THE SKOOG FARM JOURNAL

WHITE GREEN WHITE WHITE WHITE

2012-01-29T19:50:00.001-05:00

Chalk up one more beautiful sunrise.

That was taken at 7:30. No more green showing.

Gary helped me with chores.

A dusting of snow and grey skies.

Around 11 it really started to snow.

This is the farm across the street where Harley and Dancer live. Took the picture through our living room window.

Jenny arrived at 11:45 and we were off to the movies.

Many years ago, one of the people in Gary's coffee group at Java started reading the books by this author...Janet Evanovich. Pretty soon they were passed around...Gary, Steph, Jen and I read them. I think there are about 18 or 19 so far. Quick reads...funny and entertaining (not what you would call heavy duty literature).

Anyway, Jenny wanted us to go see a movie made from the first in the Stephanie Plum series...

"One For The Money." We did and it was fun. The selection of actors for the various parts was perfect. A lot of laughs and I did not leave with a stomach ache. One thing I HATED!!!!! was the volume for the previews. (It makes me not want to go back).

After going to the early matinee, we went out for lunch and got home around 3:30.

Chores at 5:15.

Gary had a 7pm meeting at the college and I watched "Mama Mia."

By then it was snowing pretty hard again.

Let's see what tomorrow brings.... Phoebe and Gucci are going to the groomers.

Night all.

SUNDAY STILLS-NATURE'S FRAMES

2012-01-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

This challenge is to get something framed by nature. Trees making a frame over a stream, a branch making a fork around the moon…nature does a lot of this if we’ll just open our eyes and look.

To see other shots of nature's frames, click on Sunday Stills in my sidebar.

OK, IT'S TIME TO GET BACK IN SOME KIND OF GROOVE....

2012-01-28T19:34:00.001-05:00

Red sky in morning....take warning

Tonight there was a wind advisory...

Even tho it was mildish and grey and muddy and raining and snowing....

I'm going to ignore it.

Gary helped with chores before his 11 o'clock brunch at the college. He was the guest speaker at the College at Brockport 26th Annual Football Awards Banquet, where he has been sponsoring the MVP award for years (and this year Coach Salomone invited him to do more).

Seymour was following me around when I was out in the side pasture.

The tulips Sally brought the other day have really opened up....they add a lot of light to the kitchen.

It must be the growing season....the Fiddle Leaf Fig plant has lots of new growth. Before I retired from teaching in 1999 I was given a huge plant...so big (over 6 feet tall) I ended up putting it in my classroom. Eventually it had to come to the farm where it lived for over 10 years (must have been around for at least 25). Before it knuckled under I was able to start a new plant from the old one. Here it is, getting ready for a spurt. As you have probably noticed, I am a real fan of greenery.

And Cloudia (over in Hawaii)....3 birds have hatched and I decided to give them names.

Maui

Oahu

and Honolulu....lulu for short. Two more on the way. What should I call them.

Drumming today. We had a full house.

Clyde was back from Brazil and Claire brought a guest from Germany. There must have been
at least 14 of us.

Khalid gave us a real workout, and I am happy to say I was able to keep up.

We were really on a roll. Perhaps that will motivate me to get back to my old self. One of the drummers has been reading my Journal and wondered what the heck was going on.

Stopped at Weggies on the way home. It was snowing like crazy.

When I got back to the farm...nothing but wind.

Went out to do the chores and it was really blowing.

No cooking tonight. 2 Six Dollar Meals from you know where.

Made a salad and we were good to go.

Time to go hang out by the fire.

Night all.

BANANAGRAMS....

2012-01-27T22:20:00.001-05:00

Woke up to a foggy morning.

Jill and Chester were helping with chores.

Another dull and rainy day.

One more bird hatched this morning with three more on the way.

This is the new one. Maybe I should give these birds names.....

My afternoon was not too exciting....lunch, laundry....

Out to do evening chores at 5:15. The girls blankets were a wreck, so I took them off for the night and put on some others.

Hurried so I could get in for a quick shower.

Meeting friends at Stephen's Loft for dinner.

We were seated at Tina and Roger's table....ha ha.

All had salads and my pictures were blurry.

Two of us had stuffed pork loin with a dijon and raisin sauce.

Christine had the Vegetable Stack.

Gary had Chicken Cordon Blue....Steve sure knows how to make some spectacular sauces.

No room for dessert. (All homemade by Steve).

Afterward we went over to Bill's to play a quick game of Bananagrams. Never heard of it.

It's a word game...kind of like scrabble.

Had to look up some words in the dictionary to make sure they were legit.

Home by 9:30.

Night all.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY

2012-01-27T09:19:00.000-05:00

There is so much fog this morning (end of January in western New York!!!!) who can see the sky?

To see more beautiful skies from around the world, click on SkyWatch in my sidebar.

A LITTLE ACTIVITY....

2012-01-26T21:40:00.001-05:00

Jill and Chester arrived at 7:30 to help with chores.

He really seems to enjoy hanging out in the barn.

Mild and grey....rain on the way.

When we finished the stalls, went out and picked the pastures. As you can see, we got a dusting of snow...our winter merry go round.

Decided to get my butt out of the house today...met Sally and Judy down at Java for lunch.

What else? My favorite sandwich in the whole wide world...a Greek Panini with a salad on the side. Sally had one too. Judy went for a bowl of mushroom soup. Everything was outstanding.

We gabbed for a couple of hours and I invited them for pasta tonight.

Made the sauce, then started on a pie.

Had some rhubarb in the frig (from our garden). Annette...you should have a pretty good batch this summer.

I prefer a crumbly top instead of crust.

Out to do chores at 5:15. The girls were ready to get in out of the weather. Of course after it rained they all rolled in the indoor.

Here's Sidney's feed room set up.

He only has 4 choices of where he should sleep.

Dinner was served at 6:45.

Whenever I make spags, Sally and Judy are on the guest list.

Judy brought a salad and wine...

Sally brought some rolls and the beautiful tulips you will see below.

We had a lot of laughs tonight.

Judy did not know I made a pie and brought these fabulous little tarts.

I sent them home with pie so Gary and I don't eat it all.

And to cheer us all up....the tulips.....

I'm going to hit the couch and watch "Julie and Julia"...Jill brought it over this morning.

Night all.

THE BLAHS...

2012-01-25T19:09:00.001-05:00

Just another nondescript morning...grey, mildish.

On my own for chores.

Got down to chorus by 10 (we meet at the Senior Center). They were selling cookies made by some of the Seniors. Of course I had to buy some. Our rehearsal was a bit frustrating to our director, but we improved as the session went on. Afterward, one of the local restaurants provided a lunch that about 70 people enjoyed. Two bucks! The Senior Association picked up the rest of the tab. They like to have special meals on Chorus Day so we will support them.

Funny story about these two bottles. They are glass and I bought them yesterday so we could take water in them to chorus. I'm not a fan of plastic so they really fit the bill. Duh! Recognize what they are? For vinegar and oil. But guess what...you just pull out the stopper and they are better than any plastic bottle.

So here's what we had for lunch....

a salad, lasagna, green beans and a roll. Forgot to take a picture of the cake we had for dessert.

The price was right. Unfortunately, my stomach was not too happy when I got home. Have a feeling the salad had some of that stuff they put on the lettuce to keep it from browning. I can always tell when they do that in a restaurant. No cabbage soup for me tonight!!!!

Not very motivated this afternoon. Went out to do chores at 5:15 and the girls were happy to see me.

This crazy winter has kept me in a funk. Could it be the barometric pressure changes?

Night all.

DREARY....

2012-01-24T19:53:00.000-05:00

I read blogs from all over the place and am amazed at how many locations have experienced this crazy weather. Today, it was pretty ugly here. Darkish from the get go.

For the first time, Jill brought Chester to the barn during chores. What a sweet boy. Phoebe and Gucci (who give some lip to new dogs on the property) were very accepting of his presence. After the horses were let out, we closed the front doors to the barn and he was able to check out every corner.

If you don't know about Chester, he was adopted about a month ago from Lollipop Farm. The Vet thinks he is about 11 years old. It's very noble of Jill to take on a dog of this age. He is full of spirit and they make a great team.

Nothing unusual....

When we finished the stalls, went over to pick the indoor.

Abbe was curious about what we were doing.

I turned on the lights (even the twinkies up on the ceiling) and we let Chester, Gucci, Phoebe and Sidney have the run of the joint.

Gary got home just when they were leaving....he liked Chester a lot.

Now really....does this look like the third week in January?

Picked up around the house....built a nice fire in the kitchen...and then it was time for class.

Tina is really making progress with her drawing....it was time to work on Hickory today.

Mary is getting a feel for working with colored pencils.

And look at Judy's wabbit!

I was looking at another blog that had flowers posted and thought that was a good idea.

It's time for an upper....

Out to do chores around 5:15. "Goodnight ladies."

At the last minute (like about 4:30) I decided to make some cabbage soup for dinner. When it was done, I threw in the leftover lomain from last night! Perfect! Tasted great.

Phoebe and Lily have the right idea....After a nice hot shower I intend to join them.

Night all.

IN LIMBO....

2012-01-23T19:18:00.000-05:00

What a weird day. Nice, subtle sunrise....

On my own for chores this morning.

Went into Gary's barn to plug in the water trough for an hour or so...just to get the chill off.

Had to put the hay under the shed roof, as rain was on the way.

No more sun, and it looked like this through my windshield when I left for Weggies.

Rain...ugly and no snow by late afternoon. It was supposed to go up to 50, but did not make it.

I was a bum all afternoon, and when I did evening chores....thought I had misplaced my camera and did not get any photographs. Looked everywhere for it! Duh! It was in my hoodie pocket instead of my coat pocket. Missed the boat, but glad it was not out in the muddy paddock.

Actually made a real dinner tonight. Bought some organic chicken and BBQued it on the Foreman Grill. A side of lomain with peas and a carrot/apple/raisin salad. Yummy.

This afternoon I was messing around with some shots I had taken at drumming this past Saturday. This one was Artistic....watercolor.

After I played around with Photoshop Elements, showed them to my friend Stan (photographer/drummer) and he wanted to know how I did it. Photoshop Elements....Adjustments....Posterize. He caught on real fast and sent this back. He just returned from two weeks in Aruba.

Now he's hooked on the look.

Night all.

TODAY WAS ALL ABOUT THE SKY...

2012-01-22T19:14:00.000-05:00

It started with a gorgeous sunrise....

...supposed to go up to 38 or more (never did).

Sophie was taking advantage of the sun.

Met Jill at 12:30 and we went to see the 9/11 movie with Sandra Bullock and that fabulous little boy.

Very moving...a wake up call that makes you really feel what all the victims and families went through.

On the way home, there was still drama up there.

Everything looked pink when I went out to feed the ponies.

Another no brainer for dinner...and Gary made it! Scrambled eggs, homefries and English muffins.

Perfect.

I'moutaheah.

Night all.

WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO TRY DRUMMING?

2012-01-21T20:17:00.004-05:00

The music you are listening to, "I'd Rather Go Blind," is in memory of the great Etta James who passed away this week. Do you remember when Rachel Crow sang it on X Factor? I hope Etta heard her sing it.

And now for the scoop of the day..... I don't think my horse is ever going to look white again...at least until it is warm enough for a bath.

On my own this morning....just lollygagged along until everything was done.

In the winter, I wear long underwear, a t-neck and sweats or leggins out to the barn, along with my heavy coat, a hat and gloves....and muck boots. Regardless of how cold it is, I end up dumping the coat because it feels so darn bulky. This was one of those days.

I took the picture above for Jean in New Zealand. She wondered what I meant when I said I picked the paddock. That red fork is what I use there and for cleaning the stalls. Sometimes when the manure is frozen I have to use a garden rake to pull it up before I use the fork (so I don't break it).

I was very pleased to see that Sidney was using the Kitty bed I put in the feed room for him. He crawled out of it when I went in there to set up the grain. It's one of those cubicle things that is just the right size to keep him nice and cozy. At the moment he is sacked out next to me in the library.

Now you can really see how stained Abbe is.

After they ate breakfast, Sophie and Lily went out on the back porch.

As soon as I got back in the house...they wanted in

Mid morning I went out to shovel the driveway...Gary had a lot of it done before he went to Java.

(Don't worry Sharon, it is just a couple of inches deep and very light...gives me a little aerobic activity...does not hurt my back ).

For awhile, the sky was spectacular. It ended up turning grey while I was at drumming.

Had a great time....listen.

Home around 4:30...out to do chores at 5:15. At first I could not find the ponies....they were behind the barn in the back pasture. Tucked them in....

and made a very simple supper.

A salad with pears....corn....and sloppy joes! Yum.

Can you tell that we are big salad eaters?

That's all folks...

Night all.

AND HE CAN SING TOO....

2012-01-20T20:39:00.000-05:00

HOT STONES...

2012-01-20T20:05:00.000-05:00

We had a little snow this morning...

Jill and I were finished with chores by 8:30.

The sun was nowhere to be found, so the hay went under the shed roof. No solar heat in sight.

Before Jill went home....

I made her a black bean plate to go...hope she liked it!

Then I had some fresh fruit with yogurt and granola.

Pretty grey out there.

Every morning, Sidney eventually comes up to the house for breakfast. Sometimes he spends most of the day sleeping on the chair by my computer. Still won't go in the basement at night. Yesterday I made him an igloo in the hay loft, and tonight I set up another place for him in the feed room. Hard to keep water available in this weather when he is too stubborn to go where it is warm. Whenever I do chores he gets a bowl of warm water.

Of course Seymour, Sophie and Lily hang out in the house off and on during the day.

At 1:30 I went to the bank and then had an appointment with the massage therapist. My back has been bugging me for over 6 weeks...pulled something and made it worse sitting in front of this computer.

I made sure she used the hot stones.

Stopped at Country Max for some Safe Choice on the way home.

Shoveled most of the driveway and then vegged for an hour before I went out to do evening chores.

Tucked those babies in and had leftover burritos for dinner. Yum.

Night all.

PS - I still can't leave comments on some of the blogs I follow. Today it was the "Smushies."

SKYWATCH FRIDAY

2012-01-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

No blue skies at Skoog Farm this morning....but a couple of days ago it looked like this.

To view more beautiful skies from around the world, click on SkyWatch in my sidebar.

FRIENDS....

2012-01-19T23:47:00.000-05:00

A beautiful sunrise.

Jill helped with morning chores. The paddock was pretty rough, as the freezing temperatures created lots of bumps and frozen hoof prints.

A dusting of snow.

Had to go back to Weggies to pick up a few more things for dinner tonight. These flowers were on sale for 4 bucks.

When I got home, set the table and started chopping and mixing.

Had to clean the house....moved the Bird of Paradise for the 4th time.

Started off with some Gucamole...avacados, lime juice, salsa and sour cream. Then, I chopped up all kinds of beautiful things and forgot to take pictures. Peppers, scallions, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese etc.

It started to snow when I went out to do evening chores.

Tucked in the girls and went back in for a nice, hot shower.

As we watched the evening news, the weatherman said a big squall was approaching Brockport...lots of snow but only for half an hour. Right when our company was supposed to arrive. When we looked out at the road, the visibility was terrible....BUT, they all made it.

We had fruit....

Black Bean Burritos with two different kinds of rice.

And a gluten free cake with raspberries and cream.

A very nice evening full of food and great conversation.

Night all.

FINALLY, THE WIND STOPPED!

2012-01-18T20:16:00.000-05:00

Same old same old.

The grass was showing at 7:30, and by the time I finished chores it was covered with snow.

Chorus at 10. We had a great rehearsal today.

Went to Weggies on my way home, and then took it easy for a couple of hours.

Watched a documentary about the Van Cliburn Piano Competition. I think it was called "They Came to Play." So interesting! People from all over the world participated....amateurs.

The afternoon sun melted most of the snow, tho the temperature was not all that high.

I still only have one bird...waiting for the others to hatch.

The fire kept the kitchen warm and the sun took care of the living room and library (where Gary took a nap after reading the paper).

When I finally started motoring again I worked on dinner.

Sauteed some onions and added steamed carrots and peas.

Made a salad with pears, dried cranberries and dried apricots.

Delicious bread from the bakery at the Rochester Farm Market.

This pasta looks orange as it is made of carrots and squash. I tossed it with the peas etc., a little olive oil, fresh ground pepper and some Romano cheese.

In the meantime, I worked on the black beans that were soaked last night. Company tomorrow

...our monthly crew is getting together.

Black bean burritos with all kinds of toppings. Will make guacamole tomorrow...Ann is bringing rice and Brenda....dessert.

Out to do chores a little after 5 and tucked those ponies in by 5:30.

Jenny stopped up to join us for dinner.

She told us all about her trip to the Big Apple last weekend.

Night all.

RAIN, 48, 34 MPH WINDS, 60MPH GUSTS...SNOW GONE....

2012-01-17T22:23:00.001-05:00

It rained most of the night and kept right on this morning.

Mud....yuck. Jill helped with chores and we finished them in a hurry.

She dropped off a lentil loaf for us to try. Gar and I each had a sandwich for lunch...like meatloaf and delish!

Class today. A new student...Mary W.

Started off with contour line drawing and discussed "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards. This is how we started all beginning art students when I taught at the high school and it really works. Mary did a great job with this.

Tina started working on Hickory.

Judy started a new project...stay tuned to see what this wabbit is going to look like.

Donna continued to work on her tomatoes. Her last class for a few weeks as she will be heading south and will be missed.

Jean's parrot is vibrant!

By late afternoon most of the snow had disappeared.

The ponies were looking for me.

They were a sight to behold. First they spent some time in the rain....then they all went into the indoor and rolled in the sand. Three nutty buddies.

Can't wait 'til they dry off so I can spend half a day cleaning them up.

Lucky me.

Tonight Jill invited us to be her guests at a restaurant in Rochester called...

What's especially great about this place...it is a farm to table operation and everything is local.

It had a real nice feel to it.

Kind of industrial...nice lighting.

Jill and I ordered the same thing. A salad with pickled beets, Lively Run Chevre, pistachios, arugula and orange champagne vinaigrette.

and Pierogis over Lento sauerkraut with carrots, scallions and creme fraiche.

Gary had a salad and two appetizers....Mushroom Soup, porcini corstini, chevre and chives....and Maryland Blue Crabcakes.

It was too dark for me to get pictures of Ralph's meal, but he had a salad of Asian Pears, bleu cheese, Asian greens and candied hazelnuts with red wine vinaigrette. His main course was Grilled Duck breast, black quinoa, smoked bacon, turnips, dried fruit, Bolton Chard and Chanterelle mushroom jus.

On the way home the wind was WILD and things (like garbage cans) were being blown all over the place.

Here by 9 and there are wind advisories up until noon tomorrow.

Over and out.

Night all.

HMMMMM!

2012-01-16T18:52:00.000-05:00

It was barely 5 degrees this morning.

Jill and I were both cold when we were doing chores. I had to switch from gloves to mittens.

The sun blasting out was a good sign.

My buddies and I vegged out part of the afternoon.

At 4 we picked up Finn and Coop and took them over to the Stoneyard for wings. The Monday special...10 for 2.50.

They started off with a gigantic cup of hot chocolate.

Finn had mac and cheese with a side Cesar salad, 2 of my country sweet wings, one of Gary's garlic parmasean wings and two french fries.

Coop had 10 mild wings and a couple of fries.

Sally stopped in to drop off a book and a couple of plates.

As soon as I got back to the farm I did chores. So much warmer...in the 30s.

Bridge in a little while.

What do you think Sally?

Night all.

Gimme Shelter | Playing For Change

2012-01-16T14:21:00.001-05:00

AT LEAST THE SUN WAS OUT....

2012-01-15T19:45:00.002-05:00

An icy morning....single digits.

The good news was the sunshine.

The girls were loving it.

Zap! It was brilliant out there.

The Sunday Stills challenge was "corners" today. Here is one I did not post. Gary has a real chair collection going in his barn.

My bird is doing well and it would be nice if the four others would hatch. I want to see them all at once.

There is something about that morning light that comes into the kitchen.

At 10:30 we arrived at Apple Creek Farm for a nice leisurely brunch.

Louise always outdoes herself.

Today we had scrambled eggs, Polish sausage (with horseradish), carrot salad, homemade coffee cake, grits and bagels with fresh raspberry jam.

After we finished eating we went in by the fire and gabbed for a couple of hours.

The temperature went up almost 10 degrees while we were there.

Home before 3.

Somehow it is much easier to tolerate the cold when the sun is out.

Even the horses like it.

Gary went down to Brockport for a walk with Randy and I started watching the MAD MEN series. Brenda and Al loaned it to us...it's going to take many hours but NO commercials. Love it.

Out to do chores after five.

Gary helped with water buckets and paddock picking, so I was done in a flash.

Dinner was different tonight. When he went to Wegmans to get the Sunday Buffalo News I asked him to pick up a $6 Meal of his choice (Kim at Golden Pines knows what I'm talkin' about) and I made some turnips and a salad.

Normally Gary only likes Italian dressing, but tonight I made one that you may want to try. It was a spin off of Russian....mayo, sour cream, ketchup and salsa. So good for a change.

We split chicken French and a bunch of veggies. Pretty good!

Night all.

PS - I can't comment on certain blogs: Benny and Lily, The Smushies and a couple of others. Very frustrating. Just when I think I can write something, it disappears. Sorry, it's not that I don't want to.

SUNDAY STILLS CHALLENGE - CORNERS

2012-01-15T09:48:00.000-05:00

Our winter garden....ha ha....

To view more corners, click on Sunday Stills in my sidebar.

PLEASE WELCOME A NEW FOLLOWER...

2012-01-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

Here come the Smushies! lifeonthesmushieranch.blogspot.com takes you to a place where you will see horses, cows, mules, donkeys, a chicken named Phyllis Diller and an evil cat. And how can I forget the dogs! This is a new blog that it going to be a lot of fun. Check it out!

Thank you for following my Journal. I tried leaving a comment, but could not.

I GUESS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET USED TO IT....

2012-01-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

More snow last night. Very cold when I went out to the barn this morning.

Check out Miss Abbe Piggie. Now that we don't have mud, she ground her face into the manure in her stall. Can't win with this girl.

After chores, helped Gary shovel the driveway...

This little sled is of great help to me during the winter. It helps me get the hot water and beet pulp out to the barn.

After lunch it was time for me to leave for drumming.

There were only five of us today and we each got a lot of attention. Good session.

By the time I left at 4, the sun made an appearance.

Stopped at Wegmans on the way home.

Before I knew it, it was chore time again.

Tucked the ponies in and we were off to Jenny's for dinner.

The boys had friends over.

They ate grilled chicken, broccoli, carrots, waffle potatoes and Italian bread.

Gar, Jen and I had one of her fabulous salads. Perfect!

Night all. Time to get by the fire.

COMMENTS....

2012-01-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

I have been having a lot of trouble leaving comments on many of the blogs I follow. This has been going on for several days. With you too?

IT'S HERE!

2012-01-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

In the middle of the night it started to snow and blow...by morning the road was covered and traffic was bogged down. Even some school closings.

I called Jill to tell her not to drive in this weather but she arrived by 7:30. Tried feeding the girls in the run-in by their stalls but that did not work for very long. Ended up putting the hay nets under the shed roof and they stayed out while we cleaned and set up. It was blowing so bad they were put back in a little after 9.

Phoebe and Gucci had a 60 second run and were happy to go back in the house.

Quite a difference from yesterday.

We shoveled the driveway twice...tomorrow it's going to be like an ice skating rink.

All four cats and two dogs were inside most of the day. We all vegged.

The fire felt good.

At three I let the horses back out and picked their stalls. Got everything set up for evening chores and went back in.

Got things ready for dinner. Something different for tonight...my vegetarian friends would be proud!

Red lettuce, pears, dried cranberries and a little extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Tucked the ponies in....and then it was time to eat. Lentils and Bulgur with Caramelized Onions. (Of course I did my version of the recipe)....we loved it. The onions added such flavor.

After a steaming hot shower, we drove to Brockport for an art opening at A Different Path Gallery. Fortunately the roads were in good shape and it stopped snowing.

This show was all about portraits.

I've known Sarah Hart since she was a child...she went through the school system where I taught art. Having spent several years studying in Italy, she uses a very classical approach in all of her work. It was a pleasure to see how she has developed.

(pardon the reflections)

Kathy and Stuart, who own the gallery, have done an amazing job putting in a stairway that leads to their upstairs gallery and studios.

Above is a recent self portrait....and below is Sarah in her Studio tonight.

The downstairs gallery displayed the works of two other artists.

Diane Elmslie....

and Jolene Beckman.

All three of these women have distinctive styles. A great show!

There were many familiar faces there....like Miles (who we have known since he was born). You have seen pictures of him before, as he and his band have played gigs in our barn.

If you have never been to A Different Path, I would highly recommend this show as well as paying a visit to the shop...where you can buy my favorite socks.

Night all.

PICKING UP SPEED....

2012-01-12T21:40:00.001-05:00

It rained most of the night and part of today.

The three little piggies continued to be three little piggies.

Jill helped with chores, and when we finished them....drove in to the Rochester Public Market.

Before I went out the door, Lily was lounging in her favorite spot....on the heater.

I did not take my camera into the market so there are no exciting photos of produce.

We were not in there for much more than 30 minutes. When we got back to Jill's I was introduced to Chester, who was just adopted from Lollipop Farm last week. He is around 10 years old and was picked up as a stray...over 20 pounds under weight. After a rough start, he is starting to perk up and could not be sweeter.

These two make each other very happy.

It takes a special person to adopt a dog of this age and in this condition. For the rest of his life, he will have a secure and loving home...just what he deserves.

So here's what I got at the market....

Red cabbage, green cabbage, peppers, four lemons, four cucumbers, parsnips, mixed greens, carrots for the horses (5 pounds for 2 bucks) and 5 loaves of bread.

That's when I went into gear. Invited Tom and Deb over for dinner and got started.

First I put together an apple pie.

Then, homemade sauce to go on pizza.

Sauteed onions and peppers for toppings....

Made a quick batch of cucumbers with onion and dill in a brine.

Added mushrooms to the mix.

Then it was time to do evening chores. I had already set the table and spread the dough out so it could rise. After spending a dreary day outside, the girls were ready to come in. Messy as usual.

Whatabunchofbums!

Sidney was trying to have a conversation with Berlin...who just wanted to eat her grain.

Back inside and put the pizza together.

Forgot to shoot the salad...oh well.

The pie tasted just fine.

A great evening with good friends...we had not seen them in ages.

Night all.

Is it going to snow tonight or what?

A CHANGE IS ON THE WAY....

2012-01-11T19:44:00.001-05:00

The "Breakfast Club" was in the house eating breakfast before it was light out.

By the time I headed out to do chores at 7:30, the moon was still high in the sky.

And then the sun appeared....what an unbelievable morning!

No coats for my assistants today.

Doesn't this look more like October?

A "bird" hatched last night....4 more to go.

After having 4 weeks off, Chorus rehearsals started today.

We are working on these two songs and will perform them with the High School Chorus in March.

We sang with them at their concert a couple of years ago and it was a great experience. There will be well over a hundred voices.

Stopped at Wegmans on the way home and ran into Sally...we decided to go down to Java for lunch, where I ordered my favorite sandwich (period!!!!). A Greek Panini. Sally decided to try one too and loved it. By the time we left, we had gabbed for a couple of hours. What a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. And believe me, we covered everything from politics to foaling to autism. Last night I watched the movie "Horse Boy," about a 4 year old who had autism. It was a documentary and clearly showed the connection he had with animals, particularly horses. Very interesting... they traveled to Mongolia seeking help.

The current art show at Java was a display of paintings by one of my colleague's (from Brockport Central School) sons. Mr. Pop Art Himself.

Gary spent the afternoon working on a couple of chairs out in his shop (his barn). I can't tell you when there was a January that was warm enough to do such a thing.

Started on dinner and went out to do chores. Still in the low 40s.

You've seen this before. Veggie burgers, roasted potatoes and coleslaw. Fine with me.

Night all.

SO-SO

2012-01-10T18:54:00.001-05:00

Sidney was waiting for me when I went out to the barn.

He followed me....everywhere.

Jill helped with chores again. I'm liking this company in the morning.

Still mild...but greyish.

At 10 I had an appointment to get my hair cut. On the way home, the sky looked pretty interesting.

Decided to hold class in the dining room today. That's were I always held it before the Studio was done. It felt good to be back in that space.

Tina has really made progress with her drawing. Today we were talking about how long it can take to complete a project.

Jean got a gigantic tin of Prismacolor pencils...has to be the biggest set you can get! Her parrot is going to be gorgeous.

Donna transferred her drawing of the tomatoes.....

but I was too far away to get a crisp picture. I'll do better next time so you can see how great the composition is....

Before she left, Tina gave Phoebe and Gucci their second round of treats. They could not wait!

Out for evening chores at 5.

From now on I think I'll refer to the girls as the three little piggies....

The only good thing about snow, is that they don't look like this EVERY day.

Finished tucking them in, set up the beet pulp for the morning, wiped out the feed buckets, swept the floor and went back to the house.

Just the kind of dinner I was hungry for. A big salad with pears, apples and dried cranberries....

The rest of the French Onion soup Barb brought over. And one of Chet's rolls. Perfect.

Night all.

40 AND HOLDING...

2012-01-09T21:43:00.002-05:00

In Western New York we are still having non winter weather. Woke up to a gorgeous sunrise and mild temperatures.

Jill helped with chores and I did a little more pasture picking.

After morning chores I worked around the house before going down to Wegmans for a few things. The pups and I went to the car wash and the minutes got stuck so it was double time and I was able to do a real number on it.

We were invited over to Christina's World for dinner...(nice surprise)

so I hurried through evening chores....

I swear, Belle is in a Piggie contest.

Tucked them in, took a nice hot shower...and we were on our way.

Of course DJ was there!

Roger loves to cook and he prepared the dinner tonight.

We had a beautiful salad....

and an outrageous German dinner.

Pork loin topped with Roger's scrumptious sauce, German Potato salad and red cabbage. I'm a real sweet and sour freak and this was really special.

After dinner we went down to their home theater to watch a brief 1/2 hour show from a series they have been watching....then it was upstairs for pumpkin pie.

I love these spontaneous invitations and sure do appreciate fine home cooking.

Night all.

HOW LONG CAN THIS SNOWLESS WINTER LAST?

2012-01-08T19:32:00.001-05:00

A dusting of snow and in the high 20s this morning. The water trough was not frozen.

On went the blankets. That's because these three girls are spoiled.

This is one of Sidney's hideouts in Gary's barn. He does not want to be in the basement at night, but loves to be in the house during the day.

My yucca plant is confused by this strange weather.

Barb (Mustafa's Mom) and Ron gave us a gift certificate to the Village Inn and today Gary, Jen and I used it for a fabulous afternoon dinner. A perfect day to drive out...no snow....bright.

Home by 2.

Six weeks of bonus days...hard to believe.

At 2:30 4 friends came over for drumming. We worked on three different rhythms and made some pretty good progress. I had purchased an instructional video through Khalid at my Saturday Drumming session and it really helps with practicing when we are on our own.
Alice, Chet, Joan, Janice and moi. We were cookin'.

Janice brought us a dozen fresh eggs from her happy chickens.

and Chet baked us some good old fashioned rolls...the kind your grandma used to make.

When everyone left and the house was quiet, the kitties came in for a snooze.

Lily

Seymour

Sidney

Sophie

Out for chores before dark so I could pick the pastures.

Barb was waiting at the door when I went out....with homemade onion soup.

Perfect for dinner. It was delish! She fed us all day!!!! Thank you!

Night all.

SUNDAY STILLS CHALLENGE-LIGHT PAINTING

2012-01-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

This weeks challenge is a fun one. Set your camera on a slower shutter speed…….or just turn the flash off on a point and shoot, find some lights and shoot them moving your camera as you do. You can also find some moving lights (traffic for instance) and photograph those (a tripod or setting your camera on something and using a remote or the timer works well for this). You could also have someone (even yourself-using your cameras timer and a slow shutter speed) use a flashlight in the dark. The challenge in this is to play with aperture and shutter speed. Be creative.

I just looked at the challenge this morning and now it is light out and I can't take any pictures. The shots below were taken earlier.

To view more shots, click on Sunday Stills in my sidebar.

ANOTHER ONE JUST LIKE THE OTHER ONE...

2012-01-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

Another amazing sunrise.

Not quite as dramatic by the time I went out to the barn.

I soloed this morning. Cruised through it.

Last night I chiseled the mud off the girls and Abbe was still stained. This is how she looked.

Finished up by 9.

The three amigos were hangin' around together.

We all went in and I had some organic yogurt with banana and granola. Good combo.

At 1 I went down to the college for drumming. There were nine of us today in addition to Khalid.

We had a good session.

Didn't get home until 4:30 and went out to do chores around 5. Still in the 40s.

Annette! These next shots are for you and Jackson. Another challenge.

Is she lovely or what!

This has happened every single day that she has not had a blanket on.

I don't think I can possibly get her back to white.

All done by 5:30...fortunately I picked the paddock before it got too dark.

Night all.

A VERY LONG AFTERNOON....

2012-01-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

The day started out alright. I forgot to post my SkyWatch shots....

Mild....

Jill helped with chores.

No blankets for the girls today....going up to 50.

By noon, all this snow disappeared.

That's when my long afternoon started.

I drove into Rochester for my annual mammogram.

This beautiful fish tank was in the waiting room where 30 to 40 women were in robes, listening for their names to be called.

It was my turn....I went in once, got called back again...and yet one more time.

By then I was a basket case. I had been reading a Sharon Creech book that I brought along to keep busy, but by then could not concentrate . The fish were not helping and I was listening to conversations all around me.

3 hours later I was called and thought I was going to be sent to one of the doctors for some bad news.

Instead, they said everything was ok....just needed a clearer picture. I started to breath again and drove back home.

Went out to do chores around five, and by then the sun was almost down.

All three ponies had rolled in the mud and were disasters.

Picked the paddock, got their grain ready and tucked them in for the night.

I was not in the mood to cook so we went down to Steven's Loft for a nice dinner.

Gary started off with some cajun soup...

then salads....

I had a grilled pork chop on mashed potatoes with a side of carrots. The meat was topped with a spectacular sauce with cranberries and grilled pineapple. SO GOOD! You will have to forgive me for not having the descriptions for all these dishes...should have taken home a copy of the menu. Every 10 weeks or so, it changes depending on what Steve wants to feature and what is available according to the season.

Gary had haddock french...

I also photographed some other food that was served.

Duck....

and a rib eye steak.

Good reviews all the way around. Of course we knew a lot of the people who were dining and they all seemed very happy.

Steve was working his butt off in the kitchen. There are no restaurants in the area that can touch this one with a ten foot pole (what does that mean?). Ambiance and top notch cuisine.

The lights are still on in the village and add a little magic.

Couch time.

Night all.

STEP1STEP2STEP3.....

2012-01-05T19:49:00.000-05:00

When it's cold outside, the first thing I do during morning chores is to take the cover off the water trough, break up the ice and get rid of it with my trusty strainer... then I throw in a couple of gallons of hot water. After that I plug it in until evening chores (unless it warms up and I can unplug it earlier). My electric bill goes up for a few months, but it is worth it.

Then, I go in the barn, turn on the lights and start getting the grain ready.

While the girls eat that, I put out the hay. Always 4 piles for 3 horses.

Once they are turned out, I start on the stalls.

Most of the time I have two wheel barrows with me.

I also have a fork, a rake and a broom.

Fortunately we have a hydrant under the stairs that go up to the loft. I empty the buckets and hang them there until it's time for evening chores. A couple of nights ago when it got down near 0 there was ice in them by morning (which I attacked with a rubber mallet). Fortunately they all drink most of their water during the night. Sometimes I bring out a gallon of hot water so I can really rinse them out well before I hang them up.

There are always ropes hanging from the gate to the main aisle in case of an emergency.

The feed room is full of all kinds of things. Safe Choice, Beet Pulp pellets, bran, shavings, hay, apples, supplements, tool box, little ladder, a calendar and much more.

Ronelle, over in France, was asking me about beet pulp. I get the pellets with no molasses.

For our three horses, I put a little less than a cup in a container with a lid, and cover it with at least an inch of water. After they have soaked, they fluff up and I mix them with their grain. (At night I soak for morning and vise versa). Each horse gets 1-2 cups am and pm.

As for stall cleaning....picky, picky, picky.

If you use shavings, it's very important that you shake them out when you are cleaning, or you end up wasting A LOT!

Once the stalls are picked, I rake them and sweep off the mats.

Set up hay for the evening.

Sweep the aisle and rake the run-in area.

Seeing that it was much milder today, the crew was with me.

Fast forward to evening chores....

The water is put in....

I get the grain ready....

and the girls come in. On automatic pilot of course.

All tucked in and it was not quite dark yet. A piece of cake.

Night all.

ORDINARY

2012-01-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

I need to start being more particular about the photos I post. They are getting kind of boring and the light has not bailed me out lately. Today it's the same old, same old....

Jill arrived at 7:30 and the sky had a little pink in it. Didn't last very long.

It was so cold, there was and inch and a half of ice on the water trough. I used my trusty shovel to break it up, and then got the ice out with my long handled strainer...dumped in two gallons of hot water and turned on the heater. These ponies are spoiled.

Turned grey...

But when I headed back to the house a little after 8:30, the sky was fabulousa!

The birds are getting closer to hatching everyday.

It was another easy day...the pups and I have really been on vacation.

Put the ponies in at 5:15.

This is an old sign from back in the day when I used to go to Dressage shows. I was on the board for the Western New York Dressage Association and stored a lot of stuff in our barns...this was left behind.

And don't get the wrong idea...I did very little showing, but liked to participate in clinics.

Leftovers for dinner with a new salad.

No more sweet stuff left in the house....

Tomorrow I am going to make an effort to take at least 5 good photos. Let's see what really happens.

Night all.

THE TUNDRA EXPERIENCE...

2012-01-03T21:16:00.001-05:00

How do people handle frigid temperatures for long periods of time? As I am writing this, my computer says the temperature in Brockport is around 3!

This morning was pretty crispy too.

Jill came over to help with chores. It is so nice to have company. By the way, she adopted a Golden Retriever from Lollypop Farm...He is 10 years old and had been living at a dump for two months. Now he (Chester) is going to be loved and well cared for...I can't wait to meet him.

On days like this I'm sure Belle, Berlin and Abbe appreciate being fed their hay under the shed roof.

In the past there have been too many to fit there peacefully.

I put about 4 gallons of hot water in the trough after I plugged in the heater. Then, covered 2/3 of it with a piece of plywood. It really helped warm things up pretty quickly so the ponies would want to drink it. This is such an important time for them to have their beet pulp too.

Class today. Tina got down to business while Judy and Donna figured out what they were going to start on next.

Phoebe was most happy to be inside and on the couch.

Sorted out the roses that were given to us on Christmas Eve and cut off the stems to see if I can get them to last a little longer.

Of course, the pups had to get their treats before the crew left class.

Fortunately we were spared again. Only got a little snow.

We fluctuated between flurries and sun...and the sun won out by late afternoon.

I started going through our Christmas cards before putting them away, and hands down! This is one of my all time favorites... painted by Brenda Cretney. I've shown you her work before.

She really knows what she's doin'.

Seymour was lovin' his view from the kitchen....just above the heater.

Out to do chores around 5. Those extra minutes of light are creeping up on us and I could not be happier.

Set up the grain and called the ponies.

Seeing that we were more than ready to get back to eating normal meals, I decided to get out some homemade sauce from the freezer and invited Sally and Judy over for dinner. Judy couldn't make it, so Bill came over. He is one of Gary's Java/yoga/walking pals.

The usual big salad....

A new kind of pasta (to us). Spinach and zucchini wheels topped with sauce and cheese.

Grilled the bread and we were good to go.

I don't want to see anything that has sugar in it for a long time.....

Stay warm!

Night all.

WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE?

2012-01-02T19:55:00.002-05:00

Did not know what to expect this morning after watching the weather last night. Very pleasantly surprised by the beautiful sunrise and lack of snow. A few branches were blown down but all in all it was not too bad.

Because of the wind, I put the hay in nets under the shed roof. Abbe was pretty bossy.

The sky turned blue and it was just a little above freezing.

The dogs went out for a short run when I got back to the house.

As the day went on, more clouds appeared.

Had to run a few errands in town around 2pm. By the time I had driven 2 miles from our house there was a white out....that lake effect snow came in full force and you could barely see the car in front of you. One hour later it was not snowing at all.

Jill had chore duty tonight. Nice to have a break.

Jen and the boys brought up some burgers and potatoes....I made a salad and we are almost back to our normal dinners.

Coop and Finn wanted yogurt and granola....

It's funny, having all this extra time without Chorus and the other regular activities has had me in a real funk...which I need to pull myself out of.

By the way, I spoke to Jodi today and the report was good. Romeo and his 4 gelding pasture mates had a good first experience. I'm so glad things went well.

Now I need to finish watching the movie "The Help."

Yikes!!!!!!The temperature may go down to 9 with 6-16 inches of snow. That could be interesting.

Night all.

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE JANUARY 1ST IN WESTERN NEW YORK?

2012-01-01T19:32:00.002-05:00

Didn't need long underwear this morning! It was nice and quiet.

Sidney joined me in the feed room.

A little before 8 Pat T. arrived with his trailer to take Romeo over to his new home. Fed early so I was sure he would get some hay.

Jodi loaded up the big wheelbarrow three times with all her stuff and Romeo settled in on the trailer. The ride was not going to be more than 5 minutes.

In the meantime, Gary and I cleaned stalls and set up for tonight. Belle was going back to her stall and Berlin had her full apartment back.

As soon as they went out to the pastures Romeo has been in, they all rolled. It wasn't bad enough that Abbe slept in her manure.

I filled up the water trough and picked all the pastures.

We have high wind warnings and the temperature is supposed to be about 9 tomorrow night. Colic weather.

Today I actually caught Abbe moving pretty well.

Sidney was sticking to me like glue the whole time I was outside.

Kept a low profile all day...that fire in the kitchen kept me in a nap mode.

When I did evening chores Abbe went in first, then Berlin and (because her gate was open) Belle went into her old stall without any guidance from me. What a smart cookie.

Am I the only person with filthy horses? I cleaned them up and put on their blankets. Will have to work on their faces in the morning. It was a piece of cake with just 3.

No cooking, no pictures of food....every man for himself tonight. We are now ready to get back in our pre Christmas groove.

Five birds are getting ready to hatch.

That is going to be one magnificent sight!

I feel like a person in cruise control.

Night all.

SUNDAY STILLS - FAVORITE PHOTO FROM 2011

2012-01-01T12:47:00.003-05:00

This is an impossible task. I just went through tons of photos and will try to narrow it down. Should I base it on composition? Subject matter? Light?

I think I am most attached to the photo above...Pony and King Mustafa.

As for 2012...I really need to learn how to take advantage of my cameras
(perhaps I should read the manuals).

To view more shots, click on Sunday Stills in my sidebar.

Happy New Year everyone!

A TEMPORARY BREAK....

2011-12-31T23:01:00.001-05:00

I woke up very early this morning...the sunrise was hardly visable....

until I went out to do chores.

A quiet, mild day....blankets off.

Way too much mud.

Romeo's last full day here. I will miss him and he will miss Skoog Farm, where he was spoiled rotten.

Right after chores I took a shower and had an appointment with the massage therapist. My body can't get it's act together these days.

Decided to try drumming today and lasted until 3:30. It felt good after missing it for three weeks in a row.

When I went out to do evening chores, every single horse had rolled and all looked like clay sculptures.

Did what I could and tucked them in for the night.

Our good friends Randy and Arlene came over for a simple dinner.

No fancy stuff. We have been on overload since Christmas.

Put out some nuts and dried fruit...

they brought a rye boat.

Pulled some Christmas Eve meatballs out of the freezer for Randy.

Made a huge salad...leaf lettuce, green onions, sun dried tomatoes, Greek olives, croutons and crumbly blue. We couldn't eat it all.

Arlene brought a lasagna casserole stuffed with artichokes and portabella mushrooms. Delish.

And apple pie for dessert. Instead of playing Sequence, we sat by the fire and watched the movie

"It's Complicated." Laughing is good.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
It has been such a pleasure to meet so many new people from around the world.

Night all.

PS - my deepest sympathies go out to Sue and Whit at Dream Valley Ranch and Kim and Carl at Golden Pines. Both have been devastated by the loss of their beloved dogs. These two families have gone above and beyond to rescue animals, love them, and have given them the lives they so richly deserved. I am so lucky to have found them through this amazing community of bloggers. How we connect boggles my mind. There are so many caring people out there.

NOW IT'S RAINING....

2011-12-30T23:08:00.002-05:00

When I went to the barn it was relatively mild.

Jill came out to help with chores and put her hand to the test...I'm sure it is still hurting but she did it anyway. Tough cookie.

Sidney came back to the house with me. I could not believe that he sat on Gucci.

By mid-morning the snow was melting....Lily and Sophie were hanging out on the back porch.

Once again I cooled it during the afternoon....so tired.

Phoebe, Gucci and I vegged by the fire.

By late afternoon we were back to grass....and mudddddd.

Picked the paddock and did chores...

The barn was very comfortable tonight....may reach 50 by Sunday.

Took a quick shower and we were off to Lorna and Dan's for dinner.

We started off with a delicious bowl of soup....

Then, we had chicken, asparagus, polenta (covered with an outstanding homemade sauce),

salad and crusty bread.

As if that was not enough, there were lemon tarts for dessert.

And Lorna's Christmas cookies if you had any room left.

Another outstanding meal!

Their sweet lab (Birdie) kept us company.

What a great way to spend the evening.

Night all.

MORE SNOW AND HEADED FOR A WARM UP...

2011-12-29T22:34:00.001-05:00

Gary went down to Java early, and came back to help me with chores.

It was VERY cold this morning....

Jodi stopped over. Romeo will be leaving on Sunday, headed for another facility around the corner. I think he is going to miss getting spoiled, but will have 120 acres of trails and lots of other geldings to hang out with. He's a sweet boy and I hope all goes well.

I let Phoebe and Gucci out when I finished cleaning the stalls.

Around 2 I went out and picked the paddock, took a name plate off a saddle (Jodi bought my Stueben Sigfried for Romeo), and dug out some pony blankets for my friend Jan.

Still grey, but a little milder.

While I was on the phone with Sally this morning....

Lily provided us with entertainment.

Such talent for a cat....

Did not accomplish too much this afternoon. Out to do evening chores and turned the pony blankets over to Jan.

Got cleaned up and left for Brockport with Gary. Dinner at Judy's tonight...picking up Sally on the way.

Judy was all ready for us...her place was warm and welcoming.

Next Christmas I need to remember to do this....hang some ornaments on a spring rod.

Gary and Sally were getting a good laugh for some reason...I can't remember what we were discussing at that point.

Miss Efficient was back there getting us ice water to go with the delicious dinner she prepared.

Beef Burgandy on rice with mixed veggies, rolls and a superb salad...

mixed greens, pecans and cranberries. So delish!

And what a clever dessert....Make your own cheese cakes! Never heard of such a thing.

You spread cream cheese on an English cookie (Digestible) and top with lemon curd or blackberries.

Trust me...it tasted just like cheesecake. Perfect when you are having a "tea party."

Home a little after 9 and headed for the couch.

Night all.

WELCOME!

2011-12-29T14:15:00.000-05:00

Thank you Deb Helwig, for following my Journal! Do you have a blog? Sorry, I have no more information.....

IT TOOK AWHILE, BUT IT FINALLY ARRIVED....

2011-12-28T19:09:00.001-05:00

No more green grass at Skoog Farm. Boy were we ever spared about 6 weeks of winter weather.

I guess it's about time.

Gary had yoga this morning and I was on my own.

Belle needs a serious cleaning. She's not happy unless there is a coat of mud on her neck and head.

We had very high winds today and by the time we watched the evening news the windchill for Brockport was 6 degrees.

It looked like this at 9am.

I'm pretty sure Romeo was happy to have his breakfast in a snuggy run-in.

I let Phoebe and Gucci out for a few minutes before going out to the barn. Too cold for them to hang out with me.

They seemed to like running around in the cold, white stuff.

Took a quick trip out to by more long underwear, then built a fire and continued to veg.

Watched a Russell Crow movie.

Was not too excited to go outside....but of course I had to take care of my sweet ponies.

They were ready to go in....freezin'!!!!!

Sidney was looking up at Seymour, who climbed up on the roof.

No biggie for dinner.

Night all.