Caucusing

First, thanks for all your prayers and good wishes about 

Lilly Ann.  She will be 10 this July, and we have had her since a 

small puppy.  She was feral, she, her mom and her sister 

were all captured and brought to the Leavenworth Animal Shelter, 

from where we adopted her. 

We can tell her eye hurts, she has been rubbing it.  We are 

putting drops in twice a day.  I did not take pictures, but 

we walked today, and enjoyed it, though she rested as soon 

as we got home. 

No limping, just slow walking. 

So, Thursday, Friend Jill and I had lunch, and 

took our cameras to take pictures.  (She was off work). 

We tried one big park, but could not really find anything to 

focus on, so decided to hop on the highway and go 

back to the park where I have been going. 

I played around a lot, and we saw the 

eagle in the distance, but he stayed in the distance. 

I have been trying to get pictures of kildeer, this is as close as I could get! 

I'll try again next week. 

Since it's mating season, there is still a lot of shrieking going on. 

Out of about 100 pictures taken, I kept about ten. 

I am learning, though... I am learning what lighting to use and what not to use, so this is helpful. 

I got a few good ones. 

Yesterday morning, I went as I dropped Lilly off, to see how the light was. 

Yes, the gulls were present.  I went on home after 20 minutes or so. 

Since we moved here two years ago, I have had no curtains.  I do not like just 

blinds on the windows, especially when they are the old white wide blinds.  (Saving for shades). 

I am a dufus, too, when it comes to hanging rods. 

So, my sister in law came over yesterday and I would say helped me, but 

she did most of the work, and was very painstaking. 

I don't know if the tropical curtains will always be there BUT... 

I am so glad to see them. 

Thank you, Mary Beth. 

This morning in the sun: 

Oh, yes. 

So happy. 

Guess where I went today? 

I do not talk politics on this blog, ever.  I don't think it has a place. 

However...I think it's important that we are aware of our responsibilities as 

citizens. 

Yes, I voted in the Republican Caucus, and not for the Donald, I will go so far as to say that. 

It was thrilling to see the process at work, and I am thankful to all the volunteers who handled the crowds today.  From seeing the news, Leavenworth was not the only place that had good crowds. 

Way to go, fellow Americans! 

Dust, everywhere. 

We need rain. 

The little pond on the way to church this afternoon... mass starts at 4. 

The Archbishop surprised us with a visit. 

So glad I was in jeans. 

(smile)

Everyone have a safe Saturday night, and wonderful Sunday. 

All About Lilly

Today was the Day for Lilly Ann. 

She thought we were going bye bye to the park, and I felt dreadful about no food or water. 

However, when we got to the vet's, she got suspicious.  She NEVER does this, (jumps up to sit next to me)  so I know she was scared.  

"They're going to do WHAT???" 

"I don't want to go with Nikki!" 

"Okay, I'll go, but I wanna go home". 

When I went to get her at 5, she did something else she NEVER does, she jumped up and said goodbye to Donna, who has helped take care of her many, many times. 

You can see where the tumor was removed from her eye... we will be putting medicine in it for the next 10 days. 

Donna trimmed her claws back, they were wickedly long and split and she said very, very dry. 

So.... we go every six weeks from now on. 

Lil has to be muzzled to trim them (or sedated). 

While she was gone, my sister in law came over and hung drapery rods for me, God bless her. 

She brought her little Toto with her, and he made himself at home! 

Jester was desperate to play with his little friend, but Toto is not very fast. 

Here's our girl home again, and the new curtains hanging.  I had to put the tiebacks on, 

because Lil likes to watch the street from the spare bedroom.  She is pretty grouchy tonight, and 

went for Jes several times, so I am letting her sleep off her stress.  At least she has a full stomach. 

I don't care for the old white blinds, so am saving to have shades put in.  To me, the house did not feel "finished" these last two years, because of no curtains.  We measured the master bedroom, and I am going to try to find curtains (probably drapes) and rods for it, next.  I have to paint the tv room before we do it. 

I'm so glad today is over, because I was very stressed out about Lilly Ann. 

Thanks for all your kind wishes and comments via Facebook! 

Sunday Rest

First off, I want to welcome our new readers and tell you how glad I am that you have joined us here at Calamity Acres. 

It has been a very quiet Sunday here.  I went to church last night, so I could get some extra shut-eye this morning.  Keith was home all weekend, and worked on the chickenhouse yesterday while the temps were still in the 60's.  At 4, when I went to church, the temperature was 63, when I came out, it was 52 and windy!  I hurried to the car, and got home and did chores in my heavy coat.  Today it has not gotten over 35 degrees.  Keith and I went to Home Depot earlier, and got some window shades cut for the kitchen.  I am so grateful to him for hanging them... we had ugly, dirty, faded and stained old blinds up there for the last six years.  I so dislike blinds.  Now we have clean shades, and I am going to hang the "winter curtains" that I found at the thrift store yesterday for the Christmas season.   I am going to try to get two of the curtains cut down to valances, to put on the windows over the kitchen drainboard.

I got a good start on the seasonal cleaning this morning, and cleaned out my baking cupboard.  I put away a lot of things on the counter, and went through a pile of mail, etc. and disposed of most of it.  The kitchen table is almost clear!  I also put away my chocolate pot and biscuit jars, so that I could put Christmas decorations on top of the sideboard for the season.

And then, to make things even better, I was able to reach this boy:

That's Jeff, my youngest.  Always independent, he has lived for many years in Independence, Missouri.  He has always lived with friends, and last year we visited him at the home they were renting.  His birthday was November 1st, and I sent a card to him with his birthday gift.

I found out today that he never got it, he moved on October 1st, and the former roommates must have kept the card.  He had not told me that he had moved, having misplaced my number.  In these days of no land lines, it's hard to reach someone. 

I have been worried sick about him, and Keith knew it.  He finally told me to call the store where he worked and leave a message, and I did call today.  They asked Jeff to come to the phone, and I can tell you I was SO relieved to hear his voice on the other end.  He told me of the move, and that he is settled with roommate Josh in the new apartment.  I am going on my annual trek to the Bingham Waggoner house on Friday, and told him I will stop in the store to see him and make sure he is okay. 

Son of my heart, he told me that someone had tied a cocker spaniel behind the grocery where he works this morning in the cold, and the employees have been going out there all day, feeding and watering it.  It is petrified of people, and will not come near them, and animal control isn't working, but he said the employees are trying to decide what to do, since it's so very cold.

I have been blog-hopping for a couple of hours, and watching the llamas as they lay by the hay buffet chewing their cuds and eating wisps of hay. I am going to go out and do chores here shortly, shutting the lights out in the big henhouse early so we are closed up tightly.  I only work Monday and half of Tuesday this week, so can't wait. 

Here are Abs and Hannah waiting while I cleaned this morning

Here are some of the birds in the little henyard having a treat an hour ago.  It's dark out there now, and all the birds are in bed.

And Fancy and April, as I shut up the big henhouse.  These two can go outside by walking across the rafters to the coop side.  They like to hang out in the feed room side with Butch, which is fine with me.

We are missing Little Red, the pretty red cochin rooster from this year's hatch.  I suspect that the hawk I saw skidding into the pasture last week got him.  Keith also has seen several very large owls (and I hear them) around.  We have to let the birds out very early in the morning during the work week, so it could have happened then.  I'm sorry to loose him, but sorrier that the hawk got Eagle two weeks ago.

Okay, I'm going to show you the "Christmas curtains" I got, three pair of curtains/drapes for 5.00.  One pair is at least 84 inches long, and they are on the living room windows.  They are home sewn, and lined, so heavy.  I am going to put tiebacks on these, but I left them hanging tonight to block cold air, since it's so cold.  Once the Christmas decorations are up, they will look fine. 

Don't laugh, I'm WATCHING YOU.

Chtismas trees with little red birds.

One more thing... we have been smelling skunk, somewhere close.  We don't know if it is under the deck, or where.  Keith was standing in the hall talking to me several hours ago, and suddenly said... "I smell skunk!".... a few seconds later it wafted in to the office.  I smelled it again 30 minutes after that.  I asked him if it could have gotten into the rafter space (we have no attic) and though we are on a crawl space, we don't have any openings where anything larger than a mouse could get in... we think. 

Have a good Sunday evening!