A Beautiful Sunday

We have had a wonderful day here in NE Kansas, after two nights of rainstorms. 

It was good to get a couple more inches of rain. 

I am hoping haying can start, because I need to buy some hay for Archie.... who now has a companion who will be staying when her sheep friends go home... Doodle, who was here last year. 

Her owners have agreed to leave her when the sheep get rotated out in another week, to give the pasture time to recover. 

I made the mistake of talking to Archie as I came through from the yard into the chicken pen, so I could take some pictures.  The entire flock came running to see what was up.  That white sheep there is Fluffy, who lived here with me four years ago, and had Nugget, who is also still with this flock. 

I couldn't get a good picture of Archie because he stepped into the shade. 

He is looking so much better than a month ago.  He will also touch noses with me now. I still can't handle him, the guys who are going to do shots and hooves will have to catch him, but I will have him in the barn (after the sheep go home).  I can touch him, just not hold him. He does NOT threaten me with his horns. 

Remember I thought I was buying six Buff Orpington pullets... and I actually got five Rhode Island Reds and a buff.  Here is the pretty buff.  They are from Batch one, the oldest chicks. 

I went inside to take pictures, because the sheep scared everyone.  Those are the Indios... 

Another Indio... they are so tall and they have HUGE feet!

Of course, I did not get ONE foot picture, but my neighbor came over the other night and went "whoa!" when he saw them. 

I have not heard an Indio crow, and they are the oldest chicks, nearly five months. 

This guy is crowing!  So are two others in the brooder house. 

There are seven lavender Orpingtons, and they are moving tonight, they don't know it.  I think the three Cuckoo Marans are going, too, because they will be fairly big chickens

Doug the silkie rooster and the two older hens in the little henhouse are going to get the surprise of their lives when they wake up tomorrow. 

I put an exercise pen extension on the front of the dog pen I bought from a neighbor, and tonight after Doug and his two hens go in, I'll start moving the lavenders.  Dusk is the best time.  They will only have to stay in this pen for about two weeks, and then can be free, and I'll take the ex pen portion down. 

I have a small rug I am going to put over the doorway opening so Doug can get in and out safely. 

Or... something. 

It took my beautiful Columbian Wyandottes about two weeks of being carried up and down the steps of the big hen house to figure everything out.  I do wait every single night for them all to go in.. I think the big hens are bothering them... but they do eventually go in. 

The mature chickens were really interested in what I was doing today. 

When I finish here, I'll go out and do all the waters. 

There are only ten mature birds, and one has waterbelly... a heart condition... and this is my second.  They both came from a flock being dispersed by someone and neither was laying. 

I have two birds who ARE laying. 

Flopsy, this hen here in front of Buddy, is still laying. 

A word about Buddy... I had Ferdinand, the big rooster who was Buddy's dad and Buddy looks just like him.  Singleton, the white rooster, was also Ferdy's son, and dominant over both.  I lost both Ferdie and Singie last year. 

I honestly don't expect Buddy to make it through the year, he is seven... but he has done a wonderful job of taking care of his ever-changing harem for me over the years.  He has spent his whole life here. 

Here is one of the two Bielefelder pullets.  They are such pretty girls. 

Out of the four Putih Ayam Cemanis, I got two pullets and two cockerels. 

He is crowing. 

So is one of the LaFleche chicks... I just cannot get a good picture of him! 

This umbilliferous daisy has grown wild in my fence line for two years.  Seeds don't break off, a whole umbel does, so all you see here disperse in little umbrellas across the grass. They are beautiful. 

This wildflower is in front of the little hen house but I could not cut it down.  It cheers me up every day. 

The "June candles" ... yucca... are blooming here now. 

It grows along this end of the road. 

198th "street"... still unpaved. 

Here comes Bullseye across the deck. 

And there's Bob. 

These two have been fighting... a lot... Bob also has a very, very annoying habit of walking UNDER my feet as I walk across the yard, or running up behind me and running under me.  I can't tell you how many times I have nearly gone over, and that could be bad for me.  I haven't decided what to do yet. 

Bullseye came here as a young feral kitten... Bob appeared out of nowhere as a neutered adult.  I have vetted both. 

I am thinking about what to do, it would make my life easier not to have to worry, but... I also recognize there are not enough homes for animals. 

(Bullseye would be staying) 

My red-eyed Chico has been under the weather today... I am hoping it's just the heat. 

I have got to get a photo utility! 

Everyone have a good week! 

 

And It's Thirty Days to Spring!

Where do the days go?  I pledge to post more often, but it just does not happen. 

By evening, I am done.  I admit it.  

Changes here in the last month: 

Here's the big one!  After ten months without a dog, I adopted a nine year old chihuahua, whose parents had to go into nursing care.  He's a pistol, believe me! 

He is an eight pound wonder!  He spends quality time on my lap, and after two weeks, learned he could jump from the loveseat in my room onto my bed, and now is sleeping with me every night.  He does NOT like for the poor cats to cuddle closely, and does not like for them to be in my lap when he is there. 

He only has six teeth left. 

We are having a hard day today, as his stomach is upset.  

His name is Chico. 

Our big game day treat.  Last week, you know, was the Super Bowl.  I grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, and now live in Leavenworth County (Kansas).  Yes, it's a big deal here and so much fun to see all the hoopla before the game. 

Sadly, it ended badly on Wednesday with a terrible shooting. 

It's time to get the guns off the streets. 

Sammie

This is Sammie, my Salmon Faverolle hen. 

She has gone broody.  She should be hatching by Wednesday, unless I am off a few days.  She is safely in a brooder pen and there she will stay for a few weeks with her babies.  Then she will rejoin the flock and the babies will be under light for a few weeks.  I am in the process of getting the little red hen house doors fixed so that all the chicks coming can grow out in its confines and be safe.  (from predators).   Sammie had six eggs under her originally, but the last time I checked (as she squawked in indignation) she had two.  I think the other four were gathered up into her wings.  

I have a sick bird in the other brooder pen, but I checked on her a bit ago and she seems better, she may go back with her group tomorrow.  Then I'll set that pen up, too, to brood new chicks. 

On Thursday, a good friend took me out to Oskaloosa, about 25 miles from here. 

I had run into a man at the feed store the day before, and he had a very unusual chicken with him, on a leash, on his shoulder! 

I don't have permission to use his picture... but the following day, I went out to his farm and saw all of his unusual chickens.  I had already decided to let Sammie brood, and to buy ten replacement layers at the feed store.  Now I have ordered four of these above... Indio Gigante!  Those are birds in his pen, and believe me, they get TALL and long legged!  I wanted to see if I had pens secure enough to enclose them until they integrated with the flock... and I do.  That rooster (above left) is not as tall as they can be, but I just like the look of them, and they lay abundant eggs, too.  I am not a breeder, I'll leave that to someone else... but I do like unusual chickens.  He has another breed in which I am interested, but I will wait and see a few months before trying that one. 

A friend drinking out of the warm water bowl on the porch the other night. 

That's a big possum. 

I suspect the possum was at the back of the shop, because both Mama and Cleo were watching it. 

This week, on Valentines Day, parade day, it was 67 degrees. 

The following morning it was COLD. 

On Friday, we had snow.  It snowed all morning, and it was frigid out, 

but the snow stopped by noon and is almost gone now. 

I took this picture through the window of a Harris Sparrow, eating on the deck rail. 

And a crow, eating on the farthest feeder: 

There were lots of finches eating... I am pretty lavish with the mealworms and sunflower hearts. 

I am so grateful the snow was not long-lasting! 

Bob

Coco

Molly

Bullseye

Wanda

Yes, the cats still live here, too! 

Here we come for one of many, many walks outside!  

He loves living in the country! 

Welcome, Little Chico. 

 

Beginning Another Year

 The holidays are over again, and it seems fitting that we start another year on a Monday. 

It is sunny with some clouds here in NE Kansas, and the wind is blowing my flag from the south at the moment, though our days of temperate temps are gone for a while.  We are in a period of cold, but not like the cold and snow our friends on the east coast have seen.  In fact, one year at Christmas we had nine inches of snow... that was hard on man and beast. 

I was stunned to see I had not blogged since October, and I hope to do better this coming year. 

How did I ever find time to do it daily in the past? 

2023 was hard for me here, and I am going to write about why.  I have not written about it... on purpose, because my heart was broken... and I was having trouble going on. 

On April 4th, little Zoey begain to have trouble breathing one day.  I had adopted her from Bonner Animal Rescue in November, 2021. 

This was two days prior.  

She had had a chest infection in March, and had taken medicine for it, and had had several visits to the vet.  That week, she had a follow up, and I was told her chest was fine.  I asked if they should xray again, and the vet assured me her chest was clear. 

Two days later, she struggled to breathe.  As it went on during the day, I began to get more and more alarmed, and I ended up taking her to the 24 hour ER.  They took her right back and put her in the oxygen chamber, and told me to go home they would call in the morning. 

The phone call I got at 9 AM was to tell me she had died. 

They told me the doctor had reached in to get her to give her a lasix shot and she had fallen over dead. 

I was so stunned, I cried out, and I got myself together and drove over there and spent time in the family room holding her. I could not believe it. 

My sweet little girl. 

She had embraced being a farm dog to the fullest, she did chores with me everyday. 

Her groomer posted this for her.  Yes, she cleaned up pretty good thanks to Brooke. 

On May 5th, we had to make the decision for big Buddy to cross the Rainbow Bridge. 

He was only here for nine months as a foster, but oh, my, how he stole my heart. 

Majestic. 

Officer Kendra from Bonner Springs (Kansas), the ACO, escorted us down to the vet, and stayed with us to the end.  He was having increasing trouble getting down the three steps to the yard... and we were afraid he would collapse out in the yard at some point.  

He had a wonderful last nine months. 

That left this guy. 

My Jester, my heart.  Remember, I had lost Snowy and Fritzi before I got Zoey, and Jester accepted them all.  He was good to everyone, even big Buddy.  We had had four pugs, but had never had a Boston until my son asked us if we would like to have him in 2014, they had taken in a Boston and an English Bulldog puppy, and it was too much for them.  

We had dog sat for them and we liked Jester a lot. 

More importantly, Lilly Ann liked Jester. 

One of my favorite pictures of our water baby, Lilly. 

My babies. 

On May 25, at 5:00 in the morning, Jester, who had never barked in the nine years I had him... he was eleven years old... began to scream and bark.  The screams were almost like human screams.  He frantically ran from the living room, into the shower stall behind the curtain, all the while screaming.  My son ran out of his bedroom, and was afraid to touch him, and I was shaking... I hurriedly dressed and in the dark, caught Jester and carried him to the car, and set out for the ER which is thirty miles away. 

The unearthly screaming stopped in the car, but he was panting terribly. 

I got him in the door and they took him right back, for once, the waiting room was empty. 

I stayed for a while, but they told me it might be hours, and I was pretty shaken. 

I drove the thirty miles home.  

I had phone call after phone call with increasingly bad news. 

He had Cushings.  He had a huge tumor wrapped around his spleen (they suspected it had started to come apart)... he had growths on kidney and liver.... 

Fritzi had had Cushings, their life span is very short, and it takes a terrible toll on them. 

There was not one encouraging thing in the doctor's reports.  

I made a decision to let him cross the bridge... and it was horrifying. 

The young doctor had a condition which did not let her empathize, and the procedure was done in a terrible way, with no time between sedative and final shot.  It broke my heart completely, my boy in my lap, literally. 

The ER offered a pet loss psychologist, and I saw her over the summer because I literally felt like I was coming apart.  Nothing had ever affected me that way, not even Keith's death because I had been able to prepare for it and we had talked about it over and over. 

Jester was my last link to Keith, pet-wise. 

It was crushing. 

I have had dogs almost my whole life, and I have none now.  I just can't go through it again, I can't.  I try... I know there are so many in shelters that need homes... I am donating, because I can't trust myself not to go off the deep end with another loss. 

I didn't tell anyone for weeks.  I didn't tell members of my family for months... I couldn't.  A few trusted friends.  

At Christmas, I got cards addressed to Jes, Buddy and Zoey, and I just had to grit my teeth. 

Anyway.... they are gone. 

The year otherwise was pretty good. 

My little great granddaughter, Maci, and great grandson, Wyatt, had a great Christmas. 

I had them here on Black Friday because I know they have a huge round of family at Christmas. 

The cats have pretty much taken over around here.... In descending order, that's Bullseye, Wanda, on my bed, Bob, Coco is in the seat of the chair, she is so black you can hardly see her on the coverlet. Molly is on the back of the big couch. Wanda was vetted for a cut on her neck, and has become an inside cat, along with Coco.  The other three still go out. 

Mama, Teeny, and Cleo are still out in the shop, and thriving.  They have a heater and a warming light. 

We have not had frigid temps yet. 

Teeny still sleeps in the wood burning stove, she has a deep bed of straw in it. 

Everyone has their current shots except Cleo, and she is going to have to be a drop off, I think, because it will depend on when I can get her into a carrier. 

Oh, yes, we still have plenty of these.  Mama Raccoon taught her babies how to come in and out of the barn to check for treats.  I pour out a small amount of dry cat food when I close up at night, and if it is warm,  I leave the door cracked.  They also still come in and out through the "cat hole" in the wall. 

That's Bullseye out in the shop overnight on the Kuranda bed, and you see there is a big possum right behind him.... I love them, they are so helpful and eat ticks, etc.. They can carry a horse disease (if they have it) but there are no equines here now. 

They are gentle creatures with short lifespans. 

I feed the finches on the deck rail outside my window only when the cats are in.  

I love to watch them. 

This Cooper's Hawk has taken up a nest in my pasture, and he often sits on the fenceposts.  He is a beauty! 

So far, he has not gone for a chicken. 

Speaking of the chickens, 

I am down to sixteen now.  I started last year with four roosters, I have two and I don't expect the larger of the two to be around for long, he is six and showing signs of being tuckered out. 

Doug the Silkie rooster is still going strong. 

The trees in the wild area across from my place turned bright red in the fall, it lasted almost ten days and was glorious. 

And yes, the sheep came back, and when the big flock went home... I had Snickers the Jersey Heifer, Doodles the goat, and an ancient sheep I called Grandma as boarders for the next month, and I really enjoyed them.

My beautiful rooster Singleton left us suddenly in October; I went out to his house and found him gone one morning.  I lost his dad earlier, and his brother, Buddy, has now moved into his house. 

I hope to do better at blogging this year... 2024.... it sounds so strange to say it. 

I do enjoy reading other's blogs, still, and I miss staying in touch this way. 

I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful year, full of all the things you are hoping for. 

Jester Boy Yoder, 2012 to May 25, 2023