This is a picture of my brother, Mike, taking a ride with my grandfather on his riding lawn mower. You might be able to tell from the look on Mike's face... getting the chance to drive such a machine was a thrill for us. I must have only been two or three at the time, but I got my chance to 'drive' the mower as well. I remember my brothers jumping in front of the path of the mower, acting like I would run them over. And I remember steering it straight into the hedge.

Sometimes I can hardly believe that my kids are getting the chance to experience such wonderful things as well. After a small amount of begging on the kids' part, I started letting Finley and Joe 'drive' me around The Funny Farm. Finley was the first to have the chance. We set off down the driveway to check the mail, and I had to jerk the steering wheel a couple of times to save us from the wild roses growing along the fence, but soon, she got the hang of it, and I was able to sit back and bask in the aura of excitement and autonomy that was radiating from Finley.

I really enjoy these trips to the mailbox. As I watch the scenery slide slowly by, I am reminded of The Straight Story, one of my favorite movies, and I am tempted to let Joe drive right past the mail box and keep on going. But I don't think my Craftsman would make it very far.

The Funny Farm has suffered its first loss...

This morning about 11 am, Goldie passed away after succumbing to botulism.

The funeral will be held later this afternoon after an appropriate place for burial is determined.

Known by Finley as our most beautiful chicken, Goldie will be missed.

I just overheard Finley asking Joe to help clean up a mess he didn't make. "Of course!" he said.



He's been doing that a lot: answering a request to pick up toys or help in some way with a cheerful "of course!" And every time it puts a little bit of joy in my spirit.




Joe loves to help, and has an amazing work ethic, especially when he's helping Dad. One day, Chris went to pick up some bricks. When he went to unload them from the back of the truck, Joe wanted to help. Finley and Joe picked up the bricks and moved them to the side of the truck where Chris could reach them easily and restack them on the ground. Finley bailed after ten minutes or so. Joe stuck with it until the end. Not long after that, I bought Joe some little 'work glubs' like Chris's, and he'll put them on whenever there's work to do outside.

I forgot to mention that duck disappeared about two weeks ago. We couldn't find any evidence of a crime scene, and the neighbors said their dogs hadn't brought home any duck pieces, so we are hoping he just decided to find some place less stressful to live.

The chickens are doing fine. I still only have the two that are laying good eggs, but that is plenty for us for now, as we haven't gotten into the habit of eating them regularly.

I was rather pleased with myself when I realized I could rake up the hay left from bush-hogging to use for the bedding in the coop. The first small pile I obtained in flip-flops with the wheelbarrow. (I don't recommend working in flip-flops as a rule, although I find myself doing it frequently and usually end up regretting it.) As I raked I thought of the old-school days when there were actual haystacks that people burrowed into to escape blizzards.

I quickly realized the wheelbarrow was not the most efficient way of carting hay, so the next time I endeavored to gather some hay, I donned shoes and pulled out a tarp. After raking the hay onto the tarp, I towed it to the stable with my mower.

They say pride comes before a fall. I was so pleased with myself that I decided to take my mower on a little adventure and attempt to mow a nice go-cart track through the north fields. I didn't go far before a hidden rock caught a blade, the force of which sheared the metal piece that held the blade to the mowing deck. Oops.

Thankfully, I was able to drive it back to the shop. We decided the deck wasn't worth fixing, so the next day, Chris removed the mowing deck, and I still have a nice little work tractor. Chris had mounted a hitch ball to the back, and the previous owners left a nice little wagon with a tilting bed that I can tow behind. All we had to do was fix the flat tires.

This morning, I counted six wild turkeys wandering around the property. I can see some of them now, strutting along the fence line. I suppose we could have a nice Thanksgiving dinner if I knew what to do with a dead bird.

Look who picked out her own outfit today...