This Time She's Staying In the Round Pen!

Our cow ran away again. This time she was gone for about a day and a half. When we finally found her she was at the same lady's house! It was a tiny bit easier to catch her and drag her home than last time. The neighbors down the road had the same problem with their cows getting out (so we're not the only ones who have an escape artist for a cow :)).

A New Look!

Sorry about the change so soon folks, but tracks were rather difficult to make and view in the previous format. After an afternoon of careful template remaking, it's finally together, and hopefully now you can enjoy our tracks even better.

So long!

Maggie the Magnificent

This summer has been pretty calm for animal escapades. Yeah, one time Tinker and Fancy decided to go for a walk and went down to the neighbors about 1/4 of a mile away. And there’s been times’ when the horses got out but they were easy enough to catch. And my rabbits have gotten out more than once and wouldn’t let me catch them till a few days later.

But today was the worst.

Maggie got out. You know she’s the one Britt’s been talking about. Well she decided to check out this world and went down the road, across HW 170 and into a little old lady’s yard and started eating her flowers!

We were notified and so made the ¾ of a mile ride down there. By that time Maggie had wandered into a cornfield and was gorging herself with corn. I had to come with because I had fed and taken care of the cow during the winter and she only allowed me to get up close to her. So I had to lure her over to me and get a lead rope attached to her chain collar. It took some time but finally I had it on and she towed me through the field for a couple yards before settling down. Then we had to figure out a way to get her home. Dad went along the cornfield and Levi, I don’t know where he went but he ran off for a while. So I was stuck with the cow for about fifteen or twenty minutes (but it seemed like forever to me).

We decided to take the highway route and started heading that way. It took Maggie about ten minutes to figure out that when we pull on the rope it means to start walking and not put your head down and go to sleep.

Dad and I were stuck with the backbreaking job of towing her home. Maggie followed along meekly and quietly (thank goodness). I wonder what everyone thought when they drove past us.

We got her home without any mishaps and all three of us were glad to be back on familiar territory.

Dad said, “Maggie is my exercise equipment. She was the tread mill and rowing machine.” All I know is that I am very sore from clenching the rope and walking in steep, slippery ditches.
So I said all that to say; “Does anybody want a cow?” ;)

New Arrivals!

This post will go well with the theme song! ;D We've got some chicks!

Ode to the Chicken Yodel

Oh chicken yodel, chicken yodel

The bok, bok, bok

hen house recital

Serious and sober sentiments

you can not entitle.

How then, pray thee,

shall we quote the Bible?

Since we've had all this discussion today (1, 2, and 3) about the chicken yodel song, I thought the time was appropriate for the webmaster to throw in a couple rusty penny's worth of her own in continuance of the topic. Afterall, she is the sly one who is responsible for the cackling you're listening too, unless of course your ears are plugged or your speakers are muted.

The idea was first introduced to me by our sweet sister Courtney. Immediately I set to the task of seeing if there was anyway possible to adopt the most authentic funnyfarm sound to our webpage. Of course a tad of sibling rivalry ensued when the outcome proved that neither I nor she was aware of what the other was up to. While she posted a link, I pasted a player. Upon discovering the slight clash of coincidence, we realized the confusion that was most inevitable for the viewers of this blog, and since that was the last thing we intended to do, we took it out on each other.

Court: "Britt! I just put a link on. I devoted my very first post on this blog to a link, and here you have it playing in the back ground. What use is that link? What good is that post I just wasted all my time on?"

Britt: "Um, well, it's good for writing another one!"

And thus the rivalry ended, and harmony was restored, and the blog was editted.

In the mean time however each time this page was viewed, the corny chicken song invoked two little tots appearing from nowhere. Mr. Brown Eyes stands at Beemoo's elbow enthralled by the bouncy chicken tune. The mop head rushes eagerly to her auntie and jumps on her lap. Her pigtails start bouncing while she bobs her head and claps her hands and squeals and giggles. She has the chicken dance down pat. Now all she needs is the crow walk.

Oh chicken yodel, chicken yodel,

The tracks you tune

to this our family cackle.

And Jea shall always

dance the waddle

When for her

the speakers you do rattle.

Mom Reminisces

Dear Brittney,
Your computer abilities are going a little too far now. This is the craziest music I have ever heard but it is somewhat fitting for some of the days we have around here.
Remember when we bought our first big momma cow and she went nuts and sent us all running to the house for safety, as she was ready to charge and KILL each one of us. What a day! Gabe had to put her to a stop and nothing but a bullet would work. Oh well, at least no one was hurt is all we could say at the end of that crazy day. It was a LONG time before we got another cow on this property and this one I got to pick out. :-)

Love,
Mom

Dear ol' Maggie

Archie's At Least This Good

She finally lost her first tooth folks!

Congratulations Tabby!

Seven years is a little old to lose your first baby tooth!

::Edit::

Don't bother with the yodel link in the post below: if your speakers are on, you're already listening to it.

I thought I had a fun little ditty to share with you that was all from me and just for the readers. But a sly little Otter hacked into my idea and spammed away my insightful contribution. Bet you didn't know Otters could be sly like Foxes. Believe me, the Otter I speak of, is s-l-y.

I'll confess it was my idea to make that song the background music for this blog. So it's okay she stole my thunder.

I just wish that the Sly Otter would've thought to do all that html translating before I took the time to post my first Otter track.

At least you all know I try to be original and thoughtful by posting for once on here.

Anyway, thanks Britt for getting that song on here. It creates a nice ambiance for our blog.

The Ex-Otter

A Nice Little Ditty

I've racked my brain endlessly to come up with my own insightful post on this site since the day this blog was first introduced to blogdom. But, eternal racking has yielded no results besides empty silence.

And empty silence doesn't enable one to actually post. Nor does it attract readers.

It seems like several of my fellow Otter Trackies, have overwhelmingly supported and contributed to this good cause of a blog and here I sit silent and unyielding of a Track.

Maybe it's because I'm no longer a son of Otter but rather a son of Nel. Last names might be able to effect a person that way. You just never know.

And then a great idea came to my bright little head and I found just the means to contribute to this worthy cause -- even if I may still be a Nelson and not an Otterson.

Here's my own meager contribution to Otter Tracks. Check this yodel out for a true funny farm experience. I think this song will be my theme song. (When the page opens, click the "play now" button.)

The Ex-Otter

Another Busy Weekend

Last Friday we went to the Amery Gospel Fest and saw the Wissman Family sing. They were great! It was fun to finally meet their family after hearing so much from Britt and Court about them. Sorry about the blurry pictures, our camera is very cantankerous!

Then on Saturday we went back to Amery and sang at one o-clock in the open stage segment or whatever that was called. We originally had planned to only sing three songs but right before one o-clock the man hosting this event came up to us and said "Well are you ready to sing for forty-five minutes?" We were the only people signed up for the open stage! And to make matters worse, it was really hot and windy! The microphones weren’t working right and we couldn’t really hear ourselves. I'm kinda glad we don't have a picture of that. :)

At 7:30 that evening we went to the high school in Amery to hear the Monroe Crossing bluegrass band. They were real good but personally I don’t like them. I don’t care if they are the best in the whole Mid West, I still like the Wissmans, Jeff and Sheri Easter, and the Isaacs a whole lot more. :P :) But you make up your own mind.

Who We Are

In case you haven't noticed, we are the Otterson family. We reside in the rural premises of Colfax Wisconsin, which has a whopping population of 1,136.

What we call our funny farm spreads itself on 15 acres of sand, cockleburs, poison ivy, silver aspens, and what's left of a clover field after the horses have taken up residence. It's generally a rather peaceful little spread, except for when the bear comes for a visit.

We happen to be animal lovers, so we are rather infested. Amigo, Shivohn, Filly, Tinker, Fancy and Mary are the horses--Tinker, Fancy and Mary are miniatures, but if you're 10, it won't stop you from rounding up cows. Cows? Oh yes, I forgot. There's Miss Maggie. Stubborn, clumsy, dreadfully dumb and absolutely loves the out-of-doors, er gates. Mary's had the opportunity to bravely make the attempt at rounding her up on more than just a few occasions.

And then there's the dogs--Archie being Hannah's consistent sidekick. Although, please don't kick him, he'll have a seizure. Jemima... she's nuts. Otto's the chow. And that's it since Dave went on to dog heaven and Duke moved in with Gabe.

Anybody need a kitty? Tabby informed me yesterday that there's (currently) a grand total of 26 cats who call our acres home. As if just O'Malley, Cessna, Caper, Marsha and Ronald weren't enough.

And that leaves us with the chickens, ducks and rabbits. Fortunately, they're all either unnamed or else I have just forgotten their names. And I also am unaware of the quantity of each, so I can therefore end this endless dialog of animals. (Hmm, maybe I should call this post, "Who our animals are") Perhaps the caregivers will introduce their pets to us someday.

The things we as a family enjoy are...

Pontooning and fishing--that only happens when I leave. Canoeing in the Hay River is something that happens more often when I'm home. Yet, on second thought, it's more like dragging the canoe through Hay River. Rumor has it that the only way to drown in those waters is to stand on your head.

Singing and making music... Some enjoy it more than others. Our livingroom is decorated with two pianos, a host of guitars, a psaltry, hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, violin, banjo, auto harp, and everything else I'm missing, not to mention all the amps. So you could say that music is a major part of our lives.

Going on vacation... to Nebraska, of course. Every trip idea we come up with is always pointing the same direction: west. I've come to know this place as the land of gravel roads and spacious skies. Not necessarily a tourist attraction, except for I do find the cobblestone streets in town to be quaint.

Bikerides... We all just got new bikes, and once again we can be a bikeriding family. The hills and sand roads around our place don't necessarily make for ideal bike trails, but we do have fun on them.

Horseback riding... However there are a few of us who graciously decline from the excursion after learning the hard way what it feels like to be hurtled to the ground from off one's high horse...

As time goes on and you manage to peek in on our tracks in your boring moments of life, you'll get to know us better. Time permitting, I hope to formally introduce you to the family, but there's always that silly time factor. I usually run out of it before I'm ready to.

Algae Pie Dessert

Pistachio Torte

1st layer:

1 cup flour
1/2
cup chopped nuts
1 stick butter, softened

Pat in bottom of
9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

2nd layer:

8 ounces soft cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip

Mix together until smooth
and spread carefully on
cooled crust.

3rd layer:

2 packages instant pistachio pudding
3 cups milk

Beat together and spread on cream
cheese mixture.

Top with cool whip.

I made this for our Sunday afternoon dinner. Toby and Courtney had invited one of the ministers and his family over for lunch. As the dessert dishes were passed out to the guests, Toby declared, "Oh, it's algae pie!"

Hmph. Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

Makin Tracks

Down the steps!

We caught the little niece red-handed in a quest down what could be a very slippery slope.

Yeah. She loves to live life on the edge.

Upcoming Events

Well, This Sunday is the big day for our family to go to the Colfax Nursing home to sing and share with the folks there. We were doing this on a regular basis over the winter months but with the illness and then the passing of Gramma, we had to stop and it has taken this long to get everything caught up and all the equipment ordered that we need.

We have been working on many songs, not sure what all we will do for them but God's leading is so strong that we are looking forward to see what He will do there. What joy it is to sing for these precious people... knowing that their time is short on this earth. Since the passing of our parents (2 Grampas and 1 Gramma) we realize more then ever how special this opportunity is. Oh what we would give to have just one more day with our loved ones! We desire to go there with much love and compassion for their souls. May God be glorified in all that is done. Keep us in your prayers. Who knows...maybe a revival will break out! :-) One thing is sure, we can worship and sing unto the Lord with no hinderances and let His praises be KNOWN!

Gramma's Creamy Cucumber Salad

This was always a summer staple back when Grampa had his massive, weed-free garden. Every time we went to Gramma and Grampa's during the cucumber season, this summery salad was something you could bet Gramma would fix.

Yesterday somebody brought over a small sack of mouth-watering, fresh-out-of-the-garden cucumbers. I can't imagine a summer without cucumbers. That would be like a week without a weekend.

You can about imagine what happened next. Yep, cucumber salad.

I filled a salad dish with the fresh, crisp, sliced cucumbers and onions.

In a small bowl, I plopped a few dollops of salad dressing (about 1/2 cup or more), and threw a couple splashes of apple cider vinegar in (amounting to a couple tablespoons). I beat it with a fork until blended, adding a few healthy pinches of dill weed and dried chives. (Celery seed is preferable though, but wasn't on hand). Poured the dressing over the cucumbers and onions and mixed it together. And voila! There it was, my very first cucumber salad of the year.

When Toby came into the kitchen he sniffed the air and said, "What's that smell? Smells like tuna." I digress. It does not smell like tuna, I am insulted. It smells like summer. And my dear sister Court couldn't have agreed with me more. Proves she's Otterson and Toby's not.

Here Goes Something!

Last Saturday, we went to Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls. It was nice to get out of the house for the day.

Elk Bull.

Levi feeding one of the sheep

In the little red barn where all the farm animals are were two sheep that were out (not sure if they got out themselves or they were let out by the keepers) but they stayed right inside the barn next to a feeder, and when somebody would go to get some feed out of the slot, the sheep would crowd around and try to take it. It was funny and cute:).

~~~

Then on Sunday, we went to Lake Chetek and rented a pontoon for the day. We caught 11 fish, and red-hot sunburns! I got to drive the pontoon a little ways across the lake, which was fun!

Levi's fish and yes the water was VERY green!

Me and my sunburn (I looked so-o-o terrible when we got home!)

Well there are my little tracks. Hope you had fun reading them!

Welcome to the Otterson's Blog!

I remember back when I was in school Dad came up with the brilliant idea that we would put together a weekly newspaper about the events that were transpiring on our little funny farm. Courtney, Gabe and I would write some of the little newsie things and compile it together for a once-a-week publication.

Really, it was a good idea. Yet there were a few difficult stipulations. You see, the time it took for three opinionated siblings huddled around our old, cantankerous computer to lay out such a project and put it together every week was simply too much time. The assignment was just too steep, especially when there was a goat in labor or eggs to be gathered or swamps to boat in.

In other words, the idea didn't last long.

But then as time went on this thing called the Internet happened. The three opinionated siblings have since grown up and at this time, not a one of them is at home. However, there are now 4 opinionated siblings who are home, and now the assignment is passed on to them. Granted, the whole family is encouraged to participate.

Dad may just as well post all the quotes and cartoons he finds here, instead of just sending them to Mom.

Mom can share her thoughts and tips.

Courtney can tell her Nelson stories (okay, so she's not totally Otterson anymore, but she's still a part of the family).

Her husband Toby can write his odd little poems, if he feels so inclined.

Gabe... Well, he doesn't have internet, so don't plan on hearing from him.

Zack might put in a word or two from time to time.

Hannah can post pictures to her heart's content.

Levi can help her. Oh, oh... I can already see the sparks flying. On second thought, he can paint as many ford trucks as he likes to share with us.

Tabby... Well, she's the one that's been begging for a blog for months.

And if worse comes to worse, I shall keep it interesting.

Stay tuned! Now I must email the URL, usernames, passwords and instructions to all the little Otters, and hopefully, just hopefully, we'll be seeing some action!

And with a final bon Voyage, I shall make tracks out of here.