KnottyPineRanch.com

I'm trying to get back into updating my blog on a more frequent basis, but I'm really not that excited about posting just to post.  I'm seeing more and more bloggers blogging inane stuff on a daily basis (even to the point of setting up a blog to post on a timer for when they are out of town) just to put themselves at the top of blog rolls.  I'm not really into doing that. 

I finally bought the domain name.  You can now reach this blog at http://www.knottypineranch.com/.

Another interesting thing I wanted to mention is I saw a very informative post regarding Border Collie Collapse that people might be interested in reading.  HERE is the link.

I'm doing a demo up in Hidden Springs this weekend.  Just checked the weather ... it should be quite pleasant and we might even get a few very welcome showers.  Here's the link to the FARMSTEAD.

So, if you've been following me on my FACEBOOK, you probably know that I've been having so much fun with my plumbing and appliances!  The shower is still backing up on me, so the plumber is coming over tonight with a different machine to see if he can get the pipe cleaned out.  The guy came and fixed my dryer over the weekend and that cost me a pretty penny (well, lots of pennies, actually).  Hopefully, eventually, everything will work ... and I am praying it happens before winter.  I have a feeling we might have a doozy of a winter creeping up on us.

Speaking of which, I went and bought one of those big blue 55 gallon barrels, and finally bought myself a reciprocating saw, and sawed the barrel in half longways.  I needed a couple more water troughs ... one for the ducks and one for the sheep when I have them in the west pasture.  I cut it in half and it worked perfectly, although I think the one I'm using for the ducks is too high for them, so I'll have to dig it down a bit.  I'll have to buy a couple of caged de-icers for both for the winter.  Not sure what to do for water for the pig yet for the colder months.  I'll have to ask around.

Oh there goes my ignorance again.  I guess the guy that hates seeing that type of stuff has stopped reading my blog because I haven't heard from him.  Oh, and ... three of my goldfish are still alive and still swimming around happily in the sheep trough!  Whodathunkit?

I am going to do some work on the Idaho Stockdogging Blog.  It needs some serious updating and a facelift.  I am also going to set up a facebook fan page for it.  Make all the links easier for the handlers and stuff.

My very dear friends, Jennie and Cheryl, came up from Southern California to visit me over Labor Day weekend.  We had a blast!  We went up to McCall on Saturday, sat on the lake and had a couple of drinks, then went to lunch at an awesome little bistro up there.  Came down the hill, met up with Justin, and hung out at the Reef for a bit.  Sunday, we hung out at the house, went for a nice walk, putzed around and did a whole lot of nothing, while the plumber snaked out my mainline.  Justin came over for a BBQ.  Monday, we went to the lake, checked out the Osprey nest, went down to Marsing and had a couple of drinks and asked the bartender for a suggestion of what to do for a few hours before dropping them off at the airport.  "Cleo's in Glenn's Ferry," she tells us.  Oh yes.  I forgot about that place.  I'll have to post a complete write up of that when I go back and take some photos.  I didn't have my camera with me, and I had no idea what a photo-worthy event that would be.  I have also since gained some history of the place, and one of my neighbors is a key player.
Anyway, a few photos:

While I was waiting for the girls to arrive at the airport, I figured I would have a beer.  The bar is right there.  So I am looking to see what they have on tap ... and much to my surprise, I see this:

That's my favorite!  And I've never seen it on tap before!  So ... I order one.  It comes in a nice, large frosty glass with a fresh slice of orange.  And it was so good!  I get the bill.  It was almost $9 !!!!!!!!!!  I about fell out of my chair!  LOL!  It was good, but it was certainly no $10 beer.  I guess it was worth the experience though.  I wish I could have taken the tap with me though.  I love the mohawked orange dude.  He's so cool.  I wouldn't have minded taking this sign home either.

Here's Jennie and Cheryl arrival.

And here's Wilbur. 

He's not Mr. Personality like Bacon was, but he's still pretty cute. 

I spent quite a bit of time last weekend cleaning out my "garage" (in quotes because there's no way to put my truck in it ... so is it a storage building?  It's not a barn ... ).  It's got a great work bench, that, up until now, was covered in miscellaneous crap from the house and I had no space to work.  Well, it finally got to me to the point where I did something about it.

So now ... I just need to clean out the other side of the room.

I'm finding that now that I own the place, putting stuff away is a little more complicated than ... just ... putting it away.  If there's a shelf that needs repair, it gets fixed first rather than jerry rigging it and putting the stuff on it anyway.  If there's something "not quite right," it gets made right beforehand.  So everything just takes longer.  And that's ok.

So once I had a work bench, I was putting away a little wooden sign I had that said something stupid like:  "No one notices what I do until I don't do it."  <-- Pretty appropriate in my former life, but pretty moot today.  So ... I painted it.  And stuck it on Wilbur's house.

I am sure that will be the first of many corny things I do in my spare time.  Because I can. 

Well, off to go meet the plumber at my house.

Jodi