Karbon Kounty Moos

I took this photograph last week from a friend’s deck. If you click on the photo you can view it larger. It shows a few fields, the Pryors to the east and a little bit of lilacs. We’ve had some cool temperatures the last few days. It tried to snow yesterday, and it looks like it may rain today. But as the farmers always say, “we need the moisture”.

I have been busier than ever. I have found the time to take some photos and post them to flickr.

There’s an article in yesterday’s Billings Gazette about my friend, Nadene. Congratulations are in order. Nada, you did it!

A year ago today, I got in the car and headed east.
A year ago today, my mother passed away.
The last year held hurts and disappointment; health and illness;
joy and smiles.
A lifetime of memories in twelve short months.

The Dogs In Goofy Cone Hats pic { censored }
Originally uploaded by hasfurrychildren.

I needed a laugh this morning. I found it on flickr. Now this is one serious dog birthday party.

There’s a series of Gabe’s birthday shots uploaded by Has Furry Children.

Those who truly care about my husband.

Those who have gone out of their way to help.

Those who’ve sent sincere cards, wishes, thoughts and prayers.

The family that has always been there for us.

The friends - old & new.

Those who have stayed connected and tried to make things easier.

The nurses, doctors and all the health care workers.

The dentist, who has managed to fit me in on a second’s notice.

The crew at Archie Cochrane Ford who made me cry - in a good way.

Thank you all.

Since Thanksgiving the roads have been bad. But we’d been here, dealing with the regular day to day things - and our own dramas.

Yesterday we went to Billings. My husband was scheduled for another test. He was driving when we went off the icy road before we’d gotten ten miles from home. He managed to get the pickup out. A big THANK YOU to the couple who stopped and kept an eye on the traffic as we manuevered back on the road. We were fortunate that it happened where it did. A quarter of a mile away in either direction would have been another story. We went back home and traded vehicles. We took the farm pickup.

We still arrived in time for the appointment. But to say we were anxious would be an understatement. We locked the pickup and went in the hospital. Six hours later, I went out to bring the pickup around. There I found that the keys no longer open the doors. Either door, either key. I don’t think that the pickup had ever been locked before. We stood in the cold parking lot, weighing our options. The tools buried beneath the orange twine did not include a screwdriver. But all were readily accessible and worth more than the pickup. What a brilliant idea of mine, to lock the doors.

I called a friend who arrived with some smaller tools. THANK YOU, Don. The Baron forced the vent window and opened the door. Then he insisted on driving. The roads were clear, and we made it home - safe and sound.

Things that I have to be thankful for:

A wonderful husband.
A roof over my head that no longer leaks.
Plenty of food.
Very good friends.
My family.
The folks that I’ve met because of this little place.
The animals that share our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving.

May you all appreciate things to be thankful for today, and everyday.

Not too long ago, I gave up on dialup and went to DSL. What a difference. Right after I made the switch, I noticed a popup. I never get popups. I thought that it was weird. I closed it, and didn’t give it much thought. I wasn’t paying attention to when and where it was happening. It was inconsistent. Then here on the blog, a few folks let me know that they were seeing it, too. What the heck?! The damn thing was coming up as my blog loaded. Adding to the strangeness was the content of the popup. It featured a video of a woman speaking about diabetes. My husband was recently diagnosed with Type II Diabetes - so he may have his name changed to the Splenda Baron.

I contacted blogger, my ISP and the company the popup was for. I was going round and round with Red Nova. They seemed to be sincerely trying to help me. We went back and forth with over a dozen emails looking for clues. I am clueless about computers, so it was very much like the Three Stooges - minus two. I was waiting for blogger and my isp to get back to me.

Zen Panda and I were corresponding on Saturday night about it. Then we went off on other tangents.

On Sunday, I called my ISP again. I had just started to explain the mess to the tech. He said, “That’s funny, my wife was telling me last night about a blog that popups were coming up on.” My first though was - “Good, so maybe it’s not just me.” As I was speaking with him, I received a message from Jough, who happens to be Pandora’s son with a fix for the problem. By this time, the tech had also determined the source of the redirect. He had also revealed that his wife was none other than Zen Panda. Is this getting stranger by the minute? It had absolutely nothing to do with the ISP, Blogger, or Red Nova. It was being caused by a counter on the blog. The counter had been on here since 18 Sep 2004. Why this started in October 2005 is best left to those who know what they’re talking about - which does not include me. I just took the link off the template. Hopefully, that will be the last.

I’d like to thank everyone in our blogging community for all their help.

Thank You!

So - if you see anything weird here again - I mean weirder than the usual weird - please let me know.

Warning - Manic Run-on Sentences Ahead

The beet digger got into the final field - #4 on Tuesday evening. Wednesday was spent there, until the beet dump went down. One of our trucks hit the piler, breaking a belt. We were told that it would probably be a couple of days before it was repaired. I was busy wrangling pets, and sorting off a heifer to doctor while waiting for the phone company to come and install my new ADSL modem. I’m also doctoring Ty - since Friday. We had an emergency vet visit on Sunday. And a followup on Monday in between parts runs to Bridger (imagine that!), Red Lodge, Billings and Lovell. I really need to make a grocery run.

Ty seems to be doing better. I’m pulling my hair out with Sugar. I’m using a Gentle Leader with her. She is not thrilled, but I hope that we’re making progress.

This morning we thought that we’d “sleep in”, since we couldn’t dig. Then the field man called. He informed me that the piler had been repaired, and was ready to accept beets. I made phone calls and breakfast. The Baron ate and then headed out. I prepared his lunch. When I went out to the Mule I discovered that Rocky (the cat) had vomited several large mole and/or mouse parts all over the seat. I scraped the seat cover, removed it and tossed it in the washer to soak. With lots of bleach. I guess that it could have been worse. It could have been the sofa, or the bed. . . Then I brought the lunchbox out - in the pickup.

I just came in from bringing Allan some cocoa (sugar free) - and a pill that he forgot to remind me about. He was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Not a good deal for a Sugar Beet Baron. Or anyone else. I got back to the house with Lucky and Sugar. Ty is wearing an Elizabethan collar. Sugar was harassing him, so I put her in the kennel on the porch. Then the dogs went wild again. Jan had stopped by with her grandchildren who wanted to see the puppy. There was no way I was taking the Devil Dog out now. We’re all on the porch with a yammering puppy when Wyatt came in looking for a bandaid. He’d sliced his finger open with a beet knife. Ty and Lucky were in the house barking their heads off at all the excitement on the porch. Wyatt has now been doctored. I need a cup of coffee. Or maybe something stronger.

Thanks again Jough!