If at all you like tractors...

...this post is perfect for you.

In fact, that's pretty much all it is.

 Standing while mowing, like daddy and Opa do.

[These tractors all belong to our landlords, who kindly let these monkeys climb all over them.]

I've been negligent in posting pictures about the main activity around here for the last month: hay baling.

Almost 3000 bales have been made from ditch hay so far, and Ramont has stacked almost every one of those twice! Luckily he really likes the work.

I help out when I can -- which is not nearly as much as I'd like to, for whatever reasons. Mainly, though, I just pose for pictures.

Seven years

Seven years after getting married, we can both say we couldn't be more content with life. What a match!

Another cousin visit

I must say from the outset that all these photos have been heisted from my sister-in-law, Rachel, who is also the mother of the two youngest cutie pies in most of them.

They and my brother Dave came from Kansas last week for a much-anticipated visit. What fun to see how the twins have grown...they're walking! And (almost) talking!

Our kids had been looking forward to this visit so so much. I don't know if it fully lived up to their expectations (does it ever?) and there was a lot of parallel (rather than together) play, but all told they do love their cousins a LOT.

(They just don't like for their cousins to ride this particular trike/tractor.)

Drew especially seems to be a farmyard kind of kid. Those sheep were like a magnet to him. Is he the son of a vet or something?

Playing with water was a special treat.

As were some fancy toys we had on hand just for the occasion.

 This cannot be other than David's son.

Fingers getting nipped.

The line-up of Russian Swissys.

 With Opa.

Yerba-slurping was a common refreshment, as usual.

Riding in Opa's big tractor.

Learning to share. And color-coordinate.

 This is definitely Rachel's daughter.

 Here's to many more summer visits from twin cousins!

And a final round of Reere gret, reere gret... for the road.

A dream come true

About a month ago, Ramont told me during morning mate that he really didn't NEED that chainsaw he's been hankering for since we moved here. This after my Father's Day gift to him was that he could buy it (we sure know how to express love through gifts around here, ha ha).

That very night, a storm blew over no less than five big trees in the pasture. Luckily none of them hit the machine shed, the cows, or even the fence. But it was a mess back there.

And that was definitely reason enough for Ramont to finally go buy that chainsaw.

Let's just say he put it to extremely good use over the next many days and many, many hours.

Next on the wish list?

A wood burning stove.