 |
But most of all I just want to say thank you to EVERYONE for supporting America's farm and ranch families! Without you, we couldn't do what we do!
Cheers,
Whitney
Showing posts with label farm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label farm. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
National Ag Day
Happy National Ag Day everyone!
I posted this photo on the Montana WIFE (Women Involved in Farm Economics) Facebook page. I am a member of this organization and also help manage the social media for Montana WIFE. I'd love it if you'd stop on over and give us a 'like'! Also check out our ag calendar art contest!
But most of all I just want to say thank you to EVERYONE for supporting America's farm and ranch families! Without you, we couldn't do what we do!
Cheers,
Whitney
But most of all I just want to say thank you to EVERYONE for supporting America's farm and ranch families! Without you, we couldn't do what we do!
Cheers,
Whitney
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Turquoise Tuesday {finally!}
Hello all!
It's time for a very long overdue TURQUOISE TUESDAY! Yay! But first, a short lil' update on the happenings around the farm...
We've been busy digging out from a lovely March blizzard that came through Sunday and Monday! Which coincidentally is about 90 days after we had fog! Right on time with the ol' wives tales! This also means we should be getting some more precipitation later this week, because we had a long stretch of foggy days in December! Yay for precipitation!
I can't really tell how much snow we got, because the wind blew the snow around quite a bit. But as near as I can tell, we got a little less than a foot of snow! That's a lot of snow for us here on the prairie!
I'm sure glad we bought a snow blower last year (just like every other farmer and rancher in our area). The reason why so many of us bought snow blowers for our tractors is because the winter of 2010-11 was horrid. We smashed previous records for snowfall and low temperatures. There was still snow in the hills here until June, which is absolutely unheard of! This nasty winter just so happened to be happening at the same time that our house was being built! It made the process quite interesting! But more on that later...it's time to talk TURQUOISE!
This Turquoise Tuesday a special one because these beautiful pieces of jewelry are made right here in good ol' Montana!
Kristin and her Etsy shop, Stone Creek Haven is based out of Bozeman, MT. She learned her metalsmithing trade from a retired professor in Bozeman and I kick myself for not taking classes while I was in Bozeman too! But I digress...
Here's a lil' excerpt from Kristin's Etsy shop about her work:
"I design and fabricate jewelry that is simple, timeless and sturdy. Because it is all hand built, please rejoice in its slight variations, much like life. The jewels can be dressed up or dressed down, complimenting your heart’s desire, as well as, your outfit. All items are handmade by me and I use fine metals and gorgeous gemstones. I really enjoy working with mixed metals! My jewelry has been field tested many times and the designs I craft are durable. I eat, breath, sleep, and exercise in all my jewelry. Because… if you aren’t lookin’ good, how can you be gardenin' good?"
I love the last sentence! I try to explain this to my husband often because he makes fun of me if I wear some of my jewels while we're out working around the farm. I don't wear jewelry while working too often though because of the big safety hazard that comes with working with machinery and cattle! But if I know that I'm not going to be doing anything where my hand could get smashed, I wear some of my pretty rings! :)
Anyways...time to see some of the pretties!
Here is one of my favorite pieces from her shop (I'd buy it but I have big Norwegian wrists!)
I absolutely love the clasp! Don't you?! And the rich color of that turquoise! Honey hush!
And now onto my next favorites! RINGS! These ones that I'm featuring have already been sold, but she's always adding new pretties to her shop!
And the back...
And look at these beauties! I love the mix of metals. Gold, copper, silver, oh my!
I hope you'll stop by Kristin's Etsy shop, Stone Creek Haven, and take a gander at all of her pieces! She's a talented artist!
Happy Turquoise Tuesday everyone and always Carpe' Diem!
Whitney
It's time for a very long overdue TURQUOISE TUESDAY! Yay! But first, a short lil' update on the happenings around the farm...
We've been busy digging out from a lovely March blizzard that came through Sunday and Monday! Which coincidentally is about 90 days after we had fog! Right on time with the ol' wives tales! This also means we should be getting some more precipitation later this week, because we had a long stretch of foggy days in December! Yay for precipitation!
I can't really tell how much snow we got, because the wind blew the snow around quite a bit. But as near as I can tell, we got a little less than a foot of snow! That's a lot of snow for us here on the prairie!
I'm sure glad we bought a snow blower last year (just like every other farmer and rancher in our area). The reason why so many of us bought snow blowers for our tractors is because the winter of 2010-11 was horrid. We smashed previous records for snowfall and low temperatures. There was still snow in the hills here until June, which is absolutely unheard of! This nasty winter just so happened to be happening at the same time that our house was being built! It made the process quite interesting! But more on that later...it's time to talk TURQUOISE!
This Turquoise Tuesday a special one because these beautiful pieces of jewelry are made right here in good ol' Montana!
Kristin and her Etsy shop, Stone Creek Haven is based out of Bozeman, MT. She learned her metalsmithing trade from a retired professor in Bozeman and I kick myself for not taking classes while I was in Bozeman too! But I digress...
Here's a lil' excerpt from Kristin's Etsy shop about her work:
"I design and fabricate jewelry that is simple, timeless and sturdy. Because it is all hand built, please rejoice in its slight variations, much like life. The jewels can be dressed up or dressed down, complimenting your heart’s desire, as well as, your outfit. All items are handmade by me and I use fine metals and gorgeous gemstones. I really enjoy working with mixed metals! My jewelry has been field tested many times and the designs I craft are durable. I eat, breath, sleep, and exercise in all my jewelry. Because… if you aren’t lookin’ good, how can you be gardenin' good?"
I love the last sentence! I try to explain this to my husband often because he makes fun of me if I wear some of my jewels while we're out working around the farm. I don't wear jewelry while working too often though because of the big safety hazard that comes with working with machinery and cattle! But if I know that I'm not going to be doing anything where my hand could get smashed, I wear some of my pretty rings! :)
Anyways...time to see some of the pretties!
Here is one of my favorite pieces from her shop (I'd buy it but I have big Norwegian wrists!)
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/listing/111247110/sancho-panza? |
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/listing/111247110/sancho-panza? |
I absolutely love the clasp! Don't you?! And the rich color of that turquoise! Honey hush!
And now onto my next favorites! RINGS! These ones that I'm featuring have already been sold, but she's always adding new pretties to her shop!
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/transaction/106964552?
|
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/transaction/106964552? |
And look at these beauties! I love the mix of metals. Gold, copper, silver, oh my!
 |
| https://www.etsy.com/transaction/30889285? |
Happy Turquoise Tuesday everyone and always Carpe' Diem!
Whitney
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Hotter Than a Furnace Fan
UPDATE: I was in the middle of writing this post when our power went out on June 26. There was a terrible storm about 20 miles east of us that produced a possible tornado and it ripped several giant power poles and several smaller power poles down. We were without power for three and a half days!! Luckily no one was injured, but there were grain bins ripped out of the ground and several trees wrecked as well! I'm so very thankful for our workers at our local Rural Electric Association that worked tirelessly to restore power to the countryside!! I'm also very thankful for my hubby, who took care of the farm, our generators, and our ol' tractors that ran the generators so we could have running water for our home and for our livestock! I've been counting my blessings and saying lots of prayers for our friends and family that have been battling the terrible fires in Montana and across the country. Please add them and the brave firefighters to your prayers! We could all use a good rain too, so get out there and wash your car, wash your windows on your house, and do a rain dance! In my next post I will share pictures that I took of some of the damage in our area as well as what happens on our farm when we are without power! But now back to your regular scheduled programming that was taking place on Tuesday, June 26th...
Hello loyal blog readers...it's me, your unloyal blogger! Remember me...?? Ha.
Well to quote one of my favorite Robert Earl Keen songs...it's hotter than a furnace fan out in Arizona!
It's currently over a 100 degrees here! Yuck! The image below was taken from our local county Conservation District website. They along with our local MSU Extension Office have set up several weather reporting stations around our county. This weather station is located just up the road from us and this is what it said: HOT!! HOTT!!! HOTTTTT!!!
We reached a high of just under 105 degrees!! But my hometown of Miles City has been setting all-time high records...it reached 111 degrees at 2:30 pm today!! And it could still have gotten hotter!! Read all about it here!
Anyways, apologies for not keeping you up-to-date on the happenings in my life!
Spring and summer are busy times here on the farm and ranch! We have been busy seeding and spraying our crops, vaccinating and branding calves and helping neighbors do the same, vaccinating cows, fixing and building fences, hauling water to our cows, sorting our cows into breeding groups and hauling them to summer range, celebrating 3 birthdays in June (my mother-in-law's, my hubby's, and my own!), getting our bulls tested to make sure they can give our cows proper lovin' (hehe), and then turning the bulls out to let them do this! (Warning...image below might be offensive to some...but it's where BEEF comes from! Oh and never mind the two in the turquoise in the foreground...)
And now that the bulls are turned out, it's time to get our haying equipment ready! Our hay situation is none-to-promising in our area. We have been awfully short of rain and have had a warmer than usual year. We're not lucky enough to have irrigation to help our hay and crops along when we're short of precipitation, but we still do alright! We still have to get what hay we can so we don't have to purchase hay this winter! Luckily we have some left over from last year's hay crop and we are very thankful for that! How does the hay look where you are?
I'm also trying to do a good deep clean on my house while there is a little lull in time between major projects, but I find myself dragging my feet a bit! I have been finding a few good tips on Pinterest to help get my go'er going!
But we all know this is a more accurate description of what my cleaning schedule is like...
How about all of you?? What's going on in your world? Any big trips planned for the summer? My husband and I are going to be heading to Medora, North Dakota this next month to celebrate our first year of marriage! We actually won tickets to the Medora Musical from our local Rural Electric Association! Ha!
Well I had better get to gettin'! I will try to keep you better posted on the happenings on the dirt roads...but no promises! Ha! But seriously, thanks for sticking with me!
Cheers,
Whitney
Hello loyal blog readers...it's me, your unloyal blogger! Remember me...?? Ha.
Well to quote one of my favorite Robert Earl Keen songs...it's hotter than a furnace fan out in Arizona!
It's currently over a 100 degrees here! Yuck! The image below was taken from our local county Conservation District website. They along with our local MSU Extension Office have set up several weather reporting stations around our county. This weather station is located just up the road from us and this is what it said: HOT!! HOTT!!! HOTTTTT!!!
We reached a high of just under 105 degrees!! But my hometown of Miles City has been setting all-time high records...it reached 111 degrees at 2:30 pm today!! And it could still have gotten hotter!! Read all about it here!
Anyways, apologies for not keeping you up-to-date on the happenings in my life!
Spring and summer are busy times here on the farm and ranch! We have been busy seeding and spraying our crops, vaccinating and branding calves and helping neighbors do the same, vaccinating cows, fixing and building fences, hauling water to our cows, sorting our cows into breeding groups and hauling them to summer range, celebrating 3 birthdays in June (my mother-in-law's, my hubby's, and my own!), getting our bulls tested to make sure they can give our cows proper lovin' (hehe), and then turning the bulls out to let them do this! (Warning...image below might be offensive to some...but it's where BEEF comes from! Oh and never mind the two in the turquoise in the foreground...)
And now that the bulls are turned out, it's time to get our haying equipment ready! Our hay situation is none-to-promising in our area. We have been awfully short of rain and have had a warmer than usual year. We're not lucky enough to have irrigation to help our hay and crops along when we're short of precipitation, but we still do alright! We still have to get what hay we can so we don't have to purchase hay this winter! Luckily we have some left over from last year's hay crop and we are very thankful for that! How does the hay look where you are?
I'm also trying to do a good deep clean on my house while there is a little lull in time between major projects, but I find myself dragging my feet a bit! I have been finding a few good tips on Pinterest to help get my go'er going!
 |
| Find it on my Pinterest board! http://pinterest.com/pin/7599893091785780/ |
How about all of you?? What's going on in your world? Any big trips planned for the summer? My husband and I are going to be heading to Medora, North Dakota this next month to celebrate our first year of marriage! We actually won tickets to the Medora Musical from our local Rural Electric Association! Ha!
Well I had better get to gettin'! I will try to keep you better posted on the happenings on the dirt roads...but no promises! Ha! But seriously, thanks for sticking with me!
Cheers,
Whitney
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Wednesday and Windmills
I am in love with windmills. And this one just so happens to be right out my front door.
.JPG)
I don't know what it is about windmills that I'm attracted to.
It might have something to do with their towering presence on the wide open landscapes of endless grass on the prairies.
It might have to do with their ability to give life to the dry, barren ground as the water they pump from the depths of the earth spills over the edges of the water trough.
It might have to do with my love of watching animals drink from the water. Like how a horse's ears pump back and forth while they're sucking in the water as they quench their thirst or how a chicken dips down and gathers water in their beak and tips their head back to let it run down their throat.
Or it might have to do with where the windmills are that I love the most; on the places I call home.
This one is on my family's ranch. Dylan, my mom, and I were having fun with fall sunset.
My love for windmills spilled over into some of my wedding decor.
My love for windmills has even made it into my home decor. This windmill is in my concrete shower!
I will tell you more about my windmill shower in a later post.
My next windmill home decor addition is going to be this!
What about you? Do you love windmills or am I just a weirdo? Nevermind...don't answer that! Ha!
Oh and don't forget to get signed up for the fabulous Turquoise Tuesday giveaway!
Hope everyone is having a fabulous Hump Day!
Keep dreamin' and Carpe' diem!
Whitney
.JPG)
I don't know what it is about windmills that I'm attracted to.
It might have something to do with their towering presence on the wide open landscapes of endless grass on the prairies.
It might have to do with their ability to give life to the dry, barren ground as the water they pump from the depths of the earth spills over the edges of the water trough.
It might have to do with my love of watching animals drink from the water. Like how a horse's ears pump back and forth while they're sucking in the water as they quench their thirst or how a chicken dips down and gathers water in their beak and tips their head back to let it run down their throat.
Or it might have to do with where the windmills are that I love the most; on the places I call home.
This one is on my family's ranch. Dylan, my mom, and I were having fun with fall sunset.
My love for windmills spilled over into some of my wedding decor.
My love for windmills has even made it into my home decor. This windmill is in my concrete shower!
My next windmill home decor addition is going to be this!
 |
| Found on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/pin/7599893091069172/ |
Oh and don't forget to get signed up for the fabulous Turquoise Tuesday giveaway!
Hope everyone is having a fabulous Hump Day!
Keep dreamin' and Carpe' diem!
Whitney
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Turquoise Tuesday!
Boy of boy, do I have some pretty turquoise to show you! Well technically it's not actual turquoise stones, but they dang sure look like it! And the best part is...it won't break the bank!
I recently ordered some gorgeous jewelry from Unbridled in Ada, Oklahoma. The jewelry is made by some wonderful gals in Hutto, Texas that go by the name Sookie Sookie.
I recently ordered some gorgeous jewelry from Unbridled in Ada, Oklahoma. The jewelry is made by some wonderful gals in Hutto, Texas that go by the name Sookie Sookie.
Isn't this squash blossom necklace just GORGEOUS!?!! This was one of the necklaces that I bought and I am absolutely in LOVE with it! Normally, a squash blossom necklace like this would set you back thousands of dollars because of all of the silver and turquoise...but not this one! This one only costs $80--for the WHOLE necklace! And you also have the option to only order the pendant too, which drops the cost down even more!
The reason why the price is so much better than other semi precious stone jewelry is because this jewelry is made out of clay and each piece is hand painted to look like the real deal!! The jewelry looks almost exactly like the real stuff and at a WAY better price!! I'm all for finding the good imitations! And Sookie Sookie is great at doing that!!
Here's some more pictures of some of Sookie Sookie's gorgeous jewlz! I also ordered the pendant in these first two pictures below. This piece is called "Big Chief" and it is so beautiful! And Big Chief's headdress is all blinged out too!
Sookie Sookie makes everything from necklaces, rings, belts, earrings, bracelets, and headbands to wine stoppers, home decor, and more in every color, design, and size imaginable!! These girls are outta control and I LOVE it!!
And the best way to get your Sookie Sookie fix is to order from the wonderful gals at Unbridled. They are so sweet and are great to work with. You can browse through their Facebook albums and if you see something you like, give them a call to order! If they don't have it in stock, they will order it, and ship it to you!
I'd love to share more turquoise pictures, but I've got to head out to the fields and do some more farming! We are preparing our fields for spring planting! In the spring we plant hard red spring wheat, feed barley, and plant both field peas and feed oats together to make to grain hay for our cows! More on that later...
 |
| My view from the tractor seat! |
What about you guys? Are you busy planting, calving, lambing, foaling, kidding (as in having baby goats...Haha!), cleaning (I should be doing that...but I'm avoiding it), travelling, working, or just plain having fun? I'd love to hear about it! If you've got a blog, leave the link in the comments! I love to read about what everyone else has going on!
Thanks for stopping by everyone! If you need another turquoise fix, I'm always pinning lots of gorgeous turquoise finds on Pinterest! So come on over and see what I've got on my Turquoise Pinterest board!
Keep dreamin' big and always Carpe' Diem!
Whitney
**DISCLAIMER: This ain't no paid advertisement...just love Sookie Sookie! All pictures of Sookie Sookie jewelry are from Sookie Sookie's Facebook page and were taken by Talula (who also makes kick ass jewelry!)**
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Off the Grid...
I've been off the blogging grid this week! Whoops!
Well to catch up...
We had a Super Bowl party at our home on the prairie! It was so fun to have some of our neighbors over for some food, fun, and oh ya...football! To tell you the truth, I didn't watch ANY of the game! I was to busy gabbing with everyone as the came through the grub line to pay attention to the game! By the way...who won? Just kidding...I think.
Anyways, we had a fun party and I paid for it on Monday. My bad! And since then it's been busy, busy around here with farm work!
BUT...I do have something fantastic to fill you in on!
Crystal at the Crystal Cattle blog is doing a fabulous giveaway of...TURQUOISE! A wonderful and talented gal from Texas has graciously offered up some of her gorgeous handmade necklaces!
Sara from Noble House Designs makes beautiful pieces that definitely make you say WOWZA! So you must go and visit Crystal's blog and read through her post to get the specifics!
Thanks for joining me down the dirt roads! Dream big and Carpe' Diem!
Cheers,
Whitney
Well to catch up...
We had a Super Bowl party at our home on the prairie! It was so fun to have some of our neighbors over for some food, fun, and oh ya...football! To tell you the truth, I didn't watch ANY of the game! I was to busy gabbing with everyone as the came through the grub line to pay attention to the game! By the way...who won? Just kidding...I think.
Anyways, we had a fun party and I paid for it on Monday. My bad! And since then it's been busy, busy around here with farm work!
BUT...I do have something fantastic to fill you in on!
Crystal at the Crystal Cattle blog is doing a fabulous giveaway of...TURQUOISE! A wonderful and talented gal from Texas has graciously offered up some of her gorgeous handmade necklaces!
Sara from Noble House Designs makes beautiful pieces that definitely make you say WOWZA! So you must go and visit Crystal's blog and read through her post to get the specifics!
Thanks for joining me down the dirt roads! Dream big and Carpe' Diem!
Cheers,
Whitney
Friday, January 27, 2012
Corgi Friday!
Hello again, my name is Whitney and I'm also addicted to corgis! So I thought that on Fridays, I should dedicate the blog post to my corgi, Annie, and other corgis around the world!
Corgi Friday was started by the bloggers at Warming Glow. As near as I can tell, they blog and somewhat mock TV and media. BUT they have dedicated their Friday's to corgis and posting pictures, videos, and stories about corgis!
A little background on corgis, specifically Pembroke Welsh corgis. According to the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club, legend has it that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an "enchanted" dog, and certainly this must be true! It was said that corgis were used by the fairies and elves of Wales to pull fairy coaches, work fairy cattle, and serve as a steed for the fairy warriors. Even today those people with keen eyes and understanding hearts may see the marks of the "fairy saddle" in the coat over the shoulders. And I totally believe it!
Now most corgis these days are your basic pet. But there are a few who live up to their breed and are working dogs!
Kathy & Scott Wiley raise cattle near Musselshell, MT and have FOUR hard working corgis! They were featured on the Animal Planet on a segment called 'Small Dogs, Big Jobs'. They definitely earn their keep on the ranch!
You might also know that the Queen of England has a few corgis of her own...
Or is it this Queen that has all the corgis?
Either way, you can tell that corgis are lovable, full of personality, and Montana State University Bobcat fans!!
Annie also does a lot of work with us on the farm.
The good news about my addiction to corgis is that I'm not alone! I found this website last year that was specifically for those who have OCD, commonly known as Obsessive Corgi Disorder.
The funny thing is, my husband's friend just posted the link to this website on my husband's Facebook wall tonight! Little did he know that I was already in the process of writing this blog post specifically about corgis! He must have ESPN...er...ESP...whatever...
Anyways, I sure hope you love corgis or will come to love corgis as a result of Corgi Fridays! If you are a lover of corgis, I'd love to hear about it!
Thanks for joining me on the dirt roads tonight. As always, dream big and Carpe' Diem!
Cheers,
Whitney
 |
| Annie at 6 weeks old! |
A little background on corgis, specifically Pembroke Welsh corgis. According to the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club, legend has it that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is an "enchanted" dog, and certainly this must be true! It was said that corgis were used by the fairies and elves of Wales to pull fairy coaches, work fairy cattle, and serve as a steed for the fairy warriors. Even today those people with keen eyes and understanding hearts may see the marks of the "fairy saddle" in the coat over the shoulders. And I totally believe it!
 |
| I can see a fairy riding Annie! Can't you? :) |
Kathy & Scott Wiley raise cattle near Musselshell, MT and have FOUR hard working corgis! They were featured on the Animal Planet on a segment called 'Small Dogs, Big Jobs'. They definitely earn their keep on the ranch!
You might also know that the Queen of England has a few corgis of her own...
 |
| Image from here |
 |
| Image from here |
 |
| MSU Bobcat vs. UM Grizzlies Football Game 2011 |
 |
| Mr. Farmer and Annie feeding cows in the tractor. |
 |
| Image from here |
Anyways, I sure hope you love corgis or will come to love corgis as a result of Corgi Fridays! If you are a lover of corgis, I'd love to hear about it!
Thanks for joining me on the dirt roads tonight. As always, dream big and Carpe' Diem!
Cheers,
Whitney
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Welcome to my blog!
Hi everyone!
My name is Whitney. I'm a wife, farmer, rancher, and dreamer. I live along the dirt roads and the rolling hills of Northeastern Montana with my husband. We farm and ranch with my husband's parents. We raise Hereford cows, winter wheat, spring wheat, feed barley, alfalfa hay, and lots of grass! We also have a small herd of chickens and barn cats, but our corgi, Annie, keeps them in line!
Here's a picture of, Annie!
My hubby and I got married this last summer in my hometown!
Here's one of our favorite photos from it!
Well, that's all for now...
I'll be sharing more about my life here on the prairie, as well as lots of funny stories and photos! You never know what is going to happen down the dirt roads! Thanks for tagging along with me on this journey!
Cheers,
Whitney
My name is Whitney. I'm a wife, farmer, rancher, and dreamer. I live along the dirt roads and the rolling hills of Northeastern Montana with my husband. We farm and ranch with my husband's parents. We raise Hereford cows, winter wheat, spring wheat, feed barley, alfalfa hay, and lots of grass! We also have a small herd of chickens and barn cats, but our corgi, Annie, keeps them in line!
Here's a picture of, Annie!
 |
| Annie--our Pembroke Welsh Corgi & Queen of the Farm! |
My hubby and I got married this last summer in my hometown!
Here's one of our favorite photos from it!
 |
| American Gothic circa 2011 |
I'll be sharing more about my life here on the prairie, as well as lots of funny stories and photos! You never know what is going to happen down the dirt roads! Thanks for tagging along with me on this journey!
Cheers,
Whitney
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)