Becoming a Green Household

Our family made a big transition this week. We can officially say, “We have become a GREEN household!” I know, I know, pat on the back to us as the invisible audience applauds and the spotlight shines down on us. It takes so much planning for the future. It takes dedication to the process of improvement. It is the knowledge that you are doing something good for your family and household. It is the great feeling of preparation when someone asks the question, you can definitively say “yes, we have become green…how about you?” Want to know how we did it? It was pretty easy actually…we just took the plunge!
My husband grew up with a big dream. He loved to play farm. And it wasn’t your typical farm. Our farm as kids had horses, cows, pigs and lambs. However, Jake and his brother’s farm was a crop farm. Each bedroom was a different crop and all summer they would “cultivate the carpet” and reap the rewards of their hard work. The only tractors, combines, and forage harvesters were all tried and true John Deere’s. His grandpa helped cultivate that dream when he let him help on the family farm. Driving only a “JD”, pinto beans, potatoes, winter wheat, corn and alfalfa were typical crops to see throughout the year, along with a small cow calf operation. I always laugh when we go down to the farm in July. Jake will tell his grandpa how great his corn looks (and Grandpa always has the best corn around) and Grandpa will tell him, “Aw, it looks okay” as he shakes his head in a small nod. Then the “Nebraska horse girl” will later go up to Grandpa and tell him the same thing. You would expect the same response? Nope, I get a big smile and a “Yeah, it really is looking good this year!”
Jake and I met the first week of our freshmen year of college. I lived on the floor above him in the Ag Dorm. I was one of many Equine Science majors in the building and he was the only Agricultural Economics with a Concentration in Farm and Ranch Management. Actually, at the time he was the only one in the college with the major, and after graduation, would be the last one before the college changed the curriculum. Jake wanted to farm, I wanted to raise horses, and together we knew we could make both work somehow. After our first school year, Jake got a glimpse of his dream. Spending the year on a farm in the cab of a John Deere, Jake worked summer fallow. On my visit to the farm, we had a lot of time to share our dreams as we sat in the air-conditioned cab. Yes, it was that BIG of a tractor. Jake was in the driver’s seat and I sat on the lunch box with plenty of room to spread out and be comfortable for a long day of hard work. After school was over, Jake made the decision to put his dream on hold, so I could eventually realize my dream to have a horse operation.
Last May, part one of our dream became a reality. We have our acreage. It was finally time to find a tractor to help us do all of our hard work. Jake scoured the Internet for information. He stalked tractorhouse.com for over a year. He researched makes, models, implements, horsepower, lifting strength and annually maintenance costs. After all of his unbiased investigation, he came to me one night and said, “Sweetie, I don’t think I can do it. It has to be green!” I couldn’t argue with him. I just didn’t have it in me and it wouldn’t have been fair. With paintings on the wall of old John Deere’s, an extra bedroom outfitted with a homemade blanket and pillows, signs, and tractors all around the room, how could I tell him no?
We went to our local equipment dealership and took a look at the multitude of tractors available to us. We had a couple set criteria: a removable loader, 4 wheel drive, a specific list of implements, the ability to lift round bales, and of course it had to be green. After getting some great information from one of the guys there, we came home to do more research on a particular model. Jake found a little 4105 with a loader that fit the bill. The loader can haul 1800 pounds, huh… the size of a round bale. Coincidence? As my hubby would say, “she was meant to come home with us,” like it’s a puppy or something else furry and cute. I tell you what… he worked hard to get me convinced. Can’t you tell? It has skid steer tires on the front so it turns on a dime. It is a diesel and thankfully it doesn’t sound like an airplane taking off as does the pickup. Gotta love boys who like loud toys! And I have to say it is about the easiest thing to maneuver. Even this newly sleep deprived blonde mom can figure it out! Jake once again scoured the Internet to check the pricing we were getting for everything and it all checked out better than expected.
I think that was the longest week and a half in Jake’s life! Driving by his “metal baby” every morning, his heart would start to race as he checked to make sure she was still there waiting for him, calling his name. The test drive clinched the deal. Jake was hooked and only had to do a little convincing to get me completely on board. He pulled out all of the stops, even singing the Kenny Chesney “She Thinks My Tractors Sexy” chorus. Finally, as I was later told, the fourth best day of his life came. His tractor was delivered. As Josh and Jake looked over every aspect of the new toy, Makenzie showed us she was just as excited as her dad. Jumping and talking, Makenzie was ready to go for her first ride on what she sure thinks is HER tractor.

As soon as all the t’s were crossed and the i’s were dotted, Jake was out the door ready to do some mowing. Poor guy! Gets a new toy and his wife tells him 9 o’clock at night probably isn’t the best time to use your new machine for the first time. The next day, Jake heads to work ready to brag about his toy to the rest of his buddies. Now most farm people know, when you say you got a tractor, you mean an actual tractor. Having a lot of “city only” buddies, Jake had to actually pull up a picture to show them the definition of a tractor. By the way, who considers a lawn mower a tractor? And city kids just don’t understand the coolness factor of being able to put the bucket on the ground so the front wheels are suspended in mid-air, flipping two levers, pulling the hydraulic lines, and backing up is all it takes to be loader less. How great is that? Talking to fellow horsewomen, we all can appreciate being able to do all the farm work by ourselves if need be. I can actually put out a round bale then take the loader off and drag an arena all by myself.
Finally, Jake gets the opportunity to drive his “green dream machine” for the first time. Mowing a good section of the acreage, Jake took good use of the daylight while I got Makenzie ready for bed. Only Chex objected to the “monster” that came near his home. Running and bucking with each trip Jake made down the side of the property, gave Chex a little release of some penned up energy since he isn’t allowed in the pasture with the big girls yet. Tonight, Jake finished mowing and while Makenzie was asleep, we got some manure moved into the garden so that it is prepped to be tilled under. Peaches and Roz didn’t share Chex’s opinions about the extremely quiet machine. Wanting to check it out and smell the only non-edible green thing that was coming into the pasture, the only way they would leave us to the task at hand was to give them some alfalfa. Remember, I am not above bribes.
As Jake drove back and forth between the proposed garden site and the pasture, my heart swelled with pride. My “little boy in a candy store” was having such a good time. Each time he came past me I would get a huge smile and a giddy “school girl laugh.” I am so glad that I can finally help Jake realize part of his dream. I am so proud of the fact that we are at such a great point in our lives and that all of our hopes and goals are starting to become realities with consistent patience. Knowing that the “honey to-do list” will get done with less hesitation if a tractor is involved doesn’t hurt either. And that honey do list for the summer is not small. Getting a garden in the ground, disking up an arena, setting up a permanent dog agility course, and building a lean to before fall is just the start of our ever-growing project list. But we have both found new excitement in putting the baby to bed so we can head outside and work until dark, even if it means we don’t finish dinner until 10:30. Additionally, we have a few fellow farm grown friends that we tend to entice with free beer and dinner whenever we need help around the house with a project bigger than the two of us can handle. The phone calls have already started rolling in of said friends offering their assistance with the next venture. This time they are willing to bring their own beer as long as the can come “play.” Oh, I guess the sayings are true…”boys will be boys” and “you gotta love boys and their toys!”

Not only are Jake and I excited, but Makenzie has also found the power of a ride in her pink John Deere t-shirt. Now everyone will know that she is definitely Daddy’s Little Girl as they “Check Out My Ride.” So the only lingering question is do you “Got Greene”?

Reflecting On a Whirlwind

It’s hard to believe two weeks have gone by already! Where did it go? I have had quite a few ups and downs, a major break-thru after a much needed cry, and so far a great weekend. Right now, it’s early Sunday morning. Jake and Makenzie are still asleep. I woke up a few hours ago, refreshed from falling asleep early, and decided to enjoy the silence. I glance out the kitchen window. It is still raining, a slight mist, and even though we aren’t going to get a whole lot done out there today, my grass is starting to finally turn green. Half of the pigeons, who without babies to watch can enjoy their freedom, are sitting on top of the coop. The girls are standing over by Chex. They like to keep him company in the morning until we come out to feed.

I notice right away, the girl’s tail bags are still in! You may not think it’s an accomplishment, but one whole day is amazing for my two girls. These two are like Houdini with their tails. Somehow they can make everything come out. Don’t believe me? The tail bags that I put in after “bath day” barely made it a week! And all I did was braid fabric around their tails. How do you get the fabric out without undoing the braid? I mean, really? How is this possible? My sewing skills look like they might just pay off this time! No, a tail bag is not that hard to make. I will admit that. But the right material, the right set of stitching, and the right alignment of the stars during the right phase of the moon seem to be my only answer. So, we shall see if Makenzie’s sparkly turquoise swimsuit material, a X-box stitch, and two rows of straight stitch will be the million-dollar ticket.

So much has happened the last few weeks. For starters, my 4-month-old daughter, Makenzie rolled over for the first time! It is amazing how such a simple task for us is such as astounding accomplishment for a baby. More than anything else, I loved watching her face the few days before she figured out how to successfully check another milestone off of her big lists of “firsts.” For days, Makenzie experimented with different arm placements, differing amounts of push-off power, and other reasons to look at the ceiling besides hearing a voice above her. Just as expected, I was alone and her surprise was totally unexpected. Jake wouldn’t be getting home from work for another couple of hours and how was I going to make sure he got to experience that “first time” too? So, like any overly enthusiastic new mom I dig out the camcorder, blow off the dust, and go running back into the room. Turn it on, here we go…no battery power, how could that be? When was the last time we used this thing anyways? Ok, battery charger found, power on, record… no tape left! So, I rewind thru two tapes of horses to finally find something I can record over. Flip the baby back over, here we go…what! We want to sleep now! Four minutes later of showing Makenzie how to roll over again, refocusing, and my spectacular commentary and we accomplished our mission! Roll over #2 successfully cataloged for Daddy!
I took some time to play with the baby, Chex. I learned a lot about his personality. On one, non-rainy, but still windy day, I took a piece of carpet with me. I figured that he would go crazy seeing the strange thing I put on the ground in front of him. I expected jumping, leaping, and was wondering if our 60’ round pen would contain the crazy I was about to unleash. He didn’t even give me a reason to continue with these thoughts. Chex circled the carpet, sniffed it, and then walked over to me. What was I so worried about? Am I conditioned to see the “what if’s” and too quick to judge? I proceeded to shake the carpet, drag it behind me, and hang it on the fence. No dice. No jumps, leaps, snorting, tail in the air, head up, and nervous behavior whatsoever. Yes, he watched me closely and was curious, but never a bad reaction. We continued this lesson over a few days with coats, gloves, and spraying water into his water bucket. I’m very happy that he is level headed, not quick to react, and I noticed his unique way of presenting his body to each. His natural instincts take over as he sees each new experience. Chex approaches everything as he would a cow. He walks from a far off distance and in a semi-circle starts to work toward the “head.” He is cautious, slow, no nervous energy apparent, just nice, calm and fluid. I can already picture how he is going to be when he is finally big enough for us to ride.
Chex also completed a milestone of his own. We have been working on willingly being haltered. I hate chasing horses in the pasture just to catch them and have them refuse the halter. We worked on slowly introducing the halter and lead rope. I let Chex smell the halter, rubbed it all over his body, and sacked him out with the lead rope and went as far as leading him from his hindquarter with one end of the leadrope around his belly and the halter behind his rump. Slowly, day-by-day, we inched closer to the halter going on his head. I love how babies try to understand new objects. Chex chewed on the lead rope, halter, and my boot as I moved into a haltering position. After rubbing his nose, the front of his nostrils, and under his jaw, he slowly became less sensitive to the feel of a halter. Chex willingly let me put a halter on his face, rub it around, even move the lead rope back and forth causing him to take a few steps forward. I love how he is beginning to trust us. That trust is growing each and everyday. As we leave Chex’s side, we are rewarded by a colt following us with his nose against our jeans just hoping for us to turn around and give just one more rub on his sweet little head.
I love springtime. Warmer weather, flowers blooming, and the chirping of birds flying about once again. I have been feeling guilty about how little time I spent with the girls last year. Between buying a house and getting settled in, morning sickness and a full workday, there was little time to pamper my other two big babies. We have had a couple of days in a row in the 80’s. It is perfect spring bath weather. Makenzie was being cooperative. Happy as could be in her own horsey, I decide on giving the girls a well-deserved spa day. After standing perfectly still thru a bath, shampooing, and conditioning, I was quite happy with the magic powers I had over Peaches and Roz. Can you believe it? Perfectly still! Okay, okay…I don’t have any magical powers, even though I think I could make a fortune if I could create some sort of “fairy horsey dust”. I never said I wasn’t above bribes. Half a flake of alfalfa given to two very rotund horses is all it took. Makenzie plays in her horsey as she gabbers away. She loves telling the girls all about her day as I braid tails and brush out manes. I am so pleased how level headed they stayed while Makenzie jumped and bounced and as her horsey sang songs and light up. I think they too have the song “On the Farm” permanently ingrained into their brains like I do.

We do have a few issues to take care of. Somehow, Peaches has lost most of her tail. How? I have no idea. I got some hair re-growth to put on it and as I start massaging it into her tail head, I get a good whiff and proceed to feel like I am going to die. This stuff smells worse than rotten eggs! No wonder why everyone I know has had great success with it. No horse or any other animal in his or her right mind would come near that smell. Roz’s scratches are back. Her two hind legs are white and seem to constantly need some sort of medicated application. I am going to have to keep a better check on her legs to keep them from getting too bad.
I love watching horses jump and run and play when they feel good during springtime. I turn Peaches and Roz back out expecting this and probably a roll or two. Just as I expected, the running, leaping, snorting, tail raised prancing was what I saw from Roz. Peaches, on the other hand, laid down right away and rolled. That must feel so good! Except, in the manure pile? Really Peaches? Wow, what a wonderful thank you for all of my love and hard work in the last hour! As I watch her get up to run and play with Roz, I wonder is there some sort of grime to cleanliness ratio we are all unaware of? Is there a scale? Mane brushing = head tossing so that the hair isn’t all on one side still. Full on bath = getting as dirty as possible in the first minutes of freedom?
I got the chance to do a little riding. Jake and I even went for a little trail ride on our property. We had to pony Roz in the beginning to get her to behave. Didn’t I say I wasn’t above creative thinking? Peaches and I stretched our muscles with a nice long trot. Dropping my stirrups and I start to post. Ouch! That hurt. Not 30 seconds later and my butt making it not even a ¼” out of the saddle, I realize just how out of shape we both are. We are just going to have to fix that! Pathetic, I know!
This week has also had its downs. The anxiety, inability to sleep, massive mood swings, and doubt about whether or not I even know who I am anymore finally hit a breaking point. A very special pearl earring fell apart. Such a small thing that can easily be fixed was what broke the camel’s back. Even with all the lingering concerns about my post-partum depression and worries about the days to come, looking over all of the great things that happened as of late makes me realize that I am doing better. I am seeing the good in things again. I am starting to be able to take a deep breath again and just relax. I realize…today is a good day! I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!