Sassy & Sweet Notes

Wildlife! Texas White-tail Buck

It's not very often that we see large animal wildlife around here long enough to even bother to stop and take photos. They're usually too far away, or moving waaaay to quickly ... or both. So today when I saw this buck in the pasture, I was quite pleased that he stuck around long enough for photos. He was aware of me, but didn't seem all that concerned that I was there.

His left eye looked a bit swollen and scarred, and his horns weren't very spectacular. I could see where they had started to fork, but clearly they weren't very long and they weren't symmetrical, that's for sure.

I was surprised that he decided to lay down on the far side of the cactus from me. He continued to lay there clearly not finding me much of a threat.

At one point, he got up, trotted about 30 feet and turned to look at me. Not once did he raise his tail and display is white hiney. And apparently when he saw I wasn't going to leave, or chase after him, he returned to lay by the cactus.

And that was when my eye caught a flicker of something else just beyond the cactus. It was the ears of another deer ... a LADY deer! No wonder he was so interested in the cactus, and soooo NOT interested in me!

Ah, yes .... he's in LOVE!

I stayed to watch them for a good long while. This was as exciting as it got... a mid-day nap in the sunshine. Well, at least one of them was thinking about napping... *grin*

PS: I made these photos slightly larger than my usual photos, so when you click on them you can get a larger view. Enjoy!

Red Hot Sunset Photos

We usually have pretty sunsets here on the farm, but night before last the sunset was pretty spectacular!

A storm cloud was moving off to the southeast, opening up the sky at just the right time for sunset. The dark portion at the top of the photos is the tailend of the storm.

It would have been nice to get RAIN with the passing clouds, but we didn't ... bummer.

At least we had a pretty end to the day.

On the Farm 2012 Calendar

First of all, thank you for all your support to those who purchased the On the Farm 2011 calendar last year. We had a great response to last year's calendar, and have decided to offer On the farm 2012.

A small portion of all purchases comes back to the farm, and all proceeds recieved go towards the care and feeding of the animals here on the farm. The calendars make fantastic gifts, and are ideal for personal use. The calendar is available in 3 sizes. All of the photos in the calendar were taken by me; I hope you choose to spend 2012 enjoying photos from our farm.

Order your own copy of On the farm 2012 today! Some of your favorite farm critters are featured in the pages of our calendar! Even Baaaaad Boxcar Betty makes an appearance!

HOT SALE! Today through November 20th, cards are 50% off, and calendars are 20% off when you use coupon code CARDSCAL2011 at order checkout. In addition to the 2012 calendar, you will also find all kind of lovely cards in my Zazzle shop as well!

 

Zazzle Coupon Details:
Enter code: CARDSCAL2011 at checkout in the "Zazzle Coupons/Gift Certificates" box 50% of the greeting card, invitation, photo card and postcard net sale price will be deducted when one or more qualifying products are purchased. 20% of the calendar net sale price will be deducted when one or more qualifying calendars are purchased. The coupon code CARDSCAL2011 must be applied at checkout to apply these discount offers. Offer is valid until November 20, 2011 at 11:59pm PT. This offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.

September Thunderstorm Photos

A storm brewed up north of us this evening, and put on quite a light show! I put the camera up on the tripod and took some photos. I couldn't decide on a favorite photo, so I'm sharing a BUNCH of photos! I am posting them in the order they were taken. And, I encourage you to click on the photos to get a larger, clearer view. Pretty cool!

You can see our neighbor's house in the distance. I did move the camera a few times because sometimes there were just more bolts in different parts of the sky, but I kept the neighbor's house in every photo.

What was strange was for the longest time we couldn't even hear the thunder. In fact, it wasn't until the last few frames that it became a distant rumble we could actually hear.

Once the storm got closer to us (it was moving very fast!) the thunder proved to be quite loud. Mister Farley had to get all nervous and scared, but eventually decided that his "safe place" under the coffee table was OK.

To take these photos, I put the camera on the bulb setting and manually held the shutter open for between 15-25 seconds. I had planned to use my wireless shutter release, but the batteries were kaput. So, all of these photos were taken with my finger holding the shutter open. I'm sure they're a bit "wiggly" if I inspect them at great detail, but they're not too bad considering!

In this photo, you can actually see how fast the clouds were moving ... the lightening made the storm clouds look double exposed in the upper right corner (right in front of that nice glow).

We even got a bit of rain once the storm made it over to us. Not quite a quarter inch. Better than nothing -- we'll take every last drop!

Enjoy the rest of the photos...

You can really see the rain coming down in this photo.

Something was getting hit! Zoweeee!!

This one might actually be my favorite. I love the curved arches of light in the center.

Hope you enjoyed the show as much as we did!

Texas Postcards

I'm thinking about selling postcards in a couple of our town's shops ... what do you think? I will use some of my Texas Wildflower images, and probably a field of sunflowers or two. And, perhaps a shot of some longhorn cattle in a field of bluebonnets.

Photo from the Archives: Ranunculus

Because we all need a little SUNSHINE in our life, here's a sunny Ranunculus for you.

Happy Thursday!

Photo from the Archives: Poppies

The weather outside is DREADFUL, so how about some pretty poppies (a photo from my archives) to cheer us all up a bit!

The weatherman says "sunny & 100" for as long as we can see. Dreadful.

Hope you enjoy the fun 4th of July holiday weekend! I've got some gardening to do... and will be sure to take a few dips in the pool, too!

Photo from the Archives: Sunflowers

Occasionally farmers in the area will grow sunflowers, and let me tell you, they are my FAVORITE of all the local crops grown. These photos are from 2009, taken in a LARGE field of blooms.

Gorgeous, don't you think!?

More Hummers!

I took more photos of hummingbirds this evening, and thought I'd share! As always, click on the images for a larger, clearer view.

We don't have any flowers blooming in the garden, so I'm stuck with photographing them at rest, or at the feeders. Looks like I might be in the market for another feeder! They seem to enjoy the two I have, and three to choose from might be even more fun! I already have a garden hook to hang it from ... just need something to hang on it! Maybe for Mother's Day.... *grin*  The "flowers" on this feeder is really bleached out from the HOT sun!

The second feeder is a year or two newer, quite a bit smaller, and not quite as faded. This little green hummer really liked to zoom in for a snack!

I love how they zip in and out, peek around the feeder, and chirp to each other. I also think it's amazing how sometimes they can fly so quietly, and other times they make all kinds of racket!

The air was nice and fresh today and the breeze was refreshing, after the past two days of storms. Everything looks so sharp and clear after rain knocks down the dust in the air.

At the other feeder, things are a bit more relaxed. This little one really enjoys resting on the wire trellis I have around the herbs.

And this is one I haven't photographed before! It seems to be extra tiny, and it's feathers don't seem to be as full. Maybe it's a juvenile?

I'm telling you, the wire trellis is quite popular! *grin*

Hope you enjoyed the photos ... I sure enjoy taking them!

Visiting Hummingbirds

We've got several hummers visiting the feeders I have hanging out in the garden. They zip back and forth from the trees to the feeders, grab a snack, and occasionally come to rest on the wire fence trellis I have around the herbs. I snapped some photos when they were resting on the wire trellis.

Every now and then one hummer will zip in and chase the other off, making for some pretty close encounters with the little buggers!

Nothing like a hummingbird fly-by to make you squint your eyes together!

Look how TINY it's little toes are! And can you tell it was windy? The wind was mussing it's feathers.

When the light catches it just right, the throat feathers look purple. (You can click on the images to view a larger version of each photo.) Very pretty!

I'll be sure to keep the feeders filled, so the birds have an excuse to stay around. I think they might be nesting in the trees behind the chicken house. Fun!

Photo from the Archives: Tulip Field

This evening I was looking for something specific in my photo archives. Eventually I found what I was looking for, but got sidetracked several times along the way by images that were either filled with great colors, of favorite places, or sparked fun memories, and well ... I just thought it might be fun to share some of them with you now and then!

So, I think I'll start a new "thing" here on the blog that I'll refer to as "Photo from the Archives". I know, clever, right? *grin*

I'm not going to schedule it for any particular day of the week or month, or with any sort of frequency -- it'll just be a random sort of thing.  I may not say a lot about the images I share ... perhaps just a description, or location, or year. Even so, I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do!

And oh by the way, you'll find "Photo from the Archives" as a new category over in the list on the right side of the blog.

I took the photo on this post in 2003 in Skagit Valley, Washington around the time of the tulip festival, at one of the many tulip farms in the valley. The flower fields are an amazing thing to see in the spring, and I had a wonderful time visiting the fields with Dad's sister who lives in the area. Hope we can do it again sometime, this time with Alan along for the ride!

Give this Photo a Title!

(Click on image for larger view.)

modeling...poultry style!

The sun was out on Monday late afternoon and the light was really pretty with the snow, so I took my camera out to see what I could see. Shorty, one of the little roosters that lives here on the farm, always comes out to greet me when I get near the hen house. We had a little chat, mostly about the weather, and then we had a photo session. I think he liked it!

This is the "look off in the distance and pretend you don't know I'm here" pose.

Here's the "surprised, stop-action" pose. Pretty good, eh?

The "every day action" pose, similar to photos you'd find in clothing catalogs, like Eddie Bauer or LL Bean. You know, like the fellas who pose in flannel shirts and fleece lined denim... *grin* I think Shorty believes we're at a ski resort. Or Tahoe. Hot tottie, anyone?

Maybe the magazine this photo could be in would be called something like "FEATHERS" instead of "HAIR".

And the ultimate, the "over the shoulder seductive glance" pose.
"Does this pose make my butt look big?"

There's always something going on here at the farm...

Shorty isn't the only one to have an official photo session on the farm. In fact, lots of animals have! In case you missed it, Callio-Pea and Baaaaad Boxcar Betty review farm photo session rules and regulations, here.

Keep cozy!

Happy New Year!!

First of all, I want to thank you all for taking time to read my blog. While keeping the blog is something I choose to do for personal reasons, it's the friendships I've made with readers that make continuing the blog most enjoyable! So thank you for sticking with me ... I wish you all the best in the coming year, and look forward to sharing more of life on the farm and crafty goodness with you in 2011!

I posted briefly about the 2011 On the Farm calendar earlier this month, and have received wonderful comments and compliments on the calendar. Thank you, thank you! If you haven't ordered a copy, it's not too late! *grin* Zazzle is offering a 20.11% discount on all orders now through January 6th using coupon code 2011NEWYEARS at checkout. Some of your favorite farm critters are featured in the pages of the custom calendar, and yes, all photos in the calendar are mine. Even Baaaaad Boxcar Betty makes an appearance!

Blog Candy!
To celebrate the changing of the year, I thought I would offer up a free calendar to one lucky blog reader! If you would like to enter the drawing, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me how you celebrated the new year. I'll select one name from all comments on Sunday, January 2nd at 10am Central. You'll have your choice of size (standard, or small).

Here's wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Coupon details:
20.11% of the product net sale price will be deducted when one or more qualifying products are purchased. The coupon code 2011NEWYEARS must be entered during checkout to receive the offer. For most products, the net sale price is the price of the product (excluding shipping and taxes). For Zazzle Custom Stamps, the net sale price is the difference between the price of the Zazzle Custom Stamps (excluding shipping and taxes) and the face value of the postage. Offer is valid through January 6, 2011 at 11:59 PM PT. This offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer Valid on Zazzle.com only.

Scenic Woodland View

I'm still up at Mom and Dad's enjoying the snowy winter weather of Eastern Washington. Thought I would share a few photos I took of the view from Mom and Dad's front yard... lovely! *grin*

 
Snowy trees are pretty covered in frost.

 
The rock faced hill has always been a favorite of mine.

 
Trees standing tall in the shadows look very majestic.

 
And of course, here is their kitty Tippy enjoying a lounge on my sweatshirt. I think she was a little put out that I took her photo. Hmmmph.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday with family and friends!

2011 On the Farm Calendar

Today thru Friday, December 17th, calendars at Zazzle are 40% off when you use coupon code 40CLNDRS2011. Order your own copy of On the Farm, a 2011 calendar, today! Some of your favorite farm critters are featured in the pages of the 2011 custom calendar!

I will receive approximately $4.00 per calendar purchased; money that will be put towards keeping the critters on the farm happy, and healthy!

Coupon Details:
40% of the calendar net sale price will be deducted when one or more qualifying calendar items are purchased and the coupon code 40CLNDRS2011 is applied at checkout. Offer is valid from November 12, 2010 through December 17, 2010 at 11:59pm PT. This offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.

 

December Texas Sunset

Last night's sunset was nothing short of spectacular! I'm glad I was paying attention, and could snap some photos! This long narrow image was created by mashing together three different photos to create a panoramic. Click on the images to view them larger. Enjoy!

Trip to Montana: Part 2

Our first day at Georgetown Lake was rather stormy, but on day 2 we woke to sunny, partly cloudy skies. Mom decided to stay back at the RV to do a little quilting while Dad and I hopped into the boat and went out to do a little sightseeing and fishing. The water was like glass!

Dad told me about the trouble they're having with wood beetle infestation in the pine forest around the lake (as well as other places). The pines you see on the hillsides around the lake are being killed by the beetles (I thought it was forest fire kill when I first saw it). It's quite sad actually; soon there will be very few trees left around the lake. The forest service is having to harvest the trees, leaving the hills around the lake very bare. Dad said that over the past three years or so, the forest around the lake has changed dramatically. In talking with one of the campground caretakers, he told us that the forest service has 2 years to clear the infected trees from the forest. It will take a long time for new trees to grow in their place.

While Dad and I boated around the lake, we came across dozens of mother ducks and mergansers with chicks of various ages. They happily cheeped to one another while they searched for bugs around the grassy shoreline.

The weather on the lake changes rapidly, and it wasn't long before large storm clouds moved in. We could watch the rain come down on the mountains around the lake, and while it sprinkled on us a bit, we managed to stay dry -- for a while.

Dad did some fishing (I don't have a license to fish, so I sat back and watched and took photos)...

...and Dad even caught some fish! Beautiful rainbow trout he held just long enough for me to snap a photo, and then released back into the lake where maybe they'll be caught again (or not).

Eventually, the storm caught up to us and we ended up having to boat back to camp -- I would have taken photos of us heading back to camp across the lake, but the rain was really coming down, our clothes were soaked, and a storm like that isn't the place I want to have my camera out in. *grin* But I did snap this photo of a mama duck and her baby later that afternoon.

We enjoyed nice hot chilli for lunch, and after the storm passed, we loaded up the boat and went out to fish another part of the lake. This time, Mom came with us.

Dad caught several more fish, and this one may have been the largest of the day.

Or maybe this one was...

Or maybe this one...

It's all proof that Dad's hand tied flies work!

It was the perfect way to spend the day; the week.

The next morning we had to pack up camp and head home. The drive down from the lake was just as enjoyable as the drive up.

The views from the ridges around the lake are spectacular! And I was thrilled to have some clouds in the sky to add interest. Open blue skies can be so boring! *grin*

Local ranchers were busy putting up hay, and giant golden round bales dotted the pastures.

I must say that the Philipsburg valley is truly beautiful, and I enjoyed every moment of the trip. Well, aside from the nasty head cold I picked up...

I really liked how the sun shone in the pastures, and the clouds cast shadows on the hills.

Looking back towards the lake, it looked like another storm was expected for the day.

Mom and I found this Philipsburg "road" and posted road signs quite humorous...

In case you missed it: Trip to Montana: Part 1

Trip to Montana: Part 1

 
Sorry for the long break in posting time -- we spent the week without electricity, out of internet range, or on the move. But now we're back to the comforts of Mom and Dad's house, and I thought I would share a bit of our adventures from the week! Hope you enjoy!

 
On Monday, we packed up the last of necessary things and jumped into the RV, destination western Montana. My parents live in northeastern Washington, so it's a quick drive across northern Idaho. We drove along the shores of Pend Oreille lake, a family favorite destination.

 
The lake looked to be in perfect summertime condition, and was quite inviting, but we had lots more driving to do to get to our destination.

 
We stopped at Cabinet Gorge Dam, one of the dams along the Clark Fork river. The gates weren't open, but the swirling water at the base of the dam was really neat to watch!

 
We followed the Clark Fork river through open valleys, through small towns, past ranches, and beautiful river views.

 
Imagine owning the ranch on the other side of the river ... talk about scenic!

 
Before long, views of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area and the Mission Mountains came into view.

 
And the views continued to be spectacular!

 
The color of the grass really caught the afternoon sun, giving the entire landscape a bright, cheery foundation of color.

 
Monday night we ended up staying the night in the RV east of Missoula, Montana. It was well past dark when we went through Missoula, and we didn't want to miss the spectacular views we would have once we turned off of I-90 and headed south towards Philipsburg and Georgetown Lake. Tuesday morning's weather brought new clouds and spots of sun on the ranch land. This photo was taken at the edge of Philipsburg, looking towards the mountains where Georgetown Lake is.

 
We stopped in Philipsburg for an early lunch, and some quick shopping around town. Philipsburg is a beautiful little town, known for it's well-kept painted buildings and historic existence.

 
We stopped in at The Sweet Palace, where I was amazed at the variety of sweets on display on the shelves - down both sides of the shop!

 
Each jar, each basin, held it's own unique flavor of treat.

 
Their fudge is all handmade on location (I witnessed it!). This was just a small portion of the flavors they had available... there must have been 8' of fudge on display. Wow!

 
And they make their own custom chocolates, too! I thought these were rather neat looking, and they're rather delicous, too!

 
We poked around town a bit more, enjoying the cool mountain air, and the fresh air that came with the morning rain showers.

 
There are neat statues around town made by a local artist that tell various stories or feature local wildlife. Near the fire station, this Indian statue was particular interesting.

 
Here you can see the Indian, following an injured minor through the forest.

 
We ate lunch at Doe Brothers, and it was delicious!

 
Homemade chips and delicous sandwiches!

 
After lunch, we drove up to Georgetown Lake, where it was perfect weather for boating.

 
So, boating we went! And it promptly started to rain - the weather changes fast at 6500' elevation. Here's Mom, posing for a photo.

 
There are some modest little lake cabins around the lake, and there are shacks, like this one...

 
Here's Mom again, enjoying the boat tour around the lake.

As this post is getting rather long, stay tuned for more lake and fishing adventures. *grin*

Whitetail Deer

 
This evening, the deer that visit Mom and Dad's front yard came by for a visit. I slipped outside with my camera to see if I could snap some photos without scaring them off. Here are a few of my favorites! (Sorry if the photos look a bit grainy or dark -- I am having to do the photo prepping on my laptop, which I don't usually do.... so it's hard to tell if the photos look "just right".)

 
Mom and Dad's cat, Tippy Canoe, insists on laying in the yard when the deer visit. I think if she were big enough she might actually try chasing them away!

 
Speaking of Tippy, here she is in all her cute, princess fuzzy butt glory!

 
At least one of the does has a fawn and has started bringing it to the yard in the evening with the other does. She's full of energy, stomps, snorts, leaps and runs, and has amazing spots!

 
Personally, I think she's adorable!

 
The last bit of sunshine filtered through the trees and this gal posed nicely for me.

 
Peek-a-boo, I see you!

 
The area has had a lot of rain this year, and the grass is tall and thick. The deer have lots to eat, and are doing a good job of fattening up for winter.

 
My parent's other cat, Streak, loves to be outside in the evening. In fact, she loves it so much, she runs and hides so we don't catch her and take her in before she's ready to go in.

 
Here she is, hiding under the edge of the stairway on the deck. "Noooooo, I don't wannnnnna go in!"

 
Here's another gal, coming into the yard through the trees.

 
Camo?

 
Long skinny legs, and long chinny whiskers!

 
Tomorrow we're packing up and headed to Montana... yippy yahoooo! I think we'll be taking Tippy with us...

 
...and Streak, too! Camping kitties ... who knew!

Give this photo a caption...

This Evening's Sunset

 
Tonight we had a nice dinner in town at Alan's parents' house (thanks John and Sue!). This was our view on the drive home... pretty nice, wouldn't you say? Of course it was hotter than HOT, but at least the sky was pretty! As soon as we got home I ran into the house and grabbed the camera, and snapped some photos.

 
Few things in Texas are as pretty as the Texas sunset.

 
Of course, I would have traded this beautiful sunset for the rain that they're getting under that storm.

Want to see more Texas weather posts? Check out the Weather category!

the garden does grow.

 
I continue to be amazed at how well some of the things in the garden are doing, considering the heat we're experiencing. While most of the country seems to be getting rain, rain, and MORE rain, we continue to be hot and dry. Did I mention hot?! Yes, hot. And dry. Hot and dry. We do have a 30% chance of rain for the next two days, but 30% isn't too favorable for our area. We don't get too excited unless we see 60% chance or greater. But, cross your fingers for us. We sure could use the rain. My zinnias are finally blooming!

 
Just a few right now, but more to come!

 
I'm finding it an ongoing challenge with the veggies. Some are fighting to survive the heat, and others seem to be enjoying it. The two pickling cucumber plants I have are doing really well, so I planted a few more.

 
Not sure what happened with this little fella...

 
There are fruits of all sizes on the plants, and it's nice to see them thriving!

 
The new beans I planted are coming in nicely. A row of bush, and a row of pole beans. I also planted some Cow Peas, which I've never grown before. Grow beans, grow! We've got room in the freezer for you!

 
This is the area of beans and cucumbers that I planted most recently, and it's the area I'm having issues with the armadillo. Every night the armadillo turns over 6-12" of soil (thankfully, always in about the same location), and every morning I put the soil back in place. So far, he's only turned over two small plants, but a few others haven't come up ... I'm wondering if he swiped the seed!

 
I've never grown cantaloupe before, and I'm happy to see it doing well. There are actually a few little itty bitty melons on the vine!

 
I planted several kinds of pumpkins. So far, the mini pumpkins and the Big Max plants are doing the best. The others are up and growing, just not as quickly as the Big Max. The tomatoes aren't putting on a lot of fruit, and I think it's due to the heat. They flower, but only a few tomatoes form. The fruit we are getting is good, but there's just not much of it. I think I'm going to have to start hand pollinating a few of the zucchini plants. There don't seem to be many pollinators around, and either fruits are showing signs of poor pollination, or aren't forming at all. The plants have a huge canopy of leaves, so I cut back some of the oldest, largest leaves tonight hoping that if the few pollinators that are around can SEE the flowers blooming, they'll be more likely to VISIT them! If I still don't see results within the next week, I'll be out there with a Q-tip tickling the flowers.

 
Back near the pumpkin mounds I also put in a few more zucchini plants. Yellow, and Crooknecks. They were slow to get settled, but are now growing nicely.

 
Not everything is doing as well, though. The peppers are sad, and I'm struggling with one of my cucumber plants. The new growth on the plant is good, but the lower leaves on the plant are yellowing, a sign of too much water... so, now I water it less. But it wilts in the heat. So, I moved it to a location that gets a bit more shade. It's still looking a bit sorry, but hopefully it picks up a bit. Maybe it needs more nitrogen... hmm.

 
The oodles of grasshoppers hanging out in the garden are doing a large amount of damage to the plants. Over the past few days, I've been "hand picking" the little buggers from the sunflowers, zinnias, and tomato plants and feeding them to the chickens. Not the most enjoyable thing to do, but it's the best way I know to lighten the swarm without using chemicals. And the chickens LOVE grasshoppers!

 
Of course, I took some photos first. *grin*

EXPLICIT PHOTO WARNING

 
I even saw some hanky-panky in the bean patch! Ack! We don't need any more grasshoppers!

 
Here chicken, chicken... I've got a snack for you!

Dragonflies

When I was watering the garden this evening, I noticed there was a large number of dragonflies in the air above the chicken yard. They were feeding on small bugs and were coming to rest on the wire of the tomato cages. I took my camera out to see if I could get some photos. I didn't know if they'd sit still long enough for me to get any good shots, especially since I would want to get fairly close with the camera. But it was worth trying.

I thought I would share some of my favorite photos from this evening.
As always, you can click on the photos for a larger view.

 
The light in this photo looks much "cooler" (as in, temperature) than it really was today. It was sunny and about 95 degrees, but a small cloud passed in front of the sun, creating this cooler blue-cast light. I like the blue cast it put on the tomato cage wire and the body of the dragonfly.

 
I was really surprised how close they let me get! I was using a 100mm Macro lens, and to get a shot this close to the dragonflies head, I was much less than 12 inches from him.

 
All of the photos I took today were hand-held, meaning I didn't use a tri-pod of any kind to support the camera. I had to hold very steady to ensure good focus. And boy was it hot in the evening sun - and windy!

 
I was amazed at all the colors when I really got to looking at the dragonflies! Some had blue-black bodies, some were black with yellow stripes... some had black eyes, some had iridescent colors.

 
They all had beautiful wings, and it was very cool to see all the detailing in the wings.

 
For some reason, they really enjoyed resting on the wire of the tomato cages.

 
Most of them preferred resting on the vertical upright of the tomato cages, and rarely ever used their long hind legs to "hang on".

 
I noticed that most of the time, they landed on the wire so that the wire cast a shadow across their head. I don't know if this was intentional, or coincidence...

 
Some of them were more tolerating of me than others... this one sat still for a good long while.

 
I'm glad I took the time to see if I could photograph these fellas. Not only was it a neat experience having so many of them around and hearing them fly, but also having them be so trusting of me to allow me to get so close. And I have some fun photos to remember them with, too!

 
I've been asked many times recently about the camera that I use for my photos. I have an old blog post from 2007 that gives details on just that topic. You'll find it in the Categories list on the right, under the title of Photo Gear. Hope it's helpful!

What Am I? - ANSWER

In response to those who played along in the recent "What Am I?" photo post:

 
For those of you who guessed "CUCUMBER", you were RIGHT! The fruits grow at the base of a pollinated female flower. Here's hoping I get lots and LOTS of pollinated female flowers! *grin*

 
That little fruit is the start of a pickling cucumber on one of my vines! Yeah! They're GROWING!

What Am I?

Hey, Kids! (Moms, Dads, go get the kids!)

The bumpy object in this photo is very small today.
Smaller than your smallest finger.
Smaller than your smallest toe!
Find a ruler ... it's smaller than 1/2 inch!

What am I? 
(Click on the photo for a larger view.)

 

Alan knows I LOVE sunflowers...

Late last week, Alan had to make a trip to a neighboring town on a road we seldom travel. As soon as he saw "IT", he knew I'd want to make a trip out there, and soon! He passed a HUGE field of beautiful blooming sunflowers! As far as you could see, SUNFLOWERS!

He was right -- I DID want to go! We would have gone out last night, but it was cloudy in the evening, and I wanted evening sunshine. Tonight, we had evening sunshine! Guess where we went!!

 
The field was amazing, and the light was just right!

 
Alan waited by the car while I happily shot photos of the field.

 
If we farmed our land like this, you can bet I'd want sunflowers year after year!

 
Yeah, sure, I know about crop rotation and soil rejuvenation between years of crops, but it just doesn't get any prettier than this.

 
Perhaps we would just have to figure out what other flowers we could grow in the "off-sunflower" years. Down here, they tend to rotate between corn, cotton, and milo. And I guess, sunflowers, but we rarely see fields like this. Corn and milo fields are pretty too, but nothing like sunflowers! And the cotton -- well, it's kind of blah... at least it's green, though!

 
The sound of the wind in a field like this is wonderful! A constant rustle of their giant leaves against one another.

 
I had to get close-up shots, too! I love the pattern of the seeds as they grow.

 
Even the backsides are pretty. I think it's really amazing how full of pattern they are, and are so organic in their shapes and movement.

 
Just how many seeds do you imagine one sunflower produces?

 
Imagine how many seeds a field like this produces!

 
It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday evening.

 
Alan and I have the best "dates". *grin*

Last year at the end of May, we stumbled upon another field like this, and went to take photos the following weekend. When we went to take more photos later in the month, the field had been harvested. I just about cried...

Bloomin' Rudbeckia

Here are some photos of the Rudbeckia flowers blooming around the farm right now...

 
Yellow centered...

 
Smooshed into one.

 
Brown centered...

 
Just starting to look like a flower...

 
Amazing transformation...

 
Barely room for four...

 
Flowers in the sunshine... and do I see a cabbage moth?!

 
Behind some tired lavender...

 
Sitting pretty by the zucchini...

 
The Over-Achiever.

 
Profile...

 
The perfect bloom.

how's it growing...

 
Late last week, Alan reminded me that we had some small raised garden bed forms in the barn that weren't being used. On Sunday, we pulled them out of the barn, gathered up dirt from the back side of the barn (I supplemented with bagged soil), and I got started on putting the beds in place near the chicken coop. I'm out at the chicken coop every day to tend to the chickens, so it's a logical place for the veggies to be. The hose is there, and I can keep an eye on things fairly regularly.

 
It might be a bit late for starting things from seed now, but I thought it was worth a try. Everything I planted listed this month as one of the planting months for our zone, so I thought I would take my chances. If it looks like it's getting too hot for any new seedlings, I can always put some shade cloth over the beds to help keep harsh sunlight off of the plants. The stakes at each corner of the beds are in place to hold the bird netting I wrapped the beds with. Not for deer, but to help keep out the chickens, the dogs (Mister Farley almost took a short cut through bed #3 today), and to discourage the farm cats from lounging (or otherwise) in the beds. One bed is various types of corn and a cucumber or two, another bed is two different kinds of beans, and the third bed has squash and cucumbers. Oh, and I think they all got a few mammoth sunflowers planted randomly for fun. I'll let you know how things progress.

I'm really amazed at how well the veggies are doing in the apple picking baskets, instead of in a formal "in ground" garden. In fact, tonight for dinner we had our first farm raised zucchini for the year (the one on the right in the above photo)! And, let me tell you, it was delicious! The zucchini on the left will be ready in a day or two, and there are more on the other two plants.

 
The first tomatoes I planted are doing GREAT! They're nice and tall (about 4'), and have a fair number of tomatoes. I think I will snip the tops of them soon, to encourage the plants to put on more tomatoes instead of continuing to grow taller.

 
I planted this little yellow pear tomato last week. Nice and healthy now, I hope it continues to grow and give us gobs and GOBS of delicious pear tomatoes! This weekend it will get a "cage", to help it stay upright as it grows tall.

 
The flowers around the chicken coop and veggie baskets are blooming nicely. Rudbeckia is one of my favorites. I love their pretty yellow faces. I ordered some pumpkin seeds tonight, and look forward to planting some pumpkins on the backside of the raised beds. I grew pumpkins once when I lived in Oregon, and it was great fun!

 
I was visited by two female black swallowtail butterflies while I worked. They were enjoying the newly placed damp soil.

 
When they weren't on the soil, they were flying around the veggie plants and the tall grasses at the back of the yard.

 
They're the reason I went in the house to get the camera. I didn't think they'd still be around by the time I got back outside, but they were and they hung around the entire day.

 
I imagine I could have finished things up a little more quickly if I hadn't spent so much time watching them. They were having a great time! It was also a good excuse to sit for a spell... since the temperature was pushing 100, I needed lots of breaks.

Over all, it was a very productive weekend. Cross your fingers all that work pays off in corn, beans, and squash! *grin*

Meow x4

Early on Saturday, a feral cat was hit by a car (a neighbor, no doubt) on the small county road we live on, just past our driveway. We thought she may have a fairly recent litter of kittens somewhere on the farm, so Alan spent some time looking for them. He found them in the equipment garage in a metal garden tub stored under the workbench. Four kittens; three pale yellow striped males, and one striped gray female.

 
The kittens were in need of some relief from fleas, so Alan gave them a quick bath using a mixture of warm water and Dawn dish detergent, careful not to get it in their eyes or ears.

 
I was on hand to take photos, of course!

 
They didn't really enjoy the bath all that much, but it was quite necessary.

 
The kittens are far too young for any kind of tick/flea medicine, but we've found dawn dish detergent really does the trick on the little buggers, and it's safe for the kittens.

 
Some of them protested more than others...

 
Some of them found it exhausting, and required a nap!

 
After their bath, they were all cleaned up, rubbed down, and dried off.

 
Alan's parents were in town so they picked up some kitty milk and a bottle so Alan could bottle feed the babies. For the first couple of bottle meals, there's lots of disgruntled baby faces. But then they get the hang of it, and are eager for the warm milk.

 
These cute little kitties need a home where they can be raised. We will put calls in to local area vet offices to see if there is anyone interested in adopting a kitten (or four).

Anyone local to my area interested in adopting and hand raising a kitten, just let me know!

Farm Photo Session Rules and Regulations

I thought I would share the farm photo session rules and regulations with you, just so we're ALL clear how things are supposed to work around here. Should there be any questions at the end of this presentation, feel free to drop me a note.

Callio-Pea and Bad Boxcar Betty will demonstrate.

Let us begin.

 
Rule #1: Smile! Show me those pearly whites!

 
Rule #2: Don't be shy! Having your photo taken is fun! After all, you might just get to be famous!

 
Rule #3: Mind your manners! ...or if you're going to be silly, REALLY be silly!

 
Rule #4: Keep it clean, girls ... this is a family show.

 
Rule #5: Strike a pose, there's nothing to it.

 
Rule #6: Avoid eye contact with the set director. At all times.

 
Rule #7: No begging.

 
Rule #8: Stop action long enough for the photographer to get the shot....

 
Rule #8 Continued: ...from all angles.

 
Rule #9: When the light is just right, there's no time to waste. Now's the time to look your best.

 
Rule #10: Have fun! And don't forget Rule #1 - Smile!

someone is a little camera shy

 

   

 

 

 

   

"QUACK! I can't take it anymore!"

I sure wish all the animals on this farm read their "photo session rules and regulations" handbook. Not everyone understands the meaning of COOPERATION. Really!

Give this photo a caption...

 
Come on, let's hear what you've got!

Duck, Duck...Duck!

I'm pretty sure 3 of our 5 ducks are girls, and one of them I'm pretty sure is a boy. But this duck, I'm not sure about...

 
This is a Buff Orpington duck that I'm HOPING is a girl... I'll refer to it as a "she" until proven otherwise. She is in the middle of molting out her first set of feathers, and I'm seeing some darker brown (almost antique gold colored) feathers coming in. Such a pretty little thing... We have two ducks this color, and I think (90% sure) the other one is a male. He barely has a voice at all -- just a whisper of a quack.

 
This is also the duck with the not-so-perfect hip joint. She gets along pretty well, though not as swiftly as the others, but doesn't seem to be in any pain. We hope she continues to get along just fine! We are rather attached to her. She's not able to scratch her jaw on the right side with her foot, and just LOVES it when we scratch it for her. Her little leg twitches just like a dog's leg when you're rubbing a "good" spot. She is also the most tolerating of affection.

 
The ducks love to poke around in the soft soil of the chicken yard. And when I'm changing the water in their swimming pools, they take advantage of the extra water on the ground and create little mud pits for themselves to play in. Kind of looks like chocolate pudding, doesn't it! There's another photo of this duck on this post (freeze-frame a quack), and as you can see, the mud is a big hit with the ducks!

 
This is our fawn & white Indian Runner duck. 90% sure it's a female, and is just about the most comical thing on the farm (aside from Baaaaaad Boxcar Betty!)! She got a Y shaped stick caught on her leg yesterday, and oh my GOSH you would have thought the world was coming to an end! She was quite upset. Thankfully, she did an about-face turn, and the stick fell free. All was well.

 
We also have what was supposed to be a Khaki Campbell, but I believe is a Chocolate Runner who is also very comical. Here she is doing some gardening at the edge of the chicken yard. I now have river rock in this area to keep the ducks from making the soil along the edge of the fencing weak, or eroded. Now they make their mud holes in the center of the chicken yard, and everyone is happy -- including me. *grin*

It wasn't too long ago when the ducks were itty bitty little things, swimming in our bathtub! I can't believe how fast they grew!

I've been tossing around name ideas, but haven't settled on any just yet ... not sure what's taking me so long. But they've got to be right!

Random Thoughts

 
Here's what it's like to walk Daisy and Farley. Notice the out of focus appearance and stretched tight leashes ... probably because I'm being DRUG down the road and it's amazing I don't come home with a skinned chin.

 
Ever freeze-frame a quack?

 
Isn't it true that yellow striped cats are most often male? Why are the majority of ours female?

In other randomness, tonight Alan and I watched (rather quickly, thanks to the DVR) the American Idol finale. Talk about a random show! I'm still not sure how they pulled that lineup together... or why.

 
Did someone say QUACK?

Camouflage and Bug Hunts

As I was downloading these photos, all I could think of was how nicely camouflaged the babies are in their environment.

 
And you can't tell me this fluffy little baby chicken's bum isn't cute!

 
The stripes really help break up the outline of the chick's body, making her blend into her surroundings even better!

 
Even the coloring on her little wing feathers helps her blend in. The barring of color on the feathers really looks like the color variations of the ground.

 
I imagine being camouflaged with your surroundings helps when hunting bugs, too!

 
Even John's Chicken has some nice camouflage attire with the variation of color in her feathers.

 
More bug hunting demonstrations took place...

 
...as it would seem that some paid better attention than others.

 
And, some even less.

 
Thankfully, it's OK to ask questions and offer advice.

 
And working with a buddy is strongly encouraged.

 
But it's always nice to have someone do the "cooking" for you.

Sunset.

 

We had a beautiful sunset this evening, and I happened to be outside to see it. Thought I'd share!

   

I think it looks like Africa (if you ignore the fence line). But, it's just central Texas.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all you Moms out there, have a wonderful day!

Enjoy these photos taken of mothers on the farm throughout the years. We've had a lot of mothers here, that's for sure!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Happy Mother's Day!

I do believe it's a "she"

I changed the location of the trail/game camera last night. And we figured out how to set the date/time! Yay!! I also moved the brooder with the 6 chicks to inside the chicken yard. Phwew! It used to sit on the right side of this photo, up near the fence.

We had more visitors last night and early morning...

 
12:41am: Chief (one of the barn cats) visited

 
12:48am: Chief, still visiting

 
1:08am: Raccoon, standing on hind legs... When I zoom into this photo, I think I see her boobies *giggle*

 
...what do you think?... Boobies?

 
5:47am: Raccoon returns

 
6:03am: Raccoon returns again...

 
6:08am: Raccoon, looks to be eating chick food on the ground where the brooder used to sit. You can start to see the tree line in the distance, where the sun will eventually rise.

 
6:37am: Junior (another barn cat) visits, and now the chickens are up and about.

 
6:38am: Junior off to see what he can see

Tonight, I think I'll try the video setting! Cool!

Nighttime Visitor...Caught on Film!

Last year about this time I received a gift certificate to celebrate my 10 year reunion with the company that I work for. The gift certificate has been sitting on my desk, just waiting for me to decide how to use it. The decision has been made!

Last week I ordered myself a digital trail/game camera from Cabella's. They have several to choose from, and not being an "expert" on trail/game cameras I relied heavily on customer reviews posted on the Cabella's website.

I chose to purchase the Leaf River Model iR-7SS. I'm still not sure if it's the "best" option out there, but I liked it's features, and it was affordable, so it's the one I chose.

I haven't been able to figure out how to set the date/time yet, but I'm sure it's possible... the instruction manual isn't exactly accurate for this feature. I'll keep trying though!

Usually trail/game cameras are used by hunters to scout hunting spots. The cameras are motion activated and take photos (some even video) when motion is detected in range of the camera. This gives hunters a better idea of what is in the area, and allows them to determine the prime hunting locations. However, I have a completely different use in mind! I want to see what's prowling around the farm at night!

We set the camera up near the back corner of the chicken coop, near a brooder I have sitting outside of the chicken yard. The first night the camera was set up we had a big storm. The camera took photos, but mostly of tree branches being blown in front of the lens. Last night we didn't have a storm and the camera worked great!

(Click on the photos for a larger view...)

 
Here you can see the stubborn hens that insist on sleeping on the brooder I have inside the chicken yard. Why they don't sleep in the coop is beyond me. There is one hen inside that brooder, being "introduced" to the flock. You can also see in the lower left corner of the photo, one corner of the roof of another brooder I have outside of the chicken yard. We move this brooder around as we need to. Sometimes it houses chickens that need some extra TLC, and sometimes it houses chicks. Most of the time, it's empty.

 
Just as I suspected... the reason we have the chicken house and yard built the way we do presented itself on top of that brooder.

 
I know this raccoon is looking over at my chickens who are resting peacefully on the brooder, wishing it could have chicken for dinner.

 
Raccoon: "I see chicken dumplings, chicken nuggets, chicken pot pie, eggs over easy... "

 
Farmer: "I see safe, happy chickens, ready to enjoy their next happy chicken day."

 
At night , and in very low light settings, the camera takes black/white photos.

 
As soon as there is enough light, the camera switches to daylight color photos.

Alan and I have built the chicken yard quite securely. ...but I will be moving the brooder that is currently outside the yard, to inside the yard. There are 6 baby chicks in that brooder right now!

Wonder what I'll catch on film tonight!

how could I resist?

This evening just before dinner, the ducks were splashing around in their pool. They were having so much fun, I had to take photos! They move so FAST! I got more "action" shots (aka: Blurry!) than anticipated ... I will have to take more photos another day, now that I've got a little experience under my hat! Here are some photos I felt were worthy of sharing... Enjoy!

Click on the images for a larger view.

 
Enjoying the sunshine.

 
Ahhh, the bright warm sunshine.

 
Clover in the pool is GREAT!

 
May I have some clover, too?

 
Future Olympian... say no to drugs.

 
Motorboat, motorboat, zoom zoom zoom!

 
It should be illegal to be so cute!

 
Pre-swim session. Still some baby fuzz to lose!

 
My favorite shot of the evening. See her little wing feathers coming in? Soon she'll be snow white!

Thursday is Earth Day...get out and enjoy it!

A Farm Update in Photos

We had a bit of rain last night, which always puts me in a happy mood. I love rain! Weather like we had to day reminds me so much of the pacific northwest. It just feels "right". I pulled out my camera and Alan and I walked around the farm to see what we could see. Here are a few photos for you.

 
This bush is blooming near the house. I think it's some sort of hollyhock, but I'm not sure.

 
The goats were enjoying fresh green grass.

 
And then Alan rattled the treat bag...the race was on.

 
It's nearly impossible to photograph BAD Boxcar Betty. I always get "action" shots (aka: blurrrrr).

 
Callio-Pea always brings up the rear.

 
CallioPea's wattles are really swingin'!

 
Lucy and Darcy were munching grass.

 
The other cows were munching grass, too. Notice all the wildflowers! Pretty!

 
The blue bonnets are really fragrant.

 
There are all kinds of flowers blooming, and so many that haven't started blooming yet!

 
The Indian Paint Brush are so neon! I think they are so pretty!

 
The neighbors have lots of Indian Paint Brush this year!

 
...look at that storm north of us!

 
Unfortunately, the poison ivy is growing like crazy, too... this particular plant (and it wasn't the only one like this) has wound it's way up to the top of a fence post, and will soon be more like a tree than a bush! YUCK!

 
Another horrible pest here are fire ants. Here is a small nest that has pushed up between two patio stones since the evening rain. Fire ants are terrible creatures! Be careful where you walk!

 
The hens are doing well, enjoying the cooler temperatures. They were busy in the chicken yard.

 
Weezie is always on a mission, squawking all the while.

 
Dot, a guinea hen, was watching wild birds flit around in the treetops.

 
Brown Manetta (a turken hen), looking lovely, as always...

 
Here is one of the Cuckoo Marans girls, watching me very closely, just in case I have treats in hiding!

 
Just-a-Minute was napping on this bale of hay. Shortly after this photo, he ran off.

 
The baby ducks are GROWING so FAST! Still without names (I know, I know...), these two are fascinated by the grass growing at the base of the chicken coop.

 
I might call this duck Nellie. I'm HOPING it's a girl. I've read that the girls are the most chatty/vocal, and this one is just that. But she's also a little Nervous Nellie... so, Nellie fits.

 
Mmmmm, water!

 
It's hard to believe that the two bigger buff colored ducks are only 4 weeks old! We brought them home on March 20th. The white crested duck and the khaki duck are now 3 weeks old. Growing like weeds! Remember when I brought them home, how LITTLE they were! They are the happiest little creatures!

 
Action shot! Nibble nibble nibble nibble...

 
"We love life on the farm!"

Hope you enjoyed your visit to the farm today!

I {heart} Spring

Where has time gone!? Where have I been!? .... Well, I've been here, and I guess I've been BUSY! Thanks to those of you who've sent emails asking if things are OK. I love that you check in with me if I've been quiet on the blog for a couple of days or more. 

The wildflowers have started blooming so I need to get out and start taking some photos. They're pretty patchy right now, but soon they'll be covering the fields with color. It looks like we'll have a bumper crop of Bluebonnets this year, which is fun!

I went shopping yesterday, so I was away from the house all day. Larger stores (like Costco, Sprouts, SuperTarget, Joann's, Hobby Lobby, etc) are about an hour from us, and I don't get up there very often. When I do go, it's a day-long event. I had to pick up some essentials at Costco, and was thrilled when I saw they had delicious packs of fresh strawberries again!

I also picked up some (non)essentials at a few other shops. Like some cute yardage that I whipped up into an apron for myself last night! I do have a couple other projects to share with you as well, but need to get photos taken first.

Hope you have an enjoyable day!

I Got Caught!

On the Egg Count page where I keep track of the eggs we get each day, I also have a count of the number of chickens, and now ducks, we have on the farm. Long-time reader SUE noticed that the duckling count recently jumped from 3 to 5, without me saying a word! So, yes.... yes, it's true.... I've been found-out! We now have five ducklings. BUT! As soon as you SEE them, YOU WILL KNOW WHY!!

But first, let me say that it's all Alan's fault. He had to stop at the farm supply store on Thursday and pick up some cat food and that's when he saw the lot of them. While he was running other errands around town he called me and told me about them, "they are so cute, and they even have chocolate brown ones" he says quite innocently.

That evening when Alan got home, back to the store we went. I had to see their fluffy cuteness for myself. When Alan was at the store, they had 5 or 6 chocolate brown ducklings (actually, I think they're Khaki Campbell ducklings). When we got to the store that evening they only had 1 brown one left. AND they had a few white crested ducklings, too! The last brown one and one of the crested ducklings followed us home, and am I ever so glad they did!!

They were TINY when we brought them home. The khaki one only weighed 1.9oz, and the crested one weighed 2.2oz. Today they weigh a bit more... the khaki one is 3.1oz now, and the crested one is 4.2oz. Growing like weeds! The other three are MONSTERS in size compared to these two, so we're keeping them in their own brooder until they get to be closer in size to the others.

 
This is the white crested baby. The extra fluff on the top of it's head will continue to grow into a nice, plume of feathers. You can see what adult white crested ducks look like, here. This little baby is as sweet as can be! She (we hope) LOVES Alan!

 
Here she is nibbling on Alan's thumb.

 
The khaki is the smallest little thing. And also quite sweet. They are so happy and content, and just love being held.

 
We had them on my desk so I could take photos using the extra light from my desk lamps. Alan put his hands up to the edge of the table to catch them if they got too close to the edge. She decided it looked like the perfect place to rest, so she climbed into his hands and laid down! See the little poof on her head? So cute!

 
I love how dark her bill and feet are. Like really rich, dark chocolate!

 
The warmth from Alan's hands was just too enjoyable for the little crested gal. The perfect place for a nap.

 
Yes, the perfect spot, indeed!

 
And plenty of room for two!

After a Swim Session...

 

...a much-needed nap!

I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! Thanks for the comments you've left, and the emails you've sent! The ducks don't have names yet. I kind of want to wait and see if they're boys or girls, and let them express a bit more of their personality before naming them. They really are just the cutest things!

Happy Spring!

Alan and I zipped up to the city today to pick up a few electronic items. I've been having issues with internet connectivity in my office (oh, the horrors!), and Alan thought a new switch would solve the troubles. Turns out he was right!

While we were in the city, we swung by Home Depot where I picked up some Dahlia bulbs. I'll have to wait for the winter storm warnings to pass before putting them in the ground. When I was out locking up the chickens earlier tonight, it was snowing. Crazy weather.

Also while we were in town, we swung by the farm supply store. Since it was the farm supply store in a larger city than we usually shop at, Alan didn't think they would have babies...and that it might be SAFE to take me to. WRONG!

 
Not only did they have baby chickens (boring white "meat" chickens), but they also had BABY DUCKS! Ohhhh, they were cute. At first it was easy to say "awww, they're so cute" and keep on walking. And then we noticed that not all of them were white Pekin ducks!

 
Ducks and chickens get along well, and since I haven't had ducks since I was a wee little girl, we brought two home. I am 99% certain that they are Buff Orpington ducklings, though I am not sure if they are male or female. Now I need to come up with names for these little cuties. When I was a kid, I had two ducks named Soup and Quackers...

 
Ok, ok..... I need to fess up... Earlier this week Alan and I had to make a run to town (south of us) so I could get a bag of chicken feed, and a few odds and ends at the grocery store. They had baby chicks at the farm supply store... mostly just Production Reds and Golden Comets.

 
They also had three "unknown" breed chicks. And they were CUTE... They came home with us, and are now shacking up with the two cutest ducks on the farm.

By the way, not only is today the first day of spring, but March 20 is also my Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary. Happy 39th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! May you have many, many more happy years together!

New Gallery on pBase

 
Tonight I created a new gallery on my photo site, and it's completely dedicated to chickens! There are loads of photos in the gallery -- some you've seen, some new! Check it out -- it's the gallery in the top left corner called Just Chickens!

While you're there, you might find other photo galleries you haven't seen before, too! Have some fun browsing, and getting a taste of life on the farm.

I welcome comments on all of my galleries and photos. There is a comment box on each gallery's main page (scroll to the bottom), as well as each individual photo page. The galleries are set up so that you can click on each photo for a larger display. Groovy!

Playin' in the Snow!

This evening I took Miss Daisy and Mister Farley outside to play in the snow. They had a BLAST! Here are some action shots from their romp! (Like all of the photos on my blog, you can click on them to view them a bit larger.)

 

 

 

 

 

  

Mister Farley LOVES to spin circles...

  

Miss Daisy just runs circles around him ... they're a perfect pair!

 

 

  

Miss Daisy, all tuckered out...

Let's Hear it for the Girls!

I went out and snapped some random portraits of some of the girls on the farm, and thought I would share a few!

 
Dee, a favorite little hen on the farm, was posing so very sweetly in the chicken house window.  Dee is a pip-squeak of a bird. She is quite comfortable perching on my finger. She *might* stand 7" tall. Maybe...when she's strutting.

 
Penny thought posing in the window was a great idea, so she hopped into the next window over. She has apparently been busy preening her feathers... you'll notice the little fuzzy feathers stuck to her beak and eyelash. The chickens are a little "unkempt" lately. The yards are a mess after the recent rain...  and I can't keep them out of the mud. At least they're happy!

 
Weezie is one of the "show girls" on the farm. Her headdress hides her eyes, so she shakes her head side to side (kind of in a crazy way) so she can see. Weezie (formerly Ms Taylor) almost didn't make it last fall. She spent a couple of weeks in Chicken ICU, where I fed her and cared for her while she recovered from a very serious case of *something* that caused her airway to almost completely block. Amazingly enough, she survived... and today, she's as sassy as ever.

 
The four Cuckoo Marans hens are doing really well. They're not laying as frequently as the Golden Comet girls, but at least they're laying on occasion. Their eggs are a beautiful dark brown color. Marans are a very sought after breed due to the dark color of their eggs' shells.

  
I have three Welsummer hens, and they also lay an egg with a very rich brown colored shell. Possibly the prettiest brown egg on the farm! I would definitely like to keep Welsummer hens in the flock. They're nice, big hens, and lay nice big eggs that are pretty in the carton!

 
This is one of my three Black Copper Marans hens (also posing in a coop window).  They are the most high-dollar hen we have on the farm. Not too long ago, a dozen hatching eggs on eBay would bid as high as $300. Quite a crazy price to pay, if you ask me. Now that there are more Black Copper "breeders" in the states, prices seem to have dropped. I have three Black Copper hens, and I refer to them as "the Frenchies" -- the breed originated in France, and has just recently been thriving in the states. I also used to have Moose, a Black Copper Marans rooster (also a very high dollar bird). Moose was going to be a very lucky boy, as I was going to use him for breeding. He was a beautiful bird, with good breed standard qualities. However, Moose had a really bad habit of attacking my legs when I was in the chicken yard. And Moose was a BIG boy... I decided that I didn't want to risk breeding his bad manners into my flock, so Moose was relocated to a new home, where he may have been served up for dinner. Everyone and everything must get along here on the farm... bad manners are inexcusable.

 
Dot, one of our two Guinea hens, was busy telling the neighborhood that I was in the chicken yard. Guinea hens talk all the TIME. And not quietly, either! They are good alarms... they say "Buck-WHEAT" over and over and over... ugly little thing, isn't she!

 
This little gal doesn't have a name yet. She is a farmyard mix, often referred to as an Easter-Egger. She just started laying pretty little green shelled eggs. She is one of Dark Brown Hen's babies... poor Dark Brown Hen... we miss her.

 
Arizona, Alan's mother's dog, lives here on the farm with us. She's about as worthless as they come...but she's cute...and filthy!

 
...and tired, no doubt because she's up all night, BARKING!

 
Of course, Bad Boxcar Betty and Callio-Pea were too busy enjoying green grass to bother to come over and say hello...

Vacation Photos

First of all, thank you for all of the super nice comments you all left on the blog and in emails for Alan while he stayed home last week and took care of the farm. Being home on the farm alone is a lot of hard work, and I know he appreciated all of your notes. While he was here tending to the farm, I was enjoying a fantastic camping trip with my parents! I took about 350 photos, and here are a few of my favorites... (You can click on the photos to see them a bit larger.)

On Monday, we drove from my parents house (in northeastern Washington) through the Idaho panhandle into northwestern Montana. Mom and I drove together in the Suburban towing the river boat, while Dad drove in front of us towing their little vintage camper trailer with the pontoon boat strapped to the back. Amazingly enough, it's not a very long drive - just a couple of hours (if that).

We camped on the shore of the Kootenai River. Here is the view just a few feet from the back of our camper when we arrived at camp.

Just a couple of miles up-river from the campground we stayed in is the Libby dam.

I really enjoyed taking photos at the dam -- the colors were super, and the lighting was just as nice!

I kept kicking myself for not taking my "real" camera on the trip, instead of just my pocket-sized point-and-shoot.

Dad and his friend Jeff planned a short float down the river that evening, so they launched the boat and headed out with their fishing poles. It was a perfect evening for a float down river.

The next day, Dad and Jeff took Jeff's wife Paula along for the daily float. I put the pontoon boat in and followed along. Mom stayed back at the camper and did a bit of quilting. We had a bit of wind to deal with, which made floating down-river a challenge at times. But at the end of the day, we made it down river just fine!

Paula did a bit of reading along the way.

I took some photos of my toes, and the amazingly clear river.

Jeff caught some fish, and Dad caught some fish! Every fish caught during the trip was safely released back into the river.

Fishing from the boat.

More fishing from the boat.

Dad, fishing from a rock.

Jeff, making some changes to his set-up.

The two guys, fishing.

Love this shot of Dad through the grass on the riverbank.

A real whopper!

What a wonderful afternoon!

We saw at least two bald eagles during the day, and several osprey nests as well. This osprey nest was a fair distance from the river, but I took photos anyway! There are three birds on the edge of the nest, and one other bird from the nest was flying along the river. I really had to zoom in and hold steady to get this shot (not easy to do while you swirl around in the river's current!)

Here is another view of the same nest, pretty far back from the river.

We floated the river until the sun set behind the mountains.

The next day we decided to move down river to the west side of Troy, Montana. We found a great site at a riverside campground and planned an afternoon river float down the Kootenai River to where the Yaak River meets the Kootneai. On this day, Dad and Jeff took Mom in the river boat with them, and I tagged along behind in the pontoon boat again taking more photos.

Here is Jeff fishing the river on one of our many stops along the way.

Here Dad is fishing a narrow channel of the river, off of a long rock bar in the middle of the river.

The sun was sparkling off of one of the many treasures on Dad's hat.

The afternoon sun created dreamy light on the slower parts of the river.

I like dreamy light!

Can you see the water coming off of Jeff's line? That's cooooool!

The following morning, we started our way home. We stopped in at Ross Cedars for a short hike through the old growth forest.

The old cedars are quite amazing. Dad placed his hat on this one for a photo op.

The scenic views were beautiful...

...at every turn!

And when we finally pulled into the driveway, the resident wild turkeys came running to say hello!