Old Shannon home

Built around 1930 by George and Mae Shannon off River Road (Road 400) in Madera County below Hensley Lake.

The house was bought and moved closer to Madera to the Van Alen Ranch where Mary Van Alen lived until her death.

A day at the ranch

I am soooo looking forward to summer now!

Its a brand new (to us) boat! My husband and I have long wanted a boat. One of our favorite things to do in the summer is go to one of the nearby lakes for the day with friends and family. We set up camp on a beach and take turns going out skiing, tubing and knee boarding. We have never had our own boat, just rented one or went with friends who had one.



We have long agreed though that we didn't want to spend much money on a boat, since it would be used a dozen or two times a year. We live within 15 minutes of two great boating lakes and 5 minutes from a resovoir. We have long had a set price but we knew that what we wanted would never fall into that price range. Well, then the recession happened. When I found this boat, I almost fell over in my chair.

It is exactly what we wanted with a newly rebuilt V8 motor that can pull skis. It is so clean and well maintained.. better than I will do, seeing that I wont park it in a garage. We will keep it covered, it came with cover, tube and tons of other goodies. Until then she will sit for a few months until it warms up. We may take her out in the cold to fish or test her out.

Why do I assume its a her? Well, ol' Betsy needs a name. She is going to be my bestest friend this summer and my reason for shedding 10 pounds and getting all tone. Well, I can dream anyhow.

Meet Curly

For some reason, these are funny to me. It doesn't take much to amuse me, I guess. This is Curly. He is Ally's market steer for the fair in May. He will be shown and then be turned in to beef for some buyer at the fair. If we do a really good job at feeding and caring for him, giving him a happy, relaxing, well fed life, he will be really good beef. Sorry to all you vegan/vegetarians, but we are cattle ranchers and just keepin' it honest.

On his trip home from the ranch we bought him at to our ranch, we had to take a pit stop for diesel and food (and a pee break for me, because I can't go more than an hour without peeing, much to my husbands dismay). We were at Arby's and Curly, despite his calm and mellow demeanor was all in a tizzy. Apparently he does not care for Arby's.

Coincidence? I did order 4 roast beef sandwiches for $5. Maybe that put him over the edge?

Here is Curly last summer when he wasn't so Curly and wasn't so big. He was so cute and clean and clipped back then. He is now shaggy, dirty and big.... 900 pouds big to be exact When May comes he will weigh in close to 1300 pounds. We will give him a bath here when it warms up and then spend the next 4 months fighting his white coat trying to keep it from being dingy and stained. If he was a typical black steer, this would be a much easier job. But I don't take the easy road, and because she is my child and subjected to my decisions, neither does Ally.