A Week of Kids

Your blogger has been retired for three years this past week. 

I have gotten used to sleeping a little later than I did during 

my working life.  

This week has been a revelation, Jax and Paiton have to 

come at 6:15 to 6:30, as their mom has to be at work 

shortly after 7.  

They do this every morning of every school day of the year, 

and of day camp during the summer. 

In fact, that's why they are coming to me this week, 

day camp ended last Friday and school starts

next Monday. 

I am WORN OUT.  

I do not know where they get all their energy! 

They are going out to do chores with me every morning, since I 

have to open up the henhouse every morning, as when I lived there. 

We continue to look out for the raccoons: 

As you see... the visitations continue.  We have finally determined it is a mother and three half-grown babies. 

Notice that the popholes are barricaded.  However... they could get in through the front door, I think, if they were really determined.  I am hoping they are not. 

I am dumping the water bowls in the evening, and 

taking the food bowls in... what you see is spilled feed. 

Good gravy Gert. 

This is hard to see... but there is a raccoon at the bottom of the pole holding the 

suet that I hang for the birds... and there is another one up the pole actually eating the suet. 

No wonder there is suet missing every night.  The thing that kills me is the 

raccoons are so lazy... they have gotten used to eating in the chicken yard. 

When we lived there full time, we did not have these problems, because Lilly and Ranger ran them out. 

Here is a happier picture... one I posted on Facebook today. 

That's Jacob closest to the camera, Jax, Paiton, and Grandma (me) at the front, driving the train at the Ag Hall this afternoon.  We had another family behind us... and we had a blast going around the lake.  I'm hoping to get a picture from the front this weekend.  

I need an engineer's hat, and I found out today where to get one! 

The kids have been helping pick tomatoes and peppers daily. 

I am going out later to lock the birds up... and for once, I got to see The Beacon of the Farm last night. 

I am trying to teach the kids to look around them.  We stopped to look at this vulture this morning. 

And while they played on the patio as they waited for me this morning, 
this beautiful cicada drifted down from the tree right next to Jax.  I thought for a minute he 
was dead, as we examined him... but tonight I looked as I went by doing chores, and he was gone. 

Neither child is scared of bugs. 

The light is changing, my friends.  Fall grows closer. 

Fall of our lives growing closer, too. 

The Random Saturday Post

Comments about things this morning: 

I read an article on the web this week about a nationwide pumpkin shortage because of the weird weather we have had this year. 

On Wednesday, I was at the Leavenworth WalMart.  There were big boxes of pumpkins there, for 4.88 apiece.  They were very nice ones, and I made a mental note to come by and get some next week. 

THEN, Thursday morning, I made a trip to the post for what I thought was an appointment. 

It was actually for Friday (and was rescheduled for next week).  I decided to run in the commissary there while I was on post... and lo and behold, they had GIGANTO pumpkins for 4.50 apiece.  

I told Keith this morning at breakfast that we need to go there next week, load up on pumpkins, and bring 'em back for the little ones, since we did not get any in our garden.  

So, I guess my decorating isn't quite finished. 

Oddly, the Bonner Springs WalMart does not have any pumpkins yet, other than small pie pumpkins. 

Keith did not make it home until 1:30 AM, after missing an early flight because of traffic, and then being delayed by weather all day long.  He came in worn out, and I don't blame him.  It's hard to be out of your own bed for six days. 

We're all glad to have him here, even though he is sound asleep right now. 

The red mum bush has repaid me for all the watering and care I gave this bed this summer.  My gosh... it is a cushion of flower.  The darker red bush is about to bloom behind it, as well. 

While behind it, the mums given to me by stepdaughter Andrea are also starting to bloom... I love this tiny pink, which is probably a lavender. 

With the cooler temps, Abby and Ranger have been able to get out more this week. Actually, Ranger was eating here, and Abby was lurking to see if she could get some. 

No, no, Pudgy Princess! 

This, for those of you who do not know... is a cicada. 

For two months now, they have serenaded us with their song in the evening, by the hundreds.  

Now I am seeing them dead, everywhere, their gossamer wings silenced. 

Yesterday in the big henyard, I saw one in a feeding bowl.. it was still alive, on its feet... but I could tell was almost gone. 

Indeed, when I passed it by a little later, it had flipped onto it's back, dead.  Their lives are so short. 

Hmmmm.  I wonder what's living down here, right in front of the door to the old henhouse? 

Not a snake... and I have not seen any rats in a year and a half. 

That hole is probably as big as a silver dollar. 

Here's Big Brother Kelly last night, watching Lilly in the yard. 

So far, we have not seen any signs of inability to urinate from him, and believe me, I am watching him. 

I have ordered ammonium chloride from Jolly German livestock products, and am going to dose him with it several times when it gets here to make sure any crystals in him have a chance at dissolving.  He is finally let me scratch along his spine and love on him a little... and really has turned into a nice little boy. 

It's a glorious fall day here, and I'm going to get off this computer and get outside! 

P.S.

I did take one neat picture this week which I never showed you: 

BOO!