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!

70 Degrees on March 1st!  Unheard of!  I had to take my sweatshirt off while doing chores.

I thought you would enjoy seeing this picture of Tony.

I show this to you because I want everyone to see that THIS is the business end of Tony.  One blow from those powerful hips and rear legs, and Keith and I would be down.  I have been hit with a glancing blow three times now, that landed on the feed bucket.  Tony doesn't do it to hurt... he gets excited and does the Happy Llama Dance when he sees the feed bucket coming... however, I am discouraging this. His ears are back here because he's keeping an eye on Aztec to his left, and Ranger, who is running up and down the fence barking as if he had never seen a llama before.  (Daily).

Dancing with the .... Pugs

I admit it... I just spent two hours on the couch watching the DWTS finale.... and it went to JR Martinez, which I think was a done deal.  I really, really liked Rob Kardashian, (did that just come out of my mouth????) but I noticed in the final congratulations over the closing credits, Rob had not come over to congratulate JR on camera.  I hope that was not for real. Hasn't everyone wanted just for once in their lives to be able to dance across the floor and have everyone look at them???  I am the world's worst.... so I really enjoy watching them, and watching some get better week after week. I also admired JR very, very much, for going out there and going for it and representing people who are burn victims or war survivors and keeping such a great attitude!

Lilly was NOT enjoying it.... she was sleeping.

Here is why she is so tired:

Yes, that's right.  She's currently excavating to China in hopes of catching what's denned under the Dierksen building. 

I suspect it's going out the back while she's digging on the side.

Keith is actually at the point where we are going to have to fence off the space between the buildings, as we don't want Gertie to get under there. 

Meanwhile, in the big henhouse, the coffee klatsch is still going on with the usual lineup:

These girls (except for Boots on the right) need to shake a leg and lay some EGGS!  They've been slacking off this week.

No, that's not Baldy from the previous picture, but Bitsy, one of the two Naughty Girls that lives in the little henhouse.  It was bleak and grey out today, and we got a little more rain last night, which is a good thing.  Tomorrow is supposed to be fair and in the sixties, so I will get started on Thanksgiving prep.  I think it's just going to be Keith and me this year, as son Jim will go to his in-laws, and Keith's kids to their in-laws.  We may or may not have Nathan, we won't know until tomorrow.  I love the Thanksgiving holiday, and am sorry it's one of the "forgotten" holidays... it's so important to sit down and thank God for the blessings that we get every year, though we do that daily, too.

On Friday, I'm making my trek to the Bingham Waggoner and Vaile mansions in Independence, Missouri, and to see son Jeff at work and drop off some treats for him.  I'm planning on taking at least as many pictures as I did last year.... 300 or so!!!  (search for either of those two grand old Victorians to see them dressed in their best for Christmas).

Stop staring at me, I'm trying to EAT!

Our Birthday Girl

She's big and fuzzy, but she's our baby! 

And she won't hold still to get her picture taken!

She still has the most beautiful eyes in the world... and the most beautiful fringed ears... and you can see her lovely silver neck muff.

And here is she with her nether regions nearest to the camera, as she and Mama Inca trotted away tonight.  The cooler weather is making them feel very good.

And here she is a year ago today, in all her cuteness.  Totally unexpected, we did not think Inca was old enough when Tony (before gelding) bred her.

She was such a dark baby I don't have any closeups of her cute little face.

We love our llamas!

To all of you who extended comments about my illness last night, thank you.

I had a flu shot 3 weeks ago.  On Monday, I didn't feel very well after a very busy day at work, and during the night, began getting very sick.  By Tuesday I tried to go to work and was sent home, and 24 hours went by in a fog.  I spent yesterday on the couch and in bed, and managed to get to the office today.  I would just as soon not have THE FLU again this winter! 

Tuesday Again, and a Missing Bird

It's Tuesday evening, and I have a full-blown fall cold.  The aches and pains from two weeks ago finally manifested themselves, and I am sneezing and blowing with the best.  I hope it doesn't last long!

After a rainy weekend and Monday, we had a wonderful balmy day here, with highs in the upper 80's.

Tonight we are missing this girl:

It's Little Girl, the brassy back old english gamebird pullet.  The last time I am certain I saw her was Saturday night, when they roosted inside.  Sunday night, they stayed out.  I have not seen her since Saturday for certain. She was a lovely little pullet, and now I have Speedy, the Brassy back OEG rooster, and no hen for him. 

This guy almost got eaten by Lilly, in fact, we thought he was gone.  Keith asked me to put him in the nursing cage so we could watch him for a while. 

It's Boots, the bigger of the two Mille Fleur roosters... and I'm happy to tell you that tonight, he is back with the flock on the roost.  No harm done, thank heavens. 

Here is the Perp, looking contrite. She happens to be by the pasture gate, with Reddy and Eagle on the other side.  Hmmmm.

And here's our silly Tony.... and with that, I'm full of Nyquil and going to bed.

"Bigify" to see him standing there with a piece of weed hanging from his mouth, waiting for his dinner!

He looks like the Pushme Pullyu!

And a Calamity Acres hello to all the new blog readers.. we are so glad to have you!

A Wonderful Sunday

My Dad used to say that you could give one hour a week to God, surely, if we complained about getting up early and going to church on Sunday morning.  Now I get up earlier on Sunday, and go to church at 8 AM.  Yes, there is a later service, and one at 5 on Saturday, but I like getting up and going to see God regularly, and then coming home, reading the morning paper, and then going about my Sunday as I will.  We decided several years ago that Sunday was a day of rest.... but what that really means is we try not to cram it full of visiting, errands, etc. etc. and do things around the house. 

All this weekend I planned to work on the new garden. but it was so hot on Friday and Saturday that I put it off.  Today, it was processing the last of the pickles (FINALLY) and 4 lbs of tomatos bought at the market yesterday.  I noticed that the last of the market garden tomatos all looked equally as bad... it was a bad tomato year.  I did buy some small heirloom yellow and pink tomatoes to give some color to the tomato preserves I made today.  (More about them tomorrow!)

Since son Jim and wife Amy and the kids were camping all weekend, we kept Jester the Boston terrier.  He is our granddog, and we love him.  He has worn the pugs out, though, and Abby and Gertie are in la la land, though it's only 8 PM.  The kids came by to get him at 2 or so, and off they went with some fresh cookies grandma had made for them, and a pile of coupons from the last 3 Sunday papers.  And Jester, who was glad to see them!

Here is a treat that the chickens got this afternoon:

These guys were a little hesitant to touch them... but by the time I came back in to do evening chores, they were all almost gone.

I cut some grass after dinner for a while:

I love the sun on the grass.  I left this part of the pasture long this year on purpose.  It does not have very good ground cover, and has several bare spots.  As soon as I am no longer working full time, I am going to have the extension service look at our pasture and advise us on repairing/fixing it.  I cut this grass tonight. I also cut part of the pond area, but the man left it in hummocks, with rock exposed, so it's dangerous to the John Deere.

There is a beautiful view as I cut of the Spehar's ponds:

And these guys:

Tony is very suspicious of the mower!

It was so beautiful out this evening, that even though it was getting dark, the flock from the little henhouse was hanging out outside.  It is dark now at 8:29, and Keith has just gone out to lock the door.  We noticed tonight that the two Ameracauna pullets have started sleeping inside the big henhouse, so we are hoping that the littler birds follow suit SOON!

Tomorrow is Santa Cali Gon day with my sister and cousin, so I'll take lots of pictures of our trip.

Llama Air Conditioning

I thought everyone would enjoy seeing how the llamas cool off in the evening.  Inca stands or lays in her pool, and the others lay right next to it.  The ground around it is damp and cool, and is shaded most of the afternoon.  Where the pool is poured out, the ground is pretty wet.  I also wet down around the tank, which is behind me in this photo, in a corner under the walnut tree.  The hens and Aztec like to lay next to the tank which stays pretty cool.  I am still surprised that Aztec doesn’t follow her mom’s actions and get into the pool herself.  Tony actually looked as if he were going to step in tonight, but instead, kushed right up against it.  If you enlargen the photo, you will see his wool on his neck is hanging in the water.  I filled the pool so full, I think Inca hesitated to lay down, so I bucketed out part of it. 

This post is done with Windows Live Writer.  You can set up your blog in it, and VERY EASILY include pictures.  I am also going to try a video and see if I can get one to load this way.  I am not sure how big these pictures are going to be on the blog when they arrive.  I thought I would give it a shot, as I can load pictures from the camera very easily into Windows Live Photo Gallery, and hence, to the blog. 

For those of you who commented on Teeny’s babies last night, my grateful thanks.  The three little ones are doing well, and Matt… Teeny abandoned the fourth egg, which DID feel heavy.  It was stone cold by the time I got home, so I took it out of the cage. 

Tonight I cut the grass weeds in the little henyard.  Because I let them get tall, the birds have some shade during these hot days, but it also makes it hard to keep track of them.  As you know, the juveniles have been roosting in the maple tree that has been growing in the middle of the yard for the last four years.  We have deliberately let it grow, to provide shade.  I went about my business filling water bowls, etc., and then went inside to fill Teeny’s waterer and the main waterer.  I am not sure why, but I stepped into the closet and discovered the half-eaten carcass of a bird  I went to get a shovel to get it out… and discovered it was one of the 5 month old Ameracauna pullets.  I had hoped these pretty birds would join with the Rocks and the Welsummers to be my big egg layers.  All that was left of her was part of the torso and the wings.  No head, no legs and rear.  I suspect raccoon, not possum, as they will take heads and nothing else.  I had found a pile of feathers by the fence, and for a while, thought it was one of the old roosters, but if there is one thing I have learned IT’S NEVER AN OLD ROOSTER.  Always a hen in lay or pullet.  Several of the pullets had chosen to roost in their little pen last night, and I suspect now I know why.  We caught them, Keith and I, and imprisoned them in their pen, and believe me, they were upset.  Several flew at the tarps on top to try to get out.  I hope I have not made them sitting ducks for the coon, and may go out there in a while to check.  My guess, though, is he is striking just before dawn.  I thought it odd, though, that it had gotten the pullet out of the tree, and taken it INSIDE to eat it… but the poor bird have have run up the open ramp into the pophole in desperation. 

I may be investing in a night cam from Cabelas just to see.

Another Baking Day

Folks, we're trying to be brave about this, but it was another blistering day here in Kansas.  Even the frozen jugs are not helping, they melt within an hour, it seems.  Dawn was warm, but about 2:30 PM a breeze came up for a while and lessened the animal's suffering.  Friend Jill tells me that her parent's neighbors (farming people) have already lost 10-12 cattle in the heat. 

The clouds are a tease.

Tonight there are some intermittent pop-up storms up in northwest Missouri, above us.

Tomorrow, there is a 40% chance of rain here.

I'll believe it when I see it.

I'm ready to do the rain dance.

These girls are sick of being in all the time, too.  It's dangerous for pugs to go out in the heat and humidity, because of their "smooshed-in" brachycephalic muzzles. 

These two youngest of our dogs are raring to go when we get home in the evening, because they spend their days like this.

Lilly Ann is the only one who ventures out for long in this heat.

This guy is getting along so far, after the scare two weeks ago.  I am watching him carefully. 

I ran water in Inca's pool quite deeply today, good, cold well water.  This afternoon she laid in the pool a long time, and gave herself a good soaking.  I am very surprised that Aztec has not followed her mom's example and begun laying in the pool, but I am still hoping she will.

I went to church this afternoon at 5 so I can get up in the morning a little later, but get some outside chores done before the heat of the day hits.  This morning I made cookies for the grands and took them to them, then ran back downtown to get gyros for Keith and me for lunch.  We have a sentimental liking for gyros, of all things.... we ate them at a favorite restaurant in Illinois when Keith was finishing his Army career.

They were so good, and satisfied us, so that we did not have to cook tonight.  I do have a nice dinner planned for tomorrow, minute steaks, fresh corn, potatos from our garden, and nice rolls. 

Keep cool!

A Very, Very Close Call

When I dropped Nathan off with his mom and came home this afternoon, I found Tony in terrible distress.  He is shaved more than the other two llamas, who were hot, but not unduly so.  It was about 104 Degrees out at the time, and very humid.  Inca, as you know, lays down in the swimming pool and gets herself very wet. 

I found Tony drooling and foaming at the mouth, and called Keith over.  Five minutes after Keith went back to the henhouse work, Tony went down.

Here he is just before he went down:

That is Inca's swimming pool he is standing over, filling with very cold well water, about 4 PM.  He was NOT drinking... he was panting so hard, drooling and foaming, that he could not drink.  He staggered around me for about 5 minutes, as if begging me to do something, and then kushed against the rubbermaid trough to my right rear (where the ground is very cool and damp) and then literally fell over, his head flinging back.  I ran to get Keith to come, I thought he was dying right then. 

Right here, I need to tell you that the llamas do NOT like to be sprayed, and I had tried to spray him a few minutes earlier and it only increased his agitation.  Keith came to see what was happening, and told me to go in the house.  (I was going down in the heat, too).  I went in, thinking we were losing Tony then and there.

Five minutes later, I looked out.  I could see Keith doing something.  I saw Inca and Aztec walk away from him, then I saw Tony standing, and then saw Tony walk around in a circle, still staggering, but coming towards Keith.  I finally realized Keith was spraying him! 

What he did saved Tony's life.  I am convinced.

He took the hose and made the spray only medium hard, and sprayed Tony's neck and chest.  Tony was able to get up, and instead of bolting away, he actually stood and let Keith run the light spray on him, almost mist, but getting him very, very wet.  He turned his haunches towards Keith, and Keith got him chilled.  After about ten minutes, Keith put the hose down and came in to have me look outside.  Tony was up, and the staggering was gone, and he was actually drinking some cool water! 

Here he is about 5 minutes later.

He is wet and was feeling better, and had his eyes closed because I was spraying him with a fine mist of water.  You see his knees are very dirty where he went down, and you can't see the dirt across his neck on the other side.

I can't tell you how grateful I was that he was up.

Here you can just see the dirt on his neck... he was feeling MUCH better and was eating some llama feed from the fortex.  Later he went over and had some hay from the hay buffet. 

Like humans, now that he has had such a bad episode, we will need to watch him closely.  I soaked the ground around the trough and the pool, so that they can lean against them to cool themselves.  Even in the heat of the last two summers, Tony was never affected so badly.  The llamas dissipate heat through their "underarms" and their upper legs and under their flanks.  (The reason Inca lays in the pool).... but Tony has never learned to lay in it.  He crashed into it today and I thought was literally falling into it as he staggered. 

We are going to call Tractor Supply tomorrow and see about getting a big fan to blow down into the pasture in that corner, to try to keep them cooler in this heat.  The herd from which Inca came is kept cool in summer with very large barn fans, positioned to blow on those llamas in the shade.

So far, I have not lost any chickens to the heat, though they are suffering greatly.  For tonight, the big henhouse popholes are open, because it is so hot in there.  In past summers, I have left them open for weeks, but when I did so one night in May, I lost a fine black cochin.  We will have to risk it tonight, as it is just too hot still at 11 PM to shut them.  The smaller birds seem to be getting along okay, and today I let the little juveniles out of their pen for the first time.  Pictures of that, tomorrow. 

As Keith had to remind me, I am not any good to anyone or anything if I go down from the heat, and he's right.

Llama Rodeo Day

First off, Happy Father's Day to all you blog readers who are dads... we had hot but good weather here for Father's Day celebrations.  My own dear Pa has been gone since 1969, how I wish he could have seen our little place here, our animals and our gardens.  He would have liked them a lot, and would have liked to have a good jaw with Keith on the porch in the evening.

Today friend Joani and her nephew Ethan came to help us shear the llamas.  Let's face it... THEY sheared.  Keith had built a catch, and this first use showed us how we need to modify it for next year.

Here is Tony in the catch:

That's Keith, Ethan and grandson Chris calming him. Notice there is a cinch over his neck to keep him from jumping. 

This was his third time being sheared, and he actually walked in calmly, but did not like being haltered so much.

If llamas could talk....

Here, Joani and Ethan have begun the shearing.

One of the modifications we are making is to lower the top bar, and remove the removable bottom bars totally.  We think that will work better.  That's padding on them so no one would be hurt. Tony actually stood very well... except for when he kushed and we had to get him up so his belly could be finished.

Here he is, belly and haunches shorn very, very well for the first time!  Last year he had just a barrel cut.

Then it was Aztec's turn.

It was Aztec's first time being haltered, and first time being shorn.

The catch really helped, because we could put a sling underneath to keep Aztec upright.

Once the catch was made, and Aztec haltered, Joani walked around to take a look before starting to shear. She came back around laughing... and told us that AZTEC IS A GIRL!!!!

Azzie did very well for her first time.

Yes, she jumped around a little, and came up out of the catch at one point, but Chris and I were able to lift her back in.  Her wool is very, very light and fine.  Under the brown overcoat, she was gray.

Joani trimmed her toes, even though they were not too overgrown.

You can see her grey coat, and the wool on the ground. By this time, all the humans had llama wool everywhere on them.  It was a HOT day, too. She absolutely HATED getting her wormer.  They also got tetanus and CDT inoculations. 

Then it was time for this one.

Last year was Inca's first shearing.  It did not go well, she bucked and kicked so much in the borrowed apparatus that we used that she hurt the man shearing.   We were only able to get a strip around her belly cut, so her wool was very matted.  She does lay in the swimming pool regularly, though, because she's one smart mama.

She hummed to Aztec while she was in the catch, but really stood remarkably calmly. 

Keith held her on the back of the neck firmly, and she did not struggle... much.  The shears kept getting very hot, and very full of wool, so we had to stop while Ethan took the blades off and brushed the wool out, and oiled them.  It makes the whole process take MUCH longer than it would if we did not have to stop.  Joani did much of Inca's left side with the hand shears.

While all this was going on, Tony kept wandering in, smelling the shearing kit, looking at the spare baby halter on the fence post, and checking Keith and Joani out very nonchalantly.

This was the last step, the wormer.  Inca didn't appreciate it much, I'm afraid.

It occurs to me now that I did not take a picture of the three shorn babies after we finished... we were all so tired and hot and covered with wool.... but I will get one tomorrow and post it tomorrow night.  Inca is also gray under her outer coat of brown. 

We are also down six roosters... Joani took two back to a friend in northwest Missouri.... and lo and behold, I ran an ad at the feed store, and father and two little boys came tonight, took four roosters and two hens home to their farm.  I asked.... they said they were for pets.... I went on that trust because I just had to downsize some roosters.  Two of the Battling Brahma Brothers are gone, thanks heavens, and two hens that will be good for the little boys, if they are indeed raising chickens for fun. 

Keith has been asleep for an hour, and I am going to tell the grands to hit the hay, and hit it myself.  It's been a long Sunday since church early this morning!

Another Hot Day

Clouds have drifted in and out overhead all day and this evening, but so far, no storms.  They are in the forecast for tomorrow.

It's so important to do water as soon as I get home these days, and it was good that I checked Butch's pen tonight, because they had knocked their waterer over at some point.  I got them a fortex and filled it with cold well water, and they drank and drank. 

The pasture is lush and green now, and the view looking down onto our neighbor's ponds is especially pretty.

Here is where our little pond used to be.  We were worried about having it plowed and seeding it, but nature is taking over.  The guy left it very, very rough... there are so many hummocks I don't know how I will be able to mow it with the John Deere.

I had help while I was doing chores:

Actually, all three of them were in there. Tony was waiting for me to turn my back so he could eat the chicken feed.  They do not like the new formulation of feed from our feed store, so I am trying to find llama pellets (or sheep pellets) for them somewhere.

And guess what? 

The chickens didn't like it much, either.

It LOOKS like sweet feed... but must not taste like it.  I know a certain Palomino pony that would have glommed onto it in an instant!

So then I went out to fill the water trough with clean cold water....

and to put a little more in the swimming pool that I put out to cool the ground. 

This is what I saw: 

She walked around in it and tried to lay down.

As you can see, she needs to be sheared badly.  Keith is building a catch chute so it can be done on Sunday this weekend.  It won't be pretty. (Llama Rodeo Day)

I went and got the phone and called Keith, who was out checking on the river.  He stopped and bought a bigger child's pool on the way home, and we filled it with good water. Inca came over to it immediately, but we have not seen her step in it yet.  We did not fill it too full, so she could lay down in it and cool off her chest and belly. 

By the way.... Tony succeeded:

I posted this, but I have an addendum... Haying has started here in our area, but there is not a BALE of hay or straw to be had at any feed store in a 25 mile radius.  We also notice that our flowers are blooming out of sequence, and neighbor Kathy came over tonight to see the gardens, and told us that HERS are blooming out of sequence (like, my sedum is about to bloom, that regularly blooms in August).  She works for a landscape contractor, and they have noticed it, too.  Very strange.