Embrace the dandelion

Some random updates to let you know what's going on at the Cease Fire Ranch.

Raccoons must die. I don't care if they are cute little bandits. I heard Jesse James was good looking too, see how far that got him? OK then.

I'm pretty confident is mamma raccoon digging at our floor. I swear she's trying to get into the house, and doing a damn fine job if I might add. I really would like to shoot her myself!

Look what I have!!!!
Lilacs!

I was just commenting to Gene last week that I used to have lilacs in my yard and how pretty they smelled. I went to the car today and caught a flash of lavendar.. what the h....? Guess what, there was a few lilacs! I didn't even know we had a lilac bush. (The blonde is not REAL fyi). After I noticed the flowers I realized *of course* I know what a lilac bush looks like. They are so pretty, but there are not many. Of course it's planted super random like every other tree around here. I wonder if they really had some sort of plan when they planted our 8-10 trees, or if some branch just started growing out of the ground so they left it where it lay?

Remember the baby robins from a few days ago?

Look at them now!

Mamma robins get PISSED when they come back with a worm in their beak and you're standing over the nest with a camera.

Went to garage sales today, Friday garage sales are always best. Found a stand for $4.00 for us to put the unity candle on! This sure solved a HUGE problem. We sort of changed the set up for when we got married so no longer did I have an alter... we're getting married in front of a fireplace. So I had to figure out where to put the unity candle. Funny how whenever I have a need, God finds a way to get it to me, and at a reasonable price too.

I'm going to put a flower arrangement on it after I spraypaint it my favorite color - silver (well, favorite behind pink). Anyway, I have realized how much I LOVE to arrange flowers. I might consider applying at some flower shops for a job. Pay would probably suck LOL. I'm actually kinda good at it if I do say so myself, they are certainly better than my flowers the first time around (I did those too lol).

Please notate my bumper crop of dandelions. I have decided we're going to take our 2 acres of yellow goodness and make dandelion wine as favors for all of our guests. Yay dandelion wine!

LOL

*just wondering if Carol thinks I'm serious or not* ;)
We'll see I guess.

Embrace the dandelion!

Raccoon update

Frigging gads.. I had this typed once and blogspot gave me an error.. that ticks me off bigtime so this is the short version now.

Conservation agent came to get the pups...said to put ammonia around the house to scare off critters and put down the mamma if we see her because she'll tear up the house trying to find the babies if we don't. We did.

Now, there's something under the dining room digging at the floor every night. Is it her trying to get out because ammonia has blocked her means of egress, or is this a whole new critter?

Sigh.

It's a girl!!

And a boy... and a boy... and a girl!

Today, on Wild Kingdom, we explore the Cease Fire Ranch in NW Missouri.



Kinda cute for RACCOONS!

We got tired of the waiting game so Gene climbed under the house, split the underbelly lining open and pulled out the litter. Right now, we have one of the 4 inside of the live trap. Mamma raccoon will not be able to keep herself from "saving" the pup and WACK, she'll be in the *live* trap. (don't get your knickers in a twist, our goal is to relocate her and her brood.

In the meantime, the other babies are asleep inside of a towel, in a big rubbermaid tub in the living room. I have to admit they sure are cute. They remind me of when I was a kid, Uncle Kermit had some coons as pets. You can't keep them long because they tear stuff up, and I have no desire to have a domesticated raccoon that I have to set free.

Look what else is at our house. A big fat robins nest on the light pole. We thought it was an old nest, but it was a new one. I saw Momma Robin a few days ago busting a beak trying to get an old piece of clothesline off the line. It didn't happen. I did have intentions of putting out a basket of string and yarn for the birds this year, but seems they did pretty good without me!

I'll update you on the raccoons. I'm scared she's gonna trip out when it's time to let her go. I hear they'll rip your arm off!

(this is why god made men... that and spiders)

Happy National Scrapbook day!

To celebrate this monumental occasion, I did not scrapbook. :p Yet.

I probably will do something this evening... take a break from wedding stuff and sit and make a page... not about wedding stuff!

Today, we got up bright and early and hit garage sale day (city wide). Our mission was to get tanner his loft and/or bunk bed set he's been harassing - wanting for quite some time. Well first stop we were there before they opened the doors... along with 20 other ppl. everyone wanted it. We didn't get it.

Second stop, we missed it by like, oh... 30 seconds. wish we hadn't stopped at one on the way.

Finally, we gave up and then tanner spotted a third set about an hour later. Score!

This was my good find:

Have I mentioned that vintage tableclothes/napkins are on my 'good things' list? I love the hand stitching and love when they are starched. I think I have a collection. I didn't *intend* to collect them, but there they are.

I love little old lady garage sales, they are my favorite. They always have this cute kitchy decorations - and most of the time they just want to make room so they practically gave the stuff away. I had to pay more than I wanted for the 3 sets of tablecloths, which Gene wasn't excited about, but I maintain that it's cheaper than Crown Royal, and I have something to actually show for it... besides the spotted liver :p

I also got a FREE pair of cowboy boots. I've been finding them at garage sales for a couple years and cutting the tops off of them. I'm going to make a cool mirror like one I saw at Cavendars. Very awesome, and very not for sale. I'll share pictures someday.... when I get about 12 more pair of boots. LOL.

Gene got nothing. I think for him it's the thrill of the chase. I was surprised the only thing he found interesting was a set of civil war general prints. So very much not my thing... but it's ok if he likes them. But they were too rich for his blood.

On the raccoon front, well, we still have them... I've been trying the live trap and having no luck except for the 2 stray cats we caught. *note to self- cat food is great for catching CATS*

Raccoons really stink. I wish I'd figured out sooner that mice don't stink nearly as bad as raccoons. We kept thinking that the raccoon smell was mice and was about to banish the mice. Well, the mice hardly smell at all!

What a mess. Tons of research and I just can get her to go away (she had a litter under the house). If we can catch mama, the babies will be easy (with a leather glove mind you).

Raccoons are NOT CUTE. I hate raccoons!