One day while visiting us this summer, my niece Sarah wanted to try her hand at running the Hustler zero-turn mower. I take advantage of help when I have it so, after a short lesson on how to operate the mower, I sectioned off an easy area for her to mow. Once she aced that, … More Operator Malfunction
In the early years we lived on this place, the “Lori measuring stick” ruled as I made my weekly rounds in the electric buggy, picking up neighborhood trash on our ten acres. I ranted and grumbled about the carelessness of our neighbor’s lack of trash disposal. I had expectations about how people should respectfully keep up … More The Language of Litter
When we purchased the pecan orchard last August, FD and I were both aware the property had a thistle problem along its south and west boundaries. For much of the autumn and winter months, when the thistle plants were in the rosette stage, FD would pry the dinner plate sized plants up with a shovel … More A Sticky Situation
Not feeling up to par last Monday morning, I decided to grab my camera and take the electric buggy for a leisurely drive around the pecan orchard property. I had been on the computer doing research all morning and needed to clear my mind. Unfortunately, I had to accept that I would not get much … More Treading Lightly
Early yesterday morning while I was enjoying a cup of coffee on the back porch, I noticed some odd movement down in the canyon near the dry creek bed. Fetching my binoculars I observed a fox squirrel rolling around, flipping, jumping straight up, and then back to rolling in the red dirt. I wondered if … More Squirreling Away
I have taken on quite a few dirty jobs on Ten-Acre Ranch since FD and I moved here back in 2008. Most folks who come from a farm background or have a few acres of land, understand that dirty work is just part of this life. Of this dirty work, cleaning up after livestock is … More Dirty Job and a Measuring Stick
Friday brought very balmy, warm weather, the likes of which Oklahoma had not seen in a few weeks. While folks up north were experiencing the “Siberian Express” hurtling down the plains and bringing bitter, below freezing temperatures along with it, I was enjoying the last hours of our unseasonably warm conditions. I intended to make the … More Tough Skin
We have enjoyed a long, and very warm, autumn season here in Oklahoma. As a matter of fact, I was still getting a few tomatoes in early November and my herbs were still flourishing. During November, my lettuce patch finally went to seed, but not until I was able to harvest a second crop of greens for … More Cold Weather Brain Freeze
While hiking home from the river last week, I took a little time to search for places to easily harvest cat brier for Emma and Ronnie deer. I have worked hard this year to forage for greens and browse so that their eating experience would be similar to that of fawns in the wild. Gathering acorns … More The Land Of Cottonwood And Cat Brier
I admit I felt much better after we completed the installation of mesh tarps all around the inside of the welded-wire fencing of the deer pen. This not only provides a more visual barrier, it also provided a protective blanket of sorts that would hopefully keep Emma and Ronnie from harming themselves if they hit the … More Protective Fences
Until recently, I did not fully realize just how connected I have been with pecans over the course of my lifetime. My first memory of pecans came when I was a young girl, slowly nibbling my Grandma Knuth’s (Kuh NOOTH) pecan sticky rolls in order to savor their gooey wonderfulness for as long as I could. She did not make them often because she … More A Passion for Pecans
