Last days of summer

This year the summer seemed to stretch a little longer than usual. Officially summer ends 20th of September but this year summer temperatures lingered until today when it suddenly dropped to hardly 60F and the morning was 45F. It is cold with the wind blowing15-25 mph. It takes a little while to get used to the new temperatures. I like it though.

I still have some fruits on the trees and the apples have been dropping on the ground a bucket a day. I now have another chore to do in the evening, go feed the critters in the woods. I bring a bucket of apples and leave them by the pond so that the critters can party at night. By morning all of the apples are gone. This evening i thought i would go and sit and wait to watch the party, but with my dog Dumdum around, no critters showed up.

Surprisingly I hardly see Nutkin the squirrel and his gang of merry- men around. There were a dozen of them in winter and early spring, but in summer I don't see them at all. I guess they have somewhere else to find food or busy hoarding nuts for the winter.

The pond in the woods is now full of fishes, from tiny ones to big ones. Most of them are perch. We feed them with bread every other day. They eat half a loaf each time.

Today for lack of thing to do I baked a loaf of apple bread. It turned out real good!

On a hot summer day

Here I am on a hot summer day, sitting in front of my computer, chatting with one of my nephews as well as reading some postings on my Facebook. My eyes caught a posting by a nephew on his wall. He said he wished his parents were rich but lamented that they are not thus he has to work hard to be rich and look after them. I was so touched and my tears was welling up. A 20 year old son has set up his mind to work hard and has his parents in mind is something so refreshing.

He was not good academically, but has gone to a community college to learn a skill, that will help him be marketable in the ever developing country. At the college, he began to understand the importance of maths he learned but never liked in school. The engineering maths made sense to him rather than those he learned at school. It was easy to master as there is a purpose in learning those formulas. Now he is undergoing an Industrial training, he complained about the hard labour, yet, he understands that he needs to know the details of the process. He understands that in order to go further in his chosen career, he needs to be in the "kuli" pool first. I am so proud of him.

Thank you Max

It has been very hot and humid these couple of weeks and I have either bring my dogs to the pond or give them a shower every afternoon to cool them some what.

This afternoon as usual, I went to give them a bath. I usually drag a water hose and wash Max first then do Dumdum. I do this because Max is kind of docile and just let me wash him without shaking the water off until I finished with him. Dumdum will shake off a few time during the shower.

So today it was rather hot and when i was squatting running the hose over Max, I must have blacked out. BB was not home, away on someone's hayfield. I only came to when I felt something wet on my nose. It was max kissing me or sniffing me or licking me to wake me up. I don't know how long I was out, but I managed to make a pool infront of Max house. It was quite scary to see Max so close to my face with his tongue hanging and his nose so close to mine, but I was so thankful that Max was near helping me the way he knows.

Thank you max, my big white puppy!

My thoughts

I titled it my thoughts as it means mine. I turn 58 this first week of July. I just don't know where all those years have gone. When I sit and keep my mind wondering back and forth, I realised that I must have done something good as I am still alive and kicking. Realistically I am over the fence now, but it is kind of hard to knock it into my head. At this point in life, I should be thinking of putting things in order. Seriously, the paperwork has to be in order for my meager financial nest, my property, my jewelry etc.
Living on a farm far from a sizeable Muslim community is quite a task when we need help from them. There are list of things to note down, just in case. The telephone numbers to contact, the people to inform, the banks, the "authority" etc. These tasks have to be done, before we are not able to make good judgment. Legal papers have to be put in order.
I know this sounds morbid, but I think everyone should have at least some kind of preparation.

Lavender

This is the first year my lavender bushes bloom. I only have a couple of bushes that i planted God knows how many years ago. This year they have plenty of flowers and I am as happy as a nenek kebayan.

Flowers, Vegetables and fruits of 2010

Roses


Lavender

Cili padi

Kunyit

Sweet potato

Tomato

Garlic

Prunes

Prunes

Pears

Peaches

Peach

Grapes

Grannysmith

Apples

This blog is specially for my dearest friend Yg. Arief who is not on facebook. This spring I do not do a lot of vegetable gardening as we had plenty of rain and the ground is too wet to till with the tractor. I did not plant flowers as I was lazy and was away for the best part of the planting time. I did not go to the back of the property either to see the beautiful wild flowers as i usually do.

This is wimpy kind of excuses that I can think of for being lazy.

Enjoying the weekend

Lake Eufaula http://www.outdoorsok.com/Oklahoma/Eufaula

Last weekend we went out to Lake Eufaula to have some fun. My neighbours Lynn and his wife Cathy joined us for a cruise and dinner. It was a great trip. we played in the water for a while and dock at a restaurant for dinner. The food was very good. The ride back to the dock was fun too as the sun was setting and the breeze was cool. Bill went fast past the Lake patrol and was chased by the patrol boat. We were checked to see that we were following the Lake safety regulations. All were in place, but was told not to stand and drive standing up for safety reason.

What do I do with the squirrels!

I have given up with the squirrels in my yard. I thought there were only Nutkin and his 2 siblings, but I was wrong. Nutkin has a dozen of cousins living around the woodywood.

It was funny at first to see Nutkin climbing on my windows showing off his manhood from time to time, but when there were 3 Nutkins doing the same thing at the same time, it was not funny anymore. It took me a while to realise that there were more than 3 of them romping around from branch to branch. One afternoon I counted 11 of them playing in the yard and they all look the alike.

I did not believe my husband when he told me to stop feeding the squirrels on the porch before the whole clan would come and join in. Nutkin is a very tame squirrel, who would come and get nuts from my hand and eat at my feet (I sit on the lounge chair on the porch). At times Nutkin would go and dig out some nuts that he buried around the yard and bring it on the porch to eat it. I thought it was cute and friendly. Then one day when we were not at home, probably one of Nutkin's cousins got bored waiting for nuts, it chewed my door frame and the hand rail of the porch. I was angry of course, so I told Nutkin to tell his clan to behave or I would not feed them again, or they would end up in some one's pot. Do you think they listen to him? A few days later, the french door screen was chewed and torn that we had to duck-tape the holes. Now the door looks typically like a redneck door, all duck-taped. We are waiting for the nuts and fruits are ready so that they can go find somewhere else for food then only replace the door.

An early spring day.

A sunny spring day. That is what we have today, March 23rd. I went for a walk around my house and it was so peaceful except for the south wind blowing. I took some pictures and I would like to share them with my family and friends.

The pond at the back of the property that Bill dug and have some fish in it.

Blue sky and dusting of clouds.

My long driveway from down the hill.

The little unnamed creek at the bottom of the driveway. Its water is clear and never dries up even in the hottest and driest summer.

In my humble opinion

I have read in Malaysian newspapers that 7 out of 10 inter marriages between people from western cultures i.e the orang putih failed miserably.

There were a few assumptions such as the different cultural background, the different religious background and the short time of knowing each other are being the reasons.

I am married to a white American Muslim. There were many unpleasant encounters with Malaysian especially Melayu when I went home to visit.

One incident when browsing at a craft store I was asked if I was a social escort to a white man I was with.

I was given a dirty look when my husband held my hand at a Rest and recreation stop on the north south highway. I overheard a derogatory comment "Kesian mat salleh tu dapat pompuan siam tua" . For goodness sake my husband is also old. We are in our late fifties.

I was told off at a crowded arrival gate to move to a hotel room when my husband was hugging me when he came out of the customs.

I was called names when some people on my blog found out I married a white man. I was called besar kepala, megah, lupa diri etc.

Some even assumed that I was not practicing Islam and discarded my asal usul.

These are some reasons that are hard to make an inter cultural marriages work.

In my humble opinion, in order to have your marriage work if you happen to have a white man for a husband is to live away from your community. Periodical visits are healthier in your relatioship with your family as well as with your marriage.

When 38 deg. F or 4 deg.C feels like a heatwave

We have been in the deep freezer since Dec 24th 2009 and today, January 10th is the first day we have been above freezing. Today the high temperature reached the amazing 38 degree Fahrenheit. It is a joy to see the chicken running around and sun bathing in the yard. Dumdum and max must have feel relieved to be out in the sun stretching their limbs and enjoying the heat and the sun.

We only had one snow fall on the 24th of December and it has lasted until now. The snow has become so hard like a mountain of rock. Today we will see some of them melted away. It is a joy to be able to walk out of the house without six layers of clothing and a face mask. The air was so dry and cold that we can actually see the humidity turn into ice particles that float in the air. It was like silver dust being sprinkled in the air.

I hope after this deep freeze, we will see some warming trend ahead. The temperature goes back to normal which is very nice and crispy. Cold in the morning and mild in the afternoon. By normal temperature I mean, the night and early morning to be just below freezing and high is above freezing.

I am looking forward to be able to walk with my dogs again.

Welcome 2010

May we be healthier, wiser and happier.

Dumdum and Max having their new year's treat. A grilled leg of a deer each. Yumyum.

Last days of 2009

Time just flies when you are older. Year 2009 is ending. Here are some pictures of the last week of 2009.

White Christmas

It is a white Christmas alright. White Christmas is very rare in Oklahoma. When the weathermen hinted that we might have white precipitation, everyone was looking forward to a white Christmas. Nobody expected that the storm would turn 150 miles south making the whole of Oklahoma and north Texas in its path of wrath.

We had blizzard that nobody have ever seen before in the state. With sustained wind at 45 mph and over and 60 mph gusts, the whole state was crippled. A 50 vehicles piled up on the interstate and many road accidents. Oklahoma was not ready for this kind of storm. The wind was so strong that snow drifts covered the cars on the roads.

At my house the wind was so strong, I was almost blown away when I went to feed my animals. Visibility was so poor I could not see where i was going and i could not see my husband a foot away from me. I don't know how much snow we have because of the drifts. we have 3-4 feet drifts and today my husband had to use the tractor to clear the front of the house. The snow was up to my french window and almost up to the deck.

My dogs kept themselves warm in their houses and in the morning, their doors were blocked by the snow. They were snowed in. Max pushed his door to get out and was so happy playing in the snow. Both of them run up and down their cables and rolled in the snow. I am sure they enjoy themselves.

What we write in our blogs

I write on random topics in my blog. I am passionate about animals. I love animals. I observe them in my yard and see how clever the squirrels are. I write on birds too, I observe the blue jays and the cardinals in winter. I write about the furry possums the first time i saw them. I write about the deer that are so in love in the Fall that they come out in drove to mate and thus become hunted for sport and food. I also write on the tortoise that cross the roads for no reason at all and get killed just wanting to be on the other side of the highway.

I write passionately about Bull, the young bull we raised for food and of course, I write passionately about my dogs. They are and were my closed friends and protectors. They care about me and they do not talk back when i talk to them. They listen and they protect me from other critters as well as people they feel are a threat to me. Beside being a good sharp shooter and can handle guns really well, my dogs are my first alarm when anything approaches the driveway. For those with at least a little clue about living in a rural area, they understand why we rural people need protection.

I do not need to explain what i write, after all it is my blog. if anyone out there happen to drop at my blog (house), if they do not like what I have they can move on. It is very sad that those who do not like what i write, are too chicken to make themselves visible. They rather hide behind anonymity .

If they are curious about something, go do a research and increase their knowledge. having a little knowledge and assuming that they are a level higher than others is the most naive. If they only learn at school that a little knowledge is very dangerous, they don't have to expose themselves in my blog. You know the saying, it is better to be thought stupid rather than open your mouth and remove all the doubts.

I can write anything i want in my blog, so be it. You don't like it, move on.

Roo died today

I am sad that my dearest and loyal friend died today 2 days short of her 10th birthday. I have had many happy days with her, walking in the woods and she protecting me from snakes and such. Her swiftness had earned her many rabbits and quails. She also dragged home a live kicking deer.

I am missing her.

Roo is dog, a creature that God had made available in this world to be a joy and company as well a hunter and protector to humans, who sometime forget that animals too are created by Allah to live side by side with us.

To those who commented on my last blog, I thank them for showing me, how shallow some people can be. How evils and hateful their thoughts are and how little they know about their religion of peace and humility.

They condemned me without even knowing me. How bongkak dan sombong nya mengaku berkahwin dgn suami yg beriman.

Roo and the visits to the doctor continues

Roo has been with us since I first came to live in Oklahoma. She was the golden bundle that only fit in my hands the first time we picked her. She was the smallest amongst the litter. We brought her home shampooed and kept her warm and I fell in love with her.

Roo was very timid and very insecure when as a puppy. She must have been bullied by her siblings or get less food than the rest. We put her in a box and she stayed there without a whimper. To make her feel better my husband built her a tiny house and put it next to Big Bubba's house to make her feel safe and comfortable. She grows to be a beautiful dog.

She has been with us for more than ten years now and age is catching up with her. She has skin allergy and food allergy. He beautiful golden coat is shedding due skin irritation and no shampoo can stop the shedding.

Then the trips to the doctor began when her mouth and gum start to get swollen. The doctor had to do a lot of tests and trial and error drugs. it has been many months Roo and I making trips to the doctor fortnightly. If one drug does not work, we try a new one. Now she is on 4 kinds of drugs. Poor puppy. One thing about Roo, she eats her pills with no complaint. I just put them in my hand and she eats them all at one go. Then she would take a drink.

The last 2 weeks we tried on a new drug and at the same time an old rancher said that it could be the food that she is allergic to. So Beginning of last week, I took her off completely from the store bought dry food. I now cook her a meal of rice and tuna. I can see the difference, she does not itch as much, her glands started to shrink and the gum swell has stopped. I am not very sure if it is the new drug or the change of diet that making her better. Whatever it is, I am happy and hope her health improves soon.

The choices

At some point in our lives, we made choices. They may not be the right ones, but we made them. We may have good choices if we have a general plan in our lives. Ad hoc choices sometime work but more likely may not.

Making a choice is like taking a challenge. When we choose to do something, we must be clear of what stand in front of us. It maybe a smooth sailing trip or the road would be bumpy. If we feel that the end is worth the bumpy road or turbulent sea, then we know what to expect and not fail half way.

We might have marked our pit stops and review our road map from time to time and make a choice again. A wrong decision or choice maybe corrected if we trust our head than our heart. A choice maybe painful initially, but if it reaps happiness at the end, then it is worth a try.

I have made many choices in my life major and minor ones. I am still making them. We have fear of the unknown, so many a time, we chose to stay in our "comfort" zones even though we are unhappy or suffering.

The first step is to correct our perception. Take love for example, we equal love as giving care, I slave over this because i "love" them. I want to show them how much I love them. Yet, if we perceive Love as the act of receiving then we are at the other end of the stick. Just think about it, if we balance it out, we might be happier.

The choice is ours to make. It all begins with us. If we make a choice to please us, then we should not feel guilty because those or the others who feel that we should make choice to please them should feel guilty.

This is my very personal opinion of making choices. I should not be afraid that my choice does not please everyone. Whom ever "they" are can make their choices too.

A Day trip to Lake Eufala

It has been quite sometime that Mr. B and I spent time doing nothing together. So, on a Thursday morning we decided to make a trip to Lake Eufala. We have been there many times fishing and camping, but never a day trip driving around that beautiful little town by the lake. We went to the marina where the locals dock their boats. There were all kinds of boats from the small ones to the huge boat houses. Each dock has a little patio for boat owners to set up a grill and some furniture. I think some people live in their boats or boat houses and take them out to the lake from time to time. You can sail the boat from Lake Eufala right down to the Gulf of Mexico via the Arkansas River and then the Mississippi River.

All the leaves are brown lalalala