And Life Goes On....

That is hen number two, who died last week.  It took a full five days for her to be 

consumed in the pasture. 

That hawk worked on her for several days. 

I actually found a third hen dying on the fourth, and it 

took her all day, but she did not seem to be in pain, just 

life slowly ebbing away. 

I did not put her in the pasture. 

That is three in three weeks.   

There is no longer any food outside that can get damp by the big hen house, they have to go 

inside or forage.  

I still think this is an age-related - weather - related cause, and I notice 

there is at least one more I am slightly worried about, and am watching her. 

Having said that, this is happening! 

I have gotten ten eggs on two days, and anywhere from 

four to eight on many days, and these are old hens! 

Still not one egg from the old henhouse birds. 

I made lots of treats last week, for my son's Super Bowl 

party, and for the shelter, since the director decided to open 

up so that clients could see the Super Bowl in warmth. 

This is Chex Mix, made with white chocolate bits instead of 

powdered sugar, and Kansas City Chiefs M and Ms. 

I made red and yellow sugar cookies, too.  

I can't watch big games, I get too nervous, so my 

friend Deb and my son text me during the game to let me 

know what's happening!   As you know, the Chiefs won, and this 

town went crazy!  (Tonganoxie is 25 miles east of KCMO) 

It shut down completely on Wednesday for the victory parade. 

My house is on a ridge, and it looks down and across at my neighbors, who are from Croatia originally, via France.  They are fine cabinet makers, and the two sons are former volunteers for many years with Stranger Creek Fire Department.  They were burning two days this week, and 

it was a beautiful sight at the foot of the pasture.  There are two big ponds there that they keep stocked, but I rarely see anyone fishing any more. 

I have often taken pictures down towards the ponds. 

This birdhouse is in front of the third pond on their property, which is in an "L" around mine on two sides. 

There is a cow pond on that side, and they rent the pasture out during the summer. 

When we moved here in 2005, there were birdhouses on almost every pole in the pasture.  They had been put there years before, not by the people from whom we bought, but someone who loved the land who was here before them. 

Now, there are only two left.  Keith always meant to replace them all, he just didn't have enough 

time to get to it. 

Flicka and Cookie taking a load off in the pen. 

I can tell if there is something going on untowards at night. 

When I go out with the dogs, I always check the sheep.  If they are standing and staring, I know that 

something has either gone through the pasture or has disturbed them in some way.  Ten days ago, 

I heard two bobcats, and the caterwauling made the hair on my neck stand up.  The sheep were 

terribly restless that night. 

Little Red!  You are NOT supposed to be in the sheep pen!

I need to explain about the chickens here. 

There are three roosters, Ferdinand, and Singleton and Buddy, his sons. 

Singleton and six hens go to the Ag Hall in April and come home in 

October.  

There were 30 hens in the Hen Spa, the biggest hen house, and now there are 15. 

Buddy is a bully, in the worst way. 

He and Singie have begun fighting, and I think I posted a picture of Singleton ten days ago, so you could see what was happening. 

That is blood, but before you freak out, combs bleed freely. 

Buddy also had a lot on him. 

You see, spring is springing, and the animals know it. 

So, what I have had to do is catch Buddy EVERY morning with my net, and 

put him on the yard side of the fence. 

Unlike his dad, Ferdie, Buddy does not know how to get to the one gap left and go through. 

Little Red used to keep his dad company in the yard, and now she comes through and spends most of the day with Buddy.  She is not supposed to go into the pasture... where the coyote picked ten hens off last summer.  However, short of following her around all day, I can't prevent it, I can just cross my fingers. 

Buddy will beat up on his dad Ferdie, but Singleton leaves him alone.  So, Singleton and Ferdie are on one side, and Buddy on the other.  

So close, and yet, so far. 

(In reference to this picture, if I could start over with 20 leghorn hens (like these) I would do it in a minute) 

He is the one that is going to the Ag this year, with the six little hens.  That way I do not 

have to wrangle a rooster every single morning, but can house everyone in ONE house and 

clean out the old henhouse for the summer. 

I thought it might help if I showed the buildings... this is the Old Henhouse, 

it was a building used by the people who came here to pick 

strawberries in the old days, it had an air conditioner and heater in it, and 

you see that Keith built a stall on the front for our pony, Beau.  

This is where Singleton and his six girls live right now. 

Just beyond it to the right you can barely see our little red henhouse up on 

stilts, where the bantams lived.  The big pen behind this house has heaved and 

is no longer usable.  It would break Keith's heart to see it. 

That is the garage on the left where my hay is stored... and the shop/barn on the right. 

The storage building is to the right of it.  You can see that they are WAY on the sound end of the property... the gray barn is actually way across on my neighbor Troy's property.  The original house 

on our properties stood just south of this garage and shop. 

There are the big and little hen houses... the big one being 

The Hen Spa.  No one lives in the little hen house now, and if it would just warm up for a couple of 

days in a row, I would give it a good clean out. 

The fifteen hens and two roosters live in the Hen Spa. 

My little hay barn storage shed, and the sheep barn behind it.  The big house on the hill to the right is my neighbor's.  

And yes, my humble little house, with the deck Keith built for us, and the little structure in front is the well house.  You climb down into it to service the well and sump pump. 

(Someone does, I don't!!!) 

Gosh, that last chair on the porch has seen better days!

I am going to try to get two rocking chairs this year, and put the porch chairs in the shop for storage. 

That big comm tower is across the road from me, 

on a vacant 26 acre piece that has been for sale for years. 

Sometimes the animals around here get just a little too close to the cameras! 

Golden Days

I'm dying to know what is living in here. 

You know me. 

The days have been golden.  

There are some down sides to that. 

Wild onion is up, and I think there is nothing better than smelling it as 

you cut the first grass of the season. 

While Chris was here, we walked the dogs at Angel Falls.  The Water Baby LOVES to 

go in the creek. 

Note where the water is in that picture, taken ten days ago. 

By yesterday, the stream had narrowed significantly, we need 

rain badly here. 

I bought a 20 foot lead for Lil, so she can go way out in the creek.  She was hot in this picture, it was 77 out. 

This is the drainage basin at Basehor City Park, running down to the creek.  The rock bottom was showing through at the end of last week. 

Last night was a night of wild storms here, including tornados which touched down on the 

Missouri side of the metro, doing great damage. 

The basin had water in it this morning, I was glad to see that.  The birds use it daily. 

Someone was sunning himself on the walk way.  I'm so glad I saw him, 

he was very sluggish and did not even move when I touched him. 

Too cold for little snakes today! 

This is a barn two miles from where I live.  This barn and the one next to it 

were over 100 years old.  The storm last night got it. 

Look at that 100 year old wood! 

The chickens at the ag came through the storm well, except the plastic on their 

door and windows blew away.  So much for my stapling extra yesterday. 

See these thirteen eggs? 

They came out of only 3 of these slots in the nest box.  

Chickens crack me up. 

Except for trash cans blown all over... there was thankfully no damage to the old buildings. 

And everyone was happy. 

This little group of mallards was on the pasture pond as we went to the park.  

It is so shallow, I don't think geese can land there now.  

I stayed one second too long, taking four pictures. 

The rule for nature photography is DO NO HARM and don't disturb the birds/animals. 

My bad. 

And I really mean my bad, I hate disturbing them. 

Lilly will be twelve this summer.  The drool worries me, she does it as we walk. 

Totally gratuitous picture of the best Bostie in the world! 

Country Livin'

Last weekend, I was asked to accompany a friend down to 

the country, about 60 miles from home. 

It was a gorgeous Autumn day, and I decided that it 

would be good for me to get away from my worries for a few hours. 

There were so many things to see! 

This flock of turkeys just kept coming and coming out of the high grass, down to the little pond. 

I am not seeing turkeys up here right now, so it was exciting to see them. 

Yes, it was a cloudy day, and I didn't realize I had my camera "eye" closed so far. 

There were some gorgeous old barns. 

Still standing 100 years later. 

Though overgrown around the foundation, this one is still usable with some cleaning up. 

Though the lean-to at the back has seen better days. 

There were game trails all through the woods, and so much flora to see and photograph. 

Moths. 

Sumac. 

(Ashamed of myself, I had to ask) 

Darnit, it's so pretty here's a second picture. 

Here is Friend Jill standing in front of what is probably one of the largest cottonwoods in the State of Kansas.  The trunk was unbelievable. 

And yes, it's still alive. 

It stands near this unused railway station... I would love to have this building, just sayin'. 

And near a yard where the state honors the largest Bur Oak in the state... look at the age in 2006! 

Notice the morning glories and petunias... flowers are still blooming here, and I have iris blooming in the garden. 

What a mild fall we have had. 

I have stopped cutting grass... oh, it could use one more, I think, but I am 

not giving in.  It's November, whether Mother Nature agrees or not. 

I will try to get caught up with everyone's blogs this week. 

Thank you again, friends, for all your wonderful expressions of sympathy.