Some Disturbing Pictures

I am going to start out with an innocuous picture, so that the disturbing ones won't show on Facebook when I post there. 

This is one of my favorite views, I'm sorry it was so hazy when I took it yesterday. 

Those are my neighbor's ponds at the foot of my pasture... there is another in the cow pasture that runs up my northern fence line.  I love this view, but it will soon be hidden when the leaves come out.  

I did get a bid on removing the red cedars, and it is affordable... they are in my fence line.  I am saving up for that and will coordinate it with the neighbors. 

On Thursday and Friday, March 30th and 31st, we had huge winds that frankly, scared me and the dogs to death.  Zoey, especially, was affected by the atmospheric pressure and had a miserable night on Friday night.  They died down by noon on Saturday, but are back today, not as heavy as those two days.  They make it so hard to get things done outside. 

These, again, are the daffodils growing at the base of  "Oscar's Tree", on the north end of the house.  Our min pin, Oscar, is buried under this tree.  You see the box around the base has burst.  

I have never planted any but I am going to this fall... someone planted these before we moved here 18 years ago, and I want someone in the future to enjoy flowers like I do. 

Here come the disturbing pictures. 

If you have read this blog for long, you know that when Keith was dying, we were living in a big house fifteen miles from here.  I still had a flock here, and came back and forth daily while we tried to sell the house.  

I stopped in a rural area where there was a bridge over Stranger Creek, which is the biggest creek that runs through our county... I live a mile from it here. 

There were beautiful bluffs there, and I took many pictures from the bridge over the creek and posted them here. 

Here are the beautiful bluffs in May of 2016. 

On Friday, I was giving my work partner at the Ag Hall, Wayne, a ride to Tonganoxie to pick up his car from the garage.  He lives in Basehor, and to avoid some construction, I turned down Leavenworth Road to cut through to Tongie. 

We came through the farm fields and I said "Let's stop at the bridge for a minute."  I pulled onto the bridge and we got out of the car... I had taken him by there once before, but he had forgotten it. 

Here are pictures of what we found: 

That wasn't even half of it.  On both sides of the bridge there were tractor tires, a huge number of road signs WITH their poles.... furniture... and dead coyotes, that someone has been killing and dumping in the creek.  It broke my heart. 

I am actually going to go back over there with the Canon and take some more pictures and then I am going to go to the courthouse and show the pictures to the Road dept.  I have never, ever seen this beautiful place so polluted. 

It made me sick.  It is still making me sick. 

This is a wondrous place where swallows circle around you, feeding from bugs in the air in the summer.  There were two ducks on the creek, they proceeded downstream from us. 

That picture above did not show all the dead coyotes.  Shame on them. 

Shame. 

There is only one house near there, and it sits way off the road in the woods... I am sure they cannot see when someone is vandalizing at night, and would be too afraid to confront anyone. 

On a happier note, some of the seeds sent to me by my friend Iva in Zagreb have germinated, and are under a grow light in my living room, thanks to my grandson Jax who helped set everything up. 

They are doing so well! 

I still have more out in the shop that are under lights there. 

Today it is 75 and sunny, but our temperatures have been going up and down like a roller coaster.  

I put my Carhartt away, and then had to get it out again.  I am hoping that it will soon be put away for the summer. 

I am starting some chicks.  I cannot believe I am even typing that. 

I am only going to start about eight, though.  

I am trying the above heating plate for the first time, instead of a chick warming bulb. 

I am actually going to set it up today and get it warm in anticipation of the chicks moving in. 

I am also going to use a paper bedding, instead of pine shreds, which I have never done before. 

It's an adventure! 

I have been looking to see what chicks are being carried at the local farm stores, and I have found one with the best choices... as long as I am starting a few I want to get breeds I have not kept for a while.  I am overrun with red hybrid layers and am avoiding buying any of those (eggs are not the chief object, here).  

When I finish this post, I am going to go out and get the chick feeder and chick water and bring them in and clean them thoroughly. 

Coco the black cat has been sleeping in the big hen house with Wanda for the last week, and she is sleeping in the brooder pen where I will be keeping the chicks, so she is going to find it off limits.  They have to stay in this pen, because, my friends.... Just because I did not see a snake yet today, they are out there! 

This is my beautiful hospice foster, Buddy.  Buddy is entering into his final weeks, I'm afraid.  He is having pain from his hips and is now on two pain meds twice a day, but, alarmingly, he is having trouble getting up and down the stairs.  There are only three short steps up from the yard, but I watched him last night, it was all he could do to get those hind legs under him.  I hoped we would have until June, but I don't think it is going to happen. 

Here he is waiting for me while I did chores last night... if I let him through, which he loves, he has to lay down and rest before he can make it back to the house. 

His friend Bob the Porch Cat is with him there... Bob, Mama, Bullseye... they all adore Buddy and want to be with him. 

I go out and check on him frequently now when I let him out... IF he even wants to go out. 

He sleeps, mostly. 

I cannot tell you what a blessing it has been to have him.  Yes, he can be a pain, blocking the kitchen or hallway with that big body... and the crate in my kitchen... well... I have to laugh, it has been there almost nine months now.  

He accepted everyone and they all accepted him, except maybe Molly Cat, who has had some reservations all along.  

He ignored the chickens, and he loves men, when my sons and grandson are here, he is in heaven. 

I know he'll be waiting for me one day. 

Zoey and Bullseye shared the crate this morning. 

I took these from my back door through the window last night. 

That's my north fence line. 

Ten days ago, my neighbors across the road saw a bobcat cross their driveway one morning, and walk across their front pasture to the pond. 

Last Sunday, I was laying in bed and looked out to see what I thought was a vulture by the comm tower across the road from me... it was a bald eagle. 

Friends, you just don't know where the heck they will strike! 

I try to keep an eye on everyone, and my days of letting the chickens wander in the pasture are long gone. 

These guys are back, too.... but I am not seeing the huge numbers I used to see.  There are these two and one that is going in and out of the shop at night. 

Those fat coyotes have been having a good winter. 

I try to live and let live... that has always been my philosophy.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter, and I'll keep you informed about what is going on with the creek situation. 

PS 

It's 4/2/23 and I can hear someone out on their mower on my road! 

I think it's Troy or Kathy next door, I'm going to go look.... it's about time to roll mine out!