Monday, April 18, 2016

We're Back!

I can't believe it has been since Thursday that we have posted! 

I don't know where the days go. 

Catching up on the straw bale garden: 


The bales are on Day Five, and they are starting to SMELL, 
which is a good thing.  That means urea is working inside them, 
and they are beginning to turn into compost inside. 

They are pretty saturated, but I put out a half cup of fertilizer on 
each tonight, and went ahead and put two gallons of water on them. 

I should mention that it rained last night, our first rain in a 
while, and they got pretty wet already. 

I am also following the directions in Straw Bale Gardens by 
Joel Karsten, and the wonderful Straw Bale Garden and Straw 
Bale Miracle Garden groups on Facebook, who will 
answer any questions for you. 

I also discovered another wonderful Facebook group, 
and here let me make a comment about Facebook. 

I don't think any young people still use it... but man, 
I have made so many contacts through it, and found so much help. 

I discovered "Kansas Birding", and did it ever open up a door to me! 

The people who post pictures in it also give the date and the place
where the pictures were taken, and many are right around here, so a 
whole new area of birding has opened up to me. 

Having said that, I will be at the Ag Hall (National Agricultural Center 
and Hall of Fame) this week almost everyday, as we are getting ready 
for our opening on Saturday "Barnyard Babies", the first of our four 
big "Days" this year.  

Look at this: 


Darn, I didn't realize I got in the wrong angle to show you her beautiful face. 

This wonderful Harvest Queen mural has been hidden behind another mural for many years, 
and never on display. 

The former gift shop has been remodeled into a gallery and she has the 
pride of place. 

We actually have several original paintings on display, too. 

I am so glad she was brought out.  I took this with my phone today, 
but will get a better picture with the camera.  The "official opening" of the 
gallery is on Thursday evening this week. 


Gratuitous picture of Jester.  We are still struggling with the infection in 
his left eye, the right on this picture.  

Hopefully we will get it all cleared up quickly. 


I so enjoy taking pictures of the ducks on the little pond, like these blue-winged teal. 


And look who is back in the Little Pond Pasture!  

Remember I took so many pictures of the little Angus herd last summer, and 
there was one white cow which I realize now was actually pale brown and white. 
Last year, she had a white calf. 

I think that cute little brown and white calf is hers now. 
I did not get out of the car to take pictures, because their Big Daddy was 
close to the fenceline! 


It is getting warm enough some days for bathing to have started.  You see how 
low the little pond is.  


This was a bigger group in a different pond the next day, and I thought it was interesting, there were far more drakes than hens in this group. 


This little guy sat up at just the right time on my way home from church that night! 

How I love squirrels, and miss having them here.  

There are no large trees in this 3 street subdivision we call home. 


Big Mama is still hunkered down on her eggs... and I hope so, because we had 
steady rain last night, with more in the forecast. 

Back to gardening for a minute: 


These are the only two tomato volunteers left inside... the mice got three.  Hence, they 
are now on my Halloween Chair in the window, with no supplemental light. 
(Which I think is incredible!) 

I despaired of the lower one, because it was all bent around and looked as if it were 
dying... it has revived! 

I have no idea if these are large or cherry... I am going to look at my pictures of 
the seedlings I started under light last year to see if I can tell. 

I think I also caught sight of one outside tonight when I was doing chores... I'll check 
tomorrow. 


Yes, these are balloons, probably from someone's birthday party. 

Folks, don't do this. 

When they finally deflate or pop, they are 
huge hazards to wildlife.  Many birds have died 
from ingesting balloons.  


Turkey season here opened on the 15th. 

I have been seeing this big girl in the yard of a house where 
no one lives, but someone cuts right around it.  You see there is a
creek that flows along there. 

She's a beauty, isn't she? 


The heron was back in the Big Ditch. 

Everyone thinks the Big Ditch is a creek. 

It's a big .... ditch .... . 


I leave you with this picture I took coming up our street tonight... 
this is a setup in one of our neighbor's driveways.  This man 
walks every morning in the neighborhood, so I am going to look for 
him tomorrow and talk to him about it.  It's... NIFTY! 


10 comments:

  1. I HATE balloons!! I frequently find them in my hayfields and in the woods. What gives people the idea that they can just let these things float up in the air? I worry about my cattle eating them, not to mention wildlife. What is the point of them anyway?

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  2. We dont want birds or any animals choking on baloons!

    Beautiful photos Mary Ann
    love
    tweedle

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  3. The two plants in pots look an awful lot like marigolds...are you sure they are tomatoes?

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  4. love all the pictures Mary Ann. that is a cool rig for his tomatoes! he can roll them to safety if needed. smart idea.

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  5. Sounds like you will have a busy week. Thanks for sharing all the great pictures.

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  6. what a great idea for tomatoes! i can't wait to see how your straw bales work!

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  7. Great pictures as always.

    I've never seen saw tooth tomato leafs. Let me know what kind this is, please.

    Have a blessed week.

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  8. At first we thought those were green grapes up in a tree...lol....what a great idea about that straw garden, I know you can pull it off.
    stella rose

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  9. Wow, you got some really unique photos there! For some odd reason we are into cow photos lately.

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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