Gardens, Flowers and Updates......

Four O' Clock in full bloom.

The weather here has been wonderful. It has been in the 50s and 60s at night with the 70s and 80s during the day. Monday night storms moved in, but didn't amount to much, however it then settled in and rained gently all night long. We got about a 1/2 inch and all of it went into the ground. It's really nice working about the farm, as the cool temps inspire a better work ethic.... It really feels like fall at times.



I'm working on getting the sheep back on the lower pasture, and cleaning up the front where they had been. There were allot of limbs laying around where I had been trimming and letting the sheep clean them up. So those had to be carried up to the brush pile and now I'm working on getting it all mowed. It should grow pretty good again, with all this rain. It really helped having it as a supplement to the ewes these last few weeks. I made them really get it picked down, before running the mower over it. There is still quite a bit that needs to be mown, but last night was pretty productive. The lower pasture has been empty for about five weeks, so it has some good growth on it. It won't last too long this time of year, but they should have grass for at least another five to six weeks. After that, maybe some fall pasture, but it depends on if the rain keeps up.



I need to rotate Jeff (the Shetland ram) and Callum back over to their second pasture though, before I turn the ewes into the lower area full time--since they would be sharing a fence line.

Yellow & Fuchsia Four O'clock

After mowing for awhile each evening, I then work on the garage for awhile. I've just started, but most of the 'clutter' is cleared out, and I'm getting ready to start forking the old hay on tarps to drag either to the sheep (the cleaner stuff) or the garden (the chaff/moldy bits). I'll be glad to get that job done. It makes me a nervous wreck to even go in there, what with the bee incident (in the wool sacks) and all the hidden wasp nests.



In other news, Heidi had her surgery Monday. She ended up getting spayed, and all four dewclaws removed. Originally it was just suppose to be the two hind dewclaws (they were large and getting hung on things), but after a slight miscommunication it ended up all four. This will be okay in the long run though, as it will be easier for my folks to keep her nails clipped, since the dews always get longer, quicker. She is negative for heart worms, and got her rabies shot, so she shouldn't have to go anywhere for a good long while. I'm hoping she will let me take the stitches out when it's time, so that she won't have to be carted back in to the vet. She is already doing a little better, but was pretty sore that next day. I think it was best to get all this done and over before she got more settled in, this way things should be stable and consistent for her for awhile...something I doubt she has had much of. She seems to have some pretty strong anxiety issues, but hopefully time and consistency will help her out. Saturday I took down one of my horse panel/cattle panel homemade sheep/chicken crates for my folks to use. She tore out of her regular wire dog crate twice, so we are hoping she will stay in this. It's pretty stout, and she needs to have a secure place to stay overnight and when my folks are gone. She is earning a new nickname of Heidini! ha... She will be relaxed and okay, and even play a bit but then all of a sudden it's like something clicks and she gets all anxious and starts running the fence and not wanting anyone to catch her. Hopefully time and quiet will help her get past that, and help her learn to enjoy being a spoiled little dog.

First Ripe Tomato

I'm still working on the garage trying to get it cleaned out so I can set up the cat condo for the preggie cat. Hope she doesn't have her kittens before then! Had a scare the other night when I came home....saw three little dogs down by the old store. So far they haven't been spotted since, so am hoping they were roaming from a neighbors. Hope, hope.....



My mind was a bit occupied that night as it was. As I pulled up to my driveway, I knew something didn't look right....something was...missing. My Mailbox! It was gone. The mailbox, and the fancy post with the support brace...all gone. In a rather bemused state, I got out of the truck and looked it over. Yep, it was gone. Just a hole in the ground where it used to be. I had momentary hopes that maybe it had gotten knocked over and my Dad had set it up by my house. But as I drove through the gate, around the yard and out to the garage, my hopes faded. No mailbox. Sigh. So I called my folks and asked them how Heidi was (this was the evening of her surgery), then asked, oh, by the way you don't happen to have my mailbox do you? Nope they didn't have it. They were as aghasted as I was.



After that I took Boone and we went looking for clues. We walked up and down the road a short piece, thinking someone might have just been being ornery, but no mailbox. I looked over the 'crime scene' and there were no tire tracks like someone had driven up on the grass and knocked it over. Nope. Looks like they probably just pulled up next to it, hopped out and wrenched it out of the ground. Some of the iris around the base of it look like someone stood on them.



I finally got through to my mail lady to verify that the box was missing when she ran the route. The best I can tell, is it went 'missing' between 7:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday morning. Mom and Dad had taken Heidi in and were gone awhile in the morning, and the 'town' was pretty much deserted. I'm about 99.9 percent sure it was there when I left that morning, since I have to look over it to pull out of the driveway. I also called the Sheriff's office to file a report. I really hate this, as it will be allot of work to put that thing back in, plus I'll have to dig up all the iris around it. And the cost of a new mailbox...and post. The mailbox is only about three years old. I guess someone was just out 'shopping' for a new mailbox, and picked mine. Jerks. So first they stole my 911 Address sign, then the sign that has the road's name on it, and now my mailbox. I know the road has an unique name, but jeez, get over it people. Maybe get a job or something to keep yourselves occupied.



If you happen to see a nice looking green mailbox, post attached, let me know! I had the sticky letters on it with my name/address, so it'll still have some residual outline from that. Now I worry about what they will be up to next.

Lookee there.. a baby squarsh!