After the chores

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The weekend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The veggie garden blanketed for the winter. A slow walk with Pollux, Pollux said to me, and I heard it for sure, “ Leave those LEAVES…it’s time to relax, besides I need to talk to you.”

If you Squint REALLY hard…there is a wee face in that seed pod, looks like a CAT face to me

Castor chose to “assist” my Sweetie while he was making new nesting boxes for the chickens.

Pollux is also the first star visible from earth which is known to have an extrasolar planet in orbit.

~~~~~~~~~ Behind the names of my cats. The Greek/Roman Mythology of it.

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(β Gem / β Geminorum / Beta Geminorum) is one of the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini and one of the brightest in the nighttime sky.

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Tomorrow the walk begins...

Hazel

A friend of mine shared this story with me. I am sharing it with you all because it is adorable and it made me smile. “I once raised two white rock chickens, they were pets, would come when I call them and if said "Hazel, want some noodles" she would come running, loved those leftover noodles. I always had a fresh egg that is until one of the hens decided to set on hers. Without a rooster it wouldn't work but my father came to her rescue. He had some baby bantams and gave me a few. I went out after dark, reached under the hen, took out an egg and put in a baby chic. I fooled mama hen. Ummm, I wonder what mama thought when the chicks didn't grow as big as her:)”

What CHICKS they are

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring went the phone ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The phone call came in last night just as HOUSE was ending. The great fishermen are returning to civilization, as we know it. Last evening my Sweeties ducks decided they would not be housed. I am thinking they know that the evenings of warmth on the pond are numbered. I checked on them as well as the wee chicks and all is well. There are just a few more things to get accomplished before his return. It’s a good thing, in many ways, that he is returning I am so darned tired. George has missed him as well, no one to communicate with! However working as I did had its desired outcome. I was always too tired to begin sleep and miss him more. I would honestly say when one leg got into the bed I was already in sleep mode. I did find two more TV shows I liked. Ummmmmmmmm! ;=) Now to remember when they are on and what day. HA!

Babies everywhere

So much went on in my little corner of the world. Eldest son came in and did the manual stuff I was unable to do. So the garden is tilled and seeded for the season. The dregs of the garden taken care of, beans poles sorted and I could go on and on. Here is the NEAT stuff. Three wee chicks that we surmise had to be all of day old in the chicken with their mom. Later my son was getting the tractor out and spied a baby snapping turtle. I should have taken a picture. It was about the size of a quarter, quite young to be sure. Then he found another baby frog in the Sarah pond area when he released the little snapper. As we sat down to enjoy the WVU [27-10] game the rains came. What a feeling of satisfaction that the garden was finished.

5AM on a mid summers morning

The light creeps slowly to fill the openings among the tree branches. The birds have yet to wake, there are a few stray lightning bugs wafting down from the higher branches of the stately pine trees. The fingernail moon gently rests on the wisp of a cloud. In the distance the crowing of a rooster, the sounds of the water cascading down the rocks and the snore of the faithful dog by my side…the smells of the remaining garlic in the dehydrator on the deck, the gentle hum of the machine. The coffee looking like the murky Little Kanawha River. A cat prances toward my robed lap uttering deep purrs of delight. I sit, I stretch, and I take in the quiet beauty that surrounds me. The cat and I are like one in our morning aerobics. The light becomes more intense as do the cauliflower clouds as they are quickly consuming the moon; the birds begin their coral arrangements as the raccoon sidles off the porch, having consumed his or her morning breakfast. There is an exclamation cloud showing the trail of a jet overhead…time for more coffee. No city lights, no city sounds and no city smells…I like this place I call HOME! Time to allow SOUNDS to enter, radios, showers, TV’s, people, cars, trucks…and Dishwashers. Happy Friday!

Booty-T-Ful Pictures

Mothers Day and general Cuteness

Anna Jarvis a Woman and a West Virginian! Yesterday I finally got to mow. I try to maintain @ 10 acres which is a challenge. My sweetie just had the tractors spiffed up for the Growing season. Is that not sweet or what? While mowing I saw the Florist Delivery Van show up. My sweetie got me a lovely outdoor arrangement of Coral geraniums. My friend Judie had on the address location WILDLADY Road. She is a Hoot. I figure Beverly also had a hand in the Address thing! Is Greece going to be fun or what? It is raining so mowing is not in the forecast…BUT setting the Raccoon traps are a priority. We had visitors last night and one is HUGE, too large to fit into the Have a Heart Trap. Oh dear. They, the raccoons, so adore the cat food. WE have found making a PB Sammy and placing it in the trap works wonders. The ‘cute’ part is that my hubby LOVES this part, he prepares the ‘sammy’ and then needs to taste test it. The ducklings are now in their Step up pen and faired quite well yesterday. The Chicks as well ventured out into the outside coop area and are delighted with the instant foods that are available. A gourmets delight a veritable smorgasbord. Umm, a line from the book Charlottes Web. Umm was that Templeton’s line? A fair is a veritable smorgasbord orgasbord orgasbord!!!

Oh DEER its also a CHICK thing

AKA the Farm Report Bulletin The Peepers my sweetie got several weeks ago were old enough to be let out of their first holding pen and into the inside part of the coop about a week ago. While the wee ones seemed a bit tenuous about their new surroundings they managed. 7:30 am the announcement came , as my sweetie had made his am sweep of his peeps. An older hen whom had been sitting on a clutch of eggs, abandoned her eggs [the roosters are probably too old … She was also possible too old …] Bottom line she took up Mothering the new peeps. Now that is totally wonderful because I doubt she would have other wise ever had a chance to Mother. So Neat! Two mornings ago my sweetie and I were looking out from the Breakfast Nook at the goslings. There just beyond the gaggle of geese were the twins. Soon we shall see this years new fawns a rather neat thing to observe even after @ 30 years of it. Last years fawns grown up. They were headed toward my Hosta plants. A particular delicacy it seems in these parts. I hastened outside and shook my finger at them and muttered ‘ it is still a NO NO’ Ha, ha they politely lumbered off into the creek bed and over to the other side. I am sure waiting for a time I will not be around.

FOWL, Coy, even 'zwerg'

A "brouhaha" in the early hours of the dawning light; Scramble, wash the face, get shoes on a go forth to the PO. 6:41 am the call came in piercing the silence that I enjoy in the misty morning. I arrive and draw together the babies into a preheated automobile. Ye gads it was 34 degrees brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! My toes were all a quiver. In German, the Call Duck is known by the title ’zwerg’, meaning 'dwarf'. Call ducks were originally known as Coy ducks or decoy ducks from the Dutch word de kooi meaning 'trap'. We now have 15 ducklings…as well as last week’s new residents! One dozen PEEPS! Peeps are cute little chicks that are very very sweet (kind of like my sweetie!) AKA

The lord of the PEEPS!!!

I did find this rather interesting site as I was gathering information on the Calls! Mom Goose is still nestled at the base of on of the pine trees. While the Mom Goose that was trying to invade my garden relocated among the greenbrier close to a utility pole. The Three Dudes have started bringing me tokens of their love. YUP carcasses of moles!!! The wisteria is almost totally blooming; the asparagus is shooting forth in magnificent profusion; one of my fav veggies.