Catching Up on Monday

Friends, we had a great weekend here, but Hughesnet provided us only intermittent satellite service for the computer, and yesterday I was unable to post. 

How about them Chiefs, though! 

Keith and I snacked and watched the entire game, a first for us in ten years! 

This was what greeted me on Sunday morning... very spectacular, wasn't it! 

We were forecasted to have rain all day Saturday, but had only about 1/2 to 3/4 inch... and then it stopped.  Saturday afternoon turned out fine. 

We made a trip to The Grass Pad yesterday morning to get some cornstalks and some tulip bulbs. 

I am digging up flower beds starting this week, and I want to plant bulbs while I have the ground open and am dividing perennials. 

Here's what I did with my cornstalks.  Um... Kelly is helping me with them (not seen in this picture) and I'm not sure how much will be left by the end of October. 

Petunias are STILL going strong at the henspa. 

And yesterday morning's sun still made the garden glow. 

This is a shot of The Donald's feet as I filled the duck pond on Saturday afternoon.  As you can see, there does not appear to be anything wrong with them.  He is favoring the left leg, though, which you see turned oddly here.  I don't see any open wounds.  He doesn't have angel wing, either, despite the look of his wings in this picture.  What is happening is that he takes advantage of being able to see the four girls and lays down, so he is not putting weight on the leg.  It continues to cause me worry because he is such a nice drake. 

He would normally be eating with the girls, or just standing and watching the pasture for danger.  

Speaking of danger, I was filling the duck pond yesterday afternoon when I heard a WHOOSH very, very loud of big wings.  In through the open gate came running the five ducks (even Donnie) and two roosters as fast as they could go.  I heard Keith in the yard and ran out to see what was going on...

Above us was this: 

In fact, there were seven of them.  We watched them circle for a minute, and then they faded out of the sky as if disappearing.  

I went out to the pasture twice more... and in the sky, far up, too far up to get a picture, was a huge flock of terns, which usually hang out at the rivers here, or at the bigger lakes, the reservoirs.  They circled and circled, and then also disappeared. 

I haven't made a definite headcount yet, but I believe there is another red hen missing from the old henhouse flock.  

Fifteen minutes after this attack.... and after I had shut the gate to the pasture... a lone bantam rooster appeared at the gate.  He had dived for cover when the bird came down, and wanted back in to safety. 

Here's another happy picture of three of the birds in the yard last night.  We are going to try to give the henspa birds some yard time every evening.  

The goats can't be in the yard at the same time, as they would go after the chicken feed, and we can't have that.  We found if we let these birds out after the goats are in for the day, they can have a couple of hours of free range time, and then are easy to get back in. 

This beautiful flower arrangement sat on the tables at the wedding of my neighbor Kathy's daughter on Saturday.  Aren't they absolutely wonderful? 

"If you think reading is boring, you're doing it wrong" 

This amazing quote came from Grant Wilson, who was formerly on Ghost Hunters, on the SciFy channel. 

It's true. 

I read all weekend, off and on, finished a library book, and finally finished (again) the last book in the "Mitford Series" from Jan Karon.  If you have not read these wonderful books about Fr. Tim Kavanaugh and his wife Cynthia (Cynthey)... you are missing out.  They are so full of laughter and love and worth every minute spent reading them.  I was able to get my sister to read them before she passed away, and bought us each a copy of the "The Mitford Cookbook", full of recipes and insprational quotes from the book.  That book sat on her coffee table until she died. 

To end the post with today, here's a prayer attributed to St. Francis from the last book of the series, "Light from Heaven".  (Fr. Tim is an Episcopalian priest). 

"Watch, O Lord, for those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels and saints charge over those who sleep.  Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ.  Rest Your weary ones.  Bless Your dying ones.  Soothe Your suffering ones.  Pity Your afflicted ones.  Shield Your joyous ones. And all for Your love's sake." 

Amen!