Tuesday, September 27, 2016

These Last Few Days


I usually go to the Ag after I drop Keith off at dialysis on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. 

Friday morning, the geese were back.  The Renaissance Festival is right next 
door to us, and for six weeks after Labor Day, we have a cannon booming as they 
open and close.  The wild animals don't like it.  I don't like it. 

The geese have been away, so I was glad to see these four on Friday. 


This guy was back at the vet on Friday afternoon.  He has a badly infected ear (his right) and 
eye infection in both eyes, so we are treating both. 

He is doing okay, but we may have to get more ear meds. 


You know I love the Beatles.  I went with a good friend on Saturday night to see the Liverpool Legends at the Topeka Performing Arts Center.  Keith and I have been to several concerts there, it is a wonderful small venue.  Louise Harrison, the 85 year old sister of George Harrison, manages this group, and they have a residency in Branson.  They also sponsor a program to keep music alive in high schools, and they work with master classes with local schools in each town where they sing. 
Hayden High School was the high school for Topeka, and the band played the orchestral parts to numerous Beatle's hits in the second half.  It was wonderful. 

A snippet of "Revolution" without the band, sorry: 


We drove home through a terrible rainstorm, and it was heart-in-the-throat time. 



The jelly feeder had water in it from the rain, but look whom I saw 
drinking from it! 

I actually saw this for two days running, but.... temps are dropping here, 
and today there was a lone hummingbird left. 


On the way to the park Sunday afternoon, we saw this little guy with a big burden. 


Remember our llamas? 

Some new neighbors have moved into the neighborhood, about 12 of them! 


Uh Huh. 


It was raining when I passed the bluffs on Sunday morning on the way to church. 
I missed the most beautiful shot... an egret was winging it's way through the canyon of the creek, and I could not get the camera up before it went around the bend.   
You see the leaves are beginning to change. 


Sunday's sunset almost hurt to watch. 


Yellow and blue always go well together! 


The dogs resign themselves when I jump out of the car.


There goes Big Daddy into the pond. 


And my favorite calf. 




I think this is probably The Last One. 
I'll be surprised if I see him tomorrow. 


This one will be around for a while. 


Thursday, September 22, 2016

Scenes from the Deck


The Finch Jelly feeder has become the Bee Feeder! 

(Bee and wasp!) 

I have still not been stung, knock on wood. 


Acrobats of the air! 







The fifteen of two weeks ago have dwindled to five, and my guess is, 
with the advent of colder temps next week, these will go on their way, too. 

I have been cleaning the feeders daily.... UGH... the humidity has caused 
mold all week. 


Sharing the feeder with one of his friends!  

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Summer is Still Around


The show goes on! 


These beautiful squash and pumpkins were at the grocery tonight... but it was nearly 100 degrees out. 

Think fall, everyone! 



Someone was hungry for Chinese food tonight, and managed to get a third of 
his plate down .  This is an accomplishment!  


See that cow on the left? 

I was afraid she had become stuck in the mud.  I went slowly up the road when I came back by.... she was not.  Look how low she is, though! 

squirrel

There is a heron in the middle of this picture, take my word for it. 


This is making me feel better and better. 


Stranger Creek is running really high because of all the recent rains. 


I love these little guys! 


And these little guys! 



And this big guy! 

Thursday, September 15, 2016

A Whopping Surprise!


I decided to take a drive late this afternoon, while Keith slept. 
He had a hard day. 


Bees, flies and butterflies were still working sunflowers along the road. 


The goldenrod is so pretty, but Keith is so allergic to it! 


The creeks are high and flowing fast... we had 8 - 9 inches of rain in the last two days, and 
expect more tomorrow. 


Fall colors are everywhere. 


I saw these three girls as I drove up a gravel road. 


They did not like me stopping. 


I wish I had had the longer lens on, but I had put the medium on for a purpose. 


Don't look now, but THIS is where the Big Ditch WAS. 

The rock wall.... is right up to the discharge pipe at the edge of the road.  The ditch was behind it. 
Look what they have created. 


Saturday when I went to church, there were hundreds of kildeer there.  There were still many tonight. 


It is not deep, but wide. 


And to the east side is this.... it's like a place for water to come off Stranger Creek and fill the basin. 


There is a rock channel in the middle... and birds were perched all over it, they 
were not kildeer, but I could not see with that lens.  I'm going back tomorrow with the long lens


There were kildeer everywhere. 

On my way back, I saw four deer in the meadow again, but the second I stopped, all hit the woods. 

I did not see a turkey anywhere. 

I like these changes in the Big Ditch! 

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Rain Rain Go Away!




Notice the raindrops on the lens? 

We have had 9 inches of rain in the last two days. 

We are expecting more tonight and tomorrow. 

Yikes. 


Here is a better picture.  The pond is WAYYY up at the Ag Hall. 


Where you see the line of water lillies is where the pond bank has been. 


The little pasture pond is also way up, but there was nary a cow or calf in sight. 


Lilly has been making fence friends with a new neighborhood friend.  

Yes, I let my fence grow up, I thought there would be chickens here. 

No, I have not cut it, much to my neighbor's chagrin. 

This looks like the dogs don't like each other, but their tails were 
wagging madly. 



Knock on wood, I have still not been stung. 

If I put the finch jelly out, the yellow jackets leave the hummingbird feeders alone, 
but to tell you the truth, there are only about five hummers still eating here. 
Migration has started. 


Fall baseball has started, and games are on Sunday afternoons.  Jax was mugging for me here.  He is still the smallest on the team, so is Number 1 this season. 

His team won their game Sunday, I think that was their first win. 

They are wonderful boys, with wonderful coaches. 


I had to do an errand this afternoon, and took the long way home.  These horses live at the most beautiful place, a huge home and a huge barn that sit on a hill with a park-like pasture in front of them.  It was fun to see them there, in the shade. 

Keith has a procedure tomorrow at the hospital, I would like to ask 
anyone reading this to say a little prayer for him, he is not 
well tonight and we are hoping he feels better by tomorrow evening.