Rainy, Rainy Monday

It is raining and blowing outside, and has been all day. 

Despite that, I just opened the windows to air the house out a little. 

This somewhat blurry bird showed up this morning at our feeding station. 

If you look at the nyjer seed feeder, you will see that they are blowing in the wind today, and 

that it has rained quite a bit. 

The birds are eating on the ground.  

I think the bird in question... 

This little guy who would not turn around so I could see his breast...

is a junco, I think.  If so, it will be the first one here. 

I saw a Blue Jay on Saturday, but it did not stick around. 

The doves and sparrows have been out there.  I saw a cardinal couple ONE time. 

The beautiful hummers are gone, I think for the winter now, 

but I have left their food up just in case. 

I sure don't want the starlings to find us. 

I had to run to Walmart for dog food... and look what's going up. 

The tree on the left... you can't tell, because of the light... is BLACK. 

A black Christmas tree. 

I actually like the pale green one on the right, next to the skinny tall tree.  

This is our dinner tonight.  I forgot to take a picture with the bread crumbs on it, but it 

is just about ready to come out of the oven, I fixed it early because I suspect Keith may be 

home a bit early from work. 

Time for comfort food! 

Here is the recipe, from Myrna and Sue at The Iowa Housewife, again.  Oh...  I need to 

tell you that I made some changes to it... instead of the broccoli, of which I had none... I used 

a vegetable mix of green beans, carrots, corn and lima beans, which I usually put in soup.  

You cook the veg with the pasta.  I also cut it down to half a recipe... there are only the two of us here. 

Can't wait to try it!  

(from Pinterest, via "Interior Design Info") 

How to Decorate a Black Christmas Tree 

Not at our house, I'm afraid. 

Jes has the right idea! 

Bits and Pieces Thursday

Cold today, 37 when I went out to do chores... and still only 42 at 4:54.  The wind is blowing, and it feels MUCH colder. 

I moved things around in the big henhouse, and put a light on Nugget and her babies. 

They were grateful. 

This is the first of the babies, the strongest.  It is a week old now, and honestly, I don't think the eggs left under her have a hope of  hatching. 

I did make sure all three chicks were alive, and moving around... the third was out and drank and ate a bit.  I'm sure it was very cold.  It felt the heat from the lamp and froze and stood and let the heat beat down on it. 

The henyards are a mess, and it's slick in there, but cold or not, the hens rushed out this morning. 

You can see the pasture has greened up nicely. 

Our mower would not start two days ago, so Keith is going to charge it tonight.  We have not used it since the end of August last year... I may have left the headlamp on or something else stupid, and ran the battery down.  Then again, we may just need a battery.  

It's too wet right now to cut, but I hope to get started in the next few days or we're going to need a Bush Hog in here! 

I'll take the time to rake, too... and give all the grass to both pens of chickens to go through. 

What the hey????

This shot up since Sunday... it's in the pea bed, but could it be a PEA?  That far up in two days? 

Somehow I don't think so. 

The sump pump in our well is working overtime again, since the water table is so high. 

The sump keeps the well house pumped out so that Keith can go down and change the filter for the house water from time to time. 

He still has to wear his wet boots to do it.  

Abby loves to play in the water. 

And that's it for another soggy day at Calamity Acres!