The End of Another Year

If you are reading this, you are one of the lucky ones, as I am... or blessed, 

if you prefer to think of it that way. 

We have reached the end of another year.  2017, which has been 

full of disaster and despair, but also, lots of hope and kindness. 

Desperate cold has settled into the Midwest, along with the 

eastern seaboard and upper Midwest.  I have been 

preparing for it for a week. 

Jester, as you see, did not want to get up this morning.  I had just taken 

those sweatshirts out of the dryer, and he was content to just lay there 

and be warm, but to be fair, he had already been out. 

Rarely does he opt to get back into the big bed. 

It was time to pack these guys away.  I particularly loved that Santa, I 

think he embodies the spirit of Calamity Acres... welcoming 

all the creatures here.  I have a big Santa collection but no longer have the 

shelves or furniture on which to put them... so... there is more paring down to 

do in the future. 

It seems like a month ago already, but on the 23rd, son Jim and his family came to have Christmas treats. 

There I am back in the background, I was holding great-granddaughter Maci Lynn.  I am  not sure who had control of the camera. 

Maci and her mom, Maddie... Maddie has taken to motherhood like a duck to water. 

They had to leave early to go to a gender-reveal party for her best friend. 

I am on continual... I mean CONTINUAL cute overload in this house. 

This is me yesterday, trying to get some typing done.  I did not know the camera was 

laying there on, but I'm glad it was.  This happens many times. 

There is possum Fang on the deck last night, and I'll tell you something interesting.  I love trying different things.  

In the fortex to the right, there is a mixture of seeds, full peanuts, cracked peanuts, corn, etc., called "Critter Mix" that I get at the feed store.  In the darker bowl where Fang is eating, there is birdseed in a blend called "Backyard Bird", made up of two kinds of sunflower and many other seeds.  See what he is eating?  I love to learn things like that. 

The crows and squirrels will get to the critter mix. 

This is the fifth night at least I have seen NO raccoons. 

That is Spooky's tail end, Spooky, one of the feral nearly-grown kittens. 

I have not seen Harlequin for days now.  I don't know what has happened to her. 

It was suggested I check my other outer buildings, and I will, actually, in a bit. 

Here I come up on the deck this morning, lined tights under my jeans, two pairs of socks, 

two pairs of gloves and hand warmers, a shirt under my sweatshirt, my Carhartt watch cap on and my Carhartt hood on.  It's going to be like this all weekend (even worse) and I will have permanent hat hair for the next week. 

You gotta do what you gotta do, but.... I am hesitant to get any large animals because of this, it has reminded me of the drudgery. 

This is the heated water bowl in the old henhouse from which the 

feral cats drank.  It honestly looks as if no one is eating in there. 

I did bed down the goat barn, the only dog house left, and made sure the 

duck house still has good bedding... it does, and I noticed last night that 

something has slept in there. 

I quit putting food in the little red henhouse, despite the fact that the straw to either side looked as if something had slept in it... no one has eaten the food in three or four days now.  The litter box in there is no longer used, but I have left it (for now). 

This poor little girl hurts me just to look at her.  She is one of the original flock, 

now almost 2 years old... and has lost all her feathers, I literally have never had a bird moult naked. 

Because of her, I did this (and she is staying inside, wisely)

Keith and I used to hang a light in the worst of winter in the henhouses. 

This is, in fact, hanging from a rope he tied five years ago. 

It casts just enough warmth, and just far enough above the 

straw that there will (hopefully) be no fire.  Of course,
I got up to check it six times last night. 

I am praying my naked little girl, a brown Leghorn, makes it through the horrible cold coming the 

next two days.  We are supposed to have a record below zero reading on New Year's morning. 

I did let the chickens out today, however, because the sun came out and they wanted out.  

Tomorrow and Monday will be another story. 

We actually ran an electric line from the big henhouse to the little red one, the hole where the line went through is behind the pophole door.  It hung from the rafters in there, and kept one corner warm for the little birds that used to live there.  IF I were to use this, I probably would not run a line again, I think healthy birds are capable of keeping themselves warm.  However, that featherless Leghorn needed help. 

I hung this huge block of seeds from a pole this morning, 

it will be so interesting to see what goes after it.  It smelled GREAT. 

It is a new product which my feed store is carrying. 

I hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve tomorrow, 

and are back here to see more adventures at Calamity Acres. 

I thank you again, for the ninth year, for reading about our little place, and yes, 

even though Keith is gone... it is still our little place, mine, Lilly's, Jester's, Autumn's, 

Twinkle's, and all the wild things that live here. 

Bright, Sunny, December Days

I am not bemoaning the lack of snow around here, 

though evidence of climate change is everywhere to see. 

It was not uncommon to have snow in Northeast Kansas as early as 

Halloween, when I was a child and when my kids were young. 

We have been promised snow flurries several times, but have 

yet to see them, we are lacking in rain, 

and only now are seeing those 

frigid December temps. 

Most of our days have been bright, so far. 

(and I write this while thinking of praying for those affected by the dreadful fire storms in California) 

Sorry about the shadow.... but I went to see Keith on Wednesday. 

Our second Christmas without him... time does fly.  He would be so 
proud of his grandkids and so amazed at the addition of twins this year 
from daughter Andrea. 

By the time I got home from the cemetery, it had clouded up 
and really looked like rain. 

It didn't. 

This is cheesy potato soup made from four ingredients.  I can't tell you how good it was!

Here is the link to "Jamie Cooks It Up", whom I have been 
following for about five years. 

http://jamiecooksitup.net/2017/12/crock-pot-4-ingredient-potato-cheese-soup

My gosh, it's good soup made with Potatoes O'Brien in a bag. 

YUM. 

Some days it's exceedingly hard to post. 

I got my tree up... or put together. 

It's very simple this year, and I did not 
use traditional Christmas colors. 

It's been on the floor twice since, and some of the bulbs were 
broken.  I got them at Sunflower Sisters in Leavenworth, 
so I will run up next week and get another package (they are handmade). 

THAT DARN CAT. 


Twinkle gets put into Kitten Jail when he gets too wild. 

Kitten Jail is my office, believe me, he is in the 
lap of luxury when he is in jail. 

Someone is sleeping in the closet of the old henhouse. 

I am no longer seeing Kittens Three and Four of my ferals, 
but I have seen Harlequin and Spooky on four of the last five days. 

You can barely see her, but Harley is in the rafters to the left
of Spooky.  They were waiting for me to put their breakfast down. 

My kitchen window vignette for Christmas.  I have always 
used gold, never silver, at Christmas.  This year I have been 
using silver and white and I love it!  I tried for three days to get a picture 
of this glowing in the sun, and could not get a good one til night fell yesterday. 

I love this window that looks out over the pasture. 

He is waiting for me, but he has not actually attacked in two days. 

Yessssssss. 

The four buff hens from the ag are coming home here, as we are dispersing the flock. 

We will start again next year.  These were such late babies this year they are still 
six weeks away from laying. 

I should have brought them home in pairs, I brought this single the other day, 
and the bigger hens have been beating up on her.  I caught her last night and put her in, 
I hope I don't have to do it tonight. 

And, speaking of the Ag, I have to run back down there and make sure the girls there have water for the night, their heater base has quit working, and their water was frozen this morning. 
I set them up for the day, but am going to run back over and make sure they are good to go for a while tonight. 

I hate to buy another base when we are dispersing the flock next week. 

Lilly spent an hour outside this afternoon, and now is back in 
to take a nap.  This loveseat in my bedroom (originally intended for 
the recycle station) has proved so useful, Lil sleeps at the foot of the bed at 
night but can still jump up on this, and I often find her there in the morning. 

I use it for reading, it's still so comfortable, and tomorrow night, I'll have Paiton and Jax and 
I'll read while they decorate cookies and watch tv. 

So innocent.  

(NOT) 

One more bowl and I'm gone.