November...

Another hunting season is over.  The weather was nice and sitting quietly in the woods just watching the world go by was much needed.  Now the freezer is full.  We have nine lbs. of summer sausage.  I think it was one of our best batches.  I mix everything up and my husband nurses it in the smoker.

I have a good batch of jerky.  I don't think there is anything more flavorful than venison jerky.  I also canned 7 pints of stew meat.  No photos of this as it is still cooling in the pressure cooker.  The freezer if full of roasts and steaks.  Butchering is exhausting, but it is worth it to have fresh meat that isn't dyed, processed, and who knows where it came from.  

I also removed the seeds from our pumpkins and fed the pumpkins to the deer.  I will make pumpkin seeds sometime this week.

Here are a few photos from hunting out on the prairie.  We saw several coyotes and they kept the deer on the run.

Here is a picture from the prairie looking at the Black Hills.

Here is a picture from the Black Hills looking at the prairie. 

This photo is a tad blurry, but it reminds a person just how peaceful life can be.

Then, of course, you have the cattle and the sunrise.

I quietly followed this sharptailed grouse around trying to get a photo.  She stayed right in the shrubbery, but I finally got a running shot.  So much for sitting still.

I needed some peace.  Hunting makes you get up early, sit quietly, and observe the world around you.  When you do that, it is amazing what you can see. 

Where do you find your peace?

I got nothing...

 It has been a pretty stressful week.  I'm afraid I don't have anything to report. 

I hope you have a fabulous week. 

Timing is everything....

 It was an amazing week.  My husband and I celebrated 30 fabulous years of marriage.  I also had a birthday.  We celebrated our anniversary by going for a walk on the Michelson Trail in Deadwood.  Absolutely beautiful.  Then we went out to eat.  We were in a bit of a hurry because...

We also got 10 inches of snow that afternoon.  We weren't the only ones not exactly happy.  These two little guys took out their frustrations on each other.

On the positive side, my husband gave me these handmade snowshoes from the Northern Toboggan Company for my birthday. His timing was great, and I was ecstatic that I got to use them.  They were perfect.  The pointed fronts cut right through the snow.  I felt like I was gliding.

With the snow came a very creative buck.  He has been using his antlers to knock the crabapples and apples off of the trees.  As you can see the lower branches are stripped clean.  He keeps rearing up higher and higher.  

I guess that is all I really have.  It was a great week.  As always, I do all of my doctor, dentist, and eye appointments the week of my birthday.  Thankfully, I have a clean bill of health, and all of my appointments made for next year.  One less thing to fret over.

What winter sports do you enjoy?  Yes, Christmas shopping counts.  I have to say snowshoeing is my favorite activity and sledding a close second.  

The Diamond J Bar...

My husband and I went back to my parents for the weekend.  We had a wonderful time visiting.  We also worked on a project with my Dad.  He wanted to repaint the family brand on the hill above their home.  

 That sounds like a simple project until you see how steep the hill the brand is on.  Also, the cattle had kicked a few rocks down the hill, so we needed to add replacements.  We took them to the top on ATV's and walked them down the hill.  Much easier than trying to find the old rocks and drag them up. Then the painting began.  It was super windy, yet we did not let that deter us from our goal.  

Below is a view of the river from the hill.  I spent a lot of time playing around this area when I was a kid.  Building forts, catching turtles, and fishing.

This is the view looking up as my Dad and husband replace missing rocks.  

Here are the painted rocks up close.  I was pretty excited to do this project, as it was a project that I did a couple of times growing up.

Here is the finished project and it looks great.  Wish I had done a before picture.  The brand is the Diamond J Bar.   My parents get quite a few comments from people who see it from the river or from planes flying over.  My Dad said it has been on that hillside since the late 1940's.  It makes me wonder how many people have painted it over the years.  

It was a great trip home.  The weather was great, the food was fabulous, we got in lots of visiting, and best of all a project.  When was the last time you went to your childhood home?  Do you still have family there?

Trespassers will be composted...

 My big project for the weekend was to spend some compost in my vegetable beds.  I did get a little sidetracked watching the cranes go over.

I put one wheelbarrow full of compost in each of my 4x4 foot beds.   The compost is filled with alfalfa, lawn clippings, leftover kitchen scraps, and leaves.  

I then started filling my pile with leaves.  There are plenty.  Last year they blew away before I could corral them.

I took out the steppingstones and mixed the compost in.  I also pulled out some weeds.  

Here is the finished product.  Rich and waiting to be covered in a blanket of snow.  From the weather forecast it may be awhile before there is any snow.  Not that I am complaining.

 My greenhouse is still hanging on.  I repotted my rosemary, sage, basil, and parsley and brought them in the cabin.  I'm letting the tomatoes, peppers, okra, and Minnesota Midget cantaloupe figure out when they are ready to go.  Production has slowed, but they are still hanging in there.  Have you put your gardens to bed? 

Colors

 Mother Nature won the art contest this week. Her use of colors was breathtaking. 

Were you lucky enough to see the Northern lights this week?

Autumn is amoung us...

While we were gone, our game cameras caught 3 different mountain lions roaming our property.  We figured something was up and sure enough, there is a deer kill behind the cabin.  They ate what they wanted and now the scavengers are getting their share.  We have magpies everywhere.  

Sorry the picture quality isn't the best.  I was taking photos from the game camera video.  I'm sure these are the yearling mountain lions from the cubs we caught on camera in November.

Despite their presence, we do not want for deer, turkeys, or grouse.  These bucks practiced some sparring in the yard this morning.  I was able to sit on the porch and enjoy the show while sipping my coffee.  Funny it doesn't bother them if I am in a bright red robe, drinking coffee, and taking photos, but put some camouflage on and sit quietly in the woods and you would think you had a blow horn. 

I harvested my carrots, peppers, and tomatoes.  These carrots were giving each other a hug.  I had probably the biggest carrots I've ever grown this year. I really missed Ella sitting in front of the greenhouse waiting for her payment of a carrot or tomato every time I went in and out.  

This my last rose of the year.  She is beautiful.  Things are very dry here.  I don't remember the last time we had a rain.  

It is autumn, as today the sandhill cranes went over in droves.  There is nothing that brings more joy to my heart than to hear them calling and watching them ride the wind currents in big loopy circles and then before you know it, they are out of sight.  I am so glad we got to see them this spring.  I waved and wished them well on their journey.  

What is your tell-tale sign that it is autumn?  Is it a sound? sight? or smell?