A Break from the Steambath

And boy, did we ever need a break from the steambath!

The girls were hiding anywhere they could hide to get out of the sun. 

Asclepias Incarnata began to bloom, and was covered with 

flying insects and several different kinds of bumblebees. 

This is how dry we have been.  Horrid. 

Jester found the only sun puddle to sit in one day. 

This little girl was trapped one morning in the sheep pen, she could not get through the livestock fence.  She had to have come in under the gate.... but I picked her up and pointed her downhill towards the ponds. 

Granddog Shiner had to go to the vet because he 

pulled a nail out.  Ouch.  He is on pain pills for a while, plus 

antibiotics. 

As I posted on Instagram, my ducks were in a row for about two minutes, 

and yes, we had storms that day.  See the sky? 

These are the hugest Pekins I have ever had, but sadly, all are drakes. 

They sass me constantly. 

This is raccoon poop in the unused little wood henhouse at The National Agricultural Center. I discovered it on Tuesday, and prayed it was from the period when there were no birds there. 

I was wrong. 

We lost two of the new birds, gruesomely. 

ARGGGHHHH. 

The crazy thing is, for two years, we had sizeable flocks there with no losses. 

You see, the coop there has a pophole, but no door on it, because there is no one there in the evening to lock the birds up.  Hardware cloth surrounds the bottom of the coop, and is buried.  Poultry wire covers the top.  The first flock this year began to be decimated, the raccoons were coming down through the top.  That was sealed. 

These, this week, went through the side.  

I can see where they have been climbing the sides of the coop, which sits inside a utility barn. 

For now, our summer intern is closing when she goes home at 4, on four days a week.  I am 

going the other three days, which makes two trips a day for me while I try to think what is best to do. 

Today, Sunday, as I write this, we are expecting severe storms in the late afternoon.  I 

took care of the birds this morning and then left them locked in so I don't have to drive through 

bad weather to lock them up.  Hate to do it to them, leaving them locked in all day. 

The pen has been repaired, but I could see where the raccoons tried to get through again, and, as one of the male volunteers said "Once they have broken through, they will keep trying."  He is right. 

Someone suggested a solar door to me, but... if a hen fails to go in, she is dead. 

I have gone from getting 20 eggs a day to only 8 or 9.  Very frustrating. 

I marked it down to the heat, but I think I know what has been happening. 

Biddy appeared out of nowhere on Thursday, after I thought she was long dead. 

She had two new chicks in tow. 

Wherever she has been hiding, I fear I will find fifty eggs in the nest.  So far, I have not found them! 

I have decided to let her raise those two herself, and we will just let Nature take its' course. 

My innocent Lilly grabbed one of those chicks in her mouth and hobbled off with it, 

I had to chase her.  I don't think she is quite ready to cross the Bridge yet. 

Try as I might, I just can't get good pictures of the hummers on my porch.  I was able to get 

better pictures at the big house, through the patio doors.  

Found this big black rat snake skin on my mulch pile on Friday. 

And this juvenile rat snake was in the coop at the Ag Saturday. 

Our intern freaked out. 

The little stinker struck at me, too. 

(non-venomous). 

I have no clue what Ferdy was doing yesterday, 

but he made a pretty picture.  He is such a gentle rooster... to me. 

Fat little Brownie, grazing in the yard yesterday. 

I have a huge volunteer pumpkin growing just off the mulch pile. 

I swear it doubled in size since I took this yesterday. 

As I was leaving the Ag this morning, I saw the baby rat snake's big brother. 

After storms today and tomorrow, we are to be back in the steam bath for the next ten days or so, 

and I'll be back to constant watering.  I will try to post as I can. 

Weekend Roundup

Well, not quite the whole weekend since it's a holiday. 

It's easy to lose track when you are retired. 

I spent Friday at the Ag Hall front desk... but I took the dogs out for a bit 

on Friday evening and saw this huge tree down on our daily route.  They had already topped it. 

It is still there today. 

The nest appeared to be empty that day... the young hawks are huge now.  

I really thought they had fledged.  

That faint line in the photo is the barbed wire I was shooting through. 

This big girl was in our front yard on Saturday morning.  

I did not want to help her... she is a snapper... because she was moving steadily along. (not because she was a snapper but because she was taking care of business!) 

Up the ditch she went... 

And off across the road.  She was actually moving quickly... and at the end of that cross street... is a large pasture with a pond.  She was very close, so I left her alone. 

I saw another just a little bigger than this today on a road, got out of the car to lift her over the curb there... and discovered that I had left my shovel out of my car when I went to the recycle station on Friday.  I could have screamed in frustration, she rounded on me and I had no way to help her over the curb... it was a paved street in farmland, and she was maybe four feet from a pasture that was perfect for babies.  She was too snappy to try to pick up. 

This boy crossed a gravel road ahead of me... and disappeared into the hay. 

That day I could make out maybe one hawklet through the treetops. 

I took this somewhat blurry picture to show you what the fields around parts of Tongie look like right now.  Stranger Creek is out of it's banks.  I did not have a way to take pictures on the levee... There are acres and acres under water.  

You know the beautiful bluffs I have showed you so often? 

These: 

If you look at the above picture and see where the water (the road) curves to the left... the bluffs are at the treeline in the distance.  It is ALL underwater, and of course, the road and bridge are closed.  (unless you are a duck). 

My favorite birds are going to have a feast when this all goes down. 

Today, we were to have a family Memorial Day breakfast. 

Jace and little Hayden were here... 

and middle brother Carson, who was not feeling so hot.  

Paiton and Jax had spent the night, but had already had breakfast and 

passed the boys coming in as they left. 

However, Grandpa was not feeling well and did not get to visit with 

his "boys"... but had to lay down, so we had a short visit and 

they promised to come back soon.  Amber and Jesse and the boys live 

50 miles from us, so we don't get together as often as we would like. 

I would show you Amber and Jesse but my pictures were HORRID. 

Jax had gone out to the deck early this morning... he loves to watch the hummingbirds come to the feeders.  Paiton loves them, too. 

He took this picture of his sister.  I know what I am getting him for Christmas now. (camera) 

I took the dogs to walk late this afternoon, but ... Lilly had a time getting back into the car. 

The time is coming when she is not going to be able to walk at the park. 

She loves to ride in the car, so maybe we will just do that. 

We saw this pretty little girl as we came around the corner for "home", and back to the car. 

She was in a large park with a running stream, near a deep creek.  She was in GOOD shape and I left her alone.  I say "little" but she was a decent size. 

The kids and I saw a big one there the other day, down in the water... we left her alone, she was doing great.   No picture of that one. 

Here's our buddy on our way home from the park tonight.  He no longer takes off when I stop the car... and he is so photogenic! 

Everyone please have a safe holiday! 

Rain, Rain and More Rain

We had a whopper thunderstorm this morning and got two inches of rain in short shrift. 

Lilly stayed out all night long... I thought I heard her at 1 asking to come in (she scrapes the door)... and when I went to the door, I didn't see her on the deck.  At 4, there was a definite scrape under my window for her to come in.  She hates storms.  I saw lightening in the distance at 1, and 

more at 4. 

The storm started at 5, and laid a swath through Leavenworth, doing big damage at Mount Muncie Cemetery and the National Cemetery, both of which I have shown you.  Mount Muncie has those gorgeous old trees, so I will go over there in a few days and take a look.

Can you tell that I am standing IN water in the back yard? 

Our back of the back yard.  It's a long story. 

Yes, we have a pond.  

That's the side yard, by the patio.  See that bare spot on the left?  It's a mound of bad 

birdseed that piled up all winter.  It's REEKING.  At some point, I need

to dig it up and haul it out. 

Yes, I know you aren't supposed to leave it in the bird feeding area. 

It will get hauled out at some point, I have quit trying to hurry to do everything. 

Yes, the sun did come out this afternoon! 

After I helped with tours at the Ag Hall this morning,  I took the dogs 

for a short walk, as the humidity was still high. 

This pretty slider girl was helped across the road, and I watched to make sure she was oriented and started off again.  

Check out behind the calf... the pasture pond is so very full! 

It's been a while since the water came up to the cow's chests. 

I couldn't help it... I wanted to be sure the babies were safe after the hail and strong winds. 

They were! 

So are these babies. 

Keith and I noticed something in a planter out in front yesterday. 

It's hiding under the heuchera. 

It grew while I was gone today. 

A few days ago, I put one of my sweet potato plants out on the porch. 

This morning, it blew over in the storm. 

I picked it up, and look what I found! 

Too wild.  I'm going to cook it tomorrow night. 

I tromped through the water to look at the SBG... the plants I planted on 

Saturday look great!   

I was so glad to see this, I am really looking forward to it this summer. 

Gratuitous picture of my boy.  

I think this will make you laugh... turn it up so you can hear it, 

and sorry for the shaky camera work. 

We expect sun tomorrow! 

Trying to Finish the Move

Almost 18 months since we moved to our new house, and 

we are still trying to finish moving from the old! 

We still had lots of things... not LOTS but some things

in the shop that we needed to get out. 

Chris, oldest grandson, came up from Garnett (KS) to help on 

Monday morning. 

First item of the day was moving the hens from the old hen house to the hen spa. 

Oh, yes, Lilly was VERY interested. 

Two of the hens acted like we were KILLING them and screamed the whole way across the yard. 

This morning, they were settled in.  I left them in all day yesterday. 

I got four very nice eggs in the nest boxes. 

Then we went through the shop, dusty and dirty.  There were still things that needed to be moved here, and bless Chris, he is strong and knows how to do things.  Keith came out and we loaded up the truck, drove home, unloaded it, and went back for another load. 

Chris had to weed eat the hen spa yard on Monday, as it had overgrown all summer long, after the cochins were moved out in June.  Madame Argiope's web was disturbed, and she set to work repairing it immediately. 

This morning, I threw open the side door and the pophole, and the hens didn't move.  I was depending on Silver the Brahma to lead them out, this is the yard she and Goldie lived in until 6 weeks ago. 

Finally, after doing some other things in the shop, I came back to check on them. 

Silver had done her job. 

I am still thinking of bringing Silver and one other hen here to keep at our new house. 
However, the coop that Keith brought at Orschelns was destroyed by high winds last week, it is shattered in the back yard. 

So, Chris and I loaded a dog house up from the old house. 

I took one more picture of Chris as we were getting ready to go.  He helped me so much while we lived in the little house... I went to Garnett to get him regularly, and he was so good with the animals and figuring out how to do things.  I really appreciated his help.  He is the oldest of our grandkids. 

I could not believe my eyes this morning as we came up an oft-traveled road.  A turtle! 
In September!  I stopped... and carried it across the road, because I could see a truck coming fast. 

The funny thing was, out of the corner of my right eye, I thought I had seen a turtle on the verge on the highway on the way to Garnett. 

I put it in the grass beyond the road... it was headed for a wonderful wooded area, perfect for winter hibernation. 

So, I went to see Brother Pete today, and fed him his lunch. 
When I left the nursing home, I was running late for another appointment, and 
ended up having to reschedule it. 

I got home and admit I was stressed out from the drive and worry about the time. 

I was sitting in the recliner with Jes on my lap, and trying to rest and recoup. 

All of the sudden, I saw a bird fly crazily past the window, as fast as it could go... behind it was a HAWK.  I yelled HAWK to Keith and leapt out of the chair for the camera. 
Lilly ran for cover, she didn't know what was happening, and Jester ran to the couch. 

I ran in the spare bedroom to look down at my little pond in the side yard. 

It was hard to see in the high grass of my little pond. 

But he jumped up on the fence and I was able to get good pictures. 
It's a juvenile red tailed hawk.  Might be a female, it was so large. 

She jumped up and down, up and down, between pond and fence.  She stayed maybe five minutes, in all. 

My guess is, now that she knows where the feeder is (for prey) she will be back. 

It's hard for juveniles to feed themselves the first year, and I was glad to see she did not look in bad shape. 

Tonight, Keith had a very special evening. 

Daughter Amber, Son in law Jesse, and boys Jace, Carson and Hayden all came over to go 
fishing with Grandpa.  Troy kindly allowed them to fish the pond. 

Carson had a blast with the new Spiderman fishing rod Grandpa got him, seen without a hook on it here, since he was enthusiastic about flinging it around. 

He had already caught a fish! 

Jace caught his second bass when I got there, and threw it back. 

Someone went for her favorite swimming hole as soon as we got there. The pond is probably down four feet from our swimming days of mid-summer. 

Lilly took off for the woods at this point, and as you see on her head, came back covered with stick-tites. 

The sunset on the way home was gorgeous. 

We have a 40% chance of rain tomorrow, and we need it, at this point.