Home at Last

Four years ago, I moved home. 

Home to Calamity Acres. 

It was a real move home for me, from the big, nice house where Keith died. 

I had told him I would not do it, but when faced with selling one of the two properties, 

I knew the large house/nice yard would sell faster than this old house. 

Today, it would be different, both would sell fast. 

I had been in the big house for so short a time there was only a tiny, tiny profit, but it 

did not matter.  I came home. 

Today is the fourth anniversary. 

On the tenth, I stepped out on the deck to start chores and was greeted with 

an eerie bright red sun rising through smoky haze.  Smoke from the western fires. 

I ran in and got the Canon camera. 

That is the sun I saw.  

Many others did, too, because my FB feed filled with pictures. 

Incredible. 

The tenth was also Keith's 62nd birthday.... and my step-son Brandon's 29th. 

I wish they were both still here to celebrate. 

We have a new ice house at the Ag Hall.... courtesy of a board member who 

had it moved and transported from a local farm.  It took out the chicken yard, so 

I don't know what that means for the future.  Because of the pandemic, we have had 

no chickens there the last two years. 

Warning.... graphic photo next: 

Wednesday night, I had noticed one of the three black cochins walking slowly in front of me. 

Her comb and face were pale blueish purple.  I thought to myself "Not enough oxygen", but she seemed to be walking okay. 

When I went to lock up the big henhouse, she was on the floor UNDER the roosts, but seemed alert.  It's just that I knew then she could not make it the foot or two to roost.  I shook my head and said goodnight to her, and I always thank the hens, even though so few are laying now. 

The next morning, I found her like this.  She had managed to move forward about eight feet, but died right next to the water fountain.  

It was her time, she was almost six years old. 

I carried her down to the pasture, where she laid for two days. 

This is all that is left... some animal was able to make a meal of her, as it should be. 

Here are ferals Wanda (by the bowl) and Yeller on the deck this morning.  I haul myself out of bed in the dark every day and put a bowl of cat food out by the water basin. 

Almost every morning, they come up to eat.  

They also have bowls and get wet cat food in the shop in the morning and evening... and then I collect ALL cat food 

and bring it in because of the raccoons.  

You can barely see it in the shadow, but there is a food bowl and a water fortex in the shade there by the 

walk gate to the pasture.   I know Cleo and Rusty eat from it, I have them on camera. 

I bring it in, too. 

There is food in the original feral cat feeder, too, but I think Rusty is the only one 

who knows to jump up in it.  

And the raccoons, of course. 

There is little Wanda having a siesta in the sun the other day in my garage. 

She won't ever be tame enough to pet... but she does let me get fairly close. 

Yeller is an intact male, he did not come from Kitty Cat Connection. 

He is going to have to be trapped, at some point. 

He has a large wound on  his neck, you can just see it in this picture, but I saw him today and it appears to have closed up and is healing. 

Here goes the beautiful Cleo across the deck to eat. 

Cleo and I play a game.  Cleo pops her head up while I am out doing chores, and stares until I stop what I am doing and go get her a saucer of canned food.  It works every time. 

Here go two of the younger six pullets across the yard.  Every morning, I let them 

out of the little hen house and  they immediately run to the back of the pen and fly up over the fence. 

I cannot let their Silkie roommates run free, the big roosters would kill the little hens by breeding them, 

and even though Doug, the Killer Cotton Ball, is brave, he is no match for the big roosters. 

(Doug, the Killer Cotton Ball, on the left, with part of his harem) 

The pullets let themselves out, though, and run around all day long with the other birds. 

There goes Buddy at the gallop, trying to ride herd on them.  There were two more behind him. 

There is another eating from the worn out squirrel feeder. 

Two of these birds are laying now... remember, there is one new pullet about three weeks older than they, and she is definitely laying and is a beautiful bird. 

This is a sweet potato vine on the deck. 

And there is a sweet potato growing under it... there are actually two of them. 

I really enjoyed growing coleus this year, after not growing it for many years. 

I'm planning on something for next year with it. 

Since the sheep left a month ago today, I have been mowing the pasture. 

This tree has already turned in the northeast corner.  It was beautiful. 

And in the bottom tier, which I leave tall for the wild things, is a beautiful kind of graceful miscanthus-type grass, that shines so pink in the sun morning and evening.

Stella d'Oro re-blooming. 

There is one more to go. 

The VA had flags flying for the 11th when I went to visit Keith on 

his birthday (the tenth).  It was a beautiful sight. 

I hope we never experience anything like that again in our dear country. 

Let's all hope fall comes soon!  I'm ready for it! 

At Long Last

Yes, I'm still alive, as are Jester and Lilly! 

My last post was August 8th, and I have intended to post EVERY day since then. 

Best laid plans.  

I moved on September 12.  For once, I had movers do the actual move, but it was not the final move.  My grandson Chris and I were so exhausted, we fell asleep in the deck chairs while the three young men moved the things in. 

They tore the freshly painted front door up, but at that point, I was so tired I didn't care. 

It can be fixed later, and I think I am going to have a steel door put on, I am still deciding. 

Here is how my kitchen looked two days before.  

I ended up having to buy a new refrigerator and the stove still had to be moved 

in from the porch, where it sat all covered up all summer. 

Of course, I got busy planting a few things right away. 

My living room is cozy.  

In the big house, I had taken over a bedroom to use as my tv room. 
I loved the coziness of it, rather than being spread out in the living room. 
Remember that that house is 3000 square feet (nearly) and this one is 
1000.  I am NOT cramming it full like I did when Keith was alive and we lived here. 
Do you see the blinds on the window in this picture?  They look like grass cloth, they are from Bali.... I paid 1/4 of what I paid for the honeycomb blinds in the big house, and I love them.  I bought them through Home Depot.  I still had 3 windows to cover... so while these were installed, the installer measured for the other three, and they are coming on Friday afternoon this week. 

Now, a word about the floors.  I have an area rug in the living room, one in the spare bedroom, and one in my bedroom.  I am going to put a larger one in the kitchen area, but I am waiting for the right one.  

One thing I have learned since Keith died is patience.  I look out the windows from my kitchen table, and I think "my gosh, I have GOT to clear those fencelines".  In the old days, I would have been driving Keith nuts to start.  You know what?  In everything there really IS a season.  The fencelines will get done.  The young man who has cut grass for me all summer and I spoke yesterday, and he is going to commence chopping saplings to the ground in about two weeks.  He is going to go slowly and do some every month.  

The garden that was mowed down in August came back (along with the weeds).  Brandon is going to pull out three of the four long beds, we will leave ONLY the shrubs in them.  I am transplanting what flowers were in them.  Then I'll have only one 25 foot long bed to dig and re-do, plus the two 
shorter ten foot beds on the ends. 
I am going to take pictures of all this this afternoon, so it will seem clear to you.  

I am keeping the veg beds, though two must be emptied and completely rebuilt. 
I may re-erect the hoop house, I loved it... and I still have the basic structure, buried in weeds. 

My two beautiful boarders from the summer have gone home. 
I feel I need to explain something here.  I have always loved horses, and 
have had both large and minis in the past.  

I was able to go between these two during the summer, and turn them 
into the yard at night to graze... with no problems, but I was extremely careful, always aware that one kick would do it to me.  

The day their owner came to load them was a rodeo.  The mare, in the back ground here, went nuts when I lead her out to the yard.  She will not load.  She reared over and over, and I am talking about above my head, like the westerns.  She got loose twice, and the second time I had had wrapped the lead around my hand without thinking... I was lucky not to lose my little finger, which is still sore.  
Her owner tied her to my gate I just had fixed this summer... and she proceeded to break her halter and bend the gate.  (It has been fixed) 

The gelding, 17 hands... got into the trailer with us pulling a rope around his hindquarters, and when the mare broke loose, she launched herself at him and we slammed the gate of the trailer.  
It was not fun, and dangerous, to boot. 

I realized I am NOT going to have untrained horses of any size here again.  Paiton, my little granddaughter, wants a horse... we are going to do riding lessons and see how far we get... because in the future, I would buy her a horse IF the interest is there and we had a secure place to keep one.  (Her dad and I are studying that). 

It was suggested to me that I get 3 or 4 ewes, and put them in the goat barn.  
You see, the horses did a great job keeping the pasture down for me, and sheep would 
do even better.  I am looking at hair sheep, it is difficult here to get sheep sheered unless you 
have a number of them.  I am going to work on this during the winter, and plan for spring. (No,Keith, I am not rushing out and buying the sheep... infrastructure, first)  

The girls are loving it.  It makes me feel so good to see them out in the yard. 
They put themselves to bed at dark, and I go out at a commercial and 
count heads on the roost... then lock up for the night.  They are all 
moulting like crazy, and I am NOT getting 17 eggs a day... but I am getting enough to 
donate, and that's what it's about for me.  I am even thinking of building up numbers next
spring, but things have to be right to do that. 

I have filled in the gaps here, I'll show them to you tomorrow. 
How I wish Keith and I had made a conversation area on the deck he built. 
We loved to talk to each other, and usually did it on the porch. 
We could have enjoyed this deck, grandson Chris and I sure have. 

I don't decorate as much as I used to for Halloween... but I love the minimal stuff I have done. 

Before we moved, Lilly went for rides twice a day to 
shut the chickens up or let them out.  Last week, she rode back and forth across the yard with me as I moved boxes from the shed.
We had a little scare a few months ago, but she is so happy... she spends almost all day outside, into the evening.  She is allowed access to the pasture in the day, but not night... and she likes to go down and sniff around (another reason I'm glad the horses are gone).  
Jester I keep a little closer tabs on. 

This is my beautiful granddaughter, Madison, last 
Tuesday. 

And this is my son, Jim, with Maddie's little baby girl, 
Maci Lynn, born last Thursday, the newest member of our family! 

Maddie is turning into an awesome mom, and she and Maci live with my son and her mom, Amy. 

On Friday last week, I ran up to Iowa to see a good friend with some china I wanted to give her.

Here is Deb Long with Petey, her guard donkey. 

Petey is guarding 4 goats and some ducks. 

Here is Deb in their comfortable new house... in the country... and Maggie, Stella Rose, and Angus (Gussie). 

I had the most wonderful evening, we went to eat in Keosauqua and walk around the grounds where Octoberfest was to be held the next day.  However, the weather was threatening, and it did, indeed, storm badly during the night, so I left the next morning at 9.  It was such a good short trip, though, we talked til late and ate breakfast together in the morning.  I met Deb and Butch's neighbors, Kenneth and Janet, and we had a good visit with them, too.  I'll plan on staying a couple of nights the next time, but you know what?  My wandering days are over.  I love my home... I love my "place"... my pets.... I am happy here. 

I did not come home alone.  

As of yet, unnamed.  

I have another surprise coming this weekend, you will all laugh. 

Yesterday was one year since Keith has passed away. 

I went to the cemetery, as I often do, to talk to him. 
He did not want me to move back here, he felt it was way too much work. 

I am being smarter than I was in the old days. 

I explained to him I am hiring things done now... and not trying to do
everything myself, yesterday. 

I miss him, but my life has gone on, now, and I am so very happy. 
Sometimes I pinch myself to be sure it is really me, really living here again and doing what I want to do. 

They had newly sodded his section since I was there two weeks ago, and the stones are up on the three rows behind him now, so it took a minute to find him.  I had to laugh and tell him I had lost him.... but there he was... waiting. 

So, summer has faded to fall. 
For me, the happiest time of the year.  

I'll unpack those big cameras and take some pictures for you this afternoon! 

(and to the very kind reader who wrote me wondering what had happened... thanks so much for reading my humble blog, nine years old now.  I have made so many good friends through this blog, and I'm honored you read it.  I'll be more regular from now on!)

The Last of the Iris Show

The spring flower show is almost over, but the June show is coming on, I will take some pictures to show you tomorrow. 

Today... we moved MORE STUFF.  I stop here to tell you, friends, that if you need 

storage buildings for your stuff, you have TOO MUCH STUFF. 

I could not have moved these things alone... these two, Chris and his girlfriend Haleigh, 

did ALL the heavy lifting, took the shelves apart... I honestly don't know how they moved a dresser that was horribly heavy.  We were going to give it up... but I need a dresser for tablecloths, etc. 

We are almost to the end.  In three weeks, we move all the things we are selling down to the consignment auction, then fix the house up... and we are looking at an August rental. 

While this guy is laying down on the job! 

Truly, Keith has been admitted to the VA Medical Center at Leavenworth for a few days... 

so is getting out of all the moving drama!  Please say a prayer for him, if you think of him. 

We had a pop up storm tonight... it has already gone over... but we did get a good rain for ten minutes, and a short power fluctuation.  

Monday and Tuesday bring more chances of storms, which we need. 

More pictures of our labors tomorrow, and an update on my dear spouse! 

About the Old Place at this Point in Time

First, I thank anyone who commented yesterday... I forgot to close comments off.  

I can't read them yet, though Keith did, and thanks you all. 

It was a hard day for us. 

I thought it would be good to update things about the old place. 

I go out there twice a day, to take care of the chickens.  In the morning, I turn on the lights in the old henhouse, and the henspa.  In the evening, go out, refresh all the waters... check their feed... and replace what I need to.  At this stage... mice have overridden both henhouses because there are so few birds.  

I have to throw feed out because it gets nasty, so I am putting out less and less. 

I am also still moving things... more about that in a minute. 

This is the view this morning, just inside the front gate, showing the big maple tree... the apple trees and the weeping cherry, with the shop and garage off in the distance. 

Here is a closer view of the shop, a big barn, and the old garage.  The original house on the big strawberry property was to the east, or left, of these buildings, on the property line between Troy's house and our house. 

That's the dying huge walnut tree in front of the buildings, about half of it is now leafing out. 

Here's a view of the arbor between the garden beds, one of the first things that Keith built when we moved in. That's the henspa behind it, and the garden beds on either side.  When I emptied the planters on the porch, I tried to build up the sides of the patio that was laid last year. 

Here is the house and the wellhouse... little by little, I am getting things removed... the deck is almost empty now. 

Here are the two north beds of the garden... with the old hoop house behind them.  The iris are getting ready to explode. 

A closeup of iris blooming this morning, and I have to tell you... this is one iris coming with me. 

Volunteer lettuce is growing in the bed from last year.  I am going to rake this all out tomorrow... take the weeds out... and rake all the darn "helicopters" out, because they will take root.  I'm also going to plant a tomato plant next door, in the next bed.  Just for the heck of it, and because I can't help myself. 

The north perennial bed.  The buddleias are not looking good. 

The south perennial bed... I need to weed big time. 

The little red henhouse has been closed up for two years, now.... and the old rabbit hutch that the hens loved to lay in is going into the dumpster in two weeks. 

You see the goats have knocked the ramp down. 

And the little henyard (with the red henhouse) will soon be impossible to walk in. 

Here is the old henhouse... we adapted this building, which was actually lived in and used by the pickers at the strawberry farm.  Keith built a stall at the front of it for our pony, Beau, and he loved to stand in there in the shade. 

'

Inside the old henhouse.  If you look closely, you will see that 

the bigger snake stuck his head out to see what was going on, when I came in...he's on the right. 

The snakes have been pulling the insulation out of the walls... and this one has been curled up in it since yesterday.  I actually picked up some of it.  

The big snake is under the "box" on the right, the platform that leads to the popholes. 

Say goodbye to my porcelain D'Uccle boys, on Saturday, I'll get up early and 

take them to the parking lot at Valley Feed in Bonner Springs, and try to give them away. 

That will let the old Japanese birds come down for a few weeks.  

Notice they are not afraid of the snake, laying so near them.  They know he can't eat them. 

And here is a shot of the two storage buildings.  We have not been able to find anyone to move even the smaller of the two. 

We traded our greenhouse to Troy and Kathy, for yard cutting for the summer... Troy has done a fantastic job, and even did the weedeating along the garden beds... I am so grateful to him. 

Tomorrow, my cousin Tom, a real estate agent,  is going to come and take a look at it and give me some suggestions 

for what we need to do... besides emptying the buildings, etc.  to get the place listed. 

So... we are making progress, slowly but surely. 

We have some unseasonably cool weather today... and wind... so I am going to work around here for a while, at the new house... where I am trying to get a "garden spot" together for this summer.  

I miss our old place very much... but it also very hard to go over there every day and see it... at some point, there has to be a break.  

I'll know more after my cousin sees it tomorrow and makes some suggestions to us for the sale and when he can list it. 

Now I'm going to break loose of this computer and get some work done around here.  

One last thing... I saw on Facebook this morning that Teresa at Eden Hills has lost her 18 year old pet steer, Michael Jackson.  18 years!  What a wonderful life he had, and how I sorry I was to read of it.  He had a very hard winter, but what a blessing to go in the spring, on a lovely day. 

Teresa, if you see this... I am so sorry for your loss.