Days of Rain

Last week,  I posted about the fact we had been sweltering through a hot summer, as so many of you are this year. 

This week, we suffered again, but... we have had 3 inches of rain since Thursday!  Two, today, from a storm early this morning and then another this afternoon.  We have a storm warning for tonight, too.  I am supposed to have a construction company here this week to start doing some work on the house, so I am not sure what this means, but I am so glad to have the extra rain. 

This happened in a storm three weeks ago.  Ben tried to get it down, but no tugging would do it.  If you look on the left, you will see one branch is totally dead, but two are still hanging secure.  One has dropped down almost to the ground now, and I am mowing around it, and yes, I am careful.  I am hoping if we do get the additional storm tonight, there will be some movement while no one is under it to get hurt. 

Look who came back this week!  (Yes, that's the ram in the foreground... impressive!) 

Nugget, who was formerly mine, was born here and she is heavy with lamb. 

It is so good to look out in the morning and see them all grazing. 

The length of time they will be here now will depend on the grass... but this rain surely helped. 

They made quick work of the weeds in the pen.  

I have let the chickens over on the "house side" of the yard several times this week.  

I looked out to see Singleton, the most dominant rooster, on the porch one afternoon. 

Singie was the lone chick that hatched under his mama. 

He is five this year, and more dominant than his brother, Buddy, the other big rooster. 

I looked out one morning to see Bob staring up at the feeder. 

There was a squirrel perched up there eating, not knowing how close Bob was. 

(or maybe knowing full well!) 

Bob was actually standing on his hind feet stretched out against the pole, but got down when he caught movement in the window where I was. 

I finally went out and called Bob, and the squirrel ran off. 

It's bad enough that I'm always running out to rescue birds from Bully. 

Here was one out here today, while the cats were all inside sleeping. 

Don't look now, friends, but the next holiday is upon us! 

I walked into the commissary at Fort Leavenworth this week to see them setting up the Halloween displays. 

I actually am going to confess that I went to Sam's for cat food today, and 

looked at all the Halloween creatures that lit up and talked, but did not buy anything.  I DID, however, buy the first two Christmas toys for the little ones for this year.  I am limiting the three great-grands to three each, and buying them early, as my hard rule is NO CHARGING GIFTS.  I have followed this rule for years with great success. 

I have one for each of the first two.  

I had just unwrapped this rocker I got at Tractor Supply when I took this picture. 

I have wanted a rocker on the porch for so long... and the wood ones were always expensive. 

This was reasonable, on sale... it is just a tad too high for me, but is comfortable and I rock Bob in it. 

I found him asleep in it today. 

There are mama and the three babies on the front porch of the big hen house the other night. 

And here they are scavenging in the barn.  When the weather is so hot, 

I leave the door open for the two cats that live in there.  They have a fan, too. 

I leave a tiny pile out for the cats when I take the food up at night, you see the raccoons are eating it.  Mama does not let the littles have any if she wants it, that one on the right is begging her. 

A friend of mine with a large farm told me her electric bill was 690.00 this week, she has fans running in all her buildings, two fans dedicated to old horses, fans in her chicken houses, etc.  I am planning on mine being between 4 and 500 dollars, because the fans have run almost non-stop, plus the air in the house.  I do have it cycling off and on, though, and try to keep it high enough to be comfortable but low enough to be tolerable. 

Here is my little Wanda crossing the porch at night... of "her" hen house.  One morning of rain this week was chilly, and I found her curled up in a nest box for the first time.  The next three days were awful, though, and I think she goes under the little hen house to escape. 

She will sleep inside the big hen house this winter, as she did last winter. 

Her eyes are looking a little rheumy again, so a trip to the vets may be in her near future. 

Here I am, caught by the camera on the porch of the hen house, doing what I feel like I did all week long... mowing... I got almost the whole yard done before the rain today.  I swear to you that I mowed last Saturday and Sunday, and by Wednesday it was like a hay field again! 

I didn't get that cat food in quite early enough! 

That's Bob.  This is a miracle. 

That's Coco, also a miracle... who HATES BOB. 

These two could not care less. 

Oh yes, he is the King! 

(see little Wanda behind him?) 

The Drama! 

Have a good week, friends.  I know so many of you are coping with fires and floods, and terrible, terrible weather.  I pray for all of you, daily. 

 

It's Been a Hot Summer

And I guess the title is true for most of our country, this year. 

It's been hot here in Kansas, too. 

Fans running in all the henhouses, and a fan running in the barn for Mama and Teenie. 

Bullseye was taking a lazy way of watching the birds one morning... and actually, he does this many mornings!  I'll look out there and see all four paws in the air. 

I looked out the window to see Wanda here one morning, and I watched as she calmly walked all over the roof, and then jumped down and walked along the top board on the fence. 

Cleo lived in the barn with Mama and Teenie for the last two years.  Either Teenie, who has a notorious temper, or Bob, the (former) Porch Cat, now laying on my kitchen table as I type this... has run her out. 

She eats at the fence daily, and sneaks into the yard to eat dry food in the garage.  She is so beautiful, and my heart is breaking for her.  She sleeps under Troy's shed or under the implements. 

I am hoping we can get the whole situation rectified before cold sets in. 

This week, Troy and Kathy gifted me with this: 

Friends, I no longer can anything, so I passed most of this along to the Manus family, whose sheep come here.  Ben, the middle brother, has been my stalwart helper doing heavy yard work for the last three years.  He left yesterday for college in Arizona for his sophomore year, and it's likely he will do summer studies next year and won't come home.  I am hoping his younger brother Isaiah will be able to help me. I have been so grateful to have Ben's help for these last few years. 

Those tiny tomatoes had the best taste ever... and I saved a bunch back to make nachos today. 

Troy and Kathy's daughter Sarah has a one acre garden at her place... and Kathy has been working in it constantly, even in the heat.  They had a wonderful yield this year. 

I know you all want to know the upshot of the Great Tank Blowout. 

It took four phone calls to get the company to get out here and put a new gauge on and check the tank for leaks.  I called the provider I used at my old Calamity Acres in Kansas City, Kansas, and made arrangements to switch tanks out and go with his service.  

The driver dropped the old tank out by the gate and it was picked up a week later. 

My neighbor Troy did the same. 

Last week, in the dreadful heat, was the Leavenworth County Fair. 

Here comes a group leading their bucket calves along the walkway. 

I will have to say entries were down, and it was not just me who noticed. 

I went at midday on purpose, to avoid the crowds because ... covid has reared it's head in our area again.  Just being cautious. 

This was the champion market ewe that Isaiah showed, and will be coming here this week. 

She's a beautiful girl. 

There were some beautiful goats. 

Very few bunnies... maybe thirty... were on display, and those included cages for sale.  I will give the bunny parents much credit, though... because they had fans set up every three cages and the bunnie's fur was literally blowing in the wind. 

There were some beautiful quilts on display, but overall, 

entries in all these categories appeared to be down. 

When my sister was alive, she often entered quilted goods in the fair competition. 

Coco has become almost an indoor-only cat.  She came from a feral colony, this is a huge about-face for her.  Every once in a while, she lays on the back porch for a little while.  It was NOT 115 that day, unless that was the heat index! 

The flowers are still looking good, because I have literally watered them sometimes twice a day. 

Thank God my well has not had any problems since earlier in the summer. 

I planted my tubs and troughs this year with either wildflower mixes or hummingbird mixes. 

I honestly do not see hummers around them, but I have very few around my feeder, either.  I am taking that feeder down daily and putting up a clean one, the few I am seeing are almost ready to leave. 

Here is what I have to say about the mixes... they have been glorious but they must be watered heavily.  Deadheading the zinnias can be onerous... I need to do it today again, in fact.  I have decided that I am going to cut the deck containers in half next year, and plant lower-growing flowers in these troughs. 

They have been beautiful, I have to admit. 

That's amaranth behind the portulaca... I had not grown in it in years.  

It has looked good, but it has been attacked by the Japanese beetles badly.

My mom could not grow anything.  She marveled that I could.  

She loved cypress vine, and I try to plant it every year in her honor.  

 

It ain't Kansas if there isn't a sunflower or two! 

That's all, folks, thanks for bearing with me.  I'll try to post again 

in a week or so. 

 

 

 

Watching

Bullseye watching a raccoon in the yard. 

Raccoon watching Bullseye 

Bob watching Bruce Wayne 

Bruce Wayne watching me watch both of them. 

Wanda watching me from her cool bed under the honeysuckle bush. 

(She just looks mad, she loves me)

Coyote watching the cats in the driveway two nights ago, and yes, friends, she was that close.  Not sure what is happening here.  She has been in and out of the pasture for three days, the sheep have been ignoring her. 

I say her, it may be a he. 

She wants my cats. 

Bob the Porch Cat watching me do chores. 

Molly watching me from the planter on the front deck.  I gave up and took the forks out so she could lay there. 

Bullseye watching me from HIS planter. 

Me watching Jester watching me. 

Have a good Memorial Day, peeps!  

 

An Unusual Post

This is going to be kind of an unusual post... I am going to use pictures (mostly) from the game cameras that I put out around the place. 

That's Buddy and Bob, formerly called "Alien".  Bob has been around for about four months now, but... he disappears during the day sometimes for hours.  He has always been in good flesh, and I believe he is neutered.  I suspect he belongs to someone down the road, but he is sleeping here.  

Bob at the door. 

If I leave the inside door open... I can look up sometimes from the computer and see Bob on his hind legs, looking in.  He has come as far as 3 feet into the kitchen three times, then freaked out and ran outside.  His buddy Buddy is what drew him in. 

Bob adores Buddy. 

Mama adores Buddy, there she is wrapping herself around him. 

There they are out by the garage, she will come running across the yard if she sees him come out of the house.  

I don't know what he has, but it's magnetism! 

Bullseye is part of the Buddy Club, too.  

Yesterday morning, I discovered dark red blood on the floor in the shop, near the Kuranda bed.  I looked everywhere for a body, and checked the cats.  I was worried for a while because they are all picking on Teenie again, and I could not find her.  That was really dark blood. 

I found a few more drops at the back of the shop. (That's Cleo) 

I found a dark one with congealed blood in it this morning. 

And then, when I took the bowl I keep in the garage during the day outside, I found 

some more in the garage... I always leave a small pile of food in there at night when I lock the food up. 

Imagine my happiness when this ran across the yard to greet me this morning, in one piece....

I was so glad. 

Teenie! 

No wounds on her, either.  

I can pick everyone up but Cleo and Bob.  

All three of my big roosters have pretty much quit roosting.  Singleton here is the head honcho... but I notice that he is sleeping in the brooder pen in the old hen house more and more, tho he is sometimes on the roost still with his four girls.  

He is getting six more girls this week to watch over, they are hens coming from a large flock here that is turned over every 18 months.   Since the old hen house is flat, and has only five birds in it, they are going to be put there.  Singleton will take good care of them. 

This is his daddy, Ferdinand, who does not go outside any more.  

He is sleeping in this corner in the big henhouse, and stays inside every day. 

His toes mostly have frozen off, though he can still hop around... but I am going to have to make a decision soon.  A vet at the practice in Tongie where I take my pets now has offered to euthanize him for me, and I suspect that is what will have to happen.  I know some of you are laughing at my taking him to a vet.... since I lost Keith, I don't have the guts to do the dirty deed myself, I admit it.  And... she will do it humanely, while I am there talking to him. 

Buddy (not to be confused with canine Buddy), the other brown rooster... is still going out, but also has lost some toes.  

The reason I don't hatch is fear of being stuck with more roosters! 

Wanda is still living in the big hen house.  I let her stay out later than the birds, and then, about six pm, I go out and call her and she is ready to go in and go to bed. 

We have had balmy temps the last few days, but after today, we are going to be in the thirties and forties this week.... she loves to lay under the warming light I leave on for the old ones. 

Can you blame her? 

See Pipsqueak? 

I was not sure what to do with him after I lost Mary, his partner. 

I began to leave him down on the floor with the other birds... that's Ferdie there. 

I was carrying him out to his little pen (actually a big pen) every morning, and carrying the cat carrier so he had a shelter during the day. 

One day, I left him in.  He took himself out with the other birds. 

That is what we are doing now, he goes out, hangs out.... and in the evening I usually take the net, stop him, and carry him in.  We have a routine now. 

My friend Diane raises Mille Fleurs.  I have asked her if I can buy a couple when she is ready to cull... I used to keep them, too... I had a whole pen full.  They are diminutive and would make a nice partner for little Pip. 

I am starting to get four to eight eggs a day. 

I was able to gift five dozen eggs last week, but some of those were from the previous week. 

I am hoping with the addition of the new birds, I will be back to giving away that many regularly. 

These are pictures of the Budmeister when he was found on September 5 last year, 

astray out in the county.  Bless the people who found him, they got hold of the Bonner Springs ACO, and Officer Kendra went out and got him.  She told me over the weekend that she had to hold his hind end up, he was so weak. 

Here's The Bud today, Inspiration of all Cats at Calamity Acres. 

I know he is in his last year, he is moving slower and slower, and it is evident... he is eating far less and sleeping a LOT more... but gosh, he is just the best old boy.  Anyone that can give a home to a senior is a gem, in my book... he has been so deserving.  A friend met him over the weekend... Buddy LOVES men, and he scared this guy because he wanted to be loved on.  When we went outside when my friend was leaving.... he turned around and said... no one would ever try to hurt you with that boy at your side. 

I believe he is right. 

Early this morning, something startled Mama and Cleo in the shop.... I leave the warming light on at night.  If you look under the Kuranda bed on the left, it looks like a cat coming in through the hole...maybe Bob, but it might have been Teenie, trying to get back to the wood stove where she sleeps.  Both of these girls beat up on Teenie, who is much smaller than both of them. 

A few hours later, this girl had come back, she had been in and out all night, but I'll tell you something odd... I can never smell her, even when her tail is on high alert.  If you look closely, you will see that both Cleo, in the bed on top of the chest, and Mama, who is curled up in the chair on the right, did not even wake up and look up.  I have noticed that they are wary but are not bothered by the possums, the raccoons and the skunk that comes in at night, mostly to drink out of the heated water. 

(If you want to know how I know it's a girl, she has backed up to the camera while drinking water many times) 

Jupiter and Venus in alignment, and it won't happen again in my lifetime.  It's crazy to say that. 

I am so lucky to live out here, I know that. 

I thank God every day. 

I know my time here grows short, age will get me in the end. 

If I can afford to pay someone to do the heavy yardwork at some point, I would do it, just so I can stay, but we will see. 

I am not sure if the sheep will be back this year, I have not heard yet, but... I think I can do one more year with their water tank, too, and then we will see about that, too.  

Thank you, friends, for reading about our days here at Calamity Acres.