Ups and Downs

Monday, I was talking with a friend about the differences in "local culture" here versus in Georgia. I commented on my observations and experiences thus far in meeting Montanans and my struggles in "reading" them. My goal being to learn their "ways" and adapt as much as I can without losing who I am. The ideal outcome, in my mind, would be to learn to navigate with minimal missteps how they operate and interface with people and with life in general as much as possible, on their terms.

I mentioned that I find many folks here hard to read in that they are not facially expressive in the same ways I am accustomed to in the South. There is none of the exuberant "gentility" for which the South is known. A number of the local folks I have met, particularly native, generational Montanans seem at first glance, quiet, reserved, watchful and somewhat suspicious. That is not to say they are not friendly, to the contrary, they are...but its harder to "see" it in their faces and body language. Conversely, the general interactions in the South are akin to a happy puppy, bubbling with greeting and welcome. Even if they are suspicious of you, they don't show it as much. Here's its pretty obvious...;)

Now before you all jump on that, let me apply a caveat...there are indeed certain elements that retain the "clannishness" that is an attribute of old Appalachia, or any rural area for that matter. I certainly witnessed that for years in my North GA community. What I am talking about is a "feel" in a very generalized way of the different between "Old South" social interactions and those of the "Old West." I was told that while my observation is true, and many Montanans are slow to warm...once they do, they would do anything, go to any lengths to be there for you. So it is also with the folks in the South in my experience, they are just a little easier to read (because its what I'm used to) and often a little faster to jump in with you. So...not so different after all once its all said and done!

The Up

Yesterday, I went to a new barn, that is now a new customer. Awesome gal with four rescued horses and four goats. I was met at the gate by a very large Nubian goat named Panda. He was all about saying "hello", "pet me pet me", "whatcha doin'?" "Where ya goin'?"....rubbing up against me, going everywhere I went, often in front of me forcing me to stop and pet him before I could continue. The other goats were friendly as well, but in a more 'Hi, okay see ya, bye" sort of way.While I was working on the horses, Panda would stick his head through under the horse's belly ..."Whatcha doin'?" or come around and nibble on my hair or chaps. What a hoot! I have worked around many goats over the years, a number of them quite friendly, but Panda was by far the most "in your business" and happy goat I have met thus far. 

Anyway, the owner is awesome and totally blew out the conversation I just had about the learning curve I have in reading folks here....she was warm, engaged, talkative and expressive, right off the bat. I left with a sense of ..."That felt like home." ;)  Between her and the gals I met early on at the Helena barn, so far I'm making some nice connections.

So - good news that I had a new barn this week...and had an appointment with the first barn up in Helena for today. Yay! Back to back work!! Two days in a row...whoo hooo!!! 

Uh...not so fast!

The Down

Enter a predicted snow storm. Well, I was all gung ho to "face the beast" no matter what...got up, got ready to head out. We had agreed to touch base this morning to compare conditions here versus there....the weather can be vastly different from valley to valley here. Here, it was doing nothing, so knowing already that half of all weather predictions here don't happen, or happen when not predicted. Its just nearly impossible to nail down Montana weather. Got a phone call from one of the owners who has lived here for 9 years. In Helena it was well under way... high winds, snow blowing horizontal and accumulating fast. Snow isn't the problem...its ice patches plus a strong crosswind....off the road you go!! LOL! Plus, she pointed out to me that my truck is white...she has a white Ford Explorer and know first hand about the "white issue"....when its snowing so hard you can barely see past your hood...snow plows can't see you either...ESPECIALLY if you are white! Hmmmm...hadn't considered that. Although I have witnessed the plows in action here...holy smokes! They FLY down the roads....throwing snow up and off the roads in 15-20 foot archs! I can't imagine going at that speed...but they do. Apparently they are known for tossing vehicles off the road from time to time if they can't see them! YIKES!

So...I deferred to her experience, and her suggestion to reschedule....dang! But my mom would be proud!! LOL!!

So the good...got a new barn, the bad...gotta wait another while to get to the other barn. SIGH!

Hope you are all safe and warm!

Miss you!

Itty Bitty Kitty Committee

Most of you know that I am a magnet for needy animals....they seem to always know where to find me and I seem to be completely incapable of turning them away...;)  No Matter Where I go, There they are....!!

Meet "Itty Bitty Kittie"...or "Little Bit"....

She is about 6-7 months old, but is the runt and sickly...she is half the size of her litter mates and not growing.

She had weepy and goopy eyes that would get stuck closed every day and a respiratory infection resulting in a runny nose that would also get crusted over and sometimes blocked.  She was very thin and would not have survived in the cold...probably wouldn't have survived long enough for it to GET cold....sooooo, what could I do?

She LOVES Jackpot...my big Polydactyl cat....he tolerates her and even plays and cuddles with her most of the time...but when she gets too rambunctious, and attacks him to much... he gives her a big "smack down!"

She sleeps on a pad with a sheepskin under a warm lamp....its like an Itty Bitty Kitty tanning bed.... !

Yeah, she's a total Diva! LOL!

I brought a lot of veterinary stuff and natural remedies with me...so she's getting treatment and is doing better. Her eyes are clear now and the drippy nose is much improved. She certainly has plenty of energy! (well that last picture doesn't look like it, but trust me....she can "git it" when she is awake!)

All Creatures Great and Small...the Lord God Made Them All...right? ;) So with prayers and a little human help...I think she's going to make it!

Blessing to everyone!

Chinook Wind, Hoar Frost and Southern Snow

Well, all of you folks down south are having a real "Montana winter" event it seems!  For the past couple of weeks, its been colder and snowier there than here. While you're "enjoying" the white Christmas down there in the southland...here's a little fun stuff from up north!

We had several inches of snow a few weeks ago and a couple of light dustings on top of it since. The last real snowfall was a week ago, only 3-4 inches and has stayed on the ground since...so our "white Christmas" was already in place. Christmas eve and Christmas day produced some amaxing "hoar frost" that coated the trees and other surfaces, so it "looked" like it had snowed again, even though it had not.

HOAR FROST

Radiation frost (also called hoar frost or hoarfrost or pruina) refers to the white ice crystals, loosely deposited on the ground or exposed objects, that form on cold clear nights when heat losses into the open skies cause objects to become colder than the surrounding air. A related effect is flood frost which occurs when air cooled by ground-level radiation losses travels downhill to form pockets of very cold air in depressions, valleys, and hollows. Hoar frost can form in these areas even when the air temperature a few feet above ground is well above freezing. Nonetheless the frost itself will be at or below the freezing temperature of water.

Here's what it looks like....beautiful "ice art"....

 Feather-like hoarfrost on a deck rail....

Yesterday, the wind picked up and this delicate frost began to blow off the trees and it fell so thick for so long it was like a snowfall...but the sun was out and the sky was clear. It put about an inch of "frost - snow" on the ground by this morning. Amazing!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As mentioned above, the ground was covered this morning, from left over snowfall topped by falling Hoar Frost. Yet, a phenomenon called a "Chinook Wind" began to blow... in a matter of a couple of hours much of the ground and all of the trees were bare....

These areas were under 5-6 inches of white this morning....

CHINOOK WIND

The Chinook wind in southern Alberta and Montana is a well-known regional climatic phenomenon which amazes weather watchers and residents. It is a warm wind blowing off of the Rocky Mountains in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the state of Montana. First Nations people called it Snow Eater.

In the middle of winter, the air temperature might rise by 20 Farenheit degrees or more in the space of a day. It can be bitterly cold in the morning and balmy by afternoon. The snow can melt away leaving the ground dry in the space of a few hours.


The Chinook wind often moves at a high speed. It is most noticeable in winter, when its warm temperature contrasts so dramatically with the ambient cold air.


The Chinook is one of those winds from off the mountains, famous in legends around the world, but known by many names: Mistral, Foehn, Santa Ana wind are some of them. Not all of these winds are warm. The Mistral, for example, is a cold wind. However, like the Chinook it flows down off of the mountains.


A strong Chinook can make snow one foot deep almost vanish in one day. The snow partly melts and partly evaporates in the dry wind. Chinook winds have been observed to raise winter temperature, often from below −20°C (−4°F) to as high as 10°C to 20°C (50°F to 68°F) for a few hours or days, then temperatures plummet to their base levels. The greatest recorded temperature change in 24 hours was caused by Chinook winds on January 15, 1972, in Loma, Montana; the temperature rose from -48°C (-56°F) to 9°C (49°F).

The Chinook Arch

The Chinook almost always is accompanied by a band of flat cloud up high in the sky. Locals call this the Chinook arch. It can be a terrible tease to farmers hoping for a little more moisture on the fields, because these clouds drop no rain and the Chinook wind itself sucks the moisture off the fields and out of the soil.

For photographers and others who love the beauty of nature, the Chinook arch can be a stunning sight, particularly at sunset when the clouds take on shades of yellow, orange and red.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now by contrast ....here's what it looks like back home in Georgia! Photos sent by family and friends...

Whoodathunkit???? ;)

If you all want to get away from the snow, c'mon up to Montana!!!! LOL!

A Christmas Story

Pa never had such compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.

It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible.

After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what.

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load.

Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high sideboards on.

After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood ~ the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting.

What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what? "Yeah," I said, "Why?" "I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt."

That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it.

Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait.

When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy?

Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern. We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt. Could we come in for a bit?"

Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it.
She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time.

There was a pair for her and one for each of the children ~ sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.

"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too.

In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.

I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that He would send one of his angels to spare us."

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true.

I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get.

Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.

Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug.

They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.

At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away. Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, "'May the Lord bless you,' I know for certain that He will."
Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said,"Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough.

Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that. But on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do.

Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand."

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children. For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.

Last year I made something very similar to this to share with all of you....try as I might, I just can't top it this year. I love this song, I love the image of the Star over the earth...everything about this message fills me even more and seems even more relevant now,  then it was last year. So I wish and pray the same message for all of you this year, for all years to come. I miss you all very much!

Merry Christmas!

In these uncertain and difficult times, joy can be elusive.
Then I hear the bells of Christmas and my heart leaps, my spirit soars.
I have so much to be joyful about on this most Holy of seasons.
I am grateful for the Gift of Life and Love God gave to us all,
for my family, my friends - all of you.
Each of you have touched me in some way and I am grateful.

Rest assured that even though this is not a card in your mailbox,
it still carries my thoughts and prayers for each one of you
and my deep appreciation for having you in my life.

May God bless and keep you always ,

Cindy

"God, please bless all the soldiers who are fighting so far away.
Keep them safe and hold them tight for they won't be home Christmas Day."

Laundry for Christmas?

Just a quick addition to my previous post about homemade laundry soap. There is a neighbor down the road, who has been very welcoming and helpful since I moved here. He's 6'4" and everyone calls him Shorty...!

He moved here about three years ago, escaping the People's Republic of Massachusetts. ;) He  works as a cashier at a truck stop and even though he can barely pay his rent, he let a guy who is down on his luck, out of a job and newly homeless, move in so the guy wouldn't be "out in the cold", so to speak, in a Montana winter.  Shorty is always there when someone needs help with something, he helped me unload and store stuff when I got here, shares whatever he has, even though there's barely enough for himself.

As Christmas approaches, I thought...it would be nice if I could do something for Shorty...but what could I give him? I'm no better off than he is...no "discretionary" spending, nothing extra for gifts. But ... I also know that the best presents have nothing to do with price tag.

AH HA!!! I just made laundry soap!!!  Perfect! I can give him some and it will help him save some money! I found a suitable jar, made a label, found a bit of ribbon and...viola!..here it is...

 

So, there's an idea for any of you who are strapped for cash and still want to show people you care about them this Christmas. It's not fancy, but its from the heart and certainly useful.  You guys can probably do better with the packaging ;) but I used what was already laying around. I probably have less than $1 in this gift and Shorty will have a big jug of laundry soap that will probably save him around $10 or more.

Now I'm thinking about my other neighbors....I'll keep you posted!

Blessings to all!

A Penny for Laundry?

Okay...yeah, I have do this domestic stuff to save money...don't tell anyone and blow my image...LOL!!

Seriously, we all need to save money these days....so I'm going to share some laundry soap recipes with you.

 

Okay here's the scoop:

The Soap:  The most typical type of soap to use is Fels Naptha.  It is an old-fashioned type of soap sometimes found in the laundry aisle. But I never had any luck finding it locally in GA, I had to order it online.

You can use any bar soap, but if you use something other than Fels-Naptha, use the whole bar.

 

Washing Soda: This is not to be confused with baking soda.  They are not the same thing.  Washing soda is sodium carbonate or soda ash (baking soda is sodium bicarbonate).  It is a white powder.  Its purpose is to help remove dirt and orders.   The brand to look for is Arm & Hammer Washing Soda.  I used to get it at Wal-Mart and Ingles stores.

 

Borax: Borax is a naturally occurring mineral: Sodium Borate.  It is a white powder.  It’s purpose is as a laundry whitener and deodorizer. The brand to look for is 20 Mule Team. 

Yep! Good old 20 Mule Team borax...you horse folks probably have some already - great for soaking cootie hooves. 

It comes in a 76 oz. box.  You should be able to locate this in the laundry detergent aisle at Wal-Mart, Ingles, or pretty much any such store.

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder 

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.   Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.  Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.  You use ½ cup per load. 

You can also add your favorite essential oils to scent it (½ to 1 oz), or if you use the whole bar approach with scented soaps, like homemade/essential oil infused soaps...that will do it. 

~The finished soap will not be a solid gel.  It will be more of a watery gel 

that has been described as an "egg noodle soup" look.

~The soap is a low sudsing soap.  So if you don’t see suds, that is ok.  

Suds are not what does the cleaning, it is the ingredients in the soap.

The above recipe of laundry soap was around 71 cents at the price I bought my ingredients.   With this 2 gallon size recipe you will have enough to do 64 loads of laundry. When I was doing it, the cost was around 1 cent per load of laundry. Can't beat that!

 ~

Just so you know, I didn't invent this, there are loads of sites that offer recipes, and much of this info was pulled from one I used before...I actually did this when I was still back in Georgia. I stashed the ingredients in anticipation of being broke when I came here...and I'm glad I did!  I actually got the idea from watching the show "18 Kids and Counting" on TLC. They seriously have to do things like this to save money! But we all can too....

For a powdered version:

Ingredients:

• 2/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap (equivalent of 1 cup grated)
• ½ Cup 20 Mule Team Borax
• ½ Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda.
• Container large enough to hold 2 cups of laundry detergent

Directions:

1. Grate the Fels Naptha laundry soap with a grater or use a food processor. Approximately 2/3 of a bar of soap will make 1 cup of grated soap.
2. Add the ½ cup of Borax and ½ cup of washing soda to the grated soap.
3. Shake and/or mix well

Use: One tablespoon of detergent is sufficient per load of wash. If you have a high-efficiency machine, you might want to experiment with using a little less detergent for normal loads. If your clothes come out feeling stiff, lower the amount of detergent. For clothes that are heavily soiled, add a teaspoon more of the detergent..

Yield: The recipe yields 2 cups of laundry detergent. If you use 1 tablespoon per load, you will be able to wash 32 loads of clothes.

Cost (approximate):

• 20 Mule Team Borax: $2.50 for 70 oz. - Cost per batch: .14 (4 oz needed for recipe)
• Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda: $2.50 for 55 oz. Cost per batch .18.(4 oz needed for recipe)
• Fels Naphtha: $1.24 per bar. Cost per batch: .83 (2/3 bar of soap needed for recipe) *

Total cost to make: $1.15 Yields 2 cups which translates to 3.5 cents per load.

Although it is more expensive than the liquid homemade laundry detergent, it is still cheaper than buying from the store. You may have personal preferences for using one over the other. With the liquid recipe, you will have to store gallons of laundry detergent. This is not a problem unless you live in a small apartment, where storage space is limited.. The powder on the other hand is neat, compact and takes up less space.

NOTE: If you use a food processor to grind up the Fels-Naptha (which will make it mix better with the powders, be warned...the fresher it is, the more pliable it is (more so than many soaps) and it won't grind!. You have to grate it, then freeze it (or let it sit out to dry out), then grind it, or it will just gum up your processor.

Have fun!

---

Oh, there are specialty uses for Fels-Naptha....just so you know:

Poison Ivy Prevention: Fels Naptha Soap has been used for over 100 years for the treatment and prevention of poison ivy, sumac and oak rash.  My family has personally used it for over 10 years.  If you think you have been exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, shower immediaetly with Fels Naptha to remove the resin from your skin.  This will greatly reduce and in most cases, prevent any skin reaction to the poison ivy oil.  Make sure to launder your clothes in some shaved or grated fels naptha (about 1/16th of the bar) to remove the resin from your clothes.  Poison Ivy resin can stay on your clothes for over 1 year even if the clothes have been washed with normal detergent. 

Poison Ivy Treatment:  If you are exposed to poison ivy and you have a reaction, simply shower with Fels Naptha to remove any resin left on the skin and it will help to dry up the rash as well.

To clean your shower, rub a non-abrasive scouring sponge with a wet bar of Fels Naptha and start cleaning. It will take a little hard work the first time you use it but it will be a breeze after that.

Washing with Fels Naptha can greatly reduce the itching and discomfort from bug bites. Though it is NOT a hand soap, it can cut even the grimiest of messes. Wash hands with Fels Naptha to remove ink, grease, or a variety of other nasty stains. Again, remember that this can be a skin irritant and should be used carefully and only after reading the warning label on the soap.

To clean paint brushes, simply drag the wet brush through a lathered bar of Fels Naptha and work in. Rinse well with warm water. The brushes stay soft and supple using this method.

 

Spring and Fall Lawn Tonic

*1 cup of fels soap solution 1 flat beer, 4 ounces of liquid dish soap, household ammonia and a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. (*Fels soap solution is made by shaving 1/2 bar of Fels Naptha Soap into a quart of very hot water to dissolve. Add 4 ounces of liquid dish soap as an emulsifier. You can store the solution until needed. Shake well before use.) Mix the 1 cup Fels solution, 1 can of beer in the sprayer. Fill the remainder of sprayer with ammonia. For spring and fall garden spraying, add 2 oz of molasses.

 

Spray aphids with 3 tablespoons grated Fels Naptha Soap dissolved in 1 gallon of hot water. Mix well and let cool. Spray as needed.

Insect Control: Prepare Fels Naptha Solution first. (Solution - shave 1 inch of Fels Naptha bar in a nylon stocking and place it into a gallon of boiling water along with 4 oz. liquid dish soap(Ivory). Store as needed and shake well before use. It will have a gel-like consistency.) Mix 1 cup of Fels Naptha Solution with 1 cup antiseptic mouthwash (mint flavored if nematodes are a problem) and 1 cup chewing tobacco juice. Spray with a 20-gal hose-end sprayer with a golf ball in it to keep mixture mixed. Follow-up with an application of Dursban or Diazinon, if needed.

For Black-spot fungus on roses: Make the Fels Naptha Solution by shaving 1 inch of Fels Naptha bar into a nylon stocking and placing it into a gallon of boiling water along with 4 ounce of liquid dish soap (Ivory). This will keep nicely and you can use it as needed. It will have a gel-like consistency so mix well before using. For the black-spot fungus, mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of Fels naptha solution and 1 gallon of water. Spray as needed.

IMPORTANT***** In recent years soap manufacturers have added degreasers and antibacterial ingredients to their products. These are VERY harmful to your plants and most likely will burn or kill them. When a home gardening technique calls for liquid dish soap be very careful that you use only Ivory or Fels Naptha Solution. You can also use the original liquid lemon type detergent which has no additives, just be careful that it does not contain a degreaser or is antibacterial.

Fels Naptha Soap is a fantastic stain remover and pre-treater. It works especially well on oil-based stains. Just rub the stain with a wet bar of Fels Naptha Soap. Let it sit for a while and launder as usual. It works great on baby clothes which have formula stains.

* For chocolate smudge on clothes, rub the stain with Fels Naptha Soap and let sit in your filled washer with 20 Mule Team Borax for 30 minutes. Launder as usual.

* Thoroughly wash all clothing including hats, gloves coats in Fels Naptha Soap to prevent an outbreak of poison ivy. Poison Ivy resin can remain on your clothes for over 1 year. Washing with Fels Naptha will eliminate the resin from your clothing.

* To remove Halloween makeup from clothing, simply work a little Fels Naptha into the stain and launder as usual. It may take a repeat washing to completely remove the stain.

* To clean white canvas tennis shoes, simply work the Fels Naptha Soap into a lather and use a soft brush to work into the canvas. Launder as usual without chlorine bleach.

* To remove old stains on colored clothes, make a solution of 2 cups warm water and 1/2 cup white vinegar. Pour on stain. Let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse well and work in Fels Naptha Soap. Launder as usual.

Hope Springs Eternal!

Well, I have a second new customer...maybe, kinda, sorta??! A gal who has two retired QH show mares (she already keeps them barefoot). Unfortunately, she is a bit "weather sensitive" and has no barn, so we left it for her to call me to come on a "good weather" day! Fortunately, she lives just a few miles from me, so it should be no problem to just run on over whenever she does call. Hopefully, it will be BEFORE Spring!!! LOL!

Step by step, horse by horse....that's how it goes! ;)

In the meantime, here's a nice Montana Sunset for you to enjoy!

The Jefferson River and Snow Driving!

The Jefferson River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 77 miles (124 km) long, in the U.S. state of Montana. The Jefferson River and the Madison River form the official beginning of the Missouri at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks. It is joined 0.6 miles (1.0 km) downstream (northeast) by the Gallatin.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition visited the site on 28 July 1805. Meriwether Lewis in his journal entry wrote:

Both Capt. C. and myself corresponded in opinon with rispect[sic] to the impropriety of calling either of these [three] streams the Missouri and accordingly agreed to name them after the President of the United States and the Secretaries of the Treasury and state.

The Jefferson River in September

    

 ...in December 2010

  

Imagine what it will be in February?

One thing that strikes me, as I drive around here with all this snow on the ground (which isn't really much by Montana standards!) is how easy it is to drive on it, compared to driving in snow in Georgia! The main roads are cleared pretty quickly, so no biggie there, but the back roads are still covered with snow pack...traction is great even though I only have street tires...and probably will for some time to come. Tires for my truck run about $700-$800 for a set of four ...THAT ain't happenin' any time soon...LOL!! So lucky for me, this type of snow, is not the slippy, slidey stuff Georgia has.  I was thinking about that today as I drove the back roads and across that trestle bridge I posted a picture of before the snows came...

Remember what it looked like back then?

Here it is now....

BUT...its amazingly easy to drive on...I thought, "Man, in Georgia everyone would be freaking out to drive on that!! Including me!!!" I am happy to report, that I have adjusted well and quickly to these conditions and feel no anxiety at all driving in it!

Wanna come give it a try?? ;)

Out of Montana (into Wyoming ;)

Headin' toward Cody, WY

Took a short trip to Wyoming to visit a couple I know in Cody. I've never been to Cody and since I had a chance to go with someone else paying the gas ;)....I went! Awesome town! If you are not familiar with the history and features of this town, its worth researching.

Anyway...these folks live about 15 miles outside of Cody on just under 12 acres on a river. They have their place up for sale, you can see summer pictures here at the Realtor's web site. Here are a few I took when there:

Barn

They have three horses, he is big into rodeo (its the culture in Cody). It didn't take long for us to butt heads a little about our disparate horse keeping philosophies. I let it go...nothing I can do there. Not now.

Back yard view of the river.

In the sprig they had a major flood and the river completely changed its course. Before the flood, the rivere was the border between properties, now its totally ON their property. Whoo hoo!

As you can see in the Realtor pictures, their home is huge and well appointed. But you have to be there to really appreciate it....its pretty amazing.

Their cat....

 

...stalking the Doodle dog! Watch out, Doo!!

 

These folks are great, they moved to Cody about 5-6 years ago from California. They run 6 different businesses (I can't name them all!) He is a Vietnam era vet...he is also a private pilot....they hunt, fish, he rides in rodeos...they have a boat, motorcycles, their own plane (a small Cessna) ...you name it. But to meet them, you'd never know they were so comfortable... they are unpretentious and totally down to earth. They didn't build the house, they bought it from an artist woman who complained it was too far from Cody (15 miles?? Sheesh! She should live in Montana! Everything is "far" in Montana!)

All in all it was a great visit...Next to Montana, Cody WY would be the place to go!!

So back I went to Montana....and along the way.... Oh look! ....LUNCH! ;)

Cheers to all!

Whisper Ranch

Most of you already know the story, but some of you may not. So I'll retell it here....

A good friend of mine, Shannon Smith, started an equine rescue she named Whisper Ranch. It had been a dream of hers for as long as she could remember and finally it was realized in 2004. I worked with Shannon throughout to donate hoof care to all the horses brought in and collaborated with Shannon on all aspect of their care. Both of us were geared toward a holistic approach and we collaborated on everything from diet, to life style, to wound care and even obstetrics on a couple of starving pregnant mares surrendered to the Ranch.

Cookie when she arrived - yes, she is pregnant in this photo!

Cookie (recovered) with baby Reilly

Shannon, her husband and her two children ran the ranch. Since the kids were home-schooled, there were always hands to help in addition to a vibrant volunteer core group. Every six weeks for five years, I was there to trim and discuss individual cases, in between if a rescue came in needing immediate attention. So the Ranch, the people there and its equine residents became very personal to me.

Last year, Shannon's husband left the family, leaving a home they had just built, and land they had just purchased and set up for the rescue all on Shannon. For the 20 years of their marriage, he had been the breadwinner while Shannon stayed home to raise and home school their children. Suddenly she is without an income, and while donations to the Ranch had been supporting the care of the animals, there was now no income to pay for the property. Donations and sponsorships had dwindled in 2008 to virtually nothing by the end of 2009. In desperation and facing loosing her home and the property that was home to the rescues, Shannon realized she had to let go of Whisper Ranch, either shut it down, or find someone to take it over.

When she told me of her situation and decision ( think I was the first person she told), I was devastated for her, her children and for the future of the Ranch. As I considered the possibilities, this was my thought process:

• My daughter Jessi had been wanting to set up a non-profit that combined horse rescue with outreach to families of deployed service members. But starting a new non-profit required more capital for the paperwork and fees than we had. Part of the reason we didn't have the extra money was....
• For 12 years my children and I have been rescuing horses "unofficially"...most of "our" horses were and are rescues, we just had no way to accept donations to help care for them. No extra capital to start our own non-profit as it all went to care for the ones we already had.
• Here's Shannon, needing to get out from under the labor and expense of the Ranch, an already established non-profit (that I had emotional ties to and years of work in) that had a mission statement compatible with what Jessi wanted to do.
• Understanding Shannon was emotionally and physically overwhelmed at her life being suddenly torn apart, it would be a shame to let the Ranch go, then when things got better not be able to get it back. She certainly had her heart, soul, and years of blood sweat and tears in it.
  
• If we took over the Ranch, we (Jessi and I ) could pursue our own dreams with a non-profit organization already in place. Then if Shannon got back on her feet and wanted it back, the Ranch would be "in the family" so to speak and there would be no hassle to giving it back to her.
• If we took over the Ranch, it could help provide for the rescues we already have.
  
• Jessi could run the rescue as Shannon had, and stay home with her baby, something she had determined to find a way to do.
• The Ranch could serve a larger mission for horse people who, like us, have taken in a rescue horse or two (or three!) out of the goodness of their heart and try to provide for them out of their own pocket. Many of my own customers fit that bill! Those horses could become Whisper Ranch fosters - a simply paperwork issue - the horses never leaves its current home, but those folks could at least deduct cost of care off their taxes. It would be a way the Ranch could help ease their burden in this economy.
• The land owner of the place where we keep our horses, also facing economic challenges, could calculate a monthly lease amount to deduct from her taxes as a donation to the Ranch. That would help her out.
  

Seemed like a win win situation. So in late 2009 we planned to move the Ranch to where we keep our horses and worked in a flurry of effort to place as many horses as we could due to limited space at our location. In January 2010, Jessi became the Director and CEO of Whisper Ranch and we moved the organization and the remaining Whisper Ranch residents to Rabun County.

Jessi, Baby Brayden and Hawkeye

Since the move, we have found foster placement for four we already had and two new horses since the move. We have found permanent forever homes for two others and two goats (yeah, we don't "officially" take goats...but...). We are in the process of placing another in a permanent forever home. So while it has been a tough row to hoe ... we are doing good work.

Right before I left Georgia, we had a successful fundraiser, but as you can imagine...and those of you who care for equines know....it takes a steady cash flow to meet their basic needs, more if there are special needs. Not to mention upkeep on barns, fences, etc. As it usually goes, circumstances have changed...in large part due to the continued downward spiral of the economy. So here's where we are:

The couple who own the property (where we had our horses and now the Ranch) are long time friends and supporters of our rescue efforts even before we were an "official" rescue. As fate would have it, they have divorced. The property where we have the Ranch is up for sale. We do not know from month to month how long we will be able to stay in that location.

We have been hesitant to really get out there about our mission in large part because of the uncertainty around the location. The reason is...the more we put ourselves out there in search of sponsors and donors, the more people will discover us and the first result is a flood of horses needing help, the last thing is funding to care for them. We don't currently have the space. So far, with the two new ones seeking help in the past few months, we have been able to arrange foster placement that the needy horses went to directly ...bypassing coming to Whisper Ranch. those two cases were certainly prayers answered!

Jessi has had to put her dream of staying home with the baby and working on the rescue and community outreach on hold and take a job. Main reason - her husband returned from deployment to Iraq earlier this year and has been hitting the bricks to find a job while still serving in the National Guard. He now has one, but its not enough income for Jessi to quit her job. My son, AJ is also working every spare minute he can to earn his own money, while doing all the hard labor for the horses - hauling hay, cleaning water troughs, fixing fence. Without support from donors, sponsors, and fundraisers, there is no extra money.

We are at a point where we have to do whatever we can to keep the horses fed and the power bill at the farm paid...not just for lights, but to run the well pump that keeps water to the barn. That's the bare minimum. It was all coming out of my pocket when I was there...now I'm trying to do whatever I can from here to help.
I can hear my mom now..."Why don't you get rid of all those animals?" Yeah, I hear ya mom...LOL! At some point we may have to give up on all of it, although I hope not, as horses needing a safe place to go will only get worse..but for now, we have to get through the winter. Come spring, if all goes well ...I will bring as many of them as I can up here. Perhaps start a new rescue here...who knows?! But for now we need to go step by step, day by day. They depend on us.

I wrote all that to ask you all this....would you help us push the message out there? I don't even know why I put a question mark after that ... I know all of you are exceptional folks and will help where you can. Here are some things you can do:

• The easiest and most painless way is to make GoodSearch your search engine. You will find the the GoodSearch banner to the right of the blog posts as well as all over the Whisper Ranch site.
• As from GoodSearch, is GoodShop where you can do your holiday shopping and all you usual online merchants and they donate a percentage to us. You do not pay any extra, it comes from the merchants. Many, such as Amazon have specials and coupons for GoodShop buyers.
  
• Here's a link to our flier with a holiday theme, that you can print and share.
• Check out this page on the Whisper Ranch web site for current needs. You may know someone who can help with a specific need, or just in general.

Note: if you decide to use GoodSearch/GoodShop make sure - before you begin - that you have selected Whisper Ranch in the box that asks "Who do you GoodSearch (or GoodShop) for?"

Finally, anyone who can/is willing to be a Whisper Ranch foster home, let me know!

Nathaniel smiling (actually begging for treats!)

Thank you everyone!! I miss you all!

Cindy versus Hubbard Squash

Well, do you all recall that GIANT blue Hubbard squash my neighbor gave me? Well..........I did battle with it today!!

I have been invited, as I have mentioned, to Thanksgiving dinner at the neighbors for whom I dog sat when I first arrived here. I don't want to show up empty handed so as I looked around, I spotted that bug blue monster sitting on the table. HA! I'll kill that fat sucker and make a squash casserole!! Perfect!

The first thing I discovered was that Hubbard's have an incredibly thick skin that defies even a large kitchen knife, much tougher than any pumpkin I've ever dealt with. After trying to poke the knife through the full thickness of the skin, many bad words, and a real danger of the knife slipping and hacking off a finger!! ...I looked around for a hatchet, or a hammer or something BIG ...LOL!!

Then an idea came to me...courtesy of glass cutting projects my mom and I did when I was a kid. I scored a line around it's equator, held it about 4 feet above the kitchen floor and...bombs away! CRACK! It split perfectly into two halves! YES!!! The beast was slain!!

Next I scooped out the seeds and membranes. Cut up the halves into smaller pieces (its much easier once the hull is breached) then put them all on two cookie sheets to bake (about an hour at 450 degrees) until the bright orange meat was soft. Once cooled, I scraped out the meat to mash up in preparation for making a squash casserole. I tasted the meat by itself...its AWESOME! Sweet and yummy with nothing at all on it! Everything I'd read about Hubbards is true...its much sweeter than any of the other winter squash varieties I've ever eaten...including pumpkin.

Anyway...nope, I've never made a squash casserole, but in the spirit of something I always used to tell someone who ever told me "I can't cook"...I would reply, "Can you read? If you can read, you can cook." So off to the internet I went, because like a dummy, I didn't bring any of my cookbooks with me...after all I never used them, and they were covered with 20 years of dust on the shelf! I copied three recipes, plus one emailed by dear friend Carole Paige down in Warrenton, GA. All the recipes were very similar...true to form, I didn't follow any one of them - I'm a "color outside" the lines kinda girl!...but you all already knew that...;) I made a small test casserole tonight before I have to make one to take tomorrow (since I don't know what I'm doing!)...didn't have pecans to put on top (THAT would have been yummy) but it was really good! That really sucks because I don't remember what all "this and that" I did....maybe coloring inside the lines isn't such a bad thing?

I'll let you know how tomorrow goes!

Last thing to do tonight was to pull out all the viable seeds (probably about 60 all together!) from the pulp to dry and store for planting next year. Oh yeah...I don't care where I am next year, I'm growing some of these puppies!!! Even if I have to grow them in the house and let them run all over the living room...LOL!!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone!