Want to see one ugly rooster?

I have been meaning to post a few pics of Troy. He is a black Frizzle Bantam and he sure turned out to be one ugly rooster. So ugly he is staying!

His feathers barely cover his body!

Troy standing next to Jeff Lewis. Jeff Lewis is Stew Pot's son. Sadly Stew pot was eaten by foxes last year. And yes, Jeff Lewis is very friendly. I can still pick him up without him being fussy. Troy on the other hand is afraid of his own shadow.

Oh, in answer to a few questions. Only a few of the roses have a scent which I am grateful for since I am allergic to rose smell.
I will talk more about the caretaker in a day or two.

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

Roses

Thought you might like to see just some of the roses here. As far as I can determine these rose bushes have been here since the 1960's. Will show the other roses on the property in a day or two. The roses up at the barn I believe are older.

Oh, and speaking of barn, the upstairs of the barn used to be for hay, but in the 1970's a studio apartment was built for the caretaker who has since passed away.

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

Busy Busy Busy

What can I say. Been busy as usual.

After much hard work and some aggravation we are finally able to irrigate the pasture.

It is so nice to see the sprinklers going. Every third day we have to move the irrigation pipes to another riser to water another portion of the pasture.

On top of getting the irrigation up and running the barn cleanup started. Thanks to my oldest daughter she has busted butt getting rid of the blackberry bushes and other foliage that covered the front of the barn. This pic is when we first started.

This pic shows progress.

Finally, the blackberries are gone as well as the other overgrown foliage. We were totally surprised to find another window, a working water faucet and five very old rose bushes underneath all the overgrown vegetation. We also found an ancient grape vine with stocks as thick as a small tree.

After the cleanup the barn is going to get a fresh coat of paint. I swear the barn is smiling and feels better now that the cleanup has started. Poor old thing has been neglected for many years.

Some of you might find this interesting. Months ago I heard old fashioned music coming from inside the barn. When my oldest daughter was up there a few weeks ago she also heard the music. So you are probably thinking what is the big deal. Well, there is no electricity in the barn and the nearest neighbor is a quarter of a mile away!

I finally expanded the chicken coop. Now I have happy happy chickens.

The garden areas are doing great, although I had to open my big mouth and make a statement how the deer have left the gardens alone. Last night I saw deer tracks going into the lower garden and as I followed them I noticed that they have eaten some of the tomato plants. Really! I didn't want to have to build an enclosed area around the garden, however it appears one has to go up. Sorry deer, as much as I love you all, I adore my veggies and don't want to share with you!

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