The Equinox

You know how when you go shopping for something in particular, and you find it so you grab it and take it to the cashier expecting to pay full price only to discover the item is on sale--like REALLY on sale? That is kind of what happened to Dave and I. It all began a week ago yesterday when I went to Grand Forks to buy flowers. The oxygen sensor went out in my car and it was taken to the dealership. While it was being fixed, I was given the keys to a 2005 Chevy Equinox to drive as a loaner. I had it all weekend until Monday and I took it back and picked up my car. I was joking when I told my friend at the dealership to check out the numbers for me. Turns out it was a wise decision and a good deal. It is front wheel drive with intelligent All Wheel Drive so that should be handy on the slippery, snowy, ND winter roads! I am now able to get to ALL of the fields to take David meals, or just to jockey around equipment. I also love the color! Salsa Red Metallic--sounds........spicey!

Doesn't Buddy look excited?

What in the world!

So, does anyone know what kind of bird this is? He stopped to eat at my new feeder this morning and I was so surprised when I walked out of the laundry room and spotted this little fellow!! He is the most perfect shade of blue! Later on, he was sharing the feeder with couple of male gold finches. I wish my camera would have been handy for that!

Planting Season - Soybeans

It is that time of year again, when farmers are up at dawn and home again at midnight. When wives (or fiances in my case) pack lunches and give rides. The time of year when it ends up being a hurry up and wait game. Planting! Right now Dave is planting soybeans. I had the opportunity to take some pics yesterday while riding with him. He got a new seed tender this winter in the hopes of an easier time filling his planter. So far so good!! Here he is filling the planter.
You can see the bin filled with the innoculated soybean seed! This is a picture of the service truck and the planter filled with seed.
All done filling!! He is closing the covers. This is the side of Davids' John Deere 8320. Gotta love a John Deere!

John and David are getting close to being done!! Dave planted the corn and is now working on the soybeans and has navy beans, sunflowers left. John has planted the wheat, canola, and flax. It helped that Harold --Brendas' dad was here to help for a few weeks this spring, picking rocks. They also have the help of Sarahs husband Trent, who helped spray some pre emerge round up. Another invaluable help is their "hired hand" Chris. He has worked hard to prep the land ahead of John and Dave, doing the cultivating, harrowing, rolling, etc. They have a lot of acres to cover so every little bit helps!!

North Dakota Nature.......and Easter!!

I have been missing leaves in the worst way! The pic below shows one of the few trees in my yard that has started to leaf out. It is kind of a neat pic the way you can see the leaves and and then the contrast of a naked ash tree behind it. WELCOME SPRING!!


I took these two pics in my yard. The tulips were chewed up this morning by some animal probably a wiener dog:(






These are the Gold Finches at Grandma and Grandpa's!! They were so bright against the gray roof and trees!!

Ok so first of all, in my own defense, my camera broke right after we moved. I had sent it to be fixed and forgotten to take the memory card out of it. I got the camera and am just now getting around to putting these pics of Easter up. It's not much but you can see the eggs we dyed at Grandmas house and her juneberry pie, which by the way is the ONLY pie I like! The yellow and green dyes were especially popular with Dad and Grandma. Jamie and I made the really bold colored eggs. Jamie also made the football egg! We tried to get it brown but it didn't work that well.

The Mouthwatering juneberry pie!

Scenes from the Farm

Yesterday was the day Dad and Jamie moved the heifers up to Dahlen. They had to move the squeeze chute in right in front of the barn in order to give them shots first.

Yet MORE House Pics!

I finall hung a few things--the walls were looking pretty bare!

Pic #1 South Wall of the Dining room

Pic #2 East wall south side in the living room-Birthday present from Amber and Sean

Pic #3 Immediately when you enter the house from the South entrance.

May Snow?

Whats wrong with this picture? Yep you guessed it!! Here it is May 10, and we woke up to 2inches of snow. It seemed more like November! The dogs looked up at me when I was going to let them out to potty like I was crazy-- You expect me to poop in this weather? That was a pretty quick potty trip--usually they make the rounds checking to make sure every thing is still here.

You wouldn't even know that this was the same yard on the same day! Almost all of the snow except for the snow in the rows of the newly planted corn field has melted away already and its noon!!

Usually its Fargo that gets all the snow! Oh well, looks like tomorrow will a beautiful day for Mothers' everywhere, or at least here. One other thought, I keep hearing about how environmentalists are so worried about Global Warming. Yep U bet!! The fact that we still don't have leaves on trees and we are getting snow on May 10 PROVES that Global Warming must be a HUGE issue!

Coyotes, Confirmation, Mother's Day.

Does anyone have coyotes howling everywhere at all hours of the night? I woke up the other night to my dogs whining. I figured they needed to go potty. When I opened the door, I could hear what was causing my dogs to fret. COYOTES and LOTS of them!! At 4 in the morning when it is completely silent aside from the mournful cries of the coyotes, it is CREEPY. It is even worse without having a yard light that consistently stays on! My dogs would howl to answer them, and it sounded as if the elusive animals were right at the end of my driveway!! The definitely weren't far away!

David and I had a very busy weekend. Saturday we helped his nephew Nathan celebrate his First Communion and Confirmation. He and about 69 other kids from the Devils Lake Region had a special Mass in their honor at St. Josephs in Devils Lake. Then the Family gathered at John and Brenda's for dinner and an afternoon of catching up!!

I want to be the first to wish everyone an early Happy Mother's Day!! We celebrated this past Sunday here at the house with Grandma and Grandpa Hanssen, Grandma Johnson, Aunt Shirley, Connie and Mandy & Mckayla, Mom, Dad, Jamie, and Amber and Sean. It was a fun afternoon of visiting. The food was great (EXCELLENT job with the steak Dave!) Dad, Amber, and Sean went fishing on Lake Laretta (about a mile North of my house) and Sean caught the lone fish!! He caught a 3lb 20in Northern, not bad for his first fish!! This weekend we will be able to celebrate Mother's Day with Rose Mary. Davids sisters Ann and Janice from Zimmerman, MN and St. Croix Falls, WI will be here as well as Rose Marys' sister, Sister Phillip.
It should be a great weekend!

House Pics!!!

This the Northeast wall of the dining room and the "East Wing".
The view into the kitchen from the Dining room.
The South wall of the dining room undergoing its "transformation"!!

Ok. So I added this one so you can see it with pictures and accessories. Complete with drowsy dogs--who sort of look stuffed!! Weird. Anyway we like it, well love it actually. That is David's new tv, which we got to replace the possessed RCA. It would just click on and off without picture or sound over and over again like someone was standing there with the remote! This one is much MUCH better.



Here is the bathroom. I know everyone was curious to see where I poop!! It has a spa like feel to it, and is very relaxing.
Yes it is green. It is in between the green of the living room and bathroom. I LOVE IT!!

I just wanted to share these photos with you all!! Dave and I are proud of all the work that his brother Gerald put into building the new part of the house and happy to paint and add some more character to it! We wouldn't have it any other way!