KEEP IT UNDER YOUR HAT!!

The first memories I have of my Paternal Grandmother was working along side her in her garden, somewhere around the age of 3-4 (ish). (yes, yes, long, long ago!) She always wore a BIG straw hat. She always wore that BIG straw hat when she was out in the boat fishing, as the lady LOVED to fish!!! Her garden, as I remember it, was the most beeeeeutiful garden in the whole world! Grandmother's garden actually was surrounded by a white picket fence! SERIOUSLY!!! A garden with a WHITE PICKET FENCE! It just doesn't get any better than that!!! As I recall--------I don't even think there where any weeds in Grandmother's garden!!! (gotta love those memories)! She was always 'working' in her garden, I was always making the most gorgeous mud pies under one of her apple trees! In those days, a lady never exposed her skin to the sun, those gals where so smart! All you red-headed, fair-skinned offspring of mine------------PLEEZ, PLEEZ put a hat on your head when you are outside!!!! Master D.----when you are golfing, put on the hat, Mrs. K. ---when you are gardening, put on the hat, etc. etc. to the rest of U's!!! What is it you need to keep under your hat, you ask???? WELLL---your HEAD, of course!!! Whatever became of my Grandmother with the big straw hat? I look at her every morning in the mirror. I have become that G'ma-----------A message to Edna------'May I follow your footsteps down that garden path and inspire others as you did me, dear Lady.' The best accessories a farm gal/guy can have-----a good straw hat, a good pair of work gloves, and some packets of seeds!!! Life is good!

PEACE AND TRANQUILITY!!!

Realizing this is not the greatest picture in the world, I just had to share it because it is an UNUSUAL picture. As I was taking my walk yesterday morning, I saw our 4 geese, Carey, Sophie, Claire and Marcelle MarssO swimming in the canal----peacefully, not bothering anything or tormenting anybody, or trying to pluck a feather from some unsuspecting duck or chicken!! Sometimes they want to make ME pull my hair out! (no feathers in my head---but can be sure I have been called a 'feather head' by some of YOU!!!). The geese where just sooooooo peacefull. I was very proud of them. They where even eating things in the water that geese are supposed to eat! Maybe that will cut down on the feed bill a bit!!! Remember back to the blogs of 'Goose B Gone'- 'I'm King of the World' - 'Father Goose'???? They can really be 'out there' and be a nuisance at times, but remembered some Goose Facts that I had read long ago and will share a couple:

The geese flying in formation HONK to encourage those up front to keep up their speed!!! (how cool is that?)!

If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong!!! Hey-----next time you see and hear those geese flying in the sky---look up, salute------ and appreciate them!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHER'S!!! What a wonderful celebration day! For those of you that know our Gracee and how evil, wicked, hateful and bitchy she could be, she was an absolute WONDERFUL MOTHER!!! No, she didn't just have pups, these are pictures from several years ago of Gus and Gracee's one and only batch of puppies! What a HOOT those puppies where. Born in DECEMBER when there was lots and lots of snow on the ground, but they did have their outdoor play time and did climb 'snow mountains' everywhere. It was fun------------wouldn't wanna do it again! Here's to all you MOM's no matter what your breed----Celebrate your Day, you have earned it!!!

WHAT'S THE BUZZ ALL ABOUT???

BEE UPDATE----Sorry, my computer has been 'touch & go' for about a week, hopefully everything will be working ok for awhile. Had to break down and call the computer tech!!! The bees have all been placed in their 3 hives and are doing BEEutifully! It's been quite surprizing to see how many blooms there are actually around that they are taking full advantage of. Pear, apple, peach, almond trees are all in bloom, and they are loving the Dandy Lions!!! A very good reason to let them grow and not POISON them! There is a BEE in the middle of the flower getting that yummy nector to take back to the hive! Congratulations to the Honor Society Grandson!!! (N)... Awsome job!!! Yur the BEEZ kneez!!! Check out Blake Shelton's song----Honey Bee. You all BEE of good cheer!!! OK ----Honey's-------------Later---

DESTINATION---------LOGAN, UTAH!!!

Logan, Utah---what a beautiful city, with spectacular snow-covered mountains as a backdrop! Had never been there before yesterday. 5 1/2 hr. drive from our home to Logan, Utah. We drove there yesterday and back home the same day! Gpa and I where on the road 12 hrs!!! And 'why?' you ask?????? Check out Blog 4/24/10 in reference to the loss of our bees. The bees needed to be replaced and Logan, Utah was the nearest place that we could go and get them. So we got in the SUBEE (Blog 3/18/10) appropriately named for a BEE trip, huh? (just a coincidence) really means Subaru, left home at 7:14 am after chores, drove approx. 400 miles, a few of those where LOST miles cause Gma canNOT read directions----sorry----stopped only for gas, split a 6" subway sandwhich (that's a 3" sandwich for each of us--yummmm!), gathered up the 3 packages of bees--each pkg. containing between 10 and 12 THOUSAND bees!!! Put them in the back seat of the SUBEE----- HEY----- boys and girls and you 3 Queen Beez----buckle up----we are headed for home!!! Kind of eery at first, thinking that there where 30 THOUSAND PLUS- bees sitting in our back seat, but they where very well behaved (beehived!) all the way home! (did have 1 escapee, had to stop and roll down the window and send it on its way, hopefully it flew back from wence it came)!!

G'pa installed one pkg. of bees in their new hive today and as they settle, the rest will go into their new homes. It is going to be very nice to have the bees again. No honey this year, as the bees will get most all of it to get through this coming winter but next year----we should have lots and lots of 'Liquid Gold.' All in all----it was a pretty good drive, saw some new country, the weather was good from the inside of the car, and the SUBEE is a comfortable car to take a long road trip in. AND----THAT WAS A 750 mile LONG--- ROAD TRIP!!!

BANANAS ON THE TOP? BANANAS ON THE BOTTOM?

Many, many years ago, G'Pa and I owned a restaurant that we loved dearly. Really great 'homemade' food and 'hard-pack' - 'old-fashioned' milkshakes---Yeeeummmm, sounds good, huh? G'Pa and I never agreed on how to make an 'old-fashioned- banana shake----He says 'bananas on the bottom' in the shake machine so the customer will get that big chunk of bananas and know it's a homemade shake. I always said 'bananas on the top' so the fresh bananas would be 'whirled' all about in the shake machine and every bite would have banana 'chunks.' Bless our crew, they always knew what to do-----if G'Pa was on shift, bananas where on the BOTTOM, if I was on shift, bananas on the TOP!! That wonderful crew sooooooooo worked it out!!! These days, on our small farm, G'Pa does chores HIS WAY---I do chores MY WAY-----we do it different----end result is always the same----nobody goes hungry, everyone is fed and well satisfied! As long as you have the same goal and you make it happen-------that is what counts!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISTER----HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAUGHTER!!!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

Hope one and all had a great Easter Day! Pretty much a perfect day here! Easter Menu: Baked Ham; Potato & Goat Cheese Gratin; Deviled Eggs (of course, an abundance of eggs around here) Sourdough Biscuits; YES, from SCRATCH, from real SOURDOUGH; Strawberry-Jello Cake and Jello Shooters!!! What's a 'jello shooter', you ask? Wellllll--that's when you forget about your strawberry jello firming up in the fridge and it is really tooooooo late to put the bananas in---(never too late) sooooo you slice the bananas and moooosh them into the jello so they are completely covered, put the jello/banana mixture in a 'shooter' glass (cute one) add a dolop of whipping cream and it is transformed into that delicious, awsome jello-shooter!!! There is your recipe 'of the month!' The potato & goat cheese gratin-----this is a recipe that I have been making for years and BUYING goat cheese, a very expensive product---sooooooooooo I went out and bought the goats so I could make my own 'goat cheese' PERFECT---we now have the potato & goat cheese gratin frequently--may have saved many $$$$$$$ in the long run---probably NOT! But----love having my goats around! No TV--------remember? It was a cooking day with background music from the 70's and 80's - AWSOME!!! Now days, I only spend all day in the kitchen cooking on 3 holidays a year----that would be Thanksgiving, Easter and----------------------OK---2 Holidays a year!!! Really enjoyed the cooking, music listening day---Perfect Easter Day!!! Hope you all had a perfect day, too!!! (fixed pig fence this morning, think maybe FeeBee won't be out strolling ahead of me!!!