First Week Under Our Belts

The first week of 2023 is safely past.... and all is well.  

I noticed Friday that there are buds on the maple tree! 

I have had so many small and large branches come off this tree during the fall that I am going to have it assessed when the tree eaters come to take down the saplings in the pasture. 

It's been cold, but not so cold that Bullseye spent hours doing this.  He is outside almost all the time. 

I was under the weather this week, necessitating a trip to the doctor and meds, but am on the mend.  I just took it a little easier. Bully was glad to help me stay in one place. 

Zoey was glad to sleep late several mornings. 

And I found Alien, the feral who has been coming and going, in the garage one morning. 

I have a theory... I think he lives around here and just stops by to eat, because he is in good flesh, and he disappeared entirely during the terrible weather at Christmas. 

I thought it would be interesting to look back at the end of the year from years past. 

12/31/17 had a full moon, just like this week's.  

(ours this week came a few nights after). 

On 12/31/18, I still had Donald and at least two Duckingtons.  How I miss them!  I miss ducks! 

On 12/31/19, I saved this picture of two big raccoons on my porch. I am not longer leaving food out on the porch to put a stop to this.  The skunk's suffering last week led me to believe it is better for the wildings not to become dependent. 

On 12/31/2020, my beautiful Rusty was still coming here daily and nightly.  He has moved over the road to my friend's house, but has now disappeared from there.  What a beauty he was, but truly feral, even though he was  raised by me as a kitten. 

Last year on the 31st, I posted pictures of the wonderful train in the front yard of one of our National Agricultural Center volunteers... this was his labor of love.  Sadly, he was not able to display his train, the Seven Dwarf passengers, and the Grinch sneaking up on them this year.  I was privileged to see it. 

This is what the feeding area looked like on January 2, last year. 

And this year! 

Speaking of crows... 

These guys came down to eat sunflower seed yesterday, and I took their pictures through my front door.  The funny thing is, I can go out and take pictures of them, they actually don't fly unless I get within six feet.  They are such beautiful birds.

Mama and Cleo are beauties, too.  The shop is staying nice and toasty for them, since I put plastic across the door opening and put two small heaters in there.  

Teenie also sleeps in there, but spends hours outside daily. 

Granddaughter Paiton and her bestie got a late Christmas gift from me of a short day camp and ride at a local stable.  She was so glad to be back in the saddle again, even if it was a Western saddle.  They had a blast in the chilly temps that day. 

(I rode Western and English for many years... Paiton had two years of English lessons, not a slam) 

That's about the wildest thing I have seen in the shop this week.  I only have seen one raccoon in there, one time.  The water bowl has only been dirty once.  As the day gets warmer, I will have to change it daily. 

I hope we have many more beautiful sunsets this year. 

Happy New Year! 

 

 

 

Cold Weather and a Return

I remain resolved to try to post more often in this new year!

We are one month from Christmas, can anyone believe it? 

Let's get right onto it. 

This first picture is someone who brought a smile to my face, and my heart sang. 

This is my beautiful Rusty, the cat from the header. 

He looks in great shape, doesn't he?

I had not seen him in four months, and last week, I caught him on the deck camera. 

I was so relieved, and then was "rewarded" with this additional picture of him on the twenty-third. 

My theory is that when the females came from Kitty Cat Connection, Rusty gave up and departed. 

I nearly cried when I saw him last week.  

He actually came from Kitty Cat Connection four years ago, with his three siblings, as kittens. One by one, they disappeared.  I thought he had, too. 

But you know what?  Now that I stare at this picture, as I type... I am no longer sure this is he. 

The face looks too narrow, but... I am going to look at the many pictures I have of him to be sure. 

This cat, with a collar, and in great flesh, appeared Sunday night. Remember, that basin is heated. 

I pick up the cat food most nights, except when it is really frigid, and then I leave it down, because the raccoons and possums generally den up. 

I don't know this cat.  

This is the only swinging feeder I have left.... I have not had to fill it except once or twice a day, however.... for some reason, I had to refill it at least six times yesterday and today.  I finally went out there and taped it to the shepherd's hook so it will not swing.  I had so many of these feeders, but they are so wasteful... I wasted pounds of birdseed last winter.  It's far too expensive to waste this year. 

A 40 pound bag of Back Yard Blend has gone from 18.99 at this time last year, to 33.95.  I have all the feeders stored in the shop now. 

I put sunflower chips in this feeder, the most expensive of the feeds.  

Yes, it was horridly cold. 

Here is Wanda, in the big hen house.  She has made her bed in there for the last three nights. I believe Cleo, who normally sleeps rough, has run her out of the shop.  Cleo has been sleeping inside since the really cold weather hit.  

Wanda has a bad eye, and I know it looks bad here, but it is actually open when she is up and about. I am studying about how to catch her, and have talked to a local vet about her being treated there. 

Unfortunately, I was going to let her live in there... I put soft fresh straw in the nest yesterday... but this morning, as I walked out to open up... I caught her going after the old hens with mal-intent.  She was ushered out.  

There are enough mice in there that the hens should not be enticing... I suspect she was playing, but it looked rough. 

Cleo, the Queen of the Shop. 

She lets the others know it, too. 

Bullseye's work.  Remember, he started out feral in the woods. 

I have been keeping him in as much as I can, and I believe tomorrow I am going to get him a collar with a bell on it, one that can be heard by anything he is after. 

Sorry for the gore, but it's a fact of life in the country. 

There are thirty or more cardinals eating here right now, and I hate to see any go down to the Killer. 

There was another possum on the Kuranda bed... and you can just see Coco's head in the deck chair in the middle of the picture.  That is an electric heater in the middle, and I have to say that it is making the shop livable for the cats ... the possums are just visitors (I think).  In this sequence, Coco's head came up every once in a while as she made sure the possums were not bothering her. 

You can see where they have been drinking out of the heated basin in the front of the picture. 

I took this through the window last week... I felt so sorry for the birds and squirrels.  On days like this, I don't let the chickens out at all.  I hate going out, the older I get, the more I dread the cold, I admit it. 

Also staying inside in the bitter cold. 

That heater looks like it is right on the bed, it is not.  

Zoey has been in front of it all day today, and Jester is with me here in the office. 

It is 24 as I type this.  It was 52 yesterday.... go figure. 

The Killa better be glad I love him. 

Starliings gotta eat too. 

I would like them better if they didn't poop all over everything... but... I have to admit to you that I am not getting them this year in the hordes of years past. 

I watch this redtailed hawk at the bottom of my pasture every day, he is watching one of the ponds on the Spehar's property.  I always want to to tell him to turn around, there is a cornucopia of birds in my yard just behind him... but he always watches the pond and looks so cold and lonely. 

These guys love Back Yard Blend, though. 

So do these, and they were waiting for their turn. 

Hoping she was not The One. 

I caught these beauties up in the walnut tree. 

So grateful I foster failed.... again. 

And so grateful for this old guy, who has been accepting of everything and everyone that has come into this house in the last five years.  He's my doll, and my big buddy.... Jester. 

He is the last pet Keith and I had together.  

That smile on his face is for real. 

Comparing the two... it's Rusty. 

So relieved, I can't tell you how much. 

I'm putting food in the pasture feeder again at night, just in case. 

He's eating good somewhere, though.  

Stay warm, friends. 

Spring is in 54 days! 

 

Still Alive and Kicking!

Friends, I am still with you all. 

I believe I have dodged the bullet... this time. 

I will be enquiring about the vet this week, as I must take 

Snowy in for some sneezing that she is having. 

I want to thank you all for your wonderful comments here and on FB enquiring about my health. 

Trust me, every little sneeze or headache made me wonder. 

I have since found out that the wonderful family from whom I buy pork and used to buy 

my hay has had it run through their family, rampant, the sons missing work (unpaid) and 

the matriarch exhausted.  The patriarch has ALWAYS worn masks to deliver, they have 

a little granddaughter whom they try to protect, and he told me "You do not want this thing". 

I don't, I agree. 

Since I last blogged, we have had the results of an election and a run of 

wonderful weather here in Leavenworth County (Kansas). 

I think those lovely days are coming to an end, we had crazy wind today, 

and again, tomorrow... and then rain and then cold temps return. 

Fritzi is still with us... by the skin of her teeth.  The Cushings and diabetes is 

taking its' toll on her, and she is now blind, I believe completely so.  She may still be 

seeing a bit of light versus dark.  It is heart breaking to watch her, and many of you have told me 

that blind dogs get along well... I can tell you from watching her she is scared, and will start at the slightest sound... has bumped her poor little head over and over.  I go out with her, and guide her 

by my voice... but she is not the same happy go lucky little dog of yore.  She has had a really good day today, and when it is time, I have found a practice who will come to the house to 

let her cross the bridge, here where she is loved and cherished. 

Look who is back!  After an absence of almost ten days... and I thought for sure he had been killed by something... Spot returned and has been here since.  He has a little house by the door, and he so wants to come in, but he attacked Fritzi once.  She can smell him, and goes right up to him, barking... so I can't chance his going after her little face.  When Fritzi is no longer here, he is welcome in here, the other two dogs pretty much ignore him. 

He and Snowy actually helped me do chores Friday morning in the fog. 

Snow Snow had her grooming done Thursday; she was overdue.  I have never had a dog 

before that had to be groomed!  She was sweet smelling over night, but by the next day, 

had found something to roll in... see the previous picture. 

Brooke, the groomer, has backdrops for the various holidays, and you can book just a photography session if you would like. 

 

The squirrels love to eat the cat food on the deck. 

This baby possum was so close to a camera outside I thought it was a rat for a minute. 

I hope it's the little gray possum, I have not seen it during the day now for about a week. 

I found a dead baby at the back of the house last Monday, but it was darker than this one. 

This gorgeous tree stands in the valley below me, 

on the other side of the Spehar's two ponds.  I look for it every year, 

and this year, I waited so long, I was afraid they had cut it down. 

On the second, there she was in all her glory. 

If you enlarge that, you will see I caught the reflection in the waters of the pond. 

I hope....hope... that I can have all the fir trees that have grown up in the fence line removed this year. 

They were not there when we moved here.  They are not just tearing up the fencing, I am losing my view. 

Spot waited for me to come from the pasture the other day, at the top of the stairs where so many of our pets have awaited me.  I am going to do a story about JUST that one day soon. 

This is the view out my kitchen window, on the west side of the house... fading now. 

That is the 26 acres that is undeveloped, with the communications tower on it.  I used to 

wish I won the lottery so I could buy it and keep it undeveloped forever. 

I am seeing so many birds at the bird feeders now, after a spate of about two months 

where I saw few.  

There are five crows in that picture, picked up on the garden cam, 

one is still on the flat feeder.  

They watch for me to put out the birdseed. 

Those are the two little old ladies, Fritzi and Snowy. 

Since I started this post last week, little seventeen year old Snowy had a grand mal seizure one morning, 

about 1:45 AM.  I sat and watched her, she was in bed next to me... she is the only one who sleeps with me now.  I actually thought she died.... but she was disoriented and her eyes rolled back. The vet was good enough to get me in that day (not always possible any more) and we ran tests on her.  They all came back good... he told me that she may never have another.  

She did exhibit pain in the back, and now is on gabapentin for it twice a day... I can see 

it has helped her, there is more spring in her step. 

I am planning changes around here, and have not spoken about them until now. 

The raised bed garden which Keith planned and made so lovingly back 

ten years or so ago, has been a pain. 

It has to be filled almost every year, and the beds were made just close enough together 

that you have to weed eat them instead of pushing a mower through. 

I have to pay someone to do that weed-eating, Ben, my wonderful yard helper. 

These beds.  

(this year's zinnias in them) 

Ben worked hard on these beds, tilled them, filled them, and weed ate between them all summer. 

We talked about pulling them up... I told him no.... but... I have decided that it makes sense to 

do so.  I am going to ask him to do it (pay him) and then we will till this area and grow bigger pumpkins next year. 

I'm getting an extension made between the original south deck (the back is the front of the house) and the side deck, put on years later.  This will let me go out and feed the birds by simply walking onto the deck, not going down steps, walking around, and going up steps on the side.  

The steps are being replaced, they are a hazzard. 

I'm also getting a new front door and storm door, I should have done that four years ago, to keep 

the winter winds at bay! 

I hate to preach on my blog... but friends, we all 

need to conquer our fears. 

I am planning on being around for a while. 

I am being careful, I hope you are all, too. 

I value your friendships and value the fact 

you still read this blog after all these years. 

I'm holding onto fall for a few more days.... 

holding onto hope, too. 

Everyone have as good a Thanksgiving as you can make it, this year.