Melancholy Summer Day

Nothing quite says 'summer' to me as well as a freshly picked, crisp cucumber, sliced thin on thick, chewy whole wheat bread slathered with mayo. Yum. As I eat this sandwich I contemplate just how blessed I am. I don't deserve it. But I will take it with thanksgiving just the same.

It has been a while since I've posted. Just haven't been in the mood I guess and life has been busy with gardening, animals to tend, and guests coming and going. In Mark's case, he has had a lot of firewood to deliver, plus he also spent a week backbacking along the Pacific Crest Trail in the Marble Mountains with a troop of boyscouts. Good times, all of it.

But yesterday dawned melancholy and I have wallowed in it a bit. Savoring feeling; experiencing tears for no real reason except that they exist and I am alive. And blessed to live in an incredible place with a wonderful man surrounded by all my adoring animals. It is good to be queen! But serioiusly though, there are so many in the world who life doesn't smile so brightly on. I cry for them. And for my friends who have lost loved ones this year and for all of the 'wrong' things in the world. Well, at least the ones I am aware of. It doesn't do a bit of good to cry over these things, but it makes me feel better somehow. Weird as that sounds.

This morning I read a quote that sort of sums up my thoughts on this melancholy summer day. It is by one of my very favorite authors, Madeleine L'Engle. She is writing about the irrationality the damage a tornado has done.

I couldn't stop myself from asking, Why the old apple tree? Why the grand maples? Why did the twister skip the ancient willow, fading with age, or a sapling which wasn't doing well, and attack the strongest and healthiest trees? If the tornado wasn't consciously evil, it was still evil.

I wrestle with these questions which do not have logical answers, wrestle with mysteries, much as Jocob wrestled with the angel. How do we even attempt to understand the meaning of tempest and tragedy, love and hate, violence and peace?

I stuggle, and as always when I struggle to find the truth of something, I turn to story for illumination. And, as I grapple with the angels of difficult questions, I think of Jacob who saw a ladder of angels, reaching from earth to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending, linking heaven and earth, the creation to the Creator, not separated from each other, but participating in each other. Delight. At-one-ment.

For God is beyond all our forensic thinking. God is Love.

And this is more than enough.

An Afternoon Visit to the Ranch

The three caballeros enjoying a soak in the wood fired hot tub after a busy afternoon.....

digging 'tators,

swinging,

riding Tono double, "look, no hands",

Noah riding solo,

Abe all by himself on Charlie,

Caleb on the trail,

and riding the range,

and more Sequoyah love.

You boys come back now, ya hear!

Love at First Kiss

This young lady came visiting the ranch with her family and stopped to enjoy some Sequoyah love. He is the sweetest little colt. After this photo was taken by the young lady's mom and after her sister did some cuddling and petting of the herd as well we headed back up to the house. Soon we all turned when we heard a plaintive little neigh and the pitter patter of baby hooves. Sequoyah was leaving the herd and following! That is the first time he has ever done this. I think it was love at first kiss.

Adopt a Horse or a Goat?

This little 2 year old filly got her butt kicked. Literally. She is beat up and all alone. We originally found her down on the county dirt road, all by herself and not budging. She couldn't or wouldn't put any weight on her right hind leg. Thought maybe it was fractured. Neighbors all pulled together and we tried to trailer her, but she was too wobbly and weak. For 2 days we fed her and watered her on the road. We put buckets out as markers, so anybody coming up the road would be going slow. She eventually moved back up the road into her territory. She is hiding in the trees and I am still feeding and watering her. She is beginning to move better and I am hopeful that her leg isn't fractured. No swelling, no heat and she is now putting weight on it, a little. Enough to hobble around.
She also has an older wound. It looks nasty, but it is really ok. Too late now for stitches, it will heal with a lovely battle scar. Her owner was away on vacation when all of this happened. He feels terrible about it. He has offered me the horse for free or told me I could place her at a good home. If you've got a good home, give it some consideration. She needs some TLC.

On another note, Flower had her babies almost 2 weeks ago. Somehow, in all of our busyness I haven't posted about it. Two little boy goats delivered without any fuss. Flower is an excellent mother. I wanted to make Flower my milk goat and she has plenty of milk to spare, but so far I haven't been successful. I need a little milking stand or something. She doesn't think she should share her milk with me. What nerve! These next two shots were taken this morning. Kidd A:

Kidd B:
It looks like Kidd B already knows how to have a little 'tude! They are sure cute. I am trying to not get too attached. I haven't gentled them. I haven't named them. They might someday be dinner! Or brush eaters. They can't really be more pets. We have so many pets. I really mustn't add them to my collection. I mustn't, I mustn't ..... Sure is hard.

Here is the proud papa. He is a fine billy goat. I really like him, but would be willing to share him with someone else in Humboldt if they need their goats bred. My husband originally found him on Craig's list for free and we decided we would pass him on when his time of romancing Flower was done. Any takers? He is kind, never aggressive, although Mark swears his smell is aggressive! There is something wrong with my nose, I guess, because I can't smell him. Not much anyway. :-)

If you live in Humboldt, or a neighboring county, and would like the filly or the goat send us an email at: mtchapman@starband.net

Three Falls and Coyote

Check out this native american story about how the falls came to be. The perspective in the photo is one we've not shown before either. Cool.

Happy 4th of July!

The sign we recieved joyfully at Christmas is up and newly decorated with a flag for the Fourth of July!

Here is the man that made it all happen. Brian has adopted the ranch and boy are we thankful. He made the sign (with a little help from some friends), found us some FREE telephone poles, came out and put the poles in, and then hung the sign. What a guy. We love him.

"hmmm? how to get the sign way up there?"

A bucket with a view, of course.

April is going to kill me for posting this photo, but I just couldn't resist. Recently, while Mark and I were galavanting down south, these two took care of the ranch and all its critters and they also got engaged!!!! Two engagements on the ranch in one year is pretty cool. Romance is definately in the air. Congratulation you two. We love you both and appreciate all you do for us and this land. May God richly bless your union.