July 2026 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

This month's color palette is so perfect for the US 250th birthday.  That's still very young when compared to other countries.  I love July 4th.  My Dad's company closed down for the first week of July every year.  In fact, they still do all these years later.  It was that type of company that you don't find so much anymore.  So, every year during that week, we traveled.  Did a lot, saw a lot, learned a lot, but I loved getting home again. 

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Fan Freebie

The 250 Year celebration in DC is sure to be spectacular this year, but nothing can beat the one that will be in my own backyard :)  

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The Boo Update

I have new baby kittens in my horse stable!  There are 4.  The little black one was sleeping in the back area of that heated cat house and I didn't want to wake her up.  She is beautiful though. I spend as much time with the cats out there as I do with Boo, Jake and Jack in the house.  They were only about 8 weeks old here.  They're now about 5 months old. They are so sweet.  They come running to me the minute I open the barn door.  And when I go out to bring the horses in from pasture at night, they're right there with me.  My horses are so used to having cats around, they watch for them all of the time so they don't step on any of them.  It's kind of amazing that each kitten has a different fur color.  The Mom is all black.

See ya next month!

June 2026 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I didn't think summer would ever get here, but here it is.  And, along with it, are bugs.  Fortunately, we don't get mosquitos here.  Our county was never touched by the glacier that moved through like a gazillion years ago, so we are beautiful rolling hills, running streams, and lots of trees.  This area is called the "Driftless Area".  Check it out online.  It's an interesting read.  Our ranch sits at one of the higher elevations, so there is no standing water, so NO mosquitoes.  Works for me!  We do get horse flies though.  Usually on the hottest, most humid days of the summer.  Dragon flies are more in fall, but the little guy in this kit didn't want to be left out of the fun :) 

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Fan Freebie

I almost didn't have time to do a Fan Freebie this month, but it rained one day and I was able to put together a few extras for you.

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The Boo Update

Getting all three boys in the same room at the same time doesn't happen very often.  But, when we pull out the stick with a toy at the end, they all come running.  

See you next month!

May 2026 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I really don't care much for traveling anymore.  Seen it, done it, been there.  My favorite mode of travel is on the back of horse.  But as I started thinking about this month's Blog Train, I thought "oooo...traveling on the back of a dragon would be fun!!  

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Fan Freebie --

This is another whimsical way of traveling when you want to take the slow lane!!

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The Boo Update --

And then there were three.  Yes, I still have Boo, and you met Jake in February.  But, I haven't told you about Jack yet.  This story is going to melt your heart.  Last summer I was walking back to the house after finishing up with the horses.  There was my favorite barn cat, Jack, laying in the grass maybe 20 feet from the house. He apparently had been attacked by a cayote and was in pretty bad shape.  I ran back to the barn to grab my Nitro Ferizone, and sprinkled it all over the open wounds around his neck to stop the bleeding.  He must have fought like the devil to get away.  For the next 6 weeks, it was like having a baby in the house.  He slept all the time.  I had to wake him up long enough to eat something.  I fed him chicken broth with a bottle until he was doing better and then blended up soft cat food to add with the chicken broth and fed that through a bottle as well.  The first 4 weeks were touch and go, but then he started to be awake a little more and  trying to get up on his feet again.  Took a bit, but he finally did it.  And each day got better after that.  He had lost an eye when he was just a kitten.  Not sure how.  But, I'm pretty sure not having peripheral vision was how he got attacked.  When he was able to walk around the house pretty good, I took him to our Vet to have him checked out thoroughly.  When I told them the story, they could hardly believe it.  So, I made arrangements to have him neutered and his bad eye permanently taken care of.  The Vet must have gone back to their hospital and told everyone the story because when I got there on the morning of Jack's surgery, the receptionist referred to me as "Diane and her miracle cat".  Everyone was extra nice and really took extra good care of Jack.  When he was coming out of his anesthesia, there was always someone around to hold him and talk to him.  I thought that was so great, it almost made me cry.  On his follow-up visit a few weeks later, the entire staff was there waiting to see how he was doing.  Jack sort of has that effect on people. He is special. Boo and Jake have learned how to tolerate him.  In fact, I think they actually like having the little guy around.  But, I'm pretty sure Boo told Jake AND Jack to stay off HIS chair and there wouldn't be any problems.  So far it's been working.  I love all of my cats, but this little guy truly is special. 

April 2026 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 We made it through the winter with only a couple big snow storms.  The rest were no big deal.  In fact, we even had one day that was 70 degrees a couple weeks ago.  I thought that would be it for winter. Less than two weeks later, it rained.  Then the rain turned into ice.  I woke up the next morning to 2 feet of snow covering everything!  Even my horses were complaining about it!  But, April is finally here, the sun is shining and all that white stuff is melted and gone.  I am so looking forward to complaining about the heat of summer!

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Fan Freebie --

You can tell gardening and new plants are on my mind.  I used the same colors as above so you can mix and match as you want.  Wouldn't it be fun if butterflies really DID have smiling faces :)

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The Boo Update --

Boo loves to grab my husband's shoestrings.  He's been doing that every day since he was just a kitten.  It must be a "guy thing" :)

See you next month!