Meanwhile

The Yard Superintendent watches from his comfy spot...

The shaded part of the yard puts on a show.

Another Clearwing Hummingbird Moth.

Pink
 

Pinks...

More Pink!

Beautiful shade and light on a Poppy Flower.

More pretty 'stuff'...

A Pink Poppy...

I am enjoying the variety of flowers that the wildflower [shady mixture] has given me this year. On the other side of these flowers there is a riot of Nasturtiums.

I'm really happy I planted these this year and kept up with watering them. Each day the variety and colors change which delights me and the bees to no end!

Today is a stay home and read a book day. It looks like the weather is going to turn hot and terribly muggy.

It means my routine of doing chore things will be dawn and dusk again. With the second rainfall in a week, it looks like the grass is greening and could need a mowing!

Interesting! 

The last time we mowed was July 1st and it was just to chop weeds. I have half a notion to let my mule girls do the job for me.

More Killer Bike Adventures by Siera

I cannot believe it!

Val came walking with a Wild Killer Bicycle! You could see it was wild, it hadn't been groomed in ages!

I tried to warn her by snorting and spinning in our pasture about the dangers of spokes and wheels. But she paid no mind and left it in the grass on the opposite side of the fence. 

Sunshine concurred with me. She trotted away shaking her head but stopped a safe distance away.

"Do you suppose it will eat all of our hay?" She asked. She stared over at the bike and gave it the evil stink eye.

Oh NO! I hadn't thought of that! What if Bicycles EAT hay? Or sweet feed? Or gasp...can crawl under hot wires and and steal our food?

This called for immediate action.

I slowly crept forward and around the pen to come from the Bicycle's backside. Maybe it couldn't see from the back? I inched forward bobbing my head up and down.

I lurched forward and grabbed a mouthful of hay and then spun away ready to kick.

Sunshine followed suit, but she backed away. I suppose that was a smarter thing to do.

The Bicycle didn't move all day. It just lurked and lurked.

Later in the day Val walked over and kicked it. It fell over and we were quite impressed.

"Did you see that?" asked Sunshine, "She is so brave! She can handle that wild thing! Wow."

I was not impressed because later I came by that section of fence and it was back up and it had moved!

My immediate concern was that a Regurgitating Baby Stroller would join it when we weren't looking. 

 

The Killer Stroller & Siera

Or how baby strollers can eat mules by Siera. 

Our ride was totally normal last night. I'm usually in a hurry when I am riding with Val alone. I'm sure she would like to get this whole saddle and riding thing over as quick as possible. I mean, how fun can it be to sit up there and watch the world go by? Shouldn't she be doing something important like eating or maybe taking a dust bath?

She thinks she knows where she is going, but when we do fields she hesitates a little. She claims she doesn't like riding too close to rows of corn because deer like to pop out right under our noses too often. 

I like to get close enough to the corn to take a bite if I can, which kind of ticks her off. 
I mean the deer are doing it -- why not a starving mule like me?

We explored the second hay field that had been planted and walked between corn and a hedge row. Eventually she asked me to stop and stand.

Hint. I don't always like to stop and stand when I am alone with her. I mean, what is the point? We had a conversation about that and finally I sighed and stood quietly while she gazed around and enjoyed the scenery. Well, that is what she told me.

We took in the turkeys in the soybean field and watched more deer. It was quiet and it was pleasant. She even let me graze a bit!

We went back out to the road to head towards home and I stopped in my tracks.

Ahead were little people with helmets on and they were on....

drum roll please...

Killer Kid Bikes...

followed by

 A Killer Stroller that had swallowed a whiney child.

Wheels are dangerous. They are more dangerous on bicycles and strollers than on tractors and skid steers. Wheels look innocent until. Well, until they aren't. 

The child in the Killer Stroller made noises and the people pushing it stopped. 

Val dismounted and explained to them that I was undeniably terrified of strollers and bikes [she said she didn't know why -- those wheels -- they will TURN on you in an instant and make a grown up mule into muleburger!]. She walked me back into the hay field so I wouldn't be too close to them.

The bicycles threw the kids, or the kids threw the bicycles. I don't know which. The stroller regurgitated the child onto the gravel road. It WAS terrifying!

I could feel the pressure building and there were wavelengths of malice and danger coming off the wheels and the Stroller. I couldn't deal with it any more. I did a backwards bolt until Val stopped me. She let me stand there and breath while she said calm things like

stupid mule. Okay, she didn't say that. But the stroller people thought it!

Val just stood and talked to me quietly until my eyes stopped being the size of dinner plates.

The kids wanted to come and pet me. Val said perhaps they should come to the house at another time and pet me in the yard when I wasn't scared. [Because really, almost nothing bothers me except ... bikes and Stollers!]

The people left walking slowly back up the road towards home. As long as those things are headed away, I'm good. I mean I would chase them as long as they were not facing me.

Val remounted and made me walk slowly towards home. I gave her a what to by shaking my head and bobbing it up and down to show my displeasure. 

I wanted to get back to my pasture mate Sunshine and away from the monsters.

When I got back in the pasture and Sunshine wanted to know how the ride went. 

I told her about the killer bicycles and The Killer Stroller that spit out children.

Sunshine shook her head and turned away. I swear she muttered...

Stupid Mule.

Spa Day for my 2 girls

Well, not a Spa Day for real but I did give them a royal treatment. The farrier tag team came out and trimmed all hooves and visited with Rich at the same time. [No photos guys, I was busy handling the critters]

One trimmed, the other chatted with Rich. They had a little fold out step stool they set in the shade so he could sit and they could talk 'men' talk while I held each mule.

It is always pleasant to have Dan and Danny out to trim. They also like trimming our critters as they are well behaved.

After they left, Rich was tired. While he slept I gave Sunshine [the red Molly] and Siera [the bay Molly] baths.

They each then got some time in the yard for some munching on fresh grass. Yes, I can walk away and leave them in the yard unattended for a little bit and they won't go anywhere.

With the rain we had last week, we might have to mow the yard soon!

Last night, I called out to the gals and Sunshine came up to the gate as if to say "Pick ME!".  The disappointment on her face when I led her over to the trailer and saddled her up was obvious.

Pictured below is her 'necklance' of small bells that my mules wear while we are riding solo. Some say that the noise is comforting to the equine, some say that they can hear their cadence, and I say that it is a great sound to warn off the deer ahead of us.

A friend introduced me to the idea of a bell necklace when I was riding endurance rides with Badger. I found that the little bell really worked. I rarely walk up on slumbering deer.

I really dislike riding in the wide open spaces. Sunshine's mom used to look for Monsters along the edges of fields. If a turkey or doe walked out of the corn or woods even up to a quarter mile away, she'd be sideways in a second.

Sunshine watches as the deer that were ravaging the field corn run back into the woods. We counted 10 deer.

We rode out to the end of this newly planted alfalfa field and looked down towards the valley where we generally ride. I wanted to explore this field that in 20+ years has always been in corn or soybeans. The folks that rent the cropland generally plant right through the snowmobile trail which makes access to the valley impossible during the summer.

It was shocking to see how sparse the new growth was. Rain is definitely needed.

We didn't go all the way to the woods. We sat and watched 6 Tom Turkeys eating in the far field. The tops of the corn in this end of the field have been chewed off by deer. I've never seen anything like it and assume that it is due to the lack of food in the forest.

I took this shot with my cell phone and then put it away. Two fawns popped up from the corn field just a few feet from us and crashed through the corn sounding like Godzilla.

Sunshine did her 180 degree leap and stopped. She looked around as if embarrassed. We took a few moments to talk about it. Sunshine sighed and we turned towards home. Funny how the fawns laid there when we walked up but decided to bolt when we were standing still.

Note. When startled like that Sunshine will move like lightening. Siera? She just locks her legs up. 

Our ride back home was quiet. We saw two bucks in the distance and just before we left the hay field, a coyote came bounding out of the corn about 50 feet away and bounded across the field into the forest.

Sunshine didn't miss a beat. I don't think she was surprised. I know the mules can usually detect most anything before we humans can.

When we got home my sweet little red mule got some more yard time.

This was another evening well spent. As long as the weather holds, I'll be alternating between the two girls each night. They are still separated from the other girls but not stressed out anymore.

There was no screaming out or calling when I left with my little red mule last night. 

Getting dunked in the Kickapoo River

 So our friends from Missouri had traveled to northern WI to watch the predicted Northern Lights. They went to Eagle River Wisconsin and rented a Yurt at a campground with plans on kayaking, swimming, and enjoying the beautiful campground they'd booked into.

The Yurt was dirty, the bugs nasty, the lake had Swimmer's Itch, and the showers smelled like rotten eggs. The lake was filled with speed boats and water jetskis running all over...😕

They spent one night there and left in the morning as the clouds moved in and the prediction of the Aurora Borealis fell apart. 

When they arrived I was unprepared, but they were prepared with meals and great company. I invited them to stay with us and had to do some creative straightening up so they all had places to sleep. Their oldest son who is 11, really wanted to kayak. Did I know of somewhere they could go?

YES! I've wanted to try kayaking myself, but didn't want to try it solo for my first time. We went to Titanic Canoe/Kayak rental in Ontario Saturday early afternoon. Every rental place was crowded with people. I've never been there on the weekends and it has been 6 years since I canoed with the grand kids.

We got set up with older kayaks and a canoe and set off. Jesse and his little boy had trouble with the canoe right off and tipped it while bumping into the shoreline. Eventually we worked things out and they used a shoelace from Jesse's shoes to tie an empty kayak to the back of their son's kayak.

Mom and Dad put the youngest boy in between them on the canoe and things went fairly well.

On the weekends, the river is super crowded from bridge 1 through 4 with tubers and floating coolers. Party people. There was a lot of dodging and passing. It wasn't as enjoyable as going in the middle of the week was when I took the kids.

Once we passed bridge 4, it got quiet and peaceful. We still had 3 miles to go to get to out pull out point. We all relaxed and enjoyed the views.

These are shots of me that Kristi took.

Here is our friends' family.

After we stopped on a 'beach' to chill out and have snacks, the youngest boy was towed by the 11 year old.

I have to admit that the first time I tried getting out of the kayak, I lost my footing and ended up sitting down on the river bottom. It wasn't a bad dunking and I laughed! After all, this is a new skill and I needed to figure it out.

I climbed the bluff to take a shot of our 'rest' area. I wanted to see if my waterproof pocket camera would still work.

We paddled and drifted on to the the site where we were to pull out.

The shores near the bridges and pull out/launch areas are filled with riprap rocks so the footing get tricky as well as the current. I pulled myself to the shoreline and carefully walked feeling each step of the way and got out without incident.

A complete stranger assisted me in pulling the kayak up the ramp. I returned and helped others and saw both of my friends take a splash in the Kickapoo River. Jesse tripped up and went totally under. Kristi had done the same but only went up to her chest.

Somehow their cell phones survived and we all got out safely but we laughed and laughed. We were also nice and cool in the hot and humid air.

In conclusion. The river was a bit crowded at first. However it is one of the most popular places to rent a canoe, kayak, or tube and go down the river. It is scenic. The river is usually very gentle and easy. Buses pick people up and shuttle them back to their cars. 

Yes there were folks being loud and having fun, yes parts were crowded, but it was fun and everyone was friendly. When my friends tipped their canoe, strangers helped them. When their canoe got grounded on rocks a guy walked out and pulled them back into the flow.

Will I go again? OH yeah. In fact I'm trying to figure out how to kayak the less popular stretches. I'm even running images of getting a crappy kayak if I can figure out how to transport it and a bike at the same time.

A new world of exploration has opened up. Charlie needs a doggy life vest....then he could go with!

And I'm sure I'll have more Dunkings in The Kickapoo.

Have you done the Kickapoo? If you haven't, you are missing out!

Birds, Bees, Fungi, and the Surprise!

Beautiful rains.

The only way to make it rain? I set out a Lego Aztec Minifigure to do a Raindance when the clouds moved in.

After the rain quit the first time, I put on boots and headed out to the creek bottom. It was just a joy to see wet leaves and water in the creek.

As I moved along through the tangled brush and briers I noticed some pinkish peachy colors on a log. On close inspection I was so excited!

Its common name is Wrinkled Peach Fungi, its scientific name is Rhodotus Palmtus. Yikes, I prefer the Wrinkled Peach name. It is so delicate and beautiful. And... ---> not edible.

This is the bottom side.

From the top.

I found some Oyster Mushrooms too.  The Slugs were really into them. 

On the same log in the creek bottom that had the beautiful peachy fungi, I found Bear Scat.

 Ewwww. The slugs were all over that too!

I went back home to get out of my hot clothes and report the bear scat findings. It wasn't exactly fresh. There has been a bear in the area for the past few summers [don't know if it is the same one or not]. However the bear uses the creek as a pathway to get from the berry patches on one neighbor's land to the wild apple trees on the west side of our land. 

Back home the humming birds were going nuts on the Bee Balm.

These two photos are a combo of shots. It is the same bird taken in rapid fire and composited so a person can admire how quick these guys are!

They spent a lot of time going to the Bee Balm and then back to the feeders. They really argue quite a bit!

My favorite bird is this guy, the Ruby Throated Hummer.

See his tongue???

8 seconds of him watching for intruders!

The bees were insane on the Bee Balm, but I didn't want to sit or stand in the hot sun and watch them so I opted for some shots of the Humming Birds instead.

HAH!

After I finished chores, an older Cadillac came creeping down our driveway. I was all set to give them a 'What For' thinking some old fart was lost or it was a pile of Jehovah's Witnesses.

It wasn't!

It was our friends from Missouri who had traveled north to see the Northern Lights and then were quite disappointed by their accommodations and the weather.

More on that after our weekend is done....

Something changed

 Last week my coach and friend Angie asked me to her house for lunch and some time to hang out with her kids.

She had an agenda of course and a good one at that. She knows I love equine of all kinds, and that I sometimes prefer kids over adults. Kids are kids when they are not teens. They are not complicated, they have demands but those too are not complicated.

She also figured out that as a caregiver with constant issues to deal with, I could use a distraction. 

Two things resulted from that 'lunch' date. I decided to get back to messing with my two girls who have had months off from anything except eating and pooping. I changed my evening routines. After supper I go out and 'play' with my girls. Each one gets a turn at a little halter work or a little riding.

[Hubby wants me to sit and watch the boob tube with him until bed time. I decided to change that up. I just am tired of sitting staring at a TV]

I took some shots earlier this week when I rode with my girls but since then I left the pocket camera inside and the cellphone inside. I didn't want distractions. I wanted quiet time.

Basically, it was boring. I sat in the yard where there was green grass with both of them on lead lines and let them graze. Or we rode to the ridge and watched deer in the different fields. Both girls were great. 

The gals were willing and cooperative. In truth, it was like watching paint dry. 

So what was the second thing? Well, maybe it was even more than just two things. Second thing is, I told Angie that I'd love to have her kids over to meet the mules. Of course the girls want to meet them and get on them. 

So I want to make sure that they would be on their best behavior. Both mollies have had children ride them under adult supervision. After all, they are big animals, not little ponies.

The third thing that happened was more interesting.

Since my husband fell ill, my responsibilities have changed. I made time for hikes and working out, but I sort of slowed way down on being with my riding mules. [The others are retired and are just pasture ornaments]

I found out that if I kept Sunshine and Siera up near the house, I had time to go out and do some Mind Melding with them. I could just hang out. I could ride them, play with them, tell them my secrets, my worries, and ask them for advice.

Their advice was simple. Pay attention to me and your heart and soul will relax.

And it has. This past week with daily evening doses of mule time, I come in the house with a rested mind. 

All these good things I've known forever, but I put myself last thinking that time with them was time away from hubby.

It really isn't. Most of my time with the girls are close to the house unless I am riding on the ridge. He is pleased that I am doing something with them.

Equine/Mule therapy is a very powerful and free drug.

Speaking of that...

We got an INCH of rain yesterday! Whoo Hoo! It was fantastic! 

As I was making supper I looked out the window and my very steady, reliable, quiet 25 yr old Molly Mule Sunshine was having the 'Feel Goods'.

Part of the issue is that she misses her sister who is not answering her calls? Or? Who knows?

I went out after supper and we had a talk. She wouldn't tell me what her antics were about. So I grabbed her bridle and a bucket and we rode in the yard and driveway then went to the ridge to get the mail.

When I got Siera out she told me: Sunshine was feeling good with the cool rainy weather and had done her Airs Above the Grounds in hopes that you'd leave her alone tonight. 

Siera winked at me and said: You know, I do not condone that behavior at all. I'm a much more Sophisticated Mule. 

Yep. I'm back to talking with my mules.