Life on the range.

If you don't know, I now live in a mobile home on 21 acres with the most adorable ranger there is. I am trying to adjust to country life. The key word is "trying."

How am I doing with:

• no cement ie: long dirt driveway, no cement except for front porch and short walkway to porch: still going through withdrawal.

• bugs, lots of them: check- i don't even flinch...just kill the suckers. I still jump up and down a little when they are the big roach bugs but I am getting better. Please see Christa's blog. I have learned how to kill them from her.
  

• Dirt, LOTS of it: check-- new BFF... krud kutter, I now am well known at Lowes and planning on buying stock in the krud kutter company. I should get royalties for all of the followers I have brought to the light. But really, dirt everywhere....
  

• NOBODY around: check- I don't even flinch now to walk outside in my G's.. I have even stripped neked, see below. I have been here almost three months and only two people have ventured down to knock on the door. I don't think I will buy halloween candy :)
  
• Nature: I can now tell if the weather is changing by listening to the sounds of all of the bugs, frogs, crickets etc. They become very loud as a storm approaches.
• Snakes- not so good. Whatever was wearing the 4 foot snake skin that Rick found down at the barn better stay way far away!!!
• Water: we do not take water for granted at our home. We are on a well.
• The big green garbage cans that you put out by your cement driveway once a week for those wonderful big trucks to come around and empty and take the smelly stuff away...NOT GOOD, I miss garbage service!!!! While Rick was at camp I had to take the garbage to the dump. I waited a tad to long because when I lifted the bag there were magots and other crawly things (which did not fall into the bug catagory as noted above) and it stunk. I lined my car with plastic, put the bags in the car, tore up the drive way and drove like a bat out of hell down the road to the dump with all of the windows wide open. I, being the city girl, thought the nice men at the dump would unload it for me so I back up to a spot and open the back of the car and wait. The men that were there just stared at me. SO I heaved the bags out and then could not lift them high enough to throw them in. So I had to do the swing and throw thingy with magots on the bags. GROSS.... I came home, stripped neked outside, came in and threw the clothes in the washer and took a shower. I am failing in this area.
  

• Last but not least: MICE----NOT GOOD!!!! especially when they are in the house like really in the house. I should get a cat but I am allergic. I now make Rick get up and check all of the traps BEFORE I will get out of the bed.
  

I went to the mall yesterday when I was up by my house (I am renting it). It was heavenly.!!!! I am trying to find a pair of rubber boots to wear from the house to the car and the car to the house.. and I now wear only croc shoes. I can stick them in the washing machine. I am also trying to find something to put Rick's shoes on when he comes in from the barn.... It is just a narrow little piece by the back door where the washer and dryer are. Suggestions are welcome.

I think Heavenly Father sent me down to earth at the time of microwaves, cars, bathtubs, bubble bath etc. for a reason. If I had been born at the time of the pioneers I would not have made it.

But I will improvise, adapt and over come.... oh and if you see a really cool cowboy hat and rubber boots will you hurry and let me know.

Rick's pick

Yesterday was Rick's pick of what to do on a fine but hot Saturday morning. So off we went to the Gun and knife show at the fair grounds. I have never been to a gun and knife show. First off I was SHOCKED at how many people were there. For $8.00 a person to get in, you literally had to wait in line to get a ticket. All back packs and purses were checked. I was very proud of my stylish Vera Bradley clasp purse to set up on the table to be checked. I was even more proud when the guy checking my purse made a loud comment that this was way to neat to be a purse. Well duh !!! why do you think I get the Vera bradley???? for all of its wonderful pockets of course.

The crowd was by far the most fun to watch. Men carrying long stock and barrel guns over their shoulders with little white flags coming out of the barrel indicating the price they would sell the gun for. Lots of OLDer looking men with the tops of their head balding and the remnant of their past youth pulled back into a very thin pony tail hanging down the back of their worn leather vests or cowboy shirts. There were families of gun toting moms, dads and children. One woman I saw, who I was most jealous of, was wearing her denim flared skirt, a cute tee-shirt, her cowboy boots and was carrying her little metal case which either was the pistol she just bought or the one she wanted to show off. She looked like a CEO or a garden club woman. I was dying to see inside of the box and would have bet the pistol was a beautiful color and most likely bejeweled.

A gun is an interesting invention. Those that were use in the past were beautiful... those that are of today are just big black hunks of metal to me but some how men like Rick see their beauty. I haven't figured it out yet. But I did get to see the gun that my father most likely carried when he was in the war and the gun Rick carried in Vietnam. That was cool.

Rick loaded up on ammo and we got a way cool addition to our shooting range. It is a "walking" target. You keep shooting this little metal thing and as you hit it the thing flips and "walks"... way cool I can hardly wait to try it..... you all will have to come on over and give it a shot.

I found cute pink handled pistols and even pink rifles!!! That is what I told Rick I want.
But the funniest thing was when I went over to the leather purse booth. A lady was there paying for her purchase and turned to me to tell me about the awesome fanny pack she was buying and how I needed to get one. The sales lady turned to me and asked me whether I was right or left handed. I replied right handed. She became excited and told me so was the lady who was buying the fanny pack. She then asked if I shot with my left hand... I of course being the queen of BS said of course. She then ripped the fanny pack apart with a quick action of her right hand and voila there was the holster for the gun and you could pull it out with your left and and shoot.!!! She continued to explain there was no rummaging through a purse to find your gun or having to undo zippers etc.

I smile and hurried away. I was lost in the horrid fact both women thought I looked like I would wear a fanny pack, mind you a fanny pack LARGE enough to put a pistol inside of it. How could I be mistaken for a pistol toting, fanny pack wearing woman. I wanted to climb up on a table and shout... If I were to carry a pistol I would find a Vera Bradley bag with a pocket big enough to fit it in and remember you all.... I was the one that had the purse to neat to be a purse.

I am learning to be a pistol toting woman. I will get my concealed weapon permit at some time. I will own my own pistol, just like my daughter, but I am getting a pink one to match my vera bradley purse!!!

Oh, and ps.... Julie, part of your birthday present came from the gun show... how special is that!