It's Meatless Monday folks!!
We are trying a new recipe tonight called "Penne with herbs, tomatoes, and peas" and invite you to try it with us. Find the recipe at the link below. I don't happen to have any cherry tomatoes so I plan to substitute canned tomatoes instead. I also plan to omit the parsley. Please let me know of any substitutions you make. I'm curious to see....
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/penne-herbs-tomatoes-peas-50400000128125/
Happy experimenting!
Barb
Monday, September 30, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Teamwork at it's best
One can never be too prepared and sometimes teamwork is essential. Today was a good example.
Yesterday-The guys have been working to get the hay into the stack yards before the Elk, Deer, Antelope, and/or Moose decide it a free buffet. The stack mover they use is a pretty large unit and maneuvering it can be a bit tricky sometimes. I myself nearly lost control of it last fall while gathering broken bales, but that is a whole other post. There is about 12 or 15 teeth ridden chains all driven by a single drive chain. It's designed to tilt and back under the edge of the hay, the teethed chains then pull the stack up onto the mover. Did I mention this stack weighs about 20 tons?
They were on the last stack of the day and apparently the Boss Man neglected to disengage the PTO, causing the stack to come to far forward against the back of the tractor, which in turn put too much stress on the drive chain and..it snapped. The tractor, stranded due to the 20 tons of hay now wedged against its back tires, adorns the side of a hill sitting down on its haunches. The stack, now immobile as a result of the broken main drive chain, stands proudly on its mover, patiently waiting for the next step. The guys assess the situation, look at their phones (it's 4:30), and took a vote. The stack, the tractor, and the mover were definitely not going anywhere. The plan was to go home and think on it. Attack the problem first thing in the morning. After coffee that is.
Today-The phone at our place starts ringing at 7 am. First it's Monte's mom, reporting I'll not have him today since they were just going to a volleyball game and will take him with. Then it's my niece and why haven't I called her back, do I never check my messages etc etc. Then it's Monte's Mom again and could I have him after all since she was going to be recording at the game. Absolutely! We love Monte, he is such a character and fit's so well with whatever it is we are doing. Then it's Pete, could I come to the field and help out with this stack fiasco and with that my morning was decided.
Thinking to myself that one can never be too prepared, while waiting on Monte, I proceed to throw items in the back of my truck. My tool kit complete with sockets and wrenches, snacks and toys for the kids, our Super Rope and tow straps, and since this is North Park I tossed in a couple extra coats. Just in case. When I arrive they had encircled the stack with chains, cables, and straps. We need the stack moved back far enough on the mover to get to the drive chain and fix it. The plan was to put Pete on the Caterpillar D6 chain it to the stack and pull back. I was to be in the tractor slowly pulling forward the minute my wheels would turn. Being careful not to spin the tires as it has now started snowing. Boss man would be on the ground giving simultaneous hand signals to the both of us.
This whole set up work great! The stack moved back by a dragging inch and I could now move again. Then the cable broke. The end of the cable flies through the air like a rocket and lands nowhere to be seen. We search the close vicinity of the hay field but after not finding the end loop and clamps Boss Man jumps in the truck to head for the home ranch for more. Before he has a chance to get out of the field however, I find the offending end, complete with it's clamps. It had come to rest about 200 feet behind my husband. Boss Man returns and I ask Peter if next time we do this could he please sit a little lower in his seat. Just in case.
Now we have the clamps and the cable but no tools. Who the heck doesn't keep tools in their tractor?? I mentioned I have my tool kit in the truck and we're back in business. My pulling forward, Pete pulling backwards and Boss Man on the ground doing his marvelous silent mime.
2 more times that cable broke and the shorter it got the more desperate Boss Man became. Now that the tractor was mobile we had moved it to a steeper hill hoping that gravity was on our side today. When the cable snapped a third time the tension in the field was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.
"Alright" Boss Man declares "Plan D" I thought we were still on plan A but whatever.
"Whats plan D?" P asks "Set the stack on fire, claim insurance, and head for the Stockmans?" This breaks the rising tension and Boss Man giggles out a retort "No that's plan Z." Woohoo only 32 more plans to go.
"I'm going to help you by pushing with the backhoe." Your keeping count on the sheer amount of large machinery we now have right? If the stack still won't move plan Z is looking better and better.
So with Peter on the Cat, me in the loader, and Boss Man in the backhoe we make one final attempt. The stack is moving! Inch by beautiful inch. Boss Man makes a sign to me that I took to mean raise the bed. I pull the lever and the tractor bogs down, I hit the throttle to give her more power (ever notice the big machines are usually a SHE) and with a heart lurching thunk the stack starts to lift. The bed is rising up, the stack is moving back and we are getting somewhere!! Enter the spinning tires.
The front wheels on my loader have started to spin. I have lost traction and the cat is pulling me backwards. Peter, feeling something isn't quite right and because he can't see around the stack, stops his cat, I stop my loader and Boss Man stops his backhoe. They give everything a good look over and the stack has stopped right where it needs to be for them to fix the drive chain. At least we have accomplished something.
Now I'm sitting on the side of a pretty steep hill, with a 20 ton stack and no traction. My loader is stranded again. Pete brings the Cat around and I surrender my tractor to Boss Man. They get everything chained up and the Cat effortlessly pulls the loader and the stack to the top of the hill. The tractor takes over and can finally, for the first time in over 18 hours, move it's own stack.
Feeling useful and needed, I round up my tools, climb in my truck full of kids, crank up the heat, and head back home. My work here is done. The men can handle the rest.
Thought for the day: Never offend a woman who can operate heavy machinery.
Have a marvelous Friday everyone!
Barb
Yesterday-The guys have been working to get the hay into the stack yards before the Elk, Deer, Antelope, and/or Moose decide it a free buffet. The stack mover they use is a pretty large unit and maneuvering it can be a bit tricky sometimes. I myself nearly lost control of it last fall while gathering broken bales, but that is a whole other post. There is about 12 or 15 teeth ridden chains all driven by a single drive chain. It's designed to tilt and back under the edge of the hay, the teethed chains then pull the stack up onto the mover. Did I mention this stack weighs about 20 tons?
They were on the last stack of the day and apparently the Boss Man neglected to disengage the PTO, causing the stack to come to far forward against the back of the tractor, which in turn put too much stress on the drive chain and..it snapped. The tractor, stranded due to the 20 tons of hay now wedged against its back tires, adorns the side of a hill sitting down on its haunches. The stack, now immobile as a result of the broken main drive chain, stands proudly on its mover, patiently waiting for the next step. The guys assess the situation, look at their phones (it's 4:30), and took a vote. The stack, the tractor, and the mover were definitely not going anywhere. The plan was to go home and think on it. Attack the problem first thing in the morning. After coffee that is.
Today-The phone at our place starts ringing at 7 am. First it's Monte's mom, reporting I'll not have him today since they were just going to a volleyball game and will take him with. Then it's my niece and why haven't I called her back, do I never check my messages etc etc. Then it's Monte's Mom again and could I have him after all since she was going to be recording at the game. Absolutely! We love Monte, he is such a character and fit's so well with whatever it is we are doing. Then it's Pete, could I come to the field and help out with this stack fiasco and with that my morning was decided.
Thinking to myself that one can never be too prepared, while waiting on Monte, I proceed to throw items in the back of my truck. My tool kit complete with sockets and wrenches, snacks and toys for the kids, our Super Rope and tow straps, and since this is North Park I tossed in a couple extra coats. Just in case. When I arrive they had encircled the stack with chains, cables, and straps. We need the stack moved back far enough on the mover to get to the drive chain and fix it. The plan was to put Pete on the Caterpillar D6 chain it to the stack and pull back. I was to be in the tractor slowly pulling forward the minute my wheels would turn. Being careful not to spin the tires as it has now started snowing. Boss man would be on the ground giving simultaneous hand signals to the both of us.
This whole set up work great! The stack moved back by a dragging inch and I could now move again. Then the cable broke. The end of the cable flies through the air like a rocket and lands nowhere to be seen. We search the close vicinity of the hay field but after not finding the end loop and clamps Boss Man jumps in the truck to head for the home ranch for more. Before he has a chance to get out of the field however, I find the offending end, complete with it's clamps. It had come to rest about 200 feet behind my husband. Boss Man returns and I ask Peter if next time we do this could he please sit a little lower in his seat. Just in case.
Now we have the clamps and the cable but no tools. Who the heck doesn't keep tools in their tractor?? I mentioned I have my tool kit in the truck and we're back in business. My pulling forward, Pete pulling backwards and Boss Man on the ground doing his marvelous silent mime.
2 more times that cable broke and the shorter it got the more desperate Boss Man became. Now that the tractor was mobile we had moved it to a steeper hill hoping that gravity was on our side today. When the cable snapped a third time the tension in the field was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.
"Alright" Boss Man declares "Plan D" I thought we were still on plan A but whatever.
"Whats plan D?" P asks "Set the stack on fire, claim insurance, and head for the Stockmans?" This breaks the rising tension and Boss Man giggles out a retort "No that's plan Z." Woohoo only 32 more plans to go.
"I'm going to help you by pushing with the backhoe." Your keeping count on the sheer amount of large machinery we now have right? If the stack still won't move plan Z is looking better and better.
So with Peter on the Cat, me in the loader, and Boss Man in the backhoe we make one final attempt. The stack is moving! Inch by beautiful inch. Boss Man makes a sign to me that I took to mean raise the bed. I pull the lever and the tractor bogs down, I hit the throttle to give her more power (ever notice the big machines are usually a SHE) and with a heart lurching thunk the stack starts to lift. The bed is rising up, the stack is moving back and we are getting somewhere!! Enter the spinning tires.
The front wheels on my loader have started to spin. I have lost traction and the cat is pulling me backwards. Peter, feeling something isn't quite right and because he can't see around the stack, stops his cat, I stop my loader and Boss Man stops his backhoe. They give everything a good look over and the stack has stopped right where it needs to be for them to fix the drive chain. At least we have accomplished something.
Now I'm sitting on the side of a pretty steep hill, with a 20 ton stack and no traction. My loader is stranded again. Pete brings the Cat around and I surrender my tractor to Boss Man. They get everything chained up and the Cat effortlessly pulls the loader and the stack to the top of the hill. The tractor takes over and can finally, for the first time in over 18 hours, move it's own stack.
Feeling useful and needed, I round up my tools, climb in my truck full of kids, crank up the heat, and head back home. My work here is done. The men can handle the rest.
Thought for the day: Never offend a woman who can operate heavy machinery.
Have a marvelous Friday everyone!
Barb
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Shame on you
I watch him from across the restaurant fidgeting in his
chair. His earlier entry and subsequent phone call got my attention. “I’m here”
was all he said and then hung up, sat down and impatiently waited. I don’t know
why he intrigued me so but I couldn't help but watch him. Every few seconds he
would stretch up and peer out to the parking lot from his seat. I guessed him
to be about 70 or so. Bent from age and haggard from years of hard work, his
khaki shirt was as stained as the dickey’s he now squirmed in.
I wondered what his story was. Who was he waiting for that
could possibly have him so worked up? He seemed to me to be a no nonsense kind
of guy. The kind of hard core ranch owner who shoots first and asks questions later. He was the kind of guy that nothing could
fluster, until now.
There was no question when his party arrived. His demeanor
changed completely when she pulled in. Leaving 20 years and a glass of iced tea
behind, this decrepit old man leapt from his chair like a pouncing lion and
practically sprinted across the restaurant. The stern look he carried
disappeared and his gruffness vacated as he stood straight and held the door for his company.
She looked to be about 30 years old or so with a nice enough
face. Her killer body filled out the blue jeans and tank top nicely. Very deceiving
considering the 3 little ones she had in tow. “Good for her” I said quietly to
myself.
Chivalry abounded as he pulled out her chair and fetched a
booster seat for the littlest of the three kiddos. He coo-chee-cooed the baby
as she put her in the chair and ruffled the little 4 year old boys hair all
while giving financial advice to the eldest. He had given him 50 cents on the
way to the table and was advising him on how to save. “Look after your pennies
son and your dollars will look after themselves” He quoted the familiar quote I had
heard from my own Grandma many years ago.
I couldn't quite figure out this relationship. He wasn't
acting like she was a daughter and neither was she acting as this was her father but they were related
somehow. Of that I was certain. I decided maybe a niece or a long lost cousin’s
daughter.
My query would be answered when she came to the counter to
order. After placing her and the kiddie’s orders she commented with a certain
amount of disdain that she would probably have to pay for her father-in-law's cheeseburger as well.
That didn't make any sense at all I thought to myself. My
own Father-in-Law filled my mind and although he passed away some years ago he
still lives on in my husband. All those little things my husband didn't think
he needed to learn come out when he talks to our own sons. Seeds of
knowledge pop out of his memory bank like popcorn in a hot pan. I also thought how I
would never speak of my own Father-in-Law with the same disdain with which she now spoke of hers.
She obviously didn't
want to be here, of that I am sure. Looking at her watch every few seconds
showed me she was uncomfortable and impatient. I can almost imagine the
conversation between her and her husband. Her wondering why couldn't he take
the kids to see his Dad? Why does she have to do it? He wasn't her dad after all. Then him saying how he has to
work and he would go himself but he just can’t get away. I can hear him saying
how she only has to stay an hour and he would make it up to her. Her
reluctantly giving in with a comment about how yes, he would make it up to her. Lobster and roses swimming behind her eyes.
“Please lady” I
wanted to say “Don’t waste this; he will be gone before you know it. Gather the
knowledge now while you can.” I wanted to grab her and make her understand what
a rare opportunity this was. To have his undivided attention on her and her children
is a special treat. It’s a chance for her children to absorb his knowledge. “He
needs this” I wanted to say “He needs to pass on his legacy. Cherish what a
gift this is. No matter what he did to offend you.” Alas, I didn't say any of those things. I sat in silence watching
the show.
She obviously missed all mental pleas on my part and one hour was all
she gave him, not a minute more.
He stood by the curb for a long time watching her drive
away, willing her to return and give him some more precious time. He had possibly
waited for this lunch all week. Planned for it, anticipated it, and prayed it
went well. Looking for those brief moments when he can share his wisdom with
the younger generation, with his Son’s children, his grandchildren. Meanwhile
she dreaded the thought of going to some Podunk town and sitting in a run down bowling
alley for a whole hour. Where they probably didn't even have a decent bottle of water. Listening to an old man ramble on about stuff she didn't care about while thinking all the while of what
she will demand in exchange. Not knowing how important this is for the old man.
Now she was gone and the haggard bitter old man returned. Those shoulder slumped once more as he
got into his old ford and slowly drove away. Shame on you lady, whoever you are.
Shame on you for thinking your time is more precious than his, shame on you for not cherishing what little time he has left, and shame on you for not being smart
enough to know you're doing it.
Welcome!
Hello my friends and welcome!!
First off for those who are unfamiliar with me I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Barbara Stephenson. City girl turned ranch wife. Until may of last year I lived in a city of 8000 comfortably surrounded by close friends and family. Safely cocooned in their familiar protection. Then after a few eye opening events my husband Peter and I decided we weren't living life. Life was living us and we needed a change.
We moved from our close knit family and big home town to a wide spot in the road in northern Colorado. Accepting a ranch job after much deliberation, was by far the best decision we have made for us, our boys, and our sanity in general. For the past 16 or so months we have been living and learning in beautiful North Park. Walden, a town of 800, has become our home and these people have slowly become our people. Excited about our new lives I have been posting updates or funny things to my Facebook page. After several suggestions that writing might be a strong suit of mine I decided to delve into the boggling world of blogging.
SO, here each week (or so) I'll recant a funny story, quip, or an experience from our daily ranching lives. The run in's with cows, horses, dogs, or chickens and the near misses will no doubt continue to make us all say..."What the...?". Also, I plan to provide hints and tips on anything from advice with children to money saving household tips as well as links to websites containing useful information.
Therefor, stay tuned and lets see just how many of you I can continue to corrupt.
Barb
First off for those who are unfamiliar with me I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Barbara Stephenson. City girl turned ranch wife. Until may of last year I lived in a city of 8000 comfortably surrounded by close friends and family. Safely cocooned in their familiar protection. Then after a few eye opening events my husband Peter and I decided we weren't living life. Life was living us and we needed a change.
We moved from our close knit family and big home town to a wide spot in the road in northern Colorado. Accepting a ranch job after much deliberation, was by far the best decision we have made for us, our boys, and our sanity in general. For the past 16 or so months we have been living and learning in beautiful North Park. Walden, a town of 800, has become our home and these people have slowly become our people. Excited about our new lives I have been posting updates or funny things to my Facebook page. After several suggestions that writing might be a strong suit of mine I decided to delve into the boggling world of blogging.
SO, here each week (or so) I'll recant a funny story, quip, or an experience from our daily ranching lives. The run in's with cows, horses, dogs, or chickens and the near misses will no doubt continue to make us all say..."What the...?". Also, I plan to provide hints and tips on anything from advice with children to money saving household tips as well as links to websites containing useful information.
Therefor, stay tuned and lets see just how many of you I can continue to corrupt.
Barb
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