Story Times...

Meet Glenda...she runs
a Lego animal 
sanctuary...

in my Succulent Garden!

 

You can probably guess that she stays pretty busy.

Let's not forget to check in on Joe and Dog. They are still wandering about exploring this wonderful world that is not The End of All Time. I don't think Dog is too impressed with the pond they are going to cross.

Nor do they know what else they may find.

Ailie and Rabbit... transported from a Starship in the somewhat distant future.

There is a Lego Photo Challenge this month, that I will be participating in. Wouldn't it be fun to get the project??? I can only try. 

So you could see some fun Lego shots here as I work through that 'assignment'.

Submit photos of LEGO subjects in interesting environments to apply for this On Assignment project. The selected photographer will receive the Space Construction Mech 60428 to create a series of at least 5 photos.

Yards and Gardens, Goat, Dog, Pony

I got the yard mowed again before I had to put pontoons on the mower! Well, I got most of the yard mowed. I left a section for the pony to clean up and did some manure raking by hand.
I couldn't mow the hill by the shed as it is steep and was still wet under the grass.

But my supervisors watched me carefully.

Charlie and Sven tied out so they can enjoy sunbathing 

together.

If Sven sees Charlie in the yard, he cries and Charlie

runs to be with him.

Charlie doesn't really need to be tied when he is with his Goatie friend. But since I had a huge mower out, it was a safety thing.

I have been calling Sven 'Goatie Goat' and he seems to not mind. I refer to Lil Richard as Pony and he doesn't mind. Charlie gives me a look when I call him Dog.

Later, my supervisors were bored...

An old picnic table top

serves as a place to

sleep.

Lil' Richard was in his area cleaning up around the machinery and the old Jeep which has finally been sold. I'll move him and then rake out the manure there. The next trouble spot are two places I can't mow. I could weed wack it. But I'll wack down the weeds he doesn't eat..

The mules moved to what will eventually... I hope, be a picnic area overlooking the ridge to the north. I just love to sit under the big old Box Elder and enjoy the view.

After my mowing and whacking, I decided to plant some flowers. I'd gotten marigolds for the right half of the porch and planted seeds on the left side with a mix of cosmos, zinnias, and sunflowers. Some of the sunflowers reseeded themselves so I will move them around when they are big enough.

I tried something different this year.

I picked up the logs from a tree that was cut down last year. It was hollow and I thought it would be fun to try planting stuff in them. I moved other logs to the Morris Garden to be used as holders for my pails with plants. It is fun to try and get a bit creative with plants and planters. 

I have one spot under the kitchen window that may need more color this summer. I may transfer some seedlings or pick up some more Marigolds. I never liked marigolds as a kid, but now they are fun and I love their late summer hues.

My bleeding hearts are doing well and as they fade out, the iris's will shoot up with purple. As the iris flowers fade, the Blazing Glories will burst into color.

After that the zinnias should show up along with the 4 oclocks.

I don't know that I will do a veggie garden this year. Seems I have a lot of vegetables left over from the abundant garden of last year. I still need to string the electric wire down by the creek. 

At least I am not running out of things to do.

My Gal Pal ~ by Charlie

"Let's go for a walk Charlie," she said grabbing my ringy ding ding collar. Yes I wear it. She makes me.
She says it keeps me safe.
Whatever, I don't care.

Off we went, her walking up the driveway and me trotting ahead of her watching for birds to chase. Perhaps I could chase a squirrel.
One can hope.

To my surprise we went to Basil's house. Oh what a delight. There are chickens in Basil's yard, I like to chase chickens. I caught a chicken by the neck once before SHE came screaming after me. Something about "NO Charlie NO NONO...and the little girl crying out too. Gosh I sorta felt bad. But I love to chew on feathers. I love to chase birds.

So I was almost to the back door when I saw the Chickens! Oh Oh! I trotted towards them and ... my collar started to shake and buzz. Dang. No chicken chasing. I gave them a backward look when SHE opened the back door and let out my bestest little friend.

Basil.

Isn't she just adorable? Cute? Feminine and sweet?

And then...we walked back to Sven's pen and let him out so he could join us.

And the walk was on! We ran down the trails while Sven trotted and stopped occasionally to eat things like sharp pointy bushes.

SHE was looking for something. She kept looking at things on the forest floor. Bending and looking. Then kneeling and looking. When Basil and I found deer and raccoon poop She scolded us to wanting to eat or roll in it.

Sven was boring. He'd discovered that the forest was full of stuff a goat could eat. Any time we got to far ahead She would whistle and he'd come running.

Boring. Except that he can poop tasty pellets.

Alas. Poor Basil and I couldn't take this nicey walkie thing any more.

Wrestle Time!

We just played and chased and wrestled and tumbled and played.

She watched with the Goat.

We played all the way back home.

Then after She toweled Basil off and let her loose in my house...Basil did something very weird.

She seemed to 'dry' herself off on the carpet...or she really liked the carpet???

What a gal my little Pal!

Just pictures

I'm just going to toss some photos in here for looking at.

Nothing special.

My favorite woods trail. Just last week before things began to 

turn green.

Heading up the very same trail a few 

days ago.

Macro shots from this 

weekend with moss. I don't 

know enough about moss to 

know if this is how moss flowers 

or not.

Sven does a charming pose with his 

red neckerchief.

King of Moss rock Easter Morning.

Charlie,

the overseer.

I am tired!

Early morning work out yesterday with CrossFit. I got home to do my chores, the neighbor's chores and of course the regular stuff.

Last night I caught an opossum in the neighbor's hen house. It was in a nesting box and I have no clue as to how it got in but I couldn't leave it there!

So I had to get it out, but it was not cooperative and it was very nasty.
I used a shovel and a rake to get it out and got it in a bucket and put a lid on it with a metal weight to get it out of there.

From wrangling angry possums to....
a pretty bad night with my sweetie...

to...
finding a goat in the throes of labor when I went up to do morning chores....

I didn't know it was Sedona's first time kidding. I called said neighbors to ask where they were on their travels back home and they said they would be home in about an hour.

I told them that their goat was ready to give birth.
Only after the hoof and nose presented, Sedona gave up for a long while. She came an leaned up against me and I could see she was chilled and exhausted.
I wondered how long she'd been at it.
All I recall from my goat days was that they hardly ever have kidding problems and usually give birth after presenting within 30 minutes.

Thankfully the neighbors did show up. Their oldest boy came in to see if Sedona had given birth.
I told him: Get warm soapy water and your mom and her goat kit. Sedona needs help.

Everyone came and I had Lauren hold Sedona while I examined the baby. It was alive but the sac had broken. I washed up and soaped up, Lauren offered me some gloves but I know from ages of birthing animals that my hands could feel much better without. Oh well, it would be messy anyway.
The kid was twisted the head turned as to make the birth impossible... and as Sedona bawled out her protest, I got the kid straightened and pulled the both feet gently forward as she pushed.
I saw the nose and tongue.
Lauren's husband got me a piece of twine and I caught up the slippery legs.

Funny now that I look back on it. I talked to Sedona like this:
Hey honey, I got the feet, okay I got the nose,...oh sweetie just give me a little push...come on that's it..
that's good...
oh sweetie...
yes...
come on...

I kept up the blather until with a huge bawl the head came out and I told Sedona that it was all easy peasy now!
Baby came out all slimy. Broke in my new coveralls as I pulled the kid onto my lap and started to clear the nose and mouth of goo and ick.

Sedona gave one sigh and walked away shaking. We adult humans kneeling in the bedding with a newborn goat were in wonder. The children stood glued to the stall panels watching and talking.

This little one was brought into the house and wrapped in warm towels and dried off. He ... it was a he...got some colostrum and warmed up.

My neighbor sent me a photo just before I went out for our evening chores...

What a beautiful little Lamancha!

One of the kids asked me later if I'd ever helped deliver a baby animal before and I had to smile at all of the times I had.

I feel good inside.

Spring and Kids...puppies and all that!

Kid goats that is!

Every play room needs kid goats right? Well, they were born early in the morning outside and were shivering. So they were brought in the house. Mom will be a milker.
These are LaManchas, those fun looking goats with 'no' ears.

The 'kids' will be bottle fed so my neighbors are learning a new skill. Goat milking and bottle feeding the kids. I know that bottle feeding kid goats makes them much easier to handle and they bond with the humans much easier.

I'd show you the human kids and the goat kids together, but I don't have any photos of that yet!

However, I can show you a photo from many years ago...

These are my sons who are grown now.

I can't wait to see more of Lily and Sophia. I have a soft spot for new born anything!

Yesterday was a busy day. Off to the nursing home with edema slippers for mom in law. Eeeks, they had triple wrapped her legs and feet so the slippers ... almost fit but not quite.

Early afternoon was farrier time. Sundance behaved like a charm. She has been a bit 'bouncy' in the past. I am hoping that all the extra footwork I did with her loose in the pasture has paid off.
Sundance will start her training as soon as the large square bales are out of the round pen.

Hank is now a steer. Next week he and Stella will move into a pasture next to the other Dexters so they can become re-acquainted through the fence before putting them back together.

The cattle and the equine are starting to shed. Who would have thought that Stella would love to be curried?

Charlie is doing great. He had no hikes yesterday but we did play fetch in the yard and he got to meet the farriers. They liked him.

Dixie and Charlie helped me on Friday afternoon while I cleaned up one of the pastures and had a very small brush fire to burn up burdock and branches.
Dixie showed her good temperament again by being docile and patient when Charlie annoyed her.

After our busy day Rich and I had waffles for supper and then relaxed and were in bed early.

The daffodils and hyacinths next to the east side of the house are starting to come up and open.
It is only March, but things feel like we are whirling towards spring at a high rate of speed.

Two Sisters Camp

This is sort of a Grandma & Grandpa Camp for non biological grandkids. Grace and Evelyn are not my grands at all though but they are staying with me for most of the week.

I've known Mom and Dad for years.  I taught Mom in 4H when I was a leader in a time long ago and far away. I find it fitting that their children can spend some time at our farm and do some learning about equine and riding.

Yesterday was our first full day. And wow what a day it was.

The girls had some very long faces when mom and dad pulled out and drove away. I thought "Uh oh, I am in for it. The kids are going to be so heartsick and homesick, they won't make it very long."

Well, that hasn't happened so far.
We ate breakfast and before we went out to do chores I sat with the girls and we made out a menu for the week and made up a grocery list.

Then we headed out for chores. Rich came too. The girls got busy with feeding the hounds and putting out hay for the equine. Grace I could tell right off had eyes for 15. And why not? Everyone who has met her has really fallen for the little bay horse.

We did so many things yesterday. I'm not sure I can keep track of them all. So perhaps I'll just try and make a quick list.
Chores
Groceries
Fred introduction:
The first 'lesson' in riding an animal is how to be safe around an animal. We spent the cool morning hours learning about how to safely lead Fred. How to make Fred make right and left turns while leading him. How to stop him and back him up.
Fred is a pony mule and does well with kids. He can also be a bit of a challenge. I thought of using Siera to teach the girls about leading with a rope and halter. However Siera is too polite and too good.
Fred is just about perfect, but will make the kids work for it.
If it was too easy, it wouldn't be a good lesson.

After Fred
Painting on the porch
Art

Goat visit
Play in neighbor's goat pasture
Climb trees
Laugh
Silliness
Pick berries
Fill the old stock tank aka Mt. Tank
Play in the water
Take 15 out
Apply lessons from the morning to 15

What Grace didn't realize, is that she was actually training 15. 15 was learning that a sponge bath with a towel was a nice thing, that someone fussing over her mane was a very pleasant thing.
15 has always been very quiet and has nearly impeccable manners when being groomed. It was interesting to watch Grace and 15 interact. At first 15 was fairly wide eyed and watched Grace carefully.
By the time Grace was done with her, 15 was so comfortable she was dozing in the shade.

Play in Mt. Tank
Take Morris swimming

I have to give the old dog credit. He went along with whatever the girls wanted to do. He was busy most of the afternoon following them so he could just be near them.
They asked me if Morris could go in the stock tank and swim. I said only if they helped him back out.

Chores
Second lesson with Fred
In lesson two with Fred the girls learned how to mount and dismount. They learned the importance of an emergency dismount. Grace is tall so the challenge of mounting Fred was not an issue.
Evelyn is small so there was a challenge to get up in the saddle. However Evelyn is an avid climber and an athlete like her sister. Getting mounted soon became a non issue.
The girls learned balance and how to ride with poise. We first learn to ride and sit a saddle with no reins in hand and no stirrups. Fred was good, the girls were excellent.


Evelyn jumped in when I started to put the hamburgers together. She helped make them. I was surprised a little but it was a very pleasant surprise.

Grace engaged Rich in conversation and they chatted while Eve and I worked on supper. I could tell by the tone of Rich's voice that he was really enjoying it.
Rich had spent most of the afternoon taking a nap and had stayed inside because it was so hot and humid out.

We cleaned up and everyone decided that it was time for bed. Morris went up the stairs last night to sleep with the girls. His skipped his spot on the couch for better sleeping quarters. He rarely passes up an opportunity to snuggle with a kid if they are willing.

This morning I woke up early as I usually do. I thought about the girls visiting. Outside the fog was dense and I could see that the dawn was going to be amazing. So I stepped out on the porch to watch the sky change colors.

The fog glowed as the sky brightened. The colors began to change from a pale pink to a dark pink, to nearly a brilliant red and then just before everything faded, the fog turned orange ...
and day two began.

Then it hit me. Two Sisters.

Okay. This week I'd call it: Two Sisters Camp

I went inside and made coffee. Day Two had begun.

The Day After Thanksgiving

And all through the house...

Oh wait that is something else, that Christmas poem, The Night Before Christmas.

Okay um, wait,...it was the day after Thanksgiving. Smacks forehead and reaches for a cup of coffee. Whoops, tea this time of night!
~~~~~~~~~~

The day after Thanksgiving, chores had to be done just like we do all of the time.

Round bales were put out by hubby and I manned the gates.

Our neighbors are gone for a family get together so I said I'd happily do their chores also.

The goats were so happy to see me.

These are the Nigerian Dwarf goats. Oh I can't recall their names but they are charming anyway.
All four goats greet me with calls of "ma...aaaamaaaa" as I come in to give them grain and let them out to their pasture.

I can remember one goat's name. Sedona. She used to wear a blue collar. Now I can't recall which one she is.

No matter, they were all pleased.

Our weather has been very mild again which feels quite odd. Normally by now we've had at least one or two significant snows.

Next were the chickens. 

I spread some feed out for them in the driveway. There sure was a lot of clucking going on. I checked the nesting boxes and they were full of hens doing their thing.

I thought I'd walk Dexter and see if I could collect eggs after we were done.
Dexter is a pug mix of something. He was pretty lonely the first day his family was gone. But by last night he was sure happy to go for a stroll and enjoy some attention.

This morning we took a fairly nice walk on the road. It is still hunting season and blaze orange is the hip thing to wear.

So, I guess Dexter is pretty hip.

For the past two days my husband and his daughter have been processing two deer that my husband 'harvested' for this season. I suppose there are those who dislike the deer hunt but I will welcome venison in my freezer instead of venison on my car hood any day.

Two deer meant that both households could have a freezer full of meat for the winter. I'd say it was worth it.

After The Dexter Dog Walk, I checked on the cats and checked to make sure everything was okay in the house. 

Well. 
The hens were done doing their thing and I collected a dozen eggs. I'd made scrambled eggs yesterday for the kids and thought I'd make scrambled omelettes today for Rich and I.

Jeeze, I know that omelettes aren't supposed to be scrambled, but that is the easiest way of cooking eggs. What can I say?

I worked on cleaning up the house. Angel the Beagle had visited with Morris for two days too. Morris is sort of okay with Angel. But he is sure that the grand kids belong to him and not to Angel.

Our day was rather dreary and Rich was rather tired after spending two days on his feet. He went for a nice long nap and I took my camera and went to the Dexter Cattle's summer pasture.

You never know how crazy a person can get when they are stuck in the house for an entire 'gun season'. 

So I thought I'd have a bit of fun.
Who thought 'selfie' would be this?

This weekend I may get out the Christmas Chair and work on it.

Or, who knows?

Gone to the Goats.

Goats.
You either love or hate them.
I love them.
Especially since they are the neighbor's goats now. That means I can go play with them.

Although once upon a time we had goats also.

This from when my kids were little, quite a few years ago.

This from yesterday evening.

Let's just say, it brought back fond memories.