The Sky is Falling

I had someone over to look for a leak and determine if I needed more insulation, and these lovely cracks and flakes appeared. So now, I get to have a new kitchen ceiling. I'm going to investigate a metal ceiling. It's such a small space, it might not be too expensive.And I guess I should go clean up that spot on the light fixture. That's not apparent until you take a photo.

Collections

Welcome to the corner of my living room. On this wall is a cabinet I found at my favorite consignment store. I love that store.

In this cabinet are some collections. I have many. But today we are focusing on three.


Below on this top shelf are the Wade figurines. They came as premiums in Red Rose tea. I think you can still get figurines in Red Rose Tea. Anyway, this is the nursery rhyme set. I love the Gingerbread Man. And Puss in Boots. Oh, and Cat from Hey, Diddle Diddle. Did you know the Mother Goose rhymes were political commentary? Boy has that changed over the years, huh? It took me years of prowling antique shows and flea markets to get the full set. The Gingerbread Man was the hardest one to find.

Tearing myself away from the Wades, we have some Faberge egg replicas. The ones I bought during my Faberge egg stage.

The one on the far right is my all time favorite, and it's a pretty faithful replica. I have a big book on Faberge eggs. You know Malcolm Forbes collected Faberge Eggs along with riding that Harley and running that magazine. The one on the far left is a music box. The next one holds potpourri. I can't recall what the purple one has going for it. Purple, I guess.

See the little pyramiddy piece of ceramic? You can't tell but it says "Hi There" and has a flower on it. The top has two holes and the bottom is open. I have no idea what is meant for, but it's cheery and it sat on my Grandmother's kitchen shelves for years. It reminds me of her. And it makes me smile.

Last, but certainly not least. The bottom shelf. The sentimental collection. On the left is a little chick I found in a flea market. It's just like ones my mother put in our Easter baskets for two or three years. And the carriage - it was my nightlight! I know, it's cute, right? And then there's a German Shepherd that my assistant Catherine gave me one year when I had to have my Piper put down. Tucked back in the back corner is a lighter my Grandfather had. And a ceramic hydrangea box. I love hydrangeas. Tucked in the left most corner are a pair of wire rim glasses that belonged to my great grandfather Hoyt. Hoyt Weathers. He was a dairy farmer, a US Marshall and very dapper.

Now dust yourselves off. I know, I saw that dust on those shelves too. I guess keeping the door shut doesn't keep all the dust out.

We'll go across the room and visit the shelves on either side of the fireplace sometime soon and I'll show you my pottery collection.

What do you collect?

For a Good Cause

In early January a popular bartender was brutally murdered during a robbery. Thankfully, a young woman with him in the bar was spared.

Since then there has been a lot of speculation that the city's budget cuts indirectly led to the young man's death because of furloughs of the police force.

Patrons and area business owners are trying to raise money for a reward since there are no leads at present.


We are big supporters of downtown and the police force.

And lunch.

So when area restaurateurs decided to donate a portion of today's lunch and supper proceeds to the reward fund, we were there.

The restaurants were armed with the mighty pen. Really. We were offered the opportunity to fill out letters to elected officials, sort of a lunch list petition.

See that lovely, fresh, green celery on the far left of the bar? Does it make you think of Bloody Mary's? Is it wrong to think fondly of Bloody Mary's when you are eating lunch for a cause?

If it's wrong, I don't want to be right.

The fuzzy area on the lower right is a shoulder. That shoulder works in my office.

I should point out I was actually taking pictures today. Out in the open. No stealth pictures here.

The name of the restaurant we chose?

6 Feet Under.

Tasty!

Back again with another soup to brag on. Remember I said I bought a SouperJenny cookbook? Well, last week I was souper efficient heehee and stopped at the Publix near my office building and bought the My Dad's Turkey Chili ingredients before I picked up the Golden Ones. Not remarkable you say?

Perhaps not for the well organized. I am a spur of the moment person, though (read: disorganized about home related matters like groceries and meal planning). In any event, I had written down the ingredients and bought them on the way to pick up the pooped out pooches.

So, I made Jenny's My Dad's Turkey Chili. Which is a leap of faith for me, because I am all "where's the beef?" when it comes to certain things.

But just look at those colors:


Red peppers, green peppers, yellow peppers. Red onion. I'm getting nervous now, because after enjoying the colors, I recall how leery I am of overly bell peppered items.

I move ahead: 28 oz of chopped tomatoes. Some chili powder. Darker is better, Jenny says. So when I replenish I will buy darker chili powder, but for now, we're on the use up whatcha got program. Black beans, white beans, chili beans and kidney beans. Can you remember all the bean jokes from when you were 8? Beans, beans, good for the heart...and that part turns out to be true!

Stop right there! (can you hear that Meatloaf song? good). I draw the line at kidney beans. I went with Pinto beans. Plus they sound more Western, right?

And the proof is in the pudding, or the soup in this case.

Look at that chili goodness. I would give you a bowl if I could--this recipe makes enough for a Super Bowl party!

Ummm, just one thing: if you're using the Splenda brown sugar mix for your brown sugar instead of brown sugar, then half the amount she calls for. Not that I've ever had that problem. I pay attention to what I'm doing. Yeah.

So have you tried any new recipes lately? I'd love to hear.

Hydrangea in the Front Yard

f 1.8
1/250 second
50mm
ISO 100

Echoes

I woke up this morning to this playing in my head:

Salagadoola mechicka boola
Bibbidi bobbodi boo

Sound familiar?

I had a Disney record with all the Disney songs on it, when I must have been 3 or 4, and a little record player that I listened to it on. I also clearly remember Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious. And the funny thing is that when I say Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious, I HEAR IT IN MY HEAD AS MUSIC! Anyway.

Here's the whole song:

Salagadoola mechicka boola

bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Put 'em together and what have you got

bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Salagadoola mechicka boola

bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

It'll do magic believe it or not

bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Salagadoola means mechicka booleroo

But the thingmabob that does the job is

bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Salagadoola mechicka boola

bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Put 'em together and what have you got

bibbidi-bobbidi

bibbidi-bobbidi

bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

In my book, some nonsense words and a little make believe can go a long way. When did we get too sophisticated for that?

The Alphabet Meme: F

Country Girl on the Chesapeake Bay participated in an alphabet meme and I thought it would be fun. She assigned me the letter F. Here's how it works. Leave a comment on this post and I will assign you a letter. Write about ten things you love that begin with said letter. Post the list on your blog. When people comment on your list, you assign a letter, and the game continues. If you leave a comment, but don't want a letter, that's okay too.





And away we go:





1. Family, or as some say in the South, Fambly.

2. Fun - 'nuff said.

3. Fishfuzz - this is an alternate swear word that I learned from a colleague who also used the phrase "well, I'll be a suck a** mule". It comes in handy during quarter end.

4. Farmer's Markets - one opened near my house last year and I loved going to get fresh tomatoes, flowers, herbs, pasta and so on. Can't wait until it picks back up in the Spring.

5. Food, and cooking it! I think my favorite is Italian. Especially now that I've had fresh truffles on my pasta and learned that not all Italian food is pasta!









6. The American Flag. Do I really need to explain this?







7. Film, as in Feature Films. I just am not a big fan of going to the theatre. Netflix is my friend!

8. Frogs - not all frogs, just this stuffed frog my great aunt Ruby made and gave me when I was 10 or so. After all the moves I lost it, and I'm sad about that.

9. Faithful dogs like Cotton, Gus, Piper and the wonderful girl who was my first dog: Cammie. I love my dogs!

10. Friends! You know, the people you know and love, but don't see each other for chunks of time and pick up like you were never apart (like the one who recently started reading my blog and should comment every so often!). Or People Who Have Known You Forever, they know who they are. Or people you meet and you just click because you share a moment, a laugh or an interest.

And the Winner Is....

Drum roll, please!

We had five contestants:

1. Cycle Mom
2. Traci
3. Living on the Spit
4. Carrie
5. Bridgette

My friend the random number generator crunched some numbers for me. You're going to have to trust me because I left the site before I saved the screen shot and lost it.

And the random number generator said, it said...wait!

The answer to the puzzle, which several of you got right, was that the black grates have offsetting nodes that allow them to fit together smoothly. When they are smooth sides together, the grates don't fit, and your skillet will not sit flat on your burner. And it happens every week. Take another look here.


The winner of the vintage post card above is, at long last, Living on the Spit! Congratulations, lady. Please email me your mailing address, and I will get this in the mail to you.

Thank you all for coming by and guessing. I love giving things away. I'm going to go look around for more opportunities.

As Promised

Picking up where I left off last night: images of the wood grain patterns of my floor or grout close ups. Ahem, well, here we are. This is the wood floor in my kitchen. The wood floors are throughout this house, and are vintage to say the least. The house was built in 1936. I know this because the plumber showed me where to look in the toilet tank. If you've just built a house, you should be able to go look in your tank it will have a date which, according to my plumber Bob, will be within 6 months of the thing being installed.

Yep, I can recall that, but where I left the remote? Anybody's guess.

Back to the wood floors. I like them. They were one of the things that sold me on the house.



Next, we have grout closeups. Well, really, this is a close up of the tile floor on my one-and-only bathroom. Lately I've been seeing more new like this, but still not anything identical to this. I'm going to be sad when I finally have to replace it because I like this so well, it helps me get over the anemic yellow tile on the walls.

And while I was in the bathroom, I snapped this. I love this. It came from Ballard's Back Room. Ballard's is a home furnishings catalog started by a lady in Atlanta. Always they have things I really like. I got my desk from there too. It's a little large, but it'll do.

That's it for show and tell. Thanks for coming by.

Don't forget to leave your guess on what's wrong in the stove top picture in Monday's post. You could win a vintage post card!

Use the force, Luke

I've been working on being one with my camera. Only, when it's January and you're in a quasi financial role, there's not a lot of free time, if you define free time as time not in the office. Which I do.

Definitely.

Lately I've been here and there at work and I notice things that would make a great shot and my hands tingle (I used to read this and think, meh-making it up) because I want to pick up my camera and take a picture. But I can't because it's back in my bag in my office on another floor.

So I'm reduced to taking a veritable bumper crop of sleeping dogs. Large sleeping dogs.

Like this one.


Then I've done paw studies. Here's one...

And finally, just for kicks, the entire sleeping dog. The ginormous sleeping dog. That is not supposed to be on the sofa. But because I needed a subject, I've grown soft on crime.

Tonight I was so desperate to take a picture, I took one of my empty office. With that southern icon, Coca-Cola [Zero] on my desk.

I really need to clean up.

Wait.

I did.

Then that wasn't enough. I opened my blinds and turned off my light to see the view of the south of the city. And promptly got Lauren and me in the reflection. (Right under my head is Turner Field, where the Braves play ball, and the building that is down from Lauren is Georgia's State capital building, with the gold dome. Real gold. )

Then I had to explain myself to the guy in the office next to me (the one who pulled me out of accounting into the business side) only, he didn't really ask, I think he's resigned to seeing the camera pop out now.


I'll be back tomorrow with some photo studies of the wood grain pattern in my floors. Or how about grout close ups?

Time Flies

Quick! Someone hit pause. This little one will soon be four. It seems like no time since we celebrated three.

What's Wrong with this Picture? Contest

Below is a puzzle I face every time my cleaning ladies come.

[A note to those who believe having someone come in and clean is a luxury: it is. I am a terrible housekeeper, and I believe in recognizing your weaknesses. Plus, in this economy, that I hire someone helps keep the economy moving. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.]

Leave a comment on what you think is wrong with this picture and correct entries will be entered to win...

a vintage postcard of the symbol of our nation.

The Grand Ol' Flag. It transcends party, affiliation, race, creed or religion. It is the symbol of the greatest country on earth. It represents a place that rewards effort, provides opportunity and is a beacon of freedom to the rest of the world. It is the flag of a nation founded on principles that have stood the test of debate and disagreement, attacks from without and within and the whims of popular culture.

And though it's citizens are far from perfect, they are the most fortunate in the world, because they unite under this banner.

And tomorrow, as we inaugurate a president you may or may not have voted for, look for this symbol. Tomorrow this symbol will wave over a nation founded on the rule of law, that for over 200 years has observed the orderly transfer of power, and it will happen again tomorrow.

Edited to add: the contest will run through Friday.

This card shows a flag before Alaska and Hawaii - it has 48 stars. It was published by the Asheville Post Card Company, Asheville, NC, and has never been used. In the place for the stamp is a note "one cent stamp".

Souper Saturday

Before I get to the point, look at the display in mfC's fireplace: we found the tray and the stool on a consignment store run during the holidays. The bluey green in the tray picks up the stool color...



New York may have it's Soup Nazi, but Atlanta has Souper Jenny. And when it's cold and raw like it was yesterday, nothing beats Jenny's soups: My Dad's Turkey Chili, Black Bean with Corn and Peppers, Mushroom, Tomato Pesto...vats of warmth and sunshine ready for consumption. The menu changes daily. You can buy quarts to take home.

Now, I am not yet bold enough to whip out my camera and brazenly take pictures of people eating soup. So what you are about to see are stealth photos of the view from my tabletop. In the first, Jenny (I think) is in the brown and pink T's and jeans...

Here's a good shot of the homey wooden counters assembled to dish up the soup. There's a $12 special: soup, bread, sandwich or salad, cookie and piece of fruit. Oh, and drink. The restaurant is cozy and bright.

From the time we walked in to the time we walked out, there were constantly people in line - we arrived around 1:45, and left around 3...

The great news is Jenny published a cookbook, and I left with one in my hot little hand. Today I shall go out and gather the ingredients for Chicken Tortilla Soup, the first soup I tried at Jenny's, and the one to which I lost my heart. Then I shall cook it in my kitchen, in the soup pots that get far too little use.

And then I shall enjoy a bowl of sunshine here at home.

Pet Peeve

Today Gus, Cotton and I set out for our arctic stroll. Tundra trek. Oh all right, I'm exaggerating about the cold. Actually by the end of the walk I removed my scarf. It was a long walk.

Anyway, the subject of my post is a pet peeve. I live in a neighborhood full of dog-walking, kid strolling, bike riding, runners and kids playing.

This morning, for the nth time, I was nearly run over by someone who refused to slow down for a pedestrian. It was a cab. It seemed as though the cab picked up speed after I was certain it saw us, but perhaps that was just a perception because it was a little scary.

I do all I can to be visible at night: I wear a reflective vest, and until the blinkies' batteries died, the dogs sported little lights.

But during the daylight, I say an adult plus one normal sized golden and one gigantor golden waving his fluffy tail high and proud should be pretty visible (illustration of normal and gingantor above).

Is anything urgent enough to run down people in a residential neighborhood where one should be driving the speedlimit anyway?

Thursday's Catechism

Character is a colleague who stays at the office to help those who kept their jobs understand what his job entails. It is offering to come back or be available by phone if there are questions.

Faith is losing your job in what may be the worst economic situation in recent history and saying "God will take care of me. He was when he found me this job".

Grace is saying "I don't have one scintilla of ill will for this company. It was too good to me for too many years."

It's a Sign

When I got up this morning, I knew what was ahead of me at work. I decided to have good breakfast in order to face the day.

Yeah.

The whole wheat bagels I bought on Sunday are already moldy.

I think it's a sign.

[quick, name that movie]

As I Was Saying...

before I sidetracked myself yesterday, I went to the back back yard to track down the lovely, mysterious fragrance.

It's coming from a source in this picture. Can you pick it out?




I couldn't until I got right up on it. It's a shrub that's taking up the whole center of the picture. It has tiny white flowers - go back and look, I can't pick them out and I know they are there until I click on the photo and enlarge it. The flowers reminded me of a camellia--their centers--but otherwise I'm lost as to what it could be. But they have a lovely fragrance. Since I don't know what it is, I don't know if it's supposed to bloom at this time.



Hi, guy! Yes, there was a bonus. A year's worth of Colony Collapse Disorder on the major networks and GPTV made me think we were doomed. No honey bees in sight all year last year when they used to happily dance over my clover. And look who we have here. Yep, Mr. Worker Honeybee. He was the only one, but as I started taking pictures he appeared from underneath the flower.

So any of you plant people out there, can you tell me what this plant is?

And below is a little show on colony collapse disorder (ccd) by KQED public tv in case you're interested in ccd. One of my grandfathers raised honeybees so my ears perked up the first time I heard it on the news. Since then, I've seen features several times, but things don't appear to be improving.

Learning Curve

As I mentioned in my interview, I got the lens I thought would be a great versatile lens. That one, coupled with Canon's nifty 50 (their 50mm lens for less than $100) are my two favorite lens. Only, the 24-70mm is a little intimidating, so it sat in its box under my Christmas tree while I worked with the 50mm.


I got it out Saturday, and went to the back back yard after noticing this lovely fragrance that I finally tracked down. What? Oh. The back back yard is yard that is mine but outside the fence so that the furkids can't get to it. There's an old barbecue built back there. It's really pretty neat and I keep meaning to go grill something back there.

I digress.

This is not the source of the fragrance. But it is a snap I took near the source. It's dead blossoms from the oak trees that only recently were dislodged by the wind.

1/200
f/2.80
400 ISO

The Molly Interview

Kate from Chronicles of a Country Girl has just interviewed me!


1. It's obvious from your blog that you enjoy photography and one of your posts mentioned your lens envy. What is this mysterious lens that you envy so?

That lens is one I used at the photography workshop in Chicago I attended in November. It was a Canon 24-70mm wide angle lens that Me Ra Koh of Me Ra Koh Photography said she could shoot a whole wedding with (her husband would be using other lenses I'm sure) but she said this was the most versatile...so I envied it very much as all I had was a kit lens that came with my Rebel XTi and a 55-200mm lens that wouldn't open very wide. And I know you know that a wide aperture makes for great bokeh.

But here's the secret: In December I got a two refunds from the city and county, a benefits check I hadn't expected from an insurance company, and a dividend check and together they covered the lens cost. So no more coveting. I have it!


2. Why are you afraid of your basement? If you can't answer, I'll understand. Basements can be scary places.

Ha! In my short history with this house, my basement has been a source of furry undesirables, floods and, most recently and possibly most troubling to me because of the dogs, a snake. But I called critter pest control and they have evicted the furry undesirables and sealed the whole house including the basement, had contractors in to construct a water solution (really, every time it rained there was an epic flood complete with waterfalls), and I bravely dispatched the snake. Myself.

The fear is not what's past, it's not knowing what the basement has in store for me next.


3. What is your favorite magazine to peruse?

Ooh. This is a little hard because I love magazines. I would say Mary Englebreit's Home Companion, or Cottage Living (which I just learned has been cancelled to my everlasting dismay) or Domino. At least today. Next week I might be back in my news phase, in which case it would be a whole different crop.


4. What sort of music have you got loaded on that 80 gig iPod?

Lots of country (Tift Merrit, Allison Moorer, Shelby Lynne, Pat Green), classic rock (Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Jackson Browne, CCR), Jimmy Buffet, Corinne Bailey Ray, Norah Jones, Gomez, various Christmas tunes, and something most people don't know: Baguette Quartet. I found them on the Curious Sofa web site and scoured it until I figured out who they were. It's fun French cafe music. And an audio book version of the bible - I got it when I was taking a pretty intensive discipleship class. It was the only way to get the reading done. And now, in our current economy or heavy traffic, it's calming to listen to the Psalms.


5. Aside from your family and loved ones, what is your most precious possession?

Do the dogs count as loved ones? Good, then I...hmmm. Well, there are the earrings I bought with money I inherited from my dad. One is for my dad and one is for my grandad, his father. I would have said that until recently. And maybe they are still it. But I love my camera because it is a creative outlet. I use it to create, however imperfectly, so it's not static. The earrings are a legacy, but they are static.



Thanks, Kate, this was really fun!


Would you like to be interviewed by me? If so, here's how:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Make Mine Pasta!

I have a favorite pasta recipe that I've made so many times I have committed it to memory. You can have it in the time it takes the pasta to cook, so say 20 minutes or so.

[Yes, Marlene, you can have this pasta - it came from Cooking Light and I've slightly modified it for carb consciousness.]

Now, it was intended for use with fresh tomatoes. Hello, have you met my overtime, and what about year round? So I immediately determined to use diced, canned tomatoes. And, with it's white flour pasta, it's not exactly the carb police's friend----but, but, but if you use whole wheat pasta, another bullet is dodged. And use Splenda instead of the small amount of sugar added to the dish, and the transformation from yummy light dish to yummy light carb conscious dish is, well, I tried, anyway.

Ingredients:

1 3 1/2 or 4 oz. goat cheese log
1 clove of garlic, minced (queen of quick says buy the can of minced and use 1/2 tsp)
1 can diced tomatoes (I can wax long on the search for the best diced canned tomatoes, suffice it to say my winners are pictured below)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar (Splenda)
8 oz. mostaccioli or penne rigata pasta (whatever whole wheat pasta makes your skirt fly up)
1/4 tsp cayenne (or red) pepper (if you like spicy, feel free to turn up the volume)
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar (now, I lurves me some BV, so just know I dump in an eighth of a cup)

Start your pasta cooking according to the instructions on the pasta box. You might want to let the water have about a 3 minute start getting hot before you start the creamy part.

In a skillet, put 2 Tbsp olive oil and heat over medium heat. When oil is warm, add the minced garlic and reduce heat to low. You want to slowly have the garlic turn golden not quickly get a darker brown because the garlic will be bitter. When the garlic is a nice golden color, add the undrained canned tomatoes. ( I used to drain them, but the sauce seemed too thick that way).

Simmer about 6 minutes. While the tomatoes are simmering, add the balsamic vinegar, cayenne pepper and sugar/Splenda.

When the tomato mixture has cooked down a bit, add the goat cheese. I break it into sections when I add it to help it incorporate in the tomato mixture. Stir it into the tomato mixture until smooth.

Meanwhile, if your pasta is ready, drain it in a colander. Add it to the pasta mixture and turn off the heat under the skillet.

Gently fold pasta into tomato cheese mixture. This serves 2 very heaping generous servings, or 4 servings with a small salad.

Plate and serve with a lovely Chianti, and congratulate yourself for eating in even though you were so tired from a long day!

This One's for the Girls*

One of my favorite bloggers is April. I used to have her link here on my blog but when I found another layout I forgot to add everyone back because I had stayed up too late and anyway, You. Must. Read. This.**

But only if you're a girl.

Guys won't get it.

Tell her Molly sent ya.

*Pun Intended
**Including the comments, I swaney, those things are priceless

Kool Kats

When my nephew visited last fall, I took him to my friend Cindy's. Our mission? See the very cool, very large, Maine Coon Cats. These cats have temperaments that are dog-like, except for their appetites, which are reassuringly feline finicky.

One, Bailey, is an escape artist and occasionally gets himself into scrapes that require rescue. Because they are inside cats. Bailey just didn't get the memo.

In the shots without my nephew, you can't really tell how large they are.

Here you get a bit better perspective on that.

Their names are Bailey and Bella, and they are really Kool Kats.

The Hokey Pokey

Do you have something that you love to do but you don't have the time/money/talent/whatever to do it? Something that when you do it, the rest of the world falls away and just for a bit you have no cares? Something that makes your skirt fly up?

I've always dabbled in photography. There was something magical about capturing a moment on film and later on a memory card. Really fabulous when the result is what you saw in the viewfinder.

Like most things, it's use it or lose it. Or maybe work it and grow it.

Last November, I did something to satisfy that desire to take good pictures. I don't necessarily have a burning desire to be a photographer, I just want to be the one who can take good pictures and capture the moment, the fun, the ages, the stages, places or states of being. So, I invested in a photography workshop and I convinced my friend Candi to give it whirl.

We had a great time looking at equipment, learning about how to control light, because it's all about light, what equipment mattered, what didn't, how to process...and we had a real photoshoot. Now you can see that too, just click here. Don't bother looking for Candi or me in the group photo, we had to leave in time to catch our flight home, so we weren't there. But you can see the results of the photoshoot.

What's the thing you do or always wanted to try that will let you tap into your creative side and enrich your life? Is it write, hmmm? it is paint, draw, crochet, quilt, sew, refinish, mold, design? Is it have a blog? Is it ballroom dancing? is it decorating cakes?

So, whatever that thing is...just stick your toe in.

No, just stick your right foot in. Take your right foot out.

Stick your right foot in.

And shake it all about.

And that's what it's all about.

On Duty

It may interest you to know that I live on a small farm. It's not nearly as large a spread as Pioneer Woman"s or the 7MSN Ranch, but it does require working dogs. I have Gus and Cotton to help me with squirrel, feral cat and mole/vole herds. [Who can tell those mole/vole things apart other than Beatrix Potter, hmm?]

They take their jobs seriously. Join us for a day in the life, won't you?

Gus and Cotton are taking up their posts.

Here, Gus is in position, in the lookout position.

Here's Gus, looking out. He may have spied the freak-o-nature possum that lives just beyond the fence line or possibly BlackTom, the little black tom cat that keeps all the feral kitties riled up.

Keeping an eye on potential trouble.

The long view - always alert.

Cotton is returning from riding fence line. She dug, er, found, a hole that needs fixing. She'll report it to Gus, who'll report it to management.

Lookout and Patrol eyeing BlackTom.

Shift's over (don't let these two fool you, they're clock watchers).