Past Due.

So, while you're waiting for the next super exciting post about the 4-H Horse Show, the holiday weekend and our four, cute little babies, I decided to put together a post with some past due information. You know, just to give you something to do. I'm sure you needed help coming up with ways to keep yourself busy - just like me.

Yeah, right.

Anyway, I intended to write a post about our cow/calf adventure in Northern Nebraska quite a while ago, but I just never made the time to do it. After letting so many weeks pass, I thought I would let it go and just write a more current post. However, the pictures are just too darn good to pass up. In fact, they're almost unbelievable.

That's right, folks. That's my husband - the one in the Bears coat - walking cows down a road in Northern Nebraska.

A few weeks ago (okay, like, the end of May), my best good friend, Rachel, said she was headed to her boyfriend's house to help move some cattle - and David and I were invited.

Of course, I was game. Rachel said there would be cows, a hot tub, and even a few adult beverages. Sounded good to me. David wasn't quite as sure, but said if there was a hot tub, he would be happy to go.

Rachel's boyfriend, Ace, and his family, have a cow/calf operation in Orchard, Neb., and it was time to move the cows and calves to the summer pasture. The plan was to load up the cows and calves early Saturday morning and make the hour-long drive over to the summer pasture.

We woke up Saturday morning to bawling calves and loaded trailers (yes, we left Ace and his dad to do the hard work of loading the cattle). Rach, David and I got ourselves ready and headed out the door, joining Ace in the last truck and trailer.

After about an hour on the road, we made it to our desired destination. Once we got everything unloaded into some holding pens, we ate some lunch and then headed out again to walk the cows and calves a mile or so down the road to the pasture. I figured David would want to ride in the truck that Rachel was driving, following the herd, but he cowboyed up and walked the ditches with Ace and I.

And, you know what, I think he even enjoyed it! My husband grew up in the country, but he's never been much of a farm boy. Still, he walked those cows every inch to the pasture - and even seemed interested in why we were moving the cattle and details of Ace's operation.

I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I enjoyed myself - I got to be with cows all day, take pictures of the cute little calves (and my cute little husband) and spend some time with good friends.

Anyway, once we were done, we headed back to Orchard to cook some steaks for dinner and spend some time in the hot tub. All in all, it was a pretty relaxing - and entertaining - weekend.

I am aware...

I am aware that I haven't posted since May 18. I know it's terrible. I know that makes me a bad blogging person. I know you're all waiting with baited breath to read what I have to say next.

Wait, scratch that last one.

At any rate, I've been keeping the road hot recently, and just haven't made time to post. But, the good news is, I'm coming home for the Fourth of July weekend. And, the 4-H Horse show is this weekend. And, I'm bringing cameras home.

New material is on its way.

They came. They saw. They shopped.

They were here. The General and her Lieutenants.

They came. They saw. They shopped. And, they got lost.

So, true to form, the General left a bit later than she intended. I got a text message from her at about 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning asking if I had room for some meat in my freezer and saying that they were planning to leave about 10:30 a.m.

I called at noon to see if they were on the road and couldn't get a hold of her.

At 2:00 p.m., she called me and said they would be there about 8:00 p.m. Because I can add, I figured out they left Clinton at noon - a bit later than their scheduled departure of 10:30. But, hey, in the General's world, that's just about right on time.

Anyway, that evening, I headed out to the barn a bit later thinking I would just ride Abby until they got there. Knowing how the General drives (mach 3 with her hair on fire), I figured they would end up getting into Lincoln about 7:30 or 7:45.

So, Abby and I rode. And rode. And rode. At 8:10, I got another phone call from the General. It went a little something like this:

"Hey. I thought I would let you know we're going to be a little bit later than 8."

"Okay. Why?"

"Well, I missed I-29 coming into St. Joseph."

"Seriously? How did you do that? How fast were you going?"

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, I figured I could just hit I-29 on up the road, but it was business 29 and I didn't want to take that. So, we just kept going and took Nebraska Route 75 north. We're just now getting into Nebraska City."

"YOU'RE JUST NOW GETTING INTO NEBRASKA CITY? You're still an hour away! I was going to ride Abby until you got here, but I'm not going to do that now. I'm going home. Call me when you're getting into Lincoln."

Of course, about the time I got home and sat down on the couch, the General called and said they were just getting to the outskirts of Lincoln. I jumped in David's car and headed for the stable, already having armed the General with directions to get there. Ten minutes later, another phone call:

"Was I supposed to take Nebraska 77?"

"No, I told you NOT to take 77. Did you take 77?"

"No, I'm pulled over in a subdivision. But this just doesn't seem right. I still haven't seen Lee's Chicken."

"You probably haven't gone far enough."

"I don't know. I just don't think I'm in the right place."

"Alright. Just stay where you are and I'll come find you. This shouldn't be this complicated."

"Well, hang on - I'm at 23rd street."

"Then you should be right on top of the stable. Geesh...okay, I see you."

This was quite a process. At any rate, they finally arrived a little after 9:00 p.m. Tuesday night. We headed into town for a late supper and then back to our apartment to turn in. The General decided to stay with me for the night and let her two lieutenants have the model apartment. So, we drove over to the model, got Grandma and Grandpa into the building and got them set up for the night. Then, the General and I headed back to my apartment to settle in for the night.

In my case, it was a short night because the General snores.

The next morning, I got up and headed to work for a few hours (way too much stuff to do to take off a full day) while the General and her lieutenants made breakfast, chatted for a little while, and headed into town to meet me at the office.

And that started our day of antiquing. A lot of antiquing. We spent the afternoon cruising around Lincoln, looking for and shopping in every antique shop we could find. And we found a lot of them. And, the General found a lot of stuff, too. Finally, after a long day of shopping (and a little bit of riding, too), we grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to our respective apartments, trusting that Grandma and Grandpa could get into the building and find their little abode.

We apparently trusted them a little too much.

After the General and I got into our apartment, I headed for the shower and the General settled into a phone call with Chuck.

By the time I got out of the shower, it was just past 11:00. I plugged my phone in and noticed I had a voicemail. Since I had already called and talked to David, I couldn't imagine who would have left me a voicemail (especially since Grandma and Grandpa don't own a cell phone). I listened to the message and this is what I heard:

"Uh, Rachel? This is your Grandma Shirley. We can't find our apartment. This nice young lady has let us borrow her cell phone, so please call us back."

I was half way out the door when I called the number they had given me. A very nice lady answered the phone and said that she had helped them out and they found their apartment.

Oh geez.

The next morning, they were on the road by 9:00 a.m. I was stuck at the office until 6:00 that evening, so I called the General to see if they had made it home yet.

"Oh, no. We aren't home yet. We just went through Cameron."

"Uh, mom. If you just went through Cameron, you have more than four and a half hours left to drive. Did you get lost again?"

And, that's the story of how the General and her two lieutenants visited the great state of Nebraska. They dropped off a horse. And probably took home what equates to the weight of a horse in antiques. And, they got lost.

But, it was fun.