Fall is Truly Here

Oh my goodness, your blogger is so glad fall is truly here. 

The verges grow more brown and yellow by the day. 

The light is changing almost daily. 

My compost heap is blooming!  The milo on the right hand side of the picture is beginning to mature and turn yellow and bronze. 

That space in the middle is the chicken dust bath, and all those flowers were volunteers from dumped pots. 

The poison ivy growing up the trees is turning bright red! 

Since my last post, the buff Orpington I put in with Doug decided to vote with her wings, and flew out.  Doug was all alone, and had actually stopped crowing.  Last week, I went to Leavenworth and met a wonderful young woman who is breeding in her backyard.  I bought a mixed pullet from her, and a young Silkie pullet, like Doug.  

He is crowing again!  

Ummmm we are having a problem with this guy, Rocky. 

Rocky was a this-year's baby, and was weaned a month or so ago. 

He has been eating cat food and chicken feed here.  

He eats with the chickens and cats all around him on the deck of the big hen house, where he is here... but we know that will not go on long.  He is maturing. 

He comes on the porch, where he pays no attention when my son is out there, just eats the cat food. 

Last week, I heard screaming from the big hen house in the evening.  I went out there, and Rocky had made himself at home in a nest box.  I shoo-ed him out the door. 

Fifteen minutes later, I heard screaming again, and he had gone in the little henhouse next door to try to lay down in a nest box there. 

I removed him. 

This is him the other morning, he was waiting in the huge maple for me to come out and feed the cats and put all the bird seed out. 

I have the big trap out, and am afraid I am going to have to catch and remove him... he will have to go out to the Leavenworth County Fishing Lake.  The thing is, I know that catching him and removing him to a strange place will likely kill him.... but... I may not have an alternative, because it won't be long until he wants chicken dinner for himself.  

I am in a quandary, because you know I cannot kill a living being. 

Two weeks ago, I had the tree eaters here to trim the huge maple by my house.  They told me they estimated it had probably four or so years to go, because the center is rotting. 

This is the limb I initially called about, because I felt it was on its way down. 

THEY LEFT IT. 

The guy told me it would "heal itself". 

This was the partial eclipse of the moon as seen from here last week. 

At 1:30 in the morning two mornings ago, I got up to let one of the cats out 

the back door. 

This is what I saw: 

That's all I've got for today! 

Those of you in the hurricane's path, please take care of yourselves as best you can. 

 

Almost Fall

And.... it's been a month again! 

Honestly, I THINK about posting, I just don't get to it! 

Two weeks ago, I took a bunch of pictures! 

I was trying to make a record of the birds I had bought this spring.  (The ones that I am running myself ragged for).

This is Igor, the low man on the totem pole in the Brooder house, but I am keeping him over Hekyll and Jekyll, his two brothers who are better specimens BUT... Igor is steadier and takes great care of the six hens. 

The breeder, Rare Treasures Hatchery in Oskaloosa, Kansas, was kind enough to take back the two Putih Ayam Cemani roosters.  I took the two hens with me, but he did not want them... I brought them back and was glad to, because they were the first of the babies to lay. 

Their eggs are small now, but will soon catch up, he showed me some full size eggs while I was there. 

Hekyll and Jekyll, the other two LaFleche roosters, look better and more to standard, but I do not need ten extra roosters and honestly, they are making me crazy. 

I planned on keeping Big Bird, the biggest Indio Gigante. 

I was going to keep Little Bird, too, who was attacked by a snake at six weeks... the one I pulled the snake from.  Little Bird has a difficult time walking, but CAN walk. 

Big Bird attacked one of the pullets and wounded her badly, so... he is going to the auction. 

So are these two, and a third who looks similar. 

The breeder told me they will bring nearly 100.00 at auction... but I have asked a local friend's son to please just take them and keep any money he gets for them for the trouble. 

He has to build cages, make sure they have food and water, and go check them in. 

Little Bird. 

The other night, Sam came over to check on the sheep and the pasture.  He put electric fence up and divided the pasture in two, because they have overgrazed the north side again. 

When he left, he forgot to close the big gate... that was partially my fault because I went in through the walk gate to talk to him and we walked out that way.  At ten pm, I left the house to walk Chico on his leash in the yard one more time... to find the sheep in the driveway. 

I made sure the latch was on the gate to the road, and left them.  They put themselves away Monday morning. 

I got a bag of sheep feed... just in case... and last night, let them in the yard again because they are eating the vines on the north and west fences, which is really helping me!  

That feed got them back in lickity split this morning.  

Yes, there is poop all over the driveway and in the yard, but... they are only here another week or so, and then will go home.  I am enjoying watching them and I did not garden this year, so.... 

I will have to pressure wash the patio, I admit it. 

I noticed last night they all bedded down under the light. 

Last week the heat was terrible, in fact, a week ago today, the 27th, it was 100 degrees here. 

It is 81 right now, and I have to admit that last week's heat nearly did me in.  I was not as bothered by our hot spell in July, I  don't know what the heck happened. 

I am so glad we are back to more temperate temperatures. 

I made this wonderful apple cake (apple pie filling cake) yesterday, 

my gosh... I am going to make another for my friends at the commissary next week... it's easy and does not take long to make, and is so delicious.  The recipe was on Facebook on Kristin's Friends, it was easy and excellent and I used two cans of the filling, in case you look it up. 

It does not need any frosting, trust me! 

The pullets are starting to lay, and I am getting eggs of all sizes and colors. 

Oh yes, Mr. Floofy Ears is still here.  I am just astounded how much I fell in love with this little guy. 

I swore no more after I lost my beloved Jester. 

Here's Wanda on the front porch of the big hen house the other night.  I think she is going to live in there this winter, she does not want to come back inside the house, she has made that very plain.  She is doing okay, and the vet asks after her every time I go to the office.  

There's Rocket, Shuler and Lady on the front porch of the big hen house. 

Lady is the oldest hen here now.  

Shuler is not far behind her, and no, all the chickens do not have names.  

That doggone Rocket has done GREAT since he lost his little mate and has begun to run with the big flock.  I mean great. 

That's Buster, the Lavender Orpington rooster, on the left.  He has become a GREAT rooster, very steady and protective of his hens and the Wyandottes.  However... he is in the little hen house, which was Doug's domain.  He has begun battering little Doug, the silkie rooster, who is dear to my heart.  I am now keeping Doug in a brooder pen at night in the big hen house, and he and Buffy, who was attacked by the Indio, are in a separate little house in the yard with a small enclosure, and are safe there.  Buffy actually will wander with the rest, but Doug is staying in his new little house.  I bring them in at night. 

He was guarding her as she laid an egg when I checked on them an hour ago. 

It is not ideal, but... he's safe. 

I contacted the rescue where Archie is living last week, but have not heard from them yet.  I will send a reminder to see if I can come visit him, and bring another donation. 

I miss him, I admit it. 

Something had to give around here. 

Today is my beloved mother's 110th birthday.  She has been gone sixteen years, and how I miss her still! 

I know she would be glad I am so happy out here. 

I notice that the verges of the road are beginning to turn brown and yellow. 

Winter is coming.