In Between the Raindrops

I know the weathermen here have to be getting tired of the 

pattern of rain, rain and more rain.  Oddly enough, our 

little bit of the area has only had drips since Saturday night, 

though ten miles away, were raging deluges. 

Saturday at noon, my son's family, and I, and Cheryl, 

my daughter in law's mom, all went to see Paiton in her dance recital. 

I'm going to tell on myself, and on Cheryl, too. 

We can't deal with the highway lane changes to get to where 

the school is.  

We rode with Jim and Amy.  Pitiful, that's it come to that. 

However, it was a fun hour seeing all the sweet girls in their costumes, 

and I was amazed at all the big daddies who dissolved into tears when their 

little ones came out on stage. 

Paiton's class of five had the least flashy costumes, but they 

all looked cute. 

Jim and Jax rushed from the recital to the ballfields, where a tournament was 

being played.  This picture was taken after 3 games, which the Crushers won. 

The other team voted for MVP... and you see the proud boy here. 

I was worn out that day and did not go to the tournament, but 

I'm so glad for him. 

We had a little sun that night, and I looked out and saw our tiny friend

eating at the feeder.  The hummers love to come in the evening, we 

can often stand in the window and watch them. 

Lilies are really abloom now at the old house. 

And the waysides are still beautiful. 

Yesterday as the dogs and I were headed home from 

chores, I saw a bird running ahead of me on the gravel road. 

This is in between two vast hayfields.  I looked ahead... and saw what 

looked like a turkey was also crossing, about 50 feet down the road, and 

then back to this bird, which I thought was a quail.  She took off at that point, 

flying fast to the east. 

It's a female prairie grouse, and I realized it when I got home. 

I am going to go back over there in the next week and sit for a while outside my car, and see if I can see her again. 

I had no idea there were any in this area.  

Please excuse the picture, sometimes it is so hard to get a good picture against the road as background. 

Their time is almost over... they are diminishing and going into the west. 

This morning, at the old house. 

Likewise. 

I worked about an hour or so in the two big garden beds, pulling weeds. 

Yesterday afternoon, I had a doe jump out in front of me for the third time in a week. 

This particular doe trotted ahead of me across a bridge, and into the woods on the left side. 

Today, I came upon her again.  I had actually slowed down, hoping I would see her. 

She calmly watched me watching her, and I shushed the dogs. 

She had a few more bites of the tree. 

And then slipped into the woods, still chewing. 

If you biggify that first photo, you'll see she's got a bunch of ticks on her 

face and legs, especially up by her eyes.  Ticks don't hurt... but they carry disease. 

Troy cut the grass yesterday and weed ate all the bed walls.  God Bless him! 

He cleaned the vegetable garden up, too, I'll take a picture tomorrow. 

I had my little Worx weedeater with me, but after 5 minutes of weed whacking, I 

ran out of line! 

Okay, I see this little creature almost every day.  He comes out in the road and eats, and runs back into the grass.  Is it a rat?  His tail is not long... nor is his body... this is an adult, and he's very small, but much bigger than a field mouse.  I ask this on purpose, because we have one living here, 

on our hillside.  It does not look like a Norway rat.  Does anyone recognize it? 

I'm seeing scores of these, but this one worried me.  It did not move, even when I stopped the car and rolled down the window, to take it's picture.  I watched in the rear view mirror, and it was still standing there when I left.  I wonder if there were babies near there. 

And finally, yes, I had to play with this picture, because of the background... we were finally getting some clearer skies, but it was still so dark I had to balance this picture artificially.  It's nice to see some hawks again! 

A Beautiful Afternoon

With that special light that only October can bring. 

The leaves were absolutely glistening on the trees. 

It was a good day for a baseball game. 

And scoring a run. 

(That's Coach Dad on first base) 

It was a good day for a run in a newly-mown pasture. 

And an unauthorized dip in the neighbor's pond. 

The cows were happy... (but who would drop bales right next to a piece of abandoned machinery??) 

And the buzzard, having lunch at the side of the road. 

He circled back as soon as we drove by. 

And two tired, happy dogs came home with their Mama for a quiet Sunday evening. 

More Pictures

Here go son Jim and grandson Jax down the hall last night to Jax's classroom. 

There are 8 kindergartens in this school, and two of them did their program last night. 

Kudos to the choral/music teacher... she kept the kids focused for 8 songs and 25 minutes, JUST RIGHT. 

That's Jax on the right, with a mask on his head.  He portrayed a 

monkey in the song "The Five Little Monkeys".  

I can't tell you how fun it was to see the kids perform and they all appeared to be having a good time, too. 

(well, not from this picture... but they WERE) 

Paiton was absolutely rapt, watching the kids.  I noticed that she 

tried to mimic their hand movements, and she sang some of the songs with them... she will start kindergarten this fall, and she is raring to go! 

I was rewarded with a lovely sunset on the way home.  I am going to try to 

take pictures along the road tomorrow morning... I have to drive through farmland, and it's beautiful at this time of year. 

Here are Moe, Fluffernut, and April. 

If I were smart, I would pair April with one of the Elvi...

with one of these guys, and move them on out.  She is just so very bonded to 

Moe... I know it's stupid but I just dread separating them. 

Here is a view of the dining room... I am still unpacking, and still trying to clear off the table. 

It is 66 degrees out right now, and the screen is open on the patio door, and 

as you see, things are blowing.  

And a view into the kitchen, where I've hung pictures, and where the hutch now stands where the big terrarium with iguanas in it stood.  

I love this house, there, I've said it.  I love this house. 

It is going to be a wonderful home for us. 

We are going to concentrate over the next several weeks on getting the other place 

emptied and repaired, and get it on the market. 

Yes, I still grieve in my heart for my animals and gardens, but 

we are going to make a good life here, too. 

I had lunch with friend Jill today... we had been trying since before Christmas! 

Not only was I able to eat a good lunch, but I didn't have any issues with keeping my food down, which I often have.  Jill told me about this guy: 

Jill formerly fostered many dogs for Border Collie rescue... but now, she and her husband, Calep, are doing transports.  They are trying to get this guy sprung from the Odessa, Texas animal control facility.  They are 

probably going to drive down there this weekend and get him... isn't he wonderful looking?  He is a shepherd/golden mix, and is about 7 months old.  Yes, I've quite fallen in love with him. 

On a more somber note... we are praying, Keith and I, for those affected by the terrible stabbing at the high school in Murraysville, Pennsylvania, by a sixteen year old student.  We hope everyone can stop and say a prayer for not only the victims and their families, but for the young man and his family... they will need many prayers in the years to come.  A terrible, terrible tragedy, again enacted in our schools. 

Catching Up on Saturday Night

I never got a chance to post yesterday, I was so busy during the day with Paiton, 

youngest granddaughter on my side. 

You might say Paiton came loaded for bear. 

She brought many of her stuffies... as witnessed by this pileup on the couch. 

She came with one sack, but I'm an enabler, and she needed two to take the all home. 

She helped keep an eye on the wild bird feeding station... and she helped me spot the male cardinals.  At one point, there were six out there!  Can you spot the cardinal peeking at us in this picture? 

I present to you one of the hazards of dealing with frozen fortexes.  I lost my grip on the duck bowl and slammed it down my leg.  It hurts. 

At midday, we knocked off our work and went to a movie.  We saw "The Nut Job".  Grandma cried. 

Seriously. 

Take your kids/grandkids to see it. 

When we got home, we went out to get the eggs from the henspa.  This is as far as Paiton goes. 

Dogs, she loves.  Chickens... not so much. 

Nothing would constrain her to come in and help me look for eggs. 

However, she DID have a crowing contest with one of the roosters who called back to her. 

Not to be left out, I had a new sweatshirt for brother Jaxton when they came to pick Paitie up. 

However.. I miscalculated... a little.  It told him to let big brother Jacob wear it for a while!

For the last several days, I have been cutting up a head of romaine lettuce and giving it to the ducks.  I can't even tell you how eagerly they tear into it! 

Donald stands back and lets the girls have at it as soon as I drop it. 

We are going to catch them tomorrow afternoon as we did two weeks ago, and put them in for two days. 

They won't be happy, but they'll live as our temperatures drop below zero again for two days. 

The white things that you see speckling the ground and ramp behind them are starling droppings.  I have to go out and put food out for the ducks several times a day, because the starlings flock down and eat and drink everything. 

Last night's sunset was gorgeous! 

If you have a minute, watch this whole little video in it's entirety... and there's a surprise at the end!

So Much to Talk About

This is Jackson.  He is a Bourbon Red Turkey.  Take a good look, because, with any luck, I think he is going away. 

He has begun attacking me.  That bucket is there for a reason, because he has been following me out of the big henyard and going for me.  Spring has sprung, and Rosie is mature now, and he is protecting his own place.  First it was trying to bite me, but now, it's a full on attack with spurs.  No, it's not fun. 

I don't want to be knocked down and flailed by a huge turkey.  

So, as much as we like him, we are going to find someone to take both him and Rosie.  I love turkeys... but not in a confined area like this.  And he'll be given to friends, we hope, not sold. 

Nugget the Cochin is still setting her eggs, and I'm actually glad.  

I'm hoping those chicks will have an immunity to the CRD in the flock. 

I'm going to move her here in another week: 

She can keep her babies in there for two months, at least, if not more. I'll tarp it while she is finishing setting and after the babies are born.  Then none of the other hens can harm them, and snakes, etc., can't get to them. 

Here's something you will RARELY see.  Ranger, in the pasture. 

Ranger was trained a long time ago to stay out of the pasture, because he just couldn't stop barking at the llamas, and we were afraid he would chase and hurt them.  For four years he did not accept them. 

Now, he is able to go in the pasture, but yesterday was the very first time he did.  He almost seemed embarassed.  He smelled the possums, I'm sure. 

Nathan and I saw this car on the way to his dad's this morning, and he took a picture for me.  When I took the eggs to the pantry, I realized there was a line of about 25 old cars waiting to be driven in the Tonganoxie Snake Saturday parade.  I did not get a shot of the whole line of cars, which were beautiful.  My dad had a car like this when I was a little girl, until I was about 9.  We often rode in it, but it was my dad's work car at the time, and not tarted up nice like this one.  

Granddaughter Paiton starts soccer practice on Monday.  She has Nike cleats with a PINK swoosh on them.  Can you tell that pink is her favorite color? 

And of course, her big brother Jax also starts soccer on the same team that day... and has his own cleats and shin guards, and he was mighty proud of them!  I can't wait to go watch their games. 

Here is something that made me close my eyes, take a deep breath, and then smile big.  A store in Bonner Springs that I have driven past three or four times was open today, as I went to get my hair trimmed. 

Oh. My. 

It is a reincarnation of another, older store where I loved to shop.  

It is called "Bittersweet on Oak".  Of course, I bought some Easter things from them, and have earmarked some lanterns for the deck.  I was SO GLAD to see that the store had re-opened under this new name.  

It smelled great and just made me so happy to go in there. 

(And BTW, the rabbit standing up with the little white picket fence in front of him on the upper right came home with me)

Palm Sunday tomorrow, for the start of Holy Week, so I'll be at church longer tonight than usual.  We're going to fix a corned beef and cabbage and potato dinner, though Keith is German and Dutch, and I'm Irish and Danish!  Yummmm!  As he says, it's once a year, and let's go for it! 

 5:21 PM

If you read the above comment you will know that I am LOSING it! 

NEXT SUNDAY is Palm Sunday!  Nathan will be with us on Easter morning, so he will get his treats then, at the same time as his brother and sisters.  I swear, I'm losing it! 

By the way, it went from 82 to 42 today, and that's it for today from Calamity Acres.