Spring time around the Smith House looks a little like this…
Granddaddy and Hayden bailing hay.
Jeff and Dad moving hay. 22 at a time.
Flowers are blooming.
Even weeds are blooming.
Butterflies are abundant.
Lots of time outside.
What are you doing to enjoy this beautiful Spring weather?
Life in the country includes getting up close and personal with turtles you find.
Life in the country includes taking a stroll down the drive way sporting your t-shirt, underwear, and rubber boots. Classic.
Life in the country includes mowing sporting your underwear and rubber boots too.
Life in the country includes playing in the water puddle. Yes, in your underwear too.
Life in the country includes many rides on the Ranger with Daddy.
Life in the country includes working hard tearing down an age old fence so you can build a new one.
Life in the country includes lots of trips to town in Daddy’s truck because we needed more stuff for all our projects.
Life in the country includes blowing holes in the ground while shooting a very large snake. No pictures needed. A change of underwear might be necessary though.
It’s that time again. Time to get the garden in shape to begin planting. I can’t believe it is almost March. And, where was our winter? I am dreading the bugs!!
Yesterday, we got it all plowed up. Then, today Jeff ran the disc over it and we begun digging grass out. You know, all the fun prep work!
It was the perfect morning to be out playing in the dirt. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take some pictures of our little helper.
Well, after 4 days of hunting hard, I came up short again! I saw a lot of deer, but no shooters. Luckily, Jeff killed a nice 9 point during bow season and filled up our freezer, so I can afford to be a little picky.
It was a good weekend. Even though I didn’t get anything, we have such a great time out there. Mostly because there are no worries. I also take the best naps at the lease!
Here is our little routine…I wake up about 5:40 AM, get dressed and out the door. (Jeff and Hayden still snoozing for a while longer.) Hop in the explorer and drive to where I will park to walk the rest of the way to the stand. I didn’t ever need a flashlight this go around. That moon was shining bright! I can say it is a little freaky walking in the dark all alone and all of a sudden a dumb bird flies out of the bush you walked past and you nearly fall on your face because you tripped over a rock trying to get away. I know, go ahead and laugh. Then, get in the stand by 6:10 AM or so. The goal is before the sun starts to come up. Wait for the feeder to go off around 6:20 or 6:30 AM depending on the stand you are sitting at. Then, watch for the action! Sunday morning, I saw NOTHING!! I stayed there for 4 hours and saw NADA! So, head back to camp around 9:45 or 10:00AM. Then, cook up a good breakfast. Usually biscuits, bacon/sausage, and eggs. Around noon Hayden and I lay down for a nap! Jeff usually find something to do (with Dad or one of the other guys on the lease). Yesterday he went and sat in the stand. I love nap time at the lease because I don’t feel guilty for taking one because there isn’t work to be done around the house or on the computer.
After nap time (usually about 2-3 hours later), time to get up, grab a snack, and head out the door for the afternoon hunt. Hunt from about 3:45-6:15 PM. Head back to camp and make plans for dinner. Sometimes we go eat in town (about 20 minutes away). Sometimes we eat at camp. Last night we cooked a pizza. Baths for everyone and then to bed usually by 9:00 PM. Roughin’ it I tell ya! See why I love it so much? :-)
Here is a little peak into what went on this weekend…
Lots of father/son time! These boys played their little hearts out! Hayden actually has his own little room in the camper. It is so nice!
We just pick up the pack and play during the day and it turns into a playroom! :-)
Can’t play all day and not do any work! :-)
Jeff brought a bucket of dirt from home so they would have some loose dirt to play with. Such a good Daddy!
Play dough! Hayden’s new love and will entertain him for quite a long time!
He is really working hard on learning those letters too!
Me and Hayden before an afternoon hunt. Hayden now says, “Mommy Hunting!”. I hope he grows up loving to hunt as much as Jeff and I do!
Marla, I told Jeff I was going to use this as my “What I Wear Wednesday” blog post since I pretty much wore this for 4 days this week! ;-) Hat-Bass Pro, Shirt and Pants-Academy, Snake boots-Bass Pro!
This afternoon we got home around 4:00 or so. Jeff was kind of itching to go sit in his bow stand behind the house. I encouraged him to get out and go have some “him” time since he really didn’t get much this weekend. Well, next thing I know, he is running back in the house telling me to call mom and see if she can watch Hayden because there is a big buck behind the house and he can’t get close enough with his bow. He runs Hayden down to Mom and Dads and I change clothes and grab my rifle. We sneak (a long way) down the pasture toward our feeder. I was so out of breath. Not kidding. Squatting down trying not to be seen, holding my gun, and trying to keep up with his long legs was a work out! My legs are going to be sore tomorrow, I can already tell. We would sit and wait and look, then move a little closer. I felt like I was in the Army or a sniper or something. Ha! We finally sat down and waited until dark. The big buck outsmarted us. Oh well, it was quite a fun adventure with my hubby. Jeff said, “I love you. I am so glad you enjoy doing things like this with me. I love that you don’t mind getting dirty and getting a little cow poop on ya.” Ha!
Glad to be home! We aren’t heading back to the lease for a few weeks. Hope you are having a good week!
Life around the Smith pretty much revolves around this little boy.
He has been spending a lot of his time being a farm boy this week!
He has been riding around on the Ranger or Granddaddy’s Truck or 4 Wheeler watching the guys run the big machines cleaning out the ponds. He has to have this special new hat on too to make his “farm boy” status official!
As you probably already know, Hayden loves his tractor. Well, this week he has learned how to drive in reverse. He really thinks he is big stuff! And, so do I! He can get himself “unstuck” now!! WAHOO!! (Make sure your sound is up.)
He would get so tickled. Then, Chloe (the Yorkie) would start chasing him and barking at him and he would just get beside himself laughing so hard.
He has developed quite the little personality. Most of the time I L.O.V.E. that personality. Except when he uses his three favorite words at the moment. “No, Nope, or Not.” We are really at the point where he will repeat just about anything you say. He still is not really forming “sentences” but he says so many words and surprises us with new things each day! He can pretty much say what he wants to! ;-)
Here is a little peek at his personality for those of you that don’t get to see him in action. I know these are pretty basic words, but words we hear and use quite frequently around here. I do not want to forget how sweet that little voice is at 2 years, 5 months! ;-)
PS…Jamie, no making fun of my “Hay Bale” accent ok? HA!
Have you had an overabundance of grasshoppers? We sure have! Goodness! We always have a lot of them living in the country. I mean, a whole lot of them. But I am not sure I have ever seen anything like this year!
I can’t wait until all the grasshoppers are GONE! And Hayden doesn’t have so many pets that want to ride along with him!
Can you see them flying everywhere?
Because everything is so dry and dead, we are actually seeing a lot less of them right now. Or, maybe they are running out of things to eat.
I hear rain will kill them because it causes a fungi that attacks them. We wouldn’t really know anything about that this year though. Many areas around us have gotten some “good” rains lately, but unfortunately most of it has somehow missed our house!
I have just about pulled everything out of my flowerbeds because the grasshoppers have eaten most of it! Or, the heat and drought has killed all the plants. Kind of sad. I was so proud of our flowerbeds when we finished then in the Spring. Oh well, there are definitely a lot worse things in life!
Dad has had to start watering his cows out of troughs.
Because most of his ponds look about like this one behind our house.
I have to say, today’s temperatures were a welcomed surprise! Maybe things will start looking a little better around here soon!
Oh, and if you aren’t my Facebook friend…I found my first gray hair today. Very sad day.
