Conversations With Jessie.

So, we've been watching the Olympics around here every night. Jessie loves the gymnastics. The other night we were watching the men's diving. Kelly and I were commenting on a low score given to one of the divers, and Jessie pipes in saying, "Maybe if he wore a boy's bathing suit instead of those panties, they would give him a higher score."

Last night, as we were watching the recap of the Olympics, they were talking about table tennis. Once again, Jessie lets us know what she's thinking. "Ping Pong as an Olympic sport! You have got to be kidding me! Ping Pong?"

You never have to wonder what is going on inside her head.

The Road Goes On Forever......

As per usual around the Armstrong hacienda, something has to go wrong. Thankfully, yesterday, it didn't go as wrong as it could have. Kelly and I got up and sorted bulls so he could begin his 14 hour trip to Kamloops, B.C. Jessie and I opted out of that. He left here at 8:30. At 10 I get a phone call. I've been in a wreck, I'm okay the truck is @#$%ed. Someone crossed the center line in a minivan and hit the truck right under the door then bounced back and hit another SUV. Miraculously the driver of the van, after being flown away from the crash, only has a concussion and some broken ribs. Everyone else is fine. One bull had to come home. He is still up and around this morning. We are not sure what is wrong with him, but he definitely has a problem. Kelly borrowed a truck from a friend who came to the crash. He hooked on to his trailer and hauled the bulls to an auction mart to unload. Finally, at 4:30 yesterday afternoon, he left. He said they got there at 5:30 this morning. Needless to say, we have something to be very thankful for today. Kelly definitely had a guardian angel with him yesterday. As for the Freightliner, I believe she is going to pass on to truck heaven. She will be missed by all.

Kelly gets home Monday. We are hoping to leave Wednesday for the NBBA finals in Fort Worth. I'm working on all the paperwork to get the bulls across the border and trying to get my paperwork done for my permanent resident card that I have to carry to cross the border and not get deported. It expires in November, and I should have done this a long time ago. It isn't a quick process. I'm mailing them my itinerary for our flights in December in hopes it will give them some incentive to get it done in less than their usual time frame. Jessie cried and said she's not going when I told her we had to drive to Texas. This is going to be a pleasant trip. We have to make it straight through because there isn't too many places to unload bucking bulls between here and there. Jessie is also missing the first week of school. Not good, but such is life.

Jessie is going to Saskatchewan with her grandparents this weekend. Kelly's sister turns 40 and our niece is trick riding at a rodeo, so the whole family is gathering in Maple Creek. I get to stay home and care for an injured bull and try to get packed to head south.

Jessie's friend, Hailey had a tea party for her birthday the other day, so the girls all dressed up and put on their jewels and went for a tea party. They looked beautiful and had a great time. It was so good that they called that night to ask if they could sleep over. Jessie and her best bud Raina showed up at noon the next day looking exhausted and still wearing the party dresses.

That is all I know for now. I am off to town to get a passport photo taken and secure my spot in the Great White North. Have a good one, and hope to see some of you in the next couple of weeks.

Harvest Is Upon Us!

It is 10pm, the tractor is still running and the silage wagon is pulling in and out of the yard. The neighbors are helping Kelly cut silage. Actually, they are doing all the cutting and Kelly is packing the silage pit. I even did the farmer's wife thing and fed them supper in the field tonight. It was complete with homemade sourdough bread and peach cobbler. Talk about the domestic housewife.

The fields are already turning yellow. I've heard rumors of leaves already changing colors in places. A friend of mine who lives about 15 miles away told me that on August 2nd, the hose leading to her horse troughs had ice in it that morning. This, I do not find humor in. Summer is not long enough here.

Because we were going to silage this week, we thought we'd take Jessie out and take her picture in the barley before it got cut. She was none too happy about this, but the pictures turned out great.

We were in Olds for the rodeo this past weekend. Jessie got to play with her friends Cooper and Charlee. They are the pick up man's kids. They set up barrels and roping dummies and terrorize rodeo clowns, cowboys, and innocent bystanders. Barrel racers despise them.

Well, that is all I know for now. It is bedtime on the farm!

What Year Is This?

Could it be 1978 or is it 2008? You could never tell from the cap he insists on wearing that he found in Shane's basement.

A Little Summer Fun!

I took a few pics yesterday of Jessie outside. She had the sprinkler under the trampoline and put dish soap all over the trampoline. Talk about fun. I'm sure we broke every rule in the owner's manual. Heck, I bet they haven't even written one about dish soap. However, she had fun.



Yesterday was Ella's birthday, so Kelly went to town and picked her up. He took her for a drive and then brought her out for supper. We had steak, pasta salad and ceasar salad, made from lettuce out of the garden. I made Saskatoon/Raspberry Cobbler using Peggy's awesome recipe. It was so good. I can't even screw it up. Oh and the Saskatoons and Raspberries came out of the backyard as well. I think Ella enjoyed herself. We didn't get her back to town until 9:00.

While she was here, Jessie had to show her how she could ride a bucking horse. Ella thought it was so funny, and the horse was beat.







We met Kelly's sister in Brooks today and dropped Jessie off. She is staying until Tuesday she says. They are finishing up the visit with a trip to the amusement park in Calgary.