that time again ~

This is my Dear Hubby in a nutshell ...

I rode along the last couple days with Dear Hubby, the trapperman.  It's that time of year again when he and my son are out there trapping nuisance beaver.  If not kept under control in these northern woods... they sure can raise some havoc on the roads and properties.

 ... a little washout from a plugged up culvert ...

how would you like to be driving along and hit that??

... assessing the situation ...

 ... a little clean up on the culvert ...

 The beaver have it packed full of chewed off twigs and sticks so they can flood the area and make a pond.  The beaver don't care that there's a road that runs right through this property. 

 Getting ready to put in another set ...

The roads in this area are closed to the public right now because of spring thawing ~ causing a lot of mud and ruts, plus parts are full of snow, and washouts from the beaver floodings ... but Slim has permission from the county to go through them for trapping

Believe me ... it's a long rough ride!

It rained on and off all morning ... blahhhhhhhhhh

Watch it Buddy ~ you're almost over your boot top!

Slim had to switch into a dryer jacket and another mode of transportation.

Another one.

They're stacking up ... I think the count is now 95.

Until next time ...
so it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

easter

I know I haven't been the best blogger as of late ...

but I do think of my cyberspace friends and family often.  

All is well in our world and I pray it is also in yours.  

Love one another.  

Cherish those around you ... your family, your friends. 

Remember the true meaning of Easter.  

Until next time ...

so it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel 

skating ~

Ice skating ... putting your whole body weight on a little metal blade ... praying your knees and ankles won't give out on you ... because you know if you fail ... the landing will not be pretty!

Practice ... practice ... practice ...

AND the show goes on ...

Yesterday the Price Ice Skating Team put on a program.  That's my Grandlove Bailey on the end left.  

... the camera caught her in an awkward poise on this one skating backwards and making a turn ...

This is Bailey's 3rd year skating.  It just amazes me how much these kids improve each year :)

Their routine had a cute ending ... where they all fall down.  On purpose!

Here's some more shots from the day (from the Price Ice facebook page)

Fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon ... watching these talented kids.

*~*

Blake had a big milestone too ... mastering the big slide at daycare.  Thanks Annie for the photos ~

She turns two in a few weeks.  Another year and she'll probably be in skates like her big sister.

Until next time ...
so it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel 

out to pasture ~

Did you have a hobby horse, or as we called them ~ a bouncy horse when you were a child?

That beautiful little steed you could ride to wherever your imagination would take you.

I didn't have one ... but do recall asking my parents for one, to which I got a reply from my Daddy, "Why would you want one of  those plastic ponies when you have the real thing?" 

True ... we always had horses on the farm.  Dad always called them "hay burners"... but I know he loved those horses as much as the rest of us.  When he was younger he rode a quite often, as did I.  I miss those times.

Here's one of my favorite pics that I made into a scrapbook page of myself and my brother Doug and my sisters Colleen and Cheryl. I was only 8 years old then.

Well... back to the original storyline about this post.  Out to pasture ... 

Driving through Illinois on Hwy 24 ,near the town of Fairbury, there is an unusual sight.  

A row of hobby horses that are past there prime and have been put out to pasture.

According to Roadside America ... it began when a farmer put a carousel horse in a field as a marker.  Since then other hobby horses began appearing mysteriously ... usually under the cover of darkness.  

 (these two images from the internet)

When we saw them the first time most of them were standing up ... but on our way home it was very windy and half of them were knocked down.  I hope someone stands them up again.  

Until next time ...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel