Danger Ranch's New Title "Crazyland"

This past month has been more than the usual busy. I've been tending kiddos, puppies, washing horses, preparing all the necessary medications and vaccinations that go with the weather. As soon as that happens and 2 weeks pass, it's shearing and chipping feet. We have hot Autumns here with the East Winds. There's a lot of work ahead.

I have "Fix-up Fever" so bad. I've taken all the books out of our bookcases in the hall and I don't want to put them back. I want the books because they are collectable hardbound children's books and old church books, but the bookcases... I'm over it. Maybe I can make them something else...nah! They're going down.

I want to plant more flowers, and maybe the puppies are through digging in my flowers and removing all my wet potting soil this past summer. I want to start my vegetable garden, that became a too big of project to finish this season, and I still want to sweep and clean all the sidewalks and driveways. The garden we've started is made of huge IRON bins and fruit boxes that we have already filled with straw bales to take-up some bottom room and topped with a big load of just the right compost. We're going to have a great garden that doesn't hurt our backs, keeps the varmints out, including deer ... because it's going to be fenced-in, and the garden will have the exactly the right PH. The soil will never be walked-on and I'm really looking forward to our fresh fruits and vegetables. The big plus is that we're going completely organic.

16 Chest-sized Bins and Big Fruit Boxes

 I would love to wash all my driveway down but in my mind I'm thinking I'll be raking a lot this Fall so it would be a waste of water. The leaves are through and already dry. I can now smell Fall, not like Utah and Colorado or even the East.  I smell black sage, iron weed, Cottonwood Trees, and Sycamore Trees. It would be better for me to finish painting my outdoor furniture so it will last through the winter rains. Steve won't let me mow the lawns ever, and sabotaged the lawn mower and edger so that they won't start for me. Actually, I didn't promise him that I wouldn't try and mow a little bit.

What I've always wanted to do would be to put all the horses out in the pasture. They would love it. Banner, "the beaver horse" couldn't go because she eats all the big wooden posts and Sonny is a stallion. Our black cutie, would be be anxiously courting our mares.

Southern California Bashkir Curly Stallion Out of Copper Sun

I always hoped since we've had Sally-Horse, I could have this mare be bred to Sonny. Actually, I would love our beautifully wide and sorrel Quarter Horse to be bred to Sonny just to prove him and I'd have a foal to play with. I'd even be up to sell Sally-horse after I had her bred and a foal on the ground. It's too late in the season, but Fall would be a perfect time for a newborn.

The most interesting activity that's jumped right-out of "Pinterest" to inspire Steve and I, is to use some of Steve's metal junk that he's kept from his recycling center into repurposed and useful planters and interesting sculptures sooo it's junky, I know. I'm really tired of yard-art that is made in China. There's fun stuff that I've loved forever and all we need is just a few tools and my Steve to help me. Our grandchildren couldn't believe we made our motor oil can into the cutest bird house. And that's exactly where the "CRAZY" started.

Oil Can Birdhouse

Tipsy Buckets Planters Holey Containers = Great Pots

More Planters with Holes In the Bottom

First, my grandson Dallin, found a half of a big, plastic planter and placed it in the center of the arena while I was feeding the horses. Dallin was rocking back and forth and just announced to me that this piece of trash could be a rocking chair. I silently thought of trying to squeeze myself in a broken pot and rocking as an old lady on our porch singing, "♫♪♫ "We Are the American Pickers" ♫♪♫. The image of me standing-up with that pot stuck on my rear-end, made me turn around and grab the broken pot and toss it in the trash bin. Dallin continued to sit in it while I was dragging it out of the arena, make my impulsive dumping idea a little more difficult.

I told marnie that I believe she shouldn't buy toys for her children because it's a complete waste of money. "Marnie, just go to the lumber yard and by new wood." "The kids could stay away from the trash wood pile and then go outside and figure-out a fun project to build." Wood scraps, nails, and good hammers would fill their entire day.

My Grandchildren In Laramie Are Playing with Wood, Too

I stepped-it-up out of the "penguin-walk" that's my usual sore-knees indicator. I'm trying a re-teaching effort to walk normally and thinking sometimes out-loud, "Walk like a mountain-man!" I even have to tell myself to breathe only because when my knees really hurt ...I hold my breath. I don't hold it for too long, hahahaha... but I know it's not good to breathe irregularly. I had just climbed up the stairs and the grandchildren all ran up on to the porch and to the door to get me to see their new creation that they had created out of the trash. Uht, oh! I could see this large structure from my porch and it was amazing. They had built a Tee Pee out of the old boards of my porch. Super heavy boards all pulled-out of the wood pile, nails still sticking out all over the place. The kids were playing in the trash pile and making creations, reusing what they felt was great building material.

Really Rotten Boards-Great Playhouse?

The timing was perfect, it was a really warm day and I had seen a dead snake on the side of the road on my way home from Ventura. I'm thinking the kids are now playing in the snakes and Black Widow Spiders are everywhere. The scariest part of all of this is that the wood could collapse on them. Grand children making homes from discarded wood, not too safe at all. My firefighter husband was right-out there and said just for pictures and it's coming down. I heard him say, "You haven't gotten a building permit and I've checked it for safety-code violations and your structure has failed to pass." Tear it down carefully. I'll watch.

Adree, one of my older grand daughters, is asking me about the "American Pickers" and I'm not sure I've ever seen it, but I know about the show. She was trying to walk me around the back of the place and saying that I could make a fish pond out of all the claw-footed bath tubs (horse troughs) I have four of them upside down in the back. I'm a little afraid of turning them over. She also told me I could make a chair out of the pallets and I couldn't help but laugh-at-loud. Our first couch Steve and I had when we were first married, was made from pallet wood that Steve made into a wonderful couch. He  sanded-down all the wood and then designed a slight slant with a couple pieces of plywood for the seating area. He made it perfect. I made really thick, leather, patchwork cushions with pipping all around the edges. We stained the wood a dard barn-red and the best part was that the bottom plywood piece lifted-up so I could store my extra blankets and sheets under the couch. I loved it!

I'm getting some pretty unusual tinted paint this year for my metal furniture. They are through being rusty and I'm ready for some nice painted furniture. The painting looks clean and then I'm going to make my own cushions again, but without all the piping. I need them fast and in case the puppy decides to tear-in to them, at least a huge amount of time won't be lost. Now I'm going to have to revisit this post and put my projects up so I can remember my "Pinterest" inspirations. Hope that I don't cringe. Pinterest is a networking place on the Internet like Facebook, and all the others. It puts your bookmarks in categories and saves a picture. It's a lot better than just a plain bookmark with your browser. I don't have to remember which one of my three browsers have bookmarked my interests. I'm instantly reminded why I was so interested in that particular blog, website, or forum from Pinterest boards. The networking part is nice because we can see what our friends like that have similar tastes in crafts, sewing, or gardening. But, men "Pin" also. Junk like tools and "men stuff".

I have a bunch of flowers and potting soil in the back of my FJ so I KNOW what's happening tomorrow. It'll be fun. I might even get brave and grab some sheep feet and get on to the vaccinations and since I've renamed the ranch, to "Crazyland" just for our Fall season, instead of Danger Ranch, maybe this time I won't break my finger, like last year.

I love the book Adree made for me She said it's just doodling , but it was so cute. 

Here's where the Butt-Rock Lives On Our Driveway Island

We enjoyed the kids company and giggling and
watching them tease and play with each other.

My Daughter's Family Mansion

Sometimes I walk-out past their house that is on the side of our big roping arena. I swing around the corner out to Sally-Horse and I can hear all of them inside. They're all squealing, running, and giggling. I can see their yellow mansion shaking with happiness. Yep, I take a deep breath (I don't hold it) and I sigh. I honestly have developed a skip in my "Mountain Man" stride.