More than a Month

More than a month has gone by since I was able to post.  It is the busiest time of year, here, and the work never seems to stop.  I have injured my leg, and am limping pretty much all the time... I see the doctor on the 23rd about it.  

We also were dealing with spotty broadband service for six weeks, until we lost it entirely for a weekend and I put my foot down and called the company.  They had a tech out here a day later who did a site survey, and lo and behold, when I called again in the morning... a service call materialized suddenly (they are usually days out) and someone came and worked on the apparatus and moved it to the peak of the roof and it is pointed in a new direction.  In fact, I noticed this morning it is a completely different kind of receiver.   Before the tech left, we reported (my son and I) that we could not get internet, and he climbed back up and replaced the radio in it, which we suspect was the problem all along.

I'm going to give a review of the new hen house.  I had it wired by a local electrician and I am so glad I had plugs put on three walls.  It is hot, hot, hot, and in fact, miserably so.  I went in there Sunday to find my poor birds had literally drank two gallons of water and were suffering.  There are two fans in there, the windows are open, and the pophole is able to be opened with a screen stapled across the INSIDE so no one can get out into the covered pen.  You see, because it is on skids, it does not meet the ground.  A friend donated wood to be attached to the bottom, but that has never happened, so yesterday, I pulled two expens I had bought from a friend down the road (dog exercise pens, like I made Chico's pen with) and put them around the enclosed pen, and I could tell nothing can get under them.  Problem solved.  I am stapling them TO the building today. 

I know now... at least I suspect... why this building was returned from its rental... it's almost unliveable.  

Right now, the oldest chicks... the Indio Gigantes and the Putih Ayam Cemanis and Columbian Wyandottes are in there, in two separate pens (again, using ex pens).  The bigs cannot be with the littles, the first thing they did was attack them.  All of the chicks are out of the tubs now, and there are two batches in the brooder pens in the big hen house and the old hen house.  

Indio Gigante chicks look like little velociraptors, and their big feet make a lot of noise! 

You can see how the building is divided.  The big chicks get the roost.  Remember, these birds will not live in here forever. 

They stampeded into the corner because I was doing water.  This is called "piling" and is not a good thing.  Where you see the ex pen, the light hangs over... it is visible in the picture before this... so both groups can enjoy the heat from that far lamp.  There is another lamp that I will use the next few nights, as we have gone from three days in the eighties to more seasonable temps and will go to the forties at night. 

The only chick I lost... a Bielefelder pullet.  I bought three from a young woman about twenty miles from here two week ago, and found this one dead on Sunday.  They are beautiful little chicks. The other two that came with her had pasty butt... I suspect that is what got her.  I got them all out of the last trough that day, checked them all, and am continuing to check them.  I had only bought three, and frankly, they are the only chicks I have had a problem with the whole time. 

I do a chick check about four times a day.  Tomorrow, I am cleaning buildings at the Ag Hall, and will come home at noon to make sure everyone is okay. 

The chicks in the new hen house will be dispersed to the old hen house, which has only three old hens in it.... but that building is due for a cleaning (Thursday) and re-bedding, and then my farm helper and I are going to build a new outdoor pen for them, where the original chicken pen used to sit.  Once they are trained to that house, they will be allowed to free range.  This pen will be temporary only, made with cattle panels and tee poles and zip ties.  

They have to be big enough that this cannot get them. 

Can you see it there on the left of the stone? 

Three feet long, if an inch. 

They can swallow chicks as big as the Indios above.

Lavender Orpingtons and Cuckoo Marans.  

I need to clean their brooder today.  I have to catch them one by one, but them in a cat carrier, and then clean the pen thoroughly.  Chicks are VERY messy.  The Marans lay a very, very dark brown egg. 

Oh yes, Little Mr. Floofy Ears is still here.  After his great escape, he is no longer allowed loose in the yard.  He is on a leash (30 feet) with me walking in the yard, or in his 20 x 30 foot yard.  Not ever taking a chance of his getting loose again.  We went to the vet yesterday and he has lost a pound and two ounces, which is a little worrisome... he does not have a good appetite generally.  He only has about four teeth left. 

So, Sunday I got up to find this in the old hen house: 

That is a dead hen at the foot of the brooder pen. 

She had been trying to die for a week, but was not suffering.  I have had a group of generic red hybrids that were way past laying age, and are pensioners.  Some days I get two eggs, some days, six.  (miracle).  

She had not laid in several years.  I had had one put down at the vet two weeks ago, they charge 84.00.  

I decided to just let her go gently.  I noticed she had quit going outside. 

I am showing this for a reason. 

The same day, I found this beautiful girl I bought from a friend dead in the big hen house. 

She is a Mille Fleur D'Uccle, I bought two hens and a rooster from my friend Diane. 

I believe she hurt herself a week ago fluttering out of my arms into her pen... she landed badly and was stunned... and then I noticed she was moving hesitantly.  I was not surprised to find her. 

I took the pair down to the pasture where my favorite birds, the vultures, could find them. 

They were in the middle, where the grass was kind of short. 

Yesterday, I was out in the yard working. 

I have decided not to garden this year... that is the next post... 

but I was cleaning up a planter. 

I noticed a bird go overhead and I thought oh good, the vultures will get those birds. 

Folks, the bird landed. 

Oh, yes, friends, it's a bald eagle. 

Never did we see them here until a few years ago, at least far from the river. 

So, of course, I ran into the house to get the long lens. 

And when I got back out, I noticed a bird overhead... it was the mate! 

It was so cloudy, so they are a little hard to see. 

They sat there for a good ten minutes.  The chickens became aware of them and a scream was made and they ran as fast as they could for beneath the big hen house.  All except Doug, the white Silkie rooster, who froze completely. 

I was ready to put my camera down and get him, don't worry, he is one of my favorites. 

One red hen had not run, and I think Doug was standing his ground.  He would have been mincemeat. 

Look at the beaks on those beautiful birds! 

Anyway, forewarned is forewarned.  We are keeping an eye out for them now, and especially being careful about Chico... another reason he cannot be on his own.  Someone is out there with him when he is in the pen, at least sitting on the porch and watching him. 

It hasn't been all work... last week, I went to see my great granddaughter Maci in her first school program.  

Little brother Wyatt was there, too. 

These two live 75 miles from me and I don't get to see them very often, in fact, Black Friday was the last time I had seen them.  I was so glad to spend a little time with them. 

I am pretty tied down to the place until the chicks are a little older. 

In my head, I have them divided up among the three hen houses already, and yes, there IS a chance that some will stay in the new building, but instead, I see that as a bantam building for the Mille Fleurs. 

I'm not breeding, just keeping them for fun. 

They have to get big enough that the snakes can't get them, first. 

Now that we are connected with the world again, I'll be able to post more often.  You don't realize how much we depend on the internet until we don't have it, in this day and age. 

As always, thanks for reading! 

 

Looking Back at 2022

Happy New Year, Everyone! 

I checked to see last year's first post... not until January 25th, a month out from Christmas. 

This beautiful boy was still here: 

Rusty was the first feral who lived here.  I took him in with three of his siblings and raised them in the little red hen house until they were old enough to let loose.  Two disappeared early on... but Rusty and his sister Harley were here together for a year... then Harley disappeared. 

When Jack Flash came last year, Rusty moved on, across the road to my neighbor's house.  Now they have stopped seeing him.  Life is so very hard for feral cats. 

There was a second male here, Yeller, when Jack Flash came last year... he has disappeared, too. 

I only posted once during February... this picture of the stubby tailed raccoon that has now disappeared was part of that post. 

I also posted this picture of the eggs I got one day: 

Let me tell you, friends, those days are OVER.  

I have seven hens that will be two in about two months, I am getting TWO eggs a day. 

I still have one old brown leghorn... she is six... who lays about three huge white eggs a week. 

My days of giving away six or seven dozen a week are gone, I'm afraid. 

In March, I was sick for almost two weeks... with flu like symptoms.  I tested negative for Covid and then tested for flu and was negative, but the doctor agreed I had probably had it.  I managed to do chores and almost nothing else. I found out afterwards that it was a reaction to a new medication I had begun taking.  What a relief to know that. 

I was still planning to do quite a bit of gardening... and had grandson Jax load me up with planting soil. 

I started pepper and tomato seeds that I had gotten from Baker Creek.  I was very disappointed in the tomato seeds, the pictures in the catalog did not coincide with what I got. 

I did enjoy growing the peppers, Gorbaci, for ornamental value. 

This year I will not be starting any vegetables.  

In April, the two silkie roosters, Brutus and Doug, managed to kill the last two silkie hens that were running with them.  I had separated two out earlier to use for education at the Ag Hall. 

Beasts. 

I still have Doug, on the far right, and Brutus is with Mary in a separate pen.  Martha, the other silkie hen, was killed by a predator in her pen in broad daylight. 

I am trying to rehome these guys... Doug is a beautiful rooster, but a pain to get in at night. 

I have to carry Brutus and Mary up and down the steps in and out of their pen daily, and 

I am no longer doing chicken presentations at the museum, so it's time to lighten the load. 

In May, this guy appeared. 

Jack Flash, aka The Jackal... caused all kinds of ruckus here. 

He hated Coco, the black porch cat.  He hated Cleo, the beautiful. 

He tried to breed Teenie, my sweet little girl who was neutered and is still here. 

He chased Rusty and Yeller off and tried to chase Bullseye off.  

He was the King of the Place. 

He caused me all kinds of problems.  I had to go way out in the yard to feed Cleo twice a day, and Coco had to eat on the back porch for three months or be killed. 

(I realized there is a Baltimore Oriole on the feeder behind him in the picture) 

In April, these guys came back. 

They were not here too long, this time, and left again a few months later to give the pasture time to recover.  They returned again, and then were taken out in late August when the pasture was pretty much depleted after drought. 

I am not sure if they will be back this year... they were very hard on the pasture, and I am having increasing trouble taking care of the big water tank because of course, I have exacting water expectations. 

In May, these appeared at the foot of the deck... I am praying they will all be back this year, too. 

I had quite the stand of Batchelor's Buttons. 

I did not post in June, I have no idea why.  I get busy... but that's no explanation. I used to post daily! 

In July, I posted a picture of our newest family arrival... 

Our newest little doll, Wyatt, with his big sister, Maci.  These are children of Granddaughter Madison, 

who live at Tanglewood Lakes in LaCygne, Kansas, far from me. 

I love seeing pictures of them, though we rarely meet in person. 

He is now a six month old... sitting up well and has blond hair and looks like his daddy Dorval's mini-me. 

Maci will be starting kindergarten as an almost-six-year old this fall.  It seems like she was just born, where does time go! 

In July, Jack Flash broke my heart.  I had had him neutered and got all his shots. 

I did not have them test for FIV.  

Within a week or so of the neuter... he fell sick. 

I watched him waste for a week and took him down to the vet for a booster which was scheduled. 

The King was dying. 

I held him and sung to him  as he was euthanized for FIV.  The neuter had thrown him into an episode.  I will never get another feral neutered without testing for this devastating disease. 

It took a while for the cats to relax and stop watching for his ambushes.  Coco came back to the front porch and deck, Cleo moved into the shop.  Everyone was safe again. 

The sad thing was, I had really learned to love him and the neutering was my way of making sure he could stay here with everyone.  We figured the testosterone would die down in a few months and things would settle. 

It was not to be. 

Jack fathered a litter of kittens with a cat who was little more than a kitten herself... Mama.  

There were four kittens in my shop for over two months. 

They were successfully trapped by Kitty Cat Connection and went on to barn homes of their own.  Mama was ear tipped and neutered and returned to me, and lives here happily in the shop. 

Jax and I were able to finally clean the shop up again.  (We need to do it again!) 

Doug, the Killer Cotton Ball, styling by the morning glories on my henyard fence in August. 

August 28th, the sheep were pulled as the pasture grass was worn out from the drought. 

They had stayed until early October the two years before. 

In September, I went to Garnett to see my other little great grand, 

Aurora Jane Rose. 

She will be two in May. 

September was also the month that this guy came here... Buddy, whom I also call Big Dog, or Moose.  He was found astray in our county and turned over to Animal Control, thank heavens, because he was starved and road-beaten.  He has stayed here, and has gained forty pounds.  He is the German Shepherd who does not bark!  

He was estimated at over ten years old, which is old for a GSD. 

In October, Wanda started living in the big hen house full time. 

I lock her up every night with the birds, and she does fine in there.  In fact, I was so grateful to know she was warm and dry during the cold spells. 

She has her meals in there, too, and there is a heated water bowl for her. 

She actually sleeps in a kennel at night in a deep bed of straw.  Since there are hardly any eggs being laid now, she has her run of the nest boxes.  She has also gone from wanting to kill me to being a regular purr machine and talking as soon as she sees me in the morning. 

In November, I started seeing these guys regularly...

Notice it is still daylight...

The feeder is no longer in the pasture, and I'll explain why in a minute. 

It was originally put there because I began seeing another cat. I believe now that that cat, whom I call Alien... has a home nearby, because he disappeared during our recent brutal cold snap, and reappeared after. 

I still have chicken carcasses from Sam's to dispose of... and they are going in the north fence line. 

I saw skunks come to the feeder, which I had not seen for years here.  I also saw possums and raccoons and frankly, I don't need to draw any more of them. 

There was still a bit of color in November, but we did not have a glowing fall because of the lack of moisture, I think. 

I had made a decision to have my cataracts removed, and those operations were (foolishly) scheduled for December 7 and 14.  Friends, I did not go into this with enough information. 

I listened to friends who had had it done and loved the results. 

The surgeon explained to me twice that I could have one eye "long" and the other eye "short" and I told him I could wear eyeglasses for close up.  

I did not realize that I would have to actually wear glasses in bed as I read at night (which I have always done) or to even look at my phone during the night if awakened. They hurt my nose... that is all I am going to say. (laying on them in bed).   I have readers all over the small house now so I can reach for them.  

I hate what I did to my eyes. They feel gritty all the time, and you cannot rub them.  I am using the eye drops, which will end in another week... and my eye doctor told me to use eye drops regularly... but I notice last night on the Visine bottle there are warnings against this. 

I see my own eye doctor again on Wednesday, I had a truncated appointment last week but found out that I can wear contacts that provide that "near" and "far" sensation.  The other alternative is to wear glasses full time and have one eye near and one eye far.  

I really screwed myself up.  

As far as "far" vision, I can see clear over to the hen houses and see what is going on on the porch of the big hen house. 

I urge anyone trying to make this decision to get all of the information before doing it.  

On the camera in the shop, I have been getting pictures of a few animals that are going in there at night. 

Oddly enough, there are not hordes of animals going in there.  This big raccoon is one, a large possum is one, 

and this skunk. 

There it is, caught on camera on the 17th. 

Friday morning, the 30th... I found it here... 

It is between the big and little hen houses, and there is a burrow right behind it. 

I believed, when I found it, that it could be diseased and I was immediately afraid of rabies or distemper.  I called the largest local wildlife rehabbers and got no help from them, not even a name to call.  I tried the sheriff's dept, and to be fair, a deputy did return the call... and then mumbled he would try to get the ACO to call me.  

I prevailed upon two friends, who did not want to shoot it. 

It suffered all day long, I checked on it many times.  

In the above picture, it was still able to raise its tail a little. 

As the day wore on, I realized it was not diseased, but was the same skunk as on camera in the shop. 

By late afternoon, it was barely alive, and I lacked the courage to take a shovel and put it out of its misery, I am such a coward.  I could hardly sleep that night.  

I sent some pictures to a friend who is an ACO in Texas and he said it did not look diseased. 

We think now... I think... that it was hit by a car on the road just out of sight behind it... and dragged itself up the bank to the closest burrow, which was under the little hen house. 

Four of those hens and Doug did not come out that day... and their house still smells of skunk, but I have the windows open. 

Thank God, yesterday morning I found it dead.  I picked it up and put it into a bag and carried it down to the woods and put it down there. 

I am going to get a burn barrel where I can burn anything suspect in it, but this skunk was clearly in good health ... and as confirmation, there have been no skunks on the shop camera in the last three nights. 

It broke my heart. 

I forgot to check if it was male or female, and skunks breed in May and June, so I was not worried about babies.  However....skunks also have very short lives in the wild, usually two to three years, like opossums.  

On the way down to the bottom of the pasture, I stopped to look at the possum that died four weeks ago in the dog house in my garage. 

Almost untouched.  Incredible. 

You can sure tell the vultures are gone for the winter, and the coyotes are spoiled. 

And so, another year has passed. 

I am the last of my nuclear family, though I have first cousins who gathered around our family table, but it is at the holidays that I miss them the most, when I think of those happy times of past years. One of my cousins sent me a card that read "I miss those happy days at 240" (our family address).  I do, too. 

We had a quiet Christmas this year with members of the family being affected by RSV and flu... and I am trying to stay away from anyone sickly.  

I enjoy being at home, I am one of those "weird" people... who is happy in my own patch.  I am going to spend this afternoon looking at seed catalogs... just because I am not starting anything does not mean I am not planting.  I had one big planter devoted to herbs the last two years, and that is being dug out and flowers going in.  I am going to sit myself down with the Burpee catalog this afternoon and dream of summer. 

I am looking forward to another year volunteering at the National Agicultural Center  and I am grateful to all of my friends there.... Wayne, Judy, Marsha and all of you who have helped me this past year.  

I cannot emphasize enough that volunteering is needed and so good for the soul! 

I did not hear many concerts this year... pandemic times stopped so many tours and my favorite groups did not come here.  There were a few I regretted not seeing. YES was back, but not close enough for me to get to.  Leaving this place is hard for me now. 

Jester, Zoey, Buddy, and all the kitties of Calamity Acres join me in wishing you the best of Happy New Years! 

Thank you for continuing to read this blog. 

Merry Christmas!

My last post was November 15... does that tell you what the last six weeks have been like? 

Oh, for the days when I was REALLY busy and yet, posted every night! 

I hope everyone has had a good December, and is having a peaceful Christmas. 

This is my sixth Christmas without Keith, I just can hardly believe it.  He was Mr. Christmas, he loved it... he loved giving gifts and he loved seeing everyone happy. 

We had our family gathering last Sunday.  Here's my little great granddaughter, Maci, 

opening her gifts.  That is her Aunt Paiton behind her. 

On Tuesday, I went down to Garnett to see my two 

big grandsons, Chris and Nathan.  Here is Nathan with his 

daughter, my second little great-grand... Aurora, who is six months old. 

We have had stunning weather for NE Kansas, it was 73 degrees yesterday on Christmas Eve.  I know I should be concerned about climate change... I am, actually, but if I never saw snow again in person I would be happy.  How on earth did our parents cope with the horrible heavy snowfalls of our youth?  

I know most of the moms stayed home then, but even walking to school was hard... ask me, I will tell you. 

Even though I have cut way back on feeding... I make sure I still have enough 

out for the squirrels daily.  I have so much fun watching them chase each other around the maple tree. 

I have to bring Bullseye in every afternoon for a while, so he doesn't intimidate them. 

Zoey, out in the yard she loves. 

All of my dogs in the past have sat in this same spot and 

looked out over "their" yard.  I looked out the door one morning in 

late November, and saw Zoey doing it. 

I knew she was staying right then. 

So, I went to Petsmart, because Snowy's groomer is 

on maternity leave.  I interviewed the groomer! 

(I know, I'm nuts). 

I took her the next week... and she came home to me all trimmed up. 

She is mine. 

She fits in perfectly at ten, we are all old except the cats. 

She gets along okay with the cats, very well with Jes. 

She can be Miss Growly Lip sometimes, and guard 

things.... but that does not last long and I always have a talk with her. 

She barks if she hears something outside, which I love... I have not had a barker since I 

lost Fritzi.  

She is a good little doll. 

I tried to get a Christmas picture of Jester, me and Zoey.  It did not happen. 

However, she WILL wear a little sweater outside. 

We have had some very cold mornings, and Jester will not move one step if you 

put any kind of clothes on him. 

Santa pointed at the setting moon one morning this week. 

I will miss Big Santa on my deck, but he will be deflated tomorrow morning and put away for another year. 

It was a beautiful day for a trip to see Keith.  It looked like 

Wreaths Across American made it to his section with just a few wreaths left, so put them partially on the front row, you can barely see them. 

These are marshmallows that have chocolate inside... dipped in caramel, and then 

rolled in Rice Krispies.  They are so good. 

I made so much stuff, that when it got down to the nitty gritty, I could not go on. 

I went to a local grocery and bought two trays of cookies, which I gifted.  I literally could not bake another thing.   I am rethinking everything for next year... 

Christmas crack (Chex Mix) 

A lot of this went out, too... but I saved a bit for me and my son to snack on. 

We had biscuits and gravy for breakfast, which is a rare treat for us. 

My brother Pete used to make it for Christmas morning, 

we would go to mass early and then go to his house 

and have a big breakfast.  Those were wonderful days. 

Keith and his little grandson Carson, many Christmases ago.  

I don't want you guys to think I am desperately lonely... Christmas is a time to look back.  I had wonderful friends visit me yesterday, and then went to see more wonderful friends and enjoyed a good visit.  

My family is close and I can see everyone regularly. 

The pandemic is still scaring me... and I am still wearing a mask everywhere, and as of tomorrow, I will be switching from cloth to "professional" masks... I have had two shots and a booster but I still do not want it. 

I have had two close friends with it recently (also had had two shots) and I just do not want it. 

I am still active at the National Agricultural Center and 

have so much fun there. 

The Smith House on December 10, we had a lovely bus tour that day of folks from Illinois and Indiana. 

If you want a laugh, you can google "Camel Loose in Bonner Springs" and see the story of Lucy, who broke away from her trainer on Saturday night of the first weekend and was finally caught 

twelve miles away, having made it down a very busy highway without being hurt or hurting anyone. 

Lucy's replacement. 

Merry Christmas, everyone.  

Thanks for reading Calamity Acres.