How Can May be Almost Over?

Happier Times, for the most part. 

I'm glad for that! 

I was putting new oranges on the orange feeder the other evening, and looked down through the plants... there were two eggs in the garden bed! 

(see the spilled jelly?) 

Chickens! 

I didn't know when they had been laid, but the raccoons found them that night and left shells. 

I was not feeling very kindly towards them the next night.  You see, last Sunday I planted all these planters and lick tubs.  I am trying to save some money this year, and I planted seeds I already had... plus some packets I got at the feed store.  I love wildflowers so planted two tubs of them.  We had rain on Monday and the seeds germinated right away. 

Three days later, I unthinkingly let the hens in the yard, and while I was in watching the five PM news, the hens scratched out most of the tubs.  I could have strangled them. 

I have replanted, but they are now captive on their own side of the yard until the flowers are up and blooming. 

Plants are so expensive this year, so I bought exactly one hanging basket and then bought some petunias and divided them and planted three baskets I saved from last year. 

My iris have come and gone already, the whites are still blooming a little. 

I had many more in the past, and my goal is to re-do this bed and plant a bunch in the fall. 

These two took up residence in the big hen house for a week... there are two heads there, one is on the left.   They are gone now, it got cool again... but I am watching for them. 

The four cochin babies are in a secure pen, but I was worried they would get Pip, the little silkie hen. 

The cochin babies are looking GREAT.  I changed their open bowl of water out for a conventional water fountain about an hour ago, and they fled to the other end of the pen in fright.  I'm going out in a few minutes to check and make sure they understand they can drink still.  That open bowl got too dirty, too fast.   My gosh, they are good looking babies, there is a cockerel and three pullets. 

My next goal is to get them outside in a secure pen during the day, and I'm going to be talking to Ben about that this week. 

About a month ago, some good friends gave me a gift certificate to a farm store I had not used recently. 

I stopped in there because they carry Kalmbach feed.  

My gosh, folks.  I got a bag of Kalmbach layer feed, and I have to tell you, all joking aside... the eggs I am getting have great shells and I am getting six to nine eggs a day out of my aged hens.  I am stunned at the size and quality of the eggs.  I am ready to get another bag, and am going to go over tomorrow and get it.  I am so happy with it. 

You will have to enlarge this and squint... there is a raccoon running on the ground... and one on the moveable platform Ben made for me last summer, cleaning up the bird seed.  I will say that I am not being invaded as I was before by thirteen or fourteen a night, but they are still around. 

It does not help that my yard light is not working about half the nights, and it is pitch black outside once night falls.  I called about it once, and am going to call again on Monday. 

The hanging finch feeders are just in front of the camera hanging on the porch rail. 

I have NO clue why the camera took rosy pictures for an entire day, but here I am doing what I will be doing all summer long... cutting the grass.  I am alternating between north and south sides of the yard, tomorrow is the south again.  

This makes Cat Number Four in the shop. 

However, Mama has disappeared again.  She was gone about three weeks ago for five days... I have not seen her now since last weekend. 

This guy, whom I call Bruce Wayne, has been in the shop several mornings, including this morning, when I went in to feed. 

UH HUH. 

I sent that to a rescue friend and titled it "The Camel has come into the Tent". 

My boy Bob does not like him.  At night I sometimes hear cats fighting, and I know who it is. 

Bob is neutered, and I can't get near enough to Bruce to see if he is. 

My little Teenie the Meanie is still in the barn... she is so small but does not like ANYONE.  

She likes me, and she liked Mama okay, but Cleo lives in the barn, too, and Teenie does not like her. 

I have not been seeing any skunks in the barn in the last three weeks... but this long-legged raccoon has been in there multiple nights, and two possums, one small, one large.  

The warming light is off for the summer, though the Kuranda bed is still in there. 

Bruce likes the Kuranda. 

 

The ewe on the right was born here, Nugget... though that is not what she is called now.  

Her dam is here too, Fluffy, though that is not her next to Nugget.  Neither Nugget or her mom have ear tags. 

Flicka, the Dorper sheep that had been mine, died during the past winter. 

I am enjoying watching the sheep again.  I am keeping their trough full and the plastic pool I keep under the walnut tree for them.  The ram was brought over this week... he's BIG and I am careful around him. 

The pasture needs to be mowed, the grass is too high for them, and I think it's beyond my mower now. 

I'm going to talk to Ben tomorrow about several things and I'll mention that. 

I can tell you there is no barn at their own home, and it just tickles me that they go in and out of the barn all day long here.  I love to see Nugget laying in the doorway, chewing her cud. 

I am going to have a ton of hollyhocks, very soon. 

My peonies smelled heavenly, I brought enough in for two vases, but they have all shattered in yesterday's rain.  There is little Wanda in the background.  

The Baltimore Orioles only stay here about a month, and I took my first pictures on April 20.  These guys, though, stay all year.  If they really are our loved ones visiting us, I have many.  I like to think so. 

Thank you all for your wonderful comments about Buddy.  The house seems so empty now, and Jester is alone.  Zoey and Buddy were wonderful dogs, and I was privileged to have them for a while... but I think Jes and I are going to take a break for a while.