Some Disturbing Pictures

I am going to start out with an innocuous picture, so that the disturbing ones won't show on Facebook when I post there. 

This is one of my favorite views, I'm sorry it was so hazy when I took it yesterday. 

Those are my neighbor's ponds at the foot of my pasture... there is another in the cow pasture that runs up my northern fence line.  I love this view, but it will soon be hidden when the leaves come out.  

I did get a bid on removing the red cedars, and it is affordable... they are in my fence line.  I am saving up for that and will coordinate it with the neighbors. 

On Thursday and Friday, March 30th and 31st, we had huge winds that frankly, scared me and the dogs to death.  Zoey, especially, was affected by the atmospheric pressure and had a miserable night on Friday night.  They died down by noon on Saturday, but are back today, not as heavy as those two days.  They make it so hard to get things done outside. 

These, again, are the daffodils growing at the base of  "Oscar's Tree", on the north end of the house.  Our min pin, Oscar, is buried under this tree.  You see the box around the base has burst.  

I have never planted any but I am going to this fall... someone planted these before we moved here 18 years ago, and I want someone in the future to enjoy flowers like I do. 

Here come the disturbing pictures. 

If you have read this blog for long, you know that when Keith was dying, we were living in a big house fifteen miles from here.  I still had a flock here, and came back and forth daily while we tried to sell the house.  

I stopped in a rural area where there was a bridge over Stranger Creek, which is the biggest creek that runs through our county... I live a mile from it here. 

There were beautiful bluffs there, and I took many pictures from the bridge over the creek and posted them here. 

Here are the beautiful bluffs in May of 2016. 

On Friday, I was giving my work partner at the Ag Hall, Wayne, a ride to Tonganoxie to pick up his car from the garage.  He lives in Basehor, and to avoid some construction, I turned down Leavenworth Road to cut through to Tongie. 

We came through the farm fields and I said "Let's stop at the bridge for a minute."  I pulled onto the bridge and we got out of the car... I had taken him by there once before, but he had forgotten it. 

Here are pictures of what we found: 

That wasn't even half of it.  On both sides of the bridge there were tractor tires, a huge number of road signs WITH their poles.... furniture... and dead coyotes, that someone has been killing and dumping in the creek.  It broke my heart. 

I am actually going to go back over there with the Canon and take some more pictures and then I am going to go to the courthouse and show the pictures to the Road dept.  I have never, ever seen this beautiful place so polluted. 

It made me sick.  It is still making me sick. 

This is a wondrous place where swallows circle around you, feeding from bugs in the air in the summer.  There were two ducks on the creek, they proceeded downstream from us. 

That picture above did not show all the dead coyotes.  Shame on them. 

Shame. 

There is only one house near there, and it sits way off the road in the woods... I am sure they cannot see when someone is vandalizing at night, and would be too afraid to confront anyone. 

On a happier note, some of the seeds sent to me by my friend Iva in Zagreb have germinated, and are under a grow light in my living room, thanks to my grandson Jax who helped set everything up. 

They are doing so well! 

I still have more out in the shop that are under lights there. 

Today it is 75 and sunny, but our temperatures have been going up and down like a roller coaster.  

I put my Carhartt away, and then had to get it out again.  I am hoping that it will soon be put away for the summer. 

I am starting some chicks.  I cannot believe I am even typing that. 

I am only going to start about eight, though.  

I am trying the above heating plate for the first time, instead of a chick warming bulb. 

I am actually going to set it up today and get it warm in anticipation of the chicks moving in. 

I am also going to use a paper bedding, instead of pine shreds, which I have never done before. 

It's an adventure! 

I have been looking to see what chicks are being carried at the local farm stores, and I have found one with the best choices... as long as I am starting a few I want to get breeds I have not kept for a while.  I am overrun with red hybrid layers and am avoiding buying any of those (eggs are not the chief object, here).  

When I finish this post, I am going to go out and get the chick feeder and chick water and bring them in and clean them thoroughly. 

Coco the black cat has been sleeping in the big hen house with Wanda for the last week, and she is sleeping in the brooder pen where I will be keeping the chicks, so she is going to find it off limits.  They have to stay in this pen, because, my friends.... Just because I did not see a snake yet today, they are out there! 

This is my beautiful hospice foster, Buddy.  Buddy is entering into his final weeks, I'm afraid.  He is having pain from his hips and is now on two pain meds twice a day, but, alarmingly, he is having trouble getting up and down the stairs.  There are only three short steps up from the yard, but I watched him last night, it was all he could do to get those hind legs under him.  I hoped we would have until June, but I don't think it is going to happen. 

Here he is waiting for me while I did chores last night... if I let him through, which he loves, he has to lay down and rest before he can make it back to the house. 

His friend Bob the Porch Cat is with him there... Bob, Mama, Bullseye... they all adore Buddy and want to be with him. 

I go out and check on him frequently now when I let him out... IF he even wants to go out. 

He sleeps, mostly. 

I cannot tell you what a blessing it has been to have him.  Yes, he can be a pain, blocking the kitchen or hallway with that big body... and the crate in my kitchen... well... I have to laugh, it has been there almost nine months now.  

He accepted everyone and they all accepted him, except maybe Molly Cat, who has had some reservations all along.  

He ignored the chickens, and he loves men, when my sons and grandson are here, he is in heaven. 

I know he'll be waiting for me one day. 

Zoey and Bullseye shared the crate this morning. 

I took these from my back door through the window last night. 

That's my north fence line. 

Ten days ago, my neighbors across the road saw a bobcat cross their driveway one morning, and walk across their front pasture to the pond. 

Last Sunday, I was laying in bed and looked out to see what I thought was a vulture by the comm tower across the road from me... it was a bald eagle. 

Friends, you just don't know where the heck they will strike! 

I try to keep an eye on everyone, and my days of letting the chickens wander in the pasture are long gone. 

These guys are back, too.... but I am not seeing the huge numbers I used to see.  There are these two and one that is going in and out of the shop at night. 

Those fat coyotes have been having a good winter. 

I try to live and let live... that has always been my philosophy.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter, and I'll keep you informed about what is going on with the creek situation. 

PS 

It's 4/2/23 and I can hear someone out on their mower on my road! 

I think it's Troy or Kathy next door, I'm going to go look.... it's about time to roll mine out! 

One Day At a Time

I've been spending hours cutting down saplings. 

I decided today to work on a couple of the garden beds. 

This is what they look like, and I don't blame 

the renters. 

You see, not everyone is a gardener.  They did 

grow some peppers in that far back bed, 

but the rest became overgrown. 

That high grass is in between the beds.  

This was after about ten minutes of digging and pulling.  You see, 

Keith and I built these beds 

according to the book Lasagna Gardening.  

We put paper down, then dirt mixed with manure. 

Every growing season, I dug through them and replenished the dirt. 

Most of these weeds began to come right out. 

My hard and fast rule is "don't overdo it".  

I'm almost four years older than before. 

However, I did a second bed.  Yes, I still have to clean them up, 

but I took the choppers and cut down the high grass around them, and 

started digging at the dandelions. I am going to have to have 

Brandon, the young man cutting the place, do some weedeating. 

Then I trudged across the yard, carrying all the pulled plants, 

because I have no way to get my cart out there. 

Still figuring that out. 

I tried to cut the high grass around the two beds (with the big cutters).  I figure it will 

take at least six bags of Miracle Gro dirt and a bag each of 

manure before the beds are ready to plant anything. 

I'm not going to garden extensively this year... but it will be 

nice to have a couple of beds for tomatoes. 

This, however, is the current state of the pasture.  Nice hay, huh? 

I can't even get in the gate. 

The dogs and I can't get down to check the status of the fence until 

I can find someone who can cut it. 

Lots of saplings to cut!

How I miss not having a truck. 

Here's the little pond I have shown you so many times.  It has decent water in it now. 

We have not been going back and forth on gravel in an effort to preserve the 

new car. 

I decided to do it today. 

The cow herd is doing well, too! 

Oh, and by the way... this has started, too! 

A Tour Around the County

We have been in a drought, a "moderate" drought as the weathermen call it. 

Remember last fall???  (I don't, very much, actually) 

The Farmer's Almanac warned that our area was going to have a bitter winter, 

with lots of snow and prolonged cold. 

Did.Not.Happen. 

We need moisture.

This was my favorite little pasture pond last week. 

Look at it tonight!  In fact, that was this afternoon before the last big rain tonight. 

If you squint, you will see four blue winged teal on it. 

Hmmmm... maybe two mallards, two teal (one was to the left). 

This is the drain at the park where we walk all the time on the 5th: 

It's not your eyes, the picture is blurry.  I was watching this daily, 
knowing that the water source for the animals in the park was 
drying up day by day. 

This is the drainage ditch that goes into it. 

I take weird pictures. 

Oh, yes. 

My side yard. 

And my back yard. 

There were a LOT of good smells in the park. 

Turn up the volume and hear the frogs! 

Rain Rain Go Away!

Notice the raindrops on the lens? 

We have had 9 inches of rain in the last two days. 

We are expecting more tonight and tomorrow. 

Yikes. 

Here is a better picture.  The pond is WAYYY up at the Ag Hall. 

Where you see the line of water lillies is where the pond bank has been. 

The little pasture pond is also way up, but there was nary a cow or calf in sight. 

Lilly has been making fence friends with a new neighborhood friend.  

Yes, I let my fence grow up, I thought there would be chickens here. 

No, I have not cut it, much to my neighbor's chagrin. 

This looks like the dogs don't like each other, but their tails were 

wagging madly. 

Knock on wood, I have still not been stung. 

If I put the finch jelly out, the yellow jackets leave the hummingbird feeders alone, 

but to tell you the truth, there are only about five hummers still eating here. 

Migration has started. 

Fall baseball has started, and games are on Sunday afternoons.  Jax was mugging for me here.  He is still the smallest on the team, so is Number 1 this season. 

His team won their game Sunday, I think that was their first win. 

They are wonderful boys, with wonderful coaches. 

I had to do an errand this afternoon, and took the long way home.  These horses live at the most beautiful place, a huge home and a huge barn that sit on a hill with a park-like pasture in front of them.  It was fun to see them there, in the shade. 

Keith has a procedure tomorrow at the hospital, I would like to ask 

anyone reading this to say a little prayer for him, he is not 

well tonight and we are hoping he feels better by tomorrow evening. 

Weekend Pictures

Half-a-Weekend Pictures 

Keith and I got out and about today, first time in a while that we actually were able to 

go for a drive together.  

We have a big week of dialysis and doctor's appointments coming up, so 

it was fun to just drive around "like the old days".  We even went 

by the old house, just to make sure our renters were still there. 

(they were). 

So, some pictures... 

Gardens are all fading now... it's the end of August. 

I don't know what this foamy flower is, but I'm going to find out and plant it next year. 

It literally is like foam! 

Cannas are fading. 

But gomphrenas plow on... 

The basil is more subdued but still beautiful... 

Zinnia "Zahara" is also coming here next year. 

Even the dried flower heads are striking! 

I think my own patio garden is so interesting.  Those marigolds have become TREES. 

They are only blooming on the ends. 

The balsam on the right has carried on from ten year old seeds, I don't want to lose it. 

It has formed many seed pods.  

Also, see the planter with the "million bells" in the foreground?  If you will 

look at the right hand side, you will see that the marigolds have dropped

into that planter (which sat almost under the marigold barrel) and are now 

growing in it.  I guess we are going to have some late marigolds. 

So check this out.... this is the tiny planter the sunflower grew in earlier this summer. 

Marigolds also dropped down into IT, and are growing.  Do you see what else is growing in it? 

ANOTHER TOMATO. 

We are currently buried in tomatoes. 

I'm leaving it. 

Tomorrow I am making my last batch of pickles, and then the cuke plants come out.

In April, the maintenance manager at the Ag Hall bought two commercial turkeys, not 

really knowing about turkeys.  They are now too big to get out the pophole, and are trapped inside. They are my special babies, I call them Twilight and Starlight.  They have plenty of room to move around, but no important sunlight.  At least, I don't THINK they can get out anymore. 

I always have help when doing chores. 

A blue ribbon for the cutest calf in Leavenworth County! 

This is my favorite little pasture pond, almost dry. 

We got a little rain last night, but not much. 

The prettiest girl in the world, with the Maybelline Eyes. 

Our Lilly Ann.