Burning Brush

I have a touch of pyromania in me. I love it when it is time to burn the brush piles on the farm. This year, thanks to a pad for an oil well and a pipeline going through the pasture, there were unusually large piles to burn. Ryder and I stayed a fair distance away, and he copped a squat in the bucket of the tractor. Little man will do anything to be touching a tractor.

Still More Goats

We spend a lot of time at the farm, and there are a lot of goats. Stands to reason there would be a lot of photos/videos of goats.

Loading feed in the car

Chasing babies

Three generations of goat ranchers

Pics That Make Me Smile

I love both these photos. I have them saved on my phone and look at them whenever I need a smile.

Captive Audience

We turned Ryder's bed from a crib into a big-boy bed ... which doesn't matter much at night time as he still doesn't sleep in it, but it does make it easier to get in and out of when you are trying to read a good book.

Or jump off it.

Oklahoma Camping

We had some bad storms in the area Wednesday night and made our first trip to the tornado shelter. Ryder thought it was fun, I think he thought we were camping.

He crawled around on the cold concrete floor and messed around with the lantern. He watched his DVD player and messed around with his cows. He wasn't scared at all, if we could have had a fire down there I'm sure he would have asked for s'mores!

Warmer Weather, FINALLY

Ryder always makes it a point to say goodbye to each group of animals as we are driving away. I can only think they respond with a "Good Riddance"!

Park Time

The last time Ryder and I went to the park, he clug to my neck and wouldn't go on the slide or swing without me. He has come a long way in the last year, and he was very upset when it was time to leave.

Books by Gramma Jill

I love it when mom reads to me. I like just about any story, but I have always liked Dr. Seuss the best. And this isn't just an ancient memory from when I was a wee tot ...

I remember visiting book stores when I was in college and handing mom Cat in the Hat and asking her to read it to me in the store. People looked at us a little funny, but I didn't care. I just love the way she reads it.

For Christmas mom gave Ryder and I each a recorder. Mine has recordings of her reading a variety of things (grown-up things) and Ryder's has her reading Dr. Seuss stories. This is hands down one of the favorite gifts I have ever received, and most especially now that she is so far away. I like being able to hear her voice anytime I want, and Ryder loves when Gramma Jill reads him a story.

He carries his recorder around like it is a cell phone, and he even talks back to Gramma once in a while.

I find myself smiling every time I hear her read the Cat in the Hat to Ryder, and I know he will grow up having the same great memories of her reading to him that I have. 

Baby Goats

There is nothing cuter than a baby goat. Nothin' ...

I Play Tractors

Ryder's new response for everything is "I play tractors". It is the first thing out of his mouth when he wakes up, and the words we hear through his tears when it is time to go to bed. He is into his hay bales, and often loads them up in the back of his truck and off he goes to "feed moos". Every night we clear the coffee table of tractors, and every morning he gets all of them out again. On any given day if you drop by, the living room would look like an implement dealership.

 I wonder what he wants to be when he grows up?