The Pond is Done !

Here are some pictures of the finished ponds, waterfall and stream. We got done just in time. I return to work on Monday, so I'll have tomorrow for my stiff muscles and sun burn to get better.I put sunscreen on three times today and I still burned.
Not too much else going on around here lately.
Ryan is still having trouble with his stomach and it seems to be getting worse. Last night he went to the emergency room again because he had been in so much pain most of the day and it was getting worse. They ran a few blood tests again gave him a shot for pain, some more pain killers and told him to come in or call if it got worse over the weekend. He has an appointment on Monday with our old family doctor. (well, he's not old but he was our doctor at one time and I think he's a good one). Last week Friday Ryan was feeling so rotten and had been to the ER on Thursday night and they never helped him. So on Friday I said thats enough of this crap we are going to go see our old family doctor. I called explained the situation and he got us right in. He ran a bunch of blood tests and sent him in for a MRA. He was going to set up an appointment for later that same day but they couldn't get him in for his MRA until Friday so they set up an appointment for Monday, thinking the doctor will have all of those results back and hopefully have found something.
It just makes me so mad he has been in to the ER at least 3 times for the same thing and all they ever do is refer him to someone else and give him pain pills. He is getting fed up with it as well he has missed alot of work and just feels crappy all the time.Hopefully the doctor will know what the deal is on Monday.
None of the kids came home this week-end. Alex had to work and Brandon is working on his car.He bought a Dodge Daytona and is putting a new motor in it. He has always kind of wanted a Daytona and decided to get one because of the price of gas. It will save him alot of money




This is Caseys rock he found this one and we all thought it was so cool. Notice the red arrow, this isn't the best picture of it but under the water it looks brighter. We put it under the waterfall

More pictures

Pond Days

Yesterday I got most of my containers planted in the morning. Then later in the day we worked on the pond again.
Today the river rock is coming so we hopefully will get done with all of the rock business. I'm really starting to feel all of the rocklifting so I don't want to slow down until we are done, or I'll never get back to it.Also I would just as soon take my last day or two of vacation to just take it easy.
I am really amazed at how much we've gotten done in the last week and am so excited to get finished.
Anyway gotta go get back at it. I have posted some pictures so you can see how we are progressing.

Memorial Day Projects.

Pictures of our Memorial Day projects.






I couldn't resist taking a picture of this beautiful sky.

Yesterday we got alot of work done around the yard. Duane finished staining the deck. While Casey and I hauled rock in and lined the pond. Then he hauled in some big rocks with the skid steer and we rolled them into place around the edges.
I got the best pictures on one of our breaks. I went in to get us each a pop and Casey laid down flat out on the floor of the pond. I snuck up and got a couple of really good pictures. But later when I went to show Duane, guess what someone had erased them. Needless to say I wasn't happy. But I guess he figured I would post them and didn't reallly care to have them posted.
I never got a picture when we were all done hauling rock but I'll get one tomorrow and hopefully get it posted.
Today Duane had a doctor appointment in Bismarck. The doctor took him off two of his medications. The doctor and his assistant were really impressed that he doesn't have to take nitroglycerin anymore. He has them in case he would have chest pain, but hasn't had to take any since his surgery.
I had a long list of stuff to get today, plus I needed groceries so bad. The cupboards were getting bare. Funny, I used to like to shop for groceries, now since I've been working full time I just hate to grocery shop. I can be right in town and plan on getting groceries after work but when I get done, I just don't feel like it so if I don't push myself it doesn't get done.
It's scary, but I'm getting gardening fever again. I wasn't going to buy any plants until we got completely done with our landscaping around the house (we have to do something with our foundation yet). I told one of the boys I haven't bought any plants yet and I'm not going to until we are done with everything that needs to be done around the yard. Because I don't want to have to move them. Thinking we probably won't get done with all of that yet this summer. He just said Yeah you haven't bought any YET.
Well today I got some plants for containers. I just have to have some flowers on the steps and the deck steps. I guess gardening is like farming it's just in a persons blood.I really do have enough work to do without adding taking care of plants to my list. But I really enjoy gardening or at least the satisfaction I get from seeing the end results.
Well, I guess I'd better get going. Tomorrow will come too soon.
As you can guess Casey and I are both REALLY stiff today. Like I told Duane I'm alright as long as I don't have to reach above my head, sit down, or get up out of a chair.Then my muscles scream. But I guess what better way to get in shape than to get something accomplished while your excercising.

Saturdays Project

We worked on the pond today.We got the pipe and skimmer in last week. Then this afternoon Duane finished the plumbing and we leveled it off around the edges.If you haven't seen it since we started it you probably won't realize how much better it looks. There were big piles of dirt on both ends of the pond, and piles of rock.
So to us who have been looking at it like that for so long it is really a big improvement.
I have the next week off so I'm hoping to get alot accomplished on it.Todays weather didn't help but I won't complain about rain we really needed it.Everything looks and smells so nice after a good rain too.
Casey and Duane just ran to Linton to pick up pizza. We are going to watch a movie tonight. I'm not sure which one but there were a couple on DSS that looked good last night when we were looking.
Well gotta go, Have a Great Memorial Day Weekend!

Casey and I spent all day staining the deck yesterday. We stained until we ran out of stain. I never would have thought it would take more than 2 gallons but we have a quite a bit of latttice yet to do, so I guess we'll have to get some more. We were both relieved when we ran out although I wanted to get it all done we were both pretty sick of it.
When I first started putting it on I wasn't sure if I was going to like it it has a little tinge of red.Its not actually a stain but a tinted sealer.We chose one with a little bit of a tint because it protects the wood from the sun. But I really like it now. What do you think?




This what we have left to do.

Bill Withers

Don't we all need somebody to lean on at one time or another. I hope we look to our heavenly Father. I believe God also uses the people in our lives to help us in our times of need. We must also be willing to answer the call to help our family and friends in their times of need. Thanks again to everyone who prayed for me when I needed somebody to lean on.

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". Matthew 25:40.



Here's another Bill Withers song.

Jim Croce

Here's a few songs by Jim Croce. What a great songwriter. He died in a plane crash in 1973 at the age of 30, one day before his third album came out. I didn't post Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. I feel I already got just a little bit carried away with the videos tonight.

Corn Planting

I got done planting corn today. We should have been done yesterday but a 3/4 inch hose on the tractor blew apart so we lost over an hour there. We also had to mess around with crystalized fertilizer again. We lost over an hour doing that, too. Where we get our liquid fertilizer told us we could mix 28-0-0 and 6-26-0 so we could put down some phosphorous. Well after we had these problems with the slime and crystals plugging screens and orifices, Dad called them and they found out it was because we were mixing the two. He told us to add 10 percent water and it would dissolve. Which it did but what a bunch of messing around. We won't be doing that again any time soon.

I heard a song on the radio when I was in the tractor today that I have'nt heard for a while. Brandon used to have a funk cd with this song on it. I'ts by Wild Cherry. Man did I laugh when I saw the guy on keyboards. He really looks comical. Anyway, below is the song.

Wednesday

Below are some pictures we took on Mothers Day and some taken today of Duane planting corn. Well actually in the first one he is out adjusting something.


My Mom and I. Terrible picture of me but mom looks good for being 84.


Ryan and Sarah

Alex and Nicole

Brandon and Casey

The Family

What a cute little guy!


Duane said they had some trouble this morning. It seems the liquid fertilizer crystalized overnight. They tried all morning to get it to go finally they decided to dump what was in there flush everything out and start over.I don't think they got going until around noon.

Casey and I went to Bismarck today. I worked until almost noon, then I went home and got Casey and we headed for Bismarck.
Casey never ate before we left so we quick swung in to Taco Bell when we first got there. Then we went to Walmart and Target. I needed to stock up on stuff again.We were about out of so many things.
Casey drove all day. He did really good driving in Bismarck.
We were back home again by 5:30. We unloaded and put stuff away then we ran out to the field to see how far they got, and to take some pictures.
We hardly got back home and Casey started putting together the fire pit (I picked one up in Target they were on sale and I had a rewards discount so I got a good deal, couldn't pass it up) and grandpa called. Time to move machinery.So he went and helped with that and now he is back at putting it together again.
I suppose I'd better get back to cleaning. Even though I've been home more than usual this last week I seem to always have other things to do.

Planting corn

Well, we started planting corn today. We started about 12:30 PM. Everything went pretty good. We had a little rain shower about 7:30 PM, just enough to put a stop to planting. I was home by 8:00 PM. I'll try to get some pictures posted in the next few days.

I went out to check the cows when I got home, no calves. I saw I needed to feed the cows. I thought I didn't have to feed until tomorrow night but that wasn't the case. Casey watched the gate for me. I think we were in the house for supper around 9:00 PM.

Happy Mothers Day !!

It's been awhile since we've posted. Where do I start? I guess since my brother Bruce is curious about calving I'll start there. I have six cows left to calf. I call them the stragglers. So far 20 heifers and 14 bulls. We also had another red calf born on Tuesday the 6th. It was a heifer so we'll have to keep an eye on her to see if she can be a replacement. We ended up with 6 open cows this year. I had one bull die in the pasture last year. My brother Doug thinks that was the bull that was doing most or all of the breeding. Don't know what happened to the other bull. I did see him mount and breed the open cows but they remained open at the next cycle. I'm going to cull 2 of them and give the other 4 another chance. Of the ones I'm going to cull, one has a very large udder and teats. The other one prolapsed last year.

I bought two red simmental bulls this spring. One was delivered the first week in April and the other one was delivered yesterday. They don't look the same as a person remembers from the day you bought them. The bull that was delivered yesterday is taller and looks to be heavier than the other one.

Casey's last day of school is the 15th. He doesn't have to take any semester tests this year. Strasburg has a policy that if you miss less than six days of school during the year (unexcused) and your grades are good, you don't have to take any semester tests.

Betty, of course, is still at American Express. It's been pretty slow this past week. So she's taken a few afternoons off. She's been working around the yard. She got the deck scrubbed down and ready to stain, and most of the flowerbeds weeded. She took a paid time off today so she will probably be working on cleaning the house and washing clothes preparing for the kids to come home.

I have been doing pretty good. Getting better all the time. I still have to be careful what I do. It seems to be easy to get carried away with doing things that you probably should'nt be doing. Anyway all in good time.

As of right now I believe all of our kids will be home for Mothers Day.

Happy Mothers Day everyone!!!