Summer's Recap (Warning- It's a long one!)

My commuter vehicle

I find it hard to believe... Summer is done. Well, not done exactly, but the mornings are cool enough for gloves while doing chores and that is a sure sign that Fall is on the way.

And it has been three (count 'em 3) months since I have posted.  geepers.  Well, let's see what I have been up to...


Shortly after my last post, we were doing this:

Sweetie. (She really is too!)

Belly clip- Isn't my husband cute?

Bear always has to help at the end.

Yay! shearing- so fun.  We had visitors this year so we have actual photos of us doing stuff. 

 So, I had been really sick the two days before this event.  I thought I had the flu!  As you can see, I felt mostly recovered here... except for a small pain in my side (which I really, truly thought was a pulled muscle from the, well, vigorous vomiting I had been doing)


Flash to the next week:

Ut oh. the "pulled muscle" was really my appendix exploding!!! Yikes.  You know I am brave since I am willing to post this photo out here!  Apparently, my appendix burst and it took me a week (with a fever over 100) to figure out something wasn't right. So, one emergency surgery, 3 nights in the hospital and one heckuva 3 inch scar later, all is well:

Sorting fleece for washing

I painted this for the Thompson Falls Market- so much fun!

And grew these beautiful flowers in the garden.

and miraculously found homes for 3 orphaned kittens.

I'm tellin' ya, I'm innocent.  Get me outta heeree!!

There was Work:

BIG PROJECT!:
Brian fenced our back pasture (40 acres!), mostly by himself while I was recovering from my appendectomy.  I did help to manually weed whack and cut back some trees. This whole project may be a post of it's own- Wow is all I can say about it.


He did it so that we could put these guys out there.

Home on the Range. (yes, I had to say it)

Bruno

Better than a no trespassing sign...

Haying is not for the faint of heart.  Or the weak of back...

But, there is the satisfaction of a barn full of food for winter.  
(and actually both sides are full to the brim now)


There was Play:

Brian did get to have some fun.  He went to the Missoula Equestrian Expo:

The Packing Guru himself, Smoke Elser

I would have gone, but alas, the surgeon made me stay in the hospital.

 
And to Horse Progress Days in Pennsylvania. This is not the best photo he took there, but I love it because it has sheep in it! (and apparently someone's hat...)

I didn't go , because my sister and niece and their respective "significant others" were out to visit.  I regret to say that no photos were taken- but much fun was had!!


Here is a more applicable photo:

Wouldn't it be fun to go everywhere in a horse-drawn buggy?

We also went a couple places together. 

Like Mule Days down in Hamilton. Which coincidentally, and conveniently, happened concurrently with Big Sky Fiber Arts Festival. If you have never been there, I highly recommend it (both the Festival and Mule Days).
  
























And of course, a little bit of riding.  This is at the Pee Wee Creek trail in Priest River, ID.  It is always beautiful riding here, but in the evening the bugs are relentless!  We ate dinner in the front seat of the truck.




 

And there was change:

My dear husband sold his beautiful Harley.     

And I found my dream car:

No, we did not buy this, but isn't she beautiful?

Quality Supply is no longer.  Now it is Murdoch's.  I guess change is inevitable, but I'll never forget shopping there.  When we lived outside Missoula everyone in there knew us by name!

And, we re-homed our goaties.  They kept head butting the sheep and every time we let everybody out to graze:

I call this series "peaceful coexistence".

the little suckers would end up in the chicken coop or on the porch or knocking the fleece washing sink over or chewing up electric cords...

Generally being Pains in the A@#.   Eventually it would lead to this:

In the "pen".

So now all three of them live together in a fenced 2 acre yard being able to do what they love to do most- be the center of attention.

Of course there was lounging.

Talking about center of attention...

Dog Days of summer (you knew it was coming...)

And general standing around

All in all, a big, good, action packed season!  In case you are wondering "Where are the Bob Marshall photos?"  We did not get to go at the end of July as we usually do.  We spent my week's vacation doing hay. (if you don't know what that means, you are pretty lucky.  If you do know what that means, I am sorry)  We are, however, slated to go tomorrow!!


I hope you all were able to enjoy some summer goodness!  I have another post in mind, having to do with some fiber fun- but it will have to wait until next month!!!

See you on the flip side. (maybe that isn't a good thing to say right before you go horse packing...)