The Buffalo

Two days ago, I showed you pictures of the buffalo across the 

state highway from our old place. 

They are magnificent, are they not? 

I saw them as I came out of our road at the 

highway (called either State Ave. or 

24/40 highway) and decided to turn left. 

Now, a story about them. 

The owners had to surrender all their animals at one time, 

but the buffalo were eventually returned. 

They have about 100 acres.  

The people who lived there no longer do, the house is 

largely burned, but there is the large pole barn you see here, and another smaller barn to the left. They still own the property. 

There was a gentleman living there in a trailer, but he has been gone at least since 

we first lived there. 

Two years ago, I came upon a dead buffalo cow on the side of the road, and 

a mile farther, another.  I was told then that they are frequently getting out at the back 

of the property, but this was along State. 

Over the last three or four years, the red cedar trees grew up on and in the fenceline, until you could no longer really see into the property.  In the last few months, someone is clearing the red cedar in the pasture, and along the fence.  

When the buffalo saw me stop, the cows and calves immediately came down the hill to the fence to see what I was doing, just like cows everywhere. 

Leavenworth County Humane Society, and the Humane Society of the United States 

are both aware of the buffalo, but there is not a lot that can be done.  

The Leavenworth County Sheriff's office advised me one time (in the

tone you can imagine) "... "Little lady, those are wild animals and they can take care of themselves just fine".  

There are two ponds on the property. 

So, I have not talked to anyone yet who knows what is going on, but here 

is the rest of the story.  I suspect it has something to do with the clearing. 

There is a large pond on the next property over, which is unimproved, 

meaning no structures.  The owners want to put a fishing operation 

in there, along with a trailer parking operation (where people can 

park their recreational trailers while traveling).  We, in the neighborhood, are afraid it will 

turn out to be a trailer parking "neighborhood" that will bring property values down, 

and we have protested it over the past year.  

I suspect this clearing has something to do with that, but as I say, I don't know for sure yet. 

So, putting out feelers. 

In the meantime, I'm enjoying seeing the buffalo again. 

The Reason for the Absence

Nothing like an entire month in between posts, especially when I told you I would be posting more regularly! 

I have rarely been posting on Facebook, either. 

So what I have been doing is this:

That is the view from the porch of our old house. 

Our renter moved at the beginning of April, 

and I have been going out there daily.  

I don't know what to do. 

The house is not in good repair, but the property 

can be restored, the whole property, uncut yard, uncut 

pasture... overgrown garden beds.  

I'm going to be 67 this year, and only TWO friends 

think I'm not nuts. 

My kids and step-kids think I'm crazy to leave this beautiful 

big house and squish back into the little house. 

The little house needs 4 months worth of work done on it, first, 

and it's almost May.  

See what I've been doing?  Going back and forth, literally and figuratively.  

That's the lilac I raised from a six inch high cutting given to me by 

Kathy-next-door. 

Lilly Ann was raised from a puppy there, and she is so happy when 

we are out there. 

As you see, the garden beds are almost unseen in the grass. 

The view down the hill to the Spehar's ponds. 

I can't get down into the pasture, it's so overgrown and there 

are burrs.  I let Lil in the first day, and she got covered, we had to go to the 

vet for her to be shaved in several places.  So, no morel hunting in my tiny 

patch of woods, out of sight to the right.  

My plan is to get it mowed, and keep it mowed. 

At least that's today's plan. 

My beautiful vegetable beds. 

Three cats are eating on the porch (you knew I would feed them). 

One, the one on the bench, was left there by the renters.  I am going to try to trap and neuter it. 

The other cat is also fed by the neighbors across the road. 

The third, not in this picture... is a grey tabby, and acts like a feral cat, it does not 

like to be around the other two. 

All I know is, the bowl is empty in the morning. 

That's the other reason the food is all gone by morning. 

I bedded down the henspa to move the hens from the ag hall out there... but 

have not done so.  I won't do anything until my mind is made up, one 

way or the other. 

There are many factors involved.  Yes, this big house is 

gorgeous and in a good neighborhood, but an unfortunate neighbor 

dispute happened here, that involved a drawn-out court case. 

That case is finished, but we also have a case with the people 

who sold this house to us, who failed to advise us of the prior neighbor dispute concerning this land. 

It is a big, nice house that would sell fast.  

Why would I want to move back to a tiny little house 

that needs so much work? 

Keith's handiwork is all around me there, but that's not even the reason. 

I just love it, I can't explain it.  I had the same kind of feeling for the 

first Calamity Acres, too, and I had to give that up. 

I just don't want to give this one up. 

It's pretty simple. 

So, I'm still agonizing.  

I'm going to get an opinion from an agent as to what the property is 

worth at the moment on the open market, with the house "as is". 

There are almost NO small acreages listed in Leavenworth or Wyandotte Counties, 

Kansas.  It would be a great building site, with a deep well and new septic already in. 

So... we'll see.  I'm praying about it.  I have been for weeks. 

So, as the dogs and I left today, we saw this: 

We are 2/10's of a mile off a busy state highway, 24/40, also 

called State Ave.  Remember, I have shown you the bison herd that is directly north of us 

at 198th and State on the north side.  In the last year, red cedar has grown up in their pasture so badly that the grazing was almost gone.  Red cedar trees also had grown into the fenceline, and that fence was put up by the state.  Some time in the last 3 weeks, someone began clearing the red cedar from the pasture, and this morning, a quarter mile of fenceline had been cut down. 

When I pulled off the road to get my camera up, the bison began approaching the fence line. 

I counted 25.  You can see that the trunks were left in the fenceline, probably a good idea. 

I only saw three calves... one is in the middle here. 

I saw at least two huge bulls. 

The house here had burned years ago, but there are still two big barns. 

The brush and saplings that had grown up on the driveway are all down, too. 

I am not sure what this all means. 

Another van pulled up behind me when they noticed me taking pictures (from the car). 

That man WALKED UP TO THE FENCE, I could see him as I pulled away. 

I would not want to be so close to thousands of pounds of inquisitive 

buffalo. 

So, I really WILL try to post more often.  

Think of me agonizing over my choices!