I would like to take a moment to send a big Thank You out to the residents at the County Lake who decorated their yards this year and let half the county drive around in their backyards, so to speak. The family and I heard about the event and, on a whim, decided to check it out. After equipping ourselves […]

Star Light, Star Bright, First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might…Like many people, I’ve always been fascinated by the night sky. Learning to locate the North Star, naming the constellations and discovering their stories and tracking the Milky Way across the sky were all fun lessons that I’ve been happy to pass along to […]

When you’ve kept chickens for a while, you become fairly familiar with the noises they make. From contented clucking to agitated squawking, inquisitive berking to aggressive growling, Chickenese becomes a second language to the flockmaster. Even if you aren’t the one doing daily chores, you can get used to certain chooks and what they’re saying. That’s why it seemed like […]

As I write this, snow is falling outside my window. It’s not forecasted snow (last I heard, we were outside the “trace to zero” zone) or even particularly welcome snow, but here it is. Even the kids’ initial enthusiasm was dampened when they realized that it won’t even get them a free day from school, since inservice is scheduled tomorrow. […]

I freely admit that I am not a morning person. Over the years, I’ve become better at getting out of bed and making it to the coffee maker without leaving massive destruction in my wake. I can also manage to get the kids up, dressed, and out the door to the bus with no casualties. Heck, some mornings we’re almost […]

Not too long ago, and definitely not too far away, I was peacefully minding my own business, knitting happily away. It had been a thunderstormy kind of evening but had been clearing up so as to not be a dark and stormy night. A rumbling shook the house. Odd, I thought, how it seemed to echo through the floorboards as […]

A stunning revelation occurred to me tonight. For the last coon’s age, or however long I’ve been writing this column, I’ve written almost exclusively about humorous happenings that feature me and/or my children. Every now and then, I mention my ever-so-patient and generous hubby, but not often. You might, therefore, think that he leads an uneventful life, having to put […]

Most young girls go through a horse crazy phase. You know the one, where their every waking thought is about horses: favorite breeds, favorite colors, favorite riding styles. Every book read, poster hung, or knickknack obtained must be horse-related. The second part of the phase is where their thoughts are geared more toward obtaining said favorite breed and color of […]

Some animals are just plain easier to love than others. Kittens are cute and fluffy, and grow up into cats, which are usually helpful at controlling mice. Puppies are also cute and fluffy, and grow up to be dogs, useful for a whole range of jobs from companionship to protection. Most girls go through a horse-crazy phase, which some of […]

I have always loved animals. For years, my dad teased me that quite possibly it was possible for DNA to be transmitted via television, and I had turned into Elly May Clampett. My mom will gladly confirm the vast quantities of literature I consumed about various animal types, breeds, colors, genetics, and behaviors. I always love to hear stories about […]