Catch Up Saturday

We had a nice Independence Day and we enjoyed texts with photos from our loved ones here in Washington, in California and in Texas. I’ll share some of those on Monday.

The rest of these photos are catch ups from the past couple of weeks.

These little Pansies (Johnny Jump Ups) pop up all over our acreage. I suppose you could call them wild.

We had a de-constructed Chicken Pot Pie for a meal. It is a simpler way to enjoy a nice crisp crust and the filling. When we buy a Costco chicken I take the meat off the bones immediately and freeze portions in quart size freezer bags for quick meals later.

This buck caught me looking at him.

A couple Wednesdays ago, Greg helped Dan butcher the last two of the three sheep Dan bought for meat. It was an all day project!

Josh and Laura were proud to represent the colors they stand behind at a soccer game.

Didn’t want to forget the traditional photo for our Colville kids’ anniversary that they take each year and added two more from their getaway at the end of June. They enjoyed a meal at Baba’s (no relation to this Baba 🙂 ).

Our daughter attended a Medieval Castle wedding and shared some photos. The wedding was during work hours so Katie and her friend attended without their husbands (they were able to get time off from their jobs). They enjoyed their time and all the medieval touches.

Our beautiful daughter.

Speaking of castles, this is one of the latest puzzles I completed and it is going straight to the garage sale pile. I love the result but the pieces were all cut into shapes that were too varied and too brain teasing. I bought it for $3.99 at Goodwill and was happy that there were no missing pieces. Hooray.

The lavender plants are in their glory and the fragrance can’t be beat.

Happy Saturday everyone. The weird thing is that every day this week felt like a Saturday to me.

I Was a Wandering Sheep ~ Hymn

I Was a Wandering Sheep

I was a wandering sheep,
I did not love the fold;
I did not love my Shepherd’s voice,
I would not be controlled.
I was a wayward child,
I did not love my home;
I did not love my Father’s voice,
I loved afar to roam.

The Shepherd sought His sheep,
The Father sought His child;
They followed me o’er vale and hill,
O’er deserts waste and wild;
They found me nigh to death,
Famished and faint and lone;
They bound me with the bands of love,
They saved the wand’ring one.

They spoke in tender love,
They raised my drooping head,
They gently closed my bleeding wounds,
My fainting soul they fed;
They washed my filth away,
They made me clean and fair;
They brought me to my home in peace,
The long sought wanderer.

Jesus my Shepherd is:
’Twas He that loved my soul;
’Twas He that washed me in His blood,
’Twas He that made me whole.
’Twas He that sought the lost,
That found the wand’ring sheep,
’Twas He that brought me to the fold,
’Tis He that still doth keep.

No more a wandering sheep,
I love to be controlled;
I love my tender Shepherd’s voice,
I love the peaceful fold.
No more a wayward child,
I seek no more to roam;
I love my heav’nly Father’s voice,
I love, I love His home!

Words: Horatius Bonar, 1843.

Out in the Country

These sunny Spring days we’ve been getting some outdoor work done. Weeds are a never ending job. Watering has been simplified with oscillating sprinklers. Watering will also be easier with the projects below completed.

Our two water hydrants have been out of commission for some time. After a lot of researching on replacing them and what replacement parts would work the best for us, it was time to dig the holes. Once the connection under the frostline was uncovered and examined, more parts were bought. Hats off to Greg for researching and completing these projects and thanks to Dan for helping him on the first hole and for the use of his pick-up for the stones needed for the projects.

Now we have easy water access with both working hydrants.

After the second hydrant was secured in place on Saturday, we had a good diversion driving north about 8 miles to the Kettle Falls Town and Country Days. Addy’s dance troupe were to perform on stage at 1:15. We were fortunate to score some front row seats on bleachers to watch the performance.

It is such a treat to be able to see Addy dance along with her fellow dancers! On Saturday we got into the 90’s so the dancers had to make sure they stayed hydrated.

To finish off the busy Saturday of work, digging, installing, dancing, and staying hydrated in ninety degree weather, our son’s family picked up some sheep and soon there will be some lamb grilling on their mountain. I’m sure they’ll share some packages of lamb with us, too. They aren’t naming them and the time will be short before it’s judgement day so they won’t be missed as pets.

In other country news from the state of Wyoming…

…we enjoyed seeing our oldest taking advantage of his beautiful surroundings while on a business trip to Jackson Hole. Those Tetons make an awesome backdrop!

Last week after I mowed our acreage, our mower gave up the ghost. Our new riding lawnmower is arriving today. Hopefully it will come first thing so I can mow.

When I was weeding last week I found a tick on the back base of my hairline. I was able to get it off and kill it before it bit me or dug into my body. Ugh! That was the very first one I’ve experienced since moving here in 2018!

We still have to get our mosquito abatement system going. Yikes, they are bad this year! We have our other flying pest traps that need to be set out, too. What sort of flying pests do you have to fight off?

The Dales Way ~Day 7

On Thursday September 21st, day seven of our travels, the fire alarms went off in the Inn while we were getting ready for breakfast. Yikes. I was happy to be dressed when one of the owners knocked on our door to check our smoke alarm. After a full check of all the rooms in the Inn it was determined that there was a faulty wire somewhere that set off the alarm. The noise stopped and we finished getting ready for our breakfast.

I ordered the American Pancakes on this morning and they were excellent. The coffee was decent, too. After breakfast we headed out from town for a 4 mile walk or so we thought.

We learned that the day before our glorious sunshine filled walk there was lots of rain and flooding. Again we were so thankful for Providence in our timing. So thankful for blue skies, fluffy clouds and nice temperatures for walking.

Once we were off the paved road we begin to see what the storm left behind. At this point we could call our walk. Around the puddles and through the Dales.

We spotted some grouse ahead…

After seeing them we felt like we were going off track so we headed back.

We were confused on which way to go to get to Hebden. We saw another walker and she pointed out the way or the direction we needed to go and we bumbled our way through someone’s field and finally made it to this sign.

Over the Stile we went and continued on.

We were happy to see our first destination in sight.

I wanted to call this walk, ‘Sheep Shite and Mud Puddles’, because we had to really work at dodging all three.

We were thrilled when we made it out of the fields.

A few more mud puddles to navigate.

We made it to this Pub just before it opened for the day.

We enjoyed our time here very much. It was nice to sit a spell and enjoy some good food. Josh had the Pheasant Burger and got a chance to compliment the chef on the goodness of it.

From here we would make our way to the Dale Way trail along the River Wharf to get back to Grassington. That will be another post.

The Ninety and Nine ~ Hymn

The Ninety and Nine

There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains wild and bare.
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?
But the Shepherd made answer: This of Mine
Has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep.

But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night
The Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry,
Sick and helpless and ready to die;
Sick and helpless and ready to die.

Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way
That mark out the mountain’s track
They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.
Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?
They are pierced tonight by many a thorn;
They are pierced tonight by many a thorn.

And all through the mountains, thunder riven
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of Heaven,
Rejoice! I have found My sheep!
And the angels echoed around the throne,
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!

Words: Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868.

Quotes of the Week 12

From Manners and Customs of Bible Times
Fred H. Wight

Ability to separate the Sheep;

When it becomes necessary to separate several flocks of sheep, one shepherd after another will stand up and call out: Tahhoo! Tahhoo! or a similar call of his own choosing. The sheep lift up their heads, and after a general scramble, begin following each one his own shepherd. They are thoroughly familiar with their own shepherd’s tone of voice. Strangers have often used the same call but their attempts to get the sheep to follow them always fail. The words of Jesus are indeed true to Eastern Shepherd life when he said: “The sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:4,5)

I want to be a lamb that only follows my shepherd (Jesus) and knows His true voice amongst all the noise of false voices.

Good Fences from Steven’s County

The sign under the horse says Mountain House Stables.

While spending time with our son and daughter in law in Eastern Washington I took some photos on our son’s property and along some back roads close to them. Close is a relative term when you live in the country.

This fawn visited our son’s property with it’s mother the first day we arrived.

I’m linking up with TexWisGirl for Good Fences #127.

We are catching up with the regular things we do in the city at this old house. We have a busy last weekend of August coming up. Our eastern Washington kids are coming on Saturday. Dear and I are going to a Chinese wedding reception Saturday night which will be a first for us. I’ve been reading up on Chinese wedding customs so we don’t do something that would offend. We are looking forward to this new celebration experience. On Sunday our whole family will be attending a Memorial service for our dear friend Dave. Joy and sorrow seem to always go hand in hand. How’s your summer winding down?

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Tag Archives: Sheep