Note from dry country

  We have at least 4 more banties this a.m.. Three from yesterday and another one this a.m...cute little babies. Okay, that gives us: the original 3 from Mike + 5 teenagers+4 babies=12...now if the dang heavy hens could learn to do that! Out of the seven Blackie had she only managed to save one after a few weeks. Barn cat at it again. What to do about that?

  Speaking of barn cats they are down to two most of the time and another that stops by to visit from time to time. Oh, and Mawmaw kitty is probably pregnant again. If she is I plan on capturing the litter this time and taming them. If I can catch her, I may have her spayed.

   All this month the sky has given us a show just before daylight with Venus and Jupiter showing close together along with the crescent moon a couple of days and a really bright star thrown in for good measure. I saw the one with the crescent moon and it was really cool too. My picture isn't all that great but you get the idea. I need to actually leave the ramp and maybe go to the other side of the orchard for a better view. But then I have nothing to stabilize my camera with. Oh woe is me! 

Automatic float valve, where have you been all my life? Sure is nice. 

Jose's cows looking at one of the horses. Some of them are so cute. The large one is the bull. Beefy little sucker even if he is short. 






  There's a little green on the radar that may bring a few drops of rain to Jose's pond but think it will miss us. Dang it! Gonna water the orchard again today. It's just after 11 and it's 93*.  The wind has calmed down a little from this a.m.. but still a breeze. Every bit of the green just disappeared! Dadgumit! Up to 97*

  

This was in 09 at Di's family reunion on the coast. Did you see on fb that Kathy and Joe are going to Puerto Villarta? Spelling? The same place we went to decades ago. 

  

  Don't remember if I've ever posted this one from the wayback machine. On the "Hill" in Scappoose about 1968. 
  It's been a diamond day. Visited on the phone with Kate for about an hour. Everyone's fine up that way. Enjoying her birds. 

Here we are again. I'm still feeling bad every few days but have good days in between. Sis had her surgery and all is well. Least wise the best that can be had for the shape she's in haha! Just joking,sis, I know you're doing okay and on the mend.

Something to brighten the day. One of seven new babies that just hatched! I think 4 of them are Silkies and 3 of them are Cuckoo Marans. So cute.
  Had a couple of other photos to post but as usual the dang thing won't work this a.m....Maybe next time.
  Well, been up since 2a.m. so gonna quit and go back to bed now.
  Gonna be a diamond day .

Wonderful Wednesday

  I know it's early but I'm just sure it will be a great day.
Here's a little of yesterday:

New babies - day 3 and they're still alive. Momma is doing better than any of them did before. She's had them on the ground at night- no losses, out of the hen house and back in again-no losses. The hens before always deserted them if the didn't keep up. Keeping fingers crossed these guys will make it.

This is Number 2 . Another barn cat. This one goes hunting with Momma Cat out in the big world of the woods. Makes it back too. The kitten "3" didn't make it back one time. Actually I think it was the first time they went out to the woods. "3" didn't make it back. He's either still out there and chooses not to come back.... or he was someone's dinner. Number 2 goes out and back at least once, sometimes twice, a week.

Poor tomato plant. See how it has no leaves? That's what the dang hornworms have done to it. I hate those little beasties. People actually say not to kill them cause they make such nice moths and only eat leaves. Well, dang, that stresses the plants and they can't produce maters!

Can you see it? The little red spot points at it.

This one is in between the yellow lines. They sure are hard for old ladies to spot. I squish them and leave them for the chickens to find. If I throw them toward the chickens alive they are almost afraid of them. How funny.
  I picked off 6 bigs one and 3-4 little bitty ones yesterday and 2 this morning. I've never tried it but they say the stripes glow at night under a flashlight so they are easier to pick off. I'm not that dedicated.

This is a picture I borrowed from the net that's much better.

  Guess that's one of my problems. haha I'm just never dedicated or passionate about anything in my life. Jack of all trades and master of none so of thing. Always wanted to be good at it all!

My goodness......

  I can not find the time or the brain power........We had a week's vacation at the first of the month. It sure was nice. Everyone asks where we will go. We don't really need to GO anywhere. We love our home and we live in a great place to take day trips so why spend the money to stay in a motel and the gas to get somewhere else?
One of the things we did was go to Branson for afternoon/evening. Nice drive over. Haven't been there in over 20 years. We went to the Titantic museum first.

Here's the outside. You are not allowed to take pictures inside. Kinda cheesy if you ask me. What are folks gonna do? Make more money off the stuff than the family that owns the stuff? They have 2 museums..that irks me. I loved being able to see the real artifacts from the ship but one in Branson and one in/Dollywood Pidgeon Forge? That's all about the money. Frustrating.....

Here's the Branson Belle. We went on a dinner cruise. Paid extra to have private dining. Met an older couple celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary. We were celebrating our 29th. They were nice folks. From Ozark haha...the dinner was interesting. I had steak and fish with beet greens salad with walnuts. Wild rice was awful but I liked the mashed potatoes that Tim had with his steak. He didn't eat them. I can't even tell you what was in them. Tried to figure it out but wasn't able. haha

It was neat to "take a ride on a riverboat". One of my favorite songs by the way.

Here's the silkies that Mike so generously gave me. Aren't they just the cutest things? They are blue. Lay tiny little eggs and I hope they are wonderful setters. That's the plan anyway.

Here's "Momma Barn Cat" and one of her little ones. We call him the stripped one. Aren't we original? The white one is still camera shy. He is colored somewhat like a siamese but is getting lighter by the week. Haven't seen the other grey one since momma took them on their first hunt in the woods. Coyotes or just opted to live in woods? Will never know.

  Back to vacation. We didn't get home til after midnight and not to bed til after 2 so the next day was hang out at home and veg out.

  The following day we met Jeff and Pam in Holiday Island for a bike ride. It was the hottest day EVER in Arkansas! Great timing. We rode to the Mulberry grocery store at Cass. Been there over 100 years. Three buildings later they are still renting canoes etc. The ride down was great! Had a snack out of the microwave and a few bottles of water to replenish us.

  The ride back on the other hand started to suck really bad after about an hour out. I had to make several extra stops just to kinda revive in air conditioning. The kids didn't mind at all. Neither did Tim. It was over 110*! Was like driving though a blast furnance. Having my face shield down was cooler! Can not imagine how Jeff and Pam did it with no helmet.

    By the time we made it to Ann's I called it quits. Ask Tim to go home and come back for me in the van. Another 60 miles round trip. He didn't hesitate. I stayed and got to visit with the family and watch Jax play. He looks just like Jeff! Tim took care of the animals while he was home etc and we stayed for dinner and a visit when he returned. We got home after midnight again that night too. After the lousy hours I sleep and etc and suffering from exhaustion I'm proud of myself.

  Oh, had a dr's appt in there somewhere too. My thyroid number was only half better so we upped my med and hoping that will make the difference. Keeping fingers crossed and saying prayers.

  The next thing on the agenda was a drive-in movie with Sandi and Ralph. We've been wanting to go for several years but the timing was always off. We saw Transformers3 and Cowboys vs Aliens. Both just pretty dang good. Had no idea what to expect from Tr3 but it was better than ok. Cboy was funny, like expected. Hope to do it again before they close for the season.

  Guess I better quit for the time being. Got out of town, never met before company coming this a.m. to do a little genealogy. Tim's third cousin on the Cherry side.

OMGoodness!

  We had severe storms last night for hours. Tim had just enough time to drive the hr drive from work to home in between them. He actually had a thirty something guy stop him on the drive and advise him of the coming large storm! In all these years we've never had something like that happen. Unbelieveably he took the dang thing to work again today. The storms will continue today.

  Tim occassionally takes eggs to work to give away or sell. A few weeks ago he sold some to a guy he barely knows. About a week ago the guy asks about the blood specks in them. So concerned he looked it up online to see what was wrong. Soo......while returning the cartons yesterday the guy (deadly serious)asks Tim if we have any virgin chickens! Oh, how funny! Tim said no we always keep a rooster and it's just natural. Never had that happen before either! Too funny!

  I put a halter on Betty Boop yesterday thinking I would give her a little hydrotherapy on the leg. I then realized I needed to come in the house to get my phone. Since we have no hitching post I let her, told her I'd be right back. Of course she was back out in the pasture happily eating away! I'll try today or wait until Tim comes home tonight and we'll do it together. He's working OT today.