God Bless The Red, White And Blue!

12 Nov 2012 20 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in God Bless America, Hot Rod Cowgirl, Photography, United States Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

God Bless The Red, White And Blue…As we salute our veterans, we thank the brave men and women who fought for our country, our freedom and our security.

Many gave their lives for our life and for America, may God Bless each one of them and their families.

Growing up through out my school years, each morning of school the first thing we did was say “The Pledge Of Allegiance”, while placing our right hand over our heart.

Please join with me below in reciting together  “The Pledge Of Allegiance Of America.” Beside each of the verses is the meaning and definition of what it means.

“I pledge allegiance” (I promise to be true)

“to the flag” (to the symbol of our country)

“of the United States of America” (each state that has joined to make our country)

“and to the Republic” (a republic is a country where the people choose others to make laws for them — the government is “of, by and for” the people)

“for which it stands,” (the flag means the country)

“one nation” (a single country)

“under God,” (the people believe in a supreme being)

“indivisible,” (the country cannot be split into parts)

 “with Liberty and Justice” (with freedom and fairness)

“for all.” (for each person in the country…you and me!)

God Bless The Red, White and Blue!

God Bless The United States Of America!

Autumn Colors And Light On A Captivating Night!

07 Nov 2012 26 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Hot Rod Cowgirl, Photography, Sunset Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A few nights ago, the magic hour of color and light paid me a surprise visit.

Golden light and magical beauty in the skies above…the first evening in several weeks that we had actual clouds.

Clouds add interest and amazing detail…soft enchanting light and colors that deepen with views that you usually do not see.

I did not have time to put on my mucky yucky chore shoes…when the light is right, you hurry quickly as the light changes so fast and you do not want to miss out on one second of the golden hour.

I grabbed the closest shoes I could grab next to my camera…my Danskos…my one pair of nice black town shoes…and off I went carefully as the shoes have a slight boot heel and I am known to be a total klutz!

Fanny Annie was shocked that I did not have my boots on!

As I climbed through the fence and headed up the muddy hill behind the house wearing my nice Danskos…

I wondered if this means that I am truly becoming a real photographer?

I was caught off guard as the day had been sunny without clouds…I greedily took shot after glorious shot:)

Amazing views full of various hues and ever changing light with the clouds above.

I have missed the dramatic ways you can capture and photograph the landscape…for about a month we have had nothing but bright sunshine without clouds and a blue sky faded out to a blahsay color.

My Sony a77 Camera, shoots 12 frames per second. It is fast with no lag time, which I love! One of these days I will be up here filming WB going through the gears of his current Hot Rod! I am always thinking drama and creatively…I can see him coming through fog or smoke…going through the gears…not sure if I can pull that off but it would be a fun day of great shots and videos! Also, notice you can see my arena and round corral…maybe we could get some cows to work too:)

Hey WB, I’m up here…in the mucky mud with my Danskos on…I think I am obsessed with my camera and photography.

Artistic shadows on the landscape bring depth and intense colors that knock my socks off! I find that my eye constantly scans my horizon looking for something creative and unusual to capture.

I have lived on the land forever in isolated areas…

And I never grow tired of scenes like this…

Or of my horses…I love Annie’s cute ears outlined in black…she took a mud bath, see the dried mud on her neck:)

Skies of gold filled with beauty that we will miss if we are watching TV or on the computer…I love the colors of gold and blues in this shot.

God’s creative, ever changing scenery…beautiful!

Never boring at all!

A fun reflection in the puddle in front of the house.

A gift to capture the reflection of the clouds, the colors and the light in it.

This one is my favorite with the log fence and the almost surreal colors that give a muddy ranch puddle an unusual perspective of beauty!

Sometimes it is hard to find the words to describe what you see…incredible and beautiful:)

No matter where you live you will find beauty all around you in different ways. I have been in huge cities before and seen incredible beauty that I never see here…and I love the desert…most think it is just a flat boring place…uh-no.

 “Seriously Mom, I can not believe you wore your Danskos in the mud and went up on the hill to take pictures…geez!”

“Well, I know Annie…and you rolled in the mud right after I had brushed you so pretty and nice:)” “And I love you Annie Fanny…you are so sweet and cute:)”

Annie Fanny and HRCG are wishing you a wonderful peaceful evening and a great week!

Ocean Waves…Sandy Beaches…A Bit Of Heaven On Earth!

26 Oct 2012 46 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Hot Rod Cowgirl, Landscapes, Ocean, Photography, Weather, Wild Bill Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ocean waves…sandy beaches…a bit of heaven on earth…and with each wild wave of the ocean…the peace of rest washes over your weary soul.

Seeing my hubby doing this last week blessed my heart. WB is a very strong man, but his neck fusion surgery has been very painful and difficult, so we went to the most peaceful God place we could go to so he could rest…and that was the Oregon coast.

There is something about the ocean that is very spiritual and healing to your heart and soul…it is the peace that passes understanding to me:)

Maybe it is the wild at heart feeling of the power of the water and the waves…

Or maybe it is the power of the ocean that only God can control…whatever it is…it is balm to your soul.

The roar of the waves we could hear from just about every room in the townhouse, brought deep relaxation during the daytime and lulled us to sleep during the night.

I loved the beauty of the Twin Rocks…two silent partners that have stood the test of time in a timeless world.

Filled with varied light and muted colors that invoke life’s mysteries…and for some reason our spirit connects deeply with the beauty that our heart sees, as life is like that at times….sometimes the muted colors of our life or the memories that have faded are yet the most beautiful and impacting parts of our lives here on this earth.

Incredible views framed with the intensity of life’s blues from the living room balcony.

And with a flick of a moment of life…the views change and are framed with an ethereal glimpse of another world and another time.

The ocean is always changing…maybe that is why I like it…it reminds me of the Rocky Mountains…weather can change in seconds there…views that literally take your breath away…life is ever changing and you move with it…much like you do with the incredible ocean.

And then the sun would slowly begin to set…each night with different colors and light.

Incredible ocean vistas…

Full of glorious sunset beauty…

The last glimpse of the sun and the end of another beautiful day.

I have never grown tired of the ocean…

 Walking forever on the beach…sand between your toes.

A constant calm filled with…

Incredible God given beauty.

Indescribably fun for camera nuts:)

I love the ocean and Wild Bill…

“Thank You Lord for creating such a Wild At Heart and Beautiful Sanctuary of Your Glory for us to go to…and a bit of Heaven on earth:)”

I hope you all have a happy weekend filled with good stuff and know HRCG and WB are thinking of you:)

Juniper T Ranch Quietly Changes Scenery As The Seasons Of Life Continue On…

06 Oct 2012 74 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Hot Rod Cowgirl, Juniper T Ranch, Lifestyles, Photography, Sunrise, Sunset, Wild Bill Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Juniper T Ranch quietly changes scenery as the seasons of life continue on with Autumn’s golden light on the landscape…where did summer go?

Life has been a bit crazy and I have not been able to blog as often as I usually do…I love to write and write and write…I love to photograph tons of various pictures to share with you and I like to yak a lot:)

I have missed reading your blogs…which makes me sad, as I enjoy hearing about your lives and seeing your photography…seeing a glimpse of your world.

A week ago Thursday my hubby Wild Bill had surgery on his neck. He was pulling hard on a wrench under a vehicle on the hoist last July and all of a sudden he heard a snap and loud pop sound in his right shoulder…instant pain…but “Mr. Tough Guy” did not say anything to me until about 5 days later…”Oh, uhhhhh MJ…can you call in and get me a doctor appointment, as I did something to my shoulder a few days ago and it hurts like heck.”

I have NEVER heard those words uttered out of his mouth before in 36 years of marriage…so I knew he was in pain. I was able to get him in right away so on July 25th he had the first MRI and our family Dr. sent him to see a shoulder specialist. At first they thought it was either a rotator cuff tear or that he tore his bicep muscle.

We had to wait until later in August to see the shoulder specialist. He ordered more tests and we saw the MRA’s and the MRI’s and you could see his bicep was still intact but had several frayed tears…and the rotator cuff was ok thank goodness! The Dr. was going to set up bicep surgery and Wild Bill was saying how much the back of his arm hurt too as well as he had two numb fingers on his right hand.

The Dr.’s eye brows went up and he said ok that is indicative of a neck issue. I want to send you to a nerve Dr. to do a nerve study…sure enough we heard his nerves screaming in agony in his neck on the nerve study and the next stop was the spine Dr….we saw him in early September.

Note: The above picture of WB was taken before his injury…and he was having fun!

Bill injured his neck July 20th…that is a very long time to live with the kind of nerve pain he was living with…but he did and we saw the Dr. who did another MRI on his neck and you could see the two vertebrae under the two that were fused 6 years ago, and a very distinct nerve under the bottom vertebrae looking pinched…surgery was scheduled for September 27th.

In the mean time I teased the heck out of him:) Imagine that! I have found that humor always helps:)

It was tough to have to wait as he was suffering intense pain..I have gone through a lot of surgeries but nothing like what WB went through. Nerve and bone pain is the worst pain you can have. I had lots of nerves involved in my surgeries but not bone…and yah nerve pain hurts and once it heals it is annoying…I get an itch and scratch but can not feel it….LOL:)

While we waited WB sat out on the patio with me in the evenings…we have not watched TV since last March…once the  time change happens with Spring Forward, I want to enjoy each hour of daylight. Winter is coming and it will be dark again at 4:00. During this time of the year I want to be in the middle of the glorious light and experience the clouds and feel the warmth. I love the evening light, the beauty all around us…seeing the wildlife, watching my horses, petting the dogs, counting the stars, hearing the crickets and frogs and just taking in all the wonderful country smells of summer and fall:)

 I love the colors of the sky during the magic hour each evening as the sun slowly sinks down to its bed for a good rest while the moon takes its place.

And if we’re lucky it will be a harvest moon that slowly peeks out at you.

And slowly rises over the hill across the road.

A shot of the log fence with our 10-12′ sagebrush that you see across the road in the background along Juniper Creek. We love our sagebrush and it is amazing when you stand in it as it truly is that tall. When I was growing up I spent hours over in the creek catching tadpoles and pretending various scenarios that always revolved around my horse and I…we played Annie Oakley or I was tracking buffalo or elk or cowboys and looking for the Native Americans:)

As September 27th drew closer we both became nervous. WB has only had two surgeries in his adult life…when they took him to surgery in 2006…I cried and could not stop. I took his clothes out to the car in the parking garage and was still trying to stuff my tears and emotions…and then I heard this beautiful music coming from somewhere or someones car. I looked around and did not see anyone…the music was a song I knew from church about God… how He loves us and will always watch over us…I knew then that WB was going to be ok and he was:)

This time when they took him to surgery I began to choke up and tear up trying to not let him see me doing that…it is so hard to see your loved one go to surgery as you feel helpless, worried and scared. Just as they began to take him through the swinging doors I noticed there was someone walking towards us down the hall…it was two of our best forever friends John and Tara…with big smiles. I grabbed the arm of the nurse to stop Bill’s gurney for just a minute so he could see them too. What a blessing it was for us that they came to be with us:) Having Tara spend the day with me was answer to prayer…she is a sister to me. And John, who is our family too, stayed to visit and encourage me before he left to join his wife for the day. John has been with us through lots of life stuff…God is very good:)

The surgery went well…as the Dr. lifted the bone off the nerve that was pinched, he said that even though WB was sleeping he let out a sigh of relief. Later when WB woke up in his room he said “Wow, my shoulder does not hurt anymore.” The Dr. also repaired the vertebrae using new bone and once they were done they attached a steel plate to the vertebrae with steel screws. The surgery was about three hours with almost two in recovery.

It is not an easy surgery or recovery. In 2006 they went in through the back of his neck and this time they went in from the front of his neck which involved moving the esophagus over to be able to get to the vertebrae. WB’s pain has been pretty intense the last week…he has three months to go before he is able to resume all his normal activities.

In the picture above right across from our house…see the joys of country living…dust gently hanging in the night air…drifting closer and feeling welcome enough to come into my house! It does add to the picture but darn it as I just dusted the house!

The first month of recovery is the toughest…the most he can lift is 5 pounds and he can not reach up over his head or reach to the sides or reach towards the floor etc. We have been home a week now…in fact they allowed us to go home that night about 9:00…I was Nervous Nurse Nellie…but it was good for him to be home and to sleep in our bed. And I have gotten into the role of being Nurse Nellie which means I give him his meds every 4-6 hours 24/7…and give him the stink eye when I see him doing something he should not do!

“Don’t worry WB, you will be perfectly fine…it just takes a bit of time to heal”. I love his smile:) Besides the surgical pain the hardest part right now is that he felt he would be further along after a week…this recovery stuff is all new to him yet…so I watch him like a hawk as he wants to do more but NOT now WB. I feel like a nag but he forgets and will start to bend over to reach for something and I say “No…Wild Bill, quit that”…then he looks at me like a little boy who was caught…it is hard for him to just rest and rest and rest and not feel guilty for resting. I remind him that yes I know…I had to be very good for six months after my year of surgeries…and it took me a good year to regain all my strength and energy back but I did and WB will too if I can keep him under house arrest:)

Melody says it will be ok WB…and do you happen to have one of those awesome Apple Berry Treats for me?

And Kiah loves you and says all will be fine Dad…now can I finish getting into your lap?

I have not fallen off the planet or quit blogging…just taking care of my hubby to get him well and healed back up:) Whenever I get the chance I head outside to capture pictures to share with you….which is a vacation for my mind and heart…I love the artistic part of me that gets fired up:) And I want to develop it more and more and more:)

I hope you have a wonderful Fall evening and weekend wherever you are…look around at the beauty that is all around you and smile:)

HRCG over and out for now!

Hot Rod Cowgirl Nominated For Three Awards! The Kreativ…Sunshiny and Lovely Awards!!!

26 Aug 2012 48 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Award, Hot Rod Cowgirl, Photography, Sunset Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hot Rod Cowgirl has been nominated for…Three Blog Awards!!!!

By three fellow bloggers that have outstanding blogs that I admire and enjoy reading! I am humbled and hugely honored:)

Ann Novek nominated me for The Lovely Blogger Award…she has a fantastic blog filled with information on animals, her travels and incredible photos. You will enjoy the educational articles she posts and her photography with heart…go to her blog at http://havehest.wordpress.com/

Renee nominated me for The Sunshine Blogger Award. She lives in New Zealand and so does our son…I enjoy seeing her photos and hearing about life in NZ. She has lots of wonderful images and incredible scenery that she shares…I love her blog at  http://randpphotoalbums.wordpress.com/

Vivian nominated me for The Kreativ Blogger Award….she has an incredible blog and amazing pictures of the America West and the Nevada Desert.  You will enjoy her thoughts and views of life and the amazing photography of truly beautiful landscapes that she captures…I too love the desert…go take a look at http://godguidesme.com/

Minnie wanted to say “Hi”…she is sunning herself on one of her favorite Navajo rugs:)

I will try to combine the rules for these three awards below:)

Oooppps a picture from my barn snuck in there…snaffle bits…lots of them:)

The rules in accepting these three wonderful awards:

1.Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.

2.List seven random things about yourself.

3.Nominate 10 other blogs that you admire and enjoy.

4.Notify the nominees.

5.Display the award logo on your blog.

Thank you Vivian for nominating me for The Kreativ Blogger Award…

I love unique awards…you made my day full of kreativness and fun:)

Renee, thank you for choosing my blog for The Sunshine Blog Award…

It is such a bright award…you brought me sunshine and bright smiles:)

Ann thank you for choosing my blog for The Lovely Blog Award…

A beautiful award…my day was filled with beauty all around me:)

Seven Random Things About Hot Rod Cowgirl:

1. I try hard to be organized most of the time…other times I look organized but I stuffed all the clutter in the closet…and it is waiting for me…ugh!

2. I love Western Art…Karmel Timmons, Shoefly and several western artists…antique western art…and landscapes. I am drawn to black and white prints as well as good color that depicts reality…you can tell if they have been there and done that…that is why I fell in love with Karmel Timmons…I have several of her prints:)

3. I look to the positive in life instead of the negative…the glass is half full…instead of half empty!

4. I enjoy planting flowers in various containers…barrels and pots and anything that I can find around the ranch that is interesting…I love perennials and interesting color schemes. My favorite color combo is red, purple, yellow and white.

5. I prefer jeans all year long except for capris in the summer…if it is hot…and if it is super hot and I am in the house I will wear shorts…but still prefer jeans!

6. I enjoy camping in the mountains and at the beach…I love packing into the high country as it is truly a different world at 9500’…the sky is a different color and the air is clear…the flowers and vegetation are different as well…it is beautiful to capture images in crystal clear air and light with incredible shots of a different world!

7. I love cowgirl jewelery such as silver…conchos…turquiose…I like to get gussied up with my Old Gringos boots…concho belts…lots of silver and cowgirl class.

Questions About Me: From The Sunshine Blogger Award

Favorite Number: 7

Favorite Non-Alchoholic Drink: Diet Coke with Fresh Lemon

Facebook or Twitter: Facebook but do not update it enough

My Passion: My husband Wild Bill…God Above…Horses…My Animals…Photography…Writing…Heritage

Favorite Pattern: Western Patterns…Native Designs

Favorite Day Of The Week: Sunday

Favorite Flower: Gardenias…Roses…All Of Them!!!

Kreativ Blogger Award Nominees Are:

1. http://theblondecoyote.com/

2. http://catfromhell.wordpress.com/

3. http://bentehaarstad.wordpress.com/

4. http://gobakeyourself.wordpress.com/

5. http://westeastern.me/

6. http://donkeywhispererfarm2010.wordpress.com/

7. http://timetobeinspired.wordpress.com/

8. http://thebeefjar.com/

9. http://throughmylens365.wordpress.com/

10. http://tracielouisephotography.net/

Moving on to the next category of nominees…I LOVE my car:)

For The Lovely Bloggers Award:

1.http://wheniride.wordpress.com/

2.http://ske-daddle.com/

3.http://lifeintheblueridges.wordpress.com/

4.http://visitstothepark.wordpress.com/

5.http://happycatgirl.wordpress.com/

6.http://lookingatthewest.com/

7.http://nokotahorse.wordpress.com/

8. http://equineclarity.wordpress.com/

9.http://seeingspotsphoto.wordpress.com/

10.http://passionforcats.wordpress.com/

And another beautiful shot of Lola:)

The nominees for The Sunshine Blogger Award Are:

1. http://clayzmama.com/

2. http://50yearproject.wordpress.com/

3. http://sugardishme.com/

4. http://myhmmmcollection.wordpress.com/

5. http://appropriatelyfrayed.wordpress.com/

6. http://awindowintothewoods.com/

7. http://brettlerickson.wordpress.com/

8. http://postcardsfromcolorado.wordpress.com/

9. http://farmerstrophywife.com/

10. http://lookingatthewest.com/

Go take a look at all of these blogs as they are truly wonderful…I admire them very much! Congratulations to all the nominees!!!

Minnie say “Congratulations to all of you:) It is now high time that my Mom gets off the blankety blank computer…I’m getting slightly annoyed and cranky…it is my turn and that means lap time and nap time…meowsie till next time:)”

Lets keep going forward with our cameras and our words, as we explore our lives with the images  we capture and the thoughts we ponder on this journey of life:)

Sky Paintings…Created By God…Captured By Hot Rod Cowgirl

12 Aug 2012 46 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Hot Rod Cowgirl, Photography, Sunrise, Sunset Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A few nights ago I had the chance to capture one of God’s incredible sunsets that we are blessed with out here in Juniper Canyon.

Sky Painting By God

We have a very artistic and creative God full of beauty and grace, as He paints the sky with…

Hot Rod Cowgirl

 Ever changing colors of golden orange, rusty reds, majestic purples, shades of blue  and glimmering gold.

And with a stroke of His hand…

He creates a burnished beauty in the luminous evening sky above.

And in the blink of an eye He changes it with magical colors of pinks and blues adding ethereal light.

Enchanted inspiration stirs my creative spirit…

As I stand in awe on a warm summer night.

Beauty that can only come from “Heaven” above:)

As the sky was on fire…

Ever Changing…

Moments of wonder and divine creativity….times in our lives when we can’t help but stop and take notice of the beauty around us that God has masterfully brushed into our lives. Watching a gorgeous sunset with magical light and color that fills your soul with wonder…as we create our own moments to remember.

I love summer evenings, when the first stars come out, the warm glow of sunset still stains the rim of the canyon, while yet coloring the western sky.

The moon was visible for this shot, a pale white globe, while the sun slowly sets on another incredible summer night in Juniper Canyon.

Sunset

If you look around you…you will see the creative gifts of God…the artistic beauty of His love for us is everywhere:)

Happy Sunday!

The Mighty Columbia River Gorge Of Oregon…Round Two!

23 Jul 2012 18 Comments

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

As  side note…if you click on my photos they will enlarge so you can see them better if you choose.

Last weekend we attended our niece’s wedding in the small town of Carson, WA.

This was our view out the window in our very classy hotel room…we loved seeing the green trees and the mountains cloaked with weather…and hey…there is the Columbia River!

We stayed at Skamania Lodge…in Stevenson, WA. I highly recommend it…they have spa services and excellent restaurants for small snacks, as well as nice dinners or maybe just a relaxing sandwich at noon…we missed out on their Sunday Brunch which is famous for the food and atmosphere…next time WB. They offer a golf course, swimming and lots of great trails to hike that are mapped out from easy to difficult.

When we walked into our suite and saw the view…we instantly relaxed:)

Looking back across the Columbia River towards Cascade Locks, OR. The bridge you see is called “The Bridge Of The Gods”…it is one of the many bridges that crosses the Columbia River into either Oregon or Washington.

Looking East towards home for us…the Columbia River is a river that you respect as it is wide, deep and fast-moving. We have boated on it lots as our ranch is only about 30 miles from it…being able to make a quick drive to the river during the hot summers always appeals to you…I love boating, as long as the boat is big enough to ride out the waves with a V-Hull!

It was truly beautiful to see our niece look so very happy…you know without a doubt they are soul mates…like WB and me:)

Before we knew it, time passed quickly and it was time to head home. We decided to travel home on the Washington side of the river until The Dalles, where we crossed another bridge to reach the I-84 freeway…seeing the river from both sides is worth it, as the views on each side are vastly different.

We had quite a bit of wind on the way home and look who is out on the river…the windsurfers…they pray for windy days like this!

They fly across the river with the wind…they are true athletes and fun to watch…often we see 100’s of them on our trips down the Gorge to Portland.

I am enjoying the view but, I would not care to be on the water with the white caps…as you can see the wind is blowing pretty good…and about perfect for the windsurfers!

I was standing down there on the concrete deck when WB took my picture.

Looking West…pretty view huh?

One more view of the Gorge Wind and my flaming red hair!!! What a great hair styling job…ala natural…which I love anyway:)

Another stop for photos…we are getting closer to The Dalles and home…

The closer we travel to our neck of the woods…the Columbia Basin of Eastern Oregon…Cowboy Country…Let Er’ Buck…Yee-Haw…the less trees and green. Western Oregon receives several inches of rain a year, where we usually have around 9-10″ a year…we are on the dry side of Oregon.

Crossing back over the Columbia at The Dalles Damn…tried to grab a quick shot of the spillway…could not talk WB into stopping in the middle of the bridge so I could take pictures…geesh…he said something about cops and mumble mumble…hmmm?

And then we drove on another 100 miles into Eastern Oregon…to our home…to the North Country of Juniper Canyon…into wheat country:)

As far as you can see wheat fields…that are almost ready for the harvest of 2012!

Once we were home we had lots of petting and loves for all our animals, as they missed us…our dogs are so protective of us but so sweet to us too:)

And our horses came over to see us as soon as we pulled in the driveway…it is funny that they know the car…

And the real “Boss!” I know she missed us….right?

“Minnie….I missed you!”

Minnie said back to me “Oh sure…what am I chopped liver? Going to see the dogs first…hurumph!”

And then she took pity on me as I love her very much…”Well ok…just this once I will forgive you about the dang dogs!”

“But do not let it happen again Mom…”

“Ok already Mom….I am so glad you are home:)”  Me too Kitty Girl…my Min-Min Kitty Angel:)

We had only been home for a short time when the incredible clouds rolled in for a rock and roll thunder storm…

The summer of 2012 has gone down in history with different weather and clouds such as these…

Reminds me of Wyoming weather and not Eastern Oregon where for the most part we have mild weather…with four seasons.

It keeps it interesting and keeps me grabbing my camera trying to capture the strange weather…how about you…is your weather odd this year too or is it just here that it is a bit crazy?

Hope you have a great week! Enjoy your summer with warm days and magical nights! Find time to relax and take it all in as summer will be gone before we know it!

Harvest Traditions and Family Heritage In Juniper Canyon

08 Jul 2012 77 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Hot Rod Cowgirl, Landscapes, Lifestyles, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The smell of the wheat is in the air tonight…that smell speaks to my heart and soul:) It is a smell you never forget…much like a cattle truck pulling up to the barn or corrals to load out cattle or deliver cattle…I can hear the trucks as I write…familiar sounds…smells…memories that bring comfort as…

Times past speak softly to me of heritage and family…traditions and hard work.

My heart can hear the sounds of my families history…the sounds of the horses pulling the combine…with the men it took to run it…dry dusty hot days for man and animal alike.

Before the farmer had a truck to haul the wheat into the elevator he had men who would sew the sacks of wheat shut…can you imagine harvesting thousands of acres and having to put the kernels into gunny sacks and then sew them shut…then you loaded your wagon and went to the elevator to unload the sacks of wheat…often driving your team of horses with the wagon several miles to reach the elevator.

My Dad remembered having to take the wagon loaded with sacks of wheat to Vansycle Elevator which is 8 miles away…16 miles round trip…he said it would take the day to take one wagon and the horses or mules would be exhausted when you reached home…all of Grandpa’s horses and mules were very well cared for and loved…they had to do their job but they were cared for. Dad used to come here to the barn (our barn is older than our house) and ride some of the work horses bareback…he spoke often of the various ones he remembered…Grandpa kept around 80 head.

Today we have semi trucks with double trailers hauling wheat out of Juniper Canyon…night and day.

Heading on down the road to the Columbia River…

Where the kernels of Juniper Wheat are loaded onto a barge…and they begin the journey to feed the world:)

Self leveling combines…hillside machines…can you see how the combine is leaning a bit…it is leveling itself.

This photo is better so that you can see how the combine keeps itself level rather than leaning…I heard that most farmers do not buy the combines with the automatic levelers anymore due to the price…

Wild Bill is showing how the leveler works as he is touching the spout. I could not imagine not having the machine level as we have some really steep hillsides!

Here is an older picture of the land when we farmed it…sorry this is a scanned image before digital…the house complex is our home and the green fields are the wheat crop of that year…see the road over in the dirt?

That is WB’s air strip for his plane…looks cool sitting in the wheat…actually it is on the strip.

Tucker is hiding in the grass…she follows me everywhere keeping an eye on me:)

Soon farm families will once again put in long days to bring the wheat crop in…as has been done for over a 150 years.

150 years of country strong…we dig deep when it comes to toughing it out.

And if the going gets tough…the tough get tougher:)

No matter how hard!

Harvest is a time of hard-working families working together for the same reason…the goal to get the crop in…harvest is like gathering cattle with my Dad in the mountains…we shared our work effort together to round-up the cows and that is what makes memories and heritage!

It is the working together and sacrificing…and harvest time is a sacrifice…husbands leave the house before sun up and come home when it is dark…often putting in 18 plus hour days in the heat of harvest.

I grew up driving wheat truck through my high school years with my other cousins…then after WB and I married, my Mom taught me (no this picture is not of Mom and me…more like my Grandma and Great Grandmother) the tradition of cooking a large lunch for our men and the crew. While it was a lot of work to cook a huge meal by 1:00 each day it was my family…I came to enjoy hearing about what had happened in the field and then all the joking and funny times too…I felt very much part of the harvest crew and was always sad when they finished the fields around our ranch moving on to the fields around my Aunt and Uncles homes.

Food was in abundance when the crew came in for their hour lunch break…we had home cooked meals with meat, potatoes, gravy, salad, vegetables and desert…and home made ice tea…no not sun tea or tea made by a tea maker…real deal tea!

Here is the recipe:

Get a small sauce pan and fill with cold water…buy Lipton Black Tea…loose leaves….put 2-3 heaping tablespoons in the pan and boil…then cool it and strain out the leaves…dump the tea water into a gallon jug and fill with ice-cold water and ice and you have real ice tea…all the good caffeine and antioxidents…and so refreshing!

Harvest skies and harvest heritage…have a good night wherever you are! HRC has her eye on the land…will post new pictures as soon as harvest begins….stay tuned…I keep hearing the song Country Strong going through my head…in fact I am going to go listen to it now!

Country Strong

I know you see me, like some wide-eyed dreamer
That just rolled in, off a dusty Midwest bus
Yeah on the outside, Hallowed fragile
But on the inside something you can’t crush

I’m Country Strong, hard to break
Like the ground, I grew upon
You may fool me, and I’ll fall 
But I won’t stay down long 
‘cause I’m Country Strong

I have weathered, colder winters
And longer summers, without a drop of rain 
Push me in a corner and I’ll come out fightin’
I may lose but I’ll always keep my face

‘Cause I’m Country Strong, hard to break
Like the ground, I grew upon,
You may fool me, and I’ll fall 
But I won’t stay down long, 
‘cause I’m Country Strong

Spooky And Stupendously Spectacular!!!

25 Jun 2012 61 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Hot Rod Cowgirl, Landscapes, Photography, Storms, Weather Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wild Bill and I decided last Saturday that we need to get more of our outside projects done…I would mow yards and deal with weeds etc. while he uses the trencher to dig a trench for the new pipe for the new well…as you can see in the picture below it is quite a process.

We have 2000′ feet of new pipe to install for the house, shop, barn, irrigation etc…it is a huge job with trenching, running the backhoe as needed, and laying the new pipe and fittings etc.!

As I was finishing up the mowing I looked up on top of the hill behind our house and saw these ominous black clouds drifting in overhead.

There was no doubt that a storm was imminent…I got WB’s attention and pointed towards them…then I ran into the house to grab my camera!

Why is it that when I see clouds like this that I think of ET or Jabba The Hut???

I couldn’t seem to fit the incredible clouds into my lens…the cloud cover was massive and I knew I had a short window of time to capture the magnitude of the storm…I needed to get as far back as I could!

Finally I ran hard down into the pasture across the road and I captured this photo…you can see how the clouds were transforming the blue sky into night…at 2:00 in the afternoon!

Ok Toto this is not looking good…HRCG get your buns back to the house!

The storm slowed to a stand still overhead…something was going to happen as I could feel the temps dropping from warm to cold…which was an odd feeling.

I ran back to the front porch…whew…pant-pant…whew. Running is not my thing…walking fast is good or riding a horse!

I could feel a brisk breeze on my face as the air got colder and the dark clouds began to turn white.

And then the heavens opened and all hail broke loose!

Thankfully the hail began to turn to rain within a few minutes…heavy rain where you could almost not see through it like a fog…we actually got 1/4″ in 10 minutes!

By late afternoon we were back to life is good in Juniper Canyon…blue skies with the sun shining and birds singing…I could not help but break out into song:)

The hills are alive,
With the sound of music
With songs they have sung
For a thousand years

As the day slowly ended, God blessed us with one of His beautiful sunsets…I never grow tired of seeing all the incredible colors of nature and the world God created all around us:)

Buck says the day ended well:)

Minnie says…hmmmm…ok well kiss my stripes…why…no reason…remember I am the “Cat” and my goal is to keep you guessing:) I know Minnie Mouse and I loves you lots!

With that said…follow your heart…take along your forever friends and family…they will keep an eye out for you as they travel along with you…they are your heart and a blessing from God to your life:)

Wishing you a Sunny and Shinny Day:) Happy Monday wherever you are!

Whoa…Slow Down…Summer Times A Flying!

13 Jun 2012 35 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Clouds, Farm House, Hot Rod Cowgirl, Minnie, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I know I know I need to do a post about life here instead of awards….I am sorry to be so dang slow!!!

We have been busy busy with the house remodeling job and doing all the various summer chores….

Wild Bill was taking a picture of me mowing the yard…a country yard is sort of dirty work…out here we do not have manicured yards as we have various visitors such as gophers or critters that dig holes and then when you are innocently mowing the yard you accidentally hit a dirt mound and poof:)

It seems the days fly by and here it is almost half way through June!!!

Yikes I want summer to slow down and stay for as long as possible with warm sunny days:)

With this post I would like to show you how the old house has changed over the years. This is a picture of my parents right before they got married in 1939…when they returned from their honeymoon, Grandpa moved them into the house here in Juniper Canyon…where we still live today.

The house has changed the last 100 years, but it started out like this in 1920…with a full basement and the upstairs. It was a typical white clapboard farm house…built really good as it is very solid. When they poured the concrete for the basement they poured it deep…and the wood they used for the structure was solid good stuff as Grandpa spared no expense as he wanted the best for his Mother. This picture would have been in the 1950’s…about 35 years after the house was built. I think that is my Dad on the tractor on the left, he is moving dirt in prepping the site for the concrete patio…and I think that is one of my uncles off to the right.

Fast forward to 2007…the patio runs the whole side of the house wrapping around to the front porch. The yellow siding was added to the house by my parents in the 1970’s…the windows were changed out in the 1950’s the first time and eventually replaced with storm windows. In 1980 we moved into the house as  Mom was tired of the stairs…she wanted a one level newer house. I was delighted as I loved growing up in the house…it was home to me. Over the years Wild Bill and I have done various remodels and upkeep to the house.

This year it was time for some major upkeep remodeling with a new roof, new siding, a floor upstairs and revamping our master bedroom and re-doing the concrete patio…along with a new well and all new water pipe to the house etc. This was about a month ago…we have the new roof on and the old siding off.

We added blow in insulation to the outside walls and roof…and then they wrapped the house with insulation…so we have double insulation now and I can tell the difference already!

We chose a Hardie Plank Red Cedar siding as it matches our log fence and also the cedar bat and board shop. I love how it came out!!!  The garage doors need to be painted yet…and we still have to re-do the patio.

Oh my the patio…I roller skated on this patio…had lots of birthdays on it…swam in my swimming pools over the years on it and have loved it…still do today as we live out there during the summer. Our contractor feels they have to tear out the concrete on the side of the house and re-pour it….it has aged a lot the last ten years and it is time to address that too. Ok Minnie…you and me need to head to the high country as this will be very noisy!

Ms. Melody is not impressed either…she is down at the barn…good water and nice stall but….she wants her old stall back right outside my window at the house…when we drilled for water it was in her old stall so I had no choice but to move her to the barn for a while….its ok Mel…we love you lots and we are setting up new stalls for you, Buck and Annie close to the house:)

Me and Mel when she was three a few years ago…first night she spent here after I brought her home. She is a very social horse:)

I will update photos over the next few days to show you what we have done inside the house too:) This is the new floor upstairs…it is Acacia Wood and I love it!

And Ms. Minnie Mouse says “Remodeling stinks…why Mom does this I do not know…of course I am the cat…and I know where it is at…my name is Minnie Mouse and I am the Queenie of the House…Humph!”

We have had several beautiful sunsets….with intense and incredible colors!

Lots of weird but beautiful clouds…

Funky ones of every kind:)

And then there was this big boy…it seemed like it was sitting on us…it was just beginning to rain a bit when I got this picture.

But then it did this and the day ended beautifully once again here in Juniper Canyon…ahhhh.

Minnie had a good day too as she had a nice sun bath before it rained…whew:)

Have a good night wherever you are:) Minnie says “Bye for now:)”

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