I have to apologize for not keeping up very well. Our lives seem to spiral out of control most times, and well, I just haven't had time to sit down and chronicle the goings on of the Armstrongs. I have, however, completed our sale catalog.
We lost our niece, Dee Ann in a trick riding accident on May 20. She was only twelve years old. We will miss her so much. She was a great kid and a great friend to Jessie. It is an awful reminder that we are not in control of any one thing in our lives.
It is May 29. The leaves are finally turning green. School is quickly winding down. Softball games have begun. I woke up this morning to four inches of packed snow on the ground. Yes, snow! I don't like snow in December. I really don't like it in May.
Having a one armed husband right now just adds to the snowstorm. I've been feeding bulls every morning. It isn't that big of a chore, but in the blowing wet snow, seventeen pails of barley feels like seventeen tons of barley. I was soaking wet and madder than a captured Jap by the time Kelly decided to come out and assist me in filling the bale feeders. By assist, I mean drive around in the dry tractor with the heater and radio on. I cut twines, open gates and chase bulls away from the open gates. He drives around and gives me those hand signals that I so dearly adore. I know one hand signal. I use it quite often during times such as these.
I was in the bull pen cutting twines on a bale and heard a yelp. I looked over to see the weiner dog high centered in a snow filled tractor rut. Kelly, who was out of the tractor (GASP!) closing a gate, rescued the poor soul. He finished out chores in the tractor. Now the reason the weiner dog was even out in the snow storm in the bull pen is because he is in love with Scout, the catahoula, and she had followed me out there. Kelly was cussing the dog, telling me how stupid he is and is going on and on about that just goes to show you what a girl does to you. I told him I didn't feel much smarter than the weiner dog right now, because I could be living in a warmer climate right now. This conversation leads on to him asking what I thought about something. You should never ask me that in a situation such as this. However, I am learning. I simply stated, "If I told you what I thought right now, you will get really mad, so we'll just leave it at that." You know what he said? "You are probabbly right." If you know you are going to be mad at the answer, then why ask. I then proceeded to my gate opening duties and quickly back to the house for my coffee and a dry set of clothes.
Kelly left to go check cows. We have already turned them out on pasture. With Kelly having surgery and thinking that summer was here, that was the easiest thing to do to lighten the chore load around here. However, we are still calving. I think it is safe to say he will probably come home with a few calves. I'm sure they will decide to all calve today. Why wouldn't they? I just hope he stops to buy me some Bailey's for my coffee. I feel like this is the perfect day for it and I deserve it, especially if I have to reopen the baby bovine bed and breakfast in my kitchen.
Jessie and Raina were outside building a snow man. The snow is so heavy, they couldn't get their middle piece up on the bottom. They came in soaking wet and defeated.
