Good Morning Peeps... Happy Friday... gray misty morning here this morning... got out for a morning walk in the cool wet morning air...

Kinda surprised that it is still gray outside... breeze picking up now... was totally calm earlier this morning...

 

Wow… august went fast… we hung out… visited… watched Bar Rescue on Pluto… cooked… enjoyed meals together… did some touristy things… went to Fort Laramie and walked around… I hadn’t been there since a field trip … in grade school I think… so it has been a day or two…lol…

 

went to the hot air balloon races… near miss on some deer on the way to that one… just saw them in the shadows along the side of the road…

 

Saw the rat rod show… fun times… went on to the muscle car show… ya… that’s right… I love looking at old cars and motorcycles… checked out the museum in Torrington…

 

Looked through the homesteaders’ museum in Gering… that one is much larger than I thought it was…

 

Yes we actually threw a fishing line in the lake… caught something too… a lovely Russian olive tree… was a catch and release situation though… lol…

 

Checked out the Firehouse Grill in Lyman several times… had some good food and drank some beer… laughed and generally enjoyed each other’s company…

 

Then… ya… then August 31^st came rolling in… and it was time for him to head back to his home in the city… sigh… was a really good month…

 

MowMowTat even got up and sat on his lap… the ultimate compliment… the pits liked him… he played music for them… happy dogs… now it is just me and the critters again… and yes… I still have a smile on my face…

 

Sorry I disappeared… but I was a wee bit occupied… lol…

 

Heard a pheasant call yesterday morning… in the gray dawn… another gray morning today… so what is on the docket for today… already got my morning walk in… picked up the mail from yesterday… walked the loop up the hill and back down the upper driveway…

 

Listening to some music on youtube while I am writing… gonna do tai chi as soon as I finish up… pay some bills… fold some laundry (maybe) … have a dr appt this afternoon… not sure I am going to make that… would just as soon stay away from doctors’ offices…

 

Spent a bit over a week after the balloon races sick… lost my sense of smell… for several days… 4 or so I think… slept a lot… glad that is over… was pretty mild considering… so… yes it breaks through… even though it was mild… it knocked me on my backside for several days… glad I made the choices I did… wouldn’t want to deal with it without some immunity… we all make our choices… and get to deal with the consequences of said choices…

 

Was seriously weird not being able to smell my coffee… smh… glad I can smell stuff again… well not so glad about some things… cleaning the cat litter box… for instance… lol…

 

Saw some golden rod blooming… bright gold along the roadsides… beautiful yellow coming on in spots on the cottonwood trees… yes… autumn is coming on … my favorite season… golden bean fields… as they ripen… sunflower fields in bloom… stretching on as far as you can see… cornfields heavy with ears of corn… alfalfa blooming… then in heavy windrows… waiting for the baler…

 

The morning air was sweet with the scent of cut alfalfa this morning when I was out walking… Moe (orange and white yard cat) escorted me through my entire walk… Larry (her brother) came bounding up the upper drive as we were coming on down…

 

Wild sunflowers blooming along the roadsides… birds gathering up in huge flocks… getting ready to fly south… September in southeastern Wyoming…

 

Gonna make me another cuppa coffee and get on with the day…

 

Gratitudes… a morning walk… coffee… another day…

 

May you walk in peace…

 

Later Taters…

 

Ola Peeps ...

More snow overnight... 4 to 6 inches on the ground in my front yard this morning... thankfully it is melting... sun is trying to shine through the clouds...

Was snarling over the snow yesterday... totally pointless... just made myself miserable... giving thanks for the moisture today... the pastures are loving this... me… yeah… not so much… but better attitude today than yesterday… eh… it will melt…

 

Better to shift gears… and go with the flow… than sit and spin in a morass of miserable of my own making…

 

Hey got a cartload of firewood melting off…drying out… yes dripping on my floor in front of the wood stove… it’ll dry… oh… and yes I did knock snow off the wood as I was stacking it on the cart… obviously not all of it…

 

Springtime in Wyoming… in the boonies… snow and mud… rain and mud… psycho winds… bit of dry… pastures explode into shades of bluish greens… meadowlarks singing as snow falls… pheasants calling out… calves and lambs… and goat kids…

 

Litter of kittens look to be doing well… little fuzzies… mama cat growls if you get too close… rather glad she is not any larger than she is… mister rooster didn’t recognize me this morning… wore a red fuzzy robe out to do chores… yes with my snowboots… he is used to the navy blue one… so here he came… full speed across the snow to attack that red stranger…

 

Much to his surprise it was mama… with her walking staff… oops… bad idea… he turned around and skuttled back up the hill to the upper yards… with more than likely… a bruise for his efforts…

 

I am pretty quick at self-defense with that staff… was not out to kill him… just send him back on his way… without having a peck or spur delivered to my legs…

 

Light snow still falling… like a light dusting from a sifter of powdered sugar… as the snow on the ground melts into the warm ground… and the April sun tries to burn through the clouds…

 

Got the truck battery charged… charger still working on the jeep battery… that one was deader than dead… didn’t help that the turn signal was on in the jeep… cats must have landed on it… yes they get in and out of the jeep at will as it has a soft top… first time for this though… usually it is just cleaning the cat hair off of the driver’s seat… so I do not have a total fuzz butt after driving it… hey… could be a new fashion statement… hehehehe….

 

Have the bread machine loaded with yummy ingredients… flour… couple eggs… bit of cornmeal… ground oats… ground flax… and a portion of seeds… pepitas… sunflower seeds… poppy… sesame… hemp… chia… salt… olive oil… hot water… yeast… gonna be a wonderful aroma in here soon… along with the scent of wood burning in the woodstove…

 

Love to slice off a crusty end of the loaf while it is still warm… spread a bit of butter on the soft side… and enjoy… this will be a late afternoon’s indulgence…

 

Cleared some of the snow off the corn pile so it would be easier for the chickens and ducks to chow down… as well as the wild birds… yes we have corn fed pheasants running around here… lol…

 

Hmmmmm…. If that battery doesn’t take a charge by tonight… thinking I’ll pull it and take it in to have it tested … next time I go into town… eh… we’ll see… even if it does take a charge… gonna have it tested… when I take the jeep in… getting her ready for road trippin…

 

Yes I want to set The Betty (white van) up for road trips and camping… but need a new set of tires for her… the ones on her are… well… about done in… so in the meantime… I’m going anyway… may take the sides off the soft top… and enjoy the breezes… and just go zooming … wanna take the bike out too… that is a bit… well… challenging… leg issues… working on it… decided to not wait to live… so going anyway… just … in the jeep… if that won’t go…  may go rattling on in my ole truck… the point is to just do it… embrace the day… live…

 

Embrace the day… rather than waiting… no matter what you’re doing… live…

 

As for now… I am going to go embrace sliding into my ole clawfoot tub… and soak off some of that wonderful Wyoming clay… gotta lavender bath bomb I want to try out… best put another log in the stove to keep it warm in here… then … ahhhhhh…

 

Have some musica playing… bunch of folks line dancing… such fun… yes youtube playing on my tv… switched to a flash mob dancing… love that… getting my wiggle on… come on join in… just a little wiggle… maybe a toe tap or two… mmmm… twist and step… yup… here we go… that wiggle turned into a dance… just a little dance of glee between you and me… and thee…

 

I did go ahead and switch isp’s… so far so good…

 

MowMowTat’s napping on a chair besides me… well until I reach over and tickle her… then it is that “look”…. Hehehehe….

 

Gratitudes… another day… musica… dancing…

 

May you walk in peace…

 

Later Taters…❤❄⛾𝅘𝅥𝅰𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝆕

December 13 2014

breathe... allow yourself to feel it... and... let it go...

Mary E. Robbins
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December 13 2014

Good Morning Peeps…

There is a massive chorus of wild birds in the trees… amazing sound as they greet the day… I just stepped out and refilled the bird feeder in the yard… of course they are feeding in the fowl … chicken/duck/goose/guinea … feeders as well… I love hearing their morning song… it is quiet outside other than their song this morning… well other than Shy Girl the goat greeting me when she saw me step outside…

The hollow is surrounded by a thick cloud of fog… I can see up to the road but not beyond… there is frost on the fences … field grass and trees… it is still gray and quiet… the sun has not yet burned through the fog’s moist caress… it is wonderful to step outside and breathe it in… it is not very cold… 34 degrees F ( 1 degree C) … yes it’s true I love the fog…

I am not a fan of driving in it… at present it is at near zero visibility… this is one of those mornings … if at all possible it is much better to stay home and enjoy the beauty of the fog and the quiet of no wind… a quiet day… as in a day with little to no wind… is something I savor here… as the wind is often strong… gusting… coming on fast and furious…

Although I will say… a breeze in the afternoon on a hot summer day is a wonderful thing … without it this hollow turns into a sweltering oven… a Chinook wind in the winter months… blowing warmth across the hills and valleys is also a welcome thing…

I have heard the winds here in the winter months shrieking through the trees… sounding like banshees screaming across the moors… snow blowing sideways… twisting into swirls and drifts… leaving other areas bare and exposed with mountains of white … crusting over… or shifting once again continually changing the landscape…

In the summer you can feel the winds coming before the storms… a breathless calm… then a leaf or two will flutter… another flutter… then a rush of wind… and the storm is here… rolling clouds… dazzling lightening… thunder loud enough to shake the house… amazing during the day… majestic at night…

Time after time I’ve watched the storms roll along the ridges to the south… lightening flashing… clouds rolling… thunder crashing… tornadoes dipping down to the ground and receding back up into storm clouds… sometimes looking out across the range… I’ll see soil rising straight up into the sky as a pressure vacuum from above draws it upwards…

It is an amazing planet we live on… an easy thing to forget as we get lost in the rush and rumble of the city… or the emotional roller coasters of this life… the day to day drudge that we tend to create … without ever realizing that we are the ones creating it… to see the glory of this life… this planet… we have to choose to do so…

Yesterday I was caught up in physical pain… fevers… rage… well beyond anger… and emotional pain… all day this storm within raged… and into the night… before a calming on the other side of it… I am still here… have not left a total wake of destruction behind me… although when I am in rage it does effect the animals around me… they react to it looking for whatever is the cause to attack… and sometimes turn on one another… something to keep in mind… we do effect those around us… whether they be human or animal… intentional or not… at any rate… I made it through it alive leaving no carcasses strewn behind in my wake…

I did not get the beets processed… this turned out to be a good thing… as I tried something different with some of them… or rather one of them… this morning… I sliced it and sautéed it with a bit of bacon and squash and had it with my eggs for breakfast… I found that I like them this way… this is a good thing… so into a dry cardboard box and back into the cold pantry they go… to be enjoyed through these winter months….

I did find treasure in the chicken house yesterday as I was doing ranch rounds… eggs… yay! The girls are starting to lay eggs again… those were 2 fresh farm eggs I savored for breakfast this foggy morn…

It is nearly 10 a.m. here now… and the fog actually seems be closing in even more than at first light… becoming thicker… my little house is surrounded by a thick gray blanket of enclosing icy fog… the frost is becoming heavier on the trees…

I am thankful for this little house and the fire burning in the wood stove… glad to be able to come inside… and not be out on the roads…

The guineas are foraging on the hill by the house… there is still much forage as in green grasses under the ripened brown stalks of last summer’s grasses and weeds…

I am heating up the bathroom for a hot soak in that old enameled clawfoot tub… love that tub… perchance to lessen the pain in this body… and wash this hair … it is just long enough now for me to get it tied back in a hair band… I am trying to be patient… and let it grow so I can braid it back… I used to wear it in French braids… will have to relearn… redevelop that skill…

Gratitudes: survived another day… some days I am not so grateful for this… today I am… black bitter coffee… sautéed beets… squash… and eggs for breakfast… all grown here…

Later taters…

Mary E. Robbins
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December 12 2014

Good Morning Peeps…

Wow the day is flying by… have not accomplished much yet… made my list… took my vitamins… had a chat on the phone… keep flitting from one thing to another… great way to accomplish nothing… argh…

Ok… focus… supposed to be a warmer day today… good day for cleaning up the minivan seats and putting them back into the van to find it a new home… leather seats… it actually drives pretty nice… has a wheelchair lift in the back… the kind that straps onto the chair and lifts it…

List for today… fill bird feeder… feed/water kennels, big dogs, ducks, geese, chickens, goats, house dogs, bring in firewood, process red beets … freezing them… seriously need to hem compression pants that fit me and redo their waist bands… and need to vac the rug and do Oxycise… I always feel better when I do that exercise… and the compression pants are an issue… I’ve lost enough inches in my legs hips and waist that the ones I am trying to wear have become too long and are wadding up around my ankles causing pain… not to mention not giving support where needed…

Accomplished a bit yesterday… went to the old home place and pulled out the last decrepit auto and got rid of it… one less thing piled on that place… made it through without a total meltdown… I did good… it is going to take a long time to have that place completely cleaned up… but bit by bit it will get done… it is posted with no trespassing signs… and fenced… it is enough to be cleaning up after my hoarding relatives… but it is enraging to see trash thrown over the fence from the neighbors… then to ask me when I am cleaning the place up… seriously!!!!! I did not say anything other than it is posted for no trespassing… best to not let that rage monster out of it’s cage just yet… she is really angry and has sharp talons…

I did not make this friggen mess… I’ve cleaned it up before… trying to work with family members… only to have my hands tied and the place turned back into a friggen nightmare… then of course been accused of abandoning family members … really… when it was made impossible … friggen impossible… was not my choices that made this nightmare… it did not have to be this way… but it is… I look and I think of what could have been… yet was made impossible… I see the remnants of so much work and caring that was put into that place before… by both my husband and myself… only to have been destroyed… buildings neglected beyond repair… then of course the scavengers are bitching because it is difficult to get through the place… trespassing thieving scavengers… too bloody bad there are not more rattlesnakes there…

Ok…breathe… center yourself… not worth becoming lost in rage over… just isn’t… there is a lot of emotion tied to the ole family place… some light… a lot of darkness and pain… and rage… it is almost as if it clings to the place… slithering through the burned out house… infusing whoever walks through there… with agony and rage… the earth is healing itself there… growing over covering up reabsorbing… slowly taking it all back into herself… as for me… bit by bit… I am working with her… her being the earth… slowly working my way through that place… and all the memories buried there… I’ll do what I can do… bit by bit… if others do not like the way I am progressing… too bad… stay off the property… and keep your trash… both physical and otherwise to yourself…

Some days I would really like to just let go … relinquish the control I hold to… and release the dragon… let her fly free…

May have to release her into some paint… something to think about next time you walk through a museum or gallery… what are those sculptures and paintings really… lol…

The sun is still shining… there is a cloud cover coming on… ack… stepped out into the yard and there was the guinea flock… white and bright coming down the hill… the guineas I have living here are white… lavender… and pearl…

saw a male pheasant on the way home yesterday… and an eagle sitting in the field ripping apart it’s meal … majestic bird…

The beets are in a tub sitting on the sideboard of the kitchen sink… waiting… thinking sewing the compression pants needs to be first up… make it less painful to get the rest of the work done… well as much as can be… there is a chill in here… or perhaps it is just me… as the thermometer says it is not chilly…

Gratitudes: did not go into total crisis while at family home place… firewood… true friends…

Later taters…

Mary E. Robbins
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December 11 2014

Good Morning Peeps... just checking in... taking advantage of the sunny weather....

Mary E. Robbins
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December 9 2014

nite peeps... still alive... just... I dunno... brewing through some stuff...

Mary E. Robbins
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December 5 2014

Good Morning Peeps…

So far today is a much better day than yesterday… let the goats out of the corral to graze… went and picked up yesterday’s mail… looking for some ballpoint sewing machine needles that I sent for… had breakfast hours ago… coffee… honey… cacao nibs… squash… bacon… eggs… dishes washed… cast iron dried on the burners… microwave scrubbed out… yes it was nasty… not any more… lol… trash out… more stuff on my inside list… argh… seriously need to get some sewing done…

feel much better today than yesterday… yesterday was a day of pain… fevers and chills… unfortunately that is pretty typical the day after unloading feed… frankly I could seriously do without it… not a whine… just is what it is… and I am not willing to just sit down and not try… if I do that I will rapidly lose my ability to walk… I saw that very thing happen to my mom… and I am so not going there…

I was pretty … correction… am… pretty proud of myself for getting that bagged feed unloaded… put in barrels… and the hay stacked in the chicken house… Pooster the rooster got lots of pets and hugs while I was unloading… had to stop and take breaks and here came Pooster to be picked up and petted… lol… pushed it to the limits and just hung over a pile of bales for a while until my pulse rate came back down…

Mow Mow Tat hung out with me all day yesterday… and last night… she is still clingy today… she gets that way when I feel cruddy… yesterday was a rough day… and pretty much a total waste… feel better today… just still tired… fevers have receded thankfully… and the fire that was burning in my legs has lessened…

Beautiful sky this morning… puffy white clouds… bright blue… with the sun shining… want to get a bit more of my inside list done… and get outside to do ranch rounds… savor the sunshine… it is supposed to be in the 50’s F here for the next 9 days or so…

Gratitudes: less pain today… breakfast… a decent night’s sleep…

bugger it… the cat is right… I am getting the sweats… that is a bit like slamming into a wall of exhaustion ... first come the sweats... then the chills... pppphhhhttt... to it... bills still need to be paid… that is on the list for today… and the ranch rounds still need to be done… sweats or not… friend is coming over to do some work in the Quonset too today… busy day…

Later taters…

Mary E. Robbins
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December 3 2014

Good Morning Peeps…

Breakfast is done… eggs… squash… bacon… coffee… cacao nibs and honey… the cockatiels are sitting out on the porch… yes it’s heated… there is a larger window there and they are enjoying the morning light… singing… or screeching… depending on your point of view… along with the wild birds outside…

Woke up in the dark of the night… with the guineas screaming alarm… and the labs barking… then I heard the intruder’s voice… an owl was hunting… it is more than likely that there is now one less guinea living this morning… part of the flock of guineas roost in the trees…

Saw a couple more beautiful predators day before yesterday… they had been hunting… or were hunting over the prairie dog towns … beautiful young bald or a golden eagle… I have a tough time telling them apart until the young balds develop the white head… anyway this beautiful eagle glided in low over my yards… amazing wingspan…

Mary E. Robbins
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December 2 2014

very true... and definitely not an easy thing to do... not an emotion... a choice...

hehehehehehe.... yeah I know... but it did make me laugh...

Mary E. Robbins
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December 1 2014

I can vouch for local raw honey helping to alleviate allergies... has made a huge difference in my life...

Mary E. Robbins
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November 29 2014

Hello Peeps…

I watched a bit of the sunrise this morning… was beautiful as color splashed across the clouds … shades of pink and gold… it was over 40 degrees F this morning… supposed to warm up into the 60’s later today… yay! Tomorrow … not so much… high of 24 F… never thought I’d be so focused on the weather… lol… but then out here it shows itself on a grand scale… it is amazing watching it shift and sweep across the sky and landscape…

The other day it was bursts of snow flurries… kind of like summer cloudbursts of rain… except it was white patches sweeping down from the clouds…

The morning of the hoar frost… was amazing… I could see clear areas… and areas with patches of mist/fog as the sun was shining out from behind the clouds… it is rolling hills out here… and I can see for quite a distance to the southeast… from my yards… if I go up the hill I can see Laramie Peak to the west… that is when it is not storming or foggy… lol…

Last night the clouds were luminescing across the southwestern sky below the moon… it looked as if they were glowing from within… I was at my friend’s house and we stood out there and just stared for a bit… I had stopped by to give him a birthday card I’d made and some pecan dessert things… yeah… we’ll just call them things… they did not turn out as I thought they would…lol… they were not horrid but they were not what I thought they were going to be… aw well… he liked them… or said he did anyway… lol…

Thanksgiving dinner turned out pretty good… we enjoyed our meal and sat and visited for a time… conversation was good… food was good… David would have enjoyed the meal as well… the ribs turned out extremely tender… sautéed beet greens with onion and bacon… oh my… those were tasty… who knew… lol… beet greens… lol… had some mashed potatoes with butter… the potatoes were from my garden as were the beet greens… had some cranberry… cooked with orange… walnuts… and honey…

Quite a bit on the to do list for today… did not get much done yesterday… was exhausted all day … body needed a rest… was rather insistent about it… result… work did not get done… ok… well today it needs to be done… so… here goes… not sure how much will get done… but some will… truck needs unloaded… animals fed and such… and on and on… such is life on a ranch… firewood needs bourght in… or rather I need firewood brought in… lol… supposed to be much colder tomorrow… no firewood… equals no heat… brrrrr… not up for that…

Gratitudes: woodstove… firewood… peace… yes… today I actually have peace… and am savoring it…

Ok… gotta get with it…

Later taters…

Mary E. Robbins
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November 24 2014

Hello Peeps…

Happy Thanksgiving… kind of surprised I am actually able to say that and mean it… lots of conflicting emotions … have been flying around…

Thanksgiving was a big deal for David and I… he would have loved the menu today… even though it is not a traditional thanksgiving menu… put some beef ribs with mushrooms and onion in the oven early this morning… cooking slowly all day… some white button mushrooms and some baby bellas… the aroma is wonderful…

I did make cranberry sauce/relish… cranberries… honey… water… a whole orange… rind included and walnuts… cooked it this morning… have it in the frig cooling it is best served cold and after sitting for hours… or days…

Want to bake some cornbread… yes gluten free… organic… and some pecan tassies... at least that is the plan… thinking maybe some greens would be good to go along with dinner as well… or maybe not… lol… don’t know…

Had a wonderful soak this morning… love the scent of lavender oil… yes I had some in my tub… happy that I made it into the tub and was able to enjoy the hot soak…

This morning was a beautiful gift… there must have been a fog late last night or early this morning… because when I went outside there was a winter wonderland… totally calm… wonderful… no wind… and hoar frost on the fences… trees… and so on… with mists off in the distance… some blue sky showing through the clouds… beautiful morning… wild birds singing… other than that…quiet and calm… even my geese were quiet… wonderful…

Gratitudes: the scent of beef and portabellas cooking… lavender oil… beautiful morning…

Later taters… gonna try to make that cornbread… using coconut flour for the first time with the cornmeal…

Mary E. Robbins
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November 25 2014

uh huh... yup...

 yes I am inked... no not there... and yes I thought this was funny... hehehehe....

 hmmmm... kinda freeing...

Mary E. Robbins
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November 24 2014

something to think about...

Mary E. Robbins
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November 23 2014

breathe... remember... take it one step at a time...

yup... this would be me...

Mary E. Robbins
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November 21 2014

Hello Peeps... actually had this happen once when I was on working on the railroad... we were stopped on a siding and I'd gotten off to walk the train... afterwards I was waiting outside for other trains to come to do roll-bys... we were way out on the range-land... hot sunny day... and this beautiful butterfly flittered in from somewhere and landed on me... huge butterfly... beautiful...

today is a more productive day for me... yesterday was ... well it just was... some days seem to be mired in retrospection ... spiraling grief... survived yesterday... today is another day...

washed some dishes this morning... clean laundry piled on the couch waiting to be folded... bath water ran... yes I am getting in there... so I am posting quickly and off here before the water cools...

gratitudes: survived another day... it is not snowing... state of mind more alive today...

later taters...

Mary E. Robbins
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November 21 2014

I saw this pic and it struck a chord with me...

the connotations of this are .... well would be world changing... can you imagine... rather than spite... selfishness... abuse...war... greed... it would be consideration... compassion... acceptance... being true...

this post is not about religion... it is about a way of living... of life... but then from what I can tell... Jesus was not about religion either...

Mary E. Robbins
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November 20 2014

True...

Mary E. Robbins
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November 20 2014

baaaaa.... probably won't look like these... but hoping or some baby goats in may... billy goat gets to go in with the girls dec 1st...

Mary E. Robbins
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