Let's Get It Started

A new week... the possibilities are endless! 

Our beautiful Lilly on the deck yesterday, even though it was really cold. 

Love how she puts her paws up on the bottom rung of the 

deck railing, and stayed like that for about ten minutes. 

I have been putting the game camera out for the last few days, because 

it was just too cold to walk.  

We have lots and lots of doves visiting us right now. 

I set the camera to video yesterday... and when I 

brought it in I realized the camera had been UPSIDE DOWN. 

Yes, I got videos. 

Can't share them with you. 

So, I tried again today. 

The thing I love about this video is that the three 

little sparrows are bathing as well as drinking in the water bowl. 

That tells me that despite the chill, they still want to bathe, so 

tomorrow I'll put out a shallow dish with warmed water, and then re-warm 

it during the day, as we are plunging again for one day, then 

warming to the 40's. 

We had a northern flicker and a red headed woodpecker in the mix, 

but they moved in and out fast.  We also had goldfinches, cardinals, and 

blue jays, as well as juncoes and chickadees. 

This afternoon, Keith and I and the dogs went to the park again.  The dogs 

were raring to go after being in the house all weekend except for 

short potty breaks. 

While they pulled me around the big track, Keith made his solitary walk around the 

old park track, and then rested, waiting for us.  It's so good to see him out walking again, despite the cold wind. 

We saw this lone doe in the field where I had seen the 15 deer on Saturday. 

Our day ended with a spectacular sunset. 

Is anyone watching the last season of Downton Abbey? 

I'm having to grit my teeth at Lady Mary and Lady 

Edith! 

Gardening and Goats

I planted more stuff today, and in an unusual container, one which we discussed moving around the yard.  In the end, I left it where it has sat the last year, since we don't have horses anymore. 

This trough was always a pain to fill and a pain to clean, and I was glad when I could quit using it, finally. 

Not going to tell you what's in it... it's going to be a surprise for you, and for Keith. 

I planted the same seeds in the garden, too. 

I have to pat myself on the back... see the marker?  I've used them all season. 

At least four of the tomatoes are flowering now.  Yayyyy!  I can almost taste them. 

The lettuce bed is going bonkers, and the birds are getting as much as we are.  I'm taking a big bag to my friend Jill tomorrow. 

I cleaned the henspa out and re-bedded it with fresh straw... and everyone was very happy. 

Including everyone outside, because I put fresh straw down there, too.  In the fall I am going to have GREAT compost. 

These guys continue to crack us up.  I spoke with Carol Abramovitz tonight, the lady whose goats I looked at in April.  Her doe that she thought was due May 1st was actually due tomorrow... and I am going to go over and look at those babies, too.  She asked me how many times a day I was feeding these two here, and I told her "three or four"... she gasped.  I just added it up... they are getting fed six times, and have access to fresh hay, a tiny amount of feed, goat minerals, and fresh water.   I'll reassure her when I see her Saturday or Sunday. 

They played for a long time tonight with Aunt Abby, who got worn out. 

I swear she thinks they are dogs. 

Abby proves here that she still has the moves!

And there went my seed packet! 

Another Picture Heavy Post

I need to explain about something.  I always go to church on Sunday... but we are allowed to go on Saturday afternoon, to satisfy our Sunday obligation.  My sister and I used to laugh about this, because the majority of those in church on Saturdays were the "old folks"... you know, the ones who had gotten up on Sunday morning for 60 years and now wanted to sleep in.  

Well... I'm one of them now!  

For the last four weeks, I've gone to church on Saturday afternoon with the other old folks so I could stay in a little later on Sunday, do the chores, get the ever-shrinking Kansas City Star, and sit and read it at the kitchen table.  I'm getting the hang of it! 

We ate a brunch this morning at 11, with Nathan and his mom, Sherie, as our guests.  It was so good, and when we came home, Keith and I spent a lazy afternoon together.  He sat at the computer and researched greenhouses... and the result of that search is that we are going to build our own. 

I'm glad. 

We'll tell you more about that later, as plans progress. 

Tomorrow I'm going to call the people who put up the chainlink for me for the henspa, and have them come and bid on fencing the corral with no-climb horse fence, and replace one section of the old big henhouse fence, the north side.  That was the very first thing Keith built here, and it is leaning at this point, and the gate won't open more than halfway.  The fencing crew is reasonable, and does great work, so I'm having them bid both.  

Now, to the pictures.  As we came home from eating brunch, we saw this: 

I was driving, and I hit the brakes and backed up.  Keith pronounced it "Probably a poach" because that is a totally dark, connecting country road with  no homes along it.  I thought it was a buck.  

I went back an hour or so later, to look at it again. 

Not a buck at all.  A doe.  Field-dressed, and the edible parts taken.  It was a branch that had either blown up against it, or someone had placed against the head, because, you see... 

When I walked back over the car.... you can see the actual scene, beer cans all around. 

Poach. 

That road is very beautiful, and has one of the best building sites in Leavenworth County... the pasture behind this deer.  The turnpike is way back there, but you can't hear it. 

Son Jim lives about 14 miles away from us, in Wyandotte County.  He has a large uninhabited area at the corner of his street that was a failed or undeveloped housing tract.  This guy was sitting on the wire there yesterday... is he beautiful or what?  I'm going to have to look him up. 

Nathan and I went shopping yesterday and Grandma bought herself a new shirt, too. 

This, incredibly, was the temperature on January 19, 2013.  Do you see it there on my console? 

No, not the cute little squirrel... the SIGN!  These folks live right across from the food pantry in Tongie, and they have a chicken tractor in their yard with six beautiful Buff Orpington girls in it.  This sign made me laugh out loud! 

And last... a FACEOFF! 

Now, it's time to tell you all what you can already see with your own eyes.  Yes, we do put garbage out (plus some very cheap dog food) for the predators, to get them on camera.  No, we will not do this indefinitely.  We plan to stop at the end of February,  or early March.  We have enjoyed seeing all the predators in our pasture, but enough will soon be enough. 

We still hope, depending on the fencing quotes, to get a pony for the grands to ride, and perhaps, a mini donkey for our own enjoyment.  We also have always wanted a couple of small goats, such as Nigerian dwarf wethers.  We would keep these locked in the corral at night, knowing what we know now... and it will be a predator-proof corral. 

We don't know if they were coming when the llamas were here... we always felt that Tony was a very good watchdog for us.  But just because we couldn't see them doesn't mean they weren't always there. Something got several hens, and the two turkeys were also killed... so we know they were there, just outside the ring of light cast by our farm light. 

Now it's time to get this posted and go watch tonight's episode of Downton Abbey! 

Date Night

Because I'm retired, I don't get out a whole lot anymore, and we have infrequent date nights.  Over the weekend, Keith asked me to go to dinner at the golf club he has joined and we picked tonight, which is buffet night.  

So, Keith took a picture of me as I was getting ready to go out and get the eggs and try to coerce everyone into coming in early, as we had to drive to Lawrence 

I was going to fix this picture up so you couldn't see the mess, but frankly, that's what our kitchen is like in winter.  I DID put some of the Homer buckets outside today, because it got up to 50 degrees, and I figure the water won't freeze tonight. 

You see why I have those boots on?  Slick muck. 

These little guys were smart, and were far above the muck of the little henyard. 

I showered and changed, and threw the boots back on to run out and set up the video cam for the pasture.  Pretty stylish, huh? 

The sky was beautiful on our way to Lawrence, and we enjoyed our prime rib buffet so very much. 

You know I have been researching new menus for us since I retired, and Keith told me yesterday how much he appreciates all the good meals we have been having... but gosh, it sure was nice to go out and eat this evening, and we enjoyed chocolate cheesecake and apple pie for dessert!  YUM.  

More videos tomorrow, we hope... if we did the camera right tonight.  Mr. Opossum was there when we pulled down the drive, but we'll have to check the camera in the morning to see what else has come around. 

Still Not the Seed Post

I'll do that later today.  I am trying to see if a new program I've downloaded will finally let me post videos to the blog. 

 

Here goes!