Veterans Day and a Mash Up

Last Veterans Day, my retired soldier and I were able to 

attend the Leavenworth Veterans Day parade together, on 

a cold day. 

Remember, Leavenworth is a "company town". 

Keith had to go to a doctor's appointment early this morning, and 

someone could not get herself together and get out in the 

25 degree cold this morning to take pictures of this year's. 

I'll make it next year, and in the meantime, heartfelt thanks to Keith and all 

of my friends and family who have served... from Korea to Iraq... we 

appreciate you all so much! 

Our friends at Oak Grove Animal Sanctuary (they are on Facebook, folks) posted this picture this morning of a new barn going up for the rescued animals.  I show it to you because....

Those two brown animals in the foreground... are

(Inca) 

Inca and Aztec, formerly of Calamity Acres.  Renee and Brian were 

the kind people who adopted them two years ago.  I was so surprised to 

see them this morning, and so glad.  Nosy as ever! 

This was also posted on FB yesterday, I don't think it's a joke, either. 

Folks, I raised chickens for almost 20 years.  They can, if kept in decent surroundings, i.e., a decent 

henhouse, some supplemental heat when it's WAY below zero, in good flesh (fed well) and with fresh water daily... chickens don't need clothing.  In fact... they use their wings to balance themselves, and these sweaters would prevent that.  I know these folks are well-meaning... but... 

I don't even want to think about the poop being flung about, and the problems they would have getting up on a roost with sweaters on.  Ugh. 

Surely, surely... this is someone who owns... two hens. 

I know of a very well-known person who wrote a book after two years of keeping chickens (that sold very, very well) was criticized for something like this a few months ago... and her 

supporters flamed the critics roundly... so badly that I had to quit following the site and the FB page. 

Just my humble opinion. 

It's very cold here today, after yesterday's 71 degrees, but we still went out to run. 

It did not take long to get tired. 

I shudder when I hear the phrase "pop of color" on design shows (which I love, unfortunately). 

These are the only pops of color I truly love. 

This is one of the four Bradford Pears in our own front yard.  Give it two more days! 

Update on Keith: 

He is in technically Week Four of dialysis, counting the week in the hospital. 

He feels SO MUCH BETTER but is still more tired than normal. 

Today he met with the surgeon who will embed his permanent connection, called a "fistula" on Tuesday of next week. As he will be sedated for this procedure, and have to go to a recovery room, 

I'll be driving.  It will take about two months for that fistula to mature in his arm, and then 

the same surgeon will remove his temporary pick lines and sew him up. 

We are having to learn a whole different way of eating, as he is limited as to 

certain things he can eat and drink.  The DaVita Dialysis center website, though, 

has 800 some recipes on it, and tonight I made the Alfredo sauce on the site, 

and mixed it with chicken and we had it over fettucine.  YUM. 

We're learning! 

I'm leaving you tonight with a piece I saw on Pinterest... that cracked me up... 

this was Me AND MATH.  Trust me. 

Keith, on the other hand, can figure huge sums in his head.  I'm in awe, and always have been! 

A Big Saturday

Well, it's been some day.  Or, as Charlotte the Spider would put it:  SOME DAY.

To begin with, we re-homed our llama trio, Tony, Inca and Aztec.  We found, through Southeast Llama Rescue, a wonderful couple from Northeast Missouri who drove all the way here to get them in the heat and humidity today.  I have just hung up with Renee, and the llamas are not unloaded yet, they are humming, which indicates they are still worried, but otherwise, doing fine.  The loading was a Rodeo.  We had to go get Troy and his son, Middle Troy ( and yes, there is a Little Troy) to come help.  I got exactly one picture.

That's Keith in the trailer.  It was a BIG step up, and we actually ended up lifting them all in... with a saddle girth under their bellies.  If we hadn't had Troy and Troy there, we would not have been able to load them.  Tony went in pretty easily, but Inca, pictured here... bucked like a wild bronco and actually pulled Keith head over heels at one point.  I don't know how he ever held her.

Aztec made friends with Renee as she was haltered, and actually followed pretty easily once Inca was on.  We sprayed them down with water, I worry so about Tony who went down in the heat last summer.  After they were soaked good, Renee and Brian left for their 5 1/2 hour drive home.

Here is what they brought us this morning.... to stay here until Wednesday, when they go to their new home with my good friend Joani...

If these aren't the darndest most beautiful ponies in the world.  They are Hackneys. 

Blackie, on the left, has the most beautiful action I've seen in a long time, pumping her front legs high at the trot.  Rosie, behind her, the bay, is a beautiful girl with roaning on her rump.  Her action is not as high, but she is the loveliest girl, and the friendlier of the two.  Renee had re-homed these from an elderly gentleman who is trying to place his small herd.  Blackie is broken to drive, but neither is broken to ride.  They will go Wednesday to King City, Missouri, with my good friend Joani and her Amish trainer, Chris, to be trained and to be trimmed, as their feet are not in good shape.  When Renee tried to trim them, they went ballistic.  Chris is very experienced, and a good farrier, and, as Joani said, she has never seen a horse or pony he couldn't handle.  Their feet are not horrible, but just need a good shaping and trimming.  They loaded and unloaded like troopers from the same trailer the llamas left in.

Rosie, up close and personal.  How good it is to see horses in our pasture again, even if just for a short time!

This morning, very early, I went to Price Chopper in Bonner Springs, because they have very good ham salad in their deli.  I wanted to get some to make sandwiches, because I figured Renee and Brian would be tired and hungry when they got here.  (They have to have gluten-free bread, so that didn't work out).  I digress.

When I walked in the door, I half-noticed a display for Father's Day... and it said something like "Win a Grill for Dad".  I went over to the display, wrote my name and phone number on one of the pieces of paper on the table, and then stuffed it in the box and did my shopping and left.  Imagine my surprise when I was called and told I had won

THE BIG CHAIR. 

I had no idea what it was.

So, without further ado... here is Keith in his Father's Day gift from me:

The young man who helped me to my car with the prize congratulated me and told me I had won the party chair.  There are SIX cupholders on the arms, three on each side. (It folds up into a carrying bag!)  

Here am I in it, we were laughing our heads off at this:

This truly shows how BIG it is!

I had to climb up in it!

I went to church at five (not in those clothes) and then ran down to WalMart to get some things, and ran to Price Chopper to get the CHAIR.  So guess what I found out when I got there?

I had won the Weber Grill too! 

So Keith got an extra-special Father's Day gift from me. 

What a day we've had!

Back of my Neck Dirty, Gritty

HOT today, don't know what it got up to, but very hot and humid.  When I got home from the grands house, I started in on chores.  It was painful to cut the grass, which has now gone dormant and actually crunches beneath your feet.  The cracks in the ground I pictured here ten days ago are wider, and I'm very worried.

As you can see, the llamas are not comfortable either.  They were to be sheared on May 16, now nearly a month ago.  That day my sister had a crisis, and the shearing was cancelled.  We have decided now to rehome our llama friends, and a wonderful couple from Northeast Missouri who already have two llamas and a herd of goats have expressed interest in them.  We are praying that they are able to come pick them up in the next week as planned, and Inca, Aztec and Tony will be happy in their new home with their new llama and goat friends.  As you can see, Inca is not happy with her little pool, and is still looking for her big pool from last year which sprang a leak.  We were helped in this endeavor by Southeast Llama Rescue, who put us together with this lovely couple.

Drum roll, please!

Here it is... the little coop built by my neighbor Kathy for the porcelain and mille chicks.

That's Troy taking a picture from the other side.

And here it is from the front.  I should have measured it to get the dimensions... it has a box for shelter with a roost in it... and then a little porch.

And with the door up. 

By the way, Troy backed up to the henyard fence, and he and Kathy literally manhandled the coop over the fence.  They then carried the shingled roof in and attached it. This coop was made from pallets that Kathy deconstructs, and some odds and ends of old lumber and plywood laying around, and some shingles Troy had for the roof.  It was $150.00 of the best money I've spent this year!  Is she talented or WHAT?

Keith and I are going to build a simple fence around it this week. 

What I am planning to use it for is a shelter for the almost nine week old chicks, the porcelains from Heartland Hatchery and the home breds from our bedroom.  They are still inside the henhouse in a trough, and it's time for them to get out, too.  Once they are fully grown, they will be integrated with the little henhouse flock.

Here is Bluey on the left, and He Who Has No Name (now called Dandy) on the right, who live in the little henyard.  Bluey would like to have some chicks, so she may be living with the D'uccles for a few weeks to help them get started.  Bluey is one of the last purebred Silkies I still have. 

Totally gratuitous picture of our two Granddogs, Jester, whom you've seen before, and Shiner, the newest Granddog, in the background sleeping in his crate. 

I just spent the last 24 hours with these two, and it was one of the few times they settled down long enough to get their pictures taken!

Have a good start to your week from all of us here at

Calamity Acres!  

Yeeoowwwww!

He's baccckkkkkkkk....

And he was on the hunt this afternoon when I got home from work.

I had no sooner taken this picture and turned around to start giving the chicks fresh water when....

He had silently come clear across the henhouse along the wall, and suddenly appeared almost at my feet... near the trough with the chicks.  The top shield is held down by two boards, the one on the other side is larger and heavier.

I finshed inside chores and went outside to get started, and about 20 minutes later came back in to get something... and literally almost stepped on Mr. Snake in the doorway... he ducked back under the storage cabinet.  Heavens knows there are so many mice in the henhouse, he shouldn't need young chick.

Meanwhile, out in the pasture pen... there's a hen party going on.

That's right, four little hens think they are all incubating the eggs NOW under the mille fleur on the right.  As she is my favorite of the mille fleurs in this pen, I'm cool with this.  In fact, I'm going to ask Keith to please finish the brooder box, because Mama and babies will need to go into it, so that the babies are not hurt after birth by the adults.  Remember, last year we had 21 of 22 chicks killed by other hens.

I'm not sure which of the mamas will get the honors to set the eggs.  They are about two weeks in at this point. 

Here's Aztec, at a year and a half.

Next Wednesday is Llama Rodeo Day, and the matted wool you see on Azzie's back is going to be removed.  She had only a partial shave for her first time last year.

Hump Day

Hump day, and we are still dragging, I'm afraid.  I found out today I am definitely not the only one in my department suffering from this... a co-worker came back today but was as tired as I.  The one thing that made it bright was that it got up to 62 degrees here, and it was a pleasure to do chores this morning and this evening.

Look at Miss Maybelline Eyes, isn't she beautiful???  (Aztec)

She and her mama and daddy have been digging into the hay lately, because, I'm sure, any nutritive value has gone out of the grass that will soon be growing again.

We have about ten bales left, and that will carry through to fresh grass time.

Notice waste on ground.   They love to lay in the spilled hay, chew their cuds, and pull wisps out to eat.

Notice unpainted haybarn to right.

I have a long list of spring chores to do!

A Super Sunday

After yesterday and Friday's gloomy, rainy days, we dawned to snow on the deck.  I would have shown you but I forgot to charge the camera battery last night, and by the time I got ready to leave for church, the snow was almost melted!  I had a quiet Sunday morning, and got the brisket ready and put it in the oven.  We had let it marinate since yesterday afternoon, using a braised brisket recipe from the Pioneer Woman that you can find here.  I HIGHLY recommend this wonderful brisket, it was tender and good, and man, did the house ever smell good.  After church, Nathan and his mom, Sherie, came by to pick some things up, and we sat and had a brisket sandwich on good sourdough buns, and some corn dip and chips.  Yumm!

Here I am doing chores this afternoon.... Keith was kind enough (laugh) to take a picture of me in my chore coat, and yes, it's the same one from two years ago.

Admit it, you want this coat!

Keith was good enough to do water all weekend, so I told him I would do it this afternoon.  The henyards are MUDDY.

The big henyard birds were hanging out in the sunlight. They had had their bread treats and were just catching some rays.

While some of the birds in the little henyard were cleaning up the rest of their treat.  This flock is much diminished, and when I get replacement hens, they are going in this yard until the new henhouse is finished.

I came the closest I have ever gotten to being spit on tonight, getting in the middle of these hungry llamas going through the gate.  They all got a talking to!

This picture shows Azzie's beautiful grey undercoat... it goes clear up her neck to just under her chin.  Her mother's is black, with brown on the topcoat.

I end the night with a picture of gratuitous cuteness.

Monday Night

Today was kind of a bleak day outside, but a wonderful day for me.  I was off work, and took Hannah for another look at her eye... Dr. Tom is trying a stronger medicine on the eye with glaucoma, to try to relieve some of the pressure.  She is not feeling much hurt from it yet, he confirmed, and I came home with the stronger steroid.  She has begun snuggling up to us... Hannah never did this before, and we aren't sure where it's coming from... but she is getting very snuggly in her old age. 

She can't really close her lid over the bad eye (here on the right) but it only looks closed... because she is smushed together against me on the couch.

This afternoon, my friend Jill from work came over.  Jill has been so encouraging to me for blogging, and she is a great sounding board for things.  She is also a registered veterinary technician, so a good one to run animal problems by.  She had long wanted to stop by, but lives an hour from here.  As she was off work today, she made the trek over.  Once she met all the creatures here and we had a good visit, we hopped in her truck and drove all over Leavenworth County, through all the farm country.  It was so much fun, and we visited as we went.  I forgot my camera, but hopefully, Jill will share with me the pictures of a beautiful black mare we saw.  You know that true black is rare in a horse, but this horse was solid black, with only the faintest hint of a white dash under it's forelock.

Jill's hobby is photography, and she got out of the truck to take wonderful pictures of the mare at the fence that we passed, so hopefully, you'll see them soon on the blog. 

This girl has been agitated all evening:

There is something outside... I think a deer, maybe, that has had them all worried this evening.  As Keith must get up at 5 to drive to Salina, I have brought everyone in and that's where they are staying.

And yes, I'm off work again tomorrow.

I had to do a short errand before Jill got here, and I had left our gate open.  When I pulled in, there was a large, strange black dog with a collar on in the yard.  He looked startled when he saw me, and disappeared.  I parked quickly and ran back around the house, just as Tony ran at the fence.  Tony is quite able to clear that fence if he wanted, and is very protective of his territory... but when I looked, I saw the dog had run down the road to Troy and Kathy's.  I suspect it lives across the road, I have heard a dog barking over there lately.  The thing that worries me is that these folks owned one of the dogs who attacked and killed our chickens and our huge tom turkey three years ago, after we had asked them repeatedly to keep the dog enclosed.  I hope that they are not letting this new dog run loose during the daytimes, thinking we are at work. They live quite a ways back on their property, and this is the first time I have seen the dog.  Then again, he may be a dumpee, which everyone in the country has to deal with, unfortunately.

Tony could easily clear the fence you see behind him.

By the way, Inca has begun weaning Aztec, who still tries to nurse.  Inca, as soon as Azzie bends her neck, sidesteps... into a circle, so that Azzie has to keep following, and finally gives up.  We figured she would do it before too long, as Azzie is now 13 months old.

I made Christmas treats all weekend, but they were either given away or consumed, so I did get a batch of cookies made tonight, and will get several made tomorrow, as well as some more pretzel treats.  We're at four days and counting before our Christmas party!

Aztec, Part Two

Well, we decided to wait for a bit and watch Azzie's lower eyelid, but after showing her picture to a vet tech at my office, I decided maybe we should have our vet out after all.  Imagine my surprise when I called the vet's office yesterday (thinking it would be Thursday or Friday, at best) and was told the doctor's new associate could be there in just an hour or so.  Yikes!  I got hold of Keith to make sure he could swing by, since it was late afternoon, and he said yes.  Of course, he beat the vet here, and hung around, waiting, calling me with "Where is she's???".  (I have been through this before, People). 

Then the vet pulled up.  Sorry, I have no pictures of what ensued, but I got the encapsulated version when I got home, JUST as they were releasing Aztec from the catch. 

Vet pulls up in humongous vet truck.  Views llamas, tells Keith to catch the patient, and goes back to truck.  Keith manuevers Aztec into catch with help from mama and papa, Inca and Tony, then runs them back out into the pen while he tries to keep the upset Azzie in the catch.  Maintains choke hold on her nether regions, all the time praying that she doesn't kick him in his Manhood.  Vet goes back to truck again. 

Keith asks vet to get halter... vet brings halter and lead rope, while waving shot apparatus full of sedative dangerously close to Keith's arms and legs... Keith maintains additional hold on bucking llama while vet gets halter on her, so that Keith can move up and try to exert additional control.  Vet finally takes a stab at sedative, and administers some.  Examines eyelid, and decides that IT WILL HEAL WITHOUT A STITCH because the tear is in the middle, and it is too far to pull the skin together.  The top eyelid comes down fine, and protects her eye.  She dabs salve all over it... gives a penicillin shot, and, as I come down the drive, the patient is loosed.  Father, mother and baby all gallop out to the pasture as the gate is opened. 

I met Dr. Beggs, who assured me that if I had been there 10 minutes earlier, I would have heard her cussing like a sailor, along with my husband.  However, there was laughter all around, and she gave us instructions on how to make sure Aztec gets her penicillin for the rest of the week... ground up and watered down on her feed... and did we think we could put more salve on her boo boo... emphatically NO.... and then she told us she'd send us a bill and was gone in a flash.  We loved her, but then, we love Dr. Jeannie, too. 

Keith did mention several times during the evening he was unusually worn out. 

So here was the scene this morning as I was leaving for work:

Mom and Dad, post breakfast.  Why, o why did I not think to ask Dr. Beggs to look at Inca's skin condition???? 

Here is our little patient.  You can see her eye still looks sore.

Go to work!  Let us chew our cuds in peace!

Back to Our Regular Programming

Since I wrote about the animals last, we have had an accident here.  Aztec, our yearling llama, has wounded her eye, in fact, torn her lower eyelid.  We are watching it, but, as the llamas are not truly halter-broken, we have not touched it yet.  If it does not look like it is healing in the next week or so, we will have Dr. Hauser out, who does equines and camelids.  We have the catch... and can get a halter on her by using the catch, but it will be a llama rodeo until she is haltered.  I've said before... we love our llamas, but should have bought halter-broken critters. 

Looking rather lurid here, it was the day it happened.  As you can see, it is kind of a nasty wound, and we think she either plunged her head into the hay buffet and got a piece rammed in, or did it somewhere in the pasture while they were galloping around.  It looks marginally better now, and it is not dripping blood, as in this picture.  As I said, we are watching it closely, and are very grateful it is not the dead of summer, with flies everywhere.

The buff brahma rooster in the front in this picture, Barney, and the two little buff brahma hens behind him (the smallest in the picture) went to a new home today.  Recently, I was asked by the head vet tech at my vet's office if I would consider selling some chickens to her uncle.  I told her I would not sell them, but would give him a few.  I picked out

Barney, the two little purebred brahma hens, and the two little cochin-brahma crosses (hens) that are very small.  On top of these, they were nice enough to take Ratchett, aka Elvis

In the last two weeks, the two young bullies roosters, Brutus and Rocky, have been attacking Ratchett constantly.  He was at the point where he had to stay inside all day with the Coop Dwellers, or be beaten to death.  I was so glad when Rhonda's aunt fell in love with his frizzle feathers and took him.

I had good vibes from these folks, and when they told me that they had covered their runs now because of some raccoon attacks, I felt better.  We are going to have to do something soon, since a hawk has picked off three of ours recently.

I thought this was a cute picture this morning of Nathan, waiting for his mom to come, and watching cartoons with his little buddies.

And finally, the Behemoth in our bedroom has been removed... son Jim came to help Keith load it, and son Jeff met us on the other end.  It just about killed the two of them to move it to his apartment, it is VERY HEAVY.  This big entertainment center held a 37 inch Toshiba tv that I bought from a friend at work several years ago, but it was followed up within six months by a flat screen, and we rarely used this one in the bedroom, then never used it.  We dropped the satellite from it over a year ago.  I thought to ask Jeff if he could use it, and he jumped at the chance to get it, so tonight, entertainment center and tv are in Independence, and we have room to move around in the bedroom.  He is also going to take a huge clothespress bought at a garage sale by a friend for us, that has not proved to be truly useful, and also takes up room.  We are going to get a simple dresser to use for Keith's clothes. I'm so glad Jeff took them, he's a hard worker, and will truly use them.

I hope everyone has a good start to the week!

Skunked

The brave Lilly Ann has met her match. 

This was this morning, early.

We know she has been guarding the Dierksen buildings for several weeks now, and it was plain to see something had denned under them.

Two mornings ago, at 3:30 AM, Gertie came straight up out of the covers, and straddled me, barking.  Then she jumped down and ran up and down the house to the front door.  Keith got up, and then came back in the bedroom, and by that time, it had been permeated with polecat smell.  I actually woke up and asked him why the dogs were out and the skunk was in.  He told me all the dogs were in, and I remember saying "Dont let them out or the skunk will get them".  He told me the next morning he kept trying to tell me they were all in but I was so asleep I couldn't understand.  The smell dissipated and I went back to sleep.

Tonight, Keith went out to burn paper trash, and sat in the truck for a minute listening to a basketball game.  Suddenly, he saw Lil come running around the front of the truck, frantically rubbing her head on the grass.  Once out the door, he realized what had happened and came in to tell me.

We looked up the remedy (mineral oil, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide with some dish soap thrown in, and he set off to get several bottles of hydrogen peroxide, after going back out to check on poor Lil, who is out in the cold right now.  He came back in once more to tell me she was not as bad as he feared, but we could not bring her in on this cold night, so he is going to bathe her and then bring her in to dry her off.  If we have to, she can sleep in the bathroom, since I can clean that easily.  Tonight is actually supposed to bring warmer temps for a few days, which means Lilly can stay out until the smell is gone. 

I have looked out several times and don't see her, so I think she is probably curled up in her chair, and I suppose we won't have any more skunk accidents from Lil!

It was very cold this morning (you folks up north will laugh)... 23 degrees.  I had to break ice in the fortexes and had tennis shoes on, so my left foot was frozen when I came back in. 

Here were the Frost Llamas as they came up to eat:

That's Fat Azzie, Aztec. She had a good coating of frost on her, as did her mom and dad.  I love her frosty ears.

When I came into the big henhouse, this little girl was on the floor.  It's not one of the Teeny babies, but one of the older little hens, there are four of them.  Rarely do any of the birds sleep on the floor, the domain of the mice at night.  I'll keep my eye on her to try to figure out what's going on. The other birds are still on the roost above the one in the picture, and up in the rafters.

Here they come boiling out of the little henhouse!  Chris got the light adjusted for me last weekend, and we'll soon hook up the line to it.  I actually had to break the ice in the waterer in the henhouse, you can just see it.  They get their treats in the morning now, because it's dark by the time I do evening chores. 

I was still doing chores when daylight arose, and I went around the back of the little henhouse and found a kaffee klatsch taking place in the willow tree.

And finally, a shot of the same birds when I opened the back pophole this morning to break the ice. You notice all the banties are on the right side... the big birds, the Welsummers and Wyandottes, stay on the left side.

They are just the most gorgeous colors!