Oh ... the animals have their day!

We have had some terrific weather the last 3-4 days, and it is suppose to last for another 3-4 days. Temps in the 80's ... makes for a bad hunting season.

About 3 weeks ago SueAnn needed to go out around 2 in the morning ... what else is new? Well, I saw a shadow over by the chicken pen, but I really thought it was just my eyes after being dragged out there at that hour. But nooooo! There is a neighborhood black with white stripe type animal trying to make a dinner date with my chickens. Well .... do I need to say more? At 2 in the morning I'm trying to remember what takes the smell down about 300 degrees, but bleary brained me, just stood there staring straight ahead. I woke up when the dog wiped her cute, stinky face on my jammies! I grabbed the feminine internal cleanser and doused her good. It did help a lot, but didn't quite get it all. I woke up the next day with a headache, and knew exactly why!

Just laugh, go ahead ... last evening the cat wanted in, he lets me know by hanging up on the screen and yowling. I opened the door, and OH NO NOT AGAIN!!!! Joey evidently got too close and reeked with black and white striped type animal scent!! Have you ever tried giving a cat a bath? I did once about 40 years ago - never to try again. Until last evening! At least I was awake even if my eyes were a bit teary. Grabbed said cat, headed for the bathroom, closed the door, dumped some female stuff on him and realized I didn't have a scruffy towel handy, oh my beautiful bath towel ... Joey didn't mind the wiping down, but he felt like he needed some loving and kept jumping up in my lap - I again had a headache! Ummm, like we did that for about 5 minutes and I finally just let him jump up - - and stay, for about 10 minutes.

My whole back yard looks like this picture!  All my cute little ladies look like I tried to fleece them, but they are doing it all by themselves!  I have 5 ladies, and am getting 1 maybe 2 eggs a day.  The biggest girl is the worst 'shedder'!  I'm just going with the flow for now.  I don't care too much about the chickens, but I certainly DON'T want a repeat of my 2 legged critters.  Maybe I will just have to camp on the back steps with my .22 to prevent that ... if I don't gag first ...

I sure hope you all have had a better time lately.

The time just flies

I'm still crafting for the fair in Boston, and when I take a breath, I'm outside cleaning things up to get ready for winter. I started packing the crafts as I finished them, but I think I'll have to take some of them out again to show you pictures - I did promise after all!

This past week it was cold and rainy, but now the temperatures are heading back up to the 70' and 80's. I have a cold with this roller coaster ride - and that roller coaster has been running for over a year now. There wasn't much of a winter last year, and then almost no summer, and as today is the first day of Fall, I sure hope the coaster stops and lets us get off. I've heard from The Farmers Almanac that we are to have a 'normal' winter - and that means 4-5 feet of snow, maybe more. Last year we had 11-14 inches all total, so I can hardly wait. I'm also anxious to see how well my new weatherization will do.

I'm going to be buying the lumber and stuff to get a new chicken coop built. If we have 4-5 feet of snow the old tattered tarp covered dog kennel will not hold up too well. I also have a night visitor that is hell bent on getting in to my chickens. I think it's a possum, but am not totally sure. It is trying to dig under the pavers that are in there. I have chicken wire under all the pavers, except maybe where the gate is, and that's where the varmint is trying to get in. If I put a trap out there, I'm not sure what to do with him ... I also think I'd be afraid to get near it. I'm not too critter wise, but I do have a friend that will take care of it!!

I'm going to forgo hunting season this year. Usually I look forward to the camping part of it, but this year it has loomed on the horizon as a pain in the butt! Maybe because I'm not feeling that good with this cold, who knows. My friend will take my truck camper out this year as his wife and daughter won't be going either. He will also be able to tow the quad trailer loaded with extra water, generator, maybe the air compressor, and extra fuel. It will be tight quarters after his 24' 5th wheel, but all he'll do in it is sleep and maybe some cooking.

When I fed the cats this morning I noticed that there was 1/2 cup food left, so I'd better get going to town to replenish that! The cats won't like it if they have no dinner!

Hugs to all