On A Roll!

Third post of the new year!  It's almost like years ago, when I posted daily!  (laugh) 

                       Here's beautiful Yeller, my only male feral. 

You will see him again later in this post. 

To me, they are all beautiful, I admit it. 

I check the front door window frequently when Zoey is out... and caught this on Christmas Day.  She literally would NOT come in at all if the weather is nice, as it was on Christmas.  It makes me feel so good to see her, though she can sometimes be naughty and keep investigating things when I call her. 

These are some of the new hens (last year's chicks) who are giving me seven beautiful eggs a day, and keeping all my friends in eggs.  They live with the silkies, which I would like to change, frankly, as they bully the smallest hen.  See the darker red?  She is one of the four I took in from the bird rescue (one was killed by a snake) and the other two went to a friend.  This hen is very friendly... never, ever goes over the side like the lighter colored hens, who usually fly out as soon as I open the door in the morning.  She always wants to see what I am doing.  

I made a little nest with fresh straw behind a carrier I keep in that house... and the tiniest hen began to lay in there.  She is hard to see, she is so small and the light was so bad... but she only weighs about a few ounces, maybe a pound. 

My little Wanda has an eye infection, and will have to go to the vet this coming week.  This was when it was incipient, last week.  It is watering a lot now, but she can keep it open more, if that makes sense.  

This morning, in our blustery blowing snow, I found Wanda curled up in the straw... Coco, Lil, and Cleo all in the shop waiting for breakfast. 

Cleo, eating last night.  She is so funny... if she is still hungry, she lays there and looks at me, as if to say "more".  Of course, I take it out to her.  In the beginning, she would not come near me.. now, she will come right up to me... I stepped back to take the picture. 

I just realized it is blurry... sorry about that. 

This looks like soup, but I actually made a really thick gravy and made it into a stew last week, servied with biscuits.  

That was one of the best pieces of meat I have gotten lately, but wow, just like everything else... was expensive. 

There's Wanda's eye looking a little worse on the 8th.  I took a good look at it this morning.. she was curled up in the cage you see behind her on the right... and I could easily have shut the door, but we have terrible weather today, and driving is treacherous.  Remember, she is feral, I can't just pick her up and medicate her.  I have my car ready to load the cage in (back seat down, etc.) but I have to have help loading her, and a place to take her that will treat a feral.  I am working on it.  

Oddly, the eye looked better this morning, I was two feet from her and she sat calmly.  It has seeped down by her nose, but... the eye itself looked better.  She has been playing, eating, and running around the yard every day, so I have not gotten alarmed.  I'm working on it. 

These guys crack me up. 

I pick up the dry cat food as I turn the lights out at night, except for a cup full I pour on the floor. There is a low basin with warm water in there, though (and a deeper heated bowl)... expressly for the possums and mice, so they visit nightly.  I no longer have horses (opossums carry a disease fatal to horses) and can welcome them. 

Lil took a turn under the warm light. 

Here is the deal... when I hung that chick light, I went out frequently to make sure the Kuranda bed was not getting hot... it does not.  I believe the cats can feel the warmth from the bulb just fine, because they all vie for the bed in turn.  The funny thing is, I think I have a picture somewhere of a POSSUM up there! 

Voila!

In years past, there would be hundreds of starlings eating at the feeders.  I have purposely not put 

pounds and pounds of seed out this year... and only in the last few days have seen more than ten or so starlings.  I have a LOT of blue jays and cardinals.  

On this feeder is a mix of small seed... nyger, etc. and mealworms, which I buy in bulk at 

Tractor Supply. 

On the big flat feeder that Keith built years ago, goes Backyard Blend from Valley Feed, which I have fed for years... but... it has gone from about 20.00 for 40 pounds, to 33.95 for forty, and I am going to have to feed MUCH less.  I used to buy three bags a week in the past, but no longer.  

I am restocking today, because we got about four inches of snow and it was blowing hard this morning, but generally, I now put a bucket out in the morning, and then replenish about 3 PM. 

Another picture that makes my heart sing.  

Here comes Yeller last night to get a bowl of wet food.  I had seen him, and took one out. 

Here let me talk about the Cat Food Problem. 

I decided early on I would feed the ferals only dry food, to encourage them to well... be feral. 

All of them like to mouse, I have found them all but Yeller in the hen houses off and on. 

Unfortunately, my two house babies are bird killers (they are both in today, because the birds have no defense in the snow)... 

But... I  failed.  I give them all wet food daily, too.  And herein lies the problem. 

There is a wet cat food shortage.  

The commissary literally had maybe fifty cans of (expensive) wet food on the shelves when I shopped on Wednesday,  and I forgot to check yesterday when I had to run in there for something.  I have had to go to Sam's Club, and I noticed two days ago that now THEY are getting thin.  I bought an extra (expensive) box on Thursday, but I am wondering if I should go back tomorrow, if the roads are cleared, and buy another big box.  

The other thing I worry about is what if something happens to me? 

I do have a friend who is a cat rescuer, who is aware of everyone here, thank heavens, but it is a concern. 

I leave you with this funny.  I am actually going to go out and fill the feeders again, and come back in and look at seed catalogs! 

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day 2021

And appreciation of a slew of other creatures around this place! 

 

I love them!  I love to watch them climb and play. 

The killer. 

Some of you who don't follow me on FB... this little guy got into my small henhouse, and killed the tiny black silkie hen.  

I toook him to the bottom of the pasture... in a bucket... gently.... and in two days, 

he was BACCCCCKKK. 

I put a camera in the sheep barn to see what ate the dead silkie. 

This is the yellow tabby that has been eating here lately. 

Oh, I just re-read this.  I put some cat food in there nightly.  It has been eating the cat food. 

A wren on the porch water.  I have to say that in all the years I've lived here, 

I do not remember seeing wrens before this year!

They are beautiful little birds. 

Starlings.  They love cat food. 

A jay. Those low waters, I have two, are heated. 

A blue jay with three cardinals behind him waiting to eat. 

I counted eight cardinal pairs out there the other night. 

I'm just not even going to comment here. 

Or here. 

Here, I have to make another funny comment. 

Sometimes I get up during the night to go to the bathroom. 

I never EVER see anything on the deck in the middle of the night, but yet, the next morning, there are many pictures on the camera.  What the HECK?

Another squirrel pic. 

I am going to comment here.  Friends, this was taken on the seventeenth. 

THAT MAMA IS NURSING. 

The Three Amigos.  

Jester is very lonely now... so is his mama.  

I can't tell you how much losing Fritzi and Snowy affected me... maybe it's age. 

I still feel myself welling up for them. 

I have been sick since Christmas, have been tested twice for Covid, and mercifully 

both tests were negative.  I did end up in the ER this week, but after 

being tested out the wazoo, was released to go home and see my doctor. 

I feel much better today, but am taking it easy for a few days and hydrating, hydrating, hydrating. 

A new day has dawned for our country, and I am glad to be here to be a part of it. 

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful well wishes, I so appreciated them. 

Quarantine Times

Oh, yes, friends, I'm in quarantine. 

On Tuesday, I took Jester to the vet for an eye check, and to have his nails trimmed. 

My vet's office requires everyone to mask, and they are very serious about it, I jokingly say I need to have a standing weekly appointment, because Fritzi and I have been there so much this year. 

Jester was lifted up by the associate vet who was seeing him.  His eyes were checked, and then I offered to hold him while the vet did his nails.  I held Jester closely in an embrace while the vet worked and we visited.  

Yesterday, I was in the dentist's office and my phone began to vibrate.  

  It was the practice owner... the vet who saw 

Jester had tested positive for COVID.   

Notice I said I was at the dentist's office?  I had removed my mask only for a minute, so that he could check something in my mouth on which he was doing a second check.  They have literally had to shut down three times for covid exposures. 

I had been to the feed store and to a friend's house during the week, I let everyone know. 

I am home until November 3rd, now, after talking to the Health Department. 

I am not to get tested UNLESS I show symptoms, and I have not shown any... the Health Department spokesperson told me that usually, symptoms are shown within five to seven days after exposure. That would be today through Monday, and so far, so good.  My son is taking care of grocery runs, and a friend will pick up feed I need at mid-week, so, except for not going to church, I will be good here at home. I like to be here, too, so everything will be fine barring any crisis with Fritzi. (I'm thinking positively there). 

So, let's look at some pictures. 

The weather has been bizarre here in the past ten days.  We literally went from 85 on Thursday to 40 yesterday, and right now, it is 39, with a feels like of 33.  All hoses are unhooked, I am carrying water in buckets, but, thank heavens, I do not have the sheep to worry about. It has been easy keeping the chickens supplied, I have four outside water fortexes, and the two fountains inside. 

We have had some beautiful sunrises.  I am 

not usually up and out the door now at sunrise, as I used to be while I was working, but I have had to get up early with Fritzi several times.  The thing that is remarkable about this 

picture is that enough leaves have fallen that once again, I can see the pond at the foot of the pasture hill.  I have missed seeing it.  If I had taken this during the day, you could see that the Spehar's cabinet shop and barn are visible now, too. 

If my Google photos had synced with my phone, I could show you some even better sunrises, but somehow, I have turned it off again, I think. 

Guess what?  Here is Spot Yoder, the Feral Cat, sleeping in the 

Cathouse, which is now right by my front door.  Spot has actually come 

into the kitchen several times, but he struck out at Fritzi, who cannot see, 

when she smelled him and got too close.  I can't take a chance on her 

being caught in his claws, so.... He has his own little house. 

He is using it, too, I have actually taken several pictures of him now in it. I had to use hay because 

I had no straw but... this week, I will get a bale of straw delivered with my feed, and re-bed his house. Straw is better and warmer for him.  I hope to one day get him truly IN the house with us, but we are taking it slowly.  For now, he is comfortable. 

This doghouse, now the Cathouse, is up on blocks, and so far, none of the wild creatures have tried to nest in it. 

This baby was hiding in the cement block the other night.  More about it in a minute. 

Oh, no no no.... don't even think about it!

You can see here that Fritzi  struggles often, and was out in the wind the other day, trying to get back to the door.  I don't let her out alone, but she still can see a bit of light, I think.  Her nose is still working, and she knows something is living in the doghouse by the door.  

My son and I actually said our goodbyes last week, but my wonderful vet has managed to keep her going for a bit longer.  The Cushings is taking its' toll on her. 

She turns left going out the door, goes down those three steps... does her business, and for some reason, about 90% of the time, goes around the well house and to the patio, and back up the south steps from the patio, crossing the deck as she is here.   I don't argue with her, I think it's good she is still able to do it. 

One thing she is smelling is this little one. 

It has been coming out in the day time for several days. 

 It's darling, with its'

tiny little pink feet. 

"Admit it, you know you think I'm cute!"

It is not wrong for possums to eat during the day, and they are generally very 

calm creatures.  They WILL kill chickens, I admit that, so I don't necessarily want to encourage this baby to be around when the birds are loose. 

That said, it got cold pretty fast here, and the spilled seed is helping it. 

I did not see very many possums during the summer, now I am seeing them when 

I take the dogs out during the evening. 

I'm seeing lots of these guys, too.  I'm going out here in a bit to rake up the walnuts into a pile, so A. I won't break my neck turning an ankle on them and B., the squirrels can find them in a convenient pile. 

For about a month there, all of September, I had very little traffic at the flat feeder.  I took that to mean that the wild birds were eating in the fields and finding plenty of natural food.  I have noticed an upturn in feeding the past week. 

I have been seeing bluebirds on my railing outside the kitchen windows, so got some meal worms to mix with the finch mix that I feed there.  I am also putting out one of the low water basins I used last winter, they are heated and I keep it going all during the bad weather.  My problem is that the bigger critters tend to empty it at night, but I do not think it will catch fire. 

I have noticed in the past that bluebirds will literally sit around it, drinking and bathing.  

The goldfinches are still gone, but the house finches are still here and going strong.  The goldfinches will be back any day now.  I also am seeing... besides sparrows and chickadees... dark eyed juncoes, and tufted titmice, and several woodpeckers. 

And these friends;  there were six out there eating, yesterday. 

Here is a kind of grainy picture Jeff, my son, took of us last week when we 

thought Fritzi might not be coming home from the vet. 

As you can see, it's hard to get everyone to sit still for a second... if you saw the outtakes, you would laugh. 

I would love to have a professional picture! 

I'm thinking positively, friends, and all of you think positively for me too, please! 

Two Posts in a Week!

I remember when I posted daily!

Ah, the good old days. 

I thought I would share some more pictures, 

as long as I have not gone up the drive today to see whether or not I can get out for a doctor's appointment tomorrow. 

Yes, we had a bit more snow, 2 1/2 inches at least. 

It didn't stop the Duckie Boys!

I left everyone else in, including the sheep, because when I 

got home from an eye appointment yesterday, I found little Cookie shivering next to his mama 

outside in the pen.  Nope, not having that. 

The birds are desperate for feed at this time of the year. 

The starlings, especially, have been bad the last week, and believe me, this is only a portion of the hordes.  However, in the midst of these.... are some red-winged blackbirds, and for those of you 

who don't know, they are the Harbingers of Spring!!! 

YAYYYY. 

My faithful girl did the rounds with me this morning. This is a labor of love for her, as she is increasingly slower and slower. 

You can see that snow blew onto the porch itself 

while it snowed last night, I don't remember that happening very often here. 

Rusty was checking for food early this morning.  However, 

only one lone possum, and two of the other ferals came to eat, 

no raccoons. 

\\

Tiny little footprints leading onto the porch.  There is a water bowl there, it was frozen. However, the heated bowl is at the other end of the porch, and I am worrying that no one is realizing it, they are all 

so used to looking for it on this end.  Both outlets are now taken up, one with the heated bucket in the sheep pen, and the other, running the lights in the sheep barn.  I am about to go turn that off for the day, but the sheep must stay in.  By tomorrow, some of the snow should be melted and I can maybe let them out again. 

I did take some pictures of the goldfinches feeding on the deck, but I believe I have accidentally 

erased them! 

The camera caught this view of me when I laid it down on the

kitchen table. 

Yep, that would be about right for the last three weeks. 

I am going to dress up again and go out and see if I can shovel the front gate open... and no, I'm not complaining, many people got four times as much snow! 

Happy Almost Spring, Everyone! 

Something Troubling

For two years, I have been a member of a Facebook group called

"Kansas Birding" .  Since Keith was dying a great part of that time, I did not have time to go 

out and take shots and contribute to it, but I loved seeing everyone else's shots. 

I learned so much from it. 

Today, I learned something that hurt my heart.  A man who posts multiple times

daily, and whom I really admired... posted a picture of what appeared to be a cage. 

I jokingly referred to it, saying that sparrows had to eat, too. 

Imagine my surprise as I read down the comments, and realized it 

was a cage to trap and kill sparrows during the winter, which he 

considered a trash bird.  Not release them somewhere, but kill them, 

presumably by drowning, a horrible death. 

I was stunned.  I am still stunned, an hour later. 

This person often shows one of his children with him, teaching him the 

ropes of birding.  What stunned me even more was that there was a long list of 

people cheering him on, also referring to the sparrows and how they polluted everything and ate all the seed. 

I guess it worries me that someone is teaching a child it's okay to love SOME things, but to kill those you don't. 

Those of you who have read Calamity Acres over the nine years I have blogged, 

know me well.  We have had llamas, a pony, mini horses, turkeys, geese, 

chickens large and small, 

beloved dogs and cats, and my dear goats. 

I know what a "trash bird" can do to a henhouse: 

But, you know what?  We didn't poison or kill the starlings. 

As a matter of fact, a  very nice man has been working on this henhouse, which may be ready by spring... and has sealed off all the entry points by which they came in. 

That is how I roll. 

Prevention. 

I know you can't prevent sparrows from coming into your yard, don't worry. 

I feed the starlings, too, along with everything else that's hungry in the 

winter.  To see hundreds of  starlings feeding is something else, and no, I don't love it.  But I work around it.  I feed after they have gone away, so the little birds, blue jays, juncoes, titmice, 

cardinals (last to eat) and the crows, plus all the sparrows... have a chance.  Yes, the bills are higher... so what. 

A former neighbor took his martin houses down in the fall... 

so the sparrows would not take them over. 

Prevention. 

Like I said, I am so disappointed in this person, and have quit following him. 

I'll probably stop following Kansas Birding as well, because, you see... I don't bird in my 

limited time because I want to see hawks and owls and other birds of prey.  I bird because I love all the birds, large and small.  I stopped on a country road this afternoon to watch two swans with 

a group of geese on a farm pond,  but I stop just as much for the smaller birds, too.    It doesn't have to be spectacular. And for the heck of it, I saw a Northern Harrier up close and personal on my way back from the feed store, just before the swans, so see... nature is all around us. 

It doesn't have to be something spectacular. 

Joe Petersburger, a photographer whom I follow on Instagram, often says 

"keep a small footprint, and see what's RIGHT AROUND YOU".  

My beautiful Lilly, just 30 minutes ago.  She is not feeling well, and goes to see the dogtor tomorrow afternoon.   You can't see it in this picture, but there is a large bare spot on her other side, 

and I suspect ringworm, but we will see. 

Not killing this one for doing what comes natural to protective roosters, either. 

He came at me several times today, but got surprised each time.  He will soon learn. Noise and slapping a stick in your hand goes a long way. 

I took twenty minutes to pitchfork out under the roosts in the hen spa. 

Ugh.  Normally I would put this on the compost heaps, but today, I let it 

drop in the henyard for the hens to pick through again, and put fresh straw on the area.  

Jester was loath to start his day this morning, but it turned into a glorious fall day, 

55 and sunny! 

Rant over.