I bet there's a lot of people who won't get that title reference, but some will.
It's still hot, unseasonably so, but we are coming into the hottest time for Kansas summers. The next three days are supposed to be brutal, but... we can be so thankful that we have not had out of control fires or a hurricane hit us. I'll take the heat.
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| Red Winged Blackbird |
I am sitting here at the kitchen table and looking out the window right now at a red-winged blackbird eating on the yard platform feeder. I just filled the finch feeders before starting this story.
This finch was waiting for the oriole to move its fanny so the finch could get at the oranges and jelly.
If you make that picture big, it looks like the finch is pretty perturbed... and... now that I look closely, that is probably a female Baltimore Oriole.
The peanuts I get by the big bag at Menards are pretty popular here.
Yep, the cardinals are still here, too.
I am so happy with the Columbian Wyandottes. They are the most vigorous chicks every, and run all around the yard all day long. They know how to put themselves to bed, finally, too. The big hens bully them... they have to wait for those hens to go to roost to be able to go in the door.
Big Bird, eating a treat. Gosh, I'm happy with the Indios, too. There are two cockerels and four pullets. Big Bird is a pullet.
On Wednesday morning, Isaiah, my yard helper, had returned from vacation and came over to weed eat. He helped me (okay, he did most of the work, pounding the poles in....) and I tie-wrapped the thing to the poles. I had some poly chicken wire in the barn, and I tie wrapped IT to the inside of the panels to keep the birds from going through. The doorway (at the other end) is made with an exercise pen.
I opened the big door of the brooder house, and it was hours before one bird ventured out. By yesterday morning, they could not WAIT to get out on the grass, they had only ever been in that enclosed pen connected to the building.
The temperature in this building has been going to 100 or 102 on hot days, and the birds stayed outside all day with water and food. Yesterday, it never got above 80 in there. My nephew came and looked at it, because a roofing company told me yesterday that they could not put a roof turbine on a metal building, it won't seal... a metal roofed building... but my nephew told me to buy a vent exhaust fan, and he will mount it to the side of the building to blow hot air out in bad weather. After yesterday, I may not need to do that... just the big door being open all day seemed to work. I did have two fans running.
Tomorrow will be the test, we are going to close in on 100 for two days.
These LaFleche cockerels are inside the building.
The barn cats know how to stay cool, too. That's Cleo.
Jurassic Park is being scooped out this afternoon when I finish this post. Then the tree eaters are coming to give me an estimate on removing a huge dead limb in the maple tree.
The stains on that wall are 20 years old, from starlings getting in there during winter.
Mr. Floofy Ears has been inside a lot lately, because it's so hot out.
We walk down the road in the evening, after the sun has begun to go down.
We will try it if it does not get too hot out during the day, but I have carried him in twice.
He doesn't act it, but he IS over 9 years old.
A sunflower that volunteered on the deck in one of the planters!
The maple tree behind it has the huge dead branch, and I am praying I don't lose the tree. The same tree service looked at it three years ago and thought it had some time left.
Wednesday night, I got together with about 20 of my high school (and five grade school!) classmates at a local eating establishment.
Not everyone is pictured here.
It was so good to see everyone, I had worked hard outside all day, showered, drove 25 miles to the place and was greeted by three of my cousins when I got there, so I had a good visit with them.
I was only able to stay about 90 minutes... I had to get the birds in... but oh gosh, what a wonderful time seeing all my old friends and catching up. We try to do it a few times a year... it has been 57 years since we graduated.
To save you from calculating that in your head... class of 1968.
My great grandson, Wyatt, on the Fourth.
I was here, cowering from the explosions that went on until midnight. I will have to say, though, that they were not too close, and the cats and dog did not seem that bothered.
Archie, whom I have become very attached to... is going to be going to a farm sanctuary in the next county on Sunday afternoon. Doodle, his friend on the left, will go back to her sheep herd.
I have come to the realization that I cannot do it all anymore at my age, and I am afraid carrying all that water in the winter is already going to get me. The Brooder house is far from the pumps, and don't think I have not considered selling the Putihs and the LaFleche, and then putting the Bielefelders and one cochin girl in one of the other houses... cleaning it out, and closing it up.
I will really miss Archie, he is the gentlest of billy goats, and I have enjoyed having him here. My time has passed, I think.
My beautiful boy for a short time.
I am the little pink blob sitting at the left rear :-)
If you are in the Houston area... I pray your lights are back on soon.
Everyone else, take care out in the hot summer weather.
Let me just go start raking that hen house.
