OTTO MOBILES

Farmer really has caught the bug...the cleaning/gifting bug. He has given away 3 vehicles from Otto's Mobiles. Otto, farmer's grandfather, saved pretty much every vehicle they had since the 50s (but why, oh why, did he not save the Model A?!). Once the farm truck or town car stopped running, or nobody wanted to drive them anymore, they were parked and became yard art.






There were three vehicles parked on the side yard and all are gone now..As I sit and type this little bloggy, I am looking out the window and I see a clearing! I spot the big two story red barn now. It's kind of sad, like maybe an arm was sawed off the farm. Alas, if we ever get lonely there is always a truck or car we can drag back to fill the void.


here is a pic of the terrific trio and where they stood for about 40 years (give or take).
This photo was taken in 2007


the caddy getting towed to her new spot


The Buick's turn to go

Farmer also sold a Mrs. Baird's Bread International Pick Up. If he sells more of the collectible vehicles, that money will go into restoring the couple of vehicles he wants to keep.


This four door mercury parked out behind one of the barns looks like a lot of fun to drive around in *hint hint*



This is Otto's Cadillac. This was his "going honky tonkin'" car and "watching the Stephenville Yellow Jackets high school football games" car. One must have a director's chair and a bottle of tequila to make the leisure trip complete! Oh the days of olde.
Farmer will part with the humdinger for $1,000.00

Quartermaster Iron {Day} Cot

I briefly talked about this bed in a previous post (here)

But I'll give you and extended version of our find and the finished product.

Get Ready!

For a couple of years I have been admiring this tiny iron foot board that laid against Farmer's Dad's Cellar.."Do you think you have the headboard? I wonder where it came from..."

Well to make a long story short, I figured it out. While visiting various historic forts around Texas and viewing the barracks, it hit me..what was at the farm was part of an old barracks cot!

Farmer's grandpa, Otto, used to have a Mexican crew that built fences on ranches all over Texas back in the 50s and kept digging post holes and stretching wire until the early 70s. They would make camp and live near one of the barns on the property. Well I suppose over the years they picked up different cots here and there so they would not have to sleep on the ground. So down at that same barn where they used to sit around the campfire and make their dinners, there is just loads of cots stacked like soldiers that have been sitting their silently for about 40 years. Waiting for a warm body to support.

The Quartermaster iron cot is dated to around 1890s to the early 1900s. What a find, exactly what I was wanting (and more!). This farm is very special...it seems to listen to what you need (or want) and it gives it to you...there have been many other times when I was looking for a random something, like a travel soap box, a lid to fit a certain wide mouth glass jar, an deviled egg dish, an ice scoop, a...(well you get the point!) and there it was, appearing out of nowhere!

when we rebuilt the side porch, we designed it to be a screen porch with the capability to close it up during the colder months. We built glass inserts to hang (think the old timey screen inserts but this is with glass) to keep all the cold air out. Every Spring we take the potted plants outside and then bring 'em back inside for the winter. The side porch is a major part of the home.

here is me trying out the cot for the first time!

Nothin' Better than Some Homemade Pickled Jalapenos!

Last Sunday I decided to take charge of my huge collection of jalapenos. I cut them all up and pickled them!! I made four pints, which is about 2 pounds worth!. All but one was able to seal. I lowered the three pints of jalapenos into the cistern to accompany the pickled okra and garlic. The one misfit I put in the fridge.

The jars in the cistern will take 3 weeks to cure but I figured the one in the fridge was ready to eat..and boy oh boy are they not good!! I have been eating them with my salads, sandwiches, ice cream (just kidding..but probably would be good!). The recipe called for honey so it gives a little sweet with the hot! it's tastey! They are hot! But that's how I like em!

These are better than ANY store bought jalapenos!
I know the ones in the cistern are gonna be even better. When farmer finishes his assignment, we'll have to open one up for celebration..aiy yai yai!

New Projects!

Farmer and I found this bike, thanks to my friend Annette. There was a H U G E sale of all kinds of vintage bikes in Fort Worth. This little guy picked me to take him home. He was pretty dirty, but in an hour's time he shined up like a new penny.I plan on taking him to Granbury and using him as my "town bike." My other one is more rusty so she's a farm bike.

This here, is a quartermaster iron bed. The pieces were dit dotted around the farm and we were able to find alllll the pieces!! Woo Hoo! I want to fix this li'l guy up to use as a day bed for the side porch. I did a bit of research and it was originally white, but I think we'll keep it rusted (with fungus and all...that sounds bad haha).

I'll show the updated version, just need to buy some new springs and hook it all back together.
(darn tree grew up through the mesh wire mattress!)

Easiest Pets Ever

My avian friends.
They are so quiet and so nice to have around.

We had 5.5 inches of rain last weekend...it was WONDERFUL!!!!!

Everything is greening up now, thank you mr. almighty!!


If you are looking for a nice pet or two, I would recommend these species.

Happy Halloween!!

My First Pumpkin Carving, Thanks to Steph, the new owner of
Kenny Fred's Deer Processing Shop.

Tree Runner?

The other day I was workin' away on my laptop and I heard a ruckus in the yard. (Now that it has cooled off I have moved back to the office that provides wonderful nature watching). I couldn't believe it but there was a roadrunner perching on the metal gate. Squawking and talking! I was hoping for my camera to be near but it was not and I really did not want to leave my spot. So I enjoyed his presence and then all of a sudden he jumps up in the tree!! Have you ever seen a roadrunner in a tree? I called Farmer to relay every detail. I get the camera and take a picture of him up in the leafy limbs. Ohh! What was that? Another roadrunner in the tree??

I get it!! It must be mating season! What a treat. I gave them their privacy and was giddy all day about my "bird watching" event. oh geez!

The following day I saw two road runners cross the road (chasing) and then about 30 yards ahead there was another one crossing the road. They really must be twitterpating! So keep an eye out! I suppose with the cooler temps, everything is moving. I saw about 65 dove this morning while checking water troughs.

We have a running joke with a good friend about roadrunners so I am including a picture of that morning with a funny caption. See, he's a yankee and he didn't know that roadrunners existed! He thought they were a myth or something like a jack-a-lope! But I can't haw haw too much. I just found out that wolverines were for real. I believe they are up in yankee land so we are tied!

not the best picture, but i didn't want to disturb the love birds!

Remebering and Honoring 9.11.01

The Daily Inter Lake

Welp, I made the big times...THE big Sunday edition newspaper in Kalispell, Montana. I was expecting a small little picture, maybe. The photographer whispered, "I usually don't tell anyone this, but I am pretty sure you'll make the Sunday paper." So, on Sunday I paid my $1.75 and WHOA there was me plastered on the front of the Life Section. About 1/3 of the paper!! Eeeek! I do not enjoy seeing a picture of me that large. Heck, I don't know if I have ever seen a picture of me that large before!

But isn't that funny?! I think the photographer liked my quote so for that reason I got my picture in the paper while sketching the Conrad Mansion (you can read more about my visits to the Conrad mansion here and here from last year). So how did I get my picture in the paper you ask? Well, they had their first annual paint out last Tuesday and all was welcome. I thought it would be a fun thing to do and no, I didn't win, but I guess I kind of did..all of Kalispell got to see me (eeek!) while enjoying their donut and coffee at their favorite diner or at home with their breakfast in bed. Some of farmer's colleagues at work noticed and gave him a copy. I like the black and white/distorted scan he did. The photographer's camera was really good, I mean, like, too good. Awww! I know, I know, a person is their own worst critic...but here you go, I copied and pasted the whole front page (and minimized my picture) together so my readers (a whopping two maybe??) can see how I made the big times here in Montana!

Caption underneath my picture:

Thank you, Daily Inter Lake, for making me sound so prestigious! I come to Montana regularly while passing my days sketching the Conrad Mansion....hmmm well, come to think of it, I guess that is what I am doing, it just sounds so much better in black and white. Which makes me realize how very grateful I am for all my adventures in my 27 years.