Rainy Days

How we have needed rain... and we've gotten a little, yesterday and today. 

The ponds looked leaden at the bottom of the hill. 

I think Jester's expression pretty much sums up how he felt: 

Nothing fazes Lil, though. 

Certainly not a little rain. 

I noticed last night she has a hitch in her step coming up the back stairs here at the house... and I'm going to start watching her closely. 

I have seen very few hawks this week.  Tuesday I caught this one in a tree on the way home. 

His colors are nice, aren't they? 

It was sunny on Tuesday, and we should have some sun tomorrow. 

I rarely see robins in trees... but Tuesday, I got two of them, there is one on the left behind a branch.  The redwings joined them, I was filling the feeder.  The robins, of course, don't eat at the 

feeders.  They were getting a surfeit of worms yesterday and today. 

I caught a cardinal in the maple tree the same day. 

As I pulled up with the dogs, three crows flew from the feeder. 

While a fourth laughed from the top of the old walnut tree. 

A grackle joined the redwings at the feeder.  I am purposely not 

putting much seed out at the moment, because the starlings are watching constantly. I keep meaning to explain the nails you see in the upright pole... they are for orange slices, for orioles. 

Watching, always. 

Work is progressing on the house, too... There are now three new windows on the west side, and... ta da.... the wall where those left two windows are, that bowed out the entire time we were there, has 

now been fixed and brought into plumb from the inside, the right way. 

There is a big pile of c and d on the back deck, that will get cleaned out on Saturday.  The temps are supposed to be in the 70's this weekend... and then rain again next week... we really do need it. 

But.. work is going along, slowly but surely. 

The Kansas Dept. of Agriculture came by to look at the chickens..

and left information with neighbor Kathy, who was home.  I spoke with them 

this afternoon, and they will come by in the next day or so and come in and check the birds out.  I'm sure they will be satisfied with their health. 

The man did tell me that they have a surprising number of people reporting 

their flocks... I was so glad to hear this. 

So far, we have not heard of any but the one flock that was infected with 

H5N2.  

Sun tomorrow!