Sunny Days

Lots going on here.... including rain for days, nine days in May in a row, in fact. 

Let's get caught up!

Wanda, the Ferocious Feral, was giving me hints that she was ready to go. 

She never calmed down, though I caught her playing throughout the days on the camera. 

She was still enough of a kitten that she played with the toys I had in the little red hen house with her. 

I released her on May 23rd, before dark, but she waited until after 8 to go out. 

She is coming in and out regularly, but the problem (that I knew would happen) is that 

the raccoons immediately found the food source.  

That's a nursing mother who has been going in and out. 

I have food here, in the old garage (used for storage), in the pasture feeder (the one on stilts), 

and on the porch.  One raccoon comes in daylight, and this mama above showed up on camera yesterday at 3:15 in the afternoon, she must be very hungry. 

Last night, I thought for a minute I had left a hen out, I saw movement by the big hen house... it was Wanda.  I put some food near the water bowl there, since she has found it.  

Barring any animal attacks, I think she will do okay. 

Miss Molly is now going out during the daytime.  At the feed store, she 

was an indoor-outdoor cat who stayed mostly indoors. 

I started letting her out two weeks ago, with some trepidation... the fact the 

mama raccoon came during the day worries me. 

(not from a rabies standpoint, from a Molly could be stupid and try to fight 

standpoint). 

She goes in and out, I usually let her out very early in the morning, and then she 

comes in and out.  She is never out until dark, I am not trusting enough.  And, of course, 

if I ever see her go for a chicken, she will be in all the time. 

There are a lot of baby squirrels here now.  They have to taste everything. 

Sorry for the shot through the window, but an indigo bunting has been visiting regularly. 

(and oh yes, I was down at face level) 

Same snake. 

Raccoons don't like the oranges (tho they go for the jelly)... but the squirrels love them. 

In a way, I am glad the orioles are only here for a few weeks, as it is 

a pain to refill the feeder with sugar water, I have to wash it out with the hose because of the ants. 

***************

I'm breaking here, because I literally typed that almost three weeks ago and never finished it! 

Life. 

Here is the Ferocious One on the deck cam on Saturday, and, as you can see... she is doing fine! 

The orioles are gone now until next year, they only stay about three weeks. 

I'm glad, because it is a PAIN to keep that station clean. 

I thought this was funny.... look at the temperature! 

It wasn't, though we have had 100 degree days and many with the "feels like" over 100. 

We were expecting storms last night, and they did not happen, despite a lot of thunder. 

It is cooler today, though, thank heavens. 

I do not know if you can tell, but baby tails are sticking out from under Mama. 

I have another picture, if I can find it. 

There you can see some little baby paws sticking out. 

There goes Molly.  She is having a blast, but she is usually under my scrutiny. 

And..... BABY SEASON is upon us!  

Have a good week, everyone! 

 

Starting a New Decade

So much happened in the last decade...

I lost my sister, Kathleen, my brothers Mike and Pete, 

my stepson, Brandon, and my husband Keith. 

So many losses, but I am still blessed to be here and 

be in good health and be able to get around and stay active. 

I like to think these were still happy years, despite the loss. 

Keith and I moved away from Calamity Acres in 2014, as he grew 

more ill,  

but I came back in the fall of 2017 (we rented the house out). 

It was rehabbed and is a cozy, comfortable home for me, 

the dogs and the critters. 

So, let's look at what is now "last year". 

We'll start in January. 

Lilly Ann was aging, and her body had started changing, see how her 

legs were bowed out? 

Also, see all the chicken poop on the porch?  That was going to go away. 

I still had three of my original four big Pekins. 

Yes, they swam all winter. 

In February...

We had some warmish days, and some of the snakes woke up! 

And that month, there were only two sheep in the pasture, Fluffy, on the right, 

and Flicka, on the left.  Faithful Lilly Ann was guarding them. 

On February 13th, I got a bucket of eggs!  Right now, I am blessed to get two or three a day, 

but the hens are all getting old. 

On the 16th, with cold and snow outside, I had a surprise in the sheep barn!

More snow in March...

I love tracks in the snow. 

On the 11th, Cookie was wethered. 

Dr. LaRosh has since retired. 

In April, I had a real surprise! 

Fluffy was a lamb when she came here with the boarded sheep two 

years ago.  There was a ram lamb in with them, but I honestly never 

saw him breed her, and did not have a clue that she was pregnant. 

She presented me with Niblet on April 2nd. 

By mid-April, spring was on the way. 

In May...

I planted one of the big planters on my deck with lettuce, and it took off! 

And saw one of my favorite groups, Little River Band, for 

the fifth or sixth time.... (Colin Whinnery)... I know they are 

not the original Australian band... but if you ever have a chance to 

see these guys .... GO. 

May 14, one of the hardest days of my life... My beloved Lilly Ann crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She had spent her whole life with me, it was so hard to let her go. 

In June...

In June, the poultry was rapidly wearing out their welcome on the deck and porch. 

Folks, chickens (and ducks) are dirty, there are no two ways about it.  I have kept them 

for many years, but they are dirty.  I had to wash the porch off every single day, 

and use a shovel to shovel off the poop. 

It was onerous.  

The fun of watching them was not equal to the job of cleaning up after them. 

I had cross-fenced the yard in March, and it was rapidly becoming time to 

fence them up. 

We had some spectacular evenings. 

In July....

these were coming along. 

And I was privileged to have the time to take 

my two grands on the left (and their cousins to the right) to the pool this summer...

In August....

(Sorry, couldn't resist) 

And this happened, our wonderful Fritzi came in to Jester's and my lives, and we were so glad. 

She is just our little doll, thank you again, Bonner Animal Rescue.

In September...

I made a decision to re-home Duckie and the Duckertons. 

I love ducks.... but I was having trouble taking care of them 

as I felt I needed to.... they were rehomed to a women 

with duck experience and a pond, and the young layers and 

their rooster went to a new home, too. 

It was very hard to let Duckie go, let me tell you. 

He was the duck with personality!

We had a beautiful late summer. 

And I watched some fall baseball...

On the 28th, I saw another favorite band...

Toto, at the Uptown theater. with a horrid rainstorm 

as we came out of the venue.... What a ride home! 

(that's Steve Lukather and Joe Williams)

In October....

Granddaughter Paiton celebrated her birthday with a riding lesson. 

In early November, I caught a glimpse of my favorite maple tree 

down beyond my neighbor's pond. 

And we began preparing in earnest for "Santa's Express" at the National Agricultural Center, where I have volunteered for five years now. 

Jester was never far from me.  He is the pluckiest little dog, 

and I am so glad to have him. 

December.... 

Penning the chickens on the far side of the yard was a great decision. 

No more nastiness tracked into the house... hardly any flies. 

Of course Singleton, who was living at the Ag Hall, 

is home for the winter, and every morning, chases his daddy 

Ferdinand out of the enclosure...

and Ferdie now lives by the deck, porch and side of the house 

during the day, with one little red hen.  

I am dealing with small amounts of poop again. 

When Singleton and his girls go back to the Ag in the spring, 

Ferdie will move into the old hen house with his little hen. 

We had a wonderful Santa event at the National Agricultural Center, despite the fact we had a near-blizzard on the second day.  Santa was there, and 50 or so hardy people came through the storm to see him, do crafts, and have some hot chocolate and cookies. 

I built Gnomelandia in my spare bedroom, because great-granddaughter Maci 

was coming for the first time. 

I had so much fun doing this, and am going to improve it next year. 

The dogs and I had our Christmas picture taken.

When family came for Christmas. 

And finally....

The Reason for the Season. 

And so it comes to an end, the year and the decade. 

Like I said, I am so blessed to live where I do, 

to enjoy the fauna and flora (a lot of fauna), 

to have two faithful and loving little dogs, 

and an array of critters coming during the night 

to keep things lively. 

I want to thank everyone for reading this and reading 

for the last ten years about my humble life. 

I so enjoy sharing aspects of it with you. 

Here's to a great new decade for all of us!