Thursday, September 11, 2008

A break? You need a break?!

Well, in my opinion, my blog friend, Marcee-frugalmom, and I have settled in quite nicely here on the farm. It's pretty cool having a buddy around to help with things, make me laugh, and provide that ever-needed extra set of hands.

My garden loves her. It is giving us great amounts of basil, cucumbers, beans... (helpful hands courtesy of Marcee):

And, among all those tomatoes that have been refusing to ripen, two decided to ripen in celebration of Marcee's arrival. They were absolutely YUMMY:

We are finding, however, a number of green tomatoes lying on the ground with interesting bite marks in them. Any thoughts as to what kind of animal mouth would do this?:

We were able to pick over 8 cups of blackberries down in the chicken pasture/blackberry jungle. Marcee seemed impressed that there were weeds down there as tall as she was:

And then there's my dog. It's official: Roxy loves Marcee (oh and please note Ms. frugalmom sitting on the couch, quite relaxed and doing NO SORT OF WORK):

Of course, Marcee lets her get away with *everything*, so Rox is milking it for all it's worth:

Hey, know what Marcee's doing here?:

She's in my barn attic looking for bats:

This is incredibly significant news because Marcee is terrified of bats. She's fine with spiders and snakes and mice (really!), but she has told me for months: "No bats, Danni". To see her climb up those stairs with a flashlight in hand, and have them flying around over her head with no shrieking, screaming or frantic behavior on her part...let me just say, I am impressed.

Egg gathering is, of course, a mandatory morning event:

I'm thinking time is very short until she has a flock of her own:

For those who don't yet know, donkey brushing soothes the soul:

Look how relaxed Marcee and Brownie both look:

But since we've been so busy, we decided we deserved a break. We took the day off yesterday and headed to the beach. It's not far away. So, we packed up the car:

And went in search of the ocean:

Who *doesn't* take pictures like this?:

Roxy did a lot of bird watching:

And bird chasing:

When she tired of that, she and Marcee hung out and shared secrets:

Told each other jokes:

And posed for my camera:

There is great joy in dark chocolate peanut m&ms:

Self-timer portrait in front of Haystack Rock:

Later on, we drove into the tourist town of Seaside. I stated that I thought this froggy statue was obscene, but Marcee giggled hysterically:

I couldn't keep her off this guy's lap:

Apparently, he was quite a wit. I don't know *what* he said to her here:

On our way home, we stopped at a local farm to pick up some fresh corn:

She's kind of a trouble-maker. The sign says DON'T STRIP THE CORN, Marcee:

I'm going to grow zinnias next year. They're gorgeous:

We came home with tired-but-happy bodies, fresh corn, some pickling cucumbers, and a small bouquet (Marcee also brought home a sunburned face):

Now, it's back to work!

(...You can read frugalmom's diary of her time at Critter Farm here.)

17 comments:

  1. Another great post! Almost as good as being there with you, though not quite......It's fun seeing you have such a great time together! :)

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  2. What fun it looks like you two are having, or 3 counting Roxy.lol...
    Good pictures.
    You may have a waiting list of visitors after this.
    Pam

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  3. Hmmm, maybe a fawn or a doe decided they didn't like that green mator?

    Ummmm, I think somebody is a fibbin' about spiders, mice and snakes! I am very impressed, as well, Danni about the bats! She's turnin' into a country girl!

    Okay, now I'm stompin my feet and throwing a hissy fit. No fare! She got to pick eggs before me and she doesn't even have her own birds!

    Looks like great fun at the beach. Ummm, is she checking out that guy's, well you know? Cause that's what it looks like in the picture!

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  4. How FUN! Take Care... Christina

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  5. a great pick me up post on a sad day for me , looks like lots of fun was had by all ...and I thought donkey's wouldn't try green tomatoes !!....and soul soothing donkey brushing ,sounds like soul soothing traffic in New York City...but I'll give it a whirl if you say so.Great stuff!

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  6. You two had so much fun! Ok, the frog, you have to admit, it was funny! The green tomato, I've seen bites very simular to those! But my nibblers are 3 and 5. I giggled when I saw the picture. I don't know how many times I ran through the yard looking for sour patch faces. I know you have a few deer around, and they have flat teeth, so maybe they were giving them a try and decided they weren't so good? Looks like you guys had a great time!!! Off the read FrugalMom's now!

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  7. It looks like so much fun and I am glad you took a day for the coast. I love Brownie.

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  8. You better keep an eye on Roxy when it gets time for Marcee to head home. . . the two of them seem to be getting quite chummy! What a great time you're having with your new buddy. I bet Marcee will soon be a "hen mom" . . . who wouldn't, with eggs every day like that!

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  9. It's gotta be those donks with teeth marks like that! Too funny!

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  10. My guess is that a deer bit your green tomatoes. Or perhaps a small human...Loved your post! You two are having way too much fun.

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  11. Looks like y'all had so much fun :)

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  12. I think we HAVE settled in quite nicely. The days just seem to fly right by(dammit). The beach was awesome. That was a super great day.

    The feelings are mutual with Rox. I swear...you wont need to check my suitcase before I leave. My carry on tho....

    Collecting eggs? Totally made my day. Filled my heart with joy. I dunno...theres something about it....

    Lumberjack man...totally whispering sweet nothings in my ear...of course, I had to remind him that I was just passing thru. I did give him your number tho.

    And the CORN....how the heck can you choose corn without stripping it? I am from Illinois....I think I know a little about corn....Rules....who follows those anyway?

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  13. I want the exact same tour when I come to visit! :) Scratching donkey butts will be top of the list, because I've never scratched one. It's funny that animals with tail all love to have that spot scratched.
    Hooray Marcee!--Conquering that bat phobia!

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  14. Ahhh, now I understand where the mouse came from....frugalmom brought it with her in her pocket and let it out at your house. You better watch her more closely. It may not be just your dog, but all of your critters she's after. Make sure you do a head count before she leaves.
    But seriously now, I am glad for both of you. Make each minute count and continue to have a great time!

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  15. What a nice entry. I really enjoyed seeing all the pictures of your fun with Marcee. I SO miss the ocean and seeing these photos makes me yearn for the sand, the surf, and the saltwater!

    P.S. Marcee's haircut is tres chic. I can't really see yours though!

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  16. What an awesome visit. Good food, adventure, sunshine, and furry, four-footed friends. Roxy is certainly a wonderful host and the Lumberjack Man is clearly the friendly sort.

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  17. You guys are getting a ton done, I'm impressed!! Enjoying every minute of it.

    We have bite marks like that in a lot of food around here. Sweet Corn was our last victim.

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