as you can see, I've abandoned the blog in favor of Facebook. However, I do enjoy looking back over the blog, so I'm going to try to update it.

Teaching is going well... The main thing is trying to keep them busy, particularly the Highland class, where the students are all doing pretty well, and they are faster than I anticipated. I also thought I might have larger classes, so, I'm not complaining about smaller classes, but it leads to students being done and I have no other activities for them.

I've been freelancing to the Smoke Signal, and this weekend I had two great assignments. I'll try to post photos....

Very excited, and a bit nervous, to begin teaching at Manhattan Christian and at Highland. I'm teaching basic English comp at both schools. I went to school specifically to be able to do this...

I remember teaching years ago at Morgan County College in Fort Morgan. I really enjoyed it, and I'm assuming I'll enjoy this just as much. What impressed me at the community college then was that the students were really dedicated - most of them had "real life" experience, and knew the value of their education. They were highly motivated.

In other news, we had a good county fair. This whole poultry supervisor deal was more than I expected. But I survived, due to the help of Hannah, my granddaughter. I'll post some photos...

The grandkids got to show hogs, above is Hannah, then Paul with his pig, than Simon, who undertook the task of showing a pig without any practice at at all!

The middle pig, shown by Paul, received a good premium at the sale.

In addition to the fair, which is the big deal around here....

The Little Blue Pickup died it was an old Ford Ranger. My husband bought a new pickup for Paul, an old, but running and in pretty good shape, Chevy pickup. It will be useful on the farm, as well.

Photos from today at the Pott county fair.

Flush picnic and I'll post a story on There and Back Again.

These are my photos. They are not the photos that ran with my story in the Smoke Signal.

I've been so neglectful of this blog, as I've transferred by notices, etc, to Facebook. However, here is what's going on now!

Hannah is here, and we're getting ready for the fair!

As you can see, we have barn cats that are tame enough to be picked up....

I'm freelancing to a paper called the Smoke Signal, and I'll be teaching two classes in the fall - One at Manhattan Christian, and another at Highland.

I'd like to post some photos from the Flush Picnic. I hope I can figure out how to do it in the new format that Blogger has now. Perhaps I'd be better off to do it in the next post....

Some of the wildflowers on the walk

People visit with the Docent on the wildflower walk

Paul and I went on a wild flower walk last night on the Konza Prairie. Although I pretty much had to force him to go, it seemed that after a while, he began to enjoy himself. I'm glad we went. It was good to be among people who are interested in the same things that I am.

I was reflecting that it is three years since Paul and I came to Kansas. On the Wednesday before Memorial Day weekend, Mike and I were selling hay to the Amish. I was packed and ready to go, and he came to the house, with Ellen and Paul's help, we loaded up the stock trailer (good to know that everything you own can fit in a stock trailer), and we left for Kansas.

What a great three years it has been. Paul has blossomed and I have my degree, and life is pretty good on the farm. I'm so glad to be married to Mike - he is really a nice fellow, even if he doesn't want anyone to know it :)

I remember telling myself - "God did not bring me this far to abandon me" and indeed, he hasn't.

OK, proof that "I are a graduate" as we used to jokingly say.

Ellen came for the ceremony, and I have to say that I'm glad I did it, and I wouldn't have except for her encouragement. Then, later, we had a little gathering. Over the weekend, we went to Casey and Chase Ebert's wedding reception. It was a great time, they are a lovely couple. She's is absolutely beautiful, but she is also kind and thoughtful, and sometimes those two things don't go together.

Ellen is on her way home, but it was wonderful to have her here.

We moved the little chicks to the outside shed today - They grow up so fast!

Many, many things happening.

First off, I passed my "exam" so I'll be able to graduate! I was all prepared to discuss my "companion pieces" as they are lovingly called by one of my favorite professors, Elizabeth Dodd. We spend a bit of time on them, but we spent most of the time on my the first three chapters of my novel "High Country." They asked so many specific questions about the "voice" of the piece that when I left so they could decide if they were going to "pass" me or not, I was in despair that they would want revisions. But they just Passed me and encouraged me to continue with the novel. I've also got one called "Wyoming Sunrise" that I also like a lot.

So, just one more paper to write in my graduate career and I'm done. Job hunting here I come!

Rayna's boyfriend raises pheasants, and someone ordered some and didn't pick them up, so she brought some over to our place. Aren't they beautiful! There were 3 cocks and 7 hens. They have adapted themselves to the windbreak, and one of the cocks came right up to the house looking for bird seed. This could be a problem for them, as they are more tame than a wild pheasant. I hope they won't be easily hunted. I say we had 3, one day when I was out watering the large area in front of the house, I saw a pheasant feather, then a large part of one wing,... and my detective skills honed by looking for the cause of death of chickens let me to believe a chicken hawk (Swansons) got a pheasant. I hope they don't get the idea that they can come here for a meal, as the chickens are out a lot, but they don't tend to be out in the open so much.

With any luck, the pheasants will have baby pheasants. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Look what became of this little chicken!

This is my friend, Kelly, pointing at the bell-bottoms of the rooster in the previous photo. Less than a year has gone by! And he is supposed to get even bigger. The best thing is that he is a nice, gentle rooster.

Well, every year we make progress. Here are the tulips planted by Marty; and the ones I put in. On the edge, you can see the daffodils I planted also.

Just a different shot of the house, showing the tulips.

Is it just me, or are the flowers a little early this year? It's just the end of February... I want to say, to them Don't do it....but they just don't listen...

I have been very neglectful of this blog!

It has been a busy time with my classes starting up again. I'm taking two classes - one a Master's Seminar on 19th century American women writers; and the second a class in creative writing.

Paul has finished his freshman year as a wrestler - he has a good record 16 wins and 7 losses. He missed a couple of matches due to an elbow injury, but it is better now.

Last night, we went to the annual Labor Auction, a fundraiser for the Future Farmers of America.
He was bought for $100, a little above the average, which seemed to vary from $60 to $90. Often, the parents or grandparents were bidding on the student, and sometimes they bought up to $120 or so. It was a lot of fun, as the auctioneer has been coming to the auction for years, and knows many of the families. He jokes with the students and the ag teacher. He asks each student what they do best, once in a while a student, usually a boy, will tell him his speciality is underwater basket weaving; generally, they say they can drive a tractor - the auctioneer asked this kid if there was anything hooked to it, or did he just drive one around in circles, just simple jokes like that.
One girl said her speciality was gardening, and the auctioneer confused her to the point that she said she raised vegetables like tomatoes, and they had fun when she realized she mis-spoke and tomatoes are fruits. But he was kind to a mildly retarded kid, and he didn't rise to the bait, like when one kid said his speciality was "stealing girlfriends."

Paul got up and said he could throw hay bales, and the auctioneer said that he was surprised that a kid would admit to being able to to that. Maybe that's why he brought so much :)

In any event, I remain surprised in today's age that kids would agree to a labor auction (used to be called a slave auction, but political correctness intervened). I will say that the one girl bought by her dad was pleased because she wouldn't have to do any work, but that doesn't say that she wouldn't have worked for someone else. Once in a while, the kid won't come, or can't make it, even though they have until the end of the year. Then, the FFA refunds the money.

I left, as I have in previous years, with a profound sense of hope for these young people.

Here are a couple of photos stolen from Ellen, from our trip to Ellis Island...

And here I am looking out over the New York skyline.

The Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately they are not offering tours.

It was freezing cold, but time for a quick shot...

Ellis Island. I was very impressed by the displays and the stories of the immigrants.

One day, we got to go watch Hannah practice gymnastics. She's a strong kid!

So our visit included one trip to the city, to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. It was really cold, but I'm glad we went. I was really impressed with Ellis Island and the stories of the immigrants. My family didn't come through Ellis Island, having been here since the 1700s (mainly) but it was still so moving to see the struggles of the immigrants. I can't imagine the courage it would take to even consider such a trip.

We could have gone back into the city, but I picked up a cold from my grandchildren, and didn't feel like wandering around in the chilly weather. We went and saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie, and I enjoyed it, I think everyone else did also. Then on Friday, we went to Princeton to wander around and eat lunch. It was just a nice easy to get to outing, that included a trip to my old favorite bookstore.

I'm reminded how much I hated the traffic. Ellen is a good driver, but I'm so glad I don't have to face this every day any more. Glad to go... glad to be home.

First off, wonderful trip to see Ellen and the gang.... opened Christmas presents....

Just a shot of Ellen and Daniel...

Hannah and my opinion that she is "Cowgirl Tough"

Simon and Seth playing with Simon's gift - Zombie kit...

Paul and I just returned from a wonderful visit with Ellen, Daniel, Hannah, Simon and Seth. Otherswise known as "Ellen and the gang." I'll start with the Christmas photos. Note, there are no photos of Paul, as he has developed the habit of trying to ruin all the photos.... He did OK on another trip, however...

We flew in on Christmas Day, and out again on New Year's Eve. Cheaper that way.

It was a total day of indulgence for me, as we went to the Mother Cabrini Shrine and went and visited my Father's grave.

Wasn't it nice of everyone to go along with my odd requests? While at the Mother Cabrini Shrine, Paul and I lit a candle for his dad. I also bought a rosary as a gift for the Kay, who took care of the chickens and dog while we were gone, and when I gave it to her, she told me that is where they spent their honeymoon... in 1966! I had brought along the brochures from the shrine and she said it had changed a lot in the intervening years...

We went to Karl's wedding to Tabitha, a delightful young woman.

That's Tabby in the middle next to Ellen, and next to her is her mother. Her father is on the end next to Karl.

Karl married his girlfriend, Tabby, in a meadow in the mountains near Evergreen. Unfortunatley, it had snowed the day before, but at least it wasn't snowing that day! He wanted to go to the that meadow because that was where he used to go with his dad, who died in several years ago.

We had a good trip out and back and it was great to see Ellen! Next I'll post photos from an outing with Ellen.

Well, I have sad news and happy news.

First the sad news. Frank, Paul's father, passed away over the weekend. Or rather, we found out over the weekend. I don't have any information yet about funeral arrangements, etc. as his oldest son, Mike Hancock, is down there now, sorting things out. It is sad that if Paul will now never be able to reconcile with his dad.

The good news is that tomorrow we are heading to Karl's wedding to Tabitha. She is a lovely girl, and I'm sure she and Karl will be happy together. They are getting married in a meadow above Evergreen, where we used to live. We will be able to see Ellen, and that is wonderful.

My goodness, it has been a long time since I've posted. I'll blame it on Old English, and the translating thereof.


Today, I'm writing because of what might have been a tragedy, but it wasn't. Last night, I woke up about 1 a.m. to the sound of a what seemed to be a massive car crash on the road in front of the house. I got up, peared out and saw headlites in the ditch. Mike called the sheriff, while I dressed and drove my car down the lane. When I saw the car, I thought on it's side, I thought for sure someone was injured.

Turns out it was a neighbor who has swerved to avoid a deer, but he ended up hitting it anyhow. He had climbed out of the car and already called his girlfriend to come. He seemed OK, and he was prepared to go and bring back a tractor and pull his truck out of the ditch. Mike came down, too, and helped. The sheriff wasn't too happy to learn he'd already left, but he came back with his tractor, and indeed, righted the truck, using the fork they use to move round bails of straw. I couldn't see the entire operation, but it looked like he had perhaps poked the tine into the window, or perhaps on the top of the cab. He ended up driving the truck home, and coming back for the tractor right away.


I thought to myself.... no stinking tow truck for this guy. Just take charge and move on. It's sort of the "farmer way"... do it yourself.


When we first moved here, Paul made a comment to me that if you wanted to win a war, all you'd need would be a bunch of old farmers... they'd never give up, and work forever. And, they'd do it all themselves.