Falling Into Fall

 My goodness, I did not realize I had not posted in three weeks!

Life keeps whizzing by. 

In that time, several things have happened. 

My friends have gone home for the winter, and 

it is likely different ones will come next spring. 

The goat, seen in the background, will be back. 

I miss them, I look out the window ten times a day to check on them... but... I will also not have to carry water buckets this winter, and drag hay in the cart clear across the yard. 

Whew. 

My sweet little Fritzi is blind now, though I think she can 

still tell light from dark.  The vet and I are having trouble 

getting her blood sugar balanced... she has Cushings and diabetes... 

and she had a crisis a week ago.  I don't know what the future holds, but we 

are trying to enjoy things day by day. 

These guys are piling up my walnuts, though he is eating bird seed here. 

I hope that doesn't mean we have a hard winter coming. 

I have been experiencing a strange phenomenon. 

I spend more money on the birdseed blend I buy than any other feed I have ever bought. 

It is mixed at a local mill, Valley Feeds, in Bonner Springs, and 

is called Backyard Blend. 

These Mourning Doves are modeling it for us. 

About halfway through the summer, the red-winged blackbirds, 

voracious feeders, migrated home.  

Starlings disappeared in their entirety. 

I literally have had the doves, the woodpeckers, the blue jays, the cardinals, 

and all the little birds, only. 

About a month ago, the goldfinches disappeared.  I still have lots of house finches. 

(the goldfinches will be back). 

The hummers were here until a week ago Sunday. 

I did see ONE black bird a week ago, but no others. 

Oh, except for these: 

I love them, you know that. 

I am spending about a fourth of what I normally spend on bird seed, and I'm glad for that. 

I am also spending less on finch mix. 

Three weeks ago, a good friend asked if I wanted to bring Paiton and Jax, my youngest grands, to Angel Falls Creek to spend some time with his great grandson.  (The kids are friends). 

We spent a couple of hours and finished up by eating at Freddy's.  

Jax, who just turned 13 on Saturday, and Paiton, who will be twelve tomorrow. 

Here are the boys (and another little girl) playing in the pool below the falls that day. 

Brayden took his bike into the pool. 

(with grandpa's blessing) 

This is from the bridge, today.  The falls are stopped, dried up completely.  There is no water coming downstream at all.  If you look closely, there is a blue heron standing in what is left of the pool, and I did not see him when I stopped at the bridge to take the picture.  

I walked down to the creek and scared him, but could not get the camera up in time. 

I used to walk Lilly and Jester there five years ago, and I have never seen it this dry. 

There was a tiny pool of water upstream in this picture, out of sight.... the pool at the foot of the falls where the boys played is almost dry.  Brayden saw a fish that day, it won't live if it dries up any more, I'm afraid. 

We need rain in NE Kansas, friends. 

This is Spot Yoder, who is happy here now. 

I suspect he was someone's pet at some time, because he lets me 

love all over him. 

He suffered some wounds recently, on his ear and his side.  He has let 

me put triple antibiotic on the ear for the last five days, and it is looking MUCH better. 

He is waiting at the front door for breakfast now every morning. 

As soon as I can safely get him into a carrier, he is going to get vetted. 

When Ben was here last week, he and I moved my last dog house from the 

henyard to the patio, and I can tell Spot is spending at least part of the night in it, there 

is a depression at the back right. 

It faces south.  During the day, his dry food sits there. 

Rusty is still around, and even though he was raised here, he will never be anything but feral.  He will come about three feet from me, but if I approach any closer, he snarls.  He does not come for canned food every day, the way Spot does.  He has dry food in the pasture feeder, and canned food when I see him, (and he waits for it). 

Rusty is neutered and had some shots as a kitten.  His three siblings all disappeared. 

The deck cam caught the two little girls laying out enjoying the sun. 

Can you see the squirrel suspended in air on the right?  How do they DO this? 

There is a narrow greenbelt along my north fence line, the trees are in my 

neighbor's, the Spehars, pasture. 

I have a camera hanging there once in a while, pointed into the pasture. 

Hmmmmm. 

Yesterday, I cut grass, the whole yard, for what I hope is the last time. 

The dust was so bad, especially out along the road, that I was 

covered when I came in, and had it in my throat and ears, UGH. 

I do need to cut just a strip at the top of the pasture before I put the 

tractor away. 

I WILL keep the area around the house trimmed for Fritzi's sake, 

though. 

Fritzi can't see but she can still hear.... she woke me up 

barking her head off one night.... I ran out the front door to find THIS going on. 

I had forgotten to latch a gate in the pasture.  It was the only time it happened all summer. 

As soon as I got my shoes on and yelled to them, they trotted right back into the pasture through the open gate. 

We have had some spectacular sunrises, and yes, that is the influence of smoke in the atmosphere. 

It is a pleasure just to go outside, lately. 

I have not been able to see the Spehar's shop all summer, because there are so many trees now.  I am going to get a quote to find out about taking out those pine trees (with their permission) because they have grown into my east fenceline so badly.... and.... broken up my view of the beautiful ponds. 

I visit Keith pretty often, still, and he could not rest in a more beautiful setting. 

This life size statue of St. Francis of Assissi is near the trail where 

I took pictures this morning, I stopped to pray for family and friends, and all the animals here. 

We are so lucky to live in a world where there are Octobers.

Do you follow this guy on Facebook? 

He has something pithy to say every day. 

This sign is particularly true. 

Stay safe out there, friends.