An Unusual Post

This is going to be kind of an unusual post... I am going to use pictures (mostly) from the game cameras that I put out around the place. 

That's Buddy and Bob, formerly called "Alien".  Bob has been around for about four months now, but... he disappears during the day sometimes for hours.  He has always been in good flesh, and I believe he is neutered.  I suspect he belongs to someone down the road, but he is sleeping here.  

Bob at the door. 

If I leave the inside door open... I can look up sometimes from the computer and see Bob on his hind legs, looking in.  He has come as far as 3 feet into the kitchen three times, then freaked out and ran outside.  His buddy Buddy is what drew him in. 

Bob adores Buddy. 

Mama adores Buddy, there she is wrapping herself around him. 

There they are out by the garage, she will come running across the yard if she sees him come out of the house.  

I don't know what he has, but it's magnetism! 

Bullseye is part of the Buddy Club, too.  

Yesterday morning, I discovered dark red blood on the floor in the shop, near the Kuranda bed.  I looked everywhere for a body, and checked the cats.  I was worried for a while because they are all picking on Teenie again, and I could not find her.  That was really dark blood. 

I found a few more drops at the back of the shop. (That's Cleo) 

I found a dark one with congealed blood in it this morning. 

And then, when I took the bowl I keep in the garage during the day outside, I found 

some more in the garage... I always leave a small pile of food in there at night when I lock the food up. 

Imagine my happiness when this ran across the yard to greet me this morning, in one piece....

I was so glad. 

Teenie! 

No wounds on her, either.  

I can pick everyone up but Cleo and Bob.  

All three of my big roosters have pretty much quit roosting.  Singleton here is the head honcho... but I notice that he is sleeping in the brooder pen in the old hen house more and more, tho he is sometimes on the roost still with his four girls.  

He is getting six more girls this week to watch over, they are hens coming from a large flock here that is turned over every 18 months.   Since the old hen house is flat, and has only five birds in it, they are going to be put there.  Singleton will take good care of them. 

This is his daddy, Ferdinand, who does not go outside any more.  

He is sleeping in this corner in the big henhouse, and stays inside every day. 

His toes mostly have frozen off, though he can still hop around... but I am going to have to make a decision soon.  A vet at the practice in Tongie where I take my pets now has offered to euthanize him for me, and I suspect that is what will have to happen.  I know some of you are laughing at my taking him to a vet.... since I lost Keith, I don't have the guts to do the dirty deed myself, I admit it.  And... she will do it humanely, while I am there talking to him. 

Buddy (not to be confused with canine Buddy), the other brown rooster... is still going out, but also has lost some toes.  

The reason I don't hatch is fear of being stuck with more roosters! 

Wanda is still living in the big hen house.  I let her stay out later than the birds, and then, about six pm, I go out and call her and she is ready to go in and go to bed. 

We have had balmy temps the last few days, but after today, we are going to be in the thirties and forties this week.... she loves to lay under the warming light I leave on for the old ones. 

Can you blame her? 

See Pipsqueak? 

I was not sure what to do with him after I lost Mary, his partner. 

I began to leave him down on the floor with the other birds... that's Ferdie there. 

I was carrying him out to his little pen (actually a big pen) every morning, and carrying the cat carrier so he had a shelter during the day. 

One day, I left him in.  He took himself out with the other birds. 

That is what we are doing now, he goes out, hangs out.... and in the evening I usually take the net, stop him, and carry him in.  We have a routine now. 

My friend Diane raises Mille Fleurs.  I have asked her if I can buy a couple when she is ready to cull... I used to keep them, too... I had a whole pen full.  They are diminutive and would make a nice partner for little Pip. 

I am starting to get four to eight eggs a day. 

I was able to gift five dozen eggs last week, but some of those were from the previous week. 

I am hoping with the addition of the new birds, I will be back to giving away that many regularly. 

These are pictures of the Budmeister when he was found on September 5 last year, 

astray out in the county.  Bless the people who found him, they got hold of the Bonner Springs ACO, and Officer Kendra went out and got him.  She told me over the weekend that she had to hold his hind end up, he was so weak. 

Here's The Bud today, Inspiration of all Cats at Calamity Acres. 

I know he is in his last year, he is moving slower and slower, and it is evident... he is eating far less and sleeping a LOT more... but gosh, he is just the best old boy.  Anyone that can give a home to a senior is a gem, in my book... he has been so deserving.  A friend met him over the weekend... Buddy LOVES men, and he scared this guy because he wanted to be loved on.  When we went outside when my friend was leaving.... he turned around and said... no one would ever try to hurt you with that boy at your side. 

I believe he is right. 

Early this morning, something startled Mama and Cleo in the shop.... I leave the warming light on at night.  If you look under the Kuranda bed on the left, it looks like a cat coming in through the hole...maybe Bob, but it might have been Teenie, trying to get back to the wood stove where she sleeps.  Both of these girls beat up on Teenie, who is much smaller than both of them. 

A few hours later, this girl had come back, she had been in and out all night, but I'll tell you something odd... I can never smell her, even when her tail is on high alert.  If you look closely, you will see that both Cleo, in the bed on top of the chest, and Mama, who is curled up in the chair on the right, did not even wake up and look up.  I have noticed that they are wary but are not bothered by the possums, the raccoons and the skunk that comes in at night, mostly to drink out of the heated water. 

(If you want to know how I know it's a girl, she has backed up to the camera while drinking water many times) 

Jupiter and Venus in alignment, and it won't happen again in my lifetime.  It's crazy to say that. 

I am so lucky to live out here, I know that. 

I thank God every day. 

I know my time here grows short, age will get me in the end. 

If I can afford to pay someone to do the heavy yardwork at some point, I would do it, just so I can stay, but we will see. 

I am not sure if the sheep will be back this year, I have not heard yet, but... I think I can do one more year with their water tank, too, and then we will see about that, too.  

Thank you, friends, for reading about our days here at Calamity Acres.