Back to the Land of the Living

 Friends, the day after my last post, I went down as sick as I have been in these last ten years. 

It began with cold symptoms, and even though my son and daughter in law had just had one, I had not been around them to be infected.  I had stupidly gone two days without wearing a mask... yes, I'm one of those people... once in the small town where my two oldest grandsons live... and once here, at home, in Walmart, of all places.  

I paid for it.  

The cold symptoms segued quickly into flu symptoms, and I was so weak I spent the larger part of every day in the recliner, with a cat in my lap and a blanket around me.  My youngest son did the necessary errands we needed done, thank heavens.  He also ate frozen food for almost two weeks. I finally ran a fever two days, and called up to the post at Fort Leavenworth and arranged for a drive thru covid test.... negative.  I could not believe it when I was sick a second weekend, still weak and tired.  I managed to do chores every single day, but sometimes, I don't know how I did it.  The first week was beautiful weather, and my grandson was off school ... we had planned to do lots around here, with me paying him for his help so he could earn some money.  The second week was miserable, with rain for four days and cold weather.  

I did finally go to a walk in clinic, and was tested there for flu...negative.  The only thing is by then I was dehydrated, and was told to go to the ER if I could not get fluids down.  I have been drinking Pedialyte. 

But... Wednesday, I was able to get my favorite food down... On the Hook cod, from the fish truck.

I gave most of the fries to my son.  Here, let me say I am NOT  a seafood lover.... but 
I LOVE On the Hook.  That was the first time they had been in Tonganoxie since last fall, and I was able to eat my fish and more importantly, keep it in me.  

Two days later, they were twenty five miles away in Shawnee, and I was feeling better, and drove over for Round Two.  That was the second meal of the week to stay with me.  I felt better after getting something in me. 

On the Hook is based in Colorado, and travels with its' trucks through about seven states, if you ever see them.... pull over!  They sell only fish and chips, but trust me when I tell you it's worth it... they have the best "tartar" sauce I have ever tasted. 

So, now that I am back in the Land of the Living, I am far behind with farm chores. 

Here is one: 

A week ago, my oldest son Jim came out and put holes in that old trough on the sides and bottom for me, and the feed tubs that had been stored in my old garage.  He made drain holes in them, too. 

The plastic planters were there last year.  I am going to dump several of them, they have 

weeds in them and I cannot get a shovel into them... but... for the most part, they just need filling. 

You might remember I had in-ground raised beds, that I had my helper Ben remove two years ago. 

They were always hard to keep weed-free and full.  Keith also did not build them with enough space for the mower in between them, so that was a problem.  

Peppers and small tomatoes are going in these deeper planters. 

Grandson Jax loaded me up. 

I need two bags of manure and two or three more bags of planting medium.  

Here are the last two of the raised beds: 

I covered most of them with black plastic in the fall, weighed down by bags of dirt, 

which I'll add to them.  I am uncovering this week. 

I would like to take what iris I have left and consolidate them all in 

one of these beds.  (I'll take closer pictures this week). 

In the middle ground of the top picture, you can see the feeding platform that 

Keith built so many years ago, and I have something to say about it. 

I am almost at the point where I cannot afford to feed the wild birds. 

I can't believe I am saying it. 

The forty pound sacks of the best blend, Back Yard Blend, have gone to 33.95 a bag.  I am NOT blaming the wonderful owners of my feed store, it is just a fact of life.  Unfortunately, 

I used to buy FOUR bags a week (when it was 18.95 a bag).  I can't do that now, I can hardly justify two with trying to keep up everything else.  So... I am pricing cheaper mixes.  There is waste with the BYB, and I know there will be waste with the cheaper mix... what I thought of doing is mixing a bag of black oil sunflower with the mix.  I am down to one small hanging feeder, and I love watching the birds on it, but it is the most wasteful way of feeding I know... the seed regularly spills all over the ground.  My other feeder is the platform Ben built for me, that I use for finch feeding. (though I just watched a gang of starlings descend on it!!)  In one week, at the end of March, the hanging feeder is coming down for good.  

It's like the end of an era here. 

This morning's dawn.  I get up early, feed Molly and Bullseye, and 

then put dry food out on the deck for Wanda and Coco.  

I ran back in and grabbed the camera. 

Wanda, the Kitten who Wanted to Kill me last summer, and Coco wait every morning now for me to come out the door with the bucket with the canned food in it.  

The beautiful Cleo was out there this morning, too, 

but not Teeny, the little cat who was neutered three weeks ago. 

Cleo lived in the Wild Area all last summer.... but this winter 

has been living in the barn daily.  She is glad to see me in the morning, because I pick the dry food up at night. 

This coming weekend, the things stored in my barn by my oldest son will all be removed, and I'll get in there and clean it out.  My hopes are that I can put two or three cat trees in there, and... get the wood burning stove fixed so we can use it next year. 

I carried the camera along with me when I opened the pophole this morning. 

I have been getting enough eggs from the girls I have left to have given away ten dozen this last week. 

I have three Silkies I keep in a brooder pen in the big hen house.  

Brutus, the rooster, was hatched last summer. 

Martha and Mary were given to me a year ago. 

Every day I carry them down to their pen in the enclosed big hen yard, so they can get fresh air and peck around.  Three times in the last two weeks, I was so sick and distracted, I forgot to put them out.  It made me feel so badly.  

I wish I could afford another small hen house, but .... things are different now with inflation the way it is. 

For now, we will go back and forth.  I can't put them in with the other two silkie roosters. 

My beautiful Zoey, on her big bed where she spent so many hours in January and February, when I use the electric heater for some supplemental heat in the kitchen-living room.  It is on this morning, 

it is a little colder out today.  I think we are in for some cold days and some rain this week. 

The Best Dog in the World, Jester. 

Under Oscar's tree in the north side of the yard, are some daffodils that were planted by someone many years ago.  Every spring, they have struggled up through the tree roots and bloomed. 

This year, I am going to plant a batch so that whomever is here after me can enjoy them, 

as I have enjoyed seeing these. 

Happy Spring, everyone. 

PS

While I was sitting here at the kitchen table typing this post, I looked out the front door to see a black and white bird on the arbor.  I jumped up quickly to get the camera with the big lens... this is what I captured...

Here it is, closer. 

I swear to you it looks like a duck. 

Ducks carry H5N1, which is getting closer to me all the time. 

It flew off right after this, and I did not see it fly to know if it WAS a duck. 

A Week of Rain and Then Sun

Blogger has changed its' interface just enough to make it interesting to blog, these days!

This week, we had a big change at Calamity Acres.  It went from the miserable heat of two weeks ago, to three days of off and on rain and much cooler weather.  In fact, right now it is 73, and I am back in shorts for the first time all week. 

Look at THIS: 

Can you believe that I had my Carhartt on on September 9th???

It was in the low fifties and drizzling that morning, and I just could not face it!

That's the earliest I can ever remember wearing it, and it is back in the closet now. 

You can see by the way this squirrel has his tail wrapped 

over his back that it was still chilly out!  I don't begrudge 

the squirrels a single seed, either. 

The pumpkin patch is going crazy, and I counted ten pumpkins this morning in various sizes.  None is huge, they are mostly decorative, and two are ripe and I will have to pick them.

The rain made the pasture spring back, and heads have been down all week. 

My fave. 

When I look at the deck and porch from out in the yard, now, 

the flowers are not as bright. 

In fact, tomorrow, I am going to pull out most of the zinnias, which have 

gone by.  It's almost time for mums. 

That's my beautiful Ferdie, father of Buddy and Singleton. 

He is the low man on the totem pole, I'm afraid. 

He is my favorite, though. 

This is his Mini-me, Buddy. 

Buddy did rule the roost for a while. 

Here is the real boss, oldest son Singleton!  (the only chick 

to hatch under his mama in that hatch). 

Singie will literally run clear across the yard to bump his 

dad or brother if they look at a hen!

Speckles the Speckled Sussex (I didn't name her) 

Stripes, the Barred Rock.  See the difference in the combs on the two girls? 

Speckles is four, and her comb and wattle is washed out, almost pink. 

Stripes is two, and hers is still bright red.  She does not lay, though, 

or maybe is hiding the eggs. 

This is one of my five Ameracaunas, see her muffs on 

either side of her face?  These particular birds lay green eggs, 

some lay blue.  At least, the three that are SOMETIMES laying, lay green eggs. 

That's the problem, so many of my 19 hens are way past laying age. 

Do I get more?  I did, this year, and remember, the raccoons killed them. 

I have figured out a way to secure that small hen house, and 

am thinking of getting a few young layers. 

Why, at my age, would I do that?  I was going to let them peter out 

from old age. 

They keep me young.  I HAVE to get up, get dressed, go out, and take 

care of them, rain or shine, summer or winter. 

Twice a day. 

They are good for me. 

Gourd vines went crazy on the old walnut tree stump. 

Smallish, but interesting. 

I have very few in-ground perennials left (that you can see). 

This sedum is one of them, I had Ben cut down everything 

else in that bed.  I am going to try to rehab this bed, and this bed ONLY. 

Everything else will be on the deck next year. 

I end with a sad picture.  I was counting pumpkins today and went around to the back of the beds. 

There I found a dismembered cardinal.  I have about eight pairs who eat 

here, they are the last every evening.  I suspect I am short a male. 

I suspect Rusty, the feral cat, though I keep him well-fed. 

Stay safe, everyone. 

 

 

Summer is Waning

Well, I see Blogger has changed their set up again, and 

it's going to take a few posts to get used to it.  It doesn't seem you can set to type IN the center, with a centered post, without having to justify in each sentence.  We will see. 

Summer is waning, friends.  I know it doesn't seem like it, but it is.  Yes, the heat continues on,but subtle little signs are all around us.  Leaves have begun falling... not just the walnut tree leaves, that start in late July, but other trees have begun dropping.  I am still mowing weekly, but not twice a week, as I had to for a while there.  I noticed yesterday that the Virginia creeper in my front fence line is starting to turn red, that means the poison ivy won't be far behind, or the sumac on the banks out in front. 

It took me a few days to realize, but the red-winged blackbirds have gone now... and were followed by the brown-headed cowbirds.  The Great Migration has begun, but there is a LOT less squabbling at the flat feeder, I can tell you. 

The raccoons are frustrated with me... I literally take down everything... hanging finch feeder, suet, squirrel feeders, and I clean off the flat feeder in the evening.  They are getting only the seed that has spilled during the day, and are digging up the area under the feeder.  This morning I laughed when I went out.... they are definitely excavating to China for anything they can find. 

This picture was actually taken a few days ago, this morning it is a huge circle and everything dug up until close to the post in the middle.  I know they are VERY frustrated. 

One of my favorite birds glided over the deck the other day, and I ran for the camera!

Here it is this morning, as I left for the Ag Hall, in the horaltic pose, drying its' wings: 

Most of you know that I foster-failed with Snowy, who is seventeen.  She had surgery a few weeks ago, and a cancerous mammary tumor was removed.  She is still recovering from the surgery. 

I can see her moving slower.... I don't know how many months we have left together, but she 

has been a delightful little dog.  And... to those who adopt... it took Snowy almost six months before she was really comfortable here, and comfortable completely with me.  Don't despair. 

This looked like a juvenile cardinal on the feeder, and in fact, the presence of the female led me to believe it.  He looks like he is waiting for mom to feed him from the smorgasbord.  

Hemorocallis "Stella De Oro" is reblooming on the deck.  One or two of the others is still blooming, I had fantastic luck with daylilies on the deck this year.  (yep, that's a weed, I'm waiting to see what blooms). 

So, let's talk about gardens.  Keith built an arbor, almost as soon as we moved here, and then started building a wooden fence around the area where we were going to garden.  Along the front part of that fence, he built four thirty-foot long beds.  The first, closest to the house, fell under a maple tree. Don't do that folks, I'm telling you.  Anyway, the first was built using lovely stones, but was expensive and labor intensive (grandson Chris built the wall).  After this, Keith used landscape timbers. 

Two beds, the front two, were planted with perennials and bushes.  The back two... one was our potato bed, and the other, except for four or five mum plants, was never really planted and always had to be kept down as far as weeds. 

Here is the south of the arch front bed in its' glory, about 2011:  

In that  picture, you can see the arbor in the middle, and some of the bushes.... there was an equal bed out of sight  on the north side of the arch.  In the distance is the hoop house.... and the patio is already in, so it has to be 2011 or even 2012.  I was so proud of these beds, they were really glorious. 

In the last two years, I have pulled or had them pulled out.  I really could not keep up with them, and it was very, very hard to get a cultivator in to keep them churned up, not to mention all the mulch.  

Here is the north bed, the one remaining one, today, I literally took this picture thirty minutes ago: 

Oh yes, it really looks that bad.  There are still some decent perennials in it, but I cannot even give them away, I have offered and offered.  The gardeners my age are as tired as I am .  Twice this year, I had this bed in some sort of order... but you see, it is full of saplings.  I cut them down, they grow back up.  I actually put five Gorilla cart loads of mulch on it in the spring, but... it has just gotten away.  Last week, I told my wonderful yard helper, Benjamin, that I am going to pull this one out, too, and asked him to plan a day when he can remove and stack the stone border. For now, I am literally walking past it and trying not to look, and yes, it breaks my heart.  Next year I will be gardening on the deck and maybe the patio only. 

I had many more pictures to show you, but it seems this new update of Blogger will not let me upload pictures directly from my phone.  In the old days, ten years ago when I first started blogging, I carried a small point and shoot camera in a pocket, ALWAYS.  I'm going to have to do that again, I think.  In order to post a picture from my phone now, I will have to send it to my email, and save it to the computer.  Yep, a pain in the patootie. 

So far, the sheep are still here.... I know the three cattle at my neighbor's are going home this weekend, but I believe the sheep will be here for a few more weeks, the pasture is holding up remarkably well.  I love watching them... I'll try to sit down there tonight and take a few pictures of them.  I do keep their water changed during the day so that they have something cool to drink, but other than that, their young owners take care of them.  I have all the fun and none of the hard work! 

I am still seeing big snakes daily, again... the pictures are on my phone.  I'll get one of the small cameras out today and get it fired up. 

Guess what?  I found 'em, good heavens you would think I would be computer savvy at this point after eleven years. 

However, it stops at July 28.  

I saw this snake this morning, though.  

And now, all of the sudden, I am back in the middle of the column, what gives? 

(Blogger, that's what gives. If I were monetizing this blog, I 

would go to WordPress, but I think I would lose eleven years worth) 

I end with one more garden picture, the raised beds.  I planted pumpkins and summer squash in mid-July.... I picked four BEAUTIFUL squash this week, and I believe I'll get a dozen pumpkins.  I know there may not be trick or treat this year, but I'll have some for the deck, and then they can be fed to a friend's hogs.  I even planted some more zinnias (on the left)... they are blooming now.  

Yes, Covid 19 is still in our area, including Tonganoxie, the little town whose address I share. 

Yes, I wear a mask everywhere I go, religiously. 

I believe it will be a year before we are back to normal, and we will have further loss of precious lives. 

I try to remain optimistic and hope for the best.  I pray.  I urge all of my friends to do so. 

Yes, it has touched a family of someone very near and dear to me, and right now they are 

praying for their own fifteen year old who has been stricken.  It's here and it's real, friends. 

Remain as positive as you can, and we will get through this. 

I'll figure Blogger out and update again, soon. 

As always, thank you so much for visiting Calamity Acres. 

The Results are In

I wanted to post and let you all know about my results with 

my deterrents for the raccoons. 

(laugh). 

I am happy to report though, that there was only ONE on the porch last night, 

they have finally accepted there is no food there for them anymore. 

I hung a shoplight out there.  

At least they could see what they were eating, (laugh) 

I also put bread with cayenne pepper CAKING it, I thought I would have to 

pick it all up the next morning..... 

it was all gone. 

I have two large bottles of Franks Hot Sauce and an almost full canister of 

cayenne, if anyone could use them!

Terri suggested last week using ammonia, I may try that, however....

I have had such good progress with them staying off the deck, and I have 

so much fun watching the birds, I will continue with locking anything up that the 

raccoons could eat at night, suet, birdseed from the top feeder, the hanging finch feeder, etc., 

and go from there.  The two ferals are eating during the day, thank heavens. 

Yes, she is still laying in the flower box on the deck. 

She is four years old, and a Cornish hen, I would NEVER have imagined this. 

She lets herself out of the "chicken side" of the yard and comes across, 

eating a bit of birdseed, and then makes her way up onto the deck and into the 

flower box.  She proceeds to lay a good-sized egg, and takes herself back to the others. 

It cracks me up. 

I took this on the deck yesterday.  I absolutely love the "wildflower garden in a box" flowers in the washtub.  There are batchelor's buttons, a small white flower, and some tickseed, as well as 

grasses and what we would call weeds.  

I planted a lot of zinnias because, frankly, I was staying at home and trying not to go 

to garden centers, and I had a lot of seeds from the past two years.  Here is 

the thing... those planters are too shallow for the cut and come again variety. 

I am having to water multiple times a day, but oh, how I love zinnias and so do the few butterflies I am seeing, and the hummers, which have become numerous these last few days. 

The "nest" flower box.  I got these three planters at Sam's Club a year ago, I love them. 

There is one full of mint that smells so good after I water it, however.... I am digging out the 

mint this fall and replacing the whole thing with flowers for next year. 

The other side .... I don't really like the petunias in that box up on the 

railing... there is a tiny bit of geranium in there, I thought they would complement it, but they are actually rust-colored, not pink or red.  Not planting that color again, it fades in the sun. 

The perennials in the box in the foreground are doing GREAT. 

I never put my summer garden flags out... oh, what the heck. 

The last corner, filled in with more zinnias.  The calibrachoa in the top 

planter is still going strong, you just can't see it in the picture. 

My umbrella, though folded in, was caught by the wind two weeks ago, 

and overturned and broke my porch table.  That's it for me, that is the third one 

I lost over the years.  I am going to try to find a wrought iron smaller table to 

put out, as we rarely eat on the deck. 

I frightened Rusty when I came out on Friday morning, and he ran for the fence. 

When he saw it was me, he waited, and yes, he got his yummy canned food, I went back and 

got it for him.  I could tell he had eaten from the dry food. 

Some of you know my son Jeff has been staying with me since March, 

his hours were cut, and though he owns a mobile home free and clear,  he was 

having a struggle making ends meet.  

Jeff gets up very early, and puts the dry food out on the porch for me in the morning, 

and I can tell from the camera that the two cats are coming to eat. 

They do sometimes come on and off the porch during the night hours, 

but I also keep a large container of fresh water there, too. 

I got another delivery of good pork from Gray Family Farms, 

Charles told me he has a contract with Paradise Locker in Trimble to 

process hogs every month. 

I bought pork from him six weeks ago, and it is the BEST. 

Jeff and I are having 1/2" pork chops, fresh corn, and green beans for 

dinner when he gets home tonight. 

This is 62, one of the lambs that has been here for the last three or four weeks.  The Manuses brought ten, nine ewes and a goat, and then switched them out about six weeks later.  This group had two adult ewes, and seven lambs, and the goat, who stayed. 

These are the two big ewes.  I keep a small swimming pool there under the shade of the walnut tree, and I refresh it multiple times a day.  I keep the ground all around there damp, and many of the sheep 

like to nap there. 

One of these ewes had "lumpy jaw", which is mostly incurable.  I told their 

owner last night that I am sure that jaw has gone down, and is no longer swollen. 

They are coming tomorrow to switch some out... I am hoping not all are going.... and he 

is going to look at her closely then. 

Two weeks ago, the three Manus boys removed the fence (leaning and heaved) around the 

old henhouse yard.  This was the first pen Keith ever made here, and the posts were not sunk 

deeply enough.  That's the unused little red henhouse under which they are laying in the shade. 

I have noticed because of the heavy shade in this area, they like to congregate here in the heat of the day.  That's the other reason why I check that little pool so often. 

There is a deep tank in the actual sheep pen which they also use, 

I bucketed it out and cleaned it today, I try to do that three times a week. 

On Friday, Ben came and removed low-hanging branches for me for two hours in the terrible 

heat.  He is coming back on Tuesday to do the weed eating and trimming.  I could not have 

kept this place looking so good this summer without his help.  Yes, I pay him, but to find 

someone willing to do that work is a blessing for me. 

Here are some pumpkins I planted in mid-July... they are 

taking off in the raised garden. 

I have decided to tear these beds out completely at the end of the season.  

(well, not me, the boys). 

This was a loving project from Keith, but I cannot handle the hauling of the dirt anymore, and the upkeep.  If you look behind these beds, you will see one is empty now.... and those trellises, etc. are coming down, too.  Weeds grow up between the beds constantly, and they are a fight to keep down. 

I am also considering removing the only perennial bed I have left, and gardening only on the deck and porch, I am still mulling that over.  I would actually offer the plants to all my friends, in amongst the weeds there are some good perennials still blooming.  With Jeff's help, earlier this summer, I had that bed cleaned up, or so I thought, and we actually put five cartloads of mulch on it. 

It's a mess, I'm embarrassed to show you. 

I swear the zinnias (yes, more zinnias) and the pumpkins behind them grew two inches overnight. 

Do you see the weeds and grass growing in between?  The beds were made a little too close to get the mower in there and clean them up all the time, it has to be weed-eaten.  Ben will do that on Tuesday. 

We are 92, feels like 102 right now, but.... clouds are coming over and rain is expected tonight.  

Tomorrow, my little Snowy girl has a mammary tumor removed, 

and I am very worried about her. 

It means also that I get up very early, get her to the vet, and 

get back here in time to feed Fritzi and give her her morning meds, 

we have a routine now and Snowy is involved in that. 

My little Snowy.  I love her, she has only been here since March but she is a 

wonderful little dog.  I am praying nothing happens tomorrow. 

My dear Jester. 

Fritzi is holding her own, but her hindquarters are weaker and she has trouble walking. 

I watch her like a hawk. 

Our resident bunny.