Offended & I don't want to see that!

This morning I had to go to the little store down the road for something I forget when I was in town. As I was standing their paying for the item the gal asked me how all the animals were doing. All doing great I replied.

I then mentioned that I am still trying to find a home for two of the donkeys here. They were rescues and it is time they move on to a permanent home. Anyway, as soon as I said that she looked at me and said, " Donkeys!" And this is what she did next. She very loudly made the hee haw sound. And then she laughed. Well, I took it as she was referring to donkeys as a lot of people do. Making fun of them. That they are stubborn and dumb and good for nothing. That offended me! Rather than set her straight about how wonderful they are, I thanked her and walked out. Although the lady who was next in line did see my reaction ( the right eye half closed, eyebrow raised) and am fairly certain she said something to the gal behind the counter. Maybe I overreacted, but when it comes to animals, well, what can I say.

Now that summer has arrived there is something I just don't understand. Why, oh why, do some men who have big old nasty beer guts and man boobs ( some man boobs are bigger than some womens!) think they look sexy mowing their lawns on their riding mowers without wearing their shirts! I know, I know, to each their own. It is not for me to judge. I can look away ( which you can bet I do!). But when you turn a corner and it is right in front of your face, how can you not notice! Now if a good looking guy is shirtless and is sweet looking eye candy, heck yeah I'll look! Because that is something easy on the eyes!

Okay, I'm done venting. Well, for now anyway!!

Until next time...........................

Busy Sunday

Yesterday, Sunday, was a busy day. Yesterday morning the well alarm went off saying that the water holding tank was almost empty. Great. That means water has to be delivered. Not a good sign for the summer months. I filled the underground tank with water from the above ground tank. Okay, good, now we have water.

So off to the grocery store to buy food. When I returned, the alarm had gone off again. Upon some investigating it was discovered that one of the donkeys had broke the water line next to the stalls. And the front pasture was, well, wet. So, that is where all the water was going!

Thank goodness a shut off valve was installed by the stalls to turn off the water there. Now that meant the horses and donkeys cannot go into the stalls at night since there is no water now. Okay, so everyone is now in both front and back pastures for awhile. Thank goodness the repairing of the pipe is easy.

As I mentioned before, summer is quickly arriving as you can see by the looks of the back pasture. The green is very sparse. The brown has taken over. And there is no irrigation here. Fire season will be in effect July 1st. Another reason I do not like summer. Too hot and wildfires.

Before much longer Chop is going to be hard to find in the pastures since she is going to blend in quite well!

A quick vent about grocery stores. I am one of those shoppers who pays attention to expiration dates. I started to get a bit ticked off after the fifth or sixth item checking the expiration date. I found too many items that were past the date. Of course I did not purchase those items, but it got me to thinking. Why should I have to check expiration dates at all! Isn't that part of the stores responsibility to make sure the expired items are pulled? I'm not talking about the items that still have a few days left on them, but the ones that are past the date. I mean come on, as a consumer, and one who doesn't like grocery shopping in the first place, I am spending more time in the store checking dates when I shouldn't have to. Oh, and one more thing. What in the world is going on with all the food recalls? Really, what is safe anymore unless you grow it yourself. Okay, I'll leave the food recall for another post. Because I have a lot to say about that!

Until next time....................................

Pretty

Well, the heat of summer has started to arrive. Ugh! Personally I cannot stand the heat. Actually makes me very cranky and irritable. I have not a clue as to what kind of plant this flower is on. But it sure is pretty.

This pic doesn't show the colors of the buds on this tree very well. They look like puff balls with a reddish tone. Nope, don't know the name of this tree.

A somewhat of a closeup of the red puffy ball things on the tree.

As I was standing there snapping pics of the tree I hear a familiar sound. A small step to the right and look who is trying to get my attention. It's Cookie!!! Hi Cookie!!! :)

Now that the temps are rising it is time to get out the small fan for the chicken house and clean it up. Today it is suppose to get mid 80's. Tomorrow low to mid 90's. Yuk!!! I know, some of you think that our temps aren't hot, but anything above 72 degrees is too hot for me. Ha Ha As for the outside chores, well, I make sure they are done early in the morning.

Until next time............................

Award from and to

Thank you to Rina over at http://pumpkinpatchgarden.blogspot.com for giving me this award. You should pop on over and check her blog out! It's great! And speaking of awards.

Not having any luck in finding just the right award, I made this one to give to you, my followers. Since so many of you have such great blogs I just couldn't pick a few and leave the rest out. Please, if you want, accept this award. No questions to answer. No strings attached. It's just for having a great blog that I enjoy visiting.

Until next time.....................................

I believe in.....

Razzberry Corner asked me if I believe in ghosts. Yes. No doubt about it. Throughout my life I have had so many experiences pertaining to them. Even when I was a baby I was told that I could see and interact with them. The pic below is one I found on the internet. Sometimes I can actually see them, but most of the time I just know. They do not frighten me, although there was one time that I actually had had enough and moved from a house. It was an old 1920's house. In the beginning I knew that the old lady who had lived there for many years ( she had passed away some years ago before I bought the house) was still there. She loved the kitchen and was always, well, cooking or baking. A very gentle spirit.

But, as a few years went by a more darker presence came around. I tried to get rid of it, but nothing seemed to work. Then one day I came home from work, it was still light out, my daughters were at a friends house, so no one was in the house except for my dog. As I walked inside from the back part of the house down the hallway I stopped halfway because there was a small shadow figure standing there staring at me from the living room area ( you could see from the hallway to the living room). The next thing I knew that shadow figure zipped to the left towards the other end of the living room. Thinking someone was in the house I took off after it, but there was no one. And my dog was visibly frightened under the kitchen table. He was never frightened with the old lady spirit. He would follow her around as if she belonged to this world.

Well, that was the end of that. My kids, dog and myself moved out that weekend. Put the place on the market and that was that. That old house has since been torn down. I have no idea who or what that shadow figure was.

That is just one of the many incidences I have had.

I know, a lot of people do not believe in the spirit world. So, I apologize to the readers who are offended by this post and hope not to lose you as followers.

This was taken yesterday afternoon. After the craziness of the animals here this is what I wanted to do to. Honey Dog was sound asleep.

Ah, to live her life!

Until next time..................................

It's in the air and its contagious!

I have no idea what has gotten into the animals here, but whatever it is, it is in the air. This morning Doug, who is strictly and indoor cat, decided he was going to try to run out of any door leading to the outside.

Patti Cake 'forgot' how to go out to the back pasture. The gate was wide open, but yet she couldn't find it.

Houdini played the game of 'try to get me to go where you want me to go because I don't remember'.

Right after I fed the goats their grain, they started running after me looking for their breakfast, forgetting that I had just fed them and the grain was still in the same place I had just put it. So had to walk back and show them where their breakfast was.

Mr. Worm, who is an outdoor cat, decided he wanted to be an indoor cat. He came strolling into the house as I was going out to feed the outside cats. So had to stop, turn around, go get him, explain to him that he isn't an indoor cat.

The chickens are also infected with whatever is in the air. I took out their bowl of goodies, they saw me set the bowl down, and I was walking away I turn around and who is following me. Yup, the chickens wanting their goodies. They had to pass the bowl to get to where I was. Back to where the bowl was and show them.

There are three donkeys who get stalled every night. And every morning they get turned out. This morning even they weren't immune to whatever is in the air. I opened the stall gates and they just couldn't figure out how to come out.

And then Honey Dog all of a sudden had hearing loss when I whistled for her. She always goes with me when I am outside and if I don't see her, I give a quick whistle and she comes running. Well not today. I had to go looking for her and found her inside the chicken house eating chicken poo!

I hope whatever is in the air blows away and they all return to their normal selves.

Until next time.................................

Growing up and a surprise in the pasture

A few months ago the wild Egyptian Geese brought their three babies over. The above pic was taken the day they brought their babies over. Just about everyday the parents come over into the back pasture and eat.

Well, today they brought the kids! My goodness how they have grown.

And this morning my youngest daughter informs me that there is a rabbit in the front pasture. Really? A rabbit? Yup, sure enough there was a rabbit by the horse stalls.

I have not a clue where the bunny came from but if he/she is going to hang around, well, I guess I'll have to make sure there is food available.

Hmmmm, wonder what else is going to show up!

Until next time...................

Morning feeding

Thought you might want to come along and help with the daily morning feeding. Gator loaded up and ready to start feeding. Hay, check. Grain, check. Soaked hay, check.

Outside cats fed. This is before the donkey and horses are fed.

AJ's hay being soaked to get rid of as much sugar and starch as possible from the hay. Horses that have/had laminitis need a diet low in starch and sugar. About fifteen minutes for the hay to soak.

While the hay is soaking we need to say good morning to the chickens and let them out.

Chickens fed and watered. Honey Dog always accompanies on the morning feedings.

We need to go get the older chickens away from the neighbors fence and shoo them back towards the barn. It amazes me how quickly they can get across the property when they want to.

Pics are a bit out of line. We have already started feeding and are out in the back pasture. Goats have to get their grain.

Donkeys are beginning to get their breakfast. This is just the first of three piles of hay.

Pearl and Mr. M. Mallow waiting patiently for their breakfast.

Sorry , this is a duplicate of the first pic.

Time to drive over to where Arnold, Cookie and Doughnut are and give them their breakfast.

All the donkeys in the back pasture content and munching away.

Mr. Egyptian Goose over from next door for a bite to eat.

Now we have to drive to the stall area where the horses are and feed them.

Everyone now has their breakfast. Time to go back into the house and feed the inside cats and get another cup of coffee.

Feeding usually takes about half an hour sometimes longer.

In a couple of hours it is time to let the horses out, clean and check all the waterers, and start mucking stalls.

Until next time........................

Look who I found in.........

Look who I found inside the chicken coop. Thankfully my camera was with me. Doughnut has figured out how to get into the chicken house where the cracked corn and chicken feed bowls are. She didn't get a chance to eat much of the food before I caught her.

She started to walk inside the chicken house but some of the hens were in there and by their squawking I don't think they wanted a visitor in there.

Since the weather has started to get warmer, the flies are beginning to emerge. So the sticky fly paper went up.

I finally convinced Doughnut that being in there was not an option. Out she went.

But she had to take a souvenir with her. She got some of the fly paper stuck in her forelock and ear. After a few tries to remove the sticky fly paper, she was paper free although some of her forelock came with it.

Hopefully I have blocked off where she can go into the chicken house but making sure the chickens can still get in with ease.

Never a dull moment around here! Wonder what the rest of the day has in store!!!

Until next time.............................

Someone who needs a bath!

Today has been just a downright beautiful day. Brilliant blue sky. Perfect temps. Just a nice enjoyable day. Went to town this morning. Got home and cleaned the chicken house . Turned three of the donkeys loose in the yard to continue trimming and mowing the grass. Filled up the water tub in the yard for the donkeys. Gave the chickens some leftover vegies. After scrubbing the back pasture water trough, putting the hose in to fill it up with nice cool clean water I was watching the chickens.

There they were doing their thing. Scratching and pecking and eating and chit chatting with one another. Gosh I love those chickens. Never thought chickens would bring such enjoyment, but they really are full of personality. And the hen aprons/saddles are working superbly! The hens backs are growing fluff feathers and they don't seem so scared when Stew Pot wants a quickie.

After filling the back pasture water trough on to the front pasture one. I mentioned to Pewter here that she really is in need of a bath. A serious deep cleaning bath. She tolerates getting bathed, but isn't her favorite thing to do. As you can see she is sticking her tongue out letting me know that the bath idea is not a good idea.

She looks clean enough here doesn't she?

However the other side of her is downright filthy! She rolled in who knows what! Ugh!!! Well, she is off the hook getting a bath until the temps warm up just a bit more.

Time to get back outside to get more chores done.

Until next time.........................

Are you.........

For some reason earlier today the word superstitious popped into my head. And I giggled. Yup, there are a few things I am superstitious about.
As long as I can remember there is something that never, ever goes on any table.

Or on any chair.

And that would be shoes! My Grandmother told me when I was little that if you put shoes of any kind on a table or chair it would bring bad luck. To this day if someone sets shoes on a table or a chair I remove the shoes asap. Yes, I've done it at friends/relatives houses!

This may sound morbid or weird or strange, but I like going to really old cemeteries and looking at the craftsmanship of the headstones/markers as well as the dates. They all tell a story. Anyway, whenever I go to one, I always carry a small container of salt with me. That way a spirit won't follow me home!

So, do you have any superstitions?

Until next time.......................................