Country Livin'

Last weekend, I was asked to accompany a friend down to 

the country, about 60 miles from home. 

It was a gorgeous Autumn day, and I decided that it 

would be good for me to get away from my worries for a few hours. 

There were so many things to see! 

This flock of turkeys just kept coming and coming out of the high grass, down to the little pond. 

I am not seeing turkeys up here right now, so it was exciting to see them. 

Yes, it was a cloudy day, and I didn't realize I had my camera "eye" closed so far. 

There were some gorgeous old barns. 

Still standing 100 years later. 

Though overgrown around the foundation, this one is still usable with some cleaning up. 

Though the lean-to at the back has seen better days. 

There were game trails all through the woods, and so much flora to see and photograph. 

Moths. 

Sumac. 

(Ashamed of myself, I had to ask) 

Darnit, it's so pretty here's a second picture. 

Here is Friend Jill standing in front of what is probably one of the largest cottonwoods in the State of Kansas.  The trunk was unbelievable. 

And yes, it's still alive. 

It stands near this unused railway station... I would love to have this building, just sayin'. 

And near a yard where the state honors the largest Bur Oak in the state... look at the age in 2006! 

Notice the morning glories and petunias... flowers are still blooming here, and I have iris blooming in the garden. 

What a mild fall we have had. 

I have stopped cutting grass... oh, it could use one more, I think, but I am 

not giving in.  It's November, whether Mother Nature agrees or not. 

I will try to get caught up with everyone's blogs this week. 

Thank you again, friends, for all your wonderful expressions of sympathy. 

Using Up Those Pictures!

The last day of August, 2016... so hard to believe the majority of summer is 

past us now.  Yes, time flies faster the older we get. 

The green mound in the middle is made of 3 mum plants that 

wintered over in our garage last winter.  I only watered them once in a while, and 

frankly, they looked dead.  Along about March, though, I noticed a sliver of green in 

all three. 

I planted them in this barrel, and I am about to have a burst of color in an almost perfect mound! 

I'll be collecting seeds from the balsam, the marigolds and the zinnias this week. 

I put them in brown envelopes for the winter and keep them dry. 

 This is the crazy tomato that sprouted in the low planter a month or so ago.  It's blooming! 

The sunflower grew in this low container all summer, you can see it's stalk... and 

the marigolds that dropped down from the planter behind it and grew.  

I'm letting the tomato grow, as an experiment. 

Here is poor Twilight, the female turkey, last night, in the feed room at the Ag Hall. 

As you can see, she has been pecked at by the chickens for weeks, her wing was 

quite bloody the other day.  We have been keeping Wonder Dust on it daily, but yesterday, they were pecking her chest, etc., and she had grown so heavy she could not get away. 

Remember, these are commercial turkeys.  I put her in the feed room 

so she could have some peace and quiet for the night. 

And this morning, she was reunited with Starlight, her friend, and they were moved to 

a friend's house for freezer camp. 

Yes, I will miss them. 

I am sorry their video did not post, they were very personable, as all turkeys are. 

The problem with these commercial-type turkeys is that they cannot carry their weight 

past a certain time.  She was having trouble walking, and her legs/feet were splaying.  He was still able to get around.  

My friend believes they will dress out at about 12 pounds each. 

Here is yesterday's tomato harvest, and I could have picked twice the little ones. 

See the cracking?  That was caused this year by the regular rain, followed by intense heat, 

it is a subject near and dear to all my gardening friends. 

Friday I am meeting with one of the master gardeners while I am at the 

Ag Hall, to discuss a presentation she is doing about Straw Bale Gardening. 

Very. Very. Rare. 

Both of them at once. 

We have had planes buzzing our house for a few days in the last week. 

Last night, one came so low it scared me! 

Remember, there are farm fields all around us, but there is also a farm field with several hangers in it about six miles from us... and I think these guys are practicing, instead of 

spreading fertilizer. 

My favorite cute calf. 

My favorite birds.  

Look who was back on Sunday! 

I had not seen him for the last two months. 

He stayed for about 15 minutes. 

A juvenile mockingbird scolded him from a wire above him the whole time. 

I know it's fall.  Baseball has started again! 

Where do the Days Go?

I promise you, every week I make a promise to myself to start 

blogging daily again. 

Every night I am so tired lately, I can't make myself sit and do it! 

It was easier on the farm, when I carried the little camera all the time 

and took pictures all day long, I think, though I have more fun now 

with the big camera. 

So, let's start with some chicken pictures. 

I cut some grass the other night and raked it up for the chickens to have. 

They don't get out on grass... and man, they went crazy!  

I also dumped a bale of straw in there for the hens to sort through and keep them busy, because we were having storms for a few days. 

Ferdie, or "King" as the day campers called him this summer, watches me through the viewing glass. 

He has also begun trying to spur me, so I have to extend my leg to him to keep him away. 

I start talking to him as soon as I come in the henhouse. 

Twilight and Starlight the turkeys come to me as soon as I come in, and I hold up 

a little treat for them, so the hens don't push them off.  Even though they are bigger, 

they are easily intimidated.  

Even when it's hot, Jes likes to go out on the porch for a while during the day. 

Last Sunday was beautiful out, and I ran to the grocery in the afternoon, and 

look who I saw when I went around the corner of our street!  The most 

beautiful mule!  I thought I had gotten a picture of  him facing me, but the picture did not come out. 

Around the corner (meaning a couple of blocks away) there is a pasture with three little donkeys. 

This mule lives with them, as his human explained.  He was in GREAT shape, 14 years old, and I forgot to ask his name.  He had a blaze face. 

I knew they were moving ground around the Big Ditch... but I was STUNNED to see this. 

I got out of the car to see if I was really seeing things right. 

I was, these are turtles on the bottom of the ditch. 

I worried about them for two whole days. 

Last night after church, I held my breath as I drove up the road.  

Lo and behold, after the heavy rains Friday, the ditch had filled again. 

However... 

next to it was this: 

A big berm of dirt that ran along the road at the edge of the now-cleared field. 

Ominous. 

The pasture pond filled a little. 

The corn is getting closer to harvest... 

and I have lots more pictures to share from the past week, I'll add some 

more tomorrow. 

Weekend Pictures

Half-a-Weekend Pictures 

Keith and I got out and about today, first time in a while that we actually were able to 

go for a drive together.  

We have a big week of dialysis and doctor's appointments coming up, so 

it was fun to just drive around "like the old days".  We even went 

by the old house, just to make sure our renters were still there. 

(they were). 

So, some pictures... 

Gardens are all fading now... it's the end of August. 

I don't know what this foamy flower is, but I'm going to find out and plant it next year. 

It literally is like foam! 

Cannas are fading. 

But gomphrenas plow on... 

The basil is more subdued but still beautiful... 

Zinnia "Zahara" is also coming here next year. 

Even the dried flower heads are striking! 

I think my own patio garden is so interesting.  Those marigolds have become TREES. 

They are only blooming on the ends. 

The balsam on the right has carried on from ten year old seeds, I don't want to lose it. 

It has formed many seed pods.  

Also, see the planter with the "million bells" in the foreground?  If you will 

look at the right hand side, you will see that the marigolds have dropped

into that planter (which sat almost under the marigold barrel) and are now 

growing in it.  I guess we are going to have some late marigolds. 

So check this out.... this is the tiny planter the sunflower grew in earlier this summer. 

Marigolds also dropped down into IT, and are growing.  Do you see what else is growing in it? 

ANOTHER TOMATO. 

We are currently buried in tomatoes. 

I'm leaving it. 

Tomorrow I am making my last batch of pickles, and then the cuke plants come out.

In April, the maintenance manager at the Ag Hall bought two commercial turkeys, not 

really knowing about turkeys.  They are now too big to get out the pophole, and are trapped inside. They are my special babies, I call them Twilight and Starlight.  They have plenty of room to move around, but no important sunlight.  At least, I don't THINK they can get out anymore. 

I always have help when doing chores. 

A blue ribbon for the cutest calf in Leavenworth County! 

This is my favorite little pasture pond, almost dry. 

We got a little rain last night, but not much. 

The prettiest girl in the world, with the Maybelline Eyes. 

Our Lilly Ann.