An Unusual Post

This is going to be kind of an unusual post... I am going to use pictures (mostly) from the game cameras that I put out around the place. 

That's Buddy and Bob, formerly called "Alien".  Bob has been around for about four months now, but... he disappears during the day sometimes for hours.  He has always been in good flesh, and I believe he is neutered.  I suspect he belongs to someone down the road, but he is sleeping here.  

Bob at the door. 

If I leave the inside door open... I can look up sometimes from the computer and see Bob on his hind legs, looking in.  He has come as far as 3 feet into the kitchen three times, then freaked out and ran outside.  His buddy Buddy is what drew him in. 

Bob adores Buddy. 

Mama adores Buddy, there she is wrapping herself around him. 

There they are out by the garage, she will come running across the yard if she sees him come out of the house.  

I don't know what he has, but it's magnetism! 

Bullseye is part of the Buddy Club, too.  

Yesterday morning, I discovered dark red blood on the floor in the shop, near the Kuranda bed.  I looked everywhere for a body, and checked the cats.  I was worried for a while because they are all picking on Teenie again, and I could not find her.  That was really dark blood. 

I found a few more drops at the back of the shop. (That's Cleo) 

I found a dark one with congealed blood in it this morning. 

And then, when I took the bowl I keep in the garage during the day outside, I found 

some more in the garage... I always leave a small pile of food in there at night when I lock the food up. 

Imagine my happiness when this ran across the yard to greet me this morning, in one piece....

I was so glad. 

Teenie! 

No wounds on her, either.  

I can pick everyone up but Cleo and Bob.  

All three of my big roosters have pretty much quit roosting.  Singleton here is the head honcho... but I notice that he is sleeping in the brooder pen in the old hen house more and more, tho he is sometimes on the roost still with his four girls.  

He is getting six more girls this week to watch over, they are hens coming from a large flock here that is turned over every 18 months.   Since the old hen house is flat, and has only five birds in it, they are going to be put there.  Singleton will take good care of them. 

This is his daddy, Ferdinand, who does not go outside any more.  

He is sleeping in this corner in the big henhouse, and stays inside every day. 

His toes mostly have frozen off, though he can still hop around... but I am going to have to make a decision soon.  A vet at the practice in Tongie where I take my pets now has offered to euthanize him for me, and I suspect that is what will have to happen.  I know some of you are laughing at my taking him to a vet.... since I lost Keith, I don't have the guts to do the dirty deed myself, I admit it.  And... she will do it humanely, while I am there talking to him. 

Buddy (not to be confused with canine Buddy), the other brown rooster... is still going out, but also has lost some toes.  

The reason I don't hatch is fear of being stuck with more roosters! 

Wanda is still living in the big hen house.  I let her stay out later than the birds, and then, about six pm, I go out and call her and she is ready to go in and go to bed. 

We have had balmy temps the last few days, but after today, we are going to be in the thirties and forties this week.... she loves to lay under the warming light I leave on for the old ones. 

Can you blame her? 

See Pipsqueak? 

I was not sure what to do with him after I lost Mary, his partner. 

I began to leave him down on the floor with the other birds... that's Ferdie there. 

I was carrying him out to his little pen (actually a big pen) every morning, and carrying the cat carrier so he had a shelter during the day. 

One day, I left him in.  He took himself out with the other birds. 

That is what we are doing now, he goes out, hangs out.... and in the evening I usually take the net, stop him, and carry him in.  We have a routine now. 

My friend Diane raises Mille Fleurs.  I have asked her if I can buy a couple when she is ready to cull... I used to keep them, too... I had a whole pen full.  They are diminutive and would make a nice partner for little Pip. 

I am starting to get four to eight eggs a day. 

I was able to gift five dozen eggs last week, but some of those were from the previous week. 

I am hoping with the addition of the new birds, I will be back to giving away that many regularly. 

These are pictures of the Budmeister when he was found on September 5 last year, 

astray out in the county.  Bless the people who found him, they got hold of the Bonner Springs ACO, and Officer Kendra went out and got him.  She told me over the weekend that she had to hold his hind end up, he was so weak. 

Here's The Bud today, Inspiration of all Cats at Calamity Acres. 

I know he is in his last year, he is moving slower and slower, and it is evident... he is eating far less and sleeping a LOT more... but gosh, he is just the best old boy.  Anyone that can give a home to a senior is a gem, in my book... he has been so deserving.  A friend met him over the weekend... Buddy LOVES men, and he scared this guy because he wanted to be loved on.  When we went outside when my friend was leaving.... he turned around and said... no one would ever try to hurt you with that boy at your side. 

I believe he is right. 

Early this morning, something startled Mama and Cleo in the shop.... I leave the warming light on at night.  If you look under the Kuranda bed on the left, it looks like a cat coming in through the hole...maybe Bob, but it might have been Teenie, trying to get back to the wood stove where she sleeps.  Both of these girls beat up on Teenie, who is much smaller than both of them. 

A few hours later, this girl had come back, she had been in and out all night, but I'll tell you something odd... I can never smell her, even when her tail is on high alert.  If you look closely, you will see that both Cleo, in the bed on top of the chest, and Mama, who is curled up in the chair on the right, did not even wake up and look up.  I have noticed that they are wary but are not bothered by the possums, the raccoons and the skunk that comes in at night, mostly to drink out of the heated water. 

(If you want to know how I know it's a girl, she has backed up to the camera while drinking water many times) 

Jupiter and Venus in alignment, and it won't happen again in my lifetime.  It's crazy to say that. 

I am so lucky to live out here, I know that. 

I thank God every day. 

I know my time here grows short, age will get me in the end. 

If I can afford to pay someone to do the heavy yardwork at some point, I would do it, just so I can stay, but we will see. 

I am not sure if the sheep will be back this year, I have not heard yet, but... I think I can do one more year with their water tank, too, and then we will see about that, too.  

Thank you, friends, for reading about our days here at Calamity Acres. 

 

Missed a Week!

Missed a week, how about that?  

Things are humming along here in Northeast Kansas, Leavenworth County. 

I got up this morning to this: 

Oh, yes, it's beautiful and it actually was not too cold out!  

See the platform feeder in the second picture?  No one could get to any feed, so 

I put boots on and trekked out there and cleaned both feeders off and filled them. 

I cleaned off the hanging feeders, too... and put the small feeder down on the ground.  I filled both water bowls. 

I did not take pictures but within a few minutes, there were many birds out there eating.  I especially like watching the finches on the two hanging feeders closer to the house.  

I am satisfied with how I am feeding this year, and the seed you see on the ground in some of the pictures is seed that fell from the feeders.  In past years, I have spent hundreds of dollars on wild bird feed... I can no longer afford that. 

I feed a mix from Sam's Club that is 99% black oil sunflower, with a tiny bit of peanuts mixed in... and a tiny bit of filler "parakeet feed", as I call it.  Everyone eats it.  One bag lasts about nine days. 

The finches get sunflower hearts into which I mix dried mealworms.  I feed (sparingly) some dried mealworms in the platform feeder you see above, daily.  One five pound bag of mealworms is now 50.00 at Tractor Supply... so I made this months last an entire month.  

I love watching the birds on the more permanent feeder that Keith built years ago. 

My ragamuffin farm girl, Zoey.  This girl LOVES to do chores with me. 

She knows the minute I start to get the bucket ready in the afternoon... her head comes up and she is ready to go!  If Buddy feels up to it, he comes with her. 

They are such good friends. 

The Big Moose went to the doctor on Tuesday and had blood run, got his nails trimmed, and got weighed.  114.4 pounds!  The doctor did not say anything but the techs and I talked when I picked him up, and he is on a diet to lose ten pounds to give his aching joints a rest.  He is taking Gabapentin daily now for his arthritic old joints.  He remains a hospice foster for Bonner Animal Rescue, and I cannot say enough good about this group. 

Zoey and Fritzi came to me through them. 

Three weeks ago, I was out at 3 AM with Zoey and Buddy. 

All of the sudden, I was surrounded by coyote howls, some that sounded as if they were in the yard with me, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. 

There were some from across the road to the west (26 wooded acres) and some from the foot of my pasture to the east, and some on the north in Spehar's pasture that wraps me.  I came in, shaken. 

Because of the skunk dying by my hen house, I have removed the feeder that was in the pasture. 

So there is no more of this going on. One came up two or three times after the feeder was pulled, but I have not seen any in day or dusk for those three weeks, but friends, they are still around. 

A few days after hearing those howls so very close.... I was on the porch of the big hen house one morning and thought "What am I hearing?"... I live 2/10s of a mile from a state highway, and the traffic does not stop until early morning hours... over that traffic, I could hear coyotes calling each other in broad daylight.  In all my seventeen years here, I have never heard that!  

So, fast forward to Friday night.  I got out of the recliner at ten to take Zoey out.  If I don't, we end up at an outlandish hour, rain or not.  I carried her over the deck, put her down... and the most chilling howls came from Troy's pasture, and near his pond, which is about 300 feet behind his house.  I cannot see past my yard light, but I could sure hear them.  For once, Zoey got scared... and in the middle of the horrible chorus.... there was a single scream that ended.  Zoey ran for the door, and I always have her on a leash after dusk.... I ran with her.  I picked her up again and carried her down on the east side, and she did finally squat and then stood at attention, no tail wags, and stared down into the pasture.  The coyotes had moved away after the scream, to the east.  

This is my Teenie girl, who hangs out on the porch of the big hen house. 

I have not seen her since Friday afternoon, when I took these pictures. I am praying so hard the scream I heard was not from her. 

She has not been there all day today, and I have checked all my cameras.  There is another cat, Alien, who looks like her... I have seen him.  

I have seen Diamond Lil, the most elusive of all the ferals. 

Not Teenie.  

I had her spayed at Leavenworth Animal Welfare Society and I am just hoping she is all right. 

Wanda is still living in the big hen house.  Coco, the black cat, now sleeps in the old hen house, and I lock her up there every night.  I sleep so much better knowing that they are safe. 

Both can go in and out during the day. 

The Silkie rooster and hen are spending the day inside today, their outdoor pen was full of snow.  It has melted somewhat and I let the bigger birds out, but I am keeping them in until morning.  I have to carry them in and out twice a day.  

You all know that eggs have become very high at the grocery.  One reason is that avian flu has hit the US hard, with 50 million birds lost last year.  IF you have one bird test positive, from what I understand, the entire flock must be culled.  

It has come within two counties of me.  

I feel somewhat protected as I no longer have a little pond here.  There are three ponds east of me, and one across the road to the west.  I have seen geese land on the three to the east.  I understand ducks are more likely carriers of it, but I feel like the likelihood of a wild duck landing here is very slim. 

Here is the difference it has made in practical terms.  Chicks have gone sky high. 

People are buying chicks who have no idea of the smell, the noise, the constant care that must be given to keep them warm enough, fed, and watered and keep their cage or container clean to prevent disease.  The farm stores sell flimsy shelters for chickens that are designed really to hold only two full size chickens at adulthood... and cannot withstand an attack from predators. 

If you want to buy full size hens, good luck... it's a seller's market, and the prices have gone sky high. 

We have not had a flock at the National Agricultural Center for three years because of covid.  We would like to put one there again this year, and I have begun putting out feelers.  We want only six or eight birds, but to find adults, I am going to have to pay over 100.00 for them.  I may have to settle for some aged hens in order to get any, and the alternative is that I start chicks and all the work that entails.

So... we shall see. 

My oldsters this week... this coop used to have thirty birds in it, it now 

has six, plus the two silkies in their pen. 

(One hen was in the rafters) 

The rooster on the floor has lost enough toes that he can no longer roost. 

I still have seven younger girls and Doug, the Silkie rooster in the little hen house, 

and Singleton the white rooster and one older Ameracauna hen in the old hen house.  She laid four green eggs the week before Christmas and I have not seen another egg out of her! 

This was my egg take yesterday.  I used to get dozens a day. 

It is 2:19 and the sun has just come out!  So good to see it! 

We have been told we are going to get more snow on Wednesday. 

(It disappeared almost as soon as it appeared!) 

Zoey on Duty. 

This is how Molly and I spent most of the morning in the recliner, after chores. 

She has her head tucked under my sweatshirt. 

My favorite food truck was here this week! 

They are back, in Basehor, (five miles) on Saturday the 28th. 

It gives me something to look forward to.  

Things could be worse. 

At least this family had each other. 

I remember when my kids were little we lived in a drafty old house, and 

I would huddle on the furnace grate in the dining room and read in the evenings. 

There are a lot of people who romanticize how "life on the farm" was fifty, sixty and seventy years ago... too often it was like that picture above. 

Mama says take care of each other, and we will see you soon! 

 

How Can it be September?

Whew, it seems like it was just April!

The milo in my compost heap is turning.... telling me that summer is over and the season of harvest is here. 

The salsify says the same thing (and I hope it re-seeds itself a LOT) 

You know I planted in containers this year, and I planted a mix from Burpee that I thought was wildflowers, but turned out to be zinnias, marigolds, and these lovely little sunflowers that have just opened. 

The coleus is leggy but still hanging on.  

Tomorrow, my helper, Grandson Jax, is coming and we are actually going to pull out the tomato plants in the tubs on the patio.  They were started from seed by me, and with one exception, the tomatoes were not to my taste.  I also have realized that the chickens do not eat them (strange!) and many went to waste, since you cannot give a tomato away around here. 

So... no more.  I may plant ONE next year (it will be a Burpee Big Boy) and that's it. 

I did have two planters on the porch with volunteer tomatoes, and I am hoping one re-seeds itself, as those tiny cherries were the sweetest ever!

You all know that I rarely post about my family.  I used to, but I grew to think that for the young kids, it was an invasion of their privacy.  However, I am going to brag a little. 

On Sunday, I drove down to La Cygne (Kansas) where my oldest son Jim has a lot at a lake development. 

He and his family have many friends there and they are all really close.  I have heard about them for years, but have not met them. 

I also had not met my newest great grandson, Wyatt, because his mommy and daddy, his sister Maci, and he all live down there in a house.  

My son Jim met me in La Cygne to lead me to the lot.  

Here are Wyatt and granddaughter Madison, his mom. 

Almost five Maci, and my daughter in law, Amy. 

Son Jim. 

Granddaughter Paiton, on her ATV.  Jax's was out of gas, so she was the chauffer. 

Jax in front of Clifford, the Big Red Truck.  Clifford is his, and that's why Jax is working for me in the yard.  He has to pay for the registration and license, and get his permit.... so he will be working for grandma for a while.  Since Ben left for school, Jax has become my main man. 

I did not get a group picture of everyone else, or Wyatt with his daddy, but by the time I left, they had started a fire in the fire pit, and everyone was gathering. 

Let me just say this... I am not a lake person... but it was nice to see what it was all about, and finally get to meet my little great grand.  I am guessing I won't get to see them again until Christmas time. 

Labor Day weekend, to my family, was going with my dad, a union electrician, to the Labor Day Parade in Kansas City, Kansas, on "The Avenue"... Minnesota Ave... where we celebrated union successes with many other families. 

Things are different, and I am not saying worse.  I am so glad the kids have a place to gather with their friends, relax, eat some good food, and have fun. 

Look who is back!

OUT OF THE BLUE. 

After eight days, I heard a noise while doing chores last week, looked down, and there was Mama at my feet! 

I did not even see from which direction she had come. 

You can see in this picture from the porch cam that she re-attached herself to me immediately. 

She is hanging on the porch or here.... 

You can just barely tell, but she spends hours laying under the bird feeder.  Needless to say, NO ONE is using this feeder. 

I have not seen a bird on it all day today.  I will scoop up the feed I put on it this morning and put it back in the bin so the raccoons don't get it. 

IF she does this for a while, Jax and I will store the feeder in the barn and bring it out when it is colder. 

While she is focused on this one, the birds are eating from the more permanent one in the garden. 

I am rarely seeing squirrels now, they are too frightened of the cats. I miss the squirrels, I admit it. 

Both Bullseye and Mama are lethal hunters. 

After literally a year and a half, the beautiful Cleo will let me stroke and pet her. 

I feed her at the Little Red Hen House, whose porch is slowly deteriorating.  I had to feed her up high, 

so the sheep would not get into her food.  There is a bowl out during the day, and I leave a little at night. That was a project I had for Ben to do that we never got to... rebuilding that small porch and tightening up that building. 

A week ago today, I looked out my bedroom window to see this in my front yard! 

A man keeps a small herd of cattle in my neighbor's pasture.  Twice before, his cows have gotten loose on the road, and I ran them into my yard.  Two years ago, he brought a trailer over, caught the cow and took her back.  Last year, despite my request that they not do so, his wife and daughter ran the cow back through the fence, and of course said "We'll come back and fix it".  They did not.  

I noticed when I mowed last Tuesday that the fence was low in the corner, but by Wednesday, when this big girl came through... it was down to the ground.  Why the rest of them did not follow her, I do not not know. 

My good neighbors from across the road came over and helped me run her back into her pasture... and then, Gary came back after they did an errand, and he and I (well, HE pounded) three tee poles in, and we pulled the fence up and Gary tied it to the poles.  No other cows have tried it since then, thank heavens. 

That afternoon, Jax worked for me.  He called out to me to tell me there was something black in my garden area.  I said "That the water fortex for the birds" and he said no, it was something else. 

It was THIS.  I came over and said "Cow pat" and he looked at me like I was nuts. 

I still don't know if he was pulling my leg or not. 

Can you see the hummer sitting on the light wire on the left?  They are feeding furiously now, getting ready to go.  As I type this, there is one sitting out there! 

I hung two tiny little feeders a friend suggested I order last week.  They have one feeding port on them, and that is one in the picture.  The hummers seem to really like them.  I have two regular feeders hanging too, but they have to be cleaned almost every day with our humidity. 

Regular scene.  I am going broke buying wet and dry. 

(that's Bully, Mama, Molly and Coco) 

Since I am making this about family, 

here is my husband Keith as a teenager.  One of his relatives sent it to me last week. 

His birthday and my stepson Brandon's, Keith's youngest boy, are on the tenth. 

Keith would have been 63, and Brandon, I think... would have been 30.  (I cannot remember his birth year since I wasn't there!) 

I remember all my loved ones on their birthdays. 

 

Back where she should be.