It's Spring!

I sit here today, realizing I have not blogged since February 27.  I was once a daily blogger, 

back in 2009 and 2010.  I think there was so much more going on around here back then, 

and we had so many more animals.  Keith was alive, and yes, we were busy, busy, busy. 

I realized this week that instead of "our" place, this was now "my" place... and 

though I often catch myself referring to "we".... I realized that I can 

do as I please and I take joy in making decisions.  There is nothing 

wrong with that, either. 

I have made some resolutions, late in winter.... as I write this, it is the second day of spring. 

I have vowed to change how I feed the wild birds.  I am ashamed at what I 

spent doing it this year. 

This gives you some idea of what is going on (and by the way, the Browning camera has NEVER registered the right temperature).  

I have been feeding hundreds of starlings, grackles, brown headed cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds. 

That whole area around the feeder is probably (and I'm not exaggerating) six inches deep in seed and hulls. 

Customarily, I dug it up and removed it each year, but did not do that last year.  I am considering different ways to do it, it is already sprouting.  The raccoons and possums dig through it at night, as do the rabbits, who were present even during the deep cold of February. 

What I am planning to do is that as soon as natural food is available, I am going to cut back 

to two scoops in the morning, and a scoop at evening, when the cardinals come to feed. 

These guys. 

Yes, I have a LOT of cardinals eating here.  Sorry about these pictures, the camera was facing into the sunset. 

This beautiful gray tabby has disappeared, now.  

Something odd has been happening.  The cats are no longer coming on the porch or deck to eat. 

I have a bowl out in the old garage, by my south fenceline, with food and another with water for them during the day.  I do fill it at night, and two possums are eating there as well as the two cats, Rusty and the yellow tabby. 

I caught the yellow tabby on the camera in the garage two days ago, and it appears to have a tail wound. 

I believe Troy and Kathy are also feeding it.  This cat is very feral, where Mr. Rusty will let me get within two feet of him.  He has taken a dislike to canned food, though, so I have stopped offering it.  Rusty has only been on deck once in the last three weeks. 

This was from January, but you get the picture.  

I am emptying the bowl at ten, and there is nothing left for them to eat on the porch.  

However, I found the heated basin (directly in front of the camera here) almost dry this morning, so some kind of shenanigans were going on last night. 

I have decided to disconnect the two heated basins at the end of this month, and hope for the best. 

I took this just before dusk the other night... for pete's sake, it was out early. 

That's looking out through the front door. 

These beautiful crocus are at the Ag Hall. 

Where a new quilt exhibit is being hung. 

The Ag Hall (National Agricultural Center)  will be open by phone call this year, in other words, 

if you call and say you would like to come, we will accommodate you. We are 

going to try opening on one weekend a  month, announce it, and have 

people there to answer questions.  All big events (Barn Yard 
Babies, for instance) are cancelled.  Christmas is on. 

The volunteers are trying to be flexible, and our volunteer manager 

is trying to do everything as safely as possible.  

About twelve years ago, Keith and I attended a Home Show and we listened to a presentation by an author, Patricia Lanza, speak about her book "Lasagna Gardening".  We really liked the principles... laying down a layer of cardboard and putting compost, hulls, etc. and good dirt on top to create a 

good garden bed.  Keith decided to build raised beds for us, and set to work.  There were eight rectangular beds, and then the long joined bed you see on the right, where we grew peas and 

climbing beans. 

As you see in this picture, a rosebush had grown up in one of the beds, and no matter how I trimmed it, I could not get it out. 

On Monday, my yard helper Ben came and pulled the beds out.  He took the trellises down from the long bed, 

and pulled that rosebush OUT.  

He then took dirt from the in ground beds and filled the long bed.  I am planting peas today. 

Because we have had a lot of rain this week, Ben is waiting for the ground to dry, 

then will bring his family's big tiller and till up the whole area where the raised beds were, 

and that will be my squash/pumpkin patch this year. 

Why did I remove them? 

If you look at that first picture, you will see why.  They were so hard to keep 

weed free.  Keith made them too close together, I could not mow between them, and let me tell you, the ONE thing Keith did not like to do was weed-eat.  I cannot handle a big weed eater at this point. 

Last year, Ben kept them as clean as he could. 

Every year I had to top them off with good dirt (notice I am saying I.... after building them, Keith 

pretty much left it up to me).  It just got to be almost too much last year, because it is hard for me to shift dirt. 

As much as I hated to tear apart any of his projects, I decided they had to go.  Then, if I decide not to grown pumpkins after this year, I can mow through there with no problem. 

I looked out the door on the fifth and saw Grandpa Possum eating in the garden. 

He is also not coming on the deck very often, but I notice on the camera I have in the garage that 

he and one of the younger possums is eating cat food out there at night. 

I'd like to encourage the darn raccoons to not come on deck soon. 

This little feeder is full of sunflower hearts and mealworms. 

(the most expensive feed I buy). 

A marauder has been getting into it, as you see. 

I don't begrudge them, however, I'm going to have to move the 

feeder because I will be planting that planter soon. 

Meet Miss Molly. 

Molly came to live with Jester and me about three weeks ago. She was one of the cats at 

Valley Feed and Supply in Bonner Springs, KS., but she was getting into feed sacks at 

night, and they could not sell the bags she had torn up.  She is a year and a half old, and is an indoor cat. 

After staying under the beds for a week, she began to venture out, and now joins me to watch tv 

in the evenings, either laying in my lap or on the couch.  She and Jester have accepted each other, and try to play.  She has been good for my lonely boy. 

There were always cats here at Calamity Acres, and it's good to have one again. 

Obviously, the creatures rule around here. 

This looks like a sunset, but in fact, was this morning's sunrise. 

The camera metadata is off, so I need to sit down and take a look at it, date-wise. 

I took it about 7:20 or so. 

Fifteen minutes later, I could see the two ponds at the foot of the hill clearly. 

Pretty soon, the trees will leaf out and they will be hidden for the summer.  Ben wants to cut down the cedars you see in the fence line... I have not coordinated that with the Spehars yet... but... my misgivings are the fact that the brush pile is growing out of bounds, and I do not intend to burn it. 

I may consult a tree eater and have them give me a bid on doing it. 

I got my first shot.  (Moderna). 

My second is on the thirty first.  

I am so grateful to the county, they got us through efficiently. 

I am going to try to take it easy for a few days after the second shot, 

just in case.  

He really is Mommy's Lucky Charm.  St. Patrick's Day was 

rainy here, and we did not get to walk, but we have been walking regularly, 

and I can tell Jester is in better shape for it.  When he goes in for this nail trim, 

I hope to see it show up on the scale, as well. 

Happy Spring!  I'm so glad to see it come this year.