The Fourth

Batter swings, and the summer flies
As I look into my angel's eyes
The song plays on while the moon glows high
Over me, something comes over me...

(The Riddle)

Just because I don't talk about it doesn't mean I don't think about it.

Thirteen Years

This was not the clearest of the three pictures the lady at the 

casino buffet took of us. 

One, my eyes were closed... one... I look 

like I am looking down my nose at you. 

This one will have to do.  Yes, we ate at the 

casino for our 13th anniversary, because we 

had a free chit and we LOVE the buffet. 

(I'm no gambler) 

Yes, the date/time is still on, so you see we were not out late. 

We're old.  But Happy. 

My beautiful flowers from Keith. 

I got clothes for him. 

Aren't the roses gorgeous! 

I posted them on Facebook earlier today, so thanks to everyone for the lovely comments. 

I am really enjoying them. 

13 years has zoomed by.  We were married by Keith's minister with 

his church family and two of my siblings and oldest son as witnesses. 

Keith's mom and dad came down to Texas, and brought Brandon. 

We did all the decorations, etc. for our wedding by ourselves, and 

we had a wonderful day.  There was a terrible storm that night. 

We are expecting a thunderstorm tonight, right now the humidity is 

terrible. 

This morning the dogs and I went to the park really early, 9 AM. 

(early for us). 

I have been watching for the Northern Harrier.... 

and all of the sudden, realized he was on my right, low to the ground.  

I could NOT get a good picture. 

For two weeks, I have been searching for the leucistic red tailed hawk... and found him a mile from his former stomping ground. 

Last year, regular red-tails had this territory. 

Now I know where to look for him. 

I saw some ducks on a small farm pond... not geese, see the female on the right? 

Here is a blurry picture of one swimming... 

I had to crop it way down to see it's face and bill to try to identify it. 

I am seeing more and more small groups. 

I think they are blue-winged teal. 

I saw them on the little pond last year numerous times, but... 

I think it has too little water in it right now. 

After Keith and I ate, I hurried home, grabbed the dogs, and off we went for the 

second time.  We did walk for about 10 minutes... and then loaded up and drove the long way home. 

I saw this handsome fella in a bottom field that is now for sale. 

And around the corner, a bigger group.   I will show you better pictures of this group tomorrow. 

Instead of going home the "regular" way, I decided to continue on up this road another mile or so. 

I was rewarded with these toms crossing the road. 

And these five beautiful girls ahead of them! 

I saw yet another female down the road by herself... she ducked back into the woods when she saw me slow down. 

Everyone locally reading this, stay safe tonight, and I hope we get 

the rain we need. 

And here's to 13 more, Keith Yoder! 

The Holiday Weekend

Here's Paiton Rayne last night at the Kansas City T Bones game.  See that empty stand behind her? 

An hour later!  

As you see, we had beautiful weather, high 80's and no rain. 

The Falcons Sky Diving Team started the festivities. 

And the fifth diver brought the flag down. 

The Minions came by. 

And mascot Sizzle the Bull tried to intimidate the opposing bench. 

It worked, we won. 

Baseball great Frank White is still our first base coach. 

The fireworks afterwards were gorgeous. 

Looks like a nebula, doesn't it? 

NOT a firework... this is the spectacular red moon in the sky on our way home. 

The girls made it through the day unscathed. 

The dogs hated it, but survived, thank heavens. 

And the garden goes on. 

As does nature all around us. 

We hope you had a great weekend! 

Reiman Gardens, Part Two

Continuing yesterday's posts with some more wonderful pictures of Reiman Gardens, so I can actually post early today.

This is another example of vertical planting, and such an easy one!  They made pockets to plant into.... and I think this could be done easily at home,

Here is an example of the handmade bird feeders and bird houses also on display right now at Reiman Gardens.  This one was especially nice, an octagonal barn.  On the weathervane it reads "Our Iowa", the name of the publication that sponsored the contest.  

They also had a display of models representing DNA.... and they really blended quite beautifully into the landscape.  There were many, not just this one.

Here we are with Elwood the Gnome.  Gnomes were displayed last year in the gardens, but Elwood came and stayed!

Reiman Gardens also has a butterfly house.  We listened to a short talk before going in... actually I went in, while Trudy waited, as she has been there many times.  The butterflies are bought from a butterfly breeder (who knew????) to the tune of 80 a week, and 40 are added to the room daily, as they live only two weeks.   Many are not native to the area of Iowa, and the butterfly operation is under strict USDA rules.  They have a double-door system so that all butterflies can be removed if they have hitchhiked out on you. 

This is a just hatched moth drying out in the hatching room, where you can see everything happening.  It's HUGE!

Unfortunately, this is an example of a butterfly that has already died... but there was a live one fluttering around inside that I could not get to hold still long enough to take a picture.

This one looks like a leaf.

I love the color of this one.

I won't bore you with any more pictures of our trip... nothing worse than sitting and gawking at someone else's good time... but just to say that it was a lot of fun, and Keith got to play nine with his dad, while his mom and I looked at beautiful plantings.  I got so many good ideas. 

Sunday Thoughts

At church this morning, our pastor apologized because he could not leave the altar as usual, since his lapel mike was broken. Instead, he was stationary at the altar, speaking at the podium that the lector normally uses.  He aplogized for the inconvenience, and in the course of the sermon, talked about someone who  had to use "email" instead of Twitter or Facebook to communicate something rapidly.  Hasn't our world changed?  I remember when there was no such thing on your desk as a "PC"... and not dreamed of by the normal person. Dating me, I guess, but there's still life in the old girl yet, and this proves it:

Here I am trying to get out the pophole of the little henhouse this afternoon. Keith was laughing and took the picture... and no, I don't ALWAYS wear that blue blouse for chores.  I'm pretty dirty, as you can see.

I had to go roust these three:

I am telling you, silkie and silkie crosses are the broodiest hens on earth!

Before gathering the eggs, I had been working on this:

Part of that is a straw bale left out to decompose, and part of it is from here:

This was taken before I started to excavate with the pitchfork. The llamas use the barn during the summer during rainfall, otherwise they are outside.  I filled the larger of our two yardcarts, and then pulled it across the yard to the new garden bed.  I also worked in the current garden bed, and cut down spent monarda flowers... they smelled so good as I chopped.  I am going to dig the monarda up as soon as I have prepared the new bed.  It got WAYYY too big for it's place in the current bed. 

While I was doing that, Keith was doing this:

Yes, as you can see, the walls are going up.  We were up very late after his daughter's wedding reception last night, (for us) and I don't know where we found the strength... oh, wait a sec... while waiting for pictures to load in this post, I FELL ASLEEP IN THE OFFICE CHAIR.  I'll be working on that garden bed all week!

After I worked for a while (and then sat and talked to Keith for a while as he worked), I went over to the chicken yards to do chores. 

Here is what we have decided about the chicken houses. 

The little henhouse on stilts is needing modification.  It does not have an easy way to get eggs... and as you saw from picture one, I have to crawl in there when I can't roust the hens out with the every-handy mop.  We want to open the sides and make nest boxes that can be added to it, and checked from the outside, thereby freeing me from having to crawl in unless there is an emergency.  Today I got "stuck" in there and it is NOT pleasant. I had to call Keith on my cell from my pocket to come and rescue me.  It is also hard to heat in winter, we have to run a line from the big henhouse to it, and prop it up to keep a heat lamp going.  Last winter we did not have a base waterer for the water fountain, because I got shocked the year before and I admit it, I'm scared.

So.... what we will do is this:

The flock from the little henhouse will move to the new henhouse INCLUDING the roosters, when it is ready.  For the time being, it will be a regular henhouse with hens and roosters, instead of the laying house I envisioned.  That will come.

Second step:  fix the big henhouse.  We adapted that building from a living quarters/babysitting nursery for the pickers who used to work on the strawberry farm.  The eaves have rotted and we are invaded every winter by starlings, who poop over everything, not to mention bringing disease into the henhouse. It needs re-wiring and a thorough cleaning.  The current flock will stay in there for the winter, or move to the little henhouse while we work on it, we aren't sure yet.  Anyway, we envision (and Keith admitted this) that we are going to have three henhouses in action.  The little henhouse will either end up a breeding yard, or be the rooster yard, we aren't sure yet.  I am going to be busy in my retirement.

I had fun finally, just sitting for a while and watching the birds.  The ninety degree heat turned to windy with clouds, and a few sprinkles, so it was nice to sit relax.  I realized I was way too tired to go back to the garden.  In fact, I still need to go out and get the loppers.

Here is one of the two golden cochin pullets... isn't she pretty?

Boots and Baldy, the little Mille Fleur pullet who was attacked by the three Brahma roosters in the spring. Her feathers have grown back in spottily on her head.

This is the lesser of the two Partridge Cochin roos that I ended up with in the spring hatch that I bought. The sturdier of the pair is in the other henyard.  He's still a very beautiful boy, and Rambo does not beat up on these little roosters, so I am content to leave them be.

While Keith was working, I came in to take a breather at one point.  As I looked out the door, I saw hummingbirds on the re-blooming butterfly bushes.  I moved the hummingbird feeder out to the garden after re-filling it.  I don't think they like this feeder, however, as I have never seen them use it this year.  I am going back to the old ones.  Along with the hummers, I saw many beautiful large butterflies.  Here is one that wandered over to the large henyard.

 I am not sure what it is, but it's GORGEOUS.

And last but not least, here is Teeny, with her babies who are getting huge!

And that, my friends, is a heckuva post for the beginning of a four day week for me.

Yee HA!

Sunday Gratefulness

First off, it rained.  Thank you, Lord.

I sat on the porch at 6 AM (remember, I went to church yesterday afternoon so that I could SLEEP LATE) but was so happy to hear the thunder and see lightening, that I went out to watch. The yardlight was still on.  I filmed it, but of course... the video would not load.

At midmorning, I had a visit from these guys, bringing big brother 

 

Nathan home to Grandma's

As you see, the dogs ADORE them. And they love the dogs.  I'm so glad that two of my grands took after my heart!  Paiton is sitting on the steps Hannah uses to go up and down to the dog couch.

When they came, I was just getting ready to do this:

Yes, I cheat.  I was channeling Suzanne McMinn but as Keith said.... "Use the Packets, it's faster!"  Uh, you see, Keith made pickles last year using Mrs.Wages, and they were darn good.  We got seven pints of sweet pickles, and six of dill.  One of the sweets did not seal all the way, so it's going into the fridge.  Nathan took a pint of dills home when he went.

Next week (or one evening this week) I'll make bread and butter.

While I made pickles, Nathan did this:

He does not have cable or satellite in the little town where they live (at their house) so he takes advantage when he comes to our house. He also has hay fever (we suspect) and was headachy and suffering. 

Then I took Nathan home, and noted that it was 13 degrees cooler than yesterday!

When I got back, I told Keith I was going to do chores, then cut grass for a while, then fix us a good dinner.

When I went out to the henhouse, I saw something wonderful and ran back to the house to make Keith come out.

Folks, this hen is six years old, and a Japanese bantam cross, born here at Calamity Acres.  To my memory, she has never gone broody or hatched anything.  In front of her were two tiny puffballs, already dry, (one has gone back under her wing).  Neither made a sound.  There are two other tiny eggs under her, but I don't know that they will hatch.  In contrast, the dog dish I had her food in LOOMED over them.  I removed it, spread a little bit of her feed on the hay, and put the ubiquitous frisbee in the cage with plenty of chick feed in it, and then set the waterer (a chick waterer) down on the wire, off it's brick. 

Yayyyy Teeny!!!!

We could not get over the minute size of these babies, and both of us went back in several times to see them.  We pray they make it.

Here I am with my new PASTEL Homer bucket that Keith got me today!  Lovely chore clothes, too!

Admit it, you want these clothes!  Especially the shoes!

Super nifty new hose hookup that Keith did for me yesterday on the pump that we have NEVER used and only discovered in May was STILL WORKING. NO MORE HAULING 100 FEET OF HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY HOSE!   All I have to do is turn on the direction I want, lift the pump handle.... and the hoses are sitting RIGHT WHERE I NEED THEM. 

THANK YOU, HONEY!

It's 9:30 as I write this, and Keith is out closing up the shop after he worked on the new henhouse in the horrible heat yesterday, and for a while today.  We had hoped to lift the first wall tonight, but the he went in to rest as I cut grass, and fell asleep.  While I am typing, I am listening to intermittent thunder in the west... there is a severe thunderstorm warning the next county over.  We expect more extreme heat this week... Keith is prepared to stop as much as he can to do water...and I am grateful to him, and to our Lord who gave us a day of respite in the middle of the heat wave.