Certain activities lend themselves to pondering, by nature of not requiring a lot of intense brain activity. A good example of this is barn cleaning. Not much strain on the ol' gray matter when you're scoopin' poop, which leaves your mind to wander. Yesterday as I shoveled and hauled recycled hay it occurred to me that there are some questions a person really needs to ask ahead of time, before you've crossed into 'no return' territory.
Things like, "By the way, are you married?"
Or, "So I can get into Canada with just this birth certificate, but I need a passport to come home?"
And last but certainly not least pertinent to yesterday's chores, "Honey, how do you put the tractor in four wheel drive?"
Though I will admit, sliding backwards down the frozen river that doubles as our driveway added a certain adrenaline boost that is normally missing from the whole barn cleaning experience. As an illustration of exactly how icy the road is, Logan and I did a little driveway luge for your viewing pleasure.
Those of you who are regular visitors may have noticed the barn isn't the only thing that got cleaned up around here. The ol' blog underwent a remodel, too, new coat of paint, awesome custom header, a few new knick knacks scattered around. The first is up there at the top right. I added an additional page, where I've posted a short story I wrote many moons ago. I'll be adding more when the mood strikes, so keep an eye out.
I've also added what turned into my favorite widget as soon as a reader was kind enough to smack me upside the head and explain how it works. Scroll down the right hand menu and you'll see an option that says "Follow by Email". I use this to keep up with all my favorite bloggers. Enter your email in the box, complete a couple of verification steps and BAM! All future posts complete with pictures will appear in your inbox, like a weekly letter from up here on the home place, even including a link you can click if you want to post a comment. Cool, huh?
We've been fighting a family-wide case of the galloping crud this week, so that's about all I've got for wit and wisdom. I'll leave you with a photo, instead. This is a horned owl, they take up residence in the big spruce trees in our back yard from time to time, or in the rafters of the indoor arena if you leave the doors open. The biggest one currently hanging around has a wing span of about five feet and they're very territorial, won't hesitate to swoop at your head if you annoy them.
Owls are a big in the folklore of almost every Native American tribe. The Blackfeet believe they are the ghosts of medicine men and to kill them is bad luck. The Sioux, on the other hand, wore caps of owl feathers to signify bravery. And the Apache consider the owl the most feared of all creatures, the spirits of the dead, an ill omen.
When they look at me like this, I can believe it.
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