Happy 36th Valentines Day Wild Bill!

16 Feb 2012 13 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Holton Secret Lab, Hot Rods, Life, Lifestyles, Photography, Wild Bill Tags: , , , ,

Happy Valentines Day Wild Bill! I know this is past due but we were business busy yesterday:)

“It’s amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word, you can light up the dark
Try as I may, I could never explain
What I hear when you don’t say a thing”

“The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all”

“When You Say Nothing At All” By Alison Krauss

The day we met was the beginning of a life long love affair…36 years ago today!

In front of the kitchen window…summer 1980…married four years:)

We raised three kid between us…the boys and I doing Thanksgiving dishes about 1984 in the old kitchen of this house and looking out the same kitchen window.

Now we have several grandkids…we started having kids when we were 10 years old…or maybe this year we will celebrate our 75th birthday….either way we were young!

This picture was taken in 1964 up at the mountain cattle ranch and this is what my parents gave to me…the commitment of marriage and love…respect and honor. Mom was a city girl raised in a good life…Dad was rough and tough…he also was raised in a good life here…he was a cowboy and had survived some serious health issues…and he loved my Mom with every breath he took and she him. I thought of my parents as “John Wayne and The Lady.”

I remember writing stories about my parents before I was in school…I was an only child and for some reason writing was natural to me. I am rusty now…I gave up writing after loosing both my parents within a year of each other…I felt like I was 80 years old…the innocense of life disappeared…I have not written since 1998 until now this year…lucky you:)

I asked my Mom once in High School how she could stand my Dad as at times he was not a fun person to be with…don’t get me wrong…he was a great Dad and husband…but he was human. She smiled and told me this gem of wisdom…she said and I quote, “MJ, you make two lists…one has the bad points and one has the good points…as long as the good out weighs the bad, then things are ok…nothing is ever perfect but if you have more good than bad all is ok…”

Hot Rod Cowgirl in 1970 on her colt Stormy…waiting to meet Wild Bill.

I love how you love me Wild Bill!

No matter how tough…

Or rough….

I am with you always WB with lots of love and faith.

We will laugh and goof every day I promise…as much as we can!

Even when we are on TV:)

And when our Hot Rod over heats…we will tensely smile.

I will be quiet for a minute or two…then I will nervously laugh and smile:)

Or when we are providing vehicles for a catalog fashion shoot…a rather famous one.

I will smile because I am with you WB:)

I love you WB…I love our life together:)

Happy 36th Valentines Day!

Yep it’s true he is a Hot Rod Cowboy and I am a Hot Rod Cowgirl…we were made for each other:)

I love you forever WB…I will stand with you and always find a way to smile…cuz I love you:)

Happy Forever Day…36 years to the day that we met:)

Foggy Views From My Kitchen Window

10 Feb 2012 16 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Life, Lifestyles, Photography, Storms, Weather, Winter Tags: , , ,

Foggy views today from my kitchen window brings shades of gray into play…and my camera clicking away!

Familiar horses are now shrouded by the mist that swirls in and out of the canyon..night comes early on a foggy afternoon in Juniper.

A barren frozen tree takes on a stark beauty captured in the fog by the eye of the beholder.

If you look deep within yourself you can find beauty that is in every impression of your eye…no matter the color of the outside world you see or live in.

Depending on which side of the window you are on…you can go from foggy and cold to warm and inviting…life is like that…perspectives with different angles of view.

Winter soon will pass and the beauty of spring will return full of God’s grace.

Fillies will play under rainbows in the summer rains.

While the farmer’s golden wheat prepares for the bounty of harvest once again.

Gray foggy days like today usually bring reflective thoughts to mind as I pause to remember.

Memories of happy times…nostalgic times…thankful for life times. In all things I try to give thanks…even gray dreary days like today:) Spring is coming…then warm summer days and flowers.

Have A Happy Friday!

 

Minnie Mouse Is The Queenie Of My House

09 Feb 2012 10 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Family, Life, Lifestyles, Minnie, Minnie Mouse, Minnie My Cat, Photography Tags: , , ,

Minnie Mouse Is The Queenie Of My House  and My Life:) She is my constant companion and bestest ever friend.

Today Minnie wanted to add a blog entry… so I’m turning it over to her:)

 Uhhh Mom can I finish my bath first…I am so embarrassed that you caught me…I am very fastidious about my coat and stripes not being crossed up anywhere.

Meow and Hello, my name is Minnie…Mouse…and I am the Queen of My Mom’s House…I am a Cool Cat who knows where everything is at!

 I will be 17 years old on Mother’s Day this year…am I not the most precious and extremely wise kitty you ever saw? Emphasis on “Precious and Wise…”

I love rolling and playing on my Navajo blanket as it scratches my fur…and it feels sooooo good!

I’m a tiger…no a cheetah…a cougar…I’m bold…I’m rough…and tough… “I’m A Country Cowgirl Cougar Cheetah Cat!!!”

Ohhhh that feels so good to roll around and make my Navajo into a big fat wad with me inside it:) Hee hee as Mom then has to find me and straighten it all out again…kind of fun to make her work:)

Whew I had a workout…stretch…roll…romp…meow…I worked on my obliques and kitty muscle!  I hope Mom has the heating pad nice and warm for me:)

And of course I have several cat tv movies to watch on my laptop under the table…I love my Cat DVD shows with lots of birds and cool squirrels…wowie zowie meowie!!!

See how pretty I am…my heat pad is very complimentary to my colors and I love laying on it next to Mom is her office. Whenever I see Dad head towards the office I race ahead of him to be sure he does not take “my chair”…sometimes he tries to race me but I always win:)

I hate being picked up…I let Mom do it but no one else…she likes to cuddle and hug…uh…hurry up and put me down:) I love my Mommy and even though she gives me hugs like this and sometimes takes me to see the vet in the Burb…which I hate….I know she loves me a lot:)

I am the “Queenie of Mom’s House”…my name is Minnie Mouse….I know where it’s at cuz I’m the cat!!!

Hope you all have a meowie zowie day!!!

Looking Out My Kitchen Window…Chapter 1

05 Feb 2012 8 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Family, Heritage, Life, Lifestyles, Photography Tags: , , , , ,

Looking out the same kitchen window my entire life…I have watched a daily movie of crazy yet never boring life. I have seen wonderful moments filled with heartfelt memoreis…good stuff and good times…really boring times…terrible weather times…and tearful sad times.

1932 sorting wheat in the kitchen…in silence for the picture but…I bet they talked:)

I am not  sure how I will write this blog segment, I hope to share with you the memories that have been lived here while viewing life through my kitchen window…a significant portal to the outside world of daily life and memories.

My kitchen window began its life in a wild and wooly cowboy town way back in the teens of 1919. Pendleton was a rusty dusty small town at the beginning of the century.

Norwegians, Swedes, Germans and Fins were busy homesteading and farming the land around Pendleton…a dream they had in their heart from the time they left their homeland, setting sail for America, the land of opportunity. My Grandfather traveled by boat from Norway alone when he was 13 years old looking for a future and a hope… today I am living his future and his hope with the same deep faith and love of the land.

My window was carefully transported 20 miles on a wagon pulled by a team of horses headed out of town for the North country to Juniper Canyon. My Grandpa was building this house for his mother Anne Marie who was coming from Norway by boat to her new home in America, where she would join her sons and family to make a new life. She was 76 years old…can you imagine coming to a new world at her age? I have a deep appreciation for my Great Grandmother, as the world in 1920 was much more primitive out here without modern conveniences. She had the same kitchen window view that I have today, but in 1920 she had no electricity or telephone and the roads were dirt trails to civilization and life. I wish I had known her…how great it would be to talk to her and hear about what she saw and experienced.

 “Little Toot “and I in the kitchen in 1960… I still have the cookie jar…and the red hair:) I love red cowgirl boots…Mom liked Campbell’s Soup and the cupboards were now painted pale green.

I re-finished two of the red fir cupboards from the original kitchen…most people would have thrown them out as they were painted many hideous colors…but thankfully we saved them…and ta-da…they are beautiful and I use them daily.

My kitchen window is a quiet view of history…weather…life…and sometimes a lonely view…you see sunrises and sunsets…rainbows…incredible clouds and God given weather…horses, kids, cats and dogs…last minute crazy life pictures that make you hang on tight, which is why you get some of the wild pictures that I take. The dishwasher is right under the window…I will be doing dishes and look up and out the window saying ohhhh….

Wow, I have to shoot this and grab my camera which I keep sitting in the kitchen ready to go.

Looking out my window are many views of life, heritage and history that are reflected in today’s life and yesterday’s memories. Almost a hundred years of down home lived here in this house in a simple country girl’s life.

In sharing this part of my life the song “Guardian Angels by The Judd’s” comes to mind. When the going gets tough the tough get going…this song gave me the strength to fight and conquer the hard times of life.

Sometimes when I’m tired
I feel Grandpa take my arm
He says, keep a-goin, hard work
Never did a body harm.
And when I’m really troubled
And I don’t know what to do
Grandma whispers, just do your best, were awful proud of you!They’re my guardian angels

And I know they can see
Every step I take
They are watching over me
I might not know where I’m goin
But I’m sure where I come from
They’re my guardian angels
And I’m their special one

Have A Happy Superbowl Sunday!

Howdy Y’All…Let’s Go For A Walk About On A Beautiful Morning In Juniper Canyon…

01 Feb 2012 10 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Horses, Life, Lifestyles, Photography, Sunrise Tags: , , , ,

Howdy y’all…lets go for a walk about on a beautiful morning in Juniper Canyon…its a bit brisk but the sun is out!

It’s a beautiful morning…doo-doo-doo-doo…

Think I will go outside and just smile 🙂

Just take in some clean fresh air…ahhhh.

Aint no sense in staying inside…

It’s your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day….either way its a beautiful morning…doo-doo-doo.

Did anyone recognize the above lyrics…a few of the words may not be right but that was the song in my head as I wrote:)

“It’s A Beautiful Morning” by the Little Rascals.

Here is a little rascal herself…Kiah says yeah…come on let’s go feed the horses!

“Did I hear…hay?” Melody is all heart…I love her eyes…so big…soft and pretty.

I’m coming girls…hang on…the hay is coming.

 Fannie My Annie is playing peek a boo…

Remember this is “Fannie Annie”…chick a boom chick a boom…she is all Fannie!

Mel is sending me deep equine thoughts…”Look deep into my eyes…give me some apple treats and a good rub…keep looking deep into my eyes.”

By the time we finished feeding, the sun was fading and a few clouds were rolling into Juniper.

I went looking for interesting shots as the light was good…I love figuring out what to shoot and how as I learn this art of my heart.

Gray reflections of life in the puddles of black and white…all part of my life…in the wintry light.

Today we are faced with stark winter views that stretch into the horizon…yet as time spins by…soon warm spring days and flowers will bloom with vibrance and new life…as once again the cycle repeats itself.

In the mean time…Melody says “Hey the wind of winter is starting to blow again…I need my sweater.”

From a sunny blue sky to a silvered shade of gray…ripples and dapples of time slowly march across this puddle of earthy color.

“I luv ya Ms. Melody…I’m getting your ear muffs and coat:)”

Have a warm sunny day and if it is a dappled gray day outside…then stay nice and toasty warm on the inside…spring is a coming:)

Toodle-ooo and ta-ta for now:)

Here Comes The Sun

28 Jan 2012 8 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Life, Lifestyles, Photography, Sunrise Tags: , , , ,

Here Comes The Sun….(doo doo doo doo)….Here comes the sun and, I say it’s alright.

Little darling, its been a long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since its been here. Here comes the sun (doo doo doo doo) and its alright….

We were up before dawn a couple of days ago as we planed a trip to the city for a Costco run and various errands…

While I was waiting for the coffee I decided to take a few pictures of the kitchen decor for fun as usually there is nothing really fun when you are up before daylight waiting on the caffeine…

We gathered around stomping our feet to keep them warm and planned out the day! As soon as the coffee was done Wild Horses could not keep me from grabbing a cup….

And Wild Horses were running as you see but I got my cup of coffee and the world righted itself once again….whew!

I was taking my first good sip of java when I noticed a reddish hue reflecting on the wall…I threw up my kitchen window blind…and was immediately grabbing my camera!!!

Click

Click and wow…coffee smoffee…I will take a sunrise like this to capture any day!

Melody and Annie are watching too but…

“Hay…put that camera down and get me my hay!!!” Ok ok I’m on my way…now where did I sit my coffee cup?

January 26th 2006…Not The Usual Normal Day But A New Normal.

27 Jan 2012 6 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Holton Secret Lab, Hot Rods, Life, Photography, Storms, Survivor Tags: , , , ,

January 26th 2006 was not the usual normal day for WB or me as it was time for my six month mammogram…it was a toss up…would I be clear or would there be another suspicious spot. I had 8 suspicious high risk breast biopsies in the five years before and because of that I had sought out a specialist in breast cancer at OHSU in Portland.

That crisp cold morning we left home in the dark not knowing how the day would go. We stopped for coffee and pastry about an hour into the drive in a place called Boardman…we both needed caffeine and sugar…and when we climbed back in the car the sun came out with blue skies.

Nervous? Yeah I was…it was possible that I would be diagnosed with what if this or what if that…”if” was a huge word in 2006…what we would do and how we would choose?

I knew without a doubt that my husband would be ok with me no matter what. I was me…a cowgirl…WB’s wife…a daughter…a mother…friend and sister…I was young. Our life was just beginning to take shape and we had so much yet to do.

10 hours later we found ourselves in a weird kind of shock…when your breath goes in and does not come out and you can’t breathe. There was a large area that the head of radiology told us that was highly suspicious…he was certain it was cancer. We saw my Dr. immediately after the mammogram and he agreed…he wanted to do a biopsy as soon as possible a few days later and on February 9th I was called and told that yes it was cancer.

Three weeks later we were at the Portland Roadster Show with three customer vehicles we had restored…we were signed up to go before the cancer diagnosis and no we will keep going and live our life…we brought home three Best Of Class Trophies…yeah baby!

 My oncologist explained what we could do to treat my cancer and how we had three choices…we chose to be very proactive as it was best for my survival…and it was the right one.

Do I look like a push over folks?  Cancer smancer…Fran Dresher said it right on! The key with life is no matter what we are dealt with, we gotta keep a going with the attitude that it will be ok. Smile and know that you will kick whatever it is…do not ever give up ever! Everrr!

Tonight I am celebrating life…hang on Minnie!

January 26th will always be a sort of birthday to me…the war of life that was won by faith…a new life fought hard for…and I am here!

Where ever you are tonight…where ever your heart is and your life is…celebrate your life and know…you have a purpose…you are needed and always keep the faith in tomorrow!

No matter how dark it may get…keep going knowing that you can do this…it will get better or will be a new normal that is even better than the old normal!

Watch out I may be taking your picture…Hot Rod Cowgirl on the move!

Over and out:)

Writing On Frozen Winter Days

21 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Photography, Weather, Winter Tags: , , ,

Writing on frozen winter days when you are confined to the house, can feed your  soul with visions that you can not find by looking out the window. For me, writing is a vacation for my mind as I explore my thoughts and imagination…dreaming with a pencil to paper.

Living out here the view before you constantly changes with the light and shadows during the day…each season has a light of its own…I never get tired of watching the landscape play through the day. Often in winter we have fog that lingers close by…can you see the wispy mist quietly waiting to seap slowly back down into the canyon?  This frozen fog can be incredibly dense…even the most seasoned person who has lived here forever will find themselves lost in the murkiness of the mist and the nothingness of the fog.

The frozen world seems surreal…eerily quiet and unnatural…life seems to be on hold…like the gears on a truck…when shifted into neutral there comes a pause between gears as you shift…then the transmission catches and off we go in high gear again. I like how winter forces us to slow down and rejuvenate…before life once again grabs that gear with a hectic pace.

We still have snow but it is now covered with ice, the top of it has a crusty crunch to it when you walk. We do not venture out anywhere other than to check and feed animals…I am thankful that our horses have heated water troughs, good hay and shelter…but cold is cold.

Last night as we slept we had more icy rain fall for several hours…as soon as it hit the snow it froze. When we looked out this morning, the storm had left a slippery glaze on everything. I don’t mind the snow but freezing rain and ice is the worst to deal with. No traction or control…just skating. When it is like this I give up and do not go anywhere…the Burb is parked as the 40 miles round trip  to town is not worth it. I usually have extra supplies stocked up that we need from the grocery store…when you live far out of town, you stock up when you go to the store as you go to the store once a week or less.

We had blue sky and sun for a few hours this afternoon…the first sunny blue sky in a week!

Such a welcome sight to see. We have more storms on the way but today I am going to carefully go outside and feel the sun on my face…and capture some new pictures…

Like this one right at sunset…I love how the sun made everything so vividly deep with color.

I hope you snuggle in and enjoy the neutrals in your life as much as I do…forget grabbing a gear and grab on to the time we have to rest as before we know it…the icy roads will be dry…winter will be behind us and zoom zoom we will be racing around once again.

 Minnie  Mouse says “Quit taking my picture, my hair is a mess and besides it’s snuggle down nap time…Meow-Meow.”

Ms. Madame Cold Winter Answered Loud And Clear

19 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Photography, Ranch Life, Weather Tags: , , ,

Ms. Madame Cold Winter answered LOUD and clear with drifting snow…freezing rain and ice…more snow on top of the ice…and frigid cold. Currently it is 7 degrees….wind is blowing a bit between 5-15mph…so it is a nice balmy bone chilling cold tonight in Juniper.

Ok Ms. Madame Cold Winter thank you for showing up but it is time now for you to head back home to the Hinterlands of the North…please or I will be forced to make you drink a nice hot cup of tea or something to warm you up all over.

Ms. Cold would you like to ice skate a bit tonight? It looks divine…a perfectly good time of slip sliding and fall on your patootie:)

Or how about a nice hot warm your tummy up kind of soup….I promise it will melt your heart:)

Living the isolated stuck in the house during a freak winter storm kind of day…you have to figure out creative things to do with your brain and time so you do not die of boredom or sit and chew your lip all day…so today I made ear rings…beading is fun and can take the ho-hum away:)

This is a picture of my process and how I decide which beads I want to use…first I put several beads together…I then look at the colors and light…hold them up to my ear…hmmmm…then I fiddle with them some more…and finally decide if they are right or not. The best thing about beading is that when you get all gussied up for a rare night off the ranch and your jewelery does not match your mood…you can whip up a pair of ear rings and off you go sparkling and shinning…looking darn nice!

Minnie Matilda agrees…she is safe and snuggly in her quilt and happy that I am stuck in the house with her:)

In closing tongight…when Wild Bill was feeding the ponies all three of our amazing Aussie Dogs came to visit me…they are in and out of the shop all day…of course today they never left the shop until Wild Bill fed…and yes they have nice warm dog houses with lots of blankets to snuggle down in at night…and they own the garage too…anyway…Dash is the blue merle male and he is the biggest…Tucker is the red merle female and she is the boss lady dog…don’t mess with her…and then there is Kiah who is the female blue merle that is always so dang cute…she is only a bit over a year old…so she gives poor Dash and Tucker a run for it…she is the young’un.

Tucker sitting with “Her” toy to the right of her…go ahead and make her day…she is “very” territorial about her toys and space.

And here is the cute kid Kiah….”Huh? Did you want me or can I play with Tucker’s toy???”

“Tucker’s ploy…c’mon Dasher…dare ya!”

“Yah-yah I sees it…should I do it?” “Where is that darn Kiah when I need her?”

“Ohhhh I’m so cute…I’m so cute and Mom loves me…I’m so dang cute”

Dasher sees it and wants it and ohhhh what do I do…”KIAH…go for it!”  But Kiah is only thinking one thing…”Mom thinks I am soooo cute and wellllll…hee-hee”.

Minnie is content watching the entire doggie game out the window and wonders….”Dogs…ding dongs and why do they lick themselves?

Stay warm and cozy where ever you are tonight…stay safe if you travel.

Winter Arrived Today On A Weird Wacky Wednesday

18 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Photography, Ranch Life, Storms, Weather, Winter Tags: , ,

Winter arrived today on a weird wacky Wednesday!  Full of gusty wind…whoop ’em up country style weather with mighty might!  Going from snowy blizzard type conditions to freezing rain and late this afternoon freezing temps…it is 21 degrees currently…with a windchill of 11.

An early morning view today of our girls Melody and Annie waiting for their breakfast. I bet Annie is asking Mel what the heck happened the last few days…she is not yet 3 years old so this white stuff is still a novelty to her.

Chilly winter scenery….a frozen flower barrel with white fluffy snow growing out of it instead of summer flowers on a warm summer night.

Like this:)

I know we need the moisture and also the freezing cold temps which will help kill off the farm bugs…and we need the snow pack in the mountains for the mountain resorts that make their living off of the snow….plus with lots of snow pack the hay fields will grow better hay next summer and our wheat will be another bumper crop and the irrigated crops will produce more food for all of us…so quit complaining Cowgirl….right?

But…..brrrrrrrrr. I went out this afternoon to take a few pictures and froze in the short time of maybe 30 minutes with my Carhart’s and Sorrels on too.

Venturing out in the freezing cold temps to capture moments in time…tells me that the photography bug in my heart is part of the creative writer part of my heart…only with a lens instead of a pencil. Often that one image tells the entire story….life images…moments frozen in time.

Have I introduced you to Mr. Porch Owl yet? He keeps the sparrows away from trying to fly into the windows on the front porch in the spring and summer…today he is looking quite crabby about being blown around with the wind out of the North…he is glaring at me and you.

Hang on Sloopy…Sloopy hang on…this used to be one of my sledding hills when I was little…wheeeeeeee:) Yes without the log fence…LOL.

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.

– Edith Sitwell

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