The Oak Ridge Boys and More

Yes, here we are at the Oaks last night. 

We had a GREAT time.  

The Oak Ridge Boys did about 45 minutes of their old hits... and went off, and came back 

out and did a full Christmas show, with secular hits and sacred Christmas music... 

after all, they are known for their gospel music, too. 

It snowed on stage!

And those cool trees behind them changed colors, from red, to gold, to green, to silver... and multicolor... it was just really beautiful, and the simple backdrop faded in and out with the lighting. 

Towards the end of the concert, the Oaks sat in rockers from Cracker Barrel as they talked about their childhoods, and what Christmas meant to them.  The big fireplace was wheeled out, and it even had a fire that looked real! 

One of them made the comment that using the rockers had extended their show lives by ten years, which got a great laugh.  

Then they stood and the rockers and fireplace were taken away, and they finished with four wonderful Christmas songs.  

They are not afraid to talk about why we have Christmas, either, and the Reason for the Season... to much applause. 

We really enjoyed this show and highly recommend it, and here, let me say... the Oaks ARE OLD... Older than I!!!  Yee ha!  They still sound pretty good! 

And then... back to reality: 

Icelandia is melting... we have one more day of high temps this week, and then we are crashing again. 

I moved the pool over to the place where you see deep water... at the far end, and leveled it and filled it full with the hose, so all five ducks had a good swim. 

I'll do it today, and then may have to dump the pool again for a while. 

I am still being VERY careful on this ice. 

My helper is still working for me, she is looking for eggs here. 

There aren't any in the duck house, mama. 

But there WAS a surprise in the old henhouse. 

We got a green Ameracauna egg from this girl: 

Chatterbox had such a hard moult I thought that was it for her... she is, after all, almost four years old. 

Look at the pathway in the grass where the wildings are coming in and out. 

I told Keith I was going to block the hole... like I did the first one they made... and his comment was... "They'll make another one". 

He's probably right. 

Here is the beautiful sign that Jesse, Amber's husband made for us for Christmas... it is on solid oak... we are going to ask him to make a smaller sign to hang beneath it reading 

"Calamity Acres". 

It is very heavy... and beautifully made.  It will be put out by our gate in the spring. 

 And here's the gorgeous new moon this morning, washed by the sun's rays as it came up, and as the moon was setting.  What a gorgeous way to start the day! 

Me, Trying to do Chores

Get off the mower, babies!!!!

You see that the Duck Pond Express is back on duty.  I'm carrying water from the hose spigot on the side of the house to the henyard. 

I'm filling the pool... stop laughing, everyone.  I won't be doing this but another few days, as this time next week we will be very cold again.  Then the ducks will have to be happy with cold water from the pump. 

To those of you who suggested pulling the pump to fix it... it's well and truly in pieces... the plumber checked, and so did Keith. DRAT.  

I got a new one today at a farm store in Bonner, and I was glad it was well under a hundred dollars. 

I'm going to help dig, so hopefully it won't be a long job for the plumber. 

I also have a leaking spigot on the side of the house, and in for a penny, in for a pound.  Keith can't handle repairs now that his shoulder is in such bad shape. 

If I start back towards the porch, it's a race to see who can get there before Maa Maa. 

The thing that is so cute is that babies love to chase each other, and spend time rocketing up onto the deck, running from the east stairs (here) to the south stairs of the deck, down the steps in a leap, around the yard, and back up this way.  Joie de vivre, for sure. 

Until it's nap time.  

I keep stopping to take pictures.  This is Chatterbox, the only Ameracauna I have, who is no longer laying now.  She is in the heaviest moult I have ever had a bird go into, and looks positively sick... but it's the moult.  No tail, no wing feathers, and her neck... my goodness!  I've been trying to get a picture of her for three days, but she moves SO fast. 

And Buffy the Polish Girl was standing like a statue under the tarp in the old henyard.  She doesn't go outside too often, but was out there walking around in the sun this afternoon. 

Our Big Guy was keeping his eye on the Hooligans this afternoon.  He is having an increasingly harder time getting around, and his mobility is lessening by the day now.  We don't know how long we'll have him with us, but we talked again today, and we won't let him suffer.  His hind end is about gone, and he tore an ACL in his left hind leg a year ago, so the side is very weak and now almost unable to hold him up.  He can get up the east porch steps, but can no longer get up the steps to the deck from the south.  

I've got him on a double dose of Tramadol now to keep him comfortable.  What a wonderful old boy he is. 

I know I'm late getting caught up on your blogs... I'll get around to them all, I promise!

A Sunny Monday

The weathermen keep tantalizing us with "chances of rain" but we have had none in days, beyond a sprinkle.  We need it, now, we are 3.5 inches under where we need to be. 

The sun shone on the ripening pears. 

And on the bright zinnias. 

But it was shady in Swamplandia, and the ducks and chickens were so happy. 

We ate some mulberries... only one tree is bearing now, the others have gone by.  These berries are so sweet... I have the purple fingers to prove it. 

We visited the henspa chickens.  

"More of those things!" said Kody. 

And we played. 

We watched Boots and Two show off for Chatterbox. 

Tonight there is a Monday night ballgame, then we have a break while the team goes out of town.  

We'll be locking everyone up in their pens before we go: 

The odd thing is... for all the years we have lived here, we have heard the two coyote packs calling to each other.  We aren't hearing them lately.  We wonder what' up????

Farm Help and Cookies

First off, I want to thank all of you sincerely for your comments about our home.  This house was built to house family and then workers who worked on the strawberry farm of which our acreage was a part.  They had a "U-Pick" operation, as well as selling strawberries.  The house was cobbled together, and as I said, our families have always thought we were nuts to move here, when we could have had our pick of many more properties.  It is near a state highway, though, and convenient to the Veteran's Hospital and to Fort Leavenworth, all things that matter to us.  We can also get to church and groceries quickly.  Anyway, thank you all for your nice comments, it meant a lot to me.

 

I have been working on Christmas gifts this week for our family gathering on Saturday with Keith's family.  I totally ruined a cookie recipe this morning... at least, I ruined them as gifts, but the remains are delicious and we have lots to eat. 

 

I was trying to make this:

 

The great recipe is HERE, at Jamie Cooks It Up, which I get in my email daily.

 

Let me tell you, even the shards taste good.

 

I ran out of white chocolate bits, so I substituted Cherry Cordial M&Ms... have you tried these yet?

I did use the peppermint.

I also used the kisses.

 

I sprayed my Wilton cookie sheets.

 

Mine STUCK to them totally, I had to scrape most off.  I am soaking the sheets right now.

BUT.... Even the pieces are delicious!

 

We'll keep them for Keith and me to nibble on for the next couple of days.

I'm trying again tomorrow, and using the white chocolate bits and parchment paper on the sheets.  

 

Meanwhile....

Out in the pasture...

 

Gertie and Lilly were finding a lot of white and tan feathers on the ground that were not there yesterday.

 

 

In fact, there was a whole line of them.

(the ice is from the plastic bin kept there for water... I dumped it and will fill a fortex now for the wildings)

 

 

And my last Ameracauna, Chatterbox, is missing.

 

I took this picture the night before last.  I had not gotten a green egg in over a week, and went looking for her and found her already up in the rafters.  She was a March, 2011, hatch, and was still laying daily.  I noticed Monday night that she looked as if she were only just now moulting, and everyone else has already finished.  During the summer I sit outside while doing water, and really take a good look at the birds daily.  These last few weeks when it has been chillier, I don't take as long.  I wonder who else is missing?  I'll spend some time tomorrow looking at everyone. 

 

 

"Nope, not in here, Mom!"

 

 

"Not here either, Mom! "

 

 

"She's not down here, either, but don't I look good in the sunlight?"

 

I have such good helpers!

 

 

What on Earth?

I have pictured, in the past, the hens taking dust baths in the corner of the pasture, next to the henyards.

 

The wood pieces cover up some mouse houses... I'm a sap, I know.

 

(they also went under the trough during the winter).

 

Here is what Keith found last night in this area:

 

 

If you compare this with the above picture, they are in the area where the fence meets the henhouse, in the upper picture, there is a blue scaffold you can just see through the fence behind it.  The bigger hole is about 4 1/2 inches across, the smaller, about 3 1/2.  Too big for snakes.... too small for the fox.... rabbits????  skunk????  I think it's time to pour out the water bin.... as Keith (and the hay guy) think it's drawing the fox and possums nightly.  I put the camera out there tonight, pointed right on the holes, to see what might be coming and going.

 

The birds, who sunbathed in that spot during the summer months, are doing it a little farther down and closer to the henyard fence now.

 

 

This is the SUM of the eggs I got today, minus one that went to a snake....I did not disturb him, and he left me the green egg... from 25 hens.  Uh huh.  Pitiful.

 

 

Chatterbox, my only Ameracauna left, gave me the only large egg... and could look me in the eye.

The others got a good talking to!

 

I'm going to drive up to a friend's house in Northwest Missouri tomorrow to look at some animals she has, and to look at her ponies.  Those pictures will be coming tomorrow night.