The Farmhouse

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Swine Sunday

So I am chatting on the phone with my pal in New York, drinking a cup a' joe and I hear Cliff say, "There are pigs on the driveway!"  Huh? Pigs, here at the Farmhouse. I quickly hang up stating I've got pigs to see and run out to see these two running down the lane.


OMG! Potbelly pigs - I love these swine!  But, what to do? Of course I go and grab my camera and knock on my neighbors door, screaming, "Susan there are pigs out here." She comes out and then her husband joins us.  Here's where the fun starts.  He decides to try and catch them. She runs and gets two dog leashes, while the one with mohawk decides to make a break for it.


Fortunately there is an empty garage next door and we got the female herded inside.  Then we took off chasing the runaway.  Let me tell you something - these swine can RUN. And SQUEAL!  The squealing was epic.
Cliff comes and joins in and the four of us are running like maniacs chasing the mohawked one back to the garage.  It took about 30 minutes and a certain pig falling in the stream to catch him and get him corralled into the garage.
Thankfully I like to snoop around my neighborhood and I knew where these pigs lived.  I went over, but no one was home so I left a note on the garage.  Fortunately my phone rang about an hour later and the owner said he'd be right over to retrieve Bonnie and Clyde.


He came with a large crate and went into the garage to wrangle them.  Much squealing ensued.


Success! This is Bonnie, she may be in a family way.  Catching Clyde was slightly harder.


Not happy!!  Don't you find it interesting that all of this happened right beside the home of The Flying Pig!
Just another crazy day here at The Farmhouse.
Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, July 18, 2014

It's Just Us...Again

Well - he's gone.  Packed up his car and pulled out at 6 AM sharp.  By now he's entering Colorado.  Did I cry?  Yes.  Did Cliff cry?  Yes. I've now had 2 days to get used to the quiet and I must say the silence is deafening. The house is clean, but, oh so quiet.  It's funny how you get used to being an empty nester and then they move back home and you slide right  back into being the mommy again.  Only this time they work and have lives of their own.  No carpools or sports you have to attend. I liked it!  I had a playmate, a sous chef and someone to go to Starbucks with.  So what if he left food out or the fridge opened?  Now I know it's not "healthy" , but it was 6 weeks and it was a great way to re-connect.  I haven't lived with my son for the past 7 years, so I consider this as a special time that we will probably never have again. I hope he loves his new life in California, but, I also hope it's not forever!  His room is all cleaned up and waiting!!  So, since there is never a dull moment, yesterday Bella was sick.  She vomited most of the day and seemed very queasy.  We took her to the vet last night to make sure she didn't ingest anything serious.  She seems better today, but naturally I am worried. (Must worry about something)  This is a phenomenon I have noticed with other empty nester"s - the dog-child phenomenon.  Once those real kids leave, we become obsessed with our dog children.  I have witnessed this with many of my friends and neighbors.

1- I have a friend (all names have been changed) who practically makes out with his dog.  I have told him on 
     several occasions to "get a room!" And yes - the dog sleeps with him in bed.
2- Another friend is afraid to leave her precious pooches with her husband while she travels, because she is 
     afraid they won't poop for him.
3- I call this the Downton Abbey Issue- some of the help in the neighborhood take better care of their charges
     than the owners do.  That's right - they are paid to treat the dog-child as their own. And they do.
4- Posting of Dogs on Facebook, often dressed in clothing or sports jerseys.  Yes - I do this!  Hey it's better
     than bragging about my kid!
5- Arranging play dates for our dogs. 
Thankfully, I love being with my dog and she seems to enjoy my company, too.I am not saying she is a substitute for my son, but you get the picture.
Thanks for stopping by.


Thursday, July 10, 2014

Random Thoughts and Big Moves

We are well into summer and we are still working here at the Farmhouse.  Today we decided to wash down the wood siding on the Carriage House.  It got really dirty during construction.  Cliff asked Josh if he would like to do it, he said,"Not really." Shocking!  Cliff started washing and I jumped in and said I would do it, as I thought it would be a good work out for my less than toned arms.  I was right! 


See the dirt on the left side? The right has been washed.

Here is Cliff before I took over.  I started washing and he stood back and "critiqued" my work.  I told him to go play golf and let me wash the house! Sometimes it's best to work alone.  Ya know?

After I cleaned up from my house washing I took Bella for a stroll and took my camera with me.  I found a few things that I find interesting in my hood.


My honeysuckle vine is really growing on the arbor.  It's almost at the top.  I love this!


Wineberries are growing down the lane.  I like to stop and pop a few in my mouth as I walk along.


These Tiger Lilly's were planted by the previous owner, they surround the Carriage House on two sides.


I don't know why, but when the gates close for the night I feel a sense of security.  It's like the neighborhood is all tucked in for the night.
So, Josh has some exciting news.  He's moving to California next week.  I am very sad about him moving, but it is something he really wants to do.  He started thinking of going west last summer, but he got a Newfoundland instead.  We all know how that turned out...so now that he is "free" he is going to try California.  He leaves next week.  He is driving cross country with a friend. I guess he can't sit around The Farmhouse playing Candy Crush all day....can he?

He got me started on this stupid game and now he is obsessed with passing Level 70.  Needless to say we will miss him.  I have loved having him live here for the past month and a half, but, my rational mind knows it's not where a 25 year old man-child should be.  He needs to do this and I have agreed not to beg him to stay. Maybe we should have kept Fletcher? 

Thanks for stopping by.