A Big Leaf Pile

Most of the leaves fell off the trees in some wind storms, so we never got around to raking. Instead, most of the leaves were blown around, with quite a few stopping at the fence. So the other day, when it was relatively warm and calm, we started raking them into a big pile so the kids would have a chance to run and jump into the pile. I remember jumping into leaf piles as one of my favorite things to do as a kid. Desert Boy remembered it from last year and was very excited. He claimed the first jump into the pile.

All smiles!

Then it was Desert Girl's turn. She decided for a long run to build up speed.

Then it was time for the jump.

The kids got some really good exercise. I was content to sit and take photos.

Maybe we'll get another good day to do more jumping into big leaf piles. Then we need to haul the leaves out to the meadow for the cows to eat.

Christmas Wreaths

 Now that Thanksgiving is over (and it was awesome!), we've been decorating a little bit each day to get ready for Christmas. I am ready to see some festive colors, yet I feel like if I decorate all at once, I won't appreciate the decorations. So we started with a wreath. I bought this beauty at the local craft fair. It makes me smile every time I see it.

But that's not our only wreath. Here's the one we put up this afternoon:

 Henry's wreath on his new doghouse! I had the red wreath background, and we went out to one of our bushes that needed trimming and trimmed it, using the cuttings for the wreath. Desert Boy was delighted to staple them on. A nail pounded into the front of the doghouse, and voila, instant brightening.

 Who said a doghouse was only for dogs? Actually, Desert Boy and Desert Girl were busy decorating more of the interior for Henry.

 I convinced Henry to go into the doghouse so I could get a photo of him, but I don't think he liked sharing with two little kids.

Time will tell who will use the doghouse more...the kids or Henry?

The New Doghouse Project

 We decided that Henry needed a bigger doghouse, so a couple weekends ago we headed down to the equipment yard to gather our materials.

 It was a cold morning, so we put the kids in their snowsuits. They thought it was great fun to go on a treasure hunt to find wood. Especially since there were fun tools, like a crowbar. Doesn't Desert Girl handle it well?

 Henry is four years old and usually sleeps outside. During warm weather he likes the padded lawn chair. During bad weather he's in his little doghouse. We figured he deserved a larger doghouse that included some nice padding.

 A pallet was the base, and Desert Boy eagerly hammered boards on top of it.

 If Desert Boy did it, Desert Girl had to also.

 Hard at work.

 We didn't quite have all the tools we needed so had to do a little improvising. Desert Boy was eager to help.

 Soon the doghouse was taking shape. Desert Boy decided that he should paint Henry some scenes inside the doghouse to make it more like home. We agreed, as it kept him quite happy.

 He did some cute paintings, but I didn't manage to take a photo of them before the insulation went on.

 This weekend it was time to finish the roof and paint the doghouse. The kids loved painting with real paint.

We are almost done, just another layer of paint, a little more work on the roof, and some decorations. Check back soon to see the final product.

And, by the way, Henry is using it. I think all the padding made it especially appealing. I understand where he's coming from, I like a comfy bed, too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for so many things in our lives. It is nice that we have a day to reflect on those things (and check out Internet sales--oops, I wasn't supposed to admit that! My Internet shopping addiction continues...)


Fortunately we're going to get out of the house soon to go trot with the turkeys--or something like that. I have to admit, any time that I see wild turkeys, I have this strong urge to shoot one and eat it.  Fortunately I never see wild turkeys running around the grocery store, or I could get into some trouble!

Have a great day!

Reaching

Howdy! I sure have gotten a little behind on blogging. My goal is to get in three posts a week, but it's been almost a week since I've last posted! I feel like the ancient bristlecone above--reaching out in lots of directions and without any extra energy. Winter is supposed to be the quiet time, right? I'm still waiting!

I have to admit, I haven't been blogging not because I've been away from the computer. I've been on the computer quite a bit. Writing, organizing photos for a photo book, and dare I say it, shopping. Yep, I'm addicted to Internet shopping. I keep telling myself that if I lived in the city, I would be spending more on impulse shopping. Of course, it's fairly easy to cover a lot of virtual world in a short amount of time! Needless to say, I think we might get our Christmas shopping done early this year. Sometime soon I will try to tear myself away from the deals and post more photos. But right now, I better go check for that next deal...