In Between the Raindrops

I know the weathermen here have to be getting tired of the 

pattern of rain, rain and more rain.  Oddly enough, our 

little bit of the area has only had drips since Saturday night, 

though ten miles away, were raging deluges. 

Saturday at noon, my son's family, and I, and Cheryl, 

my daughter in law's mom, all went to see Paiton in her dance recital. 

I'm going to tell on myself, and on Cheryl, too. 

We can't deal with the highway lane changes to get to where 

the school is.  

We rode with Jim and Amy.  Pitiful, that's it come to that. 

However, it was a fun hour seeing all the sweet girls in their costumes, 

and I was amazed at all the big daddies who dissolved into tears when their 

little ones came out on stage. 

Paiton's class of five had the least flashy costumes, but they 

all looked cute. 

Jim and Jax rushed from the recital to the ballfields, where a tournament was 

being played.  This picture was taken after 3 games, which the Crushers won. 

The other team voted for MVP... and you see the proud boy here. 

I was worn out that day and did not go to the tournament, but 

I'm so glad for him. 

We had a little sun that night, and I looked out and saw our tiny friend

eating at the feeder.  The hummers love to come in the evening, we 

can often stand in the window and watch them. 

Lilies are really abloom now at the old house. 

And the waysides are still beautiful. 

Yesterday as the dogs and I were headed home from 

chores, I saw a bird running ahead of me on the gravel road. 

This is in between two vast hayfields.  I looked ahead... and saw what 

looked like a turkey was also crossing, about 50 feet down the road, and 

then back to this bird, which I thought was a quail.  She took off at that point, 

flying fast to the east. 

It's a female prairie grouse, and I realized it when I got home. 

I am going to go back over there in the next week and sit for a while outside my car, and see if I can see her again. 

I had no idea there were any in this area.  

Please excuse the picture, sometimes it is so hard to get a good picture against the road as background. 

Their time is almost over... they are diminishing and going into the west. 

This morning, at the old house. 

Likewise. 

I worked about an hour or so in the two big garden beds, pulling weeds. 

Yesterday afternoon, I had a doe jump out in front of me for the third time in a week. 

This particular doe trotted ahead of me across a bridge, and into the woods on the left side. 

Today, I came upon her again.  I had actually slowed down, hoping I would see her. 

She calmly watched me watching her, and I shushed the dogs. 

She had a few more bites of the tree. 

And then slipped into the woods, still chewing. 

If you biggify that first photo, you'll see she's got a bunch of ticks on her 

face and legs, especially up by her eyes.  Ticks don't hurt... but they carry disease. 

Troy cut the grass yesterday and weed ate all the bed walls.  God Bless him! 

He cleaned the vegetable garden up, too, I'll take a picture tomorrow. 

I had my little Worx weedeater with me, but after 5 minutes of weed whacking, I 

ran out of line! 

Okay, I see this little creature almost every day.  He comes out in the road and eats, and runs back into the grass.  Is it a rat?  His tail is not long... nor is his body... this is an adult, and he's very small, but much bigger than a field mouse.  I ask this on purpose, because we have one living here, 

on our hillside.  It does not look like a Norway rat.  Does anyone recognize it? 

I'm seeing scores of these, but this one worried me.  It did not move, even when I stopped the car and rolled down the window, to take it's picture.  I watched in the rear view mirror, and it was still standing there when I left.  I wonder if there were babies near there. 

And finally, yes, I had to play with this picture, because of the background... we were finally getting some clearer skies, but it was still so dark I had to balance this picture artificially.  It's nice to see some hawks again! 

A Fast Post Tonight

Made up of bits and pieces, this will be fast.  I am tuckered out... three weeks of dragging has taken it's toll.  I'm pooped out tonight... and so is Keith, hay fever has worked a number on him. 

When we moved here, there were several large walnut trees in the yard.  One is a century tree, we think well over a hundred years old.  This year, it looks like this:

Yes, our grand old tree is dying. 

In contrast, there is another 50 feet from it, right next to the big henhouse:

If you click on this, you will see that there are hundreds if not thousands of walnuts that I'll soon be paying Nathan to pick up for me.  It's still in good health.

These are black walnuts, and gone are the days when the lumber companies would come to your yard and buy the trees.  Now you have to fell them and haul the to the mill to sell.

Now, for friend Jill, HERE is the rat I have been telling you about, eating along with the chickens tonight.  I say it's a muskrat, it does not have pointy ears like ratus ratus. 

As you can see, it's very calm with me in the henhouse.

Here is another picture of it's short tail:

I don't blame the hens for not wanting to lay in that box you see.

Before you all start shaking your heads, yes, we have a bad feeding regimen.  I feed in one regular chicken feeder, and the others are open bowls or fortexes for the chicks.  We also feed outside.  When we move to the new henhouse, all of this is STOPPING and the chickens will be working harder for their food so there is not as much waste.  They will have a feeder hanging from the rafters, and will have to work at getting their food.  Since Butch and his girls will be moving, the big henhouse flock will be out on pasture regularly again, and finding a lot of their own feed.  I am about to declare war on the mice and rats, though, and One Bite is going to be heavily laid where the chickens can't get to it, including down the larger ratholes in the pen.

We're also going to just the heated waterers for winter, so we only have two to fill at any given time, since our plan is to close off the little henhouse for the winter.  If we leave it open, the hens will begin laying in it (from the big henhouse) and I'll be crawling in and out of there all winter.

Then again, it's better than losing the eggs in the pasture.

Here is my little doll, tonight, sitting on the porch for a few minutes with me:

And lastly, the Teeny Babies... outside for the very first time today!

Stickin' with mama, but mighty happy about it, too!

That's a bantam cochin, so you can see how small they are! All three pullets, too... yipppeeee. 

What Happens at Night

Butch hops up on his roost... it's too hot in the doghouse.

The babies go up in their tree.

And now I see why, and don't blame them.

The scourge of the henyard. 

I know they have to eat, too.  He wasn't the only one.

As soon as I put the waterer down with cool water, mice appeared and jumped up onto the side to drink.

Everyone stay cool if you can!