Fun day

Well, it was a fun day today.  Got up a little late today,  and missed my walk.  Have to work on that.  lol
Ended up at the kitchen table for most of the day looking for a job and applying several places.  I'm praying that I get a job.
Then I went out and helped dad build a rabbit hutch, which took most of the rest of the day and into the evening.  Here are some pics of it...professionally built..:)

the girls got some hay and lined the inside of the bottom before we placed the rabbits inside.  They went and hid right away.  Once they get used to the new surroundings, then I should be able to get a good picture of them playing.  later on that though..  We tied it off to a tree so the deer, the wind or other creatures won't knock it over..

While we were working on the cage, a turtle showed up.  we played with him for a while and then accidentally dropped a couple black cherries and he got a hold of them and went to town munching them down.  we have a turtle getting into the shop, so we marked him with a #9 and a happy face to see if he is the same one...

I think he needs to wipe his face...:)

after we got thru with the cage and the turtle we went in and watched episodes of Smallville and in the background, more fireworks going off...so I went outside and snapped some more pictures.  I'm going to put a couple here and the rest will be in facebook album...hope you enjoy!!!!

I threw the moon in on the last couple with no extra charge to you.  :)  Many more on facebook if you like..

pictures

the view is always clear
unless your out of focus
with a push of the button
again its clear, no fuzz

snapping pictures left and right
no film to waste if bad
now only a delete button to push
in the old days it was so sad

everyone has a digital camera
everyone thinks they are a pro
point and shoot digital phones
uploading them on the go

so watch out everywhere you go
on facebook you will find your face
probably doing something you shouldn't have
in an embarrassing time or  place

don't say I didn't warn you
cause I'm behind the camera you see
looking for the awkward moment
to facebook it will be

j

Fighting the battle

Time is the enemy.  I know we all get older, but time passes by faster and faster as we get older.  Kids grow up and move off, grandkids are born and grow up and move off..  of course I'm not "there" yet, but it will happen.   It seems like you don't have anything to do, and then you have everything to do in one day.  Why can't we spread it out over at least a week?  lol
The repairs on my truck should be done today, I'm hoping.  It was to be ready this past Friday but I got a call late that there were some broken parts and they wouldn't be in until Tuesday.  Duh...holiday weekend and everyone wanted to go home.  I think they wanted to buy some time...and it was getting late.  Oh well, I want it done right.

Well, we got the rock pretty much done on the french drain that we built to carry the water to the drain.  With all the heat, the heavy work like that has slowed just a little, but here is what it looks like now.  We got an 1/2" of rain to wash off some of the dirt, so they look really white now.

This leads from the North (field water source) to the pond, which you can see in the foreground if you squint real good...lol  I had some help from mom and dad and Shane and the girls (Mandy and Katie)  and with all helping all at once, it moves so much faster than me hauling them one at a time..

Yesterday the Hummingbirds were out and I was in the photo mood so I was out shooting pictures of them and the frogs down at the pond...

the quality of some of these pictures aren't the best, but I liked the position of the birds in stopped motion and then the shadow and reflection of the frog.  had to throw a rock to get him to jump while I was hitting the exposure button....they are fast...I was trying to be faster...:)

Went to the fireworks in town last night.  Fireworks are difficult to get the settings on a camera correct so I didn't really catch them as I wanted.  We were rushed as they were already going off when we arrived and as I was messing with the settings, I got some!!!  I don't know about you, but when I see fireworks and I think about our country and how much I love it, I get emotional..I can't help it and I don't care what anyone thinks...I'm not going to change.   God has blessed America and I am so glad that I was born here and live here.

I tried to join the armed forces not long after I got married.  Went thru all the processes and was taking the physical when they found out that I couldn't hear.  We tested and retested my hearing and I continued to fail the tests, so they would not allow me to serve. God had and has other plans for me!!  then and now.

doors

Thru open doors we walk each day
the path ahead is clear
knowing God's will for our lives
we carry on with cheer!!

when tough decision must be made
we consult with our savior above
he'll give us the answer we need to proceed
he is faithful to guide with Love

Sometimes the door will close
another path choice to make
he does it to help us stay on course
his guiding we must take

so if you get discouraged often
running into lots of closed doors
thank the Lord for blocking the way
keeping you from mopping floors

his way is always better than yours
he knows what is ahead
preparing us for what he needs us to do
with his word he keeps us fed

so keep your eyes wide open
and stay in prayer this you'll need
he will take you to the right door
and through it he will lead

jay

Family Rebellion

Well last week had been a very busy week with all the rock moving and rock hauling and trench digging and water line work and vehicle repairs and then to top it off we ended up the week with a family reunion. So I will share some pictures that I took while there.

It was held at the Haven, Kansas Community building and as you can see the kids had fun playing outside on the play ground equipment and they did a little posing for the camera..and falling..

We had an auction, which we do every year and sell home made items and sundries to help offset the cost of the event.  Everyone gets involved and some (my dad in the last picture) get carried away and wears some of the product on auction.  It is a lot of fun.  I purchased an old lamp, hand made wooden truck with a jump seat, chocolates for my daughters and a couple lawn/sports chairs with cup holders...

We stopped and took time to take pictures of each family and introduce everyone as it gets harder and harder as the family grows and spreads out across this great nation.  This Is Don Huston and his family.  Don is the oldest brother of the 4 Huston boys

This is Earl Huston, 2nd oldest, and his family.  Earl won the award for having the largest number of his family showing up for the reunion.  Great turn out and a beautiful family.

This is Jerry Huston, 3rd in line and his family.  He had a very good turn out.  Lots of little ones running around from this group.

This is the Bill Huston family which happens to be the one that I belong to.   In this picture also is my 91 year old Grandmother on my mothers side.  She is not a Huston but we love having her at the reunion, specially since she lives in the same town as the reunion.   My dad is the youngest of the 4 brothers.  They have a younger sister, Mary Francis who lives in California, but she wasn't here for the reunion.

above is the Jones family from Oklahoma.  I had the four brothers pose with their cousin.  Her family is very good about attending the reunion every year and we love having them.

Had a little bit of bubble blowing after all was said and done.  trust me, there was a lot more said, than done...:)

take time

take time to smell the roses
to listen instead of speak
to hold someone's hand
to sit back and be a little meek

let others pass you as you drive
be patient in the grocery store
read your bible every morning
you'll get what you need, and more

lift others up with your talk
it's what will draw them close to you
witness by how you handle bad news
you're showing what Jesus would do

take time each day to share your faith
with even the most unlikely ear
don't try to limit what God can do
he has a way to make them hear

great responsibility we have each day
to those who cross our path
sharing the good news of Jesus
to save them from Gods wrath.

Jay

bolder and boulder

If I had a muscle that wasn't sore, I wouldn't know where it was at..

Still working on the path/walkway down and around the pond.  Only this time it was lifting and place 6"X12" rock.  Of course 6X12 is what they call it, but there are many different sizes in the mix.  Here is what I did with the rock.

This is the bridge and drain for the north end of the path out by the pond.  As you can see in the 2nd picture that I have a pile of boulders still to carry to the center of the drainage ditch.  They are the source of my back and my hands hurter just a little.  Going to place them in the ditch as far as they will go until I run out.  I have another pile this same size at the south end where there is another bridge and drain..here is that end of the project.

Katie happened to get into the picture on the south end.  I decided to get the large rock and put into the drainage ditch because the water that runs into the pond comes off of the field to the north and it has a lot of silt that comes with the water.  I'm hoping that the rocks will filter out the silt and won't carry to the pond. It will also help hold the dirt in as the water runs by and aid in erosion control.  We will see how it works.  there will be more than likely some adjustments made.  I'm sure that if we get a really big rain, the pipes won't hold all the water and it will run over or around the bridge, but with the rocks there, it shouldn't wash out the path too badly.

Been working on the path for the last 3 days so this afternoon dad and I went to Ellen Floyds house and replaced her front door with a new one that she purchased.  It looked really nice. Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera.   I was upset that I didn't.  I will have to go back and install some trim to finish out the frame, but the door is up and it is functional..

All this week we have had plumbers with trenchers and backhoes here putting in a line from the new well out by our shop all the way around our house and tying into the old well piping.  This will be back up supply to the house when the old well doesn't have sufficient volume.  The job would have been done quicker if we weren't sitting on top of shell rock.  The trencher didn't have much luck.  ran constantly for 3 days straight and they are still not done.

well after all those things, Taylor came out and we went fishing.   Taylor caught a couple bass and we put them in our new pond...here they are..

Tomorrow we have our yearly Huston reunion in Haven, Kansas.   So maybe we can recover and rest up a little before getting after it again on Monday.  My brother Ron, Clea and his son Shane are flying in to Hutchinson on his jet for the event and Shane is going to stay with us for a week or so.  Someone new that I can put to work.  yay

Sayings

Rude hog or die
got a hitch in his get a long
stop and get some push a lean
I didn't hear anything wrong

fend for yourself at the dinner table
he's got a bad leg, so he doesn't walk well
stop at the "filling" station for gas
it's how some did tell

we're going to have roast n ears
drink some pop and eat tators
we use the idiot stick on the weeds
so they won't bother the maters

you are youall
and we're fixin to eat
we have to warsh the car
and pickled okra is a treat

we may have strange sayings
but it all has it's charm
just come and visit us
we're out here on the farm

jay

Miles of bumps...

Today was much cooler for the first half of the day.  thank goodness, cause we were making trips to the quarry to get rock for the path.  When the dump truck is empty, it is oh so bumpy.  You better have everything attached real good.  On top of that, it was very windy from the west and it beat against us all day.  We got lots of rock hauled and lots of rock spread.  Only one issue that I know of so far.

This is what happens when you hit something that is harder than the weld on the blade:

things break...and it has broken so many times that we had to do something else so we could get our work done.  Here is what we did:

You purchase a new one that is built a lot stronger.  So we did.  And of course we are suffering misserably when doing the work cause:

we're working in the Air conditioned cab...  When it's 105 deg. outside it does feel good to have the A/C.  Well back to hauling and spreading rock.  Here is what we used to haul the rock:

and then of course we use the blade to spread the rock evenly across the path.  Behind the blade we are pulling this contraption...:

box springs with weight on it.  It will smooth out the rock across the bath.  It also pulls debris to the top of the path so it can be picked up easily.  Well I guess easy is determined by how hard it is for you to bend over and pick up stuff.   Here is a picture of some of the rock laid out, but it hasn't been finished yet.  Rock needs to be pulled in from the sides and spread with the box springs.  The dump bed is wider than our track, so we have to pull the sides in and then spread out.

We hauled about 6 loads today and it took an hour and 15 minutes round trip from the house to the quarry.  We will be going again tomorrow to get another 5 or 6 loads.  They wanted $150 or so a load to deliver and we are getting each load for $43 buck hauling it ourselves.  I can buy a lot of fuel with the extra $107 saved on each load.

After we got through.  Katie and I walked the path 3 full rounds and picked up all the big rocks, limbs and debris that the box springs had brought to the surface and then we went to check on the rabbits and the cats..

They were all getting along just fine.  The rabbits are getting more and more tame as the kids hold them more and more...it's a different story when I hold them.  the squeal and try to jump...I don't know why, cause I'm the one that brings them food all the time...which they eat in large amounts.

We also dug a couple buckets full of potato's...which are a no no on my diet...but they are so good..

It was a long and busy day and yes, mom wants to walk at 6:15am and I think Katie is going to get up and go with us.  Well until my next entry...good night all and I hope you have a great day tomorrow.  I know I will

moving along

bouncing down the road we go
the bed is empty and light
holes in the road throw us out of our seats
we sail thru the air like a kite

wind blowing from the west
making you feel like you've been beat
about the time your get that load done
your hind end is back in the seat

Katie falling a sleep in the window
grandpa trying to keep it in the road
I'm trying to spread out the last one
before he gets back with another load

night has come upon us
thank goodness, we are done
picking up the toys and headed to the house
can't remember when I've had this much fun

Jay