Rain, Blessed Rain

 

Don't know what the measurement is yet, but it rained steadily for about 4 hours today, and off and on for another two.  We needed it so very much!

 

 

Trying to convince these guys it's time to start roosting in the big henhouse, where they hang out during the day.  After watching them walk around and around their pen in the rain, I gave in and let them into it.  They don't even fit into the little hutch in there anymore, plus an older hen decided to sleep outside tonight.  Exactly ONE pullet went up the ramp into the henhouse, and I checked to make sure she roosted with the other birds.  It won't be long until they are out of the little pen and in the new henhouse with the others.

 

 

It was this kind of day, and old Ranger was pooped out waiting for me to finish up and go back in the house, where it was dry and warm!

56 degrees right now, and I had to wear a hoodie to do chores both times.

 

 

Where to Start

As I sit here typing this at 8:58 on Sunday evening, it is totally dark out, and a huge orange moon has arisen over the ponds at the foot of the hill.  It is gorgeous, with just a wisp of cloud floating through it.  By Tuesday we are to have some more rain, but the weekend has been glorious.  Hot enough to sweat, but not hot enough to be sick, as it was for over a month., with the bone-searing, mind-numbing heat that left you feeling worn out all the time.

 

Keith worked on the new henhouse today, after my son Jim, and his best friend Robert (with son Brandon) had come out to help lift up the first wall.  I was NO help, believe me.  They had the wall up in about  five minutes while I was on the way home from the pancake breakfast.  Here it is from the east, looking west.  The mound of dirt with weeds that lay in front of it is gone now, after Mr. Skid Steer came this week. 

This is where we'll have a small patio by the firepit and the garden and eventually, the garden pond. 

And here is a side view, work he did today before going to his boss's wake this afternoon.

That is a window opening you see there. 

I made fresh salsa with tomatos from our garden and some red, yellow and orange small peppers I had bought at WalMart. It is a little "warmer" than we usually like, but very delicious.  I am going to freeze it to use in the future, but of course, we sampled it this afternoon.

I have some cucumbers to use, but I do not have enough to make a canning session, and we have enough pickles for the next year.

I am thinking of trying to make some cucumber salsa with them, and have been looking at recipes.

While Keith went to the wake in Lawrence, I did chores and put a meatloaf in, vacuumed, shucked some corn, and warmed some Italian bread up for dinner.  I had just started to boil the water when he called to say he was coming up the road.  We always try to do this because the pugs cannot be trusted not to run out of the gate.  I threw the corn on, and we had a very simple dinner.  We are both trying not to eat as much red meat... not that we don't like it, but we want to make sure that we live long lives.  We realized we were going very heavy on the meat, and not eating as much of the other legs of the food tree as we should, and we found that we feel better when we eat a more balanced diet. We have a treat once or twice a week, and tonight the treat was the meatloaf.

Here are the vultures birds who will literally clean up ANYTHING I put down in front of them:

How You Gonna Keep Em Down on the Farm?

After they've seen Paree?

I got the porcelain in, after getting on my small step-ladder.  I gave up on the rest.

There are TWO of Twelve in the little pen tonight, and one was mad to be there.

I'm hoping the owls don't see or smell them.

On the bright side, Buffy slipped back in with the other birds while I was doing chores.  She was able to get up on the lower roost, so I left her in with them.  If I hear her screaming when I do chores in the morning, she'll go back in the feed room for a few more days, but frankly, I think it will do her good to be with her buddies.