Not So Silent Spring

It's true. It's been very quiet on the Tifftown news feed. Sometimes we are so busy living life that there hardly seems a moment to document it! Also, I confess to being "one of those" people who watch others drop around me each winter with all the viruses that seem to stream through schools, offices, grocery stores and the general public and say things like, "I never get sick!" Well, that kind of hubris beckons for some karmic comeuppance. This year it was my turn. Influenza kicked down the door of my immune system. And before I could repair and replace it, every virus running through town came through and looted me. So, when there was a moment to catch my breath, I was quite literally catching my breath instead of writing about the goings on over here. I've spent a good deal of time sideways on the couch or at the acupuncturist trying to deal with the craziness visited upon me.

But I would not have you all believe that I didn't have bouts of wellness that allowed quite a few adventures over here. I will recount them for you below. And I look forward to a gorgeous, busy spring filled with good health and fresh air for us all.

Our first adventure this year was the girls' road trip to San Francisco I took with Valerie, Amira & their friend Madelyn. We kicked our day off with dim sum at Yank-Sing (in honor of Cee Cee and all the wonderful lunches we had there while I lived in San Francisco. I'm paying it forward). We walked all over the entire city from Rincon Center to Union Square to Pier 39 and then finished with dinner in North Beach. Amira was wearing her new fit bit and clocked over 20,000 steps that day. And it was a fair day in the middle of many rainy ones for us. Perfect! I don't feel like I can ever turn down a trip to San Francisco. Our back up plan if it was raining was to spend the day at the California Academy of Sciences in GG Park. I love that place. Well, maybe next time.

January also brought us a visit from Michael's cousin, Kendra along with her mom, Leslie and her young daughter Isadora. (We did miss Markus!) It was cold and damp while they visited but that did not stop us from having a great gathering with strolls through the Upper Park and much faerie house building and story telling from Isadora. Here are the cousins gathered here.

Here's Michael, Amira, Kendra, Alan, Isadora and Leslie next to the creek in Upper Park. We had to catch some vitamin D anytime the sun came out.

Amira and I attended the women's March in Chico together. It was a fun mother-daughter adventure that culminated with lunch at Priya Indian Restaurant. Nom, nom, nom!

February first Amira and I hit the wet ground running as she tried to meet her sales goal of 250 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. She sold door to door, out front of super markets, on-line and at school. She exceeded her goal. So, thanks to everyone who supported her effort. She is really enjoying her Girl Scout Troop. We'll be looking forward to a Camporee in Redwood City in April and June Jamboree when school gets out. Yes, I'm known for being a five star hotel camper, but I will suck it up and sleep outdoors with the scouts this year. But the understanding is that I get first shower when I get home and I'm likely to drain the hot water tank getting all of that nature off me. Actually, we have all the scouts coming over here next weekend to work on their Camporee skills. We'll be camping in the backyard. That will be so difficult knowing that my nice warm bed is just a few feet away. But at least I will have access to decent coffee in the morning.

In other news, Amira saved up a lot of money on her own to attend the Twenty One Pilots concert in Sacramento. This was her first concert and I was honored to be a part of it. On the plus side, I actually like the band. So I enjoyed the trip too. She knew lots of kids from her school who were going to attend the concert as well as her favorite "YouTuber". I tried to explain to her how large Sacramento was as well as how many people the venue would hold. I tried to explain that she should not get her hopes up to see anyone unless they were seated very close to us.

As we walked near the Capitol building in search of dinner I was admiring the camelia blossoms and oranges still on some of the trees. It was colorfully stunning. Amira started to jump up and down, "Tay! My friend Tay!" Across the street from us stood one of her friends with her own mom also strolling through town in search of a place to have dinner before the show. So, we hooked up with them and had dinner at a Hawaiian seafood placed called Coconuts. It was pretty awesome. Here is a photo of Amira and Tay. And, for the record, she also found her favorite YouTuber and got a photo with him. He was sitting a section over from us. And after the show another mom I know with two more of Amira's friends found us exiting the seating area (heading for the concert swag center!) So, I stand corrected. She pretty much ran into everyone she thought was going to be there.

Valerie has been very busy (as usual!) Below she is seen with her friends Sarah and Josh. Valerie took first place in an impromptu speaking competition. She will be attending the regional competition in a few weeks. We are very proud of her! Sarah and Josh also placed in the Creed contest and will be going on to regional competition too. (Josh's mom is Valerie's sheep mentor. Sarah's mom has been coaching these guys in livestock judging). Go team!

 Here's the livestock judging team down at UC Davis. Judge those critters!

 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we have been watching spring bloom everywhere. The almond blossoms have come and gone but we still have the forsythia and quince. Our artichokes are preparing to make a show. Our red buds are ready to bud. I love this time of year. It's like a fireworks show. Just as the magnolia blossoms pass we know the dogwoods are just around the corner. 

Just look at those artichokes, Kevin! Pretty soon we'll be eating them every night with dinner. And when we can't stand anymore, they will bloom into huge purple thistles. The ones pictured below are volunteers. They are pretty amazing.

Yes, there is still plenty of poultry in the back yard. This is one of our more feral hens that hatched out last tax day. With all the rain this year, these birds have been loving all the worms that have been washing up. It's been a good year for them. And now with the days starting to get longer (and the sun starting to shine) we are getting more eggs again. Of course, Michael is now off traveling to support all of these adventures. He is our number one consumer of eggs. He is gone for most of March. Right now he is in Geneva and then goes straight from there to Las Vegas before coming back home. Don't worry honey, we'll save you some eggs and take care of the ranch and not break (too many) things while you are gone. (Michael is the number one poultry farmer and fixer of all broken items on the ranch. He is also the number one wage earner and father-husband extraordinaire!)

Valerie just brought home her market sheep, Summit. He is the one peering over the fence. Her friend Madelyn is raising her market lamb at our house too. Hers is wearing the blanket. Valerie will be taking Summit to shows this spring to prepare for the Silver Dollar Fair in May where he will show and go to auction.

Buster!! Could she be any cuter? I love when I walk by Rex's room some mornings and I see her up on his bed with him still sleeping. Of course, sometimes she is just up on his bed when he is not even home. Rex says she has been eating his bed. Maybe it is pica? Well, mostly she is an attention hound. She loves to be pet - a lot! And she sure wouldn't turn down any treats you bring her way. 

Here is Rex getting ready to go to paintball practice. It's winter, so he's wearing a shirt. 

Rex is still loving playing for the Norcal Kings. They recently went down to Southern California for another tournament. Below is a great action photo (taken by someone else!) of Rex and his team. He is number 12 and is the second one from the left, running toward the camera. It's hard to tell them apart in all that gear.

Rex has trained Ramon to beg. At night when we sit down to dinner, Ramon runs over to the side of the cage and stares at us. Rex tells him to "ring your bell!" Ramon runs sideways across the branch and rings his bell and comes back over to the side of the cage for some spray millet. Then, if we ignore him, he runs back over and rings his bell and runs back to the side of the cage. He's so adorable that it's hard to ignore him. I think he knows that. He is spending more time on my desk during the days when I work from home. It's important to have an office pet. Of course, I let his wings grow out so he is enjoying some flight -- right back to his cage. He loves his toys and his bell so much. He has toys and a bell in my office on the desk, but it's not the same I guess. In any event, he is a pretty social guy. He will sit on our shoulders and give us little kisses. He is a kind and gentle bird who sings along when Valerie plays the piano or Michael plays the guitar (depending on the song. He has his favorites).

Bambi & Ettabelle are back. They are each due with twins within the next couple of weeks. Bambi doesn't look very round. Ettabelle looks very round. I just hope that Valerie is home when they give birth. They are due about 5 days apart, as I understand it. 

Our plum trees have just passed blossom time but our nectarines and peaches are putting on quite a show. Spring is such a treat around here.

Pretty soon I'll be planting my potatoes. I've already put in my order for sweet potato slips. In April there will be a flurry of planting in the garden (that looks bare now). It will be the season of hanging laundry out on the line and weeding, weeding, weeding. And camping. And sheep showing. And, as always, laundry and dishes and cooking. That never ends. 

Bad Bunny & So Much More

As always, if there is a lot going on in life, there doesn't seem to be time to update the blog. Here is a quick catch up with the Wilhelms and our happenings for the last couple of months.

The end of October saw Alan's 80th birthday. We had a gathering of friends out here. We had some beautiful weather, fun guests and delicious food. We hope he turns 80 again next year so we can do this again! Here are Alan and some of his friends.

Rex and John and Susan looked like they were having an especially good time. I think I see a belly laugh there.

Immediately following Alan's gathering was our annual Halloween party. We went as Han Solo and Princess Leia.

Here is Amira dressed as one of her favorite band members from Twenty One Pilots. And this is her friend, Eily. They have been friends since kindergarten. In fact, this is the friend with whom Amira got into the hair cutting shenanigans post Halloween several years ago. Looks like they have both grown it back out. 

Usually the teenagers can't be found when the adults get together. But a rogue group of boys came through when I had my camera out. Gotcha! (Rex is dressed like "an old man with glasses" in the photo below).

I finally have some good action photos of Rex at one of his paintball tournaments. I cannot take credit for the below photos. But Rex was kind enough to get ahold of them and share. Looks like a real pro! And he shoots like one too. I'm impressed.

Now I do have a story about my little Ramon. You can see him pictured here, on my keyboard. He's my new office assistant. As you can see in the photo here, the poor guy has no tail.

 Yes, Buster. Why does Ramon have no tail? Well, I'll tell you.

I had been taking Ramon out each day to socialize him. But I am always wary of the cat. I suggested to Rex that maybe he should take Ramon out and play with him in his room since it is sort of a sanctuary where the cat does not lurk. It's usually just Rex and Buster hanging out. Well, that day after school I noticed that Ramon had not been taken out to play. So I carried the little bird down the hall and placed him on Rex's shoulder. I should mention that Rex's back was to me and that he had his headphones on. So, the act of placing anything on his shoulder was a bit startling. As Rex jumped with surprise, Ramon popped up into the air. And since his wings are clipped he quickly plunged down onto the carpet in front of Buster who was lounging like Cleopatra on the carpet. "Chirp!" said Ramon. Buster sat up and perked her ears forward and twitched her nose and whiskers at him. "Chirp!" said Ramon again. So Buster gave a hop closer and put her twitching nose up to Ramon. Ramon turned his head toward her and clamped down on her twitching nose with his small but powerful beak.

Well, I've never seen anything happen so quickly in my life. Buster reared up and backwards, exposing her extra large hind hoppers and slammed back down onto ... Ramon! There was a poof of feathers and utter silence. I was pretty sure she killed my bird.

Alas, it turns out that was mostly Ramon's tail. Poor birdie. No tail. He no longer visits Rex's room. That is entirely Buster's domain. Actually, maybe the reason the cat doesn't visit Buster's room is because she might stomp him too. She looks cute. But she is pretty ferocious.

I got a play area for him and put it on my desk next to my computer. Bunny free zone.

Valerie continues to keep herself busy with far too many classes at school and her FFA projects. This weekend she will take her sheep out for shearing and to get an ultrasound to see if we can expect a lamb or two in the near future. I snapped the below picture of her over lunch. That is the classic look of a teenager if I have ever seen one.

The girls and I managed to get a girls night out recently. We went for sushi, bowling and a movie. We saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Fun movie. Fun night out with the girls. 

Thanksgiving came around again quicker than usual (or so it seemed). I just love a big dinner with the extended family. The cousins came down from Portland along with their exchange student, Zoe, and their former student, Adeline, who is now attending U.C. Davis. Dave came back from Spain just in time to join us. And my friend, Kelley, the Critter Sitter, also enjoyed dinner with us. The more the merrier, I say!

 Suddenly we found ourselves in the month of December. Amira's Girl Scout troop used the funds they earned from selling nuts/candy/magazines to attend the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. They worked with a professional comic artist to learn how to develop character/setting/plot and tell a story within four panels. After the class and a tour of the museum, they went next door for lunch at the Warm Puppy Cafe and then ice skating. Amira is the 2nd in from the left in the photo below with Charlie Brown.

Here are Elizabeth, Amira, Sarah & Marissa sporting their troop t-shirts and jackets at the ice rink. Super hero scouts.

And now we hunker down for a chilly December and enjoy the last few weeks of 2016.

Autumn Harvest Time

Wow. My last post was in August! Where does the time go? Suddenly it's October and I have some catching up to do. These months are flying by faster than they used to. Or, perhaps, my perception of time is skewing to my age ... 

Well, let's do some catching up. Amira started 7th grade at the junior high this year. She loves having all the different teachers for each subject and the elective. This year her elective is i-Tech. This is like industrial arts. There is measuring and working with wood and assorted tools (hand and power). She has an awesome teacher. She is also enjoying math this year. Her math teacher does not only teach math but gives lessons in mindfulness which she seems to appreciate. I appreciate that this is being taught in school. Frankly, I could use a little mindfulness training myself. And don't even get me started on how great her history and English teachers are. She is a lucky duck!

Valerie is a sophomore this year and an officer in the FFA. That seems to keep her very busy. She is still raising sheep and taking piano lessons. She found out that there is an FFA orchestra and has dabbled with her cello again. We are still waiting for more than 24 hours in a day so that she can participate in all the activities that interest her. As I write this she is off in San Francisco at the Cow Palace for a sheep show. She also apparently enjoyed a rodeo last night. I think that bull riding now interests her. Thank goodness we don't have time for that and all the chiropractic that comes with it.

Rex is a junior this year. How did that happen? He is still all about the paintball. As I write this he is at a tournament in Las Vegas. He is in his third year of engineering and has taken on a job through school helping a company design side cars for motorcycles.  How cool is that?

Michael has kicked off his busy season with trips all over the place including Paris & Barcelona. Thanks for working so hard for us, Honey! When he is home he works very hard around the house maintaining all the crazy animals and appliances and equipment. For relaxation there is playing guitar and watching sports. The sound of a football game playing in the house makes it feel like Fall around here. 

Here is a photo flashback from September. Amira and her Girl Scout troop camped out at a water park and basically had a blast. Here they are in front of her leader's house. 

Valerie manages to squeeze in some social time with her friends (pictured left to right: Isa, Raelyn, Ruth & Valerie). They went to see a country concert for Raelyn's birthday.

In September Michael and I made a special trip to San Francisco to re-connect with my cousin Lisa and her husband, Peter, who came over from Australia. We took them up to the View on top of the Marriott hotel for the tremendous views and drinks. Then we went out for some tapas and Beach Blanket Babylon. I highly recommend this show to anyone visiting San Francisco. It's always a great evening. And how fun to see Lisa and Peter. Lisa and I were able to pick up where we left off years ago. She is still trying to persuade us to come visit Australia. Peter's family owns a sheep station outside of Canberra. He suggested Valerie might consider being a Jillaroo. Hmmmm ... food for thought. Now we just need thousands of dollars to fly there. Dang. 

San Francisco was experiencing its Indian Summer. It was about 80* there. Michael and I were meeting some friends (former Washington Placers for those in the know) for brunch the following day down at the yacht club so we decided that we should take the ubiquitous tourist selfie in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. Our entire weekend was filled with great visits and tremendous views. I might have left my heart in San Francisco. But now there's a bunch of rich hipsters living there. Well, the country life for me now!

October brought my little friend, Ramón, home to live with us. He is a periwinkle blue little budgie. Still young and not quite tamed. But I'm pretty stoked to have my little blue house chicken. Yes, we needed one more animal. 

October also brought on an impromptu trip to see more cousins. Caleb & Callie are pretty awesome. I was again blessed with more tremendous views and a great visit with some fantastic cousins! And thanks again to Michael for holding down the fort so I could slip out for a quick visit. 

This weekend Michael is in Barcelona, Valerie in San Francisco, Rex in Las Vegas leaving behind Amira and myself to hold down the fort and all its critters. Friday night was Amira's first junior high dance. We had a busy afternoon so we stopped in at In & Out for a quick bite before hand. I chaperoned the dance and stayed after to clean up. It was Hawaiian themed so there were pieces of lei all over the place. Junior High dances are a total kick. I love the innocence and the fun. 

This weekend it was a little blustery but not too rainy. My jungle of a summer garden has really passed its prime. I really need to get in there and clean it up. But basically today I ran through and harvested winter squash and sun flowers for the chickens. I still have some zinnias in there cheering the place up. I looooove zinnias!

The chickens said thank you for the seeds. How did they say thanks? With eggs of course. It's like magic. I can turn garden scraps into a quiche!

Knowing that I was going to be late cleaning up the summer garden, Michael helped build planters up to start a new winter garden. Below are my broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and brussel sprouts. They took a solid beating in a hail storm a week or so ago and also some raids by our sneaky chickens. They are survivors (so far)!! 

Here is my winter squash harvest this year. Really shocked that these all survived the aphids and white flies I had. Woo hoo! More survivors. I shall make you into pies!

Below are pictured some sweet potatoes I harvested from the front yard. Man, it's no kidding when they say these can grow in crummy soil. They even broke up some very hard clay. I have some orange ones and purple ones. Also there is a bunch more for me to harvest in the back jungle garden (where the soil is actually quite nice). But that is for another day. 

Kahlua yams, anyone?