Sunny Days

Lots going on here.... including rain for days, nine days in May in a row, in fact. 

Let's get caught up!

Wanda, the Ferocious Feral, was giving me hints that she was ready to go. 

She never calmed down, though I caught her playing throughout the days on the camera. 

She was still enough of a kitten that she played with the toys I had in the little red hen house with her. 

I released her on May 23rd, before dark, but she waited until after 8 to go out. 

She is coming in and out regularly, but the problem (that I knew would happen) is that 

the raccoons immediately found the food source.  

That's a nursing mother who has been going in and out. 

I have food here, in the old garage (used for storage), in the pasture feeder (the one on stilts), 

and on the porch.  One raccoon comes in daylight, and this mama above showed up on camera yesterday at 3:15 in the afternoon, she must be very hungry. 

Last night, I thought for a minute I had left a hen out, I saw movement by the big hen house... it was Wanda.  I put some food near the water bowl there, since she has found it.  

Barring any animal attacks, I think she will do okay. 

Miss Molly is now going out during the daytime.  At the feed store, she 

was an indoor-outdoor cat who stayed mostly indoors. 

I started letting her out two weeks ago, with some trepidation... the fact the 

mama raccoon came during the day worries me. 

(not from a rabies standpoint, from a Molly could be stupid and try to fight 

standpoint). 

She goes in and out, I usually let her out very early in the morning, and then she 

comes in and out.  She is never out until dark, I am not trusting enough.  And, of course, 

if I ever see her go for a chicken, she will be in all the time. 

There are a lot of baby squirrels here now.  They have to taste everything. 

Sorry for the shot through the window, but an indigo bunting has been visiting regularly. 

(and oh yes, I was down at face level) 

Same snake. 

Raccoons don't like the oranges (tho they go for the jelly)... but the squirrels love them. 

In a way, I am glad the orioles are only here for a few weeks, as it is 

a pain to refill the feeder with sugar water, I have to wash it out with the hose because of the ants. 

***************

I'm breaking here, because I literally typed that almost three weeks ago and never finished it! 

Life. 

Here is the Ferocious One on the deck cam on Saturday, and, as you can see... she is doing fine! 

The orioles are gone now until next year, they only stay about three weeks. 

I'm glad, because it is a PAIN to keep that station clean. 

I thought this was funny.... look at the temperature! 

It wasn't, though we have had 100 degree days and many with the "feels like" over 100. 

We were expecting storms last night, and they did not happen, despite a lot of thunder. 

It is cooler today, though, thank heavens. 

I do not know if you can tell, but baby tails are sticking out from under Mama. 

I have another picture, if I can find it. 

There you can see some little baby paws sticking out. 

There goes Molly.  She is having a blast, but she is usually under my scrutiny. 

And..... BABY SEASON is upon us!  

Have a good week, everyone! 

 

A Month Flies By

 Friends, we are still here. 

I, who posted daily in the early years, have been so neglectful of this blog.  I will try to do better. 

It is a wonderful record of the things that have happened here at Calamity Acres, and I will remind you, there is a tiny "search" window that expands when you start typing... if you type in "llamas"... "Geese"... "turkeys".... "goats"... etc.... you will bring them up. 

Things have been changing here. 

First of all, Wilber and his partner, Mama, went home.  

Their daughter went to her new family in late July. 

Then, Mama mourned for three days... three days of bellowing like a human mother, it broke my 

heart.  It convinced me that I rightly could never raise animals for sale. 

She began jumping the fence into the yard. 

(She is laying down in the shade near Wilber in that picture). 

There she is in the yard on July 22nd.  Unfortunately, it was during the county fair, and no one had time to work on fence to fence off the low spot, so they just took her home, along with Wilber. 

We opened a new exhibit at the National Agricultural Center.  It is 

made up of WPA portraits from the 1930's.  We think we have it bad... those poor people had nothing, and the Dust Bowl drove them from their homes. 

As frightening then, as the fire storms are today. 

What is our world coming to? 

This is one of the four ferals here, Yeller.  He is a male, an older kitten, unneutered, and not one that came from the agency for which I foster.  

He will have to be trapped, at some point, and neutered. 

He is trying so hard to trust me. 

I have to tell you that I am petrified of fire. 

I burned our terrace as a ten year old, and my uncle, a fire chief, 

was called to come over and talk to me.  I did not touch matches for MANY years, I would not

burn the trash in the trashburner behind our house.  

This is the second time I have had to burn debris, and I was careful both times, there is a hose hooked up, ready to go if needed.  I did not use any starter fluid, either. 

Now I know that I can do it. 

They're baaacccckkkkk. 

I wish we could fast-forward thirty days. 

I did not get a garden tilled this year, my helper worked full time this summer, and 

for various reasons (life) was never able to till for me.  

I will have to buy pumpkins. 

Next year, I will hire a service to mow the yard and do all the trimming, I can still mow, but 

I cannot handle a heavy-duty weed eater.  I will handle the pasture. 

We have had a terrible period of high temps.... heat indices over or near 110F. 

Two weeks ago, I called the owners of the lambs in my pasture... one lamb was in distress, and they came and got her and took her home. 

Sadly, on Tuesday, I found two lambs that appeared to be laboring in the intense heat, but they were in the shade, next to a pool of cool well water.  I took food to them and they did not eat, but one got up and walked away. 

I checked on them at 5:30, and found one dead.  The other was with the other lambs... I called the owners immediately. 

They arranged to come get the lambs on Wednesday morning. 

As I went out the door at 6:15, I saw a white form in the pasture.  My favorite lamb, 

Number 71, was dead also.  It broke my heart. 

Needless to tell you, there were hurt looks when they got here to get the lambs, living and dead.  I don't think my pasture will ever be used again. (I am sure, in fact)  I did remind them that I had had lambs, goat kids, llamas and their crias (two crias born here), mini-horses, big horses and had never suffered a loss. BUT.... that is not to say that the birds did not bring in some terrible noxious week that made the lambs fail.  They appeared to be fat and healthy.  Again, it broke my heart, especially the gentle lamb that followed me around like a dog. 

I have not lost any hens, so far, but I can tell the older hens are really stressed out.  I am putting 

frozen bottles in the waters daily, and checking for fresh water constantly. 

Right now, we have a big storm over us, but I am literally on the edge of it, and though it is dark on the east side of the house, it is light on the west, so I think it will miss me.  I have most chores done, all the water done. 

We are getting respite tomorrow for a few days. 

Tuesday, I took landscaping fabric and covered the long bed 

(one of two left).  I put dirt bags on it to hold the fabric down and kill everything. 

My plan is to dig up the surviving lillies, iris, and day lillies, and put them all in this long bed. 

I have one other longish bed that needs to be covered, too, and I will go out to the shop tomorrow and 

look for the other roll of covering, and then put more bags on it.  

The dirt bags had been laying on it for several weeks, they did a great job of killing everything. 

I am hoping in a few months, I can dig the beds out and put the fresh dirt in, and start moving plants. 

Saturday night, my boy Jes got up from the floor next to my chair, and I looked down and saw blood dripping.  I had not realized he was swollen along his anus, and I went into high gear.  My phone was 

not working right, I went next door to call the emergency vet, and loaded Jes and went there (about thirty miles away).  By the time we got there it was 10:30, and by the time we were in with the doctor, almost midnight.  I was told it was a two to three hour procedure to repair a ruptured anal gland... so ... I left him overnight, and went back Sunday.  He will have to be expressed every six weeks from now on, and... we will see our vet for follow up on Monday morning. 

How I did not notice his discomfort, I don't know, but... he did not scoot, he did not rub against anything.  I cannot believe I didn't see it, it hurts me to know he was in such discomfort. 

The emergency vet explained it is a common problem with dogs.  Jes is still on penicillin and pain meds (for another day) and he is getting along fine. 

You can see it here, but it has started healing over.  

He only gets to go out for a few minutes at a time in the heat. 

I am sitting next to a window, and it has gotten very dark out, I am going to go take a look!

No rain.  Literally not even a drop.  The storm really did go east.  It is still dark over there. 

We did drop about ten degrees.  I watered the flowers, so that means the 20% chance of rain tonight will materialize. 

So, now a bit about the feral cats. 

Here is Wanda at daylight, she of the hissy fits in the Little Red Hen House. 

She was watching for me to bring her breakfast out. 

I mean, they are supposed to be feral. 

When she sees me with her green feed bowl, she jumps down and runs for the shop.  She is on the  upper rail of the big hen house, where she can see across the yard. 

I go out at 5:45, and feed the cats and the wild birds.  I'm a sap. 

Rusty, who is four now and grew up here. 

He is the cat in my header.  I can get within three feet of him.  

He waits sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening.  This morning, he was on the deck waiting. 

He is the one who can feed himself. 

That little yellow dot is Yeller.  He is not fixed... he appeared out of no where. 

I am hoping to trap and get him neutered. 

He actually will let me get about four feet from him now. 

The beautiful Cleo, who came after Wanda.  

See Molly laying at the door?  

Cleo will not come near me... at least not closer than six feet. 

She waits every morning at the fenceline in the yard, watching the door.  So, this morning, I had Cleo watching from the right, Rusty on deck at my feet.... Yeller by the old garage, and Wanda did not know I could see her on the steps of the big hen house, until I called to her. 

She ran for the shop at that point. 

My neighbor across the road called me two days ago to ask about Cleo, she thought she had been 

injured in some way because of the way she was walking.  I looked at a bunch of pictures of her on deck, and I don't think so. 

I confirmed that tonight, she is eating some (cooked) chicken out in the garden right now. 

Rusty is actually the one I am worried about.  He looks unnatural here. 

He hid under the car all afternoon (but, it WAS hot)... I took his wet food and dry food and water to the edge of the car for him.  He is gone now.  He just does not look like he is walking right, so I will keep an eye on him. 

Like I said, it was hot.  This poor snake was curled up in the water fountain in the big hen house. 

Not the first time I have seen it, either. 

Everyone should have a better night tonight, the temp dropped by ten degrees or more. 

I am going to go lock up. 

Folks, the Delta variant is rearing its' ugly head here.  Two of the people with whom I volunteer received calls that they had been exposed.  Both were tested, one Monday and one today. 

Because I had been around the second a lot, I went and had a swab test tonight.  I have had my Moderna shots... but I worry about breakthrough infection.  There are so many vulnerable people, I wish we could all draw together to protect each other. 

No more pontificating.  

Think FALL!

Take care of each other. 

No Snakes in the House!

Yesterday, Keith and I were getting ready to go to the T Bones Baseball game, and I stepped into the shower to get the grunge off. 

I heard Keith say in a steady voice: 

"Mary Ann, come here and look at this". 

I called out 

"Keith, I am in the shower", 

I heard him say again: 

"Mary Ann, you MUST come here and look"

So, I got out of the shower, grabbed a towel, and went out into the kitchen, dripping. 

I peeked out the door, to see a big snake slithering away across the porch. 

Keith said:

"I opened the door to go out, and he raised his head on the threshold, and started to come IN". 

Yikes!  

He took several pictures on the porch: 

You can just see the snake along the bottom of the wall, sorry, there are a bunch of tools there right now. 

Here he goes away through the grass, under the car, in the direction of the old henhouse.  It looked like the smaller of the two males, NOT Mr. T, who is truly huge. 

It looked like this one: 

Yes, that's he wound up in the water bowl I keep on top of the closet of the old henhouse.  Chris was quick to see him up there last week, on Wednesday, when it was so hot, when we went in to do chores.  Thank heavens he saw him before I reached for the bowl. 

I have been sleeping with the window in the bedroom cracked and I told Keith that two nights ago, I heard strange noises in the bedroom.  Now I'm shuddering, (laugh).... and wondering. 

This looks like a pretty innocuous stand of weeds outside the goat yard.  I am trying to keep a path through there mowed, so we can get to the mulberries easily, the goats have discovered that they taste good. 

Look what I found behind the weeds! 

13 eggs!

They are going down to the bottom of the pasture for the wild things today.  

I know the snakes are bothering the hens, because they are all looking for a place to lay outside the old henhouse. 

In the meantime, the henspa yard is slowing drying out, now that the ducks have been moved. 

I also am finally ready to write about something that happened a week ago... on Sunday morning that week, I got a call from our neighbor Troy.  

He said there were some folks in his driveway who wanted to talk to us. 

Keith and I both went out. 

It was two families who were looking to buy some chickens, so we sold them six hens and two roosters, two of the little bantams.   They took two beautiful ones, but remember... we had 16 roosters. 

The two families were from Mexico, and only one man and two boys spoke English.  Keith got into conversation with the man while I went with the boys to get the birds.  He was told that the family had a small farm "at home" where they could no longer go... it was too dangerous.  The man said that his boys would be kidnapped and made to work for the drug cartels if they dared visit their home, and they missed it. He was looking for a small place here, and in fact, asked Keith if he would consider selling.  We couldn't imagine what it would be like to be cast out and afraid to come to our own home again. 

The upshot is, with the departure of the six hens, the death of Mabel two weeks ago, and Suzie, the week before, the henspa group has really settled down to a manageable number.  I am getting about 12-15 eggs from there daily, most days. 

We are able to donate 8 dozen per week, and last week also gave 18 to Kathy and 18 to Chris and Hayleigh to take home for themselves, so the reduced numbers have not hurt production. 

It's good to be King. 

I'm trimming in there today, in hopes of reducing some of the muck.  One of you kind commenters said yesterday to put some gravel down, but I think this is a combination of changing out the waterers frequently, and the strong cover of the saplings, so I am going in there today and trimming.  In my muck boots.  

UGH. 

It also rained yesterday, so just imagine the mosquitos.  

The ducks, however, are LOVING it and terrorizing the chickens. 

Bits and Pieces Wednesday

I have lots of random shots to show you today. 

First, though, 

The Crazy Sheep Lady from Punkin's Patch suggested last night that black vultures may be attacking the flock.  Guess what? That's exactly what we saw two nights ago, when the ducks fled in panic. 

I did a little research on it, because I thought vultures, both black and turkey, were carrion eaters only. 

Uh huh. 

 (don't read this if you are squeamish) 

Diet[edit]

At a garbage dump

Over a deer carcass

In natural settings, the Black Vulture eats mainly carrion.^[40] In areas populated by humans, it may scavenge at garbage dumps, but also takes eggs and decomposing plant material and can kill or injure newborn or incapacitated mammals. Like other vultures, it plays an important role in the ecosystem by disposing of carrion which would otherwise be a breeding ground for disease.^[41] The Black Vulture locates food either by sight or by following New World Vultures of the genus Cathartesto carcasses. These vultures—the Turkey Vulture, the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, and the Greater Yellow-headed Vulture— forage by smell, an ability which is uncommon in the avian world. They fly low to the ground to pick up the scent of ethyl mercaptan, a gas produced by the beginnings of decay in dead animals.^[42] Their heightened ability to detect odors allows them to search for carrion below the forest canopy.^[39] King Vultures and Black Vultures, which lack the ability to smell carrion, follow them to carcasses.^[41] It is aggressive when feeding, and may chase the slightly larger Turkey Vulture from carcasses.^[40]

The Black Vulture also occasionally feeds on livestock or deer. It is the only species of New World vulture which preys on cattle. It occasionally harasses cows which are giving birth, but primarily preys on newborn calves. In its first few weeks, a calf will allow vultures to approach it. The vultures swarm the calf in a group, then peck at the calf's eyes, or at the nose or the tongue. The calf then goes into shock and is killed by the vultures.^[43]

Black Vultures have sometimes been seen to pick ticks off resting Capybaras.

Hmmmm... I have a former co-worker with Capybaras, the only one licensed in the state... I wonder if she knows this! 

I think they are majestic birds and have a strong place in bird society, but leave my chickens alone! 

I have been watching all day long, literally. 

Sorry for the goriness of that description/picture. 

This... pitiful picture... 

Shows the lump sum total of eggs I got today, and it includes the duck eggs!

And on top of it, one is cracked.  

I got TWO eggs from the big henhouse (formerly 6 to 8) and 5 from the hens of the henspa.  In fact... I got UNDER the dang building to see if any were hidden down there, and there were not. 

I have no idea what's happening... it's not overly hot (like last year) nor, heaven knows, is anyone crowded. 

Everyone has adequate nutrition and plenty of fresh water twice a day, and iced water on hot days. 

Thank heavens for the ducky girls. 

For two weeks they laid in the duck house in the big henyard.  The last two mornings, I found two eggs outside on the ground.  This morning, these three eggs were back in the quiet, very shaded southeast corner of the little henyard. 

At least they were mostly clean. 

Here in this picture is the little henhouse (red) on stilts... the juvenile pen (back of it) in white, and Little Bunny Foo Foo's, (RIP four years ago today) hutch which is falling apart.  A hen has begun laying in the nest box of it, hidden by an old towel, since the gate dropped off years ago (it's a Ware).  That's the one big egg I got from this side, and I got one small one this morning. 

Here are my hopes for this side: 

Last night when we got home from the family dinner, I went out to find only ONE little porcelain D'Uccle of the three roosting in the red henhouse.  I swooped him gently up, and carried him into the big henhouse, and put him on the roost next to his two brothers.  One has been roosting in there for weeks... and the second, went in there last night.  If I can get all three of them to roost in there, the red henhouse will be closed up permanently.  I will eventually clean it out good, and it will be there if we need it in an emergency.  

At some point, the Ware hutch will be burned. 

Now... the white juvenile hutch holds the 3 chicks from this year. 

My plan is to move them Friday night over to the henspa, across the yard.  Yes, there are four little bantam boys in there... and one of these chicks is a cockerel.  He's going to be a big boy, I think.  

However... I'm going to move them over so that the two pullets can lay in that house, where it is safe. 

I'll move them at night, and then the little white pen will be cleaned and closed up. 

No more waterers or feed for that side, saving time. 

Here are part of the remnants of the Japanese bantam flock.  Two roosters, two hens... but actually, there is Rooster Three (who is gray) and Butch, my pet rooster, who is all white... and they are all hatch mates. 

Andy McKim at the Little White House, this one's for you.... 

this is our well house.  It has a vent, you see, on the left, and the hatch on the right allows us (Keith) to climb in and out. There is a pump room above the well proper, and we are lucky... our well is 120 feet deep... and did not go dry in the drought last year. 

We do have to change the filter in it, and when it rains frequently, we have to change the filter more frequently, because sediment is drawn up.  There is a sump pump in the well room to keep things dry. 

Some well houses are very small, and Troy next door has only a pump apparatus above ground. 

Look who was having herself a soak in the old henhouse! 

I learned a few weeks ago, thanks to grandson Chris's good eyes, to look before I reach for this bowl.  It's hard to see from this angle, but her head and her tail are above water... her head is resting on the right.  She knew how to stay cool! 

I got a full big snake skin yesterday to give my grandson this weekend. 

Yes, folks, those pins on Pinterest that advise you to mix vinegar with some Dawn dish soap and spray it on weeds really works!  Wow! 

I was trying to be careful because vinca vine is growing to the right, and spearmint to the left. 

I worked about an hour yesterday cutting out trees.  Why is it that there is a TREE growing right next to the peach daylily on the right????  ARGHGHH! 

I love that tiny little daylilly at the bottom of the picture.  I don't know it's name any more. 

Do as I say, do not do as I do.  We planted these tomatoes FAR too close together.  I did not cut the suckers out.  I did not prune them. 

They are leaning on each other and I had to drive some support stakes in this afternoon. 

Why, then, are they dripping with tomatoes, every one of them? 

I promised Keith's daughter Andrea last night that extra tomatoes would be coming their way, soon. 

I was asked this morning if I did a lot of canning and preserving.  A few years ago, I was.  However, Keith and I are the only two people here generally, and we don't eat all that much anymore.  I have not canned anything yet this year, and I am currently thinking about getting a pressure canner so I can can a lot of green beans, which I have coming on and which we do, in fact, use a lot of. 

I'm also thinking about making some freezer strawberry jam, but no, we don't do a lot of canning anymore.  

I AM going to be making some salsa though, and maybe some tomato juice. 

And some sweet pickles, which son Jim loves. 

I do admire those ladies who put up lots for their family to eat.  Brava to them! 

You didn't think I could do this post without a picture from last night, did you?  

Here's Pawpaw with his little Brynn.  Isn't she a doll?  

It's 5:23 right now, and a storm has rolled in.  I was watching the goats out the window as pictures loaded, but at the first crack... they trotted right into their barn.  Goats don't like storms, smart animals. 

They proceeded to untie Keith's mom's shoes last night when Ralph and Trudy stopped by to meet them... and declared them cute as bugs. 

No, I don't have a picture, sorry... I was doing chores. 

We had a lovely sunset last night as we drove home from dinner... and now it's sunset on this blogpost for another day!