From the Barnyard
Winter wonderland
When time marches on, it steps on your nose and tail, and leaves boot prints down your back.”
~ John R. Erickson, Hank the Cowdog
Happy 2014 Everyone!
Welcome to the Barnyard!
After a brief cold snap early in December (mostly when we were cozily in Las Vegas) we have had relatively nice winter weather. Christmas Eve Eve was warm and full of perfect snowman snow.
Riley and Gidget love the snow!
Riggin looks on, he is far too mature for those sorts of shenanigans!
Winter weather makes me want to bake! And what would a barnyard blog be without some yummy home-style recipes? Plus I am totally addicted to Pinterest and I feel obligated to try at least a few of my pins! So here are the cookies my little chef-e and I decided to try. (Click the image to go to the original blog for the recipe.)
Aren’t the cookies beautiful and simple and elegant. What a great one to start my first recipe post. Right?
Wrong! Three ingredients in and this is the mess I have made. But wait there’s more.
Minutes later ol’ mini chef was mixing intently away when I heard a distressed noise and the mixer went off. Sure shootin’ the little gal got her hair stuck in the beaters. And when I say stuck I don’t mean just a little bit! I mean stuck tighter than a brahma bull trying to squeeze through a Powder River Panel.
Luckily there was only a little hair cutting involved before I could unwind the beaters and free my darlin’ girl. Needless to say, that was the end of the ambitions of doing a food story that night.
On another note - the cookies were pretty good.
’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring - Oh wait that’s another story!
At my house we had six 6-week-old puppies and three crazy kittens! They have taken over my house!
Poor Stoney was running around and either she pulled, or one of the other puppies, pulled the cord to my Pink Zebra Wax melter (which was smelling deliciously like Farm House Apple Cider and was about to inspire me to write a glowing dissertation on the virtues of a Pink Zebra melter - my sister is a consultant if you want to learn more click here.)
Oh but - anyway Stoney got covered in melted wax. I was quickly to the rescue and in doing so got hot wax on the inside of my wrist, and it didn’t burn me, so I am sure Stoney wasn’t hurt, but she was quite uncomfortable and more than a little upset!
What gets candle wax out of puppy fur, you ask. Why peanut butter my friends, peanut butter. (Learn something new each day, huh?)
And opening presents took on a whole new turn when they all had to be taste tested before we could go on with the festivities.
“For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” - Luke 2:11
In all the hustle and bustle, the buying, giving and receiving, the traveling and cooking and wrapping and packing, I hope we were all able to remember the true Reason for the Season and hold it in our heart all year long.
It is 2014! I can’t imagine what is planned for me this year, but I am ready to take it and run! How about you? Any awesome plans? New Year’s Resolutions? Goals and dreams? I want to hear about them all!
Thank you for joining me and we’ll see you back here again at the barnyard!
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Vegas 2013
The 2013 Benny Binnion WNFR Bucking Horse Sale in Las Vegas!
People always ask us if any of our horses go to the “Big Rodeos.” The answer is yes. But we sell them first. What we do is get our horses grown and tested out at the local rodeos, then when they are ready (around 4-years-old) we take them to Bucking Horse Sales and sell them to the guys that do the “Big Rodeos.”
Over the years the Giffords have produced some amazing bucking horses that have gone on to compete in the NFR and have made it to the Rodeo Hall of Fame.
Last year we took a good one we called Newton’s Law and we are happy to say he was the top selling bucking horse of the year in 2012!
We took four horses down this year. 3 saddle bronc and my bareback horse Dally.
We stay at the South Point Hotel and Casino. That is where the sale actually takes place.
The horses stay at Horseman’s Park. The buyers are able to walk around before the sale and get an idea of the horses or bulls they are interested in.
The sale is held in the indoor arena on Thursday and Saturday. We were one of the first out of the chute this year!
They sell a few pickup horses as well. The black was my favorite and my daughter loved the sorrel.
Dick and Dally getting ready!
They buck them and then start the bidding. The horses have 8 seconds or less to prove their worth. A Vegas gamble if I’ve ever heard one!
Unfortunately we didn’t get rich this year. But we had a great vacation! Have four less mouths to feed and have a fabulous pen of horses that will be ready to go next year!
So we load up and head home.
And this is how Wyoming welcomes us!
Yep! We are definitely home….
Thank you so much! Join us next time here at the barnyard! Wait till you see how big and cute those puppies are getting! And I am about ready to post my annual Christmas Pony Sale! WooHoo! you don’t want to miss that!
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