Snow Day

We have had another snow day. 

I hate to even mention it, because the northeast and Canada are socked under again. 

My heart goes out to them. 

I don't know how they cope, I really don't. 

My little snow Boston Terrier was eager to run down in the pasture. 

So was his sister. 

I suspect some coyotes have been hanging out in the woods at the bottom 

of the pasture... the morel woods!

We did not get a LOT of snow, but we are to get more tonight. 

I swept all the feeding areas so the birds could get the seed. 

I spread the seed out so the little birds can get some. 

The starlings empty the water fortexes frequently, so I have gone out 5 times already today to 

fill them.  I just did fifteen minutes ago. 

Remember, there is also a heated water receptacle on the deck. 

On Friday, I bought more seed.  I put a bin right by 

the deck (where I used to keep it) and filled it with seed. 

It's half-gone now.  I'll have to buy more in a few days. 

YES, it's wastage, a lot of it, but a lot of it is eaten.  I am thinking 

about some ways to feed next year that don't involve so much 

waste, however.... I want everyone to have a chance. 

I keep some critter mix and some shelled peanuts in the smaller 

aluminum can.  All that gardening stuff will get moved in the spring. 

This is ice from a frozen water fortex thawing in the sink. 

I try to go out last thing and spill out whatever is left... 

I do have some extra fortexes just in case.  This one was very 

thick, the fortex had been full.  It took all day to melt. 

As you see, I stocked up on Purina Cat Chow, too, just in 

case.  The starlings and wild cats appreciate it. 

Everyone has been locked in all day today, so they are 

all huffy again.  

Hens do not like snow, and there was no way they would have come out in it, even though it has been close to 19 for the last hour.  It is the last decent temp, we are to hit bottom, and actually go below 

zero for several nights.  Ugh.  However, I am going very slowly and steadily, I just don't hurry.  So far, so good. 

Some are smart and stay up by the warm ceiling. 

I end with cuteness overload, what did I do for fun before I had these two? 

Stay warm out there, friends. 

Back to the Polar Vortex

Two weeks ago, we had about ten days of bitter weather.  In fact, after 

December 22nd, we did not see the thermometer get above freezing until Tuesday 

of this week. 

We had almost-balmy temps in the 40s and 50's, it was 57 this time 

yesterday afternoon (3:30 PM).  It is 17 today, has sleeted for several 

hours, has snowed, and the wind is blowing HARD.  Harummmphhh. 

Me no like. 

Jester no like.  He did not even want to get up. 

Tuesday, I stocked up on bird seed.  This gives me a good 

feeling to know that I have plenty on hand. 

You know... because I am feeding the southern half of Leavenworth County. 

Current status. 

The sleet covered everything on the ground this morning, and froze it solid.  

I spread seed several times a day, and yes, I am going to have to run to the feed store again, 

either tomorrow or Saturday.  This feed is expensive, too.  I could change the way 

I feed... feed only in hanging feeders.  The starlings would hang on them and spill them, 

and that would take care of the ground feeders, but you know what?  I actually don't mind watching the starlings.  

Two little observers like to sit in the doorway and watch the birds. 

Lilly sat out there surveying her domain (i.e., looking for squirrels) 

yesterday afternoon, and you can just barely see that the little birds were still 

on the ground eating.  Yes, there IS a lot of wastage, in fact, my plan these 

last three days was to rake up seed under the feeder... however... that never 

happened.  Now it is frozen.  I believe over the next week the 

starlings will swoop in to clean it up pretty well. 

Those steps are covered with ice today.  Gosh, I wish I 

had thought to have the contractor put a handrail on either side 

last summer!

Those are the steps, on the treacherous icy deck. 

Some seed falls below the deck, of course,  and 

the little birds are flying in and out of there, too. 

Those are mealworms on the fortex that is turned upside down, 

because bluebirds are stopping to drink regularly. 

I also saw a forlorn robin there about 2 PM, it looked so sad 

and was so thirsty. 

The satellite dish on the right obscures the green finch feeder, but it is 

very busy now with goldfinches, and the other little 

birds clean up the thistle and sunflower hearts that are spilled from it.   

There is critter mix out there too, and a bowl for cat food which I am 

not filling until dark now, or every starling in the midwest would be eating here. 

Those goldfinches. 

You must look very closely at this picture.  There is Harlequin, 

whom I have not seen in three weeks inside the henhouse. 

This morning I went in there with some dry cat food and some 

water.... and heard a noise.  I looked up in the rafters, and there was 

a cat watching me.  In fact, that could actually be Spooky, though 

I did see Harley.  He/She watched me and I went back in the house 

and opened two cans of cat food and took them right back out, 

so they would have a good breakfast on this cold day.  I'll take a 

can out tonight, just in case, when I go to turn the light out. 

My impatient girls (and boy) this morning.  They are captives for the next 

few days, I'm afraid.  I have oatmeal with raisins cooling for them right now, 

and will take them fresh water and a treat here shortly, and turn their 

overhead light out.  I got three whole eggs... and broke one. 

At least they weren't frozen.  

I hope they can resign themselves to being in for another bitter day. 

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. 

Autumn

There are my feet again, those of you who follow me on Insta and Facebook will recognize me in this position, in my recliner. 

There is my sweet little Twinkle. 

I have also written about how he has been scratching and biting me, and someone (Sally) suggested that I discipline him now so that he would not turn into a biting, scratching adult. 

Actually, I have been using a small squirt bottle on him, which we used with
Lilly when she was a puppy, lo, these many years ago. 

What I found was that after a week, he responded better to "NO", than being

squirted. 

Here is the reason he is on my lap, curled up. 

That's Paiton with Autumn, our new family member from 

Kitty Cat Connection. (Thank you, Tammy Potts)  I went over to pick Autumn up 

last Saturday, and she had to spend some time in the bathroom 

getting used to everything.  When I am here, she is now allowed to 

roam throughout the house with Twinkle. 

Oh, we have had some fun. 

They have been up hill and down dale. 

They are not allowed outside, tho Twink has escaped a time or two. 

They are strictly indoor cats, from here on out. 

Lilly is not sure about Autumn,  so I monitor them. 

Jester wants to play so BADLY, and Autumn is not used to 

dogs, so there is a lot of hissing. 

In fact, he is feeling very left out, he was Twinkle's main man. 

He had been jumping and grinning, play with me, play with me, 

for five minutes before I took this, and they ignored him. 

Here is a dorky picture I took with one hand last night. 

I was watching the Voice finale (sort of) and Twinkle climbed up 

into the recliner and went to sleep nestled on me.  Autumn, for the first time, 

came up with him and also went to sleep.  It didn't last long, pretty soon 

they started wrestling again, and they wrestle HARD.  She is just a hair bigger than he,

and gives as good as she gets. 

However, he has not bitten or scratched me one time, now that he has a playmate. He was just desperate to play, before. 

I got Jester up a little later, and gave him scritches until he was almost asleep, 

to let him know he is still MY  main man. 

Here was Spooky in the old henhouse this morning.  I knew something was 

sleeping in the closet... there are two depressions in the deep straw I put in there, there 

is another just beyond Spooky to the left.  No sign of Harlequin, I have not seen her in two days, and you see that Spooky wanted his breakfast, he was telling me.  He was also telling me "Don't come any closer".  

There is also something sleeping in the little red hen house.  I leave about 

a cup of cat food in there every day, just in case one of the other two ferals is still around... I have not seen them in weeks though, and I know my neighbors at the bottom of the hill feed ferals. 

Something eats it, and something sleeps there, but is gone when I go out in the morning.  It is 

cat or possum sized. 

Speaking of the possums and other wildings, I am moving the feeding station off the porch and into the yard by the pasture.  I'm going to move it INTO the pasture once they get used to not finding it on the porch. 

The cats come to the porch every night, despite the fact I feed them in the hen house. 

The water in the warmed bowl will stay on the porch.  One thing I have NOT done is 

started feeding the wild birds on the deck again.  I have enough fun watching them at my feeding station, and I keep water out there. 

It looks like all I shopped for at the commissary today was cat food, doesn't it? 

I stocked up for the next two weeks, and then got everything else that was on my 

Christmas - party list, like bowls and cups, etc..  We have ham and cheese sliders and potato soup on the menu, but I did get a container of potato salad, just in case. 

While I was there, they had a scavenger hunt, giving 10 minutes to get all the items on the list, and back to "go".... to win a big sack of items, PLUS an Xbox One system.  It was fun to see everyone careening through the aisles trying to get their list filled, and fun for the parents.  The store was not too full, either, so it did not put anyone out. 

What a fun way to win an Xbox for your kids. 

Here is a much-cropped picture of the new rooster, whom I am calling Ferdinand, after the 

bull from the cartoon of the same name, recently re-made by Disney. 

Ferdinand was a big, blustering bull who was a baby at heart, and so is this 

rooster.  I had to pick him up and carry him in 3 times, he has never 

roosted inside, his home had other roosters and they beat up on him all the time. 

My friend who gave him to me told me she felt so sorry for him.  

This is how he slept the first two nights.  Now he gets himself turned around in the nest box, and nestles there, next to one of the hens.  I have never had so many chickens who like to roost in the nest boxes, and I have to clean them out every morning.  As I am getting so few eggs, I guess it doesn't matter!  

I thought this was interesting, I always fill this fortex in the morning, 

because the squirrels and little birds drink from it all day, along with whatever chicken is near. 

Those are raccoon paws in the fortex.  Uh huh. 

I used to be afraid to look out because of Cogburn, however, if I even show my face for a minute, I hear tap-tap-tapping at the door.  See the red hen?  She had been tapping.  

They are spoiled. 

However... I am going to start treating them OFF the porch, I have to power wash porch and deck, they are not discriminating when they have to go, if you get my drift!

I end with a Random Act of Kindness.  For years, I have read "Sugar Pie Farmhouse", a blog written by a wife and antiques dealer in the Ozarks, in Branson, who is called "Aunt Ruthie".  She linked to another blog the other day called "MorningChores".... and they both suggested doing this, a random act treating someone who helps you all year, and not just at Christmas. 

I heard the trash truck come up the road on Monday, I am the last customer on the road, and 

they commonly turn in our driveway entrance.  They were there a little longer on Monday morning as they found these on top of the trash bin.  What a great idea from Aunt Ruthie, thank you! 

The mailman will get his on Friday, and I am taking a batch to the feed store tomorrow, they help me all year (the main helper gets a cash tip, too)... don't forget all these folks that help us 

through thick and thin.