So Happy!

  I was checking out my garden beds the other day and I became just excited!  Some of you may know my mother died last year and the house she was living was actually her parent's home.  Needless to say, it had been home for many, many years and to a couple of generations.  The property that the house was on was sold to our church, which is next door.  We were able to take cutting of plants from the yard before the house was torn down.  My sister and another family member also took cutting.  What grabbed my attention when I was out walking is this:

 

The cutting from my grandmother's bleeding heart.  It survived!!!!!  Everyone that took some unfortunately lost their plants.  I am so glad that this one seems to be doing so well.  I distinctly remember 3 different plants in my grandma's yard and this bleeding heart is definitely one of them.  It was HUGE!  The plant I have is maybe one forth of the original.  The other two plants I remember are these berries that started growing voluntary behind the house and then the rose bush.  Don't ask me the kind of roses they are, but grandma had them for years.  She always swore that when she planted the rose bush it was pink, but one year they just started to bloom yellow.  I don't know if I believed her all the time, because she like to tell us a joke once in awhile, but I sure wasn't going to question Grandma!  Luckily both the cuttings from the berry bush and the rose bush are doing as well as the bleeding heart.  My sister has informed my that once these plants get established in my garden, she well be taken some of it.  I don't know if I will be willing to give any to her.  She did kill her first batch.  LOL

 

Love to all,   Sara

THAT IS IT!

  OK, I have had it!  It is coming down TODAY!  If I have to do I all myself.  What, you may ask, am I talking about?  It is the Engelman vine that is growing up a trellis and around my deck.  I just noticed the other day that it has some sort of fungal disease on it.

This is a leaf of the diseased plant.

 

  I am so tired of this vine.  Last year it had powdery mildew that spread to almost every other plant in the garden and now this year a fungus.  It has already spread to my green peppers.  I want it gone before my tomatoes and strawberries are next.  Besides, it takes over EVERYTHING!  We have to trim it back at least once a week.  It wants to take over the entire backyard.  I want it gone.  I told the Hubby that it needs to go.  He said that he would get to it sometime this past weekend.  Well, Bug and I decided we could do it ourselves!  It took us 45 minutes and one pair of clippers and the vine is GONE! 

 The pile of clippings from the vine

Bug after her hard work.  I couldn't of done it without her!

 

  It looks so much better without the vine around the deck.  I think we actually have more space on the deck without all the vines encroaching on the sitting area. 





The vines use to go up this trellis and along the side of the deck.  It also went around the corner and around the front side of the deck to the end.  It almost reached the end. 

 

 

Love to all,   Sara

Irrigation Days Rodeo 2013

   During our local community celebration, the local horse club put on a rodeo.  It was a lot of fun.  I think we had more fun at this rodeo than most because a lot of local people rode in different events.  It is great to be able to cheer on you friends as they are competing.  Here are pics of some of the different events that took place.

 



A member of team roping duo

 

The another member of team roping



The kids got to test their skills on sheep.



This poor guy got bucked off.



He had a little help staying on.



This young lady is a niece of a friend of mine.



She had a fabulous ride!



One of my favorite event: The Shovel Pull



You get just a little dirty!



Getting ready to take off.  Basically someone sits on a shovel and is pulled to the other end of the arena.  It is too funny!



The evenings entertainment



 Saddle Bronc Ridding

 

I love the bulls.



He didn't want to go home after he threw his rider.



Some sheep tried to convince the above bull to get in it's pen.



What a ride!



Hanging on for dear life!



Eight seconds is a long time.



I went to high school with this cowboy.  He was the ND High School Champion his senior year.



He hadn't been on a bull for 12 years,. He decided to ride that night to show his youngest son what he use to do.  He had an awesome ride. 

 

 

   Rodeos are not just about daredevil cowboys and cowgirls getting on the back of bulls or riding at breakneck speeds.  They are about family and all American fun, spending time with your animal training it to do what you want and training your body to do what needs to be done.  Once you have been bitten by the rodeo bug, it is there forever and you bring your whole family into it.  The cowboy I went to high school with, it is his daughter that was barrel racing.  They go a family.  True he spends more time judging now than riding, but they are still there as a family.

 

 

Love to all,    Sara  

Demolition Derby 2013

   Have you ever been to a Demolition Derby?  There is something about one that just says All American Fun.  You take some older cars, weld the doors & etc. shut, remove the glass, put on heavier hoses on the engine and proceed to smash the heck out of each other.  I know it sounds like something a bunch a rednecks would do and you are probably right.  Well, you can call me a redneck because we love to go and watch.  We backed the truck up to the fence.  Put the lawn chairs in the box and settle in for a great show!

 

Crowd on the flatbed across the ring

Crowd on the stands

Redneck rain shelter!

God Bless America!

The ring was to wet and the cars could not get any traction.  People with 4 wheel drive pickups were asked to go in and basically tear up the ring down to the grass.  The pickup drivers seemed to be having a blast.

Heat 1

Nice Hit

Here it comes!

Water shooting out of the radiator.

Big pileup

The mud was flying!

Head on hit

The sticks taped on the side of the cars shows the car is still in the heat.  When the driver breaks his stick, he is telling the other drivers he quits.

A ton of smoke and/or steam coming from the cars.

It is hard to see the cars because of all the smoke.

One way to get the cars that are not running out of the ring.

Another way to get them out and apart

This guy got pushed right up on the embankment.

Even girls drive in derbies.

Jockeying for position

A local guy won!

There is even entertainment for the little kids.

It is a coin toss.  A special coin is also tossed out.  The finder of that coin wins a bike.

They are busy looking.

   It was a lot of fun.  It was a rainy, overcast day but we still had a great time.  The derby is Bug's thing to do during the summer.  I have to admit, it is one of mine too.

Love to all,   Sara