What is this cat looking at?

This is Monkee. Monkee came to us from the Central California SPCA about 5 years ago when I worked there as the vet. tech in the stray building. So what is it that has captivated his attention at the kitchen window for about two hours this morning while I quilted?

"The Squirrel" is planning his/her daily assault on one of the wild bird feeders on our deck. In the last week or so this guy/gal has become very brave and has no problem dancing about on the deck or even sitting in a chair at the table outside.

Once again "scored" at the expense of the many wild birds in our area. And just when the cold, wet weather was settling back in.

Can it be mid May?

The calender on the wall says May 19th. The view outside the office window says winter. Rain, cooler temperatures and more rain. Even for our neck of Nor. Cal this is rather unusual and if we do indeed wake up to 35 degree weather later this week it is more than unusual. I won't complain we can still use the water.

A blush of Spring came my way just before Mother's Day from my son and his family. The lovely azalea plant brightens up the funky, cloudy days in my office. I catch a glimpse of it every time I walk past the paned glass office door where it sits sequestered behind the closed door to protect it from a "cat"astrophic event. With 6 house cats plants of any ilk are subject to ingestion. Much more enjoyable knowing both lovely plant and cats are protected from sudden demise.

On Sunday last Tassels produced our last kid of the season. A lovely strawberry blond doe with a set of waddles just like Mom. She is cute and very feminine with almost a white face, not unlike a little Hereford calf, but much smaller in size. And I am sure her mother is grateful for that! Photos to come after next trip to the barn.

 The view off the deck two mornings ago about 6 a.m. with the sun climbing over the mountains to the East as the clouds were creeping in from the West just prior to a full day of rain on Monday. Didn't have a sunrise today-clouds came in before the sun got up today and then the rain.

Mother's Day Sunday

Today is Mother's Day Sunday.  Mother's Day is quieter than it used to be in years past. Before our children were born it was dinner at my in-laws and truly after children it didn't change much from that. The first change came when my dear mother in law passed 15 years ago. So we entered into the next step of life being parents of adult children who popped over for holidays and birthdays . Not too long after that we entered the next phase the adult children brought smaller versions of themselves with them. 


Then a bit further down the line we took the biggest plunge and moved away from family. Only 350 miles mind you but far enough that those hastily planned weekends at Grammie's and Grandpa's  were no longer. There were now week longs that take planning ahead and many hours of driving one way or synchronizing watches and meeting half way in Stockton to pick up those smaller versions or drop them off again. That part made me kind of know what it must feel like to have a shared parenting plan courtesy of divorce. I don't think I would like it, but my daughter does it  weekly albeit not as much distance and I don't know how she manages without her babies during the week they are with her ex-husband. 


I am grateful for cell phones, texting, email and the like. For as much as I feel this world is spinning way too fast and more often than not out of control, technology is a blessing! Those priceless calls with a chorus of girlish giggles on my voice mail have made more than one day for me. It is also nice to hear my children, the news of promotions, broken toilets ,dead cars, trips to the ER for the second time in a week for stitches all keep me up to speed and in the loop. 

So this Mother's Day Sunday is very quiet. The house is filled with the scent of beans and ham hocks slow cooking away. Dough for homemade tortilla's sits in plastic wrap gently aging to perfection. Magic Cookie Bars cool on the tile counter in the blue and white kitchen while a young deer leaps the back fence in the yard below the deck to follow her mother. There will be calls made and cards received. And even tho we are separated by miles we are attached by the heart.

A year's worth of surprise

We are off to see the wizard! This is the humble beginning of a quilt for my dear daughter for her 33 rd birthday. 
And this raises some serious questions. Such as how did I get to the point I have a 33 year old daughter? Wasn't she just 2? And why has it taken me a year to get it together? Well I guess if we follow this humble blog in reverse we could find a completely  logical explanation for at least one of those questions.
The quilt is a combination of her loves Wizard of Oz and the pattern is from a book called State Fair Quilts and is the Carousel quilt. Since Annie loved the carousel at the county fair where she exhibited her lovely Toggenburg Dairy goats in 4-H this seemed to be an appropriate combination.

Now just promise you won't say a word to her because she won't be gifted until June.

Berrie's Big Adventure

"About time you heard us we would like to go into the barn please, getting a bit too rainy and cold for our liking."

"Kids, kids stay together now that may well be a predator garden hose, one never knows!" We all know how cautious Nubian's are.  And look they made it past the garden hose and the hanging basket. Well done Berrie and family.

Made it into the barn but another new obstacle in the way. Not new pen but formerly empty. Now filled with possible Nubian eating LaManchas. Oh bother, we all know LaManchas only eat Nubian ears out of jealousy!

"Finally, good job kids we are safe now . At least until tomorrow when we have to do it all over again. "

Catch up !

As much as I admire many other blogs for the their creativity , etc The Pioneer Woman , Hooves and Hounds, Farmer's Daughter to name a few, I am afraid that my blog will remain a chronicle of day to day living. A virtual diary as it were. I don't ever seem to find much time in the day to do blog type stuff or perhaps I am just not of that ilk. So here it is read it  and weep or laugh, it is nice to know that others get a giggle or a tear out of life here at Walnetto Farm.

We had kids on Saturday the first LaManchas born this year. The Nubian kids of a previous blog are almost 8 weeks old. Berrie their dam is just about at the "if I have to spend one more day in this pen with these children I will scream" stage. They all go out during the day to a larger area and it is a hoot to watch the four kids trailing behind Mom like ducklings heading for their day out or night trip back to the safety of the barn. I will make an attempt to remember my camera tonight to get a picture for this blog. Ears flying , leaping like tiny reindeer they are a sight for sure. I often think they resemble a field trip with group of 5 year olds and I am tempted to attach name tags and give them a length of yarn to grasp so they won't get out of line!

Only 1 more doe to kid this year another LaMancha due in mid May. I bred very few this year anticipating moving by now but with the escrow ending in no sale we are now once again playing the waiting game. So this marks the least amount of kids born on the farm in years. But with less comes more and I will be going to a few shows this year the first one next month in Red Bluff, not far from where we are moving and I am really looking forward to it. Oh and when I get photos of the "field trip kids" I will get one of the new additions a buck and a doe with the boy looking just like his sire Walnetto-Farm NRKM Longfellow.

With all the updates I am now back at the clinic working 2 days a week. They called mid February and asked me to help fill in at front desk (reception) and some days in back as nurse. It is really different as I don't have the responsibility of being there daily and I appreciate that. So I will continue until we get relocated the extra $$$ are nice and I enjoy seeing the clients and their critters. My plan is still to begin a commercial artisan cheese production when we move. I will not give up the dream so if anyone out there knows of someone looking for a nice little spread in Mendocino Co. at a more then reasonable price have them look us up!

My girls came up over Easter vacation. Emily and Claire (now 11 and 8 ) the week before Easter. I love this photo of them in particular Claire on the right who has such a classic look about her in it. They love to knit and Em is getting pretty good on her own now. The girls are a study in genetics as Em looks very much like her Dad and Claire is identical to Annie, my daughter her Mom. I will never get over how it all comes together. As when we have all four girls together you can see the similarities and still the individuality.

Aubrey came the week after Easter and we enjoyed her very much. She is maturing fast, will begin Jr. High this Fall. I am sure her parents are thrilled about that prospect! The group photo from Christmas time last year in Fresno has Emily (the tallest of the bunch) Aubrey on the right (the oldest of them) Claire to the left and Genna pretty in pink.

We are getting more rain today and we are loving it. After rationing last year it is nice to have more and even tho we need another year or two like this to put an official end to the drought having an above average year is 

wonderful! The clouds last night were just begging to have their photo snapped. Off to the barn. Have a wonderful day!

Spring , always a good thing!

Well out of the dark has come light. To be accurate more like a 2000 watt bulb and here she is.

 Now don't let this sweet profile fool you. Under the soft English Setter puppy exterior lays the heart of a masterful, high energy canine!

As you can tell by the thoughtful pose the little vixen has assumed in the photo below. Casual to lure one into a false sense of security but all the while planning her next move to steal her way into your heart.

I am ignoring you because you are stating rude and unfair things about me, a small innocent puppy, well I never!  And she has progressed since these photos were taken about 2 months ago. She is now 5 months 

and full of it. A bit more doggie, the awkward adolesent stage is beginning. And she has discovered the water at the lake and the ocean. She is the only one of all the English we have had that has delighted in water somewhere other than in a dish. She hops like a rabbit and growls at it. Rolls over on her back and wiggles. Attracting much attention from the folks who have made the trip to Lake Mendocino to appreciate the wealth of water we have this year.

I will get some more recent photos of the "child" and make a good effort to update her progress in the months to come.