Jack Frost Visits the Shoebox Ranch

We had our first hard freeze the last two nights and probably tonight as well. The birdbath water was frozen solid. The hose by the house had a ball of ice at the end. This is our second winter here. Last year our pipes froze a few times, so I get a bit nervous when things start freezing up.

Autumn is still here, though it feels like winter.

Birdbath we got from my boyfriend's mom.

I read that frost improves the flavor of garlic. We'll see.

Wonder if it's going to rain tomorrow.

Musical Mouse

Living in the country has some side effects I wasn't prepared for. First there was the scorpion outbreak inside our house, including both of us getting stung.

Now we got rid of a mouse in the kitchen, only to discover a day later that a mouse is living inside my upright piano. Since the piano was buried under a nick-knack shelf, photos, and sewing projects, it was no easy task to get to it. I finally got the lid open and found a nest made of paper and shoelaces balanced at the top. But there is a whole lot of stuff inside a piano and so I couldn't see the mouse. I have no idea what to do now but I left the lid open just in case it decides to surrender. Which I doubt. #perplexed

The neighbor's guinea's come to visit. The pallets in the background are our future chicken coop.

Spooky Country Halloween

As I expected the Lucerne Trunk-or-Treat event was well represented by cowboy themed stuff. I even saw a real cute boy dressed as Woody from Toy Story but he was hiding behind mama so I didn't get his photo.

Scariest Cowgirl Ever!

Cowboy skeleton.

Amish Country Man and Indian Dog

Cowboys V Aliens

I was amused when my boyfriend checked out Cowboys V Aliens from the library, in light of my new cowgirl blog. I'd seen it before but I think I enjoyed it more this time.


Yesterday our neighbors came home and we helped them pick a bunch of windfall apples. They are called Arkansas Black. It's a heritage apple from the 1800's. My grandparents once has a farm in Arkansas, so I'd like to plant my own Arkansas Black tree in their honor.

We also hope to get some chickens when some money comes our way. All my life I've wanted chickens but my mom just hated the things. Then when I grew up I always lived in the city, no chickens allowed. Now that I live at Shoebox Ranch, I want chickens.  Job first, then chickens. Bock. 

Dosey Do

In another leap into being a cowgirl, I got my throwing knives in the mail yesterday so I had to try them out. Mostly I missed a lot or if I did hit the big disk of wood, my knives bounced out. But in one round, I got 3 to stick! That was encouraging.

And I want to learn square dancing again. I can't believe I found a local meet-up group for square dancing. Hope I can find a carpool because I really want to go and my boyfriend doesn't dance. I also found a group for drumming. So yeah, gonna sit around that bonfire in my cowgirl outfit and play the drums, throw some knives and do some square dancing. Ayup.

Roy Rogers Slept Here

Laundry Bear

I'm amazed that 69 people came to look at my new blog already. Probably because I posted it on Facebook.

Today I'm hanging clothes out to dry. How country is that? We couldn't use our dryer here so we gave it away, and then our old washing machine gave up the ghost and then for a long time we went to the laundromat.  Then some amazing friends found a washer we could have. So now I'm grateful to have a clothesline, at least until winter hits. Laundry just won't dry on those damp cold days.

But today I'm going to hang the clothes, bask in the sun, and knit a teddy bear. Because I can.

My Inner Cowgirl-Yeehaw!

I am channeling my inner cowgirl. I was making a country living board on Pinterest and I was thinking of some cowgirls I admire. First of all, my neighbor has the perfect cowgirl name. It's Dixie Gee. So I was thinking what goes with Fayme? That's not much of a country name. But then I thought of Calamity Jane and Calamity Fayme was born.  Fayme rhymes with name. Now do you get it? Plus I always seem to be going through some kind of calamity.

I also like Annie Oakley, but Fayme Oakley doesn't have the same ring to it.

I've always veered away from all things country, which is hard to do when your were born in Oklahoma raised in New Mexico, ended up in the California Mohave Desert and have relatives from Arkansas.

My father did buy me the most adorable orange sequined cowgirl outfit when I was 7 or 8. Sure wish I had a photo of that. I also have a strange affinity for chickens.

Anyway, now that I live in the country which I always thought of as a desert, I'm rethinking the cowgirl thing. And a country station is on the radio.  What's happening to me?

Check out my County Living board on Pinterest darlin'.