About Littlesundog

I did not intend on being a farm girl.  I was dead set against it.  Having spent my youth on a small family farm near Utica, Nebraska, I carried quite a chip on my shoulder about the bumpkin lifestyle of rural folk.  I professed to overcome my country label.  I wanted to live the life of a city girl.  Well, at least I wanted to experience a little excitement.

In the course of my life, I have experienced more than a little excitement.  Enough to kindly show me that there is something appreciated in coming back to one’s roots.  I am not a farmer in Oklahoma by any means.  My husband, FD, and I live on ten acres on the outskirts of town.  We live a simple life here.  It is much easier to care for ten acres than it was growing up in the north and tending to hundreds of acres.  Perhaps that’s why I appreciate my roots now… the demands here are on a smaller scale. I am proud of my hard work ethic, my common-sense logic, and the ability to survive on little. I am still a farm girl at heart.

This blog is about life on our little piece of land.  It’s about tapping into the farm girl ways I grew up with, and utilizing the best of what I learned; to enjoy life and live simply.  This blog celebrates my relationship with nature, and my appreciation for experiences that have changed me. The most influential teacher of my life has been Daisy deer, an orphaned fawn we raised. I still spend time with her in the woodlands… and I am still learning from her.

I hope my day-to-day musings will reflect the simple things of life.  Sometimes overlooked or not noticed, the ordinary aspects of a day are often the most thought-provoking and ponderous.  I hope you enjoy my thoughts and my photographs.

© Day by Day the Farm Girl Way…

210 thoughts on “About Littlesundog”

  1. This is my first time to your blog. I love the way you tell stories… you are natural storyteller 🙂 I too grew up as a farm girl, but am anxious to get back to that now that. My hubby and I have a little land right now, but hope to expand some day to many more acres. I look forward to exploring your blog more 🙂

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    1. I’m so glad you found me! Thanks for the lovely compliment. Just keep plugging away… you’ll achieve your dream. FD and I got a late start at our dream. I wish we had been here 3 decades ago when we were young, strong and were better able to do the work it takes to build and maintain property. Still, it’s a happy and rewarding life here, and we’re thankful to be here now!

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      1. Thanks… we are saving and looking for land so we hope were on the right track. Got some more chickens this week so I’m enjoying them. Hope things are going well.

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      2. Ur story touches my heart i found an orphan fawn on the road with road rash and im taking care of her now since I brought her home to care for her and heal her and care for her until she can go to be with her kind is there a way I can reach u for some advice

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      4. Love all the information you have provided about raising Daisy. Can you please tell me how much exercise a one week fawn should have?

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  2. I was reading Mike’s Looks at Life Blog and saw that he appreciates all of you, and this made me curious! I am so happy I checked out your blog. I just read about Daisy and her twins and all you have learned from your relationships with them. I also read about Ms. Sunbeam and your vivid memories of a special mother. It’s heart warming to read of fond memories of your mother; so often today I only hear of complaints. I too, have wonderful, loving memories of my mother, and recall her and her wisdom and smile, quite often. Your story reminded me of these gifts and started my today with a grateful smile. Thank you!

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    1. Thank you Lioness! I will be checking out your blog later today. Mike has followed Daisy deer since she was very little. He is one of her greatest admirers! Daisy has been a great teacher in my life… and of course along with her I’ve learned to pay more attention to all wildlife around here. Each experience has brought to mind something I could reflect on or learn. Animals, birds, reptiles, insects… all living things, have a message for us, if only we are willing to listen. I’m so happy you have discovered my blog! Welcome, friend!

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  3. As a farm girl, you are away from pollution and close to nature, Nice to see your blog about your life. Many people write books to save their travel account. I invented a new method. If you want to save memories of your travel & tour with pictuers, audio,satellite views, travel account, lyrics, etc. then have a look at my blog to see how to make downloadable video presentations:
    http://mushtaqtariq.wordpress.com

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  5. I love your introduction about why you landed where you are now. I was drawn to this site because my wife is a farm girl and I always want to know her more deeply so I try to find things from her childhood to learn about. I will be following this site for sure.

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    1. What a lovely comment! I appreciate your kind words so much. Most of my writing has ended up being about my reflections on nature and what I have learned on this little piece of land in Oklahoma. I am proud of my farm girl roots (as I am sure your wife is!) and I am thankful for so many things I learned along the way. It is a blessing, for sure, to enjoy the gifts of nature!

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      1. It is always my pleasure to read such inspired words from a fellow blogger. When you get time, check out my blog called The Great Plains Poet. It is about family, faith and my reflections of how a city boy got to be amongst all this corn. God bless

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        1. I will do just that! I just love visiting my Nebraska home during July when the corn is tall and the irrigation motors are humming away. I love the smell of earth that time of year.

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    1. Thank you for such a nice comment! We have Red Foxes and Grey Foxes here. They are not as active right now, with winter conditions being a little more extreme than we’re used to in Oklahoma. I’d be denned up too if I were a fox!

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    1. Well, thank you so much Sarah! Daisy and Spirit are always my favorite photographic subjects! Mother Nature sure has given our area some spectacular photo opportunities this winter!

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  17. Great blog and great pics! I especially like the one of the seed ball in ice on Dec. 21. BTW, what kind of camera do you use? Again, great pics and blog – will enjoy following your adventure!
    Jeremy

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    1. Thanks, Jeremy! I’m glad you enjoy my work. I have a Canon Rebel T1i. Most of the time I use the Canon 100-400mm image stabilizing zoom lens for wildlife photography. I stick to the auto focus most of the time too, since wildlife is so unpredictable.

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    1. Hello Rose, and welcome! Daisy and Spirit are popular here, and I used to write about Daisy a lot more when she was little. She came to us as a little orphan or abandoned fawn. Now she is a grown mama with her own life, but I’m so happy she hasn’t forgotten her human parents. Happy New Year to you too!

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  19. Just found your blog this A.M. and was thrilled! Another OKie – Yahoo! You must be somewhere in the Eastern part of the state. We’re way out west on the dry plains – not many trees here. Reblogged your intro. on my FB page, and will look forward to hearing lots more from your lovely part of the world! :>) JN

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    1. Hello JN. Actually, I am in the SW part of the state, and probably not far from you unless you are up there in the panhandle? I’m a transplant Okie, originally from Nebraska, but FD is an original Okie. You made me laugh with that “YAHOO” greeting. That’s what I love about this state… people are friendly, just folks, and are the best greeters in the world! Glad to have you on board, and thanks for the reblog on FB! ~Lori

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        1. Jean, we’re just a mile from a river so there are a lot of woodland areas not to far away. Our property is half woodlands so we see a lot of wildlife here. I have permission to walk the pecan orchard and beyond to the river, so I’m lucky to see so much beauty. But you’re right, there aren’t an abundance of trees like in the SE part of the state. The drought is really bad here, and in this part of the state we have a sand/sand rock soil. Even when we get a rain, it dries up pretty quickly. Even after the snow and ice we’ve had in the last month, they’re saying we have a high fire danger for the coming weekend. What moisture we got isn’t going to be enough to keep wildfires at bay. I know in the OKC area, water conservation is a real issue the last two years.

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  21. I don’t know how else to send you a message… just read your comment on Celi’s blog about being Paleo and I, too, am grain free, and have just discovered the most delicious recipe for scones that I swear tastes like the ‘real thing’. Maybe that is because it has been so long since I’ve tasted the real thing!! Lol. Here is the link, hope you like them… http://marmaladeandmileposts.com/archives/21674

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    1. Oh!! Great to meet you and I’m so excited about this link you sent. I LOVE scones and had not had good luck at all trying to find a good Paleo recipe. Thank you SO VERY much for forwarding this to me! I cannot wait to give it a whirl!

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  22. Hi.
    Though I “see” you virtually every day with your ‘likes’ and comments on my blog, you have not written anything for nearly a month. Or have you and I’m not getting the updates? Just a few blogs that I read regularly so this is quite a ‘miss’.

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    1. Greetings, my friend! How sweet of you to “miss” my blog posts. I have been in a bit of a slump with writing I’m afraid. This happens from time to time. I will get back to it soon. I have so many wonderful photos to share… I just haven’t been in the mood to write. It doesn’t help when outdoor work becomes forefront, planting my gardens and flowers. And, the days are warmer now where I can follow Daisy deer around in the woods. I get sidetracked you know! Thank you for checking on me. What a wonderful friend you are!

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  24. I’m working on becoming a “farm girl” myself as my fiancé and I just recently added chickens to go with our pack of dogs and gardens that seem to keep getting bigger every year. We live in PA and have TONS of white tail deer. Love your Daisy posts!

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    1. Hello fellow farm girl!! Isn’t that about right? Everything just gets bigger as we go along, but isn’t it a great life? I have enjoyed observing the whitetail deer the last 3 years. They are a beautiful creature.

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    1. Hello and welcome! I have just returned from vacation and I’m trying to get back to my writing! You know when you are gone no one does your work and you play catch-up for days and weeks! Glad to have you on board, and yes, I’ll be sure to check out your blog too!

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  27. Hi Lori, I wondered if you would like to write a guest post for me about being a wildlife rehabilitator? You do such amazing work, and it’s not often we have individual people doing that kind of work over here – if someone finds an injured animals, it’s either off to the vets or to an animal charity. Let me know if you would be happy to write something 🙂

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  29. As a farm girl born and bred (from Oxfordshire England) I love reading your blog! great to see how the other half lives. I can’t tell you how many times we have had sleepless nights nursing badgers/muntjac/hare/lambs back to health, usually by placing them in the cool oven of our aga at home believe it or not. ive just started a similar blog as these stories are too good not to share. keep an eye out, they may entertain you like yours have entertained me!

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    1. Well thank you! It’s always great to connect with another farm girl! I look forward to reading your blog, and I’m sure I’ll learn something new. That’s one thing I love about having relationships with so many like-minded people – we’re always teaching and learning. It’s a wonderful experience! ~ Lori

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    1. Oh, my friend! You brought a smile to my face. This happens with me for a time… I haven’t been at the computer. I am highly sensitive and when the world becomes too much I just clock out for a while. I hit and miss other’s posts. What a wonderful friend you are to inquire. I hope to get back to writing and checking out your blog soon too! 🙂

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  31. Very touching story about Spirit and Willow and the messages you found in nature. You have a wonderful way with nature writing, connecting it to your life, and easy for readers to identify with. I could not find how to leave a comment at the post? Can you guide me please? Thanks!

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    1. Thank you so much for the compliment. Nature has guided me for a long time now… the messages just keep coming. On the website page where you view the post, at the end of the post there is a category and tag section (below the copyright), look for the “# Comments”. For example, “35 Comments”. Click on that and it should take you to the Comment Screen. I hope that helps you! 🙂

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  32. Very interesting blog. This is life. Often the simple life we experience as kids turns out to be the best. We often aspire for big things when the very simple ones are the best. This is one thing I pick up from your story and I love it. Thanks for enabling me to live vicariously in a part of the world far away from mine. I wish you he best of days in your blogging experience.

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    1. What a lovely comment to read with my morning coffee! Thank you for taking the time to find my blog and I hope to hear from you again! I am happy that you found a personal message in my writing. 🙂

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  34. Just stumbled across your blog–by chance, in essence–and really enjoyed reading several of your recent entries about the exploits of Daisy deer and her family. I will surely be back to experience more!

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    1. Thank you for such a lovely comment! Daisy deer gets a lot of attention, but I write about all sorts of wild critters in the area. I’m so glad you stopped by! ~ Lori

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  35. I just found your blog through your little injured robin story. (How did things work out for that little one anyway?) Right now, we have a little fledgling robin as a houseguest. His nest was either destroyed by heavy winds and storms or ravaged by a predator (we found a massive pin feather on the ground near the baby). We found one of his siblings already dead. This baby has been with us for 4 days now and loves to snuggle up on my shoulder lol. He’s still much to small to eat on his own and he has a droopy little wing but I’m confident he’ll recover 🙂 thanks for the confidence booster and story! I’m glad there are other people out there like us who will help animals in need.

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    1. My goodness you have your hands full with such a little nestling… and I can only imagine what happened if you found pin feathers everywhere. This little bug was lucky you found it when you did. I think there are many people out there who care about animals – both wild and domestic. Even though it seems like a small contribution, I think it makes a big difference when we share our stories. Thank you for sharing yours! 🙂

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    1. Hi Jim! I visited your blog… I can’t wait to try that recipe, but first I must track down some whiskey smoked sugar. Are you a native Nebraskan? I’ve been in Oklahoma for 26 years now, but I still make one or two trips to Nebraska a year to visit family. I love heading up north during the summer months when the crops are up… and traveling through Kansas’ sunflower country is always a treat!

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      1. Hi! I am not a native Nebraskan, no, far from it – I grew up in Queens, NYC, and just moved to Lincoln from Boston in August! We’re all adjusting well, though. And this part of the country is full of surprises and stunningly beautiful landscapes! I really enjoyed driving down to Manhattan, KS through Flint Hills country.

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    1. Hello Pamela! Nice to have you stop by! I’m a fairly organized person, but I’m going to pop over to your blog and see if I can’t pick up some sensible tips I don’t know about! 😀

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  39. Hi

    I am just dropping you a line to see if you are interested in joining our Homesteading Directory. We are attempting to build a great list that people can utilize to find great homesteading sites just like yours.

    Obviously it going to be a free list so everyone gains from it, homesteading sites get traffic and fans can find other pages to check out as well.

    All we are asking is that if you could post the directory button on your page in an easy to see location so others can find this great resource as well.

    Here is the link; you can also find the button there too!

    https://www.floydfamilyhomestead.com/homesteading-directory/

    I do really hope you will join us!

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  40. Hi! I’m new to the blogging world but really enjoyed reading your posts! I too am from rural Nebraska but never left!! Like you, I grew up on a farm and never truly appreciated it. Now that I’m marrying a farmer I can’t get enough which is one of the reasons I started blogging. Small world!

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    1. Hello Brittany! I just took a swing by your blog and signed up to follow your posts. It is always great to meet a fellow “northerner”! And while I’ve been in the South for more than 26 years, my heart still lies in the rich loamy soil of southeastern Nebraska. 🙂

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  41. I love your blog, and reading the stories of the deer. Much respect for the passion you show! I love whitetails, and last year published my own coffee-table book on them titled “Gentle Souls of the Forest.” I am currently working on a children’s book. I spend hours daily around deer, studying their behaviors and photographing their beauty. Having them in my life is a true blessing!

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    1. Hello Mark! I will be checking out your book for sure. Aren’t we the lucky ones to walk with the deer people? Their presence in our lives is a real blessing… so many gifts in observing them and simply spending time with them.

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      1. Thank you Lori and yes nature is wonderful, no matter where you encounter it. We have had the worst Winter weather this week – it has cleared up and I am anxious to get out this weekend and explore a little. I get my infusions of nature in my walks and they have been all too infrequent lately.

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    1. Thank you for thinking of us. The nearby river has been out of the banks for a while but crested this past week. That backed up into the old river channel which backed up into our orchard. This is good as far as we’re concerned. It will bring fish into the old river channel and possibly into the slough. It may also knock down a lot of the biden weed, which has taken over in the last years. The downside is most of the orchard property is impassible right now.

      Mostly, FD and I have been busy keeping up with mowing and gardening, and cleaning out the newly acquired rock house (where his mother lived). Like many older folks of that era, they hoarded and pack-ratted, so there is a lot to go through. Little by little we hack away at it. I hope to find time to write soon, and update on what’s happening around here! I hope all is well down in your neck of the woods? I can guarantee one thing – the mosquito population and size will be off the charts this year for everyone in the Midwest!

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      1. Close to the coast, we’re normally out of reach of the tornadoes – and enjoy the cool-ish gulf breezes this weather pattern brings us. Humidity and mosquitoes are already an issue – dog walks before and after sun comes up – and we manage to force the dog up and off the couch. Heavy sled dog coats are an issue in this climate.
        It is nice of Mother Nature to give a good wash to areas – and bring fish almost to your door HaHa. Rock houses are so wonderful …once they are cleaned out. I remember my grandmother’s on lake Travis vaguely. Wish we had that. Glad to hear y’all are Ok just busy. Take all the time you need to re-sort and re-group. You’ve me a smilie day with your note

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  44. Congratulations with you blog, i saw some interesting items like wildlife, nature and gardening. It would be nice to follow your blog. Kind regards, Rudi (from Belgium)

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  45. I found a way in!
    Just wanting to wish you a Merry Christmas an hope for a better new year, 2023.
    It has been difficult year. Sr. Staff is trying another treatment as the others were only partly successful – we are hopeful.
    Fingers crossed FD has been recovering even if slowly. Having forest and field friends come back must provide entertainment as well as a sign that life still flourishes amid adversity.
    Enjoy the quiet days – as you said, Spring will be here before you know it.

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