It is amazing how one little event can trigger a whole chain of events.  Yesterday morning when I opened the barn to feed the animals, I noticed that my favorite kitty didn't look so well.  In fact he looked very angry and somewhat afraid.  He was holed up in one of the portable kennels that I have out there for the cats to sleep in and he was very reluctant to come out.  When he finally did come out, he was limping and favoring his left hind hip.  He moved very slowly and very cautiously.  He watched for Mikie, the other cat, to leave the barn and then he deemed it OK to poke his nose out.  Since I haven't had much luck keeping cats around here and since Loki is my favorite cat, I did not like this at all.  I found one of the cat beds knocked on the floor so I surmised that maybe the two had fought over the bed.  Loki used to be my indoor cat until my daughter's dog, Lux, moved in.  I figured it was time for Loki to move back into the house.  I would juggle his schedule the same as I juggle Penny and Lux's schedules.  Loki and Penny are buddies so Loki can spend time in the bedroom with Penny whenever Lux is out and vice versa.  

Of course, this involved more work than I envisioned at first.  Of course!  I used to have a place in the pantry where I had a litter box and the cat food dishes.  If I wanted to have Loki in the house again I would have to restore that space which was now full of shelves of canned goods.  It is the pantry after all.  So I started moving things around and then I started cleaning things up cuz, Heaven forbid! one should move dirty things especially if they have been stored for a year and there are mice droppings everywhere!  My goodness!  

I moved bug spray and planting supplies to the garage.  I threw out canned goods that had expired dates.  Secretly, I think, if they are not opened they are probably still good, but my children would just choke on the very idea of eating anything that is "expired"  so out it goes!  Then I cleaned and moved shelves and replaced the good canned items on the now cleaned and moved shelves.  I found old Christmas popcorn cans and cleaned and labeled them.  I placed items like sugar and flour in the labeled cans so that the nasty little mice could not damage these and render them unusable.  I found a bag of Top Ramen soup that had been chewed through and half the noodles eaten.  YUCK! YUCK! YUCK!

You know, I hadn't heard any mice in the house for a long time so I was kinda shocked by all the mess I found.  My ears must be getting old or else the mice just come out when I'm sleeping!  I am glad that everything is cleaned up and straightened up and that every thing in the pantry now is something good that we can use.  I also got the a covered kitty litter box from the barn and cleaned it up.  Steve got a new mat to put the cat food dishes on.  I brought Loki in and showed him the new set-up, which is the old set-up for him.  He seems to appreciate being inside again.  He comes and sits on my lap every chance he gets.  He spent the night prowling around the house.  Maybe there will be fewer mice now that Loki is back at his old job. I guess our little barn wasn't big enough for my two mousers.  Everybody needs their own job and their own space.  Hopefully, the balance between the two cats is restored.  I got a clean fresh pantry out of a cat fight! Ha!

Countdown to Christmas

Only 24 days til Christmas!  I am almost finished with the shopping and the grandkids have already decorated our tree.  What a fun time they had doing that.  We did it the day after Thanksgiving for something"fun" to do.  And it was fun! 

I have also put up most of the decorations inside.  We have not put our lights up outside yet.  The weather has not been very cooperative.  We've had very windy days, including one day with 50mph gusts.  It is also very cold for us.  It was only 22 degrees yesterday morning.  All the water buckets were frozen.  They were frozen solid, not just on top.  I couldn't even kick a dent in the top.  The whole bucket from top to bottom was one big ice cube.  Nothing to do about it, just wait it out.  I knew it would warm up enough for the animals to get a drink during the day.  Besides the hoses were frozen too.  By the end of the week we are supposed to be close to 80 degrees again.  

The vet tech called and asked how Tinker was doing.  I told her he seems better but still not gaining much weight.  She thought the vet did not take a biopsy so we do not really know if he has cancer or what.  I had some questions so she was going to talk to the vet and call me back.  I am still waiting.

Our chickens are finally laying eggs on a fairly regular basis.  I've been getting one or two eggs every day.  Yesterday was a record.  I got 6!  I did put the heat lamp on in the barn for them at night.  I probably should get another heat lamp.  I hung the one next to the hens without the rooster.  The ones with the rooster would probably enjoy the warmth too.  Maybe they would lay more eggs too.  Also, we are still getting about one a day from the turkey hen.  So I've got about 3 dozen eggs in the frig right now.  Steve took a dozen to work for lunches and snacks.  I will give some to my daughter too.  Maybe by summer I will be able to sell eggs to the neighbors.  

I had what seems like a setback.  I sent about 11 pounds of alpaca fiber to the Alpaca Blanket Project in August.  They sent me an email on Thanksgiving saying that they are sending back 9 pounds that they could not use.  So I had to send them an additional $16 to get my fleece back.  I don't know if I will send any more.  It is a loss of money for me.  I don't know if they will pay me for the 2 pounds they did use or just keep a tally on my account.  I think they do not pay until you accumulate 50 pounds of usable fiber.  I think one has to have many, many alpacas to make money.  And, even then, you cannot make money from the fleece.  One must have animals to sell, which I don't.  Or I could sell all of them and do something else.  The economy isn't good for selling animals right now either.  Guess I'll just enjoy my expensive "pets" for now.  In any case, it is Christmas time!  I won't worry about "business" until after the holidays! Gee, do I sound like Scarlet O'Hara?  Fiddle-de-de!
 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  I hope you all stuffed your faces and had a great day!  I got up at the usual time, about 5:30 and got the turkey stuffed and in the oven by 7 am.  The scent of snow was definitely in the air and heavy gray clouds scuddled over the mountain behind us.  We remained cool and windy all day but no rain or snow.  I was indoors most of the day preparing for our 2 pm feast.  

We did not sacrifice one of our tom turkey although, the way they were fighting tonight, we probably should have.  I yelled at them when they chased me at feeding time!  I said, "You silly old birds!  You don't know how lucky you are to still be chasing me today!"  Then I took their pictures.  Of course, they never stay still for that so I chopped off one of their heads (only in the picture) so you can see his beautiful tail display.  

The cool weather makes the dogs frisky and playful.  Yes, they really are just playing.  Buddy's neck hair is so thick, Lux couldn't hurt him if she tried but the picture is pretty cool.  


I am thankful for our family, our friends and our animals.  I'm grateful that Steve has a job, that we have a roof over our heads and that we have everything we really need.  I feel blessed and happy.  I am also glad that all my hard work is done for today and that Thanksgiving is now another year away!  On to Christmas!  May God bless you all!

I got up before daylight this morning.  The moon was full and shining over the mesquite tree on the west side of the house.  There were a few dark clouds and the scent of rain in the air.  Later on the wind picked up and blew most of the clouds away.  The temperature has dropped too.  We are supposed to be in the 30s tonight and the rest of the week.  

Steve and I spent the day cleaning up and making things more ready for this cold weather.  I cleaned out the barn and put new straw in the chicken pens.  Steve placed intact straw bales in the turkey pen to block the wind for them.  He also put a couple more bales on the front patio to shield Buddy.  We still need to put some extra plywood panels and straw in the alpaca barn.  Steve got the second door placed on the hens' pen and reinforced the first one on Mr. Washington's pen.  It was knocked off this morning.  Mr. Washington probably chased those poor hens and they knocked it off trying to get away from him.  Hopefully, that won't happen again.  The way the wind is blowing tonight those chickens will be glad of the closed doors.  So will the cats.  They came in tonight while I was feeding everyone at 4pm.  Which tells you how cold it is here, well, for us.  The cats don't usually come in til around 9 or 10 pm when I make my last rounds before bed.

Last week I planted some bulbs, 6 different colors of iris, daffodils and purple onions.  I used some of the straw today to cover them up after I watered them.  I am not sure about watering them.  I don't want them to sprout until they are supposed to in the spring. However, the garlic we planted last year did not come up and I think it did not get enough water.  That is usually the problem around here rather than too much water.


I have been very busy this week getting Christmas shopping done and making my Christmas cards.  I still need to write a letter or at least something inside the cards and buy some envelopes.  Hopefully I will get that done so that they can go out on December 1st.  I went through all the gifts that I bought so far.  I put the gifts for each person in their own bag.  I still have about 4 main gifts and some stocking stuffers to buy.  I may make a trip to Sierra Vista tomorrow to get that done.  Then I will be free to think of Thanksgiving dinner, cleaning and decorating.  


The moon is shining big and bright again tonight.  Buddy will be barking most of the night because he'll be able to see every wild creature out there. If the wind keeps up he may want to hole up behind his little straw shelter but he won't stay there if those old coyotes get too close.  So you better watch out Mr. Coyote!  Big Buddy's after you!

I finally had a rather laid-back weekend.  My two oldest daughters were away for the weekend so I did not cook any big family dinners.  Steve took me out for dinner on Saturday night and, despite the long wait, the food was good.  

We started getting some eggs from the chickens, only two little brown ones, but also from the turkey hen!  What a surprise!  It never really occurred to me that we might be getting eggs from her too.  I took a picture of the turkey eggs next to store bought chicken eggs.  They are slightly bigger and brown spotted.  I think it is pretty cool! 

I also finished another book this morning.  I think it is the best book I have read in a very long time.  I love dogs and it is a dog story.  The title is "Rose in a Storm" by Jon Katz.  I have read others by him but I think this is by far his best.  It is a story of a massive snow storm from the perspective of a border collie.  I put me in mind of some of the old stories I read growing up about Lad and Wolf and other books by Terhune.  But it was better.  Makes me wish I could write as well.

Tinker seems to slowly be improving but I do not know for how long.  He also does not seem to be gaining weight in spite of his pig like eating habits and his extra grain every day.  He still has several days of medication to take.  I will call the vet after that and see what she thinks.

I have been shopping for Christmas.  I was in Tucson on Saturday, after I dropped the girls off at the airport.  I got quite a few gifts and looked at all the cool stuff out for Christmas.  It was already getting to be very crowded in the stores.  I have decided to take inventory and figure out what is left to purchase and get it done before Thanksgiving.  I do not want to have to deal with the traffic and mob scenes after the holiday.

Steve put a new sliding door on the chicken pen.  It is great!  I don't have to listen to Mr. Washington wake the dead every morning and, the best part is, neither do the neighbors! 
 

It has been a time of purging around here it seems to me.  First, the goats were sold.  I feel their loss every time I walk by the pasture.  Then the sewer backed up.  As a result of that we had to cut down our big beautiful pomegranate tree.  I hate cutting down trees.  But I hate the sewer backing up even worse.  It happened every six months when we first moved in here.  It was down to about once a year but every time the plumber declared that the cause was the roots from that tree.  There is another one growing near the goats' old pasture.  So maybe it will be as big as the old one some day.

And, of course, I feel like I have lost my son even though he has only gotten married.  They are celebrating one whole month of wedded bliss today.  I can hardly believe it has been a month already. Congratulations you two!

I forgot to mention that Steve and I took a trip to northern Arizona after the wedding in October.  It was beautiful up there as the aspens were turning gold and because all the lakes and trees are gorgeous any way.  We, well, Steve and our hosts hiked some.  I stayed behind because I did not trust my knee to hold up.  I sat and enjoyed the scenery while they hiked.  We also spent a day on the golf course.  It was nearly empty and it was like having our own private golf course.  The weather was absolutely fabulous that day too.  We really enjoyed ourselves.  Thanks to our good friends for a fun and relaxing time.

Tomorrow we will remember our Veterans.  Some are very close to me.  Steve served for 20 years.  My Dad and his dad also served for 20 years and both were veterans of the Korean War.  A special thanks to those brave men and all the others who served or are serving today.  We owe them more than we can ever repay.

I hear on the news that many of you farther north are getting snow.  We are just getting colder.  It was only 30 degrees when I fed the animals this morning.  It is supposed to be slightly warmer tonight.  Our weather changed almost overnight.  The wind picked up and moved the warmth out and the cold and gray clouds in.  It is sunny again but the cold stayed.  I got out my long johns and my alpaca blanket and turned the AC to Heat.  The chickens don't like the cold much and huddle inside.  Tomorrow Steve will put a door on their "room" in the barn to keep them warmer.  If it gets too cold, I will turn on the heat lamp for them that I used when they were chicks.  The cats have been coming in as soon as it gets dark too.  Buddy and the alpacas don't seem to mind the cooler temps.  In fact, they seem to prefer it.

Three nights ago, before it got cold, I heard a rattlesnake in the rock garden near the garage.  Buddy alerted me to its presence when it was nearly dark.  I ran in to get a flashlight but by the time I got back, Buddy was relaxed and I could no longer hear the rattle.  Then, on Monday night, I heard it again.  This time, Steve and my girls came out and found it in the big aloe plant.  Steve got the gun but no one could see well enough in the dark again to get a good shot at it's head.  It slipped away into one of the big squirrel holes.  I guess it is still there because the cold hit last night and no snake has rattled since.  It will probably hide away until spring.  I just hope when the heat returns we are reminded of  that old snake so we can watch out for him.

Our weather has been gorgeous the last few days.  The sunset tonight was spectacular, all hot pink and azure blues.  I finished a book today titled, "Stillmeadow Calendar" by Gladys Tabor.  It was published in 1967 and is about life on a 38 acre farm in New England.  The author talks about her life and her friends, her Irish Setter and cocker spaniels, the wildlife and friends and the experiences she has each month for a year.  It is definitely nostalgic and of a time gone by.  She has some profound things to say and I enjoyed it very much.  It made me remember my childhood spent in climates much greener and wetter than the one I enjoy now in southern Arizona.  

All that green and wet has it's darker side too, like more bugs and pests, bone chilling cold winters and views blocked by miles and miles of vegetation.  When I was outside this evening watching the sunset, I realized the great distances I can see.  The dark mountain silhouettes against a soft blue sky cannot be seen as clearly in lands where the trees are over one's head and the land is flat or the hills only rise gently.  Our desert is turning brown again, the only green being the prickly pear and stubby mesquite trees, but it has a majestic beauty all its own.

Tinker is taking his medicine without any problem and still eating like a pig.  We opened up the barn that had been divided when we had the goats so that the three alpacas would have more room and more shelter when the weather turns cold and rainy again.  I am still deciding about moving Stewie and Prince to the west side pasture.  They would have more room but there is no shelter there for them.  I am reluctant to move them without a good roof over their heads. 

I am trying to decide if I will actually prepare one of our turkeys for Thanksgiving.  I will have to kill it and dress it myself as no one else wants to do the deed.  They will all want to enjoy the feast once the dirty work is done, of course.  Reminds me of the "Little Red Hen" story.  Remember, whenever she asked for help preparing the bread, everyone said "Not I!"  Until the end when she has the soft warm wonderful smelling bread on the window sill to cool, then she asks "Who will help me eat the bread?"   The cat, the pig, the cow and the duck all shout, "I will! I will!"  Ha!  But the smart little hen says, "No!  I shall eat it myself!"  And she did.  The thing is, I don't think I could eat a whole turkey by myself! Ha!  Anyway, I wouldn't want to!  So we shall see.  Maybe I will just buy one at the store and spare the pretty birds.


I am beginning to wonder when my hens will start laying.  I will have to look at my records and see just how old they are.  Maybe they won't lay til spring.  It doesn't really matter as they are beautiful birds also and a pleasure to observe.  Now that Mr. Washington is getting the hang of crowing, it is probably in his favor that he is very handsome!  He may end up on the dinner table before any of the turkeys! Ha!


I found some really nice fabric at the store that I couldn't pass up.  Another of my favorite animals is the wolf.  Yeah I know, I should probably hate them now that I am a farmer, right?  Well I just can't.  Anyway, the fabric is a soft gray fleece with wolves all over it.  I thought I would make myself a jacket for the cooler weather.  I also have many other projects that I plan on doing now that the weather is getting cooler and my sewing room isn't so hot all the time.  I am looking for Christmas cards too.  As I haven't found any that I particularly like, I may have to make those too.  Cards are incredibly easy to make and much more cost effective than buying them.  Another, so we'll see!  


I took more pictures of the Amish country when I was in Delaware.  These people are real farmers who do not use electricity or machinery.  I loved seeing their big draft horses.