Falling Into Fall

 My goodness, I did not realize I had not posted in three weeks!

Life keeps whizzing by. 

In that time, several things have happened. 

My friends have gone home for the winter, and 

it is likely different ones will come next spring. 

The goat, seen in the background, will be back. 

I miss them, I look out the window ten times a day to check on them... but... I will also not have to carry water buckets this winter, and drag hay in the cart clear across the yard. 

Whew. 

My sweet little Fritzi is blind now, though I think she can 

still tell light from dark.  The vet and I are having trouble 

getting her blood sugar balanced... she has Cushings and diabetes... 

and she had a crisis a week ago.  I don't know what the future holds, but we 

are trying to enjoy things day by day. 

These guys are piling up my walnuts, though he is eating bird seed here. 

I hope that doesn't mean we have a hard winter coming. 

I have been experiencing a strange phenomenon. 

I spend more money on the birdseed blend I buy than any other feed I have ever bought. 

It is mixed at a local mill, Valley Feeds, in Bonner Springs, and 

is called Backyard Blend. 

These Mourning Doves are modeling it for us. 

About halfway through the summer, the red-winged blackbirds, 

voracious feeders, migrated home.  

Starlings disappeared in their entirety. 

I literally have had the doves, the woodpeckers, the blue jays, the cardinals, 

and all the little birds, only. 

About a month ago, the goldfinches disappeared.  I still have lots of house finches. 

(the goldfinches will be back). 

The hummers were here until a week ago Sunday. 

I did see ONE black bird a week ago, but no others. 

Oh, except for these: 

I love them, you know that. 

I am spending about a fourth of what I normally spend on bird seed, and I'm glad for that. 

I am also spending less on finch mix. 

Three weeks ago, a good friend asked if I wanted to bring Paiton and Jax, my youngest grands, to Angel Falls Creek to spend some time with his great grandson.  (The kids are friends). 

We spent a couple of hours and finished up by eating at Freddy's.  

Jax, who just turned 13 on Saturday, and Paiton, who will be twelve tomorrow. 

Here are the boys (and another little girl) playing in the pool below the falls that day. 

Brayden took his bike into the pool. 

(with grandpa's blessing) 

This is from the bridge, today.  The falls are stopped, dried up completely.  There is no water coming downstream at all.  If you look closely, there is a blue heron standing in what is left of the pool, and I did not see him when I stopped at the bridge to take the picture.  

I walked down to the creek and scared him, but could not get the camera up in time. 

I used to walk Lilly and Jester there five years ago, and I have never seen it this dry. 

There was a tiny pool of water upstream in this picture, out of sight.... the pool at the foot of the falls where the boys played is almost dry.  Brayden saw a fish that day, it won't live if it dries up any more, I'm afraid. 

We need rain in NE Kansas, friends. 

This is Spot Yoder, who is happy here now. 

I suspect he was someone's pet at some time, because he lets me 

love all over him. 

He suffered some wounds recently, on his ear and his side.  He has let 

me put triple antibiotic on the ear for the last five days, and it is looking MUCH better. 

He is waiting at the front door for breakfast now every morning. 

As soon as I can safely get him into a carrier, he is going to get vetted. 

When Ben was here last week, he and I moved my last dog house from the 

henyard to the patio, and I can tell Spot is spending at least part of the night in it, there 

is a depression at the back right. 

It faces south.  During the day, his dry food sits there. 

Rusty is still around, and even though he was raised here, he will never be anything but feral.  He will come about three feet from me, but if I approach any closer, he snarls.  He does not come for canned food every day, the way Spot does.  He has dry food in the pasture feeder, and canned food when I see him, (and he waits for it). 

Rusty is neutered and had some shots as a kitten.  His three siblings all disappeared. 

The deck cam caught the two little girls laying out enjoying the sun. 

Can you see the squirrel suspended in air on the right?  How do they DO this? 

There is a narrow greenbelt along my north fence line, the trees are in my 

neighbor's, the Spehars, pasture. 

I have a camera hanging there once in a while, pointed into the pasture. 

Hmmmmm. 

Yesterday, I cut grass, the whole yard, for what I hope is the last time. 

The dust was so bad, especially out along the road, that I was 

covered when I came in, and had it in my throat and ears, UGH. 

I do need to cut just a strip at the top of the pasture before I put the 

tractor away. 

I WILL keep the area around the house trimmed for Fritzi's sake, 

though. 

Fritzi can't see but she can still hear.... she woke me up 

barking her head off one night.... I ran out the front door to find THIS going on. 

I had forgotten to latch a gate in the pasture.  It was the only time it happened all summer. 

As soon as I got my shoes on and yelled to them, they trotted right back into the pasture through the open gate. 

We have had some spectacular sunrises, and yes, that is the influence of smoke in the atmosphere. 

It is a pleasure just to go outside, lately. 

I have not been able to see the Spehar's shop all summer, because there are so many trees now.  I am going to get a quote to find out about taking out those pine trees (with their permission) because they have grown into my east fenceline so badly.... and.... broken up my view of the beautiful ponds. 

I visit Keith pretty often, still, and he could not rest in a more beautiful setting. 

This life size statue of St. Francis of Assissi is near the trail where 

I took pictures this morning, I stopped to pray for family and friends, and all the animals here. 

We are so lucky to live in a world where there are Octobers.

Do you follow this guy on Facebook? 

He has something pithy to say every day. 

This sign is particularly true. 

Stay safe out there, friends. 

December 15, 2019

How could we be at the end of another decade? 

It just doesn't seem possible, does it? 

I am blessed to still be here, I lost my sister and 

my two brothers, my stepson and my husband is this 

decade...it seemed like a long one, to me. 

Here's to the next! 

We have just had our annual Santa's Express and Country Christmas 

at the National Agricultural Center yesterday and today, 

the 14th and 15th.  We had decent weather, if cold, 

yesterday, but today we have had a snow storm all day. 

Ten of the volunteers and faithful Judy, who is one 

of the two Ag employees, made it to the building, 

where we truncated things and had Santa in his wonderland, 

coffee and cocoa, cookies, and two crafts for the kids that we 

brought up from the general store and school. 

We had 50 hardy family members come out to see Santa, and it was 

wonderful to see them. 

Driving was very treacherous, and we closed up at 2 PM so 

everyone could get home safely. 

Sorry for the blur, but we had some silliness going on 

Paiton's best friend Jocelyn, Paiton and Jax were all volunteers 

and worked as elves yesterday.  Here they were at lunch break in the barn. 

Cameron and Judy are the only actual employees at the Ag Hall, 

and Debbie, on the right, is a board member who volunteers regularly, and it 

was her concept that was used for this year's Christmas wonderland in the 

original gallery.  It was wonderful, and a big hit! 

The pictures do not do it justice, it was awesome. 

Here was Paiton last week, grooming Kali.  

I'm so proud of her, she is doing much better in her riding. 

Last Saturday, Paiton and our little friend Brayden decorated Christmas cookies here. 

This made my heart swell. 

I have noticed, too, that when they are out in the yard and greet each other 

on the deck or porch, they are joyful, playing and jumping at each other. 

I am really glad to see that. 

No, we are not doing too well on the diets, we will tackle them again after Christmas. 

Bittersweet, growing in the front fence line. 

There are also some humongous vines, which I am 

going to start working on now that Santa's Express has been 

put to bed. 

An example of the number of steps I have been getting daily in the last three weeks. 

Whew!

I'm so blessed to live where I can see such beauty daily. 

Of all the animals we had here, llamas, mini-horses, a wonderful old pony, 

and the goats... the sheep have been my favorites. 

To see them grazing in the pasture or yard makes me feel so 

peaceful... and I totally understand the words now, 

"Sheep may safely graze". 

I am blessed, too, to have a good hay supplier and know that

I can feed them over the winter. 

I caught that stinker Singleton the other morning, crowing. 

He has a sort of truncated crow now, after the coyote attack 

last summer.  

I discovered it is Singleton who is chasing his daddy, Ferdie, out of the 

hen house every morning.  Ferdie pretty much lives in the yard now, 

except he is still sleeping in the big hen house at night.  He waits for me at the gate

to let him in, and then sneaks in so his son Buddy does not see him. 

I am still toying with putting him in the unused little hen house with a hen or two, but... that would mean more work daily.  

I found out a little earlier this evening that the camera I had on the porch the last three days was set to video.  I am going to try to figure out how to transfer a video to blogger, 

these are different than others I have dealt with, 

it's a Bushnell cam and I hardly ever use it. 

There were some interesting possum interactions going on, 

and I found out that the sparrows are eating the cat food during the day!

Tomorrow will be a snow day, and I will be working on cleaning and getting the house ready for Christmas! 

Down the Lane and Back Again

As I sit here this morning, Northeast Kansas (including Leavenworth County) is in a blizzard watch until 6 PM tonight.  It was 40 out when I got up at 7 AM, and got outside and topped off all water. 

I left all chickens in today, and the sheep are imprisoned in their pen.  More about the sheep in a minute. 

I want to publicly thank my son Jim Hazzard, for coming out here this morning at 

9, before the snow started, and climbing down in the well house and turning on the 

heat lamp to keep my pump from freezing.  It happened once last year, because 

I had forgotten about turning on the lamp in winter (my first winter back).  I had an extended 

conversation about this with a friend the other day, and we left it with the suggestion 

that when the electrician comes out this week, I have him wire a 

switch into the house or porch than can be turned on and off from OUTSIDE the 

well house, so no one has to climb down in except when the bulb needs to be switched out. 

I had planned to do that before I realized we were going down to fourteen degrees the next three nights. 

Like I said, God Bless Jim! 

This is right now, outside my front door.  There is a squirrel on the side of the tree, 

another at the base, and a third on the flat feeder to the left.  I also put water out for them, 

but I think the starlings may have drank it all.  I'll take more out shortly. 

I have always kept a heated water bowl on my deck for the animals, but.... that is why I am having the electrician come, I have three outlets not working, and the fourth is running the heated bucket to the sheep pen. 

I don't mind taking heated water out for the wild birds during the day. 

I went to church yesterday afternoon, in anticipation of staying home all day today. 

So.. let's catch up on what has been going on around here. 

Some is good, some bad. 

I had no working computer for 12 days, this computer is on its' last legs, 

and finally the great Mercury Wireless techs came, troubleshot... found that the internet had never been off, but the computer is a mess.  I could see that the cable was working, but 

needed to confirm there really is a problem with the old computer, so... a new computer is in my future, but I am NOT hurrying to make a decision. 

Two weeks ago, the man keeping the sheep here caught me in the driveway one day and told me he had sold the sheep.  He was leaving two for me.  He told me that he would come to get them on Saturday. 

It was a disaster.  Number one, I was very, very attached.  I had talked to him about buying the two full hair sheep, but could not give Big Mama up.... the kindest, most friendly ewe ever. 

Big Mama on the deck that day. 

I knew she would have to be sheered, but I told him I wanted Big Mama and her baby, Brownie. 

I went in the house, it was upsetting me.  I went back out when I saw that they 

intended to leave the ram, and I told them NO.... he must go. 

I did not pay attention. 

They had loaded Brownie, who had a black face, and left Fluffy, 

who also had a black face. 

Mama called for six hours for Brownie, came up and stood at my door, 

crying.  I thought "Oh, she will calm down".  Brownie was weaned, but they still laid together all the time. 

Sunday, she went down.  No cud chewing, no eating or drinking. 

Monday, we had a horrible snow storm, I called Eudora Pet Hospital, 

and despite it's mundane name, they do large animal practice. 

Dr. Guy Shane arrived within the hour, and we gave her 

shots, and he left three days worth of shots for me. We also dragged her 

inside the barn. 

She never ate again.  She wobbled out of the barn on Wednesday, and 

went down, and I called him, and God Bless him, he was there in 

45 minutes, and mercifully, euthanized her.  She had gotten pneumonia, 

then aspirated.  I blamed myself, I did not stay out there to make sure 

they loaded the right lambs.  

Her lamb had been weaned, but the vet said the stress of the others leaving 

had caused her to go down.   I was afraid I would lose Fluffy, who 

was not a bit tame, and she and her partner Freckles had come after the others, 

and were the lowest on the totem pole... so... I networked with some friends (one of whom had three pet sheep) and found a man in Basehor who had some. 

 A friend from the Ag Hall helped me load and bring her home. (it takes a village, because a feed store where I get hay from time to time loaned me a big carrier to put her in!) 

So, Fluffy, low girl on the totem pole, is now the Queen, and Flicka is coming into her own, and probably bred.  Fluffy MAY be, Diablo, the ram lamb, had reached sexual maturity.  I am NOT looking to deal in sheep, these guys are pets only, and I would be satisfied with no lambs. 

Flicka is wild as the wind, but I noticed that Fluff is now calling to me when I go outside. 

They are set up with a heated water bucket, and the little barn is plenty big for the two of them.  This morning, it is bedded down and I put several flakes of hay in there to keep them busy today in the storm. 

I cannot express enough thanks for Donna Adams and Vickie Soejoto, who gave me advice from afar about Big Mama, and commisserated with me. I truly mourn the loss of this wise old girl. 

So... this was yesterday morning, it was 60 degrees out over the last three days! 

I lost  my two "small" ducks, the Cayuga drake, and the black and white cross duck, over the course of the last week.  I would have said owls... because the drake disappeared without a trace while I found Daisy's headless body... but

this morning I went out and I am now down to THREE of the big Pekins. 

I found this by the pasture fenceline, he ran. 

Sorry for the graphic picture. 

I suspect raccoon, because there was a clear path where the poor duck 

tried to get away. 

I had thought the Big Four were safe. 

So... tonight, if the wind has stopped blowing so hard, 

I'll net each and put them in the old henhouse after the chickens have gone up to roost. 

IF I do ducks again in the spring (and I love them), they will be kept in a covered 

dog pen at night, with a dog house to shelter in. 

They will be fed in the pen only, so they know they have to go there. 

This has not been a pleasant two weeks, trust me. 

We had some happy times!  On Wednesday, we celebrated the sixth birthday of 

Brayden, our little friend from the Ag Hall.  That's Jax (my grand), Jameson (our friend Marsha's grand), Paiton, my grand, and Brayden, who has the most serious look on his face!  He had picked out that ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, but it was hidden here in the freezer at my house.... and we had KFC for our lunch that day.  Brayden was all smiles when he blew the candles out and we cut the cake, and then the kids ran and played and climbed and generally had a great time. 

It was so good to sit down with friends and relax! 

Yesterday, three of the four helped finish decorating The Hatchery and the General Store for our Santa event at the Ag Hall on December 8th and 9th.  They will be helping then, too. 

All we have left to do in those two buildings is hang cup hooks and loop the lights that will be burning that weekend around the windows.  

We all enjoyed lunch at McDonald's Play Place after we finished at the Ag. 

I am going to say here that it behooves us all to start our kids out early being volunteers. 

Paiton and Jax are 10 and 11, and have already been helping for three seasons.  I am so proud of them! 

Brayden and Jameson have practically grown up at the Ag. 

Singleton beats me to the front door every morning, 

I give them a bread treat when I let everyone loose and finish morning chores. 

He loves to crow from an elevated position, either the chair, the railing, or the table 

on the porch. 

He has turned out to be such a beautiful boy.  He also chose the old 

henhouse hens as his own, and sleeps in there now. 

These slackers are his hens, I get maybe two eggs from here daily, 

and these are ALL young hens. 

The calm before today's storm (taken yesterday morning). 

The sheep's owner left that bale, I was surprised when he brought it, 

and then informed me two days later he was selling them. 

These two girls have really not paid much attention to it, but yesterday spent some 

time eating.  

I won't be letting anyone else use my pasture, I have had two bad experiences now, and won't go through that again.  

I realized I really, REALLY don't like strangers coming on the property. 

Here's my beautiful Lilly Ann with the full moon coming up behind her the other night, caught on the game cam. 

I think a yard dog is possibly in my future, these coon depridations have to stop!

(Yes, Flea, you have about convinced me) 

Jester has the right idea! 

I am going to go out and check on everyone, and then come back in and join Jes. 

Everyone stay safe in our crazy winter weather! 

Another shout out to my friend Deb Long, up in Iowa.  (also getting weather today). 

You have been the most supportive of friends for months, and I can't thank you enough. 

It means a LOT to me!