Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Crazy Christmas Round-Up

Got up early to make a nice Christmas breakfast for the family...

Stepped into the bathroom, turned on the shower, took a peek out of the blinds at the beautiful sunrise and saw...a furry black face looking back at me! AHHH! What in the world was THAT? For a second, I thought it was my old black dog Mackie -- but he died last year -- this Ghost of Christmas Past has gone a little too far!

I peeked out again and saw the big black face of a cow! or maybe it was a bull -- but it was definitely a creature of bovine descent. He looked at me, then went back to non-chalantly eating the grass by my back steps. I knew my husband wanted to get a beef cow...was this my Christmas present? Really, I would have been happy with the veggie steamer! I put my robe and slippers back on, and my coat and went outside.

"Well, Merry Christmas Mr. Big Black Bull!"

He didn't answer. He was very, very big. Huge. I opted to stay at the top of the stairs.

Hmmmm, now what was I going to do with a cow on my doorstep on Christmas morning. I have the beginnings of an enviable manger scene...

Maybe I had too much Oberweis Eggnog last night. I'm seeing cows in the yard.

My glorious nativity vision was interrupted by my neighbor furiously riding his 4-wheeler across the field toward my house.

"Don't worry Trish...I'll get him!!!!"

But the bull had other plans. He apparently planned to spend the holiday in my barn. He had no intention of being home for Christmas.

I said to my neighbor "What did you do? Give him a lump of coal in his stocking? He obviously doesn't want to go home with you!"

My neighbor wasn't in the mood for humor.

Then Mr. Bull got mad. He started trotting around the yard, this way and that, mocking the man who was yelling at him to go home.

Suddenly, from off in the distance coming at a full gallop is the Lone Ranger a.k.a. Bob my other neighbor. His horse is running like the wind and Bob is taking full advantage of the moment to actually use his lasso FOR REAL and bring this wayward bull home!

The bull obviously thought this was all part of the game and took off running. John Wayne, er, I mean Bob, is yelling to me to stand at the end of the driveway so Mr. Bull doesn't run out into the road -- oh Heavens, he might get hit by the ONE car a day that drives by...So in my slippers and coat I obediently guard the end of the driveway.

Next arrives Bob's wife in her mud boots and jacket and flowery flannel nightgown. I think she forgot to watch "What NOT To Wear To A Christmas Morning Cattle Run" because her flowery flannel was totally inappropriate. At least I was wearing my red nightgown with the little white snowflakes, which matched my red reindeer socks and white slippers. It's important to be occasion-appropriate, especially on Christmas! I was also wearing my old brown coat -- you know, the one that looks like I skinned my neighbor's old mare, and I was afraid he might notice that my coat looks vaguely familiar, but thankfully all the ranchers were quite pre-occupied.

The next attendee to this early morning holiday party was our other neighbor who (I think) just came out to show off his new Lincoln pick-up truck. I knew he would never take that new truck into that muddy field! But it did look good out there perched and ready for action...it would have made a nice commercial...or a classic Funniest Home Video -- one or the other!

Cowboy Bob finally roped the runaway fugitive (after about an hour!) and he quietly led him home. I thought the party ended just a bit too soon, but maybe everybody had other stuff to do...

So....how was YOUR Christmas????

Friday, November 16, 2007

Callie The Barn Cat Who Lives In The House



Callie is a character. I have to write about her this morning because she makes me laugh! This morning, I woke up and walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower and wondered what was that funny noise, like a motor running or something... I looked down at the bathroom door and there were those two furry little feet peeking out from under the door, and the purring from the other side was so intense that it was vibrating the door! Callie is always so happy to see me in the morning that she just can't contain herself! I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that the the first thing I usually do is feed the cats (even before coffee!), I'm sure she's just SOOO happy to see me -- yeah, right.....

Anyway, she is just so darn cute that I have to tell you about her. Callie came to me by way of my friend Gerlinde -- last winter. Gerlinde is highly allergic to cats and this stray kitten came to take up residence on Gerlinde's back deck. Not even being in the house, just outside the door, Callie gave Ger such sniffles that she called me and said "Please, you've GOT to take this cat"! I argued that I already have two cats and don't want another, etc...but I took her on the understanding that she would live outside in the barn and catch mice -- so it was a good thing. Yeah, right again. When we were bringing her home, the kids and I decided to call her Callie, because she is calico-colored. When I talked to Gerlinde the next day, she said "Oh, I forgot to tell you that we named her Callie"....Funny, so did WE!

Callie's mother obviously abandoned her and didn't teach her anything about proper cat behavior. Callie used to hang out with my big dog when she first came here, so sometimes she thinks she is a dog. She will sit at the end of the driveway and wait for me to come home from work. Then when I get out of the car, she jumps all over me, like a bad dog! She follows me when I walk in the mornings, she "talks" and chases balls and sleeps on my feet on top of the blankets at night. Callie the Barn Cat lived in the barn for about 2 weeks.

My two other cats are very snobby to Callie. They have forgotten from whence they came! They were also strays abandoned on my doorstep, but they refuse to acknowledge that humble beginning. They gang up on Callie, but she doesn't care -- she gives them that look that says "Whatever..."

The cutest thing she does is this daily "paws under the door" ritual every morning! When she puts her paws under there, I will touch her paws with my foot, and she will hang on for a minute, then she'll just sit there by the door and wait for me to come out. When I walk downstairs, she will walk a few steps ahead and usually trip because she tries to go down the stairs while turning her head to look back at me. She is so devoted!

Callie has been very naughty when it comes to Christmas, and the tree, and the gifts, but it's hard to stay mad at her for very long. I'm glad that God made cats! Thank you to Gerlinde for sending Callie to live on the farm!

Saturday, November 3, 2007

My Saturday Morning Sunrise


"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:23, 24