Mr. Rogers......... Wow.. Mr. Rogers theme song strapped to my neurons. Frightening concept isn't it ? Probably the vibrations of a 7.5 hour tour of duty on ol' John Deere....
Usually it's a song that's more "tractor-relevant" that I can't get out of my head.. For a large portion of the day another song traversed my smoldering brain .. It was...*thinks* "You're the reason God made Oklahoma".. There's this part where the guy (there's a guy's and a girl's part) sings "I worked ten hours on a John Deere tractor......jes thinkin' of youuuuuuuuuuu all dayyyyyyyy"
I think.... Holy-Cow...ten hours ? But then, that's probably cutting hay, raking it into windrows, or baling. Not really the same as what I've been up to these last few days. It's been earth-moving, and a clutch working, shift-a-thon that leaves the ol' knees calves and shin splints aching a bit. One does feel like they've actually accomplished a great deal though, after a day like that.
I'm a sun up to sun down sort of guy. Time doesn't really affect me that much. Not so much as the big orb crossing the sky. Which brings me to a thought that at the end of this week the evil Daylight Savings Time of Doom shall end. I shall shed naught a tear I swear. See ? I ne'er understood how that concept got going here. Seems that all the folks in Western Oz voted again' it three times when it was put to a vote before them. Then Poof ! the government thrusts it on them anyways saying, tryyyy it...you'll likeeeee it.. Blah ! Only heard complaints from folks who can't get their kids to sleep in the light, and such. For me though ? I simply refused to participate *grin* True.. I didn't change a clock one from the pocket watch to the wall hangin' one *shakes head* Now...it did make for some lively conversations amongst folks I knew when planning something I'd be involved in. And it's surprising how many folks have caught on to the slang words "real-time" and "fake-time". Meaning of course that daylight savings is ermmm... fake time *cough*. Does leave one a lot of wiggle room for showing up on time for stuff though *whistles innocently*
Anyways...It supposedly shall finish it's round here, never to be seen again... or will it ? *insert dramatic psycho music here*
In the states, it always heralded the end of warmer weather, the approach of fall/winter, and the perishing of all green-life. Here though ? This place is amazing. Land of two springs and no winter. Not exaggerating folks. Ne'er seen a frost here. The garden grows food for me year round. Summer's a bit more watering for it, but small exchange for the lack of frost. Everything considered....? I love this place W.A. Y'all should come and see it *nods* Does remind me of South Texas..... *thinks* But ermmmm...without so many guns *laugh*.
*Watches the sun go down as a cascade of colors unfold, and assorted parrots/birds sing the background music*
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Ermmm... might git coffee and git comfortable *L*
*Writers block inserted here*
Well, hell, I've had a couple shots already and I'm wincing staring at this screen wondering what in the heck to write. You see ? there's the problem with being so slack that I haven't updated this in a week. Bad Tash...bad... *scolds self*
I'm dog tired now. But honestly, that's no reason not to get my surly butt in here and scribe a few lines.. Where to start ? There in lies the question..*nods*
Been a banner week it has... *contemplates* There's been weaning of foals, and calves (none of which went according to plan) *shakes head* A phenomenal time spent with my gluteus maximus adhered to the seat of a John Deere tractor
*Side bar inserted here* That whole song ? p'raps you've heard it ? "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" ? anyways... There's a song out there of that name, and by the end of today I was singing it...but ermmm with some different less than idyllic words..*cough*
Anyways, I don't see how in any stretch of an imagination that I could've been construed as "sexy" after eating ten pounds of dirt and dust all day shifting sand in the paddocks to ward off the areas that turn into quagmires of land-soup after the winter rains hit.
In Fairness I did thank Ol' John for his tenacity and durability for the last few days of relentless shifting, clutching and scooping.
Honestly, my knees ache.. All the way up to my....err...elbows..*heh*
All in all, the separating of the foals from their mothers did go fairly well, albeit the mares still try to bum-rush me through the gate into the south 40 every time I open it. But I haven't had a near-death experience in all of those dealings, so I shan't complain another iota *crosses heart*
The cattle ? hmmm well, that's another story. I wasn't the only one involved, and ummm someone else made a decision *they remain nameless* to put two of the recently deprived momma cows in a small enclosure next to the recently separated calves. Went reallllll well *cough*
One of the cows did that whole "cow jumped over the moon" thing, and well, snapped a wire in a fence that stretched about a kilometer, and it also suspended the "stand offs or outriggers" that supported the electric fence for two of the most important paddocks.
So...by now I'm sure this is all riveting........*rolls eyes* Not. But I didn't want to give the impression that I've been lolling about the beach havin' a grand ol' time lazin' about. I promise I haven't...
Up side ? The vet I usually spend Tuesdays with (tomorrow) is going to be in da big city, as his Mrs. is getting induced to have their baby. A day off.... *begins laughing maniacally*
Okay, well it's more like a day to get all of the things done around the ol' hacienda that I've been neglecting these last two marathon weeks.
I told Luke...you remember Luke ? the friend I do the whole music with and singing with thing ? Yeah, well I told Luke that this was to be the year of "The Tash".......
He thinks I'm insane, and that I won't really get to rest till I'm dead. But I told him, that this was the year I would start taking it a little easier. Not bein' a bum mind you, just being human...
I was up yesterday morning meeting a man who'd agreed to show up in a paddock at 6:30 in the morning to help dig a hole with his giant tractor (for free mind you) for this woman who I've made a bit of a personal guardian angel gig. Folks might remember the "Catching a Tiger Snake" story, it was in this lady's yard...Anyways, this lady and her son have had a bad go of things this year... Seriously.. This falls under the "Thank God You're not this person" list..
Her son and husband were in a horrible accident one or two days after she fractured her collarbone. Man is in rehab for head trauma, son of 8 years old has two abdominal surgeries from the accident, life overwhelms woman, and did I mention that strangely enough I was like one of the first persons on the scene of the accident to render aid before the ambulance folks got there ? And that I'd met the three of them a few months before at a pub, and talked to all of them ?
So.. I set the stage well enough.. This week, couple days ago ? Their pet sheep dies. Now mind you, she's like 11 years old...or more.. The son learned to "rope" on this pet, and it's one of the things that well, frankly, is a memory of their life together before the husband got so seriously injured. So this needs to be handled with tact. No one else for her to call, ergo I am the one called..*nods* I call a man I barely know.. More like a friend of a friend, and spill their story to him, and Wa-Lah ! Instant hole dug with all reverence at 6:30 in the morning.
In the next two weeks there's gonna be a busy-bee at her place. That's where lots of folks get together an' help out when someone needs it and all. They're building ramps, and redoing the porch. Apparently, the husband is coming home... It's not gonna be easy on 'er though.
So...where do you think I'll be that busy-bee ? *wink* Bahh...so what if Luke's right ?
This week ?I swear I'll U-date more often. This catchin' up thing is hell on my brain.... :P
*Sits back and actually watches the sun go down with a trickle of moonshine in hand as I hit enter *grin*
Well, hell, I've had a couple shots already and I'm wincing staring at this screen wondering what in the heck to write. You see ? there's the problem with being so slack that I haven't updated this in a week. Bad Tash...bad... *scolds self*
I'm dog tired now. But honestly, that's no reason not to get my surly butt in here and scribe a few lines.. Where to start ? There in lies the question..*nods*
Been a banner week it has... *contemplates* There's been weaning of foals, and calves (none of which went according to plan) *shakes head* A phenomenal time spent with my gluteus maximus adhered to the seat of a John Deere tractor
*Side bar inserted here* That whole song ? p'raps you've heard it ? "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" ? anyways... There's a song out there of that name, and by the end of today I was singing it...but ermmm with some different less than idyllic words..*cough*
Anyways, I don't see how in any stretch of an imagination that I could've been construed as "sexy" after eating ten pounds of dirt and dust all day shifting sand in the paddocks to ward off the areas that turn into quagmires of land-soup after the winter rains hit.
In Fairness I did thank Ol' John for his tenacity and durability for the last few days of relentless shifting, clutching and scooping.
Honestly, my knees ache.. All the way up to my....err...elbows..*heh*
All in all, the separating of the foals from their mothers did go fairly well, albeit the mares still try to bum-rush me through the gate into the south 40 every time I open it. But I haven't had a near-death experience in all of those dealings, so I shan't complain another iota *crosses heart*
The cattle ? hmmm well, that's another story. I wasn't the only one involved, and ummm someone else made a decision *they remain nameless* to put two of the recently deprived momma cows in a small enclosure next to the recently separated calves. Went reallllll well *cough*
One of the cows did that whole "cow jumped over the moon" thing, and well, snapped a wire in a fence that stretched about a kilometer, and it also suspended the "stand offs or outriggers" that supported the electric fence for two of the most important paddocks.
So...by now I'm sure this is all riveting........*rolls eyes* Not. But I didn't want to give the impression that I've been lolling about the beach havin' a grand ol' time lazin' about. I promise I haven't...
Up side ? The vet I usually spend Tuesdays with (tomorrow) is going to be in da big city, as his Mrs. is getting induced to have their baby. A day off.... *begins laughing maniacally*
Okay, well it's more like a day to get all of the things done around the ol' hacienda that I've been neglecting these last two marathon weeks.
I told Luke...you remember Luke ? the friend I do the whole music with and singing with thing ? Yeah, well I told Luke that this was to be the year of "The Tash".......
He thinks I'm insane, and that I won't really get to rest till I'm dead. But I told him, that this was the year I would start taking it a little easier. Not bein' a bum mind you, just being human...
I was up yesterday morning meeting a man who'd agreed to show up in a paddock at 6:30 in the morning to help dig a hole with his giant tractor (for free mind you) for this woman who I've made a bit of a personal guardian angel gig. Folks might remember the "Catching a Tiger Snake" story, it was in this lady's yard...Anyways, this lady and her son have had a bad go of things this year... Seriously.. This falls under the "Thank God You're not this person" list..
Her son and husband were in a horrible accident one or two days after she fractured her collarbone. Man is in rehab for head trauma, son of 8 years old has two abdominal surgeries from the accident, life overwhelms woman, and did I mention that strangely enough I was like one of the first persons on the scene of the accident to render aid before the ambulance folks got there ? And that I'd met the three of them a few months before at a pub, and talked to all of them ?
So.. I set the stage well enough.. This week, couple days ago ? Their pet sheep dies. Now mind you, she's like 11 years old...or more.. The son learned to "rope" on this pet, and it's one of the things that well, frankly, is a memory of their life together before the husband got so seriously injured. So this needs to be handled with tact. No one else for her to call, ergo I am the one called..*nods* I call a man I barely know.. More like a friend of a friend, and spill their story to him, and Wa-Lah ! Instant hole dug with all reverence at 6:30 in the morning.
In the next two weeks there's gonna be a busy-bee at her place. That's where lots of folks get together an' help out when someone needs it and all. They're building ramps, and redoing the porch. Apparently, the husband is coming home... It's not gonna be easy on 'er though.
So...where do you think I'll be that busy-bee ? *wink* Bahh...so what if Luke's right ?
This week ?I swear I'll U-date more often. This catchin' up thing is hell on my brain.... :P
*Sits back and actually watches the sun go down with a trickle of moonshine in hand as I hit enter *grin*
Monday, March 2, 2009
Catching up ? Does anyone really catch up ? Nahhh.....But you can catch a snake *L*
Mornin' one and all.... As the last dregs of coffee from my mug slip on down I'm gradually joining this world's "reality". Not a bad day ahead for Moi today. Tis Tuesday, and that means working at the Clinic-Day. It's an indoors gig, so there won't be any (or not likely any) livestock. I have gone out in the field with Captain Ron a time or two to do a gelding of a stallion, or look at a milk fever cow. That one was exciting. Never seen a cow try to do a high-jump before. Yup indoors today. I can pull that off one day a week max, and that's it. I used to do that 6 days a week not so long ago, and after doing what I do now ? nope...ain't a gonna happen again. Ron has asked me if I'd consider adding a couple more days a week to that schedule, but frankly, I don't even know where I could put them.
So it's been a few days since the last entry, and while I felt some sense of being neglectful about that, I haven't been lazing around I swear *rolls eyes* No really... I actually turned my last bout (which was supposed to be a 12 day in a row work-a-thon) into a 13 day in a row insanity bout. Then for my luxurious day off, I went to K-9 rescue and did my Sunday morning volunteer work. I go there every Sunday for the last 14 months (was doing Sat too but work squelched that one and a brief lapse of connection to reality :P), and help out. Medications, cleaning some 30 plus dog kennels, walking and exercising animals, or some weekends if I can get them off from the ranch-clearing the brush around the place to ward off Tiger Snakes, Which brings me to a story ! yes-yes I forgot to mention. I caught my first live Tiger Snake since arriving here in Oz. I've heard all of these vicious stories about them, really. (You know that almost everything in this country will try an' kill ya' right ?) Between Funnel Web Spiders, Tiger Snakes, Box Jellyfish, some blue ringed octopus thing, crocodiles...The list goes wayyyy past that. But, my captured venomous snake count here was up to this :Dugits-5, Western Browns-1, and now (drum roll please... Tiger Snakes-1.
Now I don't want to underestimate this act. For instance I don't think you'll ever find in the Crocodile Hunter archives, Steve ever catching one by hand, holding it up and sayin' "Ain't she a beauty ?" These are known for actually chasing folks distances, and they will kill ya'. In fairness I always use a short stick I customize at the last moment with a little "Y" at the end to pin the head down, and I always release them a couple kilometers away near an uninhabited water source.
So yeah, there you go...excitement. Oh, also it was at 9:00 at night in almost complete dark in a neighbors chicken pen. I got to poke around under a pile of brush to find it. It'd killed one of her chickens, and she said it looked like a dugite. My blood did go a bit cold when I saw the stripes, but since I didn't have time to get worked up about it before hand, I just did what I do, and it all came out fine.
I don't have anything fascinating to add about last week's paddock-work. Pretty much same ol' thing. Did get to run the ol' John Deer a bit more moving about the order of GIANT square bales of oaten hay. I'll get some picks of these things up here soon iffin' I can remember to bring my camera-heh..
Welpers, got some chores to do around the homestead before I head out to the clinic. It's a real cool morning fort a summer, and I won't be back till well after 8 or 9 tonight (yes also going to the next town to look at a friend's cat and change its' bandage before I even get to rest the weary bones post work) so it's a real long day ahead.
Peace-Out hermanos y hermanas !
T.
So it's been a few days since the last entry, and while I felt some sense of being neglectful about that, I haven't been lazing around I swear *rolls eyes* No really... I actually turned my last bout (which was supposed to be a 12 day in a row work-a-thon) into a 13 day in a row insanity bout. Then for my luxurious day off, I went to K-9 rescue and did my Sunday morning volunteer work. I go there every Sunday for the last 14 months (was doing Sat too but work squelched that one and a brief lapse of connection to reality :P), and help out. Medications, cleaning some 30 plus dog kennels, walking and exercising animals, or some weekends if I can get them off from the ranch-clearing the brush around the place to ward off Tiger Snakes, Which brings me to a story ! yes-yes I forgot to mention. I caught my first live Tiger Snake since arriving here in Oz. I've heard all of these vicious stories about them, really. (You know that almost everything in this country will try an' kill ya' right ?) Between Funnel Web Spiders, Tiger Snakes, Box Jellyfish, some blue ringed octopus thing, crocodiles...The list goes wayyyy past that. But, my captured venomous snake count here was up to this :Dugits-5, Western Browns-1, and now (drum roll please... Tiger Snakes-1.
Now I don't want to underestimate this act. For instance I don't think you'll ever find in the Crocodile Hunter archives, Steve ever catching one by hand, holding it up and sayin' "Ain't she a beauty ?" These are known for actually chasing folks distances, and they will kill ya'. In fairness I always use a short stick I customize at the last moment with a little "Y" at the end to pin the head down, and I always release them a couple kilometers away near an uninhabited water source.
So yeah, there you go...excitement. Oh, also it was at 9:00 at night in almost complete dark in a neighbors chicken pen. I got to poke around under a pile of brush to find it. It'd killed one of her chickens, and she said it looked like a dugite. My blood did go a bit cold when I saw the stripes, but since I didn't have time to get worked up about it before hand, I just did what I do, and it all came out fine.
I don't have anything fascinating to add about last week's paddock-work. Pretty much same ol' thing. Did get to run the ol' John Deer a bit more moving about the order of GIANT square bales of oaten hay. I'll get some picks of these things up here soon iffin' I can remember to bring my camera-heh..
Welpers, got some chores to do around the homestead before I head out to the clinic. It's a real cool morning fort a summer, and I won't be back till well after 8 or 9 tonight (yes also going to the next town to look at a friend's cat and change its' bandage before I even get to rest the weary bones post work) so it's a real long day ahead.
Peace-Out hermanos y hermanas !
T.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
