A beady-eyed burnt-orange sun crept over a smoky horizon, and it’s hot-air balloon season in Colorado. Juxtaposition: A new day dawns, but the same destructive fires continue to destroy homes, kill animals, and upend lives while others carry on as usual. My hay guy just delivered a load, $2.50 a bale more than the last … Read more
Yes, it’s a proper word. I didn’t make it up, but I wish I had. Quanked is in the 1893 Glossary of Words Used in the County of Wiltshire. It means overpowered by fatigue. They didn’t say emotional exhaustion, but I’m not alone here. I needed a word that was as old as I feel. … Read more
Mister has a big all-day chewy and doesn’t even come out to wave goodbye. Mister would like you to know that he is a dog that knows things that are not visible. Don’t hurry back on my account, he says. Half of my heart stays with him. I would prefer to hide out on our … Read more
The week started with a needle in my forehead. You just knew it was going to improve. Then each day had hours of that kind of coolish-warm spring air. At our altitude, there’s nearly no oxygen, so it’s easy to remember to breathe it in. I had no extra work-work, so I spent time working … Read more
We’re on the road at 6:30 AM on a Sunday, and the first vehicle we passed was a horse trailer. I don’t recognize the driver, but I have been her, so I wave. Then I realized that sitting in a truck doesn’t make me look like we’re compatriots, but we are both off for similar … Read more
Mister would like you to know that we had a record two naps in one day. We were staying at the farm where Jolene was born. Call it Lamb Nation; nine newborns frolic in the field close to where we’re camped. Ignoring them, Mister appreciates the Rollin’ Rancho, our human-sized A-frame crate, as it offers … Read more
Last Thursday morning, we left for Texas as four bald eagles were circling high above the farm. I’ve never seen so many here. It’s April, and the pond is drying up. We have daily red flag warnings and fires. But also eagles. By the time we crossed into New Mexico, the vultures were circling, so … Read more
We were in a different pen than usual, and it was horribly windy. That’s the excuse you might make if you were on a horse and had an uneasy feeling. We are facing four pregnant ewes, and a tornado would be no distraction. Jolene was working. Sometimes there are four boy dogs running the fence … Read more
Jolene expects that we will have an adventure every single day. Mister hopes we don’t. He likes to keep it between the lines. As for me, I want to build a life that I want to live in. That goal has never changed, but age and my cantankerous nature redefine it every few years. I … Read more
I can’t remember having leaves so early on our high desert prairie. Shade is scarce since losing our trees. There’s just enough room under the lilac bush for the dogs. The lack of lawn doesn’t change. Call it fire mitigation because I’m not watering sod meant to be living in Kentucky. It’s windy, of course, … Read more