Time Warp?

It has been a little over a month since my last post, and it feels like we have been in a time warp in the interim…or maybe that, like Alice, we stepped through the looking glass into some place we never wanted to be.  Unlike hers, ours wasn't magical.

I don't think it was the moon, although we did enjoy watching the super wolf blood moon total eclipse on January 20.  Here is the before image,

followed by a couple of progress shots,

and finally the beautiful blood color as the eclipse achieved totality.

So, here is the whole sordid through-the-looking-glass story.  We had made a quick trip to the farm on January 24 to feed the cows and check things.  Then, on Friday, January 25 as we were returning to Austin, John began experiencing severe back pains and extreme nausea.  I drove home, and by the time we reached Leander, he did something he has never done before (and I hope never needs to do again).  He told me to pull into the St. David’s Emergency Clinic just south of Seward Junction.  

He was the only patient, and received lots of attention and many tests, but little relief.  The first doctor thought he had a kidney stone; the second diagnosed diverticulitis.  The IV medications gave him a short respite from the pain, and after a delightful hour or so at the 24-hour pharmacy we went home with fistfuls of drugs for pain and nausea, as well as antibiotics for the supposed bowel infection.  That launched us into two-plus weeks of tests and doctor visits during which the pain abated somewhat, but the nausea persisted, to the puzzlement of all concerned.  

The good news is that, after two more emergency room visits, multiple appointments with various specialists, more tests and a three-day stay in the hospital, John is finally back to better-than-normal.  The culprit was apparently an extremely low blood sodium level.  His blood pressure medications have been adjusted; the sodium is back to normal levels, and he says he feels better than he has in years.  On the upside, he has lost over 15 pounds that he didn’t need in the first place, and is looking a lot more like the man I married some 22 years ago.  (I need to do some more pound-shedding myself if I'm going to resemble the woman he married.) John is happy that he feels and looks better, but says he doesn’t recommend what he had to go through to get there.

Soooo.....life is returning to normal around here.  We are back at the farm for a few days.  It's cold this week, and the cows appreciate a bale of hay and some range cubes to supplement the winter grass that is beginning to sprout.

Rue makes sure No. 7 doesn't get more than her fair share of the hay.

And yesterday, before the rain set in, John and Daniel set the posts for the new working pen.  (Thank you ever so much, Allan and Jef for cutting all those beautiful posts!)  

We will head back to Volente tomorrow, and expect it to look a little more springlike the next time we visit.

Off to a Good Start

We arrived at the farm on New Year’s Eve and celebrated a quiet evening watching The Blacklist on Netflix…no party hats or fireworks for us!  Kota heard a fair number of firecrackers from neighboring communities, and kept us busy all evening trying to soothe her.  I don't know what we would have done without the Thunder Shirt!

New Year’s Day we spent with Cousins Kathy and Eric enjoying a champagne brunch in Clifton at the Corner Drug Cafe.  

The food was good (including perhaps the best creme brulee I've ever tasted).

And the company even better.  We love having Kathy and Eric nearby, and treasure the opportunity to get together often.

As a special treat, when we got home I watched my Texas Longhorns (#15) beat the Georgia Bulldogs (#5) 28-21 in the Sugar Bowl.  I love it when the Horns step up and play like they did during my years at UT!  There was more on-the-field excitement than expected when UT's mascot, Bevo, charged Georgia's bulldog mascot, Uga, and almost took out a couple of photographers and spectators in the process.  I guess the dummies didn't know that cattle view most dogs as some sort of wolf or coyote...and react accordingly.  In fact, when we work cattle with our herding dogs, we try to acclimate our cattle to the dogs before we ask them to do any work.  By now, our small herd is pretty manageable unless the cows have young calves.

January 2 and 3 didn’t give us a chance to do much besides sit by the fire and watch TV.  A light drizzle and freezing temperatures sheathed grass and trees in a sparkling coating of ice.

We woke to icicles on plants and the gator, and it continued to build throughout the day.

It was beautiful, and fortunately wasn’t heavy enough to do significant tree damage.  

It was cold, though.  One of our resident eastern phoebes was puffed up like a feathered Christmas ornament.

The ice was gone the next day, and we headed back to Austin to celebrate Brian’s 49th birthday.  

Debi, Mallory and Myles joined us, as did Brian’s step-brother, Brad Hlista and wife Justine.  

Kota gave Brian the gift of a good belly-scratch…hers, of course. 

A good time was had by all, but I can’t believe it’s been 49 years since I welcomed my son into the world.  What a joy he has been, and he has given us the world’s best grandson, daughter-in-law and step-grandkids. Thanks, B!

The weather has been alternately balmy and bitter, but we’ve been blessed with wonderful sunsets and sunrises.

Rue would rather be outside, but when it’s too wet or cold, she consoles herself with one of her new Christmas toys.  She especially likes Lambchop, and we are amazed that he has so far survived the frequent dog tussles.

And speaking of dogs…Rue and I have had a great time in December and January at herding clinics put on by our friends Jack and Vivian Christensen of Meridian.  Jack arranged for several of the area’s top Open handlers to come and help less-experienced handlers (including me) to work with their dogs. 

I can’t begin to say how much I appreciate the way all these folks have given of their time and expertise to help grow the sport we all love so much.  In addition to Jack, a big thank-you from me and the other Ranch/Novice handlers to Allen Mills, Brent Phelps, Gary Young and Steve Rhidenour.  Having you folks to look to as mentors has been more beneficial than you know.  

Rue and I still have a long way to go, but she works with enthusiasm and a lot of desire.  Thanks to my friend Lindsey Posener Williams for taking the following shots of Rue and me working.

Again, we had a great day with old friends and new, and look forward to more opportunities as the spring progresses.

Wrapping It Up

Gifts aren't the only things that are wrapped up during the Christmas season.  We wrapped up a hectic, but wonderful year.  Early December brought a trip to the farm with good friend Carol Hardaway and Gabby, her almost-fourteen-year-old border collie.  Carol and I met over ten years ago when Gabby (who certainly doesn't look her age) and our Nickie were competing in canine agility.  We have remained fast friends ever since, and enjoy these girls' weekends when we have the chance to get away.  (Don't feel too sorry for John, though.  He  was at the deer lease with Rick Lorentz harvesting a couple of deer and a nice feral pig.)

Two more cows and calves were delivered just before we arrived, bringing our “herd” to 8 cows and The General, our Hereford bull.  When we got to the farm, I found that our two new cows and their calves had settled in nicely, and that “Skinny Minnie” had a new baby calf. 

Rue and I were responsible for penning our five big calves so they could be picked up and sent to the auction.  She did a good job with the calves, and later helped to move the cows and bull into the creek pasture. 

On Saturday, December 15, Rue and I drove to Meridian some 30 miles from the farm to attend a herding clinic at the home of Jack and Vivian Christensen.  

Six or seven veteran handlers volunteered their time to help those less-experienced to develop skills necessary to enter trials with their border collies.  

 Vivian's pup, Tuff, isn't old enough to work sheep yet, but he was certainly interested.

Rue patiently waited her turn in her crate, knowing that she would soon have time with the sheep.  

We didn't work the ewes with new lambs, but they sure were cute.

It was a great Saturday with good friends and their dogs.

And then we were home for Christmas.  

The dogs wore their reindeer ears...briefly, but were much more interested in the new toys their stockings held.

The toys survived the day...somehow!

Gage and Cameron came over for Christmas lunch before returning to San Angelo where they are both students at Angelo State University. 

We loved their short visit, then finished preparing for Christmas dinner with our friends Carol and Larry Hardaway and Kathy Clark and Bill Menzies.

As I was setting the table for our Christmas dinner, I was re-living Christmases past and thinking of my mother and my two wonderful mothers-in-law.  The lovely red salad plates were a gift from my first mother-in-law, Audrey Wann, who lives in Tucson.

The Spode plates and glasses were given to us by John's mother, Maxine Bagley Johnston, with whom we spent almost every Christmas Eve until last year when she passed away at age 97.

The beautiful sterling silver Francis First flatware and hand-painted pitcher and serving plate came from my mother, Evelyn Jones, who was a blessing every day of her almost 99 years. 

Each time I use these special pieces, I think of them and all the good times we shared.  

John fixed a delicious prime rib roast for dinner, and we enjoyed a special evening. I hope all of you did the same. (Sorry I didn't get a picture of the food; it disappeared too fast!)

Love from our home to yours.  We hope all of you had a Merry Christmas,

and may God grant you a peaceful, prosperous and blessed New Year.