Monday, December 4, 2017

Falls Turns into Winter

We have been having marvelous fall weather 
here at Calamity Acres, with a few cool nights, and crisp mornings, 
but also some 50-to-70 degree daytime temps, like today. 

It's all coming to an end.  The wind is blowing in a cold 
system that is going to put us in the freezer for a while. 

As Keith would have said, it IS December!


Mornings have been very crisp.  Sometimes the ponds at 
the bottom of the hill look icy!


But that doesn't stop the hens from roaming out across 
the yard and now, the pasture, to look for good things to eat.  Remember, 
I have not actually bought pellets for them since the end of July, they 
are pretty much feeding themselves.  I do buy scratch, and they do get 
some daily. 


A naughty kitten named Twinkle has gotten out of the door several times. 
He usually heads for UNDER the deck, and I have to trick him into coming out.  I am petrified to leave him outside because he is still so little.  The hens are afraid of him, nonetheless. 
Right after I took this picture, the rooster crowed, and Twinkle slunk to the door. 


My girl Lil is more and more content to stay inside and snooze on the couch or 
one of her beds. 


Cogburn is going to have to (as my friend Diane called it this morning) 
have a "come to Jesus moment".  He is attacking me every time I go outside, 
even if he has to run clear across the yard.  I have to carry something to fend him 
off, but he did get my hand yesterday.  I need to bring a few Christmas things in 
from the shed, but I have put off running the gauntlet. 

He is way down in the pasture at the moment, and I'll go out in a bit and 
get the wreath and look around for some lights for the deck while I am 
in the shed.  The problem is, I am still going through boxes and getting "rid of"... I think my 
porch lights from the big house are way at the back of the shed.  

I went by the big house today, in fact, to turn the furnace up a little.  The 
contract on the house closes on the 12th, next week.  It will be bittersweet, 
you see, that was the house that Keith loved, but also, the house where he died. 

When I go in there now, I don't get any bad vibes or anything, I just feel so sad that 
he only got to enjoy his dream house for two years.   It was a big, strong, 
lovely house, and it was so much fun to decorate at the holidays. 

But, know what?  I love my little house, and it is, indeed, MY little house
where I can do what I want and not have to defend any choices.  It's the first time
I could do that, and I love being here.  


Saturday was the first day of "Santa's Express" at the 
Ag Hall , and we had great participation in the third running 
of the Reindeer Run 5K, and walk, and lots of families coming to do crafts, 
see Santa, and ride the train. 

Those are my helpers in the craft room, the General Store, Caitie, a friend, and Paiton, my granddaughter. 

They worked hard on showing kids how to decorate pinecones and make Christmas cards, and I was 
very grateful for their help, and the help of many other volunteers that day and Sunday. 


Here comes Santa's Express, actually!


Judy is our admin assistant, but while we have no director, she is 
the defacto "everything".  It just wouldn't happen without her and 
Marsha, our volunteer coordinator, thinking of it and doing it. 

I'm not leaving out all our other wonderful volunteers, (those are two 
behind Judy, Elaine and Gerri) who give tirelessly to make things succeed. 


I was only at the Ag yesterday morning for a while, so I came home to 
do chores while the warm weather held.  I spread straw in most of the buildings. 

Look what I found in the hen spa!  Uh huh!  I thought I was getting two or three eggs a day. 

Of course, they won't lay there again, because I pulled the eggs out of that nest.  


I bedded down the little red henhouse, where I had started the four feral kittens out. 

I still leave a litter box in there for them, but I checked it this morning and for the first time, 
it was not used. 

I also put a little cat food in there every morning, and it is gone by the next day... I think a 
possum is getting it.  


Keith would be dismayed to see that his little red hen house he made so lovingly for me 
is crumbling.  The porch is coming apart, he put roosts around the edges, and they have deteriorated. 
It is still usable, but is just not standing up to the weather as he imagined it. 

At some point, the porch would need replacing. 




I put straw in the duck house, behind the old henhouse. 


Oh, that's kind of a blurry picture, but I bedded the closet of the 
old henhouse, I notice on the game camera that the kittens had slept in there several times. 

I may just go ahead and bed the whole thing, in fact. 


Because Harlequin (Harley) and.... (look close, she is looking down from a beam) 


 the Spookapotamus (Spooky) are living in there, still, and 
were waiting for their food.  I do open a pophole all day long every day, 
so they can come and go. 


I also bedded the one remaining dog house by the house... and this morning, 
found where an animal had used it last night.  The hens tend to pull the straw out 
of this house, so I have to keep re-bedding it.  

On Saturday morning, the gray and white kitty who hung out here all summer 
was sleeping in the chair nearest my front door, on the porch.  I am keeping this bedded in case he wants to sleep there.  I am still feeding him out at the gate, but am going to start drawing him closer, 
I hate that his feed gets all dusty every day, we have had so little rain that our road is 
causing great clouds of dust to roll.  

He is often waiting for me when I put the feed out. 


This is a gratuitous picture of a beautiful creek that stretches under 
I70 that I often stop and look at on my way home from Walmart in 
Bonner Springs, it is one of my favorite creek views! 


Here's my girl Lil this afternoon.  She did not feel good today, and I 
think it was she who vomited while I was at the Ag this morning. 

I am keeping an eye on her. 


Last night's beautiful supermoon peaking over the Spehar's hill across from us. 

It disappeared a few minutes later behind the clouds, but oh, what a view we had. 




What I go through nightly here, and oh, I love that my work shoes are in it. 


Sometimes, there is peace. 
And by the way, that's TWINKLE'S bed. 



9 comments:

  1. I loved all your pictures but of course had to laugh the hardest at the last one, after all I am a apart of that adventure....lol.....stella rose

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hari OM
    What a lovely round up of life at the acres... it was as if I was sitting on the porch with you. Sending some POTP for Lil. YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really like you post good blog,Thanks for your sharing.

    แคมฟรอก

    ReplyDelete
  4. I enjoyed the pictures and videos. Twinkle is precious. Jester is a sweetie. Hope Lily Ann is feeling better.

    That rooster needs a chicken whoopin'

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's been very windy here overnight and temps are dropping too. We have had quite a few 50 degree days but now we're dropping into the 30's. Yes, winter is coming. You are fortunate to have a place you feel at peace and love.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's wonderful that you are so happy back at the little rural house with your animals! We hope Lily will feel better soon. Could you weigh down a box to protect the grey and white cat's food from the road dust? I can't believe Christmas will be here in no time.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your life and days are so full, exactly like they should be. Our mom would not be patient with Cogburn. You know what she thinks! Anyway, we are glad the house is closing soon. It will be healing we think. Winter came and smacked us between the eyes. From the low 60's to the low 30's - over night! And now we have an inversion building.

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

    ReplyDelete
  8. poor lily...it is so hard when they start to wind down. i am so happy that you like being back at your house. i always loved it there. it just seems to suit you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. The photos are so beautiful Mary Ann,,,,
    You know what? You enjoy your winter of being in your safe little house!
    Remember Keith enjoyed his days at the other house...
    There is a time for everything.
    love
    tweedles

    ReplyDelete

I love comments!