thought of "huh, he looks just like..." started in my head, then I realized what was going on. I literally laughed out loud. Don't ask me if it was truly at the movie, or if it was at my momentary example of being a true blond. I really don't know.

The days are also quickly passing in preparation for our camping trip to the Western Slope. The more I think on it, the more excited I become. I absolutely hate the fact that my dear husband has nixed my plans on including the dog, and I sort of resent him for it. In reality, not having Red there is probably wise because he is getting older and much less brave, meaning he'd be attempting to tear down the tent to gain "protection" from his female pet-parent at odd times, but I'll miss having my buddy there with me. He won't be alone, however, as Dublin, the cat, will obviously be here, and Joe will be taking care of him.

Despite it all, it is exciting. Preparation has been surprisingly light and boring, too. Since we're going with other people I am not required to pack cooking utensils, every last ounce of food for us, all forms of nighttime entertainment AND light, etc. I am, however, in need of finding all my fly-fishing stuff (except my rod & reel because I know where they are) and some spin-cast stuff for my husband. That's proven to be a bit of a task because I haven't touched either since August of '05. Sad, very sad. The tent, sleeping bags, pillows, air mattresses, lanterns, coolers and emergency survival stuff are all set.

Corbie commented on her blog about being too wired. She was telling of her trip to Africa and discovering just how, well, wired we Americans truly are. I've never considered myself overly-wired, but I think I'm sort of jaded. Among other things to be taken camping will be the camera, of course, the laptop to dump the pictures onto, various iPods (which may, or may not be utilized), and the ever-present cell phones. I seriously doubt the latter will work where we're going, but it seems to be a permanent appendage to all of us now. The beauty of it all, though, is that I always end up taking the stuff with and rarely miss actually having real use of them. Hence I don't feel too wired.

Luke must be in a growth spurt. He has been much too happy to take a nap on a daily basis. There are moments when he's wide awake, only to be crashed out in a strange place or position the next. A few days ago found him stripping his lower half naked, climbing onto the couch, and taking a doze. What a goofball! Currently he has bounced across the room, crawled onto my lap, and promptly placed his head on my chest to snooze.

I am very pleased to report that he only has one more tooth to come in. It feels like it is working well and I estimate we only have another 10'ish days of misery for the boy. I can't wait! I only hope he will have this final tooth in before the end of the month so that he can fully enjoy his first foray into Vacation Bible School. He'll have more fun if he's not in pain. It's much easier to run around with the other kids that way....

Baby, Baby, Baby!

Finally! The moment I've been waiting for since mid-March! Fair warning, babies are sometimes difficult to photograph because they want to "help" you with the task.

It shouldn't have been quite that long of a wait, but the dates given for Mayb's breeding were wrong, so the wait was long. Turns out she was actually due mid-June. I joked that she'd foal while I was in the Black Hills...silly mare, she listened.

So, a cute and very big chestnut colt was born. He was kind of a surprise as mom didn't show labor signs and snuck a pasture foaling in. He's a pony, but he's got big bones and decent size to him...and he's a smart little bugger! He has the presence of his warmblood mom, but the braveness of his dad. It's a good combination and tells me what similarities I'd see if my own mare were bred (Maybs reminds me so very much of the Dustbuster). Being a boy, he's also very rough and rowdy. It cracks me up. He acts like my human baby!

Sandia was next to foal. She's a big Oldenburg mare visiting from out-of-state. She had gotten sick, came to one of the best clinics for horses around, and has ended up with the ponies for a while. She was bred to a European stallion and imported, so we knew this was going to be a nice baby. And she really is. A dark bay or black filly with long legs and a personality that just won't quit. She reminds me of her mom, whom I adore. She'll be a star in the ring.

Sorry, momma enjoyed a mud roll and the barn hadn't yet been cleaned.

Finally, Snappy was due. I've been dying to see this foal and wish I were in a position to have bought it in-utero because Snap is a very nice mare and the stallion is on-site. He's just the coolest and I love him. Even my mom exclaimed "this is a STALLION???" He's just so gentle, kind, and loveable. He's the one Luke runs to for pets and treats. So not only did this baby stand to be extremely fancy, it was going to be one with a great disposition. She certainly has exhibited all that was hoped for! This dainty grey filly was born July 1. She is extraordinary! Incredibly fancy, moves amazingly well, has a great disposition, and is very determined that the world revolves around only her. It's all on her terms. What a doll!

Watching these babies grow and getting the chance to work with them is going to be fantastic. I can't wait to see what they become.....

The 4th of July....

Our nation's Independence Day. The day we celebrate the United States gaining independence from Britain. What a fun day in summer! We have a very unique way of doing things here in Pueblo West. On the surface it appears just like any other town in the United States, but it's truly something else.

This year saw the return of the "wet" parade after a 2-year hiatus due to people being dangerous and dumb. It returned with threats of very stiff fines for breaking the rules. Everyone complied.

We moved here in 2006 and therefore have only witnessed the dry parades. It's just a little parade with the fire department, local tractor enthusiasts, local business owners, the little kids cheer and dance academy, the high school cheerleaders, and the like. Nothing fancy by any means. But it's just a little community thing. The return of the wet parade means that the parade was bigger....and full of water.

This event is unique enough that people come from all over the state, and some even from out of state, just to take part. Yesterday we met people who came from Oregon for this parade! I had even brought home one of the water troughs from the ponies just for the parade, at my next door neighbor's request. He needed a good water source for his super soaker. Other people showed up with kiddie pools in the backs of their vehicles. One little girl came with a spray bottle for hair...very cute.

The Lions Club holds a pancake breakfast before the parade each year. We've made a tradition of going. It was just Luke and I because daddy wasn't feeling real great. I couldn't believe what I saw! We had to take the parade route to the breakfast and it was already completely packed! My neighbors, Joe and Dave, had saved me a parking place, so very good. But I decided we'd skip breakfast this year because of how many people were there. Instead, we went home to grab a bite and check on daddy. He'd taken some allergy medicine, but wasn't up to doing the parade this year.

Finally, we headed to our spot with friends and started thinking on how to protect the camera. Those with camera equipment were off-limits of getting wet at this point, so I was safe for a little while. It was fun watching the community engage in mini-water fights before the parade began.

The first half of the parade is dry. It is for the beauty queens, little kids, old folks, animals...you get the idea. It was mild, just people cheering and waving for the day. Then a little break....just enough distance to not soak the last few dry portion participants.

That gave me enough time to toss the camera into the 4Runner and close the hatch. You see, the wet portion is led by the fire department and they take no mercy on who gets drenched.

Luke was sitting on the tailgate with Joe, who happens to be a volunteer firefighter and known to just about everyone here. I dashed over to him to cover his ears from the sirens. Silly me, so much for even attempting to stay dry! Joe let loose on the first firetruck with his super soaker and we had the hose turned on us. I was grateful the water wasn't absolutely freezing and could only sit there holding Luke's ears while rolling with laughter. My wonderful boy, who isn't fazed by much and loves water, just sat there getting drenched with a "huh, this is different" look.

Just a moment ago I mentioned the entire community taking part in mini-water fights. With this portion of the parade the entire community was taking part in the biggest water fight I have ever seen! Nobody was safe, everyone was involved, and it was just a blast! Even Fort Carson sent a few vehicles and soldiers down. One vehicle was in the dry portion, the other three were wet. So were the soldiers. What great sports! I did manage to safely get a few pictures of the action, but it wasn't easy. Snap a shot, turn around and protect the camera from the water being dumped on me. Snap a shot, turn around and protect the camera. Snap a shot, turn around and protect the camera while the toddler is trying to grab it away. It took a little talent!

The parade over we all took a few moments to attempt a bit of drying off. I say attempt because there was still plenty of water around. Joe's wife, Suzy, did a fantastic job of remaining dry through the morning's activities. Dave took no pity on her and dumped a water-cooler bottle over her head. Twice. Poor Suze! But her grandkids thought it was great!

Lesson learned for next year: WEAR A BATHING SUIT!

Luke and I headed home, enjoyed time with daddy, who was feeling better, played more in the pool outside, grilled up burgers, pitched the tent in the backyard (sans rain sheet...that would come later), set off a few of our fireworks (which, ironically, we bought from our Jehovah's Witness neighbor, whose kids participated with us), then ventured off to the community display. It was in a new place, much closer to the house, much easier to view, and much more enjoyable.

I love my son. He is enthusiastically unfazed by everything. He slept through the community display. He didn't even twitch for the grand finale! He has yet to see a full display. It cracks me up. But he did wake up when I put his pajamas on and watched the remainder of our little fireworks. Then it was time to camp in our yard. We got to bed late, watched a ton of fireworks through the windows, crashed pretty hard, and woke to a shining morning. It was a wonderful holiday!

Decision Made....

I did decide to go ahead an join the crew for the trip to the Western Slope next weekend. I just can't stand not having a weekend of camping! Or traveling. I have this incessant need to travel.

It cracks me up how many comments were made on the attachment parenting and likely-minded things we parents do. I've actually been shocked at how insistent Luke's been on staying in his own bed. I shouldn't be, he takes on the world at full speed. He's always pretty well had the say of how things would go, and he still falls asleep in my lap in the recliner. That's fine by me, I enjoy the cuddle time!

He did the same when he weaned from nursing. It was sort of a relief because he'd just stay attached to me all night long, but when I got sick last fall he seemed to realize I was in pretty bad shape. From that point on he just wanted to cuddle, not suckle. I swear he remembers me in the ER when he was six weeks old and asking him to keep his daddy calm while I went into surgery. Ever sense that moment he just becomes a caretaker to me when I don't feel well. What a boy!

As today is our Independence Day, I must rejoin the celebrations outside. Now that I'm dry, that is. Trust me, you'll understand when I get it all down, but it's a unique thing to Pueblo West.....

To Go, or Not To Go.....

I posted a big thank you to my husband last night, but I guess they cybergoblins ate it. How sad! I'll rewrite it and post it again later.

I am having a bit of a dilemma. A very bit. Next weekend is a camping/ATV trip to the Western Slope (that would be Western Colorado) that I need to decide about. My man is going, he has planned on it for a very long time. I won't do the ATV thing for two reasons: I don't have one and I have a 2-year old. Luke and I will be the only ones not doing the ATV's, which is fine by me. I'd rather hike the trails, anyway.

There will be at least one other wife there, one who hasn't ever been camping or even experienced s'mores! We will all be in tents, naturally, which is just a ton of fun (not being sarcastic), the weather is nice, the location is pretty good, and I can take my ever-faithful dog. I actually like to cook over a fire, will be in Ute territory (therefore, comfortable), and have more fun sharing experiences like this with my son than doing anything else. But I'm not sure I should go.

I have been back and forth on this decision for almost as long as I've known the trip was in the plans. I can't decide if it's intuition or just indecisiveness. I am a HUGE believer in human intuition and the need to listen to it, so this is kind of important to me. But I just can't tell with this one!

Silly, isn't it? I guess I'll have it figured out in the next few days. I have to! I just hope I can figure out if it's truly intuition, or just simple indecision....

Why You Shouldn't Race A Train...

This will be fairly short because I am tired and would like to go to sleep, but I have to get it down.

Luke and I ventured to La Junta today to visit an old trading post fort. On the way there we witnessed a sight that I still can't believe. There was a white pickup who turned off the highway to head down a street. In order to head down the side street one has to cross railroad tracks. It was one of those moments where you say "am I really seeing this??"

It's not anything out of the ordinary for a vehicle to turn off a main road and cross railroad tracks to get to their destination. It IS out of the ordinary to see a vehicle turn off and head to cross the tracks when a train is coming at them.

This particular train was only the engine and 3 cars, and it was only going what I'd estimate about 20 mph. No big deal. Yet think about the size of those things and the fact they don't stop on a dime. The weight of them means it takes some distance at any speed. So....

The truck never even slowed down. In fact, I think he sped up a bit! It was a moment where I said out loud "am I seeing this? Is this guy really going to try to outrun that train? Holy crap, what is he doing?? There he goes, he's going, oh no, he's going...uh oh...oh, I almost can't look...." (insert the literal thing of watching a trainwreck happen...you can't take your eyes away).

Then it happened...

BAM!!!!!!

The train hit the truck, the truck slid about 10 feet, then rolled....and rolled....and finally came to a stop next to the highway a good distance from where it began. The train? I think the engineer actually was thinking the same thing I was before hitting the truck because he was already on his brakes, and, yes, they screech. It still took about 1/4 mile before he was stopped.

I was so shocked that I actually let out an "OH S...!!!!!" I was even so surprised at what I was seeing that I didn't shreek. It was surreal! In this particular instance, I think the expletive can be forgiven.

This is a major highway so there was plenty of traffic. I wasn't in a place I could stop, but there were those in both directions who were. We had all already slowed WAY down. I also didn't have a good spot to turn around, so I had to wait a bit. When I did, I saw there were more than enough people on scene, including the first emergency service and law enforcement personnel, so we turned back around and headed East again. I didn't know how the driver was, but I also knew dwelling on it wouldn't help anyone.

When our daytrip concluded, we headed West for home. This was my opportunity to take a couple of pictures with my phone. I apologize for the poor quality....there's only so much on can do from a (very slowly) moving vehicle and a cell phone. But it gives an idea.





I was able to gain the information via news on the radio that the driver died. He was ejected when the truck rolled. The 10pm local news stated there was a passenger who was also ejected and died. Neither were wearing seatbelts. A double lesson here.

So, it is off to bed for me where my mind will continue to reel from what it saw today. Never in my wildest dreams did I figure I would see a train-car collision on anything other than news footage or a movie. It is something I actually hope others don't have to witness, either.....