A Tour Around the County

We have been in a drought, a "moderate" drought as the weathermen call it. 

Remember last fall???  (I don't, very much, actually) 

The Farmer's Almanac warned that our area was going to have a bitter winter, 

with lots of snow and prolonged cold. 

Did.Not.Happen. 

We need moisture.

This was my favorite little pasture pond last week. 

Look at it tonight!  In fact, that was this afternoon before the last big rain tonight. 

If you squint, you will see four blue winged teal on it. 

Hmmmm... maybe two mallards, two teal (one was to the left). 

This is the drain at the park where we walk all the time on the 5th: 

It's not your eyes, the picture is blurry.  I was watching this daily, 
knowing that the water source for the animals in the park was 
drying up day by day. 

This is the drainage ditch that goes into it. 

I take weird pictures. 

Oh, yes. 

My side yard. 

And my back yard. 

There were a LOT of good smells in the park. 

Turn up the volume and hear the frogs! 

How Could It Be March 26?

Despite promises to post more frequently, I have not posted for 2 weeks! 

I'm sorry.  Life keeps intervening. 

For those of you who have been widowed, you know what I mean. 

My son Jim has been ill... he is normally in good health, 

works out at a gym at 4 AM daily, has, for years.  

He was playing catch with Jax, swung his head around suddenly, 

and caused calcium deposits to move in his inner ear.  He 

has had vertigo for going on ten days now.  For someone 

who delivers for a living, this is not good! 

Next Thursday, I'll take him to a specialist (he has been 

to Urgent Care and the ER) to see if there is anything 

that can be done for him, he cannot drive, and cannot 

walk hardly at all.  He is on FMLA to protect his job. 

Prayers requested for his quick recovery. 

Or just his recovery!  

I have taken many pictures. but I find that I

delete as many as half now.  I do not get satisfied with 

them as easily as I did in the past. 

I'll share a few with you. 

Oh... and I have a surprise coming up, but 

am not able to share it for another week or so. 

Look who was visiting at the Ag Hall one morning! 

He came back by a few minutes later. 

I kept Jax and Paiton on the first day of their spring break. 

For the first time, I let Paiton roll out her own cookies, and she did a GREAT job. 

I should have taken pictures of the final product. 

More visitors at the Ag. 

The geraniums are blooming again.  The tomato plant 

bore flowers, and then faded, but I took a look at what 

was left of it today (not this picture) and it is STILL alive. 

In fact, it looks a LOT better than it did in this picture, taken 

about the 12th. 

This one talked all the way down. 

This big guy attacked me yesterday... I have never been 

attacked quite like that before.  In fact... he broke skin on my leg 

two weeks ago, but yesterday was an escalation.  I moved him back with the 

help of a young woman who will be my future backup.... I was grateful she was there. 

This morning, I went in with a broom, and moved him back before he could get 

near me.  It's not fun collecting eggs and worrying about spurs in your tush! 

I'm guessing breeding maturity is kicking in, he has turned one year old.  

He is a Speckled Sussex, (heavy)  by the way, and now I am wondering if he really DID 

kill his brother two weeks ago, and I just didn't find the wounds amongst the feathers. 

Not in trouble, lifting his leg. 

Also not in trouble, just worshiping the sun. 

Can you see him on the left? 

That's a heron at the Ag. 

Here is a not-very-clear picture of it! 

I have never seen one land in a tree! 

This, I don't know what to say about. 

Sister went to the vet last week. 

Sister is a BROTHER! 

He had been neutered previously. 

Name to come soon. 

I had to put this in Kansas Birding on Facebook to find out what it was. 

I thought it was a fancy sparrow of some kind. 

I will reveal the answer below.  

I had NO IDEA. 

Another deck visitor! 

Action Jackson. 

My hawk nest I have followed for three years appears to be unoccupied. 

I checked on it again today, and still do not see any birds using it. 

I also am not seeing hawks along this road, where they have been so plentiful. 

Amazing just the hawks are gone. 

(yes, I'm suspicious) 

On my way to mass last night, I cut across country.  Movement at the back 

of this field caught my eye, and I thought I was FINALLY seeing a turkey. 

Nope. 

Well... it IS a turkey vulture! 

It rained for two hours yesterday morning, and we need it so badly. 

This kildeer was happy at the little pond. 

Michelle at Boulderneigh , this last set of pictures 

is for you. 

I could not get the black and white lambs, and the "black" lambs that were 

to the right, they were moving around too fast. 

I know these all have Shetland names for their colors, and Michelle, 

you will know what they are. 

We are expecting more rain in the next few days... HURRAH!!!

( It's a female red-winged blackbird) 

Some Succulent Re-Planting

I have taken a new-found interest in succulents, for some reason, 

after pretty much ignoring them my whole life. 

I've been transplanting some because I find they 

outgrow their containers before I know it! 

This is the container into which I transplanted today. 

I got it last week at Tractor Supply, and I love it.  

I really know how to style pictures, don't I? 

My son Jim drilled two holes in the bottom, because, in fact, it is not really  a 

planter per se, but a "holder" for plant pots. 

Because I was planting succulents, I was not too worried about leakage... but I did do this: 

I covered the hole with part of this morning's Kansas City Star. 

Here is what I have been using for my succulents.

Look at the roots when I pulled the plants out! 

Here they are after re-potting... you can't see from this picture, 

but there are baby aloe plants all along that center stem.  I am going 

to end up repotting this one again, I believe! 

Then, I took the empty aloe pot, and transplanted this plant into it

(fresh dirt) as soon as it was empty.  The leaves of this came off... at least, many did... and I stuck 

them down into the dirt, and believe I will get a bunch of little plants off it. 

Hope my friends are all wanting some succulents! 

I just realized I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. 

Oh, well.  

I am loving growing these... and am going to run out of space soon! 

Do any of you grow succulents? 

Another Bright Day

Before I get to the bright part of the day, 

let me ask for prayers for all the firemen and women on the 

lines in central Kansas and the other plains states currently burning. 

Firefighters from our county have been rotating in and out 

of the lines for the last few days.  Last night, at dusk, 

the haze was thick in our air. 

Today it was again, though it has blown 

by for the immediate moment. 

Kansas is in high gear fighting this terrible scourge. 

Please pray for our brave fighters. 

After the sun was able to come clear up,  we have had a beautiful day here. 

It started a little sadly... 

That's Re-Pete, the secondary Speckled Sussex rooster at the Ag. 

I found him dead this morning.  No marks on him... but these birds 

have had upper respiratory for a while.  He had clearly been dead most of the night. 

His comb and wattles look pretty dark, don't they?  But I think that's blood flow as it 

settled. 

He looked fine yesterday. 

That is he in the lower middle, the other rooster is near the water fountain.  He is the more dominant of the two, also a beauty. 

I'm watching the rest of the birds closley. 

I gloved up and carried him into the woods. 

I ran back over there two hours later, and an animal had already pecked at his head. 

I left a camera on him.  I figure something will carry him away tonight. 

Someone rolled in the stinky spot again. 

(I took all these with my phone). 

The Water Baby was in her element, but please 

notice that she is dragging the long leash.  Yes, I suffered a 

qualm about it getting caught on something, because she actually went swimming for a few minutes. 

Jester was keeping an eye on the five honking geese on the pond. 

Golden Days

I'm dying to know what is living in here. 

You know me. 

The days have been golden.  

There are some down sides to that. 

Wild onion is up, and I think there is nothing better than smelling it as 

you cut the first grass of the season. 

While Chris was here, we walked the dogs at Angel Falls.  The Water Baby LOVES to 

go in the creek. 

Note where the water is in that picture, taken ten days ago. 

By yesterday, the stream had narrowed significantly, we need 

rain badly here. 

I bought a 20 foot lead for Lil, so she can go way out in the creek.  She was hot in this picture, it was 77 out. 

This is the drainage basin at Basehor City Park, running down to the creek.  The rock bottom was showing through at the end of last week. 

Last night was a night of wild storms here, including tornados which touched down on the 

Missouri side of the metro, doing great damage. 

The basin had water in it this morning, I was glad to see that.  The birds use it daily. 

Someone was sunning himself on the walk way.  I'm so glad I saw him, 

he was very sluggish and did not even move when I touched him. 

Too cold for little snakes today! 

This is a barn two miles from where I live.  This barn and the one next to it 

were over 100 years old.  The storm last night got it. 

Look at that 100 year old wood! 

The chickens at the ag came through the storm well, except the plastic on their 

door and windows blew away.  So much for my stapling extra yesterday. 

See these thirteen eggs? 

They came out of only 3 of these slots in the nest box.  

Chickens crack me up. 

Except for trash cans blown all over... there was thankfully no damage to the old buildings. 

And everyone was happy. 

This little group of mallards was on the pasture pond as we went to the park.  

It is so shallow, I don't think geese can land there now.  

I stayed one second too long, taking four pictures. 

The rule for nature photography is DO NO HARM and don't disturb the birds/animals. 

My bad. 

And I really mean my bad, I hate disturbing them. 

Lilly will be twelve this summer.  The drool worries me, she does it as we walk. 

Totally gratuitous picture of the best Bostie in the world!