Catching Up

This is what greeted me when I got to the old place Friday with the dogs. 

Bone-dry. 

I worried about this, it was expensive.  

However, friend Jill suggested some animal may be jumping around in it. 

Because... 

Today, when we got there... 

There was still some water in it.  I had not been able to get out there yesterday, as 

we were getting ready to have four of our little grands over to make gifts for their parents this morning. 

There were a lot of hijinks!  

(Jax and Jace) 

Some serious rainbow painting 

(took over an hour to do hers... Paiton) 

Some fast dabbing of brushes... (Brynn)

And some serious "Don't Look at me, Mommie"!  from Jace. 

Littlest one Hailey was there, too, 

As was one year old Carson. 

It was a fun two hours! 

I took this of our friend on the way out to the old place with the dogs.  I stopped too long on the street though, and he took off.  He's such a beauty! 

You can see it was windy, and the cold wind was cutting.  We only stayed out for about 30 minutes. 

Lilly generally does not like Jester around her when she is investigating things in the pasture. 

He is tentative when he approaches her...

He got a little too close, and she drove on him just after this. 

But, smart dog... he waited for her to go down to the bottom of the 

pasture, and then he went to see what she was looking at. 

But he also sticks pretty close to mom 

We had a great Thanksgiving, and I was able to 

get to Liberty and help my brother eat his Thanksgiving lunch. 

My brother is slowly fading... and he is my last sibling.  74 years old, 

his dementia has progressed over the last two months, we are not sure why.  His 

hands have become palsied, and his left arm is still in a sling so the broken bone can set. 

He is not able to feed himself... but, as you see, when he takes the fork, anything can happen. 

He had almost overturned his plate into his lap... until I confiscated the fork again. 

He laughed at me, the stinker!  

The residents at the Manor had a regular Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberries, potatoes, green beans and sweet potatoes.  They had a mixed fruit crumble for dessert, and 

it all looked good.  

His wife and I are going to sit down Thursday with the Assistant Director of Nursing and see if we can get some prognosis, and why they think he has regressed so far in two months.  At mid-summer, he was able to recognize me and give me a big hug, and now, I am not sure he knows who I am.  I don't play the "Who am I?" game with him, it's not fair. 

I usually say (in a silly tone)  "It is I, Mary Ann, your favorite sister!" and that will usually bring a little smile. 

Keith and I had a quiet dinner at 5:30, and a peaceful evening. 

I have discovered a pond near us where hundreds of geese are staying.  I only had the little camera with me when I went by there yesterday, but I'm purposely going to drive over and get some pictures this week. 

I think it's so neat that the people in the houses on either side of the pond are letting the geese stay there.  You see it's in a natural bowl, and they are protected from the wind. 

I'll try to get more pictures this week. 

Another short video of the crazy Jester, as we got ready to go today. 

He knew we were headed for the warm car, and he got 'cited! 

Enjoy! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you were in the States) and a great weekend, for those of you outside!  

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and 

our parish has asked us to sign up for adoration again.  Last year, the first year, I did 9 to 10 AM ... it is Mondays, only, for the next four weeks.  I can't tell you how peaceful it was to go into the empty church and just sit and talk to God for an hour... to slow down... let the spirit rest from all the running and gathering... and 

just ... be at peace.  I'm so glad we are doing it again this year, and I signed up for 9 to 10 AM again, because no one had chosen that slot. 

What a great way to start my week! 

Happy Thanksgiving, 2014!

(from the net) 

We hope you have all had a wonderful, peaceful day with 

family and friends! 

A Blustery, Cold Day!

We live in the best-maintained county in this entire Kansas City metro area.  They do not wait until there is a crisis... they keep the roads in good shape.  

I had only to call once at the old house to get our road in front of our place graded out when potholes developed over the winter. 

I run into the road crew regularly. 

Here he comes, ninety miles an hour up the pasture! 

He always does everything fast! 

The possum from yesterday lived. 

I'm so glad. 

The cold was not bothering this one... and she had a brown nose.

(If you can read her look correctly, she did NOT want to get up and come home.  She did, though. )  

She could hear them but for once, couldn't find them. 

She's getting old. 

I had to convince her it was time to go home, because Jester and I were freezing in the 

wind. 

I had to run to Walmart early this morning... not necessarily Walmart but we 

feed Lilly a particular kind of food we buy there, so I went ahead to get the rest of the things on my list for the holiday dinner. 

The computers at Walmart had gone offline.  The only two working for a while were in the 

electronics department, and people were in line checking out their huge shopping baskets there. 

By the time I traversed the store ten times for my 20 things I needed... I got to the front and there were NO lines and I passed right through, the computers had come back up. 

A miracle. 

However... I shudder to think of what would happen tomorrow evening after 6 PM

or on Friday if the computers go down. 

Makes me shiver! 

These two always make me smile when I get home and see them. 

And... they are always glad to see Keith and Me. 

A Long Picture Post

I took the dogs out for a run this afternoon since it got up to 42. 

It was gorgeous out... the sun shining, and no wind, compared to yesterday. 

What a relief! 

Weeds? 

Or... Christmas tree decorations? 

While the dogs were running in the pasture, I was cutting weeds. 

I have to figure out what to spray them with (fixative) so I don't have seeds all over the bedroom... and something NOT flammable... because of the tiny lights on that prim tree. 

However, this is going to be the "natural" tree. 

Before we left, I had run the recyclables over to the transfer station. 

Only a few geese were on the pond... really, if I go in the late afternoon, it's packed! 

This one rambled all around the pasture, 

While this one stuck a little closer to Mom.  Lilly had gone after him several times. 

She found a bone the other day, and was protecting it... I thought. 

I became aware that she was laying by the old henhouse... when I turned to take this picture...

Jester tried to go through the single walk gate just out of sight to the left, and Lilly drove at him, she had been laying by the walnut tree you see here.  I should have realized something was up. 

But... she came through the gate finally and went down to the bottom of the pasture, where she was pouncing on something in the grass. 

So, I saw this guy: 

It was a hawk, not a buzzard, but he did not come closer, and soon disappeared into the blue. 

And then this came over... from the southeast to the northwest, so I don't think 

headed for Fort Leavenworth or the airbase at Topeka. 

So then I realized I was getting chilly, and Jester, who had gone down into the far end of the pasture, had come back up and was ready to go up in the yard. 

I got up and followed him, and we went to the car.  He was glad to jump in... and I turned around and called Lil.  I couldn't see her anywhere... 

finally... I saw her tail wagging at the walk gate into the pasture by the old henyard. 

This gate is just to the right of the henhouse. 

Jester saw me walk toward the gate... and he jumped back out of the car to follow me. 

Because... this little guy was in the porch of the old henhouse. 

I believe one of the dogs had already gotten him...because I had heard something cry out earlier, and had actually gotten up and walked up into the yard and looked around. 

Lilly would normally kill them... and it looks like he was mouthed at that back left leg. 

Poor little thing.  I had meant to take some bread out there I needed to throw out today... but forgot it. 

This may have been the culprit.  

But, somehow, I don't think so. 

Poor little guy was panting hard.  I'm sure one of them got him.  

Hurts me... I can't bear to kill them. 

I loaded the dogs up so he could relax.  I hope he lives. 

I was almost home when I hit the brakes as I saw this guy. 

My stopping disturbed him. 

But he didn't go far... I was shooting over my shoulder at this point. 

He landed 20 feet away.  I noticed two cars were coming, so I put the camera down and drove.  I passed another hawk, a much smaller one, in the same pasture about 50 feet away, but could not get him on camera, of course. 

You can't see them very well, but when we got home, there was a lineup of 

doves sunning themselves on the fenceline where the bird feeders are in our yard! 

And I wanted to mention that last night on the way home from the farm, I scared a flock 

of about 20 robins!  Robins!  Never have I seen them this late in the year. 

I read something on the Birds and Blooms website today that if there is 

ample food, they will stick around.  I was so stunned. 

Keep praying for the people of Ferguson and other places where there is 

so much unrest.  I am not going to give opinions... we don't need to 

incite people... but just pray that peace will return to our country. 

Blessed in Leavenworth County, Kansas. 

Before the World Blows Up

I am going to try to get a post in before 

things get bad in Missouri, and we are drawn to the tv.

Praying for all of those people ... because there are 

two "sides" and the situation has become so 

awful. 

I wish we could just all get along. 

I think prayers are really going to be needed for the next few days. 

I cleaned the porch up after taking this picture! 

Extremely disappointed in my solution to the water problem at 

the old house... the new fountain was totally dry when we got 

out there today.  I know it wasn't cold enough for the heater to kick on... and we 

had not been there since Friday afternoon.  That tells me most of the water 

evaporated from the open container.   The old fortex is on the deck, and 

it was open... and as you see, I refilled this one.  

I think, though, that I am going to bring it home so I can 

fill it daily here. 

I've thought of another solution for the old house - a heated dog water bowl.  

We'll see.  I may just have to give up for the wild birds out there. 

There ARE plenty of ponds around... but gosh, I got such joy from 

helping the wildings. 

Despite the rain, they have nearly finished the big tree in Basehor.  This is NOT the 

city tree... it's in someone's yard.  I didn't see the cherry picker around, but 

I don't think they are finished yet, either. 

We did not stay out long today... even though it was 38, the wind was blowing hard. 

Too cold for Jes. 

Look whom we saw on the way home!  He is so majestic looking, and I was so lucky there were no other cars on the road. 

You can get an idea of the size of his beak.  Very impressive! 

I saw him in action the other day, but could not stop and capture it. 

I am praying for peace... I hope that we can have it.