Nov 5, 2012 Deer and Cowboys



Can you see me now?


Friday morning we watched our small herd of deer leisurely walk across the south ridge, nibbling on bushes and grass as they went.  Didn't let the dogs out until the deer at reached the fence on our east slope.  The young ones were very frisky and a joy to watch.

After lunch JB cut the branch wood in the "cradle" with his big chain saw and I stacked it on the east side of the porch.  It was about 2-1/2 cradle loads, which was five wheelbarrow loads.  A good workout for both of us.  Still a lot of fog wafting in and out.

We knew we had to take the garbage Down There before any more bad weather, so we loaded it up Saturday morning and made it down the road without getting stuck.  On our way through the aspen, a small buck crossed the road in front of us.  He watched us watching him and posed for pictures for several minutes before slowing strolling deeper into the trees.  (See photo above.)

While we were Down There we also bought two "rain barrels" at Coastal, which are actually 50-gallon plastic containers that had been previously used for either olives or jalepenos.  They have a wide top with a lid, and a spigot at the bottom.  Will try to get them filled up with water brought from Larry and Elsie's.  Then checked the mail, bought some newspapers and we were on our way home.  The dogs are getting used to being left behind lately, and they haven't gotten into anything for a while.

Going back up the mountain was a little more dicey than going down, even with just the two light barrels in the trailer.  We couldn't make it up the steep beginning of our driveway, so we left the trailer there.  JB made three trips back down with MAX, bringing one barrel up at a time and then the trailer.

I love going back on standard time and gaining that extra hour for the day.  We decided to watch Broken Trail - all three hours of it.  One of the best westerns made and staring the ultimate cowboy, Robert Duvall, with Thomas Haden Church.  I grew up on westerns and several weeks ago while in Costco, I discovered a special collectors edition magazine, "Legends of the West", published by "American Cowboy" magazine.  The cover states, "Celebrate 104 of your favorite stars", and that's exactly what it does.  I learned that the hat which Robert Duvall's character, Gus, in Lonesome Dove was later named "Gus" in honor of him.  Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Sam Elliott and so many more.  I love them all, but Robert Duvall was born to be a cowboy.

Yesterday was really busy for a Sunday.  I split five loads of large branch and small tree wood - three dry and two green.  The dry wood finished off the outside row on the east side of the porch.  The green wood got stacked in the wood pen, but not in the shed.  Getting a good start on next year's fire wood.
JB made two trips with MAX and the small trailer to take straw bales down to the hair-pin corner just down from our driveway.  It is getting really wet and muddy.  Was a really nice day, partly cloudy but no fog, thank goodness.  After all that, JB cooked up a big pot of split-pea soup, and I baked about nine dozen chocolate chip cookies.

Today I am going to visit Elsie's spa for a nice hot shower.  And since I am already that far down, I am going to make a "quick" trip to Albertson's to take advantage of a great bogo they're having on meat.  It was windy most of the night, so hopefully the road dried out a bit.

I always appreciate comments from readers.  Thank you!

Thought for the day:  I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. And I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them. John Wayne as John Bernard Books, The Shootist (1976)