It’s New Years Eve, currently the sky is a beautiful cloudless golden red. The trees are still dark shadows on the horizon and the frost lies heavy on the clearglass decking…which isn’t clearglass, it’s  frigid icy white. Lights are on down at the barn where the reserve team, bundled up to sumo size against the bitter cold are busily feeding hungry livestock. Snow and ice always cause extra work, chicken waterers, horse and cattle troughs and sometimes even the pond freeze over. In the barn kitchen, the woodstove will be burning, smoke curling into the early morning sky. The coffee machine will be brewing heart stopping dark coffee and the blueberry muffins will be thawing on the counter.

I am continuing to feel an improvement and rejoice when I see how each little achievement gives Greg a little more hope that his Cowgirl is coming back, his eyes light up and I can see the wall of stress he is carrying crumbling, brick by brick. Being well is going to be the best gift I could ever give him and I am working so hard to get there. My new wardrobe accessory, the full upper body brace is not on my favourite "must wear" outfit list. Wearing the brace manages very nicely to add about 10 sizes and causes me to waddle like a duck with a problem. Going to the bathroom even demands some level of ingenuity. Mobility is very restricted and yes, an under the brace itch is HELL !!!  This year has been tough for me and it’s thanks to his love and dedication I have had the spirit and determination to fight all the challenges we have faced. Thanks also to all my family and friends who have unfailingly kept me in their thoughts, karma and prayers. Next year will see me back down at the barn, maybe not quite as good as new but working on it ! 

Greg and Ginger continue to work on building 2 new horse stalls. Never having worked in construction, Ginger has been challenged by the power tools that often appear to have a life of their own when operated by an inexperienced operator. Ginger hasn’t given up and happily ( I think) got familiar and confident with the nailer, half way up a ladder helping secure a beam. It will be interesting for me to see how many executive decisions have been made in my absence ! smile. 

New Year will come to England 8 hours before we celebrate it here. Around 4 pm tipsy part makers will be calling from across the pond…..and I’m trying to persuade the Back Police that maybe just one… only one..little glass of wine might just be allowed to help me celebrate with them. From all of us here at the ranch, have a wonderful and safe New Years eve and hope that 2012 is going to bring more hope and promise of a better future for everyone. Take care. M 

Good morning, December 29th, where has the year gone…thinking about it, that’s a no brainer….in one doctors or another, on one x ray MRI or another and checking out three operating theatres. I think I will be justified in being happy to say goodbye to 2011 and look forward to a more positive new year.

Because of the antibiotics currently being pumped into my body I wont be waking up on New Years day with a hangover.. the back police are enforcing  prohibition on alcohol. Guess I’m going to have to find an Al Capone. Smile.This morning was a good morning, I was able (for the first time in eons) to be able to turn on my side and turning on my side meant I could steal the cuddle I have been waiting for for sooooo long ! Seemingly little steps but I feel we travelled a mile. I think I may have turned a corner and I feel elated.

Not much going on down at the barn, the torrential rain yesterday made everyone wet and miserable. The sheep struggled to find a place to shelter under the big cedar tree, it seems impossible for sheep to look miserable but our ladies have perfected the art. There used to be ample shelter under the low sweeping branches but as the ewes have idly waited out the storms they have munched their way through 50 years of growth

The horses don’t need a reason to look miserable, once that sweet grass has gone and they have chomped their way through the days hay ration, they look MISERABLE, depressed and dejected. They have no cause, they have been fed, they are warm and dry, they have plenty of room to run and a warm dry stall to come home to. Standing motionless in the drenching rain, heads down and water dripping off their noses they are the picture of misery and blatant neglect…yeah, right ! those animals are possibly among the most pampered in the Pacific North West.

Molly Moo and Daisy May have had no chance to complain about the inclement weather today. Today they came into season, I wont elaborate on the sordid behaviour that helps us identify their condition but behaviour and the fact that those bovine ladies are not backward about being forward and the whole valley is aware that they need a man. They are vocal, very vocal and they don’t care who knows it. Constantly and persistently they moo a long loud mournful moo…we want a man and we want one NOW. Greg answered their woeful calls and Wayne the artificial Insemination man (aka the calf fairy)..who incidentally DOES have long arms is on the way. The little blue plastic straws implanted last week have worked and now the calf fairy and rampant hormones will have to cooperate and our September calves may just be created today. If I didn’t have fingers and toes crossed with no spare digits (for myself )I would be crossing them for a successful conception. Calves are so cute.

Whilst on the subject of calves ( we were!) this years calf Hol-ley has suffered the horrors of weaning relatively quietly. We had expected a bovine tantrum lasting several days and little Hol-ley has surprised us all. As long as “her people” arrive with a carrot or three and a neck scratch it’s all good and if Lamb Chop tries to muscle in, the poor lamb is airlifted into orbit. Poor Lamb Chop!

Time to go, take care, keep safe, M

Hello, me again..yesterday was another unscheduled day
trip around doctor’s office to doctor’s office. You know this is all getting
very“old” when you get to recognize and on first name terms with anesthetists /
  nurses and even floor cleaners at the various ( and numerous ) hospitals that
  we have almost been able to call “home” over the Christmas season. We have
  finally been able to put a name on the nasty that has been lurking inside me
  and every time I think I’m better sharply reminds me that I’m NOT !! The news
  wasn’t good but now we have a name for the nasty at least we can get down to
  evicting it !! I had a PICC fitted, not exactly a designer model and not on
  everyone’s wish list  but not everyone can have a tap poking out of their arm with a little tap on it. Bit like the tap on a cheap wine box. It will be very handy, I have got a little tired of being a pin cushion and my veins have got wise to the hovering needle,
when the needle appears,.. the nice plump veins just magically disappear. I have
also been fitted with a less than flattering brace contraption which gives me
the appearance of a Ninja warrior or even less flattering….. a Ninja turtle !
As we were going to be taking yet another afternoon  away from the ranch and had no idea when we would be home Greg made an executive  decision ( which he can…’cause I’m not there) and decided to bring Rodney the  ram, Molly Moo and Daisy Mae in from the pasture early. Cows are creatures of  habit, their alarm clock lives in one of their 4 rumbling tummies and it will  not be disregarded. When it is breakfast time their alarm clock activates and  there is a long low moo in wonderful stereo, emanating from the area of the cow  pen. The long low moo get louder as breakfast gets later and we have learnt  that for the sake of peace, a hungry cow needs feeding, fast. Cows also know
  when it is time for dinner, come 4 o’clock, three dewy wet noses are resting on
  the gate, eager to come home to a warm dry barn and a grain bucket with a dairy
  mix rich and dark with molasses . Greg tried to call them in early, alarm
  clocks had not been initiated, no feed buckets were visible ( now, I would call
  that a big mistake !) and they were munching on grass still growing due to the
  mild winter. Greg tried to call them and was studiously ignored…not time.
  Unconcerned Greg tried to round up the three reprobates on the quad but Rodney
  just challenged the intruder that was interrupting his grazing. 
Molly and Daisy just walked around the vehicle, no food there and it
still wasn’t time. Greg brought out his master plan….Bran was perched as hoodie
on the front of the quad frothing at the mouth with enthusiasm, frantic to do
his job, tail wagging and whimpering when Greg turned him out into the field.  Bran was focused, Rodney the ram was  belligerent and the border collie was confused. The dog went into offensive  mode, the ram was supposed to be fearful, the ram should be intimidated……but he  wasn’t.  Rodney the Ram backed up,  lowered his head and lined up for the attack…and Bran the border collie ran. He  knew what an upset ram could do and Rodney was very upset. The 2 cows, clearly  disrespecting the dog and unmoved by Greg’s frustration just went back to  grazing. It wasn’t time and when it was they would be waiting. But NOT right  now ! Restrspectively thinking...if it had been me, which it wasn't( but I have to say)..a feed bucket instead of the dog and the three ingrates would have knocked you over in their rush to the barn !
We went off to our afternoon in and out of  doctor’s  offices and left the cows
out in the pasture. Ginger our WOOFER intern had the welfare of the ranch and
its inhabitants in her hands until we returned but help was close at hand. The
cavalry arrived in the form of willing neighbors and thankfully Ginger got some
assistance bringing wet horses and cows ready and willing for their grain back
to the barn. Now it was time ! Thank you Heidi and Robin for always being there. 
Time  to go, the rain is still falling, the wind is still blowing and the reserve team are still down at the barn finishing up the morning chores. Take care, keep safe and thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.  M

I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Christmas; I got out of bed determined to “do” Christmas and just as determined to make sure that, since I am the cause of the less than merry atmosphere in the house…we will celebrate. Things may not be great but someone somewhere out there would surely like to trade with us. I have been surrounded by more love and faith than any one person could ask and we are SO lucky. So, I put on all my Christmas sparkle, inside and out and shimmied ( really ???) into the kitchen determined to dispel any Christmas Grinches that may be lurking underneath the Christmas tree !!!!  Greg wasn’t feeling much like celebrating, he just wants to get on with making me well and Ginger had just never had a Christmas like ours…as English as we could make it (without the mince pies). Ginger is happy to embrace our strange culture and traditions, especially if they taste good !  The chef did a wonderful job even down to a little prima donna tantrum over slightly overcooked Yorkshire puddings. It wouldn’t be Christmas without a chef tantrum or two would it ?  Ginger got to savour for the first time, Yorkshire Puddings ( slightly overcooked/ burnt) doused in thick meaty gravy, enthusiastically tucked into English fruit trifle and suffered smilingly the indignity of wearing the paper party crown that dropped out of the Christmas cracker. Christmas crackers are part of the traditional English Christmas dinner experience. Wearing the paper crowns and reading the usually corny riddle is an optional extra and Ginger, our Californian / Alaskan WOOFER volunteer was happy ( I think ?) to co operate and participate. Thanks Ginger.
Back to the barn and at this moment in time ( and, for sure, the next week or more) Hol-ley is attracting a lot of attention. That little heifer is determined to either (1) make sure that if we have forgotten, she will remind us or (2) make sure that one little heifer will make more noise than all the cows in Texas ! Today is the day that little Hol-ley grows up and the bottle fairy will no longer appear with the bottle of warm frothing milk topped with the jumbo red rubber teat. Today little Hol-ley will become a (little) big cow. So, the whole valley and beyond resonates with her mournful mooing, Hol-ley doesn’t want to grow up, it stinks to be a big cow and the whole world is going to know it !
Also down at the barn, the two mature cows, Molly Moo and Daisy Mae again begin their journey into manufactured motherhood. For the past week both of the ladies have been walking around with a bright blue plastic straw protruding from their nether regions. These straws were inserted by Wayne, the Artificial Insemination guy (the calf fairy) and are intended to bring the ladies to their hormonal peak ( gosh, can you imagine all the PMT going on in there…!) ready for insemination. Hopefully, fingers toes (and anything else that is crossable) is crossed and in September there will be two adorable little calves in our barn.

Well, ….It’s that time again….time I shut down and listened to the back police who is following instructions( to the letter ) from the back doctor. Guess I don’t have too much room for argument with those two eh ? Take care, keep safe and well and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. M

Well, the good thing about today is…it isn’t yesterday. The REALLY good thing about today is realising that, there are an awful lot of people out there and  we are very loved. We knew that some people had got “sort of” fond of the city slickers up on the hill but we had no idea just how much ”sort of” fond had grown over the days months and years we have been lucky enough to have been included as friends to the folks around here and those across the pond.  I think that maybe Facebook may have to build our “wall” bigger, Sooooo many people have taken time out of their day to send us their best wishes and prayers, if I don’t get better soon I may have to send a complaint to customer services. Smile. Another good thing about yesterday,…I may be a little bit “ broken” but the more time you are forced to spend in the never ending corridors of one hospital after the other the more you recognize that, on a scale of “broken” I am low on the totem pole. Thank you all for your prayers and messages of love and on this Christmas eve’ we wish you all a very happy and very healthy Christmas holiday and new year 2012.

I think that, as our ( as in English) first lady, Queen Elizabeth famously stated in one of her annual Queens Speech to the nation “ This has been my annus horriblus” ( no, she doesn’t have, I don’t think, a horrible bottom ! ) I think it is latin for horrible year. So, just like the queen so many years ago, I have had a HORRIBLE year actually I don’t think I would be lying if I said, at this moment in time, I had a horrible butt too !  

Yesterday I had a bone biopsy taken from my spine and my spine DIDN’T want to part with any bits, biopsy or not !!! Oh my goodness, on a scale of 1 to 10, when can you elevate to 11 to 20 ? So the biopsy tell will them ( whom ever “they” are) if I need yet another surgery ( number 4 ) this year. Up till this moment in time I think I can honestly say that I do not swear….though I do have, I’m sure, a very comprehensive swear list that would (I’m sure !!!) make even the worst Marine swear !!.So, someone, somewhere has a piece of ungraciously donated bit of me on a  microscope slide possibly with the remains of a Christmas cookie. Sometime soon, I firmly believe, I WILL be “not broken”..and even better….back on my horse, Charm, with as much attitude as him or maybe even more !

Well, it's time to go back in to Tacoma and get the needle into my arm ready for the anti biotic infusions....I guess it's true what they say, " Christmas is what you make it "..where's the bottle of wine ??????!!!!!"
Take care, keep safe and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. M 

Hello world! That sounds a little ( lot) presumptuous and before seeing the graph produced on a daily basis by our Server, I would have joined the happy hecklers…A little farm in the middle of a very little town on the Pacific North West of a VERY big country. When I started to relate the ups and downs, good and truly wonderful, bad, VERY bad, and just lately “where did that BAD come from !!!” activities and events on an “almost” daily basis, I didn’t anticipate just who and where my rambling mind would be reached. Yesterday for example, well over 500 pages of the website were read. Russia, Canada France, China and of course my UK followers are among the countries that flick through or linger a while and surprisingly ( for me) the Almost Daily Diary is clearly the most visited page month after month. Thank you for your support, for whatever purpose…I KNOW my family isn’t that big. Smile.

So, they wouldn’t give me the greatly anticipated cortisone shot on my left side. The doctor was obviously very concerned, she is unhappy at the “goings on” in the  right butt zone…well, clearly so am I…so just give me the shot to (hopefully) get my left butt back and then we can go make war on the right hand butt !!! Well, it was clear that her “very concerned” carried more weight than my pending tantrum, Greg blew the whistle and I was taken back to the bleachers. DOH !!! Apparently the “non resistant” infection that very resistantly refused to yield but evidently eventually did, is, they think back. Inside the now sealed incision it has inconveniently and (if the doctor and the radiologists are correct after reading the scan) scarily, taken up residence in the spinal column. I am refusing to visit the “what if” scenario until we have confirmation from the surgeon on Thursday. Keep us right there in your thoughts and prayers.

It is a beautiful day out there in the barns and pastures, the sun is shining and it is warm enough to question if it really is Winter !! On these kind of days there were “blog” moments around every corner, in every pen and every stall…but I’m not down there….I’m up here.( bet you can guess I’m not best pleased !!)

Take care, keep safe, M

There are some people to whom making others feel special comes naturally, Edie Morgan and her merry band of Christmas carollers fall into that genre. Edie is the tireless and dedicated leader of the local “Mustard Seed” branch. Mustard Seed is a charitable organisation which was founded with the intention of keeping the Key Peninsula seniors safe and secure in their own homes.  Sadly, Christmas spirit has been in short supply this year and as the “big day” draws closer it was becoming clearer that this year despite  the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree and the heartfelt wishes on each Christmas card we open, our hearts and minds are distracted. Eadie and her merry band arrived in the late afternoon. Their beautiful voices and the sound of the banjo must have echoed across the valley as they gave us their rendition of the classical and eternal Christmas favourites. The wonderment of the Christmas spirit came with that little choir, their genuinely warm smiles  and deep faith made us forget for the moment that all was not well with our world and those few moments reminded us how lucky we are to be living here, surrounded by beauty and surrounded by the love of our family, neighbors and friends. Thank you Edie and thank you Mustard Seed for bringing Christmas to our home.

Little Lamb Chop, our “wanna be” ram needed to be wormed. Lamb Chop is a very lucky wether ( ram without his “bits”)  he will never be teamed up with mashed potato and mint sauce. This scruffy little guy was bottle fed after rejection by a totally inept mom and endeared himself to us over the following weeks as his attitude grew faster than his scrawny diminutive body. The task of worming Lamb Chop was assigned to WOOFER Ginger and she quickly discovered that administering the wormer was in fact easier than feeding candy to a baby. The scruffy wether has an “ever open” policy and would, if he could, sell his soul  for a carrot… or even a portion of a carrot. People means attention and attention is, potentially, treat time. Ginger entered the pasture armed with the drench and, I’m sure, anxious that the lamb would put up some resistance to the medication. Ginger doesn’t know Lamb Chop !!! The lamb would have eaten the drench as well as its contents… and he looked for seconds. Hol-ley the quickly maturing little Dexter calf was not going to be left out where food appeared to be involved and she intently checked out and confirmed that the contents of the drench were gone before Ginger was allowed to leave the pasture.

Time I moved. The condition of my back since the surgery is causing concern, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Take care, keep safe, M     

Maureen was supposed to have a cortisone shot yesterday, but all did not go well. The Dr was worried there were still traces of her previous infection and it was too dangerous to proceed with the injection into the back. the Dr was also concerned about the new developement of the severe pain in her right leg and bottom. So its off for another MRI to see what is going on. Unfortunitly Maureen is in bed again because the pain has gone up the scale again. More meds!! At least this evening the pain is more tolerable, but not under control. Some movements are really BAD ... and set off the "ouch" mechanism. We have to be thankful that the WWOOFer program has been great for this time of need. The help has been great and it would have been very difficult without their help. But I won't forget special mention of our family in England that have traveled here to spend their holiday time helping us.  And local neighbors as well.  And then there is our special 91 year old ranch hand, AKA Mom S. They have been a great help as well. The next wave arrives in February. Thanks everyone. Watch this space. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have the regular newcast from the ranch with local updates on happenings as usual. Take care and stay safe.

I’m sorry, I guess I can’t complain at the chickens, they are just taking industrial action….they are conserving the supply of eggs.  Supply and demand…or DEMAND and supply ! Those errant birds apparently dutifully lay a shiny brown, glowing white or incandescent green as and when our WOOFER Ginger, (chicken guru extraordinaire) inspires ( threatens) them with an extensive list of words intended to “persuade”  them to fill the egg baskets before we have to resort to the ultimate threat…SOUP ! I have been equally unreliable, my only defence is…it is called the “Almost” Daily Diary. The past few days have not been the best. Poor Greg has started to wince when I move..because he knows it IS going to hurt me..and it does. Today I go to get the cortisone shot, you know it’s bad when you have to have pain to hopefully beat pain. Fingers crossed…and everything and anything else that crosses too ! 

 Ginger is considering cross training, sheep pedicure / people manicure. After yesterday, clearly, filing people nails is less taxing on the body than tossing a ( fortunately, usually compliant ) ewe onto her back, gripping said ewe, (hopefully still compliant) between knees and then trimming little hooves packed with smelly sheep poo, using nail clippers more size appropriate for Sasquatch. Greg says that she needs to be ambidextrous…ambidextrous ??  Ginger thinks that ewe had more legs than an octopus !! Ginger’s confidence is growing, it wont be long before trimming sheep’s feet comes as naturally as filing her own nails.

Quatre has been here since the early Summer and could never be accused of lacking confidence.If there is a challenge she is up for it, the bigger the better ! Her most recent assignment is to make a bolt which will complete the construction of the door within the barn door and will be a blessing when the Winter wind howls through the barn. Quatre loves the power tools and the bigger the power tool, the happier Quatre is. Today is her last day for a little while,  our long time WOOFER is taking time off for Christmas, a little kung foo and a lot of two stepping before she comes "home". Have fun Quatre !

It’s time for me to go and rest, the “back police” is hot on my case and I’m following orders ! I will try and check in tomorrow….take care, keep safe and keep us in your thoughts. M