Wait, Wasn't it just Sunday????

I swear to you it was just Sunday!  

My son came by to get the kids on Monday evening and laughed his head off when he 

saw all the pickles on my counter.  I am giving them away right and left, and 

luckily, the pickle vines are about out of steam. 

Monday was cool enough that we could get the dogs to the park. 

Jax jumped on this horse on the playground and was enveloped in wasps, but luckily, was not stung!  I took a picture of it, and sent it to Basehor City Hall to warn them it needed to be treated post-haste. 

Tuesday, I drove to Garnett to sit with Nathan and Chris's mom, Sherie, while she had 

gall bladder surgery.  I will forego showing you a picture, because she would kill me, but... she did great for her first (outpatient) surgery ever... and is recuperating now. 

Wednesday I visited my friends. 

I have been having a blast sitting on the deck in the evening watching the hummingbirds. 

One of my friends posted last night that they all seem to be fighting at her house.... they are here, too.... they literally fly into each other and body check each other, and their little chirps get quite strident. 

They aren't the only ones visiting. 

Last year, I saw a number of house finches with swollen eyes, and finally, ones that had died in the yard.  House finches suffer from a terrible disease that spreads from finch to finch. 

Happily, this year I have not seen any... however, after looking at this picture, I sure 

hope the sun was in his eyes. 

They look kind of neat at dusk, too. 

Let me tell you, I am VERY careful picking up the feeders to clean and refill them, 

and this would be one of the reasons why.  I don't know what it is, but it's beautiful. 

Here is one I don't want to mess with.  I guess if I put the bee guards back on it would help with these.... but... to tell you the truth, you know I don't regret letting them eat. 

I saw some beautiful creatures at the Ag Hall when I went to take care of the chickens this morning. 

How beautiful the world is around us! 

I can't help it, I adore little FEETZIEZZZZ!!!!!!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Second day of Joe Pye weed, it's so much brighter in the sun! 

And so was this little girl, just behind it. 

Getting ready for her second hatch, I think. 

These little birds are so fascinating to watch, bouncing on the top of the plants. 

There was a new dragonfly today... and if you click on this picture and 

biggify it, you'll see that those gossamer wings are shot with gold. 

An admin with whom I worked at Bayer Animal Health has passed away this morning due to Parkinson's disease.  She was my age... and this is so very sad to me.  She was a very nice lady, who adored her husband and family. 

Rest in peace, Linda. 

This (haying) has finally started here... and now we are expecting severe storms tomorrow night. 

Big bales are starting to appear in the fields. 

I had to laugh as we drove home in the heat... because look who has joined the tail swinging line in the pond! 

The other babies were sleeping in the high grass in the shade. 

Here's another crop that's doing well all around us. 

And I leave you with a mystery I am still trying to figure out.  

About five days ago, a garden appeared out of no where on a piece of flat ground by the road that I drive down several times a day.  That is a high hedge behind it... and the house sits back there at the end of a drive.  I THINK the person tilled rows in the grass... I saw a little tiller standing there one day. 

However... these plants you see and about a hundred others (it's BIG) appeared one day where there were none before.  Are the back rows trees?  I thought at first it was tomatoes and peppers, but I think now I am wrong.  I am hoping to see the person whom I saw once tending to them, and I am going to stop and ask because I'm NOSY.  

In Between the Raindrops

I know the weathermen here have to be getting tired of the 

pattern of rain, rain and more rain.  Oddly enough, our 

little bit of the area has only had drips since Saturday night, 

though ten miles away, were raging deluges. 

Saturday at noon, my son's family, and I, and Cheryl, 

my daughter in law's mom, all went to see Paiton in her dance recital. 

I'm going to tell on myself, and on Cheryl, too. 

We can't deal with the highway lane changes to get to where 

the school is.  

We rode with Jim and Amy.  Pitiful, that's it come to that. 

However, it was a fun hour seeing all the sweet girls in their costumes, 

and I was amazed at all the big daddies who dissolved into tears when their 

little ones came out on stage. 

Paiton's class of five had the least flashy costumes, but they 

all looked cute. 

Jim and Jax rushed from the recital to the ballfields, where a tournament was 

being played.  This picture was taken after 3 games, which the Crushers won. 

The other team voted for MVP... and you see the proud boy here. 

I was worn out that day and did not go to the tournament, but 

I'm so glad for him. 

We had a little sun that night, and I looked out and saw our tiny friend

eating at the feeder.  The hummers love to come in the evening, we 

can often stand in the window and watch them. 

Lilies are really abloom now at the old house. 

And the waysides are still beautiful. 

Yesterday as the dogs and I were headed home from 

chores, I saw a bird running ahead of me on the gravel road. 

This is in between two vast hayfields.  I looked ahead... and saw what 

looked like a turkey was also crossing, about 50 feet down the road, and 

then back to this bird, which I thought was a quail.  She took off at that point, 

flying fast to the east. 

It's a female prairie grouse, and I realized it when I got home. 

I am going to go back over there in the next week and sit for a while outside my car, and see if I can see her again. 

I had no idea there were any in this area.  

Please excuse the picture, sometimes it is so hard to get a good picture against the road as background. 

Their time is almost over... they are diminishing and going into the west. 

This morning, at the old house. 

Likewise. 

I worked about an hour or so in the two big garden beds, pulling weeds. 

Yesterday afternoon, I had a doe jump out in front of me for the third time in a week. 

This particular doe trotted ahead of me across a bridge, and into the woods on the left side. 

Today, I came upon her again.  I had actually slowed down, hoping I would see her. 

She calmly watched me watching her, and I shushed the dogs. 

She had a few more bites of the tree. 

And then slipped into the woods, still chewing. 

If you biggify that first photo, you'll see she's got a bunch of ticks on her 

face and legs, especially up by her eyes.  Ticks don't hurt... but they carry disease. 

Troy cut the grass yesterday and weed ate all the bed walls.  God Bless him! 

He cleaned the vegetable garden up, too, I'll take a picture tomorrow. 

I had my little Worx weedeater with me, but after 5 minutes of weed whacking, I 

ran out of line! 

Okay, I see this little creature almost every day.  He comes out in the road and eats, and runs back into the grass.  Is it a rat?  His tail is not long... nor is his body... this is an adult, and he's very small, but much bigger than a field mouse.  I ask this on purpose, because we have one living here, 

on our hillside.  It does not look like a Norway rat.  Does anyone recognize it? 

I'm seeing scores of these, but this one worried me.  It did not move, even when I stopped the car and rolled down the window, to take it's picture.  I watched in the rear view mirror, and it was still standing there when I left.  I wonder if there were babies near there. 

And finally, yes, I had to play with this picture, because of the background... we were finally getting some clearer skies, but it was still so dark I had to balance this picture artificially.  It's nice to see some hawks again! 

Thursday to Friday

I made a wonderful discovery in our yard last night. 

Remember this? 

That's the bog in our side yard.  Yesterday afternoon, after 3 days of heat, I 

went out to feed the wild birds.  I noticed that the bog was almost dried up, but, as 

I walked around looking at it, I saw movement.  I bent down. 

The remaining pool was alive with tadpoles!

I hurriedly filled the whole bog again. Then I worried, because of the chlorinated water, and came in and called my friend Jill.  Jill has numerous little ponds in her backyard, and told me to run to get some Aqua Safe, which dechlorinates... and I did. 

We are to get rain over the next few days, and I'll keep my eye on the tadpoles. 

I just love having them there! 

The horses I've shown you several times were all grazing up at the road 

yesterday... they are in such good health, they are sweating because it was very hot yesterday afternoon. 

Remember their bay companion?  I saw her the other day, she is still 

not bearing weight on the bad leg she hurt.  

She is being kept on stall rest, but was out for a few minutes as I drove by. 

The hurt mare is the other bay.  You see the rains have brought us wonderful grass this year, 

but... no hay has been cut yet, it has been too wet. 

I took this at 11:20 Thursday morning, and it was the second doe I saw this week during the daytime.  The other jumped out in front of me when I stopped for a turtle. 

This one watched us for a minute and then turned to go back in the woods.  She didn't go far, I could still see her standing in there, waiting for us to move. 

This is not a very clear picture, but this bird was doing his job, cleaning up the road until I got a little too close.  He flew back down when we left. 

Last night's sunset, but as you see, a storm was coming over.  It was not very strong. 

I helped at the Ag Hall all day today; we had a large group of 75 kids this morning, and 

three of us split them up into smaller groups, and led them from place to place. 

Keith came over for the first time, and was able to stay about an hour and a half, getting his feet wet.  He is going to volunteer during the summer. 

I went to take care of the chickens and found the lilies blooming away. 

My only surviving kniphofia, Red Hot Poker. 

Some of the sedum is already blooming. 

Dragonflies are everywhere, and so beautiful. 

There is still a stop-movement order for poultry in the state of Kansas, because of Avian Flu. 

There will be no poultry shown at any city, county or state fairs this year... and 4H 

poultry superintendents are rushing to figure something out for the youngsters to show 

their knowledge and be judged, without birds being present.  No auctions may be held, either. 

There are also rules about sales of birds off your own farms. 

The Kansas City Star ran an article about the fact that egg prices 

are climbing sky-high due to the losses of millions of birds to 

avian flu earlier this year, as well as chicken for us to eat. 

Those of you with small flocks.... treasure them! 

Bumblebees are so happy on the milkweed. 

Try not to see the weeds.   I have decided to spend Wednesday morning trying to tidy up the beds at the old house, but you see I am fighting a losing battle.  

We had some wonderful news in the last three days... Keith's sister's son, P.J. Higgins, signed with the Chicago Cubs after being drafted on the third day of the draft in the 12th round. 

P.J. was playing at Old Dominion University in Virginia, but will now be joining a Cub's farm team after orientation.  We are all so happy for him, because he is not just a good ballplayer... he is a respectful, hard-working guy.  We wish him the best! 

Look what I saw on the way home!  The State Bird of Kansas, the Western Meadowlark. 

Looking good from either side!

So beautiful. 

And then gone!